Completed Sun and shade

[Ivan Skender]

- "Don't flatter yourself, Quinnick." - He quipped, before he took his lips to hers yet again. It was then that he wrapped his arms around her waist, hoisting her off the ground, and carrying her off of that dusty backroom in search a more inviting atmosphere.
​

---

The room remained mostly submerged in darkness. A flickering candle on the corner, lit by the merchant probably during those last few moments before his untimely demise, shed what little light it could onto its dark surroundings. Its glow illuminated a bedroom: a few chests, a wardrobe, as well as a wide bed, covered by white silk sheets which the unsteady light coloured in orange and red hues.

Ivan still lay on the bed, the flickering glow casting an ever-changing pattern of shadows upon his bare, well-defined torso and his six-pack. His head was cradled on his right arm, which, in turn, rested over a feathery pillow. A few translucid droplets of sweat shone still upon his brow and chest; a reminder of the exertion he'd just gone through.

The blonde stared blankly at the ceiling, his mind clearly elsewhere, though his features conveyed a relaxed, glassy expression, as though he was oblivious to all that went on around him.

- "We should get going in a few hours." - He said, breaking the silence at last. Though the original plan had been to head to the ruins during the evening, to avoid the scorching heat of the daytime, the knowledge that the Kaliti had blown their cover had changed that plan somewhat, as he didn't fancy getting assailed by a group of ambushers in the dark.

As it stood then, it would be best, in his mind, to leave in those short hours just before dawn, so that they would arrive at the ruins with the daylight.
​

 

[Livia Quinnick]

Livia, too, stared at the ceiling as her fingers lightly ran over the silk sheets that covered some of her bare form. Her braid had come undone, splayed over the pillow and the ends almost blending into the white of the sheets. Ivan had done well in keeping her occupied enough to not think of the dead man down the hall, but the task ahead would dawn on them.

She sighed, turning to roll onto her side and face him. "Until then? What will we do?" And before he could say something along the lines of a second round or the like, Livia pressed on. "We need to think of a plan, or gather information of what to expect. If we are close enough, I may be able to get a lay of the land with my magic." There was more than being a compass, but Livia needed entire focus and control to see forward. She had done it in the past with success, actively seeking out a missing Initiate with her magic traveling far and wide to help steer Livia and Proctor Everleigh Ebersol the right direction.

Her eyes fell to his bare chest, flicking back up to his face. Should she feel guilty? Livia had told Silas her feelings for him were enough to make her love him, but here she was, seeking out another to help manage her pain. She heard whispers around the Academy he was courting other girls...

Livia cleared her throat. "Are we really still planning on killing the ambushers?"

Ivan Skender

 

[Ivan Skender]

"Are we really still planning on killing the ambushers?"

- "Yes." - He stated plainly. They still couldn't afford to let the Kaliti know there were Anirian spies roaming through their lands. If word got out, that'd put both sides in a delicate position politically. He knew it would be a difficult follow-up for Livia, but like any valuable effort undertaken in life, it would do her no good to give up halfway. He was sure she wouldn't. - "All five of them." -

He shifted on the silk linen so that he too lay sideways, facing the girl.

- "If you can get a lay of the land, that would be perfect." - He said, before shifting to a more playful tone. - "Otherwise we just charge in." - That would obviously not be a great strategy, but it wouldn't be lethally bad either. After all, it was two Anirian initiates against a handful of provincial militiamen... He liked those odds.

He returned to laying on his back, hoisting himself up slightly, his torso coming to rest on his elbows.

- "Until then we really should ransack anything of value here." - A travelled merchant such as al-Eraz ought to have some sort of mount, and if he did, they'd be able to load up as much as they wanted onto it's back before they departed... all in a good day's work.

- "Otherwise, we could just go again." - He added smugly.​

 

[Livia Quinnick]

"Otherwise, we could just go again."

Livia rolled her olive green eyes at him. "Mission comes first." She too sat up straight and let the silk sheet fall from her frame, patting Ivan's cheek with a wicked smile before crawling to the end of the bed and scooping her clothes that he had pulled off of her earlier in the night. She loathed the idea of putting them back on so soon, her skin still clinging with a light layer of sweat.

"Or... I could have that bath I had wanted back at the inn. You can go rifle through his things while I indulge in one last luxury." She looked back at him, raising a brow. "I have time for that, do I not?"

Perhaps scrubbing her skin would also wash away the blood on her hands, only she could see.

"Thank you," she started, slipping out from the bed and began collecting the items of clothes that were thrown further from the bed. "If that was what you were waiting to here. Consider myself distracted enough." Livia dropped his clothes at the end of the bed, before him.

"I will try not to be too long. We will need a way of traveling, will we not? I believe my horse may be still where I left her..." She had sold the steed, but Livia had no qualms in taking back what was hers, even if it was a horse given by the Dreadlords. "And if we are gearing up, then I need a bow." Daggers were all over her person, when clothed and fitted with gear, but Livia felt more sure with her magic using a bow and full quiver of arrows. "If I am to be a killer now, I may as well do it right."

Ivan Skender

 

[Ivan Skender]

"Mission comes first."

- "Booooring." - He sighed at her. - "Though you're very welcome for the entertainment." - He beamed. As she dropped his clothes at the feet of the bed though, he picked up on the hint, and started to dress himself.

- "You have time for a bath, if you want to, yes." - He replied, though refraining from suggesting he could join her as well.

- "Though we're gearing up, Quinnick. Not going shopping." - He said, his tone brimming with sarcasm. - "It's best if we don't wake up the entirety of Tell Arran to steal a horse, or a bow." -

He got up, now fully dressed.

- "Al-Eraz said he ran caravans. He ought to have some animals in some stable nearby, I'll look to see if I can find us a mount." - He continued. - "If not, then we'll go and steal your horse back." -

He made ready to walk out of the room, though not without glancing back one last time at his partner.

- "So soak away, Princess." - He quipped. - "I'll find us mounts, and retrieve your stuff from the inn." - And with that he walked out the door.

He would spend some time after that getting ready. As he'd supposed, al-Eraz had a stable, just adjacent to the back of the store, where the three camels he'd kept there begrudgingly came to accept their new master. He would spend some more time loading the camels with fine silks and cloths. Apart from some stylish garments and clothes he'd keep for himself, Ivan loaded still some textiles that he though would fetch a fair price, back in Vel Anir.

A short venture outside would follow, as he returned to the Black Camel Inn to retrieve his and Livia's belongings. He would re-enter al-Eraz's shop a couple of hours after he'd left Livia. He carried with him, not only their belongings, but also a composite cherrywood bow, which he'd found in the back-yard of a house in the periphery of the city, presumably belonging to a huntsman that lived in the city.

Before he went to meet the girl though, he walked by the lifeless corpse of Hasan al-Eraz. With a waive of his hand, his magic materialised in the form of a dark, black curtain that came to involve the body, and after some short moments, the corpse was gone, the rotting flesh decayed into dust.

- "Sun will be rising in a few hours." - He said, as he found Livia, handing her the cherrywood bow as he walked towards her. - "Are you ready, Princess?" - ​

 

[Livia Quinnick]

Livia found the bath a pleasant experience, scrubbing at her skin as if that would undo the murder she had committed or the lapse in judgement in laying with Ivan... multiple times. She was quick to refresh herself, so that the next few minutes, she could dip her head beneath the water and release her breath. Her entire body submerged, she relaxed herself, calmed her mind, and sought out the location they were headed for. Images came to her in flashes, some hard to catch, but others Livia was able to see places that would be good to stop and spy. It was a distance to travel, but between the two of them, they would manage fine.

By the time she was out from the bath, clothed and hair damp, Livia went to rifle through her pack she brought with her. She never left without it, the compass her father made, and rarely would she offer it to someone else. It was a compass meant to always find her whereabouts, with her father wanting to keep a close eye on his favourite child growing up. Eventually, she understood why he did so, that he had larger plans in mind for her ability with the House magic.

She turned to look as Ivan returned, free hand taking the offered bow. "This... is a decent bow." With a raised brow, she looked at his person expectantly. "No quiver?" She did not need to roll her eyes at his use of calling her Princess, not when she moved to stand before him and offered him something else in return. "This compass will guide you to where ever I am. If at any point we are separated... it is best to know where to go." Livia leveled him with a look. "Or if you prefer, if one of us is taken, the other should abandon them behind."

Ivan Skender

 

[Ivan Skender]

"No quiver?"

- "No arrows, either." - He said matter-of-factly. - "You'll have to rely heavily on your crafting abilities, Quinnick." - He said half-smugly. Truth was he'd only found the bow in the house, and - not having wanted to be caught - he hadn't bothered looking around the place for the associated supplies. Quinnick would then have to show some survivalist skills, if she wanted to use the bow then. After all, when they went out in missions, equipment was often too damaged, or under-supplied, to work properly. It was up to them to make it right on the spot.

He was about to turn and walk-off to oversee the final preparations to their little caravan before departure, when Livia's offer held his step.

He looked over the compass for a short while, before taking it.

- "Sure." - He said, nonchalantly. - "Though I don't think this is the 'leaving comrades behind' kind of mission." - He continued. - "We're fighting Kaliti militiamen in a ruin, not raiding the Imperial army in an open field." -

He looked at her, attempting to sound reassuring.

- "We'll both be fine. No one needs to be left behind." -

Livia Quinnick​

 

[Livia Quinnick]

Her eyes narrowed as he gave a disappointing answer, his solution only making her scowl deepen. They only had a few hours before the sun rose, and even less time before they needed to be on their way. al-Eraz did not keep any materials needed to fletch new arrows, nor could she begin to think sourcing it all on her own. They were not difficult to make, not when she was as practiced as she was. Her brothers taught her how to hunt, more so out of curiosity if her magic truly would have her with a perfect record, but Livia honed her mastery during her time at the Academy.

When Ivan had taken the compass, Liv pressed her lips together before humming something agreeable. "That is good to know now." She knew there were other Initates that would turn their backs if someone had been taken, believing their work was to follow the orders given with the mission.

"Well... should we start to being on our way? I will have to use my magic to find supplies to make arrows, and fletch while we head out." Livia quirked a brow up at him, securing her small pack she had brought with her at her shoulder. "Assuming you are not expecting me to be the one leading directions. You do know where we are going? You set up the meeting place with al-Eraz earlier."

Ivan Skender

 

[Ivan Skender]

- "Sure." - He said. - "Get what you need, and I'll wait for you in the stables at the back of the shop. Do make it quick though, we have time, but not that much time." -

Outside, while still dark, the first hints of light were already raying through the sky, suggesting that daybreak should be upon them in a few hours.

- "I'll lead on until the ruins." - He said, as he walked out. - "But when we're there, I expect you take charge and find out where the soldiers are?" - He asked, as much asking the question, as stating the assumption.

He would then walk out of the room, and towards the stables. By the time Livia found him again, he was checking the last of the strappings that held together his ill-gotten loot to his mount: a large, black camel...

How appropriate.​

 

[Livia Quinnick]

Livia merely nodded and followed him out the door, her things thrown at Skender to tidy away and ready with the caravan as she was quickly lost to the crowd out on the street. Her return came no later than an hour, a large pack filled with the very things she needed to fletch many arrows. With a grin, she held up her other hand as she climbed up to sit beside Ivan, showing off the purchase she made.

"Look at the stitching on this quiver!" All dreaded thoughts of what they were about to journey towards was forgotten after an impromptu shopping spree. Livia either stole or bought the very needs for fletching, but first, she wished to share in her delight. "Better quality than you would have found anywhere else. I even haggled for a lower price and they took it!" She grinned, tucking it away somewhere behind her and hidden amongst the other things.

Her high spirits did not wane even as her olive eyes fell onto the camel. "A black camel?" She did not think they had existed, not when the tan or ivory kinds were seen all over this city on the border. Livia quirked a brow at him, "How distinctive. Did not think subtlety was part of your repertoire." Liv mused, sorting her purchased goods at her feet. She would start on the arrows once they made it past the city, when there were barely any eyes on them. At some point, Livia's hair had been braided again and the head scarf purchased that day hiding her uniquely discoloured ends of her hair. Best not to be recognised anytime soon.

Ivan Skender

 

[Ivan Skender]

- "Oh, very impressive." - He said, shaking his head with a bemused look on his face. - "And yes, Quinnick, I'm stealth personified. Didn't you know?" - He quipped.

- "This is Naspie." - He said, petting the camel's head. The name was an homage to Naspar of the Annunaki pantheon - the God of magic - though Ivan wasn't sure whether the deity would take pride or offense at such a tribute...

In any case, it was not as if though the opinions of foreign Gods ever mattered to him. - "And I'm keeping him." - He continued, cheerfully.

He furrowed his brow.

- "Now shall we go?" - He asked rhetorically.

---

The journey out of Tell Arran, and towards the ruins, was as smooth as one could expect. They left the city some time before sunrise, and rode on their loot-loaded camels at a leisurely pace through the sands. Ivan's mood was light-hearted, cheerful even, cracking some jokes and telling a few conspicuous stories from his time at the Academy.

Eventually though, their pleasant chit-chat came to an end as the top of the ruins first came into view, the golden summit of the ruined pyramids glistening in the morning Sun.

- "Okay, now's your moment to shine." - He said to Livia. - "You lead on from now." -​

 

[Livia Quinnick]

The hours of travel had seemed shorter with the light conversation and exchange of stories. Her fingers made quick work in fletching plenty of arrows, at which point Ivan had commented on. Livia knew it was overkill, but her other magic had a way of utilising unused weapons. What may not be in her quiver would be called upon.

She was shy of eighty arrows, having taken a few breaks to rest her strained hands.

Her quiver held plenty, and with her bow slung over her head and shoulder, she dismounted and surveyed their area. "Right. Be quiet for a few minutes." She never worked with sand before, but Livia's magic held such vastness in capabilities, she only needed a moment to figure out the terrain. On her knees, hands pressed against the scored surface of the grains, Livia let loose her magic. The air crackled around her, and the sands were disturbed only a little as magic spread from Quinnick.

She had shut her eyes, her head turning this way and that as if chasing something behind her eyelids. "There are twelve bodies within. Two near the entrance... six flanking.... what I think may be the center of the ruins. They are all scattered around for an ambush." The numbers were accurate, she could practically see with her divining sight how they paced and waited for them.

"The first two are scouts that will signal to the others how far deep we will be going in. I think they mean to overwhelm us in the centre... So what's our play going in? Straight through open doors or we climbing that structure and going in from above?"

Ivan Skender

 

[Ivan Skender]

Ivan listened intently to Livia's words, all the while petting Naspie's head. He'd grown rather fond of the camel during their short journey together, even in spite - or perhaps even because - of the beast's fickle temperament. His absolute most favourite part had been when Naspie had attempted to court Livia's camel mid-journey in what had looked to him to be a half-baked, unsuccessful, attempt at a mating ritual. Still, the audacity had won the camel a place in Ivan's heart.

- "Neither, actually." - He replied to Livia. - "I was thinking," - He said, as he glanced to the ruined buildings where such a vanguard, as that which Quinnick had mentioned, could be perched upon. - "that this is the perfect opportunity for you to test that bow you nagged me to get. Can you eliminate those scouts without raising the alarm?" - If she could, then they could position themselves around the main formation of the soldiers undetected.

To ambush the ambushers, as it were.

- "You also mentioned twelve," - He continued. - "but only accounted for eight. Where are the other four?" - ​

 

[Livia Quinnick]

"Can you eliminate those scouts without raising the alarm?"

The challenge made Liv grin. "Of course. You know, I am one of the quickest draws at the Academy?" And she was even quicker now with the corruption magic somewhat tamed to her bidding.

Standing, she dusted off her hands against her trousers. The fashion was looser than what she would wear in Vel Anir, but the air was nice to cool against her in the barest of breezes out here. Livia approached Ivan as he asked where the others were. She let her head fall to the side in thought, "Well, they are in there. Must be deep inside something that is making it hard to read. I know the numbers, but where they are stationed? There's a block there. Maybe once we are inside and closer, I can get a better track on their location." She smiled, "Do not worry. We have worked as a team once before. First day of Taskforce training, against Maseno. Sure, we were outmatched, but I think Skender and Quinnick can take on the unaccounted four soldiers inside."

That day she willed her corruption magic to listen, and the invisible hands that she felt when conjuring with it had taken her arrows and shot them at anyone that tried to attack her. Livia grabbed that bag of extra arrows from her camel, giving the mount a polite smile before stomping a path in the sand towards the Ruins.

"Come along. The Princess needs an escort."

Ivan Skender

 

[Ivan Skender]

He tied Naspie to a stone pole that rose nearby out of the sands, the construct a seemingly long-forgotten remnant of an ancient obelisk.

- "Well then ranger Quinnick, let's see what you got." - Before stepping away from the camel, he made sure to take out the weapon he'd brought with him for the mission: a castle-forged warhammer made out of black steel.

He was about to leave towards the ruins when Quinnick's remark stopped him dead in his tracks.
​

Sure, we were outmatched, but I think Skender and Quinnick can take on the unaccounted four soldiers inside.​

Outmatched? Outmatched?!

He just stared blankly at her for a few moments, his brain frozen at the sheer audacity of the girl, going so far as implying that he could ever have been outmatched against someone of their class.

- "May I remind you," - He scoffed, more defensively than he would've liked. - "that I won the fight against Luana?" - He continued, the mere suggestion that he was inferior in any way to Maseno an outrage too great to bear. - "That much should've been clear when I collapsed the fort on top of him." - Or would have, had their Luana-financed Archon not intervened.

He breathed deeply, the unfathomable damage done to his ego receding slightly as he did.

- "Now, have some confidence Your Majesty." - He said, rather more amiably. - "We'll make minced meat out of these Kaliti." -​

 

[Livia Quinnick]

A wicked grin stretched across Livia's lips at his insistence that he won that little match with Maseno. She did not have the heart to tell him that Luana had been holding back, that what he used to parry with their attacks was only a smidgen of what he was capable of. Nor did she mention she got extra training with him, instead of Skender, after seeing his control of his magic.

"Alright, butcher boy." Her eyes fell to his warhammer, a smile settling on her face. There was nothing more that could distract Livia from the fact there was going to be more deaths this day, than the idea of her showing off her magic and skill. She was one of the best marksman in the Academy, so surely that meant the best in the Empire now?

Livia and Ivan set out for the ruins, the former directing where to move in order to not be seen through the entrance way. It was grand, opening to a large room where she could feel the first two sentries. She waited a moment, determining whether the timing was right before walking through the slightly opened door. Her first arrow was loosed, finding purchase through the eye of the first sentry. Before his body could fall, she was already moving into the center of the room, second arrow knocked and poised to shoot through the other sentry and he wandered out from behind a pillar.

A third arrow was knocked, Livia standing a moment again to get a better read of where the others were stationed in the ruins.

"There are two rooms ahead where three each either side are ready to pelt us down. I know there are two archers... We need to take them out first." Livia turned to see if Ivan had kept up with her.

Ivan Skender

 

[Ivan Skender]

Much in contrast to what could be expected from someone on such a sensitive, somewhat stealthy, plan, Ivan walked leisurely through the ruins, quite content to let Livia deal with the Kaliti vanguard as he took the chance to marvel at the wonderful, intricate craftsmanship of the ancients.

Naturally, Ivan had never been one to appreciate the finer points of architectural magnificence - much less when slaughter and bloodshed were involved - but as Livia seemed to have the mission, or at the very least its beginning, on lock-down, he contented himself with enjoying the view, quietly fantasizing about all the wealth that ought to be stored within those walls.

That was until Livia pulled him back to reality.

Right. They still had a job to do.

- "I think it's likely that, the second the first archer is out, the others will realise it, and we'll be fighting all five remaining at the same time." - This he said not with the aim of discouraging, or arguing, Livia's plan, but rather to warn her of what was to come. - "The moment we storm out that door," - He said. - "there's no stopping until they're all dead." -

He tightened his grip on his warhammer, as he made towards the door.

- "You'll only have a split second to assimilate where each of your targets is, so take a moment, and cool your head." - With a nod of his head, he made towards the door. Once Livia was ready he'd barge in, and lunge towards whatever unfortunate target happened to be closest to the entrance.

- "And pleeease try not to shoot me." -​

 

[Livia Quinnick]

Livia reached behind her and took a handful of arrows, opening her hand to let them roll into her fingers. "Or I can take out both archers. Trust me, I have done more practice since our first Taskforce training day." With a sharp inhale of breath, the four arrows one by one took to the air. She usually had them stationed behind her, working as a threatening shield to any that dared to attack her, but today, she was the one hunting.

"Do not fret, sweet Ivan. I would not shoot someone with a pretty face." She winked, knocking another arrow before taking slow and quiet steps into the next room. The room opened up and Livia was aware of the many bodies around. Her magic told her how the militia men moved, where to aim in order to catch them at the precise moment she needed. The next room again opened up to a tall ceiling, and another balcony wrapping around the perimeter. Pillars hid the men in shadows, but Livia knew exactly where they were.

The different magicks at play were seamless in control; the arrows moving as she advanced. Two arrows shot out at once, claiming their targets with succession as the bodies fell to the ground.

The other men shouted, yelling in Kaliti but Livia was already moving in and loosing her arrows to another soldier in her line of sight.

"Ivan, two men coming down the stairs on the left." She called out, looking for the third remaining.

Ivan Skender

 

[Ivan Skender]

"Do not fret, sweet Ivan. I would not shoot someone with a pretty face."​

"Huh, good thing I'm not Henk" - He thought to himself.

Not that he would have too much time to think though, for as soon as Livia had spoken the words, she barged into the next room, arrows floating menacingly behind her. As she loosened them into the hall, Ivan trailed behind, managing to parry a strike meant for Quinnick, from a soldier that had stood just by the entrance.

The guard bumbled backwards, very clearly taken aback by what he thought was a sure strike. Though this incredulity lasted but for a moment, that was all it took. With a swift movement upwards, and then sideways, Ivan swept his warhammer against the man's unprotected skull, smashing his head in and spluttering his brains and blood all over his own face.

Before he even had the time to clean the gore off, Livia was already signalling for the two other guards that had just erupted from the last steps of the stairs.

If the fate of the first militiaman had been gruesome, these two were in for a whole new world of pain. As a black aura came to envelop his right hand, Ivan unleashed his decay powers on the men. Dark rays projected out of his fingers and against his targets, the magic causing their flesh to redden, open and fall from the bone within the span of a few seconds, and while the men were still very much alive. For a few moments, their screams filled the heavy air of the chamber, but as soon as they'd come, they were gone; the men's cries of agony nothing but the blink of an eye in the ruins' millenniums-long life.

- "Right." - He said, turning to Livia. - "Eight are down. Where are the rest?" - ​

 

[Livia Quinnick]

Livia made quick work in expelling her arrow for the last soldier.

He had dived behind a pillar, picking up the dropped bow and quiver of an archer. Two arrows whistled past Livia, who had moved so naturally, it appeared as if she were lucky, and not her magic in play. With an impassive expression, Livia aimed her arrow true, loosing it and watched as the arrow point pierced into his eye and into his brain. She stared as he feel, a sickening feeling stirring in her stomach.

Dread filled her, numbed her. Blood was now on her hands, even if she did not end their lives with her bare hands.

Ivan had asked her a question, and her mind slowly recalled it.

"Four left." She updated him with a nod. "Not in the next room... I think they are below. It is weak down there... but I know for certain they are not on the same level or higher than us." There was an energy beneath their feet, and Livia bit down on her bottom lip. "I am not liking this. We may be going in truly blind down there."

Livia was no brute force like Ivan and his warhammer.

"There are stairs at the very end of these ruins. We should keep moving." She pointed to the right, where the room opened up to the rest of the ruins they had yet to explore.

Ivan Skender

 

[Ivan Skender]

"I am not liking this. We may be going in truly blind down there."​

- "Afraid of the dark, Princess?" - He quipped light-heartedly. - "Just stay behind me, and keep your eyes peeled." -

The stairs were not far from where they were, though just a glance at them would've been enough to send even the bravest of warriors scurrying in the other direction. At the end of an already-gloomy chamber, the steps plunged further into the depths of the ruins, the stone fully immerse in pitch-black darkness just a few steps in.

Ivan took a torch which the Kaliti had set up in the first room, and with it in-hand he started the descent. The stairwell spiralled deep into the earth, over a height that seemed to him to surpass that of a multi-storey building. As they went down the steps, Livia would feel the presence of the missing soldiers - all four of them - growing more and more perceptible with each step they took until, suddenly, they were gone. From a moment to the next, all of them, vanished.

Eventually, they reached the end of the stairwell. It led down a dark hallway. On its walls, carvings and paintings from the Ancients still adorned the naked stone, depicting colourful scenes of conflict and sacrifice. On the left-hand side, a group of individuals, fully clad in ceremonial robes, offered sacrifices at an altar. These offerings grew more and more sumptuous as the hallway went on, starting from simple offerings of exotic-looking fruits and cereals, and finishing with the sacrifice of what appeared to be humanoid - maybe elven, maybe human, maybe something else - victims. On the right, the paintings depicted scenes of war; men brandishing weapons as they fought scores of different beasts, each more fantastical than the one before it.

Eventually, even the hallway came to end, opening up into a much larger room. Here too, the darkness reigned. So much so in fact, that even with the torch, the light could not fully penetrate the chamber, the vast majority of which lay immersed in darkness still.

That was when something caught Ivan's eye.

- "Hey, look!" - He said, heading off in the direction of a faint glimmer. - "I've read about these." - The object Ivan was heading towards would reveal itself as a mirror. A large, round glass hoisted on top of a gyrating platform. Across the room from it, another faint light betrayed the presence of another such construct. Ivan moved it, aligning the mirror with its twin across the chamber. Suddenly, light spurred from them to illuminate the entire division.

That's when it kicked off.

Before either of the two could react, a wall of stone slid over the entrance of the room from whence they had come, locking them inside. To compound matters, all throughout the walls, a series of strange runes started to glow in a faint blue hue. It was hard to pinpoint what they did exactly, but Ivan felt a draining sensation, which he quickly attributed to his magic being supressed. Though the aged runes had long lost their full potency, they were still strong enough to dull his magic to the point he figured he'd have trouble rotting something as basic as an apple. Livia would probably feel something similar.

And that was when he saw them.

On the opposite end of the chamber, the four Kaliti soldiers they had gone down there to find - or what remained of them, at least - were splattered across the floor, their limbs severed, and their blood painting the walls in a sickly red hue.

Over all of this, a growl rose from the depths beyond.​

 

[Livia Quinnick]

Livia followed a step behind Ivan as they descended into the deep dark, the presence of the Kaliti flickered in strength but still indeterminable. Bow raised and arrow nocked, she did not step on his toes or graze him at all. The darkness took her sight, but it did not take her magic. She was able to keep good on her promise not to shoot him at least.

Coming across the chamber, she did not share the inquisitive thinking and curiosity Ivan afforded.

"Do not touch it!" She hissed, annoyed that he was not scanning the room like she was. How could they have disappeared? She felt their presence up until a point. Livia lowered her weapon, sighing as she watched Ivan do the opposite of what she said.

Their entry point was cut off. Runes began to glow, and Livia started to feel an overwhelming disorientation. For her, it felt as if she felt nobody's presence, and their presence all at once. She looked to Ivan, the startling realisation clear upon her face. Just as her mind went to her corruption magic, the arrows that had not been loosed earlier clattered beside her. Magic had no boundary here.

Livia had been looking at Ivan as he turned to see the bodies, her own eyes flicking to the other end to see the remaining four soldier.

No... they had not shielded themselves against her.

The guilt and uneasiness of killing the other soldiers surfaced, triggered by the violence before her. An arrow had been more kind, but Livia was unable to not liken her acts to this degree of mauling.

"Fuck." She trembled.

Livia did not hide her whimpering as a growl echoed against the stones in the chamber, the runes seemingly rippling with the noise.

"Ivan..." Fuck. She was scared.

She was nothing without her magic.

Ivan Skender

 

[Ivan Skender]

Fuck. Fuck. FUCK.

Why did he have to touch the damn things?!

No magic, and only a warhammer to deal with whatever the fuck was coming their way. Oh, they were so fucked. Much like his colleague, Ivan was very much terrified. It was just that, by looking at his face, Livia would never be able to tell it. Indeed, as the growl grew in intensity, and the ground around them started to shake faintly, Ivan looked as impassable as he would during a random lecture on geography. He was scared, yes, but he had been scared before, and he knew well enough how to keep his fears in check.

He tightened his grip on his warhammer.

"Come what may."

- Stand behind me, Quinnick." - He said, his voice so calm against the horror of their situation that it could actually be soothing to the ear. - "And ready your bow." - He considered uttering a reassuring 'calm yourself' to Livia, but thought better of it. When had anyone actually calmed themselves, after being told to calm down?

- "Come what may out of these depths, we stand our ground." - He continued, as much to himself as to the girl.

- "Don't run. Dodge, if you will, and duck all you want but never turn your back to the enemy. That's how you get yourself killed." - With each word the growls seemed to be getting louder, their foe undoubtedly approaching its trapped prey. - "Should you find yourself alone during the fight, try to rush back to me. We'll be safer fighting back-to-back." - He said.

Though a few more words of advice or encouragement wouldn't have certainly gone amiss, their preparation time was over.

From a side wall, an intricately carved stone doorway creaked. The rock parted heavily, letting a cloud of darkened dust out. From within, two massive hands with spindly fingers, crowned by razor-sharp claws, became visible.

And that was not all, for amidst the gloomy mists, the beast's undead minions also walked forth from their dark tombs. Some sported Kaliti uniforms, others simple nomad outfits, but most wore ancient vests, strange to the blonde's eyes. A few of them also seemed mutated, boasting multiple limbs, growths throughout their bodies, and unnatural scores of eyes. For all the variety of their looks though, they all moved forth with an empty demeanour to their step, their minds - or what was left of them anyways - long enraptured by their bestial overlord.

- "Target the zombies." - He told Livia, his tone unnervingly calm. - "I'll deal with the beast." -

He started to move forward.​

 

[Livia Quinnick]

Liv raised her bow, trying to still her nerves as her disbelieving eyes fell on the scores of undead coming towards them. She was glad Ivan spoke to her, kept talking to keep her grounded. She was still a good shot without her magic, but the remnants of her corruption magic threatened to skew that confidence. It was the heavier, darker magic that almost had Quinnick freezing in place.

"I can do that." She forced herself to answer, to show Ivan she could be brave like him.

And so she made sure they would not advance any further than they have.

Arrows whistled through the air and lodged into the first undead, the uniform old Kaliti, but it was effective. She made sure she stood by Ivan, using his presence as her courage because she knew deep down she would never be able to muster it herself. "You should move once I clear the path for you." She nocked, aimed, and loosed. A second one down.

Fear tried to rattle her, to shake her aim and unsteady her breaths.

A third. Fourth. There were two left. Fuck. She missed, but another arrow was ready for rectify her mistake. Her vision blurred, and she shut her eyes tightly to rid of the tears welling up. Livia aimed again.

Stolen breaths filled her lungs in drowning gulps, her task done.

"Go!" She urged Ivan. Regret filled her watching him move without obstacle, that warhammer in hand and ready to be wielded.

From the dusty depths, movement. More. Triple the number Livia had taken down. She reached for her quiver, trying not to be discouraged by the decreasing number of arrows. Foolish, she chastised herself, reaching for a handful from the larger quiver at her waist. They should have planned for this. They should have done their research, except she had to distract herself with Ivan's body. She had to have a bath. She had to fletch arrows. Livia was unprepared for this. She was not like Kristen. She was not like Ivan, or the Urahil twins. She was not Thraah's destructive fire, nor Houri's raging storms. She was not Silas' quick movement, something that could have saved them both from being sealed shut inside this chamber.

Livia was not anything remarkable. Without her magic, without the very thing that sets her apart... Livia Quinnick was going to get herself killed.

 

[Ivan Skender]

As Livia's arrows started to fly over-head, the Beast finally came into full view.

A colossal form of bones and decayed flesh, with tree large arms and countless blackened horns, their opponent towered over the two of them, its imposing height nearly enough to fill the entire room. It let out a mighty roar, as it urged its minions forward.
​

Go!​

He heard Livia from behind his shoulder, her arrows having carved a direct path towards their opponent. Ivan moved forth, undaunted - at least on the surface - by their foe. His mind raced, as he tried to think of the best way to approach the challenge.

Truth was that, for all of the skills, all of the training, and all of the instincts the Academy had instilled in them, they were very much woefully underprepared for something like this. The beast was tall and muscular, its limbs long and powerful; a frontal attack was then - by far and wide - a terrible choice, but alas, due to the small, closed space they were in, as well as the small army of dead currently swarming them, it seemed to be the only choice. At least until he could figure something else out.

He charged the creature, dodging a few of the undead, as well as one of the beast's arms, as he closed the distance between himself and the ghoul. As he made his way across those last few steps in a mad dash forward, he raised his warhammer, ready to deliver a devastating - even if not lethal - blow to his opponent.

That was when he was thrown back. As he swung his warhammer mid-air, fully expecting the force of the impact with the creature's decayed flesh to reverberate through his weapon and his arm, he suddenly felt his attack being strangely thrown back; as though it had harmlessly bounced off of the beast's body. In that moment of confusion he looked up, and just in time, he was able to catch a glimpse of a faint blue aura that seemed to envelop the creature before fading out of sight.

The fucking thing had a barrier.

He also was able to make out a single bright point, emanating a glow the same colour as the barrier, that shone out of the creature's collar bone. Ivan did not however, have much time to process all of this for, as soon as his attack had been thwarted, his opponent had already made a counter-attack. One of the ghoul's long, muscular arms reached down, sweeping the room with its reach, and managing to catch the initiate straight in its line of impact.

Ivan was projected across the room, against a wall. He fell to the floor, collapsing on to his knees, his breath fully purged out of his lungs. A sharp pain shot up from his thorax, hinting at a cracked rib, while a few of the undead diverged their course from Livia towards his position.

He was aware of this, barely. Fighting the urge to give into the violent damage he'd just been dealt, Ivan tried to stand up, using his warhammer as a crutch.

Across the chamber, the beast let out a mighty roar. As the sound travelled through the hall, the dead - those zombies Livia had already shot down - suddenly wriggled and rose. Some with an arrow through the head, others through the heart, but all of them walking towards one of the two initiates. Throughout all of this, the bright point within the creature's collarbone, seemed to shine even brighter.

The ghoul also still had a few more surprises in store. It reached out to its shoulders and then, with a mighty effort, it tore one of its black horns free in what looked like a coarse scythe. Then, it too started to move forward.​