Chapter 18: The Obrilon

Kurgren then gets a good look at the man, whom he guess is Solomon.

He was old, at least in his fifties by his greying hair, standing at five foot ten.

He has grey eyes with black hair and a short-trimmed beard and moustache.

On his body is a black cloak over a light-blue gambeson. With a rapier and dagger on his belt.

He then looks to the Orc, most likely Ekon as it's an orcish name, who stands on Solomon's right.

He stands about seven and a half feet with blue eyes, a rare color, and an auburn mohawk.

He wore a chainmail shirt with a baldric holding a bow and a strange gun, about the length of a carbine with what looks like a detachable bronze barrel with a plated stock and an axe head attached to the front of the body, with at least five of the same barrels on his back.

Soloman then walks up to Kurgren and shakes his hand.

"Again. Thank you so much," he says.

Kurgren then shakes back before folding his arms.

"What's so important about a black orb that we get free meals and lodging?"

Soloman then sighs, stroking his beard

"Then I guess you don't know what an Obrilon is?"

All but Ardent nodded. He then speaks up.

"From what I read back in my academy. The Obrilon is an object created by Ragnarok that is linked to the three moons. Is that right?"

Solomon then smiles.

"That is correct," and grabbed a large tome, partially torn and burnt, from the table and opens it to them, showing a sketch of the orb.

"From what I seen from ancient texts, only about half of it as the rest of it were burned under the order of lord Brundol, the Obrilon is a demonic artifact that was key to Nihalos conquest. But had disappeared during his last battle with Reina, the shieldmaiden. Which Brundol then announced to all of Arkalion to find for a handsome reward, utilizing the fact that most of the people had forgotten what it is and brainwashing those who knew, where it was founded by my caravan surface teams"

He then blinks, eye's misting with tears. "All of them were my friends and allies of the resistance. Their leader, a mage by the name of Anya, had had found it and made the journey back. Then two weeks ago we lost contact. I quickly order my mages to find her familiar last places where a small team went upon, the last known location at the road from Ostra, where they found nothing but a hidden trail where they found her corpse, twenty meters north of Alduin, buried in a shallow grave, marked with the sickle of Kindred as a sign of respect, without the orb, where we learned the silver hand, a secret order under Brundol, attacked."

He then wipes his eyes. "Over the week we dreaded. Trying our best to infiltrate the castle to no avail and thinking that he managed to take it and using it to open a hellgate. Until, of course, you showed up."

Kurgren nods before Erhardt replies.

"Why do you think that lord Brundol is working with hell? I know that he rarely speaks with the public or show his face much but that's a serious accusation, without evidence, they could have you executed?"

Solomon then briefly close his eyes "You're right my friend. But I had seen proof. During a patrol of the city I saw a cult praying to the dark gods and doing rituals to summon demons, including most of the guards. And when I was spotted, they first tried to bribe me with gold and attacked when I refused and barely escape, thanks to the use of the sewers which saved me. But when I told the others and showed them evidence. The lower ranks one's who believed me were swiftly found dead, gone or called me a fool upon investigation. While the higher up bribed me with a bag of gold to join or keep silent. Or else die, all this done with the lord turning a blind eye or covering it up. But even then the city is monstrous with him."

He then stares at them. "Do you know why the third and fourth level are forbidden to all but the richest?"

Kurgren and the group then shakes their head.

"That's because they practice slavery."

"WHAT!" Erhardt bellows. "That's impossible! By the law of the concordat all manners of slavery are banned under penalties of rhyheit'woltod'lort. It would be impossible for the city to do it without the Volksgard army, even if it is isolated, besieging the city and locking the lord and all slavers into a coffin sized cell, force fed and beaten to an inch from death, for life!"

Solomon sighs.

"That's the sad and most perplexing thing my friend. The lord has manage to hide it, from what my sources say, all merchant and so who are given entrance must make a oathsworn spell not to speak of it, lest their heart stops, and have ways to smuggle them out. The only way I think he could get away with this is by using the magics of hell."

Kurgren then quickly change the subject.

"So why is this relevant?"

Soloman then flips the pages and shows them a page written in gallius, the language of the Angels.

"You see. Even though the armies of hell are held back by Salem it doesn't mean they can't use the orb. And I have a feeling that Nihalos brokens are still alive, for an apostle can bless those with lives as long as theirs which can even work posthumously, with Brundol working under them."

"And from what we translated the words reads a prophecy."

"On the long winters, where they align, the lights of Kalran shall be taken. In those who serve Ragnarok shall destroy and reshape it."

He then turns to the next page, where the group see that five pages are ripped out or burnt.

"Alas. We only recovered this book as it was being burned so most of the pages are lost, including on what the Obrilon actually does, but what it does say is that it can be opened by a simple spell."

He then puts the orb on a stand where Delilah then cast a spell.

Slowly the orb the shifts and turns, like the gears of a clock, and moving away layer by layer, each time showing a swirling pattern of white and black light, getting brighter.

It then reach the last layer, where the light now shines like a torch, and finally opens.

And a loud screech, like those of a bat, echoes and knocks them down.

Kurgren screamed as his mind gets assaulted by strange visions.

He began seeing people, from Humans to Vardskuls, in the south doing strange ritual which summons Demons, horrid constructs built to destroy, followed by all of them drinking black and white blood from the basin where a Devil corpse hang above, bleeding into it. Falling down and writhing in agony as their blood turned black and white as they transform.

Some of them lacked the mental fortitude and goes insane as their body begins to twist and turn, becoming feral daemons, from Elf wendigos to Dwarf caberlest.

Other had the fortitude and resist the Devils corruption, forcing the dark thoughts and power of the devils to follow their will and becoming stronger, their bodies changing to a more grotesque form. Drow limbs and body elongating to sticks, shards of stone ripping out of Duergar skins, the skin of Uraks stretching and ripping as their muscle enlarge, and Tiefling skin drying till it split open like cracks on dry land, as they began laughing.

The last thing he saw before being pulled to another vision was an Urak getting armed and armored into a juggernaut.

The next vision he see is the planet burning, all around corpses of the ten, men, women, and children, as the remaining races and Angels futilely fighting against the red tides of hell, with Byzalems walls broken.

It then zooms out to show Kalran and its four continents burning as the planets breaks and crumbles. But then rebuilt as a new world emerges.

Then all went black before a booming voice of dread echoes through his mind.

"FREEDOM AT LAST! SLAUGHTER THE CHILDRENS OF ELSANO! DESTROY THE HEAVENS AND ITS ANGELS! AND WE SHALL CREATE A NEW WORLD."

Then Kurgren vision returns as he wakes up and gasp, as if he had taken his first breath after being trapped underwater.

He then finds himself on the ground, uncontrollably shaking in terror, and looks around to see everyone else but Delilah and Louise on the ground similarly shaking, muttering gibberish.

He then grabs his staff and tries to stand up, his quaking legs felt like jelly, before asking.

"What. The hell. Was that!"

Solomon then gets up, using the table to support himself, and recovers.

"From what I guessed. either we just caught a glimpse of a future. Or the mind of Ragnarok themself."

When all of them finally recovers they learned that Delilah and Louise were affected less because they were protected by their arcane connection. And quickly resealed the orb.

It was then when they hear a whimper and an object hitting the ground and looks to it.

It was the thieving trio, Sofia and Piper having bloodshot eye's while lying on the ground in tears, while Zarad was barely standing, his legs shaking and his face looking like he's about to vomit at any second.

Soloman then looks to horror before he and his group quickly run to the trio.

Meanwhile. High up in Leona castle.

A guard quickly runs into lord Brundol chambers.

"Milord!" He cried urgently.

"Did you feel that tremor?"

Brundol then looks to the shocked guard.

"Yes. I did," he says.

"Muster the army and send them down the sewers by a minimum of two weeks!" He orders.

And with an affirmative the guard leave in a haste.

It was then Brundol smiles in glee. He had felt the presence of the Obrilon and, with it coming from the sewers, can potentially find the rebels.