Chapter 17 Chapter Fifteen
The witch sorcerer's nails, which were sharper than the chiye thorns used for murder, pierced into Mosiah's flesh, she pushed Mosiah out of the teleportation corridor, and followed him out, her grip on him did not relax at all .Simkin dodged to the side quietly, trying to stay in the teleportation corridor, but the sorcerer's eyes swept over immediately, as sharp as her pointed nails.Xin Jin had no choice but to stumble out, still biting the orange silk scarf in his mouth.
"Gag your mouth with it, traitor!" Mosiah cursed immediately.
Simkin stared at Mosiah with his injured eyes, and wanted to reply, but he was choked and coughed violently.He spat out the orange silk scarf, stared sadly at the already soaked cloth, and threw it into the sky with all his strength.
"I mean, it hurts me to do that, too," he said sadly. "The country is in danger, or something...but what can I do?" he said, casting a helpless glance at the sorceress. "And she seemed to appeal to the good part of me."
"This way!" The sorceress pushed Mosiah again.
At the end of the teleportation corridor was a large fortress built of stones. This stone fortress was obviously hastily built on the basis of the natural boulder structure that was originally located in the center of the glory battlefield.The wall was about ten feet high, conforming to the topography and winding in a rough circle.The castle is already full of people - there are wizards, sorceresses, witch doctors, and catalyst saints.
There were "windows" in the rock, which allowed the wizards to cast spells on their enemies, or to fly into the air and land again; using the wall as a cover so as not to waste their own life force, and the wall also protected them from being half-hearted. Stampede.In this battle, the role of the castle is like a sandcastle built by a child playing sand on the beach. Whoever occupies the castle to attack the enemy is equivalent to winning the area on the war chess sandboard.Seeing all the mages with pale faces, tight lips, and tight jaws, desperately trying to squeeze into the castle, Mosiah suddenly understood.This time the stakes were much higher: lives were at stake.
At this time, there is no need for others to tell Mosiah what kind of enemy it is, and everyone must be prepared.He could see smoke rising high into the air, and the ground tremble beneath his feet, and besides, he could hear a low humming sound in the distance.
"They're coming soon, aren't they?" Mosiah murmured, envisioning the sandcastle being crushed by the relentless waves. "Those things! What are you going to do with them?" he asked the witch-warlock instead. "Stay here and wait to die?"
After taking him into the teleportation corridor, the sorceress looked at Mosiah for the first time. "Is there any difference between staying here and dying somewhere else?" After she finished her answer softly, she turned to a sorcerer in a dark red robe with her back facing them, and said respectfully and clearly: " Your Majesty, I have already found that young man—Mosiah." The sorcerer was talking to several other fire warriors, and when he heard the voice of the sorceress, he immediately turned around.His scarlet robe and the golden medallion on it glistened in the bright sunlight.
At the sight of the man's face, Mosiah instantly felt a sting.Not because he and Joram looked alike, but in fact the two men were not very much alike in appearance alone.This face was thinner, older, and sharper than Joram's, but he had black shiny hair, clear brown eyes, a proud and graceful figure, and the same proud, slightly forward forehead.
Joram - really the emperor's son?If Mosiah didn't believe Xin Jin before, he did now.The characteristics of this family are too obvious to be doubted at all.Mosiah stared blankly at the former Prince Xavier, the current Emperor Merilon, and Joram's uncle.
Xavier smiled, or rather his thin lips pulled back into a sardonic grin.
"I know you recognize me, young man," he said. "You recognize me because of him, don't you?" Mosiah couldn't answer.
"I know he's back!" He nodded arrogantly, his cold eyes exploring Mosiah. "He has returned, and he has come back to destroy the world! Where is he?" the emperor suddenly asked sharply.He stretched out his claw-like hand and tightly grabbed Mosiah's neck. "Tell me, where is he? Or, in the name of Emin, let me dig out your words from your heart!"
Mosiah was petrified, unable to move.If Simkin hadn't just happened to bump into Xavier, nearly knocking him over, Xavier's threat would have most likely succeeded.
"My God! Is that you, Your Majesty? Allow me to help you... Hey, I say! . . . What a terrible look! You know, if it keeps going like this, your face will freeze like that in no time." Son! Let go of me, you fool!" The last words were addressed to a Duke, who clung to the young man with the moustache. "It's not my fault! That guy over there—" He pointed wildly. "He said the most sensational words! He said that we will all die a miserable death! I suddenly only have one desire——to get out of here, and just like that, I regard Your Majesty as a teleportation corridor!"
"Get the fool out of here!" Bits of foam flew from Xavier's lips.
"I'll go by myself, without your orders!" Xin Jin said proudly, pulling back the orange silk scarf from the air, and gently covering his face. "However, you'd better not waste your time on that country bumpkin." He squinted at Mosiah with sharp eyes. "Why don't you ask me? I can tell you where Joram is. I've seen him." Xavier stared at Simkin, madness burning in the Dikonduke's eyes that could have reduced Simkin to ashes.At this time, an explosion shook the whole castle, and everyone looked to the north in fear, except for the emperor, who did not move.
"What do you mean? You mean you've seen him?" Xavier asked. "Where is he?"
"Here he is!" Simkin said calmly.
"Bastard! I've had enough of you..." This Dikonduke made a furious gesture.Mosiah froze, waiting only to see Simkin surrounded by rage.
Apparently Simkin thought so too.He hurriedly corrected: "It's not here, but near here. It's somewhere. I... uh... Please pick out a card!" He said unexpectedly, and he didn't know where it came from A deck of tarot cards came out. "Draw any one!" He held up the cards in front of the emperor, but the latter narrowed his eyes, and his cold eyes made people tremble with fear. "Well, I'll do it myself, and I won't bother you." Xin Jin drew out a card and held it up. "Death!" he exclaimed, and drew another. "It's the god of death again!" Then he drew a third card. "Death!" shrieked Simkin, jumping to his feet. "Three times it's Death! Look, there's Joram, a dead man! His wife talks to dead men, and he himself talks to a dead man." Dead catalyst saints walk together."
Xavier clenched his fists.
"Uh, huh, you, you are right! This, this is really a stupid game." Simkin stammered, throwing all the cards in his hand to the sky.The cards fluttered around him like colorful fallen leaves.Finally, all the cards fall to the ground.Mosiah glanced at it, and all the cards were "Reaper".
At this time, the entire sky was filled with smoke, the choking burning smell became more and more intense, and the humming sound became louder and louder.
"Your Majesty!" Several voices shouted at the same time.The Fiery Warlords swarmed forward, scrambling to attract the attention of this Dikonduke.
"I'll deal with these two young men, Your Majesty." The sorceress said proactively.
"Come on!" Xavier's fists clenched tighter, his dark dark eyes turned to Mosiah again, until his attention returned to his staff.
"I don't know anything about Joram!" Mosiah said in despair. "Do as you please!" he added, and the warlock's piercing gaze kept on looking at Mosiah, as if searching his brain. "I haven't seen him."
"But, you know he's back."
At this time, there was another explosion, and the earth shook.Mosiah looked around in fear.
"I... I don't know!"
"Of course he's back!" cried Simkin, indignantly. "Didn't I tell you I've seen him? Why doesn't anyone believe me?" He continued, feeling his dignity hurt. "If you think I'm going to hang around here and die with people who think I'm a liar, then you'd better think of something else. Don't, don't say sorry, I'm bored already. If so, I'm leaving .”
Xin Jin stared at Mosiah intently, and suddenly burst into tears.
"Oh, farewell, my childhood friend!" He threw his arms and embraced Mosiah so tightly that he was almost suffocated. "I salute you on behalf of those who are fleeing to safety! Go on bravely, my child! Then come back with your shield, or lie on it and be carried back!" Xin Jingao Raising his hands high, the orange silk scarf fluttered in the air with the wind. "Hug you again, my dear friend, again!" Immediately afterwards, the silk scarf turned into a gust of wind, and Xin Jin disappeared.
"So, he's telling the truth." This wasn't a question. The sorceress stared thoughtfully at the place where Sim Jin was standing just now, obviously thinking about what he said.
"The truth? Xin Jin?" Mosiah wanted to laugh, but unfortunately he couldn't.
A devastating explosion hit the city wall, and gravel flew in the air.People cried out in surprise, pain, or both.
"They're attacking, we're surrounded!" Someone shouted, and the huddled crowd began to run around like headless chickens.Those near the explosion site desperately tried to escape behind the city wall, while those inside the wall wanted to rush forward to see what happened.The Zeldalars in the castle rushed to rescue the wounded, and the Fire Warriors also screamed, and Xavier reprimanded them loudly.
"It can't be steel monsters! They're still far away!"
"And, they're all blind..."
"No, they're not, I've only seen one..." The whole scene was noisy and chaotic.The sorceress was gone, and Mosiah didn't know where she was, but just now he seemed to see her flying outside the wall to investigate.Standing in the middle of the castle, Mosiah felt a sudden loneliness and fear.He started cursing Simkin for bringing him here, and then he ran away.However, the curse was not serious.
"Otherwise I might still be out there," he mumbled tremblingly.There was another explosion, people cried and shouted in pain and terror, and the whole castle was in chaos.
"It's fallen!" He felt suffocated for a while.For a moment, he wanted to go outside very much.You can go anywhere, as long as you are not trapped in these walls waiting to die!Mosiah glanced around in panic, trying to find a way out, and his eyes drifted casually to Xavier, who was standing with the Warlords of Fire.Mosiah paused and could only stare at him blankly.At this time, Xavier's appearance has changed, not at all like the crazy one who just roared to know Joram's whereabouts.Now he stood there calmly, pale but calm, listening to the fire warriors, and Mosiah guessed from the scraps of heated conversation he could overhear, that they were arguing about the best way to destroy the steel monsters. effective way.
"It kills with its eyes, just like the basilisk, it can kill with a single stare, Your Majesty," said one of them. "So we have to fight back with an eye, let one person draw its attention from the front, and the other attack from behind, using the Sleeping Death Curse..."
"I beg your attention, Your Majesty, but the murderous weapon was a ray of light from the monster's eye! A simple dark spell plus..."
"Reptile! Your Majesty, that monster is clearly a reptile! It has scales like a boa constrictor! We can freeze its blood with the Freezing Charm!"
It's no use, Mosiah said quietly.I've seen them, and their heads can turn freely in any direction.I have also seen those scales, which are made of iron.I have also seen those who manipulate monsters, they all have silver skin, they are living dead who can kill with the palm of their hands.
Mosiah observed Xavier, and suddenly realized that he had thought of this too.This Dikonduke was listening, but his face was in a state of disorientation, and there was a faint pained smile at the corner of his mouth, as if he only regarded the person in front of him as a kind of entertainment.His eyes were flat, empty and indifferent, unresponsive to everything around him.Not far away, an explosion made everyone around him hug their heads tightly, but it didn't affect him, he didn't even blink his eyelids!Then, one explosion after another.Beams from the monster's eyes are attacking the castle.They hit their targets with unerring accuracy, and death is everywhere and unavoidable.Those who fell to the ground died, and those who fled to the air died.No one can predict where the next ray of death will appear, and it has never been sent by mistake.A druid standing outside the wall curled up without a sound, with a hole pierced through his head; a winged messenger who had been observing in the air suddenly fell down, almost falling to Mosiah's feet, And his feathered wings were on fire!People hiding in the walls shouted that they saw monsters, and some people exclaimed: "There is a giant among them!" Based on the flashes of light and subsequent flames, some wizards began to band together and tried to stop the monsters. advance.
"I've got to do something," said Mosiah to himself, but he had no idea.He was unarmed, his bow and arrows had been lost, and that was of no avail.Mosiah felt as if his whole body was tightly wrapped in layers of desperate sheets, which made him lose even the slightest will to survive.
"Go!" Xavier suddenly issued an order!Mosiah heard his despair echoed in Xavier's voice.
"Go!" Xavier ordered his Flame Warlords, waving his hands nonchalantly. "Use your insignificant spells to deal with them! Then, you can die as happily as you like!" Everyone was stunned, and the fire warriors stopped talking, and they all looked at their master in disbelief. .There was another gesture from Xavier, his brows raised high, and annoyed look on his face.The Fiery Warlords looked at each other, desperate and embarrassed.At this time, a clear male baritone sounded, overriding the wailing of the persecuted death, the cracking of the stone castle, and the humming of the approaching monsters.
"Emperor Xavier!" Xavier turned, and Mosiah, and all those in the castle turned.
Prince Jarod, Cardinal Radisovik, and a wizard in black robes walked out of the teleportation corridor behind him.The presence of the prince--their enemy--caused a ripple of bewilderment and interest in the surrounding crowd, which for a moment made them forget their fear.And Mosiah seemed to see a glimmer of hope in the abyss of despair.So he hurried forward with the others, eager to hear what they had to say.At this time, Duke Xisi hurriedly cleared a space around the emperor.And so Xavier and Jarod stood facing each other, surrounded by circles of tense faces.
"You have come at last, Prince of the Artisans!" said Xavier. "Are you here to surrender?" Obviously, this unexpected question surprised Jarod completely.He looked at Xavier in bewilderment. "Do you know what's coming towards you, Xavier?" the Prince asked in a low voice, and then, with a glance at those around him, he approached him and said, "We should have a private talk." Xavier Immediately took a step back, and arrogantly tore off his robe to prevent Jarod from touching it. "Demon Prince, just say what you want, and please when you finish!" Mosiah stood next to the crowd, and found that Jarod's face was flushed with anger.At this time, the cardinal quickly pressed the prince's arm, asking him to restrain himself.
"Very good!" Garald finished, pursing his lips tightly, and everyone around fell silent, but it didn't take long for the silence to be broken by explosions and screams. "I want to talk to you alone, Xavier, because I don't want to cause a chaotic escape." The prince glanced at the people around him, and continued in a low voice: "But your people have too much good training for this, you You have to retreat from here, Emperor. You must retreat now!"
Xavier, however, shook his head. "You know, it's your fault!" he said softly.With arms crossed, he stared at the prince with flat, cold eyes. "You had him, but you let him go!"
"Who let go? Who are you talking about?" Jarod looked very confused.Yet Mosiah knew that the Prince knew who Xavier was referring to.
"Of course it's Joran! And now, you have to bear all the consequences!"
"Joran?! You're crazy! Joram is dead!" However, Mosiah could hear that Jarod's voice was trembling slightly when he said the last few words.And no doubt Xavier heard it too, for he smiled mockingly, shrugged, and turned away.
Garald was annoyed by the man's indifference. He was angry and stared after him in frustration.At this time, the earth shook again, and every few minutes, one person died from the death light from the monster's eyes.The prince raised his hand and pointed north.
"Xanvir, listen! There are twenty or thirty monsters heading this way! You have no chance of winning, you must get your people out of here!" All the wizards looked at each other.Mosiah took a deep breath, imagining the thirty steel monsters.
"You can't beat them!" Jarod said loudly, and those around him echoed.
"We can't beat them! We must flee!"
"Open the teleportation corridor!"
The panic Jarod had feared erupted in an instant, spreading like flames, a panic that intensified with each flicker of death.Mosiah, like everyone else around him, had only one clear, coherent thought left in his head: "Get out!" When a teleportation corridor opened beside him, he immediately jumped over and fought with anyone who stood in his way. fight.The mages were arguing with each other too, maddened by fear, making them scramble to get to the safety of the portal, but only a few people could enter the portal at a time.
A furious and sharp voice overwhelmed the boiling sound.
"Stop!" shouted Xavier. "Close the teleportation corridor! Songli! Did you hear what I said? I order, close the teleportation corridor! No one is allowed to leave!" Mosiah quickly looked at the pale-faced catalyst saints who were coming from The magic teleportation corridor looked out, eyes wide open, full of fear.Song Li quickly carried out the emperor's order, and the teleportation corridor that was originally opened was closed with a bang, leaving those people standing in the stone castle, some crying loudly, and some even raised their hands in the empty space. Scratching and dancing in the air, trying to open the teleportation corridor again.As for the others, just like Mosiah, they stood there stupidly.
"You are mad, Xavier!" Jarod cursed loudly.He broke free from the cardinal's hold on his hand, and jumped at Xavier—no one knew, maybe even the prince himself, whether he was doing this to wake up Xavier's sanity, or to strangle him and demand his death. Life!Still, Xavier looked at him with contempt, and raised his hand at the same time.Seeing Garrod crashing into a cold wall, he was dizzy and about to fall back again, the cardinal hurried forward to support him.
"Fools! Why are you running!" shouted Xavier, his voice - full of magic - rising above the chaos. "Why get rid of it? Die fast, right here, right now! It's the end of the world!" He stretched out his bright red robed arms and slowly wrapped them around his shining Turned around in the protective ice wall, then looked up at the sky: "The prophecy is about to come true!"
"No, uncle!" replied a voice. "The prophecy will not come true! I'm back to stop it!"