The Healing Chambers

[King Thedriol]

Five rooms at one side of the Castle are dedicated to the art of healing. These are the Healing Chambers. As you enter the Chambers, the calming scent of natural herbs, flowers and remedies washes over you. At the front of the first hut is an Alchemist, who gives you a crooked grin as you walk past. She asks if you have come about some illness, or if you are simply here to look around. This room is for basic illnesses, where the citizens of the Golden Lands come if they have a slight cold or cough, or some other mild illness. The Alchemist bows as you leave the first room, and when you go into the next, you do not see much difference in its appearance. A tall, thin man is serving here, and he tells you that although the room looks basic enough, it is not only the place where more serious illnesses are diagnosed and treatment is prescribed, but also where the deadliest potions in all of the Golden Lands are brewed. You cautiously make your way through, while the man laughs at your apprehension. Still. You do not spend much time in the next two rooms unless you are very sick or gravely injured. You keep a cloth over your nose and mouth as you run through the third room, which is full of those with serious illnesses, and then stop when you see the Castle’s most skilled healers tending to the injured in the fourth hut. The chill wind of death blows around this place, and you do not hesitate in going through to the last room. The calm feeling you felt when you had first entered the Healing Rooms quickly returns, and you realise that you are in the Room of Recovery. It is very quiet, as most are asleep, and you leave with some of the calm still hanging about you.

[darknessgrows]

Light twinkled to and fro before his eyes as he slowly opened them. Glaring he shielded his eyes when a downpour of light came down upon him. He blinked several times, achingly getting off his back. He stared down at the ground in a dazed manner, what had happened? And why didn't he have his armor on?

"Its about time you have woken up."

Gerold rose his head, seeing there in front of him no other then Yaridon himself. His old teacher in the way of witchcraft. He growled as he stood up, only to clutch his side and fall back to the bed again. He heard Yaridon approach, holding a odd looking staff in his hands, "I had to teleport you over here from another country, and then I had to heal you with the Staff of Healing" He said raising it up, "So don't mind me if I'm a bit tired."

"Were am I?" He asked for the first time. Looking around the room in confusion. The designs of the tapestry, the work of the pottery and the architecture in the room was all foreign to him. And he looked at it all with impassive eyes.

"We are in the Healing Chambers in Calamere." At that Gerold jumped up, surprised he looked suspiciously at the wizard, but he just waved his hand away, "It is not like that, I have been working undercover here in the Castle for many years, the fool of a king still doesn't know I'm a spy." He said as he laid the Staff of Healing down, looking at it curiousily, "I still don't understand why I would have needed it. You've never failed before, and have never got this badly injuried. You mind informing me what happened?" Gerold glared at the man, silent, before shouting out in anger.

"It was that oaf of a man! Orion! He pratices some sort of dark witchcraft, my armor doesn't work against him!" Yaridon wirled around his eyes large. His mouth slightly agape.

"Orion? Are you sure?" He looked to the ground, running a hand through his mangly beard. "Hmm. That is most troubling. And you lost to him?" Gerold glared at the man, as if asking him to shut up, Yaridon didn't notice, "And I assume you look for a way to seek your revenge."

Gerold stood up, his eyes bristling with blood lust, a hatred burning deep within him, "Yes, if there is a way, I will kill him. I need power! I need to destroy him, make him rue the day he tried to defeat me. And I know you can do this wizard!" He yelled, his voice thundering.

Yaridon looked at him solemnly, as he left the Staff behind and turned back to him. "Yes I have a way. But it will cost you." Gerold's eyes narrowed, but he stayed determined, a dark stubborness bore within him.

"Whatever the cost." He said confidently, "I will pay it, I need power more then anything. Speak your terms man. What does this power require?" He asked, his eyes shinning.

"Death."

Gerold stared at him, then his anger got the best of him, he rushed up, grabbed the man by the throat bellowing, "No more mind games! I'm sick with your riddles!" He slammed him against a side wall. However Yaridon looked completely unfazed and simply looked at him and said.

"I speak no riddles, only the truth. The power that you seek will take your life, yet you will still live." Suddenly understanding Gerold let go of the man. He intended to make him one of his Undead creatures? He suddenly realized he didn't care, but simply asked.

"Will this give me the power I seek?" the man nodded, and Gerold made his decision, "Then I don't care. Give me the power, I want nothing more." Yaridon looked surprised for a moment, but quickly hid it. As he walked over to a drawer and pulled out a long curved dagger. Which glowed with a dark, sinister glow.

He handed it to him, "Stab this in your heart, or somewhere fatal. Then you will get the power you seek." Gerold held up the knife, kept it at an angle at his heart. And then swiftly plunged it downwards.

The effects were drastic.

He felt as if he were burning. As if his entire body was on fire. He fell to his knees screaming so loud that the walls themselves shook, he tore off his shirt, revealing where the knife wound was his skin had turned dark, pitch black, he watched in horror as it spread, causing a new wave of pain by each moment, his head was pounding and he grabbed it with his both hands, as the blackness spreaded. He felt Yaridon pick him up by the shoulders, and dizzily saw him press a stone in the wall, opening up a secret pathway. He pushed Gerold through it, while he was still screaming. He stumbled through and found himself suddenly outside. With Yaridon watching his new transformation.

His skin was now entirely black, and he was still clutching his head, he let out another scream, as his hands suddenly grew claws, cutting the sides of his skull. His hair became pale white, and it grew long, all the way down to his back. Where he felt two bumps form, and yelled again when they erupted, forming two large wings on his back. Black made out of a weblike material. He opened his eyes, revealing that they had turned blood red in color, as he slowly hovered in the air. His sharp fangs, showing on his lip. Yaridon looked up at him, looking at the Demon in front of him with calm eyes.

"You won't be able to talk. So don't try. Theres a few things you need to know about your new body. One is, you can only chage back the way that you became it. Second is, that your a feeder, you eat energy, the purest form of the elements themselves, and can release it in waves of fire. Thirdly, without your armor your very vulnerable to pysical attacks and magical. But your reflexes are faster then any human alive, Collosus or not, but if anyone does manage to strike you it will be fatal. Lastly, though I know you seek revenge against Orion, look too for your brother, I know you won't have any issues about killing him, but I want you to bring me something, a necklace that he wears around his neck. Bring it to me as payment for your new power."


The Demon said nothing as he stared with empty eyes at the man, slowly he raised to the air, his wings beating against the sky. As he shot upwards, his new wings beating against the air for the first time. He soared up into the air. Disappearing from sight.