by Wolfe Locke
“They are useless. They should be killed.” Vozrun replied out of hand.
“No. They are young and untrained and scared. Give me your word that you will not hurt them.” I asked, and Vozrun glanced at the mark on my arm before sighing in reply, “I give you my word. They will not be harmed.”
It was only later that I realized that unlike the blood oath, the word of the demon was easily broken. If I so chose, Vozrun could order the weaker cadets slain and there would be nothing that I could do about it.
I can’t do anything but take that monster's word for it. At the very least, the younger cadets will be out of the way. I just have to hope that the demons don’t decide to make examples out of them.
The week went by in a blur, and before we knew it, it was time for the first challenge.
Chapter 12: Gilded Praise
* * *
The voice of Vozrun came over the loud speaker announcing the challenge on the last day of the week. A surprise to all of us, though it shouldn’t have been that Vozrun had taken over the effective position of head of the academy and as such had access to the system.
“Attention cadets of the academy. This may not be something that you want to hear from one such as myself, but you have all done well. Your efforts thus have pleased us well. In the past week, you have shown adaptability and promise in your training. But now, the time has come. As stated, one week has passed. You have all had a chance to learn and grow under our tutelage. Now it is the time to see if this training has paid off and if you can be taught.”
We all looked nervously at each other. It was uncomfortable to hear Vozrun talk, but we said nothing. No one wanted to draw the ire of the Dullahans.
Vozrun continued, “The first challenge will take place in one hour. It will be a solo challenge, and it is up to all of you to choose who will represent you. All must attend, any who do not will be cast into the Hollow.”
Five minutes later, all of the remaining cadets were assembled before the gate. Nearby, the triumvirate led by Vozrun waited for our decision.
It wasn’t as difficult to make a decision as I thought it would be. The three of us cadets had already become widely respected among our peers, and over the last week had seen an explosive amount of growth in our power. It came as no surprise when Mathias, Markus, and I were singled out by popular vote to take up the challenge, though the decision past that point was given entirely to us to decide which one of us three would be given the challenge.
The three of us broke off from the rest of the group so we could talk and decide which one of was best suited for what was to come.
“It obviously has to be me.” Said Mathias. “As the highest ranking among us, I am the best qualified. I have the best chance of completing the challenge.”
“You know I’m Heir to the throne, right? Do, me a favor.” Said Markus with mock disgust. “Let me know how the view is once you get off your high horse.”
“Oh, come on. There’s a reason that I’m ranked the way I am.” Mathias protested.
They were both wrong though. The challenger had already been decided. It wasn’t lost on me the way Vozrun looked at the mark on my arm. “Don’t worry.” Said Tristan. “It’ll be me going in anyway.”
“Why would you go?” asked Mathias, and I was a little disappointed to hear he was actually annoyed. “You’re the lowest rank among us.”
“Exactly.” I responded, trying to manage his surfacing ego. “I’m the most expendable of the three of us. These challenges will most likely start off easier and get harder. It’s better for us to start the same way. That way, we save our best person for the later tasks.”
“It makes sense.” Said Markus in agreement with me. “Even though I don’t like it.”
“You don’t have to like it.” I replied, “But I need the two of you to go along with it.”
“Ok then Tristan. I’m trusting you not to die. You’re up first. Good luck.” Responded Mathias.
I separated myself from the others and walked up to the gate, approached the waiting demons. “I’ll be the challenger. I’m ready.”
“I had a feeling that it would be you.” Said Vozrun knowingly, and I had to resist the compulsion to shudder. “Take up your weapon and go into the gate. Show me what you are worth, crest bearer. The first challenge of the Hollow Realm awaits.”
I nodded and drew my Katana and did as I had been told. As walked forward, my body pressing into the film of energy that covered the portal. When I passed through the gate, it was a distinctly odd experience. I was overcome with vertigo, my head spinning.
Once I was through, the feeling of wrongness began to pass. But I could tell that I was somewhere else. The landscape had abruptly changed. I found myself on a plain of dried red dust with thin and wispy looking trees ringing the area. When I looked backward, I could still see the green grass of the academy grounds and the assembled formation of cadets waiting there. Markus waved and though he appeared to be just on the other side of the film, it felt like we were worlds apart.
The mark on my arm started to throb and time stood still. On the other side of the gate, Vozrun smiled.
♄ Saturn’s Crest ♄
Welcome to the Hollow Realm. From within this world come the forces of calamity and ruin. You must survive this first challenge, and through it, strengthen yourself. Whether or not you can one day battle Vozrun will depend on the power you can gain from the Hollow.
Time resumed, and I knew what I needed to do. No choice but to find ways to get stronger. I turned back around and surveyed my new surroundings. Here in the Hollow realm, I noticed a red mist clung heavy around me, making it hard to see.
I reached down to touch the ground, and crimson sand ran through my fingers like blood. When I did, the mist itself gave way, revealing the truth. When the mist cleared, I could see just beyond the trees and not that far away, I could see a great doorway through a large protective wall. Having no other leads, I went that way.
It was eerie walking, but no monsters of the Hollow came out to fight me, and though I heard some terrible noises in the distance, I was able to pass by unmolested. Eventually, I passed through the gate, never letting my guard down, and on the other side, I found myself in the middle of an arena. It was like something to be found in the capital of the Kingdom. Except the stands were completely empty, and as I proceeded further in, my footsteps echoed off the walls.
I kept my Katana at the ready. I had no idea what sort of challenge would be waiting for me, or what manner of monster I might face. I had not forgotten the hands that pulled down cadets into the earth when the portal had opened, and we met for battle on the academy grounds.
Then, without warning, the opening behind me slammed shut and across the stadium, a large square of the floor began to rise up out of the sand as red crimson spilled out onto the ground. I watched as a cage rose from the opening, and inside the cage was a monster. A true monster.
The monster was massive. It had the body of a lion, but on its back were large, leathery wings. The beast instantly fixated on me and snarled, revealing a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth. Each of its huge paws held claws that were the length of my palm, and rather than a normal lion’s tail, this creature’s tail was that of a giant scorpion, complete with a curved stinger. As I watched, a drop of green ooze from the stinger and fell to the ground where it sizzled and ate away at the sand.
It’s a manticore. I’ve never seen one before. Only read about the monster breed in my study books.
These abhorrent beasts were known for their ferocity and savagery. They could take down battalions of soldiers before they were slain, if caught unawares.
The cage opened, and the beast sauntered out to face me. It roared again and snarled; I could see a look in its eyes that I could only describe as blood lust.
There was no warning or hesitation before the beast started running full force in my
direction and lunged. It was fast, too fast. I executed a roll to the side and barely managed to dodge the attack as its claws raked the ground where I had been standing a second before. As fast as the manticore had been, I was faster. A boost I could only assume was due to Saturn’s Crest.
I immediately went for the counterattack and all my attention shifted on to the monster’s weak point, its back. The slash from my Katana failed to land any damage. The monsters’ tail slapped against the blade of my weapon as the stinger dripped deadly venom. It was all that I could do to back out of its range before and avoid getting stung, I had to jump off and went tumbling on the sand as I scrambled away from the tail to try a different approach.
The manticore turned, fixing its cat slitted eyes on Tristan. Then, it spread its wings and took to the sky. That’s going to be hard to deal with.
I had no defense against an aerial enemy. All I could do was run, dodge, and leap out of the way as the manticore darted at me with claws and tail.
If I don’t find a way to ground it, it’ll just wear me down. No sooner had the thought crossed my mind, than the manticore scored a hit on my shoulder, leaving a thick scratch that bled freely. I had been too slow to dodge that time. My only saving grace was avoiding the follow up attack from the stinger and its poison.
My shoulder stung, and I reached up and my hand came away cover with blood. I need to figure something out, fast. Then an idea came to me.
I’ll have to time this exactly right.
The manticore, sensing that I was growing weak, swooped down twice more in attack. I narrowly avoiding avoided further injury, but I could see a predator gleam in the monsters’ eyes. The manticore thought it had me. Then my chance came.
The manticore sensing weakness made one last pass over me, thinking to end the fight and me with it. This is it.
I ducked down and tumbled forward, activating the Lightning Blade technique. I wasn’t sure that it would work in this Hollow realm, but the magic of the Sword Technique from a way. In an instant, a dark cloud formed above, and lightning split the earth underneath me as the energy passed through the body of the manticore before channeling through me into my blade. I gritted my teeth at the familiar pain. But the manticore was not so lucky.
The monster roared in pain and fury. It desperately tried to stay in the air, but one of its wings had been turned into a burning husk. It landed heavily in the sand with a thud.
“No more flying now.” I shouted out as I levied my Katana imbued with the power of the Lightning Blade technique at the monster.
The manticore growled in response. Now that it was grounded, the monster no longer had the advantage of mobility, though it retained full use of its tail.
The manticore and I circled each other around the stadium. I hurt it, its being much more cautious now than it was before. We locked eyes, each waiting for the other to strike, each of us waiting for an opening.
Finally, the manticore made a move. It charged in at me with the speed of a lion, its tail held high, ready to sting.
As the monster got close, the barbed tail struck out at me. I deflected the blow with my blade, and in a fit of inspiration, I dismissed the energy of the Lightning blade into the tail. The manticore roared in pain again as energy poured into its body. In a blind rage it tried to rake me with its claws, but I was easily able to avoid them as reflexes and training took over.
I am an extension of my blade, and it of me. I felt myself calm and I struck with my sword. However, the manticore was fast. I had been aiming for its head, but it instead turned, catching the blade on its useless wing. The blade bit deep and held fast.
While I was trying to yank it free, the manticores tail struck. Against all teachings of my training, I released the blade from my grip and rolled away to avoid the attack. I sprung to feet and aimed a kick at the soft tendon of the manticores back leg.
The limb buckled and the manticore roared in in pain. Using the distraction, I avoided its claws and retrieved my blade from the beast’s wing. Before I could press on with my advantage, the manticore was back on its feet, though its back leg was lifted and injured. Rather than take a chance, I retreated to reassess the situation.
The wing of the manticore was a ruin and the back leg was damaged, but the monster remained deadly, and this close to prey, I was positive it wouldn’t retreat. The two of us circled each other once more.
This thing has too many defenses. If it’s not the claws coming at me, it’s the tail. I need to find a way to take that tail out of commission. Without the tail, it’s just another animal, but what can I do?
The mark on my arm flashed, and a brief memory of my time being taught by the Dullahan swordsman flashed before me. That might do it. I think it could work.
I think I know something that could work. I activated the Shadow Blade technique and my shadow and those around me all flowed toward my blade, darkening to the edge as tufts of black smoke emanated off of it.
The manticore, seeing the Swordcraft technique became wary. The monster even started to make noises akin to that of submission. I don’t stop now though.
Looks like it recognizes the Shadow Blade. Interesting though for it to have that reaction, just how powerful is this technique? Hopefully it does what I need it to do.
Still, the ability is new. I can’t fully trust it until I’ve mastered it. Just to add a bit of a safety net, I dismissed the Shadow Blade technique and fell to one knee, clutching my shoulder as if I was in immense pain.
The manticore took the bait. All it saw was its prey getting weak and the Shadow Blade no longer charged. In response, the monster darted in for the kill.
I really hope I can pull this off.
I waited until the manticore was close, then I pointed my blade to a spot just behind where I thought the manticore would be and quickly reactivated the Shadow Blade and followed up immediately with Shadow Fall
In the same instant that my blade turned black, I sped forward at an impossible speed as I sailed through the shadows. Thanks to my limited practice with the technique, the feeling was not as disorienting as going through the gate had been.
I was transported through the shadows and came out right behind the manticore. Not wanting to squander the opportunity, I slashed downward with the Shadow Blade and cut straight through the tail. It landed on the ground and instantly started to wither and disappear. But the manticore was not yet done. It hissed and turned on me and sprang.
Its quickness surprised me. I had no time to dodge out of the way as its claws raked across my chest. White hot pain filled me, and I screamed even as tried to get away from the next blow.
In what felt like slow motion, I watched as the manticore brought up its paw, dripping with my blood, and prepared to bring it down at my face to finish me off. I refuse. I can’t die here. With barely a thought, I rotated my wrist, pointing my blade directly upward and reused the ability Shadow Fall.
When I had been practicing the technique, I had always pointed to aim it and had been transported to a spot where I aimed. Once again, I surged forward and felt the feeling of passing through the shadows, and when I came out of the other side, I was in the air above the manticore and falling downwards. One more thing. I reached into the well of power within myself and summoned an Imp to spawn below me and gave the summon an overwhelming command to fly straight towards the manticore’s face. I knew the imp had no chance. I just needed the distraction.
The manticore easily dispatched the imp, and when the summon was destroyed, the part of me that had been taken to summon it did not return, instead something of the Hollow realm return to me. The manticore looked around in puzzlement as the summoned imp disappeared into nothingness. You’ve served your purpose. The manticore never saw me coming. In the air, I dismissed the Shadow Techniques and went with what I knew best instead. The Lightning Blade.
Using the momentum of my fall, I adjuste
d my body, making of myself an almost spear and brought the now glowing blade down on the manticore, slicing it completely through with a force it couldn’t resist.
I hit the ground hard and rolled, coming to a stop with my face in the dirt and my sword in my hand. My arms ached, and I was fairly confident I’d at least fractured something.
I was bleeding and hurt. I was tired, and it felt like all my energy was completely done. But I was alive. I had done it. I had passed the first challenge. A giant orb appeared from within the manticore’s corpse and came flying directly at me, absorbed into my body and the mark on my arm. Time stood still as the mark began to ache.
♄ Saturn’s Crest ♄
To slay a manticore is no easy task. Do not rest on these laurels. Within the Hollow realm, far worse than manticores await you. Continue to prepare and enjoy the power you have gained.
Strength – 11.32
Your strength is a bit better than an average man.
Agility – 13.09
Your agility is somewhat better than the average man.
Endurance – 9.06
Your endurance is a bit better than an average man.
This message will now fade, and time will return to normal.
As soon as time returned to normal, I collapsed onto the ground, unable to move. I laughed as I felt the thick matted blood on me and remembered my wounds. I slipped in and out of consciousness a couple of times, but eventually, I began to feel a bit better and was able to force myself to stay awake. I need to get up. I need to show them that I did it.
It took a titanic effort, but somehow, I was able to push the pain away long enough to stand. Slowly, step by step. I proceeded toward the gate, leaving the red landscape behind me. Thankful that at least the bleeding had stopped.