Rise of the Voidmark

Into the Deep

Karis shivered. The Dragon’s amber eyes seemed to be trying to pierce her very soul. He shifted and the light from his glittering silver scales danced across the ceiling. It was Duran who spoke for them. He stepped forward and bowed before speaking.

“Guardian, I am Duran, First circle adept of the Firemark. My companion is Karis also a First circle adept of the Firemark and a Warp Adept. We are here to seek a weapon strong enough to keep the rising evil in the East. We also seek the item which will bring healing to our dying leader Ilaya.”

The Dragon dropped the sword and considered him. “A noble quest.” It said at length. “However, how do I know you are worthy?” Karis stepped forward trying to contain her nerves. The dragon was a formidable beast.

“You cannot know, sir, you’ll just have to trust us.” The Dragon growled deep in his throat and made a series of coughing barks. Karis realised the creature was laughing. “A good answer, small one.”

“May we take the sword?” She asked.

“You may,” the dragon replied. “However it is not the weapon you seek. The sword itself is powerful yes. Yet it is only a spelled blade.” Karis was disappointed.

“To find the items you are looking for you will have to journey far into the Deep Realm. It will be a dangerous quest and will not be quickly over. It will try your abilities and your endurance to their limits. Are you willing to undertake it?” He asked fixing them once again with his fierce gaze.

“If it will help Ilaya then we are willing.” Duran replied. “How long will the quest take? She is running out of time.”

The Dragon threw back his head and roared a second time. This time however the roar contained magic. Both Karis and Duran could feel it. Then they heard a scraping noise and the room shook. A bright light came from the stairwell they’d descended. The stairs were being drawn up and they both heard the marble which made the South Hall’s floor mesh together again.

“Time runs differently here little Humans. You will be able to save your leader if you complete your quest. Now follow me.” The dragon stood and padded past them heading back towards the stairwell they followed. “Behind my crystal cousin are rooms where you may sleep chose the ones you want. Tomorrow you will learn more about your journey.”

Karis and Duran didn’t argue. The walked behind the crystal dragon and found a door set in the wall. They went through it and found themselves in a corridor with evenly spaced doors leading to rooms. They chose rooms next to each other.

Karis’ room had midnight blue walls and a ceiling the same colour. It was lit by a crystal diamond floating centimetres from the centre of the ceiling which contained a bright magical light. The big four poster bed had coverings the same colour. The wardrobe in the corner opposite the bed was made of a dark wood and contained a selection of women’s dresses and cloaks and a selection of nightgowns. Karis chose a soft white one and laid it on the bed. She then investigated the door to the right of the bed. It opened into the most luxurious bathroom she’d ever seen. The marble bath was sunk into the floor and was easily big enough for four people to comfortably relax in without touching each other. She smiled. She wouldn’t mind living like this all the time.

After a quick wash Karis went straight to bed. The light in the crystal diamond went out immediately. Karis was asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.

-/\-

Karis was woken by a hand on her shoulder. “Good morn Miss.” A female voice said. Karis sat up and opened her eyes. A tall woman was standing next to the bed. She was holding out a bathrobe for her. “Your bath has been prepared and breakfast is on its way.” Karis was surprised but got up anyway accepting the robe and making her way to the bathroom.

The bath was full of steaming hot water. Karis slid into it deciding to enjoy the luxury of this place while she could because if the Dragon was to be believed the journey ahead would be full of hardships.

-/\-

Karis met Duran in the Great Hall an hour later. He looked completely relaxed and was wearing hunting clothes as was she. Karis noted that the pack he was carrying seemed to be bursting at the seams. It made her wonder what was inside. Probably books. She herself had packed light, taking only clothes and some food for the journey. She had had sword strapped to her belt and a hunting knife strapped next to it. Duran was also carrying a hunting knife but sporting an unfamiliar sword. The hilt was silver instead of the Firemark’s usual gold and completely plain apart from the blood ruby set at the very top of the hilt ensconced mostly in the silver. This made it form a teardrop shape.

“Where is the sword you normally wear?” Karis asked curiously. “I didn’t have it with me.” Duran replied. “So I told the servant who came into my room that I didn’t have a sword with me and he showed me to an armoury absolutely full of swords, knives, daggers etc; I choose this one as it was the plainest and the lightest.” Duran explained.

Karis nodded and they approached the dragon who was curled on the dais with his neck stretched out to reach his tail; apparently asleep. As they got closer however they realised he was watching them from under one heavy eyelid.

He uncurled and stretched as they stopped in front of him before getting to his paws. He clicked his sharp ivory claws on the marble dais as he surveyed them taking in their weapons and packs.

“So you are still determined to continue your quest.” He said. They gave the affirmative. “Then follow me. This route will take us directly to the crystal palace. That is where the Oracle lives. He will instruct you further on the rest of your journey.”

Karis nodded and the Dragon turned around and touched the front of his snout to the wall behind the dais. It melted away to reveal a long wide hallway which sloped away into darkness. The Dragon drew back his head opened his mouth and breathed a long jet of fire down the hallway. When he stopped breathing fire Karis could see the passage way ahead lit by many torches and descending downwards for a long time before it twisted out of sight.

As they started down the hallway the wall sealed itself behind them without a sound. They walked in silence. The air felt heavy and brooding; forbidding speech. The only sounds were their footfalls; the soft pad of the dragon’s paws and click of his claws as they progressed down the hallway. It extended for many hundreds of leagues under the earth before it reached its destination. Along the walls spaced a days walk apart were alcoves containing blankets and supplies for those walking along the hall. They were big enough to contain two dragons.

Eventually as the days slipped by Karis lost all perception of time. She had tried to talk to Duran but the resulting echoes rebuked them and the Dragon advised them to stay silent. It was the silence that contributed to the sense of timelessness in this place. It was oppressing despite being able to hear Duran’s footfalls and the dragon’s steady pace.

Walking either side of the dragon Karis and Duran practiced fire magic to take the boredom away. Karis would cast a fireballs and direct them into the shapes of mythical creatures to fly or pace ahead of them giving out light.

Karis also began to practice the scarce amount of ice magic she knew from books in the library. She would try to conjure ice creatures to pace beside her fire creatures. This was much harder however as the ice magic felt unfamiliar and had a different quality to it. A lot of the time all Karis was able to conjure was water vapour or the smallest of ice crystals.

Duran amused himself by sitting on the Dragons back between its spines and studying his books on the ancient language when he wasn’t trying to outdo her fire creatures. Karis would often look up and see him reading intently a handful of conjured flames hovering above the pages of his book.

The routine never seemed to change. Then one evening just as the three had settled down in an alcove and were preparing to eat a cold wind rushed along the hallway. It had a foul smell about it and extinguished every single torch. Karis looked up as her fire hawk flickered out of existence leaving them in the pitch blackness.

“What happened?” Karis asked her voice hoarse from not being used. “I don’t know.” The Dragon replied. “It is not uncommon though for dread creatures to roam this passage. We must be nearing the end. Draw your swords.”

Karis and Duran drew their swords. The symbols inscribed along the blades flared brightly and the eagle on the hilt of Karis’ sword lit with the brightest light of all flaring white. Karis looked at her sword with curiosity. It had never reacted to anything like that before. The dragon was right. Something must in the Hallway with them.

Then they heard whooping and cackling and Karis noticed several grey spectral forms moving towards them. The dragon relaxed as Karis and Duran gripped their weapons tighter. “They’re only wraiths. They can’t hurt us.”

One of the wraiths mimicked his words. “Can’t hurt you huh. Maybe not but we can rob you of your sanity.” It cackled. “Little Karis for example. So many things you’d like to forget. How are your parents by the way?”

Karis tensed furious and swung her sword at the wraith. It passed straight through. “Ignore them Karis.” Duran said resting his hand on her shoulder. “Just ignore them.” The Dragon padded to his feet. He looked out of the alcove.

“We should keep moving. There’s a mist forming. These wraiths have been followed. Ride on my back and let’s hope we don’t meet the creatures that made the mist.”

“What are they?” Karis asked. The Dragon didn’t answer till they were both safely on his back. “The creatures of nightmare.”