Page 36

T hey walked for hours on a trail that led them southwards.

The sun had long since faded over the peak of a mountain when Demetrius, now known as Locke, stopped.

“We make camp here for the night and then continue tomorrow.

We should arrive at the base of the mountain of Thurndun by mid-day tomorrow. "

“When do you expect us to reach my place?” Lilith asked as she removed and unclipped her pack.

“It will take us a day or so to navigate the mines and then we should arrive the day after. If we’re lucky.” Locke took out a serrated knife. “I’ll go collect some wood.” He walked off into the dark woods.

“Lilith, since you have earth magic, do you think you could form us a den? It would be nice to not be so exposed in the cold,” asked Felicia.

They were in a little clearing surrounded by tall trees.

Lilith knelt down and held her palm to the ground.

It rumbled as she pulsed mana through the soil.

Large roots broke through the ground, weaving between themselves as they formed a large dome structure.

The surrounding tree branches leaned over them, forming a canopy above them.

Silver, Felicia and Lilith stood in the centre of the dome as it finished forming a large circular entryway.

The trees close to them shook, creating a pile of thick branches, which they used to get a fire going, with help from Felicia’s fire magic.

“This should work.” Lilith moved around the dimly lit space. Felicia took out a small yellow glowing orb and set it in the corner. She smiled at the cosy den.

“All we need now is a nice warm drink,” Silver said, unpacking a pot and filling it with his water magic, he added a few leaves.

Locke walked through the entryway moments later carrying a bundle of wood.

“You know, if I had known you could do this, I wouldn’t have bothered with the fire wood.

Impressive.” He joined them as they sat around the campfire.

Silver passed him a cup of tea. The prince took a sip and stated, “We should get as much rest as possible. I’ll cast a protective barrier around us, so we don’t have to take turns on watch.

” They laid near the fire and listened to the faint rustling of trees.

In the morning, Lilith used her magic to return the space to what it had originally looked like.

They wanted to leave no traces for anyone to follow.

Silver used his air magic to disperse leaves around them, hiding any tracks they had formed.

They set out before dawn, eating a quick breakfast, and headed southeast .

“We’ve reached the entry point,” Locke said, facing the rugged mountain side several hours later. Beneath layers of moss and lichen, a large rune was carved into the stone.

“How exactly do you know where this place is?” Lilith questioned him, tracing her hand on the wall.

“A long time ago, I came through here. My father showed me the way.” Locke smiled at a memory.

He looked to the wall and chanted an ancient rune incantation.

From the ground, bright lines slowly worked their way upwards.

They looked like moonlit veins flowing upwards to form a great door.

It reminded Lilith of the entrance to the hidden battle arena the first years used for the tournament.

The door disappeared, leaving a black cavernous archway.

“Be on alert. This place is likely abandoned, but who knows what creatures may have taken over.” Locke took out his longsword and carefully walked in. Light from the outside faintly illuminated the inner walls. Surrounding them were mammoth sized walls with a greenish tint.

“If you have fire magic, use it on your weapons like torches. Do not cast anything further,” Locke warned, while he hovered his hand over his sword causing flames to burst from the metal.

Lilith copied Locke, setting her sword ablaze.

Felicia took out a dagger and lit hers. Silver, unfortunately, did not possess fire magic, so he walked in between the ladies.

Felicia handed him the glowing yellow orb from her bag.

Around them were the remnants of a civilization long since passed.

Broken pieces of furniture covered in cobwebs and a thick layer of dust. Old tables were set up with empty crates and rusted items that had decayed with time.

Lilith imagined this place as a bustling market full of vendors.

The sounds of rustling surrounded them. Everyone drew out their weapons, ready to strike.

A swarm of black-winged creatures sailed through the air, their large eyes glinted as they dove down to attack the group.

Felicia released arrow after arrow, imbued with fire, picking off the leaders of the pack.

Locke pushed the fire from the arrows into the surrounding creatures, lighting a good portion of them ablaze.

The bulk of the horde came within firing distance.

As Felicia focused on picking them off with her arrows, Silver shot out with his ice magic, the small shards whipped through the air and struck their targets.

For a fleeting moment Lilith froze, watching the other three work in perfect harmony.

She rolled her shoulders down and called upon her electricity.

From her hand, she let out a small sphere of pulsating electricity.

It moved gently though the dark and settled at the back end of the swarm.

Lilith flexed her hand, releasing an explosion that rippled through the trailing end of the horde.

The wings of the creatures seized mid flight, as they fell to the ground in a thud.

The remaining creatures swerved into the group, their flared black wings were razor sharp and with every charge, the group was sent buckling back.

Locke used his long sword to cut though them as they came close, his movements were swift and agile, showcasing his skill as a trained warrior.

Lilith felt as if they were in a dance, as they swirled around with their swords and daggers, cutting though the creatures as they attacked from all sides.

The four of them moved as one, working in a perfect balance of defending each other while also intercepting their own attackers.

Soon enough, the last of the winged beasts fell in a heap, littering the ground with their corpses.

The sounds of their heavy breathing filled the silence.

"We did well," state Locke, as he stowed his sword.

"These goblin bats are small but vicious.

Be on alert for more." Lilith looked down and the dying creatures, part of her felt sorry for massacring these creatures.

Locke sensing her pity, raised his hands over the fallen bodies and sent them to a fiery grave, putting those that were still struggling to rest. With the fire, they were able to see more of the intricate space.

The vastly, tall city built within the mountain.

Thousands of people once dwelled within these walls, now their remains had long since decayed to dust. They made their way through the tomb, until they passed through an enormous carved archway and stopped.

They looked out into a dark abyss that looked like it had no end in sight.

Locke sent a fiery orb sailing through the cavern.

It hovered midair, finally flaring light into the cavernous space.

The walls absorbed the light and shimmered a dark emerald green.

There were thin gold lines engraved into the walls that seemed to glow.

In front of them was a large pit with jagged crystals protruding from the wall.

Some of them were green, matching the walls, but there were sparkling hues of reds, blues, and purple.

Locke's light bounced off of the crystals filling the dark space with a rainbow of colours.

Lilith had never seen such mesmerizing beauty.

It was as if the crystals came to life, singing a high pitched buzz that made her chest feel light.

They pulled her in, a magnetic force beckoning for her to come closer.

She looked to the others and saw awestruck wonder dancing along their eyes, could they hear this hum?

"Do you hear that?" Lilith questioned, she had to know if they were being pulled in by the crystals .

The others all stopped breathing, listening to dark. "Hear what?" Locke questioned.

"Never-mind. It's nothing. I thought I heard something moving." Lilith was quick to dismiss Locke's concern. She focused once more on the crystals. Only she could feel the dulled life force coming from them.

“If there are so many crystals remaining, why is this place abandoned?” Lilith asked Locke. He had been here before, so maybe he knew the history.

He looked around, not paying attention to the shining crystals and said, “We need to keep moving.” He followed a set of stairs down into the pit.

“Over a thousand years ago, the dwarves claimed this place as theirs, forging their kingdom within these walls. For a time, they encountered outsiders trying to overthrow them, seeking the abundance of magical gems that lay in here. There was a king from a small kingdom that formed an alliance with the dwarves, both prospering from trade. The dwarves needed resources: protection and food, things they couldn’t find here, in exchange for the magical stones they found.

It was said this alliance lasted a while. ” The fiery orb was fading above them.