Jalik walked down the long corridor of Carusoth. His mind swam with emotion, memories forming continually in his mind of lives past. The darkness within the cave grew darker, becoming a massive hindrance to his sight. His sword hung at his side. Jalik knew that the unexpected awaited him within the cave. He readied for battle, drawing his sword and becoming further aware of what was around him.
The metal was ancient, and it felt almost freezing. Its preservation was not anything lucky. It was magic! Jalik could feel the ancient power coursing through its veins as he descended further into the depths of the tomb. He had been walking for hours now, and the scenery hadn’t changed in that entire time. Only a dim light emanated from the metal itself as his one viewing assistant, however that light had dissipated.
More time past endlessly. Jalik grew tired and hungry as he continued, and mostly bored. When his mind started to wonder, he couldn’t help but think about how annoying it would be to go back up this corridor.
Jalik’s interest in reality suddenly perked as he noticed a light foreshortening down the corridor. He smiled, overjoyed that his long trek would finally reach its conclusion. Jalik ran, ignorant of any danger there might be so that he could see what lay before him. When he finally reached the location of the light, he was stricken in awe of the beauty the room contained.
Pillars of pure white extended to the top of the room to an unseen roof. The floor was heavily tiled and with an intricate design of a pinnacle. Jalik couldn’t believe how calm he felt in this room. The room was still darker than he would have wanted, but no matter how dark it was, he knew that he was somehow connected here.
Jalik noticed the rim of a door on the opposite wall. He instinctively walked toward it. Jalik could almost seem to hear music in the atmosphere. He got goose bumps as he heard the songs. They were low and holy chanting voices. In any other form he would have been terrified, but they were familiar as well. He hastened himself into the next room, however this room was to be the single most incredible sight he’d ever seen.
A huge city lay dormant in front of him. Dust smoke rose from the roads. A volcano rose from the far back of the cavern, and he made a point to himself to stay as far away from it as possible. The buildings here were destroyed and tarnished. Creatures of all sorts preyed upon each other, stalking the minorities in the once grand streets. Jalik smirked at how much time it would take him to explore, and thanked the gods for release from his boredom of waiting for battle. He hoped that he could plunder a few useful things for the cause Bart, his new boss, had in mind.
Jalik couldn’t help but picture the face of the master he tried to deceive. He laughed heartily when he thought of how annoyed Shakik will be when he realizes that he was betrayed. Especially the important information that Jalik now knows. Jalik would in due time tell Bart and the others of what Shakik was planning for the near future, however right now, his concentration must reside on the contest at hand.
Jalik regained his fighting spirit, readying his blade for any form of attack. Far in the background of the city, a large demon walked among the streets. With a massive inhaling noise came a breath of fire from its mouth, incinerating something in front of it that Jalik guessed was its next meal. Jalik couldn’t turn back now, his conscience wouldn’t allow it. He ran down the extensive flight of stairs in front of him and underneath a terrace that formed a crumbling bridge above his head. He immediately swung his sword to his left, cleaving an abnormally large lizard in two who’s last thought was Jalik’s body in its stomach.
Jalik knew that being brave here would only get him in deeper trouble. He charged across the street as stealthily as he could, sliding into the wall, evading the prying gaze of the endless sea of creatures. Jalik slipped into the nearest door he could see, leaping easily over the pile of glass and rubble that had once before been a complete wall. Within the building was a store. Signs still had paint upon them that could be made out as saying, "Caru...h Al....i..t."
Jalik searched through is vocabulary, and rapidly came up with the answer.
"Carusoth Alchemist," he said pleasingly to himself. He knew that this could be interesting.
After extensive searching of the building, Jalik could only come up with three worn out Mandrake Roots and a beautiful blue talisman that he knew he could sell for a high price.
Hours passed, and Jalik forgot about his growing hunger in the tenacity of the feeling of joy he had. His mind was completely on how he would skillfully evade fights with the "locals" and how much he had collected. His satchel overflowed with small valuables, and a wide smirk spread across his face.
Jalik had finally reached a further part of the city. He had taken what he could and now walked toward the volcano. He knew that it would be unnecessarily dangerous, but he was drawn to it. He felt an essence within the mountain that was impossible for him to ignore.
Jalik began walking toward it, drawn by a force that he couldn’t resist. He found his legs moving on their own, and he couldn’t resist. Jalik began to grow frightened. He was marching down the center of the main road, unable to defend himself. His sword dropped from his hand, clanging against the concrete road as he continued.
Jalik prepared for his demise as the creatures of darkness formed around him. They emitted sounds that rolled chills throughout his body as he looked into the shadows, seeing every color imaginable of glowing eyes, all concentrated on him.
They did not move. They watched him, their expressions obviously masks of anger at their solitude beneath the ground levels. Jalik’s tanned flesh seemed to be the one gourmet meal they would receive in a lifetime, however they were held at bay. Jalik’s novice Elemental skills detected that the same power that controlled him was identical to that which made the animals hesitate.
Jalik looked ahead, only to find himself staring into the eyes of the gigantic creature that he had seen beforehand. It sniffed him, trying to determine something from his scent that no human could. The creature, upon closer inspection, was one of the lizards, however more distinct. It was obvious that this one was of royal blood to the other ones. The white scales gave way to spikes throughout the skin of the creature. Its teeth were enormous, much larger than Jalik’s head and white as a cloud, which was surprising for one who exhales fire.
Jalik felt his stomach drop into a lower portion of his body when he heard a voice in his mind that echoed above all of the other ones.
"So, my Prince, you have returned."
Jalik could not even begin to comprehend what the Dragon was talking about. Jalik was still under the control of this unknown force, and had nothing better to do than wait for the massive Dragon to continue.
"You are speechless, I see! It is true then that you have forgotten us!"
Jalik was struck dumbfounded. "What are you talking about!?"
"Your court, of course. All of us are your forgotten subjects. You cannot begin to understand my relief at your being alive."
Jalik stuttered. "My...subjects? Wh...wha...? What is all this! Please explain!"
"Well, I see that you will not understand unless I explain. You see, long ago, when this city flourished with life, we all lived in harmony. We creatures and you humans enjoyed life together as equals and we lived in seclusion from the outside world. Within that volcano lived our leaders. It was a council of greatly empowered mages, with magic far surpassing that of the current Elemental Magery that exists in the upper world. The magic they used was not corrupted by the machinery up there, and we lived in harmony: our services for their protection from hunters. We were a dying race and couldn’t fend for ourselves, my father being the only one able enough to defend those you have passed. One day, he was overwhelmed and killed by hunters, and when my mother was to join him in death, the high council of this city intervened."
Jalik listened intently, remorseful that he had killed one of the lizards out of fear.
The massive dragon’s eyes glinted. "Fear not, Jalik, fear drove you to such measures. We are sorry that one of our brethren had to die by your hands, however you knew no better at the time. Conquering that fear is the key to the release of your power to its full."
Jalik looked at the dragon once again with a confused stare. "My...power?"
The dragon smiled. "Yes, my lord, the power of manifestation you hold deep within! You are the prince, and heir to be ruler of this city and over us whenever you so wish to reclaim your birthright. You have harnessed a fraction of that power as of now, and therefore are ready to receive the truth from those who spawned you."
Without another word, the dragon stepped aside, revealing a massive array of stairs behind it. Jalik stood stock still for a few moments. He expected to be ushered into the room at the top of the staircase, however he knew that this incredible dragon only wished to let the truth sink in before Jalik faced his destiny.
With the hissing of the lizards behind him who reverently saluted their general, the dragon, Jalik was drawn once again up the stairs by an unseen force. He had originally thought it was the dragon’s magic that was doing this, however he was mistaken, it was whatever was in the room inside the mountain.
Stair upon stair went by his eyes, his legs feeling as if they were not his own, not even feeling their movement. His stomach felt queasy as he felt more nervous than he had ever before in his life. He felt no danger from inside, or from the creatures of the dark, but he felt as though he were going on trial in front of the actual council.
More stairs continued passing, their glitter almost blinding him as the reflections found their way to his eyes. The stairs were all glass, clear and beautiful. A stain-glass window couldn’t hold the beauty of the stairs and the above view he received from on top of them. When he reached the top, he looked into the face of a double door, highly decorated with gray furnishings. The doors opened simultaneously as he waited, unable to move from his position. When they finally were all the way open, the force once again overtook his body and led him into a large circular room. The roof was domed, making Jalik feel almost sick once again.
Jalik was shocked when he actually looked at the room on ground level. There was nothing there, only a couple of stairs leading to a raised area in the center. Mirrors outlined the circumference of the walls, and Jalik noticed no pillars to help the building stand! The force continued to draw him foreword until he stood in the center of the pedestal in the center of the room. He could do nothing except wait.
"Hello, my son," echoed a voice from out of nowhere.
Jalik could not find the right words to answer. He merely asked, "Father?"
Jalik’s heart shrank when he saw what happened next. The mirror in front of him bean to have a shade materialize inside of it. Within moments, a white figure "stood" before him inside the mirror. The man had a long beard down to his chest with a mustache as well. He wore robes and a magnificent crown atop his head, and he stood in a very bold stance.
"Yes, my son, I am your father," the voice said. It seemed to be beaming directly into his head from that of the shade. His father’s mouth never moved.
"How am I your son? I was born with a family of hunters!?"
The shade shook its head. "You are the prince of Carusoth, and my one heir to this kingdom. We were overrun by those who meant to destroy us soon after your birth, and within you stood our last hope. We sent our emissary to take you to safety, and he left you within the care of a family we knew was clear of soul and heart. We of the council released our souls from the physical forms we had contracted in that life and entered the ethereal realm to forever serve or master, The Wave Existence. Its form is key to life, and the power and driving force of all existence throughout our dimension. We were granted Manifestation because we were able to distinguish ourselves from those who oppressed their given lives by destruction. We were meant to protect all life, but we were overwhelmed in such force that we could not defend against the hunters. Their leader Shakhan was ruthless and had at his hand an immense power that was fueled by the wave existence. When we realized the hopelessness of an all-out blood bath, we receded into another dimension so that we would not cause disruption to the balance of humanity. Our entire civilization exists to protect our master, and so do you."
Jalik suddenly gained an incredible flow of power and broke loose from his magical bond, stepping back from the pedestal and the shaded figure. "I don’t want to leave this world. If I am your son, I want you to realize that my decision is final, and I want you to accept it."
The shade smiled. "Your independence is a valuable characteristic that makes you strong, my son, however you must rely on the help of friends if you truly wish to conquer your enemy. We grant you this..."
Jalik watched as each mirror filled with a different form. It was the council of this once incredible civilization, appearing before their savior. Jalik saw many forms of equality that took place within their ranks. The order was male, female, male, female for one, and the king, Jalik’s father, was in exactly the same clothes as the others.
He waited, knowing that something important was going to happen. Within the next few second, a massive flow of power and magic overtook him and the room glowed as if the sun held sanction within the chamber. His body felt as though he had disintegrated, but it was only his power being released. He screamed, but the sound came without him drawing breath. Every hindrance that the Earth had put upon him was now gone. He didn’t need air to breath, he was a spirit, impervious to pain and suffering. The race he came from was incredible, and their powers were now within him, their hope for the destruction of the evil that endangered their master.
Jalik looked at himself. He wore a pitch black robe with red outlining, and a black cape to match the robe. In front of him, a strong black cane levitated down so that he could easily grab it. When he touched it, his body glowed, adjusting the powers he had just received to the cane’s abilities. Upon the top of the cane was a golden, three-pawed claw that formed a semicircle. Within the claw, a sphere appeared, floating there, formed out of the newfound power Jalik had just received.
Jalik wordlessly stared at his father, the assistance from the council making him understand his place in fate much better. He was the one remaining guardian of the Wave Existence left in this dimension. His destiny was to defend those who would defend his master. His power of Manifestation would come in very handy, and he knew what he had to do. His friends waited back at Bart’s hideout for him, and he had some interesting news to tell them that may greatly increase their chances in the war with Shakik.
