Chapter 18: The Price of Protection
The darkened cave passages stretched out before us, winding deeper into the earth with each step. Our group, now merged with the enigmatic trio of scholars, delved further into the labyrinthine cave system. Dr. Elora Nightwald's scholarly curiosity was a stark contrast to the uncharted perils that surrounded us. With Aurelia's youthful enthusiasm and Professor Theodore Princeton's enigmatic aura, the balance of knowledge and mystery in our party was apparent.
Aurelia buzzed happily in front of me, her excitement palpable as she exclaimed, "Hi, I am Aurelia. Nice to meet you!" I looked at the small girl in front of me and replied, "Pleasure, Aurelia. It seems like we have a pretty decent party here." Dr. Elora nodded as we walked, saying, "Right you are, young man. The depths of this cave hold not only the promise of gemstones but also untold knowledge. Professor Princeton and I have been trying to find a much more interesting mystery that has been rumored to exist here."
Professor Princeton interjected with a tone of fatherly pride, his enigmatic aura hinting at a lifetime of unraveling mysteries. "Indeed," he continued, "My dear student, Aurelia, has been diligently studying under my tutelage. Her insatiable curiosity is matched only by her boundless enthusiasm. Dr. Elora and I, along with Aurelia, have banded together with the aspiration of unveiling a riddle as ancient as time itself, one that has thus far eluded the grasp of even the most astute scholars and adventurers."
I raised an eyebrow and asked, "Mind if I ask what exactly?" Professor Princeton beamed and replied, "I am glad you asked, my dear boy. We are on a journey that has taken us across this very continent. We seek to unearth the hidden language of the gods!" Aurelia chimed in, "We heard rumors of this expedition and couldn't help but want to explore the cave system." Dr. Elora chuckled and added, "That's just the tip of the iceberg. I am also here to see if I can find other gemstones of power. Magical energy can be encased for centuries without being disturbed, and I am hopeful I can find some good samples." Lulith commented, "You scholars and your books won't be much help if we run into trouble down here."
Dr. Elora smiled, "Who said we couldn't fight? I have many tools at my disposal, and so do my comrades." Aurelia piped up, "Right, we're plenty strong. I doubt anything here can give us trouble, miss." Lulith shrugged, "Strength comes in many forms, my dear scholars. Let's hope yours is the kind this cave respects." Era, who had remained silent, chimed in, "While strength is valuable, it's the unknown that worries me most. We should all be prepared for the unexpected."
Our team ventured further into the cave. We had to duck; the ceiling was pretty low here. I smelled a musty scent coming ahead of us, but so far our path didn't seem to have that much to it. The ceiling eventually expanded upwards about 6 feet, revealing the passage in front of us. We could see clearly even without our torches. Inscriptions glowed in the hall, spread out before us as we stopped to look. Professor Princeton spoke up first, "Oh my word, these are ancient rubbings. Aurelia, quick, get some rubbings." Aurelia quickly took to the cave side and began rubbing the markings on the wall with charcoal. Lulith got close to the wall herself, about to touch it with her bare fingers. Professor Princeton yelled over at her, "Wait! Don't touch it! These inscriptions have ancient magic in them, they could explode with any human contact!" Lulith scoffed, "Well, isn't that a charming surprise. Guess I'll just admire them from a distance, Professor."
She seemed to hear his warning, but it was obvious that she didn't treat anything they said very seriously. Once the professor got his rubbings, we headed deeper into the cave, and the room branched out. The room got almost as big as the entrance room, the floor had turned from deep black to a shade of purple. Strangely, there was also light coming in from the ceiling; a giant hole showed off the sky above. Perhaps even more remarkably, there was a giant rock in the center of the room, with a purple flower wrapping itself around it like a snake. Dr. Elora remarked, "Refus stone. It's a rare kind of purple stone that can hold powerful magic for eons. I have studied it quite a bit in my lab. My group in the city has gotten small portions of the stone, but never this much at once."
Era marveled, "This entire room is made of this stuff. Incredible." We made our way closer to the stone when we noticed a brightly glowing rune, one that I didn't recognize. I pulled out my notebook, attempting to draw the rune for later. To my surprise, Dr. Elora looked over my shoulder. She asked, "Do you recognize that, boy?" I shook my head, "My grandfather studied runes, and I also use runes on a daily basis, having picked up where he left off. I've never seen that rune before." Lulith proudly walked over to the rune. Lulith sauntered confidently toward the glowing rune, her fingers twitching with curiosity. She shot a grin over her shoulder as she reached out to touch it, tauntingly asking, "Think this one will explode too, Professor?"
Her fingertips make contact with the ancient symbol, and, to everyone's surprise, there's no explosion, no burst of magic. The rune remains unaffected by her touch. Lulith chuckles and teases, "See, no kaboom, just a little rune behaving itself." She then glances back at the group with a smug look on her face, as if to say, "Is there any magic I can't handle?" Suddenly, as if on cue, the room begins to quake. Another rune, right under our feet, begins to glow.
As the room quakes and rumbles, the very ground beneath our feet seems to tremble with an unnatural force. The ceiling above begins to crumble, and from the cracks in the stone floor, a spectral figure emerges. This ancient spirit materializes in an eerie, ethereal form, wisps of energy swirling around it like a shroud. The spirit appears to be a spectral guardian, adorned in ornate, long-forgotten armor intricately etched with runes and symbols. Its hollow eyes gleam with a pale, ghostly light, and its presence exudes an aura of both wisdom and power. The figure hovers above the ground, ethereal feet barely touching the ancient stone beneath it, as if it were a guardian of this long-forgotten chamber.
A low, echoing incomprehensible voice emanates from the spirit, resonating throughout the chamber, filling it with a sense of reverence and mystique. As the ancient spirit emerges and hovers ominously in the chamber, it suddenly lurches forward, its spectral form making an aggressive, ethereal charge toward Lulith. The air shivers with the spirit's otherworldly presence as it reaches out for her. In that heart-pounding moment, Professor Princeton, showing surprising speed and valor, throws himself in front of Lulith. With unwavering determination, he intercepts the spirit's lunge, his physical form passing through the ethereal entity. The spirit's energy seems to recoil and surge around him, an eerie dance of light and shadow as it collides with the professor's corporeal body.
The ancient spirit, its form shimmering with spectral energy, inflicts a devastating blow on Professor Princeton as it passes through his body. A moment of eerie silence fills the chamber as the spirit's attack takes its toll. Professor Princeton's expression contorts with pain, and his body weakens, the wound inflicted by the spirit exacting a heavy toll. A shadowy, gaping wound appears on the professor's chest, its edges wisping with ethereal energy as his own life force is sapped away. Some in our party reacted swiftly. Era quickly takes out Luna, her doll springing to life, moved closer to the spirit to divert its attention from the wounded professor. She commanded her creations with urgency, using her puppeteering skills to counter the spirit's ethereal energy with Luna's attacks. The young Aurelia stands in shock as she yells out, "Professor!"
Dr. Elora is also stunned, but after a few moments, she takes out small paper bombs, which she throws desperately at the spectral enemy. Aurelia dashes over to the professor, clutching him desperately as tears begin to form on her face. I regain my composure; I wasn't used to the sight of blood yet, as I called out, "Arcanox!"
A purple glow appeared around Era empowering her as she dashed backward, she struck at the entity with Luna, but it appeared to have little effect. Lulith was still stunned, muttering, "I didn't need that foolish human's protection; I can handle anything, dammit." I shouted at her, "Lulith! Snap out of it! Help Era!" Lulith spat out, "I've got better things to do than play hero with humans. You handle it." She started walking away. God dammit, she plans on just leaving us here. I knew we shouldn't have brought her. I yelled at her, "Lulith, you bastard, don't abandon us now!"
The rune from earlier began to glow, its symbols moving up her arms, emitting a black radiance. Dark, writhing energy enveloped her, coiling around her like a shadowy serpent. It was as though an invisible force was pulling her back, preventing her from leaving her companions behind. An unseen hand had grasped her, forcing her to stay and fulfill her end of the binding contract. With her movements restricted, Lulith struggled against the rune's influence, her face contorted in frustration. The sinister energy of the rune pulsed, reminding her that, for the duration of their expedition, she was bound by its dark magic, unable to abandon her fellow adventurers. Despite her resistance, she found herself unable to disobey the rune's compelling will, reminding her that she was part of this group, like it or not.
She reached into her bag and brought out a blue potion. She tried to pour it on her hand, but instead yelled out, "God dammit, what kind of magic is this? I can't break it! No, that can't be, my potions are perfect!" I yelled at her again, "Help us, dammit, or we all die here!" Finally, she turned toward me, with hatred in her eyes. "A lowly human ordering me around, dammit, I have no choice!" She pulled out a clear liquid from her pack and closed her eyes, visibly calming down. She drank the vial of clear liquid, her veins seemed to pulse, her muscles contorted oddly, her eyes dilated. She dashed off the ground toward the spectral being clad in its steel armor. She kicked it with full force, and the being began to fly backward at an impossible speed. She landed on the ground, and I could hear her panting. She looked back at me once again, mocking, "Don't make a habit of ordering me around. Remember, you owe me for this. A debt is a debt, and I won't forget the humiliation I have had to endure."