CHAPTER FOUR - THE ABYSS
Torchlight danced across the worn stone passageways as Corin and Alize scoured the maze for an exit.
They had gone down dozens of paths in the maze, doubling back at every dead-end and taking new routes. As they walked Corin had inquired about Alize’s home and her people. She had been more than willing to share.
The Draelin, it turned out, were not from Corin’s world of Astra at all. He had suspected as much when he first heard the term. Although Yaron’s first academy for magic was primarily a college dedicated to the study of magic, the school boasted extensive mundane academic study as well. Corin had sat through a wealth of lectures on world history, and not once had he heard any mention of the term.
According to Alize, the Draelin lived in the aptly named Draelinwood, a sprawling forest of towering trees, babbling brooks, flowing rivers, and all manner of delightful and fantastical creatures. The source of all this abundant life was the fertile magic that flowed through the soil. The Draelin people had, as far as Alize knew, been born from this magic and acted as nurturing guardians, living as one with the forest.
It sounded to Corin like an enchanting realm, so removed from the city life he knew in Yaron. No wonder she was so naive and trusting, probably never been pickpocketed in her entire life, he thought. Corin wondered if she would even know the term.
According to Alize, the tower had appeared at the edge of the Draelinwood a couple of months ago. Alize, along with several other talented spellweavers–the term the Draelin used for their mages–and hunters, had been tasked with investigating the tower and removing it from their lands if possible.
If that was the case then, Corin believed, it was possible the tower existed as some kind of bridge between worlds.
He was lost in thought, contemplating the ramifications and possibilities of what that could mean when Alize stuck out her arm, stopping them in their tracks.
“Do you hear that?” She whispered.
“Hear what?”
Corin saw the points of her ears twitching as she tilted her head to listen carefully.
“Up ahead, it sounds like a river.” She replied.
Corin took a step forward and turned an ear towards the empty corridor.
He could hear the gentle crackle of fire from the torches, inching forward he heard what Alize was listening to; the distant sound of running water.
Following the noise, they crept up the passage until they came across an open archway, beyond lay a square room made of the same stone masonry. Cutting the room in half was a flowing channel of water.
The channel ran from one side of the room to the other, and was about ten feet across. Compared to the murky jungle river this water looked clean, like the water he would frequently bathe in at the academy bath house. It poured in leisurely from a circular iron grate a quarter-way up the left wall. On the other side of the room was a plain wooden door with a black iron knocker and matching hinges. Next to the door, on a small raised platform, was an ornate chest.
Corin and Alize shared a glance before stepping into the strange room.
“You don’t think there are any wingless dragons in that water do you?” Corin asked with a nervous laugh.
“What’s a dragon and why would it be wingless?” Alize replied.
“No dragons in the Draelinwood then I take it?” Corin said, raising an eyebrow.
“Again, what’s a dragon? You say the strangest things Corin.” She said, shaking her head.
“It’s like a really big lizard with wings that flies around breathing fire.”
“Sounds scary, no, I don’t think we’ll find any wingless ‘dragons’ in there.” She said, pointing at the water with her staff.
“Good, good. I’ve had enough flightless dragons for today.” Corin said, wandering over to the edge of the pool.
Looking down it was impossible to gauge the depth, the flowing channel receding into pitch black darkness.
Crouching, Corin doffed a glove and dipped his hand into the water. He let out a small yelp.
“What? What is it?” Alize said, hurrying over.
“It’s bloody freezing, look.” Corin said, touching his hand to Alize’s leg.
She let out a shriek, jumping back, staff held in an attacking position.
“Touch me with those icy fingers again and I swear on Crannbeatha–”
Corin laughed, “I’m sorry, it was too easy. I won’t do it again, I promise.”
“You better not.” Alize replied, glaring daggers.
“I won’t, I won’t,” Corin said, putting his hands up in resignation.
“Why do you think it’s so cold?” He asked.
“Well, we have been wandering around this place for ages and I haven’t seen natural light since I got here, so I’m guessing this place is deep underground. Who knows though, with this tower we could be anywhere.” Alize replied.
“Well I won’t be going swimming again, let’s hope that door is promising.” Corin said, looking across the way at the plain wooden door.
“You’re not planning on jumping across are you?” Alize asked, looking at the watery abyss with a grimace.
“I don’t see another way across. Don’t worry, I’ll go first and I promise I won’t let you fall in.” Corin said, beaming a smile.
Alize nodded, standing back as Corin got up and eyed the distance. Corin was confident he could clear ten feet before he had entered the tower; now, with his improved speed and strength, he was certain. His only concern was that Alize, who had middling physical statistics, might not make it.
“Alize, you said you went through the green door, right? And it lead you directly to this maze?”
She nodded.
“How many monsters have you killed?”
“Three, two cavern spiders and a toxic ooze. Four, if you include the centipede.”
“And have your statistics changed much?”
“Most of them have moved up a little, the one called ‘spirit’ had a big jump when I found my staff and nature’s spellbook.” She answered, shuffling her feet a little. “Why?”
“My speed and strength are both in the low twenties. Just keep that in mind when you see me jump. If you don’t think you’ll make it we’ll figure something out, okay?”
“Okayy…”
Corin moved back to the start of the room before launching into a sprint. He covered the distance in six powerful strides of his long legs before leaping over the channel. He cleared the edge of the pool by at least an extra three-feet. He turned around giving Alize a thumbs up.
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“Go on, I’m ready if you need me.” He said, moving to stand by the edge.
Alize took one last look at the icy cold depths before backing up for a running start. Corin was poised, ready to leap out and catch her. She took three deep breaths then started the run up. Her strides were shorter than Corin’s but she moved with a lithe grace that told of her woodland origins. A scream escaped her as she propelled herself into the air. Corin caught her in both arms, guiding her landing so she wouldn’t twist an ankle. Her face was pale and he could hear shallow breathing.
“Good job, you made it!” Corin said, gently letting her go.
Alize took a moment to focus on her breathing before replying, “Thank you, I just, I’m not overly fond of water. Especially when I can’t see the bottom.”
“Well, good thing we don’t have to cross it twice then.” He said.
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Alize watched from a distance as Corin prodded the fancy looking chest with his sword. When he seemed satisfied that it wasn’t a monster in disguise he waved her over. She had finally calmed down after her leap across the unnatural indoor river and crouched down with a smile as Corin peered at a rusty lock on the front of the chest. He turned to look at her, frowning.
“You can’t magically open locks can you?”
Alize shook her head.
“Didn’t think so, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. It’s just a rusty lock, I can probably break it with my sword.” He said, lifting up the hilt of his curved sword for emphasis.
“You’re going to whack it open?” Alize asked.
“That’s the plan. Stand back, it might spark a little.”
Alize took a pace back as Corin slammed the hilt of his sword on the lock with a loud clang that echoed around the chamber. He hit it again and again, each strike chipping off more of the flaky brown rust. Clang! A chunk of brown metal went scattering across the floor as the lock burst open.
Alize peered over Corin’s shoulder as he opened the chest. Inside were a handful of miscellaneous items, all seasoned with dust. There was a thick leather-bound book with a blank cover, a thin silver ring set with a shimmering sea-blue gemstone, a handful of small vials containing colorful liquids, and a black coin.
Corin reached in and pulled out the coin first.
“More fate.” He said. Flipping it over they saw 50 printed in bold silver.
“Here, it's only right we share,” Corin said as the coin vanished into thin air.
There was a flash of light and the faint smell of burning wood as a new coin appeared in his hand. He handed it to Alize. She looked it over, where it had said 50 before it now said 25.
“How did you do that?” She asked.
“You haven’t gone through your inventory? Down the bottom you should have something called fate.” Corin replied, gesturing at the air in front of him.
Alize pulled up her own blue panel and navigated to the inventory page. 55 fate.
“What is this fate?” She asked, cocking her head.
“I’m not certain but I think it's the currency here.” Corin said, returning to the chest. He pulled out the book and blew on its cover, a large plume of dust clouding the air.
Achoo! He sneezed, making Alize jump, sending the dust cloud whirling about.
“Sorry about that, you should take that ring, it looks like it would suit you.” He said with a smile.
Alize reached down for the ring while Corin flipped through musty yellow pages. She picked it up and held it to the faint torchlight illuminating the room. The finely polished silver band was slender and delicate, Alize twirled it in her grasp, studying the sea-blue gemstone set on top. It felt as though Alize was gazing through the gem and into an actual sea, rippling waves playing across its surface. She heard the crash of waves and a fishy smell wafted into her nose.
“Corin, look how beautiful it is–” She said, turning to show Corin the magnificent ring.
The space where Corin had just been sitting was empty. The fishy smell grew stronger and Alize saw darker patches of stone where Corin had been sitting. She sent the ring to her inventory before spinning around, staff ready in both hands.
A dark writhing mass of slimy tendrils were spilling out from the pool. She saw one of them coiled around Corin, his figure a tall silhouette suspended and encased upside down by the powerful black tentacle. He was writhing in its grasp, trying to reach his sword. His eyes were wide with panic as the end of the creature's tendril constricted his neck and smothered his mouth.
It must have slipped out of the water and taken him silently, Alize shuddered at the thought.
To her vision the monster was a great tangling mass of shadowy black tentacles, over a foot thick where they protruded from the water, tapering into long dexterous points that were at least three times as long as Corin was tall.
Alize had never liked the water, not since she fell in as a child, held down by some invisible weight. She remembered how powerless she had felt, her body sinking against her will. And the slimy eels that had taken an interest in her as she sank, their wriggling bodies and mocking mouths, sharp with teeth. Alize struggled against the memory, legs trembling.
Corin had done so much for her already, she wouldn’t let him down. Calling upon her ability, ‘nature’s spellbook’, she cast the offensive spell ‘ray of withering’. An orb of light steadily came to life at the end of her staff, washing the room in a violet light.
As the light grew Alize saw the monster in greater detail. Hundreds of gelatinous rings ran along the underside of the massive black tendrils, popping and squelching as they stuck to surfaces. Black ichor-like fluid mixed with water ran down each massive tentacle like saliva, leaving slimy trails of goo as it stuck to surfaces, stretching in sticky strands as the tentacles slithered, searching for more prey. Corin was coated in the substance, dark splotches matting his hair and staining his tunic.
His eyes found Alize, pleading.
“Don’t worry, I’m on it!” She shouted, unleashing a beam of purple energy from her staff.
The ray streaked through the air like an arrow of purple light, colliding with a tentacle that had lashed out to protect the one grasping its victim.
The ray embedded itself in the limb and the violet light spread around the wound like creeping ivy around a tree. The purple rash sizzled and the smell of rotting fish caught in the back of Alize’s throat. Water churned as the beast thrashed against the withering effect eating through its tentacle.
Thwap! A heavy wet slap echoed through the room as the giant tentacle broke off and landed on the smooth stone floor. The remaining slimy limbs flailed in anger before slinking back into the depths of the indoor river, taking Corin with them.
Panicking, Alize recalled what Corin had said about her inventory, she looked to see if she had anything that could help.
[Ring of the Nereides] (rare).
This magical ring contains the essence of a Nereid.
[Resistance]: This ring grants resistance to water/cold conditions and abilities.
[Child of the sea] (passive): While wearing this ring you can breathe underwater.
[Hydrolance] (active): Creates a vortex of water that can be unleashed as a ranged attack.
Type: Water/Piercing. Cooldown: None. Mana Cost: 20.
Equipping the ring in a flash of light, she edged towards the pool as the last of the tentacles slunk away. Bubbles formed on the surface and she saw the dark shadow of Corin struggling against his captor.
Her heart beat rapidly and her lips trembled as she stood looking down into the dark abyss. Corin had saved her once already in the short time they knew each other, she had to return the favor. In fact, she knew he was her best chance of making out of this maze alive.
Tightening her grasp on her staff, she dove headfirst into the deep.
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One moment Corin had been kneeling next to Alize, inspecting the contents of the chest, the next he had been suspended upside down in the air, something cold and slimy coiling around him.
It must have slithered out of the pool in silence while I was inspecting that book on my display, he thought.
Corin cursed himself for dropping his guard and screamed into the slimy flesh that was smothering his mouth. It tasted fishy and raw.
Looking around he saw a forest of black tentacles sprouting from the dark pool over which he now hung. They grew thicker as they descended, and vanished almost immediately below the surface where the light penetrated no further. His eyes felt like they were bulging from the pressure rushing to his head, and he strained to move in the monster’s powerful grip, suctioning cups the size of dinner plates trying to find purchase on his dirty tunic.
He spied Alize through the tangle of shadowy limbs. She was standing–upside down from Corin’s point of view–with her staff out, a mote of purple light forming at the tip.
He saw her lips move as their eyes met, and could just make out the words; don’t worry.
Corin felt a tinge of guilt, he had played the part of a charming hero all the while knowing that he was manipulating her to his benefit, and now he really needed her to come save him. He supposed, in a twisted–I might get eaten by a sea monster–sense, his plan to win her over had worked and now she was willing to risk her own life to save him. Better her down in those depths than me, but why do I feel bad about it? The only person who gets me is Hakim, and he ran off to get lost in this madhouse. Now's not the time to contemplate moral quandaries, he thought, squirming for his scimitar.
The more he struggled the more the beast constricted but he struggled anyway, the thought of being dragged to an icy grave stealing away reason. A flash of purple illuminated the writhing mass of monstrous tentacles for a brief moment before one of them covered his view. Then a shock of cold as he was pulled under and everything went dark.
New [Optional Task] Defeat [Nau’lok, abyss stalker] (boss monster).
Kill Nau’lok, an adolescent freshwater leviathan, who feeds on those lost in the subterranean maze.
* Reward: 500 fate.
* Reward: [Ability].
Condition: [Hypothermia] has been applied.
[Hypothermia]: Type: Cold. Effect: [Vitality] will decrease by 1 every minute.
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