Suddenly, I fell of balance and had to.anchor myself on Gracon. The ground had suddenly shaken as though a small earthquake had rumbled through the structure. Regaining my footing, I glanced sheepishly up at Gracon who offered me a confident smile. Trying to match, I replanted my feet. "I wonder what that was." My voice shaking only slightly.
"The agent has arrived, we'll leave our things here and they will be attended to. Lets make our way to the Chamber."
Nodding warily at him, I unstrapped my bags and set them down beside the door. I kept my weapons and gear on me, however, as I was trained to always have them near. Rewarded with an approving nod from The Ordinator, we made our way back to the central staircase. As we started down it, I attempted to ponder what the next events would be. While Gracon seemed to be acting natural, he also had a strange tenseness about him. Perhaps it had something to do with the agent we were to meet?
As we ventured further and further down the spiral staircase; the walls changing to be a solid obsidian surface. There was a strange luminescence coming through the black stone. As I walked, I moved close to the wall and peered in to it, trying to see the details of the glowing. It appeared as though there were many patches of some sort that were pulsating a yellowish light. The longer I looked, the more these patches suddenly began to come in to detail. Suddenly, as I peered through the black glass, I saw that for hundreds of steps in ever direction, there were creatures... monsters. Trapped and writhing! They had started to move, and struggle against what now appeared to be chains of black smoke. My heart felt like it had stopped, the scream in my throat passing in to a whisper.
My eye were torn away as my mentor grabbed my shoulders and patted it assuringly. "I apologize, I should have warned you." Giving me a sincere nod and another pat, he continued down in to the void. Now even more wary than before, I attempted to steel myself and caught up to Gracon's footsteps. So much was happening so quickly, I hoped that I was truly prepared. This was my first test.
After what seemed an eternity, we reached the bottom of the staircase. In front of us there was a outstretched hall, with a crimson glow coming from the room at the end. Peering upwards, I saw only darkness, the roof seemingly non-existent. The Ordinator had stopped for a moment and turned to me, his face now serious. The look in his eyes finally gave me an inkling of understanding of what it meant to be a Hero. It's not about saving the day, or defeating the enemy; it's about doing what you need to do to complete your quest. After all, a Hero has no goals of his own, only those that his existence decides for him.
As we approached the room, a new wave of unease washed over me. The glow got larger and larger until it filled my eyes and then, we stepped in to the room. It was as though the walls had melted away and gave way to a blood red abyss. Then, as I gazed forward, the shape that we had come to meet came in to focus.
Words... cannot describe the terror I felt at that moment. Slowly raising my head to peer at the height of the beast, it slowly came in to more focus. I reached its head and its eyes locked on to mine. It felt as though my entire being suddenly had a grip wrapped around it; the probing of my mind and essence almost too much to bare. It appeared to be about ten feet tall, and five feet across. Dome-like in shape, its head appeared to rest on no neck, instead just an extension of its torso. It's eyes were slanted and glowing a golden yellow, its mouth wide and black lipped. The creature's arms reached all the way down to the ground and were thick like tree trunks, ending with enourmous three-fingered hands resting flat on the floor. I thanked the gods that its body was covered by black cloth and armour, strange sigils and markings covering the surfaces. I wouldn't want to imagine the horrors that lay beneath it. If it had them, its legs were not visible. The image burned itself in to my mind and as terror filled my veins, it spoke.
"You know we had a deal, Hero." The last word hung mockingly in the air, as though to test the boundaries. However, the only place it echoed was in my mind. It spoke no human words, communicating beyond the point where they had became superfluous. The creature need only to desire that you know something and it will manifest as understanding. With it, however, came force. I felt my knees buckle as the demon's energy slowly subsided, falling down to all fours.
Gracon responded calmly, his posture stoic and unyielding. "He is my apprentice."
"And that should matter to me why?"
"Why do you always ask questions you know the answer to, Szar?"
Suddenly I could feel the demon's pulsing laugher shake through my body. Desperately I snatched at what knowledge of magic I had learned at the academy, especially regarding shielding. Closing my eyes, I worked to focus my energy in to a layer around me. It was elementary but it seemed to do the trick, as the pressure slightly released. Raising back to my feet, I gazed up at the demon again, trying to fathom that moment. Even through the shield I could feel it snide laughter.
"The child learns quick. Now, ask your questions."
"We are going to the grotto. The Queen has lost an heirloom."
It's snicker would have been like a slap to the face. "
So what else is new. The one you're looking for is a low rank, but he has a lot of protection. What he lacks in force, he makes up for with planning. He resides in the Eastern Cavern of the grotto. You'll want to use it."Gracon's expression doesn't change through the course of the answer. With the last words, he nods at the demon, expressing his understanding. Through the course of this short exchange I felt like I had been glued in place, paying attentively to what the creature had been saying. Finally snapping out of it, I glanced at The Ordinator; I could see sweat glistening on his face. Without a command, he turned and started back down the hallway. Quickly, I followed behind, giving only one last glance back at the monstrous demon. The luminescence of the room swallow the demon as we exited. While I was greatly shaken and still off-balance from the influence, I did all I could to keep hold of every moment that had just passed. There were no words as master and apprentice returned to their room.
Here I am, still alive to tell the tale. Gracon is out on the balcony, I can tell he wishes to be alone. It is perhaps time for me to attempt sleep, though it will likely be plagued by the nightmare I've just experienced. I do hope that this first day's horrors are never matched by any other day.
~ Martholemew Sabastian Gran'Hewitstchmitt III
