Chapter 139: The Yldars

Adaloun moved a little farther from the broken gate as he heard the giant's roars echoing close to where he was. The ground shook violently, most likely the behemoth could've been rolling around in pain after that broken leg.

Adaloun made an effort to pull the three of them farther as he could from that damned monster. He hadn't opened any light rune as of yet and it was getting more frustrating for him to continue without it. After several bumps and slips, he finally decided to gamble on with a light rune.

He tied the two Orkamuus body on to his waist with a makeshift rope from their clothing and belt. On his right hand, he held Gravil's schmitar while he held the light rune on the left. As he dragged his way deeper inside the stony gate, he came to realize that it wasn't a tunnel but rather a structure, a building of some sorts.

As he moved inside, he saw the beauty of the infrastructure. The smoothly furnished walls and the marbled pillars caught Adaloun's attention. It closely resembled that of the halls he once walked with the old gods. The design, the materials and even the patterns etched on the wall was nostalgic of the worlds and gods he once knew.

He felt sick to his stomach as his memories of the halls and the deities popped out once more. He could hear them whispering while looking at him with their judging eyes. He heard the sound of the High Chancellor's gavel being struck at his high podium.

Adaloun stopped for a while to compose himself. His sweat trickled fast on his forehead and the sickening feeling in his gut finally got to him. His body broke down in fatigue once again. He felt feverish and his throat parched. His eyes slowly gave in to his body's demands and he unknowingly fell asleep.

During his unwarranted rest, he dreamt about his past experiences of his recent life. He dreamt of the horrible days he had inside the slave farm and saw how his friends died in front of him through beating or otherwise, illness.

He specifically dreamt that time they were lined for branding. Adaloun stood in the middle of a confined room where a lot of metal blades and pincers came in different sizes. He saw himself standing in line naked and afraid as he heard the cries of those who came before him. The smell of burnt flesh filled the air with its horrible scent.

Adaloun's knee began to shake the same way he did when he experienced it for the first time he was on that line. The shouts became louder, and the laying table became more visible. As the last slave was escorted out of the laying table, he saw the irritated burnt skin at the side of the neck with glyphs and marks too foreign for him to understand.

The soldier called out his name. His younger self hesitated to answer the call but the other soldier who stood next to him dragged him by the arm. His younger self fought back but the soldier's fist proved to be too strong and knocked the wind out of him as it struck his gut.

His half-conscious self was tied into the laying table with leather belts and sinew. The other soldier smiled and pressed his hand against the poor boy's jaw. The soldier turned his younger self's head to the right and exposed his neck in the process.

The soldier took the searing hot iron and placed it against his skin. His younger self shouted in pain and even pissed himself due to the sheer pain he had to experience. Adaloun could only look away but when he did, the scream pierced his ears and drowned his heart with anger and pain.

Adaloun closed his eyes and as soon as he opened them, he was already floating in a world of darkness. He faded along an unseen stream into a chaotic ocean full of memories both known and unknown. Faces of people and places started to flash in front of him and everything became all too confusing and infuriating at once. He stood blankly at the darkness unmoving.

Just as he was about to fade further, he felt a warm hand holding his right arm. He looked around and saw the fading image of Oyue smiling at him. 

"Wake up, you are needed more in the waking world. She said. "This is not your time to venture any deeper in your own consciousness." She added.

Oyue snapped her fingers and suddenly he was awake once again with the light rune shining bright on his left arm. He immediately sat down and waved the light around the place. To his relief. it was still the same place where he lied down. 

He shone some light on the Orkamuus and this time he saw them moved. He immediately helped them sit in a wall erected just behind the Orkamuus. After he helping them sit down, he offered them some water from their own gourds.

"My greatest thanks, my friend!" Corvinus said as Adaloun gave it to him. 

The Orkamuu drank from his gourd and coughed a little bit. 

"Are you alright?" Adaloun patted Corvinus' back.

The Orkamuu nodded. "I am alright, my friend…" He sighed. "However, I am afraid my eyesight is no longer available." He looked around and asked, "What of my brothers?"

Adaloun had the grueling task of answering the question. Should he tell them how he abandoned Darayus while escaping? He had no choice but to lie. 

"I-I wasn't able to save—" Adaloun sighed.

"Save your breath, my friend." Corvinus sighed. "I think I know the rest."

Adaloun could see Corvinus bit his lip. The Orkamuu's furrowed brow expressed deep pain in losing a brother. He felt guilty with his decision to leave him there with the giant, but he had to choose, it was either the death of all or the death of one. 

There was complete silence after the short interaction. Adaloun completely understood the Orkamuu's silence. It was only after another few moments later that he decided to break it.

"What happened to the three of you?" Adaloun helped Gravil in sitting up  and laid him on the wall. 

"We used our fire sprites to scout the area…" Corvinus recalled. "We saw some fascinating infrastructures that even we couldn't explain in words! But…" The blinded Orkamuu opened his eyes revealing the nothingness of his sockets.

"But what?!" Adaloun anxiously asked the Orkamuu leader. "What did you saw there?"

Corvinus bit his lip and dared not to say it. Adaloun could feel his body shook in fear. It seemed like whoever or whatever blinded them was something they knew about too we  "Lunos!" Gravil coughed. "It was the Yldar Lunos!" He gritted his teeth. 

"Lunos?" Adaloun was confused. "Who is Lunos?"

"The mad moon." Corvinus answered. "The Yldar that thought of himself as a god."

Adaloun stood up and thought for a second. "You say, he is here with us?" He lifted the schmitar and waved his light again around the place.

"He might be here, my friend." Gravil answered. "If I am correct, then we are currently at the Moon's labyrinth." He tapped the wall.

"This was the labyrinth built by a group of Yldars who worshipped Oyue." Corvinus looked up. "As what the legend says, the Yldars created this maze temple on top of the moon which their goddess struck on this earth during the First Era, before the Age of Wonders."

Adaloun scratched his head, "How did you know so much about this?" 

"it is within the teachings of Apholak, our god and brother to the beautiful moons, Oyue and Chandara." Gravil answered back. "If this is indeed that temple, we have no time to rest here. We must keep on going or else…"

"Or else what?" Adaloun asked.

"Lunos might find us and kill us all." Corvinus answered. "Have you had my weapon, my friend?" He patted his waist. "Oh! Never mind! I got mine strapped still! Praise be to Apholak!"

"I suppose, you have mine with you?" Gravil gestured his sword to Adaloun.

"Y-yes…but how?..." Adaloun raised his eyebrow.

"It called to me."Gravil bluntly answered. "Just like your blessed weapon."

"Blessed weapon?" Adaloun could only think about one thing…that gladius infused with aetherium. "I lost it during the explosion."

"You will find it once more! I could feel it in my bones." Gravil reached out his arm and asked for his weapon to be returned to him.

Adaloun had no choice but to comply out of respect. However, he had so many questions running through his mind. "How would you fight with your eyes—" He stopped as he realized how bluntly insensitive his question was. 

"My friend," Corvinus reached out for his arm. "We are the sons of the real Sun god. I am sure he would not forsake us!" Gravil agreed with a nod to his leader's answer. 

"You're resting your fate on hope?" Adaloun said.

Corvinus chuckled, "Isn't that the reason you survived all this time?"

"W-what do you mean by that?" Adaloun bafflingly asked. 

"We might be blinded now, Adaloun, my friend…" Corvinus smiled. "But we can see right through your heart." He patted his shoulder.

"Let's go now!" Gravil suggested. "I could feel a heavy presence coming towards us." 

Both the Orkamuus stood up and moved as if they still have their eyes. Adaloun find it vexing and fascinating at the same time. 

"Let's go, Adaloun, my friend…" Corvinus said. "I could hear something calling out to you just beyond this tunnel." He pointed at the dark tunnel in front of them. 

"What do you mean by that?!" Adaloun asked while scratching his head in confusion.

"I do not know either, but we shall find it out together." Corvinus adamantly stated.

And thus, the three men venture into the dark tunnel and what lies beyond it.