Darkus was walking along a beach. Some seabirds were chirping above his head as if they were looking for unknown French fries. Some seabirds would rest on beaches of different shapes.
It took Darkus a while to realize that these beaches were made of skulls, bones, and the tattered armor of ancient decay. And what does he seem to be looking for? Looking for something lost long ago? But he searched for a long time but couldn't find it. No matter how hard he tried, he could never find it.
"Dakeus..."
The voice was like the cold wind blowing from the sea, monotonous, but bitingly cold. Darkus's hair was fluttering in the wind. He turned around and didn't find anyone speaking.
"Dakeus..."
Darkus glanced back again, but there was still no one there. Maybe it was a long-dead ghost laughing at him? He ignored the sound and turned his gaze to his surroundings. He realized that this was his first time here. The island was only desolate and ruined. As he looked towards the island, it was deeply imprinted on his mind. The brand was calling him, and he knew what he was looking for, because the brand called him to go to the island to find the Sword of Kane, and pull out the Sword of Kane to meet his true destiny.
"Dakeus..."
"Damn you, uncle, stop shouting!"
At this moment, Darkus had already reacted, and he entered another round. If I'm not wrong, the one who organized the round should be Xue Hand. That little brat of God.
Just when Darkus was about to curse, the beach around him began to tremble, and the skeletons wearing tattered armor crawled up. But before the undead could attack him, the scene in front of him began to change again. The elves around him screamed, crowded, and ran away.
Huge elven-style buildings were crumbling, and statues of the gods tumbled from the shrines of ancient temples, smashing them to pieces as the earth twisted like a dying snake.
Darkus squeezed through the crowd and crossed the ancient streets. He saw the expressions of fear on the faces of the elves. He passed decaying mansions, where the desiccated ghosts of their previous owners muttered in terror. Ahead of him, the landmark pillar teetered, then collapsed. As he climbed to the heights overlooking the magnificent port city, he looked towards the mountains surrounding the city and knew the worst.
The mountains burned in the light, wild magic out of control. Even at this distance, Darkus, an elf without magic, could feel the uncontrollable power. He didn't need to do anything to know that something was seriously wrong with the ground beneath his feet.
Soon, Darkus' attention was diverted again. He looked towards the sea, and he saw something that frightened him. A huge wave, twice as high as the city walls, was rapidly approaching him, propelled by a force powerful enough to crush the city. He could even see the huge Leviathan that should have been in the deep sea roaring and roaring, trying to break free from the shackles of the tsunami. In front of this power that could destroy everything, Leviathan was able to destroy the largest ship in a few seconds. Gain nothing.
Knowing that there was no hope, Darkos couldn't bear all this. He was preparing to resist, activating the Holy Soul Reef on his chest and mobilizing all his power. He wanted to become the incarnation of Marcelan. But somehow, or perhaps as he already knew, nothing happened.
The waves towered above Darkus' head, and for a moment he stared into a trapped Leviathan's eye, and he even felt a certain closeness, as if it was his uncle's?
The huge pink mouth of the Ochital octopus opened, and its sword-like teeth flashed in the shadows, but it was still useless. It was still rolled forward by the huge wave, slamming into Darkus with irresistible force. .
Darkus ultimately failed to block the tsunami like Queen Azshara in another world. The wave swept over him, crushing him, submerging him, and throwing him into the abyss. Then the majestic city under his feet was wiped off the land by the tsunami.
"Am I going to live in the sea as Idonis now?" At the last moment, Darkus thought.
Suddenly, Darkus was in another place, but this place was not a place, as if it was in a dimension beyond time. He saw the powerful elf mages who both existed and died, life and death intertwined.
The mages' faces were etched with an eternity of pain and suffering, scarred by a battle that no mortal should ever be asked to engage in.
Shadowy beings hover around Darkus, performing a never-ending ritual. The shadows were ghost-like, their movements slow and painful, like clockwork dolls being wound up. He knew that they were once elves, the greatest archmages of their time, who sacrificed themselves to save their land and people.
The cabin where Darkus was located was as small as the other cabins on the ship. It was so small that it couldn't even accommodate a double bed. There was only a bunk bed, a set of tables and chairs, and several Asul sailor's cabinets with doors. .
Genevieve, who was sitting in front of the table in a daze, watched as the statue of Es Hayiai on the table suddenly lit up. She looked at Darkus sleeping on the upper bunk with some worry. After thinking for a while, She decided to wake Drusala up first.
While the statue of the god was lighting up, the scene in Darkos' dream changed again.
This room is different from any room Darkus has seen before. It looks like it was built by elves, but it doesn't seem like it? Because even though it was beautiful and rough at the same time, it was still within the range that he could understand. It was as if everything in the room looked hastily made, as if the craftsmen hadn't taken the time to give the items the necessary polish.
Scroll shelves and bookcases cover the walls of the room. On the table in front of Darkus is a chessboard, which seems to be engraved with lizardman writing. There are also elves and demon chess pieces on the chessboard, as well as dragons and some monsters. Scattered on it, there is no Chu-He-Han world in the middle, but a large whirlpool that is constantly rotating.
Darkus' attention was immediately diverted from the chessboard, because in the center of the room, an old and hunchbacked elf suddenly appeared.
The elf has thin features, a broad forehead, and the thinning hair is so unusual for an elf. His ice-blue eyes are as cold as the glaciers in the snow-capped mountains. His skinny body is stooped. He turns around and faces Facing Darkus, there was only a fiery red light in his eyes.
"You shouldn't be here!" said an ancient voice, his voice dry, as if filled with dust and decay, but with the faint lilt of Caledor.
"I shouldn't be here either!" Before Darkus could say anything, the elf said immediately. His voice was very soft and sad.
"But we are indeed here, aren't we? Hello, old man ghost, you have disturbed my rest." Darkus replied, he knew who he was facing, and he knew that he was in a dream now, But it's not a dream either. He was used to having multiple dreams with changing scenes in one night. He continued, "A strange encounter. Caledor the Dragon Tamer, I have been waiting for you for a long time. It has been so long that I thought you would not show up." "
Darkus passed by the east coast of Ulthuan, one to see the Matheran Temple, and the other to wait for the dragon tamer Caledor. After tonight, the falcon ship will leave Ulthuan. In the sea area, he thought that the dragon tamer Caledor would not appear, but...
"Are we still living in people's hearts at that time?"
"Remember and respect!" Darkus did not make a fool of himself this time. Instead of the elf noble etiquette, he performed a very serious and solemn etiquette to show respect for the dragon tamer Caledor, and then he said seriously.
"Very well, this is the reward for our sacrifice." Caledor nodded, with a hint of self-pity in his voice.
"It seems that death is not for you, Caledor." Darkus teased.
"I don't need you to tell me, Darkus. This is not just a dream, you understand all this. It has to be said that the defenses you put up while sleeping are too strong, but I appear here, do you think this Why?" Caledo first smiled, a calm but crazy smile, and then said to himself.
Darkus did not speak, but took a few steps forward to study Caledo carefully.
Caledor now has twitching limbs and looks haggard, his face twisted and lonely, like a tight mask, his expression in eternal pain. His skin is translucent, and you can even clearly see the tendons moving under the skin.
"Perhaps you will become lonely when you grow old?" Darkus continued to joke after observing.
"You are now in my realm, Darkus. In the place I created, you should be careful what you say, be careful what you think..." "
So what? Are you threatening me? What can you do to me?" ?You have to understand, I respect you because of what you have done! I have dreamed of the gods in my dreams more than once, and I have faced many terrifying existences! And you are a mortal after all! You can break through the gods It’s already a lot of effort to protect me all the time to get here, right?”
Facing Darkus’s roar, Caledor was stunned for a moment. He thought about what happened just now and found that the truth was indeed like Darkwuss. As Si said, Dacus' protection in sleep was not only blessed by the gods, because he saw divinity in Dacus. In other words, Dacus had already become a god. He had not seen the potential in Aenarion, and he seemed to understand the reason why he appeared here.
"I can see that you have a lot to say to me, so how about we change the way we talk?" Darkus spread his hands and said. After finishing speaking, he walked to the table and sat down on the chair. He turned his attention to the chess game on the table, as if he were about to move the pieces, then he cocked his head to the side, because he didn't know how to play this chess-like game, and then he turned his attention to the stumbling around. On the approaching Caledo.
"It's weirder than you think, later than you think. At least I think so. I sometimes forget, I sometimes forget everything. I forget everything except my mission, and now I After leaving there, my companions must shoulder my responsibilities. Our time here is running out, and I must return to my responsibilities. This is all I have now."
Caledor's words made Dak Us had a strange feeling that reminded him of something, but he doubted Caledor's sanity.
"Lizard, this was written by you? Do you know Lizard? Have you been to Albion Island to receive enlightenment from the Slann Demon Priest?" Darkus glanced at the bookshelf behind Caledo, and then He looked at Caledo and said.
"No, I found it in the ruins of one of their cities. I saw how it works and how it uses the magical structures beneath the surface of reality. This text hides the secret of the Maelstrom. I see When it comes to how to use it to save the world, that's what I want to do. By the way, how long has it been since I died?" Caledo said subconsciously.
"More than six thousand years, six thousand four hundred and forty-one years to be precise." Darkus said directly, but after saying that, he suddenly realized that something seemed wrong? It seems that something is inconsistent with his memory?
"Has it been this long? If I had known..." Caledo said, his voice sounding sad.
"Have you been trapped in the maelstrom? Have you just woken up? It seems that there is a reason why we met this time. At least, I believe it did not happen by accident." Darkus folded his arms and leaned on the back of the chair Shang looked at Caledo and said.
"It's hard to say what happened by accident and what didn't. I used to think that everything had a pattern, a core, had some meaning, and I could understand it, and that feeling was wonderful. Now, I'm not sure anymore , I’m not sure about anything anymore.” Caledo said with some confusion.
Darkus didn't ask what Caledo meant, he felt like he already knew the answer.
Caledor and his fellow mages sacrificed their lives to create the Maelstrom, perhaps not knowing what was waiting for them, if they had known what was waiting for them, if they had known it would only bring them Would they still do this if the consequences were worse than death?
But not so many ifs. In the end Caledor and his companions gave their lives to make their great spell work, and their souls are still trapped in the eternal maelstrom to this day, as they are woven by themselves. The moment the kill was frozen by the power of the spell.
The Maelstrom is, in a way, a spell. What the hell does it feel like to spend six thousand sleepless years maintaining a spell that is constantly trying to unravel itself, and to protect it from the forces that could destroy it? Super double the pain and suffering!
"I know, I know that you have spent more than six thousand years maintaining the operation of the maelstrom and maintaining the order of the world." Thinking of this, Darkus said with some seriousness.
"I think this is what changed me. If we weren't here, if we didn't continue to reweave the spell, this world would have become the plaything of the Chaos Demon. But now the Maelstrom is disintegrating, and it is getting out of our control. The power of Chaos is getting stronger and stronger, the Maelstrom is being contaminated by its energy, and there are some people outside trying to accelerate its disintegration." "
What should I say? Oh my God, this is too crazy! Do this What good is it? It will destroy Ulthuan and eventually the entire world." Darkus said grandly with surprise.
"It's great that you understand that, but some people don't see things the way you do. There are those who see destroying the Maelstrom as an opportunity. They think they can control the power of Chaos and recreate it as they see fit. Shape the world." Caledo, who was a little confused and fell into a certain pattern, said to himself. "Is this possible?" Darkus, who knew what would happen next, was still working hard to cooperate with Caledo, and now he was like a compliment.
"The theory is possible, but in practice, I doubt whether things will develop as Morathi expected."
"Morathi?" Darkus asked.
"Yes, and possibly her and Aenarion's child, Malekith."
"What will they do? Are they corrupted by Chaos? What do you think they are planning?" Darkus was not impatient at all. , he is still cooperating with Caledo.
"Indeed, who wouldn't?" Caledo's smile was weird and sad. He also followed Darkus's actions and spread his hands and shrugged.
"If the Maelstrom is destroyed, the Daemons of Chaos can once again enter the world en masse. Eventually, matter itself will change, and the fabric of reality will loosen as the forces of Chaos come into play. In theory, once this happens , a mage with enough power can reshape the world according to the image he wants to create."
"Is this really possible? What did you base your judgment on? Is it your experience?" Darkus suddenly became serious. Standing up, he narrowed his eyes and looked at Caledo and asked seriously. The amount of information in this sentence was too much. What Caledo said was completely contrary to the approach of the Eight Winds in the End. This For a moment, he thought of Kroka, Chicota, and Master Ma...
"To be honest, I doubt it. The scale of magic we are discussing can only be achieved by gods or chaos demons. Even so, Possible or not, I think this is Morathi's intention. I think this is what she has always wanted, even before she met Aenarion." "Why do you
come around again?" After thinking for a moment, Keus echoed, "Morathi's conspiracy must be stopped!"
Just as Darkus spoke, the surrounding scene changed again. The walls of the room gradually disappeared. He looked out and saw the vast and sparkling space outside. On the horizon, a huge shadow shines. In the center of the light and shadow, a darkness like a black hole suddenly appeared and swallowed the light and shadow.
Around the darkness, there were some burning figures. Those elven figures as tall as the sky and the earth controlled the darkness with their power. Even if the figure is still trying to control it, the darkness may burst out in different forms in the next second.
The changes in these scenes seemed not to be within Caledor's ability, but more like what the elves and gods allowed Darkus to see.
"Indeed, Morathi must be stopped! But my companions and I are trapped in the maelstrom. We cannot leave the maelstrom, otherwise the maelstrom will collapse in the next moment. I came to you because I and my companions A kind of power is needed to deal with those who want to engulf the world, and the gods told me that you are that power!" "
Hey, what is this sudden sense of order and mission?" Darkus thought, He knew that there was a reason why the elves and gods chose him, but...this seemed inconsistent with what Caledor said, right? Choosing him is definitely not just to deal with Morathi. Caledo's version of firmware seems to be limited to a certain version. Maybe it should be upgraded?
"Are you sure?" Darkus tilted his head and asked with a puzzled look on his face.
"Listen to me, Darkus, I created the Maelstrom, and I will dismantle it before Morathi can use it for her twisted purposes." "
You... are a little too extreme. "Dakeus said speechlessly.
"No, the destruction of the maelstrom will release huge magical energy, and I will use it for a purpose!"
"What about?" Darkus asked curiously.
"The last thing I have to do is kill Morathi! I promise you!"
Darkus observed Caledor calmly, thinking about Caledor's way of speaking and thinking, Caledor's voice There is no threat, only sadness and endless regret, and there is no doubt that it will all happen if Caledor wishes it to. Beneath that calm, shrewd exterior, Caledor was as brave and fearless as Aenarion.
Paranoid?
Darkus did not think that although the first Phoenix King Aenarion won every battle, if it were not for Caledor, Aenarion would still have lost the war.
Caledor did what even the Slann Magisters had failed to do. He was the creator of the spell that finally drove the demons away and stabilized Ulthuan. He bound a world with his power, even after his death. The Will also protects the spell that keeps the entire world from erosion, and this spell, thanks to Malekith's deeds, saved the land of Ulthuan from sinking into the sea from the earthquakes that destroyed it.
The elves choose to only remember that great battle and Aenarion who fought desperately to protect the archmages at the last moment, but in the final analysis, it was Caledor who saved the world.
Caledor was not a warrior, perhaps he never wanted to fight, it was not in his nature. He was forced to go, he was the creator, and Aenarion was the destroyer. Like the Sunsword, Caledor didn't want to make it, but reluctantly did it in the end, and tried his best. He put all his talents into his creation, even if the purpose was not his own.
"Sorry, you came too late. My ship is about to leave Ulthuan." Darkus stretched out his hand and interrupted. Respect was one thing, but he didn't find much in Caledor's words. Useful news, he can now confirm that Caledor's memory seems to still be before the Maelstrom appeared... Then he continued, "Let's put Morathi's question aside for a while, and I would like to ask, are you in the Maelstrom? Can you observe what is happening in the outside world when you are in there? Did you come to me as soon as you woke up? Before you told me this, do you know who I am?" The walls
around the room came back again , condensed around Darkus and Caledor. As the scene changed, Caledor, who also resembled those gods, transformed back into a mortal body, into that stooped body, short and melancholy.
"We all have that feeling when fate taps us on the shoulder. I never imagined that one day... Yes, I accepted the guidance of the gods and they brought me here.
We can't do everything, We are trapped there. We have sounded sharp warnings in the dreams of many powerful mages, and we have woven spells to summon aid until the gods..." Caledor said somewhat forlornly.
"Don't worry, Morathi won't be able to do anything. Don't let this pressure crush you. Otherwise, the whirlpool will really disappear. I think within this limited time, you should treat the six thousand people without you. We have a clear understanding of what happened in four hundred and forty-one years."
Elves are just like birds. Their long lives lead to a span that is too long. There is no antecedent, so where are the consequences? A creation of the void?
Then Darkus began to briefly talk about the changes that had taken place in Ulthuan over the past six thousand years, such as Morathi, Malekith, the Caledor family, etc., and introduced who he was.
Caledor, who was listening to Darkus' story, touched the place where his heart should be, without a steady beat. He put his hands in front of his nostrils and there was no rhythm to his breathing. He felt his wrist again, but there was no beating pulse.
Caledor has regained a little bit of his memory. A long time ago, he died trying to save the world. He died slowly and painfully while trying to cast powerful magic. His name had once been Caledor Dragontamer, and that was his name when he walked among living mortals, but he had never recalled this until now.
Caledor remembered almost nothing but his mission, and it was nice to have another name. This might be a start, an anchor, a foundation on which he could build.
As the story progressed, another memory emerged in Caledo's mind. He remembered Aenarion talking to Malekith as a child in the barracks.
Aenarion comforted his young son with an uncommon tenderness and patience, explaining the law to Malekith. This is completely different from the attitude he shows when dealing with other people, because he lives in himself and is often unable to control his emotions, and he hates anyone or anything that tries to go against his will.
In Darkus' telling, the adult Malekith seems to have turned into a villain and spread death and disaster to the land he protects? This thought made Caledor sad, but he could also understand Malekith's fate. After all, Malekith's parents were also selfish.
Caledor has regained a part of his memory. To a certain extent, the chessboard in front of him is a representation of the huge spells he woven more than six thousand years ago, and these spells trapped him in the center of the chessboard.
"It takes a lot of gold to fight a war! That's what Caledor the Conqueror said, and he's known in Ulthuan as one of the greatest generals of all time! And he's your grandson." Already said Darkus now summarized what he was doing.
"I seem to know why I am here."
"The gods have brought you here for a purpose. I think you are here to play a great game and decide the fate of this world. Your son Menes Everything changed after Malekith was not chosen to be the second Phoenix King but Balshanar from the Kingdom of Tyranrok was chosen. Maybe you want to correct this instead of your son? Maybe it shouldn't be said to be a mistake? Who Do you know?" Darkus said somewhat flatly.
"Oh, sorry, although I am only thirty years old, my memory is not very good. I just forgot to mention that Malekith, unlike his father, rejected Kane. Just like you said , the world is collapsing. Even if you don't come to me, I am saving it in another way. You are very important, but... you are not that important. Those Slann priests will not allow the maelstrom to collapse. , it’s not just you and your companions, they are also protecting this world. Under this premise, I don’t think I need to say the next words, right?" "
Sorry, my time is up." Caledo was lonely He nodded and said that he found that the times had changed and it was completely different from what he remembered. He might need to think about and prove what Darkus said.
Then, Caledo stood up from the chair reluctantly, and after refusing Darkus's support, slowly walked towards the door.
To Darkus, Caledo looked like a prisoner about to be executed, and that seemed to be the case.
"Goodbye, Darkus, you must remember that you cannot fall! If you fall, maybe our world will fall with it." Caledo suddenly stopped and turned his head to look at Dark Us said seriously.
"Don't worry, I won't fall! By the way, there's one more thing you must know. No matter how you feel about Malekith, he is the second Phoenix King chosen by Asuryan. ! This is unquestionable and cannot be tampered with. If you have any questions, you can seek answers from the gods, and I think they will answer them for you." Darkus said equally seriously.
Caledo didn't say anything, but smiled and nodded to Darkus. Then he opened the door to the room. The blazing fire behind the door rushed towards him, and the heat like a furnace washed into the room. He was not there. He flinched under the surging flames, but resolutely walked through the door and threw himself into the fire. His body began to shrink and burn, just like it did six thousand years ago.
To Darkus, every step Caledor took seemed painfully slow, suffocating. He saw a fiery figure crucified, a tired soul returning to hell with its own will to perform its last eternal duties.
"Goodbye! The ancestor of dragon training who belongs to this world, remember my last words, this is very important! Have the opportunity to see this familiar yet strange world! I look forward to our next meeting, I think that I should know how to play this game by then, and we can have a game." Darkus bowed solemnly and said to express his sincere respect for Caledo.
Darkus, who was covered in cold sweat, sat up from the bed.
"My dear, are you okay?" Drusala's beautiful face showed concern.
"It's nothing." After taking the water glass handed over by Genevieve, Darkus drank the white grape juice in one gulp. After he recovered, he smiled at Drusala and said, "Me and The dragon tamer chatted for a long time."
"Dragon tamer Caledor?" Drusala asked in disbelief.
"Yes! Caledor the Dragon Tamer!" (End of this chapter)