In a land far from the Western Empire, which neither sees light nor rain, a lone figure sat on a polished rock. His expression was haggard, reminiscent of one who had exhausted every bit of energy in every fibre of his being. If one wanted to know the true meaning of exhaustion, they could just look at his face, and peer into his eyes. His eyes were green, an even rarer colour than Mane's sky blue pearls. They acted as the only source of light in this man forsaken place. This was 'The Deep'. One of the forbidden zones in Zandor. It was famed for its cruelty in returning all who entered as heaps of skin and bones to its outskirts. This land was a great mystery. Unlike other forbidden areas like the Forest of Gloom that provided reasons for their danger, this one did not. Anyone who dares venture into the Forest of Gloom was aware of the dangers it had. Many kingdoms, and even the Four Empire Coalition had given up on exploring that land because the beasts that resided in it were too much for them to handle. That was the danger the Forest of Gloom possessed. Several creatures who were at the peak of the mortal realm and eager for flesh. As to why they never ventured away from the forest only they would know. But it wasn't like anyone had the courage to go in and ask them. But even dangerous places like the Forest of Gloom had its share of survivors. It was through these survivor that all had come to the knowledge of how powerful the beasts that lay 'trapped' in the forest were. Although the occasional roars that were heard from its outskirts allowed many to make that assumption a long time ago.
As I was saying, forbidden territories like the Forest of Gloom had known threats. In fact, some people had been able to draw a map of its outskirts. Of course this only referred to the outskirts, for no one was stupid enough to venture deep within. Even the bravest of fools were aware that the deeper one got into the forest, the graver the danger. Not only were the beasts stronger, but escape was very unlikely. But Zandorians did owe the forest a favour, for it had slowly deprived the world of the fools that wasted breathing space and valuable resources. With the exception of the first few explorers who were just plain unlucky, any other person who dared venture into the Forest of Gloom with limited strength was nothing but a bumbling buffoon.
The Deep wasn't like this. No one knew what occupied the land. And no one dared venture into it. Unlike the Forest of Gloom where one could ride on their luck and explore the outskirts, 'The Deep' never left a survivor. All who dared venture into this dangerous land were bound to die. The most eerie aspect was the fact that the body of the deceased along with their belongings would be found right outside this forbidden zone exactly after 24 hours- not a minute more, not a minute less. They would be found exactly where they entered, almost as if the land saw everything that happened, in and out of it. Even more savage was the state of their bodies. No matter how many times these bodies were autopsied, no clear cause of death was found- at least from the outside. The skin was always shrunken, and the muscles atrophied. It was almost as if someone sucked the life out of the unfortunate victims. The expressions on their faces upon retrieval were always loaded with horror. It didn't take a genius to figure out that they died horrible deaths. People feared the unknown, hence 'The Deep' was one of the most feared forbidden areas in all of Zandor.
Unlike the Forest of Gloom, The Deep wasn't located on flat land, but was actually a valley. If one stood on a higher ground, they could easily identify this death trap. This valley was completely desolate, and no matter how brightly the sun shone, its luminous rays could never penetrate the darkness that coated the valley. Like a blanket, this darkness prevented any light from getting through. Even rain was no exception to this exile. Seeing a figure seated in this dark land would have terrified anyone, for how could someone survive in this place?
This lone figure sat in a cave. As mentioned earlier, there was no light, leaving his green eyes as the only source of light. His eyes were so bright that it illuminated his entire face, letting people admire his chiselled face and his beautiful eyebrows. He sat there, silent and as still as the rock he sat on. He looked lifeless, regardless of how full of life his eyes looked.
"To think that the Brute King is here. What an interesting planet. And the one who stood with him is spectacular. What a strong mind he possesses. If the tables were the other way round, I doubt I could match up to an invasion of the mind by such a character. He must be an Elder God. What is an elder god doing here?"
The lone figure mumbled to himself as his feet dragged against the ground in a slow and rhythmic manner.
"But to think that he'd just wipe out the Assassins Organisation. All the work I have been doing is wasted." The handsome gentleman smiled wryly as he scratched his head. As you must have guessed by now, this stranger is the one who had dared to scan Butler Fin and Ray. The one who had placed a spell on Ray without his knowledge and had defended against Brimstone successfully.
"But my word is he strong. Took almost all my energy to defend against that attack. And I was lucky that he had his guard down. If not he would have noticed my spell. He wasn't given the title of kingship for nothing." He rubbed his head tiredly as he spoke. He didn't look haggard because of his location. To the mortals of this world this place was mighty dangerous, but to him it was a perfect hiding spot. It was away from civilisation and had no intruders. A perfect working spot in all aspects. He was exhausted from his small 'battle' with the Brute King. Although he wasn't specifically aimed at, he still suffered the effects of Brimstone due to his connection to the now deceased assassin. He had been caught unprepared. After all, who would have expected that the Assassins Association would be destroyed? You see, the assassin he had handpicked wasn't just any random assassin. He had picked one that was close to the Association Head, not some common floor member. He needed information on the Head, hence he had to use someone close to him. He had picked out someone who stayed at the side of the Head, all the time. One who never once left the side of his target. He didn't expect such a person to ever go out. And even if he did, with the assassin's strength, very few should be able to kill him. And if he was ever killed, the backlash that he would receive would be minor, for the residents of this world were weak. In all his calculations, he had never once considered the one outcome that did occur- running into someone like the Brute King. The only flaw in his plan was that he had never considered the effect an individual who had exceeded the strength limits of this world would have. And who could actually blame him? No person in their right minds would develop an intervention, and include a being who had no place in the context or the environment. How could he anticipate the involvement of a person as powerful, if not more powerful, than him?
"I am lucky I have the world will on my side. If not for the Will's assistance, I would be a goner. I owe her my life. It would be funny though. To die at the hands of a god who wasn't even trying to kill me." The stranger laughed at his cold joke. In this desolate place, his laughter was very resounding. And the cave did well to amplify his voice too.
"He is even more dangerous than the rumours speculate" he orated. "His power is on par with the very peak of the elder gods. Impressive achievement for one who was said to have a mortal mother." He continued his solitary speech, this time with a slight smile on his face.
"I'm going to need a few months to recover. It isn't easy to fight off a glow like that. Even at this moment I still feel the effects of his power." He mumbled. Brimstone was a powerful glow. The flames of this glow were as vibrant and filled with as much vitality as a dying cockroach, truly difficult to extinguish. Although he had survived the attack, its remnants still tore at his body. He may look comfortable and nonchalant now, but he was still fighting a battle in silence.
"In my current state- no, even in my previous state- there is no way I can handle the King. Even without the assistance of the Elder God at his side I would be at a huge disadvantage." It seems that Ray had grossly overestimated the abilities of the peeper. He had based his assumptions of the peeper's strength on the ability of this mysterious figure to defend against Brimstone and scan himself and his mentor undetected. Apparently, the figure was way weaker than that.
"However, if I were to regain my true strength, it would be another story. Only then could I truly stand up to them." The stranger tried to stand as he spoke. He staggered and almost fell, with a bit of blood finding its way out of his body through his sealed lips. He gently wiped away the blood and smiled bitterly. 'If only I was in my true form', he mused.