Chapter 44 Friendly Faces
Chapter 44 Friendly Faces
Jade's vision blurred as she felt a bruise forming around her head accompanied by the sensation of blood trickling down between her eyes.
She watched as Erebos lifted Waddle, taking something from his chest as he muttered to himself, "This will serve as a good bargaining chip."
He then said while addressing Tyree, "If you want to get your friend back, get stronger and show me a good fight one day, Tyree."
With a chilling smirk, Erebos made his way to leave. His device continued to blink red rapidly, and his skin began to burn and peel away.
Meanwhile, Jade, torn between the worry about what lay ahead and the desire to bridge the gap to reunite with Ty, fell unconscious.
Yet, something inside her seemed to have stirred with excitement at the thought. 'He is still alive somewhere,' a thought beamed in her mind before she drifted off to sleep on the grass amidst the sound of the crumbling barrier.
_____
Meanwhile, somewhere else.
Ty was jolted awake because of a haunting cry for help that echoed in his mind.
Panic raced through his bones as he glanced down at his skeletal hands.
He cursed under his breath, wishing for a moment that all he had seen was nothing but a bad dream.
However, the harsh reality quickly snapped him back as he recalled the moments before blacking out.
"Let's see, the last place I was, I was in the throne room with everyone after the crash, and then I passed out," he mumbled to himself, trying to make sense of his blurry memories.
Glancing around the small room in which he now found himself, Ty noticed that it was filled with quaint trinkets that rested on numerous dusty shelves.
There were three other beds in the room as well, all neatly made and untouched, while a gentle water fountain was softly bubbling at the center of the room.
The faint splash of water droplets against the stone basin was oddly soothing amidst all the confusion.
"Odd," Ty thought to himself, as he felt an odd sense of unfamiliarity mixed with nostalgia. The room seemed vaguely familiar, yet he couldn't place it.
Shaking off the uneasiness, Ty decided to explore what lay beyond the room.
Pushing himself off the bed, Ty's bones slightly ached as he made his way towards the door, the cool air brushing against his bare bones sending a shiver down his spine.
As he grasped the door handle, the cold metal sent a jolt of determination through him as he stepped out into the unknown.
As Ty stepped out of the room, a rush of cool air brushed against his skeletal frame, sending a shiver through his bones.
After going past the door, Ty found himself in a sizable hallway with stone flooring stretched under his feet along with the towering walls on either side. The grandeur of the castle struck him anew, its vastness spreading out like a never-ending labyrinth.
A flurry of activity buzzed around him as various beings scurried past, each absorbed in various tasks, their faces fixed with a blend of determination and routine. The hum of conversations and the clattering of tools against stone created a rhythm of life amidst the cold stone walls.
Ty was astonished that no one even seemed to have batted an eye at a skeleton walking by. He shrugged it off, thinking that they must be likely seeing equally bizarre things during their adventures that had led them here or even worse.
So, what does a skeleton walking around is supposed to do to grab their attention? Ty clutched his bony shoulder, realizing that he had gotten taller, and his bone density also seemed to have increased again. "If I had to guess, I'd be at least 6"6 now."
Before strolling down the long hall, he glanced up, noticing a shimmering light that hung on the wall.
There, a metal placard caught his eye, which had the words "Ty, go right" engraved upon it with a poorly drawn smile.
Amidst the castle's stoic ambiance, it seemed oddly personal.
The message was clear, and considering that the hallway's end was just beyond the placard, that was the only path he could take.
Following the directive, Ty veered right, his footsteps echoing through the barren corridors and as he ventured deeper, he stumbled upon chambers of despair.
Behind the iron bars, numerous damned souls were being punished, their cries of agony continued to pierce through the silence.
The sight was a stark reminder of the castle's grim realities, and he quickened his pace, eager to move past this haunting scene.
The path then led him past a bustling training hall, where a few armed beings were honing their skills with deadly precision.
"CLINKKKK"
The clash of steel against steel resonated through the hall, showing a deadly dance in progress.
He gazed around and saw another placard, which was now directing him to go towards a giant doorway that seemed to lead to a realm of its own.
As he stepped through the door, a sudden burst of greenery engulfed him.
It was a sprawling expanse of forest-like enclosure, a stark contrast to the stone and iron he had seen so far.
The canopy above allowed the slivers of sunlight to sneak through, casting playful shadows on the forest floor.
His bones seemed to absorb the warm sun, prompting a fleeting sensation of warmth to course through him.
His eyes then fell upon a familiar figure amidst the forest– Todd, his friend from Planet Alexira. Currently, Todd was now engaged in combat with two bizarre creatures.
One had scales covering all of its body, while the other was a towering figure featuring multiple arms.
"SWOSSHHH"
Todd swung the giant mace in his hand with seasoned ease, while his sonic boom attacks seemed to have gained a lethal precision.
The battle was fierce, each of Todd's strikes was met with agile dodges and retaliatory strikes from the two creatures.
Ty observed the battle with bated breath as the fight continued to rage on. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om
However, Todd was relentless, the ground continued to tremble with every swing of his mace. Finally, with a deafening sonic boom, Todd sent the two creatures flying into the dense foliage, their bodies crashing against the trees before slumping down, defeated. Victory illuminated Todd's face, but the joy doubled as his eyes met Ty's.
The recognition was instant, and a wave of jubilation replaced the intense focus that had filled Todd's face a moment ago. With a hearty laugh, Todd sprinted towards Ty, his face lit up with the reunion that had seemed impossible to him just a while ago.