Chapter 2: Crouching Blacksmith, Hidden dungeon.
The inside of the forge dimly lit, few beams of light passed through the cracks in the window blinds. The tense air filled with the smell of fire and steel. Both of the girls stood before the man cloaked in darkness. Tabitha trembled with a newfound fear of mortality, while Emily's body trembled with anticipation. She stared deep into his blue-green eyes trying to seem confident, he was a foot taller than her.
How did he get behind us? I couldn't sense his movement, his presence. Despite all of Emily's training telling her to on guard, her own intuition told her that it was going to be fine. That he wasn't going to hurt them. Emily's ears pricked as she heard the same female ethereal voice again, it sounded like it was from behind her. Turning there was no one there, nothing but the forge and the glimmering silver sword on the wall.
"Goddess Teppun, your scaring them…" The voice chided the man.
The form eased his tension and chuckled softly.
"Heh, you are the ones who were tracking me, and here I am." His soft low tones voice admitted somewhat warmly.
The man reached over and flicked a thin rope as all of the front room windows blinds slowly raised up. The room filled with the evening light, the last few bits of sunlight illuminated the forge and front room with a warm glow. Passing them both the man sat back in the sitting room and resumed his meal.
"Who else is here? There was another voice." Emily asked looking around.
"I wouldn't go tell anyone that your hearing voices, people might think your crazy.' The man said between chewing his sweet potato.
Tabitha turned to Emily, a look of concern on her face.
"I didn't hear a voice, maybe it was one of the people outside." She informed Emily.
Emily was sure she heard a voice in this room, but she pushed that throught out of her head. Finally she could see him up close. He had messy dark brown hair with lightly tanned skin, he was muscular and lean of his age which couldn't have been older than his mid twenties. Long blue opaque tattoos lined his arms and upper torso rising up to his neck and just under his eyes. His face was covered with a thin stubble accompanied by his deep blue-green eyes. Looking at his eyes her skin prickled, her body involuntary shed a tear and she didn't know why. She saw him look at her as well, and the same look for a brief moment. He turned his face away not before she saw him shed a tear as well.
"Damn, these potatoes are hot." He exclaimed to himself.
After taking a moment to swallow the potato chunk he sighed.
"What does some imperial trainees want with a non guild forge? Your not here to report me are you?" He asked nonchalantly leaning back into his seat, he offered the couch across from him to the girls to sit down with a gesture.
The girls looked at each other before sitting down. Emily was about to speak when Tabitha interjected.
"You're the one who broke the trace, But you're a blacksmith?" Tabitha asked now with her intrigue back.
The man points a fork at Tabitha playfully.
"A blacksmith who quite enjoys not being tracked thank you very much, isn't a man entitled to his privacy?" He chuckled.
Emily stood up and spoke before Tabitha could ask anymore questions.
"I need a shield! No other forge has made me one good enough, I need one that doesn't break so I came here looking for you!" Emily yelled, her tone a bit high pitched.
The man's brows furrowed.
"I think your mishandling your shields miss, besides every shield breaks eventually. There aren't any shields that last forever…" He informed her before getting cut off.
"Your wrong! The Aegis! It doesn't break It's the strongest there ever was." Emily's confidence shattered immediately as she saw his face contort from a smile to a glare.
His warm demeanor disolved immediately, he stood his eyes darkened shadowed under his messy hair. The tension in the room rose again, Emily wasn't sure what she said to anger him but it was evident she touched a nerve. Man held a calm pose but the air around him felt stiff, his tome was level and calm but with a deep icy coldness.
"The Aegis is a myth, I would rather you didn't waste my time with fairy tales. If you want a shield go buy one at the guild market…" The man slumped in his seat and resumed eating not making eye contact.
Emily would have stood there and held her ground but was ushered toward the door by Tabitha.
"T-thank you sir, I think we've wasted too much of your time now…. We should be going." She thanked him in her mousey voice.
"No! Your wrong! The Aegis is real, it has to be! I need it to be! But right now I need a shield that I can use to find it!" Emily screamed at him.
"My work isn't as good as the guild forges, you'd be better of going there." The man retorted coldly.
Emily broke free from Tabitha's grip and ran for the forge. Heading to the silver sword in the wall she grabbed it and pulled it out of its scabbard, it slipped out of its leather sheath. The problem was that it weighed like a ton of anvils. So much that she fell backward from the weight, the blade came falling down after her there was no way to avoid it was going to pierce her. She flinched waiting for the pain, but it never came.
Looking up she saw the blacksmith holding the blade, yet there was no way he could have made the distance between the rooms. Tabitha's eyes widened as she looked between the two rooms.
"How the hell?!" She squeaked.
"How heavy is that blade?" Emily gasped.
She watched him hold the blade effortlessly, with a skilled swing he swung the blade vertically. The immense force shook them and the walls around them rattled. He slipped the blade back into the sheath and hung it on the wall peg. Emily half expected the peg to break but it stayed there. Her ears prickled as the voice of the etherial woman returned, and she sounded angry.
"Heavy?!? This impudent whelp, you should've let me stab her! Im not heavy am I Teppun, am I?" The angry tone shifted into a soft coo.
Emily saw as between her and the sword the figure of a woman could barely be seen, a elegant woman with a long white dress and beautiful white hair. She looked like a priestess. Emily screamed again.
"Who the hell is that?!?!" She pointed at the ghostly figure.
Both the ghost and the blacksmith's expressions changed from of annoyance to surprise.
"You can see her?" He asked.
"You can see me!" The opaque priestess yelled with a fit of giggles.
Emily watched at the two before her looked at eachother. Her eyes widened, the
Words caught in her throat.
"The Holy Sword!" Tabitha answered for her pointing at the silver sword. "That can't be the real one, its supposed to be an artifact kept by the nobility!"
The blacksmith held a hand out to Emily, after a moment she took it and stood face to face with the ghost.
"I didn't get your name, you were?" His tone much more calm and methodical.
"Emily Rosethorn, and who is this?" She said gesturing to the ghost.
"Your friend got it right the first time." Said the ghost bashfully, a light redness flushed her ethereal cheeks. "I am the spirit bound to the blade created by the goddess, and this here is my partner. He takes such good care of me." The ghostly woman reaches around the blacksmiths waist and rubs her face into his neck suggestively.
"Who are you? How can you wield the Holy Sword?" Emily asked frantically.
"Oh, well I chose him. Teppun is my new partner for life! Speaking of wielding me you should see him striking my blade oh how its…" She was about to say something suggestive again when the blacksmith took her head in his hands and ripped her off of him.
"Please don't encourage her, she hasn't had anyone else to talk to for a long time." The blacksmith begged with an exasperated sigh. "You wanted a shield right, I can make you one but I need to acquire the materials, its going to take me a week at least."
"A week? But I need one now. We are bout to go dungeon diving, do you a spare that I can use?" Emily asked.
"Hold up!!" Tabitha interjected loudly slightly angry at being ignored. "Are you saying that you can see and hear the spirit of the Holy Sword, and that sword there is that it??!?!"
Eventually the two girls left, a shiny temporary shield in Emily's hands and a promise to meet again another time. Teppun closed the wooden door to the forge and stepped over to the couch and chewed his now cold sweet potato. He thought to himself silently, his quiet contemplation punctuated by the spirits voice.
"Why didn't tell her, what she's going to become." She asked sitting across from him.
Teppun's eyes looked at her sadly.
"What tell her she's going to be the next priestess, if the nobility learns of her blessing she will be killed." He retorted.
"So what are you going to do about it? Watch her be killed? I know you wouldn't not after…" She spoke but was paused by Teppun raising his hand.
"I don't know… I-I need some time to think." Teppun sighed.
Emily was lying on her bed, the new shield in her hands. It couldn't have been made from steel it was far to light, yet its density was far stronger. She had already struck it several times with her father's heaviest hammer, not one scratch. If this was the spare, what would the finished product look like. Her mind was racing with this new well of information. She made Tabitha promise not to say anything or else she would reveal her personal obsession to their classmates. Yet she felt like Tabitha understood the severity of the information getting out, she wasn't worried about that. She was wondering why his face was so familiar…
She fell into the lull of deep sleep, she could feel that familiar pull of her dreams. One shes had before but with new clarity. She was wearing a white dress, she was sitting in a tavern surrounded by several armed guards. A thin balding noble sat across from her, his tone was one of concern and anxiety.
"My Lady, wouldn't to be better to stay in the keep? We can at least keep you protected there?" He whined looking around as if expecting a sudden attack.
"Sir Pendelton, I have enough faith in my guards to keep me safe. Besides, the Hero is holding a party at the keep and I am sure he will be up all night with his loud yelling and speeches." She sighed. "Just one night in a quiet tavern is all I ask. I need my privacy if I am to converse with the goddess."
Emily felt herself speak but it wasn't her own voice. She watched as her hand dropped out a few silver coins and displayed a key.
"I will be taking one of my guards. The rest of them can wait outside." She declared.
She stood ignoring the noble's whining and walked to the nearby stairs up to the tavern inns rooms, the conversation was over.
"D23, please come with me. The rest please guard the in from the outside." She ordered softly.
The five of the six armored guards stamped their feet obeying the order given without a work. The last one followed her up the stairs and stood back facing her door frame. Emily felt herself turn holding the door open.
"Delta Twenty-three, would you please join me in my room?" She asked politely.
The guard stepped into the room and watched as Emily closed the door behind him. His silence was eerie, he moved like something not human. Emily walked up to him and looked up into the darkness of his helmet's visor.
"Kneel."
The guard followed his order and knelt so that Emily was looking down at him. With soft hands Emily removed his helmet, underneath was a mess of dark brown hair behind a black colorless mask covering his entire face. The human kingdom didn't want anyone associating them as humans so they forced them to cover their faces, she removed it and looked into his hollow blue-green eyes. Emily gasped, it was the blacksmith. She felt herself cup his face in her hands and said a prayer.
"My Goddess, give me the power to release this man from his bound soul. He and his kind deserve our humanity, they deserve to know what they are fighting for."
Brilliant golden light shone around them both, the golden light flowed on his tattoos and filled his eyes. In her hands he drew in air hard, uttering a painful moan his body spasmed violently. After few minutes the shuddering stopped and she looked into his eyes, his eyes missing the hollow stare looking around with fear.
"W-where am…. Am I?" He croaked from a voice that hadn't been used in years.
Emily felt herself hug the scared man, tightly whispering in his ear warmly.
"Its going to be alright, You are safe." She assured him tears rolling down her cheeks. "Thank you my Goddess, thank you for granting my selfish wish…"
The scene fell away as the walls melted away leaving them both, and then eventually disappeared themselves. Emily woke up in her bed, daylight strolling into her room from the windows. She rubbed her face, looking at her hands she saw the wet tears between her fingers. The memory starting to fade away, why was she crying?
The next day, Emily and Tabitha ran back through the alleys. The afternoon sun falling once again but she needed to see him again. She wasn't sure why, she blamed it on wanting to see her shield's development. When they found the forge they stopped short of the door. Emily's heart sank. On the wooden door of the forge hung a sign.
"Not in, Out harvesting materials."
Both of them looked defeated, but went back to their homes. Emily was surprised to see her fathers carriage in front of the mansion. Opening the front doors she saw her father speaking with Instructor Gwen. They both laughed together as she approached.
"Father, your home what brings you? She turns to bow respectfully to her instructor."
"Emily it was brought to my attention that you will be going into your first dungeon tomorrow. This concerns me, not that I don't believe in your ability but I have taken time to make sure to be present for this adventure." He informed her.
Emily was surprised, but an opportunity to show off to her father was exciting to her. She could also use this as a way to speak with him. A thought flickered in her mind.
"Please excuse me for a moment father." She bowed before running to her room and retrieving the new shield.
Its bare metal shone light blue in the lamplight. Eagerly she ran back to her father and her Instructor who had resumed their conversation.
"Don't curse me with the thought of marriage she's already growing up so quickly…" Her father sighed
The conversation died again as she presented the new shield to her father. Se watched as they both stood instantly at the sight.
"What, where did you get that?" Her father asked wide eyed.
"What the hell, your kidding me?" Instructor Gwen exclaimed.
Emily pulled back reproachfully not expecting this reaction, from either of them.
"I found a new forge, he lent me a shield while works on a better one for me. Why what's wrong with it?" She answered a little sheepishly.
"Erm, Emily that shield is made of a uncommon material called mithril. Its incredibly rare even borderline magical. Who gave that too you?" Her father asked walking t her and softly taking the shield to inspect it.
"Its just a smith I found, why does it matter who it was?" Emily answered indignantly.
Instructor Gwen spoke up this time, she sat down laughing loudly.
"Ms. Rosethorn in our country alone there are less smiths who can work with let alone acquire mithril than I can count on my hand. One of them works as the kings personal smith. Whomever you've found isn't known to even the king himself." She informed her.
Her father found the makers mark, his fingers caressing the depiction of the Holy Sword.
"I have seen this mark before, an unknown smith that does work for the poorer people of the town. He gives toys to children for free and fixes tools for the farmers." Her father thought out loud.
He handed the shield back, his wrinkles forming into a small smile.
"You know your holding an artifact worth more than this mansion. I want to meet this smith one day, what did he ask of you for making you a "better" shield?" He asked her.
Emily's face flushed astonished looking at the equipment in her hands in a new light.
"100 gold, that's what he asked for." She muttered.
A massive roar of laughter came from her father, he wiped a tear from his face. "Hes either a complete fool or dearly wants my daughter protected. You will bring me to him when you get your shield won't you?"
"I-I don't know, I'll have to ask him." She replied unsure.
Teppun's eyes scanned the endless cavern walls, with a flicker of his eye lids his irises shown a gold color instead of the usual blue-green. In his vision surface level ore deposits shone in his vision. Self inserted notes drifted above them classifying the minerals. Moving forward he held the lantern up continuing down the tunnel. The silence was punctured by a whiney voice.
"How long are you doing to be down here? This place gives me the creeps? What if the tunnel caves in?" The ghostly woman beside him moaned.
"You didn't have to come, you could've stayed home…" Teppun retorted under his breath.
Teppun felt a weight on the small of his back. Ghostly arms wrapped around his torso as she placed her head on his back. She could here her whine turn into a quiet sadness.
"How could you even say that?" She whimpered. "One thousand years alone, waiting to rust away and die and you found me…"
Teppun stood there, he silently listened to her as his eyes flickered back to their usual blue-green.
"I will never leave you alone, you are all I have now. We served our purpose… Discarded… Forgotten…" She sniffed quietly.
"How about after all this we take a vacation, somewhere nice like the beach. Relax for a few days, eat some nice food?" Teppun offered warmly.
The ghostly figure walked around to his front, her red teary face breaking into a small smile.
"You promise?" She asked sweetly holding out her extended pinkie finger.
"Yes, I promise." Teppun reached out and took her pinkie finger in his.
The sun beat down hard on the knight training class, today was the day. At the base of a mountain at the edge of the forest. The group made it to the clearing just before the stone tunnel of the dungeon. The entire class had been clamoring about Emily's new shield and the fact her father had joined them on the trip, Many of them looking more relived. They all made camp in front of the dungeon.
The first night would be a preparation camp outside the dungeon. Groups would be made and the supervision of each of those groups would fall between Instructor Gwen and Emily's father the knight commander. Of course her father took the role over the group supervision. After all the camps were settled students took this opportunity to talk about their roles and game plans. It was late evening when Emily found both her father and Tabitha speaking together. Flustered she stomped up to them both.
"You told him?" Tabitha accused.
"Well he is my father, what am I supposed to do. Lie?" Emily shot back.
Her father laughed, sipping something warm from a metal cup.
"I asked Tabitha if she knew of this blacksmith my daughter was so head over heels with. Turns out my daughter omitted he was a handsome man. Maybe I should be more worried now." He laughed.
Emily watched as both her best friend and her father gave each other a knowing glance, as if they had been plotting something evil. Emily stomped her foot defiantly kicking up dust.
"I-I don't think about him like t-that! H-hes just making me a shield that's all!" Emily stammered not helping her case at all.
Emily grabbed Thabitha and pulled her aside out of her father's earshot. Turning to her Emily sputtered her face flushed redder than ever.
"You didn't tell him about the sword did you?" She asked looking worried.
Tabitha scoffed, which was hard to do with a mousey voice. "Of course not, I don't even know what's going on with that." Her eyes slimmed down thoughtfully. "A true investigator gets all the facts before releasing anything, I have so many questions if that is the real Holy Sword Spirit of course."
Emily sighed with relief. She walked back to her father to find him talking with her instructor. Emily could see Instructor Gwen's flushed face and half empty bottle in her hand, she was drinking again. As Emily and Tabitha approached Gwen greeted them.
Emily! I am so happy for you-hic. Finding a man at such a young age-hic, and here I was worried you might marry a shield!" She howled with laughter along with her own father.
Emily stormed back to her tent, she was done with this nonsense…
The two groups converged at the dungon entrance the following morning, everyone looking well rested. Just at the entrance they all stood waiting for Instructor Gwen to brief them all. Emily stood among the crowd, a bag on her back with the proper gear for two days of dungeon diving. She caressed the shield on her hip.
"Alright my Knights! This is going to be a two day venture, one day to make it to the marked location and another day to make it back. This dungeon was long cleared out by the Hero over a thousand years ago so it isn't nearly as dangerous as it used to be, they say a liche used to command the lower levels but its been long dead and will stay that way." She declared.
There were several outbursts of murmuring in the crowd, they died down as she continued.
"Monsters still make the dungeon its home, each group will dispatch those monsters as they go further. This is a training mission, so no heroics. Your supervisor will intervene if they feel it is required and if an emergency exit is required we will evacuate immediately!" Instructor Gwen yelled.
Everyone nodded and murmured their agreement, the groups condensed and all walked in between the stone gates into the foreboding darkness of the dungeon. Emily walked behind her father. Sword and shield at the ready, but not ready for what was going to happen next…
The walls were preserved after centuries of disuse, deep below the dungeon a silent mausoleum. The ancient walls were lined with half circle openings filled with preserved skeletons their corpses were covered in old scrolls. In the center of the mausoleum lying lifeless on the ground was a massive human skull with curved horns jutting from its crown. It's eyeless sockets glowed violet as it began to float off the cold stone floor kicking up dust. The lower jaw lifted from the floor seating itself in its place, and ancient voice erupting from deep with the darkness.
"The priestess returns…. She is the key….To our lords resurrection! Rise my kin!"
Imbedded in the walls, the runes on the bodies started to glow. The corpses begun stirring…
Emily panted hard, the air was becoming harder to breathe. It also didn't help that this was the sixth wave of cave insects they had come across. Her father watched at the students would complete a wave, check for injuries rotate the tired to the rear and continue going onward. He chuckled from the rear.
"If we keep going in this way we will certainly make it there in a half the time needed. You are all doing well." He praised them.
This bolstered their morale as they continued on, Emily stepped back to the rear vanguard finding Tabitha healing a students arm. Emily watched as the faint golden glow knitted his skin back and left nothing but a slight bruise. The sight brought memories of the golden glow from the church when the blacksmith was grieving, She wondered who he was grieving for. The student thanked Tabitha and took his place further up ahead. Tabitha turned to Emily, looking her over like a combat medic.
"Anything hurting? Cuts, bruises slight discomfort?" She asked with concern.
"No I'm alright, no damage yet. Just a little tired." Emily admitted smiling.
Tabitha eyes the mithril shield she clutched dearly a small smile creeping on her face.
"That shields putting in work huh? Normally it would've been banged up by now." Tabitha mused.
Emily gripped the wood handle, with the superior durability of her new shield she was able to push harder into the enemy ranks. Some of the insects seem hesitant to come in contact with it, she blew through crowds with ease. Still walking forward she heard the rally ahead, a small group of stragglers that were picked off cleanly by the vanguard. Yet her mind wasn't on that, where was the blacksmith and when would he return? Would it really have to be two weeks before she saw him again. Tabitha's smug grin caught Emily's attention, she furrowed her eyebrows.
"What?" She asked.
"Your spacing out again, you only do that when your thinking about shields." Her mousey features contorted into an mischievous grin. "I don't think shields on your mind this time."
Emily's face flushed, she was grateful that the darkness of the cave hid the color in her face.
"You need to relax with that nonsense. You have the wrong idea." Emily pushed back she walked forward taking her place in the middle of the group.
Leaving Tabitha behind, not before she could hear her friend giggle to herself.
"Mhm, sure…"
After eight hours of pushing deeper they were half way to the goal. Her father suggested making camp for four hours, with two shifts between the resting group. Emily volunteered to take the first watch, she and six other knight trainees took positions outside the camp. She watched the inky black darkness ahead of her, Emily's mind wasn't ready to rest yet. There was a distant rumbling, that was supposed to be common in the tunnels. An hour passed with nothing but distant tremors, her mind fell into a lull. There was a familiarity in this feeling of being in an ancient dungeon she couldn't shake, or explain.
Her eyes caught something in the folds of the darkness, barely different from the darkess of the cave walls. Emily stood raising her lantern, the light didn't go far enough to pick out the figure but she could swear it was humanlike. Emily called out to the nearby posted watch to her right, there was no answer. Emily scowled, he must have been asleep. Unsheathing her blade she felt a little exposed not having her shield at the ready but she needed the light to see. As she approached the location where the figure stood, her blood ran cold as she watched it slip swiftly into the darkness.
Emily Rosethorn started walking backwards, she needed to warn the camp something was stalking them. She felt the tremors again becoming more violent, the ground under her feet rumbled. She didn't take her eyes off the direction of the figure, she yelled as loud as she could that danger was near. The distant sounds of alert shuffling made her feel better, just before the ground crumbled at her feet. Emily fell into a the dark abyss of the dungeons depths. She watched the distant light of the camp grow smaller above her until it was gone. Emily realized no matter what happened now, she would die when she hit the ground…
Teppun's skin pricked when the rumbling had started. This wasn't natural. His mind raced as the tremors begun to shake violently. He knew there was a dungeon near the mine, but it should've been cleared centuries ago by the hero. His senses grabbed him by the throat, a familiar feeling an foreboding sense. Demonkin…
Teppun ran to the source and stopped short a massive hole where he knew wasn't one before. It had to have been forcefully excavated by dark magic, he could sense the faint tendrils of dark magic licking the walls below. Teppun was going to turn around and find a new path to leave when his eyes caught something falling. The hole had to have been a few hundred feet across, his eyes locked on a figure falling down the middle. His skin prickled with recognition.
"That's that Emily girl! She's going to die!" The ghostly form beside him observed with concern.
Teppun's body moved on its own, planting his hands on the stone floor bending his knees he thrust himself forward jumping into the abyss. He was about fifteen feet short, he angled his body downward diving down to catch up with her. He could sense the stench of demon kind down below…
Emily had her eyes closed she didn't want to see the end, she cried silently. She never had the chance to prove herself to her father, never got to find the legendary Aegis, and she never would see Teppun again…She didn't want to die, she tried to scream for help but nothing came out. She could only listen to the wind passing her by, and something else. Emily heard something above her. Opening her eyes she saw the familiar blue-green eyes of the blacksmith diving down to her. She reached out helplessly.
After a few moments he caught her in his arms, he angled his body to rotate in mid air. He held her tightly above him, facing his back downwards. She looked into his face, he had a determined look in his eyes.
"What are you doing here?" She screamed.
"Oh, me? Well it looked like you were having fun, wanted to join in." He remarked jokingly with a terrible sense of calm in his voice.
They found themselves out of the vertical tunnel, they fell into a massive ancient room shaped like a cylinder. The old stone walls continued into the darkness, Emily saw the floor coming close at a violent speed. She pressed herself into his chest closing her eyes waiting for the impact. Teppun's chuckle was barely audible over the wind.
"This is going to hurt, a lot."
The impact rumbled the whole room making a thirty foot diameter crater. Ancient dusts sand rubble scattered in the air…
The students all breathing heavy outside the dungeon, the knight captain guided them out of the rumbling dungeon. Instructor Gwen had beaten them out here, He looked over the conjoined crowd with a growing sense of dread. Instructor Gwen walked to him.
"Eggard, did you get everyone out? What the hell is happening, I thought this dungeon was dormant?" She questioned between pants and coughs.
"I-I belive so, there can only be one explanation. The dungeon must have reactivated. Which is impossible, that would mean the Dungeon Lord was never defeated." The knight captain explained, the sense of dread becoming more prominent.
"Captain! SIR ROSETHORN." A mousey squeak came from the crowd.
Tabitha broke through the mass of scared students, Emily's father heart sank reconfirming what he didn't want to hear.
"E-Emily, She's not here! I looked everywhere! I think she's still in there!" She yelled.
His back stiffened, without hesitation he strode to the rumbling entrance. Instructor Gwen followed behind barking orders.
"Knights! Regroup and return to the city! We are going back in!" Gwen yelled.
All of the students watched as the night commander and the fourth strongest knight in the country sprinted into the dungeons depth. Tabitha stared into the darkness, she prayed she would see Emily again…
Emily's body ached, she didn't receive the full impact but it was enough to knock her out for a while. Opening her eyes was still pressed into Teppun's chest, she heard a familiar voice through the ringing of her ears.
"Get up Emily! We are in danger! Emily struggled onto her feet, looking down she saw Teppun cratered into the floor. He wasn't moving, fervently she tried to move his chest. He was still, not breathing. She leaned her head down to his chest listening for a heartbeat, there was nothing. Dread filled her heart, she held her head down sobbing.
"He's dead… Gone…" She sobbed.
"Emily get ahold of yourself! He's not dead but he will be if you don't get a grip!" The spirit of the holy sword called out.
Emily looked to the sound of the voice, standing above them the clear visage of the white haired priestess holding her arms out. She was struggling, Looking around Emily saw a golden dome surrounding them. Outside its walls a massive army of skeletons smashed their ancient rusted weaponry on its surface, each blow sent the spirit into a shock.
"W-what can I do?" Emily pleaded leaving her hands on Teppun's chest.
"I need you to recite everything everything I am about to say, its our only chance of getting out of this!" The spirit commanded, tears falling from her eyes.
The Knight Commander and Instructor Gwen sprinted down the tunnels, It would take them too long to make it to the bottom. His intuition told him she was there, his mind identified a long distant memory. When Emily was born he had received a message from the King's seer. An old woman who would receive visions of future events, she took him aside the month after her birth to give him a message. Then it seemed unconceivable then but now it all fell into place.
"Beware, your child will be lost in the endless tomb. She will fall and fail her duty if she isn't protected by her guardian."
The words rung like alarm bells in his mind, he spent years training eventually becoming the knight commander, to be her guardian to prevent this from happening…
"Captain! Wasn't the Dungeon Lord of this place supposed to be a Demon?" Gwen asked keeping stride with him.
"That is what the scriptures say, The lord of the endless tomb." He admitted using all his strength to keep focus.
Neither have ever seen a demon before, they were supposed to be extinct…
Emily interlaced her fingers kneeling over the Holy Sword. She began the prayer.
"My Goddess! Please give us the strength to shine your holy light in our darkest hour!" She repeated.
After the chant the blade begun glowing brilliantly. Shock filled her, and even hope as she stared at the blade. It finally cemented in her mind that this blade was real, the real Holy Sword of Legend. She didn't have time to admire the glow, turning her body she bowed by Teppun's lifeless body.
"Do it now! I cant- hold it much longer!". The spirit commanded.
Emily interlaced her fingers again, this time the words came easy a deepened sense familiarity followed. She egnored it focusing on getting it right.
"My guardian, blessed by the Goddess defend her disciple from the darkness so I may spread her light. I need you… Get up please…" Emily prayed, she didn't know hoe that would work. Her eyes shut tightly trying to shut out the screeching of the barrier being stuck… She realized, it had stopped. Looking out she saw the skeletons begin to back away, looking at the spirit she dad fallen to her knees she was at her limit.
The barrier begun to waiver, fading in and out of existence. She looked down at Teppun thinking this was his doing, her heart sank when his body showed no signs of life. A violet light appeared from the darkness ahead, Emily's eyes caught the visage of a fifty foot skeleton adorned with ancient robes step out of the darkness behind the crowds of the undead. Its dark empty eye sockets gleamed with a violet light.
"Priestess, it's a pleasure to have you return to me. You will make a wonderful sacrifice." A booming voice echoed through the ancient tomb.
The sounds of cracking and boney whining erupted in the crowd like sick horrible laughter echoing around them. Emily looked at the hazy figure of the spirit in front of her, she assumed that's what it meant by "priestess". They wanted the sword, but why?
"Even though you are only one part of a whole we will accept you, the resurrection of the Demon Lord will be completed eventually. We have waited for over a thousand years, another century is nothing to wait for his greatness." The voice cackled,
Emily watched as the skeleton raised a massive staff, on the top sat a violet orb with an eerie glint. It began to glow, pulsing with energy a dark magic Emily had never seen before. She had heard Tabitha talk about in her studies, the dark magic harnessed by the demons was depicted as the strongest and most horrible kind of magic capable of wiping whole cities in a single blast. Nothing but the holy shield was depicted at resistant to it in the scriptures. Emily paled as the staff released a beam heading right for them. She felt the arms of the Sword spirit hold her tightly, she was going to take the blast for her. She was mesmerized by the light, fear of death gripping her heart. She couldn't believe what she saw…
The lifeless body the blacksmith stood up, stepping in between he held a single hand out to intercept the blast. Emily watched in horror as it collided with his hand , she expected to see him disintegrate but he held his ground. She watches as his glove incinerated, his exposed hand now visible. The same blue markings on his arms, neck and face ran down along the edge of his hand. In the middle of his hand glowed blue with the familiar symbol, a glowing holy shield glowed golden light at the back of his left hand. She watched as the violet stream of energy pouring around his fingers blew past them all sending a swath of power decimating a line of skeletons behind them up to the wall of the tomb. The light petered and faded, if the massive skeleton could look shocked, it would have.
"Heh, what do we have here? It doesn't matter whether you have a liberator amongst you. I've seen your kind ripped apart and I'll do the same for you." The leader of the corpse threw out a hand. "Kill them. Leave the priestess alive, for now!" It ordered.
The skeletons began moving in, all Emily could do was watch as Teppun picked up the glowing blade. His eyes scanned it briefly. Then he turned his head away to the legion of the undead. His voice came out in a low tone, it was his but it sounded something altogether less human.
["Identified target for disposal, Predation target acquired. Stand by for integration."]
Emily watched as the form of the Spirit faded before her, once again she appeared behind him staggering backwards. Emily's eyes widened as she appeared fully corporeal as she appeared staggering behind him. She turned to Emily and inspected her, she felt the warmth of the sword spirit of the sword spirit holding her hands.
"Its going to be alright, you aren't hurt are you?" She asked looking her over.
"W-what? I'm fine, what happened w-why are you here? Like-like really here?" Emily stammered.
"Don't worry about that now, we need to get out of the way." The woman before her turned to Teppun, Emily watched as the tattoos on his body glowed a familiar golden light. "Well don't just stand there! Kick his ass!" The priestess ordered.
Taking an offensive stance the blacksmith seemingly under some sort of spell took the blade in both hands directly forward. There was a flash of light as the blade itself vanished and was replaced with two silver and cobalt gauntlets. Opening his palms a loud hum could be heard which turned into earsplitting shriek. Emily could only hold her ears and watch as the blue tattoos on his arms glowed blue the light moving from his torso to his arms and seemingly into the gauntlets.
Massive streaks of light erupted from the gauntlets, two large beams of energy rended mass swaths of the undead army into dust. Emily saw the silver of the gauntlets unfold and claim more of his arms. By then of the third beam the gauntlets had grown to include pauldrons on his shoulder that glowed the same unnatural light. Wordlessly he dropped his hands and leaned backwards his face toward the ceiling.
With a single inhuman sigh the folds of the gauntlets opened releasing a massive amount of heat. He exhaled loudly expelling the head from his lungs. He took several short breaths, sucking in the the thick acrid air as if his life depend it. Emily saw the undead stragglers they lunged forward seeking this as an opportunity to overwhelm him. He couldn't help but scream.
"Watch out! From the side!"
Teppun turned his head, to Emily's surprise his blue-green eyes now shone in a pure red color. He was still half slumped backwards. Twelve square sections opened on his pauldrons and the base of the gauntlets. A surge of violet energy glowed from his torso into the holy armor encasing his arms.
[Predation complete, perfect Retaliation.]
Each opening released a small flurry of violet projectiles with their own path in mind as they sought out their targets. Each undead receive three strikes to the upper body before being sent emaciated in violet holy flames.
Emily watched with something between horror and amazement at the hundreds of bonfires that surrounded them. She saw a single corpse crawl to his leg, the fires engulfing it but the horrible twisted face looked at him almost with appreciation. Emily barely read its cracked pale lips as it mouthed a ghoulish; "Thank you." It succumbed to the flames no longer moving.
"Liberator, filthy dog of the humans. You will not leave here alive!" The skeleton roared as it charged the orb on its staff for another blast.
The unevenly armored figure in front of her knelt down, his body poised like a runner waiting for the moment the race started. Emily could feel a immense surge of hot air rip by her and the spirit, she knew what he was going to do but there was no way. The Dungeon Lord blast would be charged well past the time he could run there, it was well around a quarter mile.
The silver armor had begun enveloping his neck and lower chin. With a metallic thunk the sleek metal closed in over his mouth. The armor blinked crimson for just a moment and them he was gone. Emily's eyes couldn't catch his movement, she could only see the result as the massive skeleton staggered not even a full second after he dashed.
The ribcage of the Demon Lord shattered. The collection of darkened curved bones that was its torso was crushed into splinters, its spine cracked under the pressure. Teppun landed at its feet striking the ground and sliding backwards a few feet. He dove into a counter clockwise strafe of the giant as its skeletal foot launched forward attempting to catch him. He kept gliding as violet lightning arched from the demonic staff, the sudden bursts of energy from the upper torso armor and the pauldrons displaced his position as it shifted in time with the strikes. Each an intentional calculated dodge.
During the continued strafe he unleashed a volley of blue spears of light. To reduce the damage it received, the skeleton used its right arm to block the shots. Eight explosions lined up the skeletons arm, two more struck beyond its defense and its joint holding the arm severed. The demon lord retaliated casting wild violet strikes wildly. One struck just beside Emily and the sword spirit, her eyes caught and oncoming one heading right for her. Emily couldn't move, her legs were felt weak she didn't even have time to look away.
Strafing into the way Teppun accepted the blast into his body, the blast tore his holy armor apart and sent him hurdling into a wall behind them. Emily could only let out a scream as he cratered into an ancient stone wall. After a moment he pulled himself out of the vertical crater.
"Oh… Come on!" He yelled, seemingly breaking the spell, having come to his senses again.
Emily watched as he jumped and fell 40 feet landing on his feet just before them. The stones cracked at his feet. There was no way he weighed the same as a regular human she thought. Teppun walked up to them nonchalantly swinging the silver longsword between his fingers.
"You really like pushing my buttons Marianne." He chuckled leaving the old hollowness in his voice behind, now with an amused smile while cracking his neck.
"And what was I supposed to do? Let us all die? Thanks for finally joining us by the way?" The sword spirit spat half heartedly, she pursed her lips trying to look angry.
Teppun knelt down in front of Emily, she could feel her face growing warmer under his gaze. She watched as his eyed flickered to a green color, it was as if he was looking inside her.
"How are you feeling? You have a few cracked ribs and bruising. Can you give me your hand?" Teppun offered his hand for her to take.
Without a word she took his left hand eyeing the symbol on the back of his palm. She saw the same hand that shot out dark lightning begin to generate golden light. Emily felt the pressure in her chest that made it painful to breath go away entirely, the pain she felt all over her body melted away as if it she took a warm bath and came out clean. She watched as he looked her over again once he seemed satisfied his eyes flickered back to their usual blue-green.
Teppun watches her turn his wrist to see the shield embossed on his skin. She looked up to start her train of questions but she saw him hold a finger to his lips. With a nod he paused this future conversation, not shutting her down but a promise of answers at a later date.
"Another time." He said letting her hand go and turning away.
Emily could only nod silently, her moment of awe permeated by the jealous sword spirit. "What about me? Are you going to ask how I am doing? Not too well if you a…."
Teppun stood and stepped up to her, silencing her by caressing her chin softly.
"Thank you, we are alive because of you." He praised her.
Emily watched as the venom in her voice and posture melted away, she was obsessed with him. She would have laughed, but for some reason she didn't totally seeing this, her face was starting to grow hot. Teppun eyed the Dungeon Lord recovering to its feet, he locked eyes with the Sword Spirit.
"Mary, I need your help with this. Can you give me your power for a little bit?" He asked.
The sword spirit flushed and giggled nervously, gripping her dress and shifting her weight on her feet.
"Fine, only because you asked nicely. Don't be mad, if I am a little rusty." She conceded throwing herself at him.
Emily saw the Sword Spirit wrap her arms around his neck, with a flash of light she disappeared. In their place stood the blacksmith surrounded by a swirling torrent of air, his form changed with a insense glow. The flash of light briefly blinded Emily, when she looked back he was cloaked in glowing holy robes. On his head was a silver circlet with the right side of his face covered by a white ceramic mask on it was the right half of the crest of the Goddess. When he spoke Emily heard both of their voices in unison.
{Full Synchronisation!}
[Full Synchronisation!]
Emily watched as he didn't wield the holy sword, instead he raised his arms portions of his cloaked raised reveling the silver depiction of the sword was swen into the fabric of the white cloth on his back. The Demon Lord retailiated with a several more violet blasts, Teppun responded with a hundred. Over a hundred white hot glowing spears launched from his robes consuming the enemies attacks an each spear found its mark buring right through the giant skeleton's body. Each glowing spike enbedded itself into a different part, at the end it looked like a glowing pin cushon. It rended one last scream before each spear exploded lighting it in holy fire.
After a moment its form scattered as it's the will to live subsided and what remained of the bones fell into the floor with a dense rumble.Teppun chuckled in the unison of their voices. "And you call me a showoff sometimes."
After another brief explosion of light Teppun returned to he was before, the sword spirit didn't appear. Emily's ears pricked when she heard her voice from the blade.
"Oh, can we go home now? I'm tired of all this excitement…" She moaned.
Emily couldn't help but smile a little, she wasn't going to die. Gratefully accepting a helping hand up she looked into Teppun's eyes, she wanted to ask a million questions. Yet looking at his tired face she knew to wait, there would be time especially if they had to walk out of this dungeon alone. She watched as his smile fell away and left a new alert look of concern.
"W-what is it?" She asked.
"I don't know something is coming at us, fast!" He answered readying his blade and watching the door to the silent mausoleum.
Emily's father feared the worst. Years of training he could sense the of power of someone or somethings aura within a certain range. Now they were on the lower floors the miasma of dark aura grew thick all round them. As he and Instructor sprinted he kept tabs on the auras, finally his senses pinked the familiar wavelengths of his daughters aura. Her aura was being overshadowed by something massive, it had to be the Dungeon Lord. He had never seen anything this massive or dense. A deeper sense of worry began to build in him, his eyes caught the door to the Dungeon Lords tomb. Quickly he relayed an order to Gwen.
"I don't know what's behind that door, it may be far beyond our abilities. I will engage it. I want you to get Emily and get out, I'll follow behind you if I can."
Gwen nodded as she readied her blades. The Knight Captain Eggard burst through the door to the Silent Mausoleum, dust kicked up blocking his view. He used his senses and swung at the monstrous aura with everything he had, with both hands he drove his sword "Blade Breaker" into the figure in the dust.
Emily flinched when the ancient doors to the tomb flew open, ancient dust and earth kicked up blocking the view to the entrance. Then she saw the familiar glint of golden armor, her fathers armor and blade as he swing straight for them. Teppun was already poised and ready, with a single fluid motion he intercepted the blade and caught it in his own hilt single handed. Holding his ground and realizing his opponent wasn't a demon he forced the stalemate to an end by plundging his hilt downward and shoulder checking the attacker sending him flying.
"Father!" Emily screamed…