Heart of Darkness

[Olivia Oeland]

They called him Cougar because of the almost fur like appearance his thick hairy arms and face gave him. His real name was Bernard, a name that hardly fit his appearance or persona. Like a cougar he had a bite that went with the growl, and a habit of striking fast, verbally. His men respected him, or at least they gave off that impression for in most cases it was just intimidation keeping them pressed tightly down under his thumb. It wasn’t all Cougar’s intimidation either, there was a level of intelligence none of his men could quite reach. But they worked hard and that is what mattered.

Crossing his arms over his leather vested chest Cougar settled his lips together in a perfectly straight line and breathed out his nostrils, growing impatient. There was a mouth to a cave not but 20 yards away from the very place he stood on that rocky terrain, and he couldn’t even step foot inside. Well, he could, but her certainly didn’t want to, and neither did his men. Not after they’d lost 7 just the day before. But God he wanted that rock. The giant diamond he knew was hidden deep inside that cave. He didn’t know where, but he knew it was there, he knew it, he felt it.

“ Sir, I’ve brought back as many as I co-.”

“ Let me take a look at ‘em,” Cougar’s strong arm swept his errand by aside and he strode forward in large determined strides towards the line of fools gathered to do his work for him. That morning he’d sent his errand boy to gather as many men suitable to enter the cave as possible. He would pay them of course, and he had to the funds to do so from his previous expeditions. The price he’d pay for these men to risk their lives would be miniscule compared to the price that diamond would fetch. Little did he know that it was so much more than that.

The group seemed fitting. The men were strong, rugged, fools… perfect.

“ If you don’t mind my asking, why do you have to arrange for a group of able bodies when you have many obviously already under your employment?” Olivia dared to ask from the end of the line. Cougar stopped in his tracks, the voice was like music to his ears but at the same time nails on a chalk board. A woman? A woman! What was the boy thinking?! To make sure his ears hadn’t deceived him he hurried to the end of the line to look the voice square in the face. She was a woman alright.

“ A woman?” he was taken aback all over again. It’d been nearly two weeks since he’d been into town, the sight of a woman… But she couldn’t be here for the cave, that was absurd. “ Can I help you miss..?”

“ Oeland. And it seems it’s quite opposite. I’ll be helping you. The boy told me you were interested in a certain cave, which I might add is actually the beginning of a large tunnel that goes downwards.” said Olivia placing both hands on her slender hips.

Cougar cleared his throat and furrowed his brows. He didn’t like this woman, she was too smart and cocky. What did she know? Like a little boy about to throw a tantrum Cougar kicked a small loose peddle across the gray rocky ground. The sound of the pebble skittering over the rocks made him feel a little better about the woman’s attitude.

“ I’m sorry Miss Oeland, but this is not going to be any sort of expedition a delicate flower like you should be a part of.” he rested a hand on her warm shoulder and smiled a toothy smile. Meanwhile, his men watched carefully, how would their boss deal with this woman? And would they get anything out of it?

“ I beg to differ,” said Olivia, brushing Cougar’s hand off her shoulder like a pesky fly. “ I’ve studied this “cave”. The cave slops down about 100 yards in, but it’s too dark to see anything, so if you’re not careful you’ll slip and fall down the next 700 feet, give or take. Your treasure if located at the bottom of course. This isn’t a natural cave, it was made.” Her intense gray stare met Cougar’s chocolate eyes. “ It was created by a civilization from long ago. They used it as a safe storage for their most precious treasures.”

It didn’t take a genius to know this about the cave. Anyone who’d done some simple reading about the area would be able to find the origin of place. But Olivia hadn’t found anything written about what was at the heart of it all. It seemed like no one went past the 700 foot dip. She wanted to be the first.

“.. Treasure..s?” repeated Cougar, now interested in what the lady had to say.

“Treasures.” Olivia repeated, already seeing the greed in men come out. The treasures would be enough to keep the men occupied. Olivia was after something far more valuable. After doing some research on the civilization which used to inhabit the area she discovered they worshipped two gods, a male and a female, sun and moon. It was simple and logical. Both the gods were said to be captured and contained by the peoples, so they could be worshipped at a closer level than the sky. Olivia was quite sure whatever the civilization believed the gods to be captured in would be at the very heart of the cave.

“… And you can lead them there..?”

“ Yes.”

“…,” Cougar grinned. “ Then, organize the men, they’re under your command.”

Olivia’s eyebrows raised. She hadn’t asked to be in charge, she just wanted to go along. She heard muffled growls about following a woman, but didn’t dare peek down the line.

“ You hear that, men? If you’d like to be rewarded handsomely you’ll listen to this lady here!” Cougar barked, and Olivia grimaced. There was silence, and she felt many eyes upon her, waiting.

“ Everyone…,” she cleared her throat and stepped forward, slowly turning to face the bunch. Feeling like she might as well have been standing on a pedestal by the way they stared. “ Make sure you have flares, and…then…meet at the front of the cave,” She pointed and cleared her throat again. The men sort of stood there, and Olivia felt a strike of impatience. “ well? What’re you waiting for?”

More slowly than she would have liked they gathered around Cougar’s supplies where his men handed the hired men flares. Olivia crossed the empty desolate stone ground to the cave’s mouth, which didn’t look all that special, just overgrown with dead ivy. A single bird, she couldn’t tell what, flew over head drawing her eyes to the gray sky. Everything here was so gray. She wondered briefly if it’d always been this way. But the dead ivy and dying forest they had to pass through to get here said otherwise. Lost in thought she waited by the cave’s entrance for the group of men she’d be leading. Oh how dumb they looked…well not all of them. She recalled seeing one man who stood out, but she could have been confusing him for the errand boy who fetched them.

[Cyrus the virus]

A midday breeze blew through the grass atop the mouth of the cave, sending the few flowers that decorated the greenery to dance. It was a small bit of plantlife that still lived in this section of the forest. Whatever had caused the ivy to die and the grass to rot had not effected this small space, for whatever reason. The sky was grey, promising rain in the near future.

The wind seemed to pick up briefly, but this was no ordinary gust. The wind seemed to thicken and take on a bright green color, swirling in a tornado-like cyclone about the size of an average man. Luc solidified from the wind, coming out of Windwalk to find himself exactly where he'd wanted to end up. His green cape flapped as the gust died down, then settled gently to tough his ankles. His arms were crossed firmly over his chest, and the emerald eyes of the mage were aware and searching.

He could not see the gathering of men below, for a rise of ivy blocked his vision. Therfore, they could not see him, which was probably a good thing. Folk didn't usually react well when Luc simply popped out of thin air, and he wasn't looking to attract attention today, for once.

The rumor circulated around Radasanth, and didn't take long to reach Luc's ears. A relic called the Sorceror's Legacy was said to be buried in this very spot. It was sung in a bard's song, and like so many other rumored treasure caves, many people took the mention of such a relic as fact, rather than a spun tale. For a normal man, investigating the rumor would be tiresome and expensive, but for Luc, it was a simple Windwalk away. Using his sense for magic while in the form of wind, finding the cave had not been difficult. Knowing the place existed was good enough for him to deem the rumor as true.

All he needed to do was to explore it.

The nature of this Sorceror's Legacy was unknown to him, but the bard's song suggested it was an item that bestowed some kind of enchantment of magic spell. It appealed to his nature as a budding wizard.

Stepping around the cliff, Luc finally laid eyes upon the men --and a woman-- as they made their way to the mouth of the cave. Suddenly, Luc realized he was not the only person in search of the relic. Silently he cursed, knowing he'd either have to talk his way into the group, or simply bar them from the cave. Neither path seemed all too difficult.

So he stepped in front of the cave mouth to face them. "Hail," he declared. "Come searching for treasure? I've heard rumors as well. Lend me what information you have?"

[Olivia Oeland]

Olivia turned her gaze down from skywards at the man who had seemingly appeared out of no where. Was he with the bunch recruited? Probably not, he lacked a certain stupidity about him. Her well shaped eyebrows narrowed themselves and brought an obvious look of distrust across her fair face. Her feet pulled a slightly recoil, stepping back just a few inches. The gray stone beneath her feet scrapped against her shoes and knocked a loose chip off.

The men were finishing up gathering whatever supplies aside from the flares they wanted to bring, really it was just sharp objects of all sorts and some rope. Behind Olivia the lot of them lined up and looked onwards towards the new comer. Olivia wasn’t so eager to lend out her knowledge but there was a spark of common sense about this man, much more promising than those she was traveling with. He’d heard rumors? Then maybe he’d be more useful than.. .She stole a glance back at the men and grimaced again.

“ You’ve heard rumors?” her hands found themselves placed on either hip again. She shifted her weight to the right and sized the man up. Was he really after the treasure? Or was he after what she was after. Because if he was after what she was after then she certainly couldn’t let him go after it first because what she was after was getting what they were after first. However… she probably would have an easier time getting what she was after if they just teamed up.

“ Oi, who is he?” one of the men pointed and spat, impatient and eager to enter the cave. He heard the word treasure and at this point that was all that mattered. “ He ain’t competition, is he?” a grumble came over the men, mainly about how thy would deal with someone trying to take a cut of their treasure.

Olivia didn’t like the way this was going “ Just wait, one moment,” she ordered the growling men and rolled her eyes as she turned away from them. “ Let’s discuss ‘information’ then,” She beckoned the new comer her way, stepping aside from the group. She chose a spot to the right of the cave’s mouth, a spot where the dead ivy wasn’t out of control and she had a clear view of the group.

“ So you’ve heard the rumors too? I guess that means you’re not just coming along to loot this place, are you?” she kept her voice hushed and her back turned to the men, though she glanced back every now and again. “ Why don’t you join us? These idiots are just in it for the money. They don’t even understand what’s down there,” her distaste for the men came out in her voice and the snide way she called them idiots. Fools she had no patience for. “ It’ll be much easer if we go together. I assure you, those men have no idea.”

[Cyrus the virus]

The troupe reacted to Luc's arrival with confusion, curiosity and suspicion. Meanwhile, the short man remained the very essence of calm, standing with arms crossed and eyes slowly scanning the others. He had no reason to fear any backlash, having an eternal range of spells to pull from should any hostility arise. That was the beauty of magic, he supposed, being able to do away with several enemies in seconds, or to protect one with mantles and shields.

The lone woman of the group, seemingly the leader, stepped forward and suggested they discuss information. It was going the way Luc had wanted it to, and the woman seemed more than willing to give up what she knew.

"No, I'm not here to loot," he confirmed, putting a condescending twist on the barbaric word. "And I've heard rumors, yes, of a relic or two that lie within this cave.

"But," he continued. "I have no desire to join with these dimwitted barbarians. Perhaps you would make a fine traveling companion, but I've never been one to walk in the company of men like them. I've no need for protection, or guidance, from fools."

Luc took pleasure in their shared dislike for the warrior men. He'd only just met the woman, but was taking a semblance of a liking to her. It was a good first impression, he would say. "I can seal the cave behind us if we go in now, and it will take them some time to burrow through." He could see how the declaration could be confusing, but lifted a hand to silence the potential disbelief. "Just trust me."

[Olivia Oeland]

Olivia could hardly believe her ears. This man had dropped out of no where and he wanted her to leave behind the men who she was to lead to a great treasure. He wanted her to betray Cougar who she just had agreed to help. He wanted her to cast aside all doubt in his ability and trust him?

“ Let’s go,” she said eagerly without much thought. It couldn’t have been better. She didn’t even know who this man was but he was like prayers answered. If they moved into the cave too fast the men might act and ruin the whole thing. They were dumb so it wouldn’t be too difficult to get in first.

She turned to face the group of confused and eager men again. Taking a few strides she found herself just before the cave’s entrance, her black duster rippling slightly in the small breeze that rolled its way over the desolate rocks that made up the area. “ Everyone, wait here for just a moment.” she pointed her index finger at their standing spot then motioned for Luc to follow her again. Like obedient dogs the men stood, a little uncertain, but not bright enough to question why they were confused.

With no particular hurry Olivia entered the cave, bidding farewell to the last light she would see for a while, even if it was dim and dulled by the overcast above. All the cave offered her was darkness so rich that it may have been solid. The ground at her feet disappeared like a void, the only thing that let her know she was still standing on ground was the uneven and rocky floor. The darkness was a little overwhelming and sent a shiver up her spine. It was endless.

Somewhere further in the cave was the sound of dripping water, like condensation built up over the years from the dark cold of the cave. Or perhaps there was a water source, though she couldn’t imagine what.

Was Luc following her? She certainly felt alone, even though she’d barely penetrated the darkness of the cave. Turning around she could still see some light bleeding in, but she was sure she couldn’t be seen, she felt as if the darkness had swallowed her up. She felt vulnerable, after all she only had a hunter’s knife, and barely knew how to use it.

Maybe she should have taken a flare….

[Cyrus the virus]

Luc did his best to hide a smirk as he followed the woman. She would slow him down somewhat, but the mage couldn't argue against traveling with an attractive woman when the alternative was going alone. She was a shapely thing; reminiscent of the Raiaeran elves he'd gotten a glimpse of during a recent excursion to Istien University, though no human could quite capture the grace of an elf.

He followed her into the cave, going into the beginnings of the damp darkness before turning to face the opening. He raised his hands rather undramatically, and though the men outside could see him, they didn't react. Slowly, but effectively, the walls just at the mouth of the cave began to melt and reach toward the open air. The men began to yell and scream, running toward the entrance.

From the ground, the dirt formed into mud and climbed through the air to meet the mud coming from above and all around. The last bit of daylight was slowly squeezed out of the cave just as the closest male reached the now-sealed entrance, running right into what he thought was mud. Thanks to Luc's magic, the dirt had become like steel, and the man just bounced off. Luc could hear the dull sound of his body as it hit.

"There," he said with some degree of accomplishment. "That was simple enough, but it's a little too dark in here for my comfort."

Luc fumbled in the pitch black darkness, drawing his sword. The blade erupted into flames at his command, shedding light upon the walls and the two new allies. An orange light cast itself off Luc, turning his green shirt, black pants and green cape all the same hue. The fire danced off the blade, mystically beckoned by Luc to separate from the sword and form a ball. The sword was sheathed again, leaving the mage with a large ball of flames in his hand to serve as a torch. Putting his arm out, he moved the ball ahead, lighting the area ahead of them so that he could see.

There was indeed a drop, however slight it was that Luc could see quite clearly. The cave sloped downward, but the light of the fireball only allowed him to see so far. The makeshift torch split into two, retaining the original size thanks to Luc's magic, and one of the fireballs floated behind them to shed more light.

"This works," he said finally. "I am Luc Kraus. I didn't tell you earlier, but there's supposed to be a relic down here called the Sorcerer’s Legacy. I'm not even sure of what it does, but it sounds like something I would enjoy having. You can take anything else we come across, but that treasure is mine."

His eyes danced over her, exploring her body as it shone in the orange light of the fire. He was in no rush, knowing that even if the men outside did manage to break through his barrier of rock, another one could be formed in mere moments.

[Olivia Oeland]

As the last of light left Olivia’s eyes blind every other sense heightened. Her hearing suddenly felt more acute, and the cave’s dampness became more apparent to her smooth skin. Feeling more vulnerable than ever Olivia took a small and cautious step in Luc’s direction, though her curiosity about this cave was in no way deterred.

She didn’t like the feeling of vulnerability and luckily for her it wasn’t an issue very long. There wasn’t an end to the amazing magic this man was capable of. First a solid wall of earth and now light. A subtle smile curved her lips; she was impressed. But back to business.

“ Olivia Oeland.” She stated simply as the orange glow crossed the void of darkness and dyed her fair skin like a sunset. “ The Sorcerer’s Legacy… I, myself, don’t know what it does. However, a civilization long extinct had a belief that the sun and moon were their gods, and in order to bring them closer to the planet they captured and contained them. I can’t imagine capturing the sun and moon is something so easy, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a sorcerer’s doing,” it was information she found across several books. There were several renditions of the story of course, that couldn’t be helped, but all of them repeated the capturing and containment of the sun and moon. It sounded impossible since the sun and moon were still obviously in the sky. But as many before her had been proved, nothing was impossible.

“ You can have the relic, but I’d like to see what it does as well,” She turned her eyes away from Luc and towards the drop. Descending would be a pain. The steep mirrored back some of the amber flames, it must have been slippery. There looked to be sufficient footing, but it would be a long trek.

“ I don’t suppose you have any magic that would make getting down this thing any easier?” She edged towards the slop taking a peek down, not that it did any good, her eyes only saw more darkness. The muffled noises of the men banging against Luc’s wall and shouting whatever idiotic demands to open up reminded her that they had a time limit. But when she took another look at Luc she noticed how calm he was. Those men outside wouldn’t be a problem at all it looked like. Olivia knew all she could do was slow him down, she had no magic to make things easy, however, she hoped what she could offer in information would be of some use.

[Cyrus the virus]

"Interesting, Olivia," replied Luc as he contemplated the possibility. The sun and the moon brought to Althanas by a sorcerer's magic; it was an intriguing idea. Something to further contemplate, he supposed, though all they could do was speculate with what little information they had.

He hadn't quite decided that showing her the Legacy's abilities, whatever they were, was the best course for him to take, but he nodded all the same. She didn't really have a way to avoid it at this point, but Luc didn't want to risk losing her trust. He suspected she had more information she was withholding from him, but none of it would do any good if she wasn't speaking with him.

"As for the drop," he responded, "it won't be a problem."

He walked to her, but didn't go too close. Closing his eyes, Luc focused his magic on the ground below them, which cracked and broke apart in a circle around them. The floor rumbled just a bit, before lifting them up on a thin platform. The mage opened his eyes and gave a slight smile. "Get ready to balance yourself."

With that, the platform brought them over the spot where the flat stone ended and the descent began. Luc, too, had noticed that the ground seemed slick, and was thankful for his powers. They did not have to fear slipping and tumbling down the long shaft.

"I have magic for all situations," he said, making no effort to hide the prominent pride that came with that declaration. "Why not tell me a bit about yourself, though?"

Always, Luc made it a point to get to know a lovely woman. This was neither the time nor place to pursue a friendship, but the mage had never been one to know where the line was.

[Olivia Oeland]

Keeping balance wasn’t difficult for Olivia, she’d been in spots where the ground she stood on had crumbled to pieces right beneath her feet, what a time that was. The mage’s arsenal continued to impress her but also caused a slight worry in the back of her mind. She had information yes, but she was at his will. Olivia wasn’t the domineering type, but she didn’t like the idea of having no upper hand. For now, she wouldn’t bother with it, she was getting to the bottom of this place; it’s what she wanted.

Grateful for the smoother ride down Olivia, who would normally short answer any sort of conversation obliged. “ I’m a folklorist, and since I’ve read about this area, I’m curious. Apparently no one has been down far enough to see the heart of this place. I want to be the first and to know all its secrets,” she spoke with no dreamy eyes looking forward towards her triumph. Her face remained grounded on earth, and her expression read a coy glimpse of excitement in a challenge.

“ What about you, Mr. Kraus? Or behind the magic is there just mystery?” She crossed her arms and a few locks of raven hair, glimmering amber, fell over her shoulder. Their voices echoed back to them slightly, reverberating off the stone walls.

It must have been near half way by then. At least, it felt that way to Olivia. She wasn’t patient. How could someone be patient when they had the type of childhood she did? Sure she hadn’t become a complete stiff like her parents had intended, but being waited on by servants caused bad habits, especially inpatients.

~~~

Meanwhile, up above, Cougar and his men had already planted their proper explosives, gunpowder, next to Luc’s earth wall. All the efforts to bash, slash, and otherwise use brute force to knock the wall down had failed and left more wounded prides than fists. Now it was time to use the big guns so to speak.

“ Fire!” roared Cougar from behind the safety of his carts of supplies. They’d drawn into a line about 100 or so feet back. The boxes of gun powder exploded with just enough force to knock a decent sized hole in the barrier.

“ It’s open! Now get in there! Get to the treasure before those two do! Kill ‘em!”

There was a roar of mutual agreement amongst the lot of them, and then a rumble of a stampede of men entering the dark cave.

~~~~

The noises from above echoed down to Luc and Olivia who were enjoying their smooth elevator ride down via Luc’s geomancing skills. Olivia wasn’t startled nor did she show any real signs of worry or fear. She just looked up and furrowed her eyebrows in irritation.
“ I wonder how those idiots figured out how to get through… They’ll be falling any minute now…”

[Cyrus the virus]

Olivia's question brought a sudden fit of nervous laughter from the mage, for the way she asked suggested that she had some interest in him. At least, to his vain mind. It must have been the way her hair fell at the perfect moment, while she crossed her arms and surveyed him. In truth, he didn't quite know how to answer. Luc didn't feel he could sum himself up in any simple terms, much less could he make himself seem interesting to a woman he'd just met. Usually, his magic did the trick to peak interest, and people took him for a wizard and little more.

"Well," he began, searching for words. "I consider myself a scholar, at least recently. I've participated in many tournaments in Lornius, but always somehow lost, despite my power. Sometimes I've been defeated by those considerably less talented than I, even men with no arcane ability whatsoever. It's been frustrating.

"I caught up with someone, just a while ago. We got into a fight. Actually, I wanted to slay him badly, for degrading me in front of a tavern of drunks. A waste of time, surely, to save myself from being looked down upon by a lot like that, but... I don't know. I had to save face, for some reason.

"He possessed this magic," he continued, a very curious tone taking over his monologue. "It slowed me and made me unable to fight back. I suppose that in the end, it made me a little more humble, a little less confident in my magic. Actually, even though I can accomplish many feats, my abilities are very limited... He showed me that. Since then, I've been trying to learn more about other magics, and study spells that might help me in any situation I'm in."

He laughed again, this time at himself. The whole explanation made him feel like a fool. It was all true, however, and something about spilling those facts made him feel good. "So yes, a scholar."

Olivia called his attention to the chorus above, and straining, he heard the sounds of the men as well. He didn't become worried, though, knowing that if the time came to deal with them, his magic could rid him of any difficulties. It was handy like that.

They soon reached the bottom of the shaft. Luc could see the ground thanks to his fireballs, easily kept lit and directed about by his mind, almost like a passive enchantment. "Here we are."

The platform took them to the flat stone, then melted into the earth to leave them standing there. It was the lazy man's perfect accomplice, in every sense of the title. The area was much like the entrance to the cave, dank and moist, yet just being this deep in the cave made Luc feel uneasy. There was a mist here, for some reason, and in the distance he could see a dark wooden door, completely ravaged by time, held together by only God knew what.

"I have no idea what's beyond the door, but there's something. I sense it."

[Olivia Oeland]

Olivia hadn’t much to say aloud to Luc, but she listened and formulated her own opinions, one being that he would indeed discover a way to surpass the man who’d defeated him. His story belonged right in an epic about a legendary sorcerer, she thought. Perhaps in the future she’d see his name appear in a book or two. It wouldn’t be surprising. Surely that powerful magic of his would leave a mark on Althanas for many years to come, and he could only get more powerful. Amazing.

What was even more amazing was how their ride down melted into the ground as if it were always a part of it. Taking a step as if testing the ground her eye brows raised, impressed again by this man’s talent. But she didn’t ponder long about the earth, he’d drawn her attention to a door which surely would lead them closer to their prize.

“ This must be the inner chamber. I wouldn’t doubt that all the treasure is behind that door,” driven by curiosity she made a few steps toward the door but suddenly stopped noticing the mist growing thicker as she grew closer. She looked down and her hand was just a silhouette through a blanket of gray, barely illuminated by the reach of Luc’s light source. Seeing the ground now was impossible even with the light. If anything it just solidified the mist, since light reflected off the water crystals.

The clammy chilled atmosphere made the dense mist appear ominous, and suddenly Olivia didn’t like the idea of crossing it to reach the door. She retracted her steps back into the thinner mist where she could see Luc’s warm light, which she instinctively stepped closer to. “ Is there anyway to get rid of this… mist..,” her voice trailed into a whisper as she stared at the empty spot where she swore Luc had been standing. The floating orbs were still there but no Luc. Had he stepped into the thick mist as well?

“ Luc?” Olivia called out into the wall of gray. No answer. “ Luc!” she said again, feeling more anxious this time. She didn’t like standing there alone, especially in that mist. After a second time there was no answer she cursed under her breath. What could she do now? Not turn back, she had no way back up the shaft and some angry when waited topside for her. She could just sit and wait, but not moving made her feel more uneasy. Feeling there was no other choice but to move forward she reentered the mist.

“ Luc!” she continued to call out, this time cupping her hands around her mouth. Where did he go? Was this some sort of joke? The mist was still growing thicker, so thick now she had to extend her arms before her to make sure she wouldn’t veer off into a wall. She felt on edge, and her heart rate increased. There was nothing about being alone Olivia fancied, especially there. “ Luc! Dammit! Where are you?!”

She hated being alone. She absolutely abhorred it. It was just like when she’d lost her way in the vineyards at her home. She’d been there for hours calling out to anyone but no one answered, and then it began to rain, and she couldn’t even hear her own voice.

Olivia didn’t even care to feel in front of her anymore, now she threw her arms down at her side and looked in every direction. Mist mist mist! Nothing but gray! No sign of Luc, no sign of anyone. She’d even love to see one of those monkey men from up top! The feeling of being a lone was overwhelming, silence except for her own voice echoing back at her. Darkness was all around her except for the dim glow of the amber orbs floating in the distance.

[Cyrus the virus]

Luc was focused on the door as he moved forward, so it did not occur to him that the mist was thickening. It became denser around him, more obscuring to his vision, and by the time it blocked his vision, it was a full white blanket over him. Considering it nothing but a nuisance, Luc tried to create a gust to blow the annoying fog away, but nothing happened.

"That isn't..." he began, trying again. For the second time, the wind did not come to his call.

"What is this?" He demanded to know, asking it aloud as if some invisible force could provide the answer. "When I beckon, you come!" The mage was talking to the wind as if it were a living being. Over time, he had come to see it as that.

But for the first time in his life, his magic seemed to completely fail him. He tried to manipulate the earth below, though that, too, did not work. His eyes searched for Olivia, he even called for her, but just as the case was on her end of things, she could not hear him. The man began to panic. Without his magic, Luc was quite literally like a child. He relied on his magic to travel, to obtain food, to survive. The Gods were playing some cruel joke on him... Or was this a test?

He couldn't tell yet. His fireballs were still in effect somehow, though he could not move them in any way. He was eternally thankful for the dim light that they gave off, but couldn't help wondering how long they would last. To his delight, the mist finally began to dissipate, returning to the fine thin particles they had been earlier.

Olivia didn't appear to him right away. Luc had a split-second to worry about her whereabouts before he noticed the ends of some ropes dangling at the bottom of the shaft. The mage ran over and glanced up, seeing the outlines of some figures descending. No matter, he would simply burn the ropes with his fire.

But when he tried, to his horror, the fireballs didn't react. In fact, they winked out when he tried to move them. "Fuck, fuck!"

His magic was gone. Through some cosmic joke it had been removed from him, leaving him nearly helpless, with only the flame sword of Slykrit to defend himself with should the men catch up. Given that he was a pure novice with the thing -- it was the only weapon he'd wielded since his epee was destroyed four years ago -- Luc had no confidence without his magic.

"Olivia!" He bellowed as loud as he could, commanding her return from wherever she had gone. Luc didn't want to waste another moment below Cougar and his men, letting them get even a step on him.

When she didn't immediately appear, Luc ran forward in the darkness, hands splayed out in front of him. Luckily he hit the door, and it fell open at his touch to reveal a massive chamber.

One problem was solved. This place was lit by some kind of ancient magic.

[Olivia Oeland]

Her cold palms trembled and her lips quivered. She’d given up forcing her eyes to penetrate the mist. She was stranded in the middle of it with no idea where she was, just like back then. What a pitiful sight it was for the grown woman to wrap herself in her arms and tremble.

“ Not again…,” she said in a hoarse whisper She felt isolated and her senses dropped. Suddenly she wasn’t so aware of the amber lights behind a veil of fog, and the chilliness of the cave rose goosebumps across her skin but she didn’t feel it. All she could see and feel was the isolation. It seemed surreal that her worst fear would come to haunt her in this place. Where had Luc gone, and why was the mist so thick? Why were the orbs still there? These questions started as hysterical thought in Olivia’s mind but then formed themselves into reasonable thought. Those orbs, they were still floating there, and Luc wasn’t there to maintain them. She’d thought of it earlier, but now, at such a high stress level why they existed became a glimmer of light for her.

“ What the hell is going on here?” She dropped her arms from around herself and took very determined and fierce steps towards the orbs which still floated in the same spot they’d been when this all started. When she reached them she came to a stop but her eyes narrowed and she examined them closely. Everything about them seemed natural, as natural as two floating orbs of fire could be. However, something still seemed off. There was a vague feeling that this couldn’t be real, how that made any sense Olivia didn’t know.

Slowly, and perhaps she was crazy for doing it, she reached her hand out, touching the orb…. In fact reaching through it. There was no fire at all, it was just like it was part of the mist. This was impossible.

“ This is…,” She retracted her hand and narrowed her eyes in extreme irritation. It was fake, the orbs weren’t real fire, they hadn’t moved a bit, and the mist…She waved her hand through it, noticing none of it even moved, it was as if everything but herself had been frozen in place. It was then she truly remembered where she was. No doubt the peoples who made this camber would have created certain obstacles to prevent thieves. This must have been some magic or hallucination. Which meant Luc was in fact still here, even if she couldn’t see him.

How to cancel it all out was the question. She supposed it was easy enough, get to the door, since that’s what they were trying to prevent. From the orbs she recalled the direction of the door, just straight ahead. She started in a swift walk then moved into a jog towards the door like it was the relic itself. When she reached it both her hands pressed against what she thought would be the door, but really it was softer.

The mist faded on cue and Olivia felt a triumphant raise in her ego. But she didn’t praise herself inwardly too long since she realized it was no door she had her hands against, but Luc! Quickly she took her hands away and put them on her hips. Really, she’d never felt better to see someone. Before she could explain what the mist was doing, she saw that Luc had already opened the door to the next chamber, which was lit all by itself, or was that Luc?

“ They’re down here!” a not so distant voice cried out with a growl in the echo.

“ Tch… looks like they’ve caught up. Can you take care of them Luc?” she stood aside, allowing room for Luc to step forward and get rid of their pesky tail.

[Cyrus the virus]

Luc had taken a half-step into the chamber ahead when something touched him. Spinning quickly, Luc observed Olivia, seemingly having reappeared from wherever it was she had gone to. He looked around as if suspecting something was wrong, but it seemed that the mist had simply obscured her. Or she had been against a wall, and it was too dark to see. At any rate, she was back, and counting on him to get rid of their pesky pursuers.

Fearing the words, Luc tried to simply move the wind with his magic. Despite his hopes, nothing happened. With obvious worry in his tone, Luc spoke, "My magic is not working," he said simply.

Hearing the men rather clearly now, indicating how close they were he pulled Olivia through the doorway. "We need to move as fast as we can!"

This chamber was something out of an epic tale, a bardsong sung on a busy night in a tavern. What provided the light was one massive, eternal torch in the center of the area, standing on a platform suspended above the ground. The ground Luc could not see, for they stood upon a walkway that was held above what could have been an eternal drop. The walkway itself had no railway and was only wide enough to accomidate the two as they walked along it, side-by-side.

Luc as afraid of falling, knowing that without his magic he could not invoke the wind to lift him into flight, yet he feared the pointed end of a sword almost as much. He scurried across the long walkway to reach the center of the chamber, a red, circular platform upon which the torch burned. It was easily the size of a Radasanth manor, this flame, and Luc longed to know what it represented.

But there was no time to contemplate it. From behind them came the sound of the company as they entered the chamber, slowing only to set up a single-file line to pass over the thin walkway. There weren't taking any chances.

"Fuck," Luc muttered, attemping to blow a strong gust along their ranks to send the men plunging, and of course it did not work. He was crippled without his magic.

The mage ran around the flame, observing that there was a similar walkway on the other end of the platform, and a door at the end. Looking toward the coming men, he thought it'd be best to stand at the end of the walkway and fight them while they were unbalanced, so only one could come at him at a time. But even that didn't seem like something he could manage.

"Come on!" He called to Olivia, bolting toward the other walkway which led onward.

[Olivia Oeland]

Having already prepared herself for the elimination of this troop with a simple snap of Luc’s fingers Olivia was more than surprised when her mage comrade confessed he was running a little short on the juice that fueled his magic. The implications of that didn’t really hit her until she’d been pulled into the next chamber where the giant’s torch illuminated the stone walls shimmering with condensation. On a side note her mind drifted to what could possibly be at the bottom of the black abyss they were cat walking over. Suddenly, her little shenanigan with Luc didn’t seem like it was working out so well. It was, after all, the ninth and deepest circle of hell that betrayers were forced to retire to. Wonderful.

What was also wonderful was the flame. Suddenly the beauty and mystery filling this place began to pull Olivia’s senses back. How did this flame survive? Who lit it? Why did they light it? Instead of demanding what they’d do now from Luc she turned her eyes upwards taking in everything. “ This must be- hm?” She heard the mage call her name. He was leaving? Already?

“ Hurry up! Get them!!”

The sight of many bulky men advancing gave Olivia the reminder they were being perused. Now she took the opportunity to badger Luc.

“ What do you mean your magic isn’t working? What the hell are we supposed to do if they catch us?” she kept up with him and felt they could move faster, those men behind them would cross that stretch and be on their heels like hounds. She tossed a glance over her shoulder, throwing her black locks away from her face. “ Has your magic ever shorted out before?” she said with a twinge of irritation in her worried voice. She wasn’t necessarily irritated with Luc, it was more her inability to do anything about the situation. Without Luc’s magic they were both as helpless as kittens.

[Cyrus the virus]

"How can I answer that?" Luc asked, his feet moving just about as fast as they could without the aid of magic. "It's just not working! It's never happened before, and I don't know why it's happening now. It must be that mist. It did something to us!"

The walkway to the far door was once again a narrow path, a thin steel balancing beam about as side as Luc was tall. In one's mind, such a thing wouldn't seem difficult to balance upon, given that it wasn't that narrow. But when the vertigo of the possibly limitless depth below seeped in, it became much more difficult to make one's way across without succumbing to the dizziness.

Luc had no time to look down, though, and ran as quickly as he could across the platform. It wobbled just slightly with each step, but again, he was simply too focused to let it effect him.

He reached the door, crashing into it with hands stretched out. Unfortunately, his elbows buckled under the unwavering weight of the portal, which did not even budge. There was no knob, only a flat surface, and a quick inspection told Luc that there were no switches he was missing or anything of that nature.

"Olivia," he said, turning to face the woman. "Work on opening the door, while I try to hold them off. I don't see a knob or anything, so it may be sealed by magic. If so, it will either be opened by a trigger word or a spell that counters its magic. Just try!"

The mage stepped back toward the middle of the walkway, drawing his his steel sword from its sheath. The red blade glowed faintly still, but Luc could not use his magic to ignite flames as he usually did. It would have to suffice as their only defence as a normal sword.

The first of the men crossed to meet him, swinging a heavy blade overhead. It took all of the mage's skill to catch the blade and direct it away, nearly imbalancing himself in the process.

[Olivia Oeland]

Luc didn’t have to tell her twice. Before he even ordered her to work on the door Olivia was feeling along the way out, frantically searching for any sort of button or lever or anything! The thought of Luc’s mage arms swinging that sword around made her brow sweat even more. Perhaps the only thing less comforting than knowing a mage who’d just lost his power took up arms against a group full of born killer was taking up arms herself.

“ Oh come on!!” Olivia shouted in frustration at the door. She wasn’t seeing a damn thing. She started over again reaching upwards feeling along the decorative ridges. Occasionally she’d throw a glance back at Luc, not to make sure he was okay but to make sure he wasn’t dead and the en weren’t charging at her.

“ Dammit!!” With a fury Olivia kicked the door. “ Shit,” a pain shot up through her tow, was it broken? Oh it didn’t matter. She grimaced and swallowed the pain now that she was seeing the door begin to swing open. It must have been years since anyone had been there for the door creaked so loud it echoed in the massive underground cavern. The sound bounced off the walls shouting back and forth. It was sweet music to Olivia’s ears.

Without waiting for Luc she advanced through the door, but forced herself to stop when she heard the violent clank of swords behind her. Her raven hair flung over her shoulder as she stopped to watch the mage fend off their pursuers. It wasn’t fair, he’d saved her… If she left him here to die now. But a choice it was. Run and live, go back and risk dying? There was a selfish streak in Olivia, there was no doubt about that…

Gathering up every sense of morality she had Olivia crouched at her knees and scooped a handful of the loose pebbles and stone grindings accumulated over the years from the ground at her feet. It wasn’t much but it would have to work. In all actuality Luc and the men weren’t very far from her standing spot at all, but she made a brisk walk toward them, the dust clutched tightly in her right hand.

“ Luc! Close your eyes!” Olivia ordered as she threw the handful of dust into the faces of the men and Luc.

“ Argh!!” the shouts of irritation started and men grabbed and claws at their eyes, feeling the small shards of stone blind them temporarily. It was there chance to run now while some of them were blinded.

“ Come on!” She reached, grabbing his coat’s sleeve, pulling him along, although she probably didn’t have to insist on running at all.

[Cyrus the virus]

Luc needed to retreat almost immediately, as the big man's sword came around to swing at his legs. The mage leapt back and brought his sword to bear, but the tinted steel was parried harmlessly aside by the heavier weapon of his opponent. As skilled as the warrior seemed to be, Luc was holding his own. Thankfully, as Luc was getting quickly exhausted, it did not take long for Olivia to run to his side, throwing a handful of pebbles and dust into the eyes of the nearest few men as they stood in a line atop the walkway.

That done, she grabbed the silky fabric of his cape and pulled him along. Luc was not composed enough to sheath his sword as he stepped awkwardly backward, but was happy enough to see the men ahead of him stalled.

When they were past the door, Luc pulled himself out of her hand and went against the door, using all of his strength to push it shut against the men as they composed themselves. When it was closed, Luc truly wished he could use his magic to seal the portal shut. Again though, he was powerless to make sure they could not follow.

"This won't hold them," he muttered, turning around.

The room they were in now was considerably smaller than the chamber they'd just less, composed only of stone walls and a staircase that led up to a great altar, upon which a light shone. Luc could not see it from such a distance, but assumed there was a hole in the top of the chamber that shed sunlight into the underground temple. The walls were blue because of the strange effect, but his eyes were cast upward.

The staircase was thin, with steep steps of dark stone, leading high up to an altar with a design on its face, in the shape of a sun and moon intermingling on either side of a bolt of lightning. "Come on!" Said he as he bolted toward the stairs, taking one at a time as the door behind him creaked open and the men began to pile in.

If nothing else, he could make a stand at the top of the altar, where he'd have a distinct height advantage against Cougar and his followers.

[Olivia Oeland]

Olivia’s hears picked up the creaking sound behind her, and she could already smell the awful unbathed scent of the men. Luc was already ahead of her clearing the steep and dangerous steps. At first she wanted to explore the room, since this seemed to be the inner chamber, but there was no time. With a quick glance over her shoulder, enough to verify the men, she was in a swift ascent of the stairs, at Luc’s heels.

At this point Olivia was feeling desperate. There was no where to go after this and Luc had no magic so really he was as useless this way as she was. There was one small glimmer of hope and it was in the old legends turned rumors about this place and the civilization that once resided there. The relic must have had some sort of magical elements, maybe, just maybe it would somehow make itself useful to them.

Keeping her eyes ahead Olivia could see the peak of the stairs within reach, but like fortune mocking her she slip on a smooth stair. The dark stone and her body collided in a thud, and she felt a dull pain in the palms of her hands as they tried to stop her fall. Before she could get up she heard a loud bellow just above her. Throwing her raven locks over her shoulder she turned over onto her back and gazed up at the club coming down upon her.

She cursed loudly and scampered back, watching the club crack the rock where her legs had just been. Her eyes widened in fear and she scrambled to her feet making a desperate sprint for the top. The man behind her pulled his club from the crumbling step and followed after, his buddies right behind him.

She was out of breath from all the running but she didn’t dare stop, not even for a second. The fascination with this place pulled at Olivia’s heart with violent tugs, paining her to know she was running through this wonder. She had missed all of the previous chambers and probably half the cavern’s history. Damn Cougar.

It seemed her exhaustion was getting to her now, she couldn’t seem to climb the stairs as fast as she had been, and the men were gaining on her. No, the men were on her.

“ Come ‘ere!” A large, hairy, disgusting arm easily wrapped itself around Olivia’s neck and pulled her back. Instinctively her hands clawed at the man’s arm, feeling she’d suffocate from the smell before he could choke her.

“ Quit your struggling, woman, or I’ll cut out one of them pretty eyes of yours,” a dangerous and partially blood stained dagger lifted itself up to her face and laid its cool steel upon her cheek, just below her left eye. She stopped struggling but remembered both her hands were still free. She wanted to shout to Luc for help but knew better. He probably wouldn’t help her, and she’d probably be carved up if she even opened her mouth. Which made her wonder why she was even still alive.

“ We have the lady!” her capture announced to Luc. They were just a few stairs down from the altar, but high enough to see Luc and the relic. “ So why don’t you back away from that treasure and we may let her live.”

Olivia understood now. They weren’t as dull as she thought. It was obvious the relic had some sort of power, and it was obvious Luc would be the first to use it. They were going to try to bargain with Olivia’s life, but in the end they’d be killed, that was obvious too. The most obvious thing to Olivia was Luc was not going to throw away the relic and his life in vain attempt to save hers. But she wouldn’t bother saying anything aloud, in case the man with the dagger decided she wouldn’t be useful anymore. Instead, she made eye contact with Luc, watching him, waiting for a distraction so she could break away.

[Cyrus the virus]

Luc was short on breath and energy by the time he made it to the top of the altar. He reached out with a gloved hand, looking to snatch up whatever was atop the platform and threaten to break it, but he froze suddenly when he saw nothing. It appeared that the altar presented no relic to him, no useful item whatsoever.

So the weakened mage, sword drawn and held limp in his hand, turned to look back on his pursuers and Olivia. He'd tried to give the impression that he'd seen the treasure, but did not seize it in fear of the woman's life being taken. Luc dropped his sword, the crash of the fallen metal ringing loudly in the large room.

"Alright, just leave her be," he said. "Take the relic if you must, I won't struggle."

"Haw haw!" laughed the man who held Olivia. "Makes no difference whether ya do or ya don't, that treasure up there belongs to us an' our good buddy Cougar!"

Luc felt something strange as he stood at the top of the staircase, bathed in the light shone down by the single hole at the top of the cavern. It was not like the magical energy he usually felt, and yet it was somehow similar. Without making any strange movements, he tried to manipulate the wind, or ignite his sword where it lay on the ground. Neither attempt yielded results.

Two men behind Olivia and her captor stepped around them, nearly falling from the lack of room provided on the staircase. They approached Luc, swords drawn, and he backed away to press against the altar.

He needed to do something, magic or not. Behind the two burly fighters, the mage spotted the man drawing back his dagger to thrust it into Olivia. Instinctively, Luc threw out his hands in an attempt to disrupt him somehow. Amazingly, his blade held fast.

"Wha!?" The man cried, pushing his blade as if it was lodged in steel, unable to budge it. "What the hell's goin' on!?"

Again driven by instinct, not quite knowing what he was doing, Luc sent another wave of this would-be magic, and the dagger in the man's hand melted like butter, washing over his hand. The man screamed, released Olivia and clutched onto his limb, as his digits were sealed against the handle of the dagger. It was as if the blade's metal had melted, run over his hand, and then became solid again. In fact, that was exactly what had happened.

The two men approaching Luc looked back to witness the spectacle. Their comrade tumbled down the stairs, overcome with fear and confusion at what was happening to him. They turned back to the mage again, who was already working on them as well, all the while trying to comprehend how this new ability to manipulate metal had spawned.

The two men went to draw their blades, but pulled in vain at the handles. The steel of their swords had melted into the scabbards, then hardened again, effectively locking them in place. They looked up together, just in time to witness Luc's Flame Sword of Slykrit, cutting through the air to take each of them in the neck, one after another.

"Olivia!" He called, motioning for her to join him up at the top of the altar. Somehow he'd been bestowed with new magic, and despite a total lack of his other skills, it was potent enough to save them... Hopefully.

[Olivia Oeland]

As that dagger plunged towards her Olivia concluded she was not satisfied with her life. There were still places to go, things to see, people to meet. She braced herself for the pain and swore inwardly if she somehow lived through this she would become a better person.

For a split second Olivia thought she was dead, and for a split second afterwards she thought she might be in love with Luc, or just extremely grateful. However, as she took her place beside him, awed and grateful for his metal-mancing, she also saw there was no relic sitting upon the altar. There was nothing. He’d gambled nothing. He was giving up nothing to say her life. Olivia didn’t know whether to feel insulted or more amazed by his quick thinking and wonderful acting skills. There would be more time for his praise later, now he just had to keep them alive.

“ What the hell happened, I thought your magic disappeared?” Not that Olivia was complaining but she was confused. As she stepped into the soft light she felt a small tingling in her body. Having no prior knowledge of the magic arts she had no idea what that feeling meant. Putting two and two together she figured it was giving Luc this power.

But despite that new power the men were coming fast, stepping and jumping over their fallen comrade’s bodies. Would Luc be able to hold them all off? Probably. Olivia felt comfortable standing back and watching, it was like an epic story was unfolding right before her eyes. A mage who single handedly defeated a battalion of men, what a legend that would make. But seeing now that the men were surrounding Luc, Olivia began to worry.

Maybe the men didn’t see her or maybe they didn’t consider her a threat. One of the men who’d managed to get himself around to Luc’s left side raised his arms back with a large wooden club. Undoubtedly, the club would crush Luc, what should she do?! Fumbling for a moment with the hunter’s knife she carried around as if she knew how to use it, she made an awkward lunge forward jabbing the knife up into the man’s right tricep. She didn’t expect much blood to come out and was entirely disgusted when it did. The red liquid trickled down the blade while the man bellowed in agony. His arm began falling back down, loosing the strength to keep it up. Before the blood cold stain her hands Olivia tore the knife out in the fastest way possible.

“ Augh!” She stumbled back, thrown off by the dislodged knife. She’d never stabbed anyone before. It was sickened yet there was a thrill that came along with it.

By no means had her knife disabled the man entirely, but now she had his full attention, something she didn’t want. In a rage he rushed after, holding his massive club with his left, uninjured arm. Olivia was frozen in place, her bloodied dagger still gripped tightly in her hands.

She cursed loudly and did the only thing she could think of, dove. She dove to the right, hoping she’d be fast enough to not get crushed. Her body hit the ground and the knife slid away as she skidded, arms tucked into her body. The charging man’s momentum was too much, he’d run right off the edge of the platform.

Olivia untucked herself from the dive and pulled herself into a kneel to survey Luc’s progress.

[Cyrus the virus]

Luc felt like he was exhaling dust. The underground temple's dirt had found its way into his lungs, and never had he gone so long without his magic. Fighting, and even making his way around, had never seemed so difficult. The mage was beginning to have a greater appreciation for the talents he usually possessed.

He couldn't hope to fend off the many men without his magic. Thankfully, he somehow still seemed to harness control over metal.

A sword dipped low at him, but Luc was able to take control over the blade and stop it in mid air. This gave him a chance to dodge to the side of a club as it came down at him, but not enough time to create a counter-attack against either attacker.

There was some commotion next to him, but Luc had no time to even take a sidelong glance at Olivia and her struggles with the large brute. He could only bask in the eerie glow from above, watching the two men in front of him as they prepared another, uniformed strike.

Before they could come forward, however, the mage threw a hand out to release his magic. Somehow, he had a sense for these new abilities, and an invisible force gripped each piece of metal on the men and pulled them back to fall down the steps. The attack made Luc feel ill, and his mouth tasted metallic suddenly, but it was nothing detrimental.

"There's no relic," he muttered, fists clenched at his sides immediately after his sword was sheathed. "We came all this way for nothing. These new powers, they are incredible, but..." He looked back at the altar. "I came here for the item and did not get it. Let's go."

Luc began to descend the stairs, but there were still three men standing at the bottom. One of them looked peculiar. He was Cougar.

[Olivia Oeland]

With thick arms crossed over his chiseled chest Cougar raised his chin slightly, looking down his strong nose at Luc and Olivia. He didn’t look none too pleased, and the two men beside him did their best to match Cougar’s fierce some gaze. But in comparison to their leader’s steel jaw and thick leather skin they were found wanting.

“ Cougar,” Olivia said in a hushed voice to Luc from his left. She knew Cougar wouldn’t be some push over like the other men, and the two at his side were probably by his side for good reason. By the way the other two men were already drawing out their weapons Olivia knew which way this situation was going.

Cougar wasn’t moving at all aside from his shoulders raising and falling from his breaths, and this was perhaps more intimidating than if he were brandishing a sword shouting at the top of his lungs. Although Luc’s sudden shortness was almost enough to match Cougar’s silence in passive aggression. Really, it was quite a tense situation for the folklorist.

Uneasy with the silence Olivia stepped forward from behind Luc. She couldn’t fight, but perhaps she could negotiate. “ Cougar, there is no relic. We’ve come back empty handed, no different from your men,” she stopped a good ten feet from him. “ This entire expedition was pointless,” of course it wasn’t pointless to her, but it was pointless to everyone who came down there looking to take something material back.

“ …,” Cougar remained silent, looking past Olivia up at Luc. Olivia followed his gaze, and could tell this is how a lion chose its prey. If Luc had all his magic then there would be nothing to worry about, but that wasn’t the case. He faired well against those brutes, but anyone could see they were as dumb as rocks. Cougar was far smarter and no doubt didn’t need a metal sword to murder the two of them, his gorilla hands could take care of that. And then there were the other two men…

“ Did you hear me?” Olivia turned her attention back to Cougar and stepped forward. “ There’s nothing here. Not for us, not for you. It’s ridiculous to continue th-” Olivia’s cheek burned. It’d come out of nowhere, and before she could steady herself she had hit the ground. His hand like a hammer had struck the side of her face knocking her off her feet entirely. She was lucky he had hit her with an open palm, had it been his fist she may have been knocked entirely unconscious.

Propping herself up on an elbow her free hand touched the side of her face where his hand had made contact. Her eyes were wide in shock, she’d never been struck before by anyone.

“ Shut your trap, woman! I don’ give a damn about any treasure, this is personal…You deceived me, and I‘ll deal with you later for it,” he took his piercing eyes off Olivia and put them back on Luc, “ And you… I’m going to enjoy ripping you limb from limb.” Cougar started towards Luc in well paced and even steps, not too fast and not slow, but definitely menacing. As he approached he didn’t even bother to unsheathe his sword, it seemed he was going to use his bare hands by the way he adjusted his leather bracers.

[Cyrus the virus]

Luc's emerald eyes observed keenly the looks on their faces, searching for some measure of fright, or anything he could take advantage of. As a sorceror, he might have been able to drive the men away by waving his hands and pretending to conjure some spell. Cougar's men looked dishevelled, somewhat, but also bolstered by their bold and powerful leader. Luc knew his idea wouldn't work.

As the large man approached, Luc jumped from the staircase to the floor beside him, not wanting to get trapped at the summit of the staircase with nowhere to run. He turned from Cougar and bolted, unsure of what, if anything, he could do to overcome the bulky warrior. It was usually people like Cougar who the mage loved to embarass, but the tides had turned.

While he ran, Luc looked desperately around for something he could use to fight the man. He couldn't hope to overcome him, even if Cougar chose to keep his sword sheathed, using his own blade. Luc was nothing of a swordsman. He could only hope to use his new powers.

"Get back here!" Demanded the booming voice of Cougar, as the man broke into his own run.

Luc only rounded the staircase to the back of the altar's risen platform, before Cougar caught up to him. The huge man grasped at his cape, gripped it, and pulled him back roughly. Luc swung instinctively and swung a closed fist, smacking Cougar on the side of his head. The man laughed and swung a fist of his own, but the mage had already pushed his feet off the man's chest and pulled himself out of his grasp and to the floor.

The strong warrior was coming at him almost immediately, looking to stomp the small mage with a single well-placed boot. Luc rolled away and got to his feet, drawing the sword of red steel from its sheath as he did. If he was going to be forced to fight like this, he may as well use it, he figured.

"Oh really, mage?" mocked Cougar knowingly. "You plan to fight me with a sword?"

He approached without fear. Luc lunged prematurely, extending himself like an amateur. Cougar didn't even draw his sword, but instead evaded the strike and seized Luc's arm, using his free hand to smash the mage's wrist. He released the sword and pulled back his arm, which Cougar willingly let go. He seemed to enjoy the slow torment he was inflicting.

Luc threw his head back, to get his hair out of his eyes. When Cougar struck next, he bolted forward to meet him, then slid under the large man's legs to grab his sword yet again. He immediately tried to Windwalk, but it seemed that his elemental powers were not the only ones effected.

"Slippery one," Cougar mused as he turned, starting a slow walk toward the mage.

"You're lucky," Luc said, not expecting Cougar to understand what he meant by it.

The man approached the hopeless mage, but before he could get close, Luc threw his sword in an attempt to catch him off guard. Cougar dodged barely, snarled, and ran at him as he bellowed. Luc fell back and dodged a punch, fell, and then threw his hands up desperately as Cougar drew his blade and struck. The sword stopped just before hitting the mage, then with hardly an effort, he twisted the weapon from the tough fighter's grip, using nothing but his mind.

Then, magically and swiftly, the blade cut through the air and took Cougar's neck, bringing the man limply to the floor.

Luc caught his breath, took up his blade, and slowly made his way back to the front of the stairs where he hoped Olivia was alright.

[Olivia Oeland]

By the time Luc made it back Olivia was already on both her feet, but not be her own accord. The two lackies Cougar had left behind each held on Olivia’s arms firmly in their grasp. The scowl on Olivia’s face looked like it might be enough to turn men to stone. Inside she was feeling the situation was pretty desperate, and honestly hadn’t expected to see Luc coming back in on piece. The situation had took a turn for the better.

She winced as the men gripped her arms tighter, obviously nervous as Luc approached. She was sure they were thinking about where their leader may be. So she took the opportunity to confirm their fear. “ There, he’s taken Cougar down. Your boss is dead.” She let the words sink in for a few moments before shifting her arm out of their grip. It was looser now but still not enough. “ Are you being paid for all this?” Their hands roughly released Olivia who rubbed her upper arms, backing away from them.

“ Y-you’re not going to kill us are you?” the men shifted in their spots and raised their hands slowly, showing they had no weapons. They were suddenly pitiful now that they weren’t in favorable odds.

“ We have families!”

She took a spot to the left of Luc and wondered what he’d do. She thought it’d be best if she kept her mouth shut for the time being, aggravating them further was a dumb idea. The fate of these two men were in Luc’s court now.

Still rubbing her sore arms Olivia made a few more observations about the cave, the question of how they’d get out was still unanswered. If she had to she’d climb that damn tunnel back up to the cavern’s mouth. There was no way she was going to spend the rest of her life in this dark, damp, and dirty cavern with these guys. But the way it looked, she’d be in for a climb.

[Cyrus the virus]

An exhausted-looking Luc rounded the stairs to witness Olivia in the hands of the two men. He extended his free arm to manipulate whatever metal he could detect on them, but they released her before he could do a thing. He let out a deep breath and sheathed the Flame Blade of Slykrit, letting his hand drop down.

He blew a few strands of hair from his face and considered what to do with the two men, before he extended a hand once again. The men flinched, but Luc's hand merely waved them away dismissively. They looked to each other and turned frantically, bolting from the room in order to get away from the mage before he could change his mind.

Once they were gone, Luc's green eyes floated over to Olivia listlessly.

"So, no relic. I got new powers, but my old ones are still gone. Shall we head back?"

He sighed, thinking it had been a wasted journey. Luc wanted to get to an inn and get some rest, to take some time to dwell on his new magic and learn some things about it, namely whether it was limited to certain metals. If it wasn't limited, he could imagine some interesting ways of gaining money in the mines... If he needed any. The mage truly didn't have much need for gold.

He led the way out of the room and into the large chamber which held the great torch. The two men were nowhere in sight, so he carefully walked the thin walkway to reach the center platform.

[Olivia Oeland]

Olivia could see the obvious disappointment on Luc’s face, and on a good day she might feel sympathetic towards him. But today there was no such luck. True, he’d saved her, but if she hadn’t gone with him in the first place wouldn’t this entire mess have been avoided? Either way, she had her story, that was the most important thing.

With hair falling out of it’s style and dirty smudges upon her fair face and clothes Olivia looked like she’d just tumbled down a hill, which wasn’t so far from truth. Her arms felt sore where she’d been restrained and her cheek was already beginning to turn red where Cougar struck her. Olivia wasn't the happiest looking of people either. Perhaps her discomfort was enough to match Luc's disappointment

Across the thin catwalk Olivia paid no heed to the massive chamber walls beyond the stretch of nothingness. Somehow her energy for this expedition was gone. She’d seen the walls once, and that was enough at this point. Seeing daylight was what she wanted. And the question of how they were going to get out was still weighing in her mind, but she didn’t dare open her mouth to ask Luc. Something told her he wasn’t in a good mood. So instead she remained silent, listening to the echo of their footsteps bounce of the damp dark cavern walls.

She crossed the platform where the torch was, to the door on the opposite side where it all began. That door they’d come rushing through with Cougar’s men at their heels. It was still open from earlier so there wouldn’t have to be any tedious searching for the right switch. She walked through the large stone frame into the first chamber where that mist had appeared. There wasn’t any mist from what she could see initially, but as she moved further into the chamber she felt a small gust of wind pick up. It was impossible, they were so far under ground, a breeze couldn’t reach them. But looking down she saw small pebbles around her feet were beginning to roll over themselves.

Olivia narrowed her eyes as a wall of mist appeared seemingly out of nowhere. The mist, in a quick but powerful gust of wind washed over them fogging their vision momentarily. The mist was cool on her skin but didn’t leave any moisture behind. Its passing was brief before the door into the torch chamber vacuumed it up and shut itself tightly behind it. Perhaps that was the most interesting mechanism Olivia had seen in any place like this.

“ Hmm?” she noticed her cheek no longer felt sore, nor did her arms. Holding her hands out in front of her she could see no dirt smudges, it was as she had been before she even entered she cave. With a hand still tenderly feeling for the sore spot on her cheek she turned to Luc to see the effect it had taken on him.

[Cyrus the virus]

The mist was all too familiar, washing over the mage like a blanket. Something in him felt revitalized, as if he'd awakened from a long slumber. When the mist faded away, another familiar feeling was in him.

Luc clenched a fist, then released his fingers. Power was flowing through his body, almost as if he could feel each individual drop of blood in his veins. It was a remarkable feeling, and only know did the mage realize this was what he felt like at most times. His magic was back, a quick breeze spawned from his mind told him.

"My abilities are back," he said aloud, his eyes drifting up to Olivia. "And I believe that I retain that metal control I gained earlier. Remarkable."

He moved to her, placed a hand upon her shoulder, and in a flash they were no longer solid. With Luc leading them, the two traveled up the steep incline and to the exit of the cave, where Cougar's men had left a mess of the wall he'd made. Outside, they regained their solid form, and Luc gasped aloud.

A grin was on his face. "Oh, it may have been a short experience without my magic, but it feels wonderful to have it back."

The air was cool, and it was almost dusk. He wanted nothing more than a night of nursing a few drinks and a good rest. Tomorrow, he'd start another hunt for a relic.

"It looks like we were wrong about the items we were seeking, though there was obviously some power in there that granted me abilities. Good luck in your next attempt."

With that, Luc took to the air, looking to get to Radasanth before the sun set.

((Spoils: Metal, as an element, to add to Luc's arsenal. Starts out weak, can only be used once it's approved at level update.))

[Olivia Oeland]

Departure from that cave was more like good riddance than sweet sorrow, she didn’t want to ever sink into a trap like that again. She was a folklorist, and battling bandits was far too confrontational for her blood. The ride up was instantaneous and made her grateful the sun was almost entirely tucked into the horizon’s blanket, otherwise she might have gone through hell trying to readjust to the light. The fresh air was nice, but made her feel damp and dirty. Entirely disgusted she refrained from fixing her hair lest she wanted to cringe even more.

While Luc was busy appreciating his returned powers Olivia made a quick sweeping glance over the supply boxes left over from Cougar’s men. It was an eerie scene, knowing all the men who had been swarming this area were now dead. She wondered if anyone would even realize they were gone, she wondered if anyone would care or bother to remember them.

Luc bid his farewell and Olivia waved slightly, “ Good luck to you too,” She didn’t say she hoped to see him again, because honestly, she’d always associate him with that damn cave from now on. However, she wouldn’t be so unfair to exclude him from this chapter of her tales.

Once alone Olivia stood in silence for a few moments feeling the air grow cooler. Gathering her thoughts she decided getting to a town would be a good idea, before it was completely dark. But, just leaving this site seemed unfitting. There was about another 20 minutes of sunlight left, she could get a good head start.

Picking the nearest tree she sat and leaned up against it, her legs welcoming the relaxation. From inside her duster’s front pocket she took out the parchment she’d brought with her, as well as a pen. Thoughtfully, she put the ink down on paper, finishing what text she had begun.

And so the legend was incorrect. There was no hidden treasure, at least, not to eyes seeking gold. However, if any true legend can come of this, it is a legend of a sorcerer…

[AdventWings]

Sorry it took a long time, but now is the time to hear your judgment! :D

Story

Continuity - 7/10

You guys came for the relics and went away empty-handed, albiet with some new powers and traumatizing experiences in tow. I can see this figuring into your individual stories, but overall it was not very captivating. It's a good run, though, and looks good in your histories.

Setting - 7/10

I was not blown away by the vividness of the overall details, but I got a good sense of how things appeared around you guys. You also took into account other ways of noticing the environment, something that was usually relegated to simple mentions and nothing more. Overall, good but not stunning.

Pacing - 7/10

You took it through its paces, speeding things up here and there and slowing down at jut the right moments. Still, I think the overall pacing during the end felt a bit hurried, especially the flight back out the way you guys came in. It was OK for the most parts, but not enough to get me drooling over the aftertaste.

Character

Dialogue - 7/10

Pretty generic for the most part, especially those of the NPCs. Olivia gave me a better impression with the individual characters, though Cyrus also did well on some occasions at trying to make the words stick in my mind. A good effort, for the most parts.

Action - 7/10

Pretty characteristic for each of your characters, though nothing I could refer back to without reading through the story again. There were also some incidents that your characters were not exactly acting like they normally would, but that was robably my biased from reading through your profiles as well as relying on actions in the beginning of the story. I didn't expect Olivia to be as spontaneous with decision-making but you kept it a believable. As for Luc... well, he just seemes a bit blunt when admitting he lost his oh-so-powerful elemental spells. But that's just me speaking. Luc probably was not as power-obsessed as I first thought.

Persona - 7/10

Just because I can.

No, I'm kidding. Your characters did leave me with an impression with respect to each of their persona. Olivia stayed true to her scholarly bookworm-turned-explorer self and that was a nice departure from the many true-blue fighters who dominated this world of Althanas. As for Luc Kraus, he came off well as a weak sword-fighter and a competent mage even though for the most part of the story he lost all of his elemental powers. You guys stayed in character for most of the time, which is what I like to see from role-players anywhere.

Writing Style

Technique - 7/10

Good use of fore-shadowing and play on perceptions using figurative expressions. Not a lot from what I can see, but enough to make it a worth-while read.

Mechanics - 8/10

Good English skills, that I'll say. There are still some blatant typos that really tripped my reading and some. A side note in case you use MS Words to spell-check your posts - don't trust everything it suggests. I personally have qualms with trusting automated programs and this is one of them. Sometimes, especially when it comes to systematically "breaking" the rules of English grammar, the human mind is superior to semi-conductor technology.

Clarity - 8/10

I understood everything from beginning to ending. And that's a good thing by my book. :)

Misc

Wild Card - 7/10

Keep up the good work and bring more stories of tresure-hunting to tell us Althanians! :D

FINAL SCORE – 72!

((Rewards + Spoils))

Cyrus the Virus receives 2640 EXP and 100 GP from looting the bandit's campsite. He also receives the new powers over metal, although you would need to consult with the RoG moderators for the permanent version of this skill.

Olivia receives 930 EXP as well as 200 Gp from looting the camp site.

Final Note: Happy Hunting, you guys! :D

[Cyrus the virus]

EXP added! I level up!