Chapter 5

Sigem Manor

The canopy of trees overhead shrouded the forest floor in darkness, as the plant life struggled to move towards small pools of the sun that managed to touch the leafy ground. Sweet birdsongs wafted through the hundreds of trees, and the earthy smell of greenery completed the peaceful sensation.

I looked at Dusk, his dark figure moving swiftly though the forest; eager to make his way to the manor. I was sceptical that he actually knew where he was going. Perhaps he was leading me away from any chance of someone discovering my rotting corpse. I shuddered. That was a nasty thought. Strangely, my feelings about him seemed to be annoyingly inconsistent. One minute, I was absolutely terrified of him, next thing I know, I trusted him completely. It was confusing, to say the least. I looked down at the earthy floor. Roots, small plants and an occasional insect decorated the makeshift path Dusk was forging.

In the distance, a large stone structure was surfacing. To say it was a house was a massive understatement. It was a castle. Large windows decorated it's exterior whilst large stone towers were scattered about the courtyard. Vines, thorns, trees and a variety of other flora were practically part of the structure; it was clear no one had lived here for a very long time.

"The very first celestial spirit mage… they lived here?" I asked Dusk, quietly. To talk loudly here seemed like a massive insult.

"Yes, she lived here hundreds of years ago. Her name was Lyanna. She was a beautiful woman. She lived here with her husband, Lord Sigem. Now that was an intimidating man. They were an extremely powerful couple." He replied, voice trying to cover a hidden emotion. What he was hiding, I didn't know.

Entering the courtyard, we followed a cracked and extremely deteriorated stone path, that soon circled a dried up fountain, then towards the rotted wooden door.

"Place needs a little bit of a fixer-upper doesn't it?" Dusk laughed.

I gave him a nervous smile, then proceeded inside.

The interior of the building was immaculate. Everything perfectly shined, clean and welcoming; as if someone had only left the building moments ago.

I gasped.

"Impressive isn't it? The illusion magic is really something. That combined with the anti-will magic makes this place safer than any lock or seal would." He remarked.

"Anti-will magic? What?" I replied, confused and sceptical.

"Yes. A type of magic that removes your will to enter the building. However, I'm quite surprised it didn't work on you actually. Usually, around the fountain, it starts to kick in and people leave the place alone." He grasped his chin.

I looked back to find the wooden doors that we entered through was shirt firmly and looked as if they were just constructed.

"I was expecting you to just turn around and head back into the forest. Curious that the illusion magic worked on you, but the anti-will didn't." He continued, whilst walking off to ponder the conundrum by himself.

I myself was eager to explore the castle-like building and headed up the large stair case that was the mantelpiece of the foyer. I noticed the large portraits that hung along the left hallway that extended from the top of the stairway. The first, a young beautiful woman with blonde hair much like my own. Underneath, on a golden plate, said her name. Lyanna Sigem. Formerly, Lyana Sacrest.

Looking into the portrait was startling as the Lyanna who elegantly stared back at me resembled me so strongly I wondered if I was looking into a mirror. Perhaps I had some shared ancestry with the woman. Maybe celestial wizardry is a familial thing. I smiled in wonder, curious as to whether or not my theory was true. I continued on through the dark hallway, the only light protruding from the end of the hall's doorway. Treading lightly, I entered the colossal library that existed behind the door.

Thousands upon thousands of books lined the dust-free oaken shelves. Wandering upon the perhaps infinite bookshelves I found books on every subject imaginable. The Mythical Magics, A History of Mathematics, Magistics Explained were only some of the education titles available; I desperately wanted to stay here forever and read every book on the heavenly shelved. However, I had a goal.

The Stars of Origin.

According to Dusk, that forgotten book was here in this library somewhere. Heading towards the section detailing all about Cosmic, Astral and Intergalactic magic, I scanned the tomes. It took several minutes, but finally, I discovered the faded book hidden amongst much larger and thicker books. As soon as I took the book off the shelves; I knew something bad was about to happen. Call it an instinct, or maybe it was the book itself, but I could basically taste impending doom,

"Lucy!" Yelled Dusk, entering the room. "In case you find the Stars of Origin; whatever you do, DO NOT PULL IT OFF THE SHELF"
I glanced down at the book in my hand.

'Well, funny thing about that…" I chuckled awkwardly.

"Damnit. We gotta get out of here before it comes," He grimaced.

Suddenly, the room began to shake violently, books falling out of the places on the shelves, and loose papers and scrolls flying everywhere.

"Lucy! Stop gawking! We need to leave!"

Dusk rushed out of the Library, following him, I clutched the Stars of Origin tightly against my chest, determined not to leave it behind. As we ran, the pressure was building at a phenomenal rate; the presence of dark magic being produced was nauseating and absolutely terrifying at the same time. I hadn't experienced this before.

I struggled to keep up with Dusk as he darted around every corner. Chasing behind him, I slowly realised this wasn't the way I came, and that we were headed further into the mansion rather than to the entrance to escape.

"Dusk! Where are we going! This isn't the way to the exit!" I screamed as we ran.

"I know. We can't go to the entrance, that's where the creature is spawning. I'm trying to find the entrance into the back garden. Apparently, though, it's a lot more hidden than I originally anticipated."

"Well, that's certainly not good," Dusk continued as he suddenly stopped.

Almost knocking into him, I glanced at him with panicked eyes.

"Why are we stopping!?" I exasperated.

"Dead end," He replied stoutly.

Following his eyes, I too realised that they had a solid wall, with nothing but a beautifully ornate end table with a bouquet of flowers in an antique vase for protection.

"Ever fought a Misery Knight before?" Dusk asked, half with humour, half with false hope.

"A what!?" I exclaimed back.

"A Misery Knight. An underling of The Decay. Which you probably don't know about either since you were completely clueless about everything else. You really ought to know more about the history of Celestial magic."

I let out a frustrated sigh and panicked. How was I supposed to fight this thing with no magic? At least I wasn't alone; for all Dusk's faults, he was helping me. For what reason, I had no idea. However, I was sure he had an ulterior motive. He was just that kind of person.

A sudden wave of chills cascaded down the hallway, filling me with dread.

"Here he comes," Dusk whispered.

A horrific clang of metal echoed through the hallways; one footstep after another. I anxiously took a step backwards, my hands naturally going for my familiar keys, but grasping an absence instead. Unsheathing my whip, I readied myself for the worst.

(A/N): Hey there!

Thanks to all the positive response this trash fic has gotten, I really appreciate it! Nothing more to say other than I hope you enjoy!

- StingIsNotHere