The Rick Chronicles. Part1: Armageddon

I accidentally stumble into ghostly rooms

" He showed me the convocation, the gems, and where they are now........."

Lucy replied.

"Why didn't you tell this earlier!" I demanded.

" Why did he show you? Tell us" Madam Pruice said in her usual kind way.

" I....... just remember a flashing light, and the universe and three gems which united to create life. But then I also saw these unite to bring carnage, the world covered in onyx, pitch dark, demons beyond imagination inhabiting the world. And I think thats what Marcus wants." Lucy replied convulsing.

" Its as I feared....... He is finally going to do it" Madam Pruice said jittering.

" But you said you saw where he was now." I asked inquisitively.

" I just saw the Taj" She replied.

"Taj Mahal? Cool!" Edward said abruptly engrossed in our conversation!"

"And I saw a snake, a huge dragon, two legged and with a cock's head."

"Way to ruin the moment!" Edward complained and everybody ignored him.

"So, its a quest bestowed upon you, So let it be. But this is not like your training. Go, find what's inside, get it and come back, no stroll in between." Madam Pruice said unnerved.

" We are ready," Lucy said resolutely, using we for the group whose opinions she didn't ask.

The news spread as quickly as fire. Everyone was staring at us. I liked to be the centre of attention but they were staring as we were going to our demise. I even thought what I would give to whom in my will.

We were to go to our odessey in a few days. At night, I almost couldn't sleep, contemplating on the visions I got..... of my mother and what the lady meant by the broken oath. Perplexed, I went to the bed and slowly drifted into a peaceful slumber.......ok......not peaceful slumber.

As soon as I slept, the nightmares kicked in, the old nightmares, with the same lines....... the born of the harbringer.......the broken oath............ The same women on the river grumbling about the broken oath and the worst part of my mother dying and I can't do nothing about it. I woke up abruptly. 

My room was empty. It was dark still. I checked the watch to see it was 4 in the morning. I decided to take a stroll to get some fresh air. 

And I learned an important lesson in my life :-  Never go strolling in weird ancient magical castles at night without magical supervision.

Out of my room I reached a long corridor, and decided to go to the kitchen to quench my thirst. I kept walking and reached the long hall where the assembly had taken place yesterday. After that, I reached a small room which was relatively darker than the long corridor lighters here and there by small pila luminis. 

I knew it wasn't the kitchen but a raspy windy voice stopped me in my boots. Yeah, I shouldn't have gone there but again, my curiosity got over my scruples. I went in there. Lights flickered on all over the room. In the centre the was a big black chest with red glowing runes made all over it.

The voice was coming from it. It was raspy, cold yet I was drawn to it. I fell an urge to open the box. I touched the handle. All the lights in the room went off. The runes on the box glowing in the surrounding void. It was like my body was not mine to control. My hand drawn to it was moving on its own. 

Then a spark flew through the air and hit my hand. I plummeted back into my consciousness. The runes died out. Sweating and panting like I had just been in a Marathon in olympics, I turned to see Lucy gasping in terror. 

"Let's get out of here, " she said, "now!" I ran out. But from the corner of the eye, I saw Lucy staring at the box, an unusual greedy look on her face, then she shrugged and came after me.

"What in the hell was that!" I exclaimed, " you keep that kinda stuff in reach of innocent civilians like me?"

"This castle was not made by us, it is magical, preserved from centuries ago from the time of the first shadow knight. It has a mind of its own. After so many centuries, still there are many rooms that are new and hide secrets unknown. The castle revealed the room to you........... And to me. And you're not that innocent," she replied smiling in the end.

And I saw a mark on her hand, in the shape of a scar, which was now visible because today she wasn't in her regular 24×7 full sleeves. She saw me look at the mark. A hint of fear from a distant memory came over her face. She covered it with her hand and ran away. I (thankfully) reached my room (unschathed) and fell into a slumber thinking about it. 

The next morning, I was getting a little more limelight than the normal, (what? I am the centre of the universe). "Everyone is waiting for you," a voice came from behind me. I turned startled to see Adam in his regular undead cold face. So, I just followed him into a dome shaped room which seemed to come after a passageway miles long. I first saw Madam Pruice along with Lucy and Max. Edward was also there. The only sunlight coming from the glass above fell in the centre where a rock on which a gleaming sword was fixed, half buried.

"Rick Walker, from now on by letting your blood flow on the holy Excalibur, you bound yourself in the holy pact of the shadow knights. Pledge to use your powers only for good and to eradicate all evil from our world." I stepped forward. The sword in the centre was gleaming, its hilt was golden with runes embedded on it. 

I took out by blade, and suddenly Excalibur made a humming sound, I cut a little blood and dropped it on the sword. It sizzled and then the runes gleamed making a sizzling sound. "What was that?" I inquired. "The sword react differently to different people. Yours was well.......... the most curious" Madam Pruice said as if talking to herself. 

"Well, congratulations! 

You are now an official shadow knight............................"