"Couldn't you have told me about Nanahuatl Village sooner? I thought that we were closer than 'Blood Brothers'? So what happened here?"
"Before everything else, let's head into my chamber of knowledge. It can't be compared to the infinite chamber inside your house but it's still big enough for our talk."
Darius waved his hand and the wall started shifting downwards. He went inside and motioned for Smoke to step in as well. Smoke kept silent and followed him with a furrowed brow.
"So, we're inside now. You better start spilling the beans on everything."
"Right, first let's step into the casting circle. Well what do you want to hear first? The sixth token or about the Beggar job? I'm guessing the Beggar job right?"
"Heck no, I want to hear about Nanahuatl Village. What happened here? What happened to Kumbaba? From the book I could tell that he also had the job of a Beggar."
"Alright, I'll tell you all about Nanahuatl Village. From the book's acquired knowledge you now know about the 'Repository of Overflowing Power' right?"
"Yeah. I'm also curious about that one. What's inside that mine anyway?"
"Do you remember the 'Vitalis' stones that the Lizardites were mining in Condortl? Well that stone is nothing compared to the essence diamonds inside that mine. Deep inside the coal mines are an endless supply of mana rich essence diamonds. Their colors vary from white, pink, champagne, yellow, blue, green, brown, grey, black, and purple. Each of these essence diamonds hold tremendous power."
Darius stopped his narration as his eyes started to stare into the far off distance. The chamber of knowledge was filled with bright lights and images.
Instantaneously, Smoke and Darius were standing in front of the fountain in the center of Nanahuatl Village. However the village looked brand new. There were plenty of smiling people. This looked like Nanahuatl Village in its prime. Smoke thought that they were transported into the past.
"These things are not real. These are just images from the past. This is what Nanahuatl Village used to look like. You see that man sitting at the porch in front of your house? That's Kumbaba. As you can see he's a Darkelf like you. These were the peaceful days of Nanahuatl Village. Fishermen would go out to the rivers and seas for days. When they return we would always celebrate by having a Village Feast with their bountiful catch. Farmers would hold festivals every harvest time. This was all Kumbaba's doing. He equipped each resident of Nanahuatl with the knowledge to pursue their passion."
Once again, Darius stopped his narration. Another torrent of bright lights transformed the chamber of knowledge. This time they were in some plain. Smoke saw two men. One was Kumbaba while the other one looked like his younger version.
"That young man is called Giro. He is Kumbaba's son."
Giro then started to make wide motions with both his hands and feet. He looked like he was executing some sort of martial arts kata.
The clear sky started to grow dark and was filled with cumulonimbus clouds. At the end of his performance. A gigantic water dragon appeared from the gathered clouds.
Just a few seconds later the ground started to rumble. This time an earth dragon emerged from the plains creating a huge gorge around the father and son.
The two dragons started to clash. Their bodies were intertwining. They were flying in the sky creating many forms and shapes. Until finally their bodies settled into a perfect circle.
Slowly the intertwined bodies of the two dragons descended. Their bodies filled the gorge with water and earth. Then a flash of light enveloped their bodies. Trees started to rapidly grow out of the gorge. The trees started to spread outward. Leaving the circle where the father and son stood unaffected.
"Giro, was very talented. He almost came close to my level. If I were to rank us it would be Kumbaba, Myself, Rendah, Giro, Demutig, Aiden, and then Humilde. Yeah, that Humilde often neglects her practice. Oh, sorry for spacing out there. Anyway, Kumbaba often took Giro out and trained with him. As the years passed his thirst for power grew out of control. While exploring their house. Giro found Kumbaba's copy of 'The Enigmatic Village of Nanahuatl'. He quickly headed for the coal mines. At first he couldn't find the entrance to the chamber that led to the barrier."
While Darius was talking the blurring lights started to show the insides of the coal mine. They were taken into a cavern that was much bigger than the one that the murlocks and lamias were using as their hideout. At the center of the cavern was an enormous cube like barrier and beside it stood a pedestal with a small wooden carving of a Darkelf squatting on top.
"Giro kept on attacking the barrier but it didn't leave any dent. He stubbornly continued attacking the barrier in secret. After about a month of fruitlessness. He came back with his father's sword 'Cylindratis'. This sword was made from the claws of the great god Cuezaltzin."
Smoke saw Giro pouring all of his mana into the Cylindratis. Forcefully he pushed the sword into the barrier. Slowly the barrier started to give. Small cracks started to appear.
As Giro took out Cylindratis from the barrier, a yellow essence diamond was found on its tip. The yellow essence diamond was about the size of a pebble. He quickly grabbed the essence diamond and absorbed its power.
Giro then discarded the empty essence diamond that had turned to a stone that looked closely like coal.
Bolts of lightning started to surround his body. He immediately felt the power surge within him. He tried moving and was shocked to see that he was as fast as the Magical Templars if not faster.
He picked up a boulder at least 10 times his size with ease. He thought that maybe he was stronger than a Gigantes. Giro was so enamored with his new found powers that he failed to see that his father was standing behind him.
"Giro, What have you done?!"
"Papa, I just wanted to be strong like you. Now I can become one of the protectors. If you still won't accept me. I could travel the world and help the weak and the oppressed. But I still need more power. I just need one more essence diamond or maybe two. Just to be sure that no one would be able to defeat me."
"You’ve been corrupted! You've become drunk with power. Can't you see what that essence diamond has done to you?"
"No, you're wrong! I'm still in complete control of myself. Ahh... I get it. You're jealous of me. You're jealous that your own son has become stronger than you."
"See?! You're even making such an insane accusation. Giro, please listen to me. It's not too late. We can ask for help from the Guardias de Tiempo. I'm sure they can do something."
"You just want to get rid of my power! I was right you're jealous that I'm now stronger than you. But you don't have to worry Papa. I'll show you that I'm still in control."
Giro teleported in front of Kumbaba and held his Cylindratis inches from his neck.
"Do you understand Papa? I'm in complete control! If I wasn't I would've sliced off your neck."
"You're the one who doesn't understand. If you were really in control then you wouldn't have pointed my sword against me. Please, I don't want to hurt you."
"You still think that you can hurt me? You still think that you're stronger than me?"
Giro steps back and sheaths Cylindratis.
"Go ahead. I'd like to see you try."
"I told you. I don't want to hurt you. Now, come on. Let's go get you cured."
Lightning enveloped Giro's whole body. He started to move but even before he could disappear his father's fist came out of nowhere and punched him so hard that he was blown against wall of the mines.
The impact was so strong that the mines began to tremble. Kumbaba waved his hands and the shafts inside the mines stabilized.
He didn't want to do it but he knew that if Giro wasn't knocked out he wouldn't go with him to the Guardias de Tiempo.
Kumbaba made some hand seals and the ground that they were standing on flattened. Next a circle appeared with magical rune encryption. The encryption read 'Adversus Aeternus Praesas'.
He then carried Giro on his back. Both of them were teleported to the address indicated in the casting circle. The temple of 'Aeternus Praesas' the medical temple of the Guardias de Tiempo.
Suddenly Darius' chamber of knowledge was filled with total darkness. Smoke immediately looked at Darius.
"What happened to Kumbaba and Giro? Why is it suddenly pitch black?"
"The Guardias' temple is beyond my chamber's reach. I'll just tell you what I know about what happened there. Kumbaba was reprimanded by the Guardias. His request for healing Giro was denied. Instead, they asked him to kill Giro."
"What?! I thought the Guardias were good guys? Can't they just heal Giro instead?"
"The Guardias only see things in black and white. If you've committed a crime then you deserved to be punished. Their penalty for taking an essence diamond is death."
"Don't tell me that Kumbaba followed their orders? He's still Giro's dad."
The chamber of knowledge began to be filled with brilliant lights once more. It showed them a dismal barren land, as far as the eye can see.
"No, he didn't he took Giro and banished him to the far off continent of Daemonestl. It was the continent of Devils and Demons. He placed the strongest illusionary spell on Giro so that the Guardias cannot find him. Afterward, Kumbaba came back to Nanahuatl. He was not quite the same after that incident. His usual happy face became sullen. Sure, he still managed to smile now and then but people could clearly see that it wasn't a smile that came from his heart."
"Wow, that's so tragic. But that still doesn't explain what happened here. Didn't Kumbaba restore the barrier?"
The chamber's dazzling lights took them back inside the coal mines once more. They were standing in front of the barrier. This time a large red devil with black wings was standing in front of the barrier.
The devil took out a Khmali sword bursting with miasma. The sword looks like it was made of a thousand devil horns. The devil let out his mana and lightning started to envelop his body. He transferred his gathered mana to the Khmali sword and lunged it into the barrier.
The sword was starting to make some dent when Kumbaba's Cylindratis broke the Khmali sword in half. Reflexively the red devil flew a hundred meters backwards.
"Nice to see you again, Papa."
"No... You can't be... Giro?! What did you do to yourself?"
"What did you expect? You left me in Daemonestl for the last 20 years. That place has nothing but wretched monsters. I .... ate what I could eat and now I've become the Emperor of that dejected continent."
"I'm so sorry. I wanted to help you. But removing the corruption of the essence diamond was beyond my power. Now, I think I understand why the Guardias wanted me to kill you. It would have prevented you from becoming like this."
"What?! You're not proud of what your son has become? I'm now an Emperor just like you Papa. Even if you neglected your duties to become a protector of the Repository, you are still their Imperator."
"I see that it's too late. I'm so sorry my son. I promise that once I take your life I will follow you into the next world."
"Papa, please... The only one dying here today is you. Did you really think I would come back here without some sort of plan? I know that you're still stronger than me. However, I've met a special type of demon in Daemonestl. They are called smoke imps. Let me introduce them to you."
Giro snapped his fingers and at once thousands of tiny black smoke imps appeared out of nowhere. The tiny monsters had surrounded Kumbaba. The black smoke imps were discharging some sort of smoke. Filling the mines with their smog like black fog.
"If your wondering if I teleported them here. Well, let me tell you that I still don't have your power of mass teleportation. I ordered these crafty little demons to come here before me. They were just hiding in the shadows of the mines. They are far from strong but their abilities make up for their weakness. For example, you weren't able to detect them at all right? They have perfect stealth. If they don't want to be seen or felt you will never know that they are there."
"So, you've become a lecturer during your stay in Daemonestl. Sadly, the time's up. I would really love to hear your voice again but not this diabolic sound coming out of your mouth. Farewell, my son."
Kumbaba activated his instant movement ability but nothing happened. He was just standing in the same spot. He started to run towards Giro but found that even his movement speed was drastically decreased.
"Papa, you should have waited for me to finish my lecture about the black smoke imps. You see, only the black smoke imps can move freely inside their fog. Even your special abilities are disabled. Although their attack power is only that of a middle level demon but inside their realm that is more than enough to kill you."
