Chapter 6: Chapter 5: Mountains

Chapter 5: Mountain

Footsteps echo throughout the cavern, accompanied by the occasional ghastly breeze washing through. It was already cold outside, but the inside of the cave was even colder. Even Francis, although used to the cold, began to shiver.

“Would’ve brought my j-jacket if I knew it was gonna be freezing in this place too,” he said, rubbing his hands together to generate some heat.

“I see why t-those guys always wear r-robes,” Maru said, hugging herself tightly still, “it’s like we walked into a freezer!”

Francis looked over at Tianyu. “You sure you don’t have an extra p-pair of robes on you?”

Tianyu remained silent for a moment. “Do you feel that, Francis?” It was as if he dodged the question.

“Feel what? The air? No s-shit, I’m freezing!”

“No, this feeling in the air. It’s… dense. Like the weight of the mountain is being pressed onto my shoulders.” Tianyu remained still before extending his hand out and creating a blue Magic Circle in his palm. The Magic Energy from it would cast a dim light source amidst the darkness ahead of them. “It gets stronger with every inch.”

Francis raises an eyebrow. “I t-thought that was just me being c-cold.”

“We are getting close to something, tread carefully you two, and stay close behind me.”

They take a few steps closer to Tianyu, Maru holding onto the back of Tianyu’s robe tightly as the group moves forward in unison.

Over the course of a few minutes, they wandered throughout the cave and came across various rooms. Many of the rooms they found were filled with leather sacks, stuffed with crops covered in dirt and mold. Others were seemingly under construction, old minecarts and pickaxes left behind on the floors.

As they venture deeper, the temperature starts to suddenly shift. The air becomes warm and humid, causing the three of them to start sweating. Not only that, but the eerie ‘feeling’ in the air that Tianyu spoke of became even stronger. So strong, in fact, that even Maru began to feel it despite the presumed magical origin.

Purple banners began to line the sides of the cave, upheld by wooden poles hammered into the rocky walls. The banners were engraved with a golden star, a golden eye etched inside said star. Although they were stagnant, Maru felt like they were following her.

“I feel like it’s watching me,” Maru said, her voice shaky.

Francis stares at one of the banners, getting a similar feeling. Staring into the golden eye, it felt as if something was looking back at him – something he couldn’t understand nor describe.

“I’m starting to think these guys aren’t just bandits,” he whispered, as if trying not to disturb whatever was watching him.

The three of them come to a stop once they see a dim purple light piercing through the darkness ahead. Inside the wall of the cave was a wooden door made out of rotten oak. It was left slightly open, with the purple light coming from the other side.

“Is that where it’s coming from?” Maru whispered, noting that the setup was scarily similar to what she saw in the Chieftain’s basement. Part of her thought there was a correlation between them, but she figured it was best to deny it.

“Most likely,” Tianyu said, gesturing for the two of them to remain still as he takes a few steps closer to the door.

Tianyu avoids peeking inside, instead standing beside the door and moving one ear closer to it. From the other side, he hears a group of people whispering. He can’t quite make out what they’re saying, but the language itself is familiar.

“You are foolish creatures.” A bellowing voice echoes through the room, standing out among the other, higher pitched voices. “I leave you alone for mere minutes, and you reduce yourselves to cattle with your pointless banter.”

“I’m sorry, Lord Gon!” A distinct and high pitched voice is heard relatively close to the door.

“You do not call me Lord,” Gon quickly retorted, as heavy footsteps made their way over by the door. “I am not as feeble as you, but do you consider me to be as mighty as the god you swore to worship?”

The other person is silent.

“What is your name?”

“...Deva…”

Tianyu, Francis, and Maru all peek their heads through the door. Standing just a few feet away from the it was a tall, incredibly muscular figure that towered over everyone else in the room. His skin was a light caramel color, his shirtless chest covered in massive scars that told tales of ferocious battles. Long brown hair covered his backside, perfectly matching his baggy leather pants and the brown feathers on his head – held together by bones in the shape of a crown. The three of them could feel something incredibly powerful radiating from him, instilling fear. Judging by presence alone, he was most likely Gon.

Standing in front of Gon was a much smaller figure, their entire body and face covered by black robes.

Gon looked down at Deva. “Deva,” he said, sighing afterwards, “you will be an example.” Suddenly, Gon wraps his hand around Deva’s hand, lifting their entire body up. Their feet began to dangle in the air, kicking around frantically after a couple of seconds as they tried to free themselves. Deva’s hands grasp Gon’s fingertips, clawing at them with their nails like an animal held captive. “You mistake me to be as high as the mighty Shiva, when I am simply the incarnation of his unending power. I am part of him – but not his equal.”

Deva lets out a guttural screech, still frantically clawing at Gon’s hand with their nails while they beg for mercy. Their nails dig deep into his skin, tearing its upper layers as Gon lightly bleeds

“Release me Gon, I beg of you!” Deva pleaded, “I’ve done so much to honor thee – my dispense will be wasteful!” Tears start to drip down the sides of their face, drenching the robes draped over their head. The transparent tears turn into streams of blood as Gon slowly starts to crush their skull, blood oozing from their pores.

“For your sin,” Gon continues, “you will be given the sweetest relief.”

Deva lets out an ear-piercing screech as Gon completely crushes their head. The rest of their body drops to the floor, blood pooling from it like a river. Gon opens his hand, as the remains of Deva’s skull and brain drip down from his fingertips. “May he have mercy on your soul, Deva.”

Almost immediately, Deva’s body begins to rot and decay. The corpse is quickly surrounded by some of the other cultists in the room. They pick up the body in unison and carry it away, their movements eerily coordinated.

As the cave becomes filled with the smell of fresh blood and rotting flesh, Maru and Francis quickly pull away from the door, covering their mouths to prevent themselves from vomiting.

“He just…” Maru is left speechless, burying her face into her hands as she tries not to think about it. Her heart begins the race as fear starts to settle in. Deva’s blood-curdling cries for mercy echoed throughout her mind, leaving a deeply-rooted scar representative of Gon. Though this was her first time seeing him she quickly understood who he was.

“Wasn’t that one of their own people?” Francis asked, equally appalled. “And he did it so effortlessly…”

Although Francis and Maru were both frequent fighters, they weren't yet accustomed to the sight of blood and death. Not only that, but Gon's method of execution in combination with his intimidating figure and lack of remorse -- it made their stomachs churn. They were sickened down to their core.

Tianyu, however, was undisturbed by the sight. He managed to keep his composure, still peering into the room. His eyes would dart frantically left and right, scanning the room as if he were looking for something. Once Maru and Francis started talking, he quickly looked over his shoulder. “We're getting out of here,” he whispered, carefully stepping away from the door.

The three of them turn around in unison, sprinting away from the mysterious room as fast as they could. Maru led the group, zipping around corners as she tried to remember the pathway out, but her deeply sickened mind was a haze.

After a few turns, a light at the end of the tunnel beckons freedom. Immediately, she runs as fast as she can to the warming sunlight at the end of the cave.

A large figure steps in front of them before they could reach it, their figure broad enough to block nearly all of the light from the sun outside with their face shrouded in a dense shadow. Maru comes to a skidding stop, with Tianyu and Francis coming to a halt just a few feet behind her. The three of them remain still, their bodies overwhelmed with that familiar fear they felt from before. The person in front of them possessed an aura compiled of dominance, something that made the others feel insignificant.

They remained frozen in fear, almost entranced as the man in front of them lifted his hand up, forming a fist that was nearly the size of Maru’s head. His fist would suddenly combust and surround itself in a bright purple flame, the light from it brushing away the shadow that shrouded his body. Maru's eyes widened as she immediately recognized him. His caramel skin painted with scars, his long brown hair and signature crown, complete with a deathly gaze from his blood-red eyes that could rival Satan himself.

“Fuel for the fire,” Gon said.

Maru felt his fist collide firmly with her chest, completely knocking the wind out of her as her body became limp. The flames managed to eat through the lower part of her shirt, leaving a scorching burn on her stomach. She somehow remains conscious, her body tumbling across stone as she struggles to regain her senses. Ears ringing and vision blurry, she manages to sit upright and watch as Tianyu and Francis both rush Gon simultaneously.

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Francis lunges forward with all his might, coating his entire body in wind as a Magic Circle manifests on his back. He reels his fist back, thrusting it forwards soon after as he aims for Gon’s liver.

At the same time, Tianyu clasps his hands together to create a large Magic Circle in front of him, releasing a dozen of moderately sized water-spears hurling towards Gon’s abdomen.

Gon’s overwhelming size allowed him to simply reach out and grasp Francis by the neck while he was still mid-air. Tianyu’s spears of water pierce Gon’s abdomen, but the warrior doesn’t even flinch. With Francis still firmly in his grasp, he throws the wind mage towards Tianyu like a bullet, the two colliding vigorously and toppling over each other.

Although dazed, Tianyu and Francis were quick to get back to their feet in a matter of seconds.

“...We just need to get past him,” Francis said, rubbing his neck gently, “should we just make a run for it?”

“No, he'll likely follow us no matter where we go. The last thing we'd want to do is give him a path to the village, assuming he doesn't already have one. And we’re not leaving Maru behind.”

Gon looks down at the spears that went through his abdomen, grabbing them with his flaming hand as they evaporate instantly. The spears left massive, gaping wounds in his body. Yet, after a matter of seconds, these open wounds would rapidly close and heal themselves, leaving behind no signs of damage.

“You both are more potent than you look,” Gon said, giving the two their deserved remarks.

Gon's eyes would dart around the darkened cave path. His attention shifts toward Maru as she slowly gets up from the cold stone floor. Gon disappears from in front of Tianyu and Francis in a blur, reappearing directly in front of Maru with his flaming fist reeled back. He throws a jab towards her head at bullet speeds, aiming to take it clean off with a single strike.

Maru manages to bring both of her arms up, miraculously blocking the attack, but not without repercussions. Immediately, her arms are scorched with intense burns and her muscles begin to pound with ferocious pain. The force from the punch knocks her back a few feet, creating distance between her and Gon.

Every part of her body was screaming at her to run. There is no world in which she's capable of taking Gon in a fight. He was more than strong enough to take on Tianyu and Francis simultaneously -- and they were mages. Gon likely had Magic himself, but he was so overwhelmingly powerful in physical attributes alone that he probably didn't even need to use it to beat the three of them. In her eyes, this was a hopeless battle.

Her body surges with adrenaline, a sliver of determination still remaining in her fragile body. Gon takes a step forward, throwing another punch with his flaming fist towards her. Maru immediately ducks, tucking her face towards her hands as she dashes under Gon’s punch. Her body is shrouded in ravaging winds, a familiar feeling that reminded her of her fight against the bandits a few days ago. With her body now weightless thanks to Francis’ last second support, she’s capable of throwing half a dozen punches in under a second, each of them colliding firmly with Gon’s stomach.

Their damage, however, was minimal. On Gon's other hand, a purple Magic Circle appears, preparing to send a wave of flames in her direction. Chains made of water would wrap tightly around Gon’s hand from behind. With his wrist tethered tightly his entire arm was suddenly pulled away as the attack was fired in a different direction.

Francis jumps up from behind Gon while reeling his leg back mid-air. The winds surrounding Maru suddenly disappear as a strong current envelops Francis’ leg like a tornado. In one swift motion Francis slams his shin against Gon’s head, the force behind it strong enough to knock Gon off of his feet and send him flying towards the wall of the cave.

Gon was barely dazed from the attack, but it created a brief window of opportunity for the trio to make a dash for the exit as fast as possible. Tianyu leads, with Francis following close behind and Maru the furthest from them.

Gon turns his head towards the exit, watching as they leave. He reaches his hand out, grabbing Maru tightly back her neck and pulling her back into the cave. She lets out a brief yelp as she is pulled back. Tianyu and Francis turn their heads simultaneously.

“Maru!” They called out in unison, turning around and rushing back into the cave to get her.

Maru’s back collides forcefully with the wall of the cave, causing the rocks around her to start to shift and crumble. As she lands on the ground with a minor concussion, the rocks beneath her suddenly cave in and she slips. Before she can fully recover her senses she finds herself free-falling down a deep hole while shrouded in darkness.

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Maru was left in free-fall for what felt like minutes before she finally hit the ground again. Her body lands on a large patch of piled sand, cushioning her fall. She remains still for a few moments, waiting for her senses to return to her.

As her vision returns, she slowly gets back up and opens her eyes, the world a hazy blur. The moment she moves, a stinging pain races through her abdomen, causing her to wince. Remnants of the burns from Gon’s attacks were still there, though slightly faded.

“Francis? Tianyu?” She calls out, the sound of her voice echoing. She rubs her eyes and her vision finally returns to normal.

She lightly rubs her back, shrugging off the stinging pain from her fall. “I’ve felt worse,” she thought, “I don’t think anything will hurt as bad as falling from the peak of a mountain.” She looks back up at the hole she fell through, backing up slightly in case something else falls down.

“How far did I fall?” She asks herself, waiting to see if anyone would follow her down. Her heart was racing faster than ever before, though it started to quickly subside. Despite the dangers above her in the cave, this place felt like a bit of a safe-haven for her, the soft cave ambience easing her nerves. Even at the thought of Gon chasing her down – something he seemed very adamant on doing – she felt safe here.

Looking around, she noted that the room was quite small. There was a singular rock to her right covered in dry blood, along with a stone statue of a man just a few feet in front of her. The man was sitting down with his legs crossed and one hand pressed against his chest. He looked relatively young with long hair tied together in a ponytail. Beside him, Maru saw a crusty journal left open.

She stands upright, looking back up to see if there was any way out.

“I’m stuck…” she says, letting out a deep sigh.

The only way out was the way that she came in. Maru was experienced enough to try and climb out, but she was far too weak to do it now. Figuring she might as well pass the time, she walks over to the journal beside the statue and grabs it.

“Is this yours?” She says, taking a glance at the statue before looking back down at the journal. “Wow, this is a lot.” Maru flips through the pages, taking glances at each. She notices the jump in dates near the end of the journal and the beginning. “Four hundred years,” she says, somewhat appalled, “you must’ve lived a very long time. Just who are you?”

With her interest piqued, she decides to start reading the journal.

119, Athens

“I’ve lived 100 years today – a milestone celebrated by few. It’s appalling to think that I’m nearly as old as the Great War itself. I fear that the rulers of Olympus are still chasing after me. Though confident in my own might, I believe I may need to side with the Pendragons if I plan to survive. If my death is destined to be near, however, then I must find a way to preserve my own life, swiftly. I’ve always possessed memories of lives I’ve never lived and knowledge from minds that are not my own. Perhaps there is a way for me to transfer part of myself to another body, mind, or Magic; and my current-self may already be a product of this. If it has been done before, then it can be done again. If I succeed, then I will return, and Olympus will know my name.”

“Did he succeed or fail?”

That was Maru’s first question. She suddenly became entranced by his story. Taking a seat beside him, Maru begins to read through his journal. Whomever this was, he lived an adventurous life. The journal spoke of great battles against gods and humankind alike; most of it centered around Olympus.

“Olympus…” Maru whispers to herself, “just what is that place?”

Mount Olympus was a name she’s heard plenty of times, it was renowned among explorers, but Maru never understood its significance. Most of the world seemed to be centered around it, but why?

The journal spoke of Olympus as a beautiful land; a frontier ripe for exploration and discovery – yet tainted with the disdain of the Olympians. The journal read: “the land destined to be ruled by man was instead stolen by egotistical gods, seeking validation for something they did not create nor earn.”

Slain beasts, conquered lands, the creation and collapse of empires; tales of betrayal, redemption, great loss, and even triumph. Four hundred years of legends and stories were contained within this one journal, all recorded by this one man.

She glanced over the final page, noting that it was a weird jumble of frantic scribbles and text she could barely read. Its edges were stained with dry blood, covering the page numbers and recorded date. The only words she could make out were: “Olympus has…”

After finishing her read, Maru closes the journal and looks at the statue. “You must’ve been a great Adventurer. To live for so long and accomplish so much…”

She was never the greatest with words, but she was honored to be able to read his stories.

“I hope I get to be like you someday,” she said, placing the journal beside him. “I’d read more, but my friends need me.”

Maru takes one last look at the area around her. Just as she was getting ready to leave, something behind the man catches her attention.

Just a few feet behind the statue was an altar of sorts. Large and faded navy gemstones formed the base of the altar, with patterns of waves and sea creatures engraved along its base. A single golden spiral travels from the edge of the altar to the middle. At the middle of the altar was a large staff, encased in mossy stone. Maru takes a few steps towards the staff, somewhat entranced by its presence.

She takes a glance back at the statue behind her.

“Is this yours?” She asks, looking back at the staff.

The longer she stared at it the more she felt like it was beckoning her closer.

“It couldn’t hurt,” she whispers, outstretching her arm towards the staff.

An arc of lightning travels between her fingertip and the staff, shocking her for a moment. “Ow,” she said softly, “feisty, are you? I don’t bite…” Maru reaches her hand out towards the staff again as it suddenly pulls her in like a magnet.

Maru tries to take her hand off of the staff, instead pulling it away from the altar accidentally. She decides to take a closer look at it. Despite its rough appearance the staff was relatively lightweight in her grasp and comfortable to hold. Her hand wrapped perfectly around it; as if it was made for her.

“I better put it back,” she said, placing the staff back in the altar.

Still, her body wouldn’t let it go. She’s silent for a moment, thinking that she just zoned out before tugging at the staff. “Is it glued?” She thought.

Energy would suddenly rush throughout her entire body, originating from the hand that was touching the staff. It felt like endless currents of electricity were coursing through her veins. Her body immediately succumbs to the shock as she falls down to her knees.

Maru bites her lip due to the pain, trying to scream but her throat quickly stiffens. Quivering and unable to call for help, her muscles cramp violently and her body freezes entirely from the strain. She tries her hardest to pull her hand away from the staff, prying her fingers one by one as the energy pouring into her only becomes stronger.

She felt as if her heart was about to stop when she pulled the entire staff out of the altar again, tumbling backwards as a violent flash and spark originated from the altar, followed by a shockwave that sent her flying back.

Slowly, she gets up on one knee and opens her eyes to find the staff still in her hand. All the pain had suddenly subsided and was instead replaced with a mysterious surge of vigor and stamina. Her body felt more energetic and lightweight than ever before.

Looking down at her hand, Maru watches as arcs of lightning travel between her and the staff she was holding. Instead of hurting her, it felt like they were empowering her – like a battery of some kind.

“Wait a minute,” she whispers, “is this…”

Maru noticed a faint glow from the back of her hand. She flips her hand over, her eyes widening at the grandiose sight of those familiar circles – a series of rings colored a majestic cerulean blue with Arcanian runes engraved between. Her heart and body suddenly became filled with a sensation she’s desired so long ago. Though she’s never experienced this sensation before, there was no mistaking it. For the first time in her life, she felt the power of Magic.