Chapter 23: Where is he?

Back at the original world where Alistor and Micreal lived, Alistor's comrades were searching for Alistor's magic trails, by using the available machines back at his castle, Zerriss was in charge of the castle since the Alistor disappeared. Litoris was using an old spell of dark arts to track the Alistor's magic with Zerriss. They were in a deep dark forest where Litoris lived in peace, alone.

"I never been to your place Litoris, where is it?" Zerriss asked while he was walking with Litoris towards the deep dark forest.

"Litoris lives alone in the dark woods where she can use dark arts all day long, with no-one can interrupt, but Litoris was asked for help." Litoris said as she holds a blue torch on the road.

"So, let's talk about the past then to get rid of this awkwardness...." Zerriss said as he followed Litoris.

Litoris turned around to look at Zerriss and Nods then said "I suppose." and she turned around and continued to walk continued "This forest is protected by a barrier so that no one can find it, and that no one will be lost. For decades I thought I was the only one who can find this forest and how to get past the barrier, but then the king did it so easily with his butler, I was shocked at first, without using the dark arts you can't get past the barrier, but he did it so casually, he snapped his fingers and there, a hole in the barrier so that he could get in with his butler, as they ventured deeper in the forest where monsters and beasts lived, he was just smiling, without a flinch, so I followed them deeper into the forest. I know the paths because I lived here for my whole life, but then the king encountered a giant hog that was more vicious and terrifying, I, myself didn't want to get close to it but when I looked at them more closely with the hog, there were shadows everywhere, it almost got me, but for some reason, they stopped and targeted the hog and while the shadows held tight the hogs feet, the hog suddenly passed out then they left it there, and so I confronted them and asked them why they left the beast, so he said 'life is not a toy', that's when my first encounter with the king was. So I also thought that the king has a power that is hidden and he doesn't want it to be known, to be seen by others, because when he lets them see it, it would turn out into their nightmare."

"Sheesh, deep." Zerriss said as they walked for a few miles and he continued "So you think that the king has this power that he doesn't want us to find? why?"

"The king has his reasons, I'm sure he will tell us-the whole 7 generals, when he is ready. The first time I met him...he was calm...smiley, patient with people, usually demons like him are ferocious, scary, and hot-blooded, but he is the opposite, he thinks things through, he plans all the things what are about to happen, but not all." Litoris then stopped and they saw a wall, with a hidden lever which was a branch, Litoris then pulls it down and said "This way."

Zerriss and Litoris were going down with spiral stairs, deeper down in the cave, and then on the bottom, they went in a room and Zerriss saw an orb in the corner of the room and dolls which were hanging and books on the table, then in the middle he saw a giant cauldron. "You sure like voodoo stuff..."

Litoris then pours a blue and black liquid and stirred it together in the cauldron and she chanted some unknown words that no-one knows even Zerriss was shocked about it, then she stopped chanting and stopped stirring the cauldron and the cauldron slowly showing Alistor, their faces became happy as they saw their king. then suddenly the cauldron blew and smoke came out of it while the water in it dissipated, she puts her hand on under chin and looked down. "Strange...."

Zerriss then was startled by the little smoke, and he said "What was it?"

"Someone is blocking our tracking...." Litoris replied while she went closer to the cauldron and saw the cauldron empty. "Rather something is blocking out tracking...."

"That was odd?" Zerriss looked at her while he also went close to the cauldron.

"Something is trying to interrupt our magic, and I don't know what. Dark arts usually works like the others, it's very odd indeed." Litoris said while touches the bottom of the cauldron, it was dry and a bit hot. "It dried up completely..."

"At least we found our king safe and sound, but that doesn't mean we don't have to give up that easily. How can we see our king without any interruptions?" Zerriss said to Litoris.

As Litoris looked at him, she continued to have her hand under her chin and said "It needs a bit of preparation because it is a more advance tracker, I'll have to use the dark arts for this...."

[Standare Island, before they left, 1 week before the invasion begins]

"The second part of the plan is that we make the defenses stronger by magic and use bombs as a trap in the battlefield, we will ask Aurora (a.k.a the spirit elemental), though she can't interact with the dead just because she is a spirit elemental, actually she can summon wisps and stuff to fight alongside with us together with the soldiers." while Alistor was using a stick to point at the big map. "Now, the Blyze will summon some elemental spirits as well, like fire golem, rock golem, hydro golems, etc...think you can do it?"

"It seems a bit hard considering on how big the golem is and how much the capacity of my mana, but I will try." Blyze said as he points himself by his chest.

"Good, Then the third plan is to wait for me, under any circumstances, DO NOT ATTACK if I am not there." Alistor said while looking at them and he received a silent response. "It seems that you are a bit surprised."

"I mean...It's a good plan, but wait for you? What if the monsters and beasts attack us before you arrive?" Nao said while she looks at Alistor.

"That is a good question. I will tell you this, expect a party when I go back to the capital. Ok, That's all, see you guys in a few days." As Alistor then dismisses the group while the group had a confused face while walking up the stairs.

[Present, 3 Days before the Invasion]

"The numbers of monsters are getting higher by the day, where is Alistor?" Shire asked Micreal via Shadow bird.

"Not yet here, but he will be soon just watch them while we prepare the battlefield with traps." As Micreal was in the plain field and was covering some bombs underneath the ground. "I think it's time that the King will give the speech about the war."

"Everyone! I have an Announcement to make, Belphegor is coming back...." as The people of Zulu gossips and was shocked about it, the king continued "....But don't worry, I will build an army to defend our homeland, I cannot guarantee victory but as long as I defend the capital, it shall not fall down!" then the crowd cheers and claps as the king waves at them as a response.

As Micreal thought to himself while digging holes in the ground "Sir...where the heck are you?"

[Chapter 23 End]