Chapter 5
Eyes of the young girl with brown hair tied into a plait were gazing at unemotional faces of men and one old woman sitting behind the long, wooden bench in the centre of the little room. One of men had a white beard, the rest of them were smoothly shaven. Everyone, including the white-haired woman, were dressed in bright, linen dresses and they had the same pendants hung on the neck as their younger acquaintance. Behind the girl, the mysterious man with a band on his eyes were standing in the shadows of the room. He smiled observing the conversation as if it entertained him.
"Our dreams came true. Prophecies told the truth! We're in the first day of the new era, on the eve of the birth of the world without hiding!" The girl was very excited with the message which she wanted to hand over. The bearded man settled himself more comfortably in his chair.
"Can you tell us everything one more time? But this time, calm down please, so that everyone can catch the meaning of your words." He asked smiling.
"Well... but my heart is beating so fast... I don't know, I can control myself..." The young woman announced.
"People from Drales' tower found my altar, they learnt that I and my family were practicing the forbidden art. They destroyed it completely and I was unlucky to come across one of them, when I had come back from morning's collecting of herbs. I escaped, I tried to disappear somewhere in the depths of the forest, in one of our hiding places, but they were much faster. They caught me... and then a miracle happened! My torturers were destroyed by two lightings, the spell none of us could create through decades!" The girl said gesticulating. The man lurking in the shadows geared himself up to join the conversation.
"Our master, the one who became the God by learning and understanding the magic, who created the Paradise in our lands and had to pay with his own life for this transgression, he is among us again!" In the girl's eyes tears of happiness appeared. Eyes of the bearded man became large from amazement. His two companions looked at each other whispering something. The old lady smiled.
"What are you talking about, child? Should you not rest, since you are daydreaming?" She said. The girl became sad.
"I'm bringing you the most wonderful news and you're averting your eyes from it? I'm alive and free after the meeting with people from the Oficium and this is probably the biggest evidence that I'm not trying to cheat you!"
The bearded man looked at brown haired girl. The girl stopped talking.
"Sidara... child... nobody of us claims that you want to cheat us because your heart is black. You are young, full of daydreams about world which passed a long time ago and you want to have traditions of your ancestors engraved upon your heart. We are grateful for it. But your opened heart became a victim of somebody, whose intentions may not be as pure as they seem to be."
"Before you, next to me, Fallax is standing... and you still cannot believe? Were all your teaching the words full of hypocrisy?" The girl was dissatisfied.
"Didn't his real power open your eyes?" She added.
"There are many people practicing magic against bans of the Oficium, who knows what they were able to learn outside the range of Golden Palace's eyes... the display of the power doesn't mean someone's divinity child..."
Impatient, Fallax joined in the conversation. In spite of blinding, he knew very well where other people had been. He stood up opposite him and asked Sidara to cease talking.
"Have you already forgotten what had been your duty, old man?" He said with the voice full of disrespect.
"Have you forgotten what the task of the Assembly of Four was after Executors had destroyed the Temple and killed my physical body?" He asked.
"To protect culture of our lands until the earthly body of our greatest master, Fallax returns. Every child in our families knows the history, you won't impress me." The bearded man replied.
"Your lack of the faith in your own past causes that anger is seizing me!"
The bearded old man became nervous. He rose from the wooden chair, and leaning on a walking stick came up to the young man.
"If you are indeed divine Fallax, why aren't you destroying the Golden Palace, why aren't you scattering the Oficium to the four winds? Why instead of rebuilding the Temple you are standing here, crippled and blind?" The old man shouted straight into the face of the magus.
"You are committing blasphemies old man! I am weakened after my awakening, but I am having enough strength to break one old tree! Do you want to see my power?"
Fallax raised the hand towards the old man's neck. He tightened it firmly and a green glow appeared around his body. The girl and other people in the chamber were too terrified to react. The man start sucking the vitality out from the bearded man. Simultaneously he directed it to his destroyed eyes hiding under the band. In only a few seconds, only a dried, empty shell remained after the bearded man. Fallax removed the band from his head showing healthy, green eyes.
"I came back and I took my rightful place in the Assembly of Four." He said gladly.
The old woman was looking at the landscape of the battlefield. The fire was consuming lying remains of tree people, reducing their long, thin limbs to ashes. The majority of guards were fallen down by fireballs of the witch, but some of them were still on their legs in spite of flames raging on their wooden bodies. The older witch looked at them with hateful eyes, hissing and spitting on her feet every couple of minutes.
"Do you still feel like fighting? Do you still want to defend this place?" She screamed, clasping the gnarled cane tightly.
"It is our purpose. We will not let you get to the gate, or we will die trying. " The voice of the black pole propagated over the forest clearings.
"As you wish." The witch squawked throwing three balls of fire towards living trees coming up to her. The beings were hit by the heat which reduced their limbs to ashes, causing that colossi to immediately fall down to the ground. The witch overlooked, that one of forest monsters had stalked her from the back. He stretched long, wooden fingers out in her direction with the intention of crushing her by his powerful hug. When he touched her body, strange things started to happen to him. His leaves on the head and the back became red, then yellow and after a moment, they fell out. All his members became numb, effectively immobilizing him. His hand rotted and broke into the small pieces, thanks to which, the woman could free herself.
"He, he, he" The witch laughed.
"I am as poisonous as a toad!" She added after a moment.
"Will you let me in, or do you want the greater body count?" She asked looking at the black pole towering over surroundings. The silence of the guardian indicated the agreement on the further fight.
"I must finish it once and for all." The old person thought. She spat on grass and in the place, in which her spit fell, a swarm of black, repulsive insects started forming. Soon, it was so many of them that the sky above the forest became black and the sound of their wings filled surroundings with overwhelming anxiety. Insects attacked everything what was a part of moving plants, and wasn't afflicted by the fire. They cut leaves, branches, chewed on the bark from fat trunks. Slow creatures had no chance in the clash with fast and dangerous opponent. When the witch noticed that almost all trees had been wiped out, she whistled, causing that insects to fly away in the four winds. Surroundings became even more depressing. Stumps of dead trees, deprived of leaves and bark, eaten by white larvae protruded everywhere. Large pylon, which had been surrounded by the green of forest until recently, stood in the middle of dead land, dried off and burnt by the fire.
"Your opposition is admirable. But I cannot let you go through the gate. I must personally defend of the place, which is sacred for the universe." The booming voice of the obelisk sounded around. A shining blue net appeared on the surface of the pole. After a few seconds, the lighting formed the elaborate web of crossing bundles, looking like the web carried out by a mechanical spider from a distant future. The web effectively isolated the witch from the part of forest.
"You're raising the level of difficulty of this game... well. But don't think that you will manage to stop me!"
Meanwhile, in the world in which Morpheus' team was trapped, a dark night reigned. Jessica, Matts and Rann, disguised in black guard's uniforms, were walking toward the tower, in which other members of their team were locked up. Luckily, they didn't meet a patrol or people from the village. Unfortunately, they also didn't come across Sakiko or the raven belonging to Morpheus. They were already very close their longed-for purpose. Coming up to the building leading gates to the interior, they stopped.
"Listen, we must behave as if we knew this place. Otherwise they'll start suspecting us. If it happens, nobody of us will be able to fight with the entire garrison, even I." Rann Shaner said.
"When we enter the stronghold, we must split and search two parts of the tower individually. We will start with basements, because it is the most probable place of holding prisoners."
"Why two? There's three of us, so we can check in three various places. " Matts asked.
"No. Jessica must be with you because in case of trouble, she can't speak. I noticed no women amongst soldiers which can indicate, that the service of women is forbidden. Her voice will betray our presence."
"Nice..." The girl said.
"Well. Since it's necessary. Perhaps it's better, we'll be together all the time." Matts said to the black-haired girl.
"Exactly." Jessica replied.
"End of chatting, we'll be inside the stronghold in a minute." Rann hushed up all talking.
There was nothing unusual behind the door, just ordinary stone walls, the cold walls without any variety. One of guards passed by them, not keeping an eye on the group, because he thought that they were his friends coming back from the patrol. Rann went towards the long corridor with the wooden doors and Jessica and Matts came off the opposite way, into the corridor turning deep into the building. Rann found stairs leading to lower levels, located below the level of ground. Guessing that this was the very probable place of holding his acquaintances, he decided to comb it inch by inch. Unfortunately he didn't have much luck, because he came across the closed door after a few minutes, additionally guarded by the armed man.
"I am sorry, you can't go farther." The soldier said. Rann knew that he had headed in an appropriate direction.
"Why?" He asked.
"Only Drales can access the dungeons, it's his last order. We expect envoys of the Oficium arriving and until then all contact with prisoners is forbidden."
"Come on, I wanted to see these heretics. The similar chance may not repeat itself." Rann said examining the reaction of his interviewed person.
"An order is an order, I cannot let nobody in!" The guard replied.
"You're a bloody martinet." Rann didn't feel like talking anymore. He knew that he would have to think out other way of getting to prisoners.
Meanwhile, Jessica and Matts reached the little chamber being a vestibule leading to stairs. They noticed that they were leading only to the upper deck of the tower.
"I don't think that we're lucky." Matts said.
"They aren't probably being kept at the top..." He added.
"Who knows? Perhaps they're on the last floor. Towers sometimes served as imprisonment places. Perhaps it's worthwhile checking." The girl suggested. The boy agreed with her, but still remained skeptical.
"Okay, they can be there and you can be right. But somebody important can be at the top also, somebody who will recognize us who with an ease. We're risking everything."
"And you wanted everything to be simple? We're supposed to get somebody out of the imprisonment, somebody who broke the law of these lands. Did you want to do it without thrills of emotion?" The girl smiled through the dark pane of her helmet.
"Enough chatting. Let us already up walk." They came up the stairs, winding like a screw line, on the top floor. When the girl touched the cold wall, a vision appeared in her head. She stood in the middle of a street of some large city. Everything around her was green, earth, pavements and streets, buildings, towers of the distant castle, even clouds and the sky. Jessica instinctively sensed that this place hadn't been something natural, it was created by some dangerous power. At some point, she realized that a long-haired man had stood on one of towers. He wore a green armor and ring being on fire with real, green flame was on the finger of his right hand. The man noticed the girl, he directed his ring at her, and then fired a stream of flames. Jessie felt the intense heat, warmness attacking her from every side, not giving her chance of catching her breath. In the real world, convulsions shook her body. Overbalancing, she leaned against the wall. Matts immediately came up to her, simultaneously checking whether the strange behavior of the girl didn't attract the attention of somebody whom he perhaps might not notice earlier.
"Jessica! What's going on?" He asked.
"I had a vision. I must take this helmet off. I'm really hot... " She said.
"Damn it! Not here! Somebody can notice us... wait..." Matts announced looking at the first door which he came across on the top floor of the building. He looked into interior and having become convinced that there was nobody there, he led the girl there. He closed the door, simultaneously sliding the wooden bolt back. The room turned out to be the small storage in which some wooden objects were being held, probably parts of the stronghold's furnishing. Jessica sat down on the floor, quickly took her helmet off. After a moment, she also unbuttoned her black uniform. Matts noticed that the girl's face was covered by sweat and she was breathing with difficulty.
"Jessica, what's going on? You look as if you've just left the sauna!" He asked.
"I'm feeling much worse. I had some very intensive revelation... it influenced my body."
"Calm down, cool down a bit, say nothing... will you faint?"
"No, I'm feeling better, give me a few minutes." Jessie closed her eyes. After a moment , she was ready to share her vision with the boy.
"We must hurry up. This guy with the long hair... in my vision, he had Alan's ring, he used it to create the entire city... he destroyed us... wanted to burn me... we cannot allow it."
"Jessica, it was only a vision. It won't become reality." Matts replied.
"Even if this happens, I'll protect you." He added. The girl smiled.
"Ok, let's get in touch with Rann." He said getting up off the floor. The boy handed the helmet to her.
"Don't forget about it, there is cold here, you must convince your organism that what you felt was only an illusion."
Fallax was sitting on the wooden throne, until recently belonging to the old man, whose dried off body lay by the room's wall. People in the chamber didn't dare to comment on the felony, to speak a single one word, in fear of their own life. Their eyesight betrayed that they not entirely believed in the divinity of their guest, but his extraordinary abilities caused that they weren't arguing with him anymore. Young Sidara was simultaneously horrified and fascinated with the man, she felt the thrill of emotion just by looking at his miraculously healed eyes. Fallax knew that the girl had a potential to become his most faithful believer and to help him to recover the power over the entire lands. He turned to the surviving members of the council of elders.
"Who are you? Why there is a woman between you? Did you forget about our principles?"
"My lord, so much time have passed since your death... the entire centuries... the world isn't the same as you remember it." One of men replied.
"I want to know... I want to know what happened while I slept in my dream repeating itself ad infinitum! I want to know what happened with my world!"
"It is a very long story. I can introduce you to main events... many of them are only legends now..."
"Speak!"
"When the Temple collapsed and you were defeated, the Assembly of Four, your most faithful followers as well as everyone who survived, had to escape from our land and hide in the hills, where they lived as nomads generation after generation, cultivating the magic and waiting for your second arrival. We lost secret books and artifacts which once gave us the power over time and space. Executors built new state, full of wonderful miracles created by the genius of the human mind and the hardship of the labor. Their power was strict, but just. They believed that they had rescued the world from your anger, therefore they didn't let people knowing the magic to gather in one place, in one land. They invited us, highlanders remembering about the former glory, to live between them, in their cities touching the sky. They let us live in the peace and practice the magic, if it didn't lead to something too dangerous. They also didn't let rebuild the Temple in which you underwent the transformation, My Lord. Our cultures mix together, giving us common benefits. With time The Assembly of Four seated in the Palace of Stars ascending above all buildings, by the most outstanding leaders of Annites, as Executors really named themselves. Their country was powerful, but too big. Internal disputes tossed it, there were many roads their masters wanted to follow, which were completely different from each other. People of the North harassed us more and more, envying our prosperity and the magic-technical power. Soon their armies grew into power, we were able to defend the most distant areas of our world with an effort. A few of us used the chance to restore the ancient rituals and power which you had at your disposal. They wanted to reconstruct the formula, that gave a divinity to a man, they wanted to destroy Annites and rebuild the Temple. They failed and the defeat cost many lives. After this tragedy, all your people were driven out. Unfortunately, unaided by the magic, Annites could not longer defend themselves against attacks of the People of the North. Their cities were destroyed and the Palace of Stars came down like the house of cards. Their world ceased to exist, many of them was captured and others escaped into hills the same as we at one time. A schism took place in the Assembly of Four. One of us, Saronius acknowledged that all disasters which met us, had been associated with the magic and the attempt to reconstruct the former power you had, my Lord. Along with his supporters as well as hundreds of Annites, he decided to go to the expedition in search for better lands, forbidding the ones which followed him to use all the magic. The three of us, who remained, decided, that The Assembly of Four will embrace one woman. They chose Aleandra, the old prophetess. Since then, every Assembly of Four has been composed of three men and one woman. We have lived in the state destroyed by wars and occupied by people fighting with each other for many years. We weren't able to become powerful enough to destroy invaders, but in spite of it we could live in hope for your arrival and the restoration of our state. Our land was invaded by armies of the north, but this time they were led by somebody unexpected. The old man, Saronius, followed by hundreds of armed Annites and our brothers as well as a few clans of People of the North, whom he had urged to cooperate in a way known only to him, attacked the weakened cities. Saronius was victorious, he retook the capital city and soon other provinces. The ones which weren't expelled, joined him. In the place of the ancient Palace of Stars, the Golden Palace was built and the city was granted a name: Margouth. Saronius believed that his victory had been a merit of breaking all contacts with the magic and was convinced that destruction of the magic and all divine worship of the wizard could be an only way to keep the power and the permanent peace. Oficium Antimagicum came into the existence. Saronius' successors effectively destroyed everything, which remained after the former Temple and we, your disciples, were forced to live in seclusion."
"The situation looks tragic, but now when I am living again, the victory is only a matter of time!" Fallax said laughing.
"It is necessary to punish the one who betrayed our holy past." The man which told a brief story of his state added.
When Sakiko rushed on the horse along the road, a night still reigned over the world, but the first rays of the waking up Sun, came out from behind the horizon. The girl didn't feel tiredness, or hunger for blood, her attention was focused entirely on the task of finding the graveyard, where she was supposed to find the next clue concerning the possibility of the escape from the unfamiliar land. At some point she felt that her horse had been alarmed, just as if he got scared of something strange. She stopped him, touched him with both hands, trying to work on his mind and to calm him. Then she heard the strange whirr. She looked upwards, noticing the flying machine moving smoothly above the peaks of trees. The vehicle had ribbed wings and the rudder, blue gondola decorated with gilded ornaments. It stayed in air thanks to the big balloon and reached its speed thanks to two airscrews put on both sides of the gondola. The aircraft moved towards the place from which the girl arrived. After a short stop and crossing the hill, the female vampire noticed the city enclosed with walls in the distance, with a few impressive buildings erected, one of which was with the magnificent golden roof. Sakiko reached Margouth, her longed-for purpose.
In the same time, Jessica and Matts were surprised by one of guards from the tower. The girl managed to put the helmet on at the last moment, hiding her identity from the stranger.
"What are you still doing here?" The man shouted.
"We just came back from the patrol..." Matts answered.
"Couldn't you hear the order? You're supposed to immediately turn up before the entry to the stronghold. At dawn, the envoys from the Antimagicum Oficium will arrive! Their sky-high eagle has already taken off from roofs of the Golden Palace!"
"We will go there right away!" Matts announced quickly and firmly.
"Yes, you wouldn't like to irritate Drales, now when he is excited with caught heretics."
The man went somewhere. Jessica and Matts guessed that they had very little time. Envoys from the Oficium arrival could mean only and exclusively trouble, both for them and for their imprisoned friends.
"We must find Rann!" The girl said.
"If the order was for everyone from the Tower, we'll probably meet with him outside. Let us walk!"
The witch stood opposite the obelisk looking at it angrily. Mesh of blue rays was becoming more and more thick and hope for destroying in without receiving any wounds was fading with every passsing moment.
"You desecrated this place with your vile goblets witch, therefore I decided that I could not set you free. You will be imprisoned the same as the one whom you want to meet so much. My decision is irreversible." The metallic voice sounded as the echo coming from some non-existent borders of forest clearings.
"I didn't want to do it... but my mission is much more important than the existence of this place. You still have one chance, set me free, or else I will have to use the most powerful magic to destroy both you and the seal which you are looking after."
"My decision is irreversible. " The voice of the black guard repeated.
"Mine also, you long, protruding cock!" The witch squawked raising her gnarled cane above her head. The Earth around her, started shaking, uttering the very loud and worrying sound. Bumps appeared in the place where foundations of the guard were, and soon two very coarse spices covered with hundreds of spikes erupted from them. Plants covered the surface of the black pylon, squeezing into its body with enormous might. Cracks appeared on the stone. Shining rays dematerialized one after the other and the criss-cross of blue radii flashed, as if it was supposed to disappear forever. Plants bit into the guard even more firmly, crushing its armor and getting to esoteric circuits being the source of its power. After a moment, they injured something important in its interior and webs protecting the road to one of the most guarded places in the world, ceased to exist. The witch looked at her work of destruction, horribly looking cracked pole covered with creepers. No voice came from dead rock.
"I didn't want it do it, but you didn't leave any other choice to me. The Awakening turned up in the universe again, this time in the land of the Master of Dreams. The squad collected by Morpheus is as weak and as inexperienced as we were, when Destruction, the bearded brother of Lord of Dreams. Our expedition was a tragedy, many still suffers from its journey. I cannot let it happen again. I cannot." The witch turned into the lane surrounded by numerous trees. When she underwent a few steps, she entered the unusual place The forest growing above the woman took the form of the huge building. Kinked branches formed the elaborate web of structural members resembling vaults of large European cathedrals. Leaves formed narrow windows and the sunlight penetrating through them seemed to come from stained glass dyed green. Large trunks constituted the buttress system supporting the weight of the huge, living temple. Birds among the branches of the trees were a choir at the unusual Church devoted to the mother nature. The place was wonderful, it took the breath away by its largeness symbolizing the power of the nature and was filled up with the indisputable holiness. Nobody would suppose that it also hid one of the most despicable beings in the universe, it was a prison for Astaroth, the infernal demon who chosen by the Endless as one of travelers fighting against the Awakening centuries ago was, but turned out to be a traitor and because of that biggest crime he had to become a prisoner of the Forest Cathedral, lying at the frontiers of the Destruction's domain, for the eternity. The witch opened the covered gate with creepers, being the last obstacle between her and the cell of the demon. She entered the huge room, submerged in a semi-darkness lighted by narrow beams of lights bursting through the unusually thick web of branches building walls and the ceiling. When she took a few steps and her eyes got used to darkness, she caught the sight of the prisoner of the chamber. Tall man with long hair, dressed in a dark robe, stood with turned to the wall. When he noticed that, for the first time, he hadn't been alone in his prison, he slowly turned around and looked at his unexpected guest. His eyes gleamed, as if miniature galaxies were in their interior and the white of his skin caused that the air around had become cooler.
"What's a nice surprise, Juan..." He said bowing to the witch.
"Why are you in this repulsive form? What won't you choose something more pleasant for eyes and more aesthetic than the old body?" He asked.
"It's my business how I want to look! It's not for your eyes!" The witch replied angrily.
"Why have you come to this place? Did you arrive to free me? Have you understood, that my mission had been right?"
"Nothing of the kind! I need to learn from you one thing! Right after I know it, I will leave you so that you could die here through the entire eternity!"
"There is no need to show aggression. You are afraid of me although you know that I am here defenseless, you are trying to hide your fear with shouts. It is as typical for mortals, even having as long life as you." Astaroth replied calmly.
"I didn't come here for the psychoanalysis, I have a question!"
"Well. Since you don't want to lighten my solitude up even with a moment of a conversation, we can proceed to business. Before, I liked customers who cared only about the agreement. Perhaps my solitude is a penalty for wasn't being too sociable? What do you want Juan from me?"
"I want to know where the Morning Star is!" The witch confessed. Astaroth burst out laughing.
"Why I am supposed to know such things? The prince is the most probably in his domain, in Dis, where he stays for the beginnings of the Universe."
"Don't lie. You know that Lucifer left the Hell, starting his never-ending journey into all worlds! I know that you are able to find him and his other generals anywhere at all. I want to know where he is and I don't have a lot of time." The witch shouted tightening her hands on the cane.
"Let us suppose that what you are saying is a true and I know how to find the Morning Star. What will I gain sharing this knowledge with you?"
Juan was smiling showing the jaw deprived of many teeth.
"You have a debt, have you already forgot? The promise..." The demon clenched fists. His face expressed great anger and eyes were on fire with glitter of colliding galaxies.
"There is no need to show aggression." The witch said calmly.
"Well... you won. I will find Lucifer for you, but you must tell me why you need him!"
"Of course. The Awakening turned up in the world of Morpheus and he collected the group in order to stop her. Group compound of mortals."
Astaroth laughed again.
"Mortals? Even we stopped her from destroying everything with an effort! How power which gods and demons are afraid of, which the God himself is afraid of, is supposed to be stopped by mortals?"
"Therefore I must help them. I need to contact with the Morning Star."
"Well... you were a constant source of amusement for me, so I will help you. How am I supposed to find Lucifer? From this place one can't see any stars, so my astrology will help you little, Juan."
"But the Tarot will always work. " The witch replied giving a pack of cards, which she had always carried in her bag, to the demon.
In the world in which the team of Morpheus got lost, a dawn was breaking. The Sun loomed from behind the horizon and the neighborhood was engulfed in the milk-white fog. All guards gathered in front of Drales' tower, they stood one next to the other, all waiting nervously for the appearance of the commander. Everyone had uniforms as well as helmets on, thanks to which Rann, Matts and Jessica could be between them arousing no suspicions. Drales appeared in the front of the stronghold, he looked at soldiers counting them one after another. Something didn't appeal to him, he started counting them again.
"Are these everyone?" He asked the guard standing closest to him.
"No... one didn't come back from the patrol. He was sent in search for the rest of heretics." The man replied.
"Am I supposed to give the command of taking helmets off? To check who is absent?" He asked.
"No... we don't have a time. They will be here right away." Drales said. Rann Shaner felt a big relief. After a moment, the eyes of everyone turned at the sky on which the air ship of envoys from the Golden Palace sailed. Drales ordered his subordinates to stay in two rows, in order to look the best they could in the presence of important persons travelling by the strange plane. The flying machine sat down in the clearing in the nearby distance from the entry to the tower. Its moving airscrews generated the striking wind and the hissing of gasses in the balloon filled surroundings with the noise deafening all other local sounds. Drales met envoys half way. Two persons stepped out of the vehicle, men in blue robes, both middle-aged. One of them was holding a long walking stick with the ornament in the shape of a hand.
"Welcome you in this beautiful land, dignified envoys of the Golden Palace. I hope that your travel wasn't too tiring... I am Drales, representative of warriors fighting for the cleanness of the idea of great Saronius, do you wish something special, venerable men?"
"No, we set off from Margouth as soon as we received the signal about catching heretics by you and your people. We want take them to the capital city where will be judged by Oficium Antimagicum as soon as possible." one of men said.
"We want to see them and judge if they are dangerous." He added second.
"Of course. I will lead you to dungeons, where these rogues were isolated from the rest of world in order not to promote their heresies."
Drales pointed at the tower and two men headed in its direction. Jessica and Matts was looking at everything with a concern. Rann came out ahead of the row, in the hope of being chosen by Drales to help his guests. His dream came true, because the long-haired man called him with one move of his hand.
"You are going with me. You will be protecting our honored guests, if any of prisoners turned out to be a threat for them."
"Yes, my lord." Rann answered obediently. Jessica and Matts decided to trust him, so they were silent ignoring the eyes of other men in black uniforms.
Astaroth and Juan stood opposite each other by the round table covered with green moss. A single ray of light fell on the man's face which miraculously was able to pass through the thick tangle of branches building the prison. His eyes lodged on the table top on which many cards, portraying different symbols from the history of humanity were spread. Hands of the demon gently touched surfaces of cards, as if, through the physical contact, he was supposed to learn the truth sought after by his very old familiar.
"Yes... I know where he is!" Astaroth shouted taking hands away from the table.
"Where? " The witch was made impatient.
"I do not know the name this place, this land... I am not able to remember it, although my eyes could see all worlds roamed by any of my old companions. I can take you there, to move if really you want it."
"Don't mock me! You are imprisoned here! You cannot move from here." The witch burst with shout because she thought that the demon was making fun of her.
"I am imprisoned, but my power is great. I cannot leave this place, or interact with any of worlds, but I can open my doors with an ease. Am I supposed to do it, Juan?"
"Yes!" The witch hit the floor of the chamber with her walking stick. Black-haired man moved away from the table, he gently smiled. At that very moment, the gate portraying some distant meadow appeared behind the back Juan.
"Well... you paid your debt off, demon." The witch took her divination cards.
"Wait. I didn't tell you the whole of my prophecy. There is something more what you should know about. Somebody, who is neither angel nor the one who fell, wants to use the team of the Master of Dreams for his own needs. His action will send the team for the journey all over dangerous worlds, in which my brothers in sin live. He wants to destroy them and believes that thanks to the Awakening, he will manage to do it."
"Wait! We must stop him!" The old woman screamed, but Astaroth remained deaf to her requests. The woman soon disappeared in the portal.
"The first step for my freeing happened today..." The demon said aloud hiding in shadows of his cell.