Nightshade

Shavronne - a test of faith

Shavronne walked down the darkened corridor,  and he pulled a flare from a utility pocket,  striking it against the rough hewn stone walls,  and he bit back the urge to turn back around and go with Luka.  He could handle himself,  and he wasn't alone.  He looked around the passageway,  the red light wavering and flickering,  showing his team, the two angels and the young vampire. Well, young was relative,  the vampire was older than him by a good decade and some change.  He watched carefully along the walls and floor for any traps, and one of the angels,  mirral, was watching the ceiling.  Mirral was using a phone,  looking a bit confused by it. They came to a branch in the passageway, and Shavronne licked his finger,  holding it in front of each passage to see if there was any breeze. It didn't particularly help,  there was air coming from both,  which thanks to mirral he knew was probably due to thin air vents carved into the rock,  which made an eerie thrum as they took in air.  He shook off the feeling of being watched,  and as he turned to his right,  he froze.  Standing in the hall to his right was... Christine. She glared at him,  soaked in blood and sweat,  just like... the last time he saw her. He heard a baby's cries,  and panic took him completely,  he struggled with everything in him to not turn tail and sprint away.  He blinked, trying to get the image and sounds to leave,  but he felt... her familiar touch,  her soft body against his back,  the sickly sweet smell of rot thick around him.  She whispered in his ear "you are a liar... pretender... you deserve every awful thing coming your way..." a cruel,  deathly laugh echoed in his ears,  and he was suddenly back in reality,  sobbing and panting,  Mirral shaking him violently. The words kept echoing in his mind. She hauled him to his feet,  and he took steadying breaths,  turning his mind to Luka,  to the lovely life that was now within his reach. His heart settled,  and he wiped away the tears.  "I... apologize... I'm undergoing attacks from... aeris." Mirral nodded.  "I thought as much.  I smell her stench on you more than usual.  Turn back. We will-" He shook his head "I'm not turning back.  This is crucial." Uriel looked at him,  his own face a shade more pale than usual "Shavronne,  I think this is a trap. Why not just have me,  Luka,  and eri each pull a sword fragment out simultaneously, and then run like hell?" He glanced at the other man.  "Because,  we've no idea what kind of traps were laid. They could have wooden stakes,  or iron spikes, or whatever angels are weak to.  These people weren't stupid uriel." He sighed "I know that but we've walked at least a mile down this weird damn tunnel and don't have a thing to show for it but evil induced panic attacks!" Shavronne felt anger roiling in his gut. He knew he shouldn't be this angry... but... he gritted out words "I say, we continue. Who agrees?" The angels traded a look "I think..  it's for the best if we continue uriel.  We will search for a little while longer,  then return together." They headed further into the tunnel,  lighting another flare after a while,  when finally they came to a carved plaque in the wall.  It read in some ancient language, which the angels read and began discussing amongst each other about. Shavronnes anger still threatened to boil over.  He knew it wasn't coming from him,  but he still was having trouble controlling it.  "What does it say. " he said,  the words sounding almost foreign. Jophiel turned to him "Essentially what we already are asking ourselves. Who truly begins the journey of a blade? The Smith,  the truest user, or the one that is remembered as first.  It says to make our choice, and ensure it isn't one we'll regret." He punched the wall and grinned at the pain,  it lessened the pressure of the anger, tempered his mind back into control.  "Let's go meet up with the others. They hiked back out of the tunnel,  but a telltale click sounded as uriel stepped on a plate they hadn't noticed on the first way through. Shavronne shot out his arms,  shoving him over just in time as several wooden spikes with silver engravings shot out from the wall,  one nicking Shavronne,  the rest missing him and clanging against the wall harmlessly.  He hissed at the pain,  and the angels came over,  each laying a hand on him. He watched in amazement as the wound closed and uriel got up,  looking at the spikes that had flown by.  "... holy shit. Thank you Shavronne. " He nodded and merely began walking "Let's be more careful,  moving forward." They agreed and headed with him back into the main chamber,  where Luka and his team were talking. Luka had several bloody tears in his jacket and pants,  and Kelli had a bandage over his forehead.  Shavronne ran to them,  looking over the wounds, luka's had already healed and kellis didn't seem to be too serious.  Luka got up and hugged him "we didn't find anything Shavronne,  did you?" Shavronne repeated the lines,  inwardly sighing in relief as he realized nothing too awful had happened. Luka and Kelli looked at each other "you thinking what I'm thinking luka?" He nodded,  and looked at everyone gathered around.  "You wanna tell em kelli?" He stood shakily,  the knock on his head seemingly had messed up more than Shavronne had assumed. "This place... it was designed with one person at a time in mind.  All the traps we encountered would be deadly to a single human,  but thanks to teamwork and healing,  we're all ok, right? Well the riddle is made harder by there being multiple of us. The riddle,  in my opinion,  means that one person has to make a choice, and that if they are sure of themselves,  not a shadow of regret or doubt in their heart,  then they will have found the right blade. I don't think any of the three are technically right,  but knowing what you believe to be right will grant you the true blade.