Sollen continued to walk and they followed m, this time more shaken than before. The groundskeeper had just proposed that they would be having a trial soon and from the sound of the roar it was going to be one quick funeral recession.
Aerith never one to accept fate gulped down and asked. "Um, maybe I did not hear you right but you said we would be having a trial. Just tell me that was just a angry puppy."
Unlike her previous times when she would choose to remain silent, the tuna queen spoke this time but still her voice betrayed any feelings of emotion in them. "The tower calls and we answer, but a trial you must pass to enter. It is the rule that stands on the grounds."
"Grounds? You mean like ground level?" He asked but did not get an answer in return which frustrated him. "Why did the tower call us?"
Sollen ignored the question and continued her original words. "Pass the trial and you will be granted access to the tower, fail and forfeit your life. The tower only demands the strong."
Aerith would have laughed had the situation been entirely different. "What the heck are you taking about you overgrown tuna, do I look strong to you? Do any of us look strong?" Raw emotion seeped out it, a mix of rage and annoyance. He looked anything but strong, in fact calling him strong was an insult to the word itself.
He was not fully prepared for the words the groundskeeper would say next, as they continued to walk the torches lighting up as they walked. The roar was now gone but it felt like it still echoed in the tunnels behind them, warning them not to press forward. "The tower calls those who have lost, those who want more. Any one who is satisfied with life will never be called into the tower, only those who live for ther desire are called."
Aerith was left speechless for several seconds as was his cohorts, he eventually spoke after a while. "People with desires get called? But is it possible to entered if one has not been called?" He felt the need to ask if Nasha's life would be in danger for crossing over.
"The tower calls, some call for the tower and it welcomes those who still desire more." She spoke in response.
Aerith looked down at Emilia signaling her to stop using her power on him, she was beginning to look white. He expected her to continue but on his command she stopped. He looked up at the groundskeeper and asked the one question that had been on his mind for a long time.
"What's the purpose of this tower?" He asked
Sollen came to a sudden stop, the garment of her clothes rippled as if alive. For a few seconds there was nothing but the sound of moving garment before she finally spoke, and when she did her voice finally betrayed emotion. It wasn't hollow as before but cold and fearful. "The purpose of the tower...? Is to meet god of course."
Aerith's jaw dropped. "What the hell!?"
Sollen did not seem to be done, she pressed forward, her garment wriggling in many unsightly ways. "Those who desire more enter the tower to have their desires satisfied. At the top of the tower all wishes are granted by the god that resides there."
"God?" Em said in a soft voice. "Lies."
Aerith tried to wrap his mind around the fact that what she said might be true, on one side there was no reason for him to believe otherwise. That would explain why a tuna could talk and walk, and how he was pulled into the tower against his own wishes. But on another hand the concept of an other worlds omnipotent being overseeing the world was preposterous.
But without proof he would not believe it. "What a load of bullcrap, have you seen this god?"
She continued to walk. "Only those who have seen, have seen."
Aerith groaned inwardly. "Damn you too."
A few seconds later the tunnel before then opened up into a massive room, as they got closer they could see something similar to iron bars.
The groundskeeper spoke. "Your trial will be to capture the egg of Annik to be granted passage into the towers first level."
"Who's Annik?" Just as he had asked, he instantly regretted asking the question.
The roar from before sounded again, louder this time causing all of them to come to a halt. They now in the huge space from earlier there was nothing but a million huge bars before them similar to that of a regular prison gate. It was not laid straight but in a huge circled several hundred feet wide, the steel bars shimmered with sparkles, making it easy to guess that they were somewhat custom made.
The workmanship did not just end on the steel bars, unlike normal steel bars which were long and smooth this one had an entirely different trait. It had inscriptions on it, similar to those on the tunnel walls, it made Aerith wonder if they were created by the same individual or group of individuals. The inscriptions all seemed to be etched with precision withc red ink, they all coiled to reveal the head and tail of a huge serpent.
Aerith would have spent more time admiring them had he not been more intrigued by what was caged in the middle of the cage. There was what looked like a seven foot oval rock that glowed and shimmered, it's outers were painted white and gold like the work of a skilled graffiti artist. Just looking at it made him cover it, he felt a primal feeling towards the strange object, he felt— LUST.
Sollen's words broke him free from his trance somehow. "Touch the egg Annik covers so much, failure means death. Unwillingness to participate means death. Prove your desire to the tower, the desire to live."
The three of them stared in awe and fear at the huge shadow that slept at the edge of the cage. It was a huge serpent over a hundred feet long. It looked very much like the egg only more detailed in its art, it was a work of beauty and wonder. It had a long neck that coiled around it. There were huge bone like protrusions resembling spikes coming out of its spine, it's huge body was a massive build of flesh and spikes. And behind it was a tail that looked to have been cut off by something. It's head was perhaps what frightened Aerith the most.
It's was huge and long, three huge hors grew out of it, one on each side of its head and another growing out of the top of its nose. It's entire body was all covered in scales, that shimmered like diamonds. It's mouth opened slightly letting out a huge mist of hot air, and it's eyes were locked on them, red and mad with fury.
Aerith screamed at himself. "Is that a... FUCKING DRAGON?"