[Art by me Nameless Mist and Unnamed Darkness designs done by me Nyartathoep design by Eldritch Chao (Twitter) enjoy]

Velacera's POV

The familiar red glow faded as I stepped more onto the path before I felt my footing slip slightly. Gasping I felt a rushed grab from behind as the path became illuminated with the soft glow from above and beside me. Long paths glistened with a pale white hue showed in front of me. "This must be why it is difficult to enter Arkham easily," Chuma's calm voice sounded from behind me. That's right Chuma was also here with me.

"We best get moving as King Enma did say the pathways tend to be long," my voice alone seemed to echo in the pitch blackness around us and the path. I felt Chuma's hand slowly move away from my shoulder as I took another step onto the pathway feeling the sway and movement of the pathway underneath my boots. Gengely moving along the path I could hear the faint scuffling of many sounds moving around us just seemingly out of view or out of the minimum light that I put off.

"It is certainly a spectacular sight to see the paths entering Arkham," Chuma's voice made me tense slightly as he walked forward a bit coming along beside me even passing me by a mere step, "I'd thought it wouldn't be near as organized as this. It must be King Enma's pathway since it's so far away from other portals."

"You could say that," I spoke up as I looked ahead as the scuffling sound came closer to us. "But the littlest of noise is quite a nerve-wracking sensation." Sighing I kept focusing on the path in front of us as it narrowed a bit and Chuma took the first step on the narrowed path.

"Careful Velacera," Chuma exhaled cautiously, "this part seems thinner than the beginning of the path. We should go one at a time to not destroy this path too quickly." Chuma raised his staff as the soft hue of indigo illuminated the crystal part of the bottom. "I will see how far it goes with the thinned area and I will wave my staff when I reach the end of it," Chuma spoke with bated breath as he took cautious steps further onto the narrowed part of the path. I watched as his form became more and more transparent the only thing I could see on him was the indigo hue from the tip of his staff.

I awaited for the indigo hue to wave wildly so I could begin walking across the narrowed path. Then I felt something brush past my leg, tensing I looked to my right and saw the faintest glimpse of something large moving past me and back off the pathway seemingly going under the path and moving at a fast pace than the other direction. Gulping I knew only a few critters that could survive this area and darkness. Looking back up I saw the faint indigo hue wave wildly. Chuma had made it across the narrowed pathway.

Sighing once again I moved onto the narrowed path gently walking across the thinned-out area. At each step, I could feel the movement of the pathway move about. The hue of indigo was getting closer as I walked down the path. "Chuma I think we are being watched?" I noted as I got closer seeing the faint outline of Chuma standing there.

"I had that feeling as I was making my way across the narrowed path," Chuma sighed as he moved his staff around, "though they are keeping at a distance so that's bound to be a good sign of meaning no harm." I hummed in agreement as I took another step feeling something snap and gravity dragging me down.

"CHUMA", I shouted as I watched him spin quickly before I fell any further but I missed his hand. Shoot. Gritting my teeth and shutting my eyes tightly I prepared for a nasty fall. But I felt nothing, everything stopped. Gingerly opening my eyes I looked up and saw Chuma on the ledge and a web hanging down. Moving my hands I felt around my chest and felt the fine threads of the web. The giant critter I saw, was the spider.

"Don't worry," the fine friendly filled voice called down, "I knew one of these paths was wearing down I was hoping it wasn't this one." Looking towards the side of where the voice came from I gasped to see the owner of the voice right beside me. "You must be Ethmnaluthayl's creation the Candle Hellspawn that was traveling to Arkham, right? We had just received the letter before my spectator spiders warned me of a thinned-out path."

"W-Wait you were informed about our arrival?" I asked in shock as I felt the motion of being pulled up. Looking above me once more it seems like the one spider that passed me earlier was there dragging the web that was wrapped around me.

"Of course, Ethmnaluthayl always notifies us whenever he comes home to visit or if he can't make it on time or to a meeting we hold now and then," she chuckled, "I always wondered what each hellspawn looked like since Ethmnaluthayl stated he made each hellspawn to be our more settled descendants." She happily chatted away as I felt a strong tug on my arm and was pulled up onto the solid pathway. "Dear bother it seems this path I neglected for far too long. The good news is I'll have this path all patched up before no time. Keep going straight and take a left one of the Mi-Go's will meet you there and direct you from there. Now to patch this up." She hummed as she gently nudged both me and Chuma forward before I watched her turn around and cross her arms most likely thinking.

Walking further down as she said leaving her to not be in her way. "Velacera do you know who that was?" Chuma asked from beside me. I turned and looked back at her before putting a finger to my chin trying to think back to the many family tree prints I had seen in the library at the castle.

"It would have to be Atlach-Nacha," I said while taking my finger from my chin, "she's the only one that makes certain pathways to and from Arkham. Without this pathway, it would take longer to get to Arkham out in the mortal land than here." The movement of the pathway made me tense a bit as I looked back as watched the other smaller spiders running back and forth across the newly spindled pathway. Must be testing the strength of the newly fixed pathway. 

"Interesting to see them so up and personal despite the many stories throughout history displaying them so differently," Chuma gave a soft huff as in a way to say such observation, "though then again they are quite famous in being very supportive towards each other than outsiders." I nodded my head as we came to the fork in the pathway looking right and left we sat there for a mere minute before Chuma pointed left, "I remember her saying take a left so left it is," Chuma turned to his left, and began walking down the left path. 

Following behind I looked around and saw there was some hue of color starting to show through the pitch darkness. Walking closer and closer to the end of the path Chuma stopped and stayed still almost statue-like. "What's wrong Chuma?" I asked as I got closer before seeing what Chuma had seen, a Mi-Go just waiting right there in which a large frame also stood. 

"WhO iS iN PResenCE? NaMe ANd REasOn oF coMINg to ARkhAM?" the Mi-Go spoke with broken ancient language and new language. Chuma looked over to me and then back to the Mi-Go. "NAmE anD ReaSOn OF comING tO ArKHam?" the Mi-Go asked once more but with more force. Shivering at the force behind the voice I spoke first. 

"I am Velacera, hellspawn codename; Fragrant Wax Melter in Flames with guest Chuma Fastrov position Cryptic Cleric. We have come here on recommendations of Ethmnaluthayl, the King of Noghoornsut to seek council with The Great Old Ones, Cthulhu, and Tsathoggua," I nearly had a panic as I thought I had forgotten something. Gulping I held my breath in wait as the Mi-Go floated there. 

"NaME aND reASOn iS aCCEpteD. WElcOMe VElaCErA aND chUMa tO ARkhaM," the Mi-Go stated as is moved away from the gate and the gate opened. Letting out my breath I held it without knowledge. Walking through and I heard the ruffling of cloth from behind me seeing Chuma me adjusting his mask. 

"What's wrong Chuma?" I asked as I watched him stop playing with his mask and looked up. 

"I had a feeling like the Mi-Go was trying to stare deep down into my soul," Chuma coughed with a shiver, "it was just so uncomfortable having one of those staring at you directly." I nodded my head as Chuma walked up beside me. "Where exactly is the Great Old Ones residing here in Arkham?" Chuma asked, "I would hate to get lost in Arkham for my first experience here." I looked around before sighing.

"I am uncertain myself but I do believe King Enma gave us the directions before we left," I took a step further away from the gate and sighed, "you put it into your satchel before we left right?" I asked before I heard the rustling behind me. 

"I believe so if not then I suppose we would have to walk around and try to find someone to at least get a general idea of where to go," Chuma huffed as he continued to rummage through his satchel, "oh here it is," Chuma said as he pulled out the paper folded in half and opened it. "So we are near the gate so we should be able to go straight until coming upon a broken down fountain with black water and then turn right to be heading to the hall we need to be at," Chuma said with a sigh before looking up towards me, "that is most of the instructions are stating about but it should be quick enough right?" Chuma folded up the paper before placing it back in his satchel. 

"Alright," I said as I looked forward to seeing the eerie pathway in front of us, "we should be going then the quicker we get there the faster we can go save Kur from that Naga." The fresh miasma air was reassuring but it still feels awkward to be in other places besides Makai and the human realm. Sighing again I looked back at the gate before moving forward. "We should think of a way to start a conversa-" I paused as I felt the tip of my boot get caught on an uprooted stone on the path. 

"Velacera!" Chuma shouted as I fell onto the ground with my glasses falling off my face. Dang it I am so used to Kur catching me now that falling down hurts even more. Grunting I pulled myself to my knees and patted the ground blindly around trying to find where my glasses might've landed. "Are you alright?" I heard Chuma ask as I heard the clicking of his boots hitting the ground I felt him place a hand on my shoulder. 

"I'm fine but my glasses," I sighed as I patted the ground once more, "I lost my glasses when I fell can you help me look for them." I heard Chuma sigh before hearing the soft crunching of the dried-up grass beside me as he moved around. "Where could they have gone I didn't fall that far from the uprooted stone," I growled in frustration. Of all times to trip I just had to do so on a time-sensitive mission. 

"Might these be yours there," I heard a new voice state as I patted a firm clothed what I could only assume was footwear. Blindly looked up and narrowed my eyes trying to at least see the colored shape in front of me. But like many times before my glasses were placed back over the bridge of my nose where my blurry vision became clear again. "When I heard that dear uncle Ethmnaluthayl had asked for the council for one of his beloved hellspawns towards me and Tsathoggua I got so excited I'd thought to meet you at the gate," a wide smile formed on his face. 

"C-Cthulhu?" I said shockingly seeing how he was so close and was already aware of what we were here for, "thank you for finding my glasses but I'd thought we would be discussing everything at the hall." I watched as Cthulhu smile once more before waving toward Chuma.

"Of course, I want to hear the whole story about why uncle would need our help when he has full range over Conjinham and Noghoornsut," Cthulhu shrugged his shoulders as he held out a hand to me, "so maybe you two have more insight to what is happening for uncle to send such an urgent message the way he did." 

~~Time Skip~~

The walk was fast and quiet as when Cthulhu lead us to the Great Old One's hall seeing that a few others besides the Great Old One were sitting in their presence I could only tell a few off from a quick glance mostly Yog-Sothoth and Shub-Niggurath, King Enma's parents who might want more details to make sure King Enma is alright and don't require them to help. "So what is going on that Uncle had required me and Tsathoggua especially?" Cthulhu asked as he sat down behind the large table separating us from the raised flooring. 

"Well," I started knowing this would sound outwardly crazy especially since Kur was a Celestial, "there was an increase of priests and exorcists around Conjinham and Ethmnaluthayl became concerned for us hellspawns so he kept us in the confines of Noghoornsut until they had moved elsewhere but it had been several weeks since they first showed up and they didn't seem like they were leaving anytime soon." I looked over at Chuma seeing how he was reacting but he seemed like he was observing the others in the room, "my friend here, Chuma lives in Conjinham and noticed it more than usual and was communicating it to Ethmnaluthayl the whole time however-"

"Is this referring to the Celestial my son had given welcome to that you found wounded and housed in Noghoornsut several years ago?" I turned to see Yog-Sothoth leaning forward seemingly intrigued by what I was saying as I nodded my head, "I see so what exactly happened to said Celestial?" Straight to the point is what he wants then.

"The Celestial's name is Kur and well I had no knowledge about his departure into Conjinham to do the investigation himself as the exorcists and priests wouldn't be a threat to him since he was a Celestial himself but it seemed like it was more than just those groups hanging around Conjinham," I spoke as I tried to keep my nerves down as I know being emotional now would make everything worse. 

"Do you mind if I speak in place of Velacera?" I heard Chuma beside me speak up.

"I see why not? Go ahead Cryptic Celric of Conjinham," Yog-Sothoth spoke with a hum of interest in his tone. 

"I was with the Celestial Kur when it happened," Chuma began as I looked at him, "it was his first time being outside of Noghoornsut and the Celestial realm and he had little interactions with more of the human realm so I met up with him and was walking with him when we ran into the troubles that brought the exorcists and priests to Conjinham. They are what Celestial refrains as Zmora's. Zmora's act like the common term of shadow men and act as feeding off nightmares and strong hateful and hurtful emotions. Normally off of weak and young Celestials they feed from but very rarely off mortals and other species. Kur has the special technique to rid of them for good." Chuma reached up to tilt his hat slightly back. 

"Intwasting," I heard from the side turning I saw another leaning forward most likely another of the council of the Great Old Ones, "szometing vat veeds ov's ones vmoton's not blood?" (Interesting, something that feeds off ones emotions not blood) 

"Yes," Chuma continued as he looked over to the one that spoke before looking back towards the front where Cthulhu sat, "Kur knew that something was going on even more as Zmora's rarely make it to the mortal realm as it was stated within conduct that Celestials will not interfere with the mortal realm unless necessary like someone completely killing off generations or even blasting the core of the planet is a few examples of what they might interfere with but other than that no Celestial will interfere besides walk alongside humans once in a while but the majority of the cases would be underlings like demons or Lumerians if I remember what I read in a book I borrowed from the catacombs when I traveled with Kur into the Celestial realm. But besides that point, we were heading back towards the portal heading back into Makai when Kur stopped and froze midstep. I had turned to ask him if he was alright before he pulled me quickly taking on the full force of a lich-hunting spell to his left shoulder. Kur had made that observation as soon as the spell hit his shoulder that person that was behind the attack was working with the Zmora's and was targeting me since I am a Lich after all." 

"So the Celestial is injured wouldn't you seek the help of the Celestials and not us?" Cthulhu raised an eyebrow I moved forward but Chuma put a hand in front of me as he continued. 

"I am not done," Chuma stated as he adjusted his hat once more and kept his hand in front of me, "yes, Kur is injured however, he moved too quickly and immediately teleported me to Noghoornsut but we found out about the rest after the fact as our mutuals Orcus Psicosi a wraith that resides with me in Conjinham along with his zombie servant, Futsura Chirunen was witnesses to what happened next. It was apparently clear a rouge Naga had come out of the shadows and spat out how I was the target, to begin with, and said about it being a double as Kur was also another target. The Naga was in accordance with what Kur had stated and what was found when I was reading the book. Celestials have a solemn oath in a way that yes they know of a lich-hunting spell but by no means they are allowed to use it unless it comes to the safety of the young, the weak, or in dire emergencies." 

"One of my many serpent children was behind the attack?" I turned my head to see another leaning over holding a long pipe to his side, "but being in cahoots with a Zmora? How do you know for certain it was a Naga that was working with the Zmora's?" 

"Do you believe a wraith would lie?" Chuma asked as Yog-Sothoth gave a chuckle.

"The lich is correct, Yig. Why would a Wraith lie about someone who has threatened harm to others, especially in accordance with their work," Yog-Sothoth said looking at Chuma, "so what might be stopping you from going after them yourselves surely a lich yourself and a hellspawn could easily defeat a naga and a few shadow men." 

"Pommy, a Mage that lives in Conjinham," Chuma said another name, "is another who was witness to the ordeal as he had his own observations of the whole situation as well. Stating that there was another being besides the Naga and Zmoras. But it seemed like a mimicked version of Ethmnaluthayl's creation of the hellspawns." There was a moment of silence from everyone as the air tensed. "Though Pommy wasn't completely sure it was a hellspawn from Ethmnaluthayl's particular cases. It seemed to have created a ruse of Hellspawns endangering the human realm when most of those who were very erratic and dangerous was not given permission to leave Noghoornsut. So it was unlikely one of Ethmnaluthayl's hellspawns." 

"So someone is trying to tarnish the names of both Ethmnaluthayl's name and make Conjinham a roundabout for activity creating a dangerous area for the hellspawns to experience the mortal realm for themselves," Cthulhu sighed, "but why do you need us to go after the Naga is it because the factor that they know the lich-hunting technique?" I nodded my head as I watched as the rest looked side to side. Could they be making a wordless decision? 

"Please can you help," my voice shook, "Kur is a friend of mine and he's been through so much just for the sake of others around him and had everything taken from him before but he never once thought for himself but closure for others, especially for those who died tragically. He wanted to protect us hellspawns so that's why he went to Conjinham to investigate he's selfless," I looked down feeling defeated, "he even didn't mind my mistake to what happened when I accidentally destroyed human life before, he didn't get mad or anything he let me explain and debrief everything. He's more mellow than violent." 

"I will go with you," a soft-spoken voice spoke up as I looked up, "if your Celestial friend is in trouble I see why not. It'll be a wonderful children's book to have a friend of different species care for each other's safety." I recognized Tsathoggua while his chair wheeled closer. 

"R-Really?" I felt like my voice was cracking, one of my inspirations had actually agreed with helping me.

"Come on cousin," Tsathoggua hummed softly, "it's bound to be adventurous, something that you have been in dire of maybe it'll help you get a one-up with your friendly banter with Ghantanothoa on who's stronger. Saving a Celestial does look ideal of being stronger." 

"True, true," Cthulhu said with crossed arms as he smirked, "I see what you mean cousin. Very well saving a Celestial it is! But do you even know where said Celestial is despite being captured?"

"Pommy, Orcus, and Futsura had been following them and it seems Kur was quick enough and placed a complex spell on himself to slow down the progress of the enemy," Chuma stated as Cthulhu stood up from his chair.

"Well, what are we waiting for then let's get on the road and save that Celestial shall we?" Cthulhu walked up to me and place his hand in front of me. I took his hand as he shook it, "gotta say it's a fine day to travel, meh?"

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Longest chapter so far or so I forgot and yes the great Cthulhu is in this story per-say by planned thoughts with Eldritch Chao so yes there will be more scenes with Cthulhu in it so be prepared for the Great Old One to be involved with more of my works as well.

Midnight Voided Galaxies checking out bye~