Grovalt coated his greatsword in ice as hard as iron. Lumi used the magic stored in her hammer to pummel the wraiths into nothingness. Rook rended them in half with clean, inky strikes. Raum unleashed his enigmatic white birds that laid the spirits to their final rest. Zenzi banished them with naught but her intense psychic power. Maxra cut them down with her jade dagger. Nakir incinerated them with his fire breath. Ceres clawed them apart and slashed at them with her silver dagger in her other hand.
Imagon caught sight of them smiting his summons. His thoughts were interrupted by Darriel, who had begun rushing him before he could even react.
“Eyes on me.“ Amber energy raveled in pitch-black shadow flowed off of his every punch. Though he was missing, Imagon was on the defensive. The undead managed to evade each and every devastating blow, but it was much too close for comfort.
“Begone.“ With a swiping motion of his staff, Imagon let loose a forceful spell that blasted Darriel backward. His arms were crossed to block it, but nevertheless he was pushed away. His feet slid across the cold floor, but his stance didn’t falter one bit. If he left himself open for even a second, the caster could very well kill him with a single spell. Normally he would take an enemy’s boasts with a grain of salt, but Imagon didn’t seem like the type to lie about his magical prowess.
“These apparitions… how can you use these revenants with such abandon? Such disrespect to the dead. This thoughtless use of lives… even the remnants of them. It’s despicable.“ Nakir’s normally soft face more closely resembled his fierce one he had while in dragon form. There was the outward sadness he felt plastered on it, but Ceres could always sense a hidden sadness deep within it somewhere. It was a feeling that she only had subconsciously, and now it rose to a higher prominence within her psyche.
Imagon sneered, or at least as much as he could with a featureless face. His voice reflected his disapproval at what Nakir had said moments before. “It isn’t as if they are the actual spirits of old you speak of. Mere fragments of their emotions left behind. But what do you care, dragon? Sacrifices are inevitable to survive. Those Resistance folk. You sacrificed them so you could come here, no? Wasn’t that your grand plan?“
“What’s that supposed to mean!?“ Lumi shouted, all the while smashing a handful of wraiths into the ground. Her hammer radiated magical energy that chimed with every weighted swing.
Imagon chuckled. “Surely you didn’t expect them to come out unscathed? Especially after they were abandoned by that childish witch.“
Darriel swung at the chattering skull, but missed once again. “Don’t listen. He’s just trying to get to you. Shut up and focus!“
“Oh, but it isn’t a lie. Seems you didn’t know, after all. Eloise ditched your allies at such a crucial moment. So sad. But expected for a merc. I’m sure the Archmage, having known her in the past, saw such a thing as a possibility as well. It’s all just so predictable.“
“You talk too much,“ Darriel grumbled, a half-smile on his face.
Sensing something was awry, Imagon quickly analyzed the suited man and his surroundings. Nothing seemed out of place. Had he missed something obvious?
Darriel raised his right fist into the air, as if to present it to the undead magus. The amber energy that bolted across his muscly form seemed to dissipate, and with it, long crystalline spikes shot out from his arm and knuckles. Soon after, the same spikes seemed to materialize in the air and the ground where Darriel had run and slid.
“I’ve never seen such magic before, I’ll give you that.“ Imagon spoke with a perplexed inflection. “Nevertheless, I still fail to see how this proves you are a match for me in combat.“
Without a word, Darriel pounded his once-raised fist into the ground, sending a spine-chilling quake Imagon’s way. The spidering cracks split the floor and the earth below it, creating an arching chasm that was accelerating towards Imagon at a rapid pace.
With a simple wave of his staff, the skeletal mage floated lightly to the side, avoiding the cascade that dared to harm him. Imagon eyed the attack with disinterest, then heaved a disappointed sigh. “You truly are a fool. Its muscle heads like you that always aim to fight me, yet they all die the same way. Maybe-“
“Shhh…“ Darriel shushed the mage, a finger to his lips. “What did I say? You talk too much.“
Imagon glanced around and quickly noticed his mistake, but it was far too late. He had entered clouds of wispy, amber energy Darriel left behind. He tried to escape it, and got nearly halfway, but the energy immediately transformed into gigantic, black spikes that pierced through his robed body.
Meanwhile, the others had successfully defeated Imagon’s spirits. Their ghastly forms and crimson eyes shimmered and faded from view, like water droplets evaporating into thin air. Grovalt met Darriel at his side and eyed the same target as his old friend. Imagon was seemingly trapped in Darriel’s twisting thorns, wholly paralyzed.
“Not bad… not bad at all.“
Darriel cracked his knuckles. The thorns tightened. “Pretty weak for all that boasting earlier. I hope you have some more tricks up your sleeve.“
Imagon cackled, his boney jaw bouncing up and down to reflect such a display. “If I am to perish, you don’t stand a chance against the others. Venza will claim half of you. The other half will be rendered insane by Ilzathk’s eminence. Even if you make it past them… the Archmage can’t be beaten. Not even I can compare. You should have listened to that Enigma I sent to you when you had the chance.“
“Enigma… you mean Blind Faith?“ Ceres had joined them, along with the rest of the Ravens and the mercenaries. They all stood in front of Imagon’s hunched, thorny form. Nine executioners bore a hole through Imagon’s skull with their glaring eyes.
“Hahaha… yes. If that’s what you call him. A harmless fellow he is, though I took a liking to him. He may be madder than anyone in this damned tower.“
Darriel clenched his fist, and in response the thorns around Imagon’s body tightened even more so. Horrible scratching sounds from the jagged, crystalline spikes and the snapping of bones rang out for all to hear. Ceres winced as it met her ears, though Darriel paid it no mind. “You have two options. Show us the entranceway, or die. Make your choice now.“
“Very well. It’s right over there. Behind the bookshelf. Take a look.“
Darriel looked deep into the mage’s vacant skull. There was no lie or trick he could gleam from a being that didn’t show emotion. Hesitantly, he ordered Lumi to push the bookshelf over.
“Gotcha!“ The blonde girl with a mighty hammer ran and danced across the hall, her wavy hair trailing behind her. With a grunt of exertion, Lumi toppled the bookshelf over onto the cobblestone floor. A loud bang was heard, and a cloud of dust rose in response to its quick fall.
“See anything?“ Darriel asked.
“Yep! It’s a door. I’ll just take a peek inside-“
“Stop.“ Suddenly, a voice and a steady hand held firm the door Lumi had begun to swing wide open. They belonged to Raum, who had otherwise been but a silent observer to the events that transpired.
“What? What’s up?“ Lumi inquired their enigmatic ally.
Raum shut tight the door which had been slightly ajar, and turned to look at Imagon with a contemptible ire none of them had ever seen from him. It was if he were glaring at a lifelong nemesis that had just wronged him for the hundredth time. It was a look of loss and tiredness. “Go on, Imagon. Tell them what laid in wait for dear Lumi. Or shall I?“
Imagon, though expressionless, seemed to have trouble responding. “I… I have no idea what you’re talking about. That door leads to the Imperium underground, just as I said.“
“Is that so? I have reason to believe a malicious miasma lies beneath its frame, linked to a crudely drawn magic circle. Though third rate dark magic at best, it would still have been fatal to her. I need not go into detail, but the pain would have been excruciating in a myriad of ways.“
Without a word from Lumi’s mouth, Darriel launched a fist into Imagon’s skull, cracking it on impact. An onyx crystalline spike jutted out of the opening shortly after. “I warned you… now you die.“
Raum waved his staff elegantly, and as if to follow the airy motion, a crow seemingly materialized from out within him and landed on Darriel’s shoulder. “Calm yourself. If you do not, Imagon will die by your hand and we shall learn nothing in return. Our knowledge will be for naught, and we will be unprepared for what is to come.“
For reasons unknown to all of them but its master, Darriel seemed to calm down immediately as the crow’s talons touched his suited brawn.
“And what is to come, Raum? How do you know all this? Come to think of it, you’ve always seemed a bit off. Like you were watching something that bored you… or that you’d seen all this before.“ Grovalt voiced a suspicion he had felt since he had met the man. Though he tried to smother it, the fact that he was a Sirithisian didn’t push away such suspicions as well. In fact, they only cemented them. Anyone from Sirithis was bound to be caught up in a kaleidoscope of trouble, and the same seemed to be true for Raum. It had been a cause for concern for Grovalt, and only now did it spur forth from his heart formed in speech.
Raum’s messy, overgrown brownish hair cast a shadow over his eyes. His expression was as unchanging as ever, yet the same amicable nature emanated from him. With only silence, it seemed as if he were saying not to worry and that everything was in control.
Imagon chuckled dryly. “Hah. I suppose my lady did not foresee this. Or perhaps she did. Seems I never had a chance to begin with.“
Grovalt’s contorted features darted from Raum to the mage and back again. “What…? What does he mean by that?“
Raum stared deeply into the musty air dancing in the dim skylights above. The Academy was silent, awaiting an answer from him. They all were. But Raum had grown tired of searching for answers. Searching for the perfect solution. It was a truly tiresome and lonely existence. Somehow, even with the ones he grew to cherish beside him for every attempt, he felt even lonelier than he had when he was alone. To have something in front of one’s eyes but never able to grasp it. For Raum, it was his and his colleague’s futures. The same tired lines over and over. The repetition. It had become standard. Life had become one filled with monotony. Filled with dark clouds and binding chains.
Stolen story; please report.
“When we overcome the obstacles before us… will you let me tell you a tale? A tale of a man who sought purpose in a mirage, only for it to drift away into the shimmering desert air. If time finds itself by our side, may I help you understand? That is, the mission that Archizend has given me in truth.“
“I…“ Grovalt stammered. “Can you give us something to go off of at least? Something to help us trust you?“
“For now, I will say that my amnesia was but a ruse to stave off your suspicions. I realize now that my quietness and oddness may have only painted a larger target on my back. For that, I apologize. I hope that suffices.“
Everyone gave each other passing glances. They still didn’t understand Raum’s situation in the slightest, but still they nodded in silent agreement with one another.
“You’ve always been odd, Raum. But that’s what we like about you.“ Lumi said smiling. “Besides, I don’t really get how, but you saved my life. That has to count for somethin’, right?“
Rook nodded empathetically as Lumi finished voicing her thoughts.
“Okay. Then, what do we do with this bastard?“ Grovalt asked, eyeing Imagon and scratching the back of his neck.
“That’s obvious,“ Rook spoke up. “We get the real entranceway out of him. No smoke or mirrors this time.“
Imagon shook his head, his distorted, hunched form shaking lightly. “I shall never betray my lady. For fools like yourselves to enter her world so easily would defeat the purpose of it all. You must struggle to reach her. She aims to teach you of the fragility of the world above. The weakness of the walls between both worlds. The reason for her capture of the Aspect.“
Aspect. It was a word Ceres had heard before, many days ago at Imeldra’s mansion. Nia had mentioned it passingly, but it seemed like something deathly important to her goal.
“That won’t be necessary,“ Raum interjected. “I already know where the true entranceway is. I simply needed to ask you one thing.“
Imagon looked up inquisitively. His left eye socket was now part of the larger crack in his skull, and half of his featureless face was now overcome by penetrating obelisks.
“I only ask as to what exactly lies beneath our feet. Why would such a hidden path be constructed in the first place? For what purpose?“
Imagon hesitated. His other eye socket devoid of Darriel’s destructive growths still burned with animosity. Nevertheless, it seemed as though he had come to some kind of conclusion. “I can only tell you of what was there before. Before the construction of Aza, a large underground city-like structure was built underneath it. A timelost group known as the Technicists, obsessed with the joining of magic and technology, rooted themselves there to conduct experiments. Experiments some would see as cruel and sinful…“
“And this structure should lead to the Imperium?“
“Part of it, yes. But that tunnel was only made since Aza’s inception.“
“Guide us, at least. Then we shall grant you an end worthy of the Sorceress’s confidant.“
Imagon gazed silently at Raum. Nearly his entire body had been overtaken by Darriel’s dark thorns. He tore out the large violet gem that was inlaid on his cloak of nightshade. It dropped to the floor with a metallic clanking sound, and rolled around in a semicircle before settling to a stop. “Carry this on your person. It will show you the way to my lady. Understand I don’t help you out of charity. I am simply carrying out her wishes whether I like it or not. I hope she can grant you a greater purpose to play in this world, as she did for me…“
Raum closed his eyes and nodded. “Though I cannot understand your final reasoning… I too have had a purpose given onto me that was beyond what I thought possible or even worthy of myself. Among the Blissful, I hope you are fulfilled justly.“ The light vanished from Imagon’s remaining eye, and Raum placed his hand upon his head. After a short while, his abominable, undead body sparkled and faded away into the damp air around them. A flock of white birds flew out from where he once was and flew up and through the dim skylights illuminating them all.
Raum smiled a pure, genuine smile. For the first time in what felt like decades, something he hadn’t seen before had transpired. A faint hope flickered within himself, though he was quick to hide it before it burned too bright. Oftentimes the same paradigm shift had occurred only for a cruel disappointment to come and shatter his hope for a new future.
Still, the crow returned to his vision, and Darriel was hoisted back from an unconscious tranquility. “It won’t do much,“ Darriel began, pocketing the gem. “But if it’ll make up for however I failed Lumi… I’ll take it. That is what you were getting at, I hope? You’ve seen Lumi die, and it was my fault.“
Raum gave him a solemn nod. “I do not wish to see any of you hurt. Not while I am by your side.“
Darriel placed his callused hand on Raum’s shoulder as a thankful gesture. Though it was brief, for a moment Darriel did not resemble a gruff mercenary without emotion. He resembled something akin to a doting father, one that could not bear to see the loss of Lumi nor Rook.
Grovalt had felt it. Back when they met them all, Darriel seemed to have a certain passion burning in his eyes. It was a light he had never seen in him before. These two managed to awaken something in this beast of a man. They knew a side to him that Grovalt had never seen before in all his years having known him. Around them, though he barely showed it, it was almost as if he was a different person entirely. But he was sure Darriel probably saw him interacting with Ceres and the others in much the same way.
But the moment faded, and Darriel removed his hand from Raum’s shoulder.
“Let us go, then.“ Raum turned his back and unveiled a hidden corner of the room. The entranceway leading underground wasn’t a falsity after all. It was concaved into the corner of the hall, disguised with bits of furniture and curtains. Although, it was impossible to see anything in such darkness.
“Ah,“ Nakir spoke out after entering the layer of shadow. “Pardon me. I often forget Ceres and I are the only ones capable of seeing in such conditions.“ The dragon breathed an azure flame into his palm, and it floated just above it like candlelight. The group huddled close and finally descended into the hidden entranceway.
The staircase they found themselves upon was impossibly long as it was dark. Together, they plunged into an abyss the likes of which most of them had never witnessed before. The staircase was a winding spire of black steel. Nakir's measly flame illuminated but a small portion of it, and to a far away eye it would appear as but a dot of light on an ink-blotted canvas. The light steadily descended.
After an indeterminate amount of time, the staircase ended at the opening of a long tunnel. The tunnel was lit faintly by glowing torches. It bore a striking resemblance to the dungeon beneath the Church of the Goddess, which they in turn were all reminded of instantly. There were a number of differences, however. This tunnel was much wider and was crafted out of a strong metal rather than stone. The metal reflected no light, its onyx color akin to the void of space. Even with the light around them, Ceres felt like she could get lost in those black walls.
“Woah… alright. Definitely not what I had in mind.“ Grovalt looked around in slight awe.
Lumi rapped on the wall with her small fist. The noise echoed lightly into the long path ahead.
The group’s amazement quickly vanished from their faces as a gathering of blue twinkles appeared at the other end of the tunnel. It was a party of mages. Five of them strode resolutely toward their foes, their triangular helmets showing not a sliver of emotion. They suddenly came to a stop when they came to about fifteen feet within proximity.
The head mage, or at least the one that ended up in front of the others, took a single step forward and unsheathed a vibrant blade. “Stand down, vagrants. What have you done to the Eternal? How did you slip past our mentor?“
“The undead once known as Imagon has drifted peacefully to the Blissful Sleep. Know that he was loyal to your Sorceress to the bitter end.“ Raum answered matter-of-factly.
The mages were taken aback somewhat. Their heads went slightly backward in dismay, and then darted left and right to glance at their allies. The head mage spoke again. “You lie. The Eternal could never fall to a band of criminals such as you.“
“Ah, but he did though. We’re the Ravens, you see~“ Maxra replied vivaciously.
Darriel took out Imagon’s violet gem and held it upwards so that the mages could see it clearly. The torches glimmered in its reflective surface.
“It… it can’t be! Even if you are the Ravens, the Eternal would not fall to you. You shall pay for your lies and your trespass with your lives!“
The five mages charged forward. The four that had been standing behind the speaker also bared their weapons. They all hoisted maces infused with crackling electricity high above their heads, readying their attacks. Faint chimes resonated from their raised arms.
Maxra rushed towards the speaker. The mage charged his radiant saber, then let loose a quick slashing motion. Prismatic energy flew off of the blade in a perfect arc and launched towards the anisai woman with an undeterred velocity. With demonic speed, unmatched by the Ravens and mercenaries alike, Maxra jumped and flipped over the arc in a perfect circle and landed on her feet at the same speed she had begun with. She reared her dagger to her chest, then leapt once again at the mage.
Somehow, though he had panicked in the short time to react, the mage met Maxra’s dagger with his sword. Sizzling sparks ignited and shot from the clashing blades. The mage summoned all the strength he had and pushed the jade dagger away from his throat, but in doing so, his balance and posture were off. He simply wasn’t fast enough.
Maxra smiled. To allies and enemies, it could be seen as a sinister, sadistic, possibly evil smile. It was enough to strike a bloodcurdling fear into the head mage, and that fear would transfer to his allies soon enough. Quicker than the offset mage could react, Maxra thrust her dagger into his helmet several times. The force alone was enough to topple him, let alone destroy his helmet completely.
On the ground, he made one last-ditch effort. He raised his empty hand. A black, swirling mass appeared within his palm. Shortly after, a purple miasma erupted from its center, coating Maxra entirely.
Unfazed, the anisai leapt atop her staggered enemy. With multiple frenzied strikes, like that of a predator claiming its prey, Maxra stabbed the mage’s head with her dagger numerous times. Not even his skull stopped or slowed her attack. One after another, the dagger punctured holes into his brain, slathering his mutilated face in a thick layer of blood.
Two others charged at Lumi. With a laugh, Lumi swung her colossal hammer into their sides. A snapping of bones was heard, and as the bodies and hammer met the wall, it was painted entirely with their entrails.
One met Darriel’s fists. One after another, his punches turned the armored mage into a pile of flesh. After a second passed, onyx spikes shot out from him, though it proved useless as his foe was long dead.
The last mage had entered the fray seconds ago just as valiantly as his comrades, but just like them, had realized the futility of his actions. He fell to his knees and dropped his weapon to the ground. Maxra stood up and grabbed the mage by the throat.
“Thank you. It’s been too long since I’ve last eaten~“
Flowing, crimson anima flowed from the mage’s body into Maxra, reducing him to a drained corpse devoid of color. She dropped his lifeless husk to the floor. The only sound it made was the clanking from the immaculate armor that he had donned.
“Think that’s the last of ‘em,“ Lumi said.
Rook stared down at Maxra’s handiwork with a mixture of apathy and intrigue. “The power of an anisai…“
“You get used to it. Kind of.“ Grovalt sheathed his sword, a bit disappointed none of them had tried to fight him.
“Who could have sent them, I wonder?“ Raum wondered aloud.
“Maybe they heard us…?“ Ceres guessed, her brow inclining in thought.
As they continued down the hall, they were met with mountains of papers, shoes, and uniforms. They were quickly identified as the same they had seen back in the Academy. Long, cursive letters adorned each document and all were unique in creation.
“What the hell? What’s all this stuff doing here?“ Grovalt bent down to examine the belongings. Sure enough, they were the same graded papers that had covered the floor back then.
Zenzi spoke up in her usual gloomy, uncaring tone. “We’ll never know if we don’t keep moving. We should be coming upon a crossroads of sorts soon. Isn’t that right, Darriel?“
“Yes, ma’am. Straight ahead should be a fork in the road. One leads to the Imperium, while the other…“
The crossroads then came into view. The same onyx tunnel led to the right, while another tunnel, made out of an entirely different metal substance, led to the left at a downward incline. The walls were rusty and almost appeared ancient, though they seemed constructed out of materials unknown to them all.
Darriel continued. “The other leads… somewhere. There’s nothing on the map about it, so it shouldn’t matter. Let’s keep moving.“
As the group followed the onyx path fervently, Lumi couldn’t help but stray behind a bit in curiosity. At Rook’s call, however, she snapped out of it and continued on with the rest.
The Imperium was finally within their reach.