The shrill sound of a bird woke Nelina up, she guessed it was early yet she could not be sure since the pitch blackness from Ru’ark’s weaving remained and still surround them both. For the first time, Ru’ark was not up before her. Instead, his warm body was pressed against her own with his rhythmic breathing against her back. She knew if she moved it would cause him to stir, therefore, trying to get up and get everything ready in the darkness of the room before he rose for the day would be useless. While shifting to her other side a warm, loving smile spread across her face as she slipped her arms around him while giving him a gentle kiss. “Good Morning my love.”
He returned her smile while drawing her closer to him, the Waraeu heightened his vision allowing him to see her shadowed outline. “Good Morning my dear Sweetling.”
She grinned, “For once I’ve gotten to wake up before you, but unlike yourself, I have no morning meal prepared.”
“There is no meal to prepare anyway.” With a quick kiss to her cheek, he sat up, summoning his power to dissipate the darkness and allow streams of daylight into the room.
Nelina glanced around where she was at, the full morning light which illuminated their space showed little more than what she had seen the night before.
Ru’ark grabbed the sack with what little supplies they had and pull out a smaller bag containing their remaining food.
Without seeing him open the bag a sharp scent from the cheese wafted in the air. She was tired of hard cheese and meat but yet she did not care because she was too hungry. Her thoughts filled with fear jumped into the day ahead as she sat up. “We’re going to face those awful ball things again today right?”
“We will,” dropping back down to sit he placed the makeshift plate of food between them. “I understand that you’re worried for me, I can see it in your eyes.”
“I can’t lose you,” her voice cracked with her emotion.
His hand reached over to cup her cheek while his thumb brushed across her cheekbone. “You can be rest assured that I will not go further than I can, and that I am aware of my own limits.” His slate blue eyes locked with her green ones. “I need you to trust me, to trust in my feelings for you and that I will not jeopardize having a life with you.”
“Of course I trust you, I love you.” She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him.
He held her encircling her petite frame with his arms. “I love you, Nelina.” It was his first time ever saying such to a woman and the emotion was an odd but good one.
His declaration of his feelings for her in that instant brought hot tears to her eyes which streamed down her face, she had tried so hard to keep a hold on herself. “I’m Sorry, I don’t mean to cry.”
His eyes held warmth while looking at her and his gentle hand with tenderness, wiped back her tears. “It’s fine, there is nothing for you to apologize for.” He embraced her as she buried her face into his chest. Holding her, and with a light rocking motion, he let her weep. For a moment, his eyes closed as he steadied his own emotions with the love she bore for him. When he was sure she had exhausted all of her tears, his hands cupped her face. “No matter what you may ever endure, trust in and remember the unbreakable love that I bear for you.”
“I will,” her eyes held his with the conviction of her words. “And remember that mine is the same, there is nothing I would not sacrifice to be with you.”
He gave her a long, lingering kiss and then put his forehead against hers. “Then we will trust in one another.”
“Yes,” she smiled being at peace with whatever the upcoming day would bring finding strength from their conversation.
After eating a few more bites of the cheese and salted meat the two finished their morning meal.
Nelina left Ru’ark to pack away the remnants of their morning meal as she turned her attention to the grueling task of putting her armor back on. It was loads easier with Claire’s assistance. She pulled the leather tight over her hips. Her attention became focused on the claw mark her armor as her fingers glided over indented scratch marks. She was startled when Ru’ark walked up behind her.
Ru’ark slipped his hand around her waist, resting it over hers. “You did well yesterday, Adar and Elian would both be proud of you handled yourself.”
“Thank you, they’ve been good teachers.” She glanced down to his hand with a loving expression, perhaps one day his hand would be over hers like this when she carried their child. After turning around and giving him a brief hug she finished with the last buckle on her armor and then fastened her sword to her hip.
Ru’ark picked up the sack and secured it under his robes, he was confident that they would make it to the Ortus chamber. For years he had of studied to prepare for their arrival to this place and he was ready as he could be for any misstep. With a light push Ru’ark opened the strange door for both of them to exit the small storeroom.
In the morning light with the vines removed, Nelina noticed the door was unlike any other she had seen before. It was not made from wood or iron, but instead it bore more similarities to a crystal goblet. Upon leaving, she was once again struck by the intense thickness of the sticky air as she followed Ru’ark out into the morning sun. The jungle covered city was again filled with the strange sounds of the creatures inhabiting the city before its former masters had abandoned it. With the murky swamp parts of the ancient city behind them the city seemed to rise in elevation as they continued their path to its center. They were once again among the ugly vine covered buildings.
After cresting a small hill, outside of the small building in which they slept, Ru’ark stopped short to point ahead. “There, that’s where I believe the Ortus Chamber to be.”
Nelina’s eyes followed along his line of sight, she could see off in the far distance that a light was glinting. After a moment or two of walking, she saw what appeared to be four immense curved spires reaching high above a clear dome in between them with the bright sunlight reflecting off its vegetation free surface. “It’s not covered in the wretched green vines?” She hated the vines, they were everywhere but somehow that building remained free.
“No, it isn’t which indicates the probability of it being the Nivecus temple with the Ortus Chamber lying beneath it.” Remaining untouched the way it did, spoke volumes to him that the Nivecus Waraeu were present and alive in the bowels below. “What’s left of the power that at one time was woven into the fabric of this once great city has retracted, to protect its only remaining inhabitants.” The contrast could not be ignored as it was the sole structure untouched by the encroaching swamp. Without question the creatures they had encountered would not want him anywhere near the temple. As he looked toward the Nivecus Temple he envisioned what the city must have looked like in all of its glory. His eyes stripped away the ages of growth built upon it from the ever-encroaching swamp. The Spires and dome of the Temple were joined together by the open square and massive fountains. His hand touched Nelina’s. “Before we go any further, I think I can shield us from the orbs to prevent them from hunting us.”
“That’s a good idea,” she gave a silent prayer for it be enough to keep them safe today.
“There’s no guarantee mind you.” Drawing Nelina in close his eyes grew into two pools of darkness as the familiar smoky tendrils poured out from his fingertips at a mesmerizing speed to form their intricate patterns. Soon, a thin shadowy sphere surrounded them from top to bottom. With a final twist of his hands the darkness of the smoke became clear to see through.
Nelina detected the shield’s edges by its soft tinge as though one were looking at world underwater with an almost invisible sheerness. She wondered if it would keep the insects away which seemed to swarm around her without end throughout this ancient swamp city. Walking in the morning heat was harder than she had anticipated. While she had become used to the heat in Danthamore, this place was different as the air itself was heavy and oppressive just to breathe. She was glad that they were able to at least see their destination. The Temple fell from her view as the streets she went down with Ru’ark were enclosed by looming vine covered buildings. It was not until the midday sun when she was struck by the lack of sound. The morning had been filled with the sounds of the birds and other animals, whereas now it was replaced with an eerie silence, and the sound of her and Ru’ark’s footsteps.
Upon turning past one of the many corners making up the streets of the ancient city Ru’ark stopped.
Relief and anxiousness flooded Nelina. Here, in the middle of a huge, sprawling plaza, was the giant crystal clear dome and the spires of the Nivecus temple. The vegetation and its encroachment ended at line around the temple complex and the edge of white comprising the alabaster disk that the temple sat upon. The temple itself was massive with its four glass spires stretching higher than Nelina thought possible as she bent her head back to gaze up at it. Her eyes studied the four thin glass spires reaching toward the sky, they were taller than any of the trees she had ever seen felled in Pinza.
As the area opened up before the two, they could see the dome architecture had arches cut into its base giving a clear view of the building’s interior. Ru’ark and Nelina kept on walking along the temple’s edge.
Nelina’s eyes widened at seeing the Temple’s interior. Shapes were moving within, she blinked hard with the realization of why they had not encountered any of the orbs as it became evident. The floor inside the Temple was swarming with them while they were lying in wait to attack. Her hand tugged at Ru’ark’s cloak.
Reaching back, Ru’ark’s hand found hers and gave it a gentle reassuring squeeze. "Be calm, we remain undetected,” He kept his voice lowered. “We shouldn’t get too close though.” He was careful in his steps not to touch the pristine white temple floor.
As they walked on its edge, Nelina noticed the floor had strange etchings cut deep into the white stone. Each of the large spires they passed by was set off from the edge of the alabaster floor.
Arriving full circle around the temple, Ru’ark’s eyes never left the strange cut runes that were part of the temple floor. He stopped, looking up at one of the tall spires. “Yes,” His eyes examined the length of the spire. “In theory, this should work like the portals, but on a larger scale.”
“What will it do?” She did not want her question to distract him, but she was curious.
He spoke with a sly smile. “The Orbs we have encountered and those in the temple are all connected to these spires which I can use to destroy them. As I have done with the portals, I can send the power within it back within itself.”
She too broke out into a wide smile, she was glad he had found a way to get those creatures out of the way. “Good, it’ll make things easier to not have to deal with them.”
“When I activate the temple’s runes you must not be standing on them.” He faced her with his hands on her shoulders giving her a kiss on the forehead. “Here is where we must separate while I deal with these Guardians.” His eyes turned into black orbs and the shimmering shield which had surrounded them both separated to cover them each separately. “When I’m done removing these guardians, we’ll be able to go down to the Ortus chamber together.”
Standing a step or two away from the white temple floor Nelina watched as Ru’ark stepped onto the rune etched floor.
Striding up close, near the mighty spire, the Waraeu thrashed under his skin. The black tendrils came forth at a frantic speed from his fingertips in a flurry of gestures as his arms raised upward gathering the smoky weavings above his head. His hands shot downward with a sudden sweeping motion causing the black tendrils to flow like waves one after another. The hovering tendrils slammed into the etched runes below, directing the force of it into each rune.
Nelina watched as one by one the runes came to life with their unearthly glow. Traveling like wildfire on an open dry field Ru’ark’s weavings had spread out until the whole Temple floor was alight. Everything seemed to happen at once, whatever Ru’ark was doing was having an effect. In horror, her eyes grew wide as other orbs from within the Temple noticed Ru’ark and as a mass force rushed toward him. Lifting a hand from his weaving his fingertips with a blinding speed raised a semitransparent shield between him and the orb creatures.
The whitish smoky tendrils lashed out for Ru’ark. With sheer determination and will, he forced the weaving deeper into the Nivecus Waraeu’s temple. It burrowed deep into the old defenses of the Temple. The once clear spires now held a dark tinge to them as his weaving went through each one. Without warning it stopped the darkness of his weaving and was followed by a sudden loud crack similar to thunder which sent him, Nelina, and all the orb creatures flying backwards.
Nelina’s ears were ringing and the world was spinning as she struggled to her feet. The towers were still intact and were no different than what they had been when they had arrived.
Ru’ark was already back up and standing, using both of his hands to fight off the onslaught of the fast-moving orb guardians. His smoky tendrils launched several black spears into his oncoming foes. Each impact dissipated with a flash of light, there were far too many for him to pick off one by one. “Run and find the Ortus chamber!” In the next second he was surrounded by the Orbs as their tendrils probed away at his defenses.
“I will! Just hold on or get out of here yourself.” Nelina could no longer see him as he disappeared from her sight. There was no time to waste, she ran as fast as her legs would take her to the temple’s entrance, only there was it possible to find a way into the temple’s depths. Ru’ark needed her and she was not sure how long he could hold those creatures back. She ran through the open arches at the base of the massive dome. The chamber was enormous, with the floors had the same glass like appearance as the one above outside had. In its center stood a glass crystal dome around the size of a small house with a bluish glow emanating from it. Her eyes cut over to a set of wide stairs cut into the alabaster which headed down deeper. She raced down them wishing there were not so many, she was fearful of being too late to get back to Ru’ark, and to make it worse, her lighting became more limited with each step. The natural light from the open entrance of the stairs behind her disappeared, but it was then replaced by another light seeping through the floor and walls which did not sit well with her. The glowing light steadily increased as she continued her descent and finally, after what felt like forever, the last stair opened up into a room mirroring in size the one above but with added pillars spaced even reaching up to the ceiling. Pushing any hint of fear from her mind, she took bold steps into the room and its forest of pillars. Far above her head in the midst of all the pillars was the bottom of the glass dome she had seen above. It was the source of the faint illumination in the strange chamber. The moment her foot touched the floor, a blinding flash filled the room forcing her to hide her eyes from the assault. Her throat tightened, something was happening and she was clueless as to what it was. She clutched at her throat as she struggled to breathe. It was hard, but she forced her eyes open to be greeted by a silvery dust choking her. Each breath was painful, if fire were a liquid, this would be it. Trying to fight against it did nothing but to intensify the choking.
The white orbs hovered over each of the open spaces around the Magus. Their tendrils whipped out relentless in their assault against his protective shield. Ru’ark was being tested beyond any measure he had anticipated. Fending off one or two guardians was one thing, but the swarm he had on him now as another matter. The Waraeu within him were showing their strain as one of the white wisps had found an opening through his shield and coiled around his arm. He winced in pain sneering, then with a quick twist to his weaving, he covered the opening the creature had used and severed the white tendril from its amorphous body. His nose filled with the smell of his burning flesh as the creature’s tendril dissolved off him. He forced his mind back to keeping the creatures off from him, he couldn’t be careless. If the shield faltered in an instant they would take him and there would be nothing he could do. With a sharp intake of breath, he pushed harder to strengthen his defensive weaving. Sweat was beading on his forehead from his exertion and he hoped Nelina had success in reaching the Ortus chamber.
Nelina was forced to her knees, unable to walk any further while her chest burned from the inside. ‘No, he is up there fighting to live.’ She refused to die here like this, on the floor. She let her mind ignore the pain and replaced her instinct to struggle with the training she had received from Adar on the royal balcony, she let go to allow herself to find a perfect stillness. In the calm of her mind, something happened beyond her, ignoring the pain of each breath, the burning in her chest began to subside. She slowly opened her eyes as each breath came a little easier than the one before. The room had cleared of the strange dust as she leapt again back to her feet.
Nelina’s mind went to Ru’ark, and determined she made her way further into the chamber passing by the pillars that towered up toward the unnerving blue light above. She made her way toward the room’s center until she was stopped dead in her tracks. There, behind one of the columns was a fiery figure that glided from one column to the next. This creature with its fast speed came out from around the pillar in front of her leaving her no time to think ahead. The being, shaped as a human, was no larger than her with a blade on its hip. It was far from being flesh with its form being that of fire and sparks from a blacksmith’s anvil. Yet, here was another thing in her way and this one was standing there refusing to let her pass. “At least I can see you.” It had no reaction to her words, other than to rush at her with its sword drawn. Fiery sparks flickered up and down this new foe that came rushing at her. Grasping the handle of her blade she pulled it free fast enough to block the incoming strike from this new enemy. Their blades striking together sent sparks spraying between them both. She squinted, preventing the hot sparks from touching the soft tissue of her eyes. Her foe seeing an opportunity brought its blade down again. Instinct kicked in as she raised her blade upward to fend off the blow of its blade which was a mere hair’s breath away from her head. Each strike thereafter came with a rain of hot sparks that served to only blind her and keep her unprepared, as she struggled with what to do. It was to no avail trying to aim for an opening against it. The thing did not let up every strike caused it to come at her harder with the unmerciful sparks. To buy time, she tumbled and then ducked behind a pillar yet it had not allowed her to do naught else then to catch her breath. She dropped low as its blade cut into the stone where her head had been. Finding its advantage again, it pushed Nelina back toward the stairs from whence she had come. “I’ll be damned before I let you push me back up those stairs.” With a fierce determination, she held her own in parrying against it to get away from the stairwell. Elian had taught her about feints and counterattacks, how to watch for when an opponent shifted their weight, but none of that could be applied to this enemy. The blinding sparks were worse than the sun in her morning training sessions with Adar. ‘That’s it, in order to defeat this thing I have to use all of what I’ve learned.’ She thought. Closing her eyes, she focused as she had during her mornings of practicing fighting forms with Adar and combined it with her time training with Elian. She held her blade ready and found the stillness in her mind as Adar had taught her and heard just the faintest of sounds from her foe, but it was enough. Her arm shot up high with her blade to meet the Nivecus creature’s strike. Smell, with each whiff of its blade, she knew where to move next. At last, it could not manipulate her any further and she instead turned its blows against itself. One after the other it was now she who pressed the advantage, yet still it never ended it blocked each swing she took at it with ease. She would get a hiss of its blade before clanging against hers. Soon, it would win if she did not figure something anything else out. “This isn’t working,” she was growing tired and her endurance was fading fast. “Damn you,” it was a never ending dance with this wretched thing.
Thus far, Ru’ark had killed the three of the guardians from when they had set upon him he did all he could to keep himself shielded from their unyielding attacks. Perspiration filled his brow any lesser Magus would have fallen by now. His hands moved frantically as he shifted his waving across his shield feeding his strength into it just as fast at the orbs cut it away. Perhaps he should not have entered as he did, but it was far too late for that and he refused to leave her to this place alone. He had grown close to her over the last year, and if anyone would have success, he figured it would be her, he wanted to survive and to see it. The orbs pushed in harder as their onslaught intensified, driving him down to one knee. The Waraeu thrashed beneath his skin as he focused his weaving outward keeping the thin shield between himself and the attacking white wisps.
For each swing that Nelina had expected to make contact with the creature, it continued to parry against her. Frustration was setting in, how feasible was it that she could maintain her stamina? Her mind flashed back to the earlier choking. She used her point calmness, and when the creature barreled at her, she did the unexpected and repeated what Caleb had done to her and threw her sword at it. In that instance, it did something she did not expect, it mimicked her, and it too threw its blade. Both swords clanged, and blinding sparks flew as they did the other times with the blades falling to the floor in unison. Taking her opportunity, she took the beginning position with her fists on her hips, braced in the stance Adar had taught her. It allowed her to harness her own inner energy, and as if she were ready for a strike from Adar, she prepared for the impact from the sparking guardian. Her legs remained planted firm and the creature instead of hitting her, passed over instead as gentle as a summer breeze passes through a window. “By the God of All, it worked!”
Nelina’s attention once again free it again went to finding these Nivecus Waraeu stopping the creatures above from killing Ru’ark. Walking into the center of the room directly beneath the glowing massive half circle in the ceiling, sat the pool that could only be what she had come all this way for. The pool itself was twice as wide as any bathing tub she had seen. Its edges were seamless polished white alabaster as she had seen above on the temple floor and like that one this one had etchings across its lip and exposed surfaces. Within the thick semi translucent water substance she could see movement as hundreds or possibly thousands of the white Waraeu swimming beneath its surface. In a flash, she had unhooked her sword belt and was stripping out of her armor and the doeskin covering beneath it as she stepped without hesitation into the waiting pool. Floating on her back, she closed her eyes, trying to invite these Waraeu into her. At first, she felt them circling her, as they brushed through her hair while another one brushed against her back. “Please,” her words echoed in the large empty chamber, she was worried about Ru’ark trapped and fighting those creatures, even his strength would fail eventually, she wanted desperately to get back to him. As if sensing her desire to bond with them, they one by one flocked to her. Her body started to submerge and she did not try to struggle as she took a final deep breath. It felt at first like a bite, then as more swarmed it became a stinging sensation, panic and fear had no place here. A numbing sensation ran through her from head to toe as she exhaled the air and instead breathed in the water like substance, when it filled her chest it did not differ from breathing air. Her eyes flew open as the Waraeu poured and burrowed themselves into her waiting flesh, their new host. Thoughts of Ru’ark were in her mind and she was wrought with anxiety and worry about whether he was surviving. The Waraeu swarmed under her skin as a complete feeling of peace washed over her. In her bonding they understood her memories, her feelings, her fears and her deep love for Ru’ark. Her last thoughts were of him as darkness washed over her.
Ru’ark’s fingers slowed as his strength waned, several of the white wisps pierced through his shield. Each one he had severed from its master, but not before they had done their own damage, leaving searing marks across both of his legs and arms and leaving his robes frayed at the edges. Gritting his teeth, he clenched his eyes shut and with the sheer force of his will, and with one hand maintaining his shield, he brought his free hand around and loosened the dagger at his waist to cut off the coiling tendrils desperate to slice his throat. His hand dropped and joined the other in maintaining the protective shield and from a thousand burning arms such as that one. His hands trembled and his throat was dry from having made it this long to begin with, his weavings were dying embers waiting to be extinguished. The image of Nelina ran through his mind, for the briefest of seconds his mind flashed to lying next to her. For the first time in his life he had touched love, something before her he could never have fathomed. His eyes caught notice of the floor, as a bluish glow infused the etched engravings. His strength could not hold much longer and he knew full well once his shield fell they would be ready to slaughter him. The white slithering wisps penetrated his defense this time he did not have the strength to re-form the weavings. A white tendril slithered up his leg and with it came a hot burning sensation travelling straight to the bone of his limb. Unable to maintain the onslaught any longer the last of his strength gave way as the thin shield protecting him collapsed.
Walking back in from the temple Nelina stepped onto the etchings on the floor, causing the runes beneath to come to life beneath her feet. “Leave the Magus of the Alter,” smoky white tendrils poured out from her fingertips and bore down deep into the runes and the ground underneath her feet.
Ru’ark braced himself as the tendril, inches from his eye, disintegrated followed by the other ones. The orbs retreated and pulled back, no longer were they assailing him. He straightened up his posture and the saw Nelina, her skin was pale and flawless with her eyes as white as snowfall upon a mountain. She was majestic as the power of the Nivecus flowed through her. Alive, she had lived and returned back to him. He was far too drained to go as fast as he wanted to get to her side. When he was by her he froze, it was Nelina’s body, but not her. The way she told those things to cease was odd and she would never call him the Magus of the Alter. “Nelina,” when he said her name, her eyes had fluttered closed, and he caught her as she collapsed in his arms.