In the narrow cave lit by glowing green fungi, Maitara and Azalith stood frozen in a tense standoff – her hands still crackling with faint purple magic, his bony form wreathed in the cold green haze of death energy. The air was thick with silence until Azalith finally spoke, his raspy voice echoing off the damp stone walls.
"Before I end your life, young one… what is your purpose here?"
Maitara held her ground, though confusion flickered across her face at the question. "I came here for the lost bodies – the ones killed by the plague."
Azalith tilted his skull head, the green light in his chest pulsing faster. "Plague? When did this happen?"
Maitara's eyes went wide with shock. "I was told it happened three years ago… you truly don't know?"
"Tell me – where was this so-called plague centered?" Azalith asked, his skeletal hands uncurling as if he were genuinely curious.
"It stuck to the areas around the White Order Church," Maitara replied, slowly lowering her hands – the purple magic fading slightly as she realized something was off. "Wait… you really had no idea?"
"To be honest, the three of us were only sent here by the White Lord to guard these bodies you speak of," Azalith admitted. "We've been deep in these caves for three years – cut off from the world above."
Maitara took a small step forward, her curiosity overriding her fear. "White Lord? May I ask who that is?"
"I've never seen his face – only his glorious white robes that seem to glow with their own light," Azalith explained. "He says he will awaken the primordial beast that will shake this world to its core… and reshape it into something new."
"I have no idea what you're talking about…" Maitara whispered, her mind racing. "What do you mean 'awaken the primordial beast'? What kind of change are we talking about?"
"Such admirable curiosity for one so young," Azalith said, a dry rattle that might have been a laugh escaping his throat. "Nothing you do will stop the White Lord's plan – but knowing the truth can't hurt. Tell me, do you seek knowledge of the world beyond what you've been taught?"
"Not as much as some, but… yes," Maitara nodded. "When my curiosity takes hold, I'd rather know than stay in the dark."
"Then listen closely," Azalith said, his green aura flaring brighter. "I've watched the course of life and death unfold for over a thousand years. I could answer questions you haven't even thought to ask yet – questions about the dead city perhaps?"
Maitara's breath caught in her throat. "Morea? How do you know about Morea?"
"I know more than you could imagine," Azalith said, floating a few inches closer. "So let us make a deal – defeat me, and all the answers you seek will be yours. Every secret I hold about the plague, the White Lord, and Morea will be shared freely."
Maitara's hands tightened into fists. "And if I don't?"
The friendly tone vanished in an instant. "Then DIE!"
A wave of suffocating green death aura exploded outward from Azalith's form – skull-shaped spirits swarmed through the air, their hollow eyes blazing as they raced toward Maitara. The cave itself seemed to grow colder, and the glowing fungi dimmed under the weight of the dark magic.
Maitara didn't wait – she raised her hands and cried out, "Enubis prayle!" Five thick rays of swirling purple chaos magic shot forward, cutting through the air toward Azalith.
The skeletal figure barely moved, gliding to the side with unnatural grace as the blasts slammed into the cave wall behind him, shattering stone and sending glowing fungi scattering. He turned back to her, the green light in his chest flickering with interest.
"Interesting… I can feel your magic is ancient. Not many mages your age wield power that has roots in the old world."
Maitara's brow furrowed. "Oh, so you can tell how old a magic is now?"
"It's better to know the weapons your enemies use – that way you can plan how to counter them," Azalith said. Suddenly, the green death aura around him vanished, replaced by a brilliant white glow that made Maitara squint. "For example…"
"Maximize Magic, 5th Tier…" he intoned, his voice booming with new power.
Maitara's senses screamed – this spell was unlike anything she'd felt before, raw and overwhelming. She dropped into a low defensive stance, her hands already glowing with protective magic.
"–HOLY ORDER RAY!"
A blinding white laser tore through the cave, aimed straight at her. But instead of conjuring a magic shield, Maitara dove to the side, rolling across the damp stone as the beam carved a deep groove into the floor where she'd stood.
"Oohh? You didn't defend my spell," Azalith noted, the white light fading back to green as he lowered his hands.
"How could I?" Maitara shot back, pushing herself up. "That spell is specifically made to counter chaos magic – my defenses wouldn't have stood a chance against it."
"Clever girl," Azalith rumbled approvingly.
Maitara circled slowly, keeping her eyes locked on him. "My curiosity's gotten even bigger now. How come a sinister death mage like you – the so-called Chaos Bringer – can conjure holy magic?"
Azalith tilted his skull head. "Who knows? Another answer waiting for you at the end of this fight. Defeat me, and I'll tell you everything."
Maitara fell silent, her mind racing as she shifted into a ready position. How can I defeat this monster? she thought, glancing around the cave.
Maitara and Azalith faced off once more, but this time there was no crackle of magic in the air – just quiet tension as Maitara took a small step forward.
"I still wonder why you haven't heard of the plague," she said, her voice steady. "It was well-known across so many places. Even if you've been down here for years, you'd think the White Lord or someone from the church would have told you… especially when they brought the bodies you're guarding here."
Azalith stayed silent, his green glow dimming slightly.
"Didn't you ever ask what happened to them?" Maitara pressed. "Where they came from, why they were here?"
"I– I don't have the answer to that question," Azalith finally admitted, his raspy voice softer than before.
Maitara's eyes were gentle but sharp. "You don't think… they've forgotten you're even here, do you?"
For the first time since their fight began, Azalith's feet touched the cave floor. The green death aura around him vanished completely, leaving only his skeletal form and dark robes in the faint light.
"Probably…" he whispered. "Ever since the White Lord put us here, I haven't felt his presence at all. It's almost like he–" He paused, as if the words were hard to say.
"Abandoned you," Maitara finished quietly.
"NOT POSSIBLE!" Azalith's voice boomed suddenly, though there was no anger in it – only desperation. "The White Lord would never abandon us! We are his most loyal servants!"
"Not possible… but not impossible either," Maitara said gently. "Have you had any visitors from him at all? Any messages, any signs he's still watching over you?"
Azalith fell quiet again, his skull head drooping slightly. "N–No…" he replied, his voice barely audible.
Silence filled the cave – heavy, thick, and full of unspoken doubt.
"Are you okay?" Maitara asked, surprising even herself with the question.
Azalith straightened up, clearing his throat with a dry rattle. "Of course I am… He may not have visited in a while, but I'm certain he knows we're doing our job well. We've guarded these bodies without fail – that has to mean something."
Maitara watched as Azalith's bony fists clenched tight – and though he had no flesh left to weep, a single glint of silver liquid traced down his skull cheek.
"Look – I don't know what's between you and this White Lord," she said softly, taking another step forward. "But you have to let me save those bodies. You say you understand life and death – those people don't deserve to be left down here like this. I'll take them outside, bring them back to their homes where they belong."
"I–I can't!" Azalith cried out, his voice cracking. "The White Lord will be furious with us!"
"Will he?" Maitara's tone was gentle but firm. "He probably doesn't even know you're still here."
The words struck like a physical blow. Azalith's form trembled, then green death aura exploded outward from him – wild and uncontrolled this time.
"THAT'S NOT TRUE!" he roared. "WE ARE HIS MOST TRUSTWORTHY SERVANTS!"
Dozens of skull-shaped blasts shot toward Maitara – fast, deadly, and aimed straight for her heart. But she didn't move, didn't raise a shield, didn't even flinch. The green rays slammed into her chest, wrapping around her body like cold chains – yet she stood perfectly still, unharmed.
"How–HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?!" Azalith stumbled back, his green glow flickering with fear. "Any living person hit by that spell dies instantly!"
"Maybe I don't fear death anymore," Maitara said quietly.
"Not fear…?" Azalith whispered, his skeletal hands trembling.
"I'm so focused on finding the answers I seek – I've completely forgotten to be afraid of what might happen to me," Maitara replied. Then her voice shifted – from the sweet tone of a young girl to the steady, commanding voice of someone far older and wiser. "I'm going to take this seriously now…"
Purple magic blazed around her, so bright it lit up the entire cave. Behind her, a massive shadow took shape – scales, wings, and sharp claws outlined against the stone walls. A dragon's silhouette, wreathed in swirling chaos energy.
Azalith fell to one knee, his skull face tilted up in terror. "What… what monstrousity is this?!"
Maitara's eyes glowed bright purple as she stepped forward, the dragon shadow moving with her every step.
" The true Chaos Bringer!" she declared, her voice echoing through the cave like thunder.
Azalith's green aura flickered and died completely as he dropped to both knees, his bony hands trembling at his sides.
"I… surrender," he whispered, the words heavy with defeat and something deeper – loss.
Maitara immediately let her purple magic fade, the dragon shadow vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. She stepped forward carefully, her voice soft again as she looked down at the skeletal figure before her.
As she drew closer, she saw it clearly – silver tears streaming down his skull cheeks, glinting in the cave's faint light.
"You're not surrendering because I beat you," Maitara said quietly, kneeling beside him. "You're giving up because you're not sure what you're fighting for anymore… are you?"
Azalith didn't look up, but his shoulders shook slightly. "We gave everything to the White Lord – our loyalty, our lives, even our place in the world above. We were told we were essential to his great work… but if he's forgotten us, if he never even told us about what happened to these people… then what was all of this for?"
Maitara placed a gentle hand on his shoulder – surprising both of them with the touch. "I don't know what the White Lord promised you. But you've spent years guarding these bodies, haven't you? You've kept them safe, even when you didn't know why."
"Because it was our purpose," Azalith murmured.
"Then let's give you a new purpose," Maitara said firmly. "Help me get these bodies out of here. Help me find out what really happened to them – to all of us. The answers you seek are out there too, aren't they?"
Azalith finally lifted his head, the green light in his chest pulsing with a warmer glow than before. "You'd… you'd let me help?"
"Of course," Maitara smiled softly. "You've lived a thousand years – you know more than anyone about this world. We need that knowledge if we're going to stop whatever the White Lord is planning."
For the first time since they'd met, Azalith's skeletal form seemed to relax. The tears slowed, and he nodded slowly.
"Then… show me where the bodies are kept. Maitara said.
Azalith stood slowly, straightening his robes. "Yes.."
BACK AT THE ORDEAL GAMES ARENA
The crowd held its breath as Akmenos tensed, gathering every ounce of strength in his body. With a low roar, he charged forward, his fist drawn back to deliver a blow that would shatter ice and stone alike.
But just as he closed to within a foot of Abe, the Ice Dragonborn moved faster than anyone could follow – his hand shot down in a brutal chopping motion, slamming into Akmenos' arm and driving him face-first into the arena floor with a bone-rattling CRUNCH.
Silence fell over the stands. Arkar gripped the edge of the barrier, his face pale. Hythesion stood perfectly still, his eyes narrowing as he watched Abe stand over the fallen Akmenos.
"There are always people above you, horned devil," Abe sneered, pressing his boot against Akmenos' back. "Remember that when you're lying in the dirt."
He started to turn away, certain he'd won – but then he heard Akmenos' voice, muffled but clear against the stone:
"Sometimes you also have to be wary of those who are below you…"
Abe froze, his eyes widening in shock as he spun back around.
"–BECAUSE YOU'LL NEVER KNOW WHEN THEY'LL CATCH UP AND DESTROY YOU!"
With explosive force, Akmenos pushed himself up from the ground, driving his fist straight upward in a solid uppercut that connected with Abe's jaw. The impact sent the Ice Dragonborn flying backward, his ice gauntlets shattering into thousands of glittering shards as he crashed into the arena wall.