Journey into the Tower

The brave adventurers prepared a wagon and loaded their belongings onto it. Levi took the reins and David sat next to him. Hazel and Ash sat in the wagon. Levi told them it would take a month to get to the fallen towers from Azalea Village. They all accepted this and were willing to go with him. None of them knew what condition the fallen kingdom was in. Levi had an idea, but was not certain.

They left the village and rode off westward. The road was clear and the weather was fair. Soon the sun set and the moon rose high in the night sky. They camped out under the stars. When morning came the party continued their journey.

After riding for several weeks, the terrain began to change. The trees and shrubs grew smaller and more scarce. The air became colder and drier. There were fewer birds flying through the forest. A chill wind blew across the plains. It made the leaves rustle and stirred up dust that blew through the air. On a hillside, there was a ruined castle. The walls were crumbling. In the distance, the tower of the fallen city rose tall against the backdrop of the darkening sky.

The party continued on. After riding for another two days, they reached the edge of the forest. A path led west into the old territory of King Dominus Mortis. Levi tied his horse to a nearby tree and they helped him set up camp.

"Welcome to the 'New' Kingdom of Crow Tower." Levi said

"It looks deserted." David said

"That is because it is." Levi said

"And it is very dangerous." Hazel added

"Let's go look around." Levi said

"Are you sure?" David asked

"I am." Levi said

The party entered the town. Buildings were in shambles; they could see the fallen tower near the shore. The amazing part of the whole thing was that the original tower still stood even after all those years.

They encountered countless monsters and held their ground quite well. There weren't many other adventurers there with them but occasionally they would bump into another group. The encounters with these groups were usually short and mutually beneficial. Most of the time they were so busy fighting off enemies that they did not notice when the sun rose or set.

Eventually, the party approached the fallen tower. Its great size and height was impressive. The walls and battlements were intact and its majestic gate was wide open.

"This place seems oddly quiet." David remarked.

"Yeah." Levi said

Hazel grabbed Ash's arm as they walked behind Levi and David. David showed no signs of fear and neither did Levi. The two brave warriors eagerly rushed into the empty tower. Vines grew on the walls and floor. The holes in the walls of the tower barely give enough light to see. Levi and Hazel use fire Energy to light torches.

As they ventured higher into the tower they eventually reached the throne room. The room was filled with debris and broken furniture. A large figure sat on the gilded throne. It appeared to be sleeping. Its breathing was loud and heavy.

"Don't make a noise." Levi whispered.

They all slowly and quietly pulled out their weapons. The figure started to stir. It sat up and opened its eyes. The eyes glowed silver with a golden number engraved on the eyes shining in the darkness.

"Seven!" Ash shouted, "A Kami!"

The monster stood up and straightened its back. It towered over them. The beast's hair was leaf-like and he was brown like a tree. He wore a crown with seven spikes and a robe with a hood. His hands were covered by gloves and his feet were covered by boots.

"Who dares to enter MY throne room!?!" the beast yelled

"We are adventurers. I am Levi Bruin. Who are you?" Levi asked

"Bruin... Levi..." The thing muttered

"What is he saying?" David asked

"I don't know. What is your name Titan?" Levi asked again

"You don't recognize me Levi Bruin?" he asked

"No, I don't." Levi said

"My name is Sylvain son of Silvanus, the god of the wind." Sylvain said

"Is my name familiar to you?" Levi asked

"Yes, I remember it quite well. You must have been sad about your son's death. Wait, you aren't him... your eyes..." Sylvain stopped talking

"What is he saying? Is that not your name?" David asked

"It is. I promise. Someone probably has the same name or a similar name." Levi said

"Ok, then. What's our next step?" David asked

"I'll ask him questions, if he gets aggressive we will fight back." Levi said, "Why are there so many monsters now?"

"LIAR!" Sylvian yelled at the top of his lungs

Sylvian grabbed a giant green axe fit for a mighty warrior. He charged at the party and swung with immense force. With just one hand, there was so much power into the swing. If it made contact it would most likely cut them like butter. The party dashed out of the way of the mad beast. Levi and David pressed on and attacked the Titan. Ash and Hazel stayed out of their way. Hazel focused on using healing Energy. With swift movements, Sylvain attacked the two. His attack was relentless; he had great stamina and great strength. He fought with great ferocity and speed. He was a formidable opponent.

With quick thinking and skilled swordplay, Levi managed to parry the blows from Sylvain. David drew his dagger and stabbed Sylvain through the chest. Hazel shot fire energy at Sylvain's stomach, burning his flesh. The monster kept fighting. In fact, he was healing rapidly. The second they made contact with their weapons and cut him, he had already healed the wounds.

Levi shouted, "Get to a lower level! I can take him!"

The three followed his order and retreated down the tower. Sylvain let out a deafening screech and monsters rushed over to the tower. David and Ash fought back the monsters that came to the Titan's aid. Hazel focused on healing them. Levi and Sylvain were left alone in the throne room.

"You're right. My name is not Levi Bruin. That is my half brother, also known as Veritas. My real name is Lavernius Bear." Lavernius said

"I knew it. Your name is familiar, too." Sylvain said

Sylvain gripped his axe with both hands. His attacks became faster as well as his movements. Lavernius easily matched his speed and strength. With his two daggers, Lavernius cut up the Titan. He noticed that the regeneration became slower. The axe came down slower and with less force. Sylvain stepped back and leaned against the wall. Lavernius stood patiently for him to gather more strength.

"What's wrong, Sylvain? Can't beat a mortal?" Lavernius mocked

"Shut up! Trickster! Liar! You are no mortal. I see that orb around your neck. I'm not an idiot. You have blessings you wished upon yourself. You lie to those kids. They don't even know your past," Sylvian said, "Titan Slayer."

"I like the sound of that." Lavernius said

Sylvian let out a mighty roar and lifted his axe high. Lavernius brought his sword down. Their swords clashed and sparks flew everywhere. Each blow was met with the other. Lavernius gave Sylvian a good slash across the face, but it was only superficial. Lavernius didn't expect Sylvian to be so strong. He moved out of the way of the axe and kicked Sylvian's legs.

"AGH!" Sylvian screamed and fell to the ground

The mighty Titan quickly got up and charged at Lavernius. The Titan swung his massive axe and Lavernius blocked the blow. The two continued to circle each other. Even though the Titan was twice the size of the Titan Slayer, he could barely keep up.

Lavernius started to build up his Energy, focusing on increasing his speed and strength. Sylvian chanted words of power under his breath as he swung his axe. Both warriors kept building up speed and strength. They clashed once again. Lavernius and Sylvian both let out a scream. This time their weapons connected with more force. The Titan roared and swung his arms wildly. Lavernius dodged the blows and struck back.

Both warriors were equally matched, both had similar skills and training. Finally, they stopped moving and they stood still. It looked like they were ready to resume their battle. They both glared at each other, waiting for the other to make the first move.

"This is ridiculous." Sylvian said, catching his breath.

"You are surprisingly strong." Lavernius said

The Titan got in a defensive stance. Lavernius gathered strength and dashed at him.

Sylvian took a step back and raised his axe for defense. Lavernius slashed at him. Sylvian blocked the blow and countered with a powerful strike. This time, Lavernius' sword slid off the Titan's skin, leaving a red trail behind. The Titan's skin was tougher than expected. The Titan swung his arms and tried to knock the Titan Slayer away. Lavernius avoided the strikes and landed some hits himself.

Sylvian was regenerating but at an extremely slow pace. Lavernius used this time to continuously attack him. The tired Titan could barely keep up with the speed. Sylvian couldn't stop Lavernius' relentless onslaught. He felt weak and exhausted. Lavernius was doing a lot of damage. With one final swing, Sylvian's axe flew into the air. Lavernius dodged the swing and swiftly cut off the monster's right arm. Sylvian screamed in pain and stepped back. The giant axe fell hard on the floor. He covered his wound with his other hand and the bleeding stopped after a minute.

"I can't regenerate. I-I lost..." Sylvian fell to his knees.

"Tell me what has happened here." Lavernius said

"Long ago there was a man, this was around the time Carter Shard was conquering the kingdom known as Dusk. This man had unimaginable power. I forget his name, it has been so long. He helped build a portal to the world of gods. Raven Tower was built on top of it and covered it so that no monster or creature could pass through. There is a similar portal in the Dunes and it is broken. It opens randomly or maybe a sequence, I don't really know. The one under Raven is completely functional. Now that the tower was blown up, there is no stone covering it and monsters can crawl through freely." Sylvian said

"Thank you." Lavernius said

"You're wel-" Lavernius sliced off the beast's head before he could finish talking.