Chapter 81 — THE TEMPLE OF FLAMES.

Around the second day of the new year, Ethan and Alrond set off on a journey to the Temple of Flames. It took almost a full day trip to the island on one of Ethan’s speed boats. The island was as exactly as Ethan had imagined. It was snow white, its trees and land were both covered with heavy snow so heavy that Ethan and Alrond had to struggle their way to get deeper and deeper into the island.

As they did, the huge monument appeared in front of them. A building of thick ancient walls, the aura it emitted was so powerful that it felt like a force was pushing them backwards almost as if warning them not to come closer.

“Ethan, you mustn’t go, I can step forward and continue the trail, nothing else would happen to you,” Alrond insisted, but Ethan refused, he wanted them to go in and out together and to face the trails together. Looking extremely worried, Alrond made sure Ethan was careful with every step in the way. Alrond also kept checking for traps along the way, but found none. It was almost like the Temple of Flames was ready to welcome people to their death, o there was no point in having bobby traps.

Suddenly, while they entered the building, they come across the courtyard that blazed with blue flames. Alrond and Ethan could already feel the heat from the blue flames, the heat was so much even as they were standing far away that they both had to remove their thick jackets.

“Ethan you cannot withstand such heat, you are weak,” Alrond warned.

“I am not weak Alrond, I cannot let you go on alone. What sort of brother will I be if I did?” Ethan asked.

Alrond sighed, “I am just worried about you.”

Ethan furrowed his eyebrows, then he reached out a hand to caress Alrond’s cheeks.

“You know fully well that you cannot stop me from doing anything I want, but I also get why you are concerned. I will have to make sure that you too pass the trail,” Ethan said.

“How will you do that with such a state?” Alrond asked.

Ethan smiled, bringing his hands down from Alrond’s cheeks, then pat his shoulders calmly.

“Let us just see,” he said.

As they took another step forward, the blue flames blazed even more. Almost like it had sensed Their arrival.

“Greetings young wolves, I am the guardian of the temple of flames, what do you seek at this hour?” A deep voice came from the walls of the building with no speaker.

Ethan immediately called out, “we are here to seek for information about the past events in Silverwood and what is to come.”

“Hmm, rare question. How pure your hearts are,” the voice said.

“Why so?” Alrond asked.

“I may be blind to seeing the heart desires of any creature, but I know one thing. Most come to ask for wealth, ways to make money, ways to acquire power and authority, ways to be invincible, but here you two are, asking for matters on the legendary Silverwood. A first indeed,” the voice said.

“What do we have to do to acquire such knowledge?” Ethan asked.

“Just two simple steps, bath in the flames of knowledge and offer a sacrifice to the dragon statue in the room beyond this one. That is all you need to do and you can ask only a maximum of three questions each,” the voice explained.

Ethan recalled Mara warning him about the sacrifice part, he worried so much that he might be asked something out of Amara that he would not be able to do.

“I don’t see the heart, but I can feel the strength in which one possess, and you by the right, is very weak, are you sure you want to move on?” the voice asked.

Ethan was indeed the wolf by the right, and all that the voice said was indeed true, but Ethan wasn’t ready to give up. He took a step forward, “I am more than ready.”

Alrond didn’t like that even the voice could sense his brother’s vulnerability. It pained him so much to see that take place.

Within minutes, the voice disappeared completely and the two brothers took a deep breath before taking off their clothes. Alrond turned to Ethan one last time. “Are you sure you want to go on?”

Ethan nodded, “sure, I have to. If I do, then we get to asked ix questions today.”

Alrond said nothing else again as they both enter the blue flame. This trial took two hours until it was complete. The pain was unbearable, but Alrond being a strong Beta was able to manage. However, Ethan was not as lucky. He screamed in agony, his screams caused Alrond himself to loose focus on his own trail. He fumbled thought the flesh to find Ethan were he held onto him for as long as it took.

Once the trial was over, Ethan looked dreadful, almost about to pass out, but despite Alrond’s own injuries, he stepped forward to help Ethan, rubbing all the ailments he had prepared before they set on this journey.

Ethan told him to spare the remaining on his own self and brought out a gem from his pocket. That gem was the one he had bought for Amara. He then used its powers to ease his pains and heal the wounds of both him and Alrond. When Alrond saw this, he could not help but smile.

“Sometimes I forget just how incredible you are,” he said.

Ethan smiled weakly, “well yes, I just borrowed it from Amara for the meantime.”

They put on their clothes and went into the room the voice directed them to. Immediately they got into the room. They saw in front of them an altar and above the altar was the golden statue of a dragon.

“Congratulations on the trial, now that you are filled with the blue flame of knowledge you can proceed to take the two cards laid on the altar, on it would be the sacrifices you will have to make, one must not know what the other person sacrifice is. Then after that, you can ask your questions,” the voice appeared again and vanished almost immediately.

Ethan and Alrond did as they were told. They took they cards on the table. The two immediately looked at each other, Alrond looked more solemn, but he stayed quiet. Ethan however, gave a sigh of relief. He was to sacrifice a piece of Arcata on him, which was the gem of Reality. He immediately gave it up without Alrond’s notice. While Alrond slowly lit a candle and mouthed something to the altar.

Ethan wondered what his sacrifice was, but he wasn’t supposed to know as there were in there, so he waited patiently for it tor be over.

“Ethan Blackwood, First question?” the same voice asked.

Ethan cleared his throat, “Who is the rogue immortal?”

“You know him yourself. He is from the Zathkanan Palace Also known as your right hand man.”

As the voice said this, Ethan and Alrond looked at each other, their mind thinking the same thing.

“Nathan.”