Against my will, I opened my mouth and sucked in water.
Except instead of water filling my lungs, it was air. I stopped swimming in shock. I took another deep breath underwater and found that my lungs were filled with precious air.
Recognizing that the magika stone was indeed working, I flipped over in the water and once more swam toward the bottom of the pool. Three minutes later, the pressure of the water grew too strong, and I still had not found the base. All that lay below me was progressively darker water.
Even under reasonable circumstances, this seemed to be a fool’s errand. Maybe we were wrong, maybe there was something else we had missed above the surface. Whatever the case, I was convinced that I was currently on the wrong track.
Turning around again, I slowly made my way to the surface, feeling defeated.
Above me, I could clearly see the underside of the platform the closer I got to the top. From the deep depths, it seemed unremarkable, but as I drew within a few feet, I noticed that there were four circular raised portions interspersed across the bottom.
I almost dismissed this as being a part of the structure until the current of my paddling pushed one away from me. Before surfacing, I swam toward it and got a closer look.
It was a disc of some kind, etched with the same kind of markings that the axe shaft bore. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that all four discs had similar, yet unique patterns.
I collected all four discs and then surfaced on the opposite side of the platform.
Claire spun around. “Well?”
With a little effort, I shoved the four discs up onto the platform. “They weren’t at the bottom of the pool. Just underneath this,” I said, knocking on the stone. “I think inserting the axe released them somehow.”
I climbed out of the water, and together, we carried the discs over to the axe shaft. At the center of each of the discs was a hole that contained a different number of notches. These seemed to line up perfectly with the grooves that were etched into the side of the axe handle.
Grabbing one of the discs, I slipped it onto the handle, and it fell down about an inch to where the gaps on the handle stopped and then went to the left. I turned the disc, and it dropped a little farther.
On and on I went, twisting and spinning until the disc wouldn’t go down any further, but there still remained a two-inch space below the disc.
“Was that it?” Claire asked.
“I don’t know, let’s try another one,” I said, lifting a second disc onto the handle.
This one only went down an inch or two before refusing to budge any further. Unfortunately, we had two more discs and no space to add them.
“I think the order we put them on matters,” Claire said. She removed the disc I’d just added and tried another. This one slid all the way down to the first disc, but we still only had room for one more.
“One must go down to the very bottom,” I observed, pointing to the gap beneath the lowest disc.
Removing all the discs, we went at it again.
It wasn’t difficult work, but it took time to find the correct order that the discs needed to be placed on the handle—time we didn’t have.
When the last disc slid onto the axe handle, I heard a second click, followed by the grating of stone.
I lifted my head and saw a section of the stone wall rising to reveal another room plus a bridge sliding out from the platform toward it and a now open door. Beyond that stood yet another pedestal.
“We did it!” Claire said. “That’s it. That’s all the tasks. You know what’s next?”
“Time to face Ranera. Let’s go,” I said, taking her hand.
She pulled away. “This is as far as we go together.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“I’ve already defeated Ranera. When I walk into that room, she’s going to gift me another one of her stones. But you’re untested. She’ll want to face you, and you must do it alone.”
“You can’t just come along and ask for a stone when I’m done?”
Claire shook her head. “Remember what I said before we started? I can’t help you in any way, or she may kill us both.”
I didn’t like it, but I didn’t have much choice either.
“I’ll go first,” Claire said. “Wait five minutes and then enter the room.”
I nodded.
Claire started across the bridge, but then stopped and turned around. “You still have those draughts of magic you bought, right?”
“Bella bought them, but yeah. Do you need one?”
“No, I’m fine.”
“Okay?”
She just shrugged and then turned back toward the bridge. When she reached the pedestal, she touched it and was gone a second later.
Forty-Two
I didn’t know whether I’d waited a minute, five, or ten, but enough was enough. I placed my hand on the pillar and was whisked away.
When the teleport magic faded, the first thing I noticed was the blinding light. Raising my hand to my forehead, I squinted until my eyes adjusted.
The sun blazed high above.
I was no longer in the temple. Or if I was, the magic of the place made it appear as if I were now outside.
This was so confusing.
Directly ahead of me sat a dais with an enormous chair at the top. Unlike a normal throne room, there were no walls, no guards, and no banners of any kind signifying what kingdom I was in.
Instead, there was just me and the radiant being that sat upon the throne.
As she stood, her flowing, white garments fell down around her, making her appear taller than she was.
“Welcome, Summoner,” she said.
“Oh, I’m not a—”
“I know who you are, Aren Halland.”
If this was indeed the goddess, then I was not surprised that she knew my name. But it was always possible that this was only a messenger. “I’m afraid you have me at a bit of a loss.”
“I am Ranera, Goddess of Life.”
I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to bow at her pronouncement, but since I was not an actual Summoner, I held my ground, instead deciding to show strength. However, that didn’t mean I would dispense with all pleasantries. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Goddess. May I inquire after my sister?”
“Claire has already left via the pedestal behind you,” the goddess said, raising her finger in my direction.
I looked out of pure reflex and glimpsed at the pedestal but then flinched back, expecting it to be a ploy to lower my defenses.
The goddess stood there calmly, her face neither showing amusement nor confusion. She simply stared at me as a statue might.
“You may choose to leave here at any time by the same means,” she continued, “but if it is my stone you seek, then you must prove yourself worthy of it.”
“And how can I prove my worth to Your Greatness?”
“I shall offer only one clue, strength will do nothing for you,” she replied, her tone implying that the rhyme was intentional. “Now, would you like to begin?”
“Answer me this first: What’s to stop Claire from giving me her stone?”
“Since, as you have said, you are not a Summoner, I will excuse your blatant ignorance and answer your question,” she said in mild annoyance. “The stones of the gods are similar to the others, and yet, they are different. Each requires a source of life. The stones you call the ‘forbidden magics’ are created from the very life force of this planet, and many of the others you hold so dear are only possible because of the beasts you take them from. While those are naturally occurring, Summoner stones are the result of a pact between god and man.”
“That didn’t really answer my question,” I stated.
“Perhaps not, but it is the only answer I offer. You will need to learn the rest on your own after you have proven yourself to me. So, I will ask you once more: Are you ready?”
I pondered her words and then nodded in agreement.
“Very well,
” Ranera said, clapping her hands. My bow and quiver vanished then reappeared beside her throne.
“Hey!” I shouted in surprise.
“Retrieve your weapons, and my stone is yours.”
“Seems easy enough,” I said, taking a step forward.
“Oh, I almost forgot,” the goddess said, clapping her hands once more.
This time a thousand white rats as radiant as the goddess herself appeared before the dais, if indeed rats could be described as such.
I was taken aback both by the absurdity of the scene and because of the general turn of events. I did my best to keep my composure, but if there was one thing that gave me pause, it was rats or any being of the rodent variety.
Was this another manipulation of the temple to combat me personally, or was this always a part of the test for every Summoner? And what did rats have to do with earning the goddess' favor? Were they chosen for a specific purpose, or were they just a means to an end?
As I stood there surveying the situation, I’d half-expected the rats to race toward me, but they remained on the stairs and in the space immediately surrounding the dais.
Cautiously, I approached the stairs, and still, the rats did little more than chitter and stare at me.
Once I’d stepped into their space, however, the nearest rats squealed aggressively and swarmed up my leg.
I jumped back in alarm and batted the rats away. One of them sunk its teeth into my finger, and I yelped. Though it did hurt, my outcry was more from shock than any overt pain.
Once the rats had all fallen from me, they scurried back to their positions on the stairs.
Blood welled up on my finger where the lone rat had found purchase.
“They better not be diseased,” I said to Ranera.
She raised her head slightly and narrowed her eyes, but did not deign to respond.
“All right, then. Here goes nothing.”
I held out my palm and shot a fireball at the rats. It impacted the stairs, immediately killing two or three-dozen rats. I fired off three more shots, but where one rat was killed, many more swarmed in to take its place.
Despite the aggression on my part, the rats still did not leave their designated spaces. That was good to know.
I took quick stock of my MP and realized that even with a full bar and my draughts of magic, which only restored 100 each, that I’d never be capable of killing all the rats. This echoed the goddess’ earlier words that strength would fail me… or something to that effect.
What then were my options?
Activating the Shield stone, I decided to just rush up the stairs before they could harm me.
The second my foot hit the first step, the rats once again swarmed up my legs. I was on the fifth one when the first rat bared its sharp teeth.
I paid it no mind.
That is until those teeth went straight through my shield and pierced my leg anyway.
Crying out in pain, I fell backward and tumbled off the steps. Though I was no longer in range of the horde, the rats still on me continued their struggle.
I floundered erratically, trying to knock them loose, but several had found purchase on my skin and refused to budge.
My shield was still active, however, so I pulled the same ice trick I had used to extinguish the fire from the agility task. The ice instantly froze all the rats, which subsequently dropped to the floor and then faded.
I lay there for a few seconds, shaking from the ordeal. My worst nightmare was being eaten alive by rats, but even if it weren’t, it certainly would be after today.
My legs throbbed in at least five different places where the rats had bitten me.
This task was proving to be more difficult than I’d originally given it credit for. But there still had to be a way to win. Claire had done it before, and that gave me hope.
A quick glance at my MP told me I was down to 90.
Not good.
Killing the rats was not an option. That much was clear. The only real solution seemed to be getting to the top of the stairs before they killed me. The problem, obviously, was how to stay alive in the process. If I’d barely made it up a quarter of the way before sustaining multiple wounds, how would I manage the whole thing?
Whatever the answer, the throbbing in my legs was starting to get to me so I willed the Healing stone to activate, bringing me sweet relief.
That’s when it hit me.
Claire had specifically called attention to my draughts of magic. She knew I’d waste my energy trying to overpower the situation, when in reality I needed to endure through it. Except, that by the time I’d realize that, I’d be nearly out of MP. As long as I had the draughts of magic, I could replenish my MP and attack the task at full strength.
I quickly fished the two vials out of my pocket, popped the stoppers, and downed the blue liquid. I tapped my neural link to verify it had replenished.
290/280 MP
Interesting.
The draughts of magic allowed me to exceed my MP cap. As I stared at it though, the number dropped to 289. Ten seconds later it dropped again to 288.
The bonus was only temporary. Also good to know.
Under more dire circumstances, I might have been stressed out to lose the 10 MP. But since my Class 3 Healing stone used 30 MP each time I engaged it, that meant I could use it a total of nine times, and it would cost me 270 MP without manaburning.
With my MP back at full strength, I approached the dais once more and stood just outside of the rats range, preparing to make a break for it.
I took a deep breath and then launched myself up the stairs. As quickly as before, the rats climbed over me.
Stabs of pain erupted all over my body as the hungry rats attacked, piercing straight through my armor as they had my shield.
When I was only halfway to the top, the swarm had reached my shoulders and head. A rat sank its teeth into my neck, and I screamed in pain. Another bit my ear, and one managed to get behind my cheek bone just below my eye.
I wiped the rats clear of my face, but those just transferred to my arm and bit down harder.
“Heal!” I shouted.
Blue light washed over my body, but it provided only a momentary reprieve as hundreds of rats continued their feast on my flesh.
“Heal!” I cried again as the agony kept rising.
When I reached the top of the stairs, hope flourished within me. At that exact moment, a rat sank its teeth into my Achilles, bringing me crashing to the ground as I writhed in pain.
The sun was blotted out as every rat on the dais climbed atop my prone form and began attacking me.
“Heal!” I wailed with heaving sobs, shaking from the sheer pressure of the rats.
An opening in the swarm allowed me to see that the throne—and my weapons—lay only a few feet from me.
Mustering all the strength I could manage, I pushed through the torment.
“Shield! Fire!” I called out.
The rats on my immediate person fell away as blackened husks.
“Heal!” I shouted as I climbed to my feet for just long enough to launch myself forward.
I crashed down to the ground, reaching for my bow, but instead of grabbing hold of it, I knocked it over, pushing it out of my reach.
The rats were upon me once more and so were their teeth.
I roared in defiance and scrambled for my fallen bow. My fingers closed around its grip, and instantly, the rats were gone.
“Heal!” I called out through the pain.
The familiar blue glow appeared, closing up roughly half of the open wounds but leaving many still oozing with blood.
Before I could use Heal again, a white light washed over me, completely mending all of my injuries and fully wiping away every hint of soreness and agony. In addition, I watched as my MP went from 70 back to 280 under the power of the light.
Ranera began to clap slowly.
When I looked up at her, shock was splayed across her face.
I rolled over and
propped myself up as I asked, “Was it that surprising I won?”
“No one has ever won before,” she answered.
Now, it was my turn to be surprised, followed by a moment of confusion, “But Claire—”
“Proved herself worthy, yes,” Ranera said, nodding. “But no one has ever actually completed the task.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t follow,” I said.
“The task was meant to kill you—or rather almost kill you,” she explained. “The blessing of my healing power is given only to those who willingly sacrifice themselves and suffer hardship, for only then, will you truly appreciate the gift that I am about to bequeath to you. Stand, Aren Ratsbane.”
I furrowed my brow as I climbed to my feet. “If I must be granted a title, might it be something else?”
“Hmm… very well, how’s Aren the Enduring?”
“Much better,” I said, nodding.
Ranera stood and approached me.
“Extend your right arm,” she said.
I did as the goddess commanded.
She grasped my wrist and opened my palm. “I, Ranera, Goddess of Life, find you worthy of my light and grant it to you now. May it shine brightly through your darkest days and grant you rest in the night.”
At the conclusion of her words, energy welled up within me at the same time that light ran down Ranera’s arm to pool in my palm. Together, the two forces merged, and a red stone formed in its place.
Releasing my hand, the goddess reached for a pendant around her neck. She slipped it over her head and placed it over mine. “Since you triumphed where others have failed, I gift you this special blessing. The Amulet of Life will grant you protection when all other means of perseverance fail.”
Though her words were ambiguous, I was grateful for the gift. “Thank you, Your Greatness.”
“You may go,” she said, waving me away.
I bowed this time and proceeded down the stairs.
“A word of caution, Summoner-not-summoner,” the goddess said. “That stone was created by you and is now a part of you. Should it be destroyed, it will take a piece of you with it.”
Forty-Three
“Slow down, Leon,” I heard Claire say as I teleported back into the cavern.
Sworn Guardian: A LitRPG/GameLit Adventure (Forbidden Magic Book 1) Page 32
