The Lightning Scroll

Ch2, Pt VII: Return to Your Roots

As they climbed inside the hole, they noticed a metal gate at the end of the tunnel. But the gate was broken through, revealing an opening in its bars large enough for them to squeeze through. "Someone's definitely already been here," said Dexpa.

The stone halls of the castle interior were lined with red carpets. Above them hung glowing blue lanterns that spread throughout the hallways. Every flat surface was layered with dust and dirt.

"This place reeks of death," Salazar noted.

"Something big must've taken place here," Rokai said, noticing the bones of three skeletons whose bones were spread about the hall randomly. All their skulls were crushed and one of them had a sizeable hole in their lower ribcage.

The hallway connected to a much larger room with several smithing contraptions within it. At the end of the room was a master staircase.

Dexpa stopped in his tracks when he found another skeleton lying next to the forge with a rusted greatsword at its side. The skeleton had a tail, and its head was separated from its body. The vertebrae that used to connect the two together seemed to have been cut clean through.

They continued forward, stepping around the mess and climbing the staircase to the top floor.

The door at the top of the staircase contained an engraving of the symbol of conjuration on it. It seemed to have been blasted open from the inside, barely hanging on to the what's left of its hinges.

"A throne room?" Rokai pondered as he peeked inside over Dexpa's shoulder.

In the middle of the room sat a stone plaza similar in appearance to the one in The Fringe, but smaller in size and surrounded by several broken stone pillars. A jumbled mess of bones in the center formed what looked like a giant skeletal monstrosity. Its head was detached from its body.

Several other bones were spread throughout the rest of the room, including one that looked like a wolf. There were also a couple of destroyed lanterns lying about. And at the end of the room, a throne chair stood tall blocking the view of the large window behind it.

"What happened here?" Rokai pondered.

"Dexpa, any ideas?" ask Salazar.

Dexpa's mind was overwhelmed by conflicting thoughts. "What is this place. Who made it and why? Who are these people. Are they even people? Why did it have to be my village?"

"Hey," Salazar called Dexpa with a hand on his shoulder, bringing him back to reality. "You alright, my friend?"

"Yeah," Dexpa sighed. "I guess a lot can happen in 583 years."

"That's right," Rokai agreed. "You must remember that means several generations have passed between that moment and this one now. This is no measly amount of time."

"Alright," Dexpa readied himself. "I think it's time to go."

The party made their way to the outside of the castle and awaited Dexpa's direction.

"Where to now?" Salazar asked him.

"I don't know," Dexpa replied as he continued to ponder his next move.

"Well, to start," Rokai said, "Do you remember where you used the scroll?"

Dexpa looked towards the entrance of The Fringe. "It was over there."

"Then we should find that spot," Rokai suggested. "There should be a time wound there. If we can reach it, there may be something you can do after all."

They maneuvered through the long dark hallway, leading them to the large plaza in The Fringe.

"It's not here?" Dexpa questioned, thinking out loud.

"What's not?" Rokai asked.

"When me and my brother were fleeing the village, we saw a creature here that looked just like that flesh golem that you and I saw in the Imperial City Prison." Dexpa scouted around. "I thought we'd at least find its remains here. It seemed to be guarding this spot."

"Hmm," Salazar hummed. "Well, there's no use worrying about it now. We've got our own mission, don't we?"

In a distance past the open fields, Dexpa could see two pillars of light extending into the sky. He rushed out to get a closer look.

"This is it!" Dexpa yelled, some excitement returning to his voice as he came upon the spot where he and Jo'navir used the scroll.

"Those are time wounds!" Rokai shouted. "This is perfect Dexpa. Do you remember where the two of you stood?"

"This one was me," Dexpa said pointing to one spot. "And this was Jo'navir," he added, pointing to the other.

"Very well, my boy," Rokai said. "This is it then. Hand me the scroll when you're ready. I believe I may know of a way to send you back to your brother."

"Right," Dexpa said. He took a step into the light and then hesitated. "Wait, what about the scroll?"

"You needn't worry about that," Salazar said. "I'll hide it somewhere safe. How about Shalidor's Maze?"

Dexpa nodded his head. "Perfect."

"I will miss you, my friend," Salazar added, patting Dexpa on the back one last time.

Dexpa smiled contently at his two companions and brought them in for an unexpected warm embrace. "Thank you both for everything."

Dexpa entered the beam of light where his brother once stood and nodded to Rokai to show he was ready.

Rokai nodded in return and unraveled the scroll in front of Dexpa. He began reading words in a language Dexpa didn't understand. The scroll lit up his face with a blinding light that mesmerized Rokai as he read. But that didn't stop him.

Dexpa and Salazar stood anxiously in hope that Rokai's method would work. Dexpa's thoughts began to race again at the thought of failure. Then suddenly, his body began to react. His head felt dizzy, and his heart began to pulse rapidly. A feeling he remembered from the first time he read the scroll.

Soon Dexpa's heart began racing to the point where it felt like it was going to explode out of his chest. But then, his vision went white as his body became numb, and finally, he vanished.