Chapter 13 - Shrine of Amana 2.0

"So this is Raya Lucaria?" I asked Godwyn, admiring the view in front of me.

"You can bet it is, a place ruled by magic where all who have a desire to learn about the mysteries of glinstone wish to enter. But not everyone makes it; the sorcerers of Raya Lucaria are not friendly to those who don't have great magical talent." Godwyn answered.

"A place where you are respected depending on your talent with magic? I'm glad that I didn't learned magic in such place, Master Carhillion left Melfia's magic academy having grown tired of the scheming and machinations of the academy's nobles."

"Who is Carhillion?" Godwyn asked.

"One of my teachers, I had many teachers during my journey, Carhillion of the Fold who taught me soul sorceries, Felkin the Outcast who initiated me into spells and abyssal miracles, Rosabeth apprentice of Carhillion who taught me pyromancies and Licia of Lindeldt who taught me miracles."

"I'm impressed; you must have been some renowned sorcerer."

"I wish I was, I arrived in Drangleic with standard equipment and basic spells, I don't know what they saw in me to take me as an apprentice, especially Straid."

"And who is him?"

"Straid was a powerful sorcerer versed in many branches of magic, but never took apprentices, he served in several courts until one day the king of Olaphis became paranoid about sorcerers and banished them from the kingdom, except for Straid himself, he was turned to stone and imprisoned in a bastille in the middle of the sea."

"Wait! Turned to stone?"

"Yes, I reversed his petrification and in return, he taught me spells and pyromancy, he also made me some special weapons and spells."

"One hell of a story. Why have so many renowned sorcerers gathered in Drangleic?"

"Each of them had their motive, Carhillion sensed the dormant magic that pervaded Drangleic and decided to seek it to improve his soul sorceries. Felkin had a similar goal but he sought the darkness in Drangleic, Rosabeth went to Drangleic in search of Carhillion, but was turned to stone. I also reversed her petrification. Licia… Well, she was a con artist, she pretended to be a holy woman who wanted to spread miracles around Drangleic, but in fact, she was on the run for stealing a miracle from a monastery."

"And where is Licia now?"

"Dead, she invaded my world several times under a false identity. I discovered that she was the invader by approaching her with an item I found in a crypt. The item allowed me to invade the world of those who committed serious crimes, we fought and I won."

"It must have been hard for you to kill one of her teachers."

"Yes, I was shaken when I found out that she was the invader, but that's in the past now. Now lest move on!"

"If that's what you want, but I'm here if you want to talk."

"Thanks!"

Godwyn and I crossed a bridge full of cages until we reached a courtyard with a fountain in the center. I climbed the staircase on the other side of the courtyard only to receive a barrage of spells.

"Damn it!" I screamed, rolling to the right, but immediately jumped back when another spell came towards me. 

However, when I jumped back, I rolled to the left, dodging another spells, I immediately ducked letting a spell pass over my head, and then I rolled forward, dodging another one.

Rolling and jumping all over the place, I slowly approached the two sorcerers at the top of the stairs, drew my Ornate Sword from my bag, and charged towards the sorcerer on the right.

He shot a spell in my direction, I stepped to the side, letting the projectile pass by me and cut the sorcerer's chest, the sorcerer on the left raised his book and tried to hit me in the head. 

I used the ash of war of my staff, spinning it in the air and hitting the sorcerer several times, pushing him back. Then I pointed my staff at the sorcerer on my right, and cast Dark Hail at close range, the sorcerer was torn apart by the shards of darkness.

Then I turned towards the sorcerer on my left and plunged my blade into his heart, both sorcerers disappeared in runes and souls.

I hyperventilated as some memories came back to me. That damn shrine, I can't dodge the spells as I'm fighting the knights, I can't fight the knights properly as the water slows me down, I can't get out of the water as I'm bombarded by spells. 

I can't dodge spells as I'm fighting knights, I can't fight knights properly as the water slows me down, I can't get out of the water as I'm bombarded by spells, I can't dodge spells, because I'm fighting the knights, I can't fight the knights properly, because the water slows me down, I can't get out of the water, because I'm bombarded by spells...

"ALDEN!" 

Godwyn screamed, taking me off my stupor.

"Yes?"

"Are you okay? I've been calling your name for some time now, but you've just stood there staring into nothing."

"Don't worry about it, I was daydreaming."

Godwyn gave me a worried look but didn't press on.

I opened the heavy wooden door in front of me and entered a large hall with wooden benches, pillars on the sides and cages hanging from the ceiling. As soon as I entered the hall, the sorcerer in front of me caught my attention.

"HEY! THIS BELONGS TO ME, GIVE IT BACK!" I yelled.

The sorcerer in question had my Channeler Trident. The sorcerer snapped his fingers and four things fell from the ceiling, they looked like puppets with four arms and a sword on each hand. 

Immediately the sorcerer danced, using the weapon art of the trident. The puppets were covered by a white aura, when the sorcerer finished his dance, he ran towards a passage on the left.

"COME BACK HERE!" I called out to the sorcerer but had to shift my attention to the puppets.

The four puppets ran towards me, I put away the ornate blade and ignited my flame, casting Fire Dance. 

An arc of fire appeared in front of me, hitting two of the puppets and forcing the others to jump back, hey went around the pillars of the hall, one on the left and one on the right.

I raised my staff and cast Affinity, when the puppets approached; the projectiles of darkness hit the puppet coming from the left, giving me time to point my flame at the puppet on the right and cast Fire Whip, the spiral of fire incinerated the puppet. Three to go.

The two puppets hit by the Fire Dance got up and approached me, they released a flurry of blows, I rolled to the right, dodging the attack, but suddenly, my back hit a wall. 

I was placed in a corner, I cast Iron Flesh, and the puppet blades broke as they hit my body, it wasn't as if when I fought Malenia, where every blow slowly overcame my defense. 

I seized the moment and cast Fire Snake, slamming my flame to the ground; pillars of fire came out of it and shot towards the puppets.

Two puppets were turned into ashes, now there was only one left; the remaining puppet ran towards me with its four broken swords pointed in my direction.

When the swords hit me, a metallic sound echoed through the hall, what was left of the swords was scattered across the floor, the puppet lifted its head looking at me.

I grabbed the two upper arms of the puppet and kicked it in the chest, the puppet's arms stayed in my hands and the puppet flew away, hitting a pillar, the puppet slowly slid towards the ground, the mark of the sole of my leggings on its chest.

Now where did that sorcerer go? 

I ran to the left passage, touched the grace that was in a small room, and kept going until I reached a cemetery.

"Where is that bastard?" I said, looking around.

"Was that trident one of your weapons?" Godwyn asked.

"Yes, and I want it back."

As soon as I entered the graveyard, corpses with magical energy pouring out of their eyes and mouths came towards me; I quickly equipped an Ornate Sword in each hand and used their ash of war, covering the swords with holy power.

"What the hell happened here? How could Rennala allow something like this to happen?" Godwyn said, watching the corpses emerge from their graves.

"I believe you aren't responsible for these corpses coming back to life."

"No! Look at them! There's magic coming out of their bodies and I'm not a mage!"

"Well, better put them to rest."

I fought as I descended through the graveyard. I pierced a corpse in the stomach with both swords, knocked it out of my blades with a kick to the chest, and then spun around, slashing the chest of another approaching corpse. 

With the corner of my eyes I saw another corpse approaching behind me, I spun the blades in my hands, putting them in an inverted position and pushed them back piercing the corpse.

However, another one approached in front of me, I tried to remove the blades from the corpse behind me, but they were stuck. I released the blades and put my hand inside my bag, taking out a holy water urn. 

I threw it at the corpse, steam rose from his body as the water burned him as if it were acid.

As the corpse burned, I removed my blades off the corpse behind me with a kick. Nevertheless, when I turned around to look down the path ahead, I saw a series magic glowing eyes staring at me through the graveyard mist.

What a horrible night to have a curse.

Therefore, I keep fighting...

"FORBIDDEN SUN!"

And fighting...

"CHAOS STORM!"

And fighting...

"WRATH OF THE GODS!"

Until I found myself in a small cave, where there were some puppets, which I destroyed with a Chaos Fireball. I got the spirit ash of the Puppet Soldiers, and I jumping out of the small cave, only see myself surrounded by more walking corpses.

And the fight continued.

"HEAVENLY THUNDER!"

And it continued...

"DARK STORM!"

And it continued...

"SOUL FOCUS!"

When my battle frenzy was over, I found myself with a mangled corpse at my feet and a set of armor in front of me. Looking down at myself, I saw that I was covered in wounds. I drank from both of my flasks to restore my health and magic.

"Alden, how do you feel?" Godwyn asked.

"Tired, it's like trying to traverse the Shrine of Amana and the Undead Crypt all over again."

"What?"

"Forget what I said." 

I approached the set of armor in front of me and studied it.

"Oh! A carian knight's armor."

"Do you know whose armor this is?"

"Of course! Carian knights directly served the Carian royal family, this armor has a good balance between physical and magical defense."

"You seem to know a lot about Lands Between's items and equipment."

"You could say it's a hobby of mine, in the capital's libraries there are entire books dedicated to weapons, armor, their strengths and weaknesses."

"I wish I had one of those, I had to learn what my equipment does by myself."

I think it doesn't hurt to try the armor out.

"Godwyn, can you look the other way?"

"Of course." Godwyn said, turning around.

I quickly donned the armor.

"How am I?"

"You look like a true knight of the royal family."

I laughed a little at that. 

"HAHA! Thank you, Lord Godwyn; your words are extremely kind." I said, bowing down.

"You are welcome, my noble knight!" Godwyn said, making a pompous voice puffing out his chest.

"HAHAHA!" We both laugh simultaneously.

Passing through a stone crevice, I returned to the upper area of the cemetery. This time I entered a stone passage with some stairs in front of it, passing through a metal gate facing the academy's water wheel.

I waited for one of the platforms to approach, I jumped on top of one and went up, and I jumped off the platform when I reached an area where it was safe to land. 

I went up some stone stairs and I was inside the academy again, touched a grace that was close and moved forward.

I reached a hall, with two sorcerers reading books and a sorcerer carrying a sword and shield inside, they hadn't noticed me yet; I crouched down and approached the sorcerer carrying the sword and shield. 

I pierced him in the heart with one of the ornate blades; one of the sorcerers put the book down and turned toward the source of the noise, only to jump in surprise to see me.

I pointed my staff at him and cast Crystal Soul Spear, the mage died immediately when hit by the spell, the only proof that he was there was the big hole left in the wall.

The remaining sorcerer didn't have time to react, the moment he turned around, I cast Soul Greatsword, and swung my staff towards him, slashing his in the stomach, he fell dead right after.

It seems that it's over. In a small room I got another scroll that I couldn't understand what was written, I put it in my bag and advanced through the academy.

I stopped at what I saw in front of me, a room full of sorcerers, and among them was the sorcerer with my trident, he danced, empowering the other sorcerers, and ran out of the room.

All the other sorcerers pointed their staffs at me.

I leaped back, taking cover behind pillar adorning the hall that led into the room. The spells collided with the pillar, tearing off a few pieces of it.

The sorcerers tried to advance towards me, but I didn't allow it, I pointed my staff at them and cast Soul Spear Barrage, a blast of small soul spears came out of my staff filling one of the sorcerers with holes and forcing the other three to fall back, hiding behind pillars in the room.

One of the sorcerers jumped out of his cover and fired some spells toward me. I hid behind my pillar. In addition, when the spells ended, I came out of my cover and cast Soul Spear Barrage again, but the sorcerer hid and the barrage just destroyed part of the pillar.

Two sorcerers came out of their cover and threw spells at me. I hid again. 

This isn't going anywhere! I put my hand in my bag and pulled out a firebomb, I threw it at the sorcerer who was on the left. 

Seeing the bomb landing on his feet the sorcerer came out of his cover, which allowed me to target him with Soul Spear Barrage.

Two sorcerers left now, I drank from my flask of cerulean tears. One of the sorcerers jumped from behind his cover and ran across the room while shooting spells at me; I decided to return the favor.

"AAAHHH!" I screamed as I left my cover and cast Soul Spear Barrage. 

The rings on my staff spun at great speed as they released the magic projectiles, the projectiles blasted holes in walls, bookshelves. Pieces of books and furniture flew everywhere.

However, in the end, I couldn't hit the sorcerer, this was taking too long, I lit my flame and cast Toxic Mist, and a purple cloud covered the room blinding the sorcerers. 

I ran through the mist until I stopped behind one of the sorcerers, he didn't notice me; I grabbed him by the shoulder turning him towards me, took Reduvia out of my bag and pierced him in the heart.

The mist dissipated, and what I saw was the remaining sorcerer swinging his staff toward my head, I crouched down, dodging the first blow, but the sorcerer didn't stop, blow after blow he tried to hit me. 

In the middle of one of the blows I pointed my staff at his left leg and cast Dark Hail, the sorcerer's left leg was torn off, making him fall backward to the ground, I pointed my staff at the sorcerer's head and cast Dark Hail again.

I supported my staff on my shoulder as the smoke came out of its rings and chased the sorcerer who had my trident. I continued until I stopped in front of a gate of yellow fog, it seemed that there was a notable enemy ahead.

"It looks like we'll have a tough battle." Godwyn said.

"Looks like it, I think I better prepare myself." I cast some miracles to heal any wounds that I didn't noticed and used some repair powder on my armor and weapons. 

I drew my Lord's Worn Greatsword and then walked through the fog. In addition, what I found on the other side was a big red wolf running towards me.

A golden sword formed in the wolf's mouth as it swung the weapon towards me, I rolled to the right, dodging the cuts, and when the blows ended, I struck two blows to the wolf's side. 

The wolf jumped back, but in the middle of its jump, three magic circles appeared in the air, a few seconds later these circles shot three magic swords towards me.

"Great, it can use magic!"

I ran to the right across the large room while pointing my staff at the wolf and cast Dark Orb several times. The wolf was hit by one of the orbs but dodged the rest, jumping out of the away.

The wolf then jumped while spinning in the air, creating another golden sword, and tried to cut me in two as it fell. I rolled to the right again, letting the wolf hit the ground. 

While the wolf recovered from the attack, I approached and cut it again, but the wolf withstood my blows and amid the cuts, it summoned another golden sword and cut me three times in the chest, the wolf then jumped back again while creating magic sigils in the air.

I crossed the hall while dodging the magic swords, now the wolf had its back to the fog gate that I entered. 

Well, better invoke some spirits. I rang the bell and invoked the new ashes that I acquired, two puppets appeared beside me, they carried bows and as soon as they saw the wolf, they started shooting.

The wolf ran across the hall while jumping to the sides, dodging the arrows, then it jumped and invoked the golden sword again, trying to cut me. 

I ran towards the wolf and when it approached, I rolled forward, letting it pass above me. As the wolf landed, several arrows from the puppets pierced it, before the wolf could run away again; I turned around and cast Dark Greatsword.

With a swing, I cut the wolf from left to right, followed by an explosion of darkness. Quickly, the wolf turned towards me, releasing a series of bites, I wasn't fast enough and was bitten a few times. 

Then the wolf got up in its hind legs and tried to bite me again, seeing that there was no time to dodge, I put my staff in the way of the attack.

The wolf bit my staff and forced me to one knee, I threw my sword to the side and used both hands to hold the staff and push it upwards. Meanwhile arrows from puppets pierced the back of the wolf. The wolf chose to ignore the arrows and keep trying to kill me.

Suddenly three sigils appeared above the wolf. I knew what was about to happen. I removed my right hand from the staff, lit my pyromantic flame, and pointed it at the wolf's face; simultaneously the sigils shot the swords towards me.

I cast Fire Whip, and the wolf let out a loud pained howl before disappearing into runes and souls, but the wolf didn't disappear fast enough for its spells to dissipate. 

Two of the magic swords pierced me in the chest and stomach, the strength being such that I was thrown to the ground.

"Alden!" Godwyn yelled appearing beside me.

"Don't worry; I'm not dying yet..." I replied getting up. 

I saw the puppets disappearing on the other side of the room, I dragged my feet across the floor, on the way I retrieved my sword and got some kind of necklace left by the wolf, I put it in my bag.

A site of grace appeared on the other side of the room; I touched it and rested to heal my wounds.

"Damn it!" Godwyn screamed.

"What is Godwyn?"

"I just remembered who that wolf belonged to." Godwyn said, giving me a nervous look.

"Seriously? Who?"

"Radagon!"

"Damn it!"

"I know!" Godwyn answered.

"Will Radagon be angry about what we've done?"

"He loved that wolf!"

"I think if we just pretend like nothing happened, everything will be fine." I said to Godwyn.

"If anyone asks, say some sorcerer left the academy gates open and the wolf ran away." Godwyn replied.

"I agree."

After resting, I continued until I reached a large courtyard with a fountain in the center and a large staircase on the other side. 

I walked around the courtyard killing the enemies I found along the way, I got some interesting things, a whetstone knife, a stone key and a golden seed. 

I approached the grand staircase, I walked onto one of the stone beams that supported it and went up. Suddenly a giant metal ball came from the top of the building at the end of the staircase and rolled down the stairs.

"Shit!" I screamed as the metal ball approached, I held my chime and cast Wrath of the Gods.

The shockwave was strong enough to throw the ball to the side, out of the stairs and to the lake bellow. I repeated the process until I reached the top of the stairs. 

Moving forward, I passed through a corridor until I reached a garden and there I found the sorcerer with my trident and beside him, there was a knight with a sword and shield.

Immediately the sorcerer danced, strengthening the knight, and then drew a staff, my Staff of Wisdom. The knight put his shield on his back and drew a second weapon, which was a small piece of ivory, my Ivory Straight Sword.

"These weapons belong to me, give them back!"

The answer to my demand was the knight running towards me while the sorcerer cast spells.

I rolled to the left, dodging the spells, but I had to jump back when the knight jumped towards me with both swords raised, the straight ivory sword creating a blade of pure energy, luckily, I dodged the blow.

I landed a few cuts on the knight, but he rolled back, escaping my reach. I tried to run after him to continue my attack, but a spell passing in front of me interrupted my advance. 

I turned to the sorcerer, pointed my staff at him and cast Dark Orb, the sorcerer jumped to the side, dodging my spell.

The knight quickly ran towards me, trying to hit me with his metal sword. I blocked his attack with my sword, but that left me open to a series of cuts with the straight ivory sword.

I rolled away from the knight and a spell flew towards me, I put my staff away and drew my chime, casting Heavenly Thunder. Lightning fell from the sky, hitting different parts of the garden, including the knight and the sorcerer.

Taking advantage of the opening, I turned to the sorcerer and cast Lightning Spear; the sorcerer was hit in the chest, giving me a chance to approach. 

The sorcerer tried to pierce me with the trident, but I stepped to the side while spinning my bod. When I finished my dodge, I slashed across his chest, throwing him to the ground.

I approached the sorcerer, planning to end this fight, I saw something shiny in the sorcerer's hand, and the sorcerer suddenly got up and tried to cut me with a dagger.

However, I was faster and pierced him in the chest, when the sorcerer went limp and I took dagger that was in his hand, my Blue Dagger.

Now all that was left is the knight. Turning towards him, I saw that he had put away his normal sword, and held a staff. 

I ran towards the knight. Simultaneously, the knight cast spells towards me, I jumped out of the way, as I approached, when I got close enough I cast Wrath of the Gods. 

The shock wave hurled the knight away, which gave me time to pierce him in the heart; the knight disappeared in runes leaving only his shield.

I tucked the shield into my bag and collected my stolen equipment.

"So these are your equipment?" Godwyn asked.

"Only a small part, but now I have a staff suitable for using soul sorceries." I said, showing Godwyn my equipment.

"This is my Blue Dagger, a weapon used by the fume sorcerers who inhabits the Brume Tower. It isn't a suitable weapon for melee combat, but it strengthens my spells in exchange for lowering my elemental defense. This is the Straight Ivory Sword, the weapon of Fabian, a knight of Eleum Loyce. This blade, forged from ivory ore native to the land, can create a blade of energy. This is the Channeler Trident, a trident wielded by an old sorcerer; the tip is sharpened so smoothly that it suggests a degree of madness. If I do a ridiculous dance with this trident I can empower nearby allies."

"Could you do this dance? It would be quite a sight." Godwyn smiled.

"HAHAHA! No!" I replied seriously.

"It was worth the try." Godwyn shrugged.

"And finally we have one of the finest staffs of Drangleic, the Staff of Wisdom, and a staff from the lost land of Olaphis, dedicated to sorcery. The crystal at the end of the staff greatly increases the strength of the spell; it is a finely crafted staff, made even more effective by its crystal, whose luster has been polished over time with powerful magic. I upgraded it to the absolute maximum with twinkling titanite and infused it with magic, increasing his already absurd power."

"Impressive, the sorcerers of Raya Lucaria would kill to have this staff and try to replicate it. You know, I'm picking up on a theme here."

"Me too. All the equipment is related to magic in some way."

"Exactly as Melina mentioned."

After packing everything, Godwyn and I took an elevator to a large pair of wooden doors. I opened it and entered a dark library.

"Remember, Alden, try to talk to Rennala before starting a fight." Godwyn said.

"Leave it to me." I replied.

 "Hello, is anyone here? Lady Rennala?" I asked, walking around the library.

"Strange, where could she be?" Godwyn asked.

I walked through the dark library until my foot bumped into something, looking down; I saw what appeared to be a little girl.

"Hello, little one! Sorry for kicking you. Do you know where I can find Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon?" I said, crouching down in front of the child.

The child's response was to lift her head and stare at me with her mouth open while making strange noises.

"HAHAHA!" 

I heard a burst of laughter across the library and the sound of something metallic hitting the floor.

Gradually the library was lit by a series of candlesticks being carried by children just like the one I kicked, so all the children looked up, and I followed their gazes.

"Hush, little culver." A female voice said.

"I'll soon birth thee anew, sweet, fresh, and pure..." Rennala said, stroking the amber egg in her hands.

"Godwyn looks like we're going to have to fight." I said lifting my sword and staff, but Godwyn didn't respond as I expected.

"Rennala, what happened to you?" Godwyn said, looking helplessly at the woman floating in front of us.

END OF THE CHAPTER