Chapter 1: Memories Abought

The lock both puzzled and fascinated me. Intricate and delicate, yet made of iron and apparently, impenetrable. Flower and fern designs were engraved in the shackle and it had

a blue ethereal glow coming from the inside of it.

It was quite obvious; An Azrian lock.

I was hesitant at first. Would it accept my touch? I suppose I would not know until I try.

I clutched my ebony forged gauntlet, gently unbuckling and slipping it off the pale skin of my hand. I first traced my fingernails over it, watching as the padlock trembled and gave a flicker of white swirls that followed my trailing nails.

When I settled it into my palm, the white patterns encased it and seemingly crawled inside the lock and with a click, the shank unlocked.

I did not feel like parting with the lock, so like the others before this one, I pocketed it. The craftsman of the last two locks and this one were so different and beautiful. It was strange to think that they were all made by one person.

It was even stranger to think that I once knew well this one person. Twas even odder to think that this man was once the local blacksmith in a town I used to dwell in; my mentor. I could remember still how he took to having an apprentice. So elated he was. The old coot was pretty much jumping out of his wrinkly skin when he showed me his 'trophy'. It was the one piece out of all his works that he refused to sell. A bow, made of the finest and purest of all metals; fortscawl.

My thoughts were forced to sleep by the mystery I found inside the unlocked chest. The wooden case held something that would bring my sadness to an end. Tis strange I think, how such a small thing could possibly bring my happiness back to me. The happiness I once shared with my family, and I wondered if they missed me. If they figured out what had happened to me. Quite the mystery my life had turned out to be. Who would ever think that in one night you would be kidnapped, and then dropped into the middle of a new world? I did not.

Anyway, now was not the time to be thinking of such things. I had to continue the path I now carved myself.

A door to the underworld was the only way I could return home. The underworld was a bridge to different worlds, dangerous and I knew that even if I got home I would have a good chance in probably ending up bed ridden for life. But, it was worth it! It was the home of my people. The world I was born in. The place my destiny resided! It had to be worth it. I was risking everything I had left.

I had found this worlds door to the underworld, but its main core was shattered. From the evidence I had gathered, the sphere had been broken into seven parts- each containing magnitudes of power- and had been spread round this world. I figured the best way to search for them was to check the most likely places. The pieces themselves I knew now had festered for long periods of time and had each grown a liking for a different environment. Of the last two I found, one was in a deep and dark forest (almost impossible to navigate through!) and the other at the bottom of a lava pit. They both had left me with scars and burns. That is why this one made me very suspicious. There were no major obstacles so far; why this was so, I had no clue. I had yet to glimpse the splatters of my own blood.

A worry hang over my head. My bodies response was to nervously turn around and scan every dark corner of the chamber for which I had searched endlessly for. Nothing. Turning my eyes slowly back to the key of my future I quickly picked it up and roughly shoved it in a pocket beneath my dark chest plate. I made quick time to skirt across the room and leave the plain and now really empty room at my back.

I crouched down and peaked through the small gap under the door, and only then did I know how much trouble I was in. Guards. Everywhere. They knew. They knew I would come! It was an ambush.

As soon as I opened that door I would become a pin-cushion full of arrows. I had to figure a way out, but I couldn't go through that door.

I denied my lips the right to shout 'damn!' and tip toed back across the room to the empty chest. There is nothing else in this room; its plain and there are no other doors or windows to escape out of. But, perhaps I missed something. Hopefully, I missed something.

I was right. Thank the lord!

Right along floor below the chest -almost invisible- was a thin line covered in dust. My guess was a trapdoor. But the thing was, I had to move the chest and if they guards heard me, they surely would come in on my heels, brandished swords and arrows. The chest was too heavy and big to lift, and it would take even longer to tip it over or slid it across. However, if the trapdoor was as old as this room, it would be breakable and only used to the weight of the chest- making it stable. If the weight drastically grew bigger, perhaps -perhaps!- it would break and fall through.

I allowed a small smirk and then, feeling rather smug and in the mood for dramatics, turned around towards the door. I picked a spare dagger from my boot and allowed my arm to send it sailing into the wooden door. Almost instantly I heard the shuffling of feet and, taking this as my cue, I sprung to the top of the chest. I felt a rush of air and my cloak tugging on my neck as my estimation was proven true. I plummeted probably 50 ft before the chest beneath me shattered and I stumbled forward from the impact. Crashing into a wall, I took a quick note of my surroundings and the ignorant shouts above me. It was a cave system. A very dark cave system for that matter. I couldn't see anything the light from above did not reach. But from what I could see, this room was similar to upstairs. Old and bare, except there were rocky walls and floors instead of smooth ones. And there were no precious chests either.

Many exits there were yes. Four of them from what I could see so far, five from what I could smell. I knew I would not be able to rely on sight as my eyes were like the average humans. Pathetic. My nose however, was far stronger than any prowling wolfs'. I followed the smallest scent of leaves. It would take me outside, I knew. I felt the thundering of footsteps above me shake the earth that layered the roof of the tunnel. So they knew where this lead and want to cut me off. I need to hurry! I ran and ran, following the scent of freedom and then all at once my senses and sight were pummeled with green forestry and the smell of white wood. Out of the shadows and into the light, they were on me!

I bolted even faster, pushing my legs to run like there were meteorites smashing the ground after every step I took. I was not able to run fast if my body felt there was no danger. In other words, no adrenaline- no speed. It was my fuel, but I was luckily able to find a loop hole in my body's natural cycle. I could con my mind into thinking I was in very immediate danger by thinking up ridiculous situations that made me automatically flee with fear. I was good at that. Fleeing. So you can only really imagine how fast I ran and still, good luck with that.

I knew I had lost them after I had tripped and fallen onto the dry grass that combed the edge of the Lothlorien forest. I took in a sharp breath of air that cut down my lungs so fast it felt like a knife had been drug down my throat. I flipped around, expecting an arrow to be pointed between my brows, but nothing was there.

I had escaped. Sigh.

I turned back onto my stomach and slipped my hand into my chest armor pocket. From it, I pulled a shard. A glowing, neon blue, crystalline shard. This was my future and I had just found the next piece of the puzzle it spelled. Three down, four to go. That lead me to my next challenge.

Where was the next one?

Thank You so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed that as thoroughly as I did! Many more mysteries, feels and tales of love to come! Please comment and tell me what you thought. Maybe even a favorite or follow?

Anyway, ciao!