DLR - 41
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Seeing the bridge, Vernox wondered if it was safe or not as the bridge was thin and didn't have anything by the sides to support walking.
The bridge was made out of a black rock that was glittering like stars were on it.
'Mythril ore' he recalled the name of the rock.
In the game when he played this level, after he defeated the black dragon general he was transported into the demon academy immediately so he didn't know how to enter the place without suddenly vanishing.
...
Vernox walked behind the guard as the guard walked on the bridge and proceeded.
'You can do this...you can do this!' he encouraged himself as he didn't stop walking and followed the guard and walked forward on the bridge.
Vernox could see the lava that illuminated from below and he felt the heat coming from the lava.
He wondered how they were going to reach the academy from here. All he could see was the edge of this bridge which stopped at the middle of the volcano's mouth. The edge of the bridge was circular and had a wider space that the initial bridge path.
Soon, they got to the middle of the volcano. They were on the circular edge of the bridge. Looking at it from this side Vernox noticed that the bridge looked like a spoon, where the pathway was slim and the end was wide and circular.
*Clank clank...*
Zaratroth walked towards them too, crossing the bridge after them. Vernox stood with the guard and waited for him.
As soon as he made it to the middle, Zaratroth unsheathed his broadsword. Vernox took a good look at the sword...the sword was silver and had various runes lining up from the hilt to the tip of the sword. The hilt had a design of a dragon that breathed the blade as the blade was coming out of the dragon's mouth.
Zaratroth walked to where they were and turned around.
Before Vernox could say anything the black dragon general thrusted his sword into the floor, causing the rock to vibrate a little.
Vernox didn't like this one but. He didn't want a situation whereby his life will be endangered since he hasn't done much here.
...
The runes on the sword lit up one by one from the handle going down to the tip of the blade which was impaled in the ground.
Light from the sword passed through the circular wide rock that they stood on. Whit lines appeared on the rock and started pulsing with light.
'What's going on now....are we supposed to teleport?' he thought as he began felling nervous about the whole thing.
The bridge vibrated as the circular tip of the bridge disconnected from the bridge and began moving downwards like an elevator.
...
Vernox wondered if there was a portal below as they were going directly into the volcano with the black rock elevator.
He was about to panic...but then he saw Zaratroth and his royal guard weren't fazed so he decided to act normal and see where this goes.
*Bubble...splash...*
They got close to the lava that was bubbling and splashing around. The temperature was very high but then again...it made him feel comfortable and it calmed him down.
"Hm?" Vernox furrowed his brows as the circular elevator started descending into the lava. Vernox could feel the scorching heat that the lava was emitting and got a little scared again.
Glancing by his side, the guard's face was neutral and focused.
The rock descended into the lava more and soon, the label started climbing atop The rock as the rock sank into the volcano.
Vernox watched as the lava passed Zaratroth's feet and nothing happened and he was stupified.
'Isn't this lava?' he looks at it again. The lava closed in to him. His instincts were telling him to jump or flew but...he was going to the demon academy for a reason. If he bailed now and in front of his subordinates, he would look stupid.
He calmed himself down. Lava reached his feet and closed around them... sinking his legs in the lava.
The heat wasn't scorching like he thought it to be and was just above the normal temperatures a little.
'Hmph...I got scared for nothing' he thought as he enjoyed the warm feeling of the orange red lava that they were sinking in.
They sunk quickly as within few seconds, the lava was creeping onto his neck already as they continued sinking.
The guard beside him suddenly took a deep breath and held it as his face entered the orange red lava.
Vernox copied as he held his breath and so did Zaratroth. All of them sunk into the lava till they weren't visible anymore.
...
The warm feeling of bathing in the lava made Vernox calm and comfortable. His whole body was feeling more energised and he felt his soul vortex absorbing energy from the lava.
*Swoosh*
A cold breeze passed his ear and he opened his eyes.
He saw that the elevator was still going down below as he looked at a dark world. It looked like another dimension as there wasn't any greenery here, only charred black sand and some trees that didn't have any leaves too.
He looked up and saw an orange red sky that spread around this whole new world that he was seeing.
It gave him inspiration and ideas for the change that he wants to put in his dimension later.
"We've arrived at the training grounds my Lord" Zaratroth spoke as the elevator landed on the ground floor.
Vernox couldn't see anything for miles except for a tower that looked blurry as it was very far away from them.
Vernox wondered how they were going to get to the middle as the demons general training place is near the tower in this place.
As if someone could read his thoughts they heard hoofs clashing with the ground and let looked back.
*Neigh....*
Zaratroth held three black horses that looked identical and brought them over.
Vernox wondered where he got them from as he didn't even see when Zaratroth left the elevating stone.
"My Lord!" Zaratroth handed Vernox one of the reigns and handed another to the guard.
Zaratroth showed a little respect for the guard as the guard was clad in full red armor, meaning that he was a royal guard.
...
Vernox mounted on his horse and looked at the distance.
"It might take us a whole day to reach that place... let's move immediately"
Vernox started before them as he flicked the reign making the horse neigh before it started running quickly.
Seeing the demon Lord leaving them Zaratroth and the royal guard mounted their horses and followed behind Vernox...to the tower.