Published at 22nd of October 2023 9:42 am

Book 3: Chapter 9

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When the next morning dawned, it brought with it a deep sense of unease. Garrett had never felt anything quite like it before but he knew that it was most likely his subconscious alerting him to the danger that was coming. The deeper under the earth that Viper and his team went, the stronger the feeling became and from the symbols carved on the passage walls and guide stones, it was clear that they were getting closer to the first tomb. The monsters they fought had been getting tougher as well, appearing in greater numbers.

So, Garrett stayed in his room, not moving from his bed as he waited to see what would happen. His main concern was that they would run into trouble during the daytime when he couldn’t access the Dreamer’s Throne and he wouldn't be able to help. He had considered having Viper ask them to wait, but he had no good explanation for why they should only travel at night, so he dropped the matter. Garrett wasn't the only one who was uneasy either. Asher, the awakened dreamer, who had once been enslaved by the Dark Hand, was clearly on edge as well. Still, Garrett had no desire to cause a panic, so he told everyone to go about their business as normal but pay careful attention in case the warning signs were triggered.

The one thing he could do to distract himself was experiment with the soul stealer that his flower ghouls had captured. They had dragged the monster to one of the smaller nest stones, and after feeding the nest stone one of the soul stealer corpses just to make sure it would take them, Garrett attempted to seed the soul stealer with a dream flower. The ghouls, who had a high amount of mental power for monsters, had been more susceptible to the dream flowers than the soul stealer proved to be, and the dream flower had a lot of trouble forming any sort of concrete connection. Rather than rush it, Garrett decided to slowly work at the problem. He could always go and capture more soul stealers, but if he didn't have to, it would be better.

He took his time, carefully feeding little bits of mental energy through the connection to the trapped soul stealer. At first, it struggled, attempting to free itself from the tightly wrapped petals that bound its legs and arms, but eventually, it seemed to grow confused and stopped moving. The dream seed had bloomed into a flower, but was struggling to take root in the monster’s mind, largely because there wasn't much mind for it to take hold of. Rather than overwhelm it, Garrett elected to feed the dream flower just enough energy to keep it alive, so it didn't wither away as it tried over and over again to attach itself.

While he continued that experiment, Garrett also kept an eye on Viper and the others, making sure that he was ready for anything. Truthfully, there wasn't much support he could offer, given the distance, but he wanted to be ready in case there was something he could do. Around four o'clock in the afternoon, Viper and the others finally arrived where Gallant had found the First Tomb. By this time, they were nearly a mile under the earth, having passed through ever deeper tunnels that wound down almost like a giant staircase. When they came to a finely made stone arch, Garrett could feel the strange pressure in the air and knew where his disquiet was coming from. He had run into other people's mental energy before, and even faced off against powerful, monstrous mental energy from Shaper-level nightmares, but he had never felt anything like this. So thick it seemed to possess the air itself, Garrett had Viper stop before entering the doorway.

Seeing him pause, Cynen stopped as well. "Is something the matter?" She asked.

"We've arrived," Viper said. "Can you feel the presence?"

Cynen's expression showed her confusion as she looked around.

“Presence? No, I can't. Should I be able to?"

Slowly, Viper shook his head.

"No, not necessarily, but there is a very strong mental presence here, likely above the Shaper-level."

"You mean, a Manifestor?" Gale asked, sharing a concerned glance with Gallant and his boss.

"I'm not sure," Viper admitted. "It could be even above that. All I know is that whoever lives here is very dangerous."

Carefully, Viper reached out his hand, allowing it to cross through the doorway. As soon as he did, it was like a jolt of electricity shot through his arm, causing him to shake abruptly. He didn't step back, however, and instead took a step forward as bone-white torches burst to life all along the passage. The sudden light was bright and forced the party to shield their eyes. As they blinked to clear the blindness caused by the sudden contrast, they saw a massive cavern through the doorway, and at the center of the cavern stood a pyramid with a flat top and a doorway guarded by two huge jackal-headed statues.

"That's incredible," Cynen said.

"And more than a little intimidating," Gallant added.

Under Garrett's control, Viper stepped through the doorway, feeling the heavy presence closing around him.

[You have entered the territory of Agma-Yoth, Skeletal Hand of Lesrak. To enter another great ruler's private territory is a declaration of war.]

[Agma-Yoth, Skeletal Hand of Lesrak, is happy you have come to see him, and promises to grind your bones to dust to decorate his casket.]

[You have begun a Ruler’s War. Should you lose, both your life and your territory will be forfeit. Should you win, you shall gain control of your opponent's territory and their life will end, granting you a portion of their power. Until the end of the war, other great rulers are forbidden from entering your territory. Kill or be killed.]

[During a Ruler’s War you cannot gain experience. All experience gained will be granted at the end, should you survive the war.]

The flood of notifications nearly overwhelmed Garrett, but he processed them as fast as he could, gaining an understanding of what was going on. He had just inadvertently declared war on the great ruler Agma-Yoth. A being clearly out of his league. Garrett felt his breath catch in his throat, and wished fervently that he was sitting on the Dreamer's Throne. But it was still at least two and a half hours until he would be able to access the throne and the power it carried, and so he was forced to sit in his bed. The only saving grace was that he was nowhere near the underground tomb, where the Skeletal Hand of Lesrak made his home.

About to disconnect from Viper, Garrett felt a slight tug. There was nothing malicious about it, and so he allowed it to pull him forward. A moment later, he found himself inside the dream. He had no idea how he could enter the dream during the day, except that as he began to examine the space he found himself standing in, he realized that it was much more like the hollow space of the ghost mirror than the dream itself. A moment later, a notification cleared up his confusion.

[You have entered the mental realm of Agma-Yoth, Skeletal Hand of Lesrak.]

Recognizing the thick mental power that shrouded him, Garrett realized that his projection was standing in the midst of a mental realm projected by his enemy. Before him, he could see the pyramid with the wide open door, and two large, jackal-headed guards glowering at him.

"The master wishes to see you," one of them snarled, looming high above Garrett's head.

Dressed in his suit with his mask still on his face, Garrett found that he wasn't intimidated at all by the giant creature. The monstrous guard was of Shaper-level strength, yet Garrett knew somehow that it wouldn't harm him. Clearly, Agma-Yoth wanted to speak with him, and until that changed, he was likely in no danger. Ignoring the fierce gazes, Garrett walked into the tomb, his shoes clicking softly against the hard stone. As he entered, more bone torches sprang to life, flickering with alternating white and black flames, and casting peculiar shadows across the ground. The shadows seemed to contain all manner of undead creatures, reaching for Garrett's feet. But he just sneered and projected a hint of his own power. With every footfall, brilliant flowers bloomed around him, guarding him from the reaching shadows and causing them to pull back.

The passage that had seemed to stretch endlessly ended abruptly, and Garrett stepped into a large throne room. There was a dais at one end, with nearly a hundred steps leading up to the top, where, instead of a throne, there stood a large casket constructed of jet-black obsidian. The front of the casket was open, revealing the man that lay in it. He was tall, nearly eleven feet in height, and so thin he appeared to be a skeleton. Drawn-back lips revealed a rictus grin, and piercing blue eyes that swirled with the fire of undeath stared down at Garrett.

"You are the new ruler."

It was not so much a question as a statement, but Garrett nodded at the giant skeletal man in the casket.

"I am Garrett Kline, at your service."

He punctuated his words by removing his hat and bowing, unsure what the greeting from one great ruler to another was supposed to be like. He also wasn't sure why he used his real name, but somehow he knew that giving a false one would prove disastrous.

"I am Agma-Yoth, Skeletal Hand of Lesrak, ruler of the Undercity. You, twice, have stolen from me."

Taking a moment to consider, Garrett shook his head.

"I don't think so. I see it differently," he replied. "You've got your territory down here. I've got my territory up there. Your minions shouldn't be on the surface anyway.”

It seemed that Agma-Yoth's grin grew slightly, his tight lips nearly splitting open and his eyes growing wider.

"I am the ruler of this place. Anything I say is mine, is mine,” the giant rumbled. “Including your soul, should I choose."

Straightening slightly, Garrett's power swelled around his body, giving him more substance and weight in the dream space, and he fixed a hard stare on Agma-Yoth.

"I think of myself as a fairly tolerant person," he said, his voice clear in the throne room. "But some things I will not tolerate. Threats are among them, especially from one such as yourself."

Garrett's declaration seemed to amuse Agma-Yoth, and this time he chuckled, his voice booming as it bounced from the walls and ceiling.

"You are amusing, but oh so foolish. I have seen many such as you and all have fallen, crushed by true power. Many I crushed myself. You have made a grave mistake in coming here, but one that cannot be taken back. The war is joined, and until one of us is destroyed, it shall continue. You have no hope of breaking my realm, and my legion is uncountable. I shall drown your realm with the power of death until nothing remains."

Taking a small step forward, Garrett shook his head.

"I don't think you understand," he replied. "You're stuck all the way down here, and I'm far enough away that you can't touch me. I don't know how it works, but it's clear that you're trapped in that box of yours. So don't try to frighten me."

Again, Agma-Yoth laughed.

"You will see," he said. "A true ruler knows how to establish their reach wherever they need it. And even if you are here, your swords will not be able to cut me. Your power will not be able to reach me. There is nothing that you can do to harm me. But your frail body is a different story."

Slowly, Agma-Yoth moved, one of his skeletal hands that had been crossed across his chest stretching out to point at Garrett.

"You see, I know you. I have seen you. I know your weakness."

For a moment, Garrett felt a decided chill racing down his spine. There was something about the giant skeleton's words that shook him, planting a seed of fear in his heart. But he shook his head and stepped back, firming up his courage.

"This is a waste of time. I’ve come to kill you, and that is what I will do. We will do battle and you will be destroyed."

With those words, Garrett left the mental space, returning to Viper for a brief moment before jumping back to his body in the inn. Only a few minutes had passed since Viper had entered the large chamber underground, but already Garrett could tell that something was different. A glance at the window showed thick black clouds billowing up in the sky, gathering over the giant graveyard on the edge of the city. A fierce wind rattled the shutters on the inn, seeming to carry a vengeful spirit's howl as it raced through the streets. A moment later, heavy raindrops began to fall, first sporadically and then in large sheets as thunder and lightning crashed above. There was something foul about the wind, and Garrett knew that things were about to get rough.

For all his bravado when facing off against Agma-Yoth, Garrett knew that he was outmatched, at least on a personal level. He was currently level five, the bottom of the shaper level, and Agma-Yoth was at least a Manifestor, meaning that he was likely level eight, if not even higher. Worse still, he couldn’t even level up in the middle of the fight since his experience gain was locked. Thankfully, Garrett wasn’t without his own advantages. His biggest was that Agma-Yoth appeared to be limited in the amount of power he could actually use. The Great Ruler seemed to be trapped by the casket he rested in, and even though his mental strength was intense, he had not been able to use it on Garrett directly. Hopefully, this meant that the best he could do would be to send his minions after Garrett. If that was the case, there was a slim possibility that Garrett and the Kline Family might actually survive.

"Isabelle."

At his command, the dire spirit appeared from the mirror, bowing her head. She appeared as calm as always, but Garrett could tell, from the glances that she sent outside and the way her hair curled up in agitation that she could feel the coming misfortune as well.

"I need to know what's happening in the city," he said. "Do your best to watch from above."

In a moment, she was gone, transferring herself into the reflection of the window pane and then flashing on to one of the drops of water outside. In a rainstorm such as this, she could dance freely across the sky, feeding information back to Garrett. At the same time, he concentrated on his connection with the thousands of dream flowers spread across this district, sending a simple message, "Prepare for war. The March of Lesrak begins."

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