As the sound grows, the two prepare for the worst.
"Here...put this on."
Rea hands Kereila a mystic armor from her magical tote.
"It's not much but it should provide you with decent defensive abilities."
Kereila hurries to put on the armor. It fits a little too loosely.
"Uh, Rea?"
Kerelia points to her chest and hips. "Any suggestions?!"
Rea, unaware as she puts on her gear, looks up and acknowledges the dilemma. She braces her to be patient as she finish preparing herself. Being a bit of a hothead and show off, Rea tends to resort to spells and tactical fighting gear when her powers are depleted. She does however keep magical totes to store these devices upon her travels.
Now done with her defenses, Rea touches Kereila's shoulders.
"Hold still. Breathe a bit and be patient. The armor will tailor itself to your abilities." Rea touches her crest and watches as it responds to her heat signature. Kerelia, meanwhile, sits still as she holds her breath until she nearly passes out. "What are you, doing?!" She smacks her atop the head. "Analyze your stats! The armor will adjust to your battle capabilities."
"Owww! Ok!"
Kereila held up her hands and focused on her aura. The energy within her rises ever so slowly.
"Great. Now, breathe out. Deep breathing…"
Kereila does as instructed and taps into her analyzing ability.
Kereila
body type (humanistic)
warrior rank (54)
warrior ability (vocal interpretation, sixth sense, aura drain, average summoner)
crest type (Falix)
Biped
Battle IQ (average)
Survival rate (78)
Body build (two arms, two hands, head covered with artificial helmet/ face unknown)
Height (4'9")
Weight (115lbs)
Vocals (teenaged/feminine)
"Armor! Adjust to maximum defense!" Rea commands.
The armor moves about Kereila's torso and limbs.
"Armor...defense mode." The armor responds.
"Tactical defense parameters...check.
Tactical fighting defense...check.
Motion sensors...optimized.
Battle recognition...engaged.
Known fighting defenses...check
Battle armor...ready."
The armor flexes and tightens to fit Kereila to a tee. She can feel the armor guiding her movements. "You need to sync with the gear. Try raising and lowering your arms."
The armor clicks as she raises and lowers her arms. The gears within adjust and whirl as they connect and sync with her body's movements.
"Now, when I give the signal, touch your chest and say 'activate', got it?" Rea asks.
"Got it!"
Shaking her head in disbelief and relief, Rea takes a strange emblem from her bag and tosses it into the air.
The path opens for a stretch into an underground forest. This area has a very dense and musty atmosphere. There are old ruins within it and seem to connect into small chambers of corridors ahead. These corridors leads into a fork that stretches out in different directions. As they near the passageway, the magical device warns with a calm demeanor.
"Assessing area...several units ahead.
Tactical enemy...group of thirty.
Armored...weapons.
Armor density...average.
Weapons...above average.
Survival rate 97%"
Rea catches and places the emblem back into her tote.
Rea takes out her magically plated armor. Her thin armor flashes as she stands it up and walks into it. Upon connecting with her initial armor, she disappears.
"Kereila...I'm going up ahead." Her voice sounds like a soft echo as she moves ahead. "Armor, engage fallen steps." She has cloaked herself. The armor responds. "Armor...fallen steps engaged."
The armor obeys. Her feet are engulfed in a strange mist that silences her movements.
"Remember...wait for my signal."
"You never said what the signal is!"
"Keep straight ahead at the fork! Don't go to the other paths. My sensors are indicating movement on this pathway."
"Rea?! The signal?!"
"You'll know it when you hear it..." Rea abruptly ends the conversation as footsteps can be heard advancing towards the odd path ahead.
A low moaning sound interrupts the silence from the forest. The scenic view now grows eerily foreboding as she travels alone. Use to traveling with groups, anxiety starts to get the best of her. Kereila, with no one near her, causes her to imagine hearing sounds to the left of the path. She remembers to keep straight as she fearfully travels onward. As she enters the corridor, the floor, heading down the path, begins to shift and shake as she does.
"Whoaaaaaaa!!"
Kereila stops and the floor intermittently stops as well.
"How in the-" Kereila peers at the floor. There's a strange language strewn about it.
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"I'm not sure what this means?! I better wait here." She thought to herself.
Perplexed, she awaits the signal. The corridor is dark and stale. The torches are eerily lighting the path towards an endless darkness. Everything is quiet except for the strange clinking and moaning moving about the corridor.
While waiting, Kereila notices many soldier statues from different species. This must be in honor of the visitors from a time long ago. What was so special about this place?
Meanwhile, Rea comes across the threat ahead. She grabs a piece of stone found on the floor and taps the directions ever so softly. Kereila's sixth sense can decipher the rhythmic tapping. Her body hones in on the sound as if a line was being drawn to and from her location. Kereila is sure to touch her chest to engage her battle armor.
"Battle armor, engaged." The armor chimes softly.
As Kereila walks toward the tapping, her senses pickup screams coming from the west. She winces as horrific cries and gnawing sounds faintly call out.
"Is...someone there?" Kereila inquires. Rea, still cloaked, rushes behind her and grabs her mouth.
Odd vibrations are heard in the distance. The buzzing sounds are drawing near.
As if in slow motion, she reaches out and turns her body to shield Kereila from the ground's impact. Embracing her tumble and grimacing from the incoming pain.
"Get down...NOW!" Rea aggressively whispers.
As they duck, several large scythe-like blades narrowly misses their heads. Something viciously evil is down the western corridor. The two look on as the torches flicker and are doused by the wind from the cruel weapons' throw. It's now pitch black as the swirling sounds of death-granting metal seranades footfalls and stricken bodies that eerily pierce the silent opening ahead.
The enemy stops for a moment as the blades are wedged into the wall. An oddly familiar clanking sound is on the move again. This time in their direction. If they head back, they may stumble upon the unknown horrors in the west.
"Rea?! What do we do?" Both kneeling and feeling about their surroundings. "I can't see a thing." Kereila whispers. "Wait a minute." Rea interjects. "We may not need to...what was that riddle?" Rea asks.
"The one about the east and west?"
"Yes, but what was it specifically ? I think it was some sort of map or clue to get us to the village."
"It's this:
"No beast shall feast to the east
But haste makes waste in this case
As screeches empty beaches to the west
Sever ties when phalanx cries or all dies"."
"That's it!" Rea leans in closer to Kereila. "We can't run." They both help one another up. Rea points to the ground.
Kerelia realizes it now.
"That's why the floor shook and shifted. Try levitation spells!"
Rea reaches blindly into her magical tote. She can feel the inscription on one of the scrolls. She lifts it and chants softly: "levitate."
Still holding onto Kereila, both are lifted a few feet in the air. The enemy is upon them but they cannot see them due to Rea's cloaking abilities.
"Kereila, there are writings about this place. I noticed them when we entered this chasm. You have to decipher them!"
Rea pauses for moment to measuring her words without making a panic.
"I think they're warnings."
Kerelia tries to control her angst. Generally, such news would affect her will to fight. She hates the dark and tends to be claustrophobic. She tries to think of over things as she quietly hyperventilates.
"I tried but the language is unfamiliar to me. It looks like a mixture of several spoken words." She pauses as she takes deep breaths. "But the drawings were a bit tattered. Like someone tried to erase the words and failed."
Just then, Rea realized something was missing. She remembered how a scrollsman was always near Meiga, but not her. Filled with a feeling of despair, she knew she had to try something ? Does the scrollsmen have the answer?
Desperate for help, Rea gives up and tries a new approach. "We need someone that speaks to all beings." She tries reaching for something that can reignite the torches but between Kerelia's issues and her own worries, she's forced to try an old warrior's trick. Wing it! "The scrollsmen would probably be our best bet."
The footfalls, clanking and moaning stop. The enemy seems to await noise to direct it. Rea attempts to summon her scrollsmen.
"Vilicus tenebris...qui vocat te!" Rea gestures a location for the being to appear.
Nothing happens as the levitation spell is beginning to weaken.
"Please…try again." Kerelia begs as she begins to panic. With nothing to lose, Rea tries again. Suddenly, a faint blue glow slowly lights the room as the scrollsman nears. Kereila, feeling briefly relieved to see, senses movements coming from in front and behind them. This scrollsman, made of matted skin and singed eyes, hovers near her location. Its mouth is sewn shut as its eyes slowly open.
"Scrollsman...where are we in this corridor?" Rea asks. She's turned away from this manifestation. Anxiously trying to access her surroundings, she turns in horror at the appearance of this mystical being. The scrollsman says nothing but points to the floor.
"Ok. Yes. Floor." She stammers. "What is the language beneath us?"
The scrollsman draws an encrypted magical circle. Inside this circle is a small map. The map changes as it moves from left to right. Stops when moving up and down.
"Oh no..." Rea realizes a grave error was made.
"We got off course...we were lured here."
The scrollsman, again, points to the floor.
"Thanks, I think I get it now." Amazed her summoning spell worked, Rea looks at the map again and moves it side to side. The directions, on the floor, shift as the map changes the images of several locations. It's trying to sync its location with where they are. Rea grabs the magical map and notices two dots now appear upon it.
"This must be where we are!" Kereila points out.
"We have to find which way is true east." Rea touches her armor and places the map into her helmet. A small projection appears bearing the map. "The creatures seem to respond to our movements and noises. They haven't acted on each others noises except to change direction. The words, best guess, are the floor markings left by the victims...lost here in the maze." Rea signals to Kerelia to follow her as the levitation spell weakens. "The constant shifting must've caused the words to smudge."
"Rea? How will we know the direction we're currently facing? The map shows us but it doesn't indicate North or South. Not to mention, we can barely see a few feet ahead, let alone the pathway." Rea still unable to location the ignition spell concedes to fate.
"We have to rely on your abilities." She says reluctantly. "Armor...defense mode! Maximum defenses! Brace for everything!"
Her armor obeys. It moves about her body. Tightening and flexing...the armor is ready.
"We can no longer levitate. My spell is spent and it wouldn't do much good anyway. The floor is the key for our escape. We'll have to feel our way out."
The scrollsman stays near but offers no other clues. His faint glow helps them to see a few feet ahead. Barely. As they creep along slowly, Kereila bumps one of the many statues. She goes to cover her scream as the heavy figure shatters like glass. A strange overwhelming odor rises and gooey moisture begins to cover the floor.
"Kereila?!" Rea pauses as she feels her anger building. "What have you done?!"
Again, a swirling sound is heard from behind them. Approaching footfalls and moans seems to surround them. Their battle armor quickly reacts to the noises which causes them to drop to the ground. The massive blades crash against the wall once more. With a bevy of disruptions upon them, the unknown enemy's pace picks up...nearing their location.
"We cannot rush!" Kerelia warns. "Remember the words?! We have to take our time!"
The odor begins to affect their senses as they gather themselves for the incoming swarm. The statues, before them, aren't statues but crypts for the fallen. The reeking moisture is none other than the ages-old blood spilled from breaking upon the ground.
"Concentrate!" Rea implores. "Slide along this wall." As they slowly continue onward, the enemy is now in their view. It seems to be a small army of undead soldiers. They are well-organized and move in unison into a battle formation: the phalanx.
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"Get ready to fight!"
Rea lowers her hand from the wall as the hall illuminates from a peculiar watering well. A strange, dim light forms just above the well. as a long blade protrudes from the mystical light.
Still cloaked she approafches the legion of soldiers. One...two...clicks are heard in the distance. A strange buzzing sound is followed with growls and moans.
"Kereila?! Run this way! The blades are coming again!!" The two run in front of the phalanx. As the blades near...
"Duck!!!"
The blades continue its deadly course, ripping and tearing through the armor and shields of the fallen ones.
Rea holds Kereila close: the two lifting their heads slowly.
"Is it over?"
"No. I don't think so..."
The floor glows and shifts. The remaining army stands at attention.
"We have to solve the riddle..."
The army taps their shields...those lost to the blades reappear.
"We can't continue on like this. Can you try to read the words on the floor, perhaps the first letter and last of each word...something!?!"
Kereila looks at the strange scratches again. Her eyes glow a brilliant blue as she tries to interpret the strange drawings.
"I...I think I got something! Can you hold them off for a little?"
"Uh...how little is a "little"?!"
The army raises their shields and clangs their swords against it. They slowly approach the two.
Kereila glides her hands in the air...the letters rise with her hands' movements. She starts to slowly decipher the letters...it's several sets of directions.
"Eliwequirteet!" She exclaims.
The floor shifts.
"Look up!!" She sees the ceiling drop a few feet. The sky can be seen thru the cracks of the floor and area above.
"The words are a checkpoint! It's a few paces from where the hidden entrance is! Stay close to the wall and don't engage the soldiers!"
"How many paces from here?!"
"About 100 or so. Keep moving left and keep looking up. The skylight should help us to navigate!"
The two slide along in the murky corridor, counting as they pace themselves...the solders still marching along.
"Just don't make any loud noises..." Rea replied.
After carefully navigating, the two come upon a large clearing. The corridors fade away to reveal a mighty door just ahead.
"Yes!!" The two screamed as they made it to the entrance of the forgotten village.