It's eight bloody-furious eyes illuminated the darkness around it with a frenzied ferocity as it raged towards me. My heart roared and thundered against my chest as I clenched the white stone tightly. An excitement odd to my nature had invaded my heart and permeated my body making me hop-hop a little. I input Ki into the stone making it glow a brilliant white. I launched it at the beast and quickly dived to the side, a thunderous boom shaking the whole cavern. The beast screeched, the tap-tap of its spiny legs disoriented and staggered. Quickly, I dashed into a separate cavern entrance holding the sword firmly in my grasp. I was quickly running out of breathe. I was careful not to mouth breathe remembering my brother's advice a season ago, 'Mouth-breathing makes you tired faster'. It was hard. In fact, I had done more physical work in the past cycle than I had the past three seasons. However, I started feeling Ki entering my body and circulating through it only way faster than ever before. My mind was sharper and my body rejuvenated. Instantly, I kicked off the ground exploding forward as the creature, in all its fury, was hot in pursuit.
Abruptly, the ground around me crumbled opening into an abyss that swallowed me whole. I yelped in utter terror as I fell right into the darkness. The rush of wind made it hard to breathe feeling as if I was being chocked by some invisible hands. This just added to the terror and confusion of the moment but I knew I had to keep it together. Something deep within me told me I had to. I closed my eyes and forcefully took a deep breath. I realized the staff had fallen far faster than I was. However, something told me it was my ticket out of this situation. With a sudden reckless courage, I dove and sped up my descent into the darkness. I got close and grabbed it. Reflexively, I unsheathed the sword and threw the sheath desperately into the darkness hoping to hit the edge wall of this abyss. Silence. I fell even faster. Silence. I closed my eyes, grit my teeth and tightened my grip on the sword. Silence. (Hopeless!) Clang! (Jackpot!) Instantly a chain shot out from the darkness and attached itself to the sword's hilt. I started swinging right through the darkness. A distant light, a dot even, was rapidly expanding. (A cavern!)
However, being unable to control my speed, I smashed into the wall way above it. Before, I could think up a solution to my predicament, the sheath slipped out and I hurtled down. I hurriedly managed to grab onto the edge when I could. I clambered into the cavern. I looked into the abyss as if pleading for my sword back. Suddenly, I heard the screeching of that beast. It was getting louder and louder. (Great! It can stick to the ceiling and walls!) I stared hopelessly into the abyss. (How am I even supposed to defend myself now?!) Something clicked into my head and I instinctively put my hand out into the abyss. The green tattoos re-emerged emitting a green misty aura. My hand vibrated vigorously. i yelped in bewilderment. The staff rushed from the guts of the abyss right into my hand. I was puzzled by what had just transpired or how it had sheathed itself but the beast's close screeching made me take off deeper into the cavern. As I scanned the walls of the cavern, I realized it was made of the same material as the exploding stones. As the cavern opened up I noted a large overhanging pillar of it . I smiled. I couldn't leave them in abeyance.
The beast had already reached the entrance, two of its eyes badly damaged but largely unscathed. It blazed towards me. I threw my sword at the base of the pillar. It cracked but it wouldn't fall in time. I clenched the sheath and a chain connected it to the sword. I pulled and used the sword like a wedge to widen the crack faster. It worked. The beast was making its way across the opening towards me but stopped abruptly. (Too late!) The pillar crashed onto it, shaking the whole cavern in the process. The damned beast screeched. (Persistent bastard!) I smirked. I took out one of the stones I had packed and supercharged it with Ki. It glowed brilliantly and ferociously as it got hotter and hotter. I launched it at the rubble. Instinctively, I lifted the sheath up and crouched down. A green misty aura engulfed it turning it back into the golden staff as a massive green aura shield with a strange insignia on it erupted from it. However, I didn't have time to think. It happened in an instant. The massive explosion erupted in all its fury and slammed its force against me. I could feel my bones rattle as I tried to withstand the force but I couldn't. I was sent flying through multiple walls and coming to my grinding halt once I landed on the ground.
My organs wailed from the thrashing, my skin and muscles screamed in a agonizing pain from being ripped apart right down to the bone and my legs despaired as they were shattered and twisted. Volleys and volleys of pain assaulted my body and ripped it apart with the ruthless tenacity of a beast. I wailed. I cried more than I ever did, more than a child, more than Ergon did. I ignored traditions; men shouldn't cry. It was too much. Those traditions offered belonging and protection to everyone but me. I bit my lower lip. My head was in a chaotic storm of pain, despair and thoughts. I felt dizzy. I had to get up anyways. I opened my teary eyes and tried focusing them. No one would be there to comfort me, to hold me and tell me everything was going to be okay. I had to learn to be strong. I tried pushing myself up. For far too long had I abased myself to outside powers. I fell back onto the floor face first. Bullies, parents, villagers, pain, cold, sun, everything! I tried gathering strength once more in my arms. I had to change.
That's when it started. I heard screams. Laughing. Cackling. Goblins. Blood. Death. Black and white flames. Burning flesh. They came in incoherent flashes but I could tell. They were memories of a day I had long suppressed so much so that I had forgotten it. Only able to recall the events of that day from everyone's narrations. I shook my head. It felt heavy. I wasn't ready. I knew it. Slowly, shapes and figures were coming into view.
I was in a large room however its condition screamed to me that someone had savagely rummaged through the entire room. The books on the shelves were all strewn on the ground, some with ripped pages others charred, weird crystal clear vessels were shattered and their shards lay all over the floor. Despite the mess, I could see that there was a large circle at its center with weird symbols within it. Moreover, I was shocked to see that there were several floors above me all with spiral steps leading to the top. There was a central white light source at the top that illuminated the entire space. There was a huge but narrow metallic gate, it had claw marks, dents, some parts of it had been corroded and even sword marks on it. That's when I smelled it. I turned my head and dragged myself to rear my head behind one of the shelves. In a dark corner of the room, lay a rotting corpse; half eaten and an egg growing from the remains. The egg was way bigger than all the others I had seen. I trembled. I noticed the signature faded green hair of an oh-so-infamous tribe. Judging by the fact that the corpse was infested with maggots, flesh still present, and some liquids were being spewed out of it made me come to the conclusion that it was fresh. Moreover, the sword next to him looked relatively new and it had the glimmer of a well crafted sword. Maybe a few cycles old. I had no idea whether the egg and its weird bulbous roots penetrating into the body sped up the rotting but it mattered not. I wanted to get out of there before that thing hatched. I was even bleeding more because of the wig-waggling it took for me to get there. I bit my lip, persevered and started thinking of how to get out of there.
Abruptly, the circle started glowing and even moving. A voice declared "Sufficient quantities of blood of the vessel has been detected." (Vess-pardon?) "Initiating activation sequence." The building shook and quivered, mechanical sounds roared all around me and the books and I started floating. I had something snap. It was my arm. I screamed in agony but it was only just beginning. I felt a savage and fierce inferno erupt within me as skin and muscle regenerated and as my organs were forced into their rightful positions. The pain rampaged through my body leaving me gasping for air. I grit my teeth and closed my teary eyes. The moment it was done it dropped me onto the floor like a sack of rotten fruits. "Pain resistance of the vessel is lacking. Assigning name: BITCH." (...What? Bish? Bich?) There was an awkward silence when a wall split apart and opened up while being engulfed by an ominous purple mist. I immediately jumped to my feet and took cover behind a shelf. I wasn't sure I could face anything at the moment. I was still smarting from the pain.
I stared into the chamber; three beautifully crafted red chests were on pedestals with a red crystal above them illuminating them. I continued staring at them. At any moment, I expected them to turn into some beast and charge at me, however, nothing of the sort happened. I summoned the golden staff and approached the chests carefully. I didn't want to be blinded by the beauty of the chests' craftsmanship, that didn't end well last time with that thing. I shook my head.
I touched one of the chests and it immediately opened itself. I leapt back holding the golden staff at it. Nothing happened. I was becoming too paranoid. When my eyes trained themselves on the treasure before me I was dumbfounded. It was a black gauntlet with beautiful symbols carved into it with a weird clear crystalline substance. It had 7 hole slots, one at the knuckle of each finger, one massive one at the center of the hand and the largest one being at its forearm. In the midst of me staring, it shone a brilliant white. Instantly, it leapt out of the chest and wore my arm. I fell back, waving my arm wildly and even bashed it against the walls but it just wouldn't come off!
"Have no fear," the object rang, I shuddered, "I am an item created to assist you whom the great ancestral mother has chosen, use me wisely."
I yelped as a sudden surge of pain erupted, my skin smoldered and burned while the gauntlet seared itself onto my arm. The pain ebbed as the white slowly changed into a brilliant blue. I stared at it for a moment and sighed. Confused but relieved. I clenched my fist. My grip was far stronger than it was previously. About three times more. I was ecstatic. In fact, I felt sturdier but surprisingly light. I got to my feet, excited to behold the contents of the other two chests. I opened the second chest.
A massive crimson red jewel glistening in its magnificence as it sat comfortably in its white fluffy bed. I picked it up. Perfect size for the largest slot. I slotted it in. It clicked in naturally and the gauntlet lit up a bright red then the color slowly faded away. However, for all the pomp and glamour, I felt no difference. I closed the chest a bit disappointed. "Read the information under the chest, you idi-, master..." "Ah!" I nearly leapt out of my skin. I couldn't get used to it. I stared at the gauntlet. It was silent now. I sighed. I continued on and flipped the chest over. It was written in symbols I had never read before. Different from the ones I had seen on the walls and ceiling of the ruins. It was Amorak! Stranger was the fact I could read and understand it all. It wasn't even all that long ago that I had learned to read my parents' books. It was all strange. However, the first few words had me choking. "Demon King of Eternal Hell Flames:..." My heart beat, clawed and gnawed against my thorax as an inexplicable fear run its rounds up and down my spine. Again, something flashed in my mind. There were red and black flames but now they were being consumed by a purple inferno. A titanic figure stood within those flames, his red eyes piercing right through me. I felt powerless. "You've crossed a line, Petra," he said as the purple flames erupted in a sudden burst of outraged fury and consumed me. I snapped back to reality.
I was panting, shivering and sweating. (What's up with me today?!?!) I could barely make out what was happening to me. I deduced it must have something to do with that stone lady. Everything weird that had been happening. I shook my head. I had to quickly get out of there. I continued reading, "Alchemic skill stone 'Pantheric Strength' grants the user the strength of a Panthericus for three minutes. Depending on the user's actual strength, a penalty may be applied to avoid sudden limb loss,"(!)"moreover, depending on the user's quality of Ki, it can be used 0-3 times a day." It all sounded amazing but it was difficult for me to quantify the amount of strength I would receive for I didn't know what a Panthericus was. I stared at the gauntlet. "Pardon me but what's a gauntlet?" I asked awkwardly only to receive silence. I felt like I was going mad. I sighed. I at least knew what a minute was from pictorials in the library. It was weird seeing it being mentioned in such a place but that day was a weird day anyways. However, that was a cause for concern as I thought three minutes was bit short for a fight. In the sparring sessions I saw back in the village, they usually lasted way longer than that. Granted it was between individuals of the same power level, I knew I would be on the weaker side of most upcoming battles. Hopefully it wouldn't be like that for long. I glazed over the 'limb loss' clause. At this stage of my life, limb loss was the least of my worries and besides it was taken care of anyway. However, the clause on quality of Ki had me on edge. There was a chance I couldn't even use it. A big one at that. The only Ki I could use was from the surrounding meaning if an area's Ki wasn't 'pure' enough I couldn't even use it. (A Datian!) Abruptly, I had remembered reading about a method to create a Ki bank within one's body on the walls earlier! 'Cultivation' it stated. I hadn't even considered it implications because I was cramming the damn thing! I hop-hopped as I was enraptured by the revelation. I picked it up and it immediately clicked into the largest slot. The gauntlet glowed a brilliant red and there was a flushing sound as if something had activated. I smiled. I wanted to try it out immediately but didn't fearing what might happen.
With renewed vigor, I opened the last chest. A red liquid with white crystals within it slept comfortably within. (A potion?) I frowned. Rimache had taught me a bit about them in all his excitement but useful as they were in their variety in application such as even forcefully awakening limiters, they were only temporary. I sighed. An intrusive thought told me to just leave it be. As I played around with the idea, I turned the chest over. (An Elixir!) Instantly my mind was blown and my body shook in violent confusion and elation! Treasure of an ancient world! Rimache said these couldn't be made anywhere and he himself had given up long ago! He said they could give one inhumane powers like one of our ancestors who was able to make a contract with legendary beast kings! (Maybe I shouldn't be so quick to judge something's worth...) I nodded, slightly embarrassed by my impulsiveness. I continued reading the description. 'Blood poison and mist...' I started frowning but quickly shook my head violently. I had just learnt this lesson, I had to apply it. ' is a skill that will allow the user to assimilate poisons into their blood and to turn one's blood into mist through wounds. The poison will still be active even in mist form. The quantity of a specific poison ingested is directly proportional to its potency. However, one must ingest the poison severally over a few cycles for it to be properly assimilated otherwise death awaits.' (This Demon King...) I didn't dare think up his name; afraid he might appear out of nowhere. It wasn't all bad though. I had endured many poisons in the past three seasons, a few more, for me and not against me, wouldn't hurt. I opened the vial and instantly a strong irritating odor assailed my nostrils. I psyched myself up and instantly wolfed it all down. Instantly, I dropped the vial and myself to the ground, choking. It felt like fire had just erupted within me and my organs were dissolving. My limbs spasmed as I teared up. The pain soon faded away and in its place a wave of euphoria swept through my body as I sighed in relief. I got up and strangely my hand seemed bigger same to my arms, feet and I couldn't even feel the ribs on my chest anymore. Not only that but the fatigue I had felt earlier was gone and I felt way more energetic. (Nice!!!!)
SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My heart skipped a beat. (You can't be serious!!!) I heard it. Disjointed scuttling in the distance. I quickly activated my first limiter and hurriedly looked for an exit. I found a door hidden behind some shelves. I quickly pushed aside the shelves aside with strength alien to my body and bolted inside the narrow hallway beyond the door, desperate to create some distance between me and that tough bastard! I looked back. The beast had just arrived at the door. Only two of its eyes remained, it outer carapace was cracked, three of its legs were blasted off and it had burn marks all over its body. I was elated, even more so when I discovered it couldn't fit within the narrow hallway.
However, the patchy hair on its charred abdomen stood up like tiny little spikes. My eyes widened and my heart roared to life. I summoned the staff and put up the shield just as I was assailed by a storm of powerful missiles. They slammed against my shield and each blow sent shockwave rippling right through my body. Even with my boosted strength, I could barely put up the shield let alone stand. Abruptly, it shot a thick web and it adhered to my shield. It yanked it and me along with as I desperately held onto my only defense as it slammed me through a bunch of shelves. It leapt towards me as I turned and put up my shield. It crashed its massive body onto my sheild. I felt a bunch of bones crack. I yelped. It was now or never. The stone emitted a violent red light, the gauntlet colored and streaked with furious red veins of power. I felt a monstrous strength overcome me and the beast's weight became like that of a mere rock. I pushed up hard and threw it across the room, quickly getting up and charging right at it with my shield up and tackled it right through the wall right into another chasm. As we fell, it yanked me towards it with its web and opened its mouth to receive me. I refused. I pulled at the web midway and we collided into each other. With immense power flowing through my arm, I punched it toward the ground a powerful boom erupting as I did so. It hurtled toward the ground and crashed with a thunderous thud that shook the cavern. I yelped as I felt my bones crack from the sheer force. I grit my teeth, pulled up my shield and braced myself as I crashed into the ground.
My head was in utter chaos, felt like it turned into sludge, the bones in my right forearm were all but crashed to powder and I could still feel my organs ricochet within my body as savage pain tore across my body with unbounded ferocity. I teared up but grit my teeth. Now was not the time! I was alive and that could change quickly if I didn't compose myself early enough. The space we had fallen into was lit dazzlingly by walls made of Krira stone. I felt for them. They were gone. The only exit from there was channel with a river which flowed to unknown places. I couldn't swim and even more so in my condition. Besides, the river was on the other side of that thing. A perfectly shaped arena. There was no room for tricks. I had to push through that beast!
I could hear its diminished screeching as it struggled to get up. I too focused all my energies in trying to get up. The first to stand and strike was the winner. We both acknowledged this. I felt blood trickle out of my busted right arm. I smirked. It was usable, very usable. It got up first and rushed to me. I stretched out my hand and instantly a plum red mist gushed out. The moment the beast stepped into the mist it cried in an ear-shattering screech! I watched as its last functional eye dissolved into sludge, its exposed abdomen and flesh sizzling making it tremble in agonizing pain. It leapt away, having lost its last eye and on the doors of death. I heaved a sigh of relief. I had stopped it but abruptly, I felt my consciousness slipping. (Crap!) I had used too much blood. I had to do something quick!
The mist was clearing. I could feel my heart thunder against my chest. I tried sneaking to the sides so that I could try and make a run for it to the small river. However, after a moment it too made its way to the side as if it could detect me somehow. (Cool! No! What am I thinking!) This was definitely not good. The mist was about to clear. I thought quickly. The mist was now disappearing. It shot toward me and at that moment I came up with a plan. I could feel the skill fading but I needed a few seconds to end this thing! It leapt right at me, I twisted my body and lodged my right arm right into its open mandibles. The beast ravenously tore off my right arm as I rolled away seething in my pain as I felt my ruin of an arm wail in agony, the bone hanging on desperately to a tendon. Tears welled up in my eyes as I crunched up. I let out a wail but quickly bit my tongue, I had to get up! I NEEDED to get up! I gathered all my strength to stand and get a grip of my slipping consciousness! I stretched out my left arm and the sword flew right into my hand, already unsheathed. An earth piercing scream reverberated throughout the cavern. the beast frantically projectile vomited green blood, its mouth dissolving and steam coming from within. A violent sizzling was heard from within it as its screeching got louder and louder.
I staggered toward it, gripped my sword determined to be the victor! To conquer it! I felt a sudden burst of energy within me as I rushed at it, leapt onto its wide cephalothorax, already busted, torn and scorched, and just as the skill faded away I plunged the sword right through its armor shattering the bits of it left and blood spurted out. It screeched startled by my radicle change in tact. It desperately tried shaking me off but I held onto to the helm of the sword and drove it deeper into it. It screeched loudly. The sword immediately started draining a mysterious power from it and instantly it clicked into my mind. I held the sword tightly and a violent green flame erupted around the sword making the beast screech more frantically making me even more determined! As I gripped the sword, screamed my lungs out as I gathered strength in my arm, the green flame erupted with a furious luminosity changing into a ferocious bright blue flame. It screeched, screamed, wailed as it frantically made its way to the river. (NO YOU DON'T!) I plunged the sword into it right to its helm and straight through it and into the ground. It thrashed desperately as the blue flame became more and more wild turning into a blazing inferno. (DIE ALREADY!) Ultimately, the inferno erupted with a furious force nearly enough to blow me away and engulfed the both of us. It screeched and thrashed for a moment then its legs stopped and silence befell the arena. Lifeless. I smiled, let go of the sword and collapsed beside it.
***
I opened my eyes slowly, pain banging in my temples and I started coughing up water from my chest as I gasped for air. I was startled and tried sitting up pain assailing every part of my body as I did so. I was wet, cold and extremely fatigued. I felt it. Something odd and impossible. My right arm existed. I touched it, groped and even licked it. There was some liquid on it, somewhat green, in fact I was covered in it, but truly it was an arm and not one of those parasitic beasts. In fact, so intact and exist-full was my arm that it was the only part that didn't feel like canceling its membership to our union. However, something to note was that I was WAY bigger. I didn't know by how much but I now knew I was the size of someone my age and not as small as my little sister. Moreover, I was hairy. I could feel the hairs all over my body. They weren't enough to make me into a bush man but just enough that I could feel that there was a significant difference. I touched my face instantly. No beard. I sighed in relief. I didn't want to age too fast. I wondered if I was dreaming. I looked around and as I acclimatized to the darkness I saw yet another impossibility. It was that beast's corpse. However, I the startling bit was that it was half devoured! I shivered. I wondered at what beast would eat that and leave me alone. I mean, I was more delicious! I shook my head. I had no idea where this bout of jealousy came from but I had to get out of there quick lest that thing come back for me.
I tried activating my first limiter but the pain in my head flared and incapacitated me for a moment. I was panting heavily, trying my best not to let my consciousness slip away. After, a moment of rest, I pushed on, sticking to the wall so as not to be consumed by the darkness. I felt help[less, the cacophony of sounds; a distant waterfall, drops of water dropping and collecting into cold puddles that I unwillingly stepped in, distinct mechanical roars in the distance and scuttling all around me didn't make me feel any more at ease. I started hyperventilating, my right arm started shaking followed by my entire body. Suddenly, I noticed a small green head poke out from behind a rock up ahead. I fell onto the floor, petrified. (G-goblin!) Instantly, it charged towards me and stabbed right in my throat. I gagged as it drove the dagger into my throat and twisted it around. I flailed around and tried to push it away but my hand passed right though it. It abruptly just disappeared. I was gasping for air. (What's going on?!) I started hyperventilating again and shaking ever more violently. I heard multiple of them now. I could even see them now, surrounding me and charging at me. I screamed and wailed as I felt the pain of arrows, swords, daggers and claws penetrate and tear my flesh. I thrashed around, screaming, wailing and begging them to stop. They then started melting and combining into a mass of blob that was slowly taking form. My eyes widened in terror.
"T-Tai-Taiwhur?"
Instantly, she grabbed my neck and bashed my head into the ground.
"It's all because of you!"
She said, driving her thumbs deeper into my throat making me gag.
"Why didn't you do anything!"
She yelled, bashing my head into the ground.
"I'm...sorry..." I spoke faintly.
At that, she got furious and her face contorted in demonic anger.
"Sorry!" she bashed my head again. "Sorry won't un-defile me!"
I could feel her sharp nails pierce into my throat.
"It should've been you!"
she said as she morphed into an orc holding a bone sword. It slammed it onto my neck and I wailed. My head decapitated but not. The nightmare went on and on for an eternity until I lost consciousness.
I awoke, shivering and with a running nose. I looked around, tears seamlessly cascading down my cheeks. I brought my knees to my chest and curled. I cried. "I'm sorry." I repeated and repeated as if in a trance until I could see light further down the cave. I got up and fell right down again. Weak. I tried again this time supporting myself against the wall and walked towards the light.
On turning a corner, I came across the exit, the bright sunlight outside stunning my eyes. After a moment of fervent blinking, I stared at the awesome scenery before me. I stood at a raised vantage point staring at the lush green forest, massive Brecia trees standing tall and showering the forest and environ with its red flamboyant flower petals everytime the wind so much as dared to disturb it. Oringatun trees showcased the jewellry that were their fruits that glistened in a delicious red colour. Bresmin vines snaked up trees coloring them with their vibrant color and adorning them with the tantalizing purple fruits. All this impressed upon by the magnificent and imposing Mt.Shrilla in the horizon whose cool breeze seemed to revitalize my body. Watching as bright-red and yellow colored Freere birds zoomed across the sky with no worries enticed me. Some part of me yearned to be with them, enjoying the dividends nature payed out to its denizens and conquering the trials and tribulations it chucked at them. I took a deep breath and cried tears of joy as I stepped out. (Finally! I'm ou-)
My heart skipped a beat. A sword was pressed against my neck.