“Can’t tell. What do you want to do?”
“If we stay here, there’s a chance they’ll skirt right by us. On the other hand, if we stay put they could float right through the door and we’d be sitting in our own tomb.” Kaia thought for a moment. “Let’s move. We know their weakness and can push through their ranks. Ryris, are you rested enough?”
“No,” he thought.
All he wanted to do was run far away from this haunted place. He had seen enough supernatural phenomena for one day, and really wasn’t keen on pushing forward to find more. He focused on his friends, though, and saw the same fatigue on their faces, the same fear in their eyes. They had all experienced exactly what he had. All three bore the scars of battle: trickles of blood dripping from noses, scrapes and cuts oozing on battered flesh. Glancing down at his own body, he took inventory of the bloodspots spattering his shirt and pants. Granted, some of it was not his own, but he could definitely feel the telltale stings of cuts rubbing against fabric. Knowing that his companions shared in his discomfort and exhaustion, he knew he had to press on. They were in this together, and if one faltered—they could all be in jeopardy. Taking a deep breath, he finally replied to his friend.
“I’m ready.” His voice was strong and sure as he rose to his feet. “Grildi?”
“Aye, Boss.” His tone was quiet, yet determined as he hefted his club onto his shoulder. Grildi never made eye contact with the alchemist.
“Jaric, open the door.” Kaia stood battle-ready, her fingers barely ghosting across her crystal bowstring.
Jaric did as he was commanded, the door creaking open with a loud squeak. He hesitantly stepped out, his sword locked firmly in his hands in front of his body. Peering around the door, he momentarily stepped back in and silently gestured to his left down the hall. His voice was almost inaudible as he whispered. “Light’s getting brighter, but there’s no way to tell how many. They’re down a side corridor, I think.”
“Quiet—and stay behind us.” Kaia’s voice was a hushed whisper as she beckoned to the alchemist and giant.
They crept out the door, following each other in a single-file line. The ghostly illumination got brighter and brighter as they approached another crossroads in the halls. Jaric held up a hand, halting their progress. Pushing himself flush with the craggy fortress wall, he tentatively poked his head around the corner to do his reconnaissance. He sucked in a surprised breath and quickly returned to his original position.
“What is it?” Kaia moved in close, Jaric blocking her way to see around the corner. His expression was one of surprise and sorrow. When he didn’t answer, her voice became sterner. “I said, ‘what is it’?”
The light grew closer, the haunting glow illuminating the entire area. Jaric looked away from his friend with saddened eyes. “It’s…”
Mist floated in from all directions, the hairs on Ryris’ neck standing on end. A foreboding presence crept in on the group and the temperature dropped so low they could suddenly see their breath. A glittering crystal sword appeared from around the corner, a spectral hand tightly grasping the hilt.
“…the Guard.”
The soldiers, six in all, marched in a macabre pattern, backed by their headless commander. Ryris thought back to the bodies at the entrance of the complex and shuddered. It seemed the temple truly didn’t care who its victims were. Like all the other ghostly combatants they had encountered, their bodies were misty, covered in spectral forms of their once-incredible armor. Ryris couldn’t be sure, but it seemed as if they knew who they were going to be fighting. The front-most soldiers smirked when they saw their opponents.
Jaric tightened his grip on his sword’s hilt and pushed on ahead, coming face-to-face with the spectral garrison. Kaia motioned for Ryris and Grildi to bring up the rear. Without warning, the dead warriors attacked.
Crystal clashed with crystal, Jaric’s prized sword barely holding them back. The ghostly soldiers quickly surrounded the companions, closing in on them from all directions. With a grand swoop of his sword, Jaric managed to push two of them back, their phantasmal bodies ebbing and flowing as they made contact with the walls. It gave the party enough time to dash down the corridor and out of the dead-end alcove they had been pushed into. With the ghostly soldiers hot on their heels, they had little time to prepare.
“Ryris, you and Grildi get to one side and hold them back! Incinerate them!” Kaia’s instructions were stern. “We’ll take care of the other flank.”
They got into formation and waited for the onslaught to reach them. The demonic soldiers soon rounded the corner and immediately charged. Ryris unleashed a volley of pure fire, illuminating the dim corridor with a haunting orange light. His attack hit the first soldier square in the chest. His form fizzled for a moment, but did not dissipate. Shocked, Ryris attacked again, only to find his magic either wasn’t as strong as it had been—or these soldiers were resistant.
“I’m not hurting them!” Ryris’ voice was panicked. Here they were, used to having the upper edge with magic, and these new foes weren’t affected. Grildi lunged out in front of them, wildly swinging his club. Like before, his weapon passed right through its body. The soldier raised his own sword and whipped it around, narrowly missing the giant man’s head. It clashed against the wall, sending sparks flying.
“I have an idea!” Kaia shot an arrow of pure electricity at the guardsman, the energy arcing across his phantasmal armor. It shocked his ghostly system, and he dropped his sword. “Ryris, now!”
Ryris unleashed a torrent of flames. The already compromised ghost warrior crackled as the new attack struck, and he finally fizzled from existence. His crystal sword clattered to the floor.
“I’ll attack first, you finish!” Kaia charged forward, dragging a surprised Ryris along. “You two keep the others at bay until we can get to them! One at a time!”
Ryris found himself pulled into the fray once more, frantic yelling and the sound of clashing weapons echoing through the corridor. He noticed that, while the ancient warriors seemed more sluggish and untrained, these ghostly guard soldiers did not waver in the slightest. Even in their spectral forms, they were formidable opponents, highly trained and deadly.
One-by-one, Kaia expertly hit each soldier with a bolt of pure lightning, giving Ryris just enough time to strike with his flames. The magical combination overloaded their spectral power and each one fell where they stood. With Jaric and Grildi keeping the others occupied until Kaia and Ryris could get to them, they made quick work of the former Crystal Guard.
The last warrior standing was the headless commander. They didn’t know how he did it, but it had been obvious he was controlling his soldiers, telling them where and how to attack. They had all seemed to wait for instructions, even though there was no audible sound to be heard over the clashing of swords. They had moved in perfect sequence, dodging physical attacks on their way to eliminate the magical opposition. Adapting to the fighting style of their opponents, the ghost soldiers had forced the party to their breaking point, exhausting them in an attempt to gain the upper hand. But, Grildi and Jaric held them back, giving the wizards the time—and room—to deal with the garrison.
Now, faced with their final foe, Kaia and Ryris unleashed their volleys once again. The bolt of electricity bounced off of the commander’s ghostly armor and ricocheted off a wall. The entire party ducked to avoid the errant projectile. Undeterred, Kaia tried again, this time aiming for the junction of his chest armor and where his head once sat. She hoped that one “soft spot” would allow her the power she needed to pacify him enough for Ryris to attack.
With a hearty battle scream, she unleashed her magical arrow, crackling and bright. It flew at the soldier with incredible speed, hitting his severed neck and sizzling down his armor. In an instant, his spectral “skin” flashed and bubbled and Ryris knew it was his cue to finish the job. Seconds later, a ball of plasma shot from his hands and impacted the dying ghostly soldier. A horrid scream erupted from the walls a
nd made a chill run down Ryris’ spine. His crystal sword clattered to the ground, wisps of smoke rising from the hilt.
The party stood there and stared at the discarded blade, chests heaving with adrenaline-laced breaths. Jaric picked up the weapon and inspected it closely. His face became drawn, his eyes sad. After a minute, he reverently laid it back down on the ground with a bowed head.
“Goddess bless your souls…”
“Aye.” Grildi looked down at the smoking weapons with pity.
“We can’t stay and mourn them.” Kaia moved past the two men and down the corridor. “We have to keep moving. Ealsig is here—somewhere…”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
…someday I will make you my wife, I promise you that. After the war, after everything goes back to normal, we…
--Scrap of a letter, found in the ruins of the Guard barracks
Ryris slumped against the stone wall of the corridor, seconds away from total collapse. He had been using his magic almost constantly for hours. The battle with the spectral Guard members had not been their last. They spent the last hour dodging rusty phantasmal swords as they dashed up and down increasingly confusing hallways. Soot covered his palms, his fingernails caked with the grime of magic. He couldn’t remember the last time he actually saw bare skin. Grildi dashed to his side, his strong hand grabbing him under the arm to steady him. Ryris was relieved to feel his touch, hopeful that he was on his way to earning the giant man’s forgiveness.
“I can’t go on. I need a minute, please.”
Kaia and Jaric skidded to a halt. “We can’t stop. The longer we stay, the more vulnerable we are.” She moved to Ryris’ position and laid a hand on his shoulder. “I know you’re exhausted, but we have to keep going. We’re close, I can feel it.”
“That’s just it…we’ve been ‘close’ for hours now. How long do we keep doing this? Those things won’t let us win. For all we know, it’s been them forcing us in circles this whole time.” His tired eyes pleaded with her as his voice softened. “We need to admit defeat. I don’t want to die here.”
She stared at him in silence for a moment before her jaw tightened and she narrowed her eyes in defiance. “I will not leave without her shard. I will not leave without her.”
“She could be anywhere in this complex.”
“And that’s why we have to keep going.”
The determined longing in her voice was unmistakable, the loyalty to a friend pressing through. There was no way she was going to leave, even if it meant their lives. Maybe that was something he didn’t quite understand about unwavering loyalty. Yes, he said he would give his life for his friends, but when push came to shove—would he really? This was the first time he was faced with the fact that he really, truly might not leave alive, and that he had no choice in the matter. He could leave on his own, looking like a coward and probably be killed by evil’s minions before he even got out of the complex—or he could stay and help his friends. He knew the decision should be easy, and yet—it wasn’t. He felt like an ass.
“Are you coming or not?”
Ryris took a deep breath and decided. He wasn’t a coward. He wasn’t disloyal. He was trustworthy and had no intention of letting his friends down. Facing his own potential death, he finally realized what loyalty meant. With Grildi at his side and Jaric and Kaia surging forward with him, the option to run simply wasn’t available.
“I won’t let you down.” The alchemist stood and stretched his neck out until it popped. He tried to put bravado into his voice.
Jaric hoisted his sword onto his shoulder to rest and offered Ryris a proud wink. “Good man.”
Ryris exhaled deeply, totally at peace with his decision. He then realized he had something that might aid them in battle. He shrugged off his backpack and rooted around until he found what he sought. Ryris pulled out four small glass vials and handed them to his friends.
Jaric eyed the bottle in his palm. “What’s this then?”
“Agility-boosting potion. It’ll also help your stamina.” Ryris pried the cork from his own vial and downed the tincture in one gulp. He had forgotten how bitter it was, and winced at the horrid taste. “Drink it fast, trust me.”
The others followed suit and drank the mixture. They sat for a moment and waited for the effects to take hold. Suddenly, Jaric let out a satisfied sigh and pounded his chest. “Well I’ll be damned! I feel like I have pure energy flowing through my veins!”
Ryris smiled proudly. He was relieved his concoction had worked.
Kaia threw a small, thankful smile in Ryris’ direction. “It looks like there’s a larger chamber ahead.” She pointed at a set of heavy, wooden double doors, a haunting red illumination filling the hallway in front of them.
The group hurried toward the oaken doors. As they approached, it appeared the surface was covered with intricate etched runes, all glowing red. They pulsated both light and pressure waves. Ryris could actually feel the ‘beat’ of the carvings as they oscillated. Several heavy chains ran through the handles of the doors, clearly unbreakable by weapons. Four giant padlocks hung from the links at various junctions. Whatever was in this room, it most certainly garnered protection. Jaric yanked on the chains, rattling them loudly.
“You’ll wake the dead, Lad!” Grildi covered his ears at the racket.
“I don’t think that’ll be an issue, seeing as they’re already chasing us.” Jaric slammed the chains back down against the door with an irritated huff. He looked to Kaia and Ryris. “Well, one of you needs to do the honors.” He made an exploding gesture with his hands.
Kaia readied her bow. “I don’t think flames will do the trick. But, if we freeze the chains, we can shatter them with a blade.”
“What about those glowing symbols? Do you really think we should be throwing magic at them?” Ryris didn’t try to hide the worry in his voice.
“Unless you know the incantation to release the runes, this is our only option. Look at the locks; they’re glowing just like the carvings. If we destroy one, the others should fail along with it.”
Ryris knew better than to distrust her, although he would be the first to admit that his knowledge of all things magical started and ended at how to start fires with his hands. He hadn’t studied wizardry one bit—ever. If she thought it would work, then who was he to contradict her?
With everyone in agreement, she conjured a shimmering arrow of pure ice, the projectile freezing solid as it formed. Firing it at one of the junctions on the chains, it struck and immediately froze the metal. Icy tendrils of magic swept up and down the strand of links, overtaking the enchanted locks. They crackled and popped as the bewitched metal froze. Satisfied the chilled spell had taken hold, Kaia instructed Jaric to deliver the breaking blow. As his sword crashed down, the links shattered into hundreds of tiny shards, littering the ground with quickly thawing metal fragments. The locks dropped to the floor, their red glow fading. The runes on the door flared momentarily before also going dark. A great howl echoed through the entire complex, accompanied by a blasting wind from all directions. It swirled around the group like a small tornado. The building shook for several seconds before falling silent. The companions all looked at one another, unsure of how to proceed.
“I don’t think the beasties want us in that room.” Grildi’s voice trembled.
A mischievous smirk befell Jaric’s lips. “All the more reason to go in then, wouldn’t you agree?”
“No…” Grildi nervously scratched the back of his neck.
“A lion, remember?” Jaric punched Grildi in the arm, encouraging him with a warrior’s bravado.
Grildi mustered a weak smile. “If you say so.”
Kaia paid the men no mind, and instead eased the door open with a cautious push. The hinges were rusty and took a great deal of force to budge. As the aperture swung open, the moaning from behind them intensified and a great rush of wind once again overtook their position. They all turned, terrified to see an entire garrison of undead soldiers fl
oating up from the floors and through solid stone walls. Forsaken weapons clutched in their ghostly hands, they pressed forward in attack formation, eager to claim their living prize. The companions had only seconds to push through the door and slam it shut before the first spectral warrior made it to the barrier. A wooden bar fell into place on the back of the doors by itself, tumbling into a cradle on the jamb. Jaric tried to budge it, but found it to be stuck tight. The runes glowed once again, re-activating themselves. The ghost warriors outside scraped their blades against the door. Hideous moans wafted under the crack at the bottom as they pushed their abominable bodies against it. But the door held steady.
“We’re safe…or trapped, depending on how you look at it. I don’t think those bastards can get past the enchantment.” Jaric gave the door a strong pound with his fist for good measure.
Suddenly, the air temperature dropped, the companions able to see their breath in front of their faces. A ghostly beat enveloped them, as if the room was alive. Sound waves pulsed from the back of the chamber, their source unknown. They cautiously turned around, scanning the area for threats. The center of the room was dark, and the party was unable to see just how large it was with no light. From the sounds of their footsteps echoing, Ryris figured it was quite expansive. The air temperature continued to drop, forcing Ryris to shove his shaking hands in his pockets for warmth.
Without warning, the same reverberation that heralded their arrival to the complex hours earlier tore through the chamber, rattling the walls and rumbling the ground beneath their feet. Ryris instinctively grabbed onto Grildi to keep his balance. A figure emerged from the darkness at the rear of the room, a haunting blue glow enveloping their body.
Jaric’s voice was wrought with surprise sadness. “…Ealsig.”
The apparition floated toward them, coming to a halt mere feet from the party. Her shimmering spectral boots hovered just off the floor. Phantasmal crystalline armor hung on her ghostly frame, a gaping slice in the breastplate. A shining crystal battleaxe rested in a scabbard across her back. She was silent, the breathy sound of the dead warrior whispering throughout the room. She cocked her head slightly at the party, but did not make any move to strike.
The Alchemist: Dawn of Destiny Page 36