A Crown of Broken Runes (ACOBR)

Transformed

Back in the crater.

This time, the heavy mist was almost pleasant. Oddly enough, it gave him a feeling of nostalgia. He wasn't sure why he had been so freaked out before.

After a bit of walking, Grian realised that he could take out his wings without risk of discovery.

He unclipped his cloak and let it fall to the ground, the red fabric sliding away from his feathers. Violet and white. Beautifully coloured plumage, glittering and glistening despite the heavy purple fog. He spread them wide, exercising the sore muscles. Keeping his wings cramped under his cloak for so long made it feel even better to finally stretch them out.

Giddy with excitement, Grian began to run, sprinting over the uneven stone. He leaped into the air and took off, letting a wild laugh tear though the silence of the crater. It felt marvellous, the purple mist streaming past his wings.

As obsidian towers loomed out of the mist, he darted and weaved between them. He could now alter his course with ease, feeling the air pushing him higher, his feathers shifting his direction and speed. Feeling daring, he turned down into a steep dive, pointing the tips of his wings inwards and tucking them against his body. Just before he hit the ground, he snapped out his wings, catching the air and sending him soaring once again.

He wished this feeling could last for all eternity.

~ ⬩ ℸ ̣𝙹 ⬩ ~

After some time, the porous endstone began to transition to grey, unbreakable bedrock. He drifted lazily towards the ground, aiming for the pedestal. Looping through the mist, he drifted down and alighted softly in front of the pedestal. A pang of fear shot through his mind.

Keralis...

The dark object upon the pedestal was just as mysterious as before. Grian inspected it for a few moments. Its shining black surface was like no other material he had ever seen. It was similar to obsidian, but it had no purple divots. It was almost like staring into the void. A symbol, the same as the symbols glowing faintly on his palms, was etched into the smooth material. It had a small crease in the bottom. The dark material curved gently away from the middle of the item, with small lines like wood grain winding their way across its surface.

Shaking off his fear, he tentatively reached out. This time, there was no lightning, no flash, no wave sending him crashing onto the cold rocky ground.

He simply picked up the mask.

A shiver went up his spine and he promptly dropped the mask in surprise. When he realised that nothing had happened, he carefully retrieved it. The mask was cold, and up close, its texture kind of looked like an oak sign, but black.

Thrilling excitement goaded him forwards, and abandoning caution, he pressed the mask against his face.

For a moment, everything was black.

And then he could see.

His eyes were still covered, yes, but he was able to sense his surroundings, to see in a way he had never seen before.

He could see everything.

The mist no longer got in his way. He could see the tall obsidian towers rising out of the ground, and he could spot intricate engravings etched into the pillars. The world was slightly tinted purple, but that wasn't a bother. He smiled and shook out his wings. They felt larger now, and bits of his feathers were now an inky black. However, he didn't have long to admire his new plumage.

He could have sworn he had heard the crunch of footsteps approaching, but he could hear nothing now. He began to move again, but the sound of footsteps resumed, closer this time. Grian panicked, darting over to hide behind one of the dark pillars.