Kapitel 23: Hidden Reactions

Raven had not even made it ten steps forward when he was suddenly assaulted by a sudden cacophony of noise. He heard loud whispers and ravings boom in his mind, sending him staggering and falling to the floor.

"Argh!" A sharp pain spiked within his head and he felt warm liquid begin to run down from his nose.

"#?*#?!" He could not understand anything that the mad ravings said, but it was not like he was in the right state of mind to even try to decipher the ravings. His vision slowly began to turn dark and his eyes turned hazy.

'I'm losing consciousness... No...' Raven could only helplessly fall to the ground, face first, and allow the darkness to embrace him.

In a distant land, far away from where Raven and Jiro had just fought, there was a certain mountain range. It was quite popular among those who knew it, but not for the right reasons. Rumors had it that this mountain range was cursed, and anyone who went in would not come back out. Indeed, those who went in to confirm the validity of this rumor had never been heard from or seen again.

At the center of this mountain range was a massive mountain whose peak towered above all others around it. Within the mountain, an ancient being was stirred.

Within the darkness of the hollow space in the depths of the mountain, two pairs of eyes, stacked upon one another, opened. They glowed red, faintly outlining the massive stature of the being they belonged to.

"I have waited. Waited for everything to continue. He has finally returned."

Those words reverberated through the hollow mountain, causing it to tremble ever so slightly. Each word carried a tremendous weight and power to it, as if the will of the world itself.

"I am coming..."

'...My head.' Slowly, Raven regained his consciousness. A strong feeling of weakness suffused his entire body, making it extremely hard for him to even think. Next came the waves of intense pain that wracked his body, threatening to send him unconscious once again, but Raven managed to hold himself together, wearily pulling open his eyelids.

"Ah, he's awake! Get the master!" Voices and hurried sounds rang out around Raven as he slowly came to. At first, he was confused, then he was alarmed. All the sluggishness and grogginess vanished and he quickly hopped up from the bed that he had been laying on. A wave of pain and dizziness assaulted his mind, but he easily brushed it off and took in his surroundings.

The first things that entered his sights were the two robed men that stood a short distance away, looking at him with apprehension. Their eyes were fixed on him, and their bodies were tensed in a way that showed that they were ready to respond to any aggressive actions from him.

"Who are you? Where am I?" Raven asked them. He could tell from the rough walls around him and the damp air that he seemed to be in an underground space, but he was not sure how he got here. The last thing he remembered was the fight with Jiro and him losing consciousness.

'Had someone stumbled upon the sight and found me?' He wondered. His hands reached for the sheath that was usually attached to his thigh to pull out his dagger, but found that it was not there. He had been stripped of his weapons!

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Just then, the sound of several pairs of footsteps, along with one that sounded a bit hobbled, reached Raven's ears. He diverted a portion of his attention to the entrance to the room that he had been kept in and watched as three figures came into the room. The moment they entered, Raven was shocked as he saw none other than the old man from before, Wikes!

"It's you!" Raven exclaimed and turned his body to face Wikes, his eyes giving off intense waves of distrust.

"Indeed, it is I." Wikes eyed Raven slyly. "Hehehe, I see you have completed the assignment I gave you. You have passed the test." He chuckled deeply. He tapped his wooden cane on the ground as he slipped into thought.

"A test?" Raven asked, confused, not letting down his guard in the slightest. He was without his weapons, but he still had magic. Although, he was doubtful about his ability to do anything to Wikes. The man was obviously a very powerful Dark Magic practitioner.

"Yes, a test. A test to find out if you were good enough to take on my teachings. You passed, so I brought you back here. If you had failed, then there was no need for me to worry, as you would be dead by now. Hehe." Wikes elaborated a little, his eyes squinting wickedly as he laughed.

Raven gulped. He had nearly lost that fight. But... he had remembered a strange feeling as something came over him. He knew how to fight and cast spells that he had never even thought of before. He had been able to do things that astounded even him. They were supposed to be clearly far above his level, but he had been able to do them. It was strange and scared him ever so slightly.

In that time, the voice that had always remained with Raven had become particularly active and agitated. But in the heat of the moment, Raven had not paid it any mind. Thankfully, it had receded once again and did not bother him. For now...

"Get up and come with me. There is a lot we have to talk about concerning your future." Wikes turned around and hobbled out of the room, followed by the other robed men.

"Ah, yes." Wikes suddenly stopped. He snapped his fingers and a black dagger appeared out of thin air. "This is for you." He threw it over and Raven caught it. The dagger was in its sheath and did not harm him as he caught it. He examined it before attaching it back to his thigh and getting up from the bed.

Carefully, he followed after Wikes.

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