When the fog cleared and the Keyblade Master opened his eyes, Eraqus realized that he was in a dark and dusty circular room made of black stone with only one exit, a staircase leading up to old double doors that were in the same decaying condition as their surroundings.
The lack of enemies was welcome, but lowering one's guard was not an option. Therefore, Eraqus readied his Scimitar and Parma, and walked towards the double doors, touching the partially rotted wood, and pushing it open.
The Keyblade Master grumbled angrily as dust and dirt fell on his head, similar to the gate leading to the shrine, but his complaints died down as soon as he laid eyes on the great construction in front of him.
A majestic castle that touched the yellow skies, with colossal towers with bluish roofs, and connected by bridges that looked more like roads stretching for miles.
Taking a few steps forward, Eraqus stopped at the edge of the wall where he stood, seeing that the fortification surrounded the castle.
However, no matter how hard he tried, he could not see the end of the castle itself, for the building seemed to connect with everything around it, its architecture blending in with the smaller buildings and fortifications, proving just how massive the castle was.
Still in awe of the sight, Eraqus descended a set of stone stairs, reaching a lower part of the wall, but frowned as he saw more of the decrepit gray-skinned beings.
However, they seemed to be undergoing some kind of transformation, with dark branches and roots coming out of their legs, arms, backs, and mouths, giving the impression that they were raising their arms and screaming towards the sky in agony.
Eraqus left the questions created by this disturbing sight for later. Perhaps some of the shrine's inhabitants could clear up his doubts, but until then, he had to move on.
Therefore, he touched the fire next to him, sighing internally with relief as he felt the magical fire and comforting warmth take his fatigue, and soon Eraqus found himself descending the steps of the wall until he came to a passage full of statues of people praying, and more gray beings imitating the gestures of the statues.
Hm... These must be the hollows I was told about, the ones consumed by the curse. Eraqus thought as he walked among the beings.
Some recoiled in fear, fleeing from a non-existent enemy, others tried to grab Eraqus' jacket, muttering incoherently, and finally, some remained praying, heedless of the only sane person there.
Nevertheless, the large winged, scaly, gray creature lying dead on the other side of the passage was what captured the master's attention; it was some kind of dragon, Drake or wyvern.
It was hard to say, the classification of such creatures changed from world to world, creating an unnecessary headache.
Soon the master found himself with two paths, one going straight ahead, down a staircase through a narrow corridor, or upwards, passing through a destroyed area of the wall.
Eraqus chose the upper path and reached it with a short leap, ignoring the hollows praying near the great dead monster, and falling to a lower area of the wall, just below the creature's wing.
The master walked down a small narrow corridor, picking up a strange yellowish powder wrapped in paper next to a corpse and putting it in his pocket.
Reaching the end of the corridor, Eraqus spotted the inside of the wall, and the end of the staircase from before, revealing a hollow waiting hidden in the corner, ready to attack anyone unfortunate enough to choose that path.
Eraqus leaped out of the corridor and landed carefully in the room in front of him, remaining crouched so as not to attract the attention of the distracted hollows around him, and moved towards an open grate in the floor, revealing a long wooden staircase.
Checking one last time that the hollows had not seen him, Eraqus descended the ladder, only to notice that a hollow was coming in the opposite direction, grumbling at the sight of its master.
Eraqus clucked his tongue in annoyance as he heard the footsteps of the hollows above approaching and repeatedly kicked the head of the hollow below, sending it into a fatal fall.
Without wasting any time, Eraqus grabbed the sides of the ladder and slid down, absorbing the souls of the dead hollow, and touching the ground just as the hollows above began to descend the stairs.
Eraqus preferred not to waste time with such beings and moved on, passing a small guard post and arriving at a different section of the wall.
Two hollows advanced as soon as the master entered their field of vision, one carrying a spear and a wooden shield, the other raising a sword above his head.
Eraqus assumed a combat pose and allowed the hollows to approach. The one with the spear was the first to act, thrusting his weapon towards his master, intending to pierce his chest.
The blow was slow and sloppy, with the hollow stumbling with every step as if his weapon weighed a ton, so Eraqus stepped to the side, easily dodging the blow, and raised his scimitar, delivering a swift blow toward his enemy's weapon.
The spear split in two like a stick, but the remaining hollow used this small opening to attack, delivering savage blows while screaming incomprehensibly.
Eraqus waited for the sword to approach and parried the blow with his Parma in one precise movement, causing the hollow to lose its balance and stagger backward.
Eraqus chose this moment to finish off his enemies. The master swung his scimitar and landed a swift blow to the hollow lancer's neck, the steel of his weapon tearing through the rotting flesh and creating a gush of blood followed by the hollow's wet gurgles as it choked on its blood.
Then Eraqus spun his body in a dance-like movement, with quick footwork, and slashed at the hollow's chest which had its blow parried, cutting through the aged armor and leaving a large bloody wound.
The hollow fell backward with a pained cry, remaining silent and disappearing into souls soon after, as did his companion.
The wall fell silent again, and Eraqus scanned his surroundings, waiting for the next challenger, but nothing happened.
Then Eraqus climbed a flight of stairs, only to let out an angry yell when he saw a crowd of hollows staring at him, carrying various types of weapons, large and small, and ready to fight.
There was a barred door on the other side of the courtyard where he stood, but it was impossible to tell if it was locked or just closed.
It is not an impossible fight, but I will be easily outmatched if I advance carelessly. Maybe I should conjure up some spells and...
FLAP!
FLAP!
FLAP!
A loud noise echoed off the wall, bringing Eraqus out of his thoughts. Suddenly, a large shadow covered the courtyard, its owner becoming a dark spot in the sun.
Eraqus opened his eyes wide in surprise as his heart raced with worry, for one of the winged monsters from before was advancing towards the wall, showing the life that was missing from its fellows.
The monster landed with a thud, shaking the wall and sending some of the hollows crashing to the ground. Then the monster raised its head and roared fiercely, dispersing the cloud of dust that surrounded it and making Eraqus' ears ring.
However, Eraqus had to ignore his aching ears as he saw an orange glow forming on the monster's chest, rising towards its slowly smoking mouth.
The master knew very well what was coming, having faced fire-breathing monsters in several different worlds. Eraqus wasted no time and advanced in a burst of speed, crossing the courtyard and closing the distance to the gate.
A few hollows tried to get in his way, but the master pushed them away, parried their blows, or dodged to the side. The hollows' ignorance of the seriousness of the situation only made Eraqus hurry.
Then a sound like an explosion followed by hellish heat overtook the courtyard.
Eraqus heard the agonized screams of the hollows behind him as the heat touched his back, causing him to cry out in pain while sweating profusely.
Eraqus threw himself against the door, smiling inwardly as it opened, allowing him through.
The master rested his back against the wall, breathing heavily as he stared at his hands. It was still hard to believe how weak he had become; such a monster would have been no problem in the past.
Taking a deep breath and strengthening his resolve, Eraqus left these depressing thoughts behind and continued advancing along the wall.
Currently, the master was in a kind of warehouse, kitchen, or soldiers' restroom, with its wooden floor partially destroyed, revealing the lower floor.
There was an exit on the other side of the room. Jumping over a narrow section of the hole, Eraqus opened a second barred door and found himself in another passage in the wall.
The master stuck his head out of the doorway and looked around, seeing no winged monsters trying to turn him to ash. Eraqus quickly crossed the passage and found himself in another abandoned room with two paths, one up and one down.
Eraqus chose to go up first, smiling slightly as he found another bonfire waiting for him on the wall.
The master touched the fire, getting the expected result, but frowned in concern when he saw the winged monster in the distance, still spitting flames at whatever had survived its first attack.
All Eraqus could do was pray that he would not run into it again. With that completed, only the way down remained, Eraqus returned the way he came until he reached the abandoned room, and jumped to the floor below via a hole in the floor.
Passing through another narrow corridor and barred gate, Eraqus' face contorted in sadness at the sight before him, a ruined city at the foot of the wall.
Wooden and stone buildings and houses stretched out on all sides, forming a distorted, dark mass surrounded by narrow, labyrinthine streets.
Some of the buildings were partially destroyed, with holes in their walls and roofs, others looked like they would collapse with the slightest breeze, while some were burning in an incessant fire that was slowly spreading, but no one seemed to be bothering to put them out.
Approaching the edge of the wall at the point where it connected with the roofs of the buildings, Eraqus looked down and saw the destruction and ruins spreading through the streets, with rotting corpses abandoned or burning in bonfires.
Large, slender, gray-skinned dogs devouring any flesh they could find, whether of the living or the dead, piles of rubble serving as fuel for the flames, and dead knights in heaps, their weapons in hand, a clear sign of the battle that had taken place here.
Eraqus partially closed his eyes in deep thought when he saw a large, fat knight walking around a fountain surrounded by corpses and weapons lying on the ground.
The knight wore golden armor with blue cloth and carried an enormous halberd or crescent axe, its most peculiar feature being a pair of atrophied wings on his back.
Leaving the knight aside, Eraqus observed his surroundings, wondering where he should start. It was hard to tell where the buildings began and ended, but for now, there seemed to be only one way ahead.
Eraqus stepped onto the blue-tiled roof in front of him and explored his surroundings, looking for a possible path to the streets below. Unfortunately, the hollows in his path planned to make this as inconvenient as possible.
The hollows wore rags and carried worn-out weapons, just like most of those Eraqus had encountered before, so they were easily dispatched with swift, precise slashes.
Blood stained the rooftops and cries of pain echoed through the silent city as Eraqus advanced, collecting objects of interest on his way.
Throwing knives, firebombs, resins, small-weakened souls, a type of green grass, bones that emanated magic and small stones that released holy energy.
However, the master ran into a problem: his pockets were getting full, and soon there would be no more room.
Running to the side and dodging a barrage of flaming darts, Eraqus left the silly hollows behind and jumped through a destroyed section of the roof, landing on the balcony of a building.
Unfortunately, the buildings were as labyrinthine on the inside as they were on the outside. Eraqus made his way through the dark and dusty corridors of the abandoned and ruined houses, wistfully observing the signs that people had lived here in the past.
Eraqus passed through kitchens, bedrooms, dining rooms, warehouses, and much more, trying to keep his mind off what the inhabitants of this place looked like and lived like, as this would only serve to worsen his already gloomy mood.
Talking about the inhabitants, Eraqus found them eventually, hollows and more hollows, although some were of greater stature and carried large axes, while others were knights wearing armor and better quality weapons.
The smaller hollows showed no challenge, being dispatched quickly with precision, the larger hollows and knights, however, required a little more effort, with spells and maneuvering around their surroundings.
"Fire!" Eraqus shouted, conjuring a fireball in the cramped corridor and hitting a knight and some approaching hollows.
The knight blocked the fireball with his shield, being pushed back as the spell left a scorched mark on his equipment. The hollows around him were not so lucky and screamed as they burned from being in the range of the spell.
Eraqus took advantage of the opening and advanced towards the knight, absorbing the souls of the dead hollows on the way, then stepping to the side to dodge the blow aimed at him.
The knights possessed more technique, discipline, and intelligence than normal hollows, probably a remnant of their training as humans, but they lacked control, always attacking with all their might.
The knight missed his target and hit the ground with a powerful blow, cracking the stone with a crack that reverberated off the walls, and raising a small cloud of dust, but his attack left him open to his enemy's onslaught.
Eraqus danced with his scimitar, unleashing a flurry of blows that shattered metal and tore flesh, staining the floor with the hollows' dark blood.
The knight tried to raise his shield in a vain attempt to defend himself, but Eraqus would not allow it and swiftly slashed the hollow's neck, sending it crashing to the ground.
Eraqus then absorbed the souls and continued searching for a way into what had once been a residence full of people who inhabited a prosperous kingdom.
-XXXXXX-
Although he still had not found a way out, Eraqus' search was not fruitless. The master found more miscellaneous items and left his Parma behind after finding a Kite Shield in a chest, as all better equipment was welcome.
The master now found himself in a spacious room, facing several hollows, and their canine versions.
Raising his new shield in front of him, Eraqus blocked the bite of one of the dogs, stopping it in its tracks, and pushed it aside, slashing its belly shortly afterward.
The various hollows present advanced towards the master simultaneously, but staying together was their biggest mistake.
"Fire!" Eraqus shouted, sending a fireball towards the group, where the spell burst into flames, burning all the hollows in its range.
With the room clear of enemies, Eraqus took advantage of this moment to search for something useful, finding mainly a key in a corpse, and a golden fragment made of unknown material.
Eraqus put both items in his pockets and moved on, looking for a way out, until he finally found it.
Taking a deep breath as he finally left the dark and dusty corridors, Eraqus immediately regretted his decision when the smell of burnt meat hit his nose, making him choke.
Stopping on a balcony and looking down, Eraqus found himself face to face with the courtyard where the fountain surrounded by corpses from before stood, and there was the big fat winged knight.
Eraqus paused for a moment, scratching his beard as he thought deeply about how to deal with the knight. Direct combat was out of the question, the knight was physically stronger. This could be a problem in his weakened state.
Sneaking around was a valid possibility, but with so many hollows wandering around, there was a risk that he would be discovered by the creatures, who would soon alert the knight.
Then Eraqus smiled devilishly at the idea that came into his mind. The master removed one of the blue vials hanging from his belt and drank its contents, choking on the extremely bitter taste, but sighing with relief as he felt lightness in his mind.
Finally, Eraqus pointed his hand at the knight below and cast spell after spell.
"Fire! Blizzard! Thunder!"
Fire, ice, and electricity rained down on the knight, causing him to cry out in pain as he advanced towards the balcony where Eraqus stood.
The knight accelerated his run as he was bombarded, his tiny wings glowing slightly before expanding and flapping, allowing the knight to take off.
Eraqus let out a string of insults that would make his students blush with embarrassment as he kept up his attack, watching as the knight raised his halberd above his head, intending to cut the master in two.
Fortunately, Eraqus' spells proved to be more than the knight could handle, and the great being vanished into thin air, leaving his halberd behind, which then crashed to the ground with a thud.
Eraqus drank from the flask to restore his focus and leaped into the courtyard below, shaking his head at the destruction around him and trying to lift the knight's halberd straight away, but his efforts were fruitless as the weapon proved too heavy.
Sighing in disappointment, Eraqus left the halberd behind, hoping to retrieve it later, and advanced across the courtyard, collecting two strange objects that captured his attention.
The two humanoid effigies made of flaming embers attracted his gaze supernaturally, like a tug at the back of his mind, so Eraqus put the two objects away, planning to get answers at the shrine.
Continuing his journey, Eraqus advanced through the streets and passages, eliminating the hollows in his path until he came across two possible destinations, a bridge on his left, or a long staircase down to his right.
Eraqus chose the staircase, passing strange, small, hooded beings with hooves chained to their backs, all of whom were dead, probably thanks to the many hollows present in the streets.
Reaching the end of the staircase, Eraqus entered a spacious rectangular room, made of worn stone with a large double gate glowing faintly on the other side.
This is an arena, but where is my enemy? Eraqus thought, analyzing his surroundings as he walked towards the gate.
The master observed the light shining through the gap in the dented and worn metal, stretching out a hand towards the glow while partially closing his eyes.
Suddenly, a chill ran through the master's body, making him stop his actions and rub his arms to warm himself. The temperature in the room dropped abruptly, making Eraqus' breath visible every time he breathed.
Eraqus had the answer to the supernatural changes in the environment when a wall of mist blocked the entrance to the room and a blue portal opened next to it, allowing a monstrous being to step out.
It was a quadruped creature, equipped with shiny blue armor that covered its entire body, and a helmet that hid its face. An icy mist escaped from the joints of the armor, giving the gigantic knight the impression of wearing a cloak of ice.
The knight crawled out of the portal and focused on Eraqus, roaring from the top of his lungs, making the noise echo off the walls along with a wave of ice, and slamming his great mass into the ground, creating a miniature earthquake.
Eraqus ignored the knight's threats and took up a combat stance. At the same time, the knight advanced on all fours at great speed, roaring like an enraged animal.
END OF CHAPTER