Chereads / Hardfall and the Hero / Chapter 4 - Alone in the dark

Chapter 4 - Alone in the dark

Berry collapsed on the floor, he wanted to lay down and rest. He's back and head were killing him. "Your in worst shape than I thought." Luna said looking at him. "Your light spell, you said anyone can cast it if they could control mana. Could you teach me?" He asked with hope in his eyes. "I can't tell you how I learned. Every one is different, some people can do magic from birth and others never figure it out." "I want to try" determination in his eyes. "I heard of a secret method that might work but i never seen it work. It could be dangerous. The crystal you picked up will help. When you kill a monster it will drop one of those. It contains the essence of the monster. It's condensed mana." As he stared at the little crystal in his hand he thought he could feel something. It felt like a slight pulling and pushing at the same time. "I can feel something, coming from the crystal."Berry said in amazement. Luna had set down crossing her legs under her taking a meditative position. Berry mirrored her doing his best to ignore the pain. "Close you eyes, clear your mind, focus on your breathing. Mana is all around us, in the air, stone, plants and animals. You need to reach out and and pull that mana into yourself. Focuse on the mana in the crystal, pull it inside." Berry had done everything just as she said. At first nothing seemed to happen but he kept at it not willing to give up. Focusing on the push and pull coming from the crystal he began to feel it. Slowly at first but growing stronger with every movement. It was every were a very soft pull and push coming off every thing. The crystal was condensed mana so was easy to feel but now he could feel it everywhere. "I can feel it, it's everywhere." Berry said opening his eyes. To his surprise darkness was all that he saw. "Luna" he called out looking around frantically, "She's gone."

Berry felt his way back to the dungeon door. "It's too dangerous to go deeper in the dark." Nothing happened as he place his hands on the door, nothing he tried worked. "If can't go back I have to go deeper but I need to rest." He felt better after his meditation so he decided to try again. Sitting back down he began to reach out to feel the mana. Suddenly something unexpected happened the crystal he held was gone from his hand. But he could still feel it, it was now inside him. "That feels strange but how do I use it." He kept pulling on the ambient mana in the area. He had a place to put it now, so he focused on drawing it into his crystal now sitting at his core. "My mana core." He could feel it filling up. The tiny sliver had grown to fill the whole thing. He could tell instinctively that no more could be held. Now that it was full he forced into his arms. Down to his fingers, and called out "light!" Forcing the mana to bend to his will. It worked, light filled the room driving the darkness away. It wasn't as strong as the one Luna used. It was actually very small compared to that her spell. "I did it!" He exclaimed. As he did it immediately went out. "OK gotta stay focused." He recast the spell, it took less time and effort this time. Feeling for his core he could see the edges had become clear again. Just a little but he believed he was starting to understand how it works. "Well meditating I can draw ambient mana into my core. The mana in my core is then used to power my spell. Draining by the amount the spell needs to cast it."

"OK let's do this" he said picking up his gear and heading back down the way he fought the monster. "I'm calling them Big Heads." He snickered. Causuesly he peered into the room looking for his prey. Spotting another big head facing away from him. He willed the light to stay put not knowing if it would work or not. Luckily it stayed just hovering were he had been standing. Slowly he he made him way behind the monster. Carefully he raised his blade, reaching around its neck. He pulled as hard as he could. Blood gushing out in a fountian of red. It crumbled to ash just like the first one. He knelt down using his blade to check the ash. There was no monster core this time. Instead there was a gold coin. "What the heck!" He was shocked. A gold coin, he had never had this much money before. It wasn't alot but more then he had ever made. One gold coin was worth ten silver coins and one silver coin was worth ten copper coins. Most of the odd jobs he had done only made him two or three copper coins. On a good day he could make eight or nine copper a day. "I'm going to be rich if this keeps up." He smiled. Willing his light orb back toward himself, he checked the rest of the room. No more big heads were around. It seemed strange he had heard dungeons were crawling with monsters but he had only seen the two. "Maybe Luna killed the rest." He didn't think had left the dungeon. Not trough the door they came in anyway. "There has to be a way out at the end." He checked his core surprised that his little light barely used any mana at all. "Probably why she said anyone could use it."

He made his way through the rest of the dungeon surprisingly not crossing another monster the rest of the way. He came apon another set of doors twice the size as the one that led him into the dungeon. The doors were open fully. As he listened nothing could be heard except his own breathing. He went in. It was a massive chamber, larger than all of the previous ones combined. Surprisingly it was empty except for a wooden chest in the back of the room and another skeleton laying up against it. As he approached he co see that the chest was open already. Someone had already cleared this dungeon and looted the treasure. When his light reached the decayed body he gasped in surprise, it was Luna. Right before his eyes her skeletal figure returned to the beautiful girl he met. She stood up leaving the decreased version undisturbed. " Your finally here she said moving close.

"What's going on?" He asked clearly confused. "I'm dead." She said plainly no visible emotions showing. "I have been for many years. When I died my anger and rage mixed with my magic training my soul here. I've been waiting for someone to find this place and set me free." "Thats why you bought me in here? How did you die? What can I even do?" He asked all in one breath. She giggled motioning for him to take a seat. "I joined a team to clear this dungeon. This dungeon wasn't hard at all, even the boss was nothing special. Every thing was fine until we opened this chest here. I don't even know what was in but it was enough for Edmond to stab me in the back. He also poisoning are other companion Robert. You found his body by the entrance." Berry nodded "I guess he realized what I did that door is one way." She shook her head, "only until the dungeon is cleared there was still two monsters left in here. After the boss monster is killed you can touch the monolith over the, it will warp you outside. Also no more monsters will spawn but you still need to kill the remaining ones for the entrance to open."

It was alot to process, Berry had stood and began walking back and forth. "OK I 0nderstand all that but what do I do now." "It's simple you just need to burn my body. But before you do take my boots also my belt and harness, they are enchanted." This made him stop as his eyes widened. "Enchanted that's amazing! What do they do?"He asked then stopped looking at there feet. "I don't think they will fit." He said dejectedly. "Of course they will enchanted items always adjust to their wearer. He stole my sword and shield other wise you could of had them as well." Berry gently removed the items and equipped them. To his astonishment the boots grew as he placed his foot into them. They fit perfectly and the most comfortable boots he had ever worn. Even more amazing than that when he had finished strapping on the belt his pants started to slowly repair themselves. " That ones pretty straight forward it will repair all your equipped items over time. The boots have a muffle enchantment on them. Nothing you have equipped will make sound." She smiled watching him. He grinned with glee "OK you've waited here long enough let's set your soul free."

Berry wished things were different, but fate has its own will. He had taken her body out side her soul form followed closely behind. He had gathered enough wood to make a fire fit for a king. Laying her down gently here soul aligned with her body. He set it ablaze with ease, stepping back to say goodbye to his new friend. "May your soul finally be at peace."