"Ren, are you alright?" Vyra asked as she moved over to him. "Yeah, thanks," he said bashfully, encasing the core in solidified Wraith mana as he looked up at her. "Sorry that we pulled you like that," Vyra said, scratching the back of her head.
"Oh, that's okay. You were right, after all. I'd gone a little too far because I missed my throw when I had to dodge a spike that came at me from a nearby tree," he said, pointing over to a tree near the severed head where Derion, naturally, was examining it.
"Does he do that often?" Thorn asked with a raised eyebrow of concern. "Every time," Eirenne said with a sigh, dropping down from her elevated position and nursing a wound she had on her arm. "That thing was a force to be reckoned with for sure. Probably the hardest fight I've ever had, and I couldn't even do much to it," she said, pushing mana into the wound to heal it.
"Well, this entire part of the forest is riddled with them," Siraye said, flicking the sap-like blood from her blade. "With this one having gone rouge the way it did, I'm not surprised it was as vicious as it was," she continued, sheathing her blade. "What do you mean?" Nenvalur asked, wiping the blood off his own blade as he moved over to the group.
"The mana-fog I mentioned is also a controlling spell used to keep them within the bounds of the chamber. The fact that it's all the way out here suggests that either the spell is weakening or someone undid it," she explained, letting the gravity of her words hang for a moment.
The others looked at each other with concern, silently hoping they didn't have to meet another like it. Nenvalur, however, was almost giddy with excitement at the prospect of getting to fight another one.
Or three, Haldir thought, noticing his expression, shaking his head with a chuckle.
"We'd best move quickly and silently from here on until we reach the fog. Tie the horses up by the trail. They'll be fine until we return," Siraye said as everyone followed her command. Within a few moments, they were dashing and weaving through the forest, leaping and bounding over any obstacles as they trailed behind Siraye. Nearly an hour later, they all began to feel the air grow closer as if the forest itself was repelling their entry.
"Before we get any closer, know that this fog allows them to sense all kinds of mana, even the ones we have in our bodies that allow us to use telepathy. From here on out, only use hand signals to communicate," Siraye said in a hushed tone, just in case there was anything they hadn't detected nearby.
The others silently nodded their agreement before proceeding forward. Nenvalur, feeling a slight chill run down his spine, began to visually inspect the areas more intently. He motioned a hand signal to Siraye as if to say she was right, but she didn't verbally answer, putting a single finger to her lips before pointing off to the left of their direction of travel instead.
A ring of Dericoed stood motionless like silent guardians in the dense fog, surrounding a structure similar in construction to the buildings in the capital. The building was rooted into the ground, connecting to each of the fifty guardians through a singular tendril, though one was obviously missing.
This is it. Follow and do not speak and do not draw your weapons, Siraye signed to the others. Ren, give me the core, she signed again, prompting Ren to hand it to her gingerly. Ready? She asked, receiving nods of confirmation in return.
As she moved out from their concealed position, she held the core in the crook of her elbow, while her other hand pulsed with golden mana. The dericoed's empty eye sockets glowed white with a small mana flame borne within them.
"You are not welcome here, Descendant of the Unremembered. Leave now, or become one with the earth you stand on," one of the guardians said menacingly. Its voice sounded like a tree in the throes of being felled, creaking and rumbling deeply as it spoke. "I come to you seeking entrance to the Chamber, O' Guardians mine," Siraye began, dropping to one knee in reverence.
"You will find no aid here, elf. Return to your home lest we build one for worms with your bones," the guardian rumbled again, gesturing away from the building with a thin, clawed hand as it pulsed a menacing earth mana out towards her. Siraye immediately felt the pressure bearing down on her shoulders, trying desperately to push her into the earth as she pushed back with her own mana.
"I respectfully refuse, O' Guardian mine," she began, shifting the core's position to ensure it didn't slip out of her grasp. "You cannot win against us, elf. Return to your home, or suffer the consequences for your actions," the guardian rumbled, turning the other guardians' eyes a bright yellow.
"We have fought against one of your kind and won," she began, holding the core up for all of them to see. "If you would like to return this lost creature to his proper place, then you will stand aside, O' Guardians of a Bygone Age," she said, making absolutely sure to keep the core visible at all times.
"The ancient magic that has kept you here and aware of your own existence is failing. Tell me who has done this, and in exchange for passage to the chamber, I will ensure that the culprit is found and your duties continue as your oath demands," she said loudly enough to where not a word could be misheard.
The guardian rumbled pensively for a few moments as she maintained her piercing gaze on it. "We will not allow you passage. We have said this thrice, and you have ignored us thrice. Die now, Descendant," the guardian said, unlatching itself from its rooted platform, bringing ten others along with it.
I figured it would come to this. What a mother won't do for her child, she sighed, shaking her head.
Siraye held up her hand, signaling for the others to stay back. "I command you: Kneel," she said forcefully, furrowing her brow and shouting the last word as she expelled as much mana as she could without accidentally killing herself in the process. The resulting pulse of mana glowed as it created a half-dome in front of her, ripping the earth as it moved to her targets.
As one, the guardians fell to their knees beneath the weight of her mana, cracking the earth beneath them as the ground trembled heavily. "H-h-how?" the guardian who spoke first asked, straining to get the words out.
"I tried to be nice, but you wouldn't listen to me," she began with bated breath. "In exchange for allowing you to live and returning your lost guardian to his rightful place, you will grant us passage," she said, moving up to come face to face with the large, arboreal monster.
The creature's voice rumbled as it tried to fight against the might of her mana, cracking the air and the earth around them in a test of might. Realizing it wasn't going to win against her, the guardian relented as the mana flame in its eyes returned to its pure white. "I will relent and follow your commands, Siraye Fayren," it said, bowing its head from its kneeling position, prompting the others to follow along in its stead.
"Good. I'm glad that's settled, then," she said, immediately releasing her hold over them. The others slowly rose to their root-like feet and returned to their individual platforms. Siraye, still holding the core, raised it up high enough for the guardian to gingerly take it from her. "It is sealed with strange mana," it noted, feeling the weight of the core in its claws.
"For safekeeping only. I'm not skilled enough with that kind of mana yet, so my cousin here will return it to its original state. Ren, if you wouldn't mind," she said, gesturing for him to approach. As if appearing out of thin air, he approached the core and placed his hand over it, retracting the solidified scarlet mana from the spherical core.
"Throughout the ages that I have walked this land, I have never seen such a skill," it said, regarding Ren curiously. "You hold strange company. Perhaps I was wrong about you, Descendant. I am grateful for this one's return," it said, dropping its head slightly. "We're happy to help, but next time, try not to kill me if it happens again," Siraye said wryly. "As you command. You may now enter the chamber," it said, revealing the entrance that was covered by its overgrown roots.
"It's safe to come out now," Siraye said to the others as they came out from behind a pair of nearby trees. "I'm not even going to ask how you managed to do it, but gods, am I glad you did!" Eirenne said, getting nods of agreement from the others nearby. "It was a risk I had to take," Siraye said, feeling the exhaustion finally setting in.
"Here, drink this," Derion said, pulling out a strange-looking vial. "Don't ask, just drink," he said, noticing the worried look on her face. With a nasal chuckle at how well he knew her, she took the flask and drank the contents, shuddering for a moment with the flavor as all of her senses screamed at her to spit it out.
"You're absolutely right. I'm glad I didn't ask," she said with a disgusted look on her face as she returned the vial. "Come on, we've wasted enough time here," she said, swallowing the remnants of the unidentifiable liquid and moving to the entrance to the chamber.
It was much larger on the inside than it appeared, with runic symbols strewn about the room and across the floor in octagonal rings that spanned from one side to the other. At the top of the chamber, there was a glass dome that allowed the afternoon sunlight in from above. In the center of the chamber, there was an octagonal pedestal made of solid, white marble with runic etchings similar to those on the floor.
"It's beautiful," Haldir said, admiring the craftsmanship around him. "It really is. I'm more surprised at how well it's been preserved after all this time, though," Eirenne chimed in with her teammate's thoughts. "We'll have time to observe it later, for now, we need to focus, Siraye," Thorn said, gesturing to the pedestal.
"What do I do now?" she said, crossing her legs in a meditative pose. "I'm going to draw mana from the Riveter realm while Ren helps guide you through the Wraith realm's forest," he replied briefly, taking off his gauntlets and tossing them to Nenvalur, who stayed outside the octagonal runic rings. "That's it?" she asked plaintively.
"Not exactly. You'll also have to draw from the Wraith realm and maintain that focus no matter what you see. Trust us, it's easier said than done," he said with a weighted chuckle and a nervous smile. "I'm in your hands, cousin. Don't drop me on the way," Siraye said wryly, getting a single nod from Ren.
The three began drawing mana from their respective realms as Thorn's eyes and the pedestal began to glow a similar hue. "Together," Ren said, counting down with gestures as they entered the translucent forest once more.
Siraye once again found herself amazed by her surroundings, marveling at the forest once more. Her thoughts were interrupted by Ren, who began to move in front of her.
Take my hand. We have a long way to go, he said, extending his hand out to her. Her hand shimmered as she took his, creating a glowing scarlet hue from the junction of their hands. Just hold on tightly. I'll get us to where he is, he said warmly, his voice echoing in her mind. I will, she replied warmly in the same manner.
In the time it took her to blink, they were on top of a distant hill she'd spotted just before they moved. The sudden shift in her surroundings nearly caught her off guard as the world lurched to catch up to them.
How are you feeling? Ren asked, seeing her translucent form reel from the rapid movement. I'm okay. I'm okay, she replied, raising a hand placatingly. We've got two more to do before we reach him. Can you handle that? He asked warmly. With a few short nods, they dashed again and then once more to their destination.
Reeling from the rapid changes, she struggled to maintain her focus as she saw four figures appearing before her. Thoma! Ysevel! She said, recognizing the detailed forms in front of her. Wait, who are these two? She asked, noticing the two unfamiliar and less detailed forms. It looks like that creature I fought before he was brought to the Underworld, she said slowly.
"Thorn, we've arrived. You can begin now," Ren said aloud, still keeping his eyes closed. Thorn wordlessly began to shift his hand from the pedestal to where Siraye's core would be and completed the connection from her core to the pedestal beneath her. The runic symbols on the floor began to light up and rotate counter to each other before locking in and forming a singular, octagonal set of rings.
Siraye felt the pulse of mana shift through her, and after receiving a look of confirmation from Ren, she reached out and let her hand float in front of the phantasmal form.
Thoma, can you hear me? She asked as a small, white tendril of Thorn's mana lept from her hand, wrapping around the translucent form before her.
"Mom?" I asked breathlessly, feeling the strange mana surging within my core.