Twilight of a Hybrid, стр. 44
One-by-one, Valverno could see the ghosts from the long, straight line coming to the ghostly king and present him with many golden gifts or earthly treasures, which seemly the king was turning down. But a strange ghost that shape of a large red bird with golden wings came forward. Valverno saw the bird ghost giving a small feather from its wings and presenting it to the king. Suddenly, the king ghost stood up and walked to the bird ghost and accepted the gift.
The ghosts faded once again from Valverno’s eye visions. He made a stern face of what he just saw, especially the red ghost bird he saw. Valverno instantly knew that red bird had to be another mythical creature called the Phoenix.
The Phoenix was a very legendary creature of a mighty red bird with golden wings bright as the sun thought to be immortal. It is said when it dies the body bursts into flames when they die and turn to piles of ashes. From the ashes, the Phoenix is reborn as a whole, a true immortal bird that can die but rise up from its ashes. This kind of power is said to stream through the wings of the Phoenix.
The ghostly Phoenix that gave a feather to the ghostly king would have had the power of a Phoenix, being able to die in flames and turn to ash, but rise up from the ashes. And the ghosts Valverno was seeing may have been a memory of what happened in the past.
However, he did question the fact of why he was seeing the ghosts and not his other companions, and if these ghosts were real or just illusions.
The throne he was looking at was built larger and wider than a usual throne built for a human. This throne was built for something slightly bigger for a man. It was built from chalk rock and made in a standard of a certain figure to sit on it. There were two holes big enough for Valverno’s tail to sliver through.
Valverno decided to try to sit down on the empty throne. His tail slipped through one of the holes and he sat down with ease. There seemed to be a small stone built by the throne’s legs for Valverno to put his feet on. The three claws of his wings found holes of the right size and slipped in, holding his wings in place. This throne was a perfect fit for him, being able to sit down with ease was a first time experience for him.
The hybrid gave a small smile, but the smile faded, seeing how he couldn’t be the ghostly king. “Ghosts are spirits (or souls) of the dead, and I am not dead,” he said. And the ghostly king Valverno saw didn’t have dragon wings or a tail, so the ghost had to represent someone else.
“Hey, Valverno, come over here. I may have found something,” called out Flarefur.
Valverno heard the Griffin’s voice and rushed over. He found the Griffin near two still standing pillars carved with pictured snakes. A wide wall standing about twenty feet wide and about eleven feet tall stood next to the pillars. Pictures of dragon and unicorn were carved in the wall and a ruined, wooden door had lain before the two.
Valverno guessed the Griffin may have found a way underground: through that door.
“Do you think that could lead underground?” asked Flarefur.
“Let’s find out,” said Valverno. Valverno walked and budged the ruined door down with a single whip of his tail. Then he ignited a fire on the palm of his right hand to light the bitter darkness.
The entrance led to a small stairwell descending ten feet underground before seeing an arch and part of the ground floor. Valverno walked in first followed by Flarefur. “That wasn’t hard to find,” said Flarefur.
“Easier than I thought,” Valverno agreed.
Valverno took several seconds to descend into the blackness and stroll into a dark room. He may have found the underground, dark chamber. Valverno used his left hand to send out five sparks of fire that would brighten the dark room and see what’s inside.
The sparks lit the room with great, fiery light. Valverno first gazed at six pillars built from ceiling to floor to hold the room in place from collapsing. The walls were built with many stones and bricks. Cobwebs drabbed half way from the ceiling. There was a fowl stench in the air.
Valverno held his breath for the moment and browsed right in. He looked passed every pillar he came across and walked close to the walls. He looked at all the sparks he summoned and saw those sparks lit to show nothing. He quickly looked up and down through the room and nothing special in the place. There was a dead end at the end and corners that led nowhere.
“Find anything?” asked Flarefur from the entrance.
Valverno checked the last inch of every square inch of this underground room but he found nothing. The room was empty like a human skeleton with no skin or organs. “No, this is not the underground chamber I thought it would be. It looks more of a cellar where wine bottles were once stored.”
Valverno walked back to the Griffin and walked up the stairs. Before exited, Valverno waved a hand and the five sparks he summoned dimed like candle lights. He exited the room after the Griffin.
They both walked out with no luck in finding the entrance to the underground chamber. They had no-luck written on their faces.
“Nothing there, so I hope Geraldus and Marina are having better luck,” said Valverno.
“Valverno! Flarefur!” called Geraldus.
“Speak of the devil or dragon or unicorn or whatever that saying goes,” said Valverno.
Geraldus and Marina walked over a small pyramid-like staircase and walked over to Valverno and Flarefur. They both had the same expressions Valverno and Flarefur had; no luck in find any entrances