Everything is blurry. He feels a huge pain in his head and he can’t move or speak.

What happened earlier? Florentino thought, and where am I?

Florentino can hear faint whispers and screams from the distance.

He feels like he’s being dragged on the ground. His vision is now getting clearer and he sees he’s being dragged by two men in dark robes.

Who are these clowns?

A few moments later, Florentino heard a metal door opening.

“Let’s leave him here for a while,” one of Florentino’s captors said.

“Fine, the high priest will be here later anyway.”

The two men in dark robes exit the cell, leaving Florentino lying on the ground.

A few moments went by and the footsteps have died out in the distance, leaving only the faint screaming.

My head hurts, Florentino thought as he tries to get up.

He then observes his cell. The place looks like it has been abandoned for years. Cobwebs in the ceilings, old bones from what looks like a demibeast’s.

They took my greatbow but it seems like they don’t know about my crossbow… I have to get out of here.

Florentino walks towards the cell door.

Locked… and sturdy. I won’t be able to force my way out of here.

The High Priest

Suddenly, Florentino can hear footsteps approaching his direction. He readies himself only using his fists, he’ll save his crossbow for later.

I don’t know how many bolts I have left.

The two men in dark robes from earlier appeared, along with an old man wearing a white robe.

He must be the high priest the two are talking about.

“Ah, so you’re the one who’s been investigating Treant Forest,” the High Priest said, “welcome, Florentino Ibarra.”

“You know my name but I don’t know yours.”

“Does it matter?”

“How else would I be able to find you when I get out of here.”

The High Priest approaches Florentino. They are now inches away from each other, only the cell bars are keeping them apart.

“Who says you’ll be able to get out of here?”

Suddenly, Florentino felt a surge of magic in his body. He can’t move.

Damn wizard!

A Few Beatings

“You two,” the High Priest said to the two dark-robed men behind him, “take good care of our… guest here.”

“Yes, High Priest.” The two exclaimed. One of the dark-robed men open Florentino’s cell door and they both went inside.

This will not go well…

Just as Florentino thought, the two brings out their iron mace and started hitting him.

“Gah!” Florentino cried.

Despite the armour made from refining and enhancing a Dim Tree armour, it didn’t offer much help to lessen the pain from being hit with a mere iron mace.

Are they using strength-enhancing potions?!

Florentino wailed continuously.

“I think that’s enough,” one of the dark-robed men said.

The other dark-robed man is still panting, “agreed.”

“Look at him, poor sod. What do you think the High Priest have in mind?”

“I don’t know, let’s just call it a day, I’m tired.”

The two dark-robed men exit the cell and locked the cell door, leaving behind Florentino still lying on the ground.

A Few Weeks Later

The following day, the two dark-robed men returns.

“Hello, Ibarra,” one of the dark-robed men said, “you know what time it is.”

“For you to let me go?”

“Very funny… but no…”

“Happy daysary, Ibarra.”

The two continued beating Florentino. After a few hours, they stopped and left Florentino on the ground. This continues for weeks.

Weeks went by since Florentino’s capture.

Time to Strike

Florentino looks pale, almost on the verge of death. He is breathing heavily and his having a hard time focusing his vision, everything is a blur to him.

Suddenly, footsteps can be heard from the distance.

Who’s there?

“H-he… hel…” Florentino tries to cry for help but to no avail.

Florentino heard someone speaking but all he heard are muffled noises, he can only see a dark and blurry figure in front of him.

Oh… it’s them…

Slowly, Florentino feels a little better and his vision is getting clearer. What he sees now is the dark-robed man from before, standing in front of him with his mace in hand, ready to strike, while the other robed man is standing behind him.

“Hello, Florentino,” the dark-robed man in front of Florentino said, “I think you didn’t hear me earlier. I said happy monthsary”

Florentino tries to speak, “G-go… to…”

“You’re trying to talk? What are you trying to tell me?”

Go to hell…

“You know you have to speak up if you’re trying to say something.”

The two dark-robed men laugh.

“How about we continue where we last stopped?”

Not a chance!

“GAH!” The two dark-robed men cried.

Without warning, Florentino lashes out with his ra’ghon. Killing the two dark-robed men.

“Damn you…”

Still breathing heavily, Florentino tries to calm himself down. He closes his eyes and tries to clear his mind.

With a couple of deep breaths, Florentino finally calms down. He is no longer clenching his right fist.

I have to get out of here.

Find a Way Out

I have to get the hell out of here.

With crossbow armed and ready, Florentino starts walking the corridor.

Countless screaming can be heard in all directions.

Why would anyone do this? What is this place anyway?

Suddenly, Florentino heard someone talking in the distance. He then tries to sneak his way to the source of the voices.

“We’ve already failed countless times!” A male voice said.

“It doesn’t matter, we must push on.” Another male voice said.

“But sir! We’ve already used too many people as sacrifices, yet we’ve failed every time we-“

“Take him away!”

“What? You can’t do this! Unhand me!”

Florentino heard someone struggling and many metal objects started hitting the ground.

“Sir,” a third male voice said, “you’re needed at Serendia, the High Priest has another task for you.”

“Understood, let’s go.”

Many footsteps soon follow, then fades as they go further.

Failed Kzarka Summon

Florentino checks if the coast is clear on the room he heard the voices from. Once he confirms that there’s no one on the other room, he sneaks his way there.

As Florentino sneaks his way to the other room, he smells something foul, and as he went closer, the stench smells fouler.

What the hell is that smell? It’s as if someone died.

And true to what Florentino thought, it is a smell of someone… or something decaying.

God! It’s that thing that smells?

What Florentino sees is a gigantic, deformed and decaying corpse. Something so massive, with large tentacle-like things on its head. Its face is truly that of a monster, like a dragon or a demon or something else entirely.

Some tentacle-like things are sprouting out on the floor as well.

Oh no… Kzarka!?

Florentino’s eyes went wide open as he now realizes what is happening. He’s at the abandoned Calpheon Shrine, also known as the Kzarka Shrine.

So much for being an “abandoned” shrine. These… cultists are trying to summon Kzarka!

One Way Out

I have to get out of here and inform the Kalis Council.

Suddenly, Florentino heard footsteps coming from behind him. He quickly but silently runs to the hallway, away from the footsteps.

Florentino is now in the dungeon where some of the captives are being held. He can feel the wind blowing from there, he’s close to the exit. The only problem is, his way out is blocked by cultists.

With the footsteps from behind getting closer and the cultists at the front, he knows there’s only one way to go.

Florentino reveals himself and readies his crossbow. The cultists saw him and are preparing to attack.

“How did you get out of your cell?” One of the cultists said.

Florentino grinned, “None of your business.”

The cultists all charged at Florentino with their iron maces at hand.

Florentino aims his crossbow at the cultists and started firing crossbow bolts at them. He then charges at the cultists and with his ra’ghon, slices through them.

With the last of the cultists in the room now lying on the floor motionless, Florentino made his way to the holding cell. He looks at the pale and malnourished prisoners, their eyes show that they’re done living and are now waiting for their deaths.

These people are being sacrificed to summon Kzarka?

One of the prisoners close to Florentino looks at him, the prisoner’s eyes are lifeless like the rest, he tries to move his lips.

“Please… kill… us…” the prisoner said.

“What did you say?”

“Kill… us… please…”

“I can’t do that!”

“You… must… please… we don’t… want… to be consumed… by… their magic… by Kzarka…”

Several footsteps are coming from where Florentino came from. He then screams furiously out of frustration.

Scarred

Florentino finally made his way outside. The sun’s light is too much for his eyes that have adapted in a dim-lit area for a long time. He then looks up and took a deep breath.

“I can finally go home… I have to also warn the Kalis Parliament…”

Florentino then starts walking, leaving a trail of blood coming from his right hand, where his ra’ghon is placed.