Strena Quester Part Six

 The Quest On The Road

They were all walking on the road, they had been for a long time and at a fast pace. They had all found out that they had lost time and Bash, Chashathrophogh and Cerpheres could feel that Dark Lord Gajellidor Darcrogh and Dark Lady Grasharlo were on the move in Animéga. So they all knew that they had to move faster to make up for the lost time. Yet, as they did, they saw a quest signpost. Strena caught a glimpse of quests one of which caught her eye.

Demon Extractor

This caused her to wander over to the signpost.

“Strena! Come on!”

“Master Chashathrophogh, Uncle Zaryb, look!” She called as she pointed to the poster. They walked up to her and looked at the poster.

“Oh!”

“What is it?”

“Why would you want one of those, my dear?”

“To set Uncle Zaryb free.”

To the sun to the East there is the 

Tomb Of The Demonic Emperor

Zurahkan Zuvé. In it is his tools for 

Demon Control, Demon Possession,

and Demon Exorcising 

He is the progenitor of the Zuvé family,

who were all wiped out over seven years

ago. Which means their family tomb is

unclaimed and ripe for the picking.

Darko Guy Door

“What?”

“Well, what do you think? Maybe we will find something to help Uncle Zaryb?”

Zaryb and Chashathrophogh cocked their eyebrows at herm

“Yeah! I’d like that. I really can’t say how long I have wanted to put an end to this Demon Realm.”

Strena smiled as she felt her heartbeat increase as she felt excited for him upon this prospect.

“So-”

“No. Though I would like for Zaryb to be free, we will be spending too much time on that and not getting to Dark Lord Gajellidor.” Bash spoke.

“Hold on, that’s who you’re going after?” Leonardo snapped.

“Yes.”

“I have no regrets!” 

“Good to know!”

“Well I have to agree with Bash on this one.” Cerpheres sighed, his fingertips to his chest. Then be moved it to Zaryb’s head. “Plus, you’re just too good like this. I just- I just love that greatness that you and Wolfox make together”

He slapped his hand away.

“You are just like Grasharlo.”

“Well I do seem to be related to her.”

“So are we going?”

“Alright, mainly because this is the reason why I became a Quester in the first place. Which means that I do not want to pass this up.”

“Why not put it all up for a vote?” Suggested Leonardo.

“Couldn’t hurt.”

“Fine, I say yes. Bash?”

“No. We have lost too much time.”

“Cerpheres?”

“I’m with Bashy on this one.”

“Leonardo?”

“Sure.”

“Strena?”

“Yes. I think it’s about time Uncle Zaryb is free.”

Zaryb became watery eyed.

“Yes. I would like that.” 

Then his face changed to Wolfox’s.

“Well I don’t! I love tormenting my dear host far too much. Oh! The things I made him do…”

“So five yeses and three nos. So we’re going.”

So Strena took the flyer and they were on their way to the tomb. They walked for hours and hours before they arrived at the tomb. I was surprisingly small. Almost like a small hut. Above the entrance was a pantheon of ancient gods and goddesses.

“Well?”

“We find a way in.”

So they looked all over the door until Cerpheres closed his eyes. Suddenly all of the gods and goddesses of death sank down and the doors opened. After checking for traps, they walked in.

“Good work Cerpheres. How do you do it?”

“Oh. I know all gods and goddesses of the dead.”

“Oh.”

“Do I want to-”

“Sure!” He purred licking his lips.

“No!”

They walked in. Once they were in, the door shut behind. Then crystals lit up orange and tiny mushrooms lit up purple, flooding the room with light. Then they were greeted by three doors. Then fog rose up and formed into letters and they formed into words.

“What do they say?”

“Divide ten and magic,

With the first devine.”

“What does that mean?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well it is a riddle. But what does it mean?”

“Simple. It looks to be a mathematical question.”

“But if you are to divide by magic and the first devine, what-” 

Then Strena realized.

“Five.”

“And the first devine?”

“Three.”

“But you can’t!”

“What is ten and five?” Purred Cerpheres.

“Well, ten and five is fifteen-”

Then her eyes dilated.

“It’s the third one!”

He smirked light-heartedly. 

So they walked to the third door. Strena opened the door and held it open for everyone as they walked in and then they walked down the tunnel. Then they came to a chamber. It was completely empty yet on the walls were four creatures. One was a humanoid wolf with dragon-like wings and four scarlet horns on his head and emerald claws, with eyes that looked like two walls of crimson fire, like they were of a deadly furnace without a trace of white within them. 

One looked like a giant reptilian fox with nine tails with a draconic face. One creature looked like a giant man with six digits on both his hands and feet with large wings like a raven and long blond hair and deep blue eyes and an androgynous handsome face. The last was a white ape in the shape of a giant human with bright scarlet and crimson eyes and sharp teeth and claws.

“Who are they?”

“Me and the other Demon Kings. I am the Demon King of the North, Kitsune Ryu is the Demon King of the East. They are the Demon Kings of the south and west. He is the father of the one known as the White Demon.” Wolfox explained with gritted teeth. “Oh, how I would love to kill them all!”

She nodded as he burst out laughing menacingly.

“Seems you don’t like them.”

“No. But who does? The stupid humans we trick into thinking we love them!”

She nodded as she could tell that he would kill anything at this moment. He just needed the excuse. The first thing that she would have done was warn all those in the room that he could kill, that is, if they did not already know.

“But what does this mean?” She asked, as she looked down at the rings on the floor which had a compass on. She crouched down to them. She tried to move it and the ring moved.

“Wolfox, what does this mean?”

He crouched down beside her. He looked at each of the four rings. Then at the center and his face changed.

“They are the representation of the power of each one. So-”

She looked at the centre.

“Weak.”

She looked down.

“Strong.”

She raced to the center.

“Which of you is the weakest?”

“The south. The second is the east, then it’s me, then it’s the one of the west.”

She nodded as she turned the wheels accordingly. Soon they fell and then they stopped and found themselves in a room. There, ahead of them was none other than the Dark Lord Gajellidor Darcrogh himself! Quickly they drew their weapons. Bash sent an arrow at him, but it passed right through him!

He bellowed a laugh.

“Do you really think that I am really here, in the flesh?” He mocked.

“Is that him?”

“Yes.”

Then they finished falling. Their eyes met and looked at each other.

“What do you mean?” Chashathrophogh demanded.

“I am an illusion and you have all fallen into my trap!”

“What?”

That was when they heard the stone slot into place. They all looked up to see that they had been set up from them. Then they all looked at him.

“Hey dad!”

“Hi son!” He sang. 

“Now that we can converse, there is something that I meant to ask you.”

“Cerpheres!”

“Hold on!”

“Please, be quiet. I need to know something.”

Strena scoffed at him.

“You know your cute when you scoff.”

“What!”

He laughed before turning back to him.

“But why?”

He leaned in close to her as he put an arm around her.

“Because you might learn something.”

She nodded.

“Did you know that I went to kill Dark Lady Grasharlo?”

“I heard.”

“And I couldn’t kill her.”

“And?”

He let out a whimsical sigh.

“Is she one of my many, many siblings?”

He raised his eyebrow.

“Clever conclusion.”

“And is there anything that we beauties have to fight here?”

“Again, clever conclusion.”

“Oh? And what treat have you prepared for us, dear daddy?”

He sighed whimsically too as he looked around.

“Well! This is the tomb of Emperor Zurahkan Zuvé. One of my dear old rivals, who was one of the most dangerous Dark Lords and magic user. He came to the North West to invade the nations to expand his empire. That was before I put an end to it. Yet he did kill my family at the time. So I journeyed to his country to kill him. Then he sent wave after wave of Dark Lords and Dark Ladies my way. The Dark Lords I killed and used them to boost my power and the Dark Ladies I seduced and used to kill more Dark Lords and taught them how to kill to boost their power and once they were powerful enough I killed them, but the children I gave them I let live but abandoned.”

“Oh no! He doesn’t shut up either!”

“Oh, don’t worry my dear Bounty Hunter and Quester! I’m getting to the point. See, I started to hunt the next waves down and found that I liked it. When I had tasted all the evil things I could do and all the evil things I could make others do, I wanted more of it. So I started to let his Dark Lords and Dark Ladies go, just to hunt them down and would hurt them until death came. That part I did not like at first. But, no, I wanted more. I wanted to hurt them more. I wanted to hurt them beyond the point of death, I wanted to make them hurt others too.

“So I was able to create a new spell to stop their souls from being able to leave their bodies. This gave me more pleasure. Which I used on him and made him watch as I made him kill his own children and give his wives over to me as spoils of war. Well, except from his youngest son, which I had a soft stop for. He was a good boy.”

“Hold on, you’re talking about wraiths!” Chashathrophogh and Bash snapped.

He smirked and nodded.

“You certainly do do your research!”

“Are you getting to the point? Or are you just taking this as an excuse to boast?”

He smirked in a way that Strena suddenly remembered all the times that Cerpheres smiled when he snapped her out of her self pity over what her father had done.

“Ahh, yes. See when I started it it was hardly what I would call perfect. No, the soul would come loose over a period of time but when I turned him into a wrath, well-” He chuckled to himself for a moment. “-I wanted it to be perfect. I wanted to torment him for all eternity, making him hurt who I wanted, forcing him to see all his wives pour out their love for me, even after I killed their own children, mind! Well except for little Nazron, who loved me enough to want to call me his father. And yes, I did love him as a son and I made him powerful. Far greater than Zurahkan’s favourite, which was hardly what I would have called special. Yet even more enjoyable, was making him kill all who I wanted.”

That was when he walked eight up to Strena.

“You know, you look like him, little one and certainly are quite the bounty hunter.”

She could feel his hand on her cheek.

“And you are quite the beauty. Shame you hardly lived long enough to break a couple of hearts though.” He spoke as he kissed her forehead. “I can tell that you are very much like little Nazron. Too bad I won’t be able to spare you.”

“Speaking of which, I heard the rumors and I am very happy that they are true. Honestly, I will be able to kill the ones that the gods and goddesses told me to take out and finish off the bloodline of Zuvé at the same time!”

That was when they heard a low sound that was like a roar and a moan.

“Oh! Looks like my wraith has finally come! Oh, the irony!” He sang as his form faded like fog.

Then they saw the skeleton with glowing eyes one that was scarlet and the other was green. It had torn old golden armour with the Zuvé family crest on the centre. In his arms were two rapiers with hilts covered in jewels and the blade was curved.

Then it lounged at Bash but she dived out of the way. Yet Strena dived at her and pulled out Darkector and Orion.

How do I beat this thing?

“There is a spot on the body that pins the soul to the body.” Said Orion.

“Also you-”

Then she saw one blade coming at her. She blocked it just before it hit. She then saw the next coming at her. She blocked that one in the nick of time. Then she felt it bite into her neck. She pushed past the pain and looked at the head as much as she could. There she saw it in the eye socket behind the red light. 

She then pushed back. She could feel the blood pouring from her neck, which she could tell needed to be attended to as soon as possible. She looked to the rest.

“Red eye socket! There’s something that seals the soul to the body.”

They nodded as Chashathrophogh looked at her wound. Then at Cerpheres.

“Heal that now!”

“Say please!”

“Please! Then!”

“There!”

He dived at her as Zaryb and Chashathrophogh pulled out tiny daggers and went to hit it. But the tiny daggers were all deflected by a roll of their blades. Then Bash loaded her bow and went to fire them then saw the tiny daggers coming at him. She fired at the eye and it fell.

Cerpheres placed a hand near the wound on her neck and she felt it heal. She looked back at him.

“There! May I kiss it better?”

Chashathrophogh placed a blade under his chin. He opened his mouth to speak as the whole room shook. They looked around to see that the room as it was completely shaking. Then the first piller fell. They all looked around at Zaryb.

“What?”

“What?”

“You know about the tombs of this region, where would there be an exit point?”

“There would always be a small tunnel in the east wall!”

They all nodded and ran to the wall which was to the east. They all soon found it and then ran and ran and ran. Soon the sun was on their faces.

“Sorry.”

“It’s alright, we all had fun!”

“Shut up Cerpheres.”

“Make my my dead Zarry!”