The song of despair

After the group took a longer break, they finally left the guild house, whereupon Anja called out to him before they left the building: "I wish you good luck!" This time they moved to the south, where this ruin was found. "It's kind of strange that suddenly a ruin appears here and which is actually quite close to the village," said Aimi with slight concerns in her voice. She could only feel this hostile aura in Taiki when the newly found ruin was mentioned. "Could it be that Taiki was able to defeat Hebior with some strength and we only survived because of that?" puzzled the elf. "No....That can't be...where should Taiki get this power from....On the other hand, we know absolutely nothing about him. Not even his homeland He never told us that. No! I shouldn't be so suspicious about him. A good friend should never force another friend to answer a question if he doesn't want to," Aimi continued thinking. 

In contrast to the north, there were lowlands with a meadow on which the most diverse plants grew. "According to the information of the task, we should have reached the ruin soon," said Gloin slightly excited. "Why so excited my friend. I thought you were used to such abandoned buildings in the mountains." teased Ronin a bit. "Are you saying that the dwarves' buildings are just ruins and similar dwellings?! Our dwellings are of the best quality and prepared for any weather conditions! Our buildings are armed against everything!" said the dwarf loudly. Suddenly, Tsuyoshi raised his hand as a sign that everyone should be quiet now. 

"What do you see Tsuyoshi?" Wondered Taiki. But his friend gave no answer. The berserker observed the meadow closely. He didn't want to overlook anything. When Tsuyoshi could not see any danger, he lowered his arm and kept moving. "Strange," Ronin whispered to himself. As the group progressed, a ruin suddenly appeared in front of them. It was as if a spell would prevent them from seeing them from a distance. The ruin didn't make a good first impression, as it looked like it could collapse at any moment. "Friends! Draw your weapons and get ready to fight! We enter completely unknown territory! We don't want to be surprised! Get ready for anything! Even on monsters that are stronger than normal! And be vigilant!" Ronin pointed out.

Immediately Taiki, Ronin and Gloin pulled their blades and Aimi was already preparing her boost and healing spells in her mind. On the two columns of the ruin, that formed the entrance, were statues. The wind blew through the crumbling building and made it reverberate on the walls. There was silence. "Can they be Gargoils?" wondered Gloin. At that moment, the two statues moved and they unfolded their wings. "Caution! The statues are moving!" Warned Taiki. Without hesitation, Gloin jumped up and smashed his axe into the stone creature's skull, inflicting little damage on the monster. Out of nowhere, he was grabbed by the Gargoil and thrown to the floor in front of the entrance. All of a sudden, the two monsters jumped off their pedestals and attacked the dwarf.

Tsuyoshi intervened, which is why the behemoth's claws pulsated into his flesh. Blood splitted out of his chest, but he remained steadfast. "Berserklord! Streangth Boost!" Shouted Tsuyosho when he suddenly smashed one of his fists against the monster's chest, causing it to disintegrating into its individual parts. The second Gargoil tried his luck with Aimi, who was overwhelmed by the sudden attack. But Ronin stood between the monster and his girlfriend. However, when he fended off the monster's attack with his blade, he felt that his sword was no match for the monster. Before the Gargoil could break Ronin`s blade, Gloin attacked the monster: "Earth Smasher!"  

The dwarf stretched down the stone creature. The fossilized parts of the monster flew in all directions after Gloin killed the creature. "Aimi heal Tsuyoshi!" Ronin commanded. It took some time for Aimi to detach herself from her rigidity. These beings stared into her soul. She saw the darkness in them. "How long do I have to work as an adventurer until I have enough money to finally help my sister?" Asked Aimi desperately. Ronin noticed that Aimi was not in the best condition, so he went to her and hugged her for reassurance. Aimi felt comfortable in Ronin's arms. He knew he would protect her anytime, anywhere. "Oh! Young love! But shouldn't we keep going? We still have a job to do!" Interupted Gloin the couple. "You're right! Let`s go, Team!" hawked Ronin. Shortly after, they entered the ruins.

The ruin seems to have been abandoned for a very long time. Everywhere were these stone statues, against which they had fought earlier, which is why the group went on particularly cautiously. But the statues did not seem to move. "There are only two possibilities. Either they are not Gargoils or they are sleeping right now. Second would suit, but it would be more dangerous," Gloin said. Suddenly, Taiki got a familiar feeling. It was a negative feeling. Slowly, these gruesome images from earlier appeared in front of him as they kept moving. Soft voices whispered through the ruins: "He has returned home! He's back! He has returned to the place where fate took its course!" 

"Did you hear that?" Taiki asked his friends, who looked at him a little confused. "I don't know what you smoked, but I didn't hear anything, laddie!," Gloin replied. Aimi held Ronin's hand tightly as she felt that aura that she already felt in the guild house again. However, she did not feel the aura from Taiki, but from someone else. Aimi's hair stood on end. Sweat was dripping from her face. Her body was paralyzed. The most diverse thoughts flew through her head: "What a dark and sad aura this is! It is not natural. But why is it here and why could I feel it at the guild house from Taiki? Something is going on here and I don't like it." They continued going into the ruins until they arrived at an entrance that belonged to a former tower. There was a corridor that led downwards. It was dark. The darkness surrounded the corridor, like a sea. "Do we really want to go down there?" Asked Taiki with a slight headache, as he still saw these pictures in front of him. 

"The mission was to scout the ruins. Accordingly, we also have to go down there, because there seems to be nothing left here on the surface except some statues and some broken columns," Ronin replied. When Ronin first stepped into the darkness, he held Aimi's hands tightly so that he would not lose her. Shortly thereafter, they were followed by Tsuyoshi, then Gloin, and finally Taiki entered the darkness. It was so dark that they couldn't even see their own feet in front of their eyes. That's why they slowly strobed each other so that they didn't fall down the stairs. Out of nowhere, voices echoed that only Taiki could hear: "We are here! We've been waiting for you! Finally you have returned to us!" Taiki's breath became heavier. His limbs were shaking. The sweat of fear flowed down his back. Suddenly, he felt that something was touching his chest. Something pet his heart. A familiar feeling rose in the young boy. He felt uncomfortable. Breathin was much harder for him. He received a barf reflex. However, he remained silent because he did not want to cause his friends unnecessary stress.

 "Aimi? Couldn't you just use a light spell so we can at least see each other?" Wondered Taiki. "It's done. I wonder why I didn't come up with that idea sooner," said Aimi, whereupon she spoke a magic formula: "Luminous light!" However, nothing happened. Not even a small spark appeared on her hand. "Strange....I'll try again! Luminous Light!" However, again nothing happened, so they had to accept the fact that they continued to wander in the darkness. They walked for quite a while without anything happening. It seemed as if it would go down infinitely. The further they walked down, the colder it became. After another few minutes, the group recognized a light at the end of the stairs. "We're nearly there!" Said Ronin confidently when he first saw the light. As soon as the group arrived at the end of the stairs. A wide corridor stretched in front of them, illuminated by torches to the left and right. In the middle of the corridor, there was an area, which was filled with a thin film of water. The walls and ceiling looked like they wouldn't be doing much anymore. 

As the group looked along the aisle, they found that it also seemed endless. "I just wonder what the point of this place is. So far we have only discovered this staircase and this corridor, where until now there are neither old objects nor other rooms. There were only a few statues  on the columns and this broken tower on the surface, where here is just this long staircase with the long corridor. I wonder what sense this building once had before it was abandoned," Gloin pondered. The whispering voices that only Taiki heard became louder. The evil aura that AImi felt also became more powerful. "Guys! Something is at the end of the aisle! It´s aura is surrounded by cold! Perhaps we should rather turn around! I'm scared! I don't want to go any further!", The elf suddenly said with her whole body shaking. "But we have already come this far. Think of the gold. Soon you could finally help your sister," Ronin replied. But when he turned to Aimi and saw the frightened eyes, he sighed and instructed his group: "We cancel the mission! We'll accept another one!"

Taiki, Gloin and Tsuyoshi agreed. So they wanted to take the stairs again to leave that place. Out of the blue, the ceiling in front of them suddenly collapsed, so that the entire entrance of the stairs in front of them was blocked. "Damn! That can't be true!" Complained Gloin. "Complaining doesn't help us now. It seems that we have to continue walking down the aisle. We can't just remove these chunks that block our way," Ronin said sighting. Suddenly, three stone statues appeared in the hallway. They were angels from whose heads horns grew out. A snake's tongue looked out of their mouths. But something about these statues made them uncomfortable. "Where do they suddenly come from? They weren't there before, were they?" Pondered Taiki. When the young boy looked more closely into their eyes, his head felt so free. Out of the blow, Taiki began to head to the creatures. Taiki's thoughts were free. The only thing he heard was a heavenly song that apparently came from the angels. It bewitched him. He could not release himself from their spell. "Taiki! Don`t!" Aimi wanted to stop him.

He didn't hear what his girlfriend said to him. Taiki was now in front of the angels. "Come to us! We'll show you your past! We'll show you your life!" The voices of the creatures sounded in his head. "Taiki! Wake up! We don't even know what kind of monsters they are!" Ronin tried to stop him from going any closer. "Laddie! Watch out!" Shouted Gloin. "He can't hear us. I don't even feel his aura! It's like he's just stopping existing," Aimi said shattered. So Tsuyoshi scurried forward and stood in front of Taiki. All of a sudden, the angels began to move. They raced towards the two adventurers. One grabbed Tsuyoshi and the other one grabbed the hypnotized Taiki.

Ronin and Gloin wanted to intervene. However, the voices of the angels roared again in their heads: "No step closer or they die! We will bring you all to our Lord! We were already waiting for you! You can't win! If you resist, you will die!" Out of thin air, Ronin, Gloin and Aimi could not move. It was as if they had sessiled . However, when they turned their eyes to their feet, they saw little angels holding them. "What are you?!" Shouted Ronin. "We are Tenshis! We are the bearers of death! We bring you to our Master! He longs for the One! The one that might destroy everything!" Answered one of the angels. Suddenly, a bright light appeared that dazzled the three. After the light disappeared, Tsuyoshi and Taiki were gone. The angels then went to the other three. "What do you want to do with us?" Ronin wanted to know.

"Frankly, nothing at all with! We only want Taiki. He only wants him. He must continue where he left." Replied one of the angels. "Why? What does your Lord have to do with him? While we're at it, who exactly is he?"Asked Gloin angrily. Aimi was silent. She was already completely taken on her fear. She couldn't make a sound. There were so many thoughts shot through her head: "What about my sister and my friends? Will they die? Will I die now? Who is their master and who would have the power to summon such creatures as his subordinates?" "Our Master is responsible for having Taiki summoned to this world without any memories, since his old self is still dormant within him, he wants to awaken him! For he will conjure up the end of the world! He will destroy everything if our Master manages to lure the spirit of revenge out of Taiki!" The angel announced.

Out of the blue, they were grabbed by the three monsters and again something lit up. Ronin, Gloin and Aimi suddenly woke up chained next to each other at poles. Tsuyoshi and Taiki were also there, but fainted. "Where are we?" Wondered Ronin as he tried to see something in this room that was difficult at first, as his eyes have not yet fully recovered after the light the angels made to bring them here. Gradually, he could see more and more. So he found out that he was in a round room where there were five columns, to which each one of the group was chained at one pole. In addition, there was a circle in the middle with signs that he had never seen before. "What kind of magic circle is this? What kind of language is that?" Asked Ronin in his mind. When Gloin and Aimi also woke up, the elf fidgeted around, hoping to somehow get rid of the chains. However, it did not work. "Ronin? What's happening? And to what extent is Taiki involved there?" Aimi wanted to know while she was trembling in fear. When Tsuyoshi and Taiki regained consciousness, the group heard a loud clap.

All of a once, some people, covered in hoods and whose face could not be recognized, entered the room. There were about six men in number. When those men stood around the circle in the middle, a seventh person entered the room, but his face was not covered by a hood. The man had a bald head and a thick scar over his right eye. His left eye, on the other hand, shone in a bright violet. The robe this man wore was baptized in a blood-red color. When he saw the adventurers, the man smiled devilish, which made it possible to see his yellow teeth. His nose was bent upwards. His bulging lips stand out the most. On the man's left shoulder sat a raven with ruby red eyes, who cast his gaze on Taiki. Suddenly that man introduced himself: "I am the High Priest Orax! I would like to thank you to participate in our ritual! You will make a great sacrifice for our God!" As Orax swung around with his hand, stone statues that have the shapes of angels stepped out of the walls between the poles where the adventurers were chained on.

 When Taiki's eyes were fully adjusted to the lighting conditions, he saw the High Priest. An anger accumulated in him. It was an anger he had never felt before. He didn't even know why he suddenly had those feelings. After one of the hooded figures whispered something in the ear of the priest, Orax pulled out a knife and announced: "Let us now begin the bloodbath and enjoy the song of despair that the angels will now recite for you!" Each of the hooded wearers approached one of the chained ones. Everyone drew a sharp blade. Only in front of Taiki did the hooded men stop. "What are you up to?! Leave them alone!" Taiki screeched as the figures with their daggers came closer and closer to his friends. "You have the honor of being sacrificed for the true God of this universe!" Said Orax excitedly. "You can count yourself lucky! There is no greater honor to die than through the sacrifice to our God!" Suddenly, one of the hooded men rammed his weapon into Gloin's arm. He groaned in pain. After that, another stabbed his dagger into the shoulder of Ronin, who had to pull himself together so that he does not scream in pain. Another thrusted Tsuyoshi in the stomach, who showed only a pain-distorted face. "Our daggers are poisoned! That is why you will feel the perfect salvation when you perish in agony!" Announced Orax with a grin. 

After the high priest told them that their daggers were poisoned, the three got bad convulsions. Their lungs constricted. They could barely breath. They struggled desperately. Their head simmered. It was like they were cooking. Their face turned blue. Suddenly, a painful pain burned through their skin. It felt like their skin was decomposing. All of a sudden, their bones couldn't hold their body, so you could hear the sound of cracking bones breaking shortly thereafter. "Heal her, Elf!" Orax commanded. Aimi didn't know what to do. She didn't want to hurt her friends. But then the High Priest promised, "If you do exactly what I tell you, I will take you to your beloved sister!" Aimi could not concentrate. In front of her, she only saw monsters who were torturing her friends. Out of the blue, the angels began to sing on the walls. It was an captivating song. They sang of the death and suffering of this world. They beguiled the ears. It was beautiful. They sang the song of despair. They would not get out of here.

While the angels sang their song, she heard the agonizing cries of her friends, who were still feeling the effect of the poison. Now their blood cooled, but their skin became inflamed. Although her body was not externally damaged by the fire, the flames felt like real ones. Aimi could not withstand all this, which is why she performed a strong healing spell: "Healing advanced!" The three felt released, which was interrupted by the fact that the poison again showed its effect and the screams began all over again. "Stop it! Please!" Begged Taiki, whereupon Orax began to laugh: "Finally we can continue our game, which was unfortunately interrupted by your death!" "Which game? What is he talking about? I don't know him at all? Make it stop! I don't want to hear it anymore!" Pleaded Taiki inwardly.

Tsuyoshi, Gloin and Ronin were in so much pain that they were in tears. Their suffering was so strong that they just wished for death to finally release them. They didn't want to live anymore. Aimi cried in torrents! She wanted it to stop. She couldn't torture her lover and her friends any further. "Heal them again!" Sounded the command of the High Priest. "I...I don't want to! Let us go! Please!" Begged Aimi. "Don't worry! You'll leave!" Smiled Orax. When Aimi healed her friends again and they briefly found salvation again, the poison re-entered with triple strength, causing Ronin's eye to explode from his skull, causing him to scream all the louder and Gloin's belly burst. Blood splashed out of their wounds. There seemed to be no end to it. The pain was so great that they would do anything to end it all. Suddenly, two of the hooded men cut Gloins and Ronins throat. Slowly they felt the sugar-sweet release of death. They were almost free. Instead of screams, a gurgling sound sounded from their mouths. "Heal them!" Orax ordered. But Aimi didn't follow his command. 

"Do it! Or they will die!" The high priest urged. But when Aimi looked at Ronin and Gloin with tearful eyes, she saw only pain. She knew they would die if she didn't heal them. That's why she didn't do it in the first place. She does not want to let her friends suffer anymore. After a few seconds, Ronin and Gloin became weaker. They no longer fidgeted. The blood no longer flowed so strongly out of their throats. And with one last breath, they died. "No! You monster! I'll kill you! I'll kill you! You hear!" Shouted Taiki with a crying face. Suddenly, gruesome images appeared in front of him, which plagued him all the time. He did not understand what the picture is trying to show him.But now he realized it. Voices echoed in his head again: "Honey! Don't worry! Everything will be fine! Dad! Help me! I don't want to die! I don't want to! Dad! Please! Leave them alone! They are just children! Take me, but leave them alone!" 

He saw how a beautiful woman and two children, a boy and a girl, were first strangled and then stabbed. The cries of torment were almost the same as his current suffering of his friend. Now he realized that Orax had killed these three people, who were somehow very valuable to him. Now he had to watch his friends die. He did not have the power to save them. Despair was his only friend. The angels were still singing the song of despair. Aimi shrieked in grief over Ronin and Gloin. Even Tsuyoshi shed tears over his friends, even if his pain became unbearable. However, since Tsuyoshi had a high resistance his body was not yet so badly destroyed by the poison. "Since you unfortunately did not follow the orders, I unfortunately have to kill you too!" Orax said indifferently. "No! Please! I still have to go to my sister! I don't want to die yet! Please!" Pleaded Aimi in fear. She looked her death in the eye. But Orax came closer. He drew a knive and stabbed her in the stomach. Aimi screamed briefly. She splitted blood. He stabbed her stomach again. She screeched again. Orax stabbed his dagger into the young elf many times. "Don't worry, my little one! This dagger is not poisoned! You will not die because of it, but because of your wounds!" Grinned the High Priest. 

"Please! Anyone! Help us! I beg you!" Prayed Taiki in his mind. He was powerless. "Finally! Awake you spirit of hatred and destroy this world! Destroy us all!" Orax said to Taiki. Suddenly, dark shadows came out of the young boy and Aimi felt that his aura changed. "No! Taiki! Hold on! You must not allow it! I don't know why your aura changes, but don't let it happen! Otherwise you'll be lost forever!" Aimi warned him, before Orax drilled his dagger into the elf again, causing her to scream again. Taiki tried to calm down, but did not succeed. An unknown power wanted to break out of him. He would not be able to control it. Hatred gained strength. More shadows came out of him. Taiki feels weak. It was as if he was fainting. The darkness began to devour him. He didn't want to have those feelings anymore. He didn't want to feel anything anymore. He would have thought that after waking up here, he could live a good life with many friends, but he was wrong.

In the background, Aimi was screaming, who was still being tormented. The only thing that shot through her head was her little sister, who she had now disappointed. She would leave her behind. But when all hope was lost, a powerful lightning bolt hissed through the room, hiting three of the six hooded men and turning them to ashes. Orax stopped torturing the elf for a moment, only to find that a half-demon hovering over the floor was entering the room. When a hooded man wanted to perform a spell on the half-demon, the girl shred a bolt of lightning on him, so that he also turned into ashes. "Chizu?!" Taiki said with relief, even though he didn't know why she was here in the first place. "How dare you interrupt this ritual, you woman! I will show you, just like the others, what it means to beg!" Yelled Orax angrily.

The last two hooded men then attacked Chizu, who dodged her daggers and swept them away with a wind spell: "Wind blow!" As a result, the two were thrown through the hallway from which they came. When the angels, who were next to the pillars, attacked the half-demon, she looked at the monsters and said, "Evil Eye Stonage!" Instantly, the angels crumbled to dust. The raven sitting on Orax took flight, so he flew into the dark corridor. When only the High Priest remained, he gathered all his anger, which made itself felt as a shadow ball on the palm of his hand. "Shadow Inferno!" Shouted Orax, whereupon he fired his spell at Chizu, bouncing off her. "Do you know that I am immune to any shadow magic?" She asked the high priest with a sinister smile. "This is impossible! You're kidding!" Orax panicked. Spur of the moment, Chizu hissed forward and grabbed the priest by the throat. He fidgeted desperately. He was looking for a way out, but there was no way out. "Have fun burning!" She said as her eyes lit up, after which the high priest's body was set on fire. Orax's screaming was like music to her ears.

"This is your song of despair," Chizu said, before she also threw Orax into the dark corridor, where he remained in place. Without hesitation, the half-demon cut the chains of Taiki, Tsuyoshi and Aimi. Taiki and Tsuyoshi looked with sadness at their comrades, who had already died. "Taiki....Tsuyoshi....", Aimi coughed up blood. " Aimi! Oh no! You must not die! Not you too!" Pleaded Taiki. "I'm going to die now, too. A healer cannot heal himself, but only others. I ask you to find my sister. Please find them! Promise me to free her!" requested Aimi to Taiki. "No... you're going to get her back yourself and then you'll reunion with your sister." Taiki said. "Chizu! Please help her! You can also use magic, right? Then quickly use the highest healing magic you can use!" Pushed Taiki, but Chizu shook her head in sadness: "Unfortunately, I used up a lot of my magical power in battle. I can use healing magic, but it wouldn't save her. It would just delay her death and make her suffer unnecessarily." "I understand! I am sorry! I don't know what this priest wanted from me! I forgot everything! Now I know again! I'm so sorry!" Howled Taiki. 

The pain in his chest did not stop. Tsuyoshi also howled many tears. "Don't worry. I don't blame you! Please save my sister," She requested Taiki. "What is her name and the name of the person holding her?" The young boy investigated "My sister's name is Akari. And the person's name is Akito Abarai. He is a nobleman who took my sister with him as a pledge so that my parents could later pay off their debts. Save them! I don't want her to suffer! I don't want them to be desecrated!" Told Aimi the young boy. "Don't worry! I'll get her back no matter what it costs," Taiki replied, to which the elf smiled one last time and looked at her friends before life left her. Taiki and Tsuyoshi were still crying. Their group was broken. Nevertheless, Taiki stood up. He wanted to keep going. He wanted to fulfill her last will. "I also have to find Rosalie, Gloin's wife, and give her my condolences. I will give her his axe," Taiki thought crying. "Let's get out of this place," 

Chizu suggested, when she could no longer look at them like that. "Float Body!" Shouted Chizu, after which the dead bodies floated in the air. Next, the three of them trotted melancholily out of the room. The dead bodies accompanied them, all the way outside. They wanted to bury the three dead honorably. But they don`t know that they were spied out the whole time. They were watched by a snake. He persecuted them. "This Orax destroyed almost everything! He should have killed Taiki and not torment him! This idiot almost ruined my mistress`s plan! He even locked me out with a spell so I couldn't have interfered! I should never have asked him for help!" Complained Hebior. "I guess I have to find another way to get rid of him! He must not become a complete spirit of revenge! He must not have the title of "The ruler of Wrath!" The snake thought to himself as he continued to pursue the group hiding in the dark.