The Castle of Hope

"I see your heart, thumping with fresh blood; the sufferance of ages has clouded your visage."

~~~

"This must've been where that madman climbed in, there's a huge crack in the wall right next to a foreboding sarcophagus that sits over there" Noted Imogen as she slowly walked over to the entombed corpse. "I should be able to walk over here just fine, because that raving lunatic passed by here as well and lived." Theorized Imogen, watching a bone-like hand crack through the sarcophagus' lid.

"You've got to be kidding me, when I said I didn't mind fighting all these powerful creatures I didn't mean it; get back in your grave you old coot!" Cried Imogen as she took one look at the Ancient Lich and made a break for it.

"Can't kill what you can't catch and you can't catch me, because your fricken old; go get some muscle cream!" Laughed Imogen while chopping in half three skeletons that blocked her way out and diving through the narrow crack that led to salvation.

As Imogen flew through the air she could almost taste freedom, but just before she could reach the outside; a hand grabbed and threw her back into the metal sarcophagus of old.

"I think I broke my back, what the hell did they make this sarcophagus out of and how in gods name did that skeleton break through it like butter!?" Exclaimed Imogen as she rolled out of the way of a vengeful fist belonging to an angry Lich.

The Lich stood at an imposing height of six feet with it's golden jewelry gleaming in the faint light of the outside, its tattered skin hung off its arms like water waiting to drip into the sand covered floor of this sepulchre.

"Die!" Cackled the Lich as it raised giant bone spikes out of the ground in an attempt to dismember Imogen.

"No!" Mocked Imogen while standing in between two bone spikes and casting vine dart on the lich.

"Your offence is weak, you shall parish!" Shouted the Lich as it morphed all the bone spikes into one giant spike.

"Darn, I can't dodge this attack; morph me into my tick form system!" Hollered Imogen while bracing for the impact to come.

"Die, die; DIE!" Screamed the Lich as it watched the spike come into contact with Imogen.

"I can't die like this, I will prevail; this spike means nothing to me!" Thundered Imogen while feeling the spike pierce through her fragile insides. "How much health do I have left, system? I doubt that I'll last much longer?" Inquired Imogen as she awaited the fateful message of the system.

*𝐇𝐏 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬: 23/70

"That's worse than I thought, I might actually die here; not that death wasn't always a possibility." Mumbled Imogen as she blocked a bone throwing sword with her newly shifted body.

"You're only preventing the inevitable, your defence will falter and you will crumble; just die already!" Raged the Lich while conjuring six Lesser Skeletons to put an end to the battle.

With beak ready, Imogen charged the skeletons; casting Vine Wrap on one and biting the neck off the other. She dodged a few bone spikes and then finished off the vine wrapped skeleton, now there were only five opponents left.

At this point the Lich was fuming with rage, it called forth another giant bone spike from the rocky confines below to remove Imogen from existence.

"I can't survive this attack and that means I have but one option, to use my life saving skill; Plea To The Vines!" Announced Imogen as she felt her carapace grow drastically in strength.

Vines wrapped around Imogen in a loving embrace, they claimed their due and sprouted spikes along her sides.

*𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧: 2:59

"Hah, I didn't even feel that spike; you suck Lich!" Cackled Imogen while blocking the giant spike without much of an issue.

Imogen ran at the Lich, bypassing any skeleton that got in her way and got shot in the face by a flying bone sword.

"Your effect shall soon wear out and then you'll die, taste the sweetness of stalling!" Chortled the Lich as he summoned a ghastly bone hand.

The bone hand slammed down on Imogen, using its weight to keep her in place. But Imogen's vines didn't take well to that and shattered the hand into a million bone shards.

*𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧: 2:30

"You've caused me no trouble, I can just conjure ten more and crush your very soul!" Proclaimed the Lich while ten more bone hands appeared out of thin air.

Imogen knew she had to hurry, she dodged hand after hand; making the steady climb back up to the Lich. The Lich watched Imogen with irritation, but as she neared him; that same irritation turned to fear.

"Give me a hug Lich! I'll kill you with the power of friendship, don't mind the vines though; ahahaha!" Howled Imogen while jumping at the Lich only to be caught by a bone erupting from the earthy soil.

*𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧: 2:00

The bone hand squished down hard on Imogen in a desperate attempt to stall her, but it only succeeded for six seconds before breaking apart and letting the next hand catch her. Imogen couldn't do much as she was dropped from hand to hand for a full minute.

*𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧: 1:00

"What are you going to do now Lich, that was all of your hands!" Snickered Imogen as she spotted the Lich running away. "Hey!" "Get back here you coward, you're running from a weakling!" Thundered Imogen while chasing after the Lich.

Imogen made steady progress, but her speed was just not enough; the minute would pass before she could reach the Lich.

"Die with honor Lich, slow your butt down and I will grant you a merciful death; probably more than you deserve!" Cajoled Imogen as she watched the Lich suddenly stop.

"I will serve you my queen, just spare me the painful reality of death for a little bit longer." Pleaded the Lich while bowing down very respectfully.

*𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧: 0:30

*𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞: You've unlocked the servitude feature

*𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 - 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞: Either bend a creature to your will, or have them submit to you willingly to use this feature. With this feature, you can ensure that whatever servant you acquire; will never go against your wishes. But if a creature is stronger then you, it'll have its power scaled down to your level and retain more free will then normal - Activate this feature by touching the forehead of the one who has submitted to you

"I accept your offer, you are to be my servant now and forever." Agreed Imogen as she bent down and touched the Lich's forehead with her right hand.

*𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: You've been selected for The Star Devouring Wyrm Mark after looking at the important parts of your new life, it depicts a wyrm wrapped around a star with its mouth open ready to bite down on the star

All of a sudden a strange mark appeared on the Lich's forehead, sealing his fate as an eternal servant of Imogen.

"You may rise knowing that you are forever a servant of your glorious lordess Imogen, your life is in good hands." Promised Imogen as she watched the Lich rise to his feet. "Do you have a name Lich, or will I forever have to call you Lich?" Inquired Imogen while staring intensely at the Lich.

"My name is Auden, it's a pleasure to meet you, my queen." Answered Auden as he bowed once again and watched Imogen fall into the cold sand.

*𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧: 0:00

~~~

"Please hold on little guy, I know you can keep that shield up for at least a few more minutes." Begged Clarence while picking up speed and swimming to a giant castle that somehow was floating above the acid. "Just a little while longer, you can do it; I believe in you!" Exclaimed Clarence as he watched the thin and flickering shield of light gain a small bit of brilliance.

But when they were seconds away from the castle, the shield shined for its last time before vanishing entirely. Clarence raised the little one above the acid and felt his body burn and melt as he swam closer, but by a string of luck; he had reached the castle.

Clarence had to use his fragile fingernails to scale the wall, he could feel some break off with every brick he grabed; one brick even ripped off an entire nail. But it was worth it, because the quick thinking on Clarence's part had barely saved him and his friend from burning alive in stomach acid.

"My hands are in constant torment and drip blood like a waterfall, but it was the only way; I wish I could just forget about my hands existing for a second." Winned Clarence while looking around the abandoned castle in pain. "I'm so glad you didn't fall off my head little one, I don't know if I could've lived with my actions." Admitted Clarence as little droplets of joy rolled down his cheeks and fell to the bricks below.