Chapter 1     In search for a cure.

  I was an adventurer.

  And now, I am dying.

  In my peak, just a few years ago, I used to raid tombs and crawl dungeons while armed with my trusty sword and shield, wearing only my chain mail and helmet for protection. Me and My companions of fellow humans, warriors and mages, we been to far away places to seek our fortunes and even fame. From the lost city of Arrunka, where only Myths has spoke of it, to the lost mines of Carrenki Hills, I have been through them.

  We lost friends and won riches throughout the years and while doing so, it has been fun. Living the outdoor life, cooking over a bon fire every night and getting rowdy in every tavern and inn we went.

  Those were the good times.

  Until our lost tomb raid, I am the only survivor.

  We were exploring the Tomb of King Alrakaris the V, the once legendary king whose empire that had once almost span the continent of Malasia after the mythical war of the Gods twenty thousand years ago.

  The legends and myths surrounding the tomb told rich and unimaginable treasure in this tomb. It took my team of adventurers almost two decades, through clues from dusty tomes and almost forgotten maps to find. We believed that we found it, at least we thought we did.

  What we did find however, was a trap.

  A trap tomb for the greedy tomb robbers, with undead monsters that’s forced alive by the cursed silver blood in their vein.

  The gods have fought of such vile demons in the past. The Silver demons as the myths has called these monsters. Once their blood touches you, it will slowly consume you alive and then turn you into whatever monsters the blood seeks.

  I was infected and all of my party except me dies in that trap tomb. I manage to kill and cremate the rest of my party as they were too infected. For death is not the final rest if you are infected. You will be raised from the dead to continue serving the Silverblood. I have not the courage to kill of myself or have someone to cremate me, if I am to die by my own sword.

  I since searched the world for a cure, for the vile blood disease that is now slowly eating me alive from within. I don’t know of when it will fully consume me, if I can fight it and find a cure, I will.

  I have paid for supposed cures from legendary healers, alchemists and the most powerful of Magicians in our known world.

  Nothing helps.

  I combed through the myths and legends that survive from tales and almost crumbled scrolls in the most ancient of libraries for another cure, and the origin of the plague itself.

  The myths have it that the Plague had originally come from Heaven twenty thousand years ago. Before then, the Gods had lived among us. Our world was a different age then, we have cities like the Pah’Sho’Lars, high soaring buildings that almost touch the sky and clouds. Chariots that flew like the gods and things that can do miracles that we can only dream of. The first plague that created the silver demons decimated our world. Cities fell and millions were dead. The gods were forced to cleanse of this world to prevent the infection to totally consume it. Our world was then descended into dark ages, and it took the world ten thousands of years to recover. However the evil had not totally gone away, as I was infected.

  There were cures for this illness. However, all the references to them have been lost through time.

  Only the Ancient gods can help me now, as they were the originator of those cures.

  Unfortunately, our gods, again through the surviving tales and writing from the Age of the Divine, has mentioned that they have all either died or moved to the heavens after the great cleansing.

  So, with the best stuff missing, I have to rely on the next best possible source

  I went to the Pah’Sho’Lars and the NythGais. The two most advanced non-human cultures in our land for help, in the hope they knew of a cure.

  The Pah’Sho’Lars championed of themselves as the true inheritors of knowledge from the gods. They have marvelous things that can fly, a city having buildings that soar into the sky, city walls with statues that come alive with eyes that shoot lights that can carve of anything in half.

  The NythGais, a race of female Magicians that live in a city of waterfall and crystals. In the mastery magic, no other race compares to them. For the myths has it that it was they whom had invented magic and spread of its mysteries throughout the land and dilute it to the other races after the time that’s the War of the gods.

  None can help me, and both had banished me.

  In fact, banished is a kind word, they tried to incinerate me.

  I would have surrendered myself to those fates, yet there’s something evil that my mind has been fighting. A voice that’s does not originate from my own will, it’s like a second mind that has screamed for me to survive, no matter the cost. A second mind that has grown from within me, since the day I was infected. It is a common symptom for all the infected.

  The infection was once known as the Plague of the Mad or Insanity in the times when our Gods walked the earth. For the silver blood has often driven those who are infected insane. For their minds were lost to the madness of the second.

  The legends from the ancient books had described that often the second mind will give the first a choice. If you are willing blend with it, you will be granted extraordinary powers and immortality. If you are reluctant, then you go mad before the second mind consumed of you eventually. The process of this involuntary merging could take years to decades depending on how willing the individual is to submit. Once merged, the owner of the original mind will be lost.

  I suspect that it was the eventual evil other mind of mine, that will consume of me eventually.

  To be alive for me now is a burden. Now I came to the only other city in this world in the hope of finding a cure. The City of Ralgama, the City of Temples and Gods of almost seven thousand years of age. A old and strange city that was built around of a strange stone, believed to be crafted by the gods.

  If there is a chance that I can find a cure. Perhaps I can find it there. The City, that has a close connection to the gods.

  I have journeyed for many months to get there, and it was a perilous one. I was attacked by bandits many times. Fortunately, my adventuring skills save me every time, and I sent many bandits needing healing after smashing them.

  After crossing the Azural sea and to the middle of the dry Thirstful Plains, I made it to Ralgama.

  On my first day here, the place is hot and dry. It is a desert city with an architecture that resonates of a style from a by gone era. It was built on flat ground and welcomes all pilgrims from anywhere.

  The first thing that strike out at seeing the city, is the reflection from the splendid green monolith stone that tower into the sky in the center of the city.

  How it was created, no one or the history of any culture has any reference to its construction. Yet, almost all the cultures in this world, has relates of this monolith as a part of their creation myth and legends.

  Some, like the NythGais, has named the stone to which if they pray and touch it, they could contact their goddess in their time of need for special powerful miracles and magical divine intervention.

  The Dugheraths has name the stone as the god stone, no amount of other material like gold, silver would match of its purity, which their true respect for their Earth god.

  Of the six cultures, Humans, Nythgais, Dugherats, Pah’Sho’Lars, Daldaktors, Mermalis that shared the land together, four has laid claimed that the stone could allow them true communion with their gods.

  Since its first discovery by a mortal in the middle of a flat desert in the southern continent of this world. Words then spread, pilgrims that seek of a communion with their gods and miracles, flock to the Monolith. As ages passed and went by, a holy city for pilgrims was built with the Monolith in its center.

  As I approach the walls of the city, I see it is made of mud and bricks, just tall enough to protect itself from the bandits and wild animals that roam and prowl in the deserts outside every day and night. The outer coating of the city wall is of white plaster, with merlons having designs of curved horns from bulls for inspiration.

  The outside of the city is full of Wagons and horses, from the pilgrims and traders that parked of them there so they can do business in the city.

  The Pilgrims and Traders came from all over the world, making this city a true international melting pot to where one can find a communion with their gods or goddesses. Be the person is a lord, a noble or slave, any person going there for a pilgrimage is welcome.

  If I am to be able to find the rumors of a cure, it will be here, for news and rumors from all over the world would travel here, be it day or night.

  Entry through the city is through three gates, the west, east and south. All three of the gates are red glazed with special bricks and grandly decorated with animal reliefs of dragons, griffins and other mythical monsters fighting the gods from the immortal pantheon.

  As I entered the west gate for the first time, the first sight that soured my eyes were the beggars that line up the main stone pave road on both its sides.

  Most of these beggars are former adventurers or bandits that are down on their luck. Most were missing limbs or have a disability because of the danger that has struck them prior in their adventuring life. Not every adventurer struck gold or fame.

  “Can you spare a copper coin sir?”

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  “A peice of silver for a man whom is down on his luck?”

  “Your kindness sir? A coin so the god would smile kindly on you?”

  I have a disability too and I am gravely ill. I silently said to them, as I hid my face and myself in a brown robe with a cape.

  I came here to see the priest and priestess, visit the temples and check of their sacred libraries for a cure. I don’t have coins to spare as my quest for my cure has almost cost me all my fortune gain from my adventuring. This quest of mine is expensive.

  My first main goal is to reach the stone. The one monolith that gave this city its birth.

  The stone pave road took me to the outer part of the city, which most of the buildings are plain looking square looking ones. They are mostly hotels and shops, catering to the masses of pilgrims that visit the city every day. The grander hotels are, which are reserved for the rich and the royalty, are made from better crap material. The poorer and slum-like buildings are true hovels which were made from only mud, hays and dried dungs of animals you don’t want to know the details... For the everyday poor that lives there or have not money to rent a place for the night.

  They are many hawkers on either side of the roads now, selling street foods and souvenirs of locality. They are many pilgrims, wearing plain robes, tunics and dresses for women, some has souvenirs and regalia associate with the gods they worship. Incense from offerings and food fills the air. The aroma is strong and smoky from the incense and the one from the food, a good smell doesn’t mean the food is eatable. Like fried scorpions or insects with ten legs generally are not.

  As I was about to enter the inner part of the city, I heard a woman yelled.

  “Mayen, Mayen, watch where you going.”

  I girl of eight years old ran straight into me, while she was playing with her friends.

  They were dress up to the gods which I believe their parents were worshiping.

  This one was dressed up as the Goddess Galangia, the goddess of food, fertility and hearth. Generally, the women worshiped her.

  The mother then saw me and grab her daughter, “Mayen you apologised to the man you bump into at once.”

  I looked at her, she has long blonde hair and brownish skin, from the eastern part of the continent perhaps, of the Pehocian people.

  “It is no trouble really,” I replied.

  The daughter then looked at me with her bright blue eyes and said, “Sorry.”

  “You are going into the temple district, perhaps you need directions?” the mother asked.

  “I am looking for direction to the main library and the God stone,” I replied as a matter of fact.

  “There are a few libraries in the temple district. This road led straight to the god stone,” she replied.

  “A direction to the medical library is helpful,” I replied.

  “Medical Library?” she replied looking confused, then a few seconds later and after pondering of my question thoughtfully, she then said.

  “The Temple of Andanos, the God of medicine and arts might have something. It does have a library of some sort.”

  “Then that will be my direction,”I replied.

  “This road, third on the right is the temple of Andanos. Good day to you sir, may the god and goddesses favor you.”

  “I hope so madam and you too, the god and goddesses look after you kindly,” I bowed to her.

  As I passed through the second wall that rings around the inner part pf the city, I saw the buildings are mainly temples. You know that you are in a good part of the city, for the ground is covered with expensive paved polished stones.

  The Temples are of many types with domes and columns, built from splendid materials of marble, jade, ivory and even stones that’s from precious to semi.

  There are fourteen temples all together, the main one is dedicated to the main god of the Divine Pantheon, Amunko. There’s another one not far away dedicated to Legaan, the god of wine, party and insanity. And another to Lorthal, the heroic god of war and strategy.

  The stone road, now with polish stones as friends that covers every square of ground in the inner part of the city, has metal poles with banners everywhere shouting out to the gods they advertised.

  The Gods of our immortal pantheons, are:

  Amunko- God of sky and the sun, the cheif god.

  Galangia- Goddess of food, fertility, beauty, love and hearth

  Adannos- God of medicine and arts

  Lorthal - God of War, strategy and courage and men

  Legaan - God of Parties, Orgies, Wine and Insanity.

  Sammugi - God of Ocean and ships.

  Linalia - Goddess of the underworld and stars and moon.

  Torlas – God of Earth and Precious stones and mining.

  Horlatus – God of Wisdom and Knowledge.

  Migalnia – God of Magic and Elements.

  Molorcor – God of Volcano, Metal, Fire and Smithing.

  Valcor- God of Adventurers, Messengers, thieves and Beggers.

  Medaera - Goddess of Women and marriage

  Calmanni- God of Air, clouds and wind.

  Some temples, like the one for Horlatus, they have priest that are not of human origin. They are Phisholars, they are a non-human race, with small body like that of a child. Their skin is brown, large black eyes with no eye lids and very small mouth and nose. Their head are very large and rumour has it that they mind speak to each other. Each of these Pah’Sho’Lars, they have human guardians that wear of armor that giantnormously large. As they travel, they ride of floating pods of unknown magic that flies just above the ground with their human guardians having their armor capable of changing into a horseless carriage of some sort.

  There are many pilgrims dressed up in costume and regalia to the gods they worshiped as I passed by them. The Children predominantly dress up as a god or goddess in a cute way.

  I just walk past them till I reach the god stone. The green obsidian looking monolith looking like a large needle into the sky. It made from a material of unknown origin. Jade-like and smooth with writing of an unknown origin carved on it.

  No one could understand what those divine wording means. It is a mystery that astounded and baffled to even the Phisholars to this day, and they are suppose to know everything.

  There are a lot of pilgrims surrounding the stone as I got there in the evening. Most are humans, but there’s a Pah’Sho’Lars that is observing the crowds with his human guardian, taking notes or something with stylus or somekind he’s holding,.

  The armor of the hulking human guardian made some strange mechanical noises as he moves. No one ever dare to dream of challenging them in a fight, even for an adventurer wearing the most heavy of armor, sword and shield. These human guardians have superhuman strength and powers only wizards could dream of.

  I waited my turn to touch the stone, as the gentle evening desert breeze brushes through the city. When it was my turn, I then touched the stone.

  It feels cold, just like any polished stone. I closed my eyes and I prayed for a cure for my illness.

  As I opened my eyes again, the writing on the wall of the Monolith suddenly changed. I felt I can read them.

  Heard in Legends,

  Seen in dreams,

  Our powers are unequal and dreamed by all,

  For we are the Lords who shall never fall,

  When Mortals had lived then died,

  They and their towns and cities, risen and waned,

  For we are the Lords that Time has humbled.

  For only we can call ourselves, the Transmortals of The Powerhood Pantheon.

  Transmortals? Powerhood Pantheon? What do those words even mean? Those words are written that only the gods and divine would understand. How come I could?

  Fear struck my mind. I don’t know what has happened to me. I am reading the language of the gods all in a sudden. Something no one in twenty thousands of years could have done.

  I ran in blind panic from the crowd of people flocking around the monolith and then toward the temple district. I don’t know what is happening to me, and now I am having weird visions. Suddenly, I see of small writing associating to the things I am seeing. I have no idea what those writings mean but something is happening to my body and I don’t know what it is.

  My eyes wide, I thought of only one temple that I might be able to find refuge. The Temple of Adannos, the temple of medicine, doctors, healers and arts.

  I ran past crowds of pilgrims, all thinking that I am mad or someone was chasing after me. I charged through families, knocking down men, women and children, uncaring whom I ran across. I am not in the full control of my body, if I am to put in an excuse.

  I didn’t stop and as I was closing to the temple, a large fat and bald man wearing the clothing of a beggar with a sack behind his back is standing in the way. I couldn’t avoid him.

  Bang, he and I collided. I fell on the polished pavement floor. Strangely, he just stood there, like nothing had hit him.

  “You are awfully in a hurry, why are you running like there’s a ferret in your clothing or something?” he growled.

  “I have to get to the temple, there’s something wrong with me, sorry sir,” I muttered and I was about to run off. I don’t know what the word ferret mean but I need to go.

  “Hey slow down man,” the man said, “You don’t look wrong or anything.”

  “I am very ill,” I yelled, “Don’t delay me please.”

  “You look as healthy as an ox,” he snorted, “You were about to bowled me over.”

  I decide to run away from this fool and straight to the temple. Little do I know, he followed me.

  It did not take long before I barged into the Temple of Adannos. The temple is a circular building with white columns and exquisite marbles. I plow through the bronze doors that was shut and interrupted a close ceremony that the priests were conducting for their gods. I am now starting to realize what the inner part of the temple is like. There was very large statue of the god, Adannos, a beard man wearing some kind of clothing that’s very foreign, like a tunic but half cut off and some kind of pants that is tight fitting with shoes. He has a metal regalia on his chest and a mask with a scowl that he’s holding on his right hand. The statue is sitting on a chair, everything is made of marble, ivory or precious metal that made it shine like a star.

  The Priests were about to make their offering on a large marble altar in front of the statue with food and drinks. Once I am inside, my body suddenly went into convulsions and then I collapsed on the polished marble ground. Shock then took over of my bodily function. I have no control over of my body as the priests then rushes to me.

  “Quickly, let's get him to the Chamber of sanctum,” One of the Priest cried out.

  “I will get him,” said the large fat and bald man that’s wearing beggar clothing. He’s not carrying his sack anymore.

  He then lifted me up like I was a feather.

  “Where do you want him?” the man yelled out.

  “Err..this way please,” one of the Priest offered.

  I was then carried by the man with only one hand to the chamber. The Priests were making comments about his smell and his cloths, that were tunic with holes in them. He’s bare feet made him out a rough sort of person.

  Once he laid me down on a bed made of reeds and wood, the Priest then call for one of the temple doctors to examine me.

  “Are you a friend of his,” one of the priest ask the man whom had followed me.

  “Yes I am,” the man then nodded enthusiastically.

  I have never met this fool in my life until just now.

  While he’s waited there for the doctor to come. The doctor, a man wearing togas and purple tunic, a balding man with black and white beard, while holding a lamp. Then came and examine me.

  Firstly, he gave me a visual examination with my cowl folded away.

  By now, my convulsions have stopped. He then felt my pulses with my wrist.

  “Why are you in shock? Have you eaten anything today?” He asked gently, the doctor.

  “I am seeing things, things I should not be seeing,” I cried desperately, “I can read the inscription on the god stone, I am seeing things with unknown wordings or writing next to it while I am walking around. What is happening to me?”

  The doctor looked at me with a puzzled expression.

  “Are you losing your mind sir?” the doctor then replied, “I can’t help you if you are hallucinating or babbling of the craze. Perhaps you should go to the Temple of Legaan, they might be able to help you.”

  “I am not insane,” I cried.

  “Perhaps you should check for any strange lesion on his skin,” the beggar then replied with a sleepy looking expression.

  “Why?” the doctor asked, feeling a bit insulted with a beggar giving him advice while other priests were looking at him strangely.

  “Trust me on this,” the man smiled.

  The doctor soon ordered his priests to remove the cloak I was wearing and check of my body.

  What they found, soon shocked them to the core of their soul.

  “He has the metal plague on him,” the Doctor gasped, “He must be killed!”

  On hearing this, I sat up from my bed. I know instantly that the doctor and the priests can’t help me in this temple.

  The doctor soon grabbed a knife from nearby and ready to stab me with it.