Chapter 225: Castle of Glass

"...Do it again! I wasn't looking!" 

BAM!

Harvard would be hit directly on his head for wanting to see it again by Solomon, his head popping a vessel after watching such an experience. "ARE YOU ASKING FOR DEATH AT THIS RATE!?" He would yell, with Shady stretching out and investigating on the remnants. As the Shadow peered over, he would see the title of the book, as well as a more than comforting cover art: "The Tales of Mari the Moron, Volume 1." with a cover depicting his very creation, Malak, trying to skewer him through the chest, as well as an assortment of hands dragging the author away. The Shadow would be tempted to open its pages and see its contents, but after the first experience, he decides not to. Harvard would be brushing at his head as he returned the spell back to the Biblical Sorcerer.

"Owwwwwwwwwww...Meanie!" The Magician joked, much to Solomon's annoyance. Zazel and Stolas both investigated on the previous book, wondering what happened to it, now that they were out of the story, being shocked when they saw GWOG on the cover again, the same title as before, but now with a new art, one depicting of the Nuckelavee itself facing off against the Barbarian, implying it was an existing creature that wasn't going to be changed. Zazel would be opening the pages, if anything than to see what happened to them, skimming through its contents. He would give a smile when he sees their new friends, Pria and Fiona, being not only alive, but working together as well. Stolas peeked over and would find more details within it, such as the method of the Nuckelavee sustaining itself, the Queen being murdered, and the actual training they took to reach in such lengths, with the ending being changed to the Gallant Barbarian punching the immortal beast to the sky, away from the ground, allowing everyone to cast their magic and hurl it into space, unable to regenerate through its cold grip. The last page would be of GWOG, Pria, and Fiona being raised up high, acknowledged as hero's by the very people.

"Man....What a trip, huh?" Zazel asked, to which Stolas nodded as an answer.

"We came out of that like real men, alright! EXACTLY what I wanted to see! Events where death can come for us at ANY moment, yet we keep going despite that inevitability! DANG, DOES IT FEEL GOOD!" Stolas would shout, already moving away and acting out as GWOG when facing the beast, with the others catching wind. Harvard would join in, pretending to be the Nuckelavee, even extending his arms to be as long so he can 'fight' back, albeit with difficulty due to such length being made with muscles and not bone. Solomon rolled his eyes, but gave a small smile as he'd play along with them, pretending to be Pria and face Harvard in hand to hand. Zazel would try to join in, but remembered that there was one more person to watch over. He looked around the library to see if he was safe, and amidst the debris, his thoughts were proven correct. However, he didn't expect the man to actually de-age by a decade.

Vial was alive, and somehow shifted into a younger version of himself, his wrinkles long gone, his energy spiking once he came back, and strength remained the same. "Well I'll be damned! Yous youngins did it! And look a' me! I'm like a newborn! I got my old sparks kickin' again!" He'd cheer, dancing around and enjoying his new body, being around twenty or thirty in terms of age. He'd turn towards the Demon and the other kids, smiling proudly at them. "Thank yous. From the bottom of my dear, ol' heart, thank yous. I's makin' sure y'all got the back-up necessary, free 'o charge, even! Yous really are hero's in my sorry, ol' eyes.." A tear came down towards Vial, catching the attention of the group.

"Heroes you saaaaaaaaaay?" Harvard would ask, skirting through the worn planks, before Solomon held him back.

"Don't push your luck, Helsing."

"AW, C'MON! I, AT LEAST, EARNED IT!"

"We. earned it.....You knucklehead." Solomon would give Harvard a soft punch in his arm.

Stolas would stretch and make his way out. "Well c'mon! We gotta let Pop know what's going on here! He's gonna want to investigate the- GAH!" As soon as he opened its creaky doors and took a singular step outside, a stab was made on his foot, reactively pulling him away, trying to treat his tiny wound. He tried to see what caused it, only for him, and the others, to stare in fear, their joy vanishing before they even knew it.

Glass.

Shards upon shards of glass, protruding out from what was once a sandy landscape. The once cubical buildings were gone, the kingdom being nothing more than an architects dream. As the children stepped out, with Vial following behind, they could see what was once their home nothing more than absolute, clear, frail glass. They couldn't say a word to one another when seeing such a sight. They only just stared into the endless sea of mirrors, forced to take it all in. Sounds of wings flapping from above were being made, prompting them to look up, noticing a bird-like beast with a lion's body was swooping down, with a few officials being careful that their rides aren't getting hurt with the sharp debris. "Hey! What the hell are you kids doing here? Who are you?" One would ask.

The children couldn't speak up, taking in the wasteland before them. "These are Ennio's kids. M-My name is Le'Vial Marow. I'm the Shop owner of Sal-"

"Salvandi?? Oh...Oh I'm so sorry for you all then. I was wondering if there were any survivors left in these parts. Reports were going that a few kids went missing for a few days, so we had to be on the lookout."

Vial took a deep breath, attempting to ask a question. "Is this.....what I think it is?"

The officer simply nodded. "Yep. It is. It's Salvandi. Again, I am very sorry you all....for whatever loss you have taken."