Talent's POV

Talent stood on the edge of a massive pit with Magistrate Nyvlano beside him. The man was talking, but Talent wasn’t listening. He had to keep his focus on the flow of mana as he moved tons of rubble and rock back into place. He listened to the stones and mana as they told him how the tunnels and pits were blasted apart.

It was difficult to put it all back together and follow the path of destruction to its source, but Talent knew he had to understand if he was going to fix this.

Nyvlano didn't seem to understand what Talent was doing. He hounded the young Lord with a growing sense of unease until finally Sandra stepped between them.

“Do you wish to continue in service to our lord, because if so, I suggest you silence yourself before I am forced to.”

Nyvlano blinked a few times. Then he smiled, his eyes turning toward Talent as he asked, “What is he doing? I thought he just wanted to know what happened here, but…uh, nevermind.”

Talent couldn’t be sure, but he’d seen Sandra grimace enough times to know how intimidating she could be. He could Guess why Nyvlano finally shut up, and he was grateful.

Talent returned to the task at hand. Fitting stones back into their correct locations wasn’t all he was doing; he was also searching for the cause of the destruction.

It was even more certain now that no magistrate, Judge or beast could have caused the collapse. Talent thought it must have been related to a crystal heart.

He had never seen a crystal heart explode before, but he figured they must possess enough energy to do at least this much damage. Still, he didn’t think that theory was correct. Something like this had never happened before and he had the utmost faith in each of his magistrates; he didn’t think they would have allowed such a blunder.

He also didn't think pattern of destruction was consistent with a collapse that initiated deep underground, but he was having difficulty understanding what could have done it.

The ground beneath Talent trembled as he finished another section of the pit. He didn’t see it, but he sensed it, a large mass moving through the earth.

He wondered if it might be a sifter.

He quickly decided not; It seemed too larger to be a sifter, and he thought they would have run off by now. His presence should have deterred all but the most bold of predators.

The sound was more like a vibration in the earth and it was moving rapidly toward him. He couldn’t tell what it was, but he knew he had to be prepared for a fight.

Sandra was still here, and he knew she would protect him if needed, but he wouldn’t let it come to that. Not this time.

His palms felt sweaty as he focused on the approaching mass. He could sense it now. Its power was immense and whatever it was it was nearly upon him.

He readied a spell in his mind. If he could deliver one decisive blow, then he could finish the creature before he ever had to face it and he wouldn’t need to fear it, no matter what it was.

A voice in his head told him to release the magic, to attack now before it was too late. The words were his own, but they sounded distant and almost unfamiliar. He could simply crush the beast in the earth before it ever reached him.

Talent thought it was an idea worth trying, so he took hold of the mine below him and compressed the stone so that lytefeeders, or even worms, would be squished to death.

He felt confident and triumphant for only a moment. The mass continued unslowed as it rose through the stone. It was like a wave, crashing against rocks and shattering them, leaving a deep impression in its wake.

Talent had no idea what it was, but he knew what it wasn’t. It wasn’t anything alive—not in a physical sense, no it was more like a spirit or the manifestation of one. Talent wondered if there were any spells capable of harming a spirit, but he couldn’t think of any. If he could not affect the beast physically, then even Sandra would be useless against it. Talent felt a rush of panic sweep his mind as he tried to recall anything that might help him combat an incorporeal being.

His grip on the mine slipped and lose stone, not yet forced back into place, rained down.

He felt the vibrations in the earth growing stronger and faster. It was almost upon him. He needed to do something now if he was going to survive. He had to have faith in himself.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

The vibrations stopped and the pit filled with yellow mist so dense it was suffocating.

Talent coughed as he inhaled a mouthful of the stuff. He tried to move away from the mist but he couldn’t see where he was going. He thought he heard Sandra call out his name, but he couldn't be sure.

The gas surrounded him with a pressure incredibly similar to his father’s aura. A pair of yellow eyes met his. They were angry, powerful and terrifying.

Talent felt insignificant, like a spec of dust as the entity seemed to appraise him. He was sure the creature saw him the same way.

The eyes were like glowing suns, blinding and radiant. He knew he should have been frightened, but he wasn’t. The being seemed familiar to him in a way he couldn't understand.

With a blink, it was gone. Talent could breathe again and he felt relieved that the creature chose to leave him be. Whatever it was, it was ancient and powerful, perhaps even a ruler in its own right.

The gas was already starting to disperse, drifting up through the cracks in the stone ceiling.

Talent watched the mist rise for several seconds, wondering what it could have been and where it came from. He was even more curious where it was going.

He noticed then, as he looked up and his gaze followed the mist, that the cavern ceiling was cracked. There were three long lines that ran from wall to wall, each one meeting at the center. They also continued down the walls zigzagging and forming a path connected at blast points. Talent realized then that the mine was sabotaged. He couldn’t tell from here how deep the explosives had been placed, but he could tell that the blast originated from somewhere below the pit and the charges used to blow the mine weren’t the normal pit opening variety.

There was more to this story than he realized.

Nyvlano, noticing something in Talent’s expression, followed his gaze. “What is it, what do you see?” He asked, as his eyes searched the deep dark surface of the stone. He didn’t see anything.

Talent ignored his question, answering instead by saying, “We’re going deeper. There’s something I need to confirm.”

The magistrate was hesitant, but he nodded and followed Talent into the pit.

Sandra was wary, her hand gripping tightly to her dagger, but she moved forward.

They continued down into the mine, following the path of destruction toward its source.

Magistrate Sandra offered a light orb to brighten the way and Talent appreciated the effort. Although, he would have preferred that she conserve her energy for a battle if needed.

They descended a long shaft until they reached a large cavern. It was empty except for a few scattered stones and chunks of crystal. The walls were charred black and covered in soot, and there were two tunnels leading off in opposite directions.

Talent didn't need to ask to know which one they needed to take. The answer was marked clearly by a gash in the ceiling that cut through the right tunnel.

Talent followed the line until they reached another similar chamber, only this one led to a sealed door.

Nyvlano gasped at the sight, stepping up in front of the door. His lips were moving but he seemed unsure what he wanted to actually say. After a few moments he settled on, "I think we should go back out, before the mine collapses again.”

Talent wasn't convinced. They were close to the source of the blast, he was sure of that, but he still needed to know who or what caused it. He said, “Go on your own if you want to, but I’m going through this door.”

He looked at the door again, wondering if he could force it open. It looked like some kind of bunker entrance. The door itself was metal and heavy. It was probably locked, and it was likely enchanted and maybe physically reinforced as well, but that didn’t mean anything to him. The door shouldn’t have been here at all and Talent felt certain that this was the rootof his problems.

He knew he could destroy the door. He could tear it apart and break through to the other side. He just wasn’t sure what traps might activate or what they might face on the other side.

He decided to try anyway. Talent raised his right hand as he gathered energy and jerked his head to the left in a gesture to Nyvlano.

The magistrate understood and moved aside, walking slowly past Talent.

A flash of heat cut across Talent’s hip, drawing his focus from the spell and causing it to fizzle.

Nyvlano flew back against the door, pulled by a gravitational force that Talent had to fight against. A bolt of energy shot from Sandra and pierced through Nyvlano. The man dropped to the floor as a knife fell from his hand and his body stopped moving.

Talent could hardly believe what he just happened. Nyvlano had attacked him, that unthinkable act should have been impossible for him to preform. His own magistrates should not be capable to act against him.

It took him a moment to realize that Nyvlano was not his magistrate, but his father’s. Talent wasn’t even a judge now. His heart pounded with anxiety.

Sandra had saved him, a fact that would hold weight with his father.

Sandra, her hand extended, shouted, “We need to go!”

Talent looked back at the door. His stomach twisted at the sight of Nyvlano’s corpse on the ground. He had discovered a traitor and a probable conspiracy, but he didn’t believe Nyvlano acted alone. He wasn’t sure what secrets waited beyond the door. He needed to know.

Sandra grabbed his arm, saying firmly, “Talent, my lord, we must go! We can return better prepared, but we must consider the dangers of advancing. There could be several more magistrates past here and I can’t protect you on my own.”

Talent nodded, realizing that she was right. He was grateful for her help. He also realized that it would have been easy for her to turn against him as well. He was glad she hadn't.

As they climbed out of the pit, Talent heard something like a distant roar. It was faint at first, but as they reached the surface the roar grew louder.

A wave of intense flame blasted out of the tunnel behind them. The heat was so intense that it could have melted metal. Talent thought it would have consumed any survivors of the collapse, and then he realized another curious fact. There had been no survivors. At least none in the portion of the mine he restored.

A second wave of heat burst from the tunnel. The energy washed over Talent and Sandra as they hurried away from the opening.

They rushed back to their crystal cruiser forgetting the other magistrates. Talent knew his father would not be pleased with his findings, but he was glad that he came.

As the cruiser lifted off the ground, the earth shook and flames shot out from the hole. Talent thought it looked like the entire mine was on fire.

Then a question from an unfamiliar voice threw him completely off balance. “Lord, did you intend to leave us down there?”