Novels2Search

Chapter 5 : Spire

They continued running. The town was in visible range as both got closer. Agni's exhaustion caused him to stumble as he ran into Krubera. On the other hand, Vartan had already made it into the town and stood at the entrance.

"Welcome to Krubera," a sign read.

Agni managed to catch up to Vartan but continued running past him.

"Where are you going?!" Vartan yelled out as Agni passed by.

All Agni could think about was his parched throat and sore legs ."Water, water, water," He immediately thought.

He dipped his head into a nearby trough and drank the water.

"Ya'know those aren't for people, right boy?" An older man laughed. He continued to laugh as Agni ignored him and continued

drinking. "Well, well, well! He approached Vartan and patted him on the back, "Look who came back to pay a visit!"

Vartan lightly chuckled as he tried to catch his breath. "Good to see you too, old friend."

"What...Was that," Agni asked after pulling his head out of the trough.

"Phoebus," Vartan replied.

Agni scratched his head. "Phoebus?"

Khalee invited them into his Tavern and led them to the back.

Vartan continued explaining to Agni as they followed along.

" Phoebus and Deimos are agents of Argus," he explained.

"Shortly after the Gods were imprisoned, rumors of two phantoms roaming the lands spread throughout Arosia."

"I've heard that they tend not to stray far from each other," he added.

"You've heard?"

"Well, that was my first time seeing either."

Khale showed them both a small room. "Hope you don't mind sharing."

"This will be good," Vartan replied. He bowed his head and thanked him. Agni tried to ask Vartan if they would be safe quietly.

Khale overheard him and pushed them both into the room.

"Ahh, they can't hurt you here, boy. Best if you both get some rest."

"of course, thank you, sir." Agni bowed his head to Khalee. After he closed the door, Agni turned to Vartan again.

"Is he right?"

"Yes, kid, we should be safe here for a bit."

"Works with me." His legs had been throbbing with pain from running. He jumped into the small bed and felt his entire body sink in as he got comfortable.

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The winds echoed through the cave. Agni checked his surrounding area to ensure the winter beast was not in sight.

Anemos reassured him that the cavern was empty. "He knows I can't escape this place."

It had been a while since the two had spoken.

"It's good to see you are alive." She added.

"Indeed, we have made it to Krubera." He told her of the phantom they had encountered near the village.

"Have you ever seen anything like them?" he asked.

" No," She replied. "From your description, though, they must have been human at one point."

"How come?"

"The abyss can spawn many things." She explained."But it is too unpredictable to create something as complex as a human."

"That's good to know."

They continued talking. He first started with Richie and the fight they had. After mentioning Vartan, however, she quickly interrupted.

"Do you trust him?"

"Why shouldn't I?" he asked. "He's a scholar."

"The scholars were many things in the past." "If you had lived through their age, you know why I don't trust them," she added.

"I trust Vartan with my life." He told her.

"Very well, Agni." She replied. "Stay safe, and try not to enjoy yourself too much in Krubera."

Agni was about to ask what she meant but felt something happening.

The wind began to pick up. Everything began to glow brightly, and then...darkness.

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When Agni woke up, he realized he had been holding onto his sword in his sleep. He saw the fire inside the core begin to dim as he relaxed. At that moment, he realized that the fires around Yankton had been his fault.

Vartan sat beside him, quietly studying his staff before Agni got up.

"Is it nighttime yet?" Agni asked.

It was hard to tell the time of day as their room was enclosed in walls.

"The sun should be down about now. The Tavern will be getting some customers pretty soon."

He was not wrong. After a short while, they heard crowds of people entering the Tavern.

"Vartan, you never told me where we are going."

Vartan got up and pulled out a scroll. "I managed to borrow this from Khalé."

He unrolled it, and on it was an entire map of the cities in Arosia.

The map showed how far the mountains stretched through the land, like a prison keeping the Kingdom from the ocean.

He noticed four rune markings scattered around.

"What are those?" he asked.

"They are the Spires where each god is imprisoned."

He began by first pointing to one of the markings near the Kingdom.

" That one is King Therums." followed by another far across in the Tundra, near the city of Frostmont. "That one is Helias."

Next, he showed him one near a city of ruins. "That one is Argus."

He pointed to the last marking that layed east of Krubera and paused momentarily.

"That Spire... is your Fathers."

Agnis face lit up with excitement. "Can we go see it?"

Vartan initially hesitated, though he finally caved in and said yes.

"Only because your training has gone excellently so far."

They walked out through the front, not before Vartan told Khalee they would be back shortly.

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Agni stood in amazement at the giant Spire. He had not expected it to be so close to Krubera.

"So this is his prison?" He asked Vartan.

"Yes," Vartan replied, gazing at the ground, away from the Spire. "Inside of that Spire is your fathers' corrupted soul."

Agni imagined the place would be more secure, but it was just in an open field where anyone wandering around could stumble upon the Spire. After wondering why the Scholars would do this, he remembered something important.

"Everyone thinks that the Gods are dead," he realized.

"Precisely," Vartan replied. "To the others, this is just an old and sturdy monument to remember an age passed." "Nobody knows that they house the souls of the corrupted." After patiently waiting, Vartan patted Agni on the back. "We should get back."

As they began to walk away, Agni felt a strange sensation. He turned back to the spire and felt something calling to him. He went inside the small door, and a strange memory immediately entered his mind. He could recognize his mother, and the dock, though this memory seemed from a different time.

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Back at the Tavern, The entire place was full of people drinking and talking.

A small group played music with their instruments while others danced.

Agni sat beside Vartan and Khalee, who were both talking to a group of people that appeared to be merchants.

"You're saying Kruos mainly patrols this area?" Vartan asked while pointing at a spot near the city of Frostmont."

"Yessir," the merchant burped. "Most of us avoid trekking through and take the longer route to the Kingdom."

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"Better to be safe than sorry." someone else added.

The merchants continued drinking while Vartan and Khalee quietly talked to each other.

"She has to be near the old outpost where HE was stationed," Khalee whispered. "There's an old cave system near there too."

"You might be right," Vartan whispered back.

Agni stopped listening as he remembered all the times that the people of Yankton would have large parties like this. He remembered the laughter of his younger sister as she ran around, causing trouble. Most of all, he remembered Kerrigan and his adoptive mother.

"I'm going to take a little break," he told Vartan.

"Everything okay?" he tried to ask.

"Yeah, I just need a moment."

Agni got up and went back into his room.

"I miss home," he thought to himself.

He heard some footsteps approaching the door.

"You okay in there, bud? Vartan asked from the other side.

He entered the room and sat beside Agni.

They sat there for a while, staring into the night sky, when Vartan finally broke the silence.

"Do you wanna talk about what you saw?"

Agni looked down at the floor. " I saw my mother."

His eyes slowly filled with tears. "I just wish I could see her. One more time." He remembered all the times she cared for him when he was younger and his father wasn't around. "We would always sit by the dock back in Yankton.

"I remember one day, as we both waited for Dad, She left me alone to care for something that had happened at home. And she-" his voice began to tear up. "She never came back!

"I've tried to remember what happened after that, but no matter how hard I try, I can't."

Vartan sighed and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry, Agni."

He hugged Agni and comforted him.

"One day, when this mess is taken care of." "I will help you find her.

"I promise."

Agni wiped his tears and sat alongside Vartan. They watched the night stars until Agni fell asleep.

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The following day, they were both up early in the morning. The Tavern had grown quiet now that everyone had left. Khalee was busy cleaning and stumbled upon Vartan.

"Ah, there you are, mate! He chuckled out loud. "I suppose you ought to be leaving?"

Vartan nodded.

"Thank you for everything, Khalee." he walked outside. Agni walked out and stumbled upon Khalee.

Agni curiously asked Khalee what Vartan had done to help him out.

He immediately stopped cleaning and gave a big sigh.

"Well, that fella saved me from a snarky creature long ago."

He patted Agni on the back,

"When I was a younger fella like you, all I did was explore."

"It was a fun thing until one day I stumbled upon a giant fiery castle just north of that small town of Yankton."

Agni's eyes suddenly bolted awake."A fiery castle near Yankton?"

"Yep, it is very well hidden, and I woulda got mauled by those nasty creatures had Vartan not been there."

A smile crept across his face as he remembered his younger days of adventuring.

"It was long ago, but I've owed my life to him ever since."

"How long ago?"

"Can't even remember to be honest, but that man Vartan is older than he looks!" he laughed.

"You coming, boy?!" Vartan yelled out.

Agni bowed to Khalee before leaving.

"Thank you, sir."

Khalee gruffed and threw out his hand.

"Awww, don't worry about it. Good luck on your quest, fella!"

Agni thanked him again and headed outside to see Vartan looking toward the sky.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes, I am."

As they walked toward the city's walls, Agni noticed a translucent force field surrounding them.

"Was that there before?" he pointed towards them.

"Ahh, yes, King Therums protection barriers."

"Protection barriers?" Agni asked in confusion.

"Yes. Long ago, King Therum placed an aura of shield against certain cities, with the strongest one being at the Kingdom."

"It stops any weaker monsters from entering, though some stronger creatures can pass through."

They passed through and walked out of the city.

"Yep, they say that King Therum was the shield of the Kingdom, and his son was the sword.

"He had a son?"

"Yes, his name was also Therum."

"He was a skilled swordsman, probably the best out there."

The city was now barely in sight as they walked further away.

Their next stop would be the Kingdom of Arosia. Vartan looked on ahead as they both walked.

They continued throughout the land, training every chance they got and drawing closer to the Kingdom daily.

For Agni, the sight of the Kingdom would bring him relief. For Vartan, however, it brought back memories of his past. A past he had long tried to forget. He dreamt of his other scholars when the rule of the Ancient gods was at its peak.

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Vartan suddenly woke up startled. He had been sleeping next to the small fire. Agni sat across it and looked towards him in concern.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

Vartan ignored him and got up. He turned away from Agni and began to look toward the long brushes in the distance. Since he had grabbed his staff, Agni instinctively picked up his sword and ran towards Vartan's side.

"Something is watching us," he told him.

He looked for a moment,

"Over there." he quietly whispered.

Agni felt a cold shudder run through his body.

He waited for what seemed like an eternity. Suddenly, Vartan quickly turned toward Agni and pushed them both away. A shadow passed through at an incredible speed where they had both stood.

It was hard for Agni to see, even with his sword emitting fire from its core.

It seemed like a person cloaked in darkness. It stood there for a moment, facing away. Then it flung out its arm and shot a dozen shadow daggers toward Agni, which he deflected with his sword. It quickly turned around and faced Agni. Its face gave him a momentary shock. Its white eyes stared at him. He heard countless voices surrounding him, similar to the effect Anemos gave him. He stopped Agni dead in his tracks and lunged at him. Agni quickly held his sword up. It emitted a slight aura around him, preventing the attacker from getting closer. Agni quickly looked towards Vartan and saw that he had also been fighting against another creature he had seen before, Phoebus. He looked back toward his opponent and realized it could only have been Deimos he was facing off against.

It dashed behind Agni and tried to stab him in the back. He was able to react in time before it hurt him, and he deflected a small dagger.

It must not have any bigger weapons, he thought.

Agni tried overpowering the small dagger, but Deimos proved a strong opponent. It could hold off the sword with the small blade it was wielding.

Agni needed more power. He tried channeling more energy into his sword to overpower Deimos, but it was still insufficient. After being locked for a moment, Deimos looked at Agni straight into his eyes. Everything around Agni grew utterly dark. The ground turned to dark water, and the void was endless. He could not hear or see anything. Panicked, he began to yell out.

"VARTAN!!" he screamed out, but it echoed around him.

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Vartan had been trying to reach Agni, but Phoebus kept fighting him off.

It had been easier to deal with Phoebus back at Krubera when it was distracted.

Vartan saw Agni's sword locked against Deimos. His attention quickly turned back towards Phoebus. No matter what he tried to do, the abyssal beast would try to stop him from reaching Agni.

'I need a distraction,' he thought to himself. As he readied up for another attack, he heard the cries of Agni calling for him.

Phoebus quickly let his guard down and looked over for a moment.

Although Vartan was concerned, he quickly regained himself and took the opportunity Agni had unknowingly provided him. He swiftly conjured a magical beam that shot straight through Phoebus's stomach, and the phantom dropped to the ground. Vartan quickly regained his footing after being thrown back by his spell and ran toward Deimos. The demon approached Agni and stopped when it saw Vartan.

"You sure you wanna do that?" he remarked.

The demon noticed Phoebus struggling to heal itself.

It warped the space around it and then teleported toward its other companion. It stretched out its arm to Phoebus, and the creature began to heal its wounds.

Vartan ran towards Agni, who was still screaming out for Vartan.

Agni was panicking, he had tried running, but the abyssal prison he was trapped in seemed never-ending. Agni fell. He was about to give up, then suddenly heard a faint voice echoing around him.

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This entire time, he had not tried to use any magic. His panic had clouded his mind.

He closed his fist and focused his energy. It had been long since he had tried to conjure his fire without his sword, and it seemed easier.

He could feel his body getting warmer. His eyes began to be clouded by the fire that burned within him. Flashes of the forest fire began to come back as the Abyss around him began to glow red.

Red like the fire that had engulfed the entire forest around him. His fire.

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"I can't escape!" Vartan heard Agni yell out. Guarding him would be more challenging if both Phoebus and Deimos were attacking him at the same time.

"Agni, I know you might be panicking, but we don't have much time."

"Phoebus and Deimos are about to get back up."

"I need you... to burn your prison down to the ground."

Agni seemed to calm down after hearing Vartan. Vartan gripped his staff and prepared to fight the duo. He threw out a fireball which was easily dodged by both. They lunged at Vartan, who blocked their attacks with his staff. The pair suddenly warped the space around them and teleported further away from Vartan.

He seemed confused at first, then realized why they had done so.

Everything around Agni was beginning to smoke.

"You can do it, Agni!" Vartan yelled out.

Agni suddenly opened his eyes and got up.

His breathing was out of control. He seemed so excited that he had been able to free himself. Then, the fatigue started to set in.

"Vartan..."

his head began to feel dizzy

"I did It-" he tried walking up to Vartan, but he fell to the ground instead.

Phoebus and Deimos lunged toward Agni but were met by a fierce light illuminating the entire area.

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Both wraiths charged simultaneously and were thrown back by Vartan's light orbs. The Light that hit their cloaks began to disintegrate their bodies. Phoebus tried to channel and teleport them away, but Vartan extended his arm and held them both in place.

The Light was burning their bodies to ash.

Phoebus managed to free one of his hands and cast a spell.

Both teleported out in a blink and managed to escape Vartan's spell.

After they disappeared, Vartan's eyes began to dim down. He fell to his knees and caught his breath.

He looked over at Agni, still lying on the ground.

He walked over and picked him up. He checked to make sure that he was okay. He let out a sigh of relief when he could feel him breathing. After a moment, he walked back and placed Agni down comfortably.

Agni's mind filled with a rapid sequence of dreams, each left as quickly as it entered his thoughts. As his mind collapsed, he could hear the familiar whispers of the wind calling out to him.

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