The sound of fire crackling on torches echo throughout the study as I sit on a table studying on a book I just drew from the shelves. It has been almost 3 weeks ever since I've been separated with Rhythian. It has also been the same amount of time that I've been trying to open the portal to get back.
Day and night, I would try anything that would deem interesting that might open the door. However, I have been focusing on creation magic as I recalled that Rhythian made a crystal to open the door. If I had spare time in between trying to open the portal and studying, I would explore the study. Somehow, this study has no other exits or windows yet a stable flow of wind and oxygen flows through here.
I have also found a storage room within the study filled with supplies, food and water included, however, they were rotten. Magic fixed that problem in a flash though, I was astounded when I knew Healing Magic could also work on food. Water was easy since purification magic was easy to learn.
As I kept studying the tomes within the study, I also noticed that my tattoo was starting to have some text written on it. The text seemed unknown as none of the tomes in the study could let some light into the mysterious texts.
I closed the book I was studying and looked around the study. I let out a sigh and stood up to find more tomes to read up on. This time, I decided to get to the third floor, the one floor I haven't yet explored on.
As I reached the floor, I was instantly met with darkness, cobwebs, and dust. It was like this on the lower floors too, before I explored it. I rested the torch on a handle by the pillar and took a stance. I closed my eyes and reached out. The text and tattoo on my arm started to glow a fire-like color and soon grew aura that focused into the middle of my palm. The aura soon turned into a fireball that rested in the middle of my hand. I opened my eyes and threw the Fireball forwards. As it flew in the air, I clenched my fist, which caused the fireball to split into small embers. The embers soon landed on the unlit torches that rest on the pillars.
The third floor was now lit. I took a deep breath after doing that spell. I learned that spell while learning about the simple elemental spells, I'd say, it's quite handy...
I stood up properly while taking my torch from the handle and decided to explore the floor whilst swiping away at the cobwebs in front of me. I explored isle after isle while grabbing interesting books that caught my eye. Minutes have passed and as I was about to grab a book at the top of the shelf, a rat popped out from in between the books and startled the life out of me, causing me to fall back down into the floor as book came down falling on me. The thud echoed throughout the study as I lay there, groaning from the pain.
As the pain subsided, I sat up and stretched my back, cracking my back as I was doing so. As I was about to stand up, a book with dirty golden sides on its cover caught my eye. I picked it up and blew off the dust that rested on it. as the dust flew away, it showed the title of such book.
"Tome on Elder races and magic?" I muttered to myself as I opened the book and started to read. The book certainly caught my interest as it's content showed a beastiary of creatures that I haven't heard or read of and magic techniques that certainly deserved reading up on. Part of the book spoke about the original dragons and how they didn't look like gigantic lizards with wings. The book revealed that Dragons were humanoid that was slight amount of scales populating their body. They also had wings, horns and claws, as well as the personalities of normal dragons. Some may be wise, some greedy, some powerful. They had one thing in common though, something that differentiates them from their lesser brethren.
I turned the page to continue reading about the original dragons or, as the book stated, more commonly known as "True Dragons", but some of the pages were eaten off by termites, torn off, or slightly burnt to be read upon. I let out a sigh and decided to scan the book for the magic techniques I once stated.
The pages showed how old mages used to mark their arms with runes to strengthen and hasten their magic casting. It showed multiple techniques on how to master that craft. As I read upon the techniques, I practiced them as well. Mastering them as I did.
Hours have passed and I have learned up on most of the book. As I turned over the last page for the techniques chapter, it revealed a folded note. It seemed as old as the book, so I gently grabbed and opened it. It revealed some type of hidden magic that is said to conjure up a crystal of pure mana.
That might have been my ticket out of here! I carefully placed the note in my pocket and stood up to run for the portal entrance.
I took out the note and placed it on a table next to me. I read up on the note before doing as it instructed.
I took a stance and raised my hands, palms facing each other with a distance in between them. I took a deep breath as I closed my eyes to focus. I then focused my mana to the tip of my fingertips, and as I did, a large flow of mana focused to the center point of where my hands were. The mana formed a circle, slowly turning into a crystal shape. Seconds have passed and to end the creation, I grabbed the crystal in between my hands and opened my eyes.
I created my first ever mana crystal! However, this crystal seemed different, it had a soft red and pink glow in it instead of the natural blue. I also looked around and saw pieces of paper slowly floating down to the ground. Behind the papers, I saw small pink orbs floating around the library. It seemed to be coming from my crystal...
I focused at the task at hand and placed the crystal in the hole next to the portal gate. As it rests in the hole, it soon did the same as before and opened a portal. I grew a gigantic smile and walked through it. My vision was soon enveloped in a flashing tunnel of pink, blue, and red.
Seconds later and I walked through the other end of the portal. As my vision was adjusting to the darkness, I saw bodies of knights rotting on the floor of the portal room as well as new breaks within the ruin. The bodies were scattered everywhere, which worried me a little bit. What worried me more is that Rhythian never goes down without a fight, so he must've hurt himself in the process...
I ran down the path leading to the entrance way as I saw bodies still scattered around the tunnel system. The smell of rot now occupied the ruins and the tunnels. I eventually reached the trapdoor. I took a deep breath and readied myself for anything that could be behind the door. I eventually built up the courage and decided to lift the trapdoor, revealing myself to the outside world once more.