Team Darkoss: Rise of a Dark Lord
Chapter 11: Unite the Six

Gallahon and his sister along with Trenton, decided to check the sub levels of the temple first and make their way up. They went down the stairs into the darkness of the temples sub level. A long hallway complete with touches and small cell rooms was before them. The cell rooms contain bones and scales of deceased Draconians. Nina tried to look away but she could not seem to take her eyes off of the horrifying sight.

“My god.” Nina said. “Guess the Norsemen don’t like these things very much either.”

“Over there.” Gallahon pointed in the direction they were already heading. “There’s some kind of stone door on the other end.” Trenton could hear what sounded like something mechanical starting up. He looked to his side and a giant axe on a pendulum came swinging down.

“Gallahon move!” Trenton shouted as he grabbed Gallahon’s armor by the collar and yanked him back, missing the axe by an inch. Nina gasped as she widened her eyes and covered her mouth. Gallahon’s heart was pounding from the excitement. The large axe swung right from left and stopped. There were gaps where the axe hid in the walls.

“Brother, thank god Trenton saved you.” If it weren’t for Trenton’s pointed ears, Gallahon would’ve been dead.

“Be careful! This whole temple might be booby trapped.” Said Trenton. Trenton went first. As Trenton walked forward, the axe came flying down. Trenton, with his amazing reflexes and strength, saw the incoming blade and caught it between his hands, missing his face by an inch. The force of the axe’s swing pushed Trenton against the wall. His feet slide on the ground as he forced the axe to stop where he was sandwiched between the wall and the axe.

“Go now!” Gallahon and Nina raced to the stone door. Sweat was running down Trenton’s face as he was holding the axe in place with all his strength.

“Trenton, hurry!” Nina shouted to him. Trenton used all his strength to push the axe back far enough so Trenton could get out of the way. As the axe was swinging towards him again, Trenton jumped out of the way and the axe went into the wall where it hid.

“Never do that again Trenton! You could’ve gotten yourself killed!” Nina yelled.

“I’m sorry. It was the only thing I could think of.” apologized Trenton. Nina’s heart was racing from the excitement.

“I’m sorry Trenton. I shouldn’t have yelled. It’s just I worry about you.” Nina had said as she placed her hand on Trenton’s chest and then hugged him. As Trenton hugged her back, he thought to himself. He had a tingling feeling growing in him as Nina was hugging him. Trenton never thought that Nina would grow so fond and caring for him.

“Alright you two.” Gallahon had said with a smile. “That’s enough for now. There will be time for that later. But we got to keep moving.” Nina and Trenton let go of each other. Trenton observed the stone door. He thought to himself, this was no ordinary door. He tried budging it open but it wouldn’t budge. This door could not be opened simply by turning the knob. It was a huge rounded stone door with markings curved into the stone. Trenton noticed there was some kind of switch on the door.

Thinking it was the lock, Trenton pushed it into the door. When the switch was activated, a wall came down from behind them, closing them in the room. Spikes shot out of the wall as the wall was closing in on them. Gallahon saw the wall was closing in on them and warned Trenton.

“Trenton, whatever you’re doing, you better do it fast.” Trenton acted fast but didn’t know what to do. The wall was gaining closer to them. Trenton turned the switch lock left and then right but it did nothing. He looked up at the markings on the door and realized the markings were a combination. It was a puzzle lock.

“Trenton, hurry!” As the wall was closing in tighter and tighter, Trenton acted fast. He turned the lock switch left, right, then left again, double right, left and pushed it in and the door opened just in the nick of time. They raced through the door as the door shut behind them. They were safe for now. Their hearts were pounding. The three of them had entered into a massive room with waterfalls. They were standing on one of six pathways that if you fell off, it was a long way down to the bottom. A waterfall was also found in the center of the room that the pathways surrounded that if you looked at the room from a bird’s eye view, the pathways would make a six sided pentagram. Gallahon and the two others walked to the center of the room and looked down each pathway.

“Look!” Gallahon pointed down one of the pathways. There at the end of the pathway was a treasure chest. Gallahon slowly crept up to it. Trenton looked back and the door they had entered…. Was gone.

“Where is it?” Trenton had questioned.

“Where’s what?” Nina asked.

“The door. The door we just came through. It’s gone.” They scanned the area, but no door was found. It’s as if they had been sealed shut in the room. Gallahon had opened the chest with caution. Trenton had noticed that Gallahon had opened the chest. What Gallahon had found within the chest was not gold, but disks. Gold, rounded disks imbedded in some sort of cross guard. The disks had sharp blades running along the sides.

“What are these things?” Gallahon questioned.

“I know these weapons.” Trenton complied. “These are Sun Disks. I’ve heard rumors of their great power. They say that these disks release a ray of light so powerful and bright enough to leave its victims blind for hours. Maybe even days at a time.” But these Sun Disks were not the only thing Gallahon found within the chest. There was also a necklace. A pendent of a dragon’s head with a ruby infused on top of its head. Gallahon put on the necklace and the ground beneath their feet shook. The platform that they were standing on was beginning to go down.

“We’re going down.” Pointed out Nina. As they were going down, they could see the waterfalls going down with them. It was a beautiful sight to behold. They could see a pool of water down below them and yet another pathway with a pack of stairs. As they went down, soon coming to a stop, a door was revealed, a way out.

The platform had stopped. Gallahon and the others went down the pack of stairs onto the pathway with waterfalls on each side of them. Gallahon had noticed something on top of the door. It was a bust of a dragon’s head with a shiny ruby infused into it. The bust and the ruby looked exactly the same as his necklace. Except the bust was also infused with a live dragon’s eye. Gallahon thought to himself; what if the necklace he had found was a key. A key that unlocked certain doors within the temple. Gallahon held the necklace up high and a red beam shot out of the eye and onto the necklace. After a few seconds, the eye closed and the door had opened, revealing another room. The three entered the room with caution. Sᴇaʀ*ᴄh the FindNøvᴇl.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Meanwhile, back at the entrance of the temple where the Norsemen were waiting patiently for Gallahon and companies return, one of the men spotted something approaching them from a distance. It looked like another ship. He alerted the captain.

“Captain, we have company. Another ship approaching this way.” The captain took out a telescope and looked through it at the approaching ship. What he saw was most frightening. A horde of Draconians were heading their way.

“Those scaly bastards! Prepare to defend men!” Ordered the captain. Of course the Draconian ship was captained by Dralord, Airloc’s Draconian general.

“Defend this ship with your lives!” As the Draconians got close enough, they boarded the Norsemen’s ship.

“ATTACK!” A bloody fight broke out between the Norsemen and the Draconians. As the Norsemen were fighting off the Draconians, Dralord walked up towards the captain.

“Where is Gallahon? I know he’s here. My master wants his head!”

“I’ll smear this ship with your blood before I’ll tell you anything!”

“Very well.” Said Dralord as he pulled out his two axes. “If that is your will to die then so be it!”

Gallahon and the two others had entered into a room within a dark cave. A large body of water and piers leading out onto the waters lied before them. Gallahon could see a pack of stairs leading up on the other side of the piers. He stepped onto the pier and the loose floor boards had made a small squeaky sound that echoed throughout the cave. Upon hearing a sound, something was bubbling through the water, heading straight for them.

“Something’s moving in the water!” Pointed out Nina. Gallahon stopped in his tracks and grabbed his sword, ready to unsheathe it. A large sea monster had risen up from the water, crashing through the middle of the pier. It was a huge beast with a long neck and a squid like head. It risen one of its tentacles and slammed it on the pier. The three had avoided this and unsheathed their swords. The beast had tried again, but risen up six tentacles.

Gallahon noticed a large hook and chain within the cave. As the beast was thumping its tentacles on the floor boards on the pier, they were hacking and slashing. The beast managed to knock Gallahon out into a wall with one swing of its tentacle. The monster grabbed Trenton with its one tentacle and squeezed. Nina ran up and slashed the monster’s tentacle. Once Trenton was free from its grip, he hacked its tentacle. Gallahon regained consciousness and saw a man standing upon a cliff behind the monster.

The mysterious man had jumped onto the monster’s head and impaled its head with his sword. The beast was hurting. The man looks back and saw the hook as he had an idea. He shouted out to Gallahon.

“Head for the hook! Don’t let the monster see you!” Gallahon knew what the man was talking about. He took one of the sun disks that he found earlier and threw it as if it was a shuriken or Ninja star. Upon hitting the beast, the disk released a ray of light bright enough to blind the beast. While the monster was blinded, Gallahon made his way to the hook. He had to climb up a pack of stone steps to get to the hook.

As Nina and Trenton were hacking its tentacles, Gallahon pushed the hook off the cliff. The mysterious man yanked his sword to his left. The blade was still imbedded into the monster’s brain so the beast turned left as it impaled itself into the hook. The beast’s blood dripped in the water. The man took out his sword and jumped in the part of the water that wasn’t filled with blood. Gallahon ran back down to thank the man for his assistance.

The man got out of the water but Nina nor could Trenton see his face for it was covered by a white hood. Gallahon stopped in front of the man.

“Who are you?” Asked Gallahon, sheathing his sword. The man took off his hood. Beneath the hood was a blonde haired, blue eyed man. His arms and legs were covered with armor, but he wore no cuirass on his torso. Instead he had on a white gab with a red colored cross. Gallahon knew by the way he was dressed, he had to be a crusader.

“I am Creed Bladestorm, leader of the six crusaders.” He had said.

“We have been searching for you.” Said Nina. “King Psygon told us to find you.”

“The king? He’s still alive?” Creed questioned as if he could not believe it to be true.

“Yes. But for how much longer I cannot say.” Interrupted Gallahon. Creed had looked down and noticed Gallahon’s shield. He gasped.

“I know that shield. It is the shield general Darkoss always carried into battle. There’s also an old legend that speaks of this shield having hidden powers. A magical shield. You must be his son.”

“First of all, yes I am the son of general Darkoss. For my name is the same as his. And second, this thing is magical?” Creed looked upon him as if Gallahon had no idea that the shield he carried had lost its magical powers long ago.

“Yes. King Psygon had informed me of the shields great power. He also informed me that the only way for the shield to regain its full power, is if it’s reunited with the dragon stones hidden somewhere in this temple. That must be why King Psygon sent us here.” Creed realized.

“But, I only see you. Where are your companions Creed?”

“They are being held captive within the temples dungeons. We’ve encountered one of Alvatourix’s followers Razath, the dark summoner.” Gallahon interrupted Creed.

“The dark summoner? The one who served Erloc years ago? He’s still alive!?” Gallahon couldn’t believe what his ears have heard. The dark summoner; Razath, was King Erloc’s assistant years ago back when Gallahon and his friends were still kids.

“But that’s impossible!” Trenton shouted out. “Razath fell to my blade at the jousting tournament six years ago.” Creed explained to Trenton why this was folly.

“Razath most likely created a clone of himself just before dying. Razath left me and my companions to be eaten by the sea dragon. If we are lucky, they might still be alive. We got to move.” Creed went up the stairs, heading out of the caves with Gallahon and the other two following his path. They came into a room of stone made walls and a large body of water leading out into sea down below them. There was a tunnel leading to the back exit of the temple. But what they saw next was a sight most disturbing in the water. Dead bodies of the Norsemen that had helped Gallahon and his friends get here lie floating in the water with arrows in them surrounded by blood.

“Damn.” Yelled out Gallahon. “What monster could have done this?” Gallahon reached down and pulled out an arrow from one of the bodies. He examined the arrow head. It was sharp and pointed all the way to the tip and was made of a dragon scale.

“Draconians did this? So they use arrows now?”

“Gallahon, we need to move.” Said Creed. He was anxious to be reunited with his fellow knights. Gallahon got up and followed Creed with Nina and Trenton to soon follow.

“Wait,” said Nina. “Maybe the dungeons are in that circle room we were just in before we got down here.”

“That’s precisely where we’re headed.” Creed had been here longer then Gallahon and his friends were so he knew this place from top to bottom.

Dralord had entered through the temples main entrance accompanied by a horde of his Draconians to lead. He sniffed the air and could sense Gallahon’s smell in the air.

“Ah, he is here. Gallahon is here and soon I will have his head for master Airloc. Spread out and find him!” He commanded his fellow Draconians. The Draconians fanned out and began their search for the knight himself and Dralord continued on his hunt.

Creed had lead Gallahon and his company out of the caverns and back into the sub level of the temple. They had regained entrance into the circle room again where Gallahon found the Sun Disks.

“We’re back.” Said Trenton. This time, they were on the opposite side of the room from where they have entered before. Creed spoke up.

“Five pathways lie before us. Only one of these doors leads to the upper floors of the temple. The others lead to other traps and possibly certain death. But be careful, this room tends to confuse you.”

“Well you should know Creed,” Said Gallahon. “You said you knew this temple from top to bottom.”

“Yes, you’re right Gallahon. But this room changes you see? Not even I can figure this room out. It is a puzzle.” At this moment, Gallahon knew that he could not afford to jeopardies his team mates and lead them to their doom.

“Hey, wait a minute.” Realized Trenton. These doors were not here before, they disappeared on us.”

“This room sure does like to play tricks on you.” Creed explained to Trenton. Gallahon thought long and hard about this puzzle room. He hoped that the first door he chooses would be the correct one. If he chose wrong however, he and his team mates would have to try to survive the traps that lie just beyond those stone doors. Gallahon had scouted ahead with the others following his tracks. The first door that they have gone through however would not lead them to the upper floors. As soon as they went through the door, it had sealed them in until they’ve survived the traps that lie before them.

“Dammit, wrong door.” Said Gallahon. Just before them lied a long, dark hallway. Poisonous darts and spears shot out of the walls. They ran and ran, trying not to get shot by the darts or the edges of the spears. If they got wounded however, the poison in those darts and spears would course quickly through their vines, killing them almost instantly. Gallahon spotted another door on the other side of the hallway. It was another stone door with strange markings above it.

As they got closer to the door, a giant axe swinging on a pendulum was heading towards them. Swinging left and right through the walls and slowly moving forward towards them.

“Damn, it’s another puzzle lock.” Said Trenton. Trenton observed the markings above. It was another combination. The axe was gaining closer to them and Trenton acted fast.

“Solve it fast before we’re chopped.” Commanded Gallahon.

“Hey, would you like to do this!?” Trenton had repeated the combination as inscribed in the wall. He grabbed the handle of the door and turned it left, left, double right, triple left, double right again and pushed it in. The door opened, they ran through and the axe stopped. The door closed. They’ve turned to face a familiar sight.

“Hm…. This looks oddly familiar.” Said Trenton. They were back safe and sound in the circular room. They continued on and went through one of the other doors. It was the wrong one again. The door sealed them in. Another long hallway was before them. But instead of poisonous darts and spears, they were faced with spinning blades on the floors. If they were not careful, they could very well have their legs chopped off.

Gallahon and the others ran and jumped over the spinning blades. One by one, they’ve jumped until they got to the other side. Vents were found on the walls. As they got closer to the combination lock door, the hallway started to fill up with water. As Trenton observed the door, there was no combination on the wall this time. Instead, two stone pillars on each side of the door had the code.

Trenton put his hand on the handle of the door and turned it, left, right, double left, double right, left, left again, double right and pushed. The door opened and they were free of drowning. Back in the circular room they were. They have tried a couple more doors but all of them were wrong.

“Oh, you got to be kidding me!” Gallahon finally snapped. “We’ve passed this room five times!” He got on his knees and ponded the ground with his fists.

“This room. It’s changing constantly. It doesn’t want us to leave. Unless….” Trenton had thought of something. He looked down over the edge of the pathway they were currently on and saw the long drop to the bottom. Then he looked up. He stared at the waterfall in the center of the room.

“That’s it!” He realized. “It’s none of these doors that lead to the upper levels. All these doors lead to traps. It’s up we need to go. Into the waterfall.” Gallahon looked up. Nina and Creed walked towards the waterfall in the center of the room. They peeked into the waterfall and surely enough, there was a spiral staircase in the waterfall.

“He’s right.” Nina said.

“This way.” Commanded Creed. Gallahon followed them and Trenton followed as well.

“Oh Trenton, you’re a genus.” Nina had said and kissed Trenton upon the cheek. He blushed just a little.

“Nice going Trenton.” Said Gallahon pleased with Trenton’s understandings. “If we were here any longer, I probably would’ve gone mad.” Gallahon, Nina, Trenton and Creed followed the spiral staircase up. Walking up those stone steps while watching the waterfall that surrounded them go down was a peaceful and beautiful sight, it was simply amazing.

They have gone up and up ninety steps before entering the upper levels where the temple’s dungeons were. But before the dungeons was another door. But this door was different. This door had a bust of a dragon’s head. Gallahon held up the necklace he still had on and beams shot out of the ruby of the necklace and shined onto the eyes of the bust. The eyes closed and the door had opened revealing the temple’s dungeons. Inside the cells were four men and a woman wearing the exact same armor as Creed. One man looked over and walked towards the bars. He was a dark brown skinned man with cornrows.

“Creed? Can it really be you or do my eyes deceive me?” Creed walked up to his cell.

“Your eyes do not fool you Bolin.” He called the man. “It is I and these are my friends. Gallahon, Nina and Trenton helped me find you all.”

“Thank the gods. I am so glad to see you.” Creed had pulled a lock pick from his pocket and released the remaining crusaders.

“We have found them at last.” Said Nina. “The six crusaders.”

“Yes but our journey does not stop here.” Said Gallahon.

“Yes. Now that we are reunited, we must complete the mission our king set us out to do. Gallahon holds the gold dragon shield. We must unite the shield with the dragon stones. Only then, the shield will regain its full power.” Creed explained to the other knights.

“The gold dragon shield.” The female crusader said as she walked over to Gallahon. “You carry the shield of legend. This shield has many tales to tell. The shield was not only wielded by general Darkoss, but also by Dragnar himself. Oh the many secrets this shield holds.”

“Who’s Dragnar?” Questioned Gallahon. “And who are you?”

“My names Elizabeth. And Dragnar was the one who founded this land long ago, back before the continent sank leaving us a float.”

“Enough chit chat.” Said Creed. “We have a mission to do. And the sooner we do it, the sooner I can finally have my revenge upon Alvatourix. Come.” Creed lead on and the others followed. By the look in Creed’s eyes, Gallahon could tell he was anxious to kill the warlord, Alvatourix. It reminded him of how he was so eager to kill King Erloc so many years ago, back when Gallahon was still just a kid. Alvatourix must’ve did something horrible to Creed for him to have such a grudge.

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