Meanwhile, Ardrin was downstairs in the summoning hall, imbuing some crystals with dark mana. "Preparations are nearly complete, I should summon them here," he muttered to no one in particular in a self-satisfied tone, placing yet another imbued crystal into the small circle of them he created.
His eyes pulsed with violet mana, pushing out through the halls of the citadel as he searched for his two underlings. He found Irun just finishing up a meal, while Athar, now having much shorter hair than normal, had just finished getting dressed.
Ah, it seems my timing was perfect, he thought as he pulsed his mana out once more, dragging the two from their respective locations and into the summoning hall. Athar, having gotten used to the feeling, barely flinched as the world around him lurched. However, Irun's meal, freshly ingested as it was, threatened to depart his body as quickly as it had entered it.
"It's been quite some time since you arrived here, Irun. Get a hold of yourself," the Masked One said in a flat, even tone as he already expected this to happen. Irun's eyes grew wide, but he managed to hold back from puking all over the summoning hall's floor. "I'm alright, my lord," he said, regaining his composure as Athar stifled a chuckle.
"You two have grown close, from what I've heard. I see Karak's reports on your progress here were not unfounded," Ardrin said, barely turning his head to glance over his shoulder. Athar and Irun immediately froze, feeling the weight of his gaze looming over them. "I-indeed, my lord. We've even gone so far as to form a pact," Athar stammered, knowing he couldn't hide a single thought from his master. "Do you think it wise to have done that?" Ardrin asked, finally turning to face the pair.
While Athar's hair and general features had remained much the same, his muscles were also a lot more defined than they already were. Irun, on the other hand, had seemed to fully integrate with the daemon arm, so much so that even his features had developed into much more daemonic ones than he previously had. Short horns grew from his head, his eyes had gone from hazel to a dark orange and red mixture, while his once bright hair was now a darkened crimson that sank to his shoulders.
"Wise? Why wouldn't it be wise, my lord?" Athar asked, genuinely confused. The Masked One paused for a moment, but ultimately shook his head.
It's too soon to tell him, he thought.
"Nevermind. It doesn't matter right now. In any case, I see you're taking to your new arm and core enhancement quite well, Irun," he said, observing Irun's new features as he walked around him. "I have, my lord. It's been an interesting adjustment, but one I can already feel is well worth it," Irun said, bowing his horned head.
"Nevertheless, I know you two are confused by this pile of crystals behind me," Ardrin said, returning to his original position. "Are we doing another assault on Coltend, my lord? Do we require more Gwynnleaf?" Athar asked. "No. At least, not as far as I know at the moment," Ardrin replied, his tone dropping a little at the end.
"What do you mean, my lord? Didn't the Undergod fully explain his plan to you when he asked you to get it the first time around?" Irun asked. The Masked One sighed, and paused for a few moments, as if choosing his words carefully. "He did and… he didn't. Yes, we got the Gwynnleaf, but there is something he's hiding. I have an inkling as to what it is, but…" he trailed off.
No, I can't talk about that until I confirm it, he thought.
"In any case, we need to get going. We shouldn't keep him waiting any longer, as time works differently down there," the Masked One said after clearing his throat. "Down there? What do yo-..." Irun was cut off by his master's sudden movement, as he slammed his palm onto the ground.
The entire room began to pulse with violet mana, as the crystals in front of the trio began to lift off the ground. They swirled and went into a circular formation, as mana circulated from the edges of the formation toward the middle, letting off an intense glow as it swirled.
"It… it's a portal. Just like the ones that spawned just outside of Codrean," Irun said, recognizing the swirling pattern. "You're close, but not quite right, Irun. I can create two way portals, but I wanted to show you two how this one works before we go. Consider it a precaution in the event, however unlikely it may be, that we get split up," he said, as he deactivated the portal, putting the crystals into a satchel and handing it to Irun.
"Thank you, my lord," he said, taking the bag from the large, claw-like hand, realizing his own was much smaller in comparison. "I don't suspect we'll need them, but it's better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it," Ardrin said, turning back toward the center of the summoning hall. He drew an immense quantity of dark mana, and condensed it into his palm, slamming it once more on the floor.
A new portal emerged, though this one was much larger, denser, and moving more quickly than the first one with the crystals. Athar gazed into the hypnotic swirl of dark mana, slowly moving his hand toward it as if he were being pulled by some unknown force. Irun noticed this, and grabbed his wrist, pulling it downward and jolting his friend out of his apparent trance.
"S-sorry. I don't know what that was," Athar apologized, blinking rapidly a few times. "Are we sure this is a good idea, my lord? Do we know if the alternate will act up while we're there?" Irun asked with no small amount of caution in his tone. "Only one way to find out," the Masked One said with determination. "Now, go through the portal one at a time," he commanded.
Hesitantly, Irun walked forward. "I'll go first, my lord. If anything, I'll be able to meet Athar on the other side and help restrain him until you arrive," he said, swallowing dryly in hopes of keeping his food where it belonged. Ardrin nodded his agreement, and gestured forward once more. As Irun approached, he could feel the mana resonating from the portal.
This mana feels… cold, distant even. At least, it does here in the Real. So much different from merely drawing it from there using my consciousness. Although, I wonder if the Ethereal's is warm and welcoming. Too bad I can't use it anymore since having drunk the deathmold concoction, he thought remorsefully.
He shook his head to clear his thoughts, and stepped into the swirling mana. His body lurched and contorted in a pool of mana as he lost all sense of direction, tumbling through the portal. Without warning, he was immediately spat out from the other side, landing on something dark, circular, and solid, as the air around him reeked of death.
He forced himself to move, as his body creaked and groaned in protest. He coughed once or twice, hoping to regain some of the lost air from his lungs, but was only met with a thick scent of death.
Oh, for fuck's sake, he thought as his stomach emptied itself onto the ground beside the portal.
Athar stepped through next, just in time to catch his friend vacating the remains of his supper. "That sucked," he managed to get out before falling to his knees, choking on the dense, sweet air. Ardrin, however, stepped through entirely unfazed by both the portal and the stench.
"Get a hold of yourselves. He's watching," he said, quickly and quietly like scolding a pair of toddlers. The two of them staggered to their feet, and observed their surroundings. Unlike when they drew mana from this realm, it was evident that there was much more going on than they normally perceived with just their consciousness. Creatures of all sorts meandered, lost in a daze they wouldn't wake from without stimulation. Others were predatory in nature, and slaughtered a few of them, dragging their corpses away, and feeding the wide river of blood and decaying bodies along the way.
The dark globe of mana hung well above them, though it looked much larger than they originally thought and swirled much more slowly in comparison. It also emanated a soft, dull light that coated the world around them like twilight on a rainy day. The trees and grass in front of them were withered into grotesque forms, some of which happened to look like screaming creatures. The terrain around them was highlighted by the fresh blood spilled by the creatures, presenting shades of red, green, and black like strokes of an oil brush.
"Gods above, and below," Irun trailed, his eyes widening and twitching as he observed his surroundings. "It's a little different than just bringing your consciousness here, isn't it?" Ardrin asked without looking at him. "Y-yes, my lord. I don't understand how anything can live here," he stammered, trying not to choke on what little air he breathed in. "I guarantee that it's not without difficulty, but come, we must move quickly. Technically, we're already late," the Masked One said in a low grumble.
"We're being watched, aren't we, my lord?" Athar asked in a hushed voice, noticing his master's tone. Without a word, Ardrin nodded, signaling for them to follow. They moved in silence, no one wanting to say a word lest they attract the attention of an unwanted guest.
Even in the Underworld, there is always a risk of these creatures becoming aggressive. They're surprisingly territorial if left to their own devices without someone to instill fear and order into their minds. Do not let your guards down, the Masked One sent to his two underlings mentally.
After what felt like an hour had passed, the trio paused up on one of the hills, overlooking a dismal plane with what looked like charred remains of vegetation strewn across it. While it still smelled of rot, there was little available to allow the trio to recognize even a single plant. Off in the distance, behind a veil of blood-red mist, was a natural construct that looked a lot like Valdis, though it was a lot more derelict than anything Athar or Irun had ever seen.
"Is that…?" Athar began, but halted, squinting his eyes to try and get a better look at it through the gloom. "It is, though not quite the same as you two know it to be," Ardrin answered simply. "Why were we so far from it when we first arrived, then?" Irun asked, genuinely curious. "I mean, it's basically the same thing as Valdis, why were we transported so far away from it?" he continued.
Ardrin stopped moving and turned on him like a snake to a mouse. "What part of we are being watched did you not understand?" he hissed, his eyes glowing violet far more than usual with the abundance of dark mana in the air. Irun was shaken to his core, as both him and Athar could feel the pressure his mana exuded drastically increase.
"Do not speak unless spoken to, especially not here. Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you, or is your family tree a fucking stump?" the Masked One spat, the anger seething through his tone. "I-I understand, my lord," Irun finally responded, after opening and closing his mouth a few times as if trying to find the words to say. Releasing the collar strap of his servant's armor, Ardrin turned and began moving towards the citadel once more.
"I will only say this to ease the questions I can feel worming around in that unremarkable brain of yours: the Undergod is not the only one in this place that has the ability to speak. There are entire populations with their own culture, civilization, and mannerisms that lurk about here," he said, gesturing around him briefly.
"If one of the clans' observers just so happens to be watching us, and you say something irresponsible, ignorant, or down-right offensive about them or their homeland, what do you think will happen?" the Masked One asked the pair trailing behind him. "Th-they'd be angry, and likely attack us, my lord," Irun stammered, feeling the weight of the words as they left his mouth.
"Huh, you're not as much of an idiot as I thought," Ardrin said sarcastically, turning around to keep moving towards the distant citadel. "As it currently stands, the balance of power between myself, the Undergod, and his subordinate clans here is tenuous at best. I'd rather not be forced to plough through my short list of allies with a bloodied claw," he continued.