Chapter 62

Leaving behind that floor, I then moved up the stairwell to what should be the fourth floor. As I started to go up though, I began to pass by doors. Unlike before when the stairwell would end with the door and a question. These doors however did not have anything like that at all. Instead, as I peered into the first one that I passed. To me, they seemed like doom rooms. Well, at least the door with a number four, inside looked like a dorm room. It was filled with alcoves into the side. Each one contained what looked like a bed as well as a desk for which I assumed was for storage as well as a place for mages to write down information.

Inside the room, there was a total of fifty alcoves. I only looked at the first three before giving up. Each and everyone was identical to the other. The only thing that made me a little confused was that there was no dust anywhere, which by all rights there should be as it has been a long time since anyone has been within the tower itself.

Deciding that there was no point in lingering in this fall any longer, I headed out and began to walk up the stairwell again. I passed by doors marked with a five and a six, inside each was the same as the fourth floor, this was except for there being fewer and fewer alcoves in each room.

It could be something to do with the rank of the mage or maybe their status, I mused to myself as I carried on walking up the stairwell. The seventh floor however was different again. Inside was what appeared to be some kind of classroom. There were stone, workbenches, as well as a massive open space at the front which looked like it, would be used for someone to speak from, as a teacher perhaps. It was an interesting setup and with the dorm rooms that I had seen previously, I could only assume that the tower was also used for teaching perhaps? Or at least these floors were and the others were some kind of test to see if you could make it this far or maybe I was overthinking the whole thing.

Moving on the eighth floor was the same as the seventh but the ninth floor however, I had seemingly reached the top of the stairwell at last. What I found was yet another door with a barrier in front of it.

Before long the illusionary figure appeared once more in front of me. It looked almost real now though. Like the figures which I had to fight before, he was covered in a white robe. Though there was one major difference. He had golden thread embroidered along the hem of his robe. It made him look important like he was the leader or maybe the teacher I could guess.

When he spoke his voice was filled with vitality as well.

"Student. You are about to challenge the test of …."

Then the figure went silent and faded away rapidly. It was like it had just run out of energy and shut down. The barrier that stopped me from passing on through the doorway disappeared as well.

I looked around for a minute, then just shrugged my shoulders and pushed open the doorway.

Inside I found something that I did not expect at all. The room was full of people! As I walked in though, not one of them seemed to react to me at all. It was like I wasn't even there.

I went up to touch one of them so that someone could tell me what was going on.

My hand passed straight through him. Straight through! It was like they were an illusion again. I stood there watching them for a few minutes but I couldn't find anything to tell me that they were an illusion. They all just appeared to be real. Moving on with their lives, getting food, talking. Some were even practicing spells. I could heat them perfectly fine though. The only thing that told me that something was off is that I couldn't just touch them and that not one of them reacted to my presence.

This room is just weird I thought to myself, as I began to head for what I assumed to be the door to the tenth floor.

I passed through an archway, into almost a separate room. It was at this point a barrier appeared trapping me off from the other room. Though as I looked back, they all were now looking straight at me. It was creepy, to be honest. Creepy. Around twenty people, who before could not see me, were now all staring straight at me.

Then the figure which had been giving me questions appeared before me once more. This time though. He looked like he was real! Not just an illusion, but a real person.

His old, tired eyes looked straight at me though after appearing. It was like he was staring into my soul itself. It was a bit creepy. Then he finally spoke, his voice raspy and crackling.

"My child. You are not a student of this tower and yet you have gotten so far...I can see it in you though...two bloodlines. One of fire and war. The other of darkness and death..You are a child of dragons and yet you have not even chosen your path. You must choose one to pass on. The tenth floor is the sanctum of the Imperium. You may pass as one of its heirs, but...you must choose."

He then stopped speaking, and just stared intently at me. Waiting for my answer. I however was in turmoil.

He had just seen into me and told me what my bloodlines were. Yes, I knew they were from a dragon. But I never knew exactly what dragons they were from. Although he didn't tell me directly. The dragon of fire and war could only be one dragon. It's not Nikonay as most would think. This is simply due to the fire part. Only one dragon is ever described as fire. That is Ixen. The dragon god of fire and also one of the top gods of the pantheon in the first place. If I have his bloodline, that makes me one of the descendants of the great clans! Which would mean that what I was told in the academy was true. But then why were my parents were they were in the first place?

The other is a bit harder, but it could still only be one dragon, it just that his origin and what he did isn't is exactly well chronicled as that of Ixen. It should be Whedabra. The dragon of the dark and shadows. Sometimes he was also considered as the dragon who healed death as well. One of the more interesting yet reclusive dragons that have existed.

But as the man has said, I currently possessed both of their bloodlines, which I need to resolve and choose one. That makes for a harder question. The Blood of Ixen, most come from my parents. Probably from mom. The blood of Whedabra must come from the ritual I did for the shadows…

So which should I choose. The shadows, or my family.

I stood there for a few minutes trying to decide what I should do. The old man in front of me did not even flinch for even a second as he seemed to be patiently waiting.

In the end, "I just can not decide. I would like to keep both of my bloodlines."

The old man looked at me and smiled. My child, you have made the right choice. You may now enter the sanctum. And your wish will be fulfilled.

I stood there for a second as he, the barrier, and everything else behind me disappear. Instead, I appeared inside of a black room. The only thing around me that I could see, was statue after statue. Each one depicting another dragon.

Then three of them lit up. Two I could recognize. These were Ixen as he was almost surrounded in flames, the other being Whedabra as he was almost hidden in the shadows. The last statue that I had lit up though, I could not recognize at all. It looked more majestic than all of the other dragons combined and it also had a crown on its head and leaves and grass all around it.

Then, I felt my blood heating up like I was about to go through a bloodline awakening. I saw the scenes from before passing in front of my eyes, then other scenes that I had not seen before of shadows and darkness. In the end, they both started to become clearer and clearer until I could make out everything that was happening within. Then they both zoomed out and morphed into another scene.

There was just one dragon, surrounded by nature and life. It was the dragon I didn't recognize.

Then it's massive scally head. Looked down at me.

"All dragons come from me. I am the first. Speak what you wish for and be ready to pay the price!" Its booming voice shook the surroundings causing some birds to take off in flirt to flee from the shaking trees.

I felt compelled to speak, it was like I had no option in doing so.

"I want to keep both my bloodlines.."

The dragon looked down at me for a second then nodded its head.

"It will be done...you will be a child of fire and darkness….a rare combination….your task is simple. Save us. Cleanse the corruption. Stop the breach. Protect Xenarra!"

With that, the vision faded and I found myself in the darkroom once more.