Chapter 79: Matar in the Cypriox
In those moments, the Corvus entity’s voice buzzed in Matar’s mind, sharp and commanding. "You must go to Cypriox. Investigate what is happening, for I feel that the Aopudes are searching for the phoenix blood—the man who created the powerful mechanism."
"Don’t worry," Matar replied mentally. "I can get there easily if you lend me the blackmist-teleportation." The Corvus entity talked to him.
"Transform into a crow first," Corvus instructed. "I’ll send you there in an instant." A swirl of black smoke enveloped Matar, and from it, a sleek black bird emerged. He was now a crow, hovering in the air. A veil of black mist appeared before him, and he plunged into it, emerging an instant later right in front of the Cypriox monastery.
Matar’s form multiplied, and a swarm of crows descended, spreading out across the whole of Cypriox. The people were startled by the sudden flock, but quickly dismissed it. They believed it was a side effect of the blinding light that had recently fallen from the sky, which had thrown the local wildlife into chaos. As he scouted, Matar spotted Sentheria walking below.
"We’ve been searching Cypriox for days," Sentheria sighed, "but my staff still can’t pinpoint his location." She stopped by a large tree, her movements weary.
"Is it possible we were too late?" asked an Aopudes in a flowing blue and green robe.
Just then, another Aopudes companion arrived, their face bright with good news. "Elder Sentheria, I’ve found Coventher!" he announced. "But he’s in the Cypriox dungeon, and it’s heavily guarded."
Sentheria’s weariness vanished. "Then let’s go. I’ll handle the guards myself," she declared with a cheerful confidence. Sentheria was cloaked, so her face was hidden from the Cyprioxians, but as members of the Vrupercan race, who had been banished long ago, the Aopudes weren’t concerned about being seen. Above them, many Elanthro winged people flew by, but they too ignored the small flock of black birds—crows—which were usually a loathed symbol in Cypriox. People were too distracted by the aftermath of the recent light to care.
"It seems the Corvus entity is here," Sentheria said to her companions. She struck her staff on the ground, and it glowed, revealing a hidden energy watching them. It was Corvus’s power.
In Matar’s mind, the Corvus entity’s command was clear: "Distract them."
The Rescue and the Illusion
Sentheria and her group moved directly to the dungeon to free Coventher. They were quickly spotted by guards in white armor emblazoned with a red cross. These guards carried pistols with a distinct eagle-headed design from Elanthro, and their bullets were known to weaken winged beings.
But Sentheria’s staff was ready. With a single movement, it created a shimmering green orb shield that deflected every bullet. The guards’ shots were useless. Without a key, Sentheria used her magic to melt the iron bars of the cell door.
"Who are you?" asked a priest from inside. He didn’t recognize the hooded figures.
"We’re here to rescue you," Sentheria said, pulling back her cloak to reveal a surprisingly youthful face. Though 149 years old, she looked like a young woman, even if her knees sometimes ached with age.
"Your youthful face never fades, Sentheria," Coventher said with a warm smile, surprised to see her. He then looked at the unconscious guards scattered on the floor. "What did you do to them?"
"Hehe, nothing much," she replied playfully. "Just a little flick of my staff. I gave them a good punch with a giant green fist."
Coventher was in awe as he walked past the guards. "We must hurry before the Cypriox soldiers arrive. We can’t afford to get hit by their bullets."
"The Aopudes," Coventher murmured, "the majestic race protected by the Apus Entity. How is Arthen?"
"He can still fly," Sentheria answered, "but getting old is a struggle." They reached a basket vehicle hidden behind the church. "Get in, Coventher. I feel a presence watching us." She suddenly pointed her staff at a nearby tree branch, striking a black bird perched there.
"The Corvus entity!" Coventher exclaimed. "Be careful. Someone is definitely using crows to spy on us."
"Haha, your senses are sharp, witch," a voice echoed. A cloud of black smoke erupted from the ground, and crows swirled in a dizzying spiral, trapping them. They were inside an illusion created by Matar. The world around them twisted into a blood-red landscape—a cemetery filled with scattered corpses. Only Matar’s voice was audible.
"He’s led us into a trap," Coventher said, his voice tense.
"Stay close to me," Sentheria ordered, sitting on the ground to begin an incantation.
"Do you really think the Corvus entity would let the Phoenix’s chosen one live?" Matar’s voice taunted. "Why don’t you just forget about him, like the Thallerions who abandoned Orion?"
"Aren’t you afraid the Crux Entity will curse you for stepping on this land?" Coventher shot back.
"Hahahaha," Matar laughed. "If I told you we’re no longer in Cypriox, would you believe me?"
"What?!" they all shouted, their eyes widening in shock.
"That’s right! We’re in the hell I created just for you six!"
"In that case, you may have made a mistake," Sentheria said calmly, her incantation complete. "Each of us carries an entity’s power." Her tattoos glowed with a brilliant green light, and ghostly green warriors, connected to her mind by thin threads of energy, appeared around them.
"I will use the Crux divine light to erase this illusion," Coventher said. "We can get out."
"And the four of us will handle the rising corpses," one of his companions declared. The ground cracked open, and monstrous, rotting beings with tattered flesh and thick worms crawling on their bodies emerged.
"Give me enough time," Coventher pleaded.
"Don’t worry," Sentheria said, "my green warriors will protect you."
"Haha, you’re useless without that staff, witch!" Matar’s voice mocked.
"Just wait until I find you. I’ll make you eat my staff to show you where my real power comes from," Sentheria snarled.
The horde of corpses charged, but Sentheria’s puppets, controlled by her mental threads, moved to meet them. Minutes passed, and the number of enemies swelled. Even when cut to pieces, the severed limbs continued to move.
"Just a little longer," Coventher said, opening his consciousness to connect with the Crux Entity. His mind was filled with a deep understanding of its power. Divine light enveloped his body, and his eyes began to glow like the sun. A ball of light appeared in his hands, which he raised into the air.
"You can’t destroy this place!" Matar’s voice thundered throughout the dimension.
"Let’s see about that. Here it comes!" Coventher hurled the light orb to the ground. It grew like an underwater bubble, expanding rapidly until it consumed everything. Matar’s illusion dissolved, and they found themselves in a forest they didn’t recognize. Matar was gone, having fled without a trace.
"That power was incredible," Sentheria said, astonished. "How did you do that?" Coventher was the first to wield such power in Cypriox, but he kept it a secret due to the many rules of the religious Cyprioxian people.
The Entity’s Plan
Entities, like Corvus, have their own names, but they are generally known by the creature they represent. The Corvus entity, for example, is the entity of crows. According to ancient lore, the crow entity was born from the souls of many generations who died, each soul becoming a crow. The Corvus entity is sustained by the life of every crow; when all the crows gather, they can become a single, massive black bird.
In the past, the Corvus entity was attacked by the Thunderbird of Elanthro and fell to the land of Ossibuz. Its blood and flesh were consumed by the local crows, and a black line of power spread, piercing all the crows in the area. Later, Sapar’s grandfather, a powerful sorcerer who could read the minds of animals, settled there and founded the Ossibian civilization with the crows’ help. Through the crows, their consciousness spread throughout the land, giving them eyes in every corner of the world. However, crows rarely live in cold, frozen regions.
While the Ossibians rarely interacted with other countries, people were always puzzled by how they seemed to know every secret, including the invasion plans of their enemies. Nothing escaped the eyes of the crows.
"Matar," the Corvus entity called out in his mind. Matar was awake, but he heard the entity speaking to him. "The time will come when we entities must escape. On that day, I won’t be able to speak with you in your mind. I want you to work with the one chosen by Triangulum."
"The Triangulum entity?" Matar asked mentally. "What kind of entity is that?" He sat up, trying to hear Corvus’s response more clearly.
"You will know in due time," Corvus explained. "But for now, the child marked by Triangulum is just an infant... The light that shone in Cypriox was the key that brought a dead baby back to life."