Makoto Jin, 19
Escaped, Dungeons of the Damned
Special Abilities: Endure great amounts of pain
Description: Loud and Aggressive
Another one of us laid on the ground, drowning in the pool of his own blood. We've been running away ever since it happened and now, in the dark bowels of the Dungeon, we were experiencing the same amount of fear and hopelessness ever since they sent this mage, the one who called himself Herald of Death.
"Now who says he doesn't belong here? Where is that one bastard who question the Great Order!? Come out now!"
"I'm the one you want!" I answered. I walked towards him despite the discouragement of my fellow exiled. They were shaking their heads. One woman even had to make her daughter turn away, like I was up for a public execution.
"Filthy Ignus!" he insulted me as he walked off his makeshift throne. He has been acting like this, like a king to us all but we knew he should not, he was here, he was also exiled, we can't be sure why but since this happened, he might've done something to insult his lord. Those beasts! Those savage mages!
He pounded his club on the ground and a thick mound of soil and mud grew to secure me in place. He inched closer and pulled the necklace I was wearing away from me. "Where did you get this?"
"None of your business! Give that back!" I tried to grab it from him but he was quick. He studied the crystal for a moment longer. It was nothing special, not a weapon or a magical item, but it was a gift, from someone special.
"What do you intend to do with a Magnus?"
"I don't even know what that is! Just give it back!"
He smirked at me, "You carry an item of noble grade and yet you have no idea how to use it? Liar!" he let out an annoying laugh, "The ignus are all stupid critters, you're all clueless! My bad, you poor one. How would you even know what it is? Well, let me show you."
He then raised his arm and forcefully threw the little pendant downward, jamming it into the ground. The people around me stood in awe for after a few moments, it flashed and pulsated, then the crystal grew into a rock, almost as tall as I am, and filled the dungeon with a bluish glow. He looked excited, not good.
"The art of transmutation. The magnus is a coveted material, since it was easiest to change form, but really rare to find in contrast, and you, an ignus, possesses such object. Their use has been prohibited. You do know were allowed to kill, right? And you having this is even a better reason to rid of you, you're a gifted scum aren't you?" he the grabbed me by the shirt.
"You're the scum! I despise you mages and hell, I'd be killing myself if I was one of you. You don't scare me! I've witnessed more deaths than you could imagine! Come at me and let's see who kills who!"
He let out another laugh. The people who were dazed earlier finally came to their senses and decided to move away.
He proceeded to closely examine the glowing rock. His eyes were a little too enthusiastic about it. He looked at me, studying what I might do, and then turned back at the rock, extending his arm to touch it.
The whole cavern danced with blue lights. Bolts of lightning branched out from where he was touching the rock. At first, he was laughing like an idiot, but when the streaks of lightning started to cling to his arm, it rapidly spread to his whole body. His face flushed with panic as he tried to get away, but he was too late. The bolts ran around his body. It danced as he furiously tried to get it off. Soon, he was on the ground, convulsing, coughing up blood, a dark red goo that seemed to be mixed with ash. His eyes glowed a faint aqua before finally dying out, his body emitted a little smoke and spasmed a little, spooking everyone. Now only a faint blue glow from the magnus is lighting up the room. I didn't even know that it was called that until he said it, it was a gift, and I didn't know what it was or what it was used for.
The people started to whisper around. It was faint but I could tell they were pointing at me, talking about why I have it.
"First of all, I'm no Noble! I'm not like them! I'm not gifted! Believe me!"
"Then why do you have it!" a voice echoed from the crowd.
"You're one of them! Scum! Murderer!" said another.
"No! I'm not! I know no magic! I suffered here with you!"
"Liar!"
"Filthy Mage!"
"Free us, you savages!"
They started throwing things at me. At first, it were pebbles but when a loose brick landed on my shoulder, I had no choice but to hide behind that rock. I kicked off some dust, there now was a mound of ash, the mage has disintegrated.
A lot more insults filled the room and more things were thrown. I hugged myself. It was no different - mage, gifted, ignus - all are savage and barbaric, all are capable of hurting, all are willing to kill. They don't value anybody's life.
The ground rumbled, like an earthquake brewing. People were still shouting on top of their lungs at me, not noticing the ground shifting beneath them. We were on the bottom floor, with another thirteen on top of us. The air then filled with static, my ears tingled with this foreign sensation. The people even quieted down, sensing the change of atmosphere.
A streak of light invaded our darkness from a new crack in the ceiling, that's when it started. The floor directly above us collapsed, showering us with rubble. Screams filled the air, some abruptly stopped by loud crashes. It was mass hysteria. My fellow prisoners fled for their lives.
I pulled myself up and saw the horror. Many laid dead and some were trying to climb up, stepping over the bloody faces of many. Rubble continued to fill up the cavern, I also needed to get out.
The pile was almost on top of me. I tried to climb out but the moment I did, I realized my mistake.
Blue bolts reappeared and this time, it enveloped my body. My whole body was over a pile of magnus which seemed to have grown even taller.
I felt my knees tremble. I rolled off, with my back on the ground now, the crystals shifted before my eyes, almost liquid with its color ever-changing. My body was left motionless, but my sensations were heightened - I can't move at all but the pain and coldness were there.
Not now, I will not be dying like this!
I forced myself to stand up. The feeling slowly came back. The world around me was spinning, is this the magnus' doing? More light came in the room and more bodies laid dead. Is it destroying the dungeon? I was fully standing then, hand on my chest, feeling my breathing. My heart beats in panic. I'll be dead if I don't run now.
I willed my legs to carry me forward but all I managed was a step, and then another. Pain shot through my right arm. I looked it and to my horror, I was leaning on the now towering magnus rock for support.
I can see it crawling up my arm, covering it in blue crystals. It slowly crept on, trying to cover me up wholly. I tried to pull my arm away, but I couldn't. I dropped on my knees. The rock has successfully covered half of my body. It felt like it's trying to stick itself to me, the magnus rock started receded into me. The blue pendant I was wearing ever since I was captured, it's consuming me!
When my arms started to move again, I desperately clawed it off. Some pieces broke off, but it kept regrowing. It kept pulsating and I cannot avert my eyes from this monstrosity. It was alive!
The whole ceiling gave way. The whole dungeon fell above me. I really thought I'd get buried alive but as soon as it fell, it was sucked back up again.
A purple disk was floating above us, a bright ball of light emanating lightning bolts that clearly looks like bad news, sucking rubble and people towards it. I was pulled up, I grabbed on to the broken floor, but the force was just too strong, I was consumed by the portal.
The last memory I had was big, muscular man, standing just below the portal. He's the one who made it.
His eyes were red, he had shackles and a chain just like us prisoners but had a mark on his right forearm, indicating his rank, clearly not one of us, he was a mage of the Royal Order, a scout, and he had a prominent crooked nose. Both his arms were up, his teeth bared and was yelling, "Princess! I'm coming back to kill you!"
***