Tale of Exzalia, well of darkness

Emery Rose

Will and Lebry had offered their assistance, along with Miss Vashal, restoring Emery's health. The eather had healed her, and she would've felt better if not for Lebry's mocking words.

She was able to sit up, just as the mages commotion erupted the already tense feelings in the room. Emery stood up, trying to ignore the gross red blotches on her dress, and walked nearer to Will. He had given her pieces of the shirt on his back, maybe she had misjudged him. But, Lebry was still a jerk; a jerk with a big fat uncivilized mouth.

She looked up at the spell the Mage had begun to weave, it was a large one, deadly. Emery's eyes widened at the immense heavy eather it gave off.

"Guys, I think we should maybe do as she says..." He began to back up a few paces, trying to see the full size of the spell. "And it might be a good idea to do it quickly..."

"I agree, for once. Don't even think about fighting, that." Those words meant a lot coming from her, and she knew it. She had almost died, it was not the time to be hasty.

 

River Hoya

River ran with the other students looking back every now and again to make sure everyone was following. Lebery had frozen in fear so she ran back, grabbed his arm and pulled him along with the others. As they ran she put two fingers in her mouth and let out a shrill whistle. A whistle that she used to call Sunray, her seer. Hopefully this one would respond to the same call. She stopped with the group right outside the door. "Where do we go when the seer arrives? Do we wait for Vashel?"

 

Will

Will ran. He hated it but he ran all the same. It seemed the rest of the students were ahead of him. One tripped and Will slowed to help him up. Up ahead, at the exit of the castle, he saw a group forming. There was a high pitched whistle then,

"Where do we go when the seer arrives? Do we wait for Vashel?" River called out to no one in particular. He still had her amulet clutched in his hand. He'd have to remember to give that back.

"We get some distance, I don't know what that spell is going to do, then wait. If something happens or she isn't out in ten minutes, we make for the last checkpoint, get word to the school!"

 

Tess, the allure of power

While the others trembled in fear Tess shook in awe. Such power...was it even real? The shadow mage's spell was quickly takeing form, symbols and arcania danced along the weave forming letters, word symbols. They hung in the air like a dark prophesy.

Guys, I think we should maybe do as she says..." He backed up a few paces, trying to see the full size of the spell. "And it might be a good idea to do it quickly..."

Tess for once made no remarks, no sassy jokes, he just calmy said. "I...don't want to go."
"You think I'm just going to stand here and do nothing!" Vashal shouted defiantly and began weaving a powerful spell almost as large as the shadow mages.
"Fine we'll settle our diffrences here!" Magnolia shouted, and she too weaved a massive spell.
Tess jumped up and down suddenly getting exsited. "Three master level mages about to go at it! Damn! I'm voteing for the shado-" Blast of eather knocked everyone over. Vashal and Magnolia had started battleing, Vashal desprately trying to get to the shadow mage.
Magnolia cast pyrosurge boosting her charon spells, doubling their power. She then cast two comet storms at once.
Vashal countered with a powerful shield that not only blocked the attack, but bounced it right back at Magnolia! Suddenly Magnolia warped, she did it so fast it was unbelivable. The comet storm blasted through rock, over sized exslosions shook the castle. Magnolia then summoned a flaming spirit and send it at Vashal.

Tess watched in wonder as the two mages battled, weaveing and counter weaving master level spells with such ease. Then it happened. The shadow mage casted his spell, the earth shook and the skies were torn asunder scattering clouds. The ceiling above their heads ripped open revealing a giant spell in the sky.

"It's...a warping spell." Tess gasped. "He's going to warp this entire castle!"

Vashal heard his cry and looked over. "Fools! run now!" She was suddenly hit! Magnolia blasted her with pyroclasm a powerful Charon spell that summoned eather from the depths of Exzalia it's self.

Amazingly Vashal began to weave even as she was getting hit! casting eternal shield, a barrier covered the entire group stopping magnolia's attacks from killing everyone out right. "I SAID MOVE!"

Tess snapped out of his daze and began to run.


They ran back through the hall way, William was at the front door just staring. "What are you doing William GO!" someone yelled.
William did nothing, they soon saw why. The castle was floating miles above in the sky. What's more, shadow wisps by the thousands hovered outside.
Rivers seer came, but could it brave the shadow wisps?
"I think we are trapped" Tess moaned.

More explosions sounded behind them, Vashal and Magnolia took their battle down the hall. They fought with the fury and brutality of dragons, never had Tess seen Vashal so angry.

Weightlessness, suddenly they were floating, a bright weave shined under them. Tess looked over, it was Vashals weave she was warping them. But she had casted it while distracted, it was clumsy, they could be warped anywhere with this shoddy weave.

"Get to Underwood!" was the last thing Tess heard, before things grew white and the world grew faint.

When they awoke it was day, they were no where near the well of Darkness but still in Grove it appeared. Tess was first to wake, the others were passed out on what appeared to be a small cliff face, over looking a dark forest.

How long, had they been asleep?

What, would they do now?

 

Kithri

Kithri was confused by the huge level of the shadow mage Vashal called Taren.
she saw many students running for the wind seer. others seemed about to make the same decision, Kithri agreed running was the best option.
although she hated herself for it she prepared to run. but then she saw Lebry standing frozen in place, she was about to go back to fetch him when she saw River doing it instead. Kithri cast one last look at Vashal.

"sorry Vashal." she felt a pang of guilt as she took to the air and propelled herself forward. "im really sorry"
she hoped the wind seer hadn`t fled already. as she reached the gang of running students she swooped low and grabbed one of them. she could at least help. "hold on tight!" she surged for the door. her passenger bringing her lower than she liked.

 

River Hoya: A New Day, A New Adventure

River rolled on her side. The forest floor was harder than she remembered. A rock poked her in the ribs. She opened her eyes. Flashes of what had happend before she somehow fell asleep sped through her mind. She sat up slowly, taking in her surroundings. Everyone except Tess was passed out. Well, now some were getting up as well. Someone was sleeping on her foot and she pulled it away.
Her stomach rumbled. River felt bad. Their teacher was likely dead, they were along in the forest and all she could think about was how hungry she was.
Can't think on an empty stomach, as father always says. Might as well think about the immediate problem.
Question was, how were they supposed to feed everyone with no adults, no teacher. She already knew how to kill, prepare and cook deer and other wildlife, but there was no way she could catch enough for everyone by herself. She hoped other students had some idea of how to survive in just nature. At least until they could find their way back to the civilization.

William was concked out beside her. "Hey." She shook his shoulder till he opened his eyes. "Don't suppose you know how to hunt."

 

Kithri

kithri slowly woke up. it was day already, how long had she been asleep?
she shook her head to clear her thoughts then proceeded to flutter her feathers.

Don't suppose you know how to hunt. it was River speaking. she was facing william.

kithri checked her bow, it wasn`t damaged at all. "I can hunt" she offered getting to her feet.

one look around told her almost everyone was unconscious "they will probably be hungry when they wake from their beauty sleep" the thought of food reminding her of how hungry she was herself.

 

Will

He sat bolt upright gasping. He looked around and most everyone was passed out. He didn't know where he was, why he was there, and for a second was even having trouble with who he was. Then it all came back, he was in grove, he'd been chosen--along with everyone else here--to go on a class trip. There had been shadow mages and a castle, fighting and a giant spell. Then everything got weird, or weirder, and there was shimmering. Then he had woken up.

Tess, River, Kithri, and William all seemed to be awake.

"Hey. Don't suppose you know how to hunt." River asked William, who she was shaking.

"I can hunt." Kithri, replied.

"I can help set traps or something." Will said, pushing himself to his feet. He still hurt everywhere. A healing spell was great for not dying and all, but it just wasn't the same and actually recovering. He didn't relish the idea of recovering naturally from the trauma he's experienced the previous day though. He walked over to River and handed her amulet back. "Sorry, I kinda forgot I had this." He said, then started moving through the kids, making sure everyone was alright, starting to wake them up. It wouldn't do to have them all sleeping if something unexpected happened. They were still in grove, and after yesterday, anything was likely.

 

Varem

Varem got up slowly. Forest? Was he home? He looked about seeing other students, wondering what had happened. Slowly it came back to him. They had been at the well, people had appeared. Vashal had told them to run, then warped them away. Varem had never been warped befor. It seemed likely Vashal was dead now or at the very least a prisoner. And where were they? He assumed the grove. River and Will already seemed to be awake.

Rubbing his face Varem got up. And fell almost immediatly. In all the commotion he had forgotten to change out of cat form. Though being in a forest as they were this was probably a good thing. Getting back up on all fours he padded over to River and Will.

"Hey. Don't suppose you know how to hunt." River asked.

"I can hunt." Kithri, replied.

"I can help set traps or something." Will said as he got up. Varem nodded his cat head in response to River.

"I'm probably the most equipped to hunt in a place like this, I can also commune with animals which may be useful. We could do with a group to set up or find some shelter."

 

Tess, time to panic

Tess watched his friends all talk casualy about hunting and getting wood like they were on some sort of camping trip. He frowned walking up to them.

"Soooo I guess were're all just going to pretend like nothing happened? HELLOOOO! Am I the only one here, who remmebers the incredible bull shit! that just happened!" Tess threw his hands in the air in frustration and annoyance.

"Nows not the time to be building huts! our teacher is probably dead! DEAD! don't you guys get it?" Tess was slowly starting to panic he paced back and forth breething heavily and tearing up a little.

"Oh man, Oh man, Oh man, some shadow mage has the well of darkness, we're out in the wilds of Grove. Vashals most likely dead, and I think I soiled my self. And you people are acting like a bunch of kids makeing smores!"

 

Lebry

At least Lebry prepared for a situation like this one; he didn't ate all his food when they stopped to eat, he saved half of the food into his bag; however to start eating when all were hungry was just a bad idea, he'll have to wait until things calm down a bit and he'll have to find some blind spot to eat.

Hunting huh?, well he was carrying a bow and a carcaj filled with arrows, although they were in real being saved for battle, hunting wasn't so different really, or at least he thought that. It would be unfair for him to be the only one with access to food, so he offered to help hunt something; however he was smart and before anything he analyzed carefully the situation.

"Ok, ok I'll hunt, I don't think it would be so troublesome. However.....
We're into a land filled with Nox, it wouldn't be weird if some creatures had been living even with great amounts of Nox inside of their bodies; in other words, their insides could be filled with those that is poison for all of us, also......

"Nows not the time to be building huts! our teacher is probably dead! DEAD! don't you guys get it?" Tess was slowly starting to panic he paced back and forth breething heavily and tearing up a little.

The voice of Tess interrupted Lebry's talk; he got upset and spat the words that were kept inside his own heart.

"Hoh? our teacher is dead??, so what??, why are we worrying about someone who was planning to sold us??. Quality students??? now that's a new joke. You heard their conversation, they were planning to use it, and Vashal also was plotting to do something with us. She never revealed her obscure intentions to us, she just filled our minds with comfortable lie. And we??..... we were foolish enough to eat those poisonous lies. Is her fault that we're lost in the middle of nothing now."

"Our teacher is dead?? serves her right."

 

Will

"Nows not the time to be building huts! our teacher is probably dead! DEAD! don't you guys get it?" Tess was slowly starting to panic he paced back and forth breething heavily and tearing up a little.

"Hoh? our teacher is dead??, so what??, why are we worrying about someone who was planning to sold us??. Quality students??? now that's a new joke. You heard their conversation, they were planning to use it, and Vashal also was plotting to do something with us. She never revealed her obscure intentions to us, she just filled our minds with comfortable lie. And we??..... we were foolish enough to eat those poisonous lies. Is her fault that we're lost in the middle of nothing now."

"Our teacher is dead?? serves her right." Lebry spat the words out. Everyone was overreacting.

Will was afraid Tess might do something stupid in response to Lebry's harsh words, so he stepped between them saying, "Everyone just needs to calm down..." Tess shoved him out of the way and socked Lebry right in the mouth. Will leapt forward and pulled him off, throwing him back so that Will was again between Tess and Lebry.

"We're in the middle of nowhere, in a Nox filled forest, with no food, no direction and frankly no clue what the h*** is going on!" He exclaimed, getting slightly panicy himself before getting his voice under control. "We need a plan, and food. Without either one of those we are screwed, and freaking out will get us no where." He aimed that right at Tess. "Neither will talking like a total a**hole!" That went to Lebry.

 

Tess,

"Our teacher is dead, serves her right"

Will came between them, his intentions were good, but Tess was hearing none of it. He pushed him aside mid sentense and...
*BAM!*



It happened so quick no one had time to react, Tess smashed Lebry in the mouth punching him to the ground. "Miss Vashal has been with me and many of us since childhood! How can you be so heartless!" Tess yelled at him, Lebry's lip was sarting to bleed. Tess turned to everyone else angrily. "How can any of you be so heartless! Trusting the words of a shadow mage over the words of our own teacher? Are you mad!"

 

A desicion

Lebry slowly stood up. There was a bit of blood coming from his mouth, but it was useless; after all that they had lived the past day, this punch was just a joke, another joke between the pool of jokes that had been this trip to him.

It was a luck that Lebry was being contained by his own common sense... Otherwise he wouldn't had doubt before punishing those in front of him, who were humilliating him this much... Or perhaps he should do it??, it wasn't hard at all.... he just need to absorb the shadow of Tess into any of his weapons or even his bare hands, and then strike him with his own fears, after that to see him rolling in the floor crying from his own fear would had been just a banquet to him.....
However his common sense stopped from this thought.... just since when did Lebry considered to dispose of his own classmates without any regret, as if they were just trash??? at least he wasn't like that before... was this the effect of this land???. At least one thing was certain; Lebry himself was a great danger to his classmates. Probably William was right, he wouldn't doubt before killing him or others if he considered it necessary, or at least if he were to carve deeper into this new mind state of him.

So Lebry took a desicion. He turn his back to his classmates, and then walked leaving them behind, they were just a nuisance, however Lebry on this moment was dangerous creature, he was afraid of his own thoughts, so he decided to separate from the group instead of just killing them out of his own common sense.

 

Kithri

"Miss Vashal has been with me and many of us since childhood! How can you be so heartless!" Tess yelled at him, Lebry's lip was sarting to bleed. Tess turned to everyone else angrily. "How can any of you be so heartless! Trusting the words of a shadow mage over the words of our own teacher? Are you mad!"

everything had happened so quickly, Lebry had been badmouthing Vashal, Tess had gotten into a rage and, pushing Will aside, punched Lebry. Lebry was bleeding and walking away and Tess seemed to see no reason. the only reasonable thing to do right now was to interfere, and as much as she hated it she spoke up.

"Tess please listen to me" Kithri readied herself for the punch she knew was coming. "i know you are worried for Vashal, so am i. but Vashal offered her life to protect us and send us away. do you really wanna disrespect that offer?" she took a deep breath " if you want i can fly over the trees to see if we are anywhere near the castle." she looked him right in the eyes, let him see that she meant every word. "she wanted us safe Tess"

 

Tess

"i know you are worried for Vashal, so am i. but Vashal offered her life to protect us and send us away. do you really wanna disrespect that offer?" she took a deep breath " if you want i can fly over the trees to see if we are anywhere near the castle

Tess sighed calming down a little. "No, don't waste your time. The shadow mage warped the castle and the well of darkness away remmeber?" Tess paused for a oment thinking. "Underwood, she said to get to Underwood. I think we should try going there. Only question is...where is Underwood?"

Tess looked across the land scape, as usual Grove was cloudy with rays of sun breaking through here and there. A lake with shimering waters could be spotted through the trees. "Well there is some water at least."

 

"Nows not the time to be building huts! our teacher is probably dead! DEAD! don't you guys get it?" Tess said.

"Hoh? our teacher is dead??, so what??, why are we worrying about someone who was planning to sold us??. Quality students??? now that's a new joke. You heard their conversation, they were planning to use it, and Vashal also was plotting to do something with us. She never revealed her obscure intentions to us, she just filled our minds with comfortable lie. And we??..... we were foolish enough to eat those poisonous lies. Is her fault that we're lost in the middle of nothing now." Lebry replid. It was cold but Varem had to admit he had a point. Will gave his view before an angry Tess punched lebry.

"Tess please listen to me" Kithri said. "i know you are worried for Vashal, so am i. but Vashal offered her life to protect us and send us away. do you really wanna disrespect that offer?" she took a deep breath " if you want i can fly over the trees to see if we are anywhere near the castle." She looked him right in the eyes, let him see that she meant every word. "she wanted us safe Tess"

Varem moved between them as she spoke. Another person getting hit would serve no purpose. While Lebry had a point there was nothing to say it was true. First they need to calm Tess down, then they needed to fetch Lebry.

"She's right Tess." He said moving towards him. "We were sent away for our protection. Going back and getting killed will not help nor would Vashal want it. Despite all of that Lebry may have a point. She didn't say why we were here. Quoth is off looking at the surrounding area as we speak. I doubt we are near the castle however, Vashal would not have been foolish enough to warp us nearbye. Assuming we are lost in the forrest then shelter is our first priority. Can you try and see reason?"

 

Tess

"Forget shelter we should try getting to Underwood. Staying out in the middle of Grove will get us eaten for sure." Tess pulled out his artifact. "Map please." he asked.

The pages flipped open revealing a shoddy map. "hmmm...It's quiet the walk, might take a day or two if we don't run into trouble." With that Tess whirled around and began walking.

"I still trust Vashal so I'm going. You guys want to stay out in the most dangerous lands of Exzalia over night? Be my guest"

 

River Hoya

"I still trust Vashal so I'm going. You guys want to stay out in the most dangerous lands of Exzalia over night? Be my guest." Tess started walking away a map in his hand.

River jumped forward and laid a firm hand on his shoulder. "We'll go together. But first, we need nourishment. We need the strength to defend ourselves in case something attacks us again." She turned and spoke louder so everyone else could here her. "Now, those of us who can hunt will go and hunt. The rest of you stick together and build a fire that we can cook on when we get back. After that we will make our way to Underwood. Sound good?"

 

Kithri

"I still trust Vashal so I'm going. You guys want to stay out in the most dangerous lands of Exzalia over night? Be my guest"

Kithri smiled. Tess had calmed down and were now headed to find Underwood. she cast one meaningful glance at the others and called out to Tess

"hey Tess wait up!" she quickly caught up with him and started admiring his magic book. apparently the book was the only one who knew the way out of here.
she leaned over to whisper in Tess`s ear "nice punch".

River caught hold of his shoulder and started talking about hunting. Kithri smiled, gently touching her bowstring. she would enjoy this.

 

Will

"Alright. Well, I'm better at fire building than hunting, so lets get some wood!" He said as he set off into the woods a little ways to find wood. A few minutes and an armful of sticks later, he saw Lebry walking a little ways ahead, he was still headed away from the group.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Will called. He didn't much like the boy, but he didn't want him to get swallowed up by the Grove either. "Are you still upset with Tess for that punch?" It was a pretty good punch though. Will thought to himself.

 

Tess

"We'll go together. But first, we need nourishment. We need the strength to defend ourselves in case something attacks us again.

Tess started to blush uncontrollably. Oh my god...she has made physical contact, with my body. He thought and then went starry eyed for a moment day dreaming. Wait I can't be thinking about that right now.

"I completely agree with you River. We'll rest for a bit. Hey Lebry!" Tess called to him as he was walking away. "Lebry, You're an ass but I don't want you dead. If you leave you won't last long alone out there. So come back here before you get eaten."

Tess smiled at Kithri, "Thanks Kithri I'm okay now, The lake probably got some fish. I'm part mer so I'll get some real easy."

 

No mercy

By this point Lebry had already enough trouble to calm his anger, and now to listen to all the mockery coming out from his partners, even whispered ones was breaking apart the little common sense he still had.

He still thought it, he didn't need them, they weren't there because they were "good" or something like that, they were part of just an orchestrated play from some mind, seriously, there was a crazed racist, an arrogant bitch, a nervous drogadict, an scaredy crybaby, and many other weirdeness; and himself, who was even unnable to hold part of his thoughts. They were useless, not perfect students.

And then his own control break apart.
Lebry turned facing his classmates, and it all happened quick enough to be easily described; the shadow projected by Tess's body started to move and was being sucked into Lebry's right hand, the one was now covered into a dark and unknown color. And then that hand tensed into a fist. And then Lebry raised it with a quick move. And then it flied right toward Tess's face. And then, and then, and then.......

This blow was something completely different from the one sended before. Tess's intention was just to shut up the words coming from Lebry's mouth. Lebry's intention was to make Tess fall and suffer into his own fears. After all that's why he sucked the shadow first....
The shadow represented the fears of Tess, and now was imbued into Lebry's fist, the one was turned into a fierce blow sended against the face of Tess.

At this point there was no more definition that a pure merciless cruelty coming from Lebry.

Drown into your worst nightmares and fears you prick

 

Tess, more conflict.

"Lebry... why are you weaving? Oh shi-" Lebry shot a shadow spell at Tess who just barely evaded the shot with a roll. Jumping to his feet Tess suddenly turned red. "You jerk if you want to fight then challenge me! Don't just launch spells willy nilly! You know what, FINE!" Tess began weaving his adept spell frost beam, he also weaved manaburn a charon type disruption spell. But he did not cast it, if he timed correctly he could disrupt one spell Lebry attempted to cast.
But in order to do that he has to wait for him to move.

 

Challenge

Lebry's fist only missed by one hair; judging by the reaction of Tess, it seemed like he intepreted this as a challenge, in real it was just the desire of Lebry to watch Tess rolling in the floor out of fear..... But well, if he want to play, then there is no problem with it.

Lebry raised his hand, he was about to pierce the structure of reality, cast The End and then assure that his next hit won't fail.... however..... It would be foolish to cast The End for a game like this one, besides he didn't liked it, it was painful and fearsome sometimes to read all the possible outcomes, so he pulled down his hand.

Then Tess started to weave his own spell, judging by the flow of eather that could be felt, this was an adept spell; in other words it wasn't good for Lebry to be hit by this...
So the best alternative was to avoid it, he had to assure the avoidment without using The End, luckily for Lebry, he knew other ways to do it.

As he did against the mages, he casted a chant, what spell was this one??
The Nox spell that covered the battlefield with a pseudonight, hid Lebry's true presence and projected several fakes copies of him into the mind of the opponent.

The spell that covers the reality with uncertainty.