CLASSIC: Blue Shift

[Cassette-Disk]

I still remember this and always found myself curious and wondering when you'd update it. Now you did and it's still glorious as usual! ;D

Although, I see some mistakes but it's no big deal. :3

Now, the waiting game begins again for the next update that won't take like 400 years or so, lol.. ;3

Yep, we're back. And yeah I...don't edit. Hahaha. I probably should do that before I post, but the most I give is a quick glance lol. Sorry for the inconvenience, but I'm glad you enjoyed it! And not to worry, I plan to force myself to write almost everyday from now on if I can! Tomorrow, I plan to write/continue my other story, Again, as well as start brainstorming for another story. Should be fun times.

Oh my gosh, CD updated! There's a new chapter! I can't contain my excitement!

I really like how honest Zach is about the cold and mana replenishment. Bryer and Lili being too cool to openly look like they're shivering made me laugh. And I nearly forgot about the girl asking Zach out for coffee. Which makes me a tiny bit suspicious but, I like how Lili makes the joke of Zach thinking inappropriate things about her. lol. xD This was a really great chapter! <3

Cool guys don't feel cold. I'm trying to hit a sweet spot of humor and seriousness so I hope I'm hitting my mark!

Here we go again! This piece is a bit longer (3k words) so uh...there's no doubt going to be grammar mistakes here LOL. Sorry sorry, I'll start editing my stuff from now on! Also, I really really dislike how my paragraphs look this time around. Maybe it's just me, but they just look...terrible. I tried to merge them together but it didn't work out the way I wanted to. I'll play around with them more later and try to make them more pleasing.

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The walk towards the great wall of ice was a quiet one. Despite the warmth the group felt from Zach's potion, they all felt the same chill running down their spine as they approached the large skull-shaped structure. Zach brought his robe closer to himself uncomfortably. Even from out here he could feel the vileness that lurked within. It was then he heard it. The same laughter that he heard back in the clearing after Lili's death. Zach stopped cold in his tracks as Bryer and Lili paused, worry written on their faces.
You're almost here!
“Zach, are you okay?” Lili asked. Zach's face had gone pale, and his grip on his robe stiffened.
We can almost start playing in earnest! I'm so happy! Zach let out a shaky breath. The same girl's voice echoed in his mind, but neither Bryer nor Lili made any indication that they heard it. The world suddenly felt numb; Bryer was saying something, but Zach couldn't make it out. His voice was muffled out and out of reach. Don't keep me waiting, Zachy! Zach pressed his hand against his forehead. The voice overpowered any other noise that reached Zach--like a rushing river, it drowned out everything else.
“Zach!” He looked up. Zach had, at some point, fallen to one knee and was visibly shaking.
“I'm...I'm okay. I'm fine.”
“I don't think so,” Bryer answered, “you're staying out here. Wait for us in the village, we'll get the gem and we'll use it there.” It seemed like a good idea. Something was waiting for him inside the Keep. Maybe he should just let the siblings take care of the situation. With their extreme speed and power they should be able to easily handle whatever obstacle they faced. But where would that leave him? There would be no glory for him if he simply waited at the door and he hadn't come all this way to be too afraid to face the challenge.
“I'm fine, Bryer. I was just...overtaken by the dark energy the Keep emits. It caught me off guard but now that I'm used to it, I can press on.” Bryer raised an eyebrow before looking towards his sister, who only shrugged in response. “You two can't feel it, can you? The oppressive dark forces lurking in the Keep? It's like a wave of water trying to force me down.” Zach wasn't lying; the contrasting energies from the forest village and the Keep was astounding. While one offered warmth and comfort, the other held nothing but frigid isolation. “Don't let me slow us down. The sooner we get there, the better.”

The skull-shaped entranced loomed over the trio. Now that they were closer, Zach could see the material that composed the building was completely out of the ordinary. Powerful mana seeped out of the grey bricks used to construct it, infused with wards and charms to prevent magical assaults. Would Zach even be allowed entry? His constant residence inside the Magical Library had rubbed its scent into him, almost as if it marked him. If the wards placed denied entry to his kind, he would be booted out as soon as stepped foot.
“There's a ladder.” Lili pointed at the base of the skull, just above the chin, where a rope ladder dangled and swayed against the frosty wind. The thought of it snapping and forcing him to fall weighed heavily in his mind, but if it could hold Bryer and Lili with their armor, then surely it would hold him too. Isn't that what you thought about the walkways back in the village, Zachy? And that broke so easily for you! Almost as if someone gave it a hand! The voice giggled away in the back of his mind, and Zach forced himself to ignore it. Instead, he pulled out another glass bottle from his bag. This one was pink in color and he quickly downed it.
“What was that one for?” Bryer asked. “Some magical potion that grants resistance to forms of magic?”
“No... it was stomach medicine. I'm feeling woozy.” Bryer frowned, obviously expecting a more wondrous answer. “I made it myself, if it helps any.” It didn't. Lili spent the time grabbing the rope ladder and tugging on it sharply a few times.
“It seems stable enough.”
“It has some endurance charms on it,” Zach told her, “basically it won't rot naturally.”
“You can tell from just a glance?”
“Most magic users can detect magic easily. It's even simpler when the magic used is powerful or plentiful, like in this place. It stinks of different kinds of magic, even from out here.”
“That's super interesting and all, but I don't really care,” Lili interjected. “But this rope isn't going to send us plummeting to our deaths once we get close to the entrance, right?”
“As long as someone doesn't snap the rope, we'll be fine.”
“Good enough for me. Let's go.”

The group entered the mouth of the skull, but were surprised to find the area devoid of any movement. They had all expected to come face to face with some kind of monster or defense, but instead were presented with nothing. The room they had just stepped into was made of a darker cut of materials than the exterior had implied, and the room was dim as a result. The room was also long, and almost like a hallway, decorated with a red plush carpet in the center. The walls were lined with iron torches that burned a brilliant blue, reminding Zach of home and they were accompanied by large oil paintings depicting stout figures. There were swordsman, bowmen, magic casters, and powerful warriors in each one. Zach scanned the room, but the only other door presented was ahead of the three adventurers, passed the red carpet.
“These blue fires mean there's magic at play, right?” Lili asked.
“Yes,” Zach answered, “though there's the chance it could only be representing the wards and charms in place to defend from magical invaders. We'd be lucky if that were the case.”
“Magical invaders? Like you?”
“...Not exactly. I thought that might be the case too, but remember how this was original a training ground for the strongest warriors? Well, they were the ones that placed these particular wards, so theoretically, no evil should be able to enter.”
“But the place got taken over by evil monsters, right?” Bryer asked. “That's what the stories say.”
“But they still managed to force their way in. That either means the evil in here is too powerful to care about those wards, or whoever set the wards up—or whoever maintained them—did so expecting to betray the other warriors. Either way, the fact that the wards are still up as they were in the past is not something we should take lightly.“
“You mages are complicated,” Lili sighed. Bryer only laughed in response.
“You think that was bad? Alice and Samantha are always going on and on about magic. It never ends.”
“Who and who?”
“They're... I-I'll introduce you to them properly when this is all over.” Zach walked towards the wall opposite of the entrance and reached into his bag. He undid the cork on yet another glass bottle and splashed the yellow liquid on the wall in a slashing motion before pressing his hand against it. To Bryer and Lili, the liquid seemed to be sucked into his palm as Zach closed his eyes.
“That's gross,” Lili observed.
“The next room is larger than this one. It's got two staircases leading to a higher level, but I don't know where the gem is being kept.”
“Gross, but handy. Let's--”
“There's more. I can feel some kind of presence inside room. It's big, but I don't think it'd be a match for you two. Thought I'd let you know though.”
Gross, handy, and dandy. Ready for a fight, Bry-Bry?” Zach raised an eyebrow at Lili's nickname.
“Bry-Bry?” He repeated.
“Everyone seems to love calling me that. Let's go. Zach, stay behind us. The fact that the front entrance is left completely opens means there's more here than meets the eye. Stay on your toes.”

The metal door swung with a loud creek as Bryer pushed it open. He carefully peered inside, though Lili shoved him aside as she strutted into the new area. Zach timidly poked his head in after Bryer walked in.
“Would you be careful?” Bryer hissed.
“What for? Zach said the guy in here's a pipsqueak.”
“You shouldn't just barge in head first though! You've always been like this!”
“And you've always been too hesitant!” Zach ignored the two squabbling and examined the room. Just as his potion predicted, the large area held two staircases leading upwards to a higher alcove. It reminded him a bit of the receptionist area of the Sword Guild, though instead of nice and comforting carpets and decorations, there was nothing but the same dark brickwork and blue torch fires. A few paintings hung on the walls as well, but the majority of them were slashed and destroyed. Some looked as if they had been scratched by a beast of some kind while others held more sword-like patterns to them. Next to one of them was a bare skeleton, sitting upright against a wall. Zach couldn't help but let out a loud gasp as he fell backwards, backpedaling as soon as he landed.
“Gods. That scared the hell out of me,” he admitted as Bryer and Lili reached him.
“No need to worry about him,” Lili laughed, “he's long dead. Won't be bothering us for...aw shit.” The skeleton's skull began to rattle unnaturally as Lili spoke. Zach could feel the necromantic energies surrounding the room and in the span of time that it took Bryer and Lili to unsheathe their swords, the skeleton stood on its two legs.
“Is that it?” Lili laughed, “It really is a pipsqueak!” Zach scanned the room, feeling the different shapes the mana around him took. It felt as if he were looking at sand skirting in the wind, taking different shapes.
“No,” he told them, “there's something else.”
“You really need to learn to shut up,” Bryer warned Lili. The skeleton took a step forward, but instantly began cracking away. A large gash appeared across its skull as it crumbled away to dust as the rest of its body followed suit. Zach's heart pounded heavily against his chest as the scene played itself in front of him. He could see the dark threads of magic pour itself into the pile of bone dust, though he couldn't make out what was going to happen.
“See?!” Lili cried, “Easy! The bones were so old that they couldn't hold their shape, even with magic!”
Watch this, Zachy! It's going to get really interesting!
Are you doing this?
Nope! I don't have any power here. Not yet, anyway!
Who are you?
I don't think you have the time to ask questions right now! Zach let out a shaky breath as he waited for the magic to take its shape. Slowly, the dust began to funnel itself out from the top of the pile as the group watched on in dread. Though the debris was constantly moving, it began to take shape. Large enough to nearly reach the ceiling of the room, a pale humanoid figure from the abdomen up presented itself from the pile of bones. Unlike the skeleton that came before it, the large demonic beast had a much more human composure, with visible arms, joints, and face, though the eye sockets were eerily devoid of any color, and a mighty darkness seemed to loom within.
“You really need to learn to shut up!” Bryer yelled once more.

Zach couldn't help but stare at the monster in morbid curiosity. Though the figure was obviously solid, the bone debris and dust it used as a shell was constantly moving and shifting throughout its body. It was like watching sand falling in various different directions to create a ten foot colossus. Without warning, it reared its right fist back in a wind up before swinging towards the group. Bryer and Lili easily jumped to opposite sides to avoid the blow, but Zach was too slow. Thankfully he was only just out of reach of the attack and was only pushed back as the force of the fist produced a blast wave, knocking him backwards.
Better act quicker than that, Zachy! Zach quickly brought himself to his feet as Bryer slashed the colossus' outstretched arm, severing it from the body while Lili jumped from her position to reach the monster's face. Just as she was about to thrust her sword, the demonic beast let loose and ear-ripping roar that blasted Lili backwards and out of Zach's field of vision. All he heard was the loud striking noise of her crashing into a wall above him.
“Lili!” Zach cried.
Better worry about yourself! The girl's voice giggled maliciously in Zach's mind as the monster's arm quick grew back from Bryer's attack, and it wasted no time in breaking apart a large chunk of the railing from one of the staircases and throwing it at the duo. Time seemed to crawl for Zach as the large and pointed beam hurtled towards him.
If only there were a way STOP something in mid-air. Maybe like one of my toys? Zach didn't have time to think about it and did the first thing that came to mind. Remembering the fight between Bryer and Lili, Zach held out both arms towards the flying obstacle.
“Stop!” He commanded, letting the magic flow out of him and towards the railing. In an instant, the object's trajectory completely halted itself and it stood suspended in midair before it could reach him.
Yes! Yes, just like that! What else can you do?! Zach could feel the momentum the railing held. The way it pushed back, wanting to be released from its magical binds and complete its path. Sweat ran down his face as he focused on that momentum. If it wanted to keep flying, then that was exactly what Zach would have it do. Pulling one arm closer to himself, Zach began circling his two arms counter clockwise. Each time they passed one another, he could feel the momentum shift due to his influence. It took two seconds before he was confident that he had completely reversed its trajectory. Zach pushed both hands forward with a sharp cry as he released his spell. Finally being able to fly, the wooden railing soared directly towards the head of the colossus. The railing hit its mark and struck itself into the monster's mouth, clogging it. Not wasting anytime, Bryer leaped into the air and did what his sister couldn't. He slashed once at the monster's neck and accelerated passed it, cutting the head clean off. Zach sighed in relief, but that was short lived as the evaporated head quickly grew back, just as the arm had done earlier.
“Crap!” he cried as he darted behind a pillar. “What the hell do we do now?!”
“Everything's got a weakness,” Lili yelled from somewhere above, “we just need to find it!” A weakness. Somewhere where the colossus was vulnerable. Zach peered around his pillar. Both Bryer and Lili were swinging at the monster, deflecting its punches and dodging any piece of the room it could throw at them. It was obvious they could keep fighting for a while, but it didn't seem as if they were doing any real damage to it, as it quickly recovered from any wounds. But HOW did it recover? The spinning sand-like debris that composed its body had to have a chink in the armor somewhere. Zach focused on a slash Lili dealt to the monster's stomach. It left a visible wound behind, but it was quickly covered by the same debris as before. Once more he watched another attack heal itself before crying out.
“I got it!” He yelled at the two as he once more reached into his bag of holding, “I got it, I got it! I need a distraction!” Without waiting for a reply, Zach rushed out of his hiding place and circled around the colossus, hoping to reach a blind spot. Bryer and Lili forced the fight away from Zach as they drew the monster's attention to the other side of the room, where it turned its body to face them, though remained in the same place. He was right! As quickly as he dared, Zach dashed towards the pile of skeletal dust and uncorked a bottle of pure, transparent water before pouring it on the pile. A searing, steamy sound filled the room as a thick cloud of mist formed from every droplet that made contact. The colossus howled in pain before looking down at Zach. As soon as it saw him, it rushed to stop him, but Zach was ready and splashed the holy water at his attacker, which reeled back, hissing in pain. Not wanting to waste any more time, Zach threw the rest of the bottle the bone pile where it smashed open. The pile of bone dust quickly burst into a white holy flame as the colossus shrieked in torment. The large beast slowly began to melt away as Bryer and Lili watched on in awe. Its body dissolved into the ground in grotesque chunks that fell apart with a splat before disappearing in the same white flame. After the two arms fell completely, the head began to melt away. “May Saint Dai grant you the ability to rest in peace!” Zach yelled as the flame enveloped the colossus completely, burning away what was left of the unholy being that had leeched itself onto a once-human skeleton until nothing was left. Not even the pile of dust remained. Instead, the glass shards of Zach's bottle was the only proof of what had occurred.. An isolated silence filled the large room as Zach fell to his knees. The sound he made as he caught himself echoed throughout the area, and his deep labored breaths filled the void of battle.

 

[Roxie1563]

I'm loving this thus far!

I'm curious as to who the voice belongs to and why she's fooling around with poor little Zach. D: Maybe it has something to do with why Lili became something else like the Winter Solider..?

Maybe if you just hit 'enter' after completing a long paragraph, it'd make it look better. After all, we did learn that in school. ;D *or at least I did since schools probably had different styles on it??*

 

[Cassette-Disk]

I'm loving this thus far!

I'm curious as to who the voice belongs to and why she's fooling around with poor little Zach. D: Maybe it has something to do with why Lili became something else like the Winter Solider..?

Maybe if you just hit 'enter' after completing a long paragraph, it'd make it look better. After all, we did learn that in school. ;D *or at least I did since schools probably had different styles on it??*

Your question will now be answered! Although, sorry that this piece is all exposition. It's only about half the length of last time that I posted as well, but I ran out of steam and feel like taking a short (a day or two) break from working/thinking about Blue Shift before I burn out. Next time I post (later this week) will be more action packed!

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“How did—what did you do?!” Bryer asked as he helped Zach to his feet.
“Holy water,” Zach wheezed. “It was a demonic magic that filled the room, so I figured that was the source of the monster's power. Holy water would neutralize that energy but I didn't think it'd destroy it outright. At most, I thought it'd give you two a chance to attack.” After Bryer pulled Zach to his feet, Zach still stumbled and leaned heavily against the remaining staircase railing before sitting on the flight of stairs. “Sorry. I-I'm still shaking.”
“It's fine. We'll take a quick break now that it's safe. Right, Lili?” Lili sheathed her blade and nodded, though she also stretched her back while making an uncomfortable face.
“Are you okay?”
“That first attack it landed on me sucked. I smashed right into a wall on the second floor. Really messed with my back.” Without saying a word, Zach produced a glass jar filled with red liquid and handed it to her. “Thanks,” she said as she sat down next to him.
“Bryer? You need one too? I have plenty.”
“I'm okay. I managed to get buy without really getting hurt, thankfully. Or rather, nothing too serious. Just take care of yourself.”
“Ha. I was too busy cowering to even get a chance to get hit.”
“You say that, Zach, but if it weren't for you we'd still be trying to figure out how to even hurt that big bastard.” Zach looked to Lili as she told him this.
Zachy! Do you think she's pretty? I hope you think I'm pretty too, even though you've only heard my voice...
“Hey, Lili? Can I see Saint Dai's Holy Fleur de Lis?”
“The what?” Bryer asked.
“The thing she's using to keep herself from losing control.”
Lili smiled, “I thought you said just looking at it could get you kicked out of the Magical Library.”
“...I'll close my eyes, then.” Lili reached under her armor and pulled on the string attached to her neck. As soon as Zach saw the golden pendant's shine, he turned away, but held out his hand. Without removing the string from her neck, Lili placed the blessed fleur de lis in Zach's palm.
Are you still there?
Hi Zachy! Do you want to talk now? I have a lot to say, you know.
So it wasn't demonic in nature. Or at least, whoever—or whatever—was talking to him wasn't the same kind of vein as Lili's problem.
“Thanks, Lili,” Zach said as he let go of the pendant.
“What was that about?” She asked, securing it back under her chest plate.
“I was hoping that we'd be able to use its power to easily go through the rest of the Keep. If everything else her is also demonic, then we'd be able to use that to ride the rest of this place out easily. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case. I tried to use it to scan the rest of the Keep, but I can't sense anything else. Either the place is completely deserted—which is unlikely—or a strong ward is shrouding everything in darkness.”
“So we're on our own.” Bryer rubbed his left shoulder wearily. “How are you guys feeling?”
“What do you mean?” Lili asked as she returned Zach his now-empty bottle.
“I mean I feel more worn out than I should. Despite not taking any hard hits I still feel like a wreak.” Lili stood up.
“You're right,” she said as Zach followed suit. He was feeling drained as well. It was more difficult than before for him to draw mana from the surrounding area, and his legs felt sore as well.
“The Keep's draining us,” Bryer went on, “Every action we take will take its toll on us more than usual. That's why Lili still feels the effects even after the potion. It's not some kind of effect that can be removed, it's the actual Keep. This is what makes this place so dangerous.”

Zach closed his eyes. He should have realized what was happening. He's the only one here with ties to magic; it should have been his job to recognize it and report it.
“We need to get going,” He said. “We can't afford to just waste time.”
“He makes it sound so easy, doesn't he, Bry-Bry?” Bryer smiled at his sister's response.
“What's she mean? We just need to get the gem and—”
“Do you know where the gem is?” Lili interrupted. “This Keep is vast, and without map. Many have entered, with only few survivors and they all left empty handed. What chance do you think we have at finding one specific item here? We might find a room filled with gold or artifacts, but only one of them actually matters to us. Unless you know where that particular gem is, then Bryer might as well have killed me back in that clearing.”
“I--” Zach had tried to get a glimpse of the entire Keep through magic, but was only able to see into this room, and had even been given false information about the monster inside. Lili was right. He could talk about wanting to help save her and wanting to come out of this a hero all he wanted, but without a proper plan, they were stuck.
“We'll leave and come back with a better idea,” Bryer told them. “We'll have Zach brew something that can stop the Keep's effects, if only for a little while.”
I know where it is.
Zach shot his head up in attention. Why would I believe you?
Oh NOW you pay attention to me?
I want to help my friend.
No you don't, Zachy! You want glory! But if you need to know, then it's because I'm trapped in the gem.
What do you mean, trapped in the gem?
Do you know the goddess of time, Avivi? I'm her daughter. I was kidnapped and was shifted from my true form into a tool for man. Zach rubbed his cheek with his thumb in thought. Think about it, Zach! Why do you think I've been able to interact with you more the closer you got to the Keep? Why would I have you save Lili? To bring you here because I need your help!
Zach sighed. “Do either of you know of a goddess named Avivi?” Bryer and Lili both looked at Zach dumbfounded.
“What's that got to do with anything?!” Lili snapped.
“I...uh, I-I have a hunch,” he answered as he reached into his bag once more.
“I think Alice mentioned her to Sam once while teaching her magic,” Bryer said. “From what I remember, she was one of the lesser gods, overshadowed by more prominent ones.” Zach nodded along as he opened a thick book. “I think the story goes that Avivi's children were stolen away from her by man's greed in hopes of gaining power from them.” Zach nodded again as he reached the page depicting Avivi. The image showed a tall and slender female figure with short hair. Her white dress draped to her feet and had a slight slit to it as she walked towards the reader, her hand outstretched forwards as if to grasp something. Zach couldn't help but notice Avivi's eyes. It might have just been the artist's depiction, but the goddess here seemed to lack pupils, though this was common for many gods and goddesses in drawn and sculpted from.
What's your name? Zach asked.
Mom said I was the heaven and earth to her. She said she would travel from one to the other, walking in reverse for me if she had to and named me accordingly: Nevaeh.
Zach turned the page where Avivi's children were depicted in text only. He ran his finger down four listed names and found her.
“Nevaeh,” Zach read out loud, “'Avivi's youngest child and argued to be her favorite, one of the most quoted reasons why is as her name backwards is 'Heaven.' Just as her siblings, Nevaeh was taken away from her mother and--'” Zach stood as he read the next sentence, “'shifted into a gem! One said to be able to erase the mistakes of man's past!' This is it! I knew it! Ever since you mentioned the gem, something in the back of my mind's been bothering me, and this is why!”
I'm more than a 'something,' Zachy! And don't lie to them like that, you had no idea! Zach ignored Nevaeh and pressed on.
“Now that I know exactly what we're looking for, I should be able to lead us to it.”
“I still think we should come back with more power,” Bryer said.
Lili answered back. “I might not have that kind of time, Bryer. This pendant isn't an end-all solution. When it was taken from its place, it's powers slowly started to diminish.”
“She's right, Bryer. Saint Dai left it in the Chapel of Heavens because it restores its power there. When removed, it will become useless when fully drained until placed back in the Chapel.” Bryer sighed as he rubbed his forehead.
“Alright, alright. I get it. Tell us where to go, Zach. We'll stay up front to defend in case of an ambush, but you'll lead us.”

 

[Roxie1563]

Ooh, snapberries!! :O

Now this is getting interesting! I'm surprised it was that easy to find out about her and the lore of it, but then again it is all classic (hah!) stuff for a Mage to know about such things like that.

.. Honestly, I'm wanting to see Nevaeh in person now. xD But oh, CD, this is wonderful to read and I cannot wait for more! ;D

 

[KingdomKey]

I'm all caught up. I feel like when they reach the gem something big might happen. I don't trust Nevaeh any despite how helpful she's been. I'm quite on the fence about it. On the other hand, I was really impressed with Zach's quick thinking to use holy water to take out that demonic magic. I feared the worst would happen, but I'm glad all three of them survived the encounter. And I hope they can reach the gem before they're too drained to keep going or fight whatever else is lurking around. A part of me thought of Zelda a bit, when you described the place. xD But in all seriousness, I loved these two chapters. Can't wait to see what'll happen next!

 

[Cassette-Disk]

hi its been a while for this story too have this unedited piece and expect more soon hopefully.

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Zach tensed up as he led the small group through a doorway into the fifth room after the large battle with the demonic skeleton. Lili took point and walked ahead of him as he directed her, while Bryer brought up the rear. It gave Zach peace of mind; having both of them at either side prevented him from being attacked without any kind of protection, but the Keep refused to give them an easy passage. Nearly every room held at least one undead monster, most of which Lili and Bryer destroyed quickly before Zach had a chance to react. The few that he caught glimpses of where another skeleton—this time without any magical aide—a zombie that the two easily decapitated, and this latest room held a small gremlin creature that Lili kicked into the wall with disgust.
“I thought it was a fat plague-rat,” she cringed. The gremlin was reduced to nothing but a smear on the wall, and the three quickly left the room before the smell got to them. This left an impression on Zach, however. He knew the two siblings were fast and powerful sword-wielders, but to see Lili decimate a minor demon with a single panicked kick was awe-inspiring for him. It also made him glad she was on their side, even if it was only due to Saint Dai's pendant. “Which way next?” Lili's voice snapped Zach out of his thoughts.
“Uh...”
Left once we exit this room. It leads to a hall with a staircase at the end that leads to the lower level.
“The next left and down some stairs.” Lili nodded and led the group out of the room and into the hallway. The walls here were solid stone, and the floor was made of simple wood. It seemed as though this area was to be kept from visitors and wasn't intended to be anything other than a traveling hallway for those living here. Though it was still a far cry from the initial entrance's dark and magically-infused building material and it reminded Zach of the Sword Guild. They both had glamorous impressions at first, but just beyond the public's view was a much more simpler framework. Zach didn't expect to see normal hallways inside the Keep and was instead expecting something much more elaborate. He realized that was just his nativity and sense of wonder.
“Hey, Zach.” Bryer placed an arm on Zach's shoulder to stop him, and Lili halted as well. “How are you so confident about where we're going?”
“Like I said, now that I know what we're looking for, I can lead us to it.”
“That's not what I meant. Normally when someone senses something through magic, they only get a general idea of it's location. Such as 'it's below us somewhere,' not something as specific as 'next left down the stairs.”
“I'm just following the voice in my head is all,” Zach answered. The hallway seemed to freeze in tension.
“The...voice?” Lili asked.
“Yeah, like, my inner thoughts,” he lied quickly before adding in, “I almost became a seer, you know? I was just never sure about what I should specialize in.”
“Gods, Zach. Don't word it like that. 'Voice in my head...' “
“S-sorry! I wasn't thinking!” Zach leaned against the wall nervously. Nevaeh might be guiding them and she was only trying to help, but telling them that she was speaking to him through his mind would probably be a terrible idea, especially considering Lili's situation. He tried to push himself off the wall, but instead his stomach dropped as the wall behind him gave way. Darkness filled his vision as he fell backwards. He felt something clasp around both his ankles as he waved his arms wildly, unable to grip anything for support. Before he realized what had happened, he found himself hanging upside down, his cloak dangling below his head.
“Zach!” Bryer cried out, “Are you alright?” Zach only yelped in response. He looked at his feet and saw both siblings holding on to him. If it weren't for them, he would have plummeted through the false wall and down to whatever lay below. He took a quick look below him and saw sharp stalagmites pointed towards him.
“Crap,” he whimpered.
“Don't worry kid, we got you,” He heard Lili yell as they started pulling him back to solid ground.
Zachy! Don't be lame, try that again! And then the world around him began to Shift...

Lili nodded and led the group out of the room and into the hallway as Zach's head continued to spin. The walls here were solid stone, and the floor was made of simple wood. It seemed as though this area was to be kept from visitors and wasn't intended to be anything other than a traveling hallway for those living here but hadn't they already passed through here? Either way, it was still a far cry from the initial entrance's dark and magically-infused building material and it still reminded Zach of the Sword Guild. He rubbed the side of his head. It ached as if he had just collided with something. He also realized his legs were walking on solid ground when he should have been dangling and near-death.
“Hey, Zach.” Bryer placed an arm on Zach's shoulder to stop him, and Lili halted as well. “How are you so confident about where we're going?”
Someone answered, but Zach couldn't hear the response. All he knew was that his mouth moved and he could feel the vibrations leave his vocal chords.
“That's not what I meant. Normally when someone senses something through magic, they only get a general idea of it's location. Such as 'it's below us somewhere,' not something as specific as 'next left down the stairs.”
Don't be lame, Zachy!
“Before I finally decided on my magical specialty, I thought about being a seer. It didn't really stick but I still learned a thing or two, like being able to find an exact route to certain magical objects.” Bryer nodded, accepting the answer. Lili, however rolled her eyes.
“That's incredibly interesting and all, but we shouldn't be wasting time standing around talking.” She held her arm out towards the wall and leaned on it.
“W-wait wait wait,” Zach grabbed her arm and pulled it away from the wall.
“What the hell do you think you're--” Lili's protesting cries were drowned out as the wall her arm was just on gave way, revealing the darkened pit waiting behind it. “Oh damn. Thanks, kid.”
“Wait, how did you know--” Bryer's question would have to wait, as the floor began to shake unnaturally.
“What the hell is that?” Zach asked, terrified of what the answer could be. Something pounded heavily against the door they had exited from earlier. It was a rough and fierce knocking, like a wild animal slamming its body into it to try and break it down. The group moved forward silently while keeping an eye on the door. It began to visibly bend from the frame and once they descended the stairs, they heard the sound of the wooden door flying of its hinges and falling on the ground. Looking up and behind him, Zach could see the form of thousands of dark insect-like creatures crawling along the floor, heading straight to them.
“Oh crap,” was all Zach could say before sprinting away. Both Bryer and Lili were already aware of the situation and led the way down the next hallway. As he ran, Zach pulled a glass bottle from his bag. The black liquid inside swooshed with every movement he made, and a cloth had been forced though the cork and into the liquid. He pinched his finger and thumb against the cloth as the spark of a flame erupted to life in an instant. Slowly, the cloth began to burn away as Zach tossed the bottle over his shoulder. The sound of it shattering filled the hall before a furious flame lit behind them. The roar of the fire forced Bryer and Lili to peer behind them. Zach watched as well, but things didn't go as he had planned.

The oiled fire erupted into a wall of flame, but instead of halting the murderous insects, they seemed to ignore the burning completely and followed their path forward.
“Great, now they're on fire!” Lili shouted. The wave of darkness that chased the group down was now burning, and they continued their pursuit just as vigorously as they had before, with the sole difference that they were now ignited in a terrifying blaze.
“I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry!” Zach wailed as they turned a corner.
“Any other ideas?” Bryer huffed. “We can't speed out of here without tiring ourselves out because of the Keep's power, so if you have anything else in your bag of tricks, now's the time!”
“I have a quick-acting solution that can melt the floor away.”
“Good!” Lili yelled, “That! Use that!”
“By 'quick-acting,' I mean it takes ten seconds for it to eat away at the floor, so I'll have to stop and actually pour and spread it out to stop the insects.”
“Bad!” Lili yelled, “Don't use that!”
Zachy, do what you did in the forest to stop these two from fighting!
The memory of the incident Nevaeh mentioned flashed through his memories. Zach turned on his heels mid-run, nearly falling over. He caught himself on one knee and held both hands out towards the swarm.
“Stop!” He commanded. The waves of mana that left his body were powerful; much more powerful than anything he would be able to produce alone. Normally he would feel the magic well up from his chest and spread out from his limbs, but now it was as if the energy came into being straight from his fingertips. The snaring and snapping noises that had once filled the halls silenced at once as the black mass halted suddenly. Bryer and Lili skidded to a stop and gawked, but Zach wasted no time in producing the sickly green bottle from his bag. He poured a line from wall to wall as quickly as he could, took a step back, and repeated the action. All the while, the concrete floor sizzled where the acidic concoction was applied. Once more, Zach stepped back and applied another layer of the acid. As he did so, the first line melted the floor in a wide pattern. He wasn't sure how much time he had left before the insects regained their momentum and he realized his hands were shaking as he continued his work. Zach managed to finish eight lines and was applying a tenth as the insects slowly came back to life. He was worried, as the gap was only six feet in length, but the hope was that the momentum would be too great for them to halt themselves or alter their movement.
“We should keep running.” Bryer gripped Zach's shoulder and pulled him along the hall until they continued their sprint away. Just as they did, the snaps and snares of the swarm resumed where they left off. Zach turned his head in time to catch the black mass fall into the newly created gap like a black, living waterfall.
“I think we're safe,” he told his companions. Despite this, none of them felt like slowing down and they all rushed into the next room. Slamming the door closed, the trio spent a good minute catching their breath. The room was small: a tattered and rotten sofa sat against a wall, next to it was the remains of a stool, and on the opposite side was what was left of a demolished piano. There were a small number of painting frames lined up against the walls, which were all bleached due to age.
“This...place...sucks,” Lili panted. Both Bryer and Zach nodded in agreement, too busy simply trying to fill their lungs with air to form any real words. Finally, Bryer spoke up.
“Is this what it's like to be out of shape? “
“Why'd you look at me when you asked that?” Zach said, holding his aching side.
“What was that spell? It wasn't like the one in the forest. Back there you could barely keep us in place, but you held down a sea of creatures with no effort.”
“I...Uh, well you two are more intelligent than those things. It was easier to control those small beasts than it is to control you, if that makes sense. They're weak-willed creatures. That being said, doing that gave me a headache.”
“That'll be the Keep's doing,” Lili said as she rummaged through the remains of the piano, “We can't keep overextending ourselves, we'll literally tire ourselves to death. How close are we to the gem?” Zach crossed his arms as he listened to Nevaeh's instructions.
“We're close. It's passed this next hall and down another staircase.”

 

[KingdomKey]

I laughed at the part where Zach tries to stop the insect with fires and it doesn't work. That was hilarious, when Lili pointed it out a minute later. XD This was so good. I wasn't expecting another shift, but it's pretty cool when it happens with Zach being the only one aware of it. However, I wonder if this means Nevaeh controls the shifts herself? Or if the shifts are something Zach unknowingly has as a specialty. On the other hand, I do wonder if Zach would've came out of it just fine instead of being impaled to death if the shift hadn't happened?

 

[Roxie1563]

CD, your writing is amazing as time goes by! I pretty much burst out laughing throughout the whole thing and I cannot wait enough for your next entry into this world. :3

Though, I am officially curious about this Shift now that Zack has been through it twice. Makes me wonder about the mechanisms of it and how it could protect him. I would submit that there must be some sort of barrier similar to the Speed Force for super-speeders like The Flash and Zack remembers everything except for the others while being able to change or alter history.

So, for every Shift that may or may not happen, there's the chance of another Earth being born from it with so many different stories to go from that..

*Looks at my writing and realizes she's doing it again!*

Oh, for Nature's sake...! I'm theorizing again!! D: **

 

[Cassette-Disk]

Thanks for the kind words, guys! Idk when I'll get the next part started, but we'll see!

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After passing down the staircase, the trio stopped. Unlike the previous doors and passages, it was obvious they had stumbled into a new layer of secrets. Gone were the dark walls and blue fires, replaced now with bright, almost golden torches. Zach could only stare at the bricked walls.
"Stories always said that the Keep was the home of many treasures..." Bryer mumbled to himself as he approached one of the paintings on the wall. Unlike the previous rooms, even the painting seemed to be preserved. While the others they had passed were ravished and destroyed, this one was in perfect condition. It showed the landscape of brown mountains. A plateau housed a large fortress or castle of some kind. There was a flag flapping in the wind, but Zach couldn't recognize the emblem. The flag itself was white but the insignia was that of a dragon's head. As far as Zach could remember, not only was there no country or alliance with a dragon for a flag, but having one was deemed illegal for centuries now. He wasn't sure about the history behind it, but he figured it had something to do with not wanting to disrespect real dragons, in fear of avoiding a battle between one.
"Which way, Zach?" Lili's voice snapped Zach away from his thoughts. He was always a sucker for history.
"There should be a big door around the corner somewhere."
"I think I might have found it," she answered back. While Bryer and Zach had been staring at the painting, Lili had turned the corner behind the staircase. Following behind her, the two stopped once more. The large double doors ahead was larger than Zach had expected; at least 12 feet in length. The gigantic brass handles were so high up, Bryer would need to stand on his toes just to reach them.
"This should be it," Zach announced. "If we're lucky, there won't be anything waiting for us inside."
"We haven't been lucky all day," Lili snapped, "get ready for a fight."

Bryer looked silly as he jumped onto the handle with his full body weight. He looked worse when he dangled from it, hopelessly trying to kick off the other door to pull his own open. The real tragedy struck when Lili grabbed Bryer's legs and pulled him like a chain, prying the door open.
"The mighty offspring of The Scarlet Lightning Bolt. Brought to a stop by a big ass door."
"Shaddup," Lili hissed. "I didn't see you trying to help." Ignoring the two, Bryer peered inside, but saw only darkness. Zach joined him.
"Nevaeh?" He whispered into the darkness before realizing how stupid that was. She hadn't contacted Zach in a while, but if she was in this room, she would be trapped inside a gem, unable to interact with the outside world.
"Are we going in or what?" Lili hissed. She had the most to gain out of the three of them. She was the whole reason they were there, after all. To rid her of whatever had possessed her and allow her to return home to her family. It wouldn't be long now. Zach tapped Bryer's shoulder twice before handing him a small and transparent orb. It was smooth to the touch and Bryer gave him an odd look as he handed another to Lili.
Zach explained,"Just crush them in the palm of your hands and see what happens." Doing as they were told, the siblings squeezed their hands. The orbs were crushed easily and, when they reopened their hands, were surprised to see themselves empty-handed; there was no trace of the orbs. No shards, no pieces, nothing. "They're called Night Owls. They're like charms, except only single use. It lets you see in the dark."
"What about you?" Bryer asked.
"I've had a night seer's charm placed on me years ago so I can already see perfectly in most dark rooms."
"Most?"
"I need to get recharmed soon. It'll start wearing off in a year or two."

The large room was filled to the brim with treasure. Mountains upon mountains of gold and silver piled across the endless room. Wooden chests erupted in trinkets and coins, but the trio wasn't interested in any of it. Except Zach, who was completely awestruck at the sight.
"Look at all of that! Can you imagine how much this is all worth?! Or even just a pocket full of those jewels?"
"Focus, Zach," Bryer said, "Remember why we're here."
"I-I...Yeah. Sorry. I guess I just got excited. I've never seen anything like this before." If there had been any form of light in the room, Zach was sure he would have been blinded just by the golden gleam. Besides the door the trio had just left, Zach could see no other walls to either side of him, or even the ceiling. The thought that this might only be one of many 'treasure rooms' in the Keep enthralled him. The idea of such a large cavern of goods being multiplied by any number sent his head spinning, but he did his best to push the thoughts away. The Keep had sapped them of their energy and he was sure they all wanted to escape as soon as possible. Zach took a deep breath. "Where are you...?" He whispered. Something pulled him to the right. It was a wispy feeling and was as if smoke itself was beckoning him forward. "This way."

Among the mountains of treasure stood tall statues. Each one faceless, but also commanding. They were an eery sight for Zach in the darkness, but kept quiet.
"Those are statues of different gods and goddesses, right?" Lili asked. Zach didn't answer, trying to focus on Nevaeh's guidance.
"Yeah," Bryer said, "it's a common practice to avoid depicting the faces of deities. It's a sign of respect."
"I don't recognize any of the names listed in the plaque though."
"Neither do I." Zach still remained silent at the siblings' conversation but he had also noticed how obscure it all was. Every name he read gave him a chill. It was as if he had swallowed a small cube of ice and could feel it slide down his throat and plummet into his stomach. Without warning, Zach stopped walking. The room was filled with pressure and his entire body was suddenly being squeezed painfully.
"What is that?" he croaked, rubbing his arm in pain.
"Necromancy. I-I think?” Bryer said. “It has the same feel as whenever Alice uses her magic, except this is painful... Not to mention we didn't feel anything like this when we fought the giant demon in the other room--" A sudden howl pierced through the room like a lightning bolt. It was quickly followed by three more howls, then another four--no five. The unnatural screeches filled the room, petrifying Zach. He heard the sound of steel sliding out of its sheath. Somewhere behind him, wet flesh had been penetrated and the scent of aged blood reached him: damp dirt mixed with rotting flesh and the disgustingly bitter taste it left in his mouth was all he could sense. The soft--yet quick--pitter patter of paws racing against the floor replaced the howling. To his left, he could clearly see three eyes peering at him through the darkness. Despite his charm, the outlines were dim, but they were still there. Two massive hounds. One missing an eye, the other a leg but both had been freshly risen from their graves with dangling pieces of flesh hanging from their sides. Guard dogs. Bryer whipped around after his attack on one of the wolves behind him, his blade splashing with blood.
"Run!" His cry snapped the room in two. All of the tension broke loose and Zach's legs jumped into action as if they were springs. Bryer and Lili were quicker than he was but stayed at his side in an attempt to keep him safe. The two undead wolves to his left had sprung at him, but Lili was at the ready and slashed at them. Their heads flew in either direction, bouncing off the mountains of gold. One had rolled forward and Zach nearly tripped over it. He felt acidic bile reach the back of his throat as he continued to keep pace with the siblings. Swallowing hard, Zach gasped for breath.
"We're almost at Nevaeh!" The echoing sound of light feet behind them gave Zach a feeling of hopelessness. The wolves would catch up with them before they reached the gem, and even if they did, how would they escape?! Thinking the same thing, Bryer grabbed Zach by the arm, and the mountains of gold flashed past them instantly. Lili had also sped along at such a speed that Zach nearly threw up then and there. The fact that he was in mortal danger was the only thing keeping on his feet.
"Where do we zip to from here?!" Bryer's breathy shout was filled with fatigue, and Lili looked just as bad. The wolves would catch up in a manner of seconds and the Keep would suck the siblings dry if they kept using their speeding skill liberally. Zach concentrated.
"There!" He pointed at one of the statues. "That one! The gem is on her neck!" Before he could even process it, Bryer had seemingly teleported them to the designated statue. Zach's stomach rolled and he felt his throat convulse once. Taking a deep breath, Zach steadied himself as Bryer put him on the ground. Zach nearly fell over, but caught himself on the statue. He looked up at the towering figure. Just like the rest, Nevaeh's face was blank. There were only a few details Zach could make out in his panicked state, like her straight hair reaching past her shoulders and the shining gem sitting against her chest. He made a grab for it, but the chain was wrapped around the statue's neck and wouldn't budge. The fact the chain was made out of a sturdy yet thin metal meant there was no way Zach would be able to yank it off with brute force alone.
"Grab the rock!" Lili yelled. Zach spun his head around for a moment and saw both siblings staring down the undead hounds. They were both panting heavily. The Keep's curse had drained them terribly and Zach doubted they would survive the assault for long. Realizing his only method of taking the gem was to pull the pendant off the statue, Zach jumped onto the stone name plaque in front of the statue for extra height. He tried to pull the pendant over the statue's head, but as soon as he did the stone under him gave way. Zach grasped at the statue's shoulders and dangled from it. Already his arms burned at holding his own weight, but it got even worse when he let go with one arm to reach the pendant. It felt as if his arm was being torn apart, and Zach sincerely regretted making fun of the siblings earlier for their door trouble. Zach gripped the chain and pulled it upwards. The magical pull of it felt his mana and clung to his hand like a magnet. The pendant snapped away from the statue's chest as Zach's hand brought the chain over the statue's head. As soon as the gem was free, Zach fell to the ground. The Keep's pressure was too much for his unfit body and he couldn't imagine how the siblings were feeling. Zach wearily got to his feet in time to see Bryer kick a wolf out of the air. They had gotten the gem but now what? There was no way for them to escape. The two were obviously exhausted and Zach doubted they could speed out of the Keep, and his own magical reserves were far too depleted to do anything helpful. The gem grew hot in his hand, reminding him of just what was inside. With sudden realization, Zach pressed both hands together, squeezing the gem between them while releasing what little mana he had left. The gem shattered loudly and as Zach undid his hands, bright magical light filled the area, knocking him off his feet.

Zach looked up. A young woman had taken his place in front of the statue. She looked as if she was in her late teens. She had a small round face and a button nose, her raven hair was black and free flowing, and--when compared to the statue she was standing next to--Neaveh was so much more colorful and full of life. The faceless statue was ominous, and had been damaged by time while the real goddess looked so young and inviting. In the back of Zach's mind he realized how pointless it was to try and associate an age to her--she could appear as a toddler and still be well over a century old. The woman looked down at Zach and offered him her hand.
"Hi, Zachy."Her voice was familiar, and it was odd to hear it spoken out instead of reverberating through his mind.
"N...Nevaeh?!" Zach took her hand. She effortlessly brought him to his feet. The two turned to Bryer and Lili, who hadn't moved an inch and were still staring down the undead. It was then Zach noticed the wolves weren't moving either. He blinked. "What's happening?"
“I froze time, dummy. It looked like you three needed help." Without saying another word, Nevaeh grabbed Zach's hand and pointed at the two siblings. She took a step forward and the Keep's treasure room vanished in an instant, replaced with the frigid icecap outside. Nevaeh took another step the white snow was replaced by green leaves and wooden catwalks. She snapped her fingers and Bryer ran forward, ready to attack, but his target had gone missing.
"Holy shit," Lili whispered as she looked around. "Oh my god."
"Goddess, actually," Nevaeh said. The siblings whipped around and stared, still panting for air. Bryer pointed at her stupidly.
"That's...you're..."
"Nevaeh, a goddess of time." Instantly, both siblings fell on their knees. "Nope! No no, stand up you two. Don't give me none of that formal stuff. Come on, stand up." Obeying the goddess, Bryer and Lili stood. Bryer reached into his bag and quietly handed Lili a rag before pulling out another for himself. The two began to wipe their blades clean purely out of habit, but it was obvious they were dumbstruck at the idea of having an actual goddess in front of them. Not that Zach could blame them. He was completely lightheaded and felt as if he could feint at a moment's notice. Instead, he merely fell over backwards again.

The fresh woodland air overtook the trio as Nevaeh stretched her arms. The Keep's curse was slowly leaving their bodies, and the smell of decay flesh had left their nostrils. Bryer and Lili managed to catch their breaths while Zach felt his magic slowly returning to him.
“Hey Zachy,” Nevaeh said. Zach looked up at the goddess. Was she literally glowing? Was that a thing that goddesses actually did? “You aren't very good with magic, are you?” Zach flinched.
“I—My specialty isn't a combat magic. I was only here because we weren't going to do anything dangerous. That kind of flew out the window when--”
“Nope. That's not what I mean. Your specialty doesn't technically exist. That's why I was able to sense you.” Zach stood, stunned.
“What are you saying?” Bryer asked. Instead of answering, Nevaeh just shrugged and began to sway back and forth, enjoying the cold air coming from the icy caps with a smile on her face. Zach stood in shocked confusion as Lili spoke up.
“Nevaeh? I have a request I'd like to a—”
“What year is it?” Nevaeh asked suddenly, still swaying.
“I—uh. 1734 PD. But I was wondering...”
“PD. Still in the same era, but it's been far too long.”
“Too long?”
“I was trapped in that prison Man shaped into a jewel for far too long.” Nevaeh grasped Zach's shoulder from behind with more pressure than he had expected, making him jump slightly.
“I see,” Lili continued, “Um. Well, on behalf of all humans, I'd like to offer an apology and a request. Something has cursed me and I was hoping--”
“427 years,” Nevaeh said, her grip squeezing painfully around Zach's shoulder. “I was in that gem for 427 years. Over 300 of them were in conscious isolation and all you have to offer is a hastily worded apology? Then ask me, a goddess, for more?”
“I-I-I meant no disrespect...” Lili's voice was calm, but Bryer could tell she was losing patience. Zach took a deep breath, trying to ignore the pain Nevaeh was causing him.
“Oh none taken,” Nevaeh said, a plain smile plastered on her face. “After all, you were the ones who rescued me. Although I do find it frustrating my rescue is only a means to an end for you humans.”
“Um... Nevaeh?” Zach whispered.
“Shush, Zachy,” she said playfully, giving him a quick squeeze. Bryer spoke up instead.
“Once we realized we could help you, we did not hesitate to do so. It might not have been our original intention, but we did come to your aide.”
“Did you know there were more of us down there? Trapped? If I hadn't had the right assists in your eyes, I would have stayed down there, wouldn't I?”
“No. No, no. I'm a captain of the Sword Guild. I can hoist an army to rally and take the Keep once and for all, releasing all those inside. We can reverse engineer the Sapping Curse to cancel its effects and--”
“'Can' or 'will'?”
“I—I will do so as soon as I arrive back to Blueshire. I have pull there and can—”
“No you won't.”
“What?”
“Bryer Alma, son of Mylene Alma. The Lionheart. You have a lot of power in the Guild, and in the future I clearly see your power will grow, but I can see how it will end. Your Guild is riddled with bureaucracy and the rest of your troop with power will strongly contest your pleas. Your army will not come.” Bryer looked to his sister. What was to become of her? Did her freedom rest on his attempts to persuade a goddess? And what about poor Zach, whose face was pale as he stood under the goddess' grip.
“Then...! Then we'll come back! I can lead us in secret—with Sam, Alice, Chive, Lili and Zach. We'll come back and take the Keep down piece by piece if we have to.”
“You'll die,” Nevaeh said matter-of-factly.
“Well...I...we can...”
“Do nothing. I'll be casting judgment on you three for your ancestor's crimes against me.” Bryer and Lili both instinctively reached for their blades as Zach's fingers reached for Nevaeh's grip on him. The siblings were powerful, but against a goddess? They'd be nothing. “Oh, calm down you two. My judgment will fall squarely on little Zachy here.”
“Me?!”
“Oh yes! I like you, Zach! You're really pathetic, you know?”
“Wh-what?!”
“When I said your specialty doesn't technically exist, did you think I meant I would give you access to Time Magic? No, dummy! I meant you're so incompetent your body literally can't channel magic properly. I saw you in the Keep. You barely used any magic and were relying on your potions. You're no mage, you're just an imitation. All that time magic you were doing? That was all me, using your body as a vessel. You wanted to play at being some kind of hero, didn't you? But you're nothing of the sort, and I'm choosing you to taste my wrath for what your ancestors did to me.”
“Wait!” Zach cried, his heart in his throat. “Wait wait wait!”
“I will not.”
“No,” he felt his eyes flush with tears, “just—help Lili. Please, at least! That was why we--!”
“Oh her? Yeah, no she's screwed no matter what I do.”
“What?!” Lili fell to her knees.
“Yeah, I don't know what the cause is, but it's stronger than me and I'm not going to fight for her. Anyway, I'm going home to my mother and back to the time I was taken away. Before I do though...” Nevaeh released Zach and jumped backwards, full of glee. She pointed at the back of Zach's skull.
“No!” Bryer leapt forward, his grey eyes overflowing with yellow energy as his Speed kicked in. It was for naught as the time goddess slowed his momentum to a complete stop, letting him witness the sudden black bolt of lightning that struck from the blue sky above. The surge of electricity landed on Zach's figure as he screamed out in pain. Bryer could do nothing but watch as Zach's body disintegrated in black smoke, not even leaving a pile of ash where he stood. Bryer—still paralyzed in time—struggled in vain. He had seen people die before. He had been unable to save people before. But he had never seen someone completely vanish from existence like that before. Nevaeh stepped up Bryer, the same small smile on her face.
“You didn't really think you could do anything, did you?” Nevaeh slapped Bryer's cheeks lightly before harshly throwing a fist into his stomach. There was no pain, but Bryer realized his entire being was frozen in time, and the pain would flush through his body once he was released.
“A goddess relying on barbaric methods like physical combat?” Bryer hissed bitterly.
“I'm not above handing out an ass kicking. ...Do people still say that? Either way, don't worry. You won't die.” The goddess struck Bryer again across the cheek with a closed fist. Again, Bryer didn't move. Satisfied, Nevaeh walked past him, thrashing at his back one last time. Lili sat on her knees, unmoving. Nevaeh didn't even need to freeze Lili—she was already broken at the revelation. All Nevaeh did was push her to the floor with her foot before walking into the forest. Bryer heard a snapping of fingers as a column of light erupted behind him, signifying Nevaeh's leave. As soon as the sound reached his ears, Bryer was over-flooded with pain as all three attacks landed at once. Despite her young appearance, Nevaeh was still a goddess with incredible strength. The immense pain of his jaw breaking combined with the blows to his front and back forced Bryer to collapse onto his side with a cry. He huffed heavily, trying to keep himself from passing out. Already he could feel his vision fading. With what little energy he could muster, Bryer managed to reach into his bag and produced a purple stone. He squeezed it with what little strength he had.
“Yes, Bryer? Wh—Bryer?!” Alice's voice emitted from the rock as he coughed violently, speckles of blood landing on the ground in front of him. “Where are you? Bryer answer me!”
“Keeee...” was all Bryer could mutter as his jaw refused to close. Darkness overtook him as the rest of his strength left him.

Act 1 End.

 

[KingdomKey]

This was one heck of a chapter with interesting results. I really suggest anybody who reads this to not read my spoiler down below. xD

WHAT! OMG WHAT DID YOU DO?! HOW COULD YOU MAKE ME CARE AND DO THIS?! I'M ACTUALLY TEARING UP OVER THIS! I CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT I JUST READ.

 

[Roxie1563]

OMG, what the heck just happened?! Dx And I was just starting to like him so much. T_T

Still, this is so shocking! And I'll be waiting for the next chapter as usual. :3

 

[Cassette-Disk]

So hey, I meant to update this frequently but never did whoops lol. I didn't want to have the people reading this in a state of confusion for too long but that's exactly what I did and to make it worse, Act 2 doesn't follow up on what happened in the end of Act 1. Whoops. I also meant to not post this part until I had enough written to post the second piece, that way I would have something to fall back on to when I didn't have anything else written. I didn't do that either. Whoops. This is also a bit short of a post as well. Whoops. Enjoy anyway! I'll be trying to write enough for at least one post every Sunday from now on, though that probably means the post will most likely go up on Monday so I can do slight grammar and spelling editing. Whoops.

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Eyes opened into darkness. Legs rested on a chair with feet planted firmly on the floor. Arms laid on the ancient and hard chair's armrest. There were only two things the women could remember as she peered into the never ending black abyss around her. The first was that she wasn't human. The second was that she needed to find someone. She did not know who that person was, but she knew that person was important to her. The woman tried to stand but was met with resistance. Her body stuck to the chair and floor as if she had been glued to them. She struggled. Shaking herself loose took a few painful minutes, but the woman had managed to tear herself away from the chair. The points where her body had been directly in contact with the chair burned hot, like someone had torn off a bandage. The questions started to form in her mind: Who was she? Why was she here? She took a step into the darkness and was suddenly blinded. Bright lights filled the room, but they dimmed drastically a second later. Though still dark, she was at least able to make out the room's layout. The floor, walls, and ceiling were all covered in a layer of dirt, but it was obvious they were a brilliant white at one point. The floor tiles were cracked, and the chair she had been sitting on was blocky and dusty, save for where she had been sitting. While the chair was placed in the center of the small room, a long mirror stretched along the wall where the chair had been facing. The woman could clearly see herself for the first time. She had short black hair. Pale skin with brown blotches spread randomly against her skin and blue eyes. She brought her hand against one of the many brown marks on her skin. It was as if drops of chocolate had spilled on her, leaving permanent marks. It was then she remembered her name. Soot. Or at least that was what she remembered her name to be. Then a second word entered her mind.

"Golem." That's what she was. A magical being created in man's image. The lights dimmed further before returning to their brightness as if they were ready to die out at a moment's notice. Soot looked to the side of the room and saw a small box. Curious, she opened it and found clothing neatly folded within. Soot pulled on the top most article. A dress. It was black and, when she pressed it against her body, reached passed her knees. Without a second thought, Soot threw it over her head, donning it over the sparse clothing she had on before, which had consisted of a white tank top and undershorts. The dress fit her well. She could move her arms and legs freely without hampering her movements. Soot bent down back into the box to see what else she could find but before she had a chance to look through it, she felt the floor shake. Without further warning, the room shifted violently, knocking Soot towards the mirror. She broke through it and flew out of the enclosed area. The shattered mirror pieces flew around her as the wind whistled past her ears. In the brief few seconds she had, Soot saw nothing but darkness around her before sudden harsh coldness took over her entire body. There was no more wind and any sound was heavily muted as her body slowly sank downwards. Water. Soot waved her arms in an attempt to gain any traction. Sure enough, she found herself able to swim freely despite the sudden dip. It only took a few seconds for her to break through the surface of what she assumed was a lake. Before Soot could reorient herself further, the trembling began anew, making it difficult for her to stay above water. Through the darkness she could see a large rocky pillar. It towered over the lake to the point where she could not see the top. As the quake continued, the pillar began to tilt away from her and Soot realized it was falling away. Was that the same place she had just been in? The pillar left her limited field of view in an instant. She swam towards the direction it was in but even after making her way to land, the sheer darkness that surrounded her made it impossible to see. The soggy footsteps her bare feet made against the ground were the only sounds she could hear besides the minuscule waves the lake formed. Soot paused. Through the darkness she could clearly see a sudden and shattered fresh ledge in front of her, marking the end of her progress. Beyond that was absolute darkness. Darkness that had consumed the room she had awakened in. And the same darkness that she now found herself standing in.

With no other options, Soot walked along the shore of the lake and hoped to find an area of it that wasn't met with a sheer drop. It took about twenty minutes of walking before she was able to find a road. The walk was helpful. She started to remember a few things in the time and was slowly beginning to dry off from her swim. The things she remembered were mostly to do with her body composition. She had been created by powerful magic and her master had made sure to equip her in such a way that she could survive a long time on her own. She had be constructed by clay and dirt, and was able to repair any injury with any earth she could find. Even reattaching or recreating lost limbs would be possible if enough dirt, clay, or rock was present. Though she was able to get a grasp on herself, her master was still a mystery to her. All she knew was that he was a human male. Anything besides that was shrouded in a grey area. After nearly half an hour of circling the lake, Soot found a path leading away from it. Besides it was a shabby looking sign made of rotten wood. It was held up by what appeared to be two human femurs and had a low burning torch next to it. 'Bastion Wellspring' was scratched onto the wood. The road leading to the lake had been crudely dug through the dirt and, once again without any other options, Soot followed it. As she did so she looked upwards. There was no sky for her to see. No clouds lofting through the air, no sparkling stars in the distance, not even a moon. Just darkness and an occasional wind that blew past her. It made her wonder just where she was. What was the tower of rock she had awoken in, why was it built here, and where had she landed in? The lack of a sky made her think she was either underground or in some kind of different realm all together. Knowing she wasn't going to find the answers on her own, Soot kept walking forward until she caught a glimpse of something in the distance. It was only a flicker through some trees but it was enough to warrant her to investigate. The path lead her towards the same direction of the small flame at the edge of a forest. The trees were all dead and leafless, and the dry bark crumbled at her touch. As the path rounded a tree, a small campfire greeted her. A ring of rocks bordered various pieces of dried wood yet despite this, the flame that sat in the center was tiny and dying, refusing to spread along the kindling. As she got closer and cleared the tree completely, the rest of the campfire was visible to her. A human figure lay besides it, seemingly asleep, with their had covering the top of their head. A swift wind blew past the campsite, knocking the hat off the person to reveal a skull. A quick look at the body showed that the person was long dead, and only the fully dressed skeleton was left. Though Soot wasn't sure what had happened, she knew staying here would be a bad idea. And yet... The fire was so warm for its size. It was comforting, especially against her still damp skin and clothes. Without much thought, Soot crouched down and extended her hands towards the fire's heat. The flame itself seemed to roll from its place and stopped at the edge of its rocky border. Soot began to feel drowsy as her eyes began to slowly close. In a sudden epiphany, she forced her eyes wide open. I don't get cold. Even after her sudden fall into the lake, not once had the cold from the water and winds bother her. In fact, she could vaguely recall preferring the cold in the past. With a burst of energy, Soot grabbed at the flame, holding it in her hand. She felt a small, soft ball holding it together, like a core. The flame began to squeak out in pain.
“Not human! Not human!”
“You would try to drain me? Drink from me like one would a fruit? Like you did this mortal?” Soot nodded at the skeleton.
“All die in the end! All die in the end!” The faceless flame cried out
“Not I.”
“All return to ash eventually!”
“I will not!” Soot crushed her fist with all her strength. A sudden frost emitted from it, covering the flame as she felt the soft core shatter in her hand. “Time will wait for me.”

 

[KingdomKey]

My favorite line is "Time will wait for me." Soot certainly has a whole lot of confidence despite lacking memories of how she woke up in a place like that. I hadn't thought of it before until now, but is this before or after Bryer and co. existed? I really admire Soot's intelligence; being capable of knowing she can touch a flame without burning herself. Including the survival instincts she has as a golem. I don't know much about golems outside of what I've seen in Lord of the Rings. But if you ever come back to this story or character, I look forward to learning more, CD.