Before night has fallen, the King and his right hand man both reached to the plains. The setting sun coupling well with the colors of the fields and the house, seeing the damages remained after the few days that passed, the corpse of the Chupacabra rotting away from its side. The King would be quick on drilling a hole so as to provide the monster with a burial, with the Hat Man giving his condolences to the beast, before the two approached the house altogether. "So, Recall to me your events in this place. What exactly happened here?" Malak would ask.
"Pretty simple, actually..." Publiq would state, entering in the house, feeling its ruined atmosphere from his skin, slowly scanning the area with his hands to get a better grasp of his surroundings. "...I planted the illusion around the ceiling, where I expected they would try and search through. The illusion itself takes the house's layout in order to make it authentic, before warping it beyond description. I'd then wait around in the flora for them to arrive, which during that time, I got a better grasp towards their Mage. After she entered in the house, most likely being caught by my trick, I'd simply used my Chupa's to-"
"Ok, Ok, That's enough. I don't need a whole retelling." Malak would state, looking around the area, trying to find a spot where it could naturally lead them to the cellar. "And you said you investigated this area previously for the illusion to have a more authentic look, yes?" He would ask, to which Publiq would nod as an answer. "Alright. That means this house should just as likely have some secrets to uncover." It would be a few hours for the King to explore every nook and cranny in the establishment, before finding an entrance: A secret compartment within the staircase, allowing them to descend. As they did, it would grow colder and colder, the light dimming away as they step closer and closer to its abyss. The King was wise in utilizing the broken wood nearby and casting his Spiral Magic to its edges in order to cast a spark, making it create a fire to light their way. As they traveled through its empty chasms, they would slowly but surely be met with the temple itself, staring down at its ancient structure. Malak would brush his hand against the stone, feeling the markings on his fingertips, dust being collected on his fingers. As he entered its chambers, he'd have his torch be reached out, seeing the markings and re-telling the story that was once here:
The Tale of a Man who was just as lost, just as imprisoned, as everyone else. An ordinary man with delusions of grandeur regarding an "escape." So much so, he spent most of his life finding a person with a source of magic capable of escaping reality. The Man traveled through every kingdom, in every hidden archive, from libraries to graveyards to even castles where only royalty can cast such a magic. A Magic that would break free from their prison they call life. A Chance to properly leave what they thought was a false home. The Man inevitably meets something, a Visage. A Creature beyond human comprehension, and instantly reacted by firing something at it, the creature taking a shape of a circle with an eye in its center. There would be suns and moons circling around the creature, as well as being given a name: Carcosa. The Man would escape through Carcosa's wounds, which would made him be crowned as a King in another realm. A King doused in the blood of the monster he's slain. The man believed he has won, that he is finally free. Despite such blood coating him head to toe..
He felt alive.
"So that's what happened...." Malak would mutter, before hearing the Hat Man shambling away towards the center: An Altar that is just big enough to plant his entire body, his blind eyes wide open, ready to be given such a gift. The King would sigh as he'd began to approach him, utilizing the temple itself as its catalyst, channeling his energy and scattering it across the area. "Ok. From the little I know, Magic is through energy. Energy....plus an object....equals the style. So if I just copy the markings and glyphs in here, and insert it through my Spiral...." He'd state, making himself a living test subject to its nature, feeling the contents of the Temple slowly begin to imprint onto his magic.
"If I must ask, my Liege....how exactly did you know this?" The Hat man asked, waiting patiently for the procedure.
"Studied it from the Brat with the cards. He was pumping energy into it in order to cast a specific spell in such trinkets, so I'm trying to see if I can do the same with the runes in this area. It's a bit shoddy, but it's more than serviceable. Now hold still..." The King would ask, before casting it directly on his eyes.
BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!! SHIKK!!
They were like drills; precise enough to attack at a specific area with little to no issues on damaging anything else, yet its impact makes up to serve such agonizing pain. The Hat Man screamed like mad when the process was caused, feeling his optic nerves being pierced and sliced into ribbons before being repaired once again. The Energy coursed across his head, with Malak being careful not to completely damage the entire body. The ancient tomes quickly spread across his complex, his skin being imbued with its teachings, his tongue now sporting a symbol of an eye, and his clothes, from his suit to his hat to his gloves, was given a golden lining instead of the standard black stitching and white crop circles. When the process ended, the King would back himself away, allowing the energy to cool itself, pants and grunts coming from the Hat Man as he'd struggle to open his eyes. Slowly, but surely, he was doing it. As he did, his iris showcased a new pattern altogether, having a design similar to the sun itself. He was looking around, darting his new vision to the temple, with Malak seeing such progress. "Just as I expected. Shoddy, but Serviceable. How many fingers am I holding up?" He would ask, raising an open hand.
"Five, My Lord." The Hat Man would answer.
"Perfect. Your vision is already better compared to your previous state. I apologize for giving you such harsh treatment through it."
"Oh, no, no, no, Do not mind me. It is merely a flesh wound when comparing its price to its benefits..." The Hat Man would have his vision quickly adjusted, with Malak noticing such an iris turning to act as a scope, allowing him to see the finer details of the area. "Truly, I am in your debt for this. These new eyes.....they're special. I can feel it."
"Really now? So you should know what to do with this 'Debt', yes?"
"But of Course, my Liege...While I do wish they'd stay longer so I can discover more about their personalities and traits.....I know when they must be put down. It's disheartening for me, but this is one of those moments. I'll make sure to see to that result."