((Dragonicora: Thanks. You're my first review for this fic. :P I'm really glad such a great writer like you likes this story.))
Chapter 7: The Gift of Forever
565 A.D. Persia
"Dreams: Modern psychology offers only unproven theories… Some see them as the meaningless tossing and turning of a brain settling into a restful sleep. Others see them as laden with symbols of our unconscious desires. To still others, dreams represent the upwelling of the archetypes, normally hidden deep within the human collective unconscious… Of one thing I am certain: After a brush with the Ancients, our dreams metamorphosize into nightmares…"
A Persian man trudged through the desert, weary from his travels. He was Karim, a young man of noble heritage trained in the art of the sword. Above him, the sun blazed uncaringly down on the desert. Karim shielded his eyes and scanned the desert, remembering the events that brought him here.
He was kneeling before a woman reclining on a sofa. Her mouth was covered in a partially transparent purple veil, and her body dressed in the same kind of fabric. Karim spoke to Chandra, the one he loved. "I have implored you for years, yet you ignore all my advances," Karim said, staring down at the floor. "You dominate my dreams, and I can think of nothing else. I fear O desire you many hundred times more than you love me…"
Chandra's expression remained neutral as she spoke, never changing. "My life has become a waking dream, Karim. For weeks I have dreamed of an ancient treasure so precious that in changes all life around it. It must be mine, Karim. If you truly desire me, as you say, then you will find this for me. Bring this treasure to me, and I will be yours. Both of our dreams will come true…"
Karim looked up at her. "I need nothing more than you. You have enthralled me to the point where I can think of nothing else… Promise. If I leave, you will not forget about me…"
"You need not worry. I desire nothing more than the treasure that you seek." Chandra waved her lover off. "Leave now Karim, and I shall await you."
That was almost a year ago. As Karim trudged on, he wondered if Chandra was still waiting. Surely, she would not break her promise. "Karim…" a distant voice called out. He looked up and saw a circle of five stones, one of them engraved with three peculiar designs. Their tip began to glow, and yellow light connected the stones in a pentagon. Feeling that he was close to finding the artifact, Karim entered the circle. Yellow lightning shot out from the tips of the monoliths and into him, and he vanished without a trace.
Karim appeared in a room with four pillars, and a strange gold pattern on the floor where he appeared. Corpses littered the floor, and most of them seemed like they had been rotted in the sun. The one near the ladder leading down into the temple was a man, his body covered in wounds where his armor had failed. Karim pulled out his Tulwar, prepared to face whoever had killed the man. As he climbed down, his surroundings changed into a strange temple with three statues of people. The names Pious Augustus, Ellia, and Anthony were carved on them.
"What sort of place is this, and who were these people?" he asked himself as he walked forward, trying hard to ignore the screams of the faces on the floor. There was a statue of a hand up ahead, holding something in it. As Karim drew near, the hand opened up, revealing a large book made of skin and bone. The young man picked it up, and strange images of what happened to Pious, Ellia, and Anthony flooded his mind. When they passed, Karim found himself back in the room he started out in. The five rotted corpses in the room stood up, their eyeless skulls turning to the man.
Tulwar in hand, he charged at the creatures that were probably responsible for the man on the floor's death. The Tulwar's blade sliced cleanly through their necks, removing their heads and blinding them. Karim then slashed their bodies until the fell to the ground, then drove his sword into them. By the time he was done, he was breathing heavily, but uninjured. He climbed down the ladder and went deeper into the temple.
Karim was in a corridor made of rock and sand. Up ahead, further down the corridor, were three bodies on the floor that looked like flayed men. He enchanted his Tulwar, comforted by its green glow, and walked down the corridor. Two of the corpses stood up and started for the young man. He slashed hard at their bodies, trying to bring them down. It took a while, but they were finally killed. Karim picked up a white statuette on a pedestal and took a left down the corridor, killing two more of the red corpses and picking up a rune one of them dropped. There was a nearby ladder, which he climbed up.
There was some sort of shrine for burning incense in the middle of the room, but the bowls on it were unlit. Across from the ladder Karim climbed up was another ladder leading downwards, but a yellow barrier blocked the ladder, its energies forming the image of a rune on its surface. On the floor were three circular patterns that sunk down when stepped on. The switches would ignite one of the three levels of bowls, but would put them out when something wasn't on it. Karim put the white statuette on one of the circles, keeping it pressed. He then walked over to the yellow barrier, and was surprised when the rune on it disappeared as he approached, followed by the barrier itself. Wondering if he would come across more of the strange barriers, he climbed down the ladder.
He was in another rock passageway, and there was a torch on the wall to his left. He grabbed the torch and walked down the passage until he came upon a circular room. Three red corpses stood up and attacked, their bodies covered in the sand they were lying in. Karim was quick to finish them off, since he knew how tough they were. Sitting on a pedestal was a black statuette. He picked it up, along with a stone tablet leaning against one of the rock walls. On it was a symbol he had never seen before, and a word carved above it. "Chattur'gha," he said, and the codex vanished.
Backtracking through the passage, Karim reentered the room with the three switches and placed the black statuette on one of the two remaining switches, then stepped on the last one. The shrine in the middle of the room rose up, as if it was some sort of elevator. On the platform that came up were four red-colored Trappers. Pulling out his Chakrams, small throwing rings with sharp edges, Karim killed the scorpion-like creatures from a distance. When the Trappers were dead, he stepped on the platform and descended deeper into the temple.
The corridor he was now in was empty except for the three bodies on the ground. The first two were covered in claw marks and blood, hinting that the inhuman creatures here may have killed them. The third corpse, the one nearest to the door at the end of the corridor, was covered in wounds made by the Tulwar impaled deep into his back. Did his partner do this to him before they were killed themselves? Karim thought as he pulled out the Tulwar in the man's back, swinging it to fling off the blood. He walked towards the door, holding a Tulwar in each of his hands. He paused as he heard sandals scrape against stone, and an inhuman hiss. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw that the man had gotten to his feet, despite his wounds.
"Impossible," Karim whispered as the man turned to face him. There was no way the man could still be alive with all those wounds. The young noble readied his swords, stepping out of the way of an incoming punch. He brought both Tulwars around in a spin, cutting deep into the man's chest. He staggered backwards, but seemed oblivious to the pain. "What kind of monster are you?" Karim thought he saw a small grin form on the man's face, but it quickly faded as he started forward again. The young man drove both blades into his opponent's body, then used his foot to kick him back. The man staggered backwards, bleeding heavily, before a reddish creature burst out of his chest. His corpse hit the ground as the creature hissed. Its arms were long blades, and its skin was like that of the red monsters he had faced before. He was face to face with a Bonethief.
The Bonethief opened its mouth and let out a strange roar before leaping at Karim. It landed on his chest and began to claw at his face, trying to get in. He used both arms to push the creature off and throw it to the ground. He brought down both Tulwars, slicing neatly through the creature's neck. When it fell to the ground, the young noble brought both swords down into its body. As he straightened up, he gently touched the cuts on his face, hissing in pain. He was lucky to be alive. If he hadn't thrown the creature off of him when he did… He shook his head, trying not to dwell on the thought as he walked through the door.
Two of the red corpses attacked, but he took them out easily. To his surprise, another Bonethief burst out of the monster on the right. Karim quickly killed it, feeling as if the world around him wasn't right. Ignoring the feeling, he crouched down next to another body on the floor and pulled out a scroll of paper from his hands. Strange symbols were on it, and there was writing below them. "This spell enables the transfer of magickal power from the environment to the self. Restoration of the body, spirit, and mind are this spell's purpose."
Karim thought hard. This spell would be able to heal the wounds on him, but only if he had the proper runes for it. Wondering if he'd be able to find them soon, he walked over to the other two doors in the room. The one on his right had a circular metal plate covering it, and there was a picture of a sword on it. Under the picture was a slot wide enough for a large sword to fit into it. Above the picture and the slot was a red sigil. Perhaps it has something to do with the Enchant Item spell? If that's the case, then I must find the rune that will make the weapon red… Hoping he could find it soon, he entered the door on the left.
Three of the red corpses attacked him, but he cut through them with ease. Covering the ladder to his right that led downward was another yellow barrier. On its surface was the image of a rune he hadn't found, and it didn't vanish when he approached it. Beyond that, on the same wall, was a metal door. Enchanting his Tulwars, he entered the room.
In the room was a greenish colored Horror with three large eyes where its heads should be. As it roared, Karim felt his grasp on reality falter even more. He could hear what sounded like a baby and a woman crying from all around him. Trying his best to ignore it, he charged at the Horror, bringing his swords around to slash two of its eyes. The beast roared in pain, sending green lightning at Karim. He winced in pain and staggered backwards. I have to end this battle, the young man thought. He thrust his sword into the Horror's last eye, grimacing a bit. It fell to the ground, unmoving. Reversing the Tulwars in his hands, he impaled them into the monster, then pulled them out, making the sounds he was hearing stop.
Wiping a trickle of sweat from his forehead, Karim picked up the rune the monster had dropped. Sitting on a stone ledge was a tablet with etchings on it. "Santak. Self," he said, and the codex vanished. He opened the metal door he had come through and killed the Trapper that was patrolling the room. When Karim approached the barrier blocking the way to the ladder, it vanished, allowing him to climb down.
Alex felt a rush of cold air behind her, and she heard a soft but familiar voice whisper in her ear. It was the voice of someone she knew was dead, yet was right behind her. "My dear Alex. I will always be at your side." She felt a cold hand gently brush against her back, and a shiver ran up her spine. "There are times when insanity takes hold, and nothing seems right. During those times, I will help you." The hand drew away, and her grandfather's voice grew fainter. "Fear not, for I will keep the Darkness away."
Alex shot a glance over her shoulder, but no one was there. Had Edward really been in the room? It couldn't be. She had been at his funeral. No way could he have been here, could he? "But tonight hasn't exactly normal," she said under her breath, returning to the page.
The corridor he was now in branched off to the left and right a few feet ahead of him, but some debris from the collapsed ceiling blocked off the door on the left. There was another tablet on the ledge directly in front of him, and it was for the latest rune he found, Narokath. Now that he had those runes, he could finally cast the Recover spell he learned. Karim focused hard, and soon heard a female voice speaking. "Narokath, Santak, Xel'lotath…" The green runes on the ground shone brightly, and green spheres flew into him. He felt as if things had returned to normal, but not completely. The young man repeated the spell until everything felt as if it should be, and walked through the door to his right.
There was a short corridor that lead into a large circular room. On the walls near the entrance to the corridor were four strange designs, and two of them matched the Xel'lotath rune and the symbol on the Chattur'gha codex. In the middle of the room, stuck in a stone pedestal, was a large broadsword, the Ram Dao. Putting away his Tulwars, Karim gripped the Ram Dao with both hands and pulled it out of the pedestal. Suddenly, a large stone door slid down, covering the entrance to the corridor. Six purple runes appeared on the ground around the lowered section of the room, and six of the brownish colored corpses appeared. He had walked into a trap.
Ram Dao in hand, Karim cut through the rotting corpses one by one. The world was a blur around him as he fought wave after wave of the creatures. The skinned corpses followed after the rotting ones, presenting an even greater challenge. He continued to cut through them without thinking, taking out two Bonethieves that had come out of two of the last three monsters. The tallest one was the last to fall to the Ram Dao's blade, and it dropped a rune as it was finished off. It was the alignment rune Chattur'gha. He used both the Xel'lotath and Chattur'gha runes with the Recover spell, and was surprised when the cuts all over his face healed. So, Chattur'gha heals the body, and Xel'lotath restores the mind… Karim noticed that the door covering the corridor had risen, so he walked back to the room with the metal plate on the door.
Looking at the red symbol on the plate, an idea came to mind. He enchanted his broadsword using the Chattur'gha rune. He slid the Ram Dao into the slit on the plate, then pulled it out. The plate vanished, allowing him to open the door. Four corpses wrapped in bandages attacked, but the enchanted broadsword easily cut through their rotted bones. As he approached the ladder further down the dark corridor, he heard a voice calling out to him. He climbed up it, wondering who was calling him.
The room was circular, with steps leading down into a lower, smaller circular area. In the middle of the small area was a pedestal with a ruby effigy of a warrior kneeling before an unseen opponent. The lower area's floor was shrouded in mist, almost completely hiding the three Trappers patrolling the area. Karim pulled out his Chakrams, throwing three of them. Each ring hit its target, killing the Trappers. He walked down the steps and picked up the effigy, careful not to step on the corpses of the strange creatures. Pondering its significance, he climbed back down the ladder. The path to his right was full of rubble, but not completely. The young noble climbed over the debris, careful not to hurt himself.
Karim heard the Horror before he even saw it, its electrical discharge giving away its position. Before he stepped around the bend, he enchanted his Ram Dao again. The Horror he was facing was like the one he had found the Narokath rune on. He charged at the beast, bringing the Ram Dao around in a horizontal slash. The broadsword cut deep into the monster and through all three eyes. It roared and collapsed to the ground, dying as Karim brought down the sword one more time. With the path cleared, he climbed down the ladder in front of him near the wall.
On some sort of strange pedestal was a large hand seemingly made of human bone. It was like a nightmarish bookstand of sorts, waiting to be used. Karim placed the Tome of Eternal Darkness into the hand, and was surprised when the gate behind him rose up, allowing access into the passageway beyond. He picked the Tome up, turned around, and walked into the opened passageway.
Off to his right, down the passageway, was a circular room with three pedestals arranged in a triangle. As he walked towards them, he heard a sound like a Horror's lightning attack. He glanced over his shoulder and saw that a red barrier had appeared over the back of the corridor, blocking the way into the other room. Five purple runes appeared on the ground, and brownish colored corpses appeared on them. Not another trap. I have to finish these things off, and fast. Enchanting his Ram Dao with the Chattur'gha rune, he waited for them to approach. As they drew near, he readied the sword. Letting out a roar cry, he ran forward, and began to fight for his life.
The Shadow of Corruption
A red Horror fell to the ground, large gashes covering its body. Karim let his Ram Dao fall to his side, the enchantment on it having worn off long ago. So many of the brown and red corpses attacked that he had lost count of them. Along with those bodies were a Bonethief and the enormous corpse of the Horror he had just fought. Karim wiped the sweat from his head and turned around to face the pedestals. Floating above the center pedestal with the blue symbol on it was a strange statue, but it hadn't been there when he first entered the room. It was made of dark green emerald, and it looked like some type of warped angel. As he reached out a hand to grab it, it began to glow with a green aura. "Karim…" a familiar voice called out. He spun around, searching the area. "We will be together forever…"
"Chandra?" he asked, and a ghostly apparition of her appeared in front of him. "What… What happened to you?"
"Things change, my dear Karim…" she replied, her voice sounding distant. "But even though my body is ravaged, I await you…"
"Who did this to you?"
Chandra looked away from him as she spoke, as if ashamed of what happened. "You were gone so long… I… gave myself to a nobleman with a jealous mistress. She had me dragged from my bed, and in cruel revenge, flensed with knives!" Her body changed to what it looked like at the time of her death. Deep gashes covered her body, and her eyes burned with a ghostly blue light. "As the last blades were drawn across my body, and my blood cooled upon the floor, she cursed that I would only be with another in death…" Chandra's body changed back into what it was when she first appeared before Karim.
"So much for thinking only of me! I should never have left…"
"I have seen my folly, and have paid dearly for it. I see so much more, now. In death, I know the true value of the artifact I asked you to find, and it is not for us to possess. If we are to be together again, you must make a sacrifice. Only when that is complete will we be together…"
"Sacrifice?" Karim asked, his voice taking on an angry tone. "Why should I do anything for you? You lied to me! Betrayed me! And you really don't look so good anymore…"
"You must forget the past. Despite who you are now, you will also become something more, just as I have. But the sacrifice must be made. We must remain here and guard the artifact. Dark things will come to claim it, but you must be strong to keep it from them. Without your sacrifice, the world will fall into eternal darkness!"
He paused before muttering, "The things I do for love…" Karim closed his eyes as Chandra walked over to him. The young man felt something ice cold touch his cheek and lips, and the two of them embraced in a kiss. His eyes opened wide in surprise as blue lightning formed at their lips. He screamed in pain as the magick surged into his body, and his world faded to black.