Chapter 10 The Gatekeeper

It was daybreak when Morgone awoke, he got out of his sleeping bag and walked over to the horse to get his breakfast and then he saw a small stream. Reaching into the stream to wash up he saw his face and jumped back. Morgone's eyes were slanted and dark red. He saw that his whole body had changed overnight. His body had doubled in size, his muscle-mass had doubled. He could not believe the size of his arms. Morgone ran his fingers through his hair and his hair had grown longer. Due to that, he wore clothing that was cast with a spell to adjust to any size, the sudden incense in his body was no problem for his clothing. Morgone looked at his ears and saw that they were long and pointed. " Since I have been in Morphazar then any time I have previously, so I must be absorbing dark magic." Morgone paused and said, " Yes that is it the massive amounts of Dark energy in the air has been absorbed into my body changing me." Also, part of the reason was that Morgone was wearing the first Ring of Darkness, the Ring of the Shadow Hydra, on the pinky finger of his right hand. his ring increased his power to absorb dark energy. The massive amount of dark energy that I am absorbing must have changed my body." Morgone thought as Mairea come over to get some water. Once she saw Morgones new body Mairea screamed " What in the Over-World happened to you!?" she pointed one of her claw-like talons at his body. Morgone knew that if he told her the truth, she would not want to take him to The Spire, so he lied to her, " I don't know, I woke up like this." Morgone replied as he got her some water from a cup that he was holding in his hand. Mairea looked at him and paused before taking the cup and then said: " I wonder how that happened." She then took the cup and walked to her stuff she was thinking to herself "How stupid does he think I am? I know that he is lying to me about something I just don't know what yet." So Mairea decides that she would keep her mouth shut. She turned around and said to Morgone " We need to prepare for the Gatekeeper." They wrapped up their sleeping bags and Mairea then set up six Dark Rose candles in a circle.She sat down in the middle of the circle of Dark Rose candles and lit them one at a time. When the last candle was lit Mairea unrolled an ancient scroll that she held up and chanted in dragon speech" Comorein Gateoremor Deathith riseisith!" Mairea chanted the spell five times. After the fifth time, Mairea then tossed the scroll into the candle facing the Gateway Mairea bowed frequently after she had tossed the scroll into the candle. Several wisps of green smoke came up from the ground and began to take the form of a tall skinny figure wearing a long dark brown trench coat, slowly rose from the earth. Morgone looked the figure over and saw that his trench coat was torn in many places revealing his skin with was pale and bony. The figure lifted his head and Morgone gasped as he saw his head. It was a skull engulfed in dark green flames. The figure carried a long black blade on his back.The ghostly figure spoke in a cold tone that sent chills down Morgones spine. "Who are the fools who dare to summon me from my dreamless sleep?" Mairea bowed and said "I am the one who has summoned you great and powerful Gatekeeper! We seek passage through your Valley so that this man many reach the Spire." The Gatekeeper looked at Morgone and Mairea with a ghostly stare and said in a chilling tone "Tell me what are your names?" The Gatekeeper asked them as he took out a journal with many different names in it written in blood. Morgone said, " My name is Morgone, the rightful king of Castle Raz." Mairea then told the Gatekeeper her name " My name is Mairea Demonstar, Princess of the Demon Dragon throne and the daughter of the late Dark Dragon King, Azah'gar Demonstar." When she finished the Gatekeeper was trembling in fear and lost his grip on his journal and dropped it to the ground. Morgone stared at her in disbelief. " My apologies princess, please come in." The Gatekeeper said as they entered the Valley of the Dead. As Morgone and Mairea walked through the Valley of the Dead Morgone got up the courage to ask Mairea " So how's your father?" Mairea looked at Morgone and said coldly " I may be related to him, but I am in no way like my father." Morgone replied " enlighten me." interested to hear what she had to say.Mairea replied " My father is the source of all evil in the universe, and the brother of the Dragon Emperor. I am better than my father because I use my powers to better mankind does not use them for an evil purpose."Morgone nodded " that is a noble purpose, but why would the princes to the Dragon Kings throne want to use her powers for good?"Mairea replied coldly " what does it matter to you?"Morgone could sense her anger and frustration emitting from her body so he left the subject They stopped when they reached a large Azral Ghost stone gate that had many huge skulls craved in it Mairea said to Morgone "We have reached the Valley of the Dead