Amostat's mood was up and down as he read about the astonishing 'god war' inscribed on the stone wall. When all was over, a touch of desolation crept into his heart.
In the last mural, the 'Death God' was gone, and so was the brave warrior, with his sword in hand and body riddled with wounds. Amostat guessed his ending; he too had perished in that battle.
In the mural, there was only Merlin left. He stood in front of the temple where Amostat was standing now. The direction of his gaze was towards the 'jellyfish' that had gradually disappeared since the sixth mural - just by looking at the line drawing of the character, Amostat could feel the heavy and melancholic atmosphere around Merlin.
Having seen the nine murals, Amostat stood in front of the towering stone wall, silent for a long time.
"The world is still intact... Is that what you mean, Mr. Gryffindor?"
After half an hour, Amostat raised his head again and looked at Mr. Gryffindor who was gazing at the lonely figure of Merlin standing in front of the temple, sighing softly.
Amostat probably understood that there was something existed on the ancient land, and the serious chain reaction caused by the war made that thing detached from the earth.
Recalling the continuous decline of the wizarding world for a thousand or two years, where wizards, once revered as gods by Muggles, have gradually fallen into despair and may even be killed by ordinary Muggles if they are not careful, Amostat had reason to believe that that thing was crucial to all wizards.
The nine murals finished telling about the awe-inspiring battle, but did not explain the aftermath of that war.
What about that witch... or rather, that 'death god'-like wizard? What was the outcome of his life? Was he killed by Merlin after his defeat?
Where did Merlin go? Could it be that this temple was Merlin's final residence, where he lived alone after relocating the Isle of Avalon to this hidden space, and finally disappeared into the annals of time?
Amostat gently shook his head, and focused his gaze on Mr. Gryffindor's face, which was adorned with a serious expression.
"Something must have happened later, right, Mr. Gryffindor?"
The reason for Amostat's suspicion was simple: it was evident that Mr. Gryffindor did not stumble upon this secret realm by accident. A thousand years ago, the four founders of Hogwarts must have known something tremendous and been plotting something together.
As soon as he emerged from the secret realm and used his own magical power, Mr. Gryffindor's shadow appeared in the chaotic sequence, indicating that such planning probably involved himself as well.
On the other side, the teacher of Ventiya, an ancestor of the druidic priesthood's prophecy, pulled him in as well. Amostat's brow furrowed in confusion, the ominous plot enveloping him brought about a thick sense of danger!
Who is the witch depicted in the mural?
Considering Muggles' mythology, the wizarding scriptures, and the fact that she could summon the Isle of Avalon, representing her close connection with the Druidic religion, Amostat had a name locked in his heart.
Morgana le Fay, also known as Morgana the Dark Witch - a legendary figure. Reading Vault.
According to ancient texts, she was the queen of the Isle of Avalon, and as an enemy of Merlin and King Arthur along with his knights of the Round Table, she was a goddess of darkness and death.
Amostat faintly remembered that he had seen it in some magical book. People believed that Morgana le Fay's body was always haunted by an evil soul. When he saw this before, Amostat thought it was a fanciful tale, but the murals inscribed on the stone wall made him realize that it might not be entirely baseless.
Ignoring the deep in thought Amostat, Mr. Gryffindor didn't waste time after grasping the content of the mural. He turned around and, with a silver sword in hand, easily sliced through the debris blocking his way before heading confidently in a specific direction. That direction was towards the foyer of the temple, where Ventiya was located.
Seeing this, Amostat had no choice but to suppress his doubts. After taking a deep breath, he quickly followed behind.
As the peculiar journey through the secret realm was nearing its end, Amostast took out a few bottles of magical potion to replenish his magic on the way.
His body's capacity to contain and convert magic was limited, and the brutal consumption of magical potion caused Amostat considerable pain. However, he gritted his teeth and continued to exert all his strength to 'digest' the magic in the potion and store it in his 'magic organ', because he was ready for an 'honest meeting' with the woman Ventiya Creon later!
The two people came to the wall partition behind the great hall, which could be accessed through a small door into the entrance hall of the temple.
But, Mr. Gryffindor and Amostat stopped almost simultaneously.
"Chaotic time domain..."
Gazing at a few steps away, a ball-shaped blurry space penetrating through the wall, Amostat's eyes reflected a strong sense of dread.
He guessed that the foyer of the temple and behind this wall, there probably existed a place where Ventiya Creon, as well as all the modern druidic priests that have been yearning to reclaim the 'sacred artifacts', was kept. At the same time, he also understood why they haven't succeeded for centuries.
Looking at a stone at his feet, Amostat lightly tapped it with his wand, causing the stone to slowly float into the air before accelerating abruptly. It zipped into the blurry, distorted time domain that seemed like a large bubble of air!
rustle...
The stone, which had only penetrated the dangerous domain for five feet, seemed to have traversed thousands of years, turning into countless particles of dust in an instant. Unlike those dust particles that would simply fall to the ground, these particles froze in mid-air. After a few deep breaths, their colors gradually faded and disappeared entirely!
Amostat's eyelids twitched wildly, and he had a strong urge to curse.
What a joke!
Did the druidic priesthood ancestors get their prophecies wrong when they offered the wrong sacrifices, or did Ventiya have some kind of mental issue that led her to misjudge his abilities?
The power of time is not to be trifled with. Since they had seen such dangerous domains, why did they believe they had the ability to break through them?
Indeed, Mr. Gryffindor might have this ability, but Amostat isn't stupid. The one in front of him is just a shadow left by the chaotic sequence recorded on the Isle of Avalon, even if Gryffindor broke through the time barrier a thousand years ago, the barrier has already been repaired. He wouldn't foolishly head straight into it and end up with nothing left!
Since he had confirmed that he didn't have the ability to break through the time domain, Amostat hesitated for a brief moment before turning around to leave. The main entrance of the great hall should be normal, otherwise Ventiya wouldn't be able to enter the temple. He was planning to take a different route into the entrance hall, beat the woman hard first, and then interrogate her thoroughly.
As for Mr. Gryffindor's next move, Amostat had anticipated it as well. He might either be unable to break through the domain like himself, or perhaps he really dares to face the power of time and enter the domain.
But in the end, they should have gained nothing from it. That's certain, otherwise why would the druidic priesthood still be so attached to this place after so many centuries?
"Don't worry, just follow me."
Just as Amostat turned around to take a step and leave, a slightly solemn voice behind him made his pupils dilate dramatically and his whole body went stiff!
...
...
...
Reading Vault.
