Nathan woke abruptly…
He was covered in sweat, his heart was beating rapidly - it...it, was just a nightmare, although not that far from the truth.
He felt ill, very bad, like he had felt after too much monk’s wine the night before except for the fact every inch of his body ached and he bled.
It was dark, just a small ray of sunshine from an opening above came in to light the area around him.
He felt much disoriented and his throat was so dry, dry as a desert. He tried to swallow, to gain some relief only instead to taste dirt and salt... or was that blood?
The recollection of the previous day’s events were now seeping back into his consciousness, the fight, fleeing into the forest and of course the fall and landing here.
He pondered momentarily on what he had done... It clearly wasn’t his fault, but why didn’t the seniors see it that way? To them he had committed the ultimate crime, as an initiate, he had killed a fire Mage.
His head was throbbing and he felt as if spinning, he decided he would try to move slightly, to see what was still working? The right arm was all numb and as he tried to move it, there was no response, just pain – broken for sure!
He felt something sharp jab his neck as he tried to sit up, it felt like it was his new fire shard necklace, cutting into the soft flesh of his throat.
Pushing with his good arm he managed to fully sit up and in the dark felt at his sore neck with his left hand. As he assumed his prized shard was shattered, only a chain and sharp empty clasp remained.
He needed to find out where he was and he had no idea how much time had passed either?
Still groggy, and in pain he remembered his glow stone.
Reaching with his good arm into his tattered robe, he sought out the hidden pocket where he had left his trusty jewel. All initiatives kept a glow stone, as they would often collect water from the well at the end of town and run it up for the fire mage baths in the evenings, it was considered part of the training, but he always felt it was slave labor. If the darkness caught you out side, these stones would always illuminate the way back to the temple.
Yes! It was there and not broken, at last something had gone his way.
Slowly and painfully he pulled it out to reveal his surroundings, the soft dull glow lighting up the area.
He was indeed in a cave the entry point was partially covered over, rock and debris blocking his way, he was covered in muck, rock,twigs and other unknown debris... nothing he couldn’t dust off, it would take some time to dig himself out.
His emotions started to take hold and panic seeped in
… like would he run out air? probably not... but he was already desperately in need of water.
Maneuvering ever so slightly, ignoring the pain he shifted himself, twisting around to allow the light of the glow stone to reveal more of the cave around him.
Mostly Solid rock walls, spider webs and roots dangling from the ceiling, the cave wasn’t large enough for him to easily stand, not that he could. Seeing the plants roots gave him hope he wasn’t too deep beneath the earth, he might be able to climb out.
As the light of the glow stone revealed each corner of the cave, he thought he could make out the outline of something....something, unusual...was it a person?
“Hello” said Nathan in a raspy voice, throat red roar and dry.
There was no response.
He extended his arm forward glow stone in hand and he could make out a robe, or what was left of one, more like dirty aged rags.
He allowed his eyes to adjust and held out the stone further, his body hurt and the pain was becoming unbearable. The person inside the robe had perished sometime ago, perhaps like himself falling in here Or perhaps just camped to hide out a storm? either way the poor soul was gone and only a rotting skeleton remained.
The glitter of a necklace under the skeletons robe caught his eye, would it be possible there was a fire shard attached? If there was he could complete the bonding process, he had everything he needed to bind and gain the power of a true fire magic... maybe it wasn't over for him just yet.
The pain was getting to be too much, he could feel the darkness closing in around him and he was so tired. he felt he was about to black out from moving his beaten and broken body, but he needed a fire shard to live.
His fingers searching and stretched, he wrapped them around the necklace and gave it a tug. The force snapped the skeletons head clean off! dust from the disturbed old robes erupted into the air and he fell flat, dropping his glow stone in the process.
He felt for the end of the necklace, it was a shard, he spoke the incantation he had learned just the day before and commenced the bonding process.
He felt his soul bind to the crystal shard and it felt strange, amazing, but strange....
The bonding was complete, near death, he opened his hand to expose what should have been the light orange glow or a new fire mages bonded shard, he would see it done before his death…
Was his mind playing tricks! the glow was a very light green and not orange?
What had happened, he'd never seen or heard of a green shard. Confused, frustrated and near death he simply let the darkness take him once more.
Feel free to enjoy, Upvote if your still enjoying the story.
-Trying to improve, based on advice of friends, as such I have extended the length of the post; please let me know if this is better or worse? or should I just give up - as no one is really following haha.
All/any feedback appreciated.
Cheers
lordnigel