HROT 3: End of All Things

Chapter 3: Yet So Far

Shannon felt heat blast her face as she emerged from the dimensional tear. She was shocked at what she saw. Serh had said they were traveling to HROT, but this could not be HROT. This was a desolate place saturated with red fog and the smell of death and fire. "This is no haven," Serh remarked. "This is a deathbed."

"This is not the HROT I remember," Shannon said in shock, gawking at the red sky and the sound of laser blasts somewhere above the sickly cloud layer.

Ascensdion pointed at something behind them. Shannon and Serh turned around. Shannon's heart quivered in shock as she gazed at the structure ahead. It was Pore's Castle. Most of the structure had collapsed, but she could never mistake it after everything that had happened within it and the field around it. She hadn't seen it since Scott had died. The very sight of it brought back so many horrific memories.

"What purpose could that place have served?" Serh pondered.

"It was an abattoir of betrayal and death," Shannon muttered, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"Let's give it a look," Serh determined.

"No!" Shannon exclaimed suddenly. As Serh and Ascensdion stared at her in confusion, she regained her composure and said, "Please. I haven't been here since the worst day of my life. This was the last place I saw my dearest friends, my sister, and the love of my life. Don't make me go back there."

Ascensdion cocked his head. Serh grimaced and said, "The Architect may be in there, or perhaps clues as to where to find it. A landmark as prominent as that castle is too full of possibilities to pass up."

"You go ahead," Shannon pleaded. "I will not set foot in that place again."

Serh scowled and got in Shannon's face. He pressed his long nose against her cheek and growled, "An Architect Hunter fears nothing, not even her own demons. This place brought you great pain, but it made you the warrior you are today." He jabbed his bony finger toward the dilapidated structure. "To the castle."

As Shannon stared at the castle, she felt her heartbeat quicken. The very thought of going to that nightmarish place again nearly made her faint. "I'm sorry," she said. "I can't do it. I won't be able to stand it."

"You will go, now!" Serh commanded.

"You go!" Shannon shouted as she backed away from the sorcerer. "Both of you, go!"

Serh was about to move toward Shannon, but Ascensdion laid a hand on his shoulder and held him back. The mute pyromancer gestured toward the castle. Serh snarled and turned back to Shannon. "Fine. We'll go without you. But I will not forget this." With that, he and Ascensdion trotted down the hill toward the ruins.

When they were nearing the front gate, they were awestruck. Rotting bodies lay all over the ground, including one of a horse. They had not seen such a vast sea of muscle and bones in a long time. "Bloody hell," Serh remarked. "Something truly grim must have happened here. I'm beginning to see why she didn't want to come back, if she had been a part of it."

Ascensdion silently trotted on.

Serh happened upon a katana half-driven into the dirt. He looked at it thoughtfully. "That is a fine blade indeed. I wonder who it belonged to." With that, he grasped the handle around his bony hand and yanked the blade free of the soil which had sheathed it so long. He fondled the blade contentedly and secured it to his sash. "That may come in handy, should my sorcery ever fail me."

Serh and Ascensdion saw there was a hole in the wall not far from the gate. They stepped inside and took in their surroundings. "Let's split up," Serh said to Ascensdion. "We'll have a greater chance at finding the Architect if we cover more ground." Ascensdion replied with a silent nod and began making his way down the dark hall to his right.