“But what are these greater forces?” Daniel asked.
“Gods, demons, mythical creatures, the like. When Arcane created the Dark World, he made a protective layer around it. This layer prevented any God or Demon from outside to enter.”
“But then, how were we able to enter the Dark World through a portal?” Daniel asked.
Lynx groaned. “AAAARGH! You aren’t Gods or Demons!”
“Oh,” Daniel said.
“Earthlings are so brainless!” Lynx exclaimed.
“No, they are not,” James retorted. “Take Albert Einstein. Take Newton. Take Archimedes. Take Stephen -”
“Alright, alright!” Lynx said. “Back to the issue. As I was saying, the protective layer around the Dark World was robust. But when the Death Lord summoned the Skull Warrior, the release of energy was so significant that the layer broke. It must be strengthened again. And that’s where the Slayer comes in. The Slayer can control dimensions. With the Slayer, you can banish the Skull Warrior to the depths of hell and mend the broken protective layer around the Dark World.”
The Scavenger said, “So all of this depends on the Slayer. We need to get the Slayer somehow.”
“Yes. I am optimistic that there could be much headway in my research as I have all the required things and, most importantly, we have Aronicle,” Lynx said optimistically.
“Does everything in the list have a use?” Matt asked.
Lynx nodded. “Of course.”
“Even the pillow?” Archer butted in, incredulously.
“Oh!” Lynx said, “It’s not a pillow. It’s a very, very poisonous animal coated with a covering that looks like a pillow. It doesn’t attack unless it is harmed. I didn’t tell you about it deliberately, so that you wouldn’t be conscious of it.”
Archer and Matt glanced at each other with frightened expressions as Lynx moved towards an almirah and took out shackles. He then moved towards the unconscious Aronicle. “We don’t know whether he’s the real Aronicle or the possessed one. Daniel’s roots had hit him hard. But for how long, we don’t know. Let’s be prepared.”
With the help of the Scavenger, Lynx tied Aronicle with the sturdy shackles. He then laid all the things on his table.
“I don’t know how much time I will take. The scroll is now free from Urrax. It can guide you to the Warhead. I suggest you proceed early morning tomorrow. I will work till late in the night and will not be awake to bid you goodbye. I wish you all the very best.”
Lynx hugged each one of them.
Lynx turned to the Scavenger. “Open your palm. I will create a magic link with you. If any of us need each other urgently, the magic link will start blinking in the palm.”
Lynx hugged everyone and went to his table. Everyone dispersed to rest for the night.
Next morning, everyone woke up early except Daniel.
The Scavenger turned to Matt. “Wake him up. We can’t let him sleep like a buffalo every day.”
“A buffalo sleeps up to only two hours a day,” James said matter-of-factly.
“AAAARGH!” The Scavenger groaned. “Never mind.”
Matt woke Daniel up with some difficulty. When everyone was ready, the Scavenger turned to Urrax. “Come on, lead us to the Warhead.”
Urrax took out the scroll and muttered a spell. The scroll moved up into the air and started moving forward. The six of them followed it.
The scroll led them through a dense forest. After walking for several miles, they approached a sprawling village. Warriors and demons roamed the streets. No one paid any attention to the Scavenger and the others as they continued to walk silently.
But their presence didn’t go unnoticed for long. Someone shouted, “Alert! Fugitives.”
They turned to see a demon pointing at them and gesturing at others.
The Scavenger shouted, “RUN!”
There was commotion everywhere as the demons and monsters tried to capture them.
Suddenly, a flying wolf appeared in the sky. It roared and fire emerged from its mouth towards the demons and monsters, rendering them unconscious in a short time.
The wolf floated to the ground. The Scavenger blinked. “Wow. That was amazing.”
Matt nodded and stared at the wolf, “Gosh! Isn’t it the same wolf that you rescued from the Wolf Hunters? I can’t believe it.”
The Scavenger smiled. “I told you, we should keep doing good. Your good karma comes back to you in unimaginable ways.”
As they started moving, the wolf followed them. James said, “It seems we have a new companion.”
“We should name him,” Archer said. “How about... Foxy?”
The Scavenger glared at him. “That’s a very creative name. Lightning is better.”
All of them started to blurt out names.
“The Destroyer.”
“Four Legs.”
“Brainy.”
“Super Wolf.”
“Thunder.” The Scavenger grinned. “Yes. Thunder. That’s a good name. Better than Four Legs, at least. It’s decided. We’ll call him Thunder.”
“I still think Brainy is better,” James grumbled.
“Let’s call him Thunder,” Matt said.
“I c could get used to this name.” James sighed. “But don’t you guys feel we have wasted a lot of time already? Let’s go.”
Urrax pulled out the scroll, and they started following it.
The scroll led them outside the village, onto the road. After a few miles, the road ended in four crossroads, with a sign at the side:
The Pain Trail – Last to the right
Diamond Path – Second to the right
Frostbite Caves – Last to the left
Village of Silver – Second to the left
“To the Diamond path, then,” Archer said, walking towards it, hoping against hope that the scroll would follow.
But the scroll turned to another path – the Pain Trail.
Archer sighed. Of course, it had to be the Pain Trail. What else could it be?
The others followed. It wasn’t long before the trail ended abruptly, and the six of them saw a big hole in the ground in front of them.
It was about fifteen feet wide and twenty feet long. James leaned over and peered in. It was dark and it was impossible to see how deep it was.
He picked up a rock and threw it into the murky depths of the pit and silently counted the seconds.
Five... ten... twenty... twenty-five... thirty seconds...
Then there was the sound of stone
