A lone cliff side of marble, worn to a light shade of gray, clothed in the tallest of viridian grass, faces the very outskirts of the country. A lone peak, untouched by its people out of sheer reverence, or perhaps a desire to let untouched things remain untouched.
If that was the case, then the footsteps of the warlord named Leon the Lionhearted must have been nothing more than heresy. He looked at the broken clay tablet in his hand, then approached the stone wall with defiant stance, briefly tracing two fingers against the tiny network of fissures left by the weather of a millennium. But the stone refused to give even a speck of dust.
He scowled, then snapped his fingers, and two other figures emerged from behind him. A man wearing shades and a conspicuously anachronistic coat, and a peculiar young woman carrying a trumpet. The man, Eliot Fairbanks, held up a device that hummed with unworldly energy to the wall, smirking as ticking sounds like that of an old grandfather clock seemed to ring into the air. He let a little bit of his instrument's electricity trickle into the air...
A mirage like a waterfall formed in front of the three, as if the mountainside itself were peeling away. The light-gray carapace of the cliff side appeared to rise upward, a reverse avalanche revealing the precipice's secret. The grass around them shrinking, shrinking, shrinking until it buried itself into loamy soil as seed. The earth then buried itself as well, under piles of smoldering ash. Flame reignited, carving themselves into the now-black mountainside. And soon, at the very front, an opening in the shape of two double-doors carved itself out, the faint painted image of two fiery wings in front of the ash-gray wooden doors that materialized in front of it.
The woman brought her trumpet to her mouth, and with a single breath, Musia blasted a wave of sound that echoed into the countryside. The mirage washed itself away, image becoming reality. The doors in front of them stood firm, one last attempt to bar entry - but with a single kick, Leon forced the two open, with one of the doors falling right off of its tarnished hinges.
The conqueror grinned. This was one step closer, then, to the heart of Aniralia.
If that was the case, then the footsteps of the warlord named Leon the Lionhearted must have been nothing more than heresy. He looked at the broken clay tablet in his hand, then approached the stone wall with defiant stance, briefly tracing two fingers against the tiny network of fissures left by the weather of a millennium. But the stone refused to give even a speck of dust.
He scowled, then snapped his fingers, and two other figures emerged from behind him. A man wearing shades and a conspicuously anachronistic coat, and a peculiar young woman carrying a trumpet. The man, Eliot Fairbanks, held up a device that hummed with unworldly energy to the wall, smirking as ticking sounds like that of an old grandfather clock seemed to ring into the air. He let a little bit of his instrument's electricity trickle into the air...
A mirage like a waterfall formed in front of the three, as if the mountainside itself were peeling away. The light-gray carapace of the cliff side appeared to rise upward, a reverse avalanche revealing the precipice's secret. The grass around them shrinking, shrinking, shrinking until it buried itself into loamy soil as seed. The earth then buried itself as well, under piles of smoldering ash. Flame reignited, carving themselves into the now-black mountainside. And soon, at the very front, an opening in the shape of two double-doors carved itself out, the faint painted image of two fiery wings in front of the ash-gray wooden doors that materialized in front of it.
The woman brought her trumpet to her mouth, and with a single breath, Musia blasted a wave of sound that echoed into the countryside. The mirage washed itself away, image becoming reality. The doors in front of them stood firm, one last attempt to bar entry - but with a single kick, Leon forced the two open, with one of the doors falling right off of its tarnished hinges.
The conqueror grinned. This was one step closer, then, to the heart of Aniralia.
Amber Lumen held her knife in front of her, igniting it with the Lantern's flame just enough for it to glow a soft white and serenely light the way. The twisting caverns in front of her were jagged, lined with unnatrually sharp rock, and it felt like every step she made had to be done with the utmost caution.
Which is why she had to do her best when a young girl's voice rang out behind her. "Wooow, what is this place? It's... really, really spooky!" The clacking of heeled shoes came afterward as a small girl in frilly, grass-stained white dress bounded down the steps Amber had just warily tip-toed down.
Amber had to release a tense breath before admonishing her. "You know, you really got to be more careful than that down here... This is the Crypt of Ashes we're talking about."
"Ooooh, that's a really cool name!" the young girl, Alice Ciel, commented. "But, if it's a crypt, um, what, or uh, who's buried here?"
Amber shook her head. "Honestly, nobody remembers. What I do know is that this is where the Lantern's flame was first taken, a long time ago." She held up a fragment of a clay tablet in her hand. "As far as I can tell, whatever's causing all sorts of strong people to come to Aniralia in the first place, has to do with whatever's down here."
Alice nodded her head as if she totally understood all of that, even though she didn't truly understand everything that was happening here. "Well, I'll come along with you! I've always wanted to explore places like this! Even if there could be something really scary down there..."
Amber was about to object on the basis of Alice looking far too young for something like this, but she had to catch herself. The people who had wandered into this land were, for whatever ever, strong enough to be brought here in the first place, by whatever was at the bottom of the crypt. Instead, she had to object on another reason...
She held up her blade to illuminate a fork in the road, a split into four different corridors. "I get the feeling we'll be beyond lost before we ever find what it is..."
This put pause in the two girls' steps, until Alice pointed out a small figure, crouched in front of one of the corridors and facing the two. It was that of an otherwise unassuming cat, one that Amber was quick to recognize as Parker.
Without saying much else, Parker turned around and trotted down his corridor, looking back once just to see where the other two would go. Alice was quick to follow, and Amber soon after once Alice prompted her with an enthusiastic wave of her hand. Parker didn't seem to mind - if he wasn't outright leading them through the crypt outright.
Amber had a solid feeling at the bottom of her stomach that she'd get to the bottom of all of this yet.
Which is why she had to do her best when a young girl's voice rang out behind her. "Wooow, what is this place? It's... really, really spooky!" The clacking of heeled shoes came afterward as a small girl in frilly, grass-stained white dress bounded down the steps Amber had just warily tip-toed down.
Amber had to release a tense breath before admonishing her. "You know, you really got to be more careful than that down here... This is the Crypt of Ashes we're talking about."
"Ooooh, that's a really cool name!" the young girl, Alice Ciel, commented. "But, if it's a crypt, um, what, or uh, who's buried here?"
Amber shook her head. "Honestly, nobody remembers. What I do know is that this is where the Lantern's flame was first taken, a long time ago." She held up a fragment of a clay tablet in her hand. "As far as I can tell, whatever's causing all sorts of strong people to come to Aniralia in the first place, has to do with whatever's down here."
Alice nodded her head as if she totally understood all of that, even though she didn't truly understand everything that was happening here. "Well, I'll come along with you! I've always wanted to explore places like this! Even if there could be something really scary down there..."
Amber was about to object on the basis of Alice looking far too young for something like this, but she had to catch herself. The people who had wandered into this land were, for whatever ever, strong enough to be brought here in the first place, by whatever was at the bottom of the crypt. Instead, she had to object on another reason...
She held up her blade to illuminate a fork in the road, a split into four different corridors. "I get the feeling we'll be beyond lost before we ever find what it is..."
This put pause in the two girls' steps, until Alice pointed out a small figure, crouched in front of one of the corridors and facing the two. It was that of an otherwise unassuming cat, one that Amber was quick to recognize as Parker.
Without saying much else, Parker turned around and trotted down his corridor, looking back once just to see where the other two would go. Alice was quick to follow, and Amber soon after once Alice prompted her with an enthusiastic wave of her hand. Parker didn't seem to mind - if he wasn't outright leading them through the crypt outright.
Amber had a solid feeling at the bottom of her stomach that she'd get to the bottom of all of this yet.
Sock was beginning to realize that venturing this deep into Crypt was likely a poor decision regardless of his luck for the day.
Now he was stuck doing his best to fend off the frenzied attacks of a silhouette, a humanoid figure made entire of swirling ashes, brandishing a wickedly curved blade. His demonic staff was doing enough work in deflecting most blows, but if this kept up...
But just as if fortune chose to smile on Sock right then and there (and just as he could expect it to), a rainbow-tinted blade rushed from his flank and deflect the ashen figure's next attack for him. The shadow seemed to grow an additional cloak of darkness in response, turning that cloak into a dangerously curling tendril to hit both - but a flash of blinding light of all colors from the blade dispelling it and sending the ashen being staggering backward.
The wielding of that shining blade, Rainbow, quickly stole a glance at Sock to check if he was uninjured. Sock only had time to give a quick nod, however, as a cruelly bladed whip of ashes lashed out at Rainbow and cut the inside of his leg. He fell onto one knee as a second ashen figure emerged, a feminine form clutching multiple bladed weapons and clothed in smoldering armor.
The armored shadow raised her whip again and swung it down on Rainbow, but just in time, a seashell-decorated blade came to the rescue, blocking the lash. Now standing in front of Rainbow and Sock was a young woman dressed in a combination of armor and wetsuit, a foreign adventurer named Marline.
The second silhouette had managed to wrap her whip around Marline's blade, yanking it out of her grasp, but Marline didn't pause and kept running right at the figure. Just as she got in close range, she split into two of herself: one representing her mind, and one representing her soul. Her mind half generated a second sword out of purest energy and slashed right through the armored figure's defenses, causing it to begin crumbling into dust!
But just as her mind attacked, her soul found itself under sudden assault. An unmistakable demonic, man-eating form also of ash grabbed Marline's soul half by the neck, choking her with brimming anger as her soul could only struggle with wordless fear in her eyes. The demonic shadow raised one talon-brimming hand, ready to tear straight through Marline's being--
Only to find its arm being restrained by another demon's tendrils. It turned around to see Sock on his feet, holding his demonic staff in front as another demon glared at the attacking shadow, yanking at its arms, legs and throat. At the same time, an imp approached Sock's feet, holding a fragment of a clay tablet it had found nearby, before pointing out the darkness behind the tunnel they were in - in the distance, several more silhouette resembling fighters they knew all too well. Sock nodded, taking the clay fragment from the imp before shouting a quick order to Rainbow.
The light-blade wielding hero didn't need to be told twice. Rushing forward in a blur of light, he slammed his blade into the demonic shadow holding Marline's soul. The enemy released its grip just enough for the soul to break free and rejoin the mind, and Rainbow promptly took the struggling Marline by the hand to lead her down a hidden escape corridor. Sock was soon to follow, with the tendril-wielding demon staying behind to block the entrance, protecting the three heroes against the dozens of other ashen figures beginning to head their way...!
Now he was stuck doing his best to fend off the frenzied attacks of a silhouette, a humanoid figure made entire of swirling ashes, brandishing a wickedly curved blade. His demonic staff was doing enough work in deflecting most blows, but if this kept up...
But just as if fortune chose to smile on Sock right then and there (and just as he could expect it to), a rainbow-tinted blade rushed from his flank and deflect the ashen figure's next attack for him. The shadow seemed to grow an additional cloak of darkness in response, turning that cloak into a dangerously curling tendril to hit both - but a flash of blinding light of all colors from the blade dispelling it and sending the ashen being staggering backward.
The wielding of that shining blade, Rainbow, quickly stole a glance at Sock to check if he was uninjured. Sock only had time to give a quick nod, however, as a cruelly bladed whip of ashes lashed out at Rainbow and cut the inside of his leg. He fell onto one knee as a second ashen figure emerged, a feminine form clutching multiple bladed weapons and clothed in smoldering armor.
The armored shadow raised her whip again and swung it down on Rainbow, but just in time, a seashell-decorated blade came to the rescue, blocking the lash. Now standing in front of Rainbow and Sock was a young woman dressed in a combination of armor and wetsuit, a foreign adventurer named Marline.
The second silhouette had managed to wrap her whip around Marline's blade, yanking it out of her grasp, but Marline didn't pause and kept running right at the figure. Just as she got in close range, she split into two of herself: one representing her mind, and one representing her soul. Her mind half generated a second sword out of purest energy and slashed right through the armored figure's defenses, causing it to begin crumbling into dust!
But just as her mind attacked, her soul found itself under sudden assault. An unmistakable demonic, man-eating form also of ash grabbed Marline's soul half by the neck, choking her with brimming anger as her soul could only struggle with wordless fear in her eyes. The demonic shadow raised one talon-brimming hand, ready to tear straight through Marline's being--
Only to find its arm being restrained by another demon's tendrils. It turned around to see Sock on his feet, holding his demonic staff in front as another demon glared at the attacking shadow, yanking at its arms, legs and throat. At the same time, an imp approached Sock's feet, holding a fragment of a clay tablet it had found nearby, before pointing out the darkness behind the tunnel they were in - in the distance, several more silhouette resembling fighters they knew all too well. Sock nodded, taking the clay fragment from the imp before shouting a quick order to Rainbow.
The light-blade wielding hero didn't need to be told twice. Rushing forward in a blur of light, he slammed his blade into the demonic shadow holding Marline's soul. The enemy released its grip just enough for the soul to break free and rejoin the mind, and Rainbow promptly took the struggling Marline by the hand to lead her down a hidden escape corridor. Sock was soon to follow, with the tendril-wielding demon staying behind to block the entrance, protecting the three heroes against the dozens of other ashen figures beginning to head their way...!
Amber stepped into the room, holding a hand to her eyes to ward off its unexpected illumination. She turned around a few times to take in the sight: a perfectly circular chamber large enough to hold a small army, with a domed ceiling that dared to press the heavens even this deep within subterranean Aniralia. Along the walls, a mural of slowly peeling paint, depicting the country's landscapes, skylines and people, with the distinctive dark red of two fiery wings stretched over it all. At the center, a small altar of stone, an engraving clearly torn out of the front of it. And standing behind that, a familiar person whose prompted Amber to draw in a sharp breath.
The figure turned around, still wearing the singed robes he was wearing on that fateful day. "You tread on sacred ground, Amber," Claude Aurum Lumen warned.
Amber responded by immediately raising her blade in front of her defensively, letting flame sprout in her off hand. "You trying to teach me another lesson?"
Without much of a change in his solemn expression, he turned his back and slowly walked away from Amber, to the other side of the chamber. "The Crypt of Ashes is the furnace from which the Lantern's flame, and thus all of Aniralia, was born. If you tamper with this place, you will forever shape this country in ways no one person can comprehend."
"You know that doing this is the only way to solve what's going on," Amber insisted. "Whatever is causing people to come from different worlds has to do with what's buried underneath this room." She held up the piece of clay tablet, as if it justified everything she was doing. "And if we're going to get any closer to solving this for good, we have to dig it out. And I won't stop for anything else.
"But if you're here to stop me..." Amber widened her stance and held her blade firmly. "I've beaten you before, I can do it again."
Claude scowled as he took up his own stance: not the one of fear and authority he displayed at the ruined house of the Lantern some time ago, but one of firm resolve. "Prove to me that your 'bravery' will triumph over the horrors your path will awaken," he growled, flame appearing at his fists.
The two stared at each other one more time, knowing that the outcome would decide the country's fate. So there was no hesitation in their steps, when they approached each other one last time.
The figure turned around, still wearing the singed robes he was wearing on that fateful day. "You tread on sacred ground, Amber," Claude Aurum Lumen warned.
Amber responded by immediately raising her blade in front of her defensively, letting flame sprout in her off hand. "You trying to teach me another lesson?"
Without much of a change in his solemn expression, he turned his back and slowly walked away from Amber, to the other side of the chamber. "The Crypt of Ashes is the furnace from which the Lantern's flame, and thus all of Aniralia, was born. If you tamper with this place, you will forever shape this country in ways no one person can comprehend."
"You know that doing this is the only way to solve what's going on," Amber insisted. "Whatever is causing people to come from different worlds has to do with what's buried underneath this room." She held up the piece of clay tablet, as if it justified everything she was doing. "And if we're going to get any closer to solving this for good, we have to dig it out. And I won't stop for anything else.
"But if you're here to stop me..." Amber widened her stance and held her blade firmly. "I've beaten you before, I can do it again."
Claude scowled as he took up his own stance: not the one of fear and authority he displayed at the ruined house of the Lantern some time ago, but one of firm resolve. "Prove to me that your 'bravery' will triumph over the horrors your path will awaken," he growled, flame appearing at his fists.
The two stared at each other one more time, knowing that the outcome would decide the country's fate. So there was no hesitation in their steps, when they approached each other one last time.