The cold dead air within the throne room immediately hit Clyde, Gadius, Ogrin, Alicia, and Heinrich as soon as the large doors opened. Clyde visibly shivered upon feeling the deathly chill. His green eyes immediately darted to the throne. The gaze of the prince falling upon the one who sat upon it. The Lich King Girzem himself.

  His empty blue eyes already locking onto Clyde, a stoic expression upon his pale skinned face. Long grey hair sat still upon his scalp, no luster within the locks of the lich, his pointed ears sticking out from the sides of it. The armor he wore over everything beneath his neck was a silver color with blue accents. And in his left hand was the pommel of his dark blade, a legendary greatsword known as the Undead Goddess' Soul.

  Girzem shifted slightly in his throne, in his right hand was a large red gemstone. His armored fingers ran over the gem. Soon, his lips would part, the cold voice of the Lich King addressing Clyde, "Monar's Child. The Crown Prince. I received your letter for discussion. And, given recent circumstances I heard of, I understand what about." Clyde felt chill sweat run down his forehead. The young boy wiped his brow and stepped closer to Girzem's throne.

  "Lich King Girzem, I am here to request the return of that gem." Clyde stated, his eyes and Girzem's still locked onto the other. Girzem narrowed his eyes. "You know of the nature this object has yes. A body part of a forgotten god." The lich stated. Clyde quickly parted his lips, "How do you know of its nature?" Girzem stood, looking down on Clyde. "My goddess told me. As avatar of the Necromancy Goddess, Nethrill, she told me of its origin. So, is it not more beneficial to keep these body parts separate? Is it not wise to prevent the corpse pieces of the Dread Marlixus away from each other?" Girzem proclaimed to Clyde.

  "But surely you have also heard one of the knights of Formido is walking across Dragon's Heart." Clyde retorted. Girzem stepped closer, dropping the Undead Goddess' Soul from his left hand. "I have. But what power does a ressurected corpse from Formido have compared to the Lich King and the might of the Goddess of Necromancy. Naught any at all." Girzem said with a firm voice. Clyde stepped forward in turn, "Has it never occurred to you that whatever power the ressurected Maurum Vex may possibly have given him the power to ensure the means to his end!?"

  "Perhaps, however you fail to realize if we returned these to the Monar, they would all lurk in one location!" Girzem snapped back at the young prince. Immediately Clyde clenched his fists, "Yes but we would have the backing of an entire army against Maurum! And, if we form an alliance, you can still stop Maurum in another way." Girzem exhaled, dead breath blowing through the air. Then, another voice joined the conversation, an ethereal womanly voice, "An alliance? Yet, what of Maurum would justify such a notion." The Roundtable Knights who remained silent the entire time looking for the source.

  Then, a glowing green projection manifested besides Girzem, a woman with a long cloth around her waist and skeletal armor around her torso. Long black hair cascading down her entire back and empty white eyes on her face. The Goddess of Necromancy, Nethrill, in an ethereal display of her form. Clyde's eyes widened at the sight of the deity. "Frankly the idea a mortal brought to life could threaten anything related to I is simply hilarious boy." Nethrill stated matter of factly. Clyde was shaken by a presence like Nethrill's, however he needed to retrieve the gem to prevent Maurum from having it.

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  "Stopping Maurum from getting the gem is important. And what would be harder for him to reach it through, an army, or a single lich." The prince stated. Girzem opened his dead lips, "That is only if Maurum has some greater power to him. If not, stopping him will be child's play-" Suddenly, the gem was pulled from Girzem's right hand by an invisible force, a familiar voice for Clyde and the Roundtable Knights rang out, cryptic in nature, "Such a cute discussion." Then, from thin air, Maurum Vex appeared. In his hand, an empty bottle for an invisibility potion. The familiar armor before them immediately getting the knights to draw their weapons.

  Girzem called the Undead Goddess' Soul to his left hand, the ethereal projection of Nethrill turning to Maurum. "WHAT INSOLENCE IS THIS!?!" The Lich King yelled towards Maurum. The knight let out a dry laugh before inspecting the gem. "Well, simply put, it was a potion. Now, I have two. And halfway through the process of collecting my master's body parts. The Heart of Marlixus, and the Right Eyegem of Marlixus are in my possession."

  Clyde ran at Maurum, "Unhand that now, Vex!" Maurum swiftly kicked Clyde in the gut, immediately making Gadius rush at Maurum. Then, black mist with crackling red and orange energy seeped from Maurum's helm, displacing the stones on the ground, blocking Gadius. "What is this." Gadius stated. Maurum began to walk away as if it was a normal day, "The Mists of Calamity, the power my master granted me to ensure his ressurection. The revived knight put the eyegem into a pouch on his armor.

  Girzem teleported behind Maurum, swinging the Undead Goddess' Soul at Maurum's head. Immediately the knight blocked it with the silver longsword on his back. "Necro Pari-" Girzem began to cast, however Maurum immediately grabbed the Lich King's jaw. "Ignis Stream." Maurum said in a cold tone, a stream of flames propelling Girzem into his throne. The Roundtable Knights all aimed attacks at Maurum at once, but using the mist coming from his helm, the stones the made the castle blocked them off from Maurum.

  Nethrill stood still, rage bubbling on her projection. "Girzem! That was pathetic! You let him take it so easily!" The goddess shrieked. Clyde held his gut, looking at Nethrill, "Considering that alliance now?" Nethrill glared, before sighing. "Maurum Vex holds half the pieces of Marlixus. And after that pathetic display, I suppose you need all the possible help. Girzem, send word the Dilapi Kingdom shall ally with the Monar." Nethrill said.

  Girzem nodded at the last part of Nethrill's statement. Getting up to write a letter. Clyde looked to the Roundtable Knights. "That was pathetic." Gadius said. Ogrin glanced around, "In every conceivable way, yes." Alicia traced her fingers over the crystal in her staff. "And now half the pieces are in that creatures possession." Heinrich rubbed his eyes, not chipping in his own statement about how that went, rather looking to Clyde.

  "My prince, we must leave immediately. Arrival at the Monster Kingdom as we planned to go after Dilapi must be achieved as soon as possible. Maurum cannot be allowed to win this race of sorts." Heinrich told Clyde, the prince visibly agreeing. As the five walked out of the castle, something in the back of Clyde's mind told him that maybe he would find Maurum on his way out, but never did he. Maurum was already gone.

  Now, the group needed to reach their next destination immediately. Lest Maurum Vex achieve his mission.