W
Warrior of Light
The fated Warrior awoke, his eyes opening slowly to the sunlit warmth, the sound of the soft rushing creek water, the rustling of leaves in the cool summer breeze, and to a sense of serenity where he lay upon the side of a grassy knoll. As he stood up, albeit wobbly, a question emerged: Where was he now?
He took in his surroundings: a green mosaic of grass, leaves, and vines, broken up by the frequent tree trunk and the interspersed gray stonework that lay abandoned and untended for what seemed ages. Pillars of chiseled stone sometimes stood or instead lay upon the ground, broken and shattered, all eroded by the passage of time and consumed by the unrelenting greenery of the dense forest.
Might he have emerged through the portal near Lufenia? He heard only rumors and tales —many described it as a city sheltered within a lush forest such as this. That would mean he had traveled to the other side of the world in mere moments. Surely that cannot be? Yet...
Was this once part of that very city, he wondered? Was this once a bustling courtyard within which people bartered, conversed, and went about their daily lives? He quickly dismissed the thought, as ponderance was not certainty. He turned behind him, remembering the battle he had just withdrew from. He took in what appeared to be a decrepit temple ground atop the knoll. It appeared to be a small shrine, broken up into tiers proceeding up the small hill with stairways of moss-covered flagstone, upon which was chiseled figures and symbols too weathered and alien to decipher.
He traversed the stairway leading to the center of the shrine, slowly, examining the twelve tall columnar pillars lining the top two tiers of the structure. They may have once held up a rooftop, but such was long since missing. Likely it was destroyed, broken apart and swept away. That most of the pillars yet remained was surely a testament to the civilization that resided here. Once he reached the apex of the shrine, he beheld a familiar sight.
A large, steel-colored crystal mass floating mere inches above a pedestal that, unlike everything else, lay undamaged and untouched by time and nature. Though he could feel the gentle pulsing of the energy within the crystal, it did not glow like the one he saw before. As he neared it, he also saw a crack running from top to bottom, disfiguring an otherwise perfectly cut gem. It was strange. The other crystal he saw was a radiant blue, but this one was dun and damaged.
Perhaps my passage through the portal was too grievous a burden for old magic such as this. The Warrior surmised, running his gauntleted hand across the face of the crystal, studying it.
He sighed and turned away. It was obvious the way back was sealed, and the answers he sought could not be gleaned from the ruins of a dead civilization. From the raised terrace, he saw four roads leading outward from the shrine’s courtyard, and from those, a few others branched off from them. He rested his hand upon the hilt of his sheathed sword, its familiar shape comforting him in this unfamiliar world.
He had nothing but his sword, his shield, and his courage. Though had he then been offered to trade for Gil’s legendary talent in black magic, he would be hesitant to refuse.
He took in his surroundings: a green mosaic of grass, leaves, and vines, broken up by the frequent tree trunk and the interspersed gray stonework that lay abandoned and untended for what seemed ages. Pillars of chiseled stone sometimes stood or instead lay upon the ground, broken and shattered, all eroded by the passage of time and consumed by the unrelenting greenery of the dense forest.
Might he have emerged through the portal near Lufenia? He heard only rumors and tales —many described it as a city sheltered within a lush forest such as this. That would mean he had traveled to the other side of the world in mere moments. Surely that cannot be? Yet...
Was this once part of that very city, he wondered? Was this once a bustling courtyard within which people bartered, conversed, and went about their daily lives? He quickly dismissed the thought, as ponderance was not certainty. He turned behind him, remembering the battle he had just withdrew from. He took in what appeared to be a decrepit temple ground atop the knoll. It appeared to be a small shrine, broken up into tiers proceeding up the small hill with stairways of moss-covered flagstone, upon which was chiseled figures and symbols too weathered and alien to decipher.
He traversed the stairway leading to the center of the shrine, slowly, examining the twelve tall columnar pillars lining the top two tiers of the structure. They may have once held up a rooftop, but such was long since missing. Likely it was destroyed, broken apart and swept away. That most of the pillars yet remained was surely a testament to the civilization that resided here. Once he reached the apex of the shrine, he beheld a familiar sight.
A large, steel-colored crystal mass floating mere inches above a pedestal that, unlike everything else, lay undamaged and untouched by time and nature. Though he could feel the gentle pulsing of the energy within the crystal, it did not glow like the one he saw before. As he neared it, he also saw a crack running from top to bottom, disfiguring an otherwise perfectly cut gem. It was strange. The other crystal he saw was a radiant blue, but this one was dun and damaged.
Perhaps my passage through the portal was too grievous a burden for old magic such as this. The Warrior surmised, running his gauntleted hand across the face of the crystal, studying it.
He sighed and turned away. It was obvious the way back was sealed, and the answers he sought could not be gleaned from the ruins of a dead civilization. From the raised terrace, he saw four roads leading outward from the shrine’s courtyard, and from those, a few others branched off from them. He rested his hand upon the hilt of his sheathed sword, its familiar shape comforting him in this unfamiliar world.
He had nothing but his sword, his shield, and his courage. Though had he then been offered to trade for Gil’s legendary talent in black magic, he would be hesitant to refuse.