Yin watched in despair as Dilan screamed in agony, his eyes fixed and unshaken in horror. Suddenly, a darkness enveloped his mind, and a woman's voice began to rise in intensity in his head. "Rise, fight, avenge! Kill! Destroy!" it said.
Meanwhile, Vargo retracted his magical root back into the ground and instructed his followers to dispose of Dilan's body. He turned to walk away, but in that moment, he felt an aura that sent a chill down his spine. Shocked, he turned back slowly and beheld Yin shrouded in black energy.
As the followers moved towards him to take him away, Vargo yelled, "No, wait!" But it was too late. One of the followers touched Yin, and his eyes opened, completely black with red pupils. Yin grabbed the follower's wrist so tightly that he shattered his bones, then grabbed him by the neck and removed his entire jaw from his throat.
The other followers and Vargo stood looking in great shock. Vargo screamed at them to attack, and they summoned fireballs and hurled them at Yin, but he did not move. The fireballs hit his chest and face like harmless pellets, confusing the followers as they took out their knives and swords.
Yin met the first follower dead in his tracks, chopping his head off with his wrist. He punched the next follower straight through his chest and kicked the last, sending him flying straight into a wall. Vargo felt slightly afraid and took a gulp before squaring up for a fight.
"Okay, so be it," Vargo said before summoning sharp roots from the ground to attack Yin. Yin evaded them at great speed, and Vargo increased the speed of his attacks, but Yin continued to evade them. Suddenly, he appeared in front of Vargo and punched him. Vargo reacted quickly, summoning a root in between them to absorb the punch and tying Yin up with his magical roots.
While Vargo was still injured from the punch, he remarked, "That was dangerous. If I was a second late, I would be dead right now." Yin struggled from the roots, but Vargo said, "The more you struggle, the tighter they become. Well, thankfully, you are rampaging like an unconscious beast. There's no way you would know that," he chuckled but then coughed out blood.
The roots became so tight around Yin, knocking him out cold. Vargo looked at him in anger, like he had had enough of Yin, and proceeded to wrap his neck with the roots, trying to kill him. He yelled in anger as he continued, but just then, a golden hammer hit Vargo in the chest, sending him flying into a wall.
Vargo writhed in pain and looked around, trying to figure out where it came from. Suddenly, an impact like a boulder hit the ground, creating dust from its landing. When it settled, Ragnar, one of the pillars of Kalada, emerged - a muscular, tall man with rough golden long hair billowing in the breeze, rough golden beards, a scarred left eye full of animosity, and golden armor that had more than a few battle scars on it.
He let out an excited grin as he looked at Vargo and said, "If you are so eager for a fight, rather than an unconscious boy, fight me." Vargo, annoyed at his appearance, replied, "And who are you?" Ragnar responded happily and with a proud voice, "Me? I am Ragnar, commander of Dragon hold, the Northern eye, pillar of Kaladan."
Vargo had always been a skilled mage, but he knew that there were some opponents he couldn't defeat. Pillars were known to be the strongest of all mages, and Vargo had been warned by his master Kensei to run if he ever encountered one. So when Vargo found himself face to face with a pillar, his heart sank. "I have to escape," Vargo thought desperately. He summoned roots from the ground which wrapped around him, pulling him under and out of sight. Ragnar, who had been watching with interest, looked visibly disappointed that the fight was over so quickly. But Vargo's relief was short-lived.
He felt a strong hand reach into the ground and grab him, pulling him back up to the surface. Before he could even process what was happening, Ragnar slammed him into the ground with a force that left Vargo reeling. "You didn't think you could leave, did you?" Ragnar said, a cruel smile on his face. Vargo tried to stand up, but he was no match for Ragnar's strength. The next words he heard would be his last: "Here I come." Vargo looked up to see a golden axe hurtling towards him, wielded by Ragnar's muscular arms.
The axe split Vargo in two, his body falling to the ground in a bloody mess. Ragnar looked down at Vargo's corpse with a look of disgust. "Worthless," he muttered. He summoned his golden axe and hammer back into his hand with a simple command: "To me!" Then he turned to Yin, who had been watching the fight from a distance. Ragnar checked Yin's pulse and saw that he was still alive. He scooped him up in his arms and carried him away, leaving Vargo's broken body behind
Yin slowly comes to consciousness and finds himself lying on a comfortable bed in a dimly lit room. He tries to sit up but a sharp pain shoots through his body, causing him to wince. A young woman with long blonde hair and piercing blue eyes enters the room carrying a tray of food.
"Hello there," she says in a soft voice, "I'm Isla, the healer who has been taking care of you. How are you feeling?"
Yin tries to speak but his throat feels dry, so he nods his head instead. Isla places the tray of food on the bedside table and hands Yin a glass of water. He takes a sip, feeling grateful for the refreshing drink.
"You were in bad shape when Ragnar brought you here," Isla says, "He thought you were beyond saving, but I managed to stabilize you. You're lucky to be alive."
Yin looks at her, trying to remember what had happened. The last thing he remembered was being shrouded in black energy and attacking Vargo and his followers. He didn't understand what had happened to him, but he knew he had to find out.
"Where am I?" Yin asks, his voice hoarse.
"You're in Dragon Hold," Isla replies, "It's the stronghold of the Pillars of Kaladan, the most powerful mages in the land."
Yin's eyes widen in surprise. He had heard of the Pillars of Kaladan before, but he never thought he would end up in their stronghold. He wonders what Ragnar wants with him.
"Why did Ragnar bring me here?" Yin asks, his curiosity piqued.
Isla gives him a small smile. "I'm not sure, but I think he saw something in you. He doesn't usually go out of his way to save someone unless he thinks they're worth something."
Yin thinks about what Isla said, trying to make sense of it. He had never met Ragnar before, but he had heard stories of his legendary strength and fighting prowess. If Ragnar saw something in him, then he must have a good reason.His eyes widen as he remembers Dilan,he asks hurriedly my friend,but Isla looks back at him in sadness and nods,he comes to the realization that he did infact watch Dilan die,he cleans the tears that fall frkm his face and sobers up.
Yin starts to eat the food that Isla had brought him, feeling grateful for the warm meal. As he eats, he wonders what his next move should be. He knew that he couldn't stay in Dragon Hold forever, but he didn't know where else to go.
As he finishes his meal, Isla takes the tray away and leaves the room. Yin lies back on the bed, his mind racing with questions. He knows that he needs to find out what happened to him and why he had been shrouded in black energy. He also knows that he needs to be careful, especially around the powerful mages of Kaladan.
Yin closes his eyes, trying to clear his mind. He knows that he has a long journey ahead of him, but he's determined to find out the truth and seek revenge for Dilan's death. He hears the voice of the woman again, urging him to rise, fight, avenge, kill, and destroy. He takes a deep breath, feeling the darkness within him stir. He knows that he has the power to do all those things, but he also knows that he needs to be in control. He opens his eyes, feeling more determined than ever.