As soon as he appeared in his throne room, Ian waved his hand at the wall, and Iris appeared in front of him, sitting in the carriage with the man she had married and her father. Still dressed as a maid, the two men didn't look delighted while Iris looked at them worriedly. Surprisingly not terrified, which was good by all accounts, a little ashen, but they hadn't touched her.
Nobos appeared in the throne room carrying a pot and a heavy book. He placed them on the floor in the middle of the throne hall and brushed his hands.
" The Lords are arranging the tournament as we speak!" Nobos informed as he approached him.
" At least we will have some entertainment! This place is a bore!" Ian amusedly said and stood up from his throne but sat back down and winced in pain.
" The pain has returned!" Ian groaned and looked at Iris as Gaelin dragged her out of the carriage.
"Whatever you need to do, it better be fast!" Ian groaned in pain and cowered in his seat.
" So I was right!" Nobos gloated, showing every bit of smugness that he had in him.
" Yes, yes, you were right!" Ian hurriedly admitted, huffing.
" Now get on with it!" Ian barked at him, tightly gripping the armrest to battle his searing pain.
Nobos nodded and turned his attention to the cauldron he had brought. And began pulling things out of his cloak and throwing them in the pot.
" Is that necessary? Can't you just open a portal?" Ian huffed and groaned in pain.
" I did! It's not working! They've done something to the veil around the realm. I'm guessing it's an old protection spell." Nobos said as he poured some black goo into the cauldron.
" It makes sense after what Seth did!" Ian said, unfurling and leaning in his chair.
Nobos hummed " So I'm going the old ways! It might not work, though! I'm not as powerful as you are! Worse comes to worst, you'll have to do the deed yourself and suffer the consequences!" Nobos explained and opened his bloody book, burying his nose in it.
Nobos began reading the incantation. Smoke rose from the cauldron and pooled on the floor, slowly twirling and growing.
It looked nothing like what Iris opened. The smoke wasn't black. It was grey. Nobos continued chanting the incantation, and the smoke burst into flames, throwing Nobos on the floor a few paces away from the cauldron, and the book flew across the floor.
That wasn't a good sign. When shit goes up in flames is never a good sign. Nobos groaned and pushed himself off the floor and threw him a look that said your turn now.
Ian pushed himself up and stumbled to where he was, slumping on the floor next to him.
" That woman will be the death of you!" Nobos annoyingly pointed out as he rested on his elbows, watching him.
Ian let out a chuckle ' As long it's in her arms. I'll happily take the soul collector's hand!" Ian swallowed and huffed.
Nobos chuckled " You know they use a sïthe, right?" Nobos stated the obvious with a wide grin.
" Yes, I do! Now help me up!' Ian huffed and clumsily pushed himself to the floor.
Nobos grabbed his arm" Not that one !" Ian groaned in pain at his touch when he felt Nobos's touch.
Nobos let go of him and grabbed his other arm. It still hurt but not as bad. Ian raised his hand and looked at Nobos with a questioning look.
" Nobos, I've never opened a portal. A little help wouldn't hurt!" Ian quipped with a weary smile.
Nobos nodded " You have to do this", Nobos drew a circle with his hand ", and then do this!" and placed his hand flat in front of him" And you have to think of the place you want to go, and darkness will guide you!" he explained with a straight face considering that it was the silliest thing he had heard in a while.
Ian gave a pained chuckle and curled up on himself " I thought that we couldn't open portals to other realms!" Ian said, groaning.
" You can. You just have no power on the other side!" Nobos replied with a frown, but it felt more like a warning.
"That's why he is going!' Nobos waved his hand, and a soul collector stepped out of the shadows, holding a sïthe.
" He is not going to use that, is he? Ian worriedly asked with his eyes on the soul collecter
" Guyhirn is in my service. He won't do anything of the sort!" Nobos eased his worries.
" He needs it to control his darkness! Without it, he is powerless!" Nobos clarified, and he felt he could breathe.
Ian nodded, closed his eyes and focused on Zandar " Make sure you open the portal close to her. This is not to collect a soul! He won't be able to stay in the realm for long." he heard Nobos speak as he tried to picture the chamber he had seen Iris in.
Ian followed Nobos's instructions and drew a circle in the air, and placed his palm on the ring. He could feel the magic flow through him as the spiral grew more significant. He finally opened his eyes and looked at the portal.
" You will have to stay here and keep the portal open. The spell they placed on the veil is strong, and the portal won't stay open long enough for Guyhirn to cross back and forth." Nobos explained and waved the sound collecter to go through.
The soul collector stopped in front of the portal and turned his hollow skull to look at them, and nodded. The moment he put his leg through the portal he vanished out of their sight.
Ian waved his hand at the obsidian wall and saw Iris walk in a different direction than she usually went along with her husband.
" Shit! Where is he taking her?" Ian worriedly asked and looked at Nobos.
Nobos shrugged " Where did you send the soul collector?" Nobos asked with his eyes on the wall.
" To her chamber! That's not the way to her chambers!" Ian said and fell to his knees, still trying to keep the portal open as the pain wreaked havoc in his rotting body.