"Are you sure this is the right way, Raizel?" Ask Evran one more time, very certain that they were lost in the dark tunnels below the city. The reason they were there was kind of a long story, but it all start with an incident on the busy market district, in the Dalsein Street when his sister Raizel Lyden headed there that late afternoon to buy some groceries, as she usually did every once in a while, after leaving her job in the local library as an assistant to an old man that was in charge of the archive.
That afternoon, a young nobleman, who had been pestering his sister for the past few weeks in the library, followed her out to market district and had the stupid idea of trying to humiliate her in front of the crowd, close to their family healing house in which he was waiting for her to return.
The guy was obviously interested in his sister, but not in a good way and even though Raizel generally didn't lose her temper easily with the noble idiots who approached her from time to time, she couldn't ignore that one, because the guy didn't only said insulting things to her about her dead mother which infuriated her to a new level, but also tried to use lightning magic on her, when she walked away from him, which could have killed her instantly, if it weren't because she woke up to her own magic, who was dormant inside her at that precise moment when she was at the mercy of a certain death.
Then, out of nowhere, his usually normal sister suddenly summon magic she didn't know she had and throws at the idiot a ball of incredibly hot white flames, which weren't that big, but devoured the oncoming lightning in a flash, which was quite impressive on its own right, to a point the guy leaved the place in genuine panic.
Awakening in the middle of a busy street was bad, but it was worse when Imperial guards happen to be passing by and saw it happen in a first row and chase after her when she dashed away when seen them to avoid been capture, like many more before her. His father and he, were close, since his father owned a healing house on that street and saw the commotion happen almost from the beginning and they went after her as well to help her escape the Imperial guards who were going to arrest her and take her to the dungeons to be sentenced to death later.
In their crazy escape, with his father also revealing he could use magic on his own, although a weaker one, forced them to separate at some point to increase their chances of survival, to run away and hide. They set a place in where they could reunite later, if they were not caught before that. Miraculously enough, Raizel and him managed to avoid capture by the imperial guards, but after days of wandering and hiding, they discovered that their father was not as lucky and was led into the dungeons of the palace, which was the place where they were desperately trying to reach now from the underground tunnels, his sister was sure to reach the palace.
"Can't you just shut up? How many times will you ask that? This isn't exactly a safe place to complain about the right or wrong ways. It's not like we have anywhere else to go now that the Imperial guards are looking everywhere for us." She said in a low voice. In abandoned tunnels, noise means danger and you don't need to increase yours for useless complaints.
"Yeah, I know, but..." It wasn't that he was normally a whiny guy, but fear made you do things you never did before.
"Do you want to rescue our father or not? There is only one way to the old dungeons in the castle and it is underground. For that, we need to make our way in the maze of tunnels under the city, so I assure you we are in the right place." She said trying to see further with her faint glowing moonstone in her open hand. They had brighter stones at home in the city, but the Imperials were probably waiting for them to show up there and having a brighter one could increase the risk of being detected, not only by the Imperials, but also by the creatures that lurked in the darkness and could be found on any corner if you were unlucky enough.
"But this place is so huge... we could be walking here for months and never find a way out. To be honest, all roads look the same to me." He knew he was already getting on his sister's nerves, but he needed to speak to keep his fears under control and his mind occupied with something more than the thought of horrible deaths.
"That's why it's called a maze, you idiot. You know I got this priceless map from the library I worked in before. I'd stumbled across it months ago and studied it closely ever since, before being forced to steal it out of necessity. It's a good thing that I know how to get into the library without breaking nothing and know exactly where to find it, otherwise I might have been caught by someone and be reported to the guards. I think because it's an old map, it might be more accurate than the one the mother showed us years ago." Raizel said as she walked slowly, on the moldy, wet and slippery ground, occasionally covered with insects that she didn't want to think about.
In a way, it was a good thing she wasn't the kind of delicate girl who screamed and jumped with every bug at sight. She was a healer apprentice when her mother was still alive which make her tougher than other young women and when her mother die, she needed to work in order to help support her family.
When they reached another fork in the tunnels, Raizel look down to her map and walked in the direction she thought was the right one, even when she had practically memorize the thing by now. The map was a maze on itself, yet for some reason she could trace mental lines through the tunnels to take her to the place she was sure was the connection to the palace dungeons.
"Well, I don't buy it. I still think we're hopelessly lost here." They could barely see what was in front of them with the gleaming old moonstone, because the bluish light emanating from it barely reaching a meter ahead them.
"No, we are not lost." Why he can't stop talking? Did he seriously want for something dangerous to come their way? She thought.
"Yes, we are. I know we don't have a place to go anymore, but there's no way a couple of kids like us can do what so many adults never could before. No one has found their way into the palace from the tunnels." That did for her, now she was really mad.
"Hey, who's a kid? I'm already nineteen years old and you're already fourteen. Father is all we have left and if the Imperials kill him, there will never be a home for us again. Even if we are doomed to flee for the rest of our lives, while our father is still with us, we can hope for a home someday even if he is in the exile. We just have to keep going no matter the risk and the worse happens, we run and fight for our lives." She said in a serious tone.
"But they are well armed and trained to kill. We only have a dusty ancient map, a rusty sword that can only be used for decoration and it's the same for the bow you found on the archive, a light stone that does not shine much, and the equally rusty skills of sword fighting, our father's friend Rowen teaches us as children." Why that little perky... Raizel thought and almost sighed in annoyance.
"I can use magic too, remember?" Yes, he remembers it quite well, since that was the reason why their life was such a mess right now.
"How can I forget about that? It's the reason we have to run away from home, starve, steal, and dare to come here in the first place. You only wake up to your power three days ago, which only makes you a rookie, not an expert. If they find us, they'll kill us before you can use your magic or use your sword, not to mention my bow will be useless." It was stupid of his part to point out their many flaws, but that makes the situation realistic.
"Do you rather let father on his own fate? Let him get killed because he helped his daughter and son escape from a certain death or worst, get send to the mines? He didn't do anything wrong, he only wanted to protects us! Those damn Imperials, I hate them all and I swear I will not let them send father to the mines!" Evran hated the Imperials too, even before Raizel's magic awoke.
Among the common people there was always the fear that someday one of their own will be able to use magic. Many had tried to hide it, many others like her sister had awaken in public, but whatever they try to hide it or openly use it, the Imperials will always find them. It was a matter of time before they show up knocking on your door at night when the families gather together and take away whoever they wish for and he knew that he too probably was going to awake to his own magic soon, so he could not blame her for anything. Magic choose their wielders, not the other way around. Why was that? No one knew.
"Okay then. Now were to?" He asked when they reached another fork in the path. It was getting colder, so he imagine that night have fall in the world above their heads. He was hungry and tired, but he stood by his sister's side showing none of it.
"Hum... let's see... from here, the next step it's to the right. Yes, to the right. I have the feeling we are getting closer, I swear I can feel the thing pulsating, the closer we get to our goal." She said while walking straight, still looking at the old map in wonder.
"Oh, sure. The old thing must be a hidden magical relic from ancient times that no one notice before and most be alive, laughing at us." Evran said sarcastically looking up ahead with the poor illumination. Sadly enough it has come to be just as he said, he was right and they were hopelessly lost.
"Hey, you pesky little..." She begins saying.
"Just look, Raizel, it's a real dead end. Can't you see it? There is a solid wall there and no more path ahead. We are lost." If circumstances were any different he would have laughed at her expression. Their mother always make a similar one when confuse or surprised and he missed her now more than ever.
"Wait, what? This can't be right. We can't be lost... I'm sure I follow the right way to the detail." Or did she? Could it be that she had miss a turn somewhere? It was so dark and hard to see, that perhaps she has mess up hallway to her goal… wait, not it couldn't be like that… she had been so careful…
"That map it's probably fake or is the wall really part of the map too?" Evran asked now really tired of all the madness and frustration of the past days.
"Don't be sarcastic with me, Evran. Although, this wall wasn't supposed to be here." Was it sealed? Yeah, they could have sealed the path so no one could enter the palace. It was actually kind of logical. "Damn it! It most had been sealed. This isn't fair! We need to find another way in or perhaps I can blast it… yeah, blast it will work…" She beging to mumble possible alternatives as her brother looked over her shoulder now quite frightened.
"Hum, Raizel..." He tries to interrupt his sister sudden panic, but she was not really listening.
"I'm thinking Evran... just give me a minute..." She said still too focus on looking at the old map.
"I know you are looking for another path, but there is a strange glowing symbol on the wall." He tries again and this time she actually looked at where he was pointing.
"What? Oh, my... what's that? It wasn't glowing before right?" She asked getting a little closer to have a better look, but not close enough to be caught if something wrong happens. By the time, she had let go of the moonstone, but there was no real need of it anyways because the wall in front of them was shining bright enough to illuminate the tunnel were they stood for at least five meters. Now, both of them could see that that part of the maze was very old and it had several symbols carved into the stone
"And how should I know what that is? Aren't you the one who is supposed to be the magic expert?" The little... Raizel sighed.
"You know, sometimes I really wonder if we are indeed related by blood. You could have been adopted for all I know." She said almost laughing at him.
"Hey, that wasn't nice and it was rude too!" Evran said humping her and crossing his arms over his chest. She didn't have to go that far to get him back.
"Oh, forget it. Now, what is this?" She got even closer to the wall and Evran backed away a few steps instead.
"Shouldn't we be worried about this? All of a sudden, there is a shining wall where it wasn't supposed to be one and it has a symbol that we don't know off. It could be a trap or something for idiots like us, who attempts the impossible." He said letting fear reach his mind again.
"Well, to be honest I don't know. There were many rumors about many lost magical relics that the Emperor wished to find and the reason he had seekers and hunters. This place is centuries old for what I can see and smell, because it's suffocating in this part of the tunnels and I'm sure a place like this, hidden bellow the cities holds many legends of his own." She gives the engravings an even closer look.
"Well, it's not like we will figure out anything about it ourselves. I can't read anything writing there, they all looked like weird lines to me." Yeah, that will be just like you, idiot. Raizel thought.
"I always thought you should have study harder. Our mother was a healer, but she had a passion for ancient times. She taught herself in every spare time about the old writing, until she could read it. These are called runes, from before the Great War. She used to make me learn as well, but I forget most of it when she die. Hundreds of years ago, there were many runes around the world as there were many races. I think it could be a Derish writing or perhaps is something else..." She said while trying to figure out the origin of the writings. Her mother has taught her three different runes writings and she wasn't all that good with any of them.
"You have to be kidding, right? There is nothing left from the first generations. Even I know that much." There was just no way they could have found a real relic themselves when hundreds of seekers always came back empty-handed, to the Emperor's undying anger.
"Like I said, you should have study harder. The exile exist for a reason and it because it belonged to the old world. The first Emperor build the wall that surrounds our country to 'protect' us from the dangers outside and the magical barrier was created soon after to keep the flying beast from attacking the cities. We humans, has been isolated for centuries from the outside world, but the Emperor's seekers goes there in search of the magical relics that will make him stronger. Oh, to think we run into one of them by chance... mother would have given what she didn't have for a chance like this..."
"What do you mean by chance? We were going this way from the beginning, the map guide us here, remember? You even said the thing was pulsating just a minute ago. I bet it's a magical map or something or perhaps a relic itself." Raizel widen her eyes in surprise as she looked yet again at the old thing. She once asked the Chief librarian about the map, as the thing interest her since she put her eyes on it, but he said he knew nothing about a map as old as she claims on the archive room. She thought he just had a bad memory, but perhaps he really didn't know it was there. Many magical relics were only found by a particular person and she was now wondering if she has been chosen by it to reveal it secrets.
"Raizel.. break the... coming... hurry." She almost jumped when a male voice make echo inside her mind. She looked around thinking they could have been found, but saw only darkness and the voice was a bit familiar to her. Wasn't it the voice of the spirit in the underground chambers of the library? The one she had hear calling her name before? No… she couldn't be losing it in a time like that.
"Evran, did you just tell me something about breaking and coming?" She asked to her brother a little panicked, but he shook his head, looking at her in confusion.
However, at that moment something else begin to glow bright red and it was big. Both of them looked at the painted beast of what she could only call it a dragon. The symbol below then changed into the rune for 'Nyrix' which she could only guess was the dragon's name. She only knew them from childhood stories. The extremely magical fire-breathing beast that once almost destroyed the world. They were the reason of the Great War, the reason the Emperor isolate humanity behind barriers and walls. The source of great fear among all living creatures and they had found a dormant one just now.
AN: I hope someone like this and if you did, please let me know on a comment. Yeah, I know my English is bad, but is not my first language. The cover picture is not mine, so proper credit to the creator. Thanks for reading.