— Hikari —-
[Mana : 951 -> 961]
[Mind : 838 -> 911]
[wyvern heart potency: 120 -> 130]
[wyvern scale potency: 0 -> 75]
[rune word: 1 -> 2]
—- Wyvern scale + king salamander armour —--
[defense + 753]
[mana + 434]
[physique + 177]
[wyvern skin potency + 107]
[Heart of wyvern potency + 67]
[weight : 800kg]
—- Giant caterpillar boots —-
[defense + 50]
[mana - 50]
[heartstone potency -50]
[weight : 280 kg]
[Allows sticking to steep stone surfaces]
The freezing wind gushed through Hikari's silver hair.
She stood at the apex of the wyvern peaks.
The sun appeared over the horizon, illuminating the surrounding towers of the wyvern peaks.
Flocks of wyverns filled the sky, diving in and out of the slits on the sides of the towers.
Hikari sank her sword tip into the snow. Three freshly etched columns of runes glimmered as the sunlight glazed the exposed blade.
She channeled her mana. A column of runes glowed white, another column glowed purple, a third column glowed golden.
The edge of the blade glowed with searing heat, melting the snow around the blade tip.
She powered down the blade and pushed it into a pouch woven from the caterpillar skin that was hoisted on her back using strings woven from its tough sinews.
Her wyvern skin armour. A layer of smooth grey scales seemingly held together a strange resonating mana.
The skirts of scales draped down from her chest, her shoulders and her pelvis. A double layer wrapped around her lower arms like a pair of gauntlets. Her knuckles had jagged scales for a piercing punch.
As Hikari breathed, the scales on her chest hummed, reverberating through to the rest of the armour.
She lifted her boot, shook the snow off the top, revealing the rough dark green skin of the giant caterpillar.
The boot sank back into the snow. Hikari attempted to shuffle the boot. The tiny caterpillar hooks that enabled the creature to carry its weight up vertical stone walls fixed the boot in place.
She had to lift her boot off the ground to step forward until she stood right on the ledge of the top of the tower.
She looked down in the distance, a massive hole larger than the previous two combined. The air above it was conspicuously clear of wyverns.
"There it is." Hikari took a deep breath. The moisture condensed into a cone of fog.
Ella swooped down and landed beside her.
Her wings folded, revealing her set of blood red crystals embedded in adornments forged from an obsidian metal.
"(I'm ready, Hikari)"
Hikari nods.
"Do I just jump?"
"(Yes, grab onto my claw on the way down.)"
Hikari turns her head back towards the hole.
Bending her knees, her mana surging through her veins, she leapt off the tower into the air.
Her silver hair fluttered violently as she descended.
She spread out her arms and used her gliding technique, telekinetically compressing the air below her, creating the lift that allowed her to cover great distances that armies would take days to cover.
Her living armour responded, echoing her mana form and amplifying the spell.
"( Up here!" )
Ella closed in on her. Hikari flipped over in a vertical pose, stretching one arm upwards. Ella dove to make up for Hikari's sudden acceleration.
In an instant, Ella flipped over allowing Hikari to grab her leg.
Her wings stretched to the maximum. Her scales rang, compressing air below them. Hikari followed her lead, channeling her mana to amplify her spell.
Her hair briefly slammed onto her shoulders from the sudden burst of lift.
Then, they stabilized into a gentle glide.
Hikari felt an eerie presence not unlike what she felt at Carla as they approached.
They reached just over the mouth of the hole. Hikari let go. Ella was momentarily pushed upwards by the excess lift.
With a thud, the soles of Hikari's boots touched the ground. Shortly after, Ella landed beside her.
They walked forward and stared down the abyss.
"Here we are."
"(I'll scout ahead.)" Ella spread her wings and dove down into the darkness.
With little hesitation, Hikari began her slow descent, shaping stone platforms and leaving traces of the RazenHeir flame.
Her caterpillar boots could support her weight on steep stone surfaces with no sign of sliding.
Despite the thick boots hampering the mana flow on her feet, her stone felt even sharper than before.
She mapped out the stone formation below.
It was different from the earlier veins.
"Solid ground? No, it's not flat ground. There's no vegetation like the other veins"
She landed on a slope. It was dim. She looked up and saw the bright opening illuminated by the sun.
She stopped to scan the caverns. It was nothing like a straight hole down. She could sense a massive maze of caverns branching out in all directions.
Badum! Badum! She could hear the heartbeat of an ominous presence below.
Ella flew up to her. Her golden reptilian eyes glowing faintly.
"(This way, Hikari. I found the entrance.)"
"Lead the way."
The duo marched deeper into the caverns. It quickly became pitch black.
"Can you see?"
"(Yes. As clear as day. Ella thinks Hikari can do it too?)"
The path started slopping down walks.
"Yes, but how?" Hikari's whisper echoed through the cavern.
"(Oh, it's because of our-)"
"Stop. You'll make me dizzy."
"(Oh right.)"
The dripping sound of underground water was hard. Some of the stone beneath Hikari was smooth with moisture.
She slowed her pace, making sure her boot had a grip on the ground before taking another step.
"(Hikari, Ella thinks you should speak telepathically. Our foes can hear us.)"
Hikari stopped. She closed her eyes and focused her mind.
When she opened her eyes, Ella was standing in front of her. Her tail wagging.
Hikari tilts her head. Ella mirrored her, smiling blissfully.
Hikari straightened her head. Ella copied.
"So?"
Ella tilts her head.
"(Ella didn't hear anything?)"
Hikari shrugged and continued down the path. Ella slithers in front of her.
"Ella."
"(Yes, Hikari?)"
"Since I can't speak."
Hikari paused as she stepped on uneven ground.
"You'll keep watch from the rear."
Ella turned and looked at her.
"(Ella will watch over Hikari?)"
"Yes, I'll tank."
Ella's tail began thrashing around.
"(Ella understands Hikari, Ella will try her best.)"
They continued marching.
Another drop. Hikari created a spiral of platforms down into the pit.
The squishy sound of her caterpillar boots hitting the ground.
Before her a massive ivory gate. It was covered in thick grey vines. No. It was literally made of vines.
The pit was dimly lit by eerie pink flowers growing all along the stone surface. The biggest flowers on the ivory gate itself.
Ella was on all fours before the gate in a prowling position. Her wings slowly rose from her back.
Hikari walked up to her. But she stayed silent, studying the gate intently.
After a long pause, she turned around to face Hikari.
"(Are you ready? Our foe lie beyond this gate.)"
Hikari looks at her pensively.
Then, she sat down and untied her wyvern skin back pack. There were two pieces of meat and several golden flowers.
"Eat."
Ella crawled up to her and sat down in front of her.
They quietly shared the light meal, perhaps their last before delving into the depths.
They had been trekking for more than an hour and the meal replenished their energy.
"I sense it. Our foe." Hikari opened her steel canteen and drank a third.
"(Hikari knows of the foe?)"
"I faced it before"
"(Yes, Ella saw. Big plant monster appear out of ballon city.)"
"I slayed it."
"(Ella impressed. Ella knows Hikari strong. Hikari will slay big plant monster hiding below.)"
Hikari stood up and walked towards the ivory gate.
Ella followed behind.
"How do we open this?"
Ella studied the gate. She slithered up right in front of it, scratching it with her claw to test its hardness before crawling back to Hikari.
"(Ella thinks burn it down)"
"Good call."
Hikari shrugs, drew her sword and approached the gate.
"(No, Ella thinks we use the stone.)" Hikari stopped.
Ella crawled behind her and clawed away at a caterpillar skin satchel tied on Hikari's back.
"Oh?"
Ella cut the sinew and unwrapped the skin. The heart of the fire elemental glowed in response to her touch.
She walked towards the gate. Her wings spread out. The stone glowed even brighter, suspending itself in midair.
Hikari watched as she began her ritual.
"(Gaurd me Hikari)" Ella began channeling her mana.
"Will do."