Amongst the plains are evergrowing surges of pure energy. Ominous clouds paint the hellish backdrop as many beasts roam. The swelling mystic dust, forming droplets from the sky, causes seismic disturbances and expels massive bursts of plasma lightning. The three see the looming doom approaching and realizes they must hurry. The thought of fighting on is replaced with the possibility of utilizing such power. If only they can harness that energy…
"There! Near that clearing! The path! I see it!" A curious path slowly appears a few dozen feet away. Tredot gushes as he can finally reserve his strength.
"Great! Now, don't let up until I can dispel this magic! If you do, we'll be sent flying BACK unto the lands!
"Understood!" Tredot and Deigus nod as they near the area.
The energy begins to dissipate as they descend toward the clearing. The grounds succumbed to many years of countless battles. Aging bones and rustic memorabilia litter the war-torn lands and illustrates the difficulties of acquiring the legendary blade. Below them lies yards of moss and swamp-like conditions. The beluge of the creatures attack one another just beyond the path of light. The dense magical mist clears a bit to reveal a darkened, crumbling door. The door, seemingly made of a flimsy wooden and metallic alloy, adorns strange inscriptions about its surface. It reveals itself for a moment and slowly fades from view. Amazed by the sudden exit. Tredot begins to offer a suggestion.
"Should we-"
"No…keep heading up that path. I sense something else is there." Kerelia interjects Tredot.
Kerelia taps the right side of her forehead and a HUD display emerges. She toggles through some options and stops at an energy scan. The energy scan can differentiate bio matter into several sub classifications.
"Eco" means the being is non violent.
"Edo" means the being has dense armor or is tough to beat
"Evo" means the being could be transmutive. In that the being can mass shift or disguise its identity.
"Ego" means the being may be more of a power seeker than a true threat. Creatures in this class tend to be pusillanimous.
"E or error" means to stay clear as the being has yet to be discovered or was and is a world class ruler.
Such a ranking means the being can end universal stabilities and should be handled with extreme caution.
Determined to fulfill at least one part of their journey, the three fight through the small factions and press on. As they approach their goal, a golden image appears beneath them and quickly disappears.
"There!" Shouts Deigus.
"It's there!"
However, the image leaves an imprint that can be seen clearly after it fades away.
It's a symbol.
One of many.
That is littered about the grounds.
Each symbol is unique in size and structure.
Perhaps a legend to find the true path of the Forbidden Sword?
A subtle humming can be heard below them. The melodic tune rises and falls with each movement. It's as if it's orchestrating a symphony. The grounds…are alive?
"Just to the opening…there." Kerelia looks toward the dark opening ahead.
"Sit here for a moment. I need to scan this perimeter here." Kerelia taps her head and a small antenna vibrates and reveals the land via echo location. "Normally, I'd use my heat index scan but that may be too noisy for the locals." Kerelia quips.
"Tredot. Head up there. The area seems to be easier to navigate. Here, I'll paint the topography."
Kerelia flips her wrist armament to open up a series of lasers. She makes a fist and the image ahead can be seen clearly. It leaves laser-light residue to form the landscape around them. On the display is an oddly-shaped small mass of land.
"Right here. C'mon!"
The three traverse the mossy fields and eventually reach their destination.
"Great. Now what?" Deigus asks.
"We try to solve the mystery. The grounds look unscathed here."
"What about this area…here?" Deigus taps with his sword.
"There's something odd about this indeed." Tredot chimes in.
"How's that barrier holding up, Tredot?"
"Wearing me down…I can manage a while longer. No promises."
In the distance, a large satellite slowly ascends to its "heavenly" domain…
"We're out of time…the sunlit moon is approaching. We'll be burned to death! What are we missing?! The path led us here. There's no sign, no door…nothing?!"
Just then, Kerelia remembered.
"Devil dance…why am I remembering that now?!"
Kerelia rubs her hands and remembers the fight that ensued. She remembers how the rain was attacking…it wasn't falling…
"No…it can't be…" Kerelia takes a step back and looks around her.
"Th-this isn't some alien wasteland…we're INSIDE something?!"
The background noise seems to be muted as she recalls several events. The stress seems to have heightened her focus.
Kerelia begins to piece the information together. She realizes the humming, endless beasts…it's some kind of digestive system.
"It's one from the hall of warriors. One of those beings…ate us?!"
"This is like the cave! The one with the words on the ground. We're still being tested?!"
The humming continues and the creatures no longer see them as a threat. Their clash continues against others entering from different dimensions.
"Did we…fail, Kerelia?" Deigus asks.
"I don't think this is about failing. This is a test of our ability to survive. Everything leading to this moment was about…survival."
"The plan?" Tredot asks.
"We know we can survive so I think we need to do something different. It seems these tests are based on our knowledge of .." Kerelia sits there for a moment.
She begins to remember the marketplace, the creatures, the scrolls-
"ArGghrhhgh!"
Just then, those unknown entities emerge once more.
One after another the wretched beings surround the three. Their long slimy bodies intersect one another to form an organic wall.
"There's (there's) (there's) no escape (escape) (escape)." The words echo amongst the chamber which seems to be a part of a lower intestine.
She thought to herself for a moment longer.
(These beings. Why don't they attack? I think…they want to corner us.
Are they looking to get some sort of reaction? Perhaps. Wait! That's it!)
"Deigus! Tredot! Your crests! Do you know how to use them?"
"No. I just notice the area tends to glow or flicker. Maybe a change of color from time to time. No reason known or given."
"The Phalanx! That's it! That wasn't by accident we saw that group that day! They were a clue to opening the door! That would explain why there was no continuous effort to subdue us! It's as if they were trying to help us solve these riddles!"
"How so?" Tredot asked.
"Well, for one, that move…Devil Dance. It was a sequence of attacks that had small gaps I could move to."
"Ok? And?!"
"Well. Those "gaps" looked like smudges on the ground. I thought it was from the rainfall but it wasn't! It was from something inscribed on the floor.
When I moved, I did so in different directions. The patterns were pretty obvious. Stay in a spot for a moment, then move again as the attack continued. However…I simply moved over and over into those "gaps"!"
The two looked at each other.
"What we're seeing is a carbon copy of that area with different obstacles and a different scene. The two seem to be…one."
"Ok, but how would we know which direction to start in? Which instructions to follow? Which path?" Tredot asks.
Kerelia frantically scouts the plains.
"Quickly, check the grounds for markings!"
The three sift through the marsh hoping to find some hint.
Surely, finding signs in such conditions seemed frivolous. However, given the circumstances, it was a necessary step.
Just then, a strange symbol flickered on the ground when swept over.
"This must be the area! I see an odd shape…there!"
Deigus exclaims.
"Ok. Now, we need to know how to best these things. We cannot run. I believe this test is about strategy and might. That would explain the phalanx maneuver from the cave. That wasn't a battleground…this is. Whatever we do, we cannot lose. Being here must be by selection. Which means we did something right. Now, we need to face these beings and defeat them!"
Kerelia raises her right arm and begins to absorb the energy particles around them. Tredot channels his energy into making a more dense orb. Deigus raises his left arm as his swords begin to swirl around him.
Transmission…error…glitching…switch to channel 14…document this. There's…energy…disr—
A small beam of energy lowers before them. Could this be the hint they need? Pulsating energy causes the landscape to rise and fall as static electricity fills the air. Just as the three find an answer, the sky flickers and Kerelia gasps.
There's something down here…
A small, faint light illuminates the shallow area and dissipates. It rises again. Yet, dissipates again. The creatures, that formed the wall, seem to be distracted by an ominous light. It flickers about them and disappears. Could this be a clue? The surface starts to boil as the temperature begins to rise with the sunlit-moon in tow. The ground slowly rumbles as it reaches into the heavens.
"We cannot continue on the ground!" Kerelia exclaims. "Quickly! Lift us, Tredot!"
Tredot summons what energy he can to form the barrier. The creatures that formed the wall dissolve into the misty atmosphere and can be seen no more.
A large gust of wind sweeps over the area as the three ascend the plains. Hovering just above imminent danger, the trio ride the violent air and start scanning their surroundings. A bright light briefly illuminates the vast marshy lands. Before it fades, a small golden emblem glows ever so faintly beneath them.
Amongst the image are symbols that seem to form instructions. One looks like an ancient hieroglyphic arrow. Another seems to form a hilltop or perhaps a cloud. The one below that figure seems to be more of a raised bit of land that surrounds a small pit. Yet another to the far East seems to be that of a rickety staff. Their distances vary greatly yet seem to be relevant to one another. Lost on their next move, they have waited as long as they could. The menacing storm is upon them and the uncertainty of its dangers makes the decision most damning. Before them lies their fate. The thickness of the mist forces them to choose a destination. With each impending flash of lightning, two paths emerge. Each are faintly-lit and seem to trail off into different directions. The question remains: which should they choose?