Chapter 52 - Down to Delve? (1)

Chapter - Down to Delve (1)

In front of eerily familiar shaft, with familiar rusted railings, with a familiar musty smell that seemed more....present as compared to before. Why it was familiar? 

Aedhira had walked back the the entrance for the umpteenth time, after convincing his Maxims, especially Amaani, that not only did he not need them to follow along, Amaani wouldn't fit into the shaft, and only increased the chances of collapsing it on themselves while inside.

The hulking, talking mass of metal walked of with...a defeated hunch....more of a hunch, and a seemingly wounded sense of pride.

Aedhira would have to deal with that particular mess after he'd resolved the problem...or escaped the shaft....whichever came first.

[Sire, this is your last chance to back out...I doubt you-]

"And again, I'll have to refuse." Aedhira said. He looked back the group of troopers and his 4 Maxims that stood at the entrance.

"And you lot-" he said the small crowd, "watch after each other while I'm gone, and manage our guests. Don't cause trouble for Monitor, understand?"

After a series of nods, that Aedhira also happened to return, he looked back to the shaft.

He took in a deep breath....and let it out. His heart, beat slightly quicker....quicker...it raced.

"Anxiety, huh....guess there's a first for everything?"

He took in another deep breath.....and let it out.

His heart beat slowed. It calmed.

Then it pulsed.

"Arstra-Equip" he muttered under his breath.

And then Aedhira burned.

The transformation began at his fingertips, tiny flames of pure white light licking at his skin. The fire spread rapidly, consuming his form in an ethereal blaze. It was as if his flesh was being etched away, replaced by something far more formidable.

The flames began to sculpt the armor onto his body, starting with his right arm. The gauntlet formed, heavy and imposing, its surface engraved with serpentine dragons. Each small plate fashioned after the dragons of old glowed with the same white energy that enveloped him, the light tracing intricate patterns along the armor.

Next, the fire moved to his left arm, but instead of solid armor, a long, overly baggy cloth sleeve materialized. It was an elegant contrast to the heavy gauntlet, the fabric flowing with a life of its own. Lined with similar patterns as the other arm...except this one had more. A bit more...verdant in design, with glowing outlines if branches and petals. The sleeve overshadowed his hand, keeping it seemingly out of sight, giving an air of mystery and subtlety.

The fire continued to weave its magic, forming a heavily armored skirt around his waist and legs. The skirt reached the floor, hovering barely centimeters above it, providing protection while allowing ease of movement. It resembled the skirt of a ball gown, formidable yet graceful, its armored plates overlapping like petals of a metallic flower.

His chestpiece formed next, lighter in armor compared to the rest but no less impressive. The top part had a cross-patterned mesh surrounded by white plates, creating an intricate design that spoke of both strength and elegance. The waist was lined with strips of pitch-black metal, adding a stark contrast to the white.

Finally, his helm appeared, encasing his head in a design reminiscent of an astronaut's helmet, but far more refined. The visor was pitch black, absorbing all light and reflecting none, creating an abyss where his face should be. On either side of the helm floated four insignias of shooting stars, two on each side, their edges glowing with a peculiar orange light. They hovered as if suspended by an invisible force, adding an otherworldly touch to his appearance.

The flames subsided, leaving Aedhira fully armored. The Arstra had equipped itself seamlessly, every piece fitting perfectly, every detail meticulous. He stood as a figure carved from marble, adorned with accents of gold scales and lines of glowing white, outlining branches of a tree. He was both a guardian and a warrior, ready to face whatever awaited him in the depths below.

'Or WHOever' he internally mused.

Aedhira took a moment to appreciate the elegance and power of the Arstra. It was more than just armor; it was an extension of himself, it was HIM. 

Probably. 

The Arstra pulsed, synchronizing its rhythm with Aedhira's heartbeat. Each beat sent a ripple of energy through the armor, causing the glowing white lines to throb in time. A subtle heat emanated from the suit, distorting the air around him like a mirage. As the pulses grew more steady, two burning white wisps appeared on the visor, representing his eyes, alive with a fierce determination.

Inside the helm, Aedhira's HUD began to come to life. Arcane symbols and intricate runes scrolled across the display, like a computer booting up but with a magical twist. Lines of code in an ancient language flashed before settling into a more familiar interface. The Arstra was preparing itself, calibrating for the task ahead.

[Systems online,] Argos intoned, the voice calm and reassuring. [Arstra fully operational. All subsystems are green. Ether output at---1%.]

[Ether-Mana conversion....60% efficient...holding stable.]

"Good," Aedhira muttered, his voice echoing slightly inside the helm. He took one last look at the group behind him, giving a final nod. Their anxious faces...or about as close as it came, were the last thing he saw before he turned back to the shaft.

With a deep breath, Aedhira began his descent. The shaft seemed even darker now, the shadows deeper and more oppressive. But this time, he was prepared. The Arstra's glowing lines provided a faint illumination, casting eerie shadows on the rusted railings and damp walls.

The familiar creak of the ladder rung under his weight, and the metallic groans echoed through the darkness. The air grew colder as he descended, the musty smell more pronounced, mingling with the scent of ancient decay. Every step felt like a step back in time, into a forgotten place that defied the passage of years.

[Sire, the temperature is dropping rapidly,] Argos noted. [Be on alert for any anomalies.]

"Understood," Aedhira replied, his grip tightening on the rungs. The further he went, the more he felt the weight of the place pressing down on him. It was as if the very air was trying to push him back, to keep him from uncovering its secrets.

Finally, his feet touched the ground. The surface was as uneven and cold as he remembered, a mix of stone and earth that felt ancient and forbidding. The Arstra's light revealed more of the surroundings than his previous flashlight, casting stark contrasts and deep shadows. Strange markings adorned the walls, glowing faintly with an otherworldly light, their patterns more intricate and menacing up close.

"Here we go," Aedhira murmured, his voice steady despite the tension coiling in his chest. He moved cautiously, the Arstra's sensors scanning the environment for any signs of danger. The eerie silence was occasionally broken by distant, unidentifiable sounds – whispers, scraping, and the low rumble that seemed to come from the depths of the earth.

As he ventured deeper, the air grew colder, the sense of unease intensifying. The narrow passages twisted and turned, each bend hiding potential threats. The glowing runes on the walls seemed to pulse with their own malevolent energy, as if warning him to turn back.

Suddenly, the HUD flashed with a new alert. [Magical interference detected. Origin: unknown.]

Aedhira paused, his eyes narrowing behind the visor. "Argos, can you pinpoint the source?"

[Negative,] Argos replied. [The interference is too diffuse. Proceed with caution.]

"Pulse?"

[Negative]

"What, it worked last time"

[An erratic pulse of mana like that would bring you to the attention every potentially hostile creature within the kilometer]

"Bu-"

[Sire...we had a deal]

"Tch...right, cautious...feh, whatever. Lets get on with it then"

Aedhira shook himself out of it, pressing on. He passed the pile of bones Varric had discovered earlier, the sight sending a chill down his spine.

What was particularly jarring wasn't the bones, but whom...or rather what these bones belonged to.

[Analysis complete. Low-Grav Type Zcypher. Type one predator, known for its cunning and hunting ability. Possesses Mana-Sensitive antler-type appendages for higher sense ability, leading to a difficulty in attempting to hunt the beast. It-]

"Enough, I get it" he muttered.

The remains were a grim reminder of the dangers that lurked below. He felt a renewed resolve to uncover what the deal was with this place...and if necessary...eliminate the threats.

Regardless, he pressed on.

Soon he reached the massive door covered in glowing runes, the air thickened with an ominous presence. The pressure was almost physical, making it hard to stand. Aedhira's heart raced, but he forced himself to remain calm. He studied the runes, trying to decipher their meaning.

[Warning: High concentrations of mana detected,] Argos said. [Possible guardian presence.]

"Right," Aedhira muttered, more to himself than to Argos. "Let's see what we're dealing with."

He placed his hand on the door, feeling the thrumming energy beneath his palm. The runes flared brightly, reacting to his touch. A faint hum filled the air, growing louder as the door slowly began to open. The ancient mechanisms groaned in protest, releasing a cloud of dust and a rush of stale air.

Beyond the door was a vast chamber, dimly lit by the same glowing runes. The air was even colder here, the sense of unease almost overwhelming. At the center of the chamber stood a towering figure, its eyes glowing with an intense, malevolent light.

Aedhira took a step forward, his eyes locking onto the guardian. "Well, hello there," he said softly, his voice echoing in the cavernous space.

The door creaked open, releasing a waft of stale, cold air that swept over Aedhira like a ghostly embrace. He stepped into the vast chamber beyond, his Arstra's faint light casting long, eerie shadows against the rune-etched walls. The runes pulsed with a malevolent energy, filling the room with an ominous glow. Every step echoed in the oppressive silence, the sound swallowed by the cold stone.

As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, Aedhira's gaze was drawn to the center of the chamber, where a towering figure stood. The guardian, a monstrosity of charred and ice-ridden armor, loomed over him like a nightmarish sentinel. It was a grotesque contradiction, a fusion of opposing forces. The armor appeared to have once belonged to a giant race, its design grand and imposing, yet it had been twisted and malformed by some unimaginable force.

Charred and blackened, the armor bore the marks of intense heat, as if it had been through a fiery inferno. Plates were fused together, joints awkwardly melted, creating a grotesque sculpture of metal and ruin. Despite the burn marks, a chilling frost had settled over the armor, creating a layer of ice that crackled and shimmered in the dim light. It was as if the very cold had fought back against the fire, leaving behind a surreal landscape of destruction and ice.

The helm, misshapen and warped, bore two burning wisps of cold, icy energy where eyes should have been. They glowed with a fierce, unnatural light, staring at Aedhira with a malevolent intelligence. The sight sent a shiver down his spine, a primal fear awakening within him. The guardian exuded an aura of age and ancient power, an overwhelming presence that seemed to press down on him from all sides.

He laid a palm onto his chest, trying to feel the beat of his pounding heart. He couldn't...but he felt it anyway.

By the guardian's side lay a massive axe, equally charred and frosted. The weapon, much like its wielder, was a paradox of fire and ice, its edges jagged and malformed. It radiated a cold so intense it felt like a physical force, yet it bore the marks of having been through intense heat.

The silence between Aedhira and the guardian was palpable, a heavy weight that seemed to smother any sound. He could feel the tension building, the anticipation hanging thick in the air. Every breath he took felt labored, the cold seeping into his very bones.

[Guardian Analysis: Commencing Scan,] Argos intoned, breaking the silence.

Aedhira cursed under his breath, the sound echoing in the vast chamber. "Now you decide to speak up," he muttered, his eyes never leaving the guardian.

[Guardian Analysis Complete. Entity Classification: Armored Type. High likelihood of dual elemental attributes – fire and frost. Noted for resilience and formidable offensive capabilities. Armor condition suggests significant age and prolonged exposure to extreme conditions.]

A stream of data and symbols filled his HUD, detailing the guardian's attributes and potential threats. Argos continued, [Known weaknesses: Vulnerable to sustained mana-based attacks targeting the elemental imbalance. Recommended strategy: Avoid direct confrontation if possible. Historical encounters suggest high lethality.]

Aedhira's fist tightened as he read the analysis. The guardian's presence was overwhelming, a living testament to the ancient forces at play within the shaft. He couldn't help but feel a sense of dread once Argos played an excerpt from a known Pioneer, who'd survived an encounter with one of these.

"If you're unlucky enough to face one of these abominations," the man had said, his voice shook slightly with remembered fear, "don't fight. Run. Nothing good comes from engaging them. They're the remnants of forgotten wars, of forgotten people, of forgotten time.

"They were forgotten for a reason. Veria forbid you find another one of those. Let the damned things stay forgotten"

Aedhira steeled himself, his resolve hardening. Running wasn't an option. He had come too far to turn back now. The air around him seemed to thicken, the oppressive presence of the guardian almost suffocating. He could feel the cold emanating from the creature, a chill that seemed to seep into his very soul.

The guardian's eyes flared brighter, its gaze locked onto Aedhira. The silence stretched on, a taut wire of anticipation. Every second felt like an eternity, the tension building to an almost unbearable peak.

Aedhira took a deep breath, the cold air burning in his lungs. "Let's see what you've got," he whispered, his voice barely audible in the frozen silence. The battle ahead would be unlike any he had faced before, a clash of elemental forces and ancient power.

But he was ready.

He had to be.

With a final glance at the towering guardian, Aedhira took a step forward, the silence of the chamber broken only by the sound of his own heartbeat, echoing in the depths of the earth.

The room got a bit brighter, rather suddenly. The Guardian moved, just a single step.

Just one.

[Hostile intent recognized]

"Da*BEEP*it*