Chapter 32

What should they do? They needed to search for a way out, but it was hard to see here in such a vast chamber blanketed with darkness, beyond the effects of their charms and spells. Well except for Amy, even her charms seemed like spells. Still, they did not know what else slumbered away idly in the depths. They did not want to give any reason for something to wake up. They could not wander the halls aimlessly instead Veve and Shatira had split up with Osgur, Lorenn, Minerva, and Glyn. Amy and Sean were left to be an anchor in the pitch black outside the boundaries of the light, while Shatira led Glyn, and Minerva in one direction, Veve guided Lorenn, Osgur, and Satriana in another. Both groups travelled in opposite directions away from Sean and Amy.

Amy was meditating. No, her arms were not held up and her legs crossed in some tantric position. Her back was nestled against a pillar. ‘Magic is unity’, Amy repeated the line in her head she heard from Sean. She let the mana in her blood run its course through her body, freeing it from the reservoir she kept. One simple phrase and Amy began to comprehend the Ancient Language at a much deeper level. Magic was unity, she needed to unite her magic together, not just will it or command it. She envisioned it seeping through her veins, capillaries, and arteries, giving her life and vigor. The exercise was intended to deepen the caster’s mana reserve; it also was the foundation for body enhancement magic or alteration. Amy had a seemingly bottomless pit of mana; however, it also taught control, which Amy knew she sorely needed to improve. It was stifling and hard to use magic offensively when eight of her party members were constantly moving and changing their positions. Indeed, unity, with just the one sentence from Sean about magic, Amy could feel the difference in the potency and control of her mana immediately. Before the entirety of her magic was either off or on, now she could release it in stages from her body, like turning a faucet halfway on.

Indeed, unity, but then if magic was unity, then that would make dark magic chaos, Amy thought to herself. Instead of the force binding matter together, it separated matter causing curses, ill effects and degradation. It was the magic used by the monsters of the land: Farungun Llangul or the black horde as it was commonly called. There was a reason why such foul arts were banned outright; as using it corrupted the psyche of the wielder, fragmenting, twisting, skewing it. Amy was enlightened as she felt her mana circulating, and pondered the nature of magic in the world not with her mind, but with her senses. Her being became a vessel through which mana coursed, like passing underneath water in a glass corridor.

The world melted away in her mind, but this meditation session was different. The world she could feel in The Tower of Arbell had become familiar, comfortable, but this place was different. It did not feel like Arbell, then it did, but it changed again. Was this Arbell? Where are they? Amy reckoned it was because she was in the dungeon area. Everything was covered with a dark ominous cloud in her mind’s eye. The many strands of magic she could feel coming from all the residents of Arbell could not be found here. She could feel the light and warmth of her party members as they wandered looking for paths to take, options to choose. Then she felt a glimmer, it was life but it was small and some portions were hidden. She could vaguely sense emotions of joy, followed by fear, and helplessness. There was a void like a black hole. A sea of darkness that wanted to pull her into its murky depths never to surface again. In the distance there was a flash of magic, it was bright, warm, and familiar, but there was something, something indeed. It was a shadow of thought, but what it was Amy could not tell. It was concealed from her prying senses. She could feel an acceptance of her existence, but she could also feel a repulsion, like the powers in this world were conspiring against her. It was a world full of chaos, not unity like she had previously experienced. Finally, a face came to her mind: it was Jeremy’s, her boyfriend.

This form of meditation was different than magic detection spells or charms which was concise and identified; the user became a blank receiver. By removing mental acknowledgement, the entirety could be felt rather than the particulars. Amy constantly released her mana, interacting with the mana naturally flowing like whisps of gentle wind moving through air. She could sense beings, and auras; but it was vague, the location unspecified. But of this she had no thought or recognition as she let it flow through her mind, like a receiver; not commenting or perceiving what is and where, only sensing.

“What is this place?”, Amy could hear Sean, then a hand was felt on her head, “Amy do you sense it”.

Amy opened her eyes returning to her own cognizance, she saw Sean clutching his tablet with wide eyes, “I feel it too, it is like this place is Arbell, but not Arbell at the same time. Is this what a dungeon feels like?”, Amy responded with a question.

“No”, Sean said as he was navigating his way through his tablet, “The Kaito app cannot connect. The Kaito app never disconnects…”.

“We are not in Arbell”, Sean and Amy said in unison as the realization dawned on them.

“Is that why this place was never seen before…”, Sean muttered to himself, as Amy recalled the briefing before their departure.

For an average human denizen on Earth, talk of such things would be considered odd, out of place, and the speaker deemed delusional. But Amy had already experienced teleportation, entering the gateway into Draegoch, magic, and many other things that rendered the logic and context of the current conversation logical instead of illogical.

“We need to call the others back. I think it is better to move as one group. Maybe we can still text each other. Let me try”, Sean said.

Sean: Osgur, Glyn, can you receive my message

Osgur: Yeah, what’s up?

Sean: good at least texts are working here.

Glyn: Have you found something

Sean: Kind of. I think it is better to come back and explore together.

Osgur: Agreed

The party was reformed, as Veve’s and Shatira’s group returned.

“Find anything?”, Sean asked as he exchanged looks with Osgur upon his return.

“Not a single Goddamn thing!”, Shatira exclaimed with frustration as she plopped on the ground and sighed.

Veve shook her head in response.

“I don’t think we are in Arbell anymore”, Amy said straight away.

“I too felt that I have”, Minerva interjected.

“Then the feeling from before we entered…”, Lorenn commented before the party fell silent.

“Magic Detection”, Amy said firmly but with a subdued voice as her app which had now reached level five due to her meditation and subsequent epiphany had a larger range.

Amy could feel herself entangled with her companions, and her magic explored every nook and cranny of this vast hall. Her eyes were closed so she could not see the shocked expression of her friends around her, who could feel the full depth of her current presence. In a location south of their current position she could discern it, there was a gap of her detection abilities that could now fill a small town like water fills a bowl. What ever enchantment that had made it invisible, undetectable had made it stand out from the surroundings.

Amy opened her eyes, “That way!”, she said with confidence as she pointed with her free hand, the other clutching her wand.

They soon came upon a pillar that had obstructed their path, which they had learned was unusual in this unknown place of perfect engineering and craft.

Amy looked at Glyn studying the pillar, which was different than all the others, “This is certainly reminiscent of Draegun, there are many elements that are familiar. But, It does not match up with the styles and architectures of our recorded history, as if it were older, much older”.

There were few decorations on the pillar stretching up to unknown heights to Amy's eyes, except a cloud like motif that had been carved into the stone of this far-reaching cavern. Instead of a sleight tan hue, it was slightly green, but mostly grey. However, there was nothing of note otherwise.

“It must be here”, Glyn spoke with confidence.

It was a confidence that Amy knew Glyn was qualified to possess; for like their teacher Radim, Glyn too had a wide grasping knowledge, and driving curiosity of the older things of Draegoch.

Amy watched as Glyn squatted and hunched over. She spread parchment on the floor, and pulled out her quill. A relic from when scrolls were used and written instead of apps activated. Glyn began writing furiously, involuntarily, as inked indecipherable text was written on the paper. Amy knew this process well, being so close to Glyn, she was recording the machinations of the enchantment written. Glyn paused, then she began writing a new text in the ancient language. As she wrote, Amy looked up and could see a double wooden door appearing from the wall. Dust whispered softly as it fell on the floor; from stone it turned into timber gradually.

“Almost finished”, Glyn said with a tense focused expression.

Amy could see beads of sweat coursing its way down Glyn’s beautiful fair face dripping from her chin onto her exposed collarbone, and down further it soaked into the collar of her shirt.

“Finished!”, Glyn sighed with satisfaction.

“Finally! A door”, Satriana uttered with relief.

“Shall we?”, Lorenn said with enthusiasm and excitement.

They entered, and their ability to speak exited. Once again, their awe tightly closed their lips.

Amy walked forward, over red carpet that covered the stone floor. There was a ledge. Amy walked forward and saw. It was the shape of a missile silo on Earth. Or at least from the pictures Amy had seen in school. Except the scale was much larger. Down, down, down, it went. Amy stepped back her head dizzy looking from such a great height onto the bare rock ground below. As she staggered, then regained her posture she looked around her. The walls were lined with books, and book shelves. ‘An ancient library’, Amy thought to herself. It was a jackpot of a revelation. Amy salivated at the thought of this hoard of ancient knowledge. She approached the continuously stretching bookshelf. Pulling out a random book she gazed at it in her hands. The rest of her surroundings completely ignored. Focusing solely on the book she could tell it had not been touched for a very long time. Amy handled it carefully, as she slowly turned each precious page.

A sound emanated from the depths, at first it seemed like she was hearing things, then it grew as it traveled up the chamber nearing her location, the distortion caused by the echo fell away and it became clear. It was a clamor; the sound of metal striking metal. And amidst that clamor, a voice Amy had longed to hear for months was audible. It was the voice of Jeremy.

“Jeremyyyyyy!!!!!!!”, she screamed as she lost all inhibitions and sprinted, launching forward involuntarily as if her body was possessed solely by her emotions. Her heart seemed to push her legs forward faster, swifter. A stairway, she quickly entered the stair case built into the floor. Everything became a blur as she rushed down towards the source. She did not even hear the shouts of her friends as she sped away, hopeful, anxious, elated, agitated, and excited.