Neo Destiny - Vol 1: The Adventure Begins

Chapter 13 - A Story of Betrayal

Locke and Zell were thrown in the town's jail for stealing from the banquet. They are to remain there until their sentence is chosen. Locke shouts out frantically to the guards to release them, but Zell tells him to quiet down as it is no use. The two of them have no idea that the whole wedding is part of a demon pact and that Concordia and Spheel are going to be sacrificed for the Pale Mistress.

"Where is Concordia anyways?" asked Locke.

"Hell would I know?" Zell gives him a stern answer. "Maybe she ditched us."

"Hmph! So, much for Team Destiny..." Locke scoffs while folding his arms. Then, an idea pops into his head, "Oh! I forgot! The key. I can use that to get us out of here!"

"Then, get us out of here, already!" said Zell as his patience is wearing thin.

"Okay, okay!" said Locke, fumbling in his pockets to get the key. He pulls out the Golden Skull Key and uses it to open the cell door. Locke goes to the cell left of him, unlocks the door to free Zell.

"Let's go and find Concordia," said Locke as the thought of her makes him cringe.

Before the both of them sneak their way out of here, Locke and Zell hear a male voice, begging them to release him. The voice belongs to Phillip, the young man who interrupted the wedding, "Please! You have to let me out of here!"

"Why?" asked Zell, wondering why they should let him out of his cell.

"My girlfriend, Magdelene is in danger and I have to save her!" Phillip pleads.

"In danger?" Locke reiterated. "From whom?"

"From Vincent!" said Phillip. "He is using the power of a demon to put her under an evil spell!"

"Um...what do you think, Zell?" Locke asks. "Should we release him?"

"We have to find Concordia," Zell replies. "Let's go."

"I also think that your friend might be in danger!" Phillip tells them.

"What do you mean by that!?" Locke questions.

"I'll explain later," Phillip pleads to Locke. "You have to get me out of here!"

Without thinking, Locke walks over to Phillip's cell door and unlocks it.

"Sigh...somehow I knew you would do this..." said Zell, unsurprised by Locke's actions.

Once the cell door opens, Phillip thanks Locke for freeing him. "We should get going, before the guards come." Locke and Zell, along with Phillip quietly sneak through the jail while finding a way out.

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After avoiding the townspeople in Tenzen and passing through the town gate, the three men finds themselves outside the town's walls. They are now in the Forest of Mirage, a dangerous forest that has a thick fog around it trees and is inhabited by deadly creatures. The forest also gets its namesake from the number of false mirages that people see when they enter here. Locke, Zell, and Phillip are wise not to venture too deep into the forest.

"We should be good here for now," said Zell. He lays his back against one of the trees and fold his arms while he addresses Phillip. "You have some explaining to do."

"Yes, I do..." said Phillip. "First of all, my name is Phillip. And I fear that Vincent is using the wedding not only to force my girlfriend, Magdelene into marriage, but to sacrifice an innocent soul to continue the blood pact!"

"Wait a minute. Slow down." Locke said, trying to understand what is going on. "Start from the beginning."

"Very well," said Phillip, readying himself to explain the whole thing. "I guess I'll start from here. Magdelene and I were really supposed to get married, but Vincent somehow got in contact with a powerful demon who goes by the name, Baphemont. After the blood pact, Vincent was granted the dark magic to force any woman to fall in love with him. That woman happens to be my girlfriend..."