It had been a few weeks since King Arinn had returned to his higher world, a huge red star known as Xeridia. He was currently seething with frustration, his mind consumed by the culprit whose bad luck had taken his grandfather's life. Eryndor, the young man from the lower world, was out of his reach, and King Arinn's anger and helplessness were palpable.
"Bring me the Lich," King Arinn ordered, his voice cold and menacing.
A weak and emaciated Lich Xandros was brought before him, locked in a cage and starved for days. His eyes sunken, his skin pale and dry, he looked like a shadow of his former self. Despite his weakened state, his eyes still burned with hatred and resentment, and he cursed Eryndor with every breath.
"May Eryndor rot in the depths of the Netherworld," Lich Xandros hissed, his voice barely above a whisper. "May his soul be tormented by the demons of the underworld."
Steve, his faithful skeleton, is only a head now, its skull nodding in agreement. "Yes, master, Eryndor is a curse upon the world. His bad luck has ruined all our plans for world conquest."
Lich Xandros glared at King Arinn, his eyes filled with malice. "You think you can use me to get to Eryndor? Ha! I'll never betray my own kind. I'll never tell you how to enter the Netherworld."
King Arinn's expression remained calm, but his eyes narrowed. "We'll see about that. Cassius, persuade our guest to cooperate."
The holy mage Cassius stepped forward, his eyes shining with holy light. "Let us begin, your majesty."
As Cassius attacked Lich Xandros with holy light, the Lich let out a scream of rage and pain. "Stop! Stop this torture! I'll tell you anything, just stop!"
King Arinn raised his hand, and Cassius ceased his attack. Lich Xandros panted, his chest heaving with exhaustion.
"Speak, Lich," King Arinn ordered. "How do I enter the Netherworld?"
Lich Xandros hesitated, his eyes darting back and forth. "You need two things... Angel's blood and an ancient teleportation spell. I can draw the spell, but I need Angel's blood, which is rare and hard to find."
King Arinn thought for a moment, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Do Angels and Demons still exist? Their era is already over."
Lich Xandros chuckled, a dry, mirthless sound. "Although their era is over, there are still some who exist. But finding them is like searching for a needle in a haystack."
Cassius then spoke up, his eyes shining with determination. "We might not know the whereabouts of an Angel, but those who are close to them might know. We can try to find a fairy, they might know something."
Lich Xandros laughed, a cold, mocking sound. "So, where do you think you can catch a fairy? In a trap, perhaps? Ha! You'll never find one, they're too elusive, too quick."
Meanwhile, in the lower world, a small blue star known as Elyria, Lord Ravenswood was celebrating a feast, surrounded by many guests.
The grand hall of Lord Ravenswood's estate was filled with laughter and music, as guests from all over the land gathered to celebrate a mysterious occasion. The tables were laden with delicious food and drink, and the atmosphere was merry and joyful.
One guest, a stout man with a bushy beard, turned to another and asked, "What's the occasion, my friend? Is Lord Ravenswood celebrating his loss in the tournament?"
The other guest, a tall and slender woman, shook her head. "I'm not sure, but I think it's something more than that. Lord Ravenswood seems particularly happy today."
Just then, Lord Ravenswood stood up, a glass of wine in his hand, and a huge smile on his face. "My dear friends, I want to thank you all for coming today. I'm celebrating a very special occasion, one that brings me great joy and relief."
The guests looked at each other in confusion, wondering what could be the cause of Lord Ravenswood's happiness. But Lord Ravenswood just chuckled and said, "Let's just say that I'm celebrating my freedom from a certain... individual. A person who has brought me nothing but bad luck and misery."
As he spoke, Lord Ravenswood's eyes sparkled with tears of joy, and he raised his glass in a toast. "To my freedom, and to the absence of Eryndor's bad luck! May he never darken my doorstep again!"