Chapter 12 - The Central Room

Waking up from my sleep I see Leonore meditating on the head of the bed. Leonore’s eyelids wiggle opening, “You slept a while.”

Pulling my torso up, a large yawn escapes me as I cover my mouth, I remark, “I’m sure you slept a while too.”

She smirks slightly before the smirk becomes a frown as she dismally says, “There’s no exit in this building.”

I feel my stomach drop but say hopefully, “If there is an exit it’s probably near this abode; we should have a look.”

She jumps out of the bed, saying, “Let’s get going then.”

We walk back outside into the dreary cavern and continue opposite from the direction we came from. It’s only about a minute later that we come to a dead end, but Leonore excitedly runs up to a stone construction, “We made it! This is our way out.”

It’s a square platform with four square pillars shooting up from the corners of the platform. Symbols and patterns decorate the platform and pillars making it look to have magical utility. There is a square pressure plate in the centre of the platform, overall, it seems to be a magical elevator with a lack of railings; clearly it didn’t follow safety regulations. I say, “I suppose let’s get on, I hope the way I die is not from a faulty elevator…”

Leonore chuckles as she happily walks onto the elevator without a care in the world. I take a more cautious approach as I gingerly step onto the elevator but it feels completely sturdy. Without consulting me Leonore steps onto the pressure plate. It lights up, the pale blue light starting at the pressure plate and spreading out to the whole platform then up the pillars. Strange clicking sounds and rattles echo out, the contraptions of the elevator churning into action before I feel a slight jolt run through the elevator, then we’re off. The elevator zooms upwards at an extraordinary speed, I bend my knees slightly to retain my balance, but that seems unnecessary as I can’t even feel any of the effects of the upwards momentum, enchantments maybe?

The ride stops very suddenly as the elevator seems to artificially freeze. I squint as sun rays pierce into my eyes, my skin feels a long forgotten warmness as the sun pleasantly shines onto my skin, I spread my arms out, relishing in the experience. We are still in a cave, but this one has a wide gouged opening that seems manmade, the sun stands high in the sky as it showers the garden that we’ve found ourselves in. The surrounding garden has beautiful ingredients that unrestrainedly spout out; it gives the garden an untamed quality making it more appealing. I remark to the still gobsmacked Leonore, “This garden is magnificent.”

She nods dreamily, replying, “It really is, I feel much greater clarity now.”

Clarity, that’s what it is, I breathe in deeply and notice the strong medical smell, I suggest, “Maybe it’s the garden, I can smell the strong scent of herbs from here.”

She shrugs before she swings her bag in front of her, ruffling inside while saying, “Maybe, I’m going to harvest a few herbs, I brought a few of those herb containers with me.”

While she does that I explore around, continuously inhaling the strong scent. I find a stone structure jutting out of the wall with a wooden door, likely our exit.

After Leonore finishes harvesting a few herbs and dusting off the dirt from her hands we head on our way. Opening the wooden door, we are brought before a long empty corridor with stone walls. Walking to the end there’s yet another door, except this one seems to be a true entrance as the door is made of stone with unique patterns inscribed on it. Entering we end up in those strange square rooms that have that eerie green light. I tense and grow fully alert, these rooms can have some whacky things go on, but do we have a choice. Before I enter, I ask, “Are we going in?”

“Even if we get mind raped by those mind demons, it’s better than being stuck in those damn caves!” Leonore shouts in exasperation. I stare at her, clearly, she isn’t back to normal just yet; I nod in agreement anyway, “Ok, no caves then.”

We advance into the room; strange inscriptions are drawn into the walls. It makes me wonder what the purpose of this whole establishment was. We slowly explore the rooms and eventually come across dried bloodstains splattered across the floor and wall yet no bodies. Leonore remarks, “From the expedition I suppose.”

I grunt in agreement. We continue onwards, finding more bloodstains and sometimes armour pieces or even ripped rags. The walk is rather brief before we discover a change as we enter through a door and find a long rectangular room. A mind demon seems to be working on something, its black beady eyes look up toward us but Leonore and I are already springing into action as I jump towards it, firing corruption empowered magic missiles while lightning zaps beside me and toward the demon. The demon dodges to the side, but I cast my next couple of missiles at its new location, the demon raises one hand and casts a magic barrier.

While Leonore and I send a barrage of attacks onto the shield, dimming the barrier, the demon raises its free hand to its temple causing a strange fluctuation to shimmer in the air, I feel a powerful will attack assault my mind, I cancel my skills as I scramble my will to resist the trained attack. A pincer of condensed will tries to seize my mind but the sheer size of my will prevents it. The demon then tries a different method as the mind pincers open then suddenly crunch down, rattling my head. I collapse to the floor in pain as I feel blood drip from my nostrils but try remain focused on my internal will, the pincer slowly extends again as mana seems to be channelling into it, I mentally brace myself by condensing my will and not a second later the pincer snaps yet again eliciting me to cry out in pain as my will seems to crack like smashed glass. My thoughts grow muddled as my will starts to drift, the pincer extends again but then suddenly stops as the will drifts like steam before vanishing.

“Agnes! Are you ok?” Leonore yells as she runs over to me, resting me in her arms as I lose all power to remain upward; she must’ve killed the demon. I open my teary eyes to look at her, my excruciating headache disorientating, but I manage to quietly croak out in jest, “Yeah… Just a little headache.”

She chuckles before singing my praises, “That was fucking crazy, defending against a rank 3 mind demon.”

Even though I’ve already told her in the past, my befuddled mind reiterates, “Ha, you really swear a lot…”

She smirks in amusement, but the concern in her eyes is apparent.

After resting for a little while I regain strength, so I shakily raise with Leonore’s support before she insists, “Come, let’s go.”

Properly looking over the room, it is a lab, except much more complete than the one in the caves. It has those glass tubes filled with corruption along with human bodies, some of which I recognise from the expedition. Some bodies are completely fine but some are half transformed into a mind demon with grotesquely deformed bodies, there are even some fully transformed mind demons but they look bloody, like they just died in battle; maybe they died to the expedition. As we slowly trot along while Leonore keeps me upright, she comments, “They’re experimenting on demon creation, that’d explain the creatures in the caves, they’re failed creations.”

Feeling uncertain about that, I mention, “But it seemed like a human lived down there, the robes for example. Not to mention that the whole area looked abandoned, including the garden.”

“Hm, you’re right, it doesn’t make sense.” She agrees while nodding, but then offers another theory, “Maybe they just moved in recently and are taking over the previous residents’ research; maybe they’re still exploring the place.”

That’s certainly a sounder theory; it’d explain why they didn’t immediately kill us when we entered and also why the monsters weren’t cleared out. I keep an eye on the tubes while we walk, dreading the possibility of seeing Aurelie, we walk past a tube with Joel’s face poking out of the black goop causing me to jump in fright. We reach the end of the room, no Aurelie in sight, but she could already be transformed into a mind demon for all I know, maybe she’s already walking around as one… Leonore slaps me lightly on the back of the head, yelling, “Snap out of it Agnes! More demons are coming!”

The clattering of hooved feet against the stone floor echoes out from the distance. Leonore drags me along in a hurry as I force myself to run even with the strain on my mind. We rush through doors at random, running into different rooms. I feel a tingle at the back of my head; the demons are trying to encroach on my mind. A mind demon opens a door in front of us so Leonore and I promptly fire our spells, it’s a weaker demon so the attacks are enough to disrupt it from casting which allows us to rush into a door on our right.

This room is immediately different; it’s a control room of sorts with a magical control panel in the middle of the room with an odd mind demon that has a particularly large brain but a frail body.

“Kill it!” Leonore shouts while she casts, I didn’t need to hear her say that as my missiles have already left my hand while I formulate my next batch. The demon tries to cast a spell but my missiles already reach it, ripping its body to shreds before lightning bolts come in to finish off the job as its body gets further disintegrated in electrical sparks.

Without wasting a moment Leonore runs up to the control panel without me, it seems to be a map of the rooms, represented in a blue magic light. The map is centred on this one point which can easily be deduced as where we are right now based on the layout of the room. Leonore wonders aloud, “I wonder if they controlled it when we first entered.”

I anxiously stare back at the previous room seeing the demons rushing to capture us so to stave them off I fire missiles like my life depends on it, well it does depend on it. Leonore reaches down and move some things causing everything in the previous room, the demons and missiles, to be frozen in time before everything starts to fade, becoming translucent before vanishing completely without any fanfare, leaving an eerie pitch black void in the doorway. I breath a sigh of relief, saying, “Oh thank god, it worked.”

Leonore sighs as well before offhandedly commenting humorously, “There are many gods Agnes; don’t tell me you’re one of those monotheistic weirdos.”

I cough awkwardly but remain silent, not really wanting to discuss religious views at a moment like this. Leonore looks back down at the control panel, asking, “What do we do now?”

“Leave I imagine.” I suggest with a little more forcefulness than I intended but Leonore still hesitates, “But there could be a lot more treasures.”

I shake my head, explaining, “You’re right, but I think we’re a little in over our heads, there are far too many mind demons”

She seems to struggle with her psyche as her expressions changes strangely before she finally nods slowly with a sigh, her expression downcast, “You’re right, I don’t know what just came over me.”

“The corruption I imagine, we both know it seems to dull our sense of caution.” I say as I pat her back comfortingly. She drags a holographic room that looks to be an entrance with an obvious looking outlet to the outside and connects it to the main control room. Looking back at the void, light seems to shimmer before a new door slowly fades into existence.

Helping me along we walk to the door and open it, we’re brought to a room that looks just like every other room. But we still continue to the door we’re the outlet was on the magic hologram, opening that door, the familiar stairs that are beside the wide canyon presents itself. Leonore drags me along, saying with glee, “Let’s get the hell out of here!”

A thirty minute walk is all it takes until we come across the circular entrance and finally walk outside into the bright sunshine. Leonore sighs out deeply, saying with relief, “We finally made it.”

I sigh along with her, “We did, I honestly though we weren’t going to make it.”

“Yeah.” She replies emotionally before growing silent.

After a few days of trudging through the forest, we come across a pack of wolves. They quickly surround us, growling as they bare their teeth at us. Leonore and I spring into action, I cast my fiery missiles out, accurately hitting a weaker looking wolf with two magic missiles and burning it to a crisp. The wolves reactively engage us as they leap at us. Two wolves jump from my left and right which I promptly annihilate with four missiles. While I form the rune for lesser shield another two wolves leap at me, I quickly fire off two magic missiles to kill one while expertly pivoting on my foot to dodge the other, casting yet another two missiles and killing that one too. Leonore’s destructiveness is much greater than mine as she easily shifts around between wolves at lightning speed with her dodge spell while casting lightning bolts that one shot kill every wolf, blasting their bodies into a puff of electrified smoke.

The fight is over as quickly as it started, a bolt of lightning flashes as it bursts the head of the final wolf. It was too easy, a walk in the park even though we were outnumbered. Leonore walks up beside me, echoing my thoughts, “That, was easier than I expected. Why is it so boring, ugh!”

“That’s the corruption talking Leonore, we both know bored is good while in a monster infested forest.” I say as I dust off my robe.

She nods in agreement, her relaxed face becoming more appropriately alert, “You’re right, sorry.”

The trip out of the forest is honestly nothing more than a power trip as we decimate weaker monsters. Obviously, we couldn’t fight massive hordes of monsters due to our mana reserves, so we avoid the truly large groups. As we advance through the forest we happen upon a river.

“Ah, it’s freezing.” Leonore yelps as she jumps in. The sticky grime from her skin visibly dirtying the water as the river flows past. Removing my robes, I quickly dip my toe in but pull it out just as fast, I ask rhetorically, “How on earth did you jump straight in.”

She answers anyway, “Just jump straight in, don’t go slowly, aren’t you a commoner I thought you’d be used to cold baths.”

While I lived with my father hot water was always prepared for me, the only time I had cold baths was on the rare occasion while on the road or out adventuring. Naturally the academy being a magical school, it has hot baths available. I reply to her, “I am a bastard actually, not a commoner.”

Her face morphs in surprise as she says in astonishment, “Really? Of what house?”

“Le Sueur.” I promptly answer as I progress slightly into the water, the river reaching my ankles. Her eyes flicker as she seems be remembering something, “Le Sueur, Le Sueur, of the county of Berry, I don’t know much about them other than that they’re a non-mage house, so basically nobodies.”

I take another step into the river, the water reaching my knees causing me to shiver slightly. I inquire, “Isn’t the imperial family a non-mage family?”

She derisively says, “Yeah, and who said they should be the imperial family.”

I shrug as I answer half-heartedly, “Uh, everyone it seems. Otherwise, why would they still be in power.”

“Hmph, typical commoner mentality.” She says disapprovingly as crosses her arms while turning her head from me. I finally build up the will to take yet another step into the river but as the water reaches further up my thigh I retract my leg, Leonore’s eye twitches while she watches me.

“Oh for the gods’ sake.” Leonore suddenly yells as she runs at me and pulls me into deeper into the river, submerging into the freezing water. I re-emerge, my body shivering and teeth chattering as I feel goose bumps rise all over my body. I glare at Leonore with a frown but she just throws back a smug smile.

We eventually leave the forest after about a month, coming across a lesser travelled dirt road. We walk in the direction we came when we first entered the forest and continue our journey back to Feiroy.

After a few days on the road, we see a town in the distance, the one our expedition passed by and where they dropped the horses and carriages off. Walking into the town, I note that there seems to be a greater adventurer presence here than last time. Leonore and I attract a lot of glances with even hardy warriors stepping out of our way; we seem to have a presence that repels others.

Well, us being barefooted in large flamboyant robes that drag against the floor yet remains completely clean would certainly give us a peculiar type of mystique that may cause people to mistake us for high ranked mages. And Leonore’s gaunt face from poor nutrition makes her look far older than her true age. Though to be fair Leonore’s combat ability is likely near the peak of what a rank 1 mage can achieve so being mistaken for a powerful mage isn’t entirely inaccurate. Me on the other hand, I’ve found that I’m actually a fair bit weaker than Leonore, my high cast speed only slightly bridging the gap, but her spells are far stronger than mine even though they’re still only rank 1. Thinking of her spells I feel that we’re close enough so that I can ask about her spells, I haven’t even asked Aurelie yet, “I’m curious, what spells do you have Leonore?”

“You know it’s rude to ask that.” Leonore states as she frowns slightly, we walk to the town square, small food markets are set up as farmers yell out to sell some of their food.

“I do.” I answer as I feel my eyebrows furrow, did I read our relationship wrong. Her frown twitches slightly before twisting into a cheeky smirk as she bursts into a light chuckle, “I’m kidding Agnes, you’re so stiff sometimes, I’ll tell you.”

“I didn’t know you could make jokes.” I stalely reply before a kid bumps into me eliciting him to bow deeply as he apologises profusely, “I’m sorry lord mage, I’m really sorry.”

Seeing the immense fear on the kids face my brows furrow yet again to the point that my face hurts slightly, I help raise him to his feet, saying, “It’s fine, no damage done.”

“Oh thank you for your forgiveness lord mage!” He says as he bows yet again before running off in a hurry. Leonore scoffs at his escaping figure, “Commoners.”

While focusing on him I inquire, “What was with his reaction?”

Leonore smirks as she explains, “You better get used to it, powerful mages are respected, as we should be.”

“That didn’t seem like respect, that seemed more like fear.” I remark thoughtfully but Leonore shrugs in response, clearly not deigning to answer such an ‘irrelevant’ question. We pass by the squawking people before finally arriving at a lively inn.

“Welcome to the best inn of Cranny town lord mages.” The innkeeper shouts jovially at us as we near the counter.

One of the customers on a barstool yells out gleefully, “There are only two inns in Cranny town Henri and the other one is full of criminals!”

The whole room bursts into boisterous laughter as the owner silently scowls at him before looking back at us with a pleasant smile, asking, “Would you two lord mages like, a drink, food, or a room perhaps?”

Leonore haughtily walks up to the counter, placing down a silver coin, “A room and food would be most ideal.”

We take a seat at one of the free tables, and not a moment later a massive bulk of a man in full steel armour walks over to us with a few members walking just a step behind him, he sits himself in a free seat, beginning a whole obtrusive explanation, “Nice to meet you mages, I am C-rank adventurer Paul. My party is the only rank-C adventurer party in this town, we’re intending to take on that dungeon that the recent expedition failed to explore. We were leaving in a few days, but coming upon two powerful mages such as yourselves, we decided to invite you two along.”

Leonore just leans back in her seat, arms crossed and smile smug, so I answer honestly, “We’re only rank 1 mages, I doubt we would be of much help.”

The man smiles in amusement, “There’s no need to lie, you two are rank 2 at least, I wouldn’t be wrong about that.”

I shake my head adamantly, “Well you’re wrong this time, also I suggest you don’t venture into the dungeon, the expedition failed for a reason.”

He nods in agreement, “Indeed they did, because they only had one rank 3 mage, our party are only rank 3’s.”

My eyebrows perk up in slight surprise as I look over their party. This party is likely grouped with some of the best adventurers in the duchy and indeed it shows. They don’t just look battled hardened; they exude a palpable pressure that screams strength. But I deny yet again, “I’m sorry adventurer Paul, we truly are too weak,”

“Very well then, it’s unfortunate, can I at least get both your names” He says in acceptance.

“Uh sure, that there is mage Leonore and I am Agnes.” I say before confirming, “Also you are aware that the dungeon is infested by mind demons?”

“Hah, of course; we’ve already taken countermeasures.” He says before raising for his seat, “We’ll be off then, until next time mage Agnes.”

He walks out the room along with his party. I glare at Leonore, chastising, “Why were you so rude? It was embarrassing!”

Her smug smile twitches before she mockingly says, “Because they’re idiots, facing mind demons and thinking we’re rank 3 mages.”

“That’s still no reason to be such a little brat.” I say in exasperation.

Her smile finally cracks as it becomes an annoyed frown, she points out, “What the hell are you talking about? We’re the same age!”

I shrug petulantly, stating, “Well sometimes I feel older than you because you can be so immature.”

Leonore is about to shout out, but the innkeeper comes over with our food, looking at us weirdly; two powerful mages acting like children, hah. Leonore’s face visibly reddens as she looks away from the innkeeper. When the innkeeper leaves, she looks up, looking completely normal somehow and casually changes the topic, “So you wanted to learn about my spells. The spell dodge spell is called ‘weak lightning shift’, it allows me to near instantly move about 2 meters.”

She digs her knife into the tough steak, her face visibly darkening as she tries to cut through it. She continues, “The spell which deals a lot of damage is called ‘lesser lightning bolt’, it also slightly stuns enemies but only weaker ones, and they’re likely to die in one shot anyway.”

She finally manages to cut her steak, and eats it, her face growing even more sullen as she aggressively chews the meat. I easily cut into my steak and take a bite, it’s completely fine so I suggest, “Do you want to swap, maybe they overcooked yours.”

Her face lightens up before she represses her expression and makes her face expressionless, replying, “No need.”

Ok, your loss. She continues her explanation, “Finally my last spell is ‘shock’, it freezes enemies for a moment, but I have to physically touch them so it’s very dangerous for mages to use.”

She eats her steak without any obvious issues, but I can tell she is internally screaming after every bite as she winces when the food enters her mouth.

After our meal I rise from my seat, saying, “Right! Even though it’s still late afternoon, I need a proper sleep in a bed.”

So I have an early night as go to our room, close the curtains then lay on my bed. My thought drifting as the loud chatter and banging keeps me up for some time before I finally knock out.