Chapter 37 Lord Of The Castle
Perhaps because he could see it from afar—before when they were led to the battlefield, he couldn't get a good glimpse of the kingdom of Red Mine because it sprawled right behind him.
It was a magnificent sight, yet crude in a disturbing way; the kingdom of Red Mine was like a scar upon the earth, its towering red mountains stretching endlessly into the horizon under the perpetual shroud of the grey, starless sky.
The land itself bore the hue of dried blood, as if a rain of blood had endlessly plagued the land at some point in the past.
Situated at the edge of this foreboding domain loomed a grim fortress. It was the first point of entry before heading towards the Red Mine, which was weird—considering that most kingdom castles were always centered in the middle of the kingdom.
But the castle of Red Mine sat at the edge of the kingdom.
Its weathered stone walls rose defiantly from the rugged terrain, bearing the scars of centuries past.
Deep cracks marred the surface, testifying to the relentless passage of time, while the once-grand towers now stood as crumbling sentinels, their spires reaching towards the oppressive sky.
Rust consumed the metal doors that guarded its entrance, their once-shining surfaces now tarnished and corroded.
Northern's eyes glided up as the monster stopped in front of the large, rusting gate.
Even in its dilapidated state, the massive worn-out metal remained a grim barrier against intrusion, a warning to any who would dare to challenge the kingdom's dominion.
Northern gulped as the door let out a creaking growl while it slowly slid open.
Inside the castle, as expected, several cacophonies of monsters stood vigilant, their forms a grotesque amalgamation of nightmare and reality.
Some possessed bipedal legs like Night Terror; their movements eerily reminiscent of predatory beasts stalking their prey.
Others took on a more humanoid guise, their twisted features warped by dark influence. Four eyes gleamed with feral intelligence, while ears twitched with heightened senses as Northern and the Night Terror walked slowly into the castle.
Northern carefully observed, his heart pounding so loudly that he worried they would hear. Every step felt like he was walking down the path of destruction, creatures of vile brutality keenly staring at him from both sides.
For reasons unknown, none of them dared to stop Night Terror or get in his way.
They entered the main chamber, walked down the dark aisle that led to the inner chamber—the throne room.
Entering through the towering doors, heavy with age and adorned with intricate but faded carvings depicting scenes of conquest and domination, Northern and the Night Terror were met with a chilling tableau of opulent decay.
The room itself was cavernous, with high ceilings that seemed to vanish into the shadows above.
Tattered banners hung limply from the rafters, their once-proud symbols now faded and frayed with time.
The walls were lined with cracked tapestries, their vibrant colors muted by years of neglect, depicting scenes of battle and conquest that now seemed like distant memories.
Looking around, Northern couldn't help but be intimidated by a sense of dark supremacy, but that was nothing compared to the way his heart seemed to seize the moment he turned his head to the shadows that shrouded the distant end of the room.
Something was there… but he could not see it.
Suddenly, the prideful, powerful, and dangerous monster that Northern had thought reigned supreme over the kingdom of Red Mine slammed both knees to the ground and bowed completely facing the end of the room.
A powerful pressure fell over him, intangibly shrouding him like an impregnable dark veil.
At the far end of the room, atop a dais of crumbling stone, sat the throne of Red Mine. Carved from dark, ancient wood and adorned with twisted symbols of power, the throne loomed like a sinister specter against the backdrop of the chamber.
Behind it, a tattered banner hung, bearing the sigil of the kingdom—a blood-red emblem that seemed to pulse with malevolent energy.
Seated upon the throne was the ruler of Red Mine, a figure cloaked in shadow and draped in tattered robes of darkest black.
Its features were obscured by the darkness, leaving only the malevolent red gleam of its eyes that seemed to burn with an otherworldly light.
Immediately, Northern tried to meet its gaze, but he cowered back, shrinking with chills as he felt the weight of those eyes upon him, a silent judgment that left him trembling in fear.
The Night Terror stood up and walked closer to the throne, stopping in front of the crumbled stairs. It flung the head of the Friggian Walker and pointed back to the human bowing at the center of the room.
Northern tried to steal a glance to understand what was happening, but his fear was too magnanimous to give leeway.
He silently stayed, head bowed, kissing the ground and trying not to sniff at the pungent scent, like the tang of iron mingled with the musty aroma of ancient stone, underlined by a faint earthy smell.
A couple of minutes later, the Night Terror reached in front of the human. With those vicious talons, it lifted Northern up by his hair, surprisingly gently.
Northern stood up, and the terrific monster took several steps back and lowered its head respectfully.
At first, Northern thought the Night Terror was bowing to him. He was quickly consumed by so much disgust that he wanted to puke, but he didn't get to conceive any thoughts before his notion was corrected.
The encroaching darkness at the end of the room slowly seemed to draw nearer, pulling with it an immense cloud of horror that crept on the floor eerily.
Northern gulped and was about to take a step back but was frozen in place. He quickly lowered his head before the being, fear cutting across his heart like a blade sharpened over a hundred years.
Still in front of him, Northern couldn't get a full grasp of what this creature was.
"It's powerful… very powerful!"
Drops of sweat formed over his lowered face. He really tried to figure it out, what this abomination that was standing in front of him was, but his neck was stiff, he couldn't raise his head.
Everything was just so heavy on him.
Then the creature stretched forth something to him. For the first time, Northern felt slight ease as he moved his head—
although it was not enough to look up into the eyes of the creature.
However, he could clearly see the blade that was being pointed at him.
It was a long sword; its blade was pitch black, looking like it had been smelted from an onyx stone, but upon a deeper look at it, Northern could see red lines running across the black steel like veins.
He didn't need to think too far; an idea of the origin of those lines occurred to him immediately he saw them.
"The red crystal."
It was possible that the sword was forged using the red crystal as a raw ingredient.
Those were the notable things about the sword; others were quite mundane. Its pommel was not too long, and the crossguard was just a slight arc upward, then slight carvings were engraved on both the pommel and hilt.
It was a long steel blade that looked very amazing… and yet this creature was offering it to him?
"Why?" Northern wondered.