Tale of Exzalia, well of darkness

Lebry's thoughts

I'm not interested into them.... they betrayed me....
I'm not interested into the well of darkness
I really have no objective.....
Why am I following them? On this place I could get killed, after struggling to much to gain an existence.

These were the thoughts of Lebry while entering the Well of Darkness, she felt horrible, she was practically humiliated outside, now she was following them. Why? Who knew..
She was walking right behind William, the one she hated the most of the group
I could,... I could just kill this bastard right here and now...
No one noticed what was she doing, as she was behind them, but slowly her hands started to close on William's neck... a few centimeters more and it would touch his skin... a few centimeters more and it would crush his throat... a few centimeters more and she could end her life....
You're useless after all....
However she contained herself, the hands didn't even touched the neck then she quickly retired them...
But he has the Well of Life no?...
She would allow him to live, just a little more
..........................................
Perhaps others didn't really saw her as a threat anymore, still they forgot her poisonous tongue.
She whispered near to Will's ear

"So.... is this too much Nox for you to maintain your sanity? Will?..."

 

River Hoya: Something to fight for

"You know those half elf kids, they kind of remind me of baby birds."

Tess was wise beyond his years. Sometimes he acted like a child and other times he spoke like an aged elf. This was one of the those times. His analogy of the birds fighting through the storm brought a renewed song into her heart. They couldn't give up. Not yet! The halflings were still alive...still worth fighting for.
But what about after you save the halflings. You will have to return home. Be joined to one you hardly know, even though your heart lies with another.
River shook her head trying to clear the negative thoughts attempting to overwhelm her spirit; and began humming a cheerful tune.
Think about the children, and destroying the imbalance of the wells. Dwell on Pyria, the red-headed halfling, and her smiling face as her eyes once again show the life inside. Yes, think on that. Think on the ones still worth fighting for.

 

Emery Rose

The cold wind hit her cheek, sending chills up her spine. Emery sighed as she looked around the vast castle they had willingly stepped into and that she had willingly followed.

But it didn't matter; no situation seemed to matter to them anymore besides saving those stupid elf children and being heroes. The others had turned more senseless than they had been before, ever since that commotion with River's father.

Emery brushed her hands on her silk dress that was caked in mud and dried blood. Giving another downhearted sigh, she thought back to what female Lebry had yelled about an hour ago...that she wasn't Emery, that she didn't have the same personality anymore.

Have I really changed that much? Am I different? She thought as she began fidgeting with her dress, folding the hem into pleats. Would her village be disgusted with her actions? Would she be thought of as a traitor?

Why had she been acting 'nice'? Why? Emery's mind was on overload, blood pounding in her ears until she whispered one word.

"Acceptance."

A few days ago when she had been forced to talk and be with these idiots she had somehow wanted to be included...she wanted to be liked.

But, now with her not spouting off insults or trying to mix up others emotions...they still didn't treat her any differently, they still didn't like her! It was hopeless and not worth trying.

She just wanted to go home. Forget the elf children. Forget River and her predicament. Forget the lovesick drama. Forget evil mages. Forget the well of darkness. Forget about being a hero. Forget it all!

But, she had no other choice but to fight whoever was making that awful noise above. Then she could go home; she'd do anything to go home...even kill.

Emery turned to the others, her anger and frustration creeping to the surface.

"Are we going to stand here and talk about sweet baby birds or MOVE? You all are wasting precious, valuable moments of my life...that I plan to keep living. Get a hold of whatever brains you have left and use them for once! This trip has been hell and I don't want to stay here anymore than we have to."

 

Tess looked at Emery, for once he wasn't mad...no he was too tired to be mad. "Emery...has it occurred to you that this maybe our last moments? the power level of the mages up there is obcene! It would do no good to rush up there now would it? Besides I think it would be wise to wait a little, if we have to fight hopefully the mage we battled will be weakened from his last battle. Whats more we're exhausted sit down and rest for a bit I know you're tired too."

The castle shuddered again as unspeakable magic coursed through the air.

River began to sing, she had such a pretty voice more blessed the the most gentle healing spell. Tess began to blush a little, his hands got fidgety as he prepared to say something to her.

"...so...I uh...like your ears." He said almost whispering. "Why did you come on this trip?" Tess looked around at everyone.
"Why did any of you come? esplially you Avini, I've been curious about you for some time. Hell you Crummpet, Vuaghe and that wierd guy with the ring. Why did you guys stay with us?

 

Crumpet

Hell you Crummpet, Vuaghe and that wierd guy with the ring. Why did you guys stay with us?
Crumpet cast the halfling a disdainful glance before looking into the distance, eyes glossing over. Why do I stay with you? Indeed, why?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I don't want to leave you here," Crumpet caressed her face.
"Oh, please, why not? There's no reason not to go."
"But what if something happens?"
She playfully jabbed him in the ribs. "Are you expecting something to happen?"
"Well, no, but I'd feel terrible if-"
"It's just a week. Besides, I know how important this is to you." She beamed and stood, pulling him up with her. "Now go on, stop worrying about me."
"Are you sure?" he asked timidly.
She laughed, gently nudging him away. "Of course I'm sure. Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right here when you come back."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Because, the one thing that I cared about. Because, I've nothing to lose. Because, it's gone. Because, I've nowhere to turn to. Because, there was nothing left. Because, I've come too far to turn back. Because, for 16 years I ran. Because, what is there left that remains? Wisps of smoke flew out of Crumpet's nostrils like dust blown off an unused bookshelf.

"Because, I'm bored."

 

"The question is not why, but why not? The chance of adventure, sir. Why else does anyone do anything?"
Well said, Sir Coyote. Tis indeed a noble pursuit.
"Yes, Ring, I believe so. Even though this place is most dreary, the prospect of honor and glory burns bright and lights it like a sun."
Most beautiful imagery. If I was not just a ring I would shed a tear.

 

He said Vuaghe, I think he's talking to me, that sounds pretty close to Vaughn. Will he get angry if I say something that isn't nice? Hm let's see.

Vaughn flexed his arm and started kissing it, "Well so far you guys have met up with monsters I've never even seen before, and somehow they're super strong, and I love strong enemies; but I also love food"

 

I love strong enemies; but I also love food"

Tess raised his eye brow at him. "You do realize there is no food on this trip right? well asides from the fruit the elves gave us, and why is that a reason to risk life and limb? Not that I want you to leave or anything just doesn't make sense to me."

Tess then looked at Lebry.
"What about you? You hate everyone here so why are you fighting with us? Could it be a part of you likes our company?"

 

Tess then looked at Lebry.
"What about you? You hate everyone here so why are you fighting with us? Could it be a part of you likes our company?"

"After killing William I'm out of this", replied her without even considering her words.

"Also I already understood that I cannot replace the life of that other thing called Lebry, so I'm gonna look for other life, even if my life wasn't real and it never existed at all."

For some reason she then bite her own hand.

"You know? that thing you used to call Lebry still exists on this world"

 

Will

"You know? that thing you used to call Lebry still exists on this world"

"Well, good for him." Will said, not really understanding, or caring what Crazy Pants was saying.

But why had Will come? He hadn't really though about it. He had just known that he had to and gone. He knew what his father would have done, and that's what he had tried to do, be like his father.

"I'm came because I had to. I wouldn't have been able to live with myself knowing that I had a chance to do the right thing and I passed it up... And it's definitely more fun that sitting in class rooms all day listening to Prior Aberdeen lecture about the differences between shields spells and block spells." He chuckled.

 

Emery Rose

Tess had spoken only moments before, but was not paying attention to her anymore. Go figure.

Now, as the walls shook the rest of the group began speaking about why they had come in the first place. They didn't seem to be wanting to fight anytime soon. Emery groaned, slumping to the cold concrete that served as the floor. Her hair flew into her eyes, but she didn't care; she wanted to look as miserable as she felt.

"I'm came because I had to. I wouldn't have been able to live with myself knowing that I had a chance to do the right thing and I passed it up... And it's definitely more fun that sitting in class rooms all day listening to Prior Aberdeen lecture about the differences between shields spells and block spells." Will said, followed by a few chuckles. He found this trip fun? He found it humorous?

"Well, I didn't come here for fun," Emery said. "I came because I was chosen, because I was worthy of the chance to go on the trip everyone longed for. But, now I've learned to never step forward for anything I don't know all about. Because if I knew I would be stuck in here with the lot of you, waiting around for some mage to stop fighting so we can fight and be the heroes to some elf children, then I wouldn't have come. If I knew this trip had nothing of value than learning how to destroy and how to get twisted into a drama fest, I wouldn't have come."

Emery picked herself up from the floor and turned to Tess, jabbing her finger at his chest. "I don't want to share my 'last moments' with you all anyway, so we should just go up there and fight...not let whoever it is find us and kill us in our sleep." She drew closer to Tess and looked into his eyes, her face only inches away. "And, I need to get out of here before I go completely insane like Lebry over there. Is that clear?"

 

Avani Reed (Health: 50%) (Level 2)

"Why did any of you come? esplially you Avini, I've been curious about you for some time. Hell you Crummpet, Vuaghe and that wierd guy with the ring. Why did you guys stay with us?

Avani shifted uncomfortably. She didn't like personal questions, especially not when they came from people she hardly knew. Yet, as the impending doom settled around them, she couldn't help but wonder if these were perhaps their last moments. And if they are, then life really sucks right now. She stared at the ground just in front of her feet and fingered the pendant hanging around her neck. "I'm here now because you were all late and I had to leave Underwood to come find you. But besides that, aren't all our stories sort of the same? We were chosen. You don't just walk away from that."
The air was suffocatingly thick and she coughed a couple times. "Tess... I know we're all tired... but I don't think resting here is doing us much good. In fact, it might be making it worse." She placed her hand over the vial at her side and shivered. No no, not now. Can't be using it now. I have to wait!

 

Magnolia, the vengful vs Vashal the wise

"Regardless of your believes we have to stick together, Emery I'm sorry you don't give a rats ass if children live or die, however I find it strange that you were so torn up over Lebry deing who was a complete ass, but you care nothing for children deing who are innocent. Quiet the double standard you got there."

For a moment the fighting seemed to stop the roof ceased shaking, everything went quiet. Tess looked at everyone. "So for now let's put aside our differences, Lebry if you plan on harming any of us you can forget it, better you leave now cuase if you try anything we'll al retaliate against you. However, I would be in your debt if you fought along side us as an ally and not an enemy at least this once. The rest of you...if you want to leave nows the time." No one moved, "Lets go then."

They ran up the remaining steps reaching the outside and they were greeted by a breath taking blood chilling view. Out side the Nox eather surrounded them like a tornado with them in the middle, wind whipped around violently. The top of the dark castle held a very tall wide structure like an arena, in the middle was a shrine and on top of the shrine was the object that started it all, the well of darkness.

Black and dark purple Nox oozed out of it covering the floor, it looked like a hole in space, a bottomless one that just gushed Nox. An explosion happened to the right of them, looking through the blinding light they saw at the other end of the arena Vashal! Standing with her feet planted on the ground her hands in front of her she blocked the violent flash of light that was a powerful spell, done by Magnolia. Their clothes torn to shreds, their bodies glowing with eather and scared by eather burns the two once again went at it with a bitter fury.

Vashal cast wind tunnel launching a spinning column of Adra at Magnolia who warped out of the way leaving behind an explosion of Charon. She appeared behind Vashal, but Vashal had been expecting the attack and weaved counter squall to block Magnolia's flames and send it right back at her. Magnolia staggered back as her own Charon hit her with much force and though she screamed in pain her eye's remained focused.

Vashal; trying to end this battle that may very well have been happening for days; she cast light squall, the followed up with a smite.

Light squall hit! But Magnolia was already blind, smite shot down magnolia blocked it the powerful but ever tricky to use flashshield. Magnolia then charged Vashal who was now vulnerable. Weaveing with murderous intent, Vashal having no time to weave put up the fastest spell she knew, which was of course the legendary flashshield. But Magnolia was cunning, she deliberately used a slower more powerful move predicting the desperate flashshield. The shield appeared, then vanished a second before Magnolia's spell fully formed! it fired right after Vashal shield leaving her completely open! Vashal was decimated by super nova! a spell so powerful it had been rumored to melt dragon flesh. With the force of an exploding star Magnolia let loose a powerful burst of Althea and Charon, the energy then became concentrated around the two with light that rivaled the sun, Tess couldn't even look at it!

The spell ended with a blast that rocked the castle sending Vashal like a rag doll hurling across the floor. "No!" Tess said panicking as he dashed forward and was promptly stopped by a barrier that was not visible flinging him back violently.

Miraculously, Vashal showed signs of life, in a last ditch effort Vashal weaved immortal coil with gave her immunity to death for a few seconds, a powerful spell that could save one from death no matter the damage sustained, but Tess could only imagine the massive draw back casting such a powerful spell had done to Vashal. She looked completely drained, her skin grew a sickly purplish colour made stranger by the darkness of her skin. It was a rare moment of horror for Tess, for all of them.

Magnolia walked up panting hard, weaveing the killing blow. Vashal was about to be murdered, and there was nothing they could do. Tess began frantically trying to blast through the barrier but nothing worked, it was being fed by a power source below them, somewhere inside the castle Tess; knew this type of barrier was impenetrable without first cutting the power source but he was in a panic, what else could he do?

 

Will

He stood with his sword and shield drawn. He'd been following Tess then the barrier threw him back, so he stooped to help Tess back up.

"We have to find the power supply!" Will cried above the wind. I guess barriers class was somewhat useful... Magnolia was getting close to Vashal, weaving something big. There had to be something they could do to distract her in the meantime. But nothing came to him, he could see no way for them to save Vashal. It seemes hopeless, but even if they couldn't save Vashal, they still had their duty, to get the Well of Light to the Well of Darkness. And Will was willing to do anything to see that through.

"I'm going to go find the barrier's power source! Who's with me!" He cried over the raging wind, as he ran back to the stairs.

 

River Level: 3 and 130

"I'm going to go find the barrier's power source! Who's with me!" Will yelled as he sprinted towards the stairs.
River wanted to stay; to do...something. But they were trapped behind the barrier. They weren't going to be of any use to thier teacher standing around and watching get killed. She turned on her toes and sprinted to catch up with Will. "I'll help you."

 

Althea Lebry

Lebry wasn't really interested in all this "game"... yes, all this seemed like a game to her.
Yet she was curious... the students fought to find Vashal and to stop the Well of Darkness... So what's the other party fighting for? Had they ever wondered that? perhaps they could even had a more interesting and legit reason.

She screamed, hoping that her voice could pass through the barrier, she didn't knew if it could work or not, but trying doesn't hurt no?.

"Heeeey!!!! you the girl that is not Vashal!!!!, I'm curious!!! why do you protect this Well of Darkness??!!!, besides supposedly being a source of chaos and shit like that, could it be that there is a better reason!!!!!?????"

She didn't really considered that it was risky as it would reveal their positions. Well... kids never think those things carefully.

 

Magnolia looked up from her down foe at the person who just called. The weave in her hand stopped as she gazed upon the newcomers. She slowly recognized them.
"Leave this place, Or I'll have to kill you. I don't have the stomach for killing children." Magnolia hissed. She then moved towards the well of darkness, "Finally...my vengeance will be complete." Magnolia said with satisfaction.

"Magnolia...don't do this. You'll only...make things worse." Vashal protested weakly.
"You're wrong Vashal, all that matters in life is power. You saw what they did to the half elves, what they did to Morien. What they did to me. But now I have the power, and the first kingdom to feel my wrath will be Fair. Then...I'll destroy all of Estal. I'll destroy everyone who has caused me pain!"

"Magnolia, that won't give you peace. You'll never be happy simply by slaughtering those who hurt you!"

"Silence Vashal! it is out of respect for our old freindship that you still breath." Magnolia replied angrily

Vashal shook her head, "what pains me more than these wounds, is the fact that you old friend, will die a death with a heart filled with sorrow, pain, and hate."

Magnolia chuckled. "As long as my enemies die first, my soul will finally have peace, even as it burns hell."

"But that's just it Magnolia, you'll die before even that," With a sudden vigor Vashal cast flash strike, the offensive version of flash shield. A spell so fast it is unavoidable, and unblockable. Magnolia was hit right as she was about to take the well of darkness. Vashal with barely any strength rose to her feet and attacked! Suddenly another weave appeared under the students, they floated in the air and like the first time; Vashal warped them.

This time however they did not appear away from the well, they appeared deep underneath the castle. It was from what they could tell a huge set of catacombs, nox and mist blanketed the ground, blackened stalactites hung loosely from the ceiling like fangs. And directly toward them, was a large orb of Nox. The power source of the barrier.

"All right we need to to some how destroy this power source and fast, any idea's?"

 

Althea Lebry

The woman called Magnolia threatened their lives. Still Lebry didn't cared, her curiosity was the lead factor here

"You're wrong Vashal, all that matters in life is power. You saw what they did to the half elves, what they did to Morien. What they did to me. But now I have the power, and the first kingdom to feel my wrath will be Fair."

"Wait, you telling her that if you have power you can do anything you want to?, even having a proper and recognized existence? Is possible to do that with power, answer me Magnolia that could just be what I need."

"I'll destroy everyone who has caused me pain!"

So if someone causes you pain the right thing to do it is to destroy the source of pain?" She was confused, the innocence of a child on the body of a teenager girl. According to those called moral, that would not be correct.... however deep inside her, she felt as if this were to be the right answer.

"You're even more interesting that the students you know?"


Right after that she and the other students were warped to some weird caatacomb sank into the essence of Nox

 

River Hoya

Vashal managed to warp them into a dark underground cavern. A large ball of Nox hung in the middle of the cotacomb. It seemed to call to her. Despite the dire situation they were in, she found her thoughts lingering on how inviting this ball of darkness seemed to be.
River, what are you thinking!? You're an elf! Where are these thoughts coming from."

"All right we need to to some how destroy this power source and fast, any idea's?"

"A blast of Althea should help destroy it. And if that doesn't do it...I'm sure collapsing this cavern on it will."
She turned towards Will. "You have althea, don't you?"

"Yes ma'am." He replied. He'd already started weaving a flash spear in each hand. He didn't know if it would be enough, but he'd try. He charged them to full power, then hurled them, one after the other into the shimmering ball of Nox. It's surface ripples as the spears impacted, but it wasn't enough. "Collapse the stalactites!"

River lifted her hands summoning her earth weave. Concentrating on dirt right above the orb she relased the weave.

 

The orb reacted violently to the well of life, the opposing forces began violently trying to destroy each other. But with so much Nox eather the well of life seemed to be losing! The River blasted the ceiling causing the stalactites to fall on the nox orb damaging it even more! But it still wasn't enough, the well of life struggled against it!

"We almost have it! But it's just short of enough. Tess looked at the well of life struggle. It needs something."

 

Will

The seed wasn't strong enough to counter all that Nox, it needed something, but what? What did life need to grow? His mind raced, Water, Soil and Air. Merc, Gaia and Adra.

"We need to give it what a plant needs to grow!" He began casting healing wind, pouring Adra over the Well of Life. "Someone cast a merc spell and someone else a gaia spell on the seed!" He concentrated and focused his spell as much on the seed as he could.

 

River Hoya

River, true to her name, found an underground river and with a weave brought it to the surface pouring water and earth onto the surface of the Well of Life.

 

I throw the torch.

Tess cast water drop, hurling the eather into the seed, all the others poured life giving magic into the seed. It began to slowly green, ripen absorbing the eather like a sponge. The seed then combined the Merc, Gaia, and Adra fuseing them together and then life,

Pure life energy flowed from the seed plants sprouted where ever it touched, the dark catacombs were in moments transformed into a literal garden of eden. In the middle of the well of darkness, a forest had sprung, this was the power of the well of life, if nurtured not even death could dominate. A sense of sublime beauty rushed over them as boundless flowers sprouted turning the dead matter in the cave back into life, and in this one place in that one moment. Life and death were once again in balance.

Amazingly for a brief moment, they felt calm even happy despite their situation. But it didn't last long. They began warping again, Vashal must have sensed their success but even as they began to warp Tess fretted, how could Vashal, in her weakened state, fight Magnolia while warping them? The answer was made painfully clear, she couldn't.

They warped back just to see Vashal blasted aside and rolling to a stop next to their feet. Her skin was badly burnt and she smelled of burnt flesh. River could have sworn she heard Vashal whisper.

"from failing hands, I throw the torch."

With that, Vashal closed her eyes, and breathed her last.

Tess knelt down to her his face going pale, He shook her with his hands. A steady panic building in his voice.
"No...no, no, no, no, no, NO, NO, NO! We've come too far for you to die here! You can't die yet, not after...we were so." He began screaming at her to open her eyes, screaming in defiance as if he thought he could scare death away from her quickly paleing body. Sinking to his knee's and resting on her bosom, Tess began to weep bitterly.

"Why did you bring us here? We didn't even say hi, and...now she's." he trembled, and suddenly went silent.


Magnolia seemed exhausted, she had won but even so there was no joy in her face. She looked solemn, maybe even regretful. Tears threatened to break from Magnolia's eyes as what she began to sink in, but she dashed them away in anger.

"No, tears are for the weak. It's not my fault, she kept attacking. She just wouldn't stop. I didn't want to..." She turned away and gritted her teeth desperately fighting back the feeling of immense sorrow and guilt.

"She shouldn't of gotten in my way!" She yelled stubbornly. She burying her sorrow, and turning her feeling of guilt into rage she girding herself, and went to claim her prize, the well of darkness.

"With this, I will finally have peace." She said as she reached her hand forward.

 

Emery Rose

The power of Death that could not be stopped, again was her struggle.

Emery took in a sharp breath as she watched Tess blubbering over Ms. Vashal and yelling like a child. Their teacher had gone to the afterlife, the great beyond; an adventure that no one had returned from.

Her heart wrenched at the sight, almost in compassion, but then her heart hardened once more. Death had come upon Miss Vashal, but the person who had given into Death's call was still alive. Emery stared at the woman named Magnolia, she looked awfully familiar. And, then she remembered why...she was the Queen of Fare.

Magnolia drew nearer to the well of darkness, what they themselves wanted. It was the item that they had longed for, and if it was in the students possession then she could go home!

With a renewed sense of frustration at the situation, Emery darted in front of Magnolia's path beginning a weave of Charon.

"You have killed our Teacher, and for that I'm sorry to say the penalty is vengeance...Your Majesty."

 

Althea Lebry

"You have killed our Teacher, and for that I'm sorry to say the penalty is vengeance...Your Majesty."

"Idiot..." said Lebry while patting Emery on the shoulder.

"Think about it, Vashal was far powerful than all of us, and even she wasn't able to win. You and the thing called Lebry were barely able to defeat Cadal, and she is probably stronger; is no use to try something"

She took a deep breath and said... "And also I don't want you to kill her either, she is a very interesting person... her words are more sincere and filled with feelings that all the excuses you talk..."

She nervous came closer to Magnolia...

"You... please tell me how to erradicate my pain... I'll do everything, as long as I can exist without this pain"