Drummen looked around in the darkness, holding his wine skin in one hand and a staff in another. He looked at the stairs he had come down from. "Battle... Seems like they're fighting."
"They'll be fine... Now keep walking. The one who walks in the wind will hide this place... All that's left is up to you."
Drummen nodded and took a drink from the wine skin and stood looking at the stone wall with a smile on his face. "Gold... Interesting... I must be getting closer."
"Hahaha... You seem to already have our blood if you're fascinated by gold and things of value."
Drummen cursed. "If I did, I wouldn't have to do this trial in the first place."
"Just move it... I want to see what you do when you see it. Prove to us that you're the person that we chose well."
He nodded and kept walking ignoring the walls around him until he stood in an open space, with no light. He cursed. "How am I supposed to see anything in this darkness?"
"FOOMMM!"
He smiled as torches seemed to come to life around him on the walls. He cursed and stood in front of the mountain of gold and coins. His face smiled as he picked it up touching it with his hands. He took a bite of one of them smiling. "Its gold alright... This is something to set me for life."
"Monk..."
He dropped the coin in his hand cursing. "Fine... I'll be taking some with me, when I leave this blasted place."
"That's fine." He turned and saw the dark haired curly woman standing there with a smile on her face. "Hello handsome monk... Nice to see you again." He walked up to her and smiled, putting his wine skin in his robe. "So, where do I go now." He followed her finger as she pointed. "That way... Let me set the mood for you." He looked at her as she crumbled into a pile of sand at his feet. He cursed.
"Is this how you set the mood?"
"Hahaha... Yes. Do you want me to walk with you?" He nodded. "Well, walking is annoying. I prefer other methods... My brother is waiting... He's going to take you the rest of the way... Don't worry I'll be with you." Drummen sighed and walked in the direction that she pointed in.
He walked through a stone hall, and stopped when he saw the large figure of her brother at the end. He took a few long breaths before stopping in front of her brother. "Hello again..."
"Come this way brother in law. The trial is this way, and the others are waiting." Drummen looked at the brother in confusion. "What do you mean the others?"
"The family... We're all waiting to see if you pass the trial... A big celebration is planned if you do... Our mother seems confident in your abilities." Drummen cursed. "She's here too?"
"Yes... We all are... Do you recognize this place? You've been here before... This is where we first met, and you received that gift." Drummen looked around frowning. "I didn't see anything back than... It was all dark, and I couldn't see at all. I just heard all your voices."
"Well this is the place... We're here. The rest is up to you brother in law." He turned and watched as the brother turned into a pile of sand. He cursed. "You and your blasted family turning into piles of sand."
"Hahaha... Like I said... Just setting the mood."
Drummen frowned and walked into the second large space. His mouth fell as he stared at all the gold around him. He walked up to the walls touching it with his hands. "Its beautiful... Gold everywhere." He took a step back, and stared at the carvings in the wall in amazement. "Its beautiful..." He walked along the wall tracing the figures he could reach and stood back staring at it in silence. "That's incredible... The dragons of men and women, fighting against something that wants to destroy Athlos..." He frowned as he stared at the golden figures. "The pirates would come here to look at this wall... This is the thing the pirates fight for... Against those who want to destroy Athlos..."
He frowned as he looked at the other wall. "That's the map of Athlos... Why would that be here." He shook his head... "That's not a map... What is it? It looks like a ..." He shook his head. "It can't be..."
He shook his head as he turned and stared at a large door at the end. His eyes lit up. "A golden door." He touched it with his hands, looking over its patterns and inscriptions. He took a step back looking at the battle on it and what was placed behind the door. He frowned and took a step back. "If the inscriptions are correct... If that door opens. Athlos is doomed." He shook his head and sat on a sandy step looking at it. "My body wants to open it, but I know in my head and heart I can't. It can never be opened, not by anyone."
He stood up and looked around the room. "If my trial is to open that door, I'm not going to... A guardian of Athlos is to keep this place safe, so why is this my trial?"
"For you to know the truth." He cursed, stood up and turned around looking at the woman standing in front of him. "Hello Drummen... It has been some time since we saw each other last."
He cursed. "Is this what you've been doing... Waiting here for me to take this trial?"
"Yes... All the hard work, you've been doing has been for this moment... I see you've become stronger..." He saw Daikish point at the door. "Are you going to open it, or shall I?" He shook his head and formed two earthern staffs in his hands. "No... Neither of us are even going to try and open it... It needs to stay closed and locked forever."
"Wow... I'm impressed Drummen... You've grown up, and the wine skin I gave you. You still have it." He nodded and threw it at her. "You can have it back now." He cursed as she threw it back to him after having a drink from it.
"You keep it... Its yours now... Consider it as a gift..." He took a step back, as she took a step towards him.
"Hahaha... You're still a lot of fun to play with... Hmmm I'm satisifed about your resolve, but what about your ability to fight?"
He raised his staff to block her jump attack as she landed in front of him, and started to strike back at her as she twisted and danced around his strikes. "Not bad... You've been practicing I see." He smiled as he ducked her attack and rolled backwards missing her kick. He jumped and threw the earthern staff at her, while forming another one. "I've been practicing a lot."
"You've been fighting trolaiths I see..." He nodded. "Drones too."
"Why did the Supreme send you here, if he already knew this place was here?"
"He can't open the door... Only those the door calls will allow it to open." He cursed and lifted his hand as a wall of rock was thrown at Daikish. "Not bad... Not bad at all apprentice." He stood as she slammed her staff into the rock shattering it around her. "I don't think I should be calling you apprentice anymore... There is only one way to beat me... Way of the staff... Show it to me."
Drummen smiled and ran at her. "I told you... I've been practicing" He waved his hands as four other staffs started to attack Daikish, while he used his fists and feet. "Not bad..."
"BOOMM!"
He felt the blast push him back away from her several feet. He looked up at Daikish and cursed. "Stop... You've proven your worth... You may stand here as a guard sent by the Supreme to take this place, but you've past the trial."
"Thank you mother." He turned and looked at the black curly woman standing next to him. He looked at her. "Mother? That woman is your mother?"
"Yes... She's the one who chose you... Also trained you in the earthern arts." He looked at Daikish in confusion. "You told me that the Supreme sent you on a mission? Also that, we might not meet again."
"I did... Indeed, also I gave you that trial to complete at the dome..." He cursed. "Why is she your mother?"
"She gave birth to both of us brother in law..." He turned and looked at the brother in confusion. "Are you telling me... That she is one of you?"
"Yes... She was a soldier for the Supreme, but never a guard..." Drummen sat on the ground in confusion. "She spent many years searching for someone suitable... She chose you in the end."
Drummen scratched his head and took a long drink. "Why didn't you tell me this before? What about these walls? If people knew this truth, wouldn't they fight back?"
"The pirates do my husband... What about you? Are you going to fight back against them?" He cursed and nodded. "Hey... I'm not married to anyone yet."
"Ouch... Daikish what was that for?"
"You don't have to call me by that name anymore... You can call me mother in law..." He saw her smile and frowned. "Please tell me, you don't have her sadistic nature as well?" He saw the woman smile at him with a bright light in her eyes. "I'm her daughter after all."
He looked at the ground in silence. "Can I tell the others up there?"
"No... They have to make their own decisions when the trial comes calling to them... You passed, and the mission has been handed to you... Defender of Athlos..." He looked at Daikish frowning. "I've got no choice in this?"
"Yes... You've always had a choice... Even back then you had a choice to sit back and watch as Athlos burns... Yet you choose to stay and fight for those who can't." He nodded. "Yes... I remember saying something stupid like that."
"I'm surprised you kept the wine skin, and didn't throw it away the first chance you got... You've really surprised me during these past three years." He smiled. "At least I've done something right in your eyes."
"Come... There's another you must meet, and get their approval... Follow me Drummen... Or do you prefer monk?" He smiled. "Call me whatever you want."
"Son in law it is than..." Drummen cursed as he saw her smile. He felt the woman's arm wrap around his. "Where are we going?"
"We're going to see daddy..." Drummen felt his world around him collapse. "Do we have to?"
"Don't worry... You past the trial, and gotten mother's approval... I'm sure he'll like you as well."
He felt himself dragged through a maze of tunnels until he stood staring at a large figure sitting on a pile of gold with a wine skin in his hand. "Hello daddy... This is the one mother chose and approved of."
"I saw..."
"Monk... Are you willing to keep the door closed, and do whatever it takes to keep Athlos safe?" Drummen nodded and opened his wine skin taking a drink. "Sure... I can drink to that."
"Hahaha... I see why mother approved... So be it... I'll give you my blessing daughter."
"Thank you daddy..." He watched as she ran up and hugged the man sitting on the treasure. He looked at the family in confusion. "Why do you all look like that, when brother looks very different?"
"I prefer the way I look brother in law... Since this is what I really look like." Drummen picked up a coin and looked at it smiling. "What do you mean?"
"This is our real form... This is who we are." The coin fell out of his hands as he watched Daikish, the father and daughter all change revealing their true selves. He looked down at the ground. "Husband... Do you not like how I look?" He looked at her with a smile. "No... I'm surprised... You still look beautiful to me..."
"See I told you... I chose right husband..."
"Yes you did. He looked as Daikish and the father huddled together. "Fine... Give him the blood... He's going to be joining the family... After this, he's destined to fight for Athlos, not as a guard, but as a guardian."
He watched as the figure of Daikish approached him with a smile on their face. "This may hurt a bit... But I'm sure you're used to pain." He cursed as he felt his mouth burning and body started to heat up."
Drummen fell to the ground in a heap. "Will he survive mother?"
"I trained his body well... He'll survive the change, and become a strong guardian."