Aveyond: Rhen's Quest

Chapter 32: The Assault

After inserting the Dreamer's Tear into the guide post, they waited. A drizzle rain occurred and it lasted for seconds before a bridge, made out of rainbow, magically appeared. Without hesitation the party members walked across the bridge, one after another, and tried not to look down at the deep chasm.

Upon touching the statue with the soul, the druid started gaining consciousness as colors returned to his face. Rhen felt as if the time flowed slowly around her. Vata breathed in hard, gasping for fresh air once again, and looked at them, bewildered, "What happened?"

"A demon stole your soul. We must get you to the Sun Temple in Aveyond. There's little time left."

~~~

"NO!!!!" bellowed Ahriman upon hearing the status report from one of his minions. The whole room hummed and shook lightly like a tiny earthquake when he roared. In rage, he destroyed the minion with his magic. After letting himself cooling down for minutes he waved his hand and an image in front of him, his commander-in-arm bowed upon his summon.

"Sire," greeted the commander with full courtesy.

"We have work to do," without another word the commander nodded and excused himself. Ahriman smiled from ear to ear, the invasion has begun.

~~~

"Rhen! Oh thank god," Talia hugged her at the entrance. Devin rested his hand on her shoulders, "I know you can do it."

Rhen said nothing. Her friends walked around to admire the grandeur of the interior design of the temple. Dameon joined the other druids, who were standing in the form of a circle in the middle.

"I must go now. Thank you for saving my life," Vata handed Rhen a tiny bag pouch. "This is the fairy dust that I've received by the fairies the day when they set up a settlement around my temple. Perhaps you can make good use of it.

"Fairy dust always reveals the truth, so use it wisely," he walked away and proceeded to his position.

"Let the ritual begins!" said the Oracle. Rhen and the others watched as the eight druids - including Talia and Dameon - chanted in unison.

"Let the angel of music fills your soul,"

"Let the bright light shine in deep darkness,"

"Plant the seed of strength and wisdom within,"

"Waste no more time and get your dream high,"

"It is time," said the Oracle. "Reveal the door!"

No sooner the Oracle said that than the whole temple shook gently. A wooden door appeared at the foot of the statue of Aia the Goddess, which was located at the back of the temple.

"The ritual is finished. Sun priest, open the door," Dameon turned the doorknob, and it creaked open. Rhen stepped into the room when she heard Dameon talked to her, "Your answer lie within this room Rhen. Can you imagine it? No one has been in this room for centuries. A millenia at least!"

The room expanded and she thought she was strolling at an enchanted garden.

It was wide and sloping gently down to a cosmic-blue river. A copse of cypress pines flanked on one side, with a thicket of peaceful beeches standing guard on the other. Trees ran through the center of the room, casting a lake of claw shadows on the grass.

Rhen walked along the path paved for her. Bunnies started bouncing with her like frogs with for. The birds perching on the tree branches, singing their melodious tones with no selfishness. In the middle stood a stone pedestal with a person sitting on it. She was feeding the bunnies when Rhen walked onto her.

"You have come. I've been expecting you," said the stranger. She had the most angelic voice that Rhen had ever heard. The stranger revealed a delicate black box and opened the lid.

"Fulfill your destiny, The Chosen One."

~~~

Rhen walked out of the room, the door disappeared as soon as it closed itself. Fifteen pairs of eyes were looking at her as if she was about to give a speech.

"Where is Ahriman?" asked Rhen to no one in particular. She laid her eyes to her comrades, then the druids, and looked at the Oracle.

"I...don't know..." said the Oracle blankly.

"Perhaps I know the answer to that question," piped Eithera.

"Speak, druid. What do you know?"

"Few know what Stronghold Temple guards," he adjusted his glasses, "I, the druid of Stronghold Temple, guards the portal to the demon realm. Although the portal was sealed centuries ago, I think the demons must have come through it. I suspect you'll find Ahriman there."

The Oracle nodded, "Children, go to Stronghold Temple."

"And take this," the druid handed a key over to Rhen. "Use this to open the door in the basement of the temple."

"Good luck and may the goddess be with you," the Oracle gathered seven of them. "Take this as my parting gift: Healing Extora! Grande Blessing! Totalem Transitione!"

They were being teleported to the entrance of the Stronghold Temple. Running up the stairs heading to the main hall. took the stairs behind the temple and stopped in front of a strange-looking door. Fishing the key out of the pocket, Rhen inserted the key into the keyhole, which it then turned itself and disappeared shortly after the door creaked open. Putrid smell irritated their nostrils.

"Ready?" she turned to her comrades, who got a firm grip onto their weapons. She smiled, "Let's go."

~~~

"I can't accept this! The greatest war in the history is happening, yet why are we stuck in a place like this?!" complained one of the demon scout. "At this rate, I won't even kill a single enemy."

"Stop whining," snapped its companion. The two of them were assigned to patrol the outskirt. "The commander told us to protect this place."

"From what? The enemy wouldn't come here," no sooner had it finished talking when they heard the sound of footsteps ringing somewhere.

"What is it?" hissed one of them.

"What's that?" his partner gave him a questioning look. They could hear voices coming from the other side.

"I'm sure there's a big fight coming on," said a man's voice. "But I can't accept that why are we going through this filthy passageway?"

"Lars! Would you stop whining?" came out a girl's voice. "Haven't you heard of ambush?"

The conversation died afterwards and they were face-to-face with a group of people, human, to be exact. each wearing their own unique armors. The human noticed them and stopped walking. A green-haired fella who talked earlier beamed a smile and waved at them, "Yo!"

The guards stood still, chilly spines formed at the back of the neck.

"In-in-int-intru-" before the guards could finish their word the green-haired fella waved his hand again.

"And...goodbye!" magic pentagrams appeared above the guards. "Imploxi Bomb!"

"Gahh!!!" huge chunk of rocks showered down, crushing them into nothing but piles of ashes.

"Stick to the plan," said Rhen.

"Let's get the party started!"