Multiverse of Magic & Mistakes (Completed)

1.3.24 Chapter 24

The Arcane Caves, Azuhelm, October 2019.

They stepped out of the portal instantly into the red crystal cave on Azuhelm. Vi had been more successful with the location this time, despite only having two photographs and one written report to inform her of the location, they emerged right where she had been visualising in the centre of the cave. Vi closed the portal behind them, gasping at the huge drain on her energy creating it had caused. Thankfully, the air of this cavern was as magic-dense as the previous cavern and she knew that in an hour or so her power would have replenished enough for the return trip. As she had assumed from the photos, this cavern was small, the ceiling close above her head, with Rho forced to duck slightly. Moving out of the centre it became lower still, and they would have to hunch over to reach the far walls.

Rho was conducting initial checks, examining their surroundings, staring at the red crystal stalagmites hanging from the cave ceiling and the glistening stalagmites emerging up from the floor in pink, rose gold and red hues. It was a beautiful place, but something about it made Vi uneasy. The cavern was suffused with a red light, the glow coming from the crystals that they had been ordered to collect. And Vi also could not get rid of her sense of unease regarding Reynolds instructions. He had truly seemed desperate for the crystals. Surely not desperate enough to endanger two of his pupils?

"Activate your Anti-Tracking Rune Vi, just in case" instructed Rho reaching into his black shirt for his necklace "And the Glamour Rune. We can't be too careful. I'll also put up a shield bubble around us, but it'll be a huge drain"

"Yes, good thinking. Something seems off doesn't it?" replied Vi, reaching for her necklace. She activated the two Runes as Rho instructed, feeling the not-insignificant drain on her already low power, and the bizarre warmth of the combined protection charms. It felt like being wrapped in a balmy bubble of warm air, a shimmer perceptible at the edges of her vision. The protection charms were comforting, but Vi knew they could not become complacent. Something was off.

"Ok", Rho stated "Let's get to work and get out of here as quickly as possible"

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Middy waited in honeybee form, in the top of Vi's travel bag, nesting between a water flask and spare jumper that she definitely would not be needing in the warm cave. He had waited impatiently, for what felt like aeons, whilst Vi and Rho had read through the information Reynold had provided, and they prepared for this trip. Middy knew he had to do all he could to stop them removing any of the red crystals and bringing them back to Verdyn. Whilst they prepared to travel here to collect the crystals, Middy formulated his plan on how to stop them.

He did not want another repeat of the Lurker incident. He did not want to cause Vi or Rho and physical harm. Like all Guardians he was more of a pacifist at heart, not wanting to cause violence or pain. But the situation was dire, he could not allow Reynold to get hold of the crystals; he also could not risk losing his cover and breaking the Guardian's Code by revealing himself to Vi or Rho. Not yet anyway.

Middy crawled out of the top of Vi's bag and unbeknownst to her, settled upon her shoulder, his yellow and black thorax blending into her long black hair, and black Mages shirt. Vi was crouched down examining a dark pink rising column of pure crystal gemstone, realising that it was indeed attached to the cave, and would need to be cut through to be removed. Good. That was as Middy had suspected and planned for. All methods of slicing through the crystals would be energy-intensive, and Vi and Rho would be reliant upon their magical power naturally re-filling. That was how it always worked, those with a magical affinity found that magic was naturally attracted back to them and that they would not be without power for long.