Underground Ring: Book 1

by M. M. Reid

  I nervously glanced to Trosian who shrugged. You figure it out.

  “I…uh…was going to be late for our lesson,” I said as Lokus released me from his grasp. I purposefully positioned myself so that the Vitae Lord was looking away from the room Ben was in.

  “I never knew you to be much of a scholar, Augrais.” Lokus seemed genuinely surprised.

  “Um…” I hesitated partly from the fact I didn’t know what a scholar was, and partly because Lee still hadn’t managed to break through to the other side of the door.

  “Augrais,” Lokus brought my full attention back to him, “are you feeling alright?”

  “He wasn’t feeling well this morning,” Trosian explained, moving to Lokus’s side.

  I shot Trosian a dismayed look. “Yeah,” I said, putting my hands on my hips and hunching over slightly, “really don’t feel too good.”

  “What hurts?” Lokus asked.

  “My…” Trosian began pointing to random body parts, “head—no, stomach!”

  “Which is it?”

  “Both?” I smiled and shrugged sheepishly. Lee had successfully opened the door and moved inside. Not much longer…

  “Right,” Lokus said, not looking impressed. “Do me a favor, Augrais. If you want to lie about being late, try to come up with something better.”

  “Will do.” I nodded awkwardly and hesitated for a few seconds, looking through Lokus and praying that Ben and Lee would emerge.

  “Where are the other two boys?” Lokus asked, looking at his wristwatch then peering down the hallway behind me.

  “I saw them outside half an hour ago,” Trosian offered. “Are you sure you don’t want to discuss the lesson on chemistry today? I just think studying the hydrogen atom again is so redundant…”

  Trosian trailed off just as Ben and Lee emerged. They froze with fear as they saw Lokus standing right behind the classroom door.

  “Your concerns can wait for the start of the lesson,” Lokus interrupted. “Where are they?”

  The old man then began to turn towards them, just as they were about to shut the door to the locked room.

  “Lokus!” I said, nearly yelling it in the old man’s ear. The sound of my voice muffled the closing door.

  The Vitae Lord rolled his eyes and turned back. “What is it, Augrais?”

  Ben and Lee were still a few metres away from the classroom, moving slowly as to not cause any audible sound. I just had to distract him for a few more seconds, but when I opened my mouth I found I really had nothing to say. There was only one option. With one fluid motion, I awkwardly wrapped my arms around Lokus, hugging him tightly. He stiffened, unsure of what the hell I was doing.

  “Thank you so much for teaching us,” I said, waving nonchalantly from behind Lokus for Ben and Lee to hurry up. “You’re so…awesome.”

  “That’s nice, Augrais,” Lokus slowly said, patting my back uncomfortably. “You can let go now.”

  “Bring it in, Trosian.” I ignored Lokus and opened one arm to accept my now horrified rival.

  We argued silently for a few seconds until Trosian finally conceded and slowly embraced the two of us like he was hugging a cactus.

  “Are you on drugs?” Lokus asked me, trying to pry himself from my grasp as the three of us held, or rather grappled, one another.

  “Shh, you’ll ruin the moment,” I soothingly said. Ben, stifling his urge to laugh uncontrollably, gave me a big thumbs-up as they crept into the classroom.

  Just as Lee and Ben crossed the threshold into the classroom, I suddenly pushed them both away then clapped my hands enthusiastically. “So, is it time to learn yet?”

  Lokus gave me a stunned look then said to himself, before walking into the classroom,“He is on drugs.”

  Trosian was clearly apprehensive, his eyes wide with shock, as we lingered in the hallway.

  I looked at him threateningly. Trosian, I used the Earth gift to communicate, we are going to enter that classroom, sit down, and never, ever speak of this again.

  Agreed.

  Trosian and I were standing in the darkness of the basement with only candles barely illuminating the room, both of us afraid to even utter a whisper for fear of Lokus detecting us. Ben had found the vial of liquid well-hidden behind Lokus’s bookshelf.

  “What time is it?” Trosian asked sharply for the third time in the past 15 minutes.

  I shrugged. “Past midnight, I guess.”

  “It’s taking them a long time.” My rival spoke quickly, almost mumbling. “Do you think Lokus found them?”

  “Definitely,” I said sarcastically.

  Trosian shot me a dangerous look.

  “Look, it’s out of our hands. Just try to relax,” I added.

  We stood in silence for a few more minutes.

  “What did it feel like when you drank it?” Trosian leaned up against the wall, watching me intently.

  I looked to him, then to the ground, taking myself back to that moment a month ago. “Painful,” I said simply. “Overwhelmingly so. It was like my heart was beating so fast, like fear itself might literally have killed me.”

  My rival shifted uncomfortably.

  Ben and Lee arrived a few minutes later, skulking into the basement.

  “What took you so long?” asked Trosian.

  “Sorry,” Lee said, shooting a begrudging look at Ben. “Genius over here thought Lokus was awake. We had to wait twenty minutes before he was convinced to keep moving.”

  “Shut up,” Ben grumbled, rubbing his eyes.

  “Do you have it?” Trosian approached Ben rapidly, almost bowling my friend over.

  Ben nodded and rummaged around in his pocket. The vial was pulled free. Ten millilitres of deep red fluid sloshed around.

  “What’s in it?” Lee asked, peering at it curiously.

  “Pretty common ingredients actually,” I said, remembering a passage from the Lion’s journal. “But there are two ingredients that are extremely rare and are just as poisonous.” The Lion was close to figuring out what exactly was in each of these potions, but didn’t manage to figure it out before his death. Or at least didn’t record it.

  “Who cares?” Trosian said as he attempted to snatch the vial from Ben’s fingers. “Hand it over.”

  “Hey!” said Ben, as he held it just out of Trosian’s reach. “I want to know what we’re getting ourselves into and Augrais is the only one who has taken it.”

  “Well, for starters, I think the poison nearly killed me,” I said.

  Lee gulped. He clearly hadn’t forgotten.

  “If you’re afraid, Ben,” Trosian sneered, “simply don’t take it.”

  “So why isn’t Lokus drinking this stuff by the barrel?” Ben asked.

  “Because,” I explained, once again referring back to the Lion’s passage, “once you have your inward journey and become a Vitae Lord, the potion will no longer have an effect upon you.”

  As I finished speaking, Trosian quickly tore the bottle from Ben’s hands.

  “Trosian, wait!” I said, as he removed the stopper with a shaking thumb.

  A slow smirk took Trosian’s lips, like a murderer who had just revealed to his prey what he really was. “You can’t stop me, Augrais.”

  It was then I realized: Trosian had no intention of sharing it with the others. He was going to drink it. All of it.

  My rival raised the bottle to his lips, ready to accept the poison into his body.

  “Let go!” Trosian snarled as my hand slapped around his wrist

  I threw my free elbow into his face while I ripped the potion from his grasp. “I’m sorry,” I said, “but I can’t let you do this.” I downed the potion before Trosian—or anyone else—could stop me.

  “What the hell, Augrais?” Ben cried.

  I squeezed my eyes shut as my body shuddered, attempting to reject what it had just ingested.

  “You just wanted it all for yourself,” screamed my rival. “You son of a bitch!”

  I smiled softly, feelin
g the world fade away. “No,” I said. “I’m saving your life.”

  Trosian screamed in rage for a split second before the noise was cut off like someone abruptly changing a radio station. The air was different from the room. It was…cold, winter cold. I opened my eyes slowly to find myself surrounded by snow and atop of a mountain which was encircled by torrential storms and waves. The flurries blew past me at blizzard-like speeds and I found I needed to huddle within myself to stay warm. How had I come here?

  “Guys?” I cried out instinctively. Thunder from the storm answered my call. The fear of unknown was gripping me tightly now. Then I heard something, faint, but loud enough to allow me to look up from my defences. There, in the middle of the mountaintop blizzard, stood a mirror with a large stone frame and carvings of deities, angels, and demons all fighting in battle. I approached slowly, fearfully putting my hand out while gently touching the bone-cold metal. I could almost hear the hum from its power as I touched it, but it was the reflection in the mirror that caught my eye. To an outsider, I would have seemed like the vainest person in the world, but there was something that mesmerized me about the reflection. The huddled person looking back at me kept my gaze, however, it began to move slowly on its own. I felt my heart jump into my chest because I could feel the glow of my own energy burning forth from this mirror. This was my power incarnate. Then I noticed my power increase and my facial features become older and stronger. Indeed, the powers I had attained were far beyond any potency I had ever felt, including Lokus’s. I felt its call, then, like a slow, seductive song and slowly but surely I stepped towards my future self, which now beckoned me forward. The coldness of the eyes, the inhumanity on its face, this was the image of who I was to become. A god, no, a demon among mortal men. A cold hand slapped my shoulder and I was spun around to face someone I thought I would never see again: my father. His face was different. It was full of emotion, full of caring, but also full of fear.

  “Augrais,” he spoke quickly, putting both hands on my shoulders, “do not give in.”

  I was so shocked that he was there, I could barely hear what he was saying. It was as if we were screaming at each other underwater.

  “Augrais, listen to me!” He shook me hard, eyes feverish, desperation taking his voice. “You must not go to that mirror, for if you do, you will sacrifice the very fabric of what makes you a human! Think hard, my son, think back to your love for nature, your love for all living things!”

  I tried to respond but my tongue felt thick and heavy. The mirror, however, had no such problem. I heard a deep, guttural growl. Suddenly, cold fingers grasped my ankles and some invisible force yanked me away. My father’s eyes became wide as he looked to the mirror and then to me. He then dove with all his speed and gripped my hands tightly.

  “You will not take my son!” he exclaimed to the beast behind me.

  His grip was slipping. Don’t let me go! I wanted to scream, but could not find the words. My ankles snapped backward and I was catapulted away from my father. I turned to face my assailant and attempted to kick and wriggle away from its frosty grip, but it was no use for there was no one there as I sped towards the mirror. It was then that I noticed the change in my reflection. It was no longer the boy or the man or even myself, it was the beast in the fiery forest, the demon in the black cloak laughing at me, ready to devour me whole. I remember my final thought before I plunged feet-first into the mirror: I did not want the life of a monster.

  My eyes snapped open. The room spun like it was a boat on a turbulent ocean. I had no strength to stand as I began to survey the dark basement around me. A shimmering aura surrounded everything. Am I awake or am I dreaming? Distant sounds of argument began to fill the room as I righted myself onto my unstable arms.

  Lokus had found us. He towered over Ben, his face a depiction of wrath. My friend shrunk away, trying to hide from the enormous amount of Vitae seeping out from our teacher’s pores. I still couldn’t hear what they were saying, even as Trosian stepped between Ben and Lokus. I attempted to get up but my muscles simply wouldn’t move, like they were still under the thumb of a sedative. Trosian spread his arm wide protecting the others from Lokus’s fiery vengeance. Lokus’s hand suddenly shot out, snatching Trosian up and smashing him against the wall. Then the sound of that hit me full-force as my rival’s voice began to gurgle and choke.

  “You little worms betrayed me,” Lokus said, venom dripping off each word. The Vitae Lord began to lift my rival, sliding him up the wall.

  Trosian struggled, attempting to kick and break the iron like grasp biting into his throat. I remembered how it felt to be grasped like that by the Vitae Lord. I could still feel his frigid hands on my skin.

  “Stop it! You’re killing him!” Lee yelled, grasping onto Lokus’s waist.

  Our teacher brushed Lee aside like he was a fly, his eyes never leaving the choking Trosian. Lee, now crying, suddenly unleashed all of his Vitae and focused it in his fist. The boy screamed as he charged forward and connected a mighty blow into the Vitae Lord’s kidney.

  Lokus laughed. “You are trying to hurt me? Me? A Vitae Lord? None of you could lay a finger upon me!”

  And that’s when I hit him.

  I cleared five metres in less than a second, striking our teacher with a Fire infused haymaker. Like he was just thrown from a slingshot, Lokus flew backwards and smacked into the far wall so hard that the foundations of the house shook.

  I felt as if I had woken from a deep sleep. The room that had been blurry was now in crisp, clear focus. The small basement that had seemed dim before was now bright to my eyes, even though a few flickering candles were the only source of light. I was blind before. I hadn’t noticed the beautiful hue of the stone basement—the smooth, cold marble that was akin to my vessel’s skin. Yes, that’s what my body was: a vessel. It was the only living creation that could survive the power that now flowed through it. The intensity of the raw energy was intoxicating. I noticed that Ben and Lee were staring wide-eyed at me. I could hear their heartbeats get louder. The Vitae around me seemed to lean away from me, like a tree leaning against the wind.

  “You…you did it,” Trosian said hoarsely. “You’re a Vitae Lord.”

  A strange feeling of detachment came over me. It was as if everything was reduced to pure facts. I was not concerned that the others were terrified of me. Nor was I worried that Lokus had recovered from my ambush and was slowly standing. All that mattered was the power that now seemed to emanate from me like gusts of wind.

  “Impossible,” whispered Lokus, realizing what I had become. The swelling on his cheek was already healing from his Vitae.

  “Are you alright?” I asked Trosian, my voice reverberating against the stone walls.

  My rival nodded, speechless and unable to keep eye contact with me.

  “We are leaving,” I said, looking to our former teacher and allowing my energy to swirl about me like a hurricane of power.

  “Oh you are, are you?” Lokus said darkly, the shadows from the candles making him look even more dangerous.

  I realized then that Trosian had been right all along. Lokus had no intention of ever letting us leave. He was content all along to have us be his little soldiers to protect him and his home.

  “What? No logic?” I sneered. “No words of reason? You would rather fight us—fight me?”

  Lokus was suddenly upon me, grasping with powerful fingers. My hand slapped upon his wrists as I repelled him, my strength equal to his.

  “No words this time, Augrais!” Lokus growled as he struggled to grab a hold on me, wrath and violence glinting off of his eyes. “This time I will do what your father should have done and put you down like the rabid dog you are!”

  “Don’t you dare bring him into this!” I screamed, throwing him back into the stone foundation.

  “Augrais, stop!” Ben spoke for the first time, moving to stand between the recovering Lokus and I.

  “Shut up and run, Ben!” I commanded, pointing to the stairs.
I lead the four of us as we bolted up to the main floor and towards the parked van outside. “Get moving. I’ll hold him off!”

  I wanted to kill Lokus. I pretended that I was doing it for them. But all I could think, all I could feel, was hate. I hated Lokus for not telling me the price of taking that damn potion. I hated him for bringing me into this war. I hated him for what he did to my father.

  “You aren’t going anywhere!” Lokus sped past us, blocking the front door before anyone could make their escape.

  Without hesitation, I tackled him, my Fire and Vitae at full power. We moved so quickly that the front door exploded as we went through it like it was paper. The van lurched onto two wheels as we struck the side panel. Lokus had his back to the Crapmobile as I attempted to punch him in the face, but the old man was quick, narrowly dodging my blow with his Earth. My fist went through the panel, metal twisting and shearing away from my flesh. Lokus pressed the advantage of my partially incapacitated hand by stunning me with a head-butt to make me stumble back a few steps, before throwing his entire body into me with such force that he flew back as I was rocketed away, tumbling into the field next to Lokus’s house. As I crawled to my feet, the skin around my cut hand had already healed. My Vitae Lord powers accelerated my healing dramatically on minor wounds and had greatly increased my physical ability, so much so that I still did not know the limits of my actual strength.

  My friends caught up with me just as Lokus took his place a few dozen metres away, waiting this time for me to attack.

  “Stay back!” I said, never taking my eyes off of my former teacher.

  “Let’s just go,” Ben said, motioning back to the van. “We proved our point, now let’s get the hell out of here!”

  “This isn’t over yet. I’m not done.” I said, preparing myself to charge at Lokus.

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Lee said. “Ben’s right. You showed Lokus that he can’t stop us from leaving. We earned our freedom!” He looked to Trosian for support, but my rival said nothing. He was just content on glaring at me.

  “It isn’t about that anymore,” I said, as thunder began to roar in the distance. All I could think of, as blood pounded in my ears, was the light dying in my father’s eyes. All I could picture was Lokus just watching as my father was murdered. This was about justice!