by Dahlia Lu
Now he understood what that woman meant when she warned him about the new set of rules.
An ominous silence surrounded him. The earth beneath him began to tremor. Sensing danger coming, Noctis gripped tightly to the blade in his hand. A massive wooden beast rose above the tall trees in the distance. It released a thunderous roar as it tore its roots from the ground. He attempted to freeze it with his powers, but quickly remembered he could not control the time flow in the Realm of The Dead.
It will have to be done the old-fashioned way.
Once mobile, the beast stampeded through the dense forest as though it were flowing through snow. It was coming for him as no doubt its master instructed. Noctis dived out of the beast’s direct path. The size of the beast and the speed it was moving made for a difficult break. It turned around and charged at him once again.
When the beast came close enough, he leaped onto its front limb and began to climb his way to the top. It attempted to shake him off, but he kept his body close and his grip too tight for the beast to succeed. Once the beast tired, he drew the blade from his back and swung violently at the beast’s neck. He hadn’t used a weapon in centuries, but he was once an experienced warrior. The blade in his hand was sharper than any sword he had ever seen. It cut through the hardwood of the beast’s neck effortlessly. He summoned a white flame and embedded it inside the beast. The flame spread quickly like a deadly virus and consumed the beast. He jumped and rolled onto the ground to break the fall just before what remained of the beast hit the ground.
“Is this all you have in store for me?” Noctis said mockingly. “I can’t say I’m impressed.”
“You have spoken too soon,” Death’s voice echoed in the forest. “Our game has only just begun.”
“That castle in the distance.” Noctis pointed. “Is that where you’re keeping her?”
Silence.
“So it is.” A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. “If you attempt to remove her before I get there, I will take it that you’ve forfeited.”
“I would not waste any more time if I were you,” Death reminded him. “Remember the consequences if you should fail.”
“Noted. But if you fail to keep us here, then she is mine. Remember that as well.”
“I will not fail.”
“Only time will tell.”
Amara went rigid when she heard the doorknob turning. It was too soon for him to come back. She needed more time to settle her emotions before she was ready to face him again.
He was coming closer. Lying in bed, she could sense his footsteps coming closer. She lifted her head from the pillow and turned her head in his direction. Her eyes widened when the person she saw was not the one she had expected. The man standing before her was covered in mud and dirt from head to toe. His right hand was holding a massive silver blade that was dripping with blood. She wouldn’t have recognized him if it wasn’t for the shade of blue of his eyes.
It was Noctis! He came for me! He actually came for me!
She sat up, wiped away the tears with her forearm. He immediately seized her by her wrist and hauled her off the bed and toward the door.
She could see that he was in a nasty mood.
“You came…” she breathed. She hadn’t even thought about the possibility that he would come all this way for her. She truly thought that he didn’t give a damn about her anymore.
“You doubted that I wouldn’t?” he asked as he led her down the hallway.
“I didn’t think you would come,” she replied honestly when he glanced back at her. “What happened to you?
“Now is not a good time to chat. We need to get out of here.”
She followed him down the hallway, down flights and flights of stairs, and out to the grey-cast courtyard. There were life-sized statues of various people in various positions scattered across the seemingly endless courtyard. There were dark flowers in full bloom everywhere they went. Stray petals on the sidewalks crumbled like glass beneath her feet.
Suddenly, he halted and pulled her behind him. The tension in the air was growing by the seconds.
“Stay close to me,” he instructed.
Amara panicked when she heard savage growling surrounding them and sheltered herself behind him. Out of curiosity, she peeked out to see what was happening. The growling was coming from skeletal hounds stripped of skin and flesh. They were rising from ground in great numbers.
“These things just won’t die.” Noctis muttered a curse.
Probably because they’re already dead.
They coordinately dispersed around them and attacked in strategic groups. Noctis wielded the blade and slashed through them while they were still in midair. Their broken bones dropped to the ground and were absorbed by the earth. Noctis defended Amara from the continuous attacks, but it felt like the hounds were growing in numbers.
A single hound went for her. Its sharp fangs were coming for her face. Amara gasped in terror. She thought she was done for sure. Noctis yanked at her hand to pull her back and used his forearm to block the attack. The hound’s sharp fangs sank into his flesh. Annoyed, Noctis hurled the beast against the castle’s wall.
His arm!
“Freeze them!” she urged him.
“I can’t control time in this realm,” he replied between huffs of breaths. They kept on coming. There was just no end to it.
“What do we do now?” she cried.
“Come with me.” He began to fight his way toward the balcony of the courtyard. Beyond the balcony was a steep drop to the rapid river below. Amara could already guess he was planning to jump. She would hate to jump from this height, but the situation left them with no choice.
Desperate times, Amara said to herself.
“Trust me,” he said, tightening his grip on her hand. “Just trust me.”
“I trust you,” she replied, her voice breathless. She was surprised by how much faith she had in him.
He summoned a wall of flames between them and the hounds. He quickly returned the blade to the sheath at his back and then pulled her into his arms. His right hand was holding her tight while his left hand guarded her head. Amara closed her eyes and took a leap of fate. She would never have the nerve to do it alone, but he was with her. And that gave her the courage.
They fell from the balcony and crashed into the rapids below. The strong current swallowed them both. Amara felt faint, but even in that state, she could still feel his arm holding her tight as they were being swept along the currents. She had no doubt in her mind that they would be separated from one another if he didn’t hold her tight enough.
Amara felt weak and dazed. Perhaps it was caused by the fall or being without oxygen for too long. She wished she could help him fight the currents. She wished she could be of some help to him instead of being dead weight. He was fighting the dangerous currents with only one arm because she had the attention of the other.
Just when she was about to run out of air, he managed to get them both to surface. She greedily gasped for sweet air to fill her lungs.
“Are you alright?” he asked her.
She could only nod.
He swam for shore with the current instead of against it. When they reached shallow water, he took her into his arms and carried her to dry land.
He carefully laid her on the ground and locked her eyes with his. “Are you hurt? Where are you hurt?”
She shook her head.
“Are you sure?”
She nodded.
He quickly got up on his feet. “We have to keep moving. We need to cover as much distance as we can.”
She complied, but she staggered as soon as she tried to stand. He caught her. Of course he did. She could always trust that he would. Seeing that she didn’t have the strength to come with him, he swept her up into his arms once again and began the trek down the river.
“Where are we going?” she asked curiously.
“I’m taking you home.”
“Home?” But she was told that t
his place, this realm, was her home.
Chapter Six
“Look!” Amara tapped at his shoulder when she spied a small wooden boat trapped between the boulders. “It’s a boat! This part of the river is not as turbulent. Do you think we can use it?”
“There is no such coincidence,” Noctis said cynically. “He’s toying with us.”
“Who?” Amara asked.
Her question was ignored. “He’s taking us where he wants us to be.”
“So, we’re not taking the boat?”
“No, we’re taking it. Even if it is a trap, we still need to go. It’s on the way toward the exit and we’re short on time.”
“You seem to know what you’re doing, so I’ll just have to trust you.”
He deposited her into the small boat and then pushed it into the flowing water. When it became completely free from the boulders, he leaped onto the back and drew her body toward him.
Amara clung onto him for heat. They were traveling against the wind and the damp clothes she was wearing didn’t help keep her warm. At least they were moving much faster now. The sooner they could leave this place, the better.
The river was flowing directly into a wide cavern. Amara looked up at Noctis to see if he really wanted them to take this path. She felt insecure being away from the light. He made no attempt to guide the boat to shore so that translated into we’re going in.
She really wished they didn’t have to.
The further they traveled, the darker it became. Amara raised her hand to the level of her eyes, but she couldn’t see it even if it was only inches away. It was time to make use of her skills.
“Ignis!” She called upon the power of the flames. It was a mistake because she had nothing to hold the flame so it dropped into her hands. Startled, she tossed the flame into the water. “Rats!”
“Did you burn yourself?”
She leaned over the boat and dipped her hands into the water. “No,” she replied. “I was just startled.”
He lit up a white flame in his right hand and held it at a cautious distance from her. The flame provided sufficient lighting as the river carried them further and further into the cave system. Amara marveled at what she saw. The ceiling of the cavern had strange rough textures of a termite’s nest. Layered rock formations covered in black moss lay alongside the river. Dark green malachite ores were lining the cavern wall.
Amara sunk back when she felt something from beneath the water bumping their tiny boat. The boat swayed from side to side, letting in a worrisome amount of water.
What’s the worst that could happen? If I get killed by whatever is stalking us from beneath, I’d just end up back here. That was the way it works, right?
That did nothing to calm her. Another bump had her squeezing him.
The small boat slowed and it eventually came to a full stop. The surface of the river was completely stagnant in this part. Standing in front of them were massive stone gates stretching from beneath the water to the curved ceiling of the cavern.
“How are we going to open—”
The cavern briefly rumbled. Suddenly, the gates began to open by themselves. The water rushed in and carried the small boat with it. Noctis jumped back into the cold water and pushed the boat to shore.
Amara’s grey eyes wandered about. “Where is this place?”
“Exactly where he wants us to be,” Noctis replied and offered her his hand. She took the offered hand and pulled herself off the boat.
The gates behind sealed them in.
“I guess we have no choice but go forward…” Amara said, following his lead closely. They walked down a long and dark corridor that was haunted by the sound of the wind being trapped in an enclosed area. The only source of light was the flame in Noctis’ hand. The walls were covered in relief art. It seemed to be keeping a record or detailing a very long story.
The corridor split into different routes that they were forced to choose, and at the end of each route were more choices. It was a labyrinth of sorts. It was meant to trap them in. Amara figured that if she could hear and feel the circulating air, it must have meant there was an exit on the other side.
In the bone-chilling silence, Amara could have sworn she heard very soft whispers coming from the white chess piece Noctis had often taken out of his pocket.
Sometime later, they stumbled upon a large circular space. The torches along the wall lit up by themselves, as if welcoming them. It was then that Amara felt like someone or something was manipulating their surroundings. She felt like they were being watched.
They probably were.
On the other side of the circular room were three massive doors. On each door there was a large circular symbol. Each was unique. The art continued on in this chamber as well. On the ceiling was a massive relief of a strikingly beautiful woman with long dark tresses flowing freely over her bodice. Amara was drawn to that particular artwork; entranced by it. Her hands reached for her own face. The woman on the ceiling and Amara bore a remarkable resemblance to each other. She was provoked by a deep emotion that shook her to the very core. The feeling was powerful. It was sad.
“Amara!” Even though she heard him call out her name, she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the woman. She couldn’t look away.
A small-scale earthquake caved in the path behind them. Amara grabbed onto his arm for balance.
“Stand back,” Noctis said to her. It came across as an order so she did as he bade. She backed against the wall. Noctis seemed to be sensing danger so Amara braced herself in the nerve-racking moment of silence.
The black vines on the wall sneaked up on Amara like a deadly silent hunter. They wrapped themselves around her limbs, entwined around her body, and trapped her against the wall. When she noticed they were there, it was already too late.
“Help!” she managed to scream out before it could cover her mouth. He sprung around and sprinted to her. He began ripping the vines from her, but they kept growing and wouldn’t let her go. She could barely move much less struggle.
Her eyes widened when she saw giant worms with rings of sharp teeth coming from the ground behind him. She wanted to warn him, but her voice was muffled by the vines. They struck fast like deadly vipers.
He swung around and sliced one of them vertically with his blade. There were so many of them scattered across the chamber. Some dived back into the earth and attempted to assault him from the ground up. He rolled back to dodge and slice their heads off with the fluid motion of his blade. The few spare seconds that he had between the attacks, he used to attempt to free her from the vines.
No! Don’t be distracted by me! She wanted to tell him. She tried her best to shake her head.
He gritted his teeth and turned around. She could feel the anger rising in him. He went down on one knee and pressed both hands against the earth. He called upon a summoning circle and called forth the power of the white flames. All that came in contact with the flame turned to ashes in an instant. He closed his hand to dismiss the flame when all of the creatures were no more. He turned around and attempted to free her from the vines once again. He lit up a flame in his hand and brought it close to the vines. It was so hot; she felt the heat against her skin even though she was covered in vines. The vines couldn’t stand the heat and receded.
He caught her when she peeled off the wall. “Are you alright?” Blue eyes were searching hers.
She felt numb from the lack of blood circulation, but other than that, she didn’t suffer any injury. “I’m fine,” she panted.
The earth rumbled once again. The gate to the left of them was lifting, revealing a pitch black tunnel. From the tunnel, she heard echoing hooves.
What now?
Dozens of bright red eyes were peering from the darkness. They stepped into the perimeter of the light. Amara gasped at the sight of the half-man, half-bull creatures wielding double-headed axes. Their heavy breathing could be heard from where they were standing.
You’ve got to be kidding me
. Minotaurs?
Noctis threw fireballs at them from a close range, but they quickly gained ground by their powerful bull rushes. For their bulky size, they were surprisingly fast. Noctis was forced to enter close combat. Being completely useless in this situation, Amara could only try to stay out of the way.
One of the Minotaurs locked onto her. Amara didn’t know what to do so she ran. It hunched low and rushed at her with its huge horns.
Noctis dashed in between them and grabbed the bull by the horns. Its strength and momentum pushed him back several feet. Noctis growled and flipped the beast to the right and forced it on its back.
Amara screamed when another Minotaur targeted her. Since her back was against the wall, there was nowhere she could run. Frightened, she ducked to the ground. She thought she would be impaled for sure.
She was wrong.
The Minotaur rushed at her, but it miscalculated. Its horns got stuck in the wall. Amara was face to face with the beast that was trying to tear at her with its teeth. She tried to crawl away but it caught her by the ankle. She frantically clawed at the ground to get away.
Noctis’ blade came down between them and chopped the Minotaur’s arms in halves. Amara screamed while trying to shake the detached arm from her leg.
“I hate this…!” Amara muttered to herself.
Noctis pressed his back against her and trapped her between him and the wall so that the Minotaur would not get to her. Some charged at him while others threw their axes. He managed to block the incoming attacks and most of the axes, but not all of them. He didn’t dodge the ones he couldn’t block, so it sliced through his flesh before pinning him against the wall.
Amara knew he could have dodged them, but he didn’t because of her. She was filled with self-loathing as she watched his blood trickle to the ground.
Having something to protect put me at a disadvantage, he had once told her. Now, she knew exactly what he meant.
Do something, Amara! Help him!
Her powers were juvenile. Her spells were near useless. What could she do to help him?