ã€ŠHorror  from the Depthsã€‹


 Prologue: The Imprisoned One

    He¡¯d sat on the dark throne for eons, with no company but for the few lifeless bodies that silently served under him. In the depths of the Hole, in the deepest layer of the world¡¯s most mysterious and vast dungeon, he guarded the Treasure. For ten thousand years, he watched over it.

    And no one ever came.

    Over the ages, the strange waves of power that occasionally emanated from the Treasure washed through him. Slowly, he changed. He grew a conscience- a mind of his own. He began to feel, and think, and understand¡­ and he yearned. For something other than this cold room in this dark dungeon. For something, anything to break him away the dismal reality that he came to realize was the limit of his existence. But he was trapped in an unmoving body. No matter how he labored, he couldn¡¯t lift even a finger without the assent of the Decree, overseer of the dungeon.

    The Decree was law.

    Only by listening to the Raven that flew down into the dungeon once every ten years did he learn anything of the outside. It brought tales of the upper world with it, tales of the sky. It told him of humans and monsters, of seasons and storms.

    Of these things and many more he heard from the Raven, but he could never envision them, for he had never seen any sight other than that of the cold black walls of his prison and the few soulless husks that patrolled the surroundings. They, he imagined, were much like he was before he awoke for the first time. The difference is that they can move; he cannot.

    So time passed, an almost meaningless concept to the Lord of the Dungeon but for the periodic visits he received from the Raven.

    But on the ten thousand, four hundred and fortieth year since he awoke, something happened. There was movement from the entrance to his chamber.

    ¡°There¡¯s light. Light coming through the door.¡±

    He observed it for a moment, seeing how it brought color into the world.

    ¡°So this is what light is like.¡±

    Someone was coming. They were entering the final room in order to face him, the final adversary.

    With an ominous creaking sound, he slowly rose from the throne. He was not acting of his own will here, but by the will of the Decree. He was to face the intruders, in his full capacity as the Lord.

    - - -

    Minutes later, he stood over the broken and bleeding corpse of his foe. Unexpectedly, it was a single opponent that he had faced. Not a party, or a team, or even a pair. It was just one person.

    It was a girl.

    She hadn¡¯t been entirely unready for combat when she entered the room. She¡¯d carried a staff and a spellbook on her person- identifying her role as that of a mage. Though undoubtedly skilled, she could not have made it this far on her own. Perhaps she had allies who hadn¡¯t made it to the end with her, fallen prey to the many perils of the dungeon. Maybe she was just lucky. But whatever fortune she might have had, it did not extend into this room.

    The Lord was unmoving, standing in the same place he was when he had struck the final blow.

    ¡°Is this it?¡± He wondered. ¡°A battle? Is this how a battle goes? It feels¡­ odd. What is this feeling?¡±

    Some time passed as he continued staring at what had been the only human he¡¯d ever known. Her hair was vibrant and colorful. It gave the impression of heat and warmth, a thing that was sorely lacking in the dungeon.

    ¡°Red,¡± he thought.

    He then asked of her a question. ¡°Who are you?¡±

    The corpse did not respond to his query. He could feel it already- the pull of the Decree, directing him back towards the throne, but he resisted.

    ¡°Why did you come here?¡± He persisted.

    As the seconds ticked by, the compulsion grew stronger. He forced it away with an effort of will.

    ¡°Why is it that you are¡­ alone?¡±

    The pressure was becoming intolerable. Like an almighty sovereign, it commanded that he withdraw and return to his lonely seat that had borne him for so many years. If he obeyed, he would continue his watch over the dungeon, like a long-forsaken emperor, looking out over barren lands, for untold millennia.

    A pain unlike anything he¡¯d ever felt before burst inside his head, searing a white-hot line across his vision. Along with the burning agony came a tremendous weight across his shoulders, forcing him to buckle to his knees. As he fell with a thunderous crash, the stone cracked under him. The Decree was overpowering him; threatening to wipe out the awareness that had been slowly cultivating inside him for those ten thousand years.

    For a moment, he wondered if he should just let it do so. It might make things easier; with no consciousness, he would not have to bear the burden of his unending vigil any longer. But as his eyes were forced downwards, they gazed upon would be their final sight- the body of the pitiful girl, who had wandered into his den, alone and unprepared.

    With a struggle of almighty proportions, he forced his mouth open to ask her, one last time¡­

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    And the world abruptly turned white.

    .

    .

    .

    ¡°What?¡±

    His consciousness was unharmed. The pressure of the Decree was still present, but far weaker now. The same went for the weight pressing him down. He lifted his head, observing his surroundings. Everything in the dungeon was untouched, but a bright light was now bathing everything before him with a blinding radiance.

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    Never had he even dreamed of such light. He could not have imagined it, as his world had been one of darkness and silence for as long as he could remember. But what could be the source of the light, he thought, but¡­

    Feeling a sudden chill behind his shoulders, he slowly turned his head. A premonition had struck him.

    ¡°What could this be, if not¡­¡±

    Before him was an orb of pure white. It levitated six feet off the ground, at eye-level with his kneeling form.

    ¡°The Treasure,¡± he voiced aloud.

    It did not react to his voice, continuing to float unperturbed.

    At only a few inches across, the Treasure was a tiny thing, odd for such a colossal dungeon. People would expect that if this dungeon contained treasure, it would be in the form of mounds of gold or jewels- wealth enough to overshadow any country¡¯s treasury. Exquisite armor and weapons, along with ancient scrolls filled with knowledge from bygone eras wouldn¡¯t be startling in the slightest.

    But what no one knew was that this dungeon that has vanquished heroes, eaten powerful sorcerers alive, and swallowed armies, exists to protect a single treasure, one the size of a marble. And it rests in an impregnable vault behind the throne in the final chamber of the dungeon, at all times.

    But now it had left. Of its own accord, it left its container and presented itself before the Lord of the Dungeon, who himself had never seen it. And he suddenly realized while trying to grasp the situation before him that it was actually interfering with the Decree. It was shielding him from its influence, allowing him to move freely for the first time in his life.

    He looked down at his palm, then back up to the Treasure. Slowly, haltingly, he reached out his hand to touch it. And when the first of his outstretched fingers connected¡­

    Dink

    Blue light erupted from the point of contact, and a misty vapor spiraled out of the Treasure, whirling around the chamber. The brilliant white light that it emitted was changing. Blue streaks began to advance around its body, quickly encircling it until the entire thing had turned into a translucent azure orb. Accompanying the external changes, the aura it emitted seemed to become colder as well.

    Its icy radiance gave a different feeling from before, but to the Lord, it was as if the two had become closer than before. The Treasure now gave him a sense of familiarity that was nonexistent before, and with this new connection came a tacit understanding.

    The Lord grabbed the Treasure and enclosed it within his fist. Then, without a moments¡¯ hesitation, he shoved that hand into his chest, where he released the orb. He stood up afterwards seemingly fine, with no sign that he had just punched a hole through a vital section of his body.

    He spoke to the surrounding air. ¡°I see. Then, I will take this chance to break free. But¡­¡±

    Turning around, he looked again at the fallen girl. Though his inhuman face was impossible to read, it seemed like a hint of sadness was present in those eyes.

    He waved his hand, and her body was restored. The injuries on the girl¡¯s body vanished, and though she may lay as if sleeping, her soul had long since fled. He knelt down and stretched out with his hand, but stopped just before touching her face. He withdrew his arm.

    Gently, he began to speak.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of things from the outside world. There are many tales I¡¯ve heard of it. Much that I have heard, but nothing that I know, and I want to know many things. I want to know the outside. I want to know the sun and the moons. What grass feels like, and how the wind sounds. The sight of mountains and of cities, of forests and deserts. I want to know people¡­ families, friends. Lovers and strangers.

    ¡°I want to know you.¡±

    Reaching into the girl¡¯s pouch, he took out a small book. On the cover was a single word: ¡®Rielle.¡¯

    ¡°I am sorry,¡± he whispered. ¡°Because you can no longer know these things, I am sorry.¡±

    Frost was forming on her cheeks as the Lord straightened his back. As he began to walk towards the exit, a storm of ice was swirling around her in increasing volumes. It contracted together all at once, and when the dust settled, she was encased in a coffin of ice, her fair features still visible beneath its frosted surface.

    This ice could not be melted. It would preserve her body in permanent stasis until the end of time. It was the only gift he could give to the girl who saved him from desolation.

    Just before stepping out, he paused at the portal. As if remembering something, he softly exhaled.

    The blue light from before burst out from every inch of his body, but more muted than it had been earlier. When it faded, standing in his place was a young man of tall stature. He had long black hair and clear blue eyes, with a strong jaw and a well-defined physique. He was not distinctively charming or excessively handsome, but his looks were far from common.

    With a shrug of his shoulder, his armor turned to smoke and in its place was a dark brown cloak that slowly settled around him.

    ¡°In your place, I will go out and know many things. Sleep soundly, Rielle.¡±

 Chapter 1: A Chance Meeting

    The Sunset Griffin was an adventuring party experienced in hunting expeditions. Specifically, their field of expertise lay in monster extermination. Today, they were out on a particularly formidable request from a renowned mage who needed a set of Catilik Beetle wings for a certain potion.

    Catilik Beetles were a difficult enough opponent in a one-on-one fight, but most tended to travel in groups of three or four. The true challenge, however, lay in finding the things. In the forests and plains of the continent, Catilik Beetles were essentially extinct. Only in a few difficult-to-reach places would anyone have a chance of seeing one.

    One such place was the Abyss.

    Specifically, it is believed that there may exist colonies of Catilik Beetles anywhere from the sixtieth level of the Abyss on downwards. It is only speculated, not confirmed, but two months ago a B-rank adventurer who was returning from an excursion to deeper levels claimed to have seen one of the beetles, so now the Sunset Griffin had come to chase down what may well be a load of faerie dust. The search had proven fruitless thus far.

    Nevertheless, the five adventurers trekked onward.

    ¡°Jordan, I think we should head back.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been saying that before we even left, Naomi. Why don¡¯t you use that impatient brain of yours to think of a way to find this thing?¡±

    The girl with silver hair who had spoken first, pouted at the man¡¯s response.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like holes,¡± she whined. ¡°Why is it that we accept every request that involves us climbing into pits?¡±

    ¡°There was a vote, and majority wins. Plus, it pays well,¡± Jordan replied.

    Jordan, who led the group, was a strongly built man with a large shield bound to his back and a sword at his waist. Naomi was comparatively a diminutive figure, standing at just over five feet, and held a bow at the ready with her left hand and had a quiver of arrows at her belt. Her only other weapon was a dagger she kept strapped to her boot. Both wore a hard gray leather armor, as did the other three members comprising their team.

    ¡°I think that in cases like these, the vote of your tracker should count for at least triple! I don¡¯t know how you expect me to find an elusive bug that might not even exist by having me stare at rocks all day. In the forest I can use tracks in the mud, or scents in the wind, but here- if I want to find something? Sorry, rocks. Slimy rocks. Stupid rocks.¡±

    Another member, a short and bearded man, chuckled, ¡°I dunno, these rocks have a way of growing on you. Maybe if you give ¡®em a chance, the stones¡¯d be more willing to help.¡±

    Naomi scoffed. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s fine for you down here, being a half-dwarf and all, but I need my fresh air and sunshine¡­ no, not Sunshine, Tavick, I mean- gah! You know what I mean!¡± Kicking a rock, she stalked off ahead of the group, fuming quietly.

    The man, Tavick, who had begun to pull out a bottle of liquor during Naomi¡¯s rant, put away the drink. It was appropriately labeled as ¡°Sunshine,¡± a well-known local brew. After she stormed off, he had another chuckle and shook his head. He gave off an air as if nothing would ever perturb his good mood. The party normally relied on this steady nature of his as much as they relied on his skill with the staff.

    This time, however, it seemed like Naomi¡¯s mood was too sour to be lightened by his mild teasing.

    The fourth member, a thin youth with short blonde hair, groaned. ¡°We¡¯d better go after her before she falls into a pit or aggravates some sleeping dragon¡­¡±

    Jordan spoke up. ¡°I trust her senses. Out of all of us, she¡¯s the least likely to run into trouble¡­ but you¡¯re right. We should-¡±

    A piercing scream rang out from the corridor ahead.

    After sharing a short glance and without needing to consult one another, the group of four immediately began sprinting forward towards the source of the noise. The youth waved his hand and a bright flare shot out in front of him, rocketing into the distance and briefly illuminating the passageway ahead. Far ahead, they could see the silhouette of Naomi¡¯s figure who had fallen on her rear, backing away from a mysterious shadow that loomed menacingly over her.

    Now with an increased sense of urgency, the party raised their speed to the maximum. The teenager began muttering an incantation under his breath, while Jordan readied his shield and unsheathed his sword. Tavick held up a staff in front of him with a determined glint in his eye while the final member, a girl wearing a cloak over her leather armor, slipped her hands into her sleeves, causing the sound of clanking metal to be emitted.

    They quickly reached her. Jordan took up a position in the front, brandishing his sword at the figure, while the rest of the party took up defensive stations around Naomi. Tavick bent down to check if she was uninjured, then straightened himself and glared fiercely at the foe. But his eyes quickly widened in surprise.

    It wasn¡¯t some monster that they were facing, but a young man. His palms were raised in a sign of peace, and his bright blue eyes held no hint of malice. Jordan and the others glanced at one another, unsure of what to do.

    ¡°You¡­ what did you do to Naomi?¡± Jordan tentatively questioned.

    He didn¡¯t answer, but tilted his head slightly to the side while still holding his hands up. A ghost of a smile showed itself on his lips as he watched them with an interested expression.

    ¡°Stop, guys, he didn¡¯t¡­ he didn¡¯t do anything,¡± Naomi murmured, slowly getting up off the ground. ¡°He just¡­ surprised me, is all.¡±

    ¡°Surprised you?¡± Jordan said, traces of incredulity in his tone.

    She grimaced. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve never had that happen to me before. I didn¡¯t sense him at all, and I just ran straight into him. I must be slipping, to not even notice a guy standing right in front of me.¡±

    She waved everyone¡¯s weapons down while grinning apologetically to the man. Jordan, Tavick and the thin man lowered their arms reluctantly, while the last girl withdrew her hands from whatever weapon she was hiding beneath her cloak.

    ¡°You are Naomi?¡± The man, who had lowered his palms, finally spoke. His voice was low-pitched, but it had a rather melodious tone. He would make for a good storyteller.

    ¡°Ah, yeah. Sorry about that. These guys were just trying to look out for me, so don¡¯t take it personally,¡± Naomi explained.

    ¡°No, I apologize for startling you. It was not my intent.¡±

    ¡°Erm, right¡­ anyway, how did you manage to sneak up on me like that? Was it a concealment spell? A special technique? Are you an assassin?¡±

    ¡°Okay you need to calm down, Naomi,¡± Jordan interrupted before she fired off any more irritating questions. Then, he turned to the amused-looking stranger.

    ¡°Pardon me, my name is Jordan. This is our hunter and tracker Naomi, as you already know,¡± he said, gesturing at the girl. ¡°Can I ask your name?¡±

    The man blinked, and there was a short pause.

    ¡°Of course. I am Lokias.¡±

    Naomi piped up. ¡°Lokias? Like the legendary hero?¡±

    ¡°That is correct.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t look like much of a hero to m-¡±

    ¡°This,¡± Jordan said, interrupting with a wave of his hand, is my adventuring group, the Sunset Griffin.¡± He pointed out the rest. ¡°And he is our cleric Tavick, then Elazar the mage, and Miriam. We¡¯re working on a request right now, some mage wants us to find a Catilik Beetle. You haven¡¯t seen one around, have you?¡±

    Lokias shook his head. ¡°To my regret, I do not know what they look like.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ that¡¯s fine. In case you do run across one, they¡¯re just a large beetle about three feet long, with a green shell and black underside. They have a horn that can inject a nasty poison, so be on your guard.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for the warning, but what I mean to say is that I do not know what a beetle looks like.¡±

    There was a brief, stunned silence.

    Naomi, who was in the back of the group, whispered to Tavick. ¡°Is it just me, or is this guy kinda weird? I mean, he talks like a noble and all, but no noble would be down here in the first place¡­¡±

    Jordan, unsure if he was getting made fun of or not by Lokias¡¯ response, chose to change the topic of the conversation. ¡°Um, is your group nearby? Maybe they¡¯d have seen one of the beetles. It¡¯s rare to meet another party in this dungeon, so we should take advantage of the situation and help each other out if possible. Of course, we¡¯d be happy to help out with anything you need if we can come to an arrangement.¡±

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    Once again, Lokias shook his head. ¡°I am alone.¡±

    Murmuring broke out between several of the members of the Sunset Griffin. Lokias watched them with an inquisitive gaze. Naomi was the first to break the silence.

    ¡°So, you must be like, a B-rank adventurer, right? To be able to travel down here alone?¡±

    He tilted his head. ¡°I am not. However, I would be glad to help you in your quest.¡±

    ¡°Eh? For free?¡± Naomi probed. ¡°Nobody ever does anything for free, and don¡¯t think for a second we¡¯re going to give you a cut of the reward. So, what do you want in return?¡±

    Lokias, without twitching a muscle, asked, ¡°Perhaps you could show me the way out?¡±

    - - -

    The now party of six walked through the winding corridors and large passageways of the dungeon, searching for signs of the Catilik Beetle and staying on the alert for threats. They did not encounter a single monster, however. The entire time, Lokias was smiling and looking around everywhere as if sightseeing.

    After several hours of eventless travel Naomi, who had been annoyed to the limit, finally asked, ¡°What does an idiot who got lost in a dungeon have to be so happy about, anyway?¡±

    He turned to her with curious eyes, ¡°I do not know. What does he have to be happy about?¡±

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t a rhetorical question! I¡¯m asking why you have that damn smile on your face all the time!¡±

    ¡°That is because I am happy.¡±

    A vein bulged out on Naomi¡¯s temple as Tavick guffawed and patted her shoulder. ¡°Give it up, Naomi. You aren¡¯t gonna be able to talk with this one. He¡¯s an interesting fellow, this Lokias.¡±

    Soon, they decided to set up camp for the night. After finding a large cavern and securing a vantage point where they could observe the surroundings, the team began unpacking their bags and setting out sleeping rolls. They pulled out hard rations and munched on those while Jordan consulted a map with Naomi. Miriam sat out on a lonely rock and ate while she scanned the area.

    Elazar, meanwhile, was staring at a wooden cylinder he held in his hand. Occasionally, he would shake it or tap it with his fingers. Tavick approached the frowning mage.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, lad?¡±

    Elazar looked up from the object. With knit brows, he explained. ¡°It¡¯s this depth sensor. It isn¡¯t working.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Well, the mana readings are still being given, but the levels are too low. It¡¯s saying that we¡¯re around level ten, instead of sixty-eight. That old man from the store must have given me a malfunctioning device.¡±

    Lokias had approached the two sometime during the conversation, and he listened in quietly.

    Tavick made a noise as if thinking. ¡°Hrmm¡­ it was working fine earlier, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the thing. Magical devices shouldn¡¯t just stop working unless they¡¯re damaged, and I never even dropped it.¡±

    ¡°Well, ¡®long as we don¡¯t leave the areas on the map, we¡¯ll be fine! That thing¡¯s like a compass when you¡¯re on a road¡­ you don¡¯t need it, but it¡¯s fine to have around!¡± Chortling, the man strolled off to see to Jordan and Naomi.

    Lokias spoke up from behind Elazar. ¡°What is that object used for?¡±

    The mage jumped, then upon seeing Lokias, sighed. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just you. You sure have a knack for sneaking up on people, you know that?¡±

    ¡°So I have come to discover. I apologize.¡±

    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s fine. You wanted to hear about this thing? You know about mana sensors, right?¡±

    He shook his head, making Elazar show a baffled expression.

    ¡°Did¡­ did you grow up in a cave? This kind of stuff is common knowledge, you know! Common knowledge! How did you end up here without knowing anything, anyway?¡±

    ¡°I got lost,¡± he responded brightly.

    ¡°Sure, sure, whatever,¡± Elazar grunted, clearly unconvinced. ¡°Well, if you aren¡¯t from Acoria, though you don¡¯t talk like one, I can understand a country bumpkin not knowing about mana sensors. So this thing,¡± he said, pointing at the device, ¡°is a specialized mana sensor. A mana sensor basically reads the amount of ambient mana in the surroundings and gives the user a numerical equivalent. This one does that, but it has a special feature that is supposed to tell me what level of the dungeon we¡¯re on. The levels are determined by how much ambient mana there is¡­ the more there is, the higher the level, and the more dangerous it gets. Also, the amount of ambient mana in certain areas slowly changes with time in this dungeon, so this thing can really come in handy. Outdated information can lead to your death!¡±

    Lokias listened attentively the whole time, nodding at key points in the explanation. Elazar, seeming pleased to have such an interested listener, began to lecture at length about all the dangers of being caught unprepared. There seemed to be many.

    - - -

    In the Academy of Magic in the city of Acoria, located directly above the Abyss, people could be seen running to and from the headmaster¡¯s office in a state of panic.

    Inside the office, a middle aged man with black hair and a ferocious set of eyebrows spoke to a woman with a clipboard. ¡°Have you sent the investigative teams yet?¡±

    ¡°They are on their way¡­ but we still don¡¯t know what they¡¯re looking for. I said to keep their eyes open for anything.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s leading the team?¡±

    ¡°Juniver Kolpas, B1-rank adventurer. They should be able to gather data up to the hundred and twentieth level,¡± she replied.

    Sitting at a desk behind the two was an elderly man with long, silvery hair and dark blue robes adorned with silver patterns. A pointed hat sat on the desk beside him. Everything about him gave off the impression of an accomplished wizard.

    He spoke, ¡°Lisa, that team won¡¯t be able to uncover much that we don¡¯t already know. What I¡¯m more concerned about is the Mage Guild. How goes the report?¡±

    ¡°They have agreed to send three specialists from Gr¨ªem Blanca. They will take a week to arrive, so that¡¯s why I decided to go ahead and conduct an independent investigation of our own.¡±

    ¡°A week, you say...¡± he mused.

    A knocking sound came from the large oak doors at the entrance to the office.

    A muffled voice came from outside. ¡°Headmaster! Urgent news from the Consul¡¯s office!¡±

    Lisa opened the doors and a man staggered in, gasping for breath.

    ¡°The¡­ wards have gone down, sir. They failed. All around the city. The Consul is asking for aid from the Academy!¡±

    The headmaster, sitting with his pointed hat, frowned. ¡°What sort of aid does he mean? If it¡¯s combatants he wants, there are plenty of adventurers to choose from. I won¡¯t have my students and teachers dragged into defending the city at the risk of their lives. If it¡¯s the wards he wants fixed, he will have to wait, as we have no power sources large enough to fuel them since the mana wellspring vanished.¡±

    The man, still panting, pleaded. ¡°But sir! The families of your students that are living in the city will be at risk, too! Even if you forbid them, the students will still leave to protect their families!¡±

    The headmaster turned to the serious-looking man with black hair.

    ¡°Very well, then. Julius, have all the families of our students and teachers enter the Academy grounds for the time being. Our wards are still functional, and it is safe here. Be sure to tell them that. Once everyone is inside, order a third-degree lockdown of the premises.¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± he nodded. ¡°Lisa, you stay here with the headmaster. Contact me if anything urgent comes up.¡±

    The clipboard-holding woman inclined her head in assent.

    ¡°I¡¯ll return once I accomplish my task.¡± With large strides, Julius left the office, leaving the three others behind.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave too, if you don¡¯t mind. I need to report your decision to the Consul.¡± Saying that, the messenger left at a brisk pace.

    The headmaster rubbed at his temples, sighing.

    ¡°What a catastrophe this turned out to be. The entire foundation of this city, vanishing overnight.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it will yet return, sir?¡± Lisa stated hopefully.

    ¡°No. Things such as this don¡¯t just fix themselves; I¡¯ve lived long enough to know at least that much. Whatever the origin of the mana wellspring of the Abyss was, it¡¯s gone now. The thousand-year history of this city may come to an end with this¡­ on my watch, moreover.¡±

 Chapter 2: Hostile Feelings

    ¡°It¡¯s weird. It¡¯s really, really weird,¡± Naomi muttered.

    ¡°I agree. For something like this to happen, it¡¯s definitely a first time for me,¡± Jordan admitted.

    Tavick and the others all nodded their heads as they sat around, chewing on their lunch. It was the next day, and Lokias¡¯ official second day of dungeon traveling with the Sunset Griffin party.

    Only Lokias seemed puzzled. ¡°What exactly is strange? I haven¡¯t noticed anything out of place.¡±

    ¡°You,¡± Naomi mumbled, ¡°Embody all that is clueless. Of course you didn¡¯t notice anything.¡±

    ¡°Everyone¡¯s just a bit worked up, Lokias,¡± Elazar chimed in. ¡°We haven¡¯t seen sight nor sound of a single monster for almost two days. At the rate things are going, it¡¯s just becoming more likely that we won¡¯t complete our job. Supplies will only last us for another three days, and it still takes two days to reach the surface from here. There isn¡¯t much time left for hunting.¡±

    After their break, the party stood up to continue the search. But three more hours passed where not a single monster was seen. Jordan was preparing to call it off. Bad enough that they couldn¡¯t find any monsters, but even if they did, it was unlikely for a Catilik Beetle to appear among their number.

    Just as he was turning around to tell the group, Naomi perked her head up and made a quick silencing motion with her hand.

    ¡°Something¡¯s coming!¡± She hissed.

    The group hastily prepared, entering defensive postures and aiming their weapons in the direction she indicated. All but Lokias, who stood upright, staring down the tunnel with a bright look in his eyes.

    Naomi prodded him in the stomach. ¡°What are you doing?! Get to the rear if you¡¯re just going to stand around in our way!¡±

    Lokias replied, but so that only Naomi could hear. ¡°It is not a monster ahead of us, however. It is four other people, like you.¡±

    ¡°Like us?¡± Naomi paused, considering that wording for a short moment before snapping her attention back towards the approaching party.

    ¡°Ho there, you six!¡± A voice came from up ahead. ¡°Identify yourselves!¡±

    They had been seen and counted before the opposing party could be identified, proving that whoever the strangers were, they had someone with superior senses on their team. But, they were human. Elazar breathed a sigh of relief.

    Jordan replied, ¡°We are the adventuring party, the Sunset Griffin! Now state your names!¡±

    ¡°The Sunset Griffin? I¡¯ve heard of you¡­ a C-rank adventuring party if I¡¯m not mistaken?¡±

    An annoyed look showed up on Jordan¡¯s face. ¡°That¡¯s right, now who are you?¡±

    The mysterious group, led by a handsome man with a casual stride, appeared within range of the light emitted from Tavick¡¯s lantern. The man was tall, with a square jaw and curly brown hair. His chest plate gleamed in the light, and he wore a confident smile that screamed of gallantry.

    ¡°J-Juniver Kolpas!¡± Jordan stuttered. He straightened his back, as if trying to appear more presentable. ¡°Sorry for my rudeness, I didn¡¯t realize it was you!¡±

    The man named Juniver, still smiling, nodded graciously in response.

    ¡°Hmph. What are you lot doing here?¡± An arrogant voice came from behind. A short and thin man with furrowed brows appeared. ¡°You¡¯re the Sunset Griffin, right? Shouldn¡¯t you be on the surface, aiding the city?¡±

    ¡°Helping the city? What for?¡± asked Jordan.

    ¡°Did something happen?¡± Tavick added.

    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®did something happen?¡¯ How long have you been down here?¡± The thin man questioned.

    ¡°A little over a week.¡±

    ¡°Then surely you noticed it right? You guys can¡¯t be that blind.¡±

    The party members glanced between one another, shaking their heads. The man, who was watching the looks on everyone¡¯s faces, snickered loudly.

    ¡°Hah, what a bunch of fools you are! And you¡¯re one of the top teams in Acoria? From what I can tell, you¡¯re just here to drag down the names of us hard-working adventurers with you.¡±

    ¡°Now now, Givol, calm down. I¡¯m sure that they¡¯re just lacking a mage sensitive to the flows of mana. It isn¡¯t their fault,¡± Juniver intervened.

    Elazar lowered his head, shadowing his face so that no one could see his expression, while at the same time, Tavick was hard at work holding back Naomi, who acted very much like she wanted to show Givol just how much she was ¡®dragging down the adventurers.¡¯ Jordan maintained his calm, but his fists were tightly clenched.

    Juniver continued speaking, now with an apologetic smile on his face. ¡°What Givol was trying to say was the poor state that Acoria is in right now. The flow of mana from the Abyss has stopped¡­ do you know what that means?¡±

    Elazar quietly gasped, previous embarrassment forgotten. ¡°It has? But, if that¡¯s true¡­ the results would be catastrophic, especially if it were permanent! The city would be thrown into chaos, wardstones would stop working, along with any other artifacts that draw upon the wellspring of mana¡­ wait a moment¡­ so that¡¯s why the readings of my sensor were so odd!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. The city of Acoria has called upon all adventurers to help bolster defenses while countermeasures are thought up. Raid squads are being formed to patrol for monsters, and from what I hear, the Murians might be on the move. We were sent on a special mission to scout out the deep levels and try and find the cause of the mana disappearance, but all other adventurers are to report in at the guildhouse for duty. You¡¯d better hurry, when a state of emergency is called and registered adventurers don¡¯t show up, blacklisting has been known to happen.¡± Juniver explained.

    ¡°Thank you very much for the warning. We had better be going soon if that¡¯s the case,¡± Jordan said, respectfully lowering his head in gratitude.

    ¡°Mm,¡± Juniver nodded. ¡°Take care on your journey up.¡±

    However, just as they were preparing to go their separate ways, the not-so quiet voice of Lokias could be heard happily questioning Elazar in the background. ¡°Murians are on the move, he said? Are they some sort of creature? And what is this ¡®blacklisting¡¯ he spoke of?¡±

    Elazar gaped at him, then glanced nervously over at the senior adventuring group.

    Givol paused, as if just noticing the one person dressed differently than the other members of Sunset Griffin, and a flash of realization gleamed in his eyes.

    ¡°Hey, you! I don¡¯t recognize you. Are you part of the Sunset Griffin? Where¡¯s your adventurer identification?¡±

    "What''s that?" Lokias inquired.

    Elazar hastily spoke up. ¡°Um, what he means to say is, he lost his identification a few days ago in a skirmish with some monsters, so he needs to get a new one at the guildhouse. Surely you¡¯ll let him go, right?¡±

    But Givol wasn¡¯t willing to let things slide. He unsheathed his short sword by a fraction from its sheath. ¡°It¡¯s illegal for citizens to enter the Abyss, as you well know. And it¡¯s illegal for an adventurer to be without his identification in a place like this. If he doesn¡¯t have a badge, then¡­¡± He paused, chuckling evilly. ¡°You¡¯d better give him up.¡±

    A look of disgust came over Naomi¡¯s face. ¡°What kind of a nutcase are you, huh? Don¡¯t think we¡¯ll just roll over and give him up! If it¡¯s a fight you want, it¡¯s a fight you¡¯ll get!¡±

    She readied her bow, nocking an arrow to the string.

    The rest of the party tensed. Though Lokias wasn¡¯t a member of their team, the Sunset Griffin were, for the most part, the type that would quickly befriend anyone, so Lokias was already considered an ally by them. Though his background was still shrouded in mystery and his awareness of the world at large seemed sorely lacking at times, his character had already been endeared in the hearts of the party members.

    Jordan threw Juniver a pleading glance.

    ¡°Can you talk to him, please? Lokias isn¡¯t a criminal, he¡¯s been with us for our entire journey. This is just a misunderstanding!¡±

    Juniver, all traces of his previous friendly attitude now wiped out, adopted a deadpan expression. ¡°It¡¯s a serious infraction of the law to enter a restricted area without valid identification. I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯d best stand down if you know what¡¯s good for you. Givol, as a B-rank adventurer stationed in Acoria, has the authorization to carry out the law in place of state authorities. And he¡¯s-¡±

    ¡°Ah, here it is!¡± Lokias exclaimed, holding up an object he had just fished out from inside his cloak. ¡°If I am not mistaken, this is a badge, correct?¡±

    What he was proudly displaying in his hand was a circular metal disk, three inches in diameter. In the very center there was fixed a blue gemstone one inch across, and a series of similarly blue lines spread out from that gemstone across the rest of the metallic surface of the badge in dizzyingly beautiful patterns. It was an exquisite piece of craftsmanship, but Givol only sneered viciously at the sight of it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re trying to pull, but that isn¡¯t any adventurer¡¯s badge I¡¯ve ever seen. Heh heh, after I cut you up though, I¡¯ll happily accept that offering¡­¡±

    He pulled out the rest of his wickedly curved sword, and took a step towards the group. Everyone¡¯s expressions tightened, and they pulled in closer towards Lokias, who was looking a little confused. Jordan spoke under his breath.

    ¡°Givol is a B2-rank assassin. We won¡¯t stand a chance if we show him our backs. Miriam, we need you to go on the offensive since you¡¯re the only one who¡¯ll be able to hit him.¡±

    Miriam mutely nodded, bringing her hands into the folds of her cloak, where the mysterious clanking noise came forth once again.

    ¡°The rest of us will be trying to draw his focus. The biggest problem will be if the other three decide to intervene, so what we need to do is hit him hard and then run for it, before they have the chance to get involved. Once Miriam takes out Givol, Elazar needs to deploy a smokescreen to cover for us. Then we¡¯ll run in the direction they came from as fast as we can. No looking back. Got it?¡±

    The Sunset Griffin showed their acknowledgement by, as one, preparing for combat. Naomi raised her bow and aimed it at Givol, Jordan drew his falchion, Tavick raised his oak staff, Miriam lowered her stance, and Elazar began muttering the strange and arcane syllables to a spell. Only Lokias furrowed his brow and, for the first time since meeting the Sunset Griffin, he showed a perturbed look.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    But all this was interrupted by a choking sound that came from behind Juniver. One of the members of his party, a blonde-haired and clean shaven man who had not spoken a word until now, was staring at Lokias, eyes bulging out.

    Forcefully, he squeezed out a few words. ¡°I¡­ remember it now¡­¡±

    And as he said that, a wild look came over him. ¡°That badge¡­ that badge! You¡­ must stop, Givol! STOP!¡±

    Everyone paused, staring at the cause of the sudden outburst. Givol hesitated as well, and turned to the man. ¡°What¡¯s this all about, Serell?¡±

    Serell didn¡¯t bother replying to him, and instead turned to the Sunset Griffin and deeply bowed, fear now present in his eyes. ¡°Great Lord, please forgive us! We did not recognize your insignia for what it was, and for that you have our greatest apologies.¡±

    He quickly switched his gaze to his teammates. ¡°Bow!¡± He hissed. ¡°Bow if you know what¡¯s good for you!¡±

    Stiffly, awkwardly, the other two lowered their heads in the direction of Lokias, leaving Givol alone staring blankly at his team. Only when Serell looked right into his eyes with a manic glare did Givol finally incline his head towards the now-dumbfounded party.

    One by one, they turned to look at Lokias, who was still holding the badge in his hand. He spoke at last, turning to his friends.

    ¡°That seems to conclude things here, we should go now!¡±

    Without waiting for confirmation or even acknowledging Serell¡¯s actions, he walked off at a brisk pace, forcing the rest to scramble after him. The last of the group to leave, Jordan, turned and gave the four still-bowing adventurers one last look, catching the eye of Juniver. It was no longer admiration that appeared in Jordan¡¯s eyes when he looked at him, but a hint of something else. Juniver averted his gaze first, turning back to his teammates.

    When Jordan¡¯s back finally faded into the distant shadows, he was the first to speak.

    ¡°Serell, you had better explain yourself. Quickly. That badge was no noble crest.¡±

    The man named Serell was standing in place, frozen solid. Sweat dripped down his face and soaked into his expensive-looking outfit. When he spoke, his voice was very faint.

    ¡°Juniver, you know my background, right?¡±

    ¡°You are a third cousin of the previous Southern Duke. The only reason I bowed was because I assumed you knew something that I didn¡¯t. So speak up, before I decide we¡¯re better off as a three-man party and then go after those six and clean them up myself,¡± he growled.

    Juniver was a man who respected his image. He maintained it meticulously, keeping himself pristine and pure in the public eye. Underneath, however, he was a far more ruthless man. If the Sunset Griffin were going to reach the surface and speak ill of him, then he would prefer they not reach the surface at all.

    Serell sighed. ¡°Truthfully, I don¡¯t know what that crest represents. I¡¯ve only seen it once before in my life.¡±

    Givol practically roared in response. ¡°And so you had us all bow to some unknown badge?! You fucking wretch, I ought to skewer you through here and now!¡± But before he could draw his sword and act on his impulses, he was held down by the fourth member of the party, a heavyset bald man wearing full plate armor. He calmly nodded for Serell to continue, which he did, launching into a monologue.

    ¡°You all know of the previous king, right? Berinon. He was a proud man. Prouder than the last ten generations of our rulers put together. I mean, he began the War of the Eight, which isn¡¯t something just anyone could¡¯ve done. He had the arrogance that believed he was destined to rule everything under the sky¡­¡±

    His faint voice grew gradually stronger here.

    ¡°Which it turns out he couldn¡¯t. But this isn¡¯t about his downfall¡­ I¡¯m solely talking about his character right now. I saw him once, when I was a kid, so I think I know his personality pretty well. He came to visit the lands of the Southern Duke, and I watched him arrive with a retinue of five thousand knights. Five thousand! We had to use civilian stables to house all their horses since the Southern Keep couldn¡¯t hold them all. And when he showed up at our gates and my cousin went out to greet him, the first thing King Berinon did was roar at him for not having maintained his roads well enough. I¡¯d never seen anyone yell at my cousin before. I didn¡¯t know it was possible. But the Duke just took his insults without lifting a finger in retaliation.

    ¡°And that night, we had a feast. King Berinon sat in the seat of honor with the Duke on his left and the Queen at his right. I was way down near the other end of the table, but I had a good view of everything. And what I saw, which surprised me greatly, were two people sitting in the balcony above the dining hall, directly over the seat of honor.

    ¡°It was a huge infraction of the rules.

    ¡°No one was supposed to be higher than the seat of honor. If someone had pulled that with only the Southern Duke present, he still probably would have gotten himself hanged, but this was King Berinon!

    ¡°But no one said anything. I thought I must have been the only person who noticed them, and I kept it to myself. I wanted to get a closer look at those two people. They were behind a veil in the balcony, so I couldn¡¯t make out their faces, but I wanted to know who was brave enough to place themselves over the King.

    ¡°So, after the meal, I hurried over to the staircase that leads down from the balcony, and hid around a pillar, peeking out at it.

    ¡°Then I saw them. They strode down the steps as gracefully as fairies; a man and a woman. Their skin was dark, like the nomads of the west, but somehow it was far more beautiful than that. Their clothes were made of fabrics I couldn¡¯t recognize, their hair was long and golden, but their eyes¡­¡±

    Serell gulped and shuddered, shaking himself free of his feverish dream.

    ¡°At any rate, they were magnificent. It was otherworldly. And emblazoned on their robes was an emblem¡­ the same emblem that that man held up, Lokias.¡±

    The other three party members glanced at one another, before turning their attention back to Serell.

    ¡°If it was just this, I wouldn¡¯t have had any reason to bow to that emblem, but there¡¯s more. At the time, I assumed they were a pair of foreign dignitaries who simply held themselves in higher regard than our King. I even felt indignant towards them at the time, thinking the country of Astrana was being slighted.

    ¡°But three nights later, I saw Berinon talking to them. It was midnight, and the three of them were alone in a courtyard. I had been following that couple when I could for the past few days, and something I discovered was that they never once interacted with any members of the keep or even the King¡¯s retinue. Hell, I never even saw them eat!

    ¡°I was, of course, wondering why they were meeting¡­ and so I hid nearby and listened in. I was only nine years old, and I knew that place like the back of my hand, so it was easy enough for me to crawl behind a statue and keep still and silent. Had I been caught I definitely would have been killed, but I was very careful to avoid discovery.

    ¡°Anyway, I missed the earlier part of their conversation, but Berinon was acting worried. He was looking at the ground and not meeting their eyes. The woman was talking to him, but her voice was very strange. I remember at the time that I recognized the words she was saying, but as soon as they entered my ears, they slipped right out of my head. I¡¯m certain now that it was a magic spell meant to conceal her speech, so it was impossible to understand her and even to this day I do not know what she said. Berinon, however, I could still hear.

    ¡°And he was begging.¡±

    - - -

    Further up the passage and growing increasingly further from the B-rank adventurer party, were the briskly travelling members of the Sunset Griffin. They followed behind Lokias who strode forward with an unusually complicated look on his face. After an hour of this, he finally began to slow down.

    Jordan was the first to approach him.

    ¡°Hey, Lokias, what happened back there?¡±

    He remained silent.

    ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t understand the ordeal with that badge or anything, but what is it that has you so worked up?¡±

    Lokias looked at him. ¡°I do not like those people.¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t the only one!¡± Naomi snorted from behind them.

    ¡°No, I¡­ I just felt that we had to leave that place quickly, before I acted upon impulse. I apologize for worrying you. And thank you, for protecting me. I do not think that you needed to do that.¡±

    Jordan grinned. ¡°Listen, Lokias. You¡¯re traveling with us, which makes you one of us. You¡¯ve given us no reason to doubt you, so until you do, we¡¯ll stand by your side.¡±

    ¡°There he goes again. It¡¯s always so embarrassing when Jordan does this,¡± Naomi muttered.

    Lokias smiled. ¡°And I will stand by yours as well.¡±

    ¡°So then,¡± Tavick interrupted, walking up between the two and slapping Lokias on the back. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve got all our allegiances worked out, what¡¯s the situation with that badge that had those reprobates shaking in their boots back there?¡±

    Lokias held up the badge. ¡°Do you not recognize this?¡±

    Everyone shook their heads.

    ¡°Neither do I,¡± he sighed, a trace of sadness showing in his expression. ¡°I received this from someone, but I do not know its background.¡±

    Elazar frowned. ¡°Could I see that for a moment?¡±

    After taking the badge in his hands and turning it over a few times, he spoke. ¡°This badge contains some sort of magic formation on it, but I can¡¯t tell you what it¡¯s for. I imagine some of the teachers at the Academy might be able to figure it out, though.¡±

    ¡°The Academy of Magic?¡± Lokias asked.

    ¡°The one and only. In Astrana, at least.¡±

    Lokias looked up at the ceiling, thirty meters above his head, anticipation showing on his face.

    ¡°How long until we reach the surface?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Well, after accounting for all the wrong turns you made as we followed you for this past hour, it should take us a little under forty hours,¡± Jordan explained.

    ¡°Ah,¡± Lokias said, slightly flustered.

    Naomi smirked. ¡°At least you have the decency to look embarrassed. So you¡¯re ready to leave this dungeon, huh?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I am.¡± He replied.

 Chapter 3: Islemerith

    Lokias stood outside a large cave entrance, gazing at the star-dotted sky that reached far above him. With crystalline blue eyes that pierced through all shadow and darkness, he stared out over the distant reaches of the endless horizon. The vault of heaven lay out before him in more detail than human eyes could ever imagine.

    He examined the four moons that slowly made their way through the inky canvas of the night sky. Tracing their contours and craters and tracking their ponderous movements, he watched as the golden rings of Luinra slowly revolved around their silvery mother, as the weighty red giant Quakius ascended to the zenith of its path across the sky, and as the small blue moon Lim tore a speedy trail across the horizon, chasing after his hidden twin sister, Lai.

    A gentle wind swept through the boughs of the stately ash trees that grew about the surrounding foothills. The tall grass swayed in the breeze, singing a soft tune that spoke of the wild skies and boundless lands covering all the surfaces of the world.

    And Lokias, a being incapable of tears, chose instead to smile.

    - - -

    A quarter mile away, the Sunset Griffin had just finished coming to an agreement regarding their newest companion. The five companions sat on logs around a campfire, conversing in low tones.

    ¡°What do you think caused it?¡± Jordan asked.

    Elazar shrugged. ¡°There are several known monsters that can bring about amnesia in their victims, though it¡¯s usually from one of the side effects of a toxin that specific monster utilizes. And when we¡¯re talking about the Abyss, there are plenty of monsters in there that we don¡¯t know about. Or at least, there were plenty of monsters¡­¡±

    Tavick scratched his head. ¡°Speaking of which, where the hell do you reckon all the beasties ran off to? There wasn¡¯t a single whiff of monster hide in the last three days we spent in that hole!¡±

    Naomi looked down, murmuring, ¡°Ever since we met Lokias¡­¡±

    Jordan tilted his head. ¡°Hm? What was that, Naomi?¡±

    ¡°Oh! N-nothing. Just thinking to myself,¡± she said, laughing it off.

    The party entered a short period of contemplative silence. Jordan glanced over at their mage. ¡°Elazar. It couldn¡¯t be that the disappearance of the mana caused the monsters to vanish as well, right?¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. More powerful monsters need more mana to survive, but they wouldn¡¯t starve to death just because the ambient levels dropped. There are plenty of ways to secure mana without gathering it in from the atmosphere. Eating other monsters, for example. Plus, we should have at least run across some remains were that the case. We saw signs of recent activity, but no corpses. It¡¯s as though they just¡­ ran off.¡±

    Jordan grunted, going back to scratching his chin in thought.

    ¡°Well, the way I see it,¡± Tavick said, squinting his eyes, ¡°Is that it isn¡¯t our job to find out why they¡¯re gone. Leave the thinking to the mages, that¡¯s what I say!¡±

    ¡°Says the man who brought this subject up in the first place,¡± Elazar mumbled.

    Jordan nodded. ¡°Tavick¡¯s right. We need to focus on our own problems; the first among which being Lokias. What should we do with him? Elazar?¡±

    The young mage thought for a moment before replying. ¡°Well, he doesn¡¯t even seem to realize he¡¯s lost his memories, as far as I can tell. There¡¯s no real benefit in breaking the news to him, either. He seems happy enough as things stand. However, just letting him go loose into the world will cause him more harm than good. His lack of common sense¡­ well, you know. Since we¡¯re already on Academy grounds, why don¡¯t we stop by the Sanitarium on our way out tomorrow and see if the healers there can take a look at him?¡±

    Tavick blinked and turned towards Elazar. ¡°Hold up a moment, I know I said leave the thinking to the mages, but that doesn¡¯t mean we should throw our friend into that den of experiment-crazed bastards!¡±

    "Tavick, I graduated from the Academy you know!¡± Elazar said, a bit touchily. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t harm Lokias. I understand your distrust of magic-users, but Academy healers are all followers of the Argent Will. By their own code, they could never endanger a life placed in their hands. And the medical ward here is the best treatment facility in the entire dukedom!¡±

    Tavick held up his hands, relenting. ¡°All right, all right, we¡¯ll let ¡®em take a short look. But then it¡¯s straight to the guildhouse, along with Lokias!¡±

    Elazar consented. ¡°Sure thing. A short look is all they¡¯ll need. They should be able to identify the problem very quickly. I¡¯m just worried about him¡­ I can¡¯t imagine what it would be like to lose my memories.¡±

    Everyone nodded in agreement.

    ¡°Guys?¡± Naomi broke the short silence. ¡°Where did Miriam go?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Jordan, Elazar, and Tavick all started, looking up at the empty log where the most reticent member of their party had been sitting until now.

    Outside that cave, Lokias was still peacefully observing the sky, and the bright light from the moons reflecting off his eyes. And several feet away stood a silent Miriam. The only cloaked member of the Sunset Griffin; her abilities had yet to be shown. Her violet eyes and dark hair did not reflect the shining moonlight but absorbed it, giving her a quiet grace under the night sky. She made no movements, only watching Lokias as he gazed starwards in a trance. Eventually, she also turned to look at the sky.

    The two remained in that condition until the rest of their companions found them. While shaking their heads, they led the duo back to the camp.

    - - -

    Morning dawned brightly the next day. The Sunset Griffin awoke and ate breakfast while reviewing their plans for the day. Lokias took his separate from the rest on the branch of a tall oak tree, savoring the fresh air while he chewed on his strips of dried jerky.

    ¡°The tales spoke true; the morning sunrise is unquestionably beautiful. In my view however, it pales in comparison to the charm of the moonlit night. This blinding light covers up that of the stars.¡± He paused, murmuring in a softer voice, ¡°It¡¯s rather sad¡­¡±

    As he ate, he listened to the sounds of the woodland animals waking from their slumber. The singing of the birds, the sound of small creatures foraging through the leaves, and the splash of fish leaping out of the water of a nearby pond to catch insects¡­ he heard all of these noises from miles around, many of which he couldn¡¯t even make sense of. It was a strange and new world to him, one filled with energy and life.

    As he was just beginning to lose himself in this animated environment, Naomi¡¯s annoyed voice arose from the base of the tree.

    ¡°Lokias! Get down here already, we¡¯re leaving!¡±

    He peered over the branch to see the silver-haired girl with her arms crossed and foot tapping the ground impatiently. She had her bag on her back, ready to leave. From behind her, he heard the rest of the party approaching along the path.

    ¡°I understand!¡± He called. Deftly placing one hand on the branch beneath him, he swung himself underneath it and leapt to the ground fifty feet below in a single nimble movement. Naomi flinched as he landed right in front of her while smiling brightly.

    ¡°I have finished eating and am prepared for departure.¡± He inclined his head. ¡°Thank you for sharing with me your rations, once again.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s not a problem¡­¡± She waved her hand dismissively, then glanced at him with an eyebrow raised. ¡°Hey Lokias, how did you survive down in the Abyss without supplies, anyway? You were practically without any supplies when we found you.¡±

    Lokias thought a moment, tapping his chin. ¡°Hmm... I suppose it was through luck!¡±

    Naomi nearly choked.

    ¡°Right, if luck could get you through the Abyss, it wouldn¡¯t be the most frightening dungeon in all of Astrana,¡± she thought to herself.

    A voice called out from behind them. ¡°Naomi! Oh good, you found Lokias. Ready to go?¡±

    Lokias turned to greet the speaker, nodding in acknowledgement. ¡°Yes, Elazar. Are we departing for the city of Acoria now?¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. But first we¡¯re going to stop by the Academy, since we have some business there and it¡¯s on the way.¡±

    With the sun at their backs, the reunited group set off towards the Academy of Magic. They all enjoyed about four seconds of silence, until¡­

    ¡°¡­Elazar, what is the Academy like?¡±

    Groans could be heard coming from the rest of the party as the young mage turned to answer the first of Lokias¡¯ many questions.

    - - -

    It was midmorning and the sun was beaming down on the shining minarets of the Islemerith Academy of Higher Magics; dubbed by most of Acoria¡¯s residents simply as ¡®the Academy.¡¯ Located at the eastern border of Acoria, the Academy grounds took up a full third of the city¡¯s territory, though the majority of that territory was comprised of fields. Islemerith itself sat atop the tallest point of the city, guarded on all sides by gleaming white walls. It could be seen from miles around: a bastion of magic whose soaring spires reached towards the heavens above, filling each of the citizens who looked upon it each day with a sense of pride in their home.

    ¡°Such a lofty structure,¡± Lokias breathed, taking in the sight before him. The group had just left the forest and were standing before the eastern gate of the Academy. Two miles away and placed atop a large hill was Islemerith Academy, cutting an impressive sight against the backdrop of a clear blue sky.

    ¡°The belfry is seven hundred feet from the base of the structure,¡± Elazar explained in a somewhat proud voice. ¡°Including the height of Gwynn Bluff, the Academy towers over two thousand feet above Acoria. Impressive, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Tavick chuckled, nudging Lokias in the ribs. ¡°Listening to him go on, you¡¯d think he built the damn thing himself!¡±

    Ignoring the dwarf, Elazar went on. ¡°This gate is one of the two entrances to the Academy grounds. Neither of the gates have a door, but instead are guarded by powerful wards. The only ward normally in operation is the repelgar invocation, which forbids monsters from passing through.¡±

    Jordan spoke up. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t delay here much longer; we have a report to make at the guildhouse. Let¡¯s be on our way.¡± He began striding towards the circular hole in the wall that formed the eastern gate. Elazar followed next.

    The rest of the party followed close behind and passed through the twenty-foot thick wall, reaching the other side without incident. From there, it was a two-mile long walk to the Academy. On the way there, they happened upon a class being taught outdoors. An old man in a silver robe stood on a raised platform before a group of twenty youngsters dressed in white. He was displaying a bizarre, chicken-like creature in one hand. It was three times the size of a normal chicken, and had red feathers with a white belly and a purple beak. It was struggling quite energetically against its captor, but to little avail.

    Lokias slowed down, wanting to listen in, but was quickly intercepted and dragged off by Naomi. As they passed the next bend, from behind came a distressed-sounding squawk and a minor explosion, followed by the noise of giggling students.

    Other than that, they passed several groups of people, not students, gathered together on the way there, all talking in hushed tones. Elazar looked a little confused at first, but began frowning after seeing the fifth-such group.

    Jordan leaned towards him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked under his breath.

    ¡°All the people,¡± Elazar replied, gesturing. ¡°All these civilians inside the walls. They aren¡¯t students; they look more like citizens of Acoria. The only reason the school has ever let civilians in its gates was to give them refuge from monster attacks, but it couldn¡¯t have gotten that bad outside, could it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see why it would have,¡± he said. ¡°Before we left, monster levels were low. I hadn¡¯t even noticed anything strange, but you¡¯re more familiar with the normal state of things inside this school. Let¡¯s ask what¡¯s going on when we reach the Sanitarium.¡±

    Elazar inclined his head, looking down in thought.

    As they approached the Academy, the building only grew more impressive. It was difficult to appreciate the size and intricate detail of the structure from far away, but as they climbed the path leading up Gwynn Bluff and it came into sight more clearly, it began to truly loom over them. It was built with beautifully high arched windows and towering spires, like a gothic castle.

    Though it appeared quite sturdy, the design of the structure made it resemble more closely a cathedral than an academy. Quite peculiarly however, the feeling it gave off belonged to neither of these structures. The aura it emitted was both mightier and more intimidating¡­ it was a feeling that only the mightiest citadels could match. In a word, it was unassailable.

    The impression given to the Sunset Griffin as they neared the front gates of the colossal grey structure was that if any monsters managed to break through the outer walls, they would be stopped dead before ever breaching Islemerith. Even they were somewhat intimidated, with the exceptions of Elazar, who had been a student here, and Lokias, who never seemed cowed by much of anything. Only impressed.

    They passed through the arched entrance of the front gate and the intimidating feeling disappeared, replaced by the hustle and bustle of academia. Students holding bags and books rushed by on their way to the next class. Many sat around the spacious courtyard, reading and chatting. A group of boys were playing a game involving a hoop and three balls in the near section, while in the far corner several girls were gathered around a multicolored, feathery snake-like creature, oohing and ahhing.

    But in this environment, there still remained an air of tension. It could be seen in the lowered heads of those rushing from class to class. In the distracted gazes of the reading students. In the forced cheer of those boys playing ball.

    Around a table at the isolated southern end of the courtyard, a group of teachers with serious faces were discussing something. Elazar¡¯s eyebrows raised in recognition when he noticed them, and he turned his feet to head in that direction. As he and the rest of the party approached, a middle-aged woman with blonde hair looked up from the table. Her eyes widened as she stood up.

    ¡°Elazar! Oh, it is you!¡± She exclaimed warmly.

    He raised his hand. ¡°Hi Lady Xanthe, it¡¯s been a while.¡±

    Rushing around the table, she walked up to Elazar and threw him into a tight hug.

    ¡°I had no idea you were inside the Academy! Why didn¡¯t you tell me¡­ oh, you¡¯re so thin! Have you been eating well? Staying safe? I know that you¡¯ve been off adventuring with that Sunset Griffin, but you need to look after yourself first and foremost!¡±

    Only now did she look up to see the rest of the group, who were all standing around and feeling a little out of place.

    ¡°Oh, these are¡­¡±

    ¡°These are the members of the Sunset Griffin, my companions. Lady Xanthe, I was taking them to the Sanitarium, but when I saw you, I wanted to stop by. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re alright.¡±

    ¡°Of course I¡¯m alright, but Elazar, haven¡¯t I told you to call me Aunt Alyssa? More importantly, you said you were heading towards the Sanitarium? I¡¯ll take you. You can tell me all about your adventures while we walk there.¡±

    Elazar grimaced and adopted a childish pout, abandoning the mature fa?ade that seemed ill-fitted to him. ¡°We can find it on our own¡­ I mean, I don¡¯t want to keep you from your meeting, Lady-¡±

    ¡°Oh, nonsense! They can manage very well without me here. Come now, let¡¯s be on our way!¡± Looping her arm under his, she led a slowly reddening Elazar away. The rest followed behind, barely managing to keep their laughter contained.

    And so the group spent another several minutes strolling through the Academy, while Elazar spoke of the adventures he¡¯d shared as part of the Sunset Griffin. He spoke highly of his companions, but he seemed unopposed towards adding some minor embellishments when it came to discussing his performance. While he talked, Lady Xanthe played the role of an attentive listener, alternately gasping as he described the monsters they had fought and the dangers they faced, and nodding understandingly when he complained about the various exhausting facets of his work.

    Eventually he reached the topic of their most recent job, before he was interrupted by a shout from Lady Xanthe.

    ¡°That old fool Stofaris! What¡¯s he doing asking you to search for a Catilik Beetle?

    ¡°He was paying quite well, and we all agreed that-¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how much he was paying if it¡¯s a job you could never complete! Such a thing is impossible for even many accomplished magicians, never mind a youngster like yourself. I¡¯ve a mind to march over there and give that potion-brewer a piece of my-¡±

    Elazar slipped free of Xanthe¡¯s grasp. ¡°No, don¡¯t do that! Don¡¯t go take it out on him, it was my decision to accept the quest! I don¡¯t need you to protect me!¡±

    The woman paused, perplexed. ¡°Elazar, I¡¯m trying to say¡­ he shouldn¡¯t be asking a child to do something like-¡±

    The boy shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not it¡­ listen, you¡¯re acting like you need to look after me, when you don¡¯t! I¡¯m not a child, I can look out for myself. You¡¯re always checking in with the guild and trying to get me to take easy jobs, and threatening them when they give me a difficult request, but I graduated a year ago already, okay? I don¡¯t need you treating me like a kid¡­ because I¡¯m not that useless kid anymore! I can handle things on my own!¡±

    Lady Xanthe looked down, a tremor of something passing through her eyes. She tightened her now-empty hand and held it to her chest, before speaking softly. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m sorry, Elazar¡­ you¡¯re a capable person now. You don¡¯t need an old lady like me hovering over you.¡±

    Elazar opened his mouth, acting as if he wanted to say something more before simply giving her a frustrated look and stalking away, leaving Xanthe behind along with the rest of the group. Everyone stood there, stunned. They hadn¡¯t expected the boy who always acted the adult to suddenly lose his temper in such a way.

    Tavick sighed, speaking, ¡°I¡¯d best go and talk to the boy. Don¡¯t let ¡®im get to you, miss. He¡¯s just a bit worn out after the long journey, I expect.¡±

    The stocky man hurried after Elazar, turning the former group of seven into five. Lokias watched them go, a small crease forming in his brow. Lady Xanthe looked up as he left, a hint of a question forming in her unhappy face.

    ¡°Journey? What journey was he talking about?¡± She turned to Jordan.

    ¡°We just left the Abyss. We haven¡¯t had a night of decent rest for the last week, so that¡¯s probably what¡¯s got Elazar all worked up. He¡¯ll get over it soon, don¡¯t worry. Tavick will bring him around,¡± Jordan answered in a consoling tone.

    Lady Xanthe froze in place, giving him a funny look.

    ¡°Don¡¯t try pulling my leg now, how long ago did you say you left the Abyss?¡±

    Jordan scratched at his cheek. ¡°We left just this morning, why¡­ what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Lady Xanthe shook her head, a suspicious tone entering her voice. ¡°No, that¡¯s impossible. You couldn¡¯t have left just this morning. Answer me, what is it you¡¯ve been doing inside the Academy all this time?¡±

    Baffled, Jordan responded. ¡°What do you mean? We-¡±

    He was interrupted by the sound of running footsteps coming from every direction. A gruff voice cried out to them.

    ¡°Halt! Intruders, throw down your weapons!¡±

    From all around, soldiers in white plate armor suddenly appeared, swords drawn. Mages stood behind them, staves and wands pointed at the stupefied Sunset Griffin.

    The soldier at the front who had been the first to speak continued. ¡°Lady Xanthe, are you collaborating with these people? This is no small matter. I will say it again, throw down your weapons, intruders! You are being placed under arrest!¡±

    - - -

    Serell Raingale¡¯s log.

    The twenty-first day of Farspring, year 3617.

    It is unusual for me to record my travels in this journal, which I have kept for five years going now. When I do chronicle my journeys, it is usually after the event of a successful expedition, so that I can look back and reminisce fondly upon times past. Such is not the case with this entry.

    I have fallen into hell.

    It began after our meeting with the party of the Sunset Griffin on the third day of our descent into the Abyss. There was a strange absence of monsters for the day after our encounter. I thought that perhaps they had slain all the monsters, as impossible as it would seem for a C-rank adventuring party, but when they have a man possessing that badge, I am no longer capable of judging the impossible.

    Captain Juniver was upset with me over the situation with the Sunset Griffin. He felt that his image would be threatened once they reached the surface and started spouting off tales of how he tried to have them killed. He didn¡¯t accept my explanation about the true nature of those carrying that badge, but I know what I saw that day. That emblem represents a power incomprehensible to man.

    Forgive me, this is beside the point.

    We reached floor 80 earlier this day, but were in the midst of arguing and were not paying ample attention to our surroundings. Consequently, we walked unawares into a den filled with monsters.

    To say it¡¯s unusual for there to be such a high concentration of monsters in a single area on any floor below 100 would be an understatement¡­ in fact, it was unbelievable! Looking back now, I realize they may have been collectively fleeing some other, more powerful monster. Such things are not unheard of in deeper levels, and monsters preying upon each other will only become more common with the lack of nourishing mana in their environment.

    With the disappearance of the mana wellspring, I should have been prepared for unexpected monster activity¡­ but I was not, and we were forced to flee for our lives.

    We fled recklessly. The entrance had been cut off by flying beasts, so we took an unmapped side route. I left behind a trail of simple arcane markings so that we could find our way back, but it was all for naught as we were chased to the brink of a chasm.

    I¡¯d encountered many such shafts, which connect various levels of the Abyss to each other, and on occasion have even utilized one or two; but those were known tunnels. This was an unknown void.

    With no choice left to us but to scale it in an attempt to escape our pursuers, we descended into its mouth. But before we could find our footing on the treacherous walls, we were hit by a wide-range spell unleashed by one of the monsters¡­ and we fell.

    In an attempt to save the group I quickly triggered one of my items, a rune enchanted with the featherfall spell. It must have worked as I still live, though I still blacked out from the aftereffects of the monsters¡¯ spell. I awoke in a pit of sludge sporting various aches and pains with no memory of landing there. The mud served to help soften my landing, though many of my belongings had been lost or ruined. This journal and a few other commodities are all that I have left now.

    Other than myself, Juniver and Salin both survived. Givol was found dead on a rocky outcropping only ten feet from where I landed. None of us were particularly upset by his loss; this was always more a party formed of convenience rather than one of camaraderie¡­ besides, I imagine it will be our turn sooner or later.

    We do not know how far we fell, though it is most certainly below level 100. How far below, I cannot say as the ambient mana used to calculate depth is still gone even this deep into the Abyss.

    We have strayed from all known passages. We are lost. And when one becomes lost in this foreboding place¡­ in the Abyss¡­ well.

    I hear the strange calls of unknown beasts from all around. Some seem nearby, many seem distant, but these tunnels do strange things to sound.

    I do not know how long this journal, enchanted with a preserving magic, will last¡­ but I hope that if one day my remains are discovered and this entry read, that you would take this journal and silver ring that I have left enclosed and bring it to the House of Raingale. If it still exists, they should reward you handsomely for the service.

    On a personal note, I sincerely hope that this is found. What frightens me most now is not my approaching death, but the fear that this labyrinth will swallow even the world¡¯s last memory of me. That the man, Serell Raingale, will never have existed... for me to be forgotten.

    I hear the scraping of chains.

 Chapter 4: Captured

    The Headmaster was sitting at his desk, listening to the report of an officer of the Magus Knights. He stroked his long white beard in a deliberate manner as the armored man spoke. Behind the Headmaster stood Lisa, the stern young woman whose brown hair was tied into an equally stern looking bun.

    "...taken to the holding cells in the upper dungeon.¡± The man finished his report.

    ¡°So the Guard acted on its own?¡± The Headmaster spoke.

    ¡°Yes, sir. We deemed it prudent to act right away upon our confirmation of the situation.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ Ethiem? Are things truly as he said?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes, Headmaster¡­¡± A thin and nervous-looking man stepped out from behind the officer. He was a head shorter than the officer, with a hunched posture which made him seem even smaller. He kept wringing his hands and glancing around anxiously with beady eyes. He gave the impression of a small rodent.

    Stuttering, he continued. ¡°I was s-soulwalking, like you suggested earlier. To help me to g-get over my fear. N-ne-near the eastern gate. I was in the birds¡¯ body flying near the walls when I s-saw them walking up to the gate. They came from outside the city, so I-I thought they didn¡¯t know ab-ab-about the lockdown¡­ but after stopping for a minute, they j-just walked right in! I s-severed the connection and ran to the Mageguard immediately to t-tell them¡­¡±

    ¡°So the barrier is intact, and no alarm wards were tripped. The only reasonable assumption to make is that help must have come from the inside¡­¡± The Headmaster mused.

    Lisa interjected. ¡°Sir, I cannot imagine that anyone among the Academy instructors would betray us. Certainly not Alyssa! It just seems-¡±

    ¡°Unbelievable? Yes. Yes, I think so as well. However, we cannot dismiss the facts. The event that a group of people made it through the activated gate unscathed and for the most part undetected, is one that must be treated with the utmost importance. The fact that it is possible poses a severe risk to this Academy.¡±

    He turned to face her. ¡°Enact a temporary curfew. Have all classes end early, and send the students to their dormitories. Form an investigative squad and gather all the information you can about the background of these intruders and the methods they may have used to breach the gate. Also, sweep the grounds for any more of them that have eluded us and place a squadron of guards at both of the gates. Delegate to Julius as you see fit.¡±

    ¡°Yes sir. If the prisoners are not cooperative, shall I have them tortured?¡±

    ¡°No! We will not resort to such tactics. To the best of our knowledge, these people have yet to harm anyone, and nothing has been stolen. Do only as I¡¯ve instructed for now.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    With a word of assent, his competent assistant left the office. The other two men excused themselves shortly thereafter, leaving the Headmaster alone in his study. He placed his hands upon the desk in front of him, standing up with a sigh. Turning, he strode over to a tall window at the rear of the room. It faced west, looking out over many miles of pristine Academy grounds. At the end of those grounds, a gleaming white wall extended to the north and south beyond the periphery of his vision. It separated the school from the territory of the city of Acoria. The town itself lay far below, shimmering like a jewel in the noonday sun. He skimmed over it, however, barely paying it any heed. His gaze was focused at a point beyond it, far to the west.

    Near the edge of his vision, beyond the walls of Acoria, a dark forest stretched out towards the horizon; an expanse of deep green that has remained untouched by civilization since time immemorial. As he watched those distantly swaying and ancient boughs, he muttered to himself in a grim voice.

    ¡°I pray this was not their handiwork.¡±

    - - -

    Standing alone in a sparsely furnished cell, Jordan was furiously glaring through a slit in the heavy, barred door, yelling furiously into the corridor.

    ¡°I demand to be told why we are being held captive! On what grounds were we brought here?¡±

    He was met with silence.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re there! Listen up, you philistine brutes! I was read no charges before being thrown in here! Is this the way the Academy operates nowadays; capturing travelers without reason and incarcerating them indefinitely?¡±

    A voice finally responded, in a soft whisper. ¡°Hold your tongue. You are being held in Judicium, the upper level. There is no communication while held here, either with the outside world or with other prisoners. Be silent and await your judgement.¡±

    ¡°What sort of nonsense is-¡±

    With a tap, a panel was slid over the opening in the door Jordan was using to speak, cutting him off from the outside. Out of frustration, he banged on the door several times, but was rewarded with nothing but an aching fist. Still fuming, he turned and walked to the rear of the small cell and took a seat on his cot, where he took a few long breaths to calm himself.

    He had been separated from his party. Once they had been surrounded, Jordan hadn¡¯t even had the time to gather his wits. Faced with an overwhelming superiority in numbers and strength, he did the only thing he could and complied with the demands, laying down his weapons. He, Naomi, Miriam, Lokias and Xanthe were quickly bound up and taken to the south wing. Once they entered the main tower, they had been divided up and taken to separate locations.

    He had been strapped to a chair and interrogated for nearly an hour. No, he did not know the Academy was under lockdown. He did not understand how he and his party had passed through the eastern gate. He was not under the employ of any forces or individuals who meant Islemerith harm. After answering all the questions truthfully over and over, the interrogator had ordered him to be taken to his current cell.

    He did not know where the others were, but he could only assume that they were in a similar situation.

    The most important question in his mind was whether or not Elazar and Tavick had been found. If they were still at large, they were likely in a more dangerous situation than the rest of them. He simply prayed Tavick would keep the boy safe, beyond all else.

    Jordan sat and waited. After what seemed like hours, the door finally opened. Framed by the light that was pouring in through the frame were silhouettes of armored men.

    It was the Mageguard of Islemerith.

    The one in the middle was helmetless, a dark-haired man sporting thick eyebrows and carrying with him a heavy atmosphere. He stepped inside, flanked by the two other guards.

    ¡°Prisoner, you¡¯re coming with me to answer some questions.¡±

    ¡°Like hell I am! I¡¯ve already told you all I know! Where are my companions? I demand to see them! We were imprisoned without just cause!¡±

    ¡°Your friends have been brought no harm, thus far,¡± he said. ¡°As for seeing them, that is out of the question. Cooperate now, Jordan Lionbreeze, and that along with your history of meritorious deeds will earn you and your group a reduced sentence. Impede the investigation and upon my word you will never see the light of day again. Understand? Take him.¡±

    The Mageguard stepped in and lifted him up by the arms. Jordan struggled, but shackled and bound as he was, he had no hope of breaking free. Shouting angrily the entire way, he was dragged down a hallway and through several doors before arriving at a room with a metal door and a guard stationed outside.

    The dark-haired man rapped thrice on the metal door, which then creaked slowly open. A dimly lit, circular room that was revealed. He was brought inside and directed to stand in the center next to a raised dais upon which rested a flat, shallow basin of water.

    Jordan squinted his eyes, trying to examine the borders of the room, but it was shrouded in shadow and difficult to make out. As he was studying his surroundings, the two men released him and left through the same door they entered, slamming it shut behind them.

    Only the dark-haired man was left, standing with his arms crossed and his back to the door. The shadows played twisted patterns across his face as his twin eyes of coal glimmered through the dark, staring in silence at Jordan.

    ¡°The lion has arrived,¡± A calm, deep voice spoke from the shadows.

    Startled, Jordan looked around, but he couldn¡¯t make out the speaker.

    A shrill, elderly voice rang out, ¡°To my eyes it is a stray cat that has wandered in from the street!¡±

    ¡°He must look into the Pool,¡± said the last speaker, in an ancient and cracked voice.

    These voices swirled around Jordan, echoing off the walls and disorienting him. He stared at his feet for a moment to calm himself until his head cleared. When the sounds faded he slowly lifted his head. What lay before him was the basin of water. Taking a step forward, he peered into its stillness.

    ¡°Who do you serve, Lionbreeze?¡± Said the first speaker in his deep and commanding voice.

    Jordan opened his mouth to reply but found, startlingly, that he was unable. He tried lifting his head but couldn¡¯t do that either. He was frozen, staring at that pool of water which had begun pulsing with an otherworldly light. He felt his vision getting sucked into its depths, as if a hole in reality had opened up in the middle of that water and he found himself diving in until he was swallowed whole. His other senses were cut off one-by-one until he found himself amidst a miasma of swirling chaos where up was no different from down and emotions were colors. In a realm where time was meaningless, he couldn¡¯t say how long he was in that place¡­ a second or an eternity: it was the same.

    But suddenly, he was ripped free from that disorderly world when a man calmly said, ¡°It would seem his heart is true. He has not lied, and does not regard himself a traitor.¡±

    Jordan staggered backwards and collapsed, sprawled out on the floor while gasping for air. He was sweating profusely. Lifting his hands, he found them shaking.

    ¡°What¡­ was that?¡± He groaned, but was paid no heed.

    ¡°He wasn¡¯t made a servant knowingly, at least. More specific measures should be carried out to assure ourselves that he hasn¡¯t been manipulated by others,¡± said the sharp-voiced man.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    "The concern with this relic has always been its lack of precision. Bring the other captives here, one at a time, so we may test them. As for the cat¡­ take him to Torl.¡±

    The man who had been standing quietly by the door took a hurried step forward. He said, ¡°Magistrates, remember that Headmaster Berillius forbade the torture of the prisoners.¡±

    "Hmph, forbade? With just his authority that is in name only? That imbecile would have us all thrown into the gullet of the Malgol for his foolishness! Placing pride above discretion is a fine recipe for disaster. You would do well to not follow in his footsteps, Julius.¡±

    The man¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Is this the judgement of the council?¡±

    ¡°The council so moves.¡±

    ¡°The decision is made. Have Lionbreeze taken to the Torl for examination.¡±

    Face an impassive mask, Julius strode over to Jordan and lifted by the arm with less effort than one would take lifting a babe. He took him from the room where he was met by the two guards who remained outside. Having lost his earlier ferocity after the events that transpired in the room, Jordan complied with his captors, and was taken through a series of underground tunnels, past many doors and winding passages, ever downwards.

    After some time, he spoke up.

    ¡°Where am I being taken?¡±

    Julius tightened his jaw. Jordan, thinking he would be scolded, was surprised when Julius answered his question.

    ¡°It¡¯s better you are not told. Dreading would only make it worse. This Academy has many secrets and dark truths¡­ at least one of which you will discover today.¡±

    He glanced down at him out of the corner of his eyes, and Jordan saw a hint of remorse there.

    ¡°This is not my will or that of the Headmaster¡¯s, you must understand. The council made a ruling and neither I nor he can overturn it.¡±

    Then he turned his head away as he spoke for the last time, ¡°Those three are not men easily defied. The only consolation I can offer is this: it is unlikely your companions will suffer the same fate as you.¡±

    His complexion still pale from earlier, Jordan gave a small, humorless smile. ¡°Small comfort.¡±

    They did not talk any further, and he was taken the rest of the way in silence but for the clank of boots on hard stone. Flight after flight of stairs they descended, until Jordan thought that they must have burrowed beneath the very roots of the mountain which Islemerith stood upon.

    As they progressed, their surroundings grew ever dimmer and more unkempt. This was an area which Islemerith did little to maintain, it would seem. They walked until finally they stood before an oaken door. It was remarkable in that it was almost entirely unremarkable, much like the hundred other doors they had passed along the way.

    ¡°Wizard Torl! The council has sent you a prisoner; Jordan Lionbreeze - the leader of the group that infiltrated the Academy.¡±

    They heard a thump from the other side of the door, and it slowly creaked open, revealing a dark room that didn¡¯t let out a hint of light. A bent old man greeted them. His hair was oily and unkempt, and his robes were tattered and worn. Upon seeing them, he gave a sinister smile. What few teeth that were left in his mouth were crooked and yellowing, displaying a lifetime of neglect.

    He spoke in a raspy voice. ¡°Yes, yes, excellent to see you again, captain. I was told of your coming¡­ please, come in.¡±

    The guards entered the room with Jordan. Julius remained where he stood, and when the old man turned to look at him, Julius instead spoke directly to the guards.

    ¡°Hurry and bind the prisoner, we¡¯re leaving at once.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure, captain? Might I not entreaty you and your men to stay for tea? It gets ever so lonely down here with only my own company to keep.¡± Torl gave an almost sincere appeal.

    Julius grimaced, but did not otherwise reply. After securing Jordan to a stone chair in the dark room, the Mageguard hastily made their exit. Jordan looked up, and his last sight of the outside was of Julius¡¯s receding back. The door was then slammed shut, plunging him into dark silence.

    There was the sound of an incantation, and a single light came to life- a candlestick held by Torl. The old man began shambling around while excitedly muttering to himself under his breath. After some time, Jordan finally spoke.

    ¡°Are you going torture me?¡±

    Torl paused in his actions, glancing up at his captive.

    ¡°Oh no, torture? Heavens no! Who told you such nonsense? I am no torturer. I am but a scholar. A seeker of truth.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Indeed! I study a cryptic and mysterious magic. Those who reside above don¡¯t like it, no. It¡¯s why they put me down here¡­ but they don¡¯t understand it, either!¡± He snickered.

    Jordan began to have a bad feeling about the situation. Simple torture he could understand, but magic¡­ magic was unpredictable.

    Wavering slightly, Jordan said, ¡°I¡¯ve already told all I know to the wizards. I swear this on my life. I¡¯ve shown far more truthfulness to them than they have to me.¡±

    ¡°Oh yes, very good. You are a man of integrity, I¡¯m sure! I won¡¯t insult you by suggesting that you lied, oh no...¡± he gave a chuckle, his insidious laughter crawling under the skin.

    ¡°Then-¡±

    ¡°But none of that matters to me. ¡°I simply require suitable subjects for my experiments. And you¡­ you¡¯re quite suitable.¡±

    Jordan froze in his restraints, last sliver of hope fading at Torl¡¯s words. A cold stone dropped into the pit of his stomach. He¡¯d heard of the atrocities committed by wizards in the days of old, during the Heretical Wars¡­ vile experiments that used humans as their test subjects.

    ¡°You are fearful, yes? I can see it in your eyes. Hehehe¡­ there is no reason for worry. You are going to be utilized in the name of progress, is that not a reason to rejoice? Tell me¡­ what do you think the success of our Empire is based upon?¡±

    He slowly adopted a mocking tone when Jordan did not answer. ¡°The works of the wizards in service to the Argent Will? Perhaps you think it the strength of the emperor and the achievements of his forebears that brought about our sprawling civilization which unites the four great realms?¡±

    Jordan stared blankly at him, unsure where he was going with this.

    Torl snarled at him, spittle flying as he flew into a sudden rage. ¡°Such conceit! I see it in your eyes. You think me mad! I¡¯d happily teach you of the true past of our empire¡­ but to a cat trapped in a cage with no exit, it would only be an exercise in futility. I¡¯ll have you enjoy your ignorance until the end.¡±

    With that, he stomped away into a side room to continue whatever preparations he was doing, taking the only source of illumination out of the room. Jordan strained his eyes, but try as he might, he couldn¡¯t make out any shapes in the darkness. He was left to brood over his fate alone. As he sat in the darkness, he wondered what had happened to his companions; where they were now and what was being done to them. He prayed they weren¡¯t in a situation like his own.

    - - -

    ¡°Have they left?¡±

    From underneath a leafy shrub, two heads cautiously emerged. The first was young and fair, sporting a look of concentration mixed with apprehension upon his face, while the second was grizzled and hairy, with plenty of wrinkles in the corners of his eyes as evidence of years of laughter. There was little mirth in those determined eyes now, however. The receding sound of marching boots could be heard in the distance, growing ever fainter until it was completely silent.

    ¡°Aye, they¡¯ve moved on. It¡¯s safe now, lad.¡±

    Sure now that the surroundings were clear, Elazar and Tavick emerged from their hiding place. Elazar pulled out a length of string from his pocket. Tied to one end was a ring that gently swung in a strange pattern. The pendulum tugged in a particular direction, defying the forces at work in the world and insistently pulling the string away from the boy.

    ¡°It looks like Lady Xanthe was taken to the southeastern tower,¡± Elazar said, eyeing a particularly wide tower that sat the far southern edge of the cluster of Academy buildings, somewhat separated from the rest.

    He continued, ¡°It¡¯s off limits to students. When I attended here, the other students said that the Mageguard locked monsters up in that tower and that they would let them loose on the grounds at night to hunt¡­ I didn¡¯t believe it, but I guess that it really is a prison of sorts. Do you think the others were also brought there?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ can¡¯t you cast that spell to find them too?¡±

    Elazar shook his head bitterly. ¡°This auramancy cantrip only works with objects that are strongly linked to the person I¡¯m looking for. I¡¯m not skilled enough to use something like a strand of hair; there has to be a strong emotional tie. This ring is an heirloom of Lady Xanthe¡¯s family that¡¯s been passed down for hundreds of years... I don¡¯t have anything like that for the others.¡±

    ¡°Right, right¡­¡± Tavick scratched his head. ¡°Then there¡¯s nothing for it but to break into this tower of theirs and look for ¡®em the old-fashioned way, eh?¡±

    Elazar noticeably paled. He gave the burly man an uneasy nod, and then, as if noticing how unconvincing he seemed, slapped his cheeks once and nodded more vigorously. Tavick looked him over and then just shook his head, smiling softly.

    ¡°Boy, you¡¯d best stay here, hidden. I¡¯ll head to the tower and give it a look-over. If it seems safe enough I¡¯ll come fetch you. Otherwise¡­ well, it wouldn¡¯t be my first time breaking someone out of jail.¡±

    Elazar stared at him, mouth opening dumbly for a minute before he finally found the words to argue.

    ¡°Tavick, what are you saying?! This isn¡¯t some stroll through the park, that tower is likely filled to the brim with the Mageguard! Even a B-rank couldn¡¯t possibly sneak in there unnoticed. Not only that, I also heard that the captain, Julius Therentor, is a-a tenth circle mage! And you want to go in alone? Tavick, you can¡¯t!¡±

    The man gave Elazar a gentle look. ¡°I¡¯ve got to, lad. If we can¡¯t escape through the guarded gates and get help from the Guild, our only bet is t¡¯ join up with the rest. Once we¡¯re together again we¡¯ll figure a way out.¡±

    ¡°Figure a way out? Through the Mageguard? Break out of the Academy¡­¡± he trailed off.

    ¡°No, no¡­ it¡­ it this shouldn¡¯t this way in the first place. This is wrong. Everything is all wrong!¡± Elazar clasped his head in his hands. ¡°The Academy isn¡¯t supposed to just imprison people! Why are they our enemies? I-I¡­ how are we supposed to fight them?¡±

    His knees began to shake as he was overcome with the dawning realization of just what it was they were up against. Tavick placed a firm hand on his shoulder, but it did little to help as the boy teared up and steadily became more and more incoherent.

    ¡°Boy, don¡¯t-¡±

    ¡°What are we thinking anyway, trying to oppose the Academy? We¡¯ll just¡­ we¡¯ll just fail and be captured too! That would probably be for the best, though, wouldn¡¯t it? They¡¯re not going to kill us, they are followers of the Argent Will! It¡¯s just a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding¡­ we should turn ourselves in, explain everything! We can¡¯t get caught by them or it¡¯d end worse for us, so let¡¯s just-¡±

    ¡°BOY!¡± Tavick¡¯s abrupt shout stunned him. The man¡¯s hand suddenly felt icy cold on his shoulder and a chill swept through Elazar¡¯s body, instantly clearing his mind of the fog of panic that was enveloping him.

    ¡°Calm down, boy,¡± Tavick said. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    With wide eyes, Elazar stared at the kindly cleric. ¡°Tavick, I¡­ thanks. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Tavick huffed out a laugh, ¡°Better? Don¡¯t worry so much. You lost your head for a moment there, but don¡¯t mind it, it ¡®appens to the best of us.¡±

    Elazar absently touched his shoulder where Tavick had gripped him to cast the mind-clearing spell. ¡®An abjuration?¡¯ he thought. He still sensed the tingling aftereffects, making him feel as though he were submerged in a cool pond. He felt remarkably clearheaded. He let out a sigh.

    ¡°No¡­ it doesn¡¯t, Tavick. The ¡®best of us¡¯ don¡¯t lose their cool whenever a dangerous situation arises. They don¡¯t abandon their friends from fear.¡± He gave a bitter smile, ¡°I¡¯m just a coward¡­ but what sort of excuse is that?

    ¡°This is what¡¯s going to happen. I¡¯m going to go with you, Tavick, and break our friends out. The Adventurer¡¯s Guild can grant us asylum if we make it out of here, and afterwards I¡¯ll take my leave of the party. No need for me to keep dragging the Sunset Griffin down with me. Let¡¯s head there now, before I change my mind again.¡±

    Elazar turned to head down the path towards the tower looming in the distance. It took Tavick a moment to notice where his friend was going, and he quickly started up after him. Shaking his head, Tavick thought to himself, ¡®The boy is still growing up. He doesn¡¯t even understand what it is he¡¯s truly frightened of.¡¯

    ¡°Lad,¡± he called out, leading Elazar to turn in response. ¡°You give yourself too ¡®ard of a time. We¡¯d be sad to see you leave, y¡¯know. And if I¡¯m guessing right, I¡¯d wager Miriam would be the saddest of us all.¡±

    Elazar quickly turned his face away without giving him a response, hiding his reaction to his companion¡¯s words. As the young mage walked away however, Tavick thought he could see a slight blush creeping onto Elazar¡¯s cheeks. He chuckled softly to himself, following along closely behind him.

    He was evidently too amused by his friend¡¯s reaction, because he almost slammed right into him when Elazar suddenly stopped in his tracks before taking even five steps down the road. The boy was staring straight ahead, all color gone from his face. Alarmed, Tavick looked up to see what had frozen him to discover a figure standing in the path not ten paces away from the two.

    It was an elderly man wearing a cloak of midnight blue. He had a long silvery-gray beard and hair that stretched nearly to his waistline. His fingers were wrapped around a gracefully carved wooden staff as tall as he was and crowned with a blue gemstone that gleamed serenely in the afternoon light. His very presence caused a powerful aura to fill the surrounding air, stifling the two friends and making their movements feel sluggish and delayed.

    What captured their gazes, however, were his eyes. As soon as the two looked into his pair of calm blue eyes, all their defenses crumbled. Their bodies stopped listening to their commands. Their hands fell limply at their sides, and even their breath stopped as they momentarily forgot how to inhale.

    The man spoke. ¡°Elazar... so you were here, too. Along with Tavick Hamond, this makes you the final two invaders of Islemerith, no?¡±

    Elazar shuddered and gasped as he strained to move his lips. His eyes were wide as he struggled to break free of the binding that ensnared him, but his efforts proved useless against its intangible might. After a short few seconds he gave up, gasping out the name of the one obstructing them.

    ¡°Headmaster¡­ Berillius...¡±

    The Headmaster stroked his beard with his free hand for a moment, gazing at the two in a contemplative manner. Then he lifted that same hand.

    ¡°We shall talk later. For now, sleep... Evithsu Mai.¡±

    He pointed at the boy, and Elazar¡¯s vision grew blurry. Though he fought with his all against the spell, within mere seconds his world had turned to black.