“I don’t care,” the Scavenger said. “The doubt created by Hellfire will keep bothering me unless I get it cleared. Don’t worry, I won’t take much time. Let’s split into two teams. I have already planned this. I will take James, Archer and No One. You, Urrax, Matt and Daniel work towards getting the Trident.”
“Splitting up is bad for us!” Lynx insisted. “And good for the Skull Warrior!”
Archer added, “And anyway, in every movie I have seen, things always go wrong when they split up.” He shook his head. “No matter how much others advise him, the hero won’t listen.”
The Scavenger replied snidely, “That’s why he is a hero. Anyway, I have decided. I have to go.”
Lynx sighed, calming himself. “All right, then. It’s no use arguing. Just proceed fast while my group focuses on getting the Trident. For that, we need to approach Insanity in Opal City, so we’ll leave for Opal City.”
The Scavenger nodded.
Lynx, along with Urrax, Matt and Daniel departed for Opal City. Scavenger, James, Archer and No One came out of the cave.
“Okay. Let’s go,” James said. “Where’s the portal?”
The Scavenger gave James an amused look. “There is no portal that can take you to the burial site. It’s a sacred place and no magic works in the area around it.”
Archer was shocked. “What? Do we travel on foot?”
The Scavenger shook his head. “It’s too far off. Not possible on foot either. We need to use a chariot.”
“Not again.” James and Archer groaned at the same time.
“Why not?” the Scavenger asked.
“One, it’s boring,” James said.
“Two, it’s uncomfortable,” Archer added.
“Three, it’s shaky,” James said.
“And four, it’s boring,” Archer finished. “And that’s five, six, seven and eight too. And nine and ten. And -”
“Okay, okay,” the Scavenger interrupted. “I have a solution. You can walk the whole journey. I will go by chariot.” He closed his eyes and muttered something. A chariot appeared, along with five white horses.
Grumbling to themselves, James and Archer got into the chariot and sat down at the back. No One followed them, shaking his head. Their journey to Arcane’s burial site began.
After a few hours into the forest, the horses pawed the ground nervously and neighed. Sensing danger, everyone took their positions.
A crackling twig broke the silence. A second later, a clinking sound was heard.
They were not alone. The Scavenger stopped the chariot.
The Scavenger and No One quickly got out of the chariot and climbed a tree. James and Archer hid behind two separate trees.
Half a minute later, a group of five guards appeared. The guards were decked in heavy armour. What was most surprising was the thing each held in their hands.
An Oculus!
It seemed that Lynx’s blueprints had been put to good use by the enemy, and so soon.
“Whose chariot could it be?” one of the guards asked.
“Maybe of the fugitives!” another said. “Let’s take this to Lord Grim.”
“But who will endure the suffering and hard work to take the chariot that far?” another guard asked.
James had to control his sniggering. The fools! They could just drive the chariot!
“I suggest we destroy it,” the first guard continued. “We can try out these beauties.” He held up the Oculus.
The others agreed.
The guard aimed and fired. The cule exploded five feet to the left of the chariot.
Before the guard could fire another cule, the Scavenger jumped down from a tree, right on the head of the guard. It was a visual treat for James, Archer and No One to watch Scavenger using his martial arts skills on the guards. Within seconds, all five guards were knocked unconscious.
James walked out of the bushes and took the Oculuses from the guards.
“Hey! Take this.” James offered an Oculus to the Scavenger.
The Scavenger scowled. “No, thank you. I am not touching those infernal devices. I am better off without them. Now, come on, we need to reach the burial site fast.”
They all boarded the chariot and continued their journey.
After about an hour, the Scavenger stopped the chariot and asked everyone to get down. “It’s just a few meters walk,” he said concisely, already scanning the surroundings for enemy warriors, and thankfully finding none.
A little while later, the trees began to clear away, revealing a beautiful sight.
The burial site was a large tomb surrounded by lush green gardens. The waterfalls in the nearby hills gave the place a mesmerizing appearance.
“Wow!” Archer exclaimed in awe. “It’s beautiful.”
The Scavenger nodded and smiled. “Yes. It must be one of the most scenic places in the Dark World.”
“Why are there no guards?” Archer asked.
“Why would there be any guards? My dear genius boy, it’s a burial site, not a palace.” The Scavenger smiled and walked towards the tomb.
The tomb was a massive structure made of brownstone. Pictures of Lord Arcane were carved into it. They crossed through the wooden gate and entered a hall with big chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. There was a small wooden throne placed in the centre of the hall.
“Now what?” James asked.
“One by one, we sit on it, and the throne decides if you are worthy to enter. Don’t worry. We are all worthy souls,” the Scavenger said, sitting down on the throne. For twenty seconds, nothing happened. Then there was a bright flash and the Scavenger disappeared.
No One, Archer and James sat one by one until they all disappeared in a flash.
They appeared in a dimly lit cave in the centre of which a well was situated. “This is the Well of Truth. You need to jump into it. You will see your greatest fear. Don’t get scared. Just try to smile and greet your fear.” The Scavenger readied himself to take the plunge.
“But why?” Archer asked. “I mean, why do you need to do all this for reaching a grave? I guess the access to the grave could have been made pretty straightforward so that more people can pay their respects. Are we on the wrong path?”
“No, you are on the
