Team Darkoss: Rise of a Dark Lord
Chapter 10: Temple of the Sea Dragon

Back on Lake Island, Aquanna sat on the throne, waiting patiently for her sister’s arrival. The guards upon the city gates spotted someone approaching the city. The figure appeared to be riding on some sort of large animal.

“It is Princess Maria! Open the gates!” yelled out one of the guards. The large iron doors opened up to let Maria into the city. All of the town’s people got on their knees and bowed as Princess Maria rode on by. The animal that Maria was riding bare back, was in fact a large wolf. A silver fur coat, ice blue eyes and a white mane under his belly going from his head to his tail which was pretty weird shaped. Silver-Fang was what Maria had called the beast. He was Maria’s best friend. Being the sister of Aquanna, she was an elf as well. A half-naked elf who loved the color orange which she wore. She carried a strange staff on her back called a Naginata that was very sharp at the edges and tip of the blade. There was a silver moon imprinted on her long lion cloth. The same moon print was to be found on Silver-Fang’s back.

“It is Princess Maria.” said the townsfolk as she went by. “Mi. lady Maria.” Being two years older than her sister, Maria was righteous to take over the throne of Lake Island. But before Myst died, why did she want Aquanna to rule and not Maria was still a mystery. Maria was also known for another name which has something to do with the moon symbol found on her cloth. She was known as ’Princess of the Silver Moons.’

“Sister!” Aquanna rushed over to greet her as Maria entered the palace. Maria got off of her pet wolf and gave her younger sister a warm hug. The two have not seen each other for years.

“Maria, it is so good to see you.” Aquanna had said cheerfully.

“Aquanna. It has been far too long my dear, sweet sister. I came as soon as I heard the message. Are you alright?” They were of course talking about the passing of their mother, Myst Waters.

“Yes, I am fine now. It still saddens me though, the terrible loss of her.”

“I know Aquanna. It pains me too.” Maria said as she rested her hand on Aquanna’s shoulder.

“Maria. Since you are the oldest, you must take over the throne.”

“I know. But what about you?”

“I must get back to Windfall.” Maria sighed.

“Ok. But before you go, I want us to pay respect to our mother.” Aquanna followed Maria to the temple of the dead.

Back on the Norse lands, Gallahon, Trenton and Nina were preparing to leave and get back on their quest in searching for the six crusaders.

“Gallahon, you and your friends must stay, enjoy the celebration! They will sing songs of this day.” said Timothious.

“With all due respect mi lord, we must go. We have to get to the temple of the sea dragon.” Gallahon said to him.

“Ah, I know the temple you seek Gallahon. It is a sacred temple that houses the sea dragon god. My people go to that temple to worship the dragon god. If you continue west of here, you will find it. But you cannot get to the temple without a boat. I can provide you a ship to carry you there. But what is your business there?”

“We’re on the search for the six crusaders.” Nina explained. Than Gallahon spoke.

“We believe that the ones we seek are within that temple. And so we must go to that temple.”

“Very well. Follow me.” Timothious lead Gallahon, Nina and Trenton to the docks where their ships were anchored. The docks had a fishy smell to it. Fish and fishermen were everywhere. Their ships were basically long boats with one sail on each and every ship. Viking shields were to be found on the sides of every ship as well.

“These are the finest vessels in all the land. One is ship shaped and ready to set sail. It will take you to your destination.” Timothious stopped and turned to them. “I pray to the gods that your journey be safe.”

“Thank you mi lord.” Gallahon said with a smile. Timothious and Astrithr smiled back as Gallahon, Nina and Trenton boarded the ship. The plank was up, sails were down and the ship was off. The ship left its harbor in quite a hurry. On the other side of the river, Dralord observed the ship as it left. He was hidden within the trees. He balled up his hand into a fist. Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ Find_Nøvel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

“I found you Gallahon.” He said to himself.

Meanwhile back on Lake Island, Aquanna and Maria stood before their mother’s tomb within the temple of the dead.

“I can’t believe she’s gone.” said Maria.

“Yes. It was a sad day for all of us.”

“How did she die?”

“All I do know is that she was murdered. I don’t know who killed her or why. But, I will find whoever did this…. And kill them myself. I will avenge you mother.” Aquanna sobbed. A masked man in a cape stood in the shadows, watching, gazing his blood red eyes upon Aquanna. The masked man observed the two of them talking while hiding in the shadows. “Your death shall not be in vein. I’m going to find your killer, and make sure they breathe no more.” Maria placed her hand on her sister’s shoulder.

“Aquanna I….” she was interrupted by the sound of rubble falling that got her attention. “What was that?” Maria knew that they were not alone in the temple. She reached for her Naginata and armed herself. Maria looked around, but saw nothing. Than from out of nowhere, the creature attacked her, screaming. Maria caught the zombie like creature as she rolled and kicked it off. She turned to face the creature. Maria had never seen anything like it before. The creature armed itself with its sword. Maria went in to strike but the zombie king blocked her attack. The zombie king swung its sword at her but Maria jumped back. It struck again and she ducked, low kicking the creature. As it fell onto the ground, Maria tried to pin it down with her Naginata. The creature rolled aside as the blade plunged into the ground.

The zombie king got up and attacked. Maria dodged the attack, pulled her Naginata out of the ground. She swung her weapon hard, disarming the zombie king and stabbed the creature. The zombie king screeched as Maria took her Naginata out of its chest and chopped its head off. The zombie king’s body fell to the ground. Maria turned and faced Aquanna.

“Are you alright?” she asked.

“Maria. That won’t kill it.” she said as she pointed behind Maria. Maria turned and the zombie king’s body or head was nowhere to be found. Maria looked around for the creature, but saw nothing but darkness. Aquanna screamed as the zombie king grabbed Maria by the head from the ceiling. It swung Maria aside as she slide across the floor. As Aquanna ran to aid her sister, the zombie king got down onto the floor and gazed its attention to Aquanna. She paused, frozen in terror as the creature stepped closer towards her. Its decomposed jaw opened as blood and drool leaked through its teeth.

“Aquanna, watch out!” But Aquanna didn’t listen for she was too frightened at the thing that was creeping towards her. Aquanna looked deep within its eyes. It’s as if the zombie king had her under some sort of spell. Aquanna then realized who the zombie king was. But as soon as she could do anything else, Maria’s Naginata pierced through the zombie king’s head, damaging the brain. She pulled her weapon out of its head as the creature’s body fell to the ground. Maria kicked the creature’s corpse to make sure it was dead for good this time. The zombie king wasn’t moving, it was dead, finished. Aquanna faced Maria.

“Maria? Why did you do that?”

“Are you crazy Aquanna? That thing was about to eat you. You don’t get it do you? He is not our father anymore Aquanna! He was too far gone.” Aquanna looked up at Maria in curious volume.

“You knew Maria?” Maria sighed.

“Mother kept this a secret from us but I found out what she was up to. After father was beheaded by King Erloc and sent us away to protect us from him, she was devastated at the loss of her husband. So, after a while, she learned necromancy to try to bring him back from the dead. It worked, but he came back as that creature. So mother had him sealed away in this temple until she could find a way to fully restore him.”

“Mother was a Necromancer?” Aquanna asked in such curiosity.

“Yes. But she never knew I found out about it.”

“She had to have learned necromancy from someone.” Maria looked away.

“Come Aquanna, we’ve spent enough time here.” Maria looked back. “Good-bye mother.” she had said and left the temple with Aquanna right behind her.

Gallahon and Nina sat and waited patiently as the Norsemen rowed the ship to their destination.

“Gallahon.” Nina continued. Gallahon turned his attention to her. “I am glad you and Trenton had made it safely out of the beast’s lair. I was afraid for your sake, that it would’ve been the last I’ll see of you two. I thought you would’ve died.” Gallahon placed his arm around his sister to give her a warm, comforting hug. He pulled away.

“Nina, my dear sister. I did not mean to worry you so much. But Timothious needed our help to track down his brother and Leviathan and kill them. And besides, you don’t have to worry about me. I promised I would take care of you and that is what I intend to do. Plus, Timothious would’ve been dead if it won’t for your help.”

“Gallahon.” said Trenton as he turned and walked over to him. “You said you survived the nightmare realm. Yet you never told us how you did it. So why don’t you tell us your story.” Trenton sat on the bench next to Gallahon and turned his attention to him.

“Very well. So there I was in the nightmare realm. At first I didn’t know where the Hell I was. The sky was red and the ground was hard and blackened like volcano soot. Yet there was no volcano to be found. Red vines were to be found on the ground as well. As I walked, dead trees surrounded me. Then I heard of what sounded like steel clashing. I went to investigate and there was Slayer fighting this god named Morpheus.”

“Slayer was there?” Nina interrupted. “Did you kill him?”

“No.” Gallahon continued. “I helped him fight the god Morpheus. After Morpheus was defeated, he told us about a portal nearby that could take us back. But the portal was guarded by some sort of weird monster. Slayer and I killed it though and I went through the portal. Slayer tried to stop me though. He sought the opportunity to kill me. Yet here I am.”

“What happened to Slayer?” asked Trenton.

“I left him in that realm. But most likely he found another way out.” Nina turned towards the boarded floor, didn’t know what to say.

“So Slayer could be out there still on the hunt for us? Why didn’t you stop him brother?”

“I don’t know. But my instincts keep telling me to spare him. I believe that Slayer can be turned around if I try. He could be an ally to us in the future.”

“An ally?” Nina questioned this. “Slayer? What makes you think he can be turned? What makes you think he could be one of us?” Gallahon pondered but only for a moment.

“I keep sparing your life because I know that there is good left in you! This is not what Marleen would have wanted from you!” Slayer’s eyes widened.

“How do you know of Marleen!?”

“Because…” Gallahon continued. “…Because he knows of some girl named Marleen. Maybe she’s connected to Slayer somehow. If I can find out what happened in Slayer’s past, I can maybe try to fix him. Maybe even make him fight alongside us.”

“Gallahon, Nina, Trenton! We’re here!” shouted out the captain of the ship. All three of them got up and walked over to where the captain was.

“I see nothing.” said Gallahon as he scanned the area. He saw nothing but ocean and sky.

“Not yet you don’t.” The captain bend over to get something off the floor. He reached in an old, dusty sack and pulled out some kind of weird stone that looked like a dragon’s eye. In fact, it was a dragon’s eye. A real live dragon’s eye that was incased in stone. The stone was carved with strange markings on it and had sculpted fins on each side with the dragon’s eye in the center of it. The captain raised the stone above his head and a beam of light shot out of the eye and into the ocean. The ship began to shake a lot as Gallahon and the others tried to keep they’re balance. Waves were lapping as if something huge and massive was about to rise. Something shiny poked out of the water. A tall stone structure came after. Gallahon, Nina and even Trenton were in awe struck with their jaws dropped. They couldn’t believe what they were seeing, they had never seen anything like it before. A massive stone temple had risen out of the ocean.

“Welcome to the Temple of the Sea Dragon.” said the captain. It was an impressive stone structure complete with a tall arch way leading to the temple and two staircases as well. The stone steps were curved, leading into the temple’s entrance. Statues and busts of a sea dragon completed the scenery.

“This is incredible.” complemented Gallahon. “Aquanna would’ve loved to see this.” As Gallahon, Trenton and Nina got out of the ship, they began to explore. Gallahon noticed that the captain and the Norsemen were staying behind.

“We will wait for your return!” shouted the captain. Gallahon and the others walked under the arch way, climbed the stone steps and walked into the temple. Gallahon knew that the six crusaders had to be in here somewhere. It was up to him to find them. When they entered the temple, they couldn’t believe it. It was beautiful on the outside, but the inside looked dark and gloomy. As if the inside of the temple could really use some work.

The walls were grey and cracked. Moss was growing on the walls. The columns didn’t look too impressive either, they appeared as if they were going to fall over any minute. The ceiling was high above them. Balconies were on the second floor of the temple. It was huge inside and looked endless. There was an altar in the center of the first floor. The altar was a stone made round table with strange markings in scripted in bright red. A stone bust of a dragon’s head was to be found at the end of the table with a stone bowl in the middle of the altar.

Gallahon walked up to the altar and looked inside the bowl. Nothing was to be found. The Norsemen who came here must’ve made some kind of offering to the beast they worshipped, either water or blood sacrifice, or worse. Gallahon didn’t want to think about it. Behind the altar, a pack of stairs leading up to a rusted iron made bed. A large rusted iron statue of the dragon stood high above the iron bed. A corpse of a dead Draconian lied strapped down onto the bed. Gallahon looked up from the corpse and a large metal arrow head hanged by a chain from the dragon’s mouth was to be found and he then knew exactly what the altar was used for. Blood and possibly organ sacrifice from Draconians instead of being humans.

“Draconian sacrifice? That’s a first.” Gallahon had said. But he did enough exploring. He, Trenton and Nina had to find the six crusaders, where ever they may be. On the left and right side of the altar were stone staircases that lead to the upper floors and near the entrance of the temple the staircases lead down into the sub levels. Gallahon thought it was a good idea to check the sub levels first and make their way up and the other two happen to agree with him.

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