I've stared at the floor on my hands and knees for around 30 minutes… My body still feeling phantom pains from the torture i just endured. I glance up at the lines of blood a few feet from me and look towards my hands. All of my fingernails were either gone or flipped up from clawing at the ground… I didn't realize it until now. I probably didn't have time to. I pick myself up and stand to my feet.
"O Lord
In exchange for pain
Grant me health."
My fingers repair themselves in the same way as every other time I've used these words. My skin reforms as I feel the new fingernails force their way through my skin, while the ones that were still there were stitched back together. It hurts… but it's not comparable in the slightest to the pain from before. As the pain subsides after a while, I begin to feel the old one's presence once again creeping down my spine like a cold breath on the nape of your neck. I grit my teeth, pick my backpack off the floor and walk down the long hallway that was in front of me. I lost the torch back up, but I can still see relatively clear. It seems like there's no life on this floor. I guess I got lucky landing on this floor. Something catches my eye in the distance. As I get closer I see that it's another pedestal with a book, just like the first floor. I open the book and words begin appearing on the page.
"Welcome… honored guest. It seems you've made it past the previous floor… Amusing… very amusing, I didn't think you would. It's time for my final gifts to you.
I drop to my knees holding my head as information pours into my brain once again. The words are different… So are the things that voice is saying. But most notable The flashes are different, yet I can't make most of it out. No… it's like there's things missing. a castle… in a kingdom blinded by light a white palace in a land of white and gold its as if the realm itself is different from that of earth. The flashes progressively get faster until it plays like a vision… Two beings are arguing, I can't make out their shape or form but I know they're conversing, however I'm unable to make out what's being said
…
As one of the two storms out the room angrily, the other wore a pained expression on his face. i'm unable to actually make out their faces, expressions, but I know their feelings them. I can feel the tension of the situation, I can feel the pain that one of them is going through, I can feel the sheer rage of the other.
It doesn't make sense that this makes sense.
Then the vision ends. Similar to before it feels like I have more understanding of this world. But I can't describe what that means. I bring my right hand to my head. The words this time… you… my body feels cold for a moment before a burst of rage erupts from my core as I grit my teeth…
Whatever this is. Whoever is in this book or made this place is watching. This book gave me something different. It's not a chant like the other, this one is... It's like a part of me now… the more pain I endure the stronger I become for a brief duration
"You… you can hear me can't you… is this your way of mocking me? Is this a joke?"
The words begin appearing on the page once again.
"Hehehe does that make you angry? You have the will to question me? Amusing… however there's nothing you can do about that can you now''
It's almost like I could hear the voice in my head as I read that line. The ridiculing demeanor that I hear deepens my rage.
"Fine fine… I'll give you one more gift. I'm sure you could put this to use."
I read the words on the page and a burst of information goes through my head. Once again. There's no visions this time, but the whispers and the pain is still there. Once I rise to my feet again I realize what I obtained.
Rend
To rip and tear apart. While the emotions I feel haven't subsided, I admit, I suppose this will be useful. I could at least put up a better fight against the things I'll encounter. The door opens behind me as the last message appears on the page.
"Not often do you see a human with the will to question a god. Run along now… I have high hopes for you. I'll be seeing you little crow"
Little Crow? What is that supposed to mean? That old man, he said something like that too didn't he. I can't make much sense out of it, but It feels important, I know that has a meaning. I just can't piece it together just yet. So I push those thoughts into the back of my head. High hopes huh, seems like this really might be just entertainment to the Old ones. It's interesting, this place has made me feel more emotion than I have within the last year. What exactly is this feeling… their eyes on my back constantly watching me, looking down on me, seeing me as entertainment… pieces of that fear and terror began to be replaced by frustration and irritation. I'll give you a show, just you watch.
The stairs end, as I walk on solid ground once again I note that this floor looks similar, no major changes yet at least. I walk along one of the pathways at random. Until I get to a door. I open it and go inside, looking around for anything useful. He said that if I can find more of those books, I'm gonna need to check these places pretty well. I find more of those plants and some tobacco. I guess this could possibly take the edge off. I'm gonna need something to smoke it with though. As I go to open the door, I stop in my tracks. I hear the sound of footsteps outside the door.
I quietly move away from the door, crouching into a place where I wouldn't be seen. If something does come in, maybe I can test one of my abilities. The footsteps go by the door. I wait a bit before coming out. Looks like there's something on this floor with me. I walk outside the room and continue through the floor.
I come across another room, going through the usual search, although i didn't find anything this time, I noticed something… It sort of looked like this place had been searched already. I look down at the bed, staring at it for a while. I turn towards the bed, as I take a step I grab my knife from my pocket.
"Wait! Stop! I-Ill come out."
A man that looks to be in his mid 20s comes out from under. I look the man up and down. He doesn't have much equipment on him. Only a bat as a weapon with a small backpack. His clothes are covered in rips and tears and he looks rather ragged. Even his dark brown hair seems a little dirty and unkept. Reminds me of someone… anyways, It doesn't seem like he's well equipped to come here. I don't take my blade away from him though. He keeps silent, it looks like he's waiting for me to say something. So I spoke first.
"So, what are you doing here?"
The man stayed silent for a bit then sighed
"Money. I just needed money…"
Typical, considering his looks I wouldn't put it past him. But that's also a really simple excuse… who would come to a place like this just for money. Now that I think about it there's probably more people than I think that would. If they could find something of rarety to sell, like one of those books for example, to the outside world it could be worth millions. What reason would he have to lie? I slowly begin to put my knife down. While still keeping my guard
"You don't look like you prepared for this."
"I didn't really expect it to be this dangerous."
He chuckled slightly after that remark which lightened the mode a bit, enough for me to feel fine with putting my knife down, but still holding it in my hand. I guess he's what I heard walking by the door.
"So have you found anything of value yet?"
"Not yet, what I'm looking for is one of those books. Could you imagine what someone would pay for something like that? Me, my family no maybe even my grandkids wouldn't have to work ever again"
"Yeah you're right."
After being in this place with this dreaded feeling and grotesque entities trying to kill me it's nice to have some human interaction.
"So, how'd you find this place?
"I have a wife. I work alot to provide for her, and I sell what I can to have more money. She's pregnant, we're already struggling enough as is, so I needed more. I got desperate and started looking for someone that deals in more… illegal things. After stealing things and selling them, still not getting as much as I need, I thought maybe there's a few organs that I could live without or maybe even… some jobs i could do. When I went there he told me about another option which was this place. He said that I could find things worth hundreds of thousands here."
He was looking down while tell me his reason then he looked towards me
"What about you?
I avoid his eyes and as I began to open my mouth
"Some guy told me I could probably find what I needed here. I… want to bring someone back."
I turn my head to look at him again, he remains silent but I can see a semblance of pain in his eyes and face. If i weren't able to see his expression the silence alone could've told me his reaction. That's all that was needed
"We should probably get going. Wanna stick together? It'll probably be safer that way."
"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."
I turn the knob, opening the door… Bloodshot eyes stare back at me…
"Grahghhhhhh"
It quickly swiped its arm at my head, but I dodge right in time. I stumble back into the room and pull out my knife. My heart is beating through my chest… I'm not calm, but I can maintain stability enough to not panic. I stare down the creature as it hasn't made another move yet. Shit this isn't good we're both trapped… it's blocking our only exit, we probably have to kill it. There's two of us so we might be able to win.
"W-what do we do…"
Before I can answer it lunges at me, its punches miss me and it hits the wall behind me leaving cracks in the stone structure. If I get hit in the wrong area I'll probably die. I slash across its side while moving to the left to put some distance between us.
"Listen, i'll do most of the fighting, if you see an opening do what you can, okay."
I have to hope rend is strong enough to kill it one hit, that would be optimal. I've learned from the knowledge of the books there's three ways to cast spells. With incantations, without, or half incantations, some spells also have slight chances of the incantation which give a slightly different effect. A full incantation lets you use the spell to its fullest extent even causing it to function differently, depending on the spell I suppose but it takes longer to cast, Half incantations quickens the process while making the spell weaker but not every spell has one, luckily rend does. I lung at it and slash multiple times. It dodges most of them but a few make contact. Its blood spills on the floor as it screeches in pain. Its movements start to get more and more animalistic leaving me with no opening to attack. I'm barely managing to dodge its attacks due to the small confines of this room. I begin to chant with any chance I can get.
"Talon of the Crow
…
Blinding Moonlight
…
Blades of the Wind"
I need to find an opening to finish the chant, the exhaustion is beginning to get to me as my movements grow slower…
"GRAHHHHH"
Its hand just grazed my head leaving a small gash. But that attack was strong enough to make me completely lose balance. It's coming towards me again. I regained my footing but I don't have enough time to dodge…
BASH
The man smashed his bat into the back of the creature's head leaving it slightly dazed, in that moment it turned to look at him instead. I don't waste this opportunity. I lunge toward as I continue the chant
"Answer my commands
Tear my enemies apart
Rend"
It hears me coming and turns quickly, swiping its arm, but this time I dodge and plunge my knife into its stomach . As soon as the blade entered it, it started screeching as its insides were being torn apart. I could hear the sound of its flesh ripping and tearing as I tried my best not to vomit from the sheer intensity of it all. Blood spills out onto my hands before the creature's lifeless corpse drops to the floor. I throw up a bit in my mouth but manage to force it back down. I take a moment to catch my breath after putting my knife away. Shaking… I look down at my right hand. It won't stop shaking. I grab my right hand with my left, gripping it tightly in an attempt to stop the shaking as I take deep breaths in and out. I turn to the man with a smile
"Nice hit."
"Nice… mutilating?"
"Thanks, ready to go?"
He sighs heavily
"Fuck man… I guess."
He looks tired already
We both step over that body, it's our footsteps grow distant from the room as we continue through the floor, leaving the body alone in that room, no… for me I'll try to leave my memories there too. That's just a room now, and I don't remember what happened there. That's right… What was I thinking about? Heh, like that'll work. There's definitely worse to come.