No One chirped, “Well, to further confirm that I am no more evil, let me tell you that I received the message in my head.” No One shared the message with Oni, and Oni nodded in confirmation.
The Scavenger had a bewildered expression. “Thank you, Gods. I can’t even imagine the level of concentration and magic needed to do this. Any normal sorcerer couldn’t even dream of this.”
Paragon shrugged. “Being a God has its perks, I guess.”
“It sure does,” the Scavenger agreed.
“Is the Castle of Fate occupied?” James asked.
The Scavenger nodded. “By the Kings of Necron. They are necromancers, but good ones. They’re old and can’t fight, but they are experts in controlling huge armies. Fortunately, the Castle of Fate is still with the good forces, but can be run down anytime by the Skull Warrior.”
“The Castle of Fate is a strategic place. It is fit to be the capital of the Dark World.” Lynx looked at the Scavenger. “When the Scavenger ruled the Dark World after the defeat of the Death Lord, he had planned to convert the Castle of Fate into the seat of the Dark World. But alas, the times changed.”
“Time will change again. Let’s proceed,” the Scavenger said.
Paragon raised his hands and muttered a spell. Everyone started feeling dizzy. Within a few seconds, as the feeling left, they all found themselves in different surroundings. There was endless barren land stretching in all directions. They had been teleported to a desert.
19
They emerged in front of one of the biggest castles in the Dark World. It had a massive gate on the sides of which were white walls with holes for cannons and artillery. Small outposts lined the top of the walls, where archers and warriors stood, their bows pulled back, and their arrows pointed straight at the Scavenger and his group.
A man shouted at them from the walls, “Identify yourselves!”
“I am the Scavenger, and with me are the Elemental children and the Gods and my friends.”
There was a collective gasp, and then all the bows were lowered.
“Please come in, Lord. We have been waiting,” the man said, and the gates slowly moved apart.
The Scavenger, along with the others, walked inside. Behind the walls were tall towers made of greenstone. Everyone was awestruck.
They walked maybe three miles before they came to a huge moat, full to the brim with water and floating wooden logs. Only on closer look, it was revealed that these were not logs but crocodiles.
They walked into a massive hall, decorated with carpets and a large chandelier on the ceiling. There were two sets of stairs on the far left and right sides of the walls, spiralling upward and ending in a platform in front of which were railings.
And on the platform were the Kings of Necron.
There were five of them, dressed in regal attire and carrying ornate swords on their belts.
As soon as the Scavenger entered the room, the Kings bowed and extended a warm welcome and led them to a room, wherein they sat around a round table.
The Kings of Necron introduced themselves. They had strange names – Ekthatep, Othos, Aproph, Kakhom and Thekten.
Ekthatep started the conversation. “For the past few days, we have been getting terrifying visions and dreams. We keep on hearing the same thing. The Skull Warrior’s coming. Be ready to surrender.”
The Scavenger nodded. “I empathize. It is the truth that the Skull Warrior will be arriving with his dark army, and that’s why we are here.”
The Kings gasped as their speculations were confirmed.
“And it is also a fact that there is no other option than a war with Skull Warrior,” the Scavenger said firmly.
Thekten nodded. “We Kings are old but refuse to surrender before the Skull Warrior. We are ready to extend any help. This Castle will be the base for the war.”
The Scavenger nodded. “I assure you, we will win. Let’s wait for the allies to come. Till then, we wait.”
The next two days were spent moving around the castle and planning defences. The armoury of the castle was equipped with every kind of weapon. There was a big dining hall in which the warriors gathered at breakfast, lunch and dinner. The training arena boasted one of the best training facilities for the warriors.
The children spent the days practising their Elemental Powers for the upcoming war. The mood was tense and silent.
The Scavenger took over as the General of the Army. He got more buildings and halls erected for the accommodation of the warriors that were expected soon. The forest behind the castle was cleared for more space. The mechanics, rangers and archers started manufacturing weapons, traps and armours. The castle was galvanized with a renewed energy.
It wasn’t long before the allies started coming in. The Kings accorded them with a befitting welcome.
One fine day, in the late afternoon, while they were standing at the castle wall, the children became curious when they noticed dots against the setting suns. The Scavenger announced that these dots were nothing but the massive armies of ogres and trolls who had joined hands for the cause, despite being mutual enemies.
As they got closer, the Scavenger shouted in excitement, “Amozaks!”
Amozaks were gigantic wolves with red eyes and long claws. They had ropes around their necks and were controlled by warriors in heavy armour. There were also things the size of elephants with green reptilian bodies and bristles sticking out of it. They were Octerpillers. Sphinxes were also there. And then there were Turtoons, gigantic turtles with the head of a mammoth.
The children were filled with excitement. The castle gates opened and the army of allies entered.
A silver-armoured warrior stepped forward and greeted the Scavenger. His armour shone in the sunlight.
“Thank you for answering our call,” the Scavenger said. “I can’t tell you how relieved I am.”
“The pleasure is ours,” the warrior said. “We have heard so much about you. Your presence here instils courage in us. We will
