5
The passage was dark and dank. It got wider and higher the farther I went. Soon I couldn't touch the walls if I laid down on the floor with my arms above my head and I couldn't reach the ceiling if I jumped as high as I could with my arms outstretched. Then I came out into a huge open room. There were stairs leading down to a wide, empty, area. There were tall columns on the sides of the room to support the ceiling. Everything was white and appeared to be made of marble. There were multiple glass windows up by the ceiling and moonlight streamed through.
"Wow," I breathed. Then I clamped my hands over my mouth. I slowly took them away. "Hey," I said. I sucked in my breath. "HEY!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. I clapped my hands in excitement. "Goddess, I can speak!" I began bouncing in place loving the sound of my own voice. "Oh my goddess! Now I can tell everyone what my real name is, what Tempest's name is, where I'm from, my race, what Im doing and the fire..." I trailed off. Oh yeah. The fire. I shook my head and stepped into the room. I descended the stairs. When I arrived at the bottom of the staircase, there were a series of crashes behind me. I spun around and saw that a huge wall had blocked the entryway. The stairs had sunk into the floor in rapid succession. A few more crashes reverberated through the room before there was silence. My heart hammered against my rib cage. Then pedestals rose from the floor, each one carrying a different weapon. I carefully approached them. There were words inscribed on the center pedestal.
Only one. Choose wisely.
I examined the weapons. A huge battle axe, a whip, a sword and shield, throwing knives, fencing swords, a mace, a ball and chain, a bow and quiver of arrows, twin daggers, a long sword, a falchion, a war hammer, and finally, a pike.
I looked carefully at each of the weapons before settling on the falchion. In its scabbard, the hilt guard looked as if it was trying to bite the scabbard. It was curved inward with teeth-like edges. The hilt itself was black, with a silver band wrapped around the center, and a half-sphere on the end. A blood-red stone was encrusted in the half-sphere. I carefully pulled the falchion from its sheath. The blade was long with an untainted nickel finish. It was sharp only on one side. It was curved upward slightly at the very end. It jutted upwards at the top towards the end of the blade and then it dipped down then slightly back up to a point at the tip. The scabbard itself was made of touch leather that was so hard it seemed as if it had been petrified. It had straps on it so that it could attach to my belt. It had strips of gold leather vining around it. It seemed to be gilded. I carefully grabbed the scabbard and the falchion. I pulled them off of the pedestal and with some difficulty, strapped it to my belt. I unsheathed the falchion and studied the blade. The moonlight glinted off of it and I saw one word engraved into it. Speculum. I sheathed it.
There was rumbling and the pedestals sank into the ground. Then there was a loud smash. And another. And another. And another. I slowly backed up, my hand gripping Speculum's hilt until my back hit the wall. I faintly felt a faint pulse in my fingers of the hand holding Speculum. The smashing continued, getting faster and louder with each reverberating sound. Then on the other side of the room the wall began cracking. Dust rained down from the ceiling. The wall cracked more. I gripped Speculum even tighter. There was silence for a few moments. Blood pounded in my ears. And then the wall blew apart. I fell flat on the floor and covered my neck and head. Debris went flying everywhere, though none of it landed on me, thank the gods. When it all finally stopped I carefully stood up. Standing on the other side of the room was an armored figure. It had the shape of a human; arms, legs, head, body. The only difference was that it was two times the size of a grown man. It held a gigantic sword that was longer than me.
I yanked out Speculum and held it out with two shaking hands in front of me. I really wished that I could leave here right now. We just stood there for a moment, and then the armored thing began to come towards me. It swung its sword. I yelped and dove to the side. I quickly stood up again, spinning around to face it. It slashed at me again and I dodged. It kept going like this until I got an idea. As it swung its sword at me again, I dove forward and rolled between its legs. I quickly stood up and spun around, going for its ankle. Speculum sank in and stuck there. I yanked on it but was unable to dislodge it.
"Oh, you have got to be kidding me!" I gasped, exasperated. It whirled around and smacked my abdomen with the flat of its blade. The force of the blow sent me flying across the room. I slammed into the wall and slid to the floor, landing in a crumpled heap. I desperately tried to suck air into my lungs. When I finally succeeded, a sharp pain jabbed my chest. I groaned.
"I swear that broke a rib!" I turned my head in search of Speculum and another searing hot pain shot up the side of my neck. "And my neck."
The monster bore down on me and I scrambled out of the way. Its sword smashed right through the wall as if it were water. I ducked underneath a large piece of rubble and fumbled for a bottle of red potion. I found one and hurriedly uncorked it gulping down a third of its contents. I almost gagged but restrained myself. Goddess it tasted almost as bad as earwax! I shuddered violently and stuffed it back into my pouch. I sat there and focused on breathing steadily, praying that the monster wouldn't find me in the course of five minutes.
It found me in six. Its sword barely missed the back of my head as it crushed to rubble to dust. Now fully healed I sprinted out from my destroyed hiding place and searched desperately for Speculum. I turned and saw it still lodged in the monster's leg.
"Oh, come ON!" I yelled angrily. The monster came towards me. I took a deep breath and charged at the monster, screaming a battle-cry. The monster froze for a moment unsure of how to react to this, then it attacked again. I side-stepped its swing and jumped onto its leg, clinging to Speculum. The monster stamped its foot trying to get me off, I held onto Speculum. Each stomp dislodged it a little more. I synchronized a stomp with a yank and Speculum came loose. I smacked against the floor and rolled before coming to a stop. I carefully picked myself up and thankfully, nothing felt broken.
It's a Darknut. a voice said.
"What?" I said aloud. I glanced around but saw no one.
Duck! the voice cried again. I fell to the floor as the Darknut's sword swung over me.
"Who are you?" I asked, standing. "No, better question! Where are you?"
I'm in the sword, genius!
"Wait, what?"
I'd step backwards if I were you.
I jumped back barely missing a fatal blow.
Its weakness is its neck.
"But-"
Listen, we can talk later. Right now is not a good time. Just jump up there and give it a whack!
I ran away from the Darknut, glancing up at its neck. It was a good five or six feet above me.
"How?" I spluttered.
Use the rubble, genius!
My gaze fell upon the three foot high debris.
"Oh," I muttered. I sheathed Speculum and charged over to the nearest debris. I climbed up it as quickly as possible, cutting up my hands in the process. I leapt from the piece of rubble I was on to another one that was higher. I caught onto the ledge with one hand. I found foot holds and clambered up. I yanked out Speculum and faced the Darknut. It came close and swung its sword.
Duck and jump when it recovers from the attack! Speculum yelled. I bent down as the sword swooshed over my head. I the stood back up, ran to the edge and jumped, Speculum raised over my head. I slashed it down, aiming for the Darknut's neck. I made contact. It hacked into the chain mail and little loops of the chain went flying. It seemed to cut unseen strings causing the leg of its armor to come loose and clatter to the floor.
"Yes!" I cheered.
Don't get too cocky, Speculum warned. Try landing on your feet here, genius.
I did so. My knees buckled and I fell back landing hard on my rear.
Ooh, so close! Speculum laughed. Almost stuck it!
"Yeah, and now my feet hurt like heck," I mumbled. I ran and climbed the debris again. The Darknut came at me and I ducked and jumped again. I hit its neck with Speculum's blade and its other leg's armor came loose. I was about to climb the rubble for the third time but the Darknut seemed to figure out what I was doing and hit me square in the back with the hilt of its sword. I felt my skin split open. I gasped in pain as I was thrown forward a couple feet. I turned onto my back, coughing harshly. Blood sprayed from my mouth. I reached back and felt a warm, wet spot developing on my back. I looked around for a hiding spot and I saw a piece of rubble propped up against the wall. I began scooting towards it.
Suddenly, the Darknut's foot crashed down in front of me, missing me by only millimeters. It raised its foot up again and brought it down. I rolled out of the way, causing severe pain in my back in the process, just as it smashed the floor where I had been moments before. It was trying to crush me!
You need to heal! Speculum said.
"I know!" I grunted throwing myself to the side to avoid the Darknut again. It wasn't long before I began to tire. "Speculum!" I yelled. "I can't... do this... much longer!" I had gotten up and started running about the room.
Drink the potion as you're running! Speculum advised.
"I... can't run... for... five more minutes!" I panted.
It won't take that long if you drink the rest of that potion you drank from earlier! Speculum responded.
"Okay!" I reached into my pouch and yanked out the Red Potion, while sprinting around the room and staying away from the Darknut. I yanked the cork out and chugged the rest of the potion hardly noticing the taste. I immediately began to feel my back healing. After only two minutes it was completely sealed up and I was reenergized. I clambered atop rubble and jumped and hit the Darknut's neck before it could even move its sword towards me. Its right arm armor fell down. This time I grabbed onto the chain mail of the Darknut so that I didn't fall off and hacked it again. Its left arm armor went down. I hit it one last time before I had to let go. The armor covering its torso clattered to the ground. I landed on my feet and actually stuck it.
The now armor-less Darknut turned towards me. I backed up, Speculum held out in front of me. The Darknut threw its sword at me. I fell flat on the floor as the sword spun over my head. I stood back up just as the Darknut unsheathed another, smaller sword. It ran towards me.
Crap, now it's fast.
I sprung out of the way as it tore past me.
You can attack it anywhere now! Speculum told me. Its armor is all gone just slash away!
"Got it!" I answered. I skidded to a stop and charged the Darknut. It came towards me, one of its steps matching three of mine. I ducked down when we met and sliced Speculum through its ankle. It tried to kick me but I jumped out of the way. I rolled to the side and slashed at its calf. The Darknut spun around and tried to stomp on me. I raised Speculum up under its foot. It came down and Speculum stabbed into the center of its foot. It jumped back roaring in pain. It fell to one knee. I scrambled to my feet and ran over to it. I dodged its sword and cut into its leg. I came down further. It sliced its sword through the air and I dodged it. Mostly. The point of it created a long horizontal gash across my cheek. I wasted no time. I jumped up, screaming at the top of my lungs and plunged my sword hilt-deep in the center of the Darknut's chest.