Chapter 162 12. This time it’s not a dream.
“Is this damn place so cold all year round? It’s already so cold in summer. I can’t imagine what it’s like in winter.” Maranur stood by the window and talked to Mo Kewell of the Gar family was chatting in a low voice.
"Do you like it? My good brother, maybe we have to stay here for a long time." After hearing the conversation, Darkus leaned over and said jokingly to Maranur.
Maranur turned back and glared at Darkus fiercely, without saying anything.
"Cowell, how do you feel?"
Cowell opened his hands to Darkus with a smile, shrugged, and said nothing.
Darkus could tell that Maranur and Kovic seemed happy, and maybe that was enough. He turned his head and saw the three brothers and sisters of the Takaia family and Walter of the Thorn family sitting in a corner. His two new followers, Ernst and Selile, were also sitting opposite, and Kalien, who officially became a member of the Hell Calamity Family without Ba Yao, also stood there blankly.
"Don't you look very happy?" Darkus walked over and asked with a smile.
When several subordinates saw Darkus approaching, they quickly stood up and saluted him, and he waved his hand casually.
"Don't be so formal, it's here now, isn't it?" Darkus said happily.
Several Druchi dignitaries nodded in agreement, and Renn, who was usually the most active, didn't say anything about missing Itaza's life. After all, Ernst and Selile didn't know those things yet.
Darkus teased Walter a few words. After all, Walter's Thorn family has a seat on the Druch Dark Council, although the seat is either at the front or not. However, Walter did not show any panic or nervousness. It seemed that Walter had grown a lot through his trip to the Lustria continent and serving as an adjutant beside Young Master Newkel. He did not say any words of encouragement. He himself There is no guarantee, and he has done everything he can do, and he is not Walter's father. Some things need to be accumulated and precipitated, and they can't be polished out in the face of battle. If Walter can't satisfy Malekith, all he can do is to restrain Walter's body. Of course, if Walter dares to say the word Lustria to Malekith, he will still help Walter collect the body. At the same time, the Hell Calamity Family will truly accept the huge farm belonging to the Thornthorn Family instead of like Escrow today.
It was now pre-dinner time, and Darkus chatted with the dignitaries and servants for a while while waiting for the meal to begin.
"Master, Master Newkel calls you." Butler Dia walked over quickly and saluted Darkus before saying.
After Butler Dia saluted again, he walked quickly to Maranur and said a few words.
Darkus and Maranur looked at each other, and it seemed that the short-term joy in happiness was over.
A rattling roar echoed from the gatehouse of black steel, the arched door turning on hinges forged by dwarven slaves. When the black door opened, Darkus felt a chill run down his spine. He stared at the shadow in the distance. Maranur also stared at the shadow with a blank expression. Suddenly Maranur's There was a growling sound in his stomach. When he came back to his senses, he glanced at Maranur speechlessly. Annasara and her son, who were standing in front, also turned their heads and looked at Maranur silently and with slight disgust.
"Didn't you eat? This is very unreasonable behavior in front of His Majesty the Witch King." Nukel asked angrily.
Annasara didn't say anything, and before Maranur could answer, she cast a dark magic on the two Darkus brothers, and continued walking forward after casting it.
Darkus, who had been cast on black magic, felt like he wasn't very hungry anymore?
The passage through the gate was shorter than Darkus expected, only about ten meters from one end of the passage to the other. In the distance is a small courtyard, paved with polished black marble slabs, surrounded by arrogant Druchi dignitaries. Above these Druchi dignitaries can be seen the sharp towers of Malekith's Black Tower. The black guard cast a deep gloom over him and looked at him critically.
As Darkus entered the courtyard, he felt a terrible gaze fall on him. For a moment, he felt like a rabbit trapped in the shadow of a swooping eagle. Cold and unreasonable fear seized his heart and turned his muscles to ice. He probably guessed that he was being watched by Malekith in the Black Tower.
Soon the terrible pressure eased, and Darkus discovered the winding changes in the dense shadows on the marble slab. He looked up and noticed a faint movement, like a big snake coiling around the highest tower of the Black Tower. Immediately, in the weak sunlight, he saw the outline of a long and narrow head, as well as a pair of red eyes. A black dragon with noble disdain, domineeringly enveloped the dark city.
"It turns out to be an ordinary black dragon. Doesn't it sleep?" Darkus smacked his mouth and thought. He ignored this terrifying dragon. He had seen many more ruthless dragons than this one. He I don't know where Seraphim is at this time.
A leading Druchi dignitary in the courtyard was having a friendly conversation with Annasara mother and son in a strong voice.
The Druchi dignitary was tall and strong, wearing black steel plate armor inlaid with gold-plated etchings and powerful protective runes, and his lower body was wearing a shiny skirt and mail. His pair of serrated swords were a masterpiece, the hilts inlaid with egg-sized rubies, the scabbard decorated with red gold, and a shiny black dragon cloak draped over his broad shoulders. Wearing a golden hadrika around his neck, his pointed nose had two sword wounds, and star-shaped scar tissue on one side of his neck indicated a spear wound to his vocal cords. His eyes sparkled with keen intelligence, and he seemed to have a will stronger than steel. His dark hair, streaked with gray, was pulled back from his thin face and tied with a gold band.
Darkus could tell that this was a powerful Druchi dignitary and an aide-de-camp to the Witch King, or so it seemed. The words exchanged between this Druchi dignitary and Newkel sounded impolite, and there was a tense atmosphere, as if they were going to fight if they disagreed with each other the next second.
Malanur had already put his left hand on the hilt of the ancient elf sword at his waist. This sword was not the traditional Drukhi serrated sword, but the one the brothers had obtained the last time they had a fight.
"Are these two children from your family?" the Druchi dignitary asked Newkel in an almost roaring tone.
"How do you feel? Xiersis?" Nukel asked calmly.
Contrary to the gorgeously dressed Sirsis, Nukel, who is also the fear lord, is plainly dressed, only wearing a relatively simple black gold noble robe and an antique elven long sword. It seems that it once belonged to his father or was passed down from his family, but this does not affect his power at all. Meng De said that power is only responsible for the source of power. This sentence is more correct in a Drukhi society like Nagaros that pays extreme attention to military results. The power of the Hell Calamity Family comes from the family's former honor and blood. , from the gift of Witch King Malekith, from Anasara's powerful spellcasting ability, from Nukel's army and his command and control of the army, from Krakarond's stable shipbuilding and food, not through He dresses to project power.
"Not bad! It looks very energetic! But you won't know until you try it in detail!"
Darkus was really afraid that Druchi named Silsis would suddenly shout, "Okay!" energetic!
Newkel slowly took out an exquisite gift box from the arms of the noble robe and signaled to Sirsis. Sirsis directly broke through the three-sword distance between the Druchi dignitaries and took the gift box over.
"My old friend, I think you will like this gift. Let me introduce to you. This is Maranur and this is Darkus. They are brothers and are outstanding descendants of the Hell Calamity family." Newkel was still talking nonchalantly, and at the same time he took out his pipe from his arms.
Anasara looked at Newkel putting the pipe on his mouth and gave Newkel a hard look. It wasn’t because she thought her son was rude or inappropriate in this environment, but because she simply didn’t like Newkel smoking, which reminded her of a lot, including her husband five thousand years ago, and Reminiscing about the time when Kedelon smoked a pipe five thousand years ago, she didn't like it very much. As an Asul person, she didn't like the rude smell.
Instead of using a candlestick, Newkel lit the tobacco with the tinderbox he carried. After lighting it, he took a puff and gestured to Sirsis.
Soon Sirsis also followed Newkel's actions.
"I like this thing!" Hilsis exclaimed with a loud roar after coughing violently.
Anasara frowned even more tightly, and at the same time she moved slightly away from the two Druchi smokers.
Then Newkel and Silses started chatting again. Newkel was directing the conversation to the two Dacus brothers, while Silses was minding his own business and said that starting this year, he was planning to expand the size of the army. Asking for some grain quota, the topic of conversation was totally wrong. Soon the two fear lords stopped chatting in a tacit understanding, and then the two Druchi dignitaries laughed.
Sirsis smiled and nodded affirmatively to the two brothers Darkus.
Darkus knew that the agreement had been reached, and Newkel asked Silses to help take care of him and Maranur when they served as Malekith's adjutants, and Silses also asked for corresponding feedback.
A Druchi noble attendant walked outside of Sirsis's three swords. Sirsis nodded casually and nodded slightly to Anasara.
The four Druchi from the Hellscourge family began to follow Sirsis through a maze of dark, empty corridors, each corridor as silent as a tomb. The light on the iron candlestick casts a lonely light all the way, making the darkness appear deeper and more oppressive. Soon after, silence began to envelope Darkus, making his nerves slightly jittery. Although Malekith's Black Tower is the center of power for all Druchi society, the steel fortress is cold and silent, save for the echo of footsteps.
At first, Darkus tried to remember the route he took, after all, he would be active here frequently in the future. But after half an hour of zigzag walking, he gave up because he failed. Walking in the black tower was like a ghost hitting a wall. Just like Naggarond outside the Black Tower, there are no landmarks to navigate, and only the Druchi who belong there can find their way. Darkus can't imagine that he will often wander here in the future. This feeling is completely different from walking in the pyramid of Lustria.
Silsis could find the correct passage effortlessly, and within half an hour, four Druchi from the Hellscourge family passed through the arch and entered a long, empty room with a huge magic lamp suspended by a steel chain. The vaulted ceiling illuminates the entire room. In this room here, Darkus saw some Druchi, the black guards guarding here, the nobles and dignitaries handling affairs, the priests of various temples, and the scarred and nervous Druchi attendants. These Druchi Qidu was walking quickly and silently, entering and leaving the Witch King's palace.
These druchi gave way to the brisk, commanding pace of Sirses, who passed them by without so much as a nod. Annasara's mother and son, who were walking behind Sirsis, didn't even look at these Druchi.
Unlike Krakarond Nightlord Castle, the audience room here is divided into two spaces, the main hall and the lower room, where low-level Drukki nobles wait, hoping to have a brief meeting with their Witch-King. To meet him, they longed for a small opportunity.
Each room on the lower floor is large and can accommodate many druchs at the same time, and each room is gorgeously decorated. Scenes from the past are carved on the smooth black marble. These murals depict scenes of elves wearing Nagaryth clothing and armor fighting demons.
Malekith's Black Tower is said to be the remnant of Tal An'lek, the capital of Nagaryth, and contains the throne room of Aenarion, as well as the throne room from the reign of the first Phoenix King.
An eight-meter-tall black steel door was engraved with a sinuous black dragon pattern. When Darkus approached the Witch King's throne room, the twin dragons seemed to glare at him. Four black guards stood guard at the door, holding bright Druchi halberds in their hands. When these black guards saw Sirsis and the four Druchi from the Hellscourge family, they began to move out of the way and then bowed.
After looking back at Newkel, Sirsis put his hand on the door and pushed it. The huge black steel plate was opened by a perfectly balanced hinge structure.
Silsis walked into the room with his head held high, and Annasara and her son also entered the room immediately. When Darkus crossed the threshold, he felt his heart contracting violently, and the strong power of fate came again.
"Maybe there are things worse than death." Darkus thought to himself.
There was almost no light in the throne room. This change dwarfed Darkus who was standing at the door. A strange feeling made him almost blind. He knew that this was deliberately created, the feeling created through architecture and light. As his vision adjusted to the darkness, he saw that he was standing at one end of an astonishingly small octagonal room, only thirty swords' length wide, and he couldn't help but feel the weight of the stone wall pressing down on his shoulders. superior. The walls surrounding the throne room are decorated with dragons artfully carved in onyx, their wings spread like cloaks as they prostrate themselves before the throne at the end of the throne room.
There, in the shadows as deep as the eternal abyss, a pair of orange eyes were shining with the residual heat of the furnace.
"Looks like this time it's not a dream!"
(End of chapter)