Running in the endless darkness of the Reliquary, with Rana's blue flames as a lantern to guide us both. Hearing the march and chase of the restless steps behind us and the sounds of flapping wings above. When suddenly a Black four winged creature resembling a giant vulpture, with giant saw like fangs protruding from it's mouth, appeared before me from the pitch-black above. Making me draw my spear and extending it to 2 meter, stabbing it's so called face, piercing it easily making it stuck in the skull, swinging my spear around, it's body slip from my spear and got thrown away to the darkness behind and further, hearing the sound of munching and flesh tearing as we ran faster.
"What is going on here?! Do monster do that?" I scream asking him.
"Less speaking and more running for now Sova," Rana reply.
Producing multiple flames resembling a knife from his left hand, throwing it above suddenly something got burned, shedding some light for a while before getting swallowed up by countless multi colored winged monsters with extra limbs swarming everywhere above, and disappearing again to the darkness.
"I really wish I didn't see that... We're quite cornered here Rana are you sure we're going to be okay?" I say in a loud voice.
He then starts extending his right metallic arm to the left, and pull it back hearing the sounds of strings and metal reaping through flesh, and some more winged creatures fall down around us, along with some multiple roars and cries form where his hands extended. Making me think why is all of this happening today and where did all of this monster came from?
"Yes, just trust me on this one, The guild must have notice and send every Hunters dispacthable here. To hunt down every beast that dares come here, after all if the monster can come in so can the Hunters. And for safety measure I contact the Central Guilds Master already when we fall, besides look at you. You're not going crazy like your sister the moment you wake up. Nonetheless this means there are multiple reason the monster could enter. But the 2 common one are : Something must have happen in the core of the Reliquary making it to shut down or the monsters have overtaken the Underground level and is now crawling up here," he says sounded calmly.
"That sounds very awful Rana, wait didn't you tell me that the Reliquary's a secret pl-" halting my sentence mid way to see a giant ape like monster standing 8 foot tall, with robust body and arms suddenly swinging both it's fist down at me.
Jumping above it's head and stab my 2 meter spear on it's thick head easily piercing it, and multiple winged beast bodies fall around me. As the blood spill, retracting my spear back to 1 meter pulling it out easily. Landing behind the ape like monster and continue running, hearing the sound of thud in the darkness and more flesh being teared apart behind me.
"Didn't I tell you not to jump with all those winged beast around, and don't worry only High Ranking and above will be assigned if you are wondering, and here I thought you're afraid of heights," he says to me sounded angry and surprised.
"Sorry for that and I don't really know, I'm afraid but my body is not running away anymore, like during my battle with sis. If that make sense?" I say that, thinking back the reason to live, so I can keep running ahead.
"Ho ho, so you resist fear now, guess that battle turn you to something else," he says sounded surprise. while firing enemies with blue flames from his left arms creating more light and more burned smell of meat.
"I'll be honest with you," I say that while stabbing the blue winged bird with a long wing span that charge at me in the head, and throwing it away to the darkness. and continue saying " I seriously can't handle everything that's happening now, it's just happening to fast."
"Well, I'm more surprised you can talk while running and killing monsters in the process while being a newbie, in fact you're not even hesitating to kill these monsters, so different than the wanna be Hunters from the training schools seriously if they just want experience Hunters that badly, then they can just send those kids outside not indoors," Rana says sounding happy before becoming annoyed on the last, while shooting more colorful flames and chopping up monsters with his strings.
"Well thank you for your compliment, but I'm seriously gonna run out of breath if we keep sprinting like this, so how long have we been running?" I ask sounding exhausted catching my breath and remembering the training sis gave to me, telling me to learn multi tasking, like parrying attack while having a conversation.
"Well you have the combat skills of a regular High Ranking Hunters, can only coat one part at a time with Qi, and ironically a multi tasker. Also you're lacking stamina, skills, power, speed, experience, you can't even use magic and even lacking equipment. Like seriously, you would really die in minutes if they send you out in the wild right now," he says while throwing more multi color fire knives.
"Okay sorry for my lack in abilities, so how much longer must we run?" I ask him once again sounding more exhausted, piercing the monster in front of me and throwing it away again. How many have I killed now? And are monster really this easy to kill?
"Please stop you're whining. We're getting close to the Central Guild East Gate Bridge... Perfect timing," as he says that, he shoots multiple colored fireballs from green, red, blue, purple, and more to the darkness ahead. When suddenly it burst to flames creating a beautiful view of extravagant fireworks, burning multiple... No hundreds monsters in front of us making the smell of charred meat even stronger. As the flames dim, behind it a certain small tunnel big enough to fit only one person comes to a view from the great firework show just now.
"Finally... Wait if we go up, wouldn't the monster follow?" I ask sounding worried.
"That's why you run ahead first in the tunnel I'll cover you while you when you're ahead," he said to me.
"Okay I'll try," thinking back.... " wait the gate leading outside doesn't need any codes or keys right? Or how am I going to see inside there?" I ask quickly.
"Oh right... Don't worry just run ahead first," he screams at me, and shoots more colorful fireballs behind him, as the lights shines from behind me, the Reliquary brightens up revealing it to be a giant hall way filled to the brim with monster everywhere when suddenly a small green torch like fire follows me.
Running past through the torched body still burning from the colorful flames, and entering the dark tunnels with the small torch, lighting up the tunnels with green light, then hears Rana saying:
"This is gonna be fun."
When I stop to look behind, seeing him entering and spread some strings, sticking into the entrance of the tunnel blocking it's passage. Hearing the loud bangs against the walls as if something splatter and monster try to pass through the strings he set up only to be chop off as it enters. Finally feeling relief.
" Sova behind you?!" he scream.
Turning around a six legged beast resembling a wolf with eight eyes is already jumping at me, blocking it with my spear only to be pushed down to the ground with the beast on top of me. As it tries to bite me, I bend my head to the left, dodging it before it could bite my head off, then suddenly the beast got it's head lop off dropping beside my head and lay lifeless on top of me. Blood and guts drips on my face. Removing the body, wiping my face, and stand up. Dusting off my clothes and grabbing my spear tighter.
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"Thank you again," I said to him with full sincerity.
"You're welcome, we're not out yet so don't lose focus nor relax just yet. And that flame will now listen to your command so use it," he says as to warn me.
Walking in front first with my spear pointing ahead readying to attack, the flames beside me begins to move forward ahead of me disappearing before me only to arrive at a bright light ahead in the tunnel. Walking until we reach some kind of bedroom, With 3 doors made of stones one in front, one on the left and the other on the right. Still feeling cautious I check around the room for monsters. Looking around with the green flame to see no monster around, only to find 4 beds near the left door and right door. Looking back at Rana and asking:
"Say where do we go from now?" I ask.
"Oh, do not worry we're now close, I already memorize this part of the passage like the back of my hand," he says in a boastful manner.
"Oh then you're going first right?" I ask to clarify.
"Of course," he reply quickly.
"You know I wanna ask?"
"Then just say it already no need for permission," Rana reply sounding annoyed.
"You know the swarm of monsters just now? Well since there's a lot out there why isn't there one here in the room? like I just got attack by a beast just now or is that all an illusion?" I ask full of doubt.
"Oh... wait it couldn't be the Reliquary is still working... But the monster there are all real... Guess we got no choice, Sova hold my hand," he says that extending his left hand at me.
Hesitating, before I hold his left hand with my left hand. Suddenly all around me goes fuzzy and I could hear the sound of shrieking around me. Now we are both standing on top some kind of natural stone bridge with no handle to hold, looking below to see more endless darkness. Why is there so many places to fall in Central.
"Yep, it's working alright. From you're face, you're already seeing stuff differently from me. Guess we got no choice but to hold hands like this as we go."
"What, if so wouldn't it be bad if we got attack?" I ask panicking.
"Well yes but we got no choice, I want you to live and not get lost or crazy. In fact are you real?" he pulls me closer then proceeds to pinch my left cheeks with his right hand.
"Whal you pa ta fo," I tried my best tell him to let go. For some reason I don't feel any pain.
"Sorry, I just want to touch your cheeks more. Well I don't really need to test it to be honest, after all I could sense your Qi just fine. Now I know why your girlfriend keep pinching it, it's pretty damn soft. Fun fact I could still feel with this metallic arm you know," he says sounding amused.
"And you're really creeping me out here, seriously you said not to relax just yet, you hypocrite," I said sounding annoyed.
"Sorry sorry, now don't let go okay?" he says in a joking manner.
Taking a huge sigh then continue saying "Okay," holding his left hand tighter. Feeling the roughness of it along with the feeling of something jagged. Marching along following him looking around the place... A giant chasm with nothing but emptiness and darkness nor any sounds of monsters anywhere. Still holding my spear tight as to prepare for an attack. He then continues to say.
"We're almost there," sounding calm.
Before I stop and think again .... Illusions, curses, ghosts?... Turning my head around, I don't see the green flame anywhere maybe he disperse it?.... Looking at Rana to see him having a shadow below.... I immediately stab my spear coated with Qi through Rana's back, only for it to pass through him, realizing what's going on. I let go of him when suddenly the scene change once more.
I'm now in the middle of the room again but this time in front of me is a pitch-black darkness. Extending my spear once more, to see there's blue blood on the tip of my spear. And the green flames now beside me again, dimly lighting up the room like a torch. When a serpent like tail glides in front of me appearing slowly going up and down from above and beside me making a soft slithering sound, the body appears before me, towering me as it goes higher and higher, as I look up preparing my spear once again coating it with Qi and shoot it above, a high screech scream rings through out, making me cover my ears. I totally regret this,closing my ears with my hands, still ringing I look at the green flame to command it:
"Guide me to Rana Song quickly, please!" I said in hurry and panic.
The flames then proceeds to move, following it hearing the sound of the slither, I begin to focus coating my self with Qi around me remembering what sis teach me, while following the green flame... An attack from the right side. Stopping my tracks, when a giant tail slams right in front of me I jump ahead of it when I feel something approaching very quickly on the left again. Pointing my spear left, when it suddenly stab something something piercing it easily. As I was getting pulled up by something, I let go of my spear landing on my foot almost falling down on my knees from how heavy my body feels. I continue running following the green flame.
Hearing the loud high pitch screeching behind me. I keep running, following, as the green flame led me to a wooden door, running with all I've got to the door. Opening it quickly and enter as soon as possible and closing it back. When a suddenly the door behind me got banged, pushing me down, making me fall to the ground in the process, looking back at the wooden door. It is still not destroyed... Looking in front showing a hallway lit by multiple small lights on the floor, leading to a rusted door in front of me, seeing the green flames above me. I continue to stand up, my hands shakes, and falling down multiple times before succeeding.
"Show me where Rana song is again," I ask the green flame once more.
Guided by it's green light, feeling exhausted, arms limp, legs heavy, out of breath, and no weapon to fight with, bracing my self for a final confrontation on what's beyond. Finally reaching the door. Pushing it with both my arm as hard as possible, making a loud creaking of rusted metal, to see a room with lots of contraption making "vrooom" sounds, and in the middle of it, is Rana looking at me, then suddenly disappear and appear again in front of me making me fall down on my butt by the sudden surprise.
"Sova is that really you?" he asks bringing his covered face closer to mine.
Touching my head and body all over, before I push him back and said:
"Yes.. I'm really.... Exhausted and pretty much... Dying..." I say while gasping, feeling as my eyes gone blurry.
"Oh...It's... Lost in there, I thought... And died somewhere ...When... walk first. I could...Feel the flame... Alive with it, so if... Appear somewhere else... Search... Reliquary again.... I'm sorry.... Enough... Now... sleep. Someone... Way here.... Sister's card will help you out....Welcome.... Hunter's world... Sova." Barely hearing what he says, before he phase out of existence once more before my very blurry vision.
As my sight goes darker and everything seems wavy, I finally decide to collapse on the floor. Before closing my eyes, hearing the door somewhere being slammed open, and multiple footsteps rushed in with a male screaming:
"Spread... find...the... camera," In a loud robust male voice.
I seriously can't handle all of this.