Bernar walked over to one of the racks, where different sized wooden masks that only covered the top half of one's face were hanging. "Here, you'll need this," Bernar said, putting the tied leather loop around my neck. "What am I supposed to do with this?" I asked, curious about the eyeless mask. "Just put it on," Bernar said almost tiredly. I looked at the oddly shaped mask, and covered my eyes with them, pulling the knot-bead at the back a little tighter to get a more snug fit.
"This is fine. I can't see a fucking thing out of this," I said, rather annoyed. "Give me a second, shit-bird," my brother shot back mercilessly. I sighed and shrugged, accepting my fate.
Bernar's eyes solidified in their golden color as he reached into the Ethereal to draw mana. His gathered tendrils were redirected to the palm of his hand, where he shared the cloud with his other hand. He rubbed his hands together, and cast with his first three fingers joined together, moving across the strange-looking mask, engulfing them in mana. He condensed his cloud into the mask, and suddenly, I felt my jaw drop.
Within the dimly-lit gear room, his visual senses were enhanced ten times over. The room itself was no longer a darkened cellar full of weapons beneath the fortress, but a glowing, living one. I could see my own breath move freely through the air, as though it had been lit aflame. The room appeared to be lit by the sun itself, and I could see even the smallest creature from across the room as though it were placed in front of me.
"Aha!" I said aloud through a bit of excited laughter. "See? I fucking told you to wait," Bernar said with a grin, flicking my forehead. "You're right, you're right. I should have listened to you. I won't ever doubt you again," I said bashfully.
"It's alright," Bernar said. "Just remember that once they're taken off, the spell will no longer be active, and you'll have to re-cast, do you understand?" he asked. "Yep, got it! Wait, what was the spell again?" I asked through the smile on his face.
Obviously, I wasn't really paying attention.
"We'd better be on our way," Bernar said, ignoring my question. "The darker it gets, the more violent they become," he continued.
They? I wondered.
After leaving the fortress, and about a twenty-minute walk later, we reached a gate at the back of the main fortress that was covered in moss and other flora. Bernar pulled the lever on the door that led outside the wall, and we started down the overgrown path.
Every step I take feels as though my heart will jump out of my mouth and beat upon the floor, I thought nervously, as the reality of my situation was finally kicking in.
I held back the urge to hurl after the first few hundred meters. After about two kilometers, and a few more urges to puke later, we came to a cave in the rocky formation at the base of the nearby mountains. The sun was setting behind the mountains and the air was becoming colder as we stopped at the entrance of the cave.
"Put your eyes on. It's gonna be dark in there," Bernar said. I nodded and put them on promptly as I waited for him to activate the mask once more. A smile instantly grew on my face as the vision enhancement was drastically expounded upon now that we were outside.
"I don't think that will ever get old for me," I said through a slight chuckle. "I've been using it for years and it hasn't for me, yet," Bernar said. "But enough talking. It's time to find out what that raven might have sent out, and I need to return to the Master quickly," he continued.
"But why here of all places? I mean, it could have come from anywhere in the castle, right?" I asked. Bernar sighed and shook his head. "There are… items in there that you will find to be of great value," he began, choosing his words carefully. "Can't you at least tell me what they are? Or even what they look like?" I asked, still just as confused as before. "You'll find out once you've slain the bastards," Bernar replied. "Now get in there and get some," he said, giving me a slight, encouraging shove. I nodded in response, but I couldn't help but wonder what was in there. Regardless, I drew my sword, and passed beneath the entrance to the cave.
This is it. I don't fully understand why I'm supposed to do this on my own, much less why anyone hasn't slain whatever is in here already, but I've got to survive this. Survive. That's the key. Yeah, I should focus on that, I thought, trying my best to quell the unease in my stomach.
My footfall was silent on the soft moss that grew within the cave which stunk like a thousand dead bodies. Nevertheless, I knew I had to press on.
Ugh, I don't know how I'll be able to draw a breath with this gods-forsaken stench driving itself up my nostrils. Push through, get it over with, and take a bath, I thought, shaking the smell out of my nose.
The eyes I was wearing made the cave look as bright as day, every little detail stood out in the pitch-black cave. I walked as cautiously as I could, with my new favorite sword grasped tightly in my gloved hands. The air was thick and humid, while absolutely silent save for a sudden, deep rumbling ahead of me, trembling the ground beneath my feet.
Sounds like that came from behind those rocks over there, I thought.
I strafed around the corner of the rock formation that lay in front of me, and sure enough, there it was.
An ochelon? By the gods both light and dark, this thing is fucking massive, I exclaimed in the realm of my own thoughts.
The beast lay in a ditch with a pile of bones surrounding it. Its short, brown fur coated the majority of its body except for its massive claws, face, and lower-half of its stomach. Its large, strong maw could bite a man in half with no effort at all, and two tusks protruded from its lower jaw. The large eyes, capable of seeing well in the dark, were covered by a gray, leathery skin that was much thicker than the average hide.
I breathed heavily, trying my best not to make any further noise. My adrenaline had already been coursing through my veins for some time, but now, it seemed like my heart was about to burst through my chest. I took a step back and felt a crunch under my foot. I quickly looked down to see what it was, and instantly regretted doing so.
I had crushed something's remains.