70 C70 Dark Skies

Several kilometres outside of town, two caravans moving side by side as they made their way across the desert. The sun was beating down as the desert horses made each movement slow but steady.

Above, flying in a formation as twelve vampires soared above the skies, two vampires escorting each of the vampires that held onto the members of the adventuring party as Delina made her way across the ocean of sand, following her instinct as she knew the location of the source of everyone's power.

Eventually, the group caught up, the flying vampires descending onto the ground. The caravans were pulling up and stopping as the group exited and looked up to the hoard of vampires flying to them.

Nathan, Kaye, Kai, Ameria, Auryn and Denoth stood side by side as they watched the fleet of vampires landing down to the ground to the sandy desert below.

His eyes were looking mainly at Delina who was holding a strange man, covered in small red scales which also seemed to blush along with his skin, struggling pointlessly in the vampire's grasp. The little young vampire was holding a massive bolder of a man and then the twins holding onto Jelia.

"Well, this is a surprise Delina. May I ask what the visit is for?"

Nathan responded as his eyes looked across the man who eventually freed himself from the grasp of the vampire, standing up straight as they locked eyes, staring at each other as Nathan stared down the man.

Azo felt his heart beating as he eventually landed to the ground, his heart inside his ears as he continued to hear the rhythm of the beat. He looked at the group of woman, his eyes eventually hitting the man.

He felt drawn to him as his gaze stared into those eyes, pulled into them as he saw so much history and wisdom behind them. It was almost scary as he felt the power dwelling deep inside, almost like a sleeping dragon that could wake at any moment to destroy the surroundings.

"My name is Azo; this is Bull. The twins are named Mirya and Renade."

Azo finished speaking as he pointed out everyone in the group, it was then he looked back to Nathan who then began speaking himself.

"Impossible group huh?"

Nathan lightly said as Delina began chuckling in the background, happy that Nathan had the same ideas as her.

"I'm sorry to ask sir. But if you are the God, then I need to ask to prove it."

Azo felt the words escape his lips as the mood went south rapidly, the hatred from both the vampires and the woman around Nathan soaring against them as both the twins and Bull felt this, preparing to defend themselves as it was an overwhelming sense.

"Sure, I'll show you."

Nathan responded almost casually as if this was nothing new, the woman around him almost staring in disbelief. It was Auryn who reacted first as she moved closer to argue against it.

"Nathan, you need not show them. We all here can vouch for the powers you possess."

Auryn argued, the mood for the rest showing support. Nathan shook his head and gave a small smile to Auryn, feeling some joy that the people close to him felt like this for him. He also felt some more joy realising he could still feel something.

Nathan decided to put on a small show, his smile growing as he wanted to bring this same joy to everyone in the vortex, no matter who.

Everyone surrounding Nathan took a few steps away, the ground beginning to shake as the man turned from his regular self into a beacon of pure white energy.

His body was forcing out such amount of power that the sand below his feet became glass, the rolling waves of energy cascading out from him as it was close to exploding outwards.

Azo watched the entire scene with wonder and awe, his eyes locked as he saw no chanting, casting or any of the signs of magic, this was pure celestial might as the earth responded and gave him power. He continued watching as he knew this was not over.

It was only a few moments before the sound of the power exploded outwards, hitting into the sky above as dark, ominous clouds started to form.

The pillar of white blinding light was continuing to hit the sky as the dark clouds began to spread across the Vortex, eventually filling up the entire space, everyone in pure awe as anyone could see this power as it was rather flashy.

After a few minutes, the pillar started to fade before eventually stopping, Nathan turning from the bright beacon of might back into his regular self.

The silence was almost palpable as the first sounds of the water landing into the sand around them was the only thing that destroyed the silence.

The heavy patter of rain hitting the ground as the clouds opened up, the heavens raining down upon them as the cascading sound of the water landing around them as the entire vortex found its first rain for years.

"Forgive me, Nathan. It was rude for me to ask this. I received such an important task that I could not fail it."

Azo sank to his knees as the wet clumps of sand clung to his knees and legs, he cared little about his discomfort as he needed to make amends to the careless actions he had taken to prove the validity of the person.

"May I ask for you to explain yourself. I trust everyone around me. So please tell me."

Nathan sank to one knee as well, a few people around him surprised as a God had gotten onto one knee for someone who was apologising to him. Nathan cared little for this as his hand grabbed the man, pulling him back to a standing position.

Azo also noticed this gesture as he felt his heart pounding rapidly, his emotions getting the better of him as he gained respect for the man that was both above him but still stood by his side.

"My group is... used to be an adventuring group for Senoa. We used to head into a dungeon in the city to kill the undead for rewards, exploring the floors and clearing it. We received a job from this woman to head to the last floor, the tenth floor."

Azo felt nervous giving this next bit of information, the power of the ring and the identity of the woman still on his mind.

"She gave us this ring to head to the depths. It has some fantastic spatial properties that allow people to go inside and rest without much time passing in the real world."

He fiddled with the ring again as his eyes looked to Nathan, his face almost impossible to read as he continued.

"When we reached the tenth floor, the undead no longer pursued us, we followed our instructions and came to this large open room. Inside this room was a large pit that seemed almost endless. Stacks of undead like flesh on many tables."

The rest of the adventures nodding as they remembered it all too well, the atmosphere and aura of the area still carved into memory.

"When we reached the massive hole, stepping onto a small rising with a book on, we heard chains rattling before a large being came from the darkness, missing many limbs with holes in her body."

Nathan watched the man struggling to find his words; he had already felt the power inside his inner pocket, so he was able to put it all together with the undead.

"You met Aelina. Goddess of Death?"

These words came from Nathan's mouth directly, the group around him stunned as even Azo felt the shock hitting him, his head weakly nodding as he continued.

"Yes, she asked me to bring a message to you. To tell you where she is. She also asked me to bring you this."

Azo fumbled inside his pocket as he pulled out a bright yellow stone, the colour having changed from the darker tone to this brighter one during transport.

Nathan reached out as he took the stone, his eyes looking over it as he knew what this item was before the system even posted to him.

System: You have gained. Heart Of Death.

System: Heart Of Death: This holds the soul and life of Aelina the Goddess of Death. This item is required to revive the Goddess.

The rain started to pour even harder as the distant flash of lightning causing a few people to stare at the loud rumbling of the thunder echoed across the vortex.

The anger was flashing in Nathan's eyes as he looked at the man.

"Why was she down in that place?"

Azo felt this anger, his own body telling him to run as fast as he could, his danger sense screaming bloody murder into his ear as he shivered uncontrollably.

"The church had captured her underground with some chains. It looked like they were carving pieces off her for the past three hundred years. She had requested us to bring this news to you and the items."

Nathan felt his anger rising as he looked at the people around him.

"Who is the church?"

Auryn stepped forward as she touched Nathan's shoulder, apparently trying to calm him down as she was worried, the sound of thunder and the flashes of lighting growing faster and more evident as time went on.

"They are the people who Worship Saleh. They are corrupted and run the Vortex. They are in the main capital city of the Vortex which is a town called Senoa."

Nathan looked at everyone around him before his eyes settled on the Azo again, his eyes landing on the ring.

"One more thing. Who gave you this mission to find out all of this."

Azo looked down at the ring himself as he gulped, knowing this was going to be rough.

"It was a beautiful woman, peerless in age and beauty; she was almost like a doll with her beauty and age."

Nathan stopped the man from continuing as he continued himself.

"Long black hair that reaches far down her back, perfectly straight and with a porcelain-like peerless beauty. The smile that can send a shiver down your spine?"

Azo felt another wave of surprise hit him, his mouth agape as he just nodded his head as he stared at the man.

"How do you know that?"

Nathan looked to everyone around him, his eyes staring at everyone as the rain continued, everyone looking soaked from the water hitting them.

"She is my daughter. Celorian Blackrose, I'm Nathan Blackrose. I raised her myself. I raised all the Demigods to be fair."

Azo stared at the man, feeling his mouth dropping as he had come to guess what had happened, the others around him also fitting the puzzle together as both Auryn and Delina smiled, both in the knowledge prior.

"I'm the Creator God; I made this world and the Demigods. I promise you all here that I will punish the Church and free everyone from the binds of this horrible vortex."

Everyone felt a shiver going down their spines as the words hit them hard, everyone falling onto one knee as they all lowered themselves to the man who was going to lead them into a new future.

"I declare war against the church!"