บท 12: Slaves To Their Quest[Imprisoned By The Lieutenants Immortal.]

A ghastly figure emerged from the darkness, its approach was uneven with the strapping of footsteps. The footsteps reached the floor curvature and slided in the dome or precisely called a bowl and then stopped, soon after it seems like eternal silence shrouded the place. It was gone. Blake tried to listen for the danger but instead, what passed his hearing was the whistling of the wind. Suddenly, the Vile Castle lit up dimly. What followed next was a loud ricochetting noise as if a lever was pulled to trigger a certain something.

"I think we've been spotted..."

The light, illuminating the Castle wasn't bright enough to chase the shadows but still, it was enough to have them see in the dark as they proceeded with their movement.

Blake stepped into the uneven dome-like floor which had a shoot out at its center and then, clearly using the hilt of the [Night Tide] to support himself from sliding on the slippery edge. Evie and Tera did the same with both their swords and was now strailing on after him.

They passed through broad stairs leading below because that is the only possible way to follow and this way was anchored to one of the belfries of the Vile Castle and then, reaching the very end... the somber cathedral was ahead.

'Did it jump in a time loop?'

Blake wondered because obviously, they had passed the cathedral to get to the Vile Castle. Evie too had the same in mind too.

"Hellow!! Blake, did we not...?"

Evie's face turned dark and Blake just walked forward so that he could study the cathedral. Maybe, he would find out why...

The Vile Castle was in a way or two inter-linked with the cathedral that while the castle stood upside down, the cathedral was tempted to fall on the same shape as it, but the course of nature instantly prevented that from happening. Just below the Vile Castle, there was a gauge loaded from top to bottom and on either side with iron walls, just like a bridge, which comes out on its own when the isle moves from side to side of the Linards Mountain only to get interlocked with the vile castle all over again.

Instantly, chains began to rattle loudly as if they were doing an underground minning work. Blake flinched, but he started to frown the moment the cathedral began to change its position with the noises of loosing irons sounding so clear.

"But,"

Blake stared at the chains which was drawn together in a tight knot crisscrossing North-east, North-west, South-east and South-west.

And then, all four cardinals pulling the isle where the cathedral is built right in its underbelly. Right now, its either they get into the moving isle or go back into the Vile Castle. The vile castle still looked creepy on its own but...

Hold on,

Blake really did see a figure in the darkness coming at them. But it left them alone instead... did it know that the Cathedral was changing its position? Blake frowned even deeper as he tried to figure out if it the was safest to go into the cathedral.. but, calculating the whole scene, Blake realised that things might change before they would reach the underbelly of the Vile castle.. and there was it.

The stairs leading to the underbelly[belfries] of the vile castle was now up lifting and pulling off. Even the iron bridge that covered the top, the bottom and then either sides was gradually dislodging from its actual circuit as if it were something connected mechanically. Soon the trio darted into the Cathedral before the bridge would completely disappear and within minutes, from where they stood on the floating isle, govinated by a hard asphalt road streaking to the entrance, all they could see was the dark expanse as the rattling of chains progressed to indicate its movement and then, finally. A certain inertia jolted them because the chains grew taut and could not stretch its way farther.

Blake and the ladies walked into the somber Cathedral.

The magnificent structure which protruded from the underbelly of the floating isle was made of black stone, Blake realised. It resembled a tall, somber cathedral that was somehow built instigiously which hovered above the abyss of impenetrable darkness. The foundation was its highest point, and its seven belfries descended into the depts of the black void, each ending with a short chain that held a massive bell cast of tarnished green copper.

Since the Vile castle was located under the isle and shot into the Linards Mountain. The light from both the moon and and sun never reached it. Instead, the Vile castle and the cathedral was shrouded in eternal shadow, with only the pale shinning of the distant divine flames carressing its black walls.

In a strange reversal, the velvet darkness of the abyss and the scattering of false stars in its dept seemed like a vast night sky hanging above it.

The interior of the cathedral was as bizzairre as its exterior. Blake expected the actual floors to be constructed properly, and some of the corridors they walked through were. But other parts of the vile castle were upside down, leaving the cathedral wandering from the side to side of the castle. And that was just the outward ring. He didn't even want to imagine how the holy Macress itself and the inner sanctuary looked. The [Holy Macress] is a term for a sacred place where gods dwell. In the medieval era, priest used this place to pray to their gods because, after the [Indigene of the Dark] had cursed that all gods will be trapped in the Linards Mountain not ever finding their way out, every lineage and blood lines of different gods began to find themselves there by mistake and then, even the bigger or lesser gods were trapped which at once promised them no hope of freedom in the nearer future. The [god of longlife] was there too, it runs the race of the lives of every living creature alive and so much more, and then priest began to seek protections back in those days and anyone who wanted help prays and it would be answered. Someone who knew about every gods occupying the Mountain was recruited to stay there too till eternity in order to guard others on the dos and don'ts of the Linards Mountain... now millions of years have passed swiftly with the lineage of those priests and holyones eviscerated from the earth itself, leaving both the [Holy Macress] and the [Sanctuary] unoccupied for years. It was now occupied by old age itself.

Blake turned to face the girls and then a smile thugged its way on his lips.

"This place is more confusing than I thought it would be."

He muttered and of course, Evie cursed knowing as he looks clueless about their direction.

"You mean, you... don't even know the way around?"

Blake stared at Evie, then at Tera only to look away.

"I was only directed to it, not the way around it. The reason am being able to locate each and every part of this vile Castle, is as a result of my connection to the gods.. I am able to trace one of my kind." Blake sneered at her.

Instantly, in the thick darkness of the somber cathedral, strong arms grabbed all three of them and Tera gasped.

"Hey, let go!"

Evie screamed feeling her hand being twisted to the back in precisely an impossible angle which gave that, one wrong move and then there would be a snap on it.

Not only Evie, even Tera and Blake had their hands twisted behind at an impossible angle. These strong arms were resilient and powerful... as if the person holding them had satiated their soul emblem. Humans, given the power of the underworld groove, is instantly given the chance to satiate their soul emblem. The [Soul Emblem] is like a powerhouse where by, the life of an immortal is being added by a fraction of them completing certain actions and gaining records of their various kill in order to graduate. The one [Dormant] in class is not able to access a status untill he or she fully conquers the trial and becomes a CrestFallen... everything would be cleared after that...

A vast amount of light suddenly illuminated their surroundings. By then, their hands have been twisted in a way that it would almost snap that even Blake couldn't attack. Their weapons were also snatched from their grasp.

But, Blake smiled instantly realising that they were still able to dismiss the sword. In no time, the swords the men or should I call them guards held suddenly disintegrated into rains of sparks and... it was gone. They were upset, seeing the triumphant smile on Blake's face. The guards stared at them with heavy resentment. All of the young boys and girls been held as captive, they actually took an inkling of their swords or weapons off them, while growing their own weapon racks but this one, they weren't able to have it for themselves. It was even able to be dismissed too, how repulsive. Anger were set ablaze in their eyes. The guards were cladded in a reddish black crud tunic armour, crested with insidous vault breast plates. They were hefty and well built just like the Heirlocks but lack a vital proof that it really was the Heirlock. Indeed, they were humans, humans who became immortal due to the blessings of the gods but they look relentlessly evil. They might have choosen the wrong energies. And were denied access into the world now, which led them to becoming one of the temple's Lieutenants. They were all Transcedent.. the last class and brimming with glorious power... or hold on, is it just Blake making up theologies..

Then,

CLICK!

They were bounded with shackles both hands and legs. Now, they were slaves to their own quest. Seemingly being imprisoned from the world.

Suddenly, the voice of the Orthodox Crane resounded without him actually seeing it.

[Well done Blake Listerio, you have graduated from a nobody to a temple slave... You have been awarded by the gods. Your attributes still remains the same. Now seek your freedom...]

'Wait, what? So being a slave actually works really for good..?. Actually for him alone, not the girls.'

A mysterious hoodlum in a dark radiance hovered in the surface and then without warning, he concentrated on the gift [Relic] and inwardly claimed it and then...

His status was suddenly, evolving...

His Attributtes were... changing...

It really was changing?

Blake was dumbfounded to the core.

His soul was assembling as if another round of evolution was incured...

Then, his vision was becoming sharper... actually, it didn't show effect right now but it will do in the darkness, all he knows is that his vision was being enhanced.

Then...

Chronic crunch of metals.. sounded before him returning him from the reality of life and the hard truth was that, he was alone now. Tera and Evie were taken to another cell. The prison cell was accostomed with dark stone and marble walls. The floor was cold and the floor was uneven.

Evie will sure do scold him. If he really is getting out of here, then it should be with both witches right?

Blake sighed and sat dejectedly on the cold floor which was arched downwards as a dome... seems like the Vile castle was now close by again...

'What the heck, did they come here to be slaves or to seek freedom?'

Maybe, the orthodox crane meant its statement in another way which made it the direct opposite of eveverything. Blake was hopeless righ now but he wasn't that hopeless though.