Waypoint

The Foundry: part 1

The grey mountains loomed below me, the clouds just underneath their peaks. The night sky blossomed above me, the stars forming pathways through the sky. Before me stood my master, and my current opponent. With short bursts of power I launched myself, weaving under her massive swing and delivering several blows, My opponent staggered backwards at my onslaught as my jabs pummeled them into the mountainside. We both gasped for air, the high altitude dizzying our minds. My opponent stood twice as tall as me, and with a single swing of the arm sent me skidding back, but I held my ground, reaching down an arm to help stop my momentum, before I was grabbed by my shirt collar and dangled over the cliff's edge.

"Good form, but still slow. Better recovery, but you still need to trust your own body."

"Are you going to-"

"Yes." And with that, my master let go of my shirt, and I plummeted to the ground below.

Suddenly, the scenery changed. I was no longer in a mountain range, and instead inside a stone ruin. Moss lined the wall, covering murals and markings, symmetrical and strange. The walls seemed to resonate with an energy I couldn't name, but felt in my very core. Whatever this place was, it was calling to me.

The Foundry beckoned.

Enix woke with a start, his consciousness swirling around him as his gelatinous body shuddered. He sighed, realizing the dream was only that, and wondered for the upteenth time whether the dream he had was just that, or perhaps a memory of another time.

His thoughts were silenced by a sharp cry from above, the light that seeped into the hole dimmed for a second, the shadow of the Roc casting him in temporary darkness as he saw it blot out the sun as it flew away, growing smaller and smaller.

"Well, now or never Ingot. You ready?" The creature in question yawned, stretching like a cat before waddling to the boy's side to be picked up. As Enix bent to scoop his friend up, he nearly fell over.

Ingot had definitely gotten heavier, and perhaps a bit larger?

"How? You haven't eaten anything!" The boy braced his arms as he held the creature to his face, Ingot only responding with a lick. Enix sighed, clutching him against his shoulder as a mother would an infant as he held his hand out for Vice as it reached for the wall, securing a good enough hold for Enix to grab. He planted his feet against the wall, and hoisted himself up. He let go of Ingot as the creature clung to him, allowing him to use his free hand to strike the wall above him several times, and eventually he managed to form a small crack just wide enough to act as a hold for his hand. With his other hand, he guided Vice and hoisted himself further as it latched itself higher on the wall.

It took time, between resting for his stamina and then striking the wall to gain a hold. A few sun phases later and he had reached the top.

You have been afflicted with the 'Forced Duel' effect. You cannot leave the combat zone.

Enix grinned, hoisting himself up over the damaged wood as he finally met the open air again. Ingot dropped, rolling to the ground and perking up as the statues began to move. Enix stood calmly, activating his new skills as he took in his surroundings.

The ruins lay as various square structures circling a small collapsed tower. It's structures had a strange order to them, if one looked closely enough. It was as if the architects built the ruins for a strange abnormal purpose, not to shelter, but neither to imprison. Around it lay an old and unkempt garden, populated with statues and empty pedestals.

As the statues began to move, Vice began to hum, forming itself into his hand, extending and expanding outwards until Enix held a rectangular club-like weapon, small bits of teeth-like points from the sides of the club.