Chapter 6 – Temple Of Many Tongues
A man collapsed at the edge of the valley.
What remained of his barely resembled a living being. His eyes had been torn from their sockets, his left hand severed, his flesh carved and burned beyond recognition. Blood soaked the dust beneath him.
The crowd recoiled. Mothers turned their children away. Some covered their own eyes.
Serenya reached and fell to her knees.
An old man staggered forward, his voice breaking.
"My… my son.. Joe."
The wounded man tried to speak. No sound came.
Draviel stepped forward without hesitation. He knelt placed fingers on the man's forehead and whispered a prayer only the dying could hear.
Joe's suffering ended instantly.
Draviel rose and faced the old man.
"He wished to be buried in his home land," Draviel said quietly. "I will see it done."
The old man nodded through tears.
Draviel closed his eyes and invoked a memory spell. What he saw burned itself into his mind – ritual chambers,chains, chanting mouths speaking different tongues in perfect unison.
His jaw tightened.
"How far you have fallen, rulers of men," he thought.
A thunderous blast ripped through the air.
An arrow infused with destructive magic streaked towards the body. Draviel caught it mid flight, the force rippling around his arm.
Two figures stepped from the shadows. Their necks bore the unmistakable mark of Hellfire.
"A low-born warrior," one sneered. "Before you die, you'll wish you never interfered."
Draviel's gaze was cold.
"I wish,"he said calmly. "That I could repay you exactly as you treated Joe."
He raised his hand.
"But I leave you to God's judgment."
They died before fear could reach their eyes.
Draviel turned to Serenya.
"For two and half hours," he said. " I will push both our powers to their limits. No arguments. Your safety comes first."
He opened the Book of Eldara.
White light erupted from its pages, a storm of creation roaring through his mind. He placed a silver mark upon Serenya's shoulder.
"When this mark fades," he said, "touch me I will bring you back here instantly."
They stepped through the teleportation seal.
Behind them, an old man spoke softly.
"Revenge only breeds more hatred."
Draviel did not turn.
"There are humans who believe themselves above God,"he replied. "Let them feel his wrath."
One week earlier
The market place was full.
Then the chanting began.
Hellfire members appeared first. Others followed – Illuminati, Freemasonry – each taking their place as if rehearsed. Together they formed a massive ritual circle. Chains erupted from the ground.
People screamed as they were dragged beneath the earth.
A million souls were bound.
Ten thousand nobles and mid-ranking leaders gathered to construct what they called the temple of many tongues. A ritual meant to extend life and power through mass sacrifice.
Each captive was examined.
Joe was examined on the 7th day.
His life form was weak.
"He has one hour left," the examiner said, casting him aside. "Find another."
A hellfire officer turned to his subordinates.
"Go to his village. Bring someone suitable. Nine religions preferred it."
Present
The sacrifice had begun.
Draviel reached the first site – a corrupted church. Children were being sold, their life force drained by priests.
He evacuated them instantly.
Next, a fire temple where sage burned the innocent alive. He shattered the altar and saved those who remained.
Serenya moved faster than thought. Her magic struck before enemies could react – silent, precise, terrifying.
Within 2 hours nearly all captives were freed.
But time was running out.
Serenya saved a man who was in prison. Later her vision blurred as her mark faded. A wandering sage guided her towards the southwest.
"You will be safe there," he said.
Serenya found Draviel, and as soon as Draviel saw her he teleported her to the valley.
Draviel continued alone.
He saved a priest who had hidden children, a monk and a healer.
Then he stood before the final site.
Alone.
He opened the Book of Eldara.
"I love the Father Yahweh, the son Yeshua, the Holy Spirit. Amen."
The Prayer halted everything.
Some fell to their knees, others screamed prayer to false idols. Idols formed along the walls - faces carved from stone and fear.
"A wise man who leads others into sin," Draviel said. "Is a fool in disguise. But a fool leads others to God is wise."
The temple collapsed.
Draviel walked away.
Chapter 7– The Angel
Fire surged through the valley.
A burning torch was hurled towards the stake where Serenya lay bound, her strength spent. Around her were the people she saved and beings from the 75% of the world that did not belong to mankind. Panic rippled through the crowd.
The fire never reached them.
Draviel caught it in midair.
The flames twisted in his grasp, raging yet unable to burn him. His voice carried across the valley, sharp and unrestrained.
"I did not know there were people with courage among those who were saved,"he said coldly. "So tell me should we return to the place we came from and burn them instead? There were ten thousand of them. We are ninety thousand."
The crows fell silent.
A man shouted from within the masses, "why didn't you kill them when you had the chance?"
Draviel raised his hand.
The man was lifted into the air by invisible force,choking limbs flailing.
"Any more questions?" Draviel asked.
Another voice trembled but spoke anyway.
" If you had so much power left, why didn't you destroy the wicked in other regions? Why punish us? We are not evil."
That man too, rose into the air.
No one else spoke.
Draviel clapped his hands once.
Chains burst from the ground like living things, wrapping around bodies, binding 90% of the crowd – those on the ground and those suspended in the air alike.
"Not wicked," Draviel said,his voice shaking with restrained fury. "And yet, you are bound."
He turned slowly, his gaze cutting through them.
"None of you had the courage to stop them. You watched as brothers and sisters were dragged away. You stood silent while the one who saved you was almost burned alive. What a pity you are."
He released Serenya from the stake and knelt beside her, pressing his palm to her chest and pouring his remaining strength into her, light pulsed between them. Serenya gasped and woke up. The bindings around the innocent dissolved.
The chain remained on the crowd.
Draviel stepped towards the beings of 75% and with their permission, searched among the runes. His fingers found an ancient runes seal hidden beneath the earth.
He broke it.
Light tore open the sky.
An angel descended – radiant, calm, terrible in presence.
Auriel.
"There must be both order and love," the angel spoke, voice echoing beyond sound. "Order without love is a sword without purpose. Love without order is a blade that cannot be cut."
Auriel's gaze swept across the chained crowd.
"These people act from fear and incomplete understanding. Seek those who will stand with you, not those trembling behind you. I will guide you when you stray from your path, Draviel. When the time comes, we and those of other realms will await your arrival."
With that, Auriel vanished, taking with him the being of 75%.
The chains dissolved.
Draviel withdrew his spell and reshaped the land, restoring homes where ash and ruin stood. When night fell, he and Serenya moved a short distance from the valley and built a small dwelling of their own.
After Serenya fell asleep. Draviel staggered to the river.
He vomited.
He collapsed.
Villagers found him at dawn, unconscious at the river bank. They carried him home, laid him on the bed and stood guard over him and Serenya. No one dared cross the threshold.
Two days later, Draviel woke up.
"Looks like someone needs stamina training." Serenya said dryly.
"You think so?" Draviel replied weakly.
They returned to the valley together.
The people gathered, heads bowed, voices filled with regret. They asked for guidance. Draviel climbed a simple platform so all could hear him and spoke without anger, only resolve.
"I seek those who return to God even after they fall," he said. "Do not judge yourselves or others, for all of us act without guidance at times. The greatest sin is making others lose hope in God."
He paused.
"Everything will be judged by him. Do not be blindly devoted. Guide yourselves and each other toward truth. Life without struggle does not exist. Be brave enough to stand for what is right and do it."
An eagle descended from the sky and landed on Draviel's arm – marked with the seal of the order of 13.
Its message was brief.
"Those who organized the temple of many tongues have returned to their homeland. Act now."
Draviel smiled.
Chapter 8 – Bonds Forged In Fire
Draviel sang the pathway of 555.
Birds gathered in the branches, humming in harmony as the wind carried the tune across the cross. Some felt peace. Some felt fear. Many heard nothing at all.
Serenya watched him in silence, unsettled.
After sealing his message to the order of 13 and handing the final scroll to the old man, Serenya finally spoke.
"Why did only a few understand that song?"
Draviel answered without turning.
"It is hidden from those who carry wickedness, from those who reject counsel and from those who are not ready."
Serenya exhaled slowly. "So… you recruited people."
"Only God knows," Draviel replied. "Some stay. Many leave once they take what they want."
"Human nature," she said.
Draviel shook his head. "Borrowed nature."
Serenya frowned. "Borrowed from whom?"
"You'll know when the time comes." Draviel answered
They gathered the villagers and separated them from the crowd.
Draviel's voice carried without magic.
"People of Halrion. Your Lords wait for you. Tell me do you return to serve them ..or do you strip him of the power he stole?"
Murmurs spread.
One man spoke. "We cannot. His guards would slaughter us."
Draviel nodded. "Then let rebellion teach them fear."
With a gesture, the labourers vanished and were sent directly to Halrion.
He turned to the old man. "Your valley will be protected."
Two members of the order of 13 stepped forward and bowed.
Draviel faced Serenya. "Ready for training?"
She smiled faintly. "As you are."
They depart for Halrion.
Halrion.
Nine leaders sat in council, fury thick in the air.
"Elyon's son dismantled our work like it's nothing." One spat
"Our guards fell like dust."
A teleportation seal ignited.
One laughed. "Our sacrifice has returned."
Soldiers seized the labourers and dragged them forward.
From the crowd, a voice rose.
"See?" He feared our lords. He sent us back.
Another answered. "No, he let us deal with our problems ourselves so that none of us could ever fear anyone except God."
A Lord descended personally.
"My people, it's great that you have returned to your homeland. We will treat you better than before."
"We are not your people anymore," One snapped. "We have come to take what was rightfully ours. You guys always hide behind power, you guys bleed and rot like us."
The Lord's face twisted. "Bring him to me or I will show you pain beyond imagination."
"Still hiding behind masters," someone laughed.
Rage snapped the Lord.
"Enough!" The Lord roared, igniting his spell.
"Burn."
Nothing happened.
Confusion flickered.
Then someone slapped the Lord.
Then fists followed. Kicks. Stones.
The Lord fell beneath the weight of those he ruled.
As life drained from his eyes, his gaze lifted to a shadow at the window.
Draviel.
A voice entered his mind.
"You raised children, I made them teenagers. Let us see which grow into men and women. Rest now king."
The light faded.
Fire had done its work.
Chapter 9 – The Gates Of Faith
The people waited.
When the king did not return, something far worse followed. Their borrowed power faded.
Magic that once answered their call fell silent. Sigil burned cold.
Fear crept in where arrogance once lived.
When the people returned to their homes only to find ashes.
Families are gone. Cities erased.
Rage replaced grief, yet they were powerless – no knowledge of where kings had fled.
After 3 hours, twenty survivors reached the far edge of the land.
Among people, spies hid – men ready to die for their rulers.
They slipped away and followed hidden paths guided by light meant only for those chosen.
At the edge of the region, one of the spies whispered, "why aren't you using magic? We are at the border."
The Kings turned sharply.
"How do you know this place?" One demanded.
The spy bowed.
"You sent word by eagle. You told us to gather, follow the light and come."
A king's face hardened.
"And the guard?"
The spy hesitated.
"There were none, my Lord."
Before another word could be spoken –
Gunfire.
The spies collapsed instantly. Bullets froze in mid air, suspended inches from the kings.
Draviel stepped forward, his voice calm, unyielding.
"You were the ones who built the temple of many tongues," he said. "Nine kings. Nine faiths. Hungry for power that never ends."
His gaze sharpened.
"The organization that aided you now hides like rats. Yet you worms walk openly and continue kidnapping the innocent."
One king roared and raised his sword towards Draviel.
The blade never fell.
Serenya fired once.
The king's hand hit the ground before he screamed.
"You hide behind a woman?" The king spat.
"You are the inferior one."
Draviel answered without anger.
"Man and woman are made to stand together. Your people are here."
He and Serenya placed empty weapons into every king's hands.
They vanished.
The people of Halrion surrounded the fallen rulers.
"You destroyed our homes," One voice cried. "You murdered our families."
The crowd erupted.
The kings were dragged down. Legs severed. Bodies bound to horses.
They were dragged across the land they once ruled until they begged. No mercy was given.
Draviel and serenya returned with food, clothes and shelter for survivors.
"We will stay," Draviel said, " until we know where your enemies fled."
That evening, Serenya began shaping new homes with her magic – but the people stopped her.
"Let us build our homes with our own hands," they said. "We will pay for what we need."
Serenya smiled. "Then show me what you wish the land would become."
For Two weeks, they rebuilt.
By the time they finished, Draviel's third song lived in the hearts of Halrion's people.
When the work was done,Draviel and Serenya departed.
Five of the people Draviel had saved took different paths.
They traveled toward the temple of fire – carrying knowledge meant to betray him.
Chapter 10 – Temple Of Fire
The five survivors walked through the city that was surrounded by a temple of fire.
Beggars lined the streets – bodies reduced to skin and bone, veins dark where blood had been drained. Mothers clutched infants who were no more than hollow shells, their cries too weak to echo. Old men worked like beasts, knowing that rest meant death – not only for them, but for children watching them.
Guards seized the five without warning.
"You arrived at the perfect time." One guard sneered.
They were struck unconscious and dragged before the priest and sages. When their eyes opened, the ritual was already underway. They were bound at the center of burning sigil, used as living conduits.
Four towering silhouettes formed in the air.
God 0 spoke first, voice empty of warmth.
"Why do you summon us,low creatures? We have no followers. We work by different rules."
A mid ranking hellfire leader fell to his knees.
"You are servants of our Lord Satan – yet you abandoned us during the temple of many tongues."
God 3 laughed.
"Satan? That singer? Pathetic."
God 6 sneered.
"Did he ever claim us as his servants or did you simply assume only he was powerful?"
God 9's voice cracked like a blade.
"We warned you. Even now, your lives end within 2 hours. When the gate opens, death follows, and when Draviel learns the truth of the four books, tell him that I will kill you myself."
The Gods vanished. The four living conduits died, the last one was in pain.
The kings of Halrion once dragged and slain by people – stepped forward.
"Where are you from?" One demanded.
"Halrion." The captive replied.
The king trembled.
"Tighten the security… we may not survive again."
The Hellfire leader scoffed.
"We are immortal. Nothing can kill us"
On the surface, a woman quietly distributed food among the starving. Guards moved to strike her.
Reality split.
Draviel and Serenya appeared between blade and flesh.
Draviel's gaze alone froze the guards.
"Are you truly afraid of the people who are not in their best condition and they can't even use magic?"
Serenya moved first – guard fell.
They advanced towards the golden church.
Priests loyal to wealth and power surrounded them, dragging innocent forwards.
"Take one step," a priest shouted. "And my Lord will kill them for their sins!"
Draviel nodded to Serenya.
She shaped a key from the spell craft itself, unlocking the vaults below. People flesh as chains snapped and doors fell open.
Draviel faced the priest calmly.
"As long as one repents sincerely, God forgives. Grace has no limit."
Then he sealed the door as soon as he entered the door with Serenya.
Serenya turned invisible under his spell.
"Watch me. Do not interfere," he whispered.
Chains erupted from the ground, binding those who tried to flee, others stood frozen in terror. The kings gathered their strength, forming a massive flame and hurled it towards Draviel.
It never touched him.
Draviel stood unmoved.
"These forms you worship are not God's," he said. "They are not servants of your Lord either. Lucifer was their first victim. Through him, all of you were betrayed."
Fear spread.
"God 0 wields words, God 3 steals power, God 6 devours, God 9 destroys. Together they rebelled against heaven itself and failed."
Some fell to their knees, others lost control of their bodies.
"You were marked," Draviel continued. "And you crossed lines even demons fear."
He opened the Book of Eldara.
Nothing remained.
Serenya stepped beside him, breath shaking. "So… it's over?"
Draviel shook his head.
"I wish I could say that."
He traced a green sigil upon her forehead.
"If I fall this mark will return you to our world."
Then they vanished – pulled into the realm of Gods 0,3,6 and 9, where souls screamed without end.
Chapter 11 – The First Gate Of 555
The sky beyond the gate burned gold, not with warmth but with judgment. Clouds drifted slowly. Fractured and torn, as if even the heavens hesitated to look remain whole. Above them, a black peacock spread its wings and crossed the firmament, its feather absorbing light rather than reflecting it.
Below lay the regions of the dead.
Each domain held ten million souls, locked in endless conflict even after death. Rulers battled for dominance, armies clashed without blood and screams echoed without lungs. These were not peaceful afterlives – these were harvested realms, ruled by hatred, hierarchy and forgotten promises.
Some souls here were victims – dragged into this place by wicked hands. Others had arrived willingly – proud of the laws they shattered, defiant even in death.
And above all of it, unseen yet absolute, loomed the authority of Gods 0,3,6 and 9 – who despised everything the true god loved.
There existed one region they cherished the most.
A place where souls who crossed every divine law were gathered – not to be punished, but to be preserved.
Draviel and Serenya stepped through the gate.
Serenya still bore the concealment spell Draviel had placed upon her. To mortal eyes she did not exist. To Gods, she was seen clearly – but they chose silence.
The air here was heavy.
Souls screamed without mouths. Some were pitch black, cracked like burnt stone. Others were pale and hollow, stripped of memory. A few still glowed faintly white – fading, resisting.
Draviel alone stood unchanged. Flesh, color, breath.
A ruler of the region emerged – his form colossal, crowned with chains of souls. Rage twisted his face as he hurled his hand towards Draviel.
The strike never reached him.
The limb shattered mid air, torn apart by faith alone.
The ruler screamed and others recoiled.
Fear spread.
"Why are you here?" The ruler demanded, his voice shaking.
"To relocate you," Draviel replied calmly.
Laughter erupted – mad, echoing, desperate.
"Relocate us?" The ruler sneered. "Do you mean this region or free us entirely from them?"
He gestured upward.
Draviel turned to gathered souls.
"Do you want freedom?"
Silence.
Then – one voice.
"Yes."
Another.
"Yes."
Thousands followed.
Rage consumed the rulers.
"We suffered to earn this place!" They roared. "Our struggle means nothing to you?"
He raised his hands and began to pray.
"To the Father,
Who sees all. For the innocent slain, for the lines crossed knowingly and without regret – let the guilty taste the pain they inflicted. Return what was stolen. Free what was never theirs.
Amen.
The cages shattered.
Souls vanished like breath in winter.
Light surged upward. Darkness collapsed inward.
Serenya felt warmth return to their body – until her gaze locked onto a figure standing apart.
A man stared at his own hands.
Dark. Scarred. Trembling.
"Who are you?" Serenya asked.
No response.
Draviel froze.
"... you."
The figure looked up.
"Been here for minutes," he said calmly. "Took you long enough."
The crown man.
The air split.
Gods 0,3,6 and 9 descended in humanoid form, their presence bending reality.
God 0 spoke first.
"He is you. From what remains of your future."
God 6 sneered.
"God denied us His prophet – but gifted you instead and still, He will abandon you."
God 9 smiled.
"We tried to stop you. Greed won."
God 3 stepped forward and snapped his fingers.
The mark on Serenya shattered.
She collapsed – visible.
The crown man watched, amused.
"In the end," he said softly, "you become a monster like us. Join us."
Draviel didn't hesitate.
"The only strength I borrow is from my Lord. If He stands against me with a sword, I will face Him with mine, and if the most righteous man comes to take me – I will welcome him."
God 9 laughed.
"I like you. I want to tear you apart – but our goal would fail."
Draviel met his gaze.
"I will free you from the true god in the end."
The Crown Man laughed harder.
"Then start small," he said. "Free the dwarves beneath this ground."
The world folded.
Stone replaced sky.
Fire replaced air.
They fell into dwarven halls.
The next gate awaited.
Chapter 12 – The Dwarven Halls
The dwarven halls lay buried beneath a cathedral of stone and fire.
What once had been a church now served as a forge of damnation – its foundation carved deep into the ribs of a living volcano. Rivers of molten rock pulsed behind cracked walls, breathing heat like a wounded beast. The air itself tasted of iron, ash and prayer twisted into blasphemy.
Here labored the dwarves.
Not living, not dead.
Ancient smiths – once legends – now bound by chains of will forged by Gods 0,3,6 and 9. Their hammer rang endlessly against anvils etched with the sigil of violence. Every strike shaped weapons destined for hellfire, the order of Nine Angles and those who fed on bloodshed. Each blow was accompanied by forced prayer – unholy chants spoken beneath a broken cross, mouths moving while faith had long since been flayed from their souls.
This was where Draviel and Serenya arrived.
The heat struck first – merciless, suffocating. The stone beneath their feet glowed faintly red. Even breathing demanded effort.
They paused.
Serenya wiped sweat from her brow, her voice tight.
"You have the book, why not end this quickly and leave?"
Draviel didn't look away from the Halls.
"This will end soon. But ask the real questions you've been holding."
She hesitated. Then spoke.
"When they said you will fall and face God in your wicked form, why didn't you say you would confess instead of fighting him?"
Draviel exhaled slowly.
"I fell because I followed my desires and mistook them for purpose. My faith broke and only by standing against him I saw the truth again." He glanced at her. "Confession is a battle when faith still lives."
Serenya absorbed that in silence before asking again. Quieter now.
"Why didn't those Gods attack me?"
Draviel's tone hardened.
"To plant pride. To make you believe you could destroy them," he turned fully toward her. "They have broken angels and kings the same way. Only faith resists them. Power never does."
Her fist clenched.
"Then why are innocent souls here?"
"Sealing spell," Draviel answered. "The same kind used in Khared-Tem souls bound here to serve a lie."
"And sacrifices?" She asked.
He shook his head.
"Gods don't gain power from souls. Their followers do."
A presence shifted.
Draviel spoke without turning.
"How long will you listen from the shadows, crown man?"
A pressure like a collapsing sky answered.
The crown man emerges – silent,effortless and leaned casually against Serenya, resting his head on her shoulder as if the world were his throne. Her body locked. Thought vanished. Fear crushed her lungs. She could neither strike or flee.
Draviel stepped forward.
"Give me the pages you stole from the four books. I'll grant you the same limits as the others."
For a moment,silence.
Then the crown man laughed softly and placed the pages into Draviel's hand.
"I thought you'd draw your sword," He smiled. "I'll be watching you."
Blood traced from Serenya's nose as her strength collapsed.
Draviel caught her before she hit the stone.
Hours later, she woke up to the sound of fire.
Draviel sat beside her.
"I was afraid," he admitted. "That's why I pulled you into this. I'm sorry."
She scoffed.
"I knew you were a scaredy cat the moment we met." Then softer. "So how do we leave?"
Draviel rose.
"The cross."
They stood before it.
Draviel crossed his arms and prayed.
"Let the workers see the truth. Let them know who they serve."
The world screamed.
The stone melted into revelation. The church peeled apart, reforming into a vast palace suspended over motion void. Above them coiled a five headed crimson dragon, its claw threaded with glowing string – each line binding a dwarf below like a puppet.
Thirty thousand souls labored in silence.
The air stopped moving.
Serenya's hand flew across the parchment as light erupted from her words.
"I love the Father Yahweh ,The son Yeshua, the Holy Spirit. Destroy this place. Bring them to judgment."
Reality shattered.
The realm of Gods 0,3,6 and 9 collapsed into nothingness. Other Gods recoiled. Fear rippled across dimensions.
The chains fell.
The dwarves were free.
Draviel and Serenya returned to the basement – alive,shaking.
"Do you hate me?" Draviel asked.
"No," Serenya said. "You didn't condemn them. You delivered them."
They left the land of the temple of fire and made camp beneath quiet trees – no enemies, no chants, only the crackle of flame and the weight of what they had undone.
The night watched them.