I pushed at the iron lid from above the ceiling and took peak at the other side.
There was a curtain of darkness that welcomed my sight but I felt no presence around.
I slid the iron lid to the side as I pulled myself out of the hole from the ground.
"This looks like a dungeon..." I whispered at Jin, trying to sense my surrounding against the pitch-black darkness while Jin crawled out from the same hole on the floor where I came from.
"How can you say that? I can barely see anything!" he retorted, placing the iron lid back in its place on the floor. "Don't tell me you have night vision of sort? Wait, is that a thing with dark magus? That would make a lot of sense because Faram seems like he has eyes at the back of his head. Oh wait, I just realized those stuff aren't related. But Faram does have a—!"
"Shhhh!!!"
"The silence here is already deafening, whatcha' silencing me for?"
I rolled my eyes.
"We're getting closer..." I whispered, turning to the direction where I can feel the strong presence.
Light suddenly appeared behind me. I turned and saw Jin standing tall with one of his hand holding a fire, burning brightly.
"I'll light the way. Just tell me which direction to go!"
I nodded and began to wander around.
There are suspended wooden beams in the ceilings; walls are made of bricks; few broken stone tiles covered the floor, but some with just cracks, with years that seemed to have etched on them; and empty cells seen in alternate sides of the walls. I reached to one of the torches and lit it with Jin's fire.
"This is a dungeon alright" Jin says in a matter-of-factly tone. "But there aren't any prisoners around..."
If this is the Palace's dungeon, then that means Levi is just somewhat closer. Maybe, by now, he's being entertained by the Sultan Rahn, the warden of the South, Maru and Ifrit's father.
We went on walking and following the length of the passage for a couple of minutes or so, "The miasma here are thicker than ever." Jin stated as I side-long glanced him from over my shoulders. He then added, "It would be amazing if you're able to sense the source. Not a single one from Ouboros can tell where the source of rot is. Not even Claude!"
"How do you guys know when there's a rot growing then?"
"Claude and Faram can tell if there's a something amiss so we follow them. It's not exactly pointing where it's main source. It's like they can just feel something is off and know a rot is nearby! These masks however, only allows us to see the miasma. So can see if the rot is about to manifest, like when the miasma is too thick or dense in an area.
But if the rot in one area has spread and grown too big already, anybody would be able to see the damages like: plants are wilting, bodies of waters become toxic, earthquakes are common, people turning into dæmons, and or fiends just suddenly began to crawl out of no where."
I remembered Lady Mirel when he talked to my father, she mentioned something. "An anomaly" I thought out loud.
Jin nodded, "Exactly!"
That's when the real Leon was infected so Scias killed him and played his role to infiltrate our castle.
I wanted to ask about so many things but
I want to see it for myself first...
What other things this 'rot' can do...
How it can infect a person...
And everything else that is related to this phenomenon, because as far as I can understand— the rot seems to be significant with how this continent hold the Prophecy.
Ah! That's it. I'll start with this lead!
I'll see what I can learn about the rot, it's origin and it's very nature, then along the way, I'll learn to control my own powers.
And maybe find a way to stop the rot...
...maybe, there's still hope for me.
Maybe, I can still come home and live with my family, my friends, everybody...
That is if they're still willing to welcome me back.
"Yo!" Jin shakes my shoulder. "Are ya still there?"
"What is it?" I halted and looked at him. He pointed ahead.
A solitary double door is seen barred and all bolted up with locks and enchantments.
"The miasma is so thick around that door. It's almost covering the view of the door itself." Jin explained, taking his mask off and handed it over to me. "Check it out!"
I wore his mask on and looked at what's ahead of us. True enough, I almost can't see the door anymore. It's being covered by the thick screen of dark grayish-violet clouds or fog-like things which Jin refers to as miasma.
I took his mask off and everything seem normal in plain eyes. I'm honestly amaze at what their mask can do.
We began to walk forward.
Soon, we stood before it.
I took a deep breath to somewhat brace myself. And oddly, my heart began to pump fast.
Not out of nerves or dread. I actually feel... refreshed. Like I just woke up from a great nap, drowned myself with coffee, and ready to run a marathon.
My senses are alive, awake and ringing all over.
I watch Jin kick the door open.
💧 so he really opens any doors that way, huh?
Note to self: Doors are dangerous if Jin is on the other side.
The moment the doors swung wide, the smell of death greeted us. Dusts rolled out on the floors like a carpet of dry ice.
"Do you feel anything?" he asks me.
I close my eyes and a grunt is heard echoing from the darkest depth of what's ahead.
My fast heartbeat eases down. I took another deep breath and felt my entire being is pumped with vigor, like a sugar rush.
I opened my eyes, "I feel so alive"
"Huh???" Jin furrowed his brows at my reply.
"Nevermind.... There!" I pointed straight. "It's at the end of this chamber! Right over there!"
Jin led the way this time. He moved his arms and several fireballs appeared, scattering randomly around the big and wide chamber. It began to lit all the corners and showed the horrors it hid in its garden of darkness.
Red and raw flesh-like vines are all over the floor, the walls, and ceilings. In the farthest end, a huge splattered on the wall is seen that resembles a ground meat of sort. All the vines are originating from it. It's minutely moving in a rhythm, as though it was breathing. And every now and then it grunts, reverberating around in an ominous guttural sound.
Blood stains are also seen all over the place.
"Someone's feeding it..." Jin murmurs, "Might be why the prison cells are empty."
I abruptly turned to Jin, "that's just... disturbing."
Jin nodded. "People's mind are sometimes more disturbing than dæmons' existence. You'd be surprise!"
"Wait, is that a dæmon?" I asked, as Jin walked off, strolling so casually. I followed him as he answered, "Yeah. Seems like it! But don't worry, we're not here to kill it. We just need to look for a piece of shard.
Oh wait, it might attack us. Hold on!" Jin slaps his hand together and something seems to appear between his hands. Suddenly a huge white circle emitted right infront of him. "Olta, Aratha, Ryste!!! I summon you!"
The symbol shattered and out came three small entities that hovered around him
The symbol shattered and out came three small entities that hovered around him.
"This will make any aggressive dæmons calm down." Jin explained, taking his mask off.
I just blinked my eyes in astonishment. "You... can summon dæmons?"
Jin laughed. "They are not dæmons! Ryste, Olta and Aratha are forest sprites! I'm a Transmuter of Rod. I can make contracts with sprites and even guardian-deities to help me and or my Meister."
"A rod...? So you can make your Meister some kind of a summoner?"
"It's actually called a Theurgist. But sure, as long as you understand!"
I closed my gaping mouth. "That's awesome!"
He stared at me surprised for a moment,
"What?"
Scratching a ghost itch on his cheek, he replied sheepishly, "Are you sure you're really a girl?"
"Let's not start with this again..."
He looks down, "No, no! It's just that... girls I've met usually thought I'm scary..." he veered his eyes at me for a fleeting second and laughed nervously, "Hahaha! Except Aide! But I already learned to consider Aide as a guy because she tends to flirt around with girls and really looks like a man so... Haha, you know what, nevermind! I'm glad to meet a friend like ya!"
I just smiled at Jin.
"Now, let's collect that fragment so we can leave!" he says, pumping a fist up.
I watch Jin wear his mask back on and began to wander further as the sprites glew warmly around us. I just followed him while studying the place. Some parts of the walls looked like they corroding while some parts of the three-storied high ceilings had already collapsed. Everything feels like it's rotten and the smell is quite overbearing too.
Maybe it's because of the blood splatters and few flesh lying about...
I began to wonder now if the dæmon that exists solemnly at the farthest end of the chamber is a human-turned-dæmon or if it was summoned out by the rot itself?
"Here it is!" Jin says in glee. "Err it's not fully discharged yet. We need to wait a little longer."
I took a peak at what he was looking at on the floor and saw nothing.
"Here, put this on!" Jin handed his mask over as I gladly took it and wore it on.
I turned to where he's pointing at and saw a small shard, about quarter inch big.
It's really tiny but it glew brightly in a soft white light.
"What is it?" I asked, sitting on my heels as Jin squats down as well.
"Ya' gotta learn to ask Faram, y'know! This stuff is kinda bit of a long complicated thing. Since Claude and Faram created the group, maybe asking one of them will give ya a better idea. I'm not that good at explaining long boring stuff."
I watch the shard, hovering so peacefully. Slowly, the light began to fade. "The light is fading" I blurted out.
"Oh! Give me back the mask, I need to collect it before it flies off!"
I did what Jin said and watch him wore his mask back on, "Aww. It's still charged... Just a few more minutes and it's ready!"
Jin didn't budge after that. He just kept his eyes on that area like a hawk.
I look around and watched the dæmon, it's not particularly doing anything.
"Do you think it's asleep?" I asked,
"Who knows! It won't suddenly attack us so ya' don't have to worry about that. My sprites will make damn sure!"
I switch my focus at the sprites. They look very unique. I can't even describe them. All they have in common are the soft glowing light that fills their body and imploring black eyes that resembles a bunny. They have whiskers too.
they look cute...
Why would girls think Jin is scary?
Exactly what kind of girls have he met anyway? They sound narrow-minded and ungrateful, to be honest.
I raised my hand to greet the sprites.
The sprites watched me curiously.
I can see the tip of their nose wiggling like they're trying to smell me.
Oh god, their really cute....
I tried to touch one of them but they all suddenly flew away and hid behind Jin.
I sighed in dismay.
I didn't mean to scare them.
"Hey Jin..."
"Shhh, almost ready!" His face is pinned in place. He's like a silly looking statue glaring at an empty space.
I decided to turn my focus to the grounded-meat-like dæmon at the far end of the room.
I was able to talk to Naya... I wonder if I can converse with that dæmon too...
"Jin, I'll just look around for a bit."
"Have fun!" he replied, still unmoving.
"..." (-_-)
I stood up and brushed the dusts off my pants.
My senses are still brimming with energy but I didn't want to mind that. Otherwise, I might sprint around and bounce here and there just to drain myself off the sugar-rush-like energy within me.
"Hi!..." I began as I walked a little closer towards the dæmon.
One HUGE eye suddenly popped open. It looked side-to-side like googly-eyes before finally focusing on me.
"Hello there..." I repeated, gazing through its eyes just to check if I can see someone in it, like how I saw Mr. Roderick but there's none.
I can't see anyone inside it's mind. Perhaps it's a natural dæmon— not a human-turned one.
"H-how did you got here?" I went on asking.
Slowly, one part of its body protruded out into an ameboid extension and began to reach towards me.
I can hear it breath in and then grunted an exhale.
"Are you summoned here by the rot?"
It didn't reply.
Instead, it's appendages reached closer, almost touching my arm.
So I raised my hand and touched it.
Suddenly, visions flashed before my eyes.
I saw soldiers of Ak'hilheim stabbing it. They tried to burn it down, even ward it off with alchemy but nothing killed it.
I felt it's pain though...
I felt it's hunger too.
I saw soldiers throwing it unconscious individuals.
And I saw how it consumed them mercilessly.
I gasped at the horrible scene.
I abruptly pulled my hand away.
「Mi...sss...tress...」
It grunted in a very low and vile guttural voice, almost croaky.
More of its appendages finally reached me and slowly caress the side of my face.
「Missss..tress」
It repeated, more audible this time.
"You're talking to me, right?"
It blinks.
How odd, I don't feel terrified with this dæmon despite seeing how it consumed humans so gruesomely.
I just let it poke me around. It was actually gentle and ticklish.
I tried to hold the giggles but I can't help it.
「Mistress...」
"Now THAT is something I don't usually see on a daily basis!" Says a voice behind me, almost in a gasp.
I turned around and saw Jin, watching me with arms crossed. He watched me coolly with his mask worn as a headband on one side of his head.
"That's a sight to behold... are you a shadowmancer?"
I shook my head, "No, I'm a Null caster like Faram. I don't even know what Shadowmancer means..."
"Huh... but you're like a Theurgist for the dæmons, huh?" He stated, walking towards me. "Theurgist has natural affinity to sprites!"
"Ummm. Digressing, are you done?" I asked, walking back towards him, meeting him halfway.
He nodded. "Yup, I got the fragment. We can get outta here!"
"How about this dæmon? And the rot in general?" I asked, curious than concerned.
"It's not our job to clean out, y'know. Once the rot begins to spread, it will just keep growing."
Like a disease of the land...
The rot only just began in Greenrun.
So nothing from any of these found in this chamber is seen in Greenrun— yet.
"Is there anything we can do?" I asked, disheartened.
"None that I know off. Besides, it's not as if we're trying to rid this land off the rot! The rot exist even outside the continent too but the manifestations here are far worst. I mean, even I feel a bit woozy staying here!" Jin rubs his temples. "Ordinary people especially those with no magic would've been infected from the dark energies for staying too long in a rot confined space like this! Good thing I'm with my sprites. How about'cha? How're ya feeling now?"
I shook my head, "I don' feel anything funny. On the contrary, I feel so alive and hyped up, actually."
Brows raised on end, Jin looks at me in silence, speechless.
Jin is a light magus, maybe that's why he feels negative about being near the rot?
"Maybe it's because I'm a dark magus?" I retorted in a shrug.
"Only Faram is energized with the rot. And that's understandable because he has a dæmon blood inside of him. Wait— do you have a dæmon blood?"
"No, I'm pure human!" I answered almost immediately, shaking my head vehemently.
"Then why are you energized with something that drains life outta people?"
I closed my parted lips shut, unsure what to say.
"Even that dæmon seems to be tamed with you around."
"Isn't that your sprites' doing?" I murmured
Jin shook his head, "My sprites can only calm aggressive dæmons and fiends, but they can never tame one like what you did..." Jin crunched his brows, "I don't think Faram can even do that!
—What exactly are you?"
I dropped my gaze and stared blankly at the floor.
From the corners of my eyes, I can see the dæmon's vines creeping towards me and some dancing so peaceful around me as if it's celebrating my presence.
Now that I think about it, if I focus on this brimming sensation I feel, I could almost hear Jin's own heartbeat; the sound of his quiet breaths; and all the sounds beyond this chamber, if I concentrate.
I literally feel so alive.
So energized...
I turned around and watched the huge dæmon on the wall. It blinked it's one eye and it's appendages wiggled, reaching for me.
I don't believe I'm a 'Theurgist of dæmons' as Jin mentioned. I haven't even awakened my powers yet...
But...
If the rot really is giving me energy...
I looked at my hands
and closed them into fists.
Then, if I'm not mistaken...
the rot might likely be a source of power for me...
And if the rot spreads all over the continent or as far as the rest of the entire realm, then that means—!
...my powers would be limitless.
I swallowed hard to clear the lump that's growing inside my throat.
I wonder if that's the reason why the legends believed that the rot is caused by the Fallen?
I looked at Jim as he just crossed his arms, "We can ask Claude and Faram, y'know? But first, let's get outta here. Our job here is done!" Jin grins now and shows me a thumbs up. "Don't worry about it. We're all weird here in Ouboros! We're the monsters most people believe! You're in the right place!"
I nodded and manage to smile.
I'm glad Jin brushed the topic aside.
I glanced at the tattoo at the back of my hand, the one Aide left me with.
Jin's right. Ouboros is my ally now.
They're all strong enough to handle anything thrown their way.
I just need to meet all of them thoroughly.
I shook the thoughts off and lifted my gaze up.
I saw Jin already walking towards the egress.
I glanced at the huge dæmon on the wall as it just watched me in silence while I walked away.
"I got a wild idea!" Jin says. "Ya' want that dæmon to come with us?"
I caught up with Jin and walked beside him, matching his pace.
"I don't mind but... it's too huge! It's not as if I can carry it in a bottle." I replied in a frown.
Jin grins profoundly, "Have you forgotten I'm a Theurgist? If you become one with me, our abilities will align and for sure, ya' can make a contract with that dæmon! You'll be able to summon him anytime! That is, as long as I'm around you!"
"Y-you're... asking me to become your Meister?" I almost stumbled in my words, surprised. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah! You're a cool person! Why not?" He chuckled, bashfully rubbing his nape.
Blood rushed to my cheeks.
He saw me interacting with the dæmon and even knew I'm energized by the rot.
But despite all of that, he still accepts me.
—Someone like me.
Jin reaches one hand towards me,
"Whatcha' say?
— can you be my first Meister, Aerra?"
I studied his hand and felt my heart racing for some reason.
"Sure. I'll be your Meister!"
I grabbed his hand.
All the sprites disappears.
And the hovering balls of fire vanished.
Darkness flooded everything on sight instantaneously.
But then, suddenly light envelopes Jin's body.
"From here on out, I'll serve and protect Aerra with my life! I promise!" At that very moment, his grin seemed so bright and warm to my eyes.
The light became brighter and brighter until it lit the entire chamber in a blinding screen, I squinted as the grasp I had on my hand felt different.
I pulled his hand away from the light and surprisingly a shaft appeared out instead.
I went on and pulled all of it in one swift move.
The light bursted asunder and fades away,
revealing a long rod with crystals seen at one end. The shaft is obsidian colored but some shade around are mahogany-red, like Jin's eyes and hair, respectively.
I can also feel like I can wield Fire like how he could
I can also feel like I can wield Fire like how he could.
So I raised my hand and out came a fire bursting out.
It's black and red though...
Such a peculiar looking fire...
"This is so cool!!!
Now let's take that dæmon!
Then bust outta here!"
I can hear Jin inside my head.
I marched back to where the dæmon is.
"What to say?" I murmured, eyeing the dæmon as it stared back at me, serenely.
"Anything. As long as it concedes, I'll handle the rest!"
"Okay!"
I planted my foot down and tapped the rod at the floor infront of me.
Sparks of fire emitted, I can feel the heat around me growing,
The dæmon began to reach out its appendages towards me, slithering like vines, beckoning like a child.
"Would you follow me and heed my call?"
「Mm..mistress...Mistress」
It reached further, longingly. It's entire body began to wiggle restlessly.
"HOOOOLY CRAP ON A STICK!
Did it spoke just now?!?
I think I freakin' heard it!
It's sooo loud and clear!!!"
"Jin! Focus. I think it accepts me."
"Oh, right! Okay, mistress!
I mean, Aerra! My turn!"
The rod lit up, flaring like a fire, as black circles appeared before me.
All the lights went off.
Only the eye of the dæmon stayed
as it glew in a green hue.
then out of the blue it turned into a stone, almost the size of a coin.
Slowly it hovered towards us
and then fades into oblivion.
"There ya' go!"
Jin summoned fireballs on his own and lit the wall before us.
The next thing I knew, the dæmon is gone.
All its vines are gone too.
"Where did it go?"
"I sent it somewhere where it can hear me if we summon it out. Congrats, you now have your first dæmon ready to fight on your stead!"
I looked at the rod as it lit in a fire-like radiance.
For a dark magus, I never thought I would be able to wield a light element like Fire.
This is... amazing.
"Let's go back to the inn, shall we?"
I nodded.
"Yeah, let's go back to the others!" I replied, talking to Jin on his Rod form.
I turned around and began to walk towards the door.
I glanced around as I walked and saw how the walls still had those decaying facade in them.
The floor beneath my feet are somewhat corroded.
I swayed my rod around,
And the fires vanished.
The room returns back to its abyssal darkness
with hollow silence drowning my ears.
In this dark miasma filled dungeon,
where death lingered as a stain on the the walls;
decay spreading insidiously up on the ceilings;
and wilt traces my footsteps on the floors...
I feel like...
—I'm breathing the fresh air of dawn.
———End of Chapter 17———