Charter: Morsal Mines

– This creature is looking for something in the castle. It may have nothing to do with the Declaration of the Kingdom, but it has nothing to do with Valafar either. The Nightmare Claw has its own agenda and is not hypnotized by the spell. – The boys really didn't know much.

– Well... but now help me open the cage while you're gone. He told me how easy it is to get into the dwarven settlement without being caught by the creature who runs the place, can you repeat that? – Athena pulled out her needles and began to pick the lock to open the cage.

– Travellers, have you come to rescue me? – The dwarf had been imprisoned for so many days that when they came to free him, tears welled up in his eyes.

– Excuse me, Mst.Vesavius, are we the first to rescue you? – Francie asked, handing him her handkerchief to wipe away his tears.

– Thank you. No, I was rescued once by a boy about your height. – Versavius wiped away his tears and went to return the handkerchief.

– No need. Why didn't he save you? – Francie gestured with her hands to keep the handkerchief to herself.

– He did, but it was too late, the Nightmare Claw caught us and took us back to Valafar's castle. – As they talked, Athena finally opened the cage.

– Guys, is it just me or is he talking about Marky? – Athena said, tucking the hairpins back into her bonnet.

– There's a chance that Amanda and Marky aren't dead yet and are in Valafar's custody. – whispered Dolan.

– Is that why you rescued me, because I know the layout of the castle? – asked the dwarf.

– Not only that, but we must find the Declaration of the Realm and the hypnosis spell that Valafar has hidden in his castle. We need your skills as a cartographer and the key to the Stone Gate, which only you can open. – Whispered Dolan.

– How do you know so much? – wondered the dwarf.

– We were told by a Shaman who lives among a tribe of Dark Elfes.

– Al-Orah... an old fox who sent poor children to their deaths.

– Versavius, has anyone even tried to defeat this pirate? – Athena asked.

– In the early years of his reign, a neighboring state sent its armies here, but the barrier around this Kingdom burned their bodies and prevented them from passing.

– Now I understand why there are no armies from other Kingdoms, we're cut off from the rest of the world.

– If you defeat him, you will need to find a powerful sorcerer who can remove the barrier.

– Al-Orah can't? – Athena whispered.

– He will need the help of another sorcerer, perhaps even you, to go to Skandia and find the mayor of that village, her name is Valeria. Together they may be able to break the barrier, but Valafar must be overthrown first.

– How hard it is for us... – Dolan groaned.

– We didn't make this mess, now we have to clean it up.– Dolan had bags under his eyes and was sweating as they entered the mines.

– Dolan, are you all right? – Athena asked the boy.

– Yes, it's just that as soon as I entered the mines I felt hot for some reason.

– Maybe these mines aren't your habitat.

– Maybe...

– While we escape from the mines, I can make you a key and maps from this sand, but it will take time. – He took the miner's dust in his hands and his hands began to work magic.

– How do we even escape? – Athena asked.

– You have seen that there are only iron carriages in this mine, have you not? – Without taking their hands and eyes off the creation of important materials.

– Yes. – Whispered all three, except Athena, who was still in a trance at the time, until she found Versavia.

– You must find a wooden cart with iron wheels, it leads to the mountain tops to an empty stone road that will lead you to the stone gate, but we must be careful when we get out, there are frequent rock falls. – Whispered Versavius.

– Well then, let's go stealthily so we won't be spotted. – Stan flashed his sword and they ran after him.

– I saw that carriage in the room where Nightmare Claw was. – Said Francis.

– Well, well... what cunning children I have. – A red-haired girl emerged from the parallel passageway, whipping at the ready, examining the spot where Versavius had been locked.

– Remember the creature, it's right there! – Stan whispered angrily.

–Give me my thing and I will spare you. – she said, slapping the ground with her whip.

– Oh no, it's Nightmare Claw! Stan, take them all and run to the wagon, I'll try and hold them off! – Francie stood in defense of her friends, sickles ready to attack.

– But you...

– Stan, no! I've learned a lot from Lan! Trust me. – Stan looked at Francie's brave eyes, ready to fight, nodded his head in agreement and gathered Versavia, Athena and Dolan around him and ran to the wooden cart.

– Where are you going, I didn't have time to play with you! – Nightmare Claw, in girl form, tried to run after the boys, but Francie blocked the way with her.

– Wait, I like your hair, do you want to cut it? – Francie swung her sickles and ran straight at the girl.

– Oh, you like the way I look like that beautiful woman. I've been learning to transform into her for a long time, and I've never tried to fight like this before! – Nightmare Claw quickly swung his whip at Francie, making a loud crack against the iron, the girl blocking the blow by crossing her sickles.

– Oh, looks like you missed! – Francie reacted quickly, but Nightmare Claw jumped up and slammed his heel into Francie's face, scratching her cheek.

– You're wrong, I hit her! – A red haze appeared around her sickles, the girl swung her right arm and began to deliver quick slashing blows, but Nightmareclaw managed to dodge and knock one of the sickles out of Francie's hands with his whip, one of the sickles falling to the ground and she was left with the second in her left hand.

– Oh, that's not good! – The red haired girl licked her blood red lips, Francie was sweating and stepped away from the girl, preparing for another attack.

– I'd like to know who your "Father" is. – Francie asked as she stealthily approached the second sickle on the floor.

– Oh, so you heard everything, then I'll have to kill you! – The creature ran quickly towards Francie, waving its whip at the girl. She reacted quickly and began to parry the blows that were thrown at her, Francie was almost tired, the Nightmare Claw found the right moment and knocked her to the ground, throwing her just in front of the second sickle, in the form of a girl he crouched on top of her and came close to her ear and began to whisper: – I'll kill you first, then I'll take out all your organs, digest them in my stomach, and while they're digesting I'll mock your friends one by one, reincarnating them in their deepest nightmares, then I'll throw out your organs and make them eat your digested organs in my gastric juice. Do you understand me?

– I got it! – She quickly picked up the sickle lying beside her and plunged it into the monster's back.