《Firebrand》41. It was Pity Killed the Beast
Advertisement
It was Pity Killed the Beast
Since they had arrived one day early, the small band had to spend a day waiting for the convergence. Master Fenrick kept them busy with various exercises as demanded by their teachers back at the Lyceum. In between, they gathered firewood and filled their waterskins, and they explored the ruins further. The latter did not yield any results such; anything of value had long since been removed. Only the subterranean chambers remained.
"What do you think is behind?" The question came from Maximilian. He stood in the moon chamber with Martel and Eleanor, all three of them staring at the stone door.
"Probably just the wine cellar." Eleanor giggled at her own jest.
"There could be all sorts of magical artefacts," Maximilian speculated.
"If so, don't you think all that would have been looted long ago?" Martel asked.
"Maybe they saved a little enchanted sword for me," the mageknight suggested, wiggling his eyebrows.
"I would admire your optimism except for how delusional it is," Eleanor retorted.
"Imagine if any books remained," Martel considered with a dreaming voice. "Think of all the knowledge we might gain."
"I am pretty sure the rats would long since have devoured any paper or parchment," Maximilian told him.
"What rats? Haven't you noticed, there aren't any animals around," Martel pointed out.
"I would not be too sure about that. I heard something scuffle around yesterday when Master Fenrick first showed us the room."
"You think you could hear rats scurrying about from the other side of that?" Eleanor threw her head towards the heavy stone door. Her voice carried a heavy tone of scepticism.
"I will have you know, my hearing is exquisite," Maximilian defended himself.
"Well, so is my sense of smell, and I can smell that lunch is ready." Martel, never one to miss a meal, left the moon chamber as the first; the other two followed after.
~
For the rest of the day, the students found it difficult to focus on their exercises; as night-time approached, their anticipation slowly rose. Still, they had to wait until the sun had set and the sky darkened. Only then did Master Fenrick gather them to take them all into the star chamber.
"Spread out," he commanded them. "Surround the stone and keep your eyes on it."
Advertisement
As they watched, the stars rose in the night sky until the three brightest stood arraigned directly above the gap in the ceiling. Faint light reached the top of the obelisk, gently illuminating the top, while the rest remained the same, dark colour.
"Now watch this." Fenrick stepped close to the stone and placed his hand upon its surface. Slowly, light travelled from the top of the obelisk down hitherto unseen veins until it reached the tip of his fingers. Once the connection had been made, the light began to spread through the rest of the obsidian stone until it glowed with white light. "I was born under the star of Glund." He pulled back, removing his hand, and the stone lost its lustre. "Marche. Try."
Hesitating slightly, the mageknight removed his glove, took a step forward, and placed his hand against the obelisk. Again, the light travelled down from the top to reach his fingers and turn into a soft, blue glow.
"The star of Perel. Unexpected, but it happens. Now another."
One after the other, they all stepped forward to touch and have their star revealed. When it came time for Eleanor, the obelisk became alighted with red.
"Malac. Not a surprise for those with martial inclination." The same happened for most of the mageknights, except for Cheval, who also had blue.
Martel waited as the last, letting the acolytes have their turn first. Once he finally placed his hand against the obelisk, a moment passed where the stone remained the same dull hue, and he feared to be revealed as a fraud without magical skill. Then, the light spread down the veins and finally began to fill the room with white luminescence.
"A fellow child of Glund. I did wonder if there would be any. We do seem fewer in number, at least in groups of mages more inclined to the martial arts." Fenrick observed Martel as he stepped away, and the stone returned to its dormant form. "Now, as we are fortunate enough to have a full moon, allow me to demonstrate the brilliance possessed by the wizards of Archen."
~
The group ventured into the moon chamber. The light of that celestial object entered the room from a gap above, as in the previous space, but with a key difference. Rather than a singular beam of light, it became scattered into three separate rays, each of them striking one of the sigils on the ground.
Advertisement
Master Fenrick arranged for Maximilian to step onto the symbol that represented the rogue. "The jester for you." He gestured for a girl, Elaine, to take the position of the warrior. "Martel, if you would please." He gestured towards the third sigil, showing the sage. The novice quickly stepped over to take his place.
Entering the moonlight on his designated spot as the third and last, the very thing happened as promised by their teacher. With a grinding sound, the stone door slid to the side, disappearing into the wall.
"You may step away. The door only closes once you activate the mechanism again," Master Fenrick explained. He summoned a flame and let it drift towards the now open doorway. The light illuminated many more symbols on the inside of the frame, continuing down the revealed corridor. "If you are wondering, the inscriptions serve as a barrier to prevent passage. Though not for humans." Stepping forward, Fenrick extended his hand to reach past the doorway. "The barrier is not to keep us out, but to keep something in."
"What?" breathed Eleanor.
"We do not know. Nobody has ever passed this threshold and returned." Master Fenrick turned around to look at his students. "Let me stress that. Death has claimed every single mage who ever dared to go beyond this door. I trust none of you are so foolish to even contemplate the idea. Maximilian, Elaine, and Martel. If you would please return to the sigils."
The three students did as instructed, and the stone door closed again.
~
Back at camp, a fire burned to provide warmth in the cool spring evening. The students sat around, catching some heat before it was time to sleep. "I promised Mistress Rana I would gather some rare herbs for her potions while the moon is strong. I assume that I can leave you alone for a bell," Master Fenrick considered. "Should there be any doubt, let me be clear. You are all forbidden from leaving the camp while I'm away. Do not enter the ruins."
The youths murmured their assent. Fetching a bronze sickle, their teacher disappeared into the dark night.
The students glanced at each other. "So, what do you think is down there?" Maximilian asked.
"Maybe a dragon, sleeping on a hoard of gold and jewels." Alain, the third boy among the mageknights besides Cheval, sat with a dreaming expression. As the son of a minor noble, his family could barely afford to pay for tuition at the Lyceum, yet they were too proud to have the Empire pay for his education.
"There could be a whole library," Martel reiterated, still imagining the same thing as this morning.
"I doubt it is books that kill everyone who enters, except from boredom," Maximilian snorted.
"I am not afraid to enter," Cheval declared with an arrogant voice. "Master Fenrick just told us that to frighten us like little children. I bet there is absolutely nothing left beyond that door."
"Easy boast to make when we can't leave the camp," Martel pointed out.
"I will show you," the mageknight declared. "We can go there now. Open the door and I will go through."
"We are not allowed to leave camp," Martel mumbled.
"Now who is afraid?" Cheval asked with contempt.
"Master Fenrick made it very clear we should not cross that threshold." Elaine crossed her arms.
"We do not have to cross it, but are you not tempted to get a better look? The symbols on the door keep us safe while we are inside the chamber. We just need some better light to look down the corridor," argued Maximilian. "Martel is good at creating light. He can send a flame down to illuminate the place while we all watch from a safe distance."
"We shouldn't leave camp," Martel reiterated.
"Master Fenrick will not know. He is gone for a whole bell. It will take us ten minutes to the door and ten minutes back," Maximilian claimed. "Come on, Martel, we need you to open the door."
"You are wasting your time. Who ever heard of a scarecrow with courage?" Cheval smiled.
"Nothing wrong with being sensible," Eleanor chimed in.
Martel looked at the other students. Some regarded him with condescension, some with expectation, and one with pity. The last hit him the most, coming from someone he wanted to impress.
"Let's go."
Advertisement
Unleash the beast
Tyler was just about to graduate highschool when he was sucked into an eternal darkness while training in his family's dojo. When he woke up he realised something. One: he wasn't a human anymore. Two: his second life inside the new virtual reality game, ragnarock online as an npc monster had just begun...Will he survive the monstrosities that lurk the night? Or will he scumbug to the deadly players? The only way to survive... Evolve
8 220Decimating Gods and Demons
From Zero to One, One turning to Two, Two x Two equals Four, Four becomes Eight,Eight multiplied itself,Sixty-four symbols appear,Representing all... A boy who suddenly transcended to another world. A world that he dreamt day and night. It's a fantasy world where cultivators and cultivation exist! He easily adapted the new world as if he didn't care why he got there and only thinks to become a cultivator! In the midst of his immersion in his new life. He then suddenly wakes up and returned to the real world... He thought, "Was those experience that I felt so real were just a dream that I have created?" Warning: Contains Spoiler CULTIVATION SYSTEM Dantian has three parts. Lower Middle Upper. Upper - where the fog appears. Middle - will be revealed as the story progressed. Lower - the earth will appear. Mortal Realm - Measured the fog how dense it was. Earthen Realm - has nine earthen layers. - larger storage of elemental energy. - will be replenished by raining down the elemental energy from the formed fog at the upper level. Horizon Realm - Way of Recuperating Elemental Energy on Earthen Realm - has two ways. ¤ Gathers the elemental energy of Heaven and Earth ¤ Using the gathered fog at the upper level to replenish the earthen layered at the bottom level. I created this because of Daoist Trekshcool's concern. Thanks, fellow Daoist! Credits To All Daoists: Daoist Jaydcar - the first commenter. Daoist Trekshcool - the first Daoist who wrote and rated my story. Daoist Roknar - the 2nd commenter and the first who said, "ok this is one of the stupidest chapters you have written". Thanks to him I didn't write stupid chapters again. Hahaha. Daoist Roktah - gives me the insight in dao of a proofreader. Daoist IllusoryDemon - the first person who asked if he will be upgraded from the 'Daoist Invisibles'. Daoist Invisibles - to you all who read and even rated anonymously. Reminders: Their names are clickable except the Invisibles. BOOK ONE: Vivid Dreams
8 129Beloved Protection from a nine tailed fox
Kieren is a young man who is the heir of his family's powerful corporation. He grew up learning from his beloved grandmother who not only taught him the skills needed to run his family corporation but also how to love, responsibility and most importantly how to stay alive as a half kitsune in the land of demons which is accessible through the dreams of powerful aristocratic bloodlines. This is my first time writing a story and constructive criticism is welcome. Please feel free to comment on anything you might find wrong with the story. Also I have a full outline of the story made so I will most likely not end up dropping this story in the middle like some authors have done. Enjoy!
8 136The Exile
Kayden Yamada was once a great student at Royal Cross, a base of exorcists who specialize in combating the evil across the world. He was made for great things until a change in paths marked him a traitor and the Royal Cross was forced to banish him. Now, a giant evil is making its way around the world and their only hope is another gifted student by the name of Amy Downs and her medic partner, Kearney Nielsen who are tasked with locating the exile. Things await them in the outside world and with two threats on the table. The duo have a lot on their plate.
8 211The Secrets Of Finnley
"Everyone has three lives; A public life, a private life and a secret life" As a straight A student, Finnley never got himself into trouble. He goes to school, runs track, hangs out with his two best friends Cristian and Emma and studies; a lot. That is until Cristian decides it's time for Finnley to go out and party for once. They end up in a club and while Cristian is focused on the girl of his dreams, Finnley disappears into the crowd. By the time the night ends, Cristian has been arrested for getting into a fight and caught for underage drinking. The next morning, after getting out, he finds out Finnley never came home. As Cristian starts his search for Finnley, he finds out Finnley kept a lot hidden from him and he starts wondering; did he know Finnley as well as he thought he did? And exactly how important was Finnley to him? WARNING: This story involves LGBT content. If you're not okay with this, please leave!
8 84Can love burn out? (Kai x reader){Completed}
8 year old y/n bare knew her family, her mother Misako, her father Garmadon, nor her little brother Lloyd. After leaving school, she trained with her uncle, Sensei Wu, with the dangerous path ahead of you, can your love, really burn out with Kai?Started 1/22/17Finished 5/16/18Final chapter coming out soon
8 110