- ORIS CHAMBER MINE NO.1 -
Darrel pulled Wasen's hand from his mouth and then took deep breaths, he glared at Wasen as though to warn him to keep his hands to himself. A solemn look came upon Darrel's face, Wasen noted Darrel's expression and tried to speak, but was at a loss for words.
"I need to process this…" Darrel waved his arm in an obscure pattern and then walked away.
Darrel separated himself from everyone as he looked at the symbols arrayed on the chamber walls and pondered what he would do next, the art inscribed by the ancient dwellers was flawless, but it was hard to admire the beauty of this world when everything turned around to bite him.
"Darn it!" He smashed his pickaxe into the wall next to him. "How dare they... do that to me!"
The first swing landed with a heavy crack, his second swing felt just as hard, and before long, Darrel was smashing into the chamber wall with unbelievable strength and speed. Then a few prisoners noticed this display of power and started to watch in bewilderment.
"I will destroy you! I will crush you! I will end you!"
Spittle and blood dripped from Darrel's mouth, and the veins on his forehead and arms swelled due to the intensity of his hammering. The hard chamber wall crumbled behind Darrel's pickaxe, and shards of gems and crystals could be seen piling up with the rubble, his pace was fast, however, Darrel had no idea he was ruining the treasure, nor did he notice his sanity begin to fade away.
"Look at him go!"
"He's tearing through that wall like it's nothing!"
"What's going on here?" Puzzled by the prisoners' amazement, some of the guards approached to investigate, unbeknownst to them was Darrel who was tearing through the chamber's wall like a drill.
"It's the Knight-Bane! He's digging his way out!" One of the prisoners bellowed.
"What? Not him again?"
The guards rushed to apprehend Darrel, but when they reached him they were unable to get close since the swings of his pickaxe were broad and heavy. Cracks had formed across the walls of the chamber and the guards knew that if this was to continue further, part of the chamber may end up collapsing on them.
"Call the others!" One of the guards ordered another.
The guard ran swiftly to call for help, as the rest of them gathered around Darrel without his notice.
"Stop you bastard!"
To no avail, Darrel continued to decimate the wall.
"Okay, let's knock him out in three... two... one!"
The guards drew their arms and then lunged at Darrel, it took two of them to stop Darrel's pickaxe from swinging by blocking it with their shields, but they were brought to their knees by the force of his swing, and before Darrel could pull away from them, another guard clutched his arms preventing him from moving them freely.
"Hold him steady!" The final guard jumped in last and swung his mace at Darrel's head which landed square in his face. "Ha! Eat that!"
The guards cheered in unison as Darrel's grip on the pickaxe loosened, they could see his body immediately wane and he began to collapse.
However, in that instant, Darrel's fall was paused, and when the guards looked closer at him they noted the pupils in his eyes had faded, blood trickled down his head, mouth, and nostrils, and the veins on his forehead looked like they were about to pop.
"Look at his eyes..."
Darrel's grip on the pickaxe immediately tightened, then he quickly pulled his arms away from the guard that had loosened his grip on his arms, and swung it around their shields smashing into their helms, the three guards fell back and landed on the other prisoner's arms. The berserker Darrel's attention turned to the final guard that had struck him in the head earlier, the guard inched away from Darrel careful not to get noticed, but Darrel was not keen on strategy in his out-of-control state and carelessly attacked the guard.
The pickaxe came down on the guard, regardless of the pickaxe's bluntness one of its points managed to dig into the guard's shoulder plate and the guard cried out in pain. Suddenly the sound of armored footsteps could be heard running through the ingress, the prisoners that were watching the fray quickly backed away from the estranged Darrel as a wave of guards poured through the tunnel to surround him.
"Gah!" In the confusion, the guard kicks Darrel and manages to push himself from him.
Intimidated by the large number of guards Darrel began to slink back from them, however, the guards were not about to let him escape and they quickly proceeded to surround him.
"I heard you were quite the pain to deal with." An unfamiliar voice came from within the crowd, but some of the older prisoners recognized the voice. "Well, things will be different from now on."
A lean figure appeared from among the guards and walked towards Darrel, the mortal wore a steel-plated armor with a flowery pattern engraved on the chest and shoulder pieces, the joints of the armor were fashioned with black leather just like the gloves and boots of the mortal.
"Who's that?" A prisoner asked his fellow.
"I forgot you are still new here so you don't know," The older prisoner replied. "That there is the Second-Warden."
"Second-Warden?"
"I heard there was more than one warden in Oris," A third prisoner agreed. "Isn't he supposed to be in charge of the lower part of Oris?"
"There are actually three wardens to be precise."
"Three?"
The prisoner's chatter went on as the Second Warden closed in on Darrel, and like a cornered animal Darrel growled in an act of intimidation, and when his attempts failed he charged at the Second Warden. Darrel swung his pickaxe at him, but the warden dodged the heavy attacks effortlessly, easily getting behind the out-of-control Darrel and landing a swift kick to the back of his arm.
"Gah!" A jolt of shock ran through Darrel's arm as the pickaxe fell from his hand.
Darrel flailed his arms aggressively at the warden, but the experienced warden bobbed and weaved around the clumsy attacks.
'I was told he had a tendency to go berserk, but this is unlike the reports.'
The Second Warden pondered to himself as he examined the out-of-control Darrel, blood trickled down his face and mixed with spittle around his mouth, Darrel had gone berserk and his strength had risen significantly that he was easily knocking the prison guards around like they were toddlers.
"Alright, I see what this is." The Second Warden chuckled. "You are an interesting one Dar-rel."
The second he finished his compliment, the warden lunged at Darrel with his hands thrust forward and quickly placed his palms on Darrel's head and chest, then the warden quickly recited an enchantment before Darrel could react to his movements.
"With much compassion Moria's light is cast, to scatter and expunge the Stygian arts."
The warden's hands glowed immediately abashing Darrel's whole body with a brilliant bright light.
[Lambent - Ablution!]
The light brightened the chamber and burned off dark markings that appeared around Darrel's hand and arms before sending him flying backward. The Second Warden fell to one knee, and the guards rushed to assist the warden, but he waved them towards Darrel as he got back to his feet.
"Check on him."
The Second Warden walked over to Darrel as the guards checked his pulse and the state of his consciousness.
"He's alive, just-"
"Huh," Darrel's eyes popped open. "What are you- Get off of me!"
Darrel tried to get away from the guards, but they held him down and stuck new cuffs on his arms and legs, the warden loomed over him and then tapped him on the side of his neck.
"You should be grateful because you are lucky to be alive."
The Second Warden's words echoed in his head as the world around Darrel faded into darkness.