Chapter 349: A Place Shrouded in Shadow
It snowed in the floating city of Sacross.
Without the protection of the magic barrier, snowflakes were flying in the streets and alleys of this ancient city, as soft and silent as memories.
Did it wake me up?
The ghost prince Agrila stared out the window, unconsciously putting down the quill in his hand, and couldn't help but think to himself.
In the garden under the Ghost Tower, the snow is already deep.
They spread out one after another, covering the grass and blooming flowers, covering the statues with a white coat, and bending the branches of the flower trees, reminding Agrila of a long, long time ago...long enough to completely His forgotten nights reminded him of his childhood in Netherese.
The day his family moved to the floating city of Karsus was the last time he saw snow.
The snowflakes at that time were not as big as they are today. He thought to himself that if they fell on his hairline, they would melt instantly, and little Brenners' snowball would never be complete.
The joy of that morning made him feel a dull pain.
The eldest brother Revalan carried him onto the suspended flying carpet, and the second brother Yada supported his body so that he could stand safely on the magic carpet that slid in place like a snake.
Facing the fine snow, they flew out of the manor where the thorn roses had long withered. They left their hometown and rushed towards the vast sky, towards the floating city protected by the magic barrier.
Egrila thought that his arcanist career would begin in the floating city.
One day, he will also have his own floating city, but he did not expect that now, it is almost coming to an end.
He stood up, let the narrow window open, and snowflakes drifted into the study. Agrella opened the door and walked down the spiral staircase.
When he then opened the door to the garden, he couldn't help but be surprised by the tranquility he had never seen in the Shadow Plane.
Snowflakes are floating, and there is a distant fragrance and loneliness.
They landed heavy and undisturbed, and all the colors of the floating city fell away and fled without a trace, except for black, white and gray: white houses and statues, black shadows and ghost towers, gray sky.
This is a world so pure that the shadow plane cannot be compared with it. Agrela thought to herself, a world that no longer belongs to him.
The Prince of Shadows stepped out like a walking zombie, his boots leaving ankle-deep holes on the smooth white snow, but making no sound.
He walked through the frosty bushes and looked at the thin black tree trunks, wondering if he was still dreaming.
The flying snowflakes are like a lover's gentle kiss, crossing the face and melting due to magic.
He came to the center of the garden and stood next to the collapsed and half-buried statue of the shark god Secora. He closed his eyes and raised his head to the sky. He seemed to smell the snowflakes and taste the snow. .
This is the taste of Netheril, the taste of innocence, the taste of dreams.
When he opened his eyes, he found that he had knelt down, but he did not remember what happened.
The sky turns white and dawn comes.
This is a new day, Agrella thought, pointing to the future.
But what he longs for is to go back to the past, and prays that he can go back to the past.
But to whom should he pray?
This small garden was originally the temple of Sekora, the sahuagin god, a ruin without murlocs or gods.
Just like him, empty, empty...
The Prince of Shadows put his hand on his aching chest, silently feeling the only beating black heart in the dark shadow-like skeleton, in the empty rib cage. .
Agrila picked up a handful of snow, squeezed it between her fingers, and easily formed it into a wet and heavy ball.
He continued to work, pointing to the movement, until the snowball was round, white and flawless.
One morning during a snowy winter, when he walked out of the room, he was ambushed by his two younger brothers Coraribonas and Brenas.
Each of them held a dozen snowballs, and he had none.
Coraribonas stood on top of the sealed bridge. He couldn't catch him, so he was chasing Brenas.
The two of them ran through the stables and around the kitchen until they were both out of breath.
He could have caught Brenas, but he slipped and fell on the ice.
My younger brother ran over to visit with concern and asked him if he was injured.
When Agrila answered honestly, "No," he received another snowball from Brenas, which made his face bloom.
Not to be outdone, he grabbed his brother's thigh, flipped him to the ground, opened his pants, and stuffed the snow inside until finally Yada came over, like carrying a little chicken. One hand at a time, they separated the two laughing brothers.
Now that he has the snowball, what will he do with it?
Agrila looked at the poor gadget in her hand and thought sadly, no one here would play snowballs with him childishly.
The Prince of Shadows let go, and the snowball slipped from his palm and broke into pieces...
When Agrela returned to her study, Lamorak, the sixth child, had been waiting for a long time.
A month has passed since the battle in Shadow Valley.
With the full support of the priests of the Lost Lady and the Grand Commander of Sembia, the floating city of Sacross has been basically repaired and can be successfully suspended in mid-air.
In just two months, he will be able to complete all the barriers, restrictions and mysteries inside the floating city, and then he can lead the Sambian army to destroy the Kingdom of Cormyr.
Just two months... He thought to himself, then put on an indifferent expression and met Lamorak's gaze.
"Old Ten, you don't know yet, Yada has already left."
Lamorak was the first to speak, "I saw in the Ghost Tower that Brenas came once last night, and then he came the second time He left without even saying hello."
"I understand," Agrela said lightly.
The thing he was most worried about happened. Yada's departure was obviously the last thing he wanted to see.
Among his many brothers, his second brother Yada is the most honest and loyal, and also the most persistent person. Once he does something he thinks is right, he will stick to it to the end.
Such as the belief in the Lost Lady.
But Agrila had long known that Yada's belief in the Lost Lady was just the result of Revalan's lie.
Once the lie is exposed, his faith will collapse instantly. You can imagine how his mood will change at this moment.
Brenas...
Agrila silently recited the name of his youngest brother in his heart. He didn't know how Brenas learned the truth about his mother's death.
But no matter who was right or wrong, he still insisted that Brenas's approach was a bit too ill-considered.
He could even imagine the scene when Yada met Revalan and came to him for help.
This will only bring his stubborn second brother closer to the abyss of death.
Revalan's actions are certainly shameful, but if he had not done so, then the fate of the floating city Sultansa would probably be no different from other floating cities.
Ask yourself, if Agrila was given the choice, he might really choose the same approach after calmly weighing the pros and cons.
Of course, the premise of all this is that the truth about the imminent demise of the Netheril Empire has been learned.
As far as he knew, Revalan did not know these truths before killing his mother, which was simply a fulfillment of his wish to share his 'own secret' with the Lost Lady because of her prayers from the clergy For those who believe in it, this is the most important ritual to devote yourself to the Faith of the Lost Lady.
The reward Revalan received was to use the power of the Lost Lady and then use his divination ability to help his father successfully send Sultansa to the shadow plane and escape the scene. A disaster that destroyed the entire empire.
No matter what the purpose of the Lost Lady was, it is an indisputable fact that she saved the city of Sultansa.
"Hey, are you listening to what I'm saying?" Lamorak's disgusting voice sounded again, "Yada ran away with Brenas."
"Then what?" Agrela looked at Lamorak indifferently, "The two of us chase out and catch this believer who betrayed the Lost Lady?"
"That's not what I meant." Lamorak Lark waved his hand, and the light red eyes hidden in the black robe became a little brighter, "You have also seen that the Lost Lady's plan is about to fail, and we must consider our own way out."
Innocent!
Agrila glanced at Lamorak with disdain, and he knew the purpose of the other party's initiative to find him.
The way out?
To him, what is accurate is that for these ghosts, they have no way out. "Do you know about the realm of the Demonic Network?" Lamorak continued:
"The realm of the Demonic Network is also called 'Tahadana'. This is a kind of super-two-dimensional space. A long time ago, using magic, Created, it is said that these spells were cast by the Imaskans of the former Mechanical Empire. They belong to a place that can only be touched by the magic network. As long as we hide in it, even the gods cannot detect our existence. "
Hearing this, Agrila looked at Lamorak with interest, and then said in a sarcastic tone, "It seems that your magical attainments in some aspects are still good. It’s really beyond my reach. It’s a pity that you lack a sense of awe.”
Of course, he has heard a little about ‘Tahadana’. These ultra-two-dimensional spaces are like sticky. Like a fly on a spider web, it survives under the protection of the magic web.
Even the gods have difficulty finding these places, unless someone can control the magic network, or the chosen ones of the goddess of magic.
The reason why the Magic Weave was torn apart by the Lost Lady was because his father, High King Telamante and Larocque, worked together to cast a twisting mystery in 'Tahadana'. Like the torn web left behind by a fly on a 'spider web' when it breaks free from its restraints, a trace is torn open in the magic web.
If the chosen ones of the Goddess of Magic want to repair the magic net, they must completely kill this troublesome 'fly'.
“Do you think that except for the mysterious lady and her chosen people, no one else can find ‘Tahadana’.” Lamorak continued:
“This is a big mistake. That's wrong. Some people can still do it. For example, Larok is one of them. He uses these places to accumulate magic and wealth. And Manzon of the Zhentarim. Why can't his clones be killed all the time? Because his true body is hiding in 'Tahadana', and he is constantly making new clones. ”
"So, you found a way to enter 'Tahadana'?"
Agrela asked curiously, but he was not moved by it, "So what if you find it, I'm already in the shadows After hiding in the plane for more than a thousand years, should I be allowed to hide in 'Tahadana' forever like a snake hiding in a cave?"
"But this is indeed our only way out. "
Lamorak still refused to give up and said, "As long as you and I work together, we can forcefully open a 'Tahadana' and hide forever, not under the control of the Lost Lady. As long as we don't If you do things that endanger the world, the mysterious lady will not pay attention to us."
"So, I always think that you lack a sense of awe. It is a foreshadowing of your future death." Agrela was unmoved, "Not only did you think of 'Tahadana' too simply, you also thought of Miss Lost too simply."
The Lost Lady Shar is one of the oldest goddesses in the realm.
How could he escape from her control so easily, not even his father, the Prince of Shadows thought sadly:
And Brenas, he thought that becoming a dossier scholar, without contact Shadow Demon Network will not have any intersection with the Lost Lady?
Innocent like a child!
…………
Ancient Cormanzo forest.
Towering ancient giant trees cover the entire sky. As far as the eye can see, there is only shade and green. Birds sing in the forest, reindeer shuttle between the woodlands, and occasionally you can see a clear spring. The swimming fish inside swing their tails happily, and the huge guiding stones contain rich magic power. The road in the forest is very narrow, and it is almost impossible to see the distance.
Priestess 'Black Veil' Illyriel of the Lost Lady Shar looked at the trembling man in black robe kneeling in front of her with an indifferent expression, and said in a cold tone:
"Anyone who has ever bathed in the veil of shadow of the Lost Lady must serve the goddess wholeheartedly. Hajhorna, do you understand?"
"I understand, Your Excellency the High Priest." Prostrate on the ground Hajhorna's face was full of fear, like a mouse being pinned down by a cat.
"For the sake of the lost lady's glory, I realize my mistake. Here, I plead with the goddess who keeps secrets to give her humble believers a chance to change their ways."
"Wise choice."
< br>Illyriel looked down at him condescendingly and said in an unquestionable tone, "Now, I order you to go to the depths of the Windsong Tower in the ruins of Mis Drannor and help the goddess find a large golden beech wood. Tree.”
“Is it another complete set of Nese scrolls?” Hearing this, Hajerhorn said in shock.
The once great Netheril Empire found a total of 100 golden scrolls in the ruins of Erevandar. There were two sets of Netherese scrolls, each containing 50 scrolls.
One of the complete sets of golden scrolls was stolen by the elves of Cormanthor.
And he accidentally discovered traces of this set of Nese scrolls in the two Tears of Kings.
The purpose of his coming to Cormanso was to find this set of scrolls.
"So..." Hajhorna said with a bitter look on his face, "You deliberately let me obtain those two tears of the king, and the purpose was just for today."
"It seems you are not too stupid." Illyriel nodded and admitted.
"In this case, you must also know that the biggest obstacle to my search for the Golden Scroll is the guard of Mis Drannor, the high elf mage Silinxi." Hajhorna suppressed the shock in his heart and said truthfully, "I am not Her opponent."
Since Cormyr's defeat, he has taken Severin, the leader of the Dragon Cult, to help him find the golden scroll.
Who would have thought that as soon as they arrived at the ruins of Myth Drannor, they were attacked by the hidden guardians inside, so that they had to flee in panic, and finally were unable to break into the Tower of Windsong. Next, the leader of the Dragon Cult chose to leave and go to the Supreme Glacier alone to find the Dragon Madness Lock, while he has been lingering in Cormanso, waiting for the opportunity.
"Just go and get it." A sneer appeared at the corner of Illyriel's mouth, "Silinxi has left Myth Drannor long ago, and she cannot threaten you."
Hope. Looking at the confident eyes of the priestess, Hajhorna did not dare to doubt, and did not even dare to ask questions about the use of the golden scroll, so he gritted his teeth and ran towards the ruins of Myth Drannor.
Looking at Hajhorna's leaving figure, Illyriel secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
In order to let Tifantun City be shrouded in shadow, she paid a high price, and her strength has not been fully restored to this day.
However, what makes her secretly happy is that all plans are still under her control.
Even the ghost prince Lamorak wanted to defect and go to the realm of the magic web to escape the control of the Lost Lady, which was within her expectation.
If Lamorak really dares to put it into action, she will definitely make this cunning prince pay the price, Illyriel thought to herself.
Although from the moment Elsweyr failed, it meant that the plan to tear apart the Magic Network had completely failed. However, it is not easy for the voters of the mysterious lady to repair the Magic Network. Larocque will make them pay. A heavy price to pay.
And she can use the rapid passage of time in the world of the Magic Web to accelerate the Lost Lady's next plan in the material world, such as the Kingdom of Cormyr.
“I hope Revalan will not disappoint me.” Illyriel murmured to himself, “After all, he is the sharpest spear that can tear apart the barrier of the Kingdom of Cormyr.”
…………
The air was bitingly cold and full of fear. Even Revalan, the eldest prince of the City of Ghosts, felt scared.
On a remote hill in Bra Star, the shadows continued to extend, darkness stared at them, and all the trees seemed to be bent by the thick shadows.
The sky is filled with dark clouds, and darkness whispers in the shadows.
"I will not let the Lost Lady down." Revalan knelt down in front of the ancient statue of the Lost Lady with a pious expression.
This is a statue full of mysterious charm. It vividly shows the image of an elegant lady with extraordinary temperament using a noble artistic technique. She is slender and tall, exuding unparalleled strength and grace, as if she is the most perfect sculpture masterpiece in the world. She is wearing a loose and complexly pleated robe, flowing like ripples in the night, which not only conceals the outline of her figure, but also reveals her inner nobility and majesty in subtle ways. What's even more surprising is that this lady's face is covered with a mask carefully woven from shining feathers. This mask cleverly covers her face, but it cannot hide the depth of her eyes. Wisdom and immense charm.
The statue itself seems to be alive, shining with a phantom-like purple light in the dark temple, like a dreamy dancing elf, constantly changing its form, sometimes reflecting on a graceful and dancing young man. On the female dancer, the dance seems to be telling a forgotten historical legend.
Revalan, this warrior who had been mercilessly imprisoned in a cold and damp dungeon for a month by Lord Braxing, had been mentally prepared to be with darkness for a long time. However, things were unpredictable, and the wheel of fate suddenly turned. He was freed overnight and was released by the lord on his own initiative. This turn of events shocked him.
At this moment, the place he set foot on was the Lost Lady - the hidden temple owned by the ancient god with countless legendary stories spread on the planet Bra. This temple is like the amber of time, condensing the memories of the years, and the air is filled with the sense of ancient rituals and the atmosphere of sanctity.
What appeared in front of Revalan was a seemingly ordinary glass wine glass. It had a simple appearance, but it carried an unknown secret. The liquid in the cup is like concentrated shadow energy, thick and flowing freely, but in this deep darkness, there is a faint golden shimmer, like the first ray of light before dawn, implying something. Extraordinary power or revelation.
This is the Dark Holy Grail!
It contains one-third of the divine power of the "Shadow" priesthood of Mask, the god of thieves.
He had just contacted ‘Black Veil’ Illyriel through the temple’s communication circle and learned all the situations that were happening in the material world.
He longs for this power so much.
Only if he completely absorbs this powerful divine power, can he take advantage of the mysterious lady's electors being trapped in the realm of the magic network to completely turn the Kingdom of Cormyr into a besieged state. A place shrouded in shadow.
"Never be afraid of the dark, Revalan."
The Prince of Shadows seemed to hear the whispers of the Night Prophet, accompanied by the faint rustling of trees and leaves, coming over vaguely:< br>
"Drink it, the darkness will become your cloak, your shield and armor, the darkness will make you stronger..."
Time is like gurgling water, rushing forward day and night, like a The heroic warriors rushed one after another, and countless moments disappeared in silence.
The day begins to shrink its brilliance that spreads over the earth, and gradually shrinks back into the robe of the universe, while the night is like a generous monarch, and its territory quietly becomes more vast and far-reaching.
The jungle at the foot of the mountain, which was once full of sunshine and full of vitality, is now tightly embraced by the night. The sunlight can no longer penetrate the thick layer of darkness and bring warmth and light to the jungle.
Faced with the choice of fate, Revalan, the great prince of the City of Shadows, resolutely drank the water of shadow in the legendary Dark Holy Grail.
At that moment, he felt a deep and cold power surge through his body from the tip of his tongue, sweeping through his soul like an ink torrent, completely immersing him in an unprecedented darkness.
The temple of the Lost Lady looks even more mysterious in this endless darkness. The shining stone pillars and murals in the past are now swallowed up by the darkness. Only the untouchable sacred breath is still in the void. echoing in it, proving its existence.
This darkness is as thick as the asphalt at the bottom of purgatory, denser than the tar accumulated over thousands of years, and even darker than the deepest feather on a crow's wing.
The light struggled in this darkness, trying to pierce the thick curtain, but every time it was like a timid visitor, only daring to glance briefly, and then disappeared without a trace.
Whether it is a bonfire dancing around the fire, a flickering candle in a quiet night, or a warm family under bright lights, they all show the tenacity and fragility of life in the face of darkness.
The flame burns out a short and brilliant chapter of life, but in the end it cannot withstand the erosion of darkness. After a burst of enthusiasm, it slowly extinguishes and returns to eternal tranquility.
…………
(End of this chapter)