Novels2Search

Chapter 56

Los Angeles, California

Two years ago

Absolute. Focus.

That was Jade's mental state as she stood at the end of the runway, staring intently at the vault that awaited her. The stadium was filled with the hushed murmur of a crowd trying to remain quiet. All eyes were on her, more than ten thousand people fixing their attention on the gymnasium floor. Spectators, other competitors, her teammates. She filtered all of it out, her heart and mind set on a single goal.

Absolute. Focus.

A twinkle of light glinted off a camera lens as a media crew adjusted their equipment, preparing to track her approach. It was almost time. Jade took a breath to calm her fluttering heart. There was no need to be nervous. She had done this dozens, no, hundreds of times in preparation for this moment. It had worked then; it would work now.

The signal came.

Jade took off down the runway like a missile, feet pounding the soft surface as they propelled her forward with explosive power. She reached full sprint in a pair of heartbeats, squeezing every little bit of speed she could out of her runup. The vault rushed closer. Three more steps. Two more. One!

She jumped, springing forward onto her hands and flipping back to her feet in a half twist, letting her momentum carry her into a backflip. The world spun around her as Jade rose, her hands finding purchase on the vault and imparting a twist that sent her arcing high into the air in a series of spinning flips.

One rotation. She reached the peak of her trajectory. Two rotations. The mat was rushing up to meet her. With precision timing born from months of training, Jade swept her feet under her just as she completed the final half rotation, planting them firmly on the landing pad with a solid 'whump!'. The impact sent a jolt through her legs and up her back, and she almost was forced to take a steadying step to the side, but she held her balance and remained firmly in place. Triumph blossomed in her heaving chest like a rising tide, and Jade flung her arms into the air, turning in place to present herself to the crowd.

Sound returned to the world, as if someone had flipped a switch in her mind. The stadium was filled with cheers and applause, the crowd roaring their approval. She had done it.

She had done it!

Jade stepped off the pad, pumping a fist and turning towards her waiting teammates. They were way ahead of her, already rushing to greet her. Sarah got to her first, flinging her arms around her as the rest surrounded them, cheering and congratulating her.

"That was amazing!"

"I knew you could do it!"

Jade grinned broadly, swept away in the thrill of the moment. Christina had tried to talk her out of picking the Amanar for her vault, but she'd won in the end. The risk had paid off.

"Wait, the scores are going up!" Miko pointed, hushing them.

They all fell still, turning to face the scoreboard. Jade watched with bated breath, heart thumping in her chest. The competition was tight, and she was the last to go. By Sarah's count, they were a hair behind 1st place, but if she managed excellent marks…

A number blinked on the screen.

'9.97'

For a moment there was hushed silence, and then another round of cheers swept through her team, even more enthusiastic than the first. Jade didn't join them. She was dumbstruck, staring in awe at the softly blinking numbers.

It was the best score she'd ever received, and it had come when she'd needed it most. Blinking away tears of joy, she let herself be dragged off by her friends to wait for the official confirmation. The announcement didn't take long: For the first time in over a decade, their school was taking home the championship.

Later, while Jade was standing on the podium with the rest of her team and holding up their trophies for the cameras, she still could hardly believe it.

It was the happiest she'd ever been.

Yet even then, in her moment of greatest triumph, she couldn't help but spare a glance at the seating reserved for friends and family, and the three empty seats in the front row.

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Second Floor - Moonlit Meadow Quadrant, Twilight Forest Zone. Near Lysara.

Present Day

Fenrin let fly with a pair of arrows, skewering two of the remaining skeletons through the skull. They collapsed in a pile of bones at the base of the pyramid, leaving only a scattered few defenders left.

"Almost there!" He called over the clamor of battle. "Stay together!"

Their group, both the dungeon delving team and the rear guard, had launched a combined attack on the contingent of undead standing guard at the stronghold's entrance. They had caught them by surprise, if indeed undead could feel the emotion, and were in the process of securing the area. The battle was going well, and they actually outnumbered the enemy, at least for the moment. Fenrin didn't know where the rest of the monsters were, there certainly had been more of them the last time he and Seldrin had observed the area, and he hoped they wouldn't find out.

The archer looked around, quickly taking in the state of the battlefield. Jade and Luis were tearing through a small group of undead near the tree line, and most of the rear guard were spreading out to deal with stragglers. Nythis was blasting bolts of fire from her staff in every direction, each one setting another foe ablaze. The druid stifled a yawn, looking sleepy as she incinerated another enemy that was approaching her from behind without even turning to look at it.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Fenrin just shook his head, searching for any remaining threats. Despite training with Nythis every time he and his father had visited the village, he'd never come close to understanding the woman. One dense pocket of skeletal warriors remained, a group of about a half-dozen. They were shambling towards their flank, brandishing their rusty swords. He was about to order their group back together to confront them with a united front when a lone figure separated from their midst, dashing towards the approaching enemy.

"Come on Taeres! We've got this!"

The girl called, twirling a curved sword in one hand, and a broad hammer in the other. She was followed a moment later by another young elf, hot on her heels. Together, they raced to confront the enemy alone.

"Tiahla! Taeres! Wait!" He called, running after them. They either didn't hear him or didn't listen, because the overly ambitious pair didn't slow their assault. They crashed into the enemy group, hacking and slashing at their shambling foes with far more enthusiasm than skill. They took one down together, and then two, but quickly ended up surrounded by the rest.

Fenrin cursed under his breath, still trying to catch up. There were too many people between them for a clear shot, so he channeled mana into the air around him, activating a talent. A powerful gust of wind blasted him skyward, sending him a good ten feet into the air. The wind swirled beneath him like a cushion, holding him aloft as he let loose an 'arc bolt'. The arrow zipped towards the surrounded duo, striking one of the skeletons in the back. Lightning burst from the monster, arcing to strike each of them in turn. It was enough to take down all but one of them, which Tiahla managed to finish off on her own.

The magic faded, and Fenrin dropped to the ground. The battlefield was silent now, the last of the enemies having been dispatched. He jogged over to the pair of young elves. Taeras was leaning on his spear and catching his breath, while Tiahla was nursing a small gash on her shoulder. The two of them wilted under his hard look.

"You know better than to run off alone."

"We just want to prove ourselves!" Tiahla said, staring back at him defiantly. "Master Rhysten says we aren't ready for our apprentice marks yet, but we are!"

"That's for him to decide, but I don't think you'll convince him like this." Fenrin nodded back towards the main group. "Now go see Kymil, he'll get you patched up."

The two of them muttered their assent, trudging back to see the priest.

"We have to do something to stand out."

"It's okay, Tiahla, we'll get our chance."

"Stay out of trouble, you two. This isn't a game."

Fenrin sighed, forcing himself to relax. He'd never liked being a leader, which was ironic, considering his mother's noble heritage. His upbringing had been filled with lessons about the duties and responsibilities of command and how to wield them properly. Fenrin thought he'd gotten away from all that when he started his wayfarer trial, at least for a time. But the very first thing he'd stumbled into was a crisis. Not being able to bring himself to abandon his father's home, he'd reluctantly stepped up to organize a response.

"Something wrong?" Luis asked, sidling up to him.

Fenrin shook his head.

"Just some overly ambitious trainees. Battle is always an adventure to the inexperienced."

"Not sure about that." Luis sheathed his sword. "I thought it was pretty terrifying from the start."

"Then you're one of the smart ones. No, they want one of Master Rhysten's apprentice marks. They'd get to gain a class, which would give them a big head start in learning any number of kinds of magic."

"Couldn't they just get a wayfarer mark?"

Fenrin tried to not look too surprised at the question. He hadn't met many outlanders before and kept having to remind himself that Luis and his companions didn't know many things about the world he took for granted.

"They could, but the trial isn't something people take on a whim. It's dangerous, and most people train for years before seeking it out. But I wouldn't be surprised if that was their goal. Training with an apprentice mark is the first step for many, and just having one elevates your status."

Luis nodded, looking thoughtful, and Fenrin took the opportunity to look more closely at the remains scattered around him. It was unlikely that they would yield much of value, but he was also the son of a renowned merchant. His father had taught him too well for him to pass up looting any monster he had the opportunity to. He touched the remains, triggering the process. As expected, each undead yielded only a handful of coins and some decay effusion. Fenrin pocketed the coins, then started back towards the main group.

"Not going to take the rest?"

He hadn't noticed Jade walking up to join them. Fenrin paused, glancing back at the loose pile of effusion.

"It's not worth much. Decay effusion doesn't have many uses, for enchanting or otherwise."

She fell into step beside him. The woman was in her demon form, leathery wings folded behind her back. It gave her a striking, dangerous appearance, and she drew looks from some of the surrounding elves. No one said anything, though. Fenrin had given his word on that, and he had seen to it.

"You know a lot about enchanting?"

No, Jade's unusual race didn't bother him, but it did bring up uncomfortable memories of his own race selection process. He was still second guessing his decision to remain his birth race. Belatedly, Fenrin realized that he had been asked a question.

"Ahh… no." He shook his head, smiling wryly. "I just had a father who spent far too much time instructing me on the ins and outs of commerce."

"Huh…" Jade rummaged around in her dimensional pouch, pulling out a handful of vials. "Are any of these worth anything?"

"Well… we can talk about my appraisal fee…"

He laughed at the look on Jade's face.

"I can help you out after we're done here, deal?"

"Deal." she said, obviously relieved.

A few minutes later, everyone was assembled in front of the stronghold entrance. There was no door at the base of the pyramid, just a yawning opening filled with inky darkness. High above the green flame at the pinnacle continued to burn. Mirella fluttered down from where she'd been circling high above, alighting on his shoulder.

"Maybe you should stay here, Mimi. I don't think you'll like it in there."

Mirella pecked his ear sharply, causing him to wince.

"Okay… Okay… Sorry for suggesting it." He reached up to pat her head. She chirped, cocking her head.

"No, I don't think any of the monsters will make for good eating…"

The bird's head drooped sadly.

Fenrin noted that everyone was looking at him for direction. He suppressed a weary sigh, doing his best to adopt a confident aura that he didn't quite feel.

"Priest Kymil, you're in charge while we're gone." Fenrin told the fatherly elf. "If any more of them show up, try to keep them from getting in behind us. But if there are too many of them, don't stay and fight. Instead, try and lead them away."

The priest nodded once.

"Lady Elaria's light guide you."

Fenrin fervently hoped it would. He was starting to regret not being as devout as his father in his reverence of The Lady of Blossoms. He hoped she didn't mind, wherever she was… and that she wouldn’t take offense to a literal demon fighting alongside him. Had her faith been involved in the cataclysm…? He couldn't recall.

Siora handed out a few final potions to them before they entered, murmuring some words of encouragement. When she was finished and had taken up a position outside with her brother, Fenrin turned to the rest of the group.

"Ready?"

He received a chorus of nods. Some tentative, others enthusiastic.

Taking a few steps into the dark passage, Fenrin led the way into the stronghold. It was eerily quiet, the air still and chilly. Behind him, the rest of the party followed close behind. The hallway was broad enough for them to walk two abreast, and Luis moved alongside him.

"I was kind of expecting a wall to slide down and seal us in, or something." He commented, glancing back at the shaft of daylight spilling through the entrance. "We're off to a good start."

"Why would you say something like that?" Naomi squeaked, glancing behind them worriedly. Fenrin couldn't help but join her. Fortunately, the path outside remained unobstructed.

"Some strongholds do work like that." Aylin said from the rear of the group. "But they're normally on the higher floors."

"That's a shame." Nythis sighed, tapping the base of her staff against the stone floor with a 'click'. A sputtering flame ignited at its tip, filling the hall with flickering light and dancing shadows. "That would've been far more thrilling."

"That's one way to put it…" Jade muttered.

Nythis giggled.

"Be careful when wishing for adversity." Vamir advised sagely. "For you may well get what you ask for."

"I'm glad one of us has a good feeling about this." Fenrin said quietly, creeping further into the bowels of the pyramid. On his shoulder, Mirella gave an insistent chirp.

"You're right, two of us."