Meridias

  Maria grinned and stepped forward to the river with confidence. She would wipe the smile off that guy’s… face? Right he didn’t really smile all that much except around his friends. Regardless she would show him what she was made of! Now to freeze the river. She took a deep breath and focused on the power inside of her. She activated the conduits in her body and concentrated on an image of unrelenting cold and held out her hands. An icy blast flew forth from her palm and began to envelope the river. Gradually the surface froze until she had covered the river bank to bank with ice. She panted with exertion but was pleased with herself. Now to see how long it lasted.

  About a minute later the ice started to break apart and drift away in the current. Maria grinned to herself and looked over to Angurvadel as he called out her time. She looked over to Elunduil and said, “I’d like to see you beat that!” As he walked to the river bank she heard him mutter to himself, “Inefficient.” Maria felt rage rise up inside of her. That jerk thought he was so great, didn’t he?! As soon as the last of the ice from Maria’s attempt floated away Angurvadel gave Elunduil the signal that he could proceed with his attempt now. He raised both of his hands and as he was moving them down he suddenly stopped. “Ha! Can’t think anything to beat me can you!” Maria gibed. She didn’t know why but that superior feeling vanished and instead she had an eerie sensation rising inside of her as she stared at Elunduil. The way he had stopped was almost like a statue. Suddenly he moved, startling her, and touched the surface of the water. She sensed magical energy flowing into the river but nothing seemed to happen at first. A moment later she noticed that the area around his fingers was freezing. The ice slowly spread across the river. She realized he wasn’t just freezing the surface of the river but the water below the surface as well.

  A couple of minutes later and he had frozen the entire breadth of the river. Maria watched on desperately hoping that the ice would break away but before she knew it he had surpassed her time. “Well it seems that this match has been decided. The winner is Elunduil!” Angurvadel declared. There was cheering from the small crowd that had been watching. Maria didn’t know how to react. He’d defeated her so soundly. Not with overwhelming power but by being smart with his magic. She gritted her teeth and started running. She heard Daniel and Dave call out to her but kept running. She just wanted to get away from here! She stopped when she could no longer hear the other people. She looked at among the trees and berated herself. Why was I so stupid?! Just freezing the surface of the river? If I’d just stopped to think for a moment I would’ve… She let out a frustrated growl and sat down clutching her knees.

  She heard footsteps approaching and looked up. She was surprised to see Angurvadel approaching. “You seem like you could use some company,” he said. He sat down nearby and crossed his legs but didn’t say anything more. Maria wasn’t sure what was going on but returned to thinking about what she should’ve done differently. “Musing about what happened today?” The elder asked. Maria nodded. “I would think that you’ve already realized what you could have done differently, but what about your opponent. Did you notice anything about him?” Maria looked to the elder with a questioning gaze. What about Elunduil? She talked out loud but mostly to herself. “Well it was kind of weird when he suddenly stopped. It was as if he’d been cut off mid-motion, but when he moved again it was as if he hadn’t stopped at all.” Angruvadel nodded.

  “What about when he used his magic. Did you sense when he cast his spell?” Maria thought about when he’d used his magic. She remembered sensing when the magic was happening… wait. When had he activated his conduits? “You seem to have realized it child. Elunduil’s magic cannot be sensed until he uses it.” Maria was at a loss for words for several moments. “How is that possible?” she finally asked. Angurvadel stroked his chin.

  “It would be impolite for me to go into detail however I will say that Elunduil is not the same as everyone else.” Maria wasn’t fully sure what the elder meant but if he knew about Elunduil then it was probably something she didn't need to worry about. “It would be best if we got back, and even though Elunduil may be different you may yet win against him if you try hard enough. You have the talent so long as you have the motivation to keep trying.” Maria was surprised by the elder’s words. He believed that she had a chance? She smiled. If the elder thought she was capable then she couldn’t let him down could she? “Yeah… I’ll get him next time.”

  Elunduil almost immediately got swarmed by the spectators after the match. They all congratulated him and asked him about how he thought of using his magic the way he had. He answered the best he could but was preoccupied with something else. As he had been going to cast the magic he felt as if he’d blacked out or something. He hadn’t really noticed anything other than the fact that the sounds around him had suddenly seemed disjointed. As if there was a lapse in time… Could this be what Life had warned him about? He sighed and looked off to the side and noticed that Maria was now talking with Daniel and Dave. He glanced at her neck. Seeing it earlier had bothered him and he couldn’t help but looking at it again. He watched her leave with her friends and decided that it was time for him to leave as well. After all he still had training to do with Angurvadel.

  ***

  It was a normal morning like any other. Joel had risen with the others for the morning drill. By now he was starting to get used to the almost daily drills and no longer complained as much. As they jogged along the desert dunes he wondered how his family and friends were doing. If they knew that he was in another world they’d probably freak out. Well, besides Elunduil. It was hard to get a reaction out of him sometimes. Twenty minutes later they had returned to the camp and did their morning workout routine. By the time they finished the sun had risen and was beating relentlessly down on them. “Alright men five-minute break,” Ashblade said and walked away. Several sighs came from the group including Joel. “You seem to have finally adjusted to this life,” Revais commented. “You haven’t been complaining as much and you seem less exhausted at the end of our morning workout.” Joel looked down at his hands.

  “Yeah, well I guess that’s the one good thing about being stuck here.” Revais laughed and agreed with Joel.

  Ashblade returned a couple of minutes later. “Alright then Joel you’ll be with Bryce today helping with weapon maintenance. Kali, Nadir, Jerome I want the three of you to scout the perimeter and…” Ashblade paused mid-sentence and looked out to the sands. He put his head to the sand causing Joel to wonder what he was doing when he heard it. The sound of something moving in the sand. He heard the same noise from another direction and turned towards it. “Krel…” Ashblade said under his voice. “Everyone into the tent!” he shouted. Joel was used to taking orders from the sergeant and he automatically moved to obey his command. The others followed suit and they ducked into the large tent. Draxus and Ashblade were moments behind them when a column of sand burst forth and a creature with a pointed nose and rows of razor sharp teeth bore down on Ashblade. The creature bore an uncanny resemblance to a shark with the exception that it was a light brown color.

  Ashblade dodges to the side then leaps through the opening of the tent. “W-what the hell was that?!” James exclaims.

  “That was a Krel. Basically a shark that swims through the sand. We had a hell of a time dealing with them when we first came here. I was hoping that we’d scared them all off…” Ashblade replies with a glint of fear in his eyes. “Take up whatever armaments you have in here. We’re going to have to fight it off.” The others scramble to their beds and pull out what guns they had. Joel grabs one of the swords he’d been keeping. There is a loud noise from his right and a Krel burst through the side of the tent. Joel cries out and slashes at the creature. The Krel flops to the side at the last moment and back into the sands.

  He hears the sound of guns cocking and is joined by Kali and Jerome at the hole the creature had created in the fabric. Kali holds an assault rifle in her arms while Jerome has a pistol. “Form a d
efensive perimeter! Remember the floor of the tent has reinforced steel underneath the flooring. It won’t be able to get us from below!” Ashblade calls out. The group forms a defensive circle. There is a loud sound behind them and Joel turns in time to see the Krel tear through the tent. A loud sound from the left catches his attention and another Krel tears through the side of the tent. The group unleashes a hail of bullets at the creatures but the Krel retreat as quickly as they had appeared. “Tch, there’s more than one.” Kali says bitterly. There is loud thumping noise from below. “They’re trying to get us from below!” Revais states. The noise is joined by several more thumps in other parts of the floor. After a couple of minutes the thumping stops. “Judging from that I would say there are at least three of them,” Ashblade says in a quiet voice.

  Joel was shaking hard. What the heck was with this world?! There were land sharks trying to eat them! “If we can hold out against them then they should give up after awhile. The first thing we need to do is gather what food and water we have here just in case this siege last longer than a few hours. Kali, Bryce, James the three of you will slowly walk to the supplies while we cover you. Toss back everything that you can.” The three of them nod and slowly walk forward. The pounding begins anew but they ignore it. Joel watches Kali as she reaches the first bed. She slides the bag that was on the floor over to them and proceeds to quickly and carefully search for more supplies. When that was done she moves to the next one bed.

  It was painstaking for Joel to watch her move slowly from one bed to the next but he knew she needed to be ready to react at a moment’s notice. She reaches the last bed on her side and throws back the bag and starts to look for other supplies when the sound of sand upheaving causes her to leap back. A Krel burst through the side of the tent and she fires at it. The creature hisses as some of the bullets found their mark and retreats back to the sands. Kali quickly grabs what she can, throws it back then retreats to the formation. Bryce and James return from their side at about the same time. “Right then. Nadir take stock of our supplies,” Ashblade commands. “Now we wait.” Joel gulps back his fear. How long would it take for those creatures to leave?

  Chapter 8

  The Second Challenge

  He’d been tracking the foul, scuttling creatures through the forest for nearly a week now. The Dahyen had nearly eluded him several times but each time Ark had managed to find a sign as to where they were heading. Intuition was telling him that his chase was nearing an end as he darted between the trees. He was quite far out from the ruins and estimated he was over 200 miles away. He wasn’t sure how far he was from Ellicia but the ruins were fairly deep in the forest. He stopped near some brush and looked down. There. Footprints of the creature he was pursuing. They were fresh, not more than a day old. He sped ahead, a silver blur amidst the trees, and chased down his quarry. He noticed something in the corner of his vision and changed course to intercept it.

  As he darted past the brush obstructing his sight the object came into full view and he instantly realized why it had stood out to him. “A Terminus,” he said as he came to a stop in front of the black obelisk. Was it active? He walked to it and put a hand on it. After several moments he determined that it was inactive. It was unfortunate but if he’d had a way to activate it he could have easily returned to Ragnarok once he dealt with the Dahyen. No matter, he would just have to hurry. If the elves of Tellia Armon were to be taken for their word than the first signs of Elunduil’s condition should’ve started to show. He clenched a fist in frustration and continued forward.

  A few minutes later and a large, cavernous hole that jutted from the earth came into view. Ark knew that this must be where the creature’s lair was and proceeded forward with caution. As he entered the cave he felt an immediate chill in the air. The ground beneath his feet was hardened with use and he changed his right arm into his arm cannon as the shadows deepened. Even with his eyes it was difficult for him to see more than a few feet in front of him. The path winded about for several feet until he came to a fork. There were three paths here. From left to right: One leading downward at a steep angle, one that went straight, and another that looked like it twisted and turned.

  Ark might’ve taken the steeper path but a sense of caution in the face of the unknown kept him from taking it. He had no way of knowing how many Dahyen were here and if they had set up a trap. He heard skittering from the winding path and took off towards the noise. The noise led him deeper and deeper down many different pathways. He knew that this was a trap but Ark needed to find the Dahyen and take back what they had plundered.

  At last the noise leads him into a huge chamber. He pauses warily at the entrance. This was the perfect place for an ambush but what choice did he have? He walks toward the center of the room and as he did so he senses a multitude of creatures around him. Forty, fifty, no there are over a hundred creatures out there in the dark. His right arm returns to normal and in a flash he brandishes his gold v-shaped sabers, their light burning in the darkness around him. He shoots forward and the light of his sabers reveal several Dahyen in front of him and he strikes. Several of the creatures jump back in time but Ark becomes a whirlwind and spins at them faster than they can retreat and chops several of them to pieces. Ark becomes a blur and cuts down several Dahyen as he darts about the room. He attacks with such fluid motion that any onlooker would find his moves graceful and precise.

  As he leaps to attack another group of Dahyen he feels a tug. He lands just short of the creatures and makes to dash forward but he feels something pull him back and is shocked. There is an eerie green glow that surges throughout the room and he quickly realizes that it is coming from each Dahyen. He is no longer in control of his body. The Dahyen have immobilized him and he is lifted into the air in the center of the room. He has a good view of his opponents. They cover the walls and are all gazing intently at him. Despite the situation he isn’t afraid of the terrifying sight before him. Hundreds of reptilian eyes stare at him whose bodies eerily glow. There is still something that he can do and if he takes out enough of them then he might be able to disrupt them or weaken them long enough to get away.

  The sabers in his hands disappear and his right arm becomes his arm cannon. Golden light radiates from the lines that ran from the mouth of the weapon to the back as it gathers energy. This action raises several wary hisses from the Dahyen. If Ark had been more like a normal person he would’ve grinned at their reaction, but instead he calmly fires the cannon when it reaches its maximum charge. An orb of gold sears through the air and explodes as it comes into contact with the Dahyen on the wall. Much to his surprise the attack did nothing to harm the creatures. He felt fear. If that had done nothing then he was out of options.

  The Dahyen hiss, no it sounds as if they are laughing. Ark feels his body being pulled in every direction. They intend to tear him apart! He grunts as the feeling intensifies. Sharp jolts shoot through his body. Was this pain? Was he going to die? Panic wells up as he struggls in vain to move. This couldn’t be his end. Who would save Elunduil if he fell here? He doesn’t notice it but the hazard-like symbol on his chest begins to glow with a green light. As Ark’s terror reaches its peak a green aura appears around him. Ark shouts in fear and as he yells the green light around him explodes outwards. Emerald flame-like tendrils sear through the room and wash over the Dahyen. Several cries of agony could be heard over the din as many of the Dahyen fell.

  Ark found himself falling to the ground and as he lands he sees what remains of the creatures. At least half of them had been wiped out by… whatever that green light had been. He doesn’t hesitate and fires a barrage of shots into the remaining Dahyen. With their numbers so dwindled they fall under Ark’s assault and the remaining Dahyen screech in fear and flee into the dark. Relief floods Ark and he falls to his knees. He’d almost died. Just what had that light been? He suddenly remembers the data cores that he’d come here for. “Right, first things first,” he said wearily and stood. He could see two exits to t
his chamber and decided to take the left one. He traveled at a brisk pace not wanting the creatures to escape but also staying alert for more ‘surprises’.

  Nearly an hour later Ark emerged from the den. He’d managed to track down the remaining data orbs. Well it was more like the collective intelligence of the remaining Dahyen had been smart enough to leave the orbs in plain sight to stop his wrath. Only a few of them had tried anything and they had been easily dealt with. Ark looked to the sky. He was glad to be in the open world once more. He noticed that the sun was hanging low in the sky. A few hours till dusk. He looked back at the cave once more then dashed off into the forest, glad to put some distance between himself and this place.

  While Ark had been chasing the Dahyen to their lair Elunduil and the others had trained in Ellicia for four days. Angurvadel went over another important part of a mage called a node. A node was a part of the mage where the magical energy could exit and enter the body. The most common places were at the ends of the hands and feet. Some people even had them on their fingertips. It all depended on the person. He also kept a watch on Maria whenever she did show up. He noticed that the marks on her throat had become more pronounced and when she spoke it was still a bit raspy. He was concerned but didn’t feel it was his place to say anything so he kept quiet. He’d taken a look at his level on the APL device. He was level 12 now which was unsurprising considering most experience points in games came from quests and fighting creatures. Most of what he’d been doing with the others was just training other than their adventure at the ruins. His brother, Felras had gotten a fair bit more proficient with his magic as well. Actually, they talked about taking on a quest in the near future when he got a little bit better. Felras also received a bow from Devin that he practiced with too.