Challenges of the Aether: Call of the Abyss

Chapter 11: The Arrival

  The atmosphere surrounding me starts to fill with smoke, swirling gently in the air around me blurring my vision. Gradually, my eyes flicker open as I awaken back into the tent.

  "Dad, please wait!"
  "Ugh, Rune, keep it down, It's like six something in the morning."
  “Sorry, Edgar just had a crazy dream where I was talking with my father, It was just so surreal."
  "Yawn," I look over to find Pearl still cuddled next to me turning over before asking us a question. "You guys okay Did something happen?”
  "Not really, it's nothing. Just Rune, you know, having this silly dream about talking with his father or something."
  "Hey, I'm really sorry for waking you up like that. But the dream I just had... It felt so incredibly vivid and real. I must have said something without even realizing it.
  But now that you're all awake, would you maybe want to come outside with me and see what I found? I promise you won't regret it."
"Fine, since we're up now anyway..."
  "You were able to find something after all, I'm glad."
  "Thanks, Pearl."

  As the three of us Leave from the tent a rush of fresh morning air fills our lungs. A soft mist sits around us in the field as we begin stepping away from the tent so as to not wake anyone else.
  As we find a good place to set up we notice Nytsul standing alone in the field taking in the air, he notices us and waves us to come over.
  "Morning Nytsul, what brings you out here this early in the morning?"
  "Nothing too much, Alongside the others and the Captain were deciding on a good time to get everything ready to leave. What are you guys doing up?"
  "Well when we left the Village yesterday, my Mother gave me a gift from my father. but on top of that a mysterious figure, claiming to work for my father told me that the gift I was given wasn't all there was to it, that there were other objects hidden inside.
  So I quickly returned after the feast to search through the first gift to find something, if anything. I was able to find the three hidden gifts alongside a handwritten letter from my father.
  I was planning on taking Edger and Pearl a bit away from the other tents to show them what I was able to find without waking the others in their tents. You are free to join us if you'd like."
  "That sounds like such a blast! You know, I can't help but feel a little thrilled at the thought of exploring what you've uncovered. And hey, since I happen to have a bit of spare time, I'd absolutely love to join you all."

  "So the first one I stumbled upon was this fascinating golden rod, The second thing I found were these two golden rings I have on my fingers right now."
  "So you woke us up to show us your dad left you some jewelry and a metal stick? I have too much of a hangover for this. But I Know it means something to you so I'll stay and listen..."
  "Edger! This really means the world to Rune, and honestly, your excuse of being hungover is just ridiculous. You had only one drink last night, for crying out loud!"
  "Calm down guys, As I was saying, these things... they have these incredible magical properties that just ignite when I let my mana flow through them. For Example, if I channel my mana into the rod it does this."

  As I take a deep breath and begin to focus, my mana begins flowing through me into the rod. and in a matter of a second or two It grew into a five-foot pole pulsating with the essence of my mana. 
   I can't help but glance around, meeting the startled gazes of my friends and my new mentor. Their shocked expressions tell me everything I need to know and they still haven't seen the rings yet.
  "Wow, Rune, that was absolutely amazing! How on earth did you manage to do that?"
  To be completely honest I have no clue myself. All I did was channel my mana through the rod, and it changed on its own. When I have some time I'm going to test if it has any more functions to it."
  "You mentioned that your father made this for you right? I'm genuinely intrigued, and I wonder if you'd be kind enough to let me hold it and examine it closer?"
  "Unfortunately, Nytsul, based on what I've learned so far, if I'm not in control of it, the rod will shrink back down and won't do anything." I know this to be a lie but I want to be the one to figure out the secrets that lie beneath.
  "I fully understand; once we arrive at the academy, we can research your weapons and see what they are capable of. Does that sound okay to you?"
  "Yes! That sounds fantastic. I believe that they hold more than just one configuration to them, I'm just not sure how to access them yet.

  "I also have these two rings. When I put them on I could feel my mana begin to course through my body resonating with them making them fit to my fingers perfectly. They also have a transformation to them, Give me a second, and I'll show you."
  I carefully tuck the rod into my pocket, and With a deep breath, I raise my hands. focusing my mana on the rings they begin to change into their Gunblade form shining brightly with the morning sun.
  "I was looking at these last night and it seems that alongside normal gunpowder bullets, they can also use another type but I'm not sure what they are."
  "Those look amazing, they're like a variation of the standard Mana guns we use. What makes them so special is that they can be encoded with different attributes allowing them to shoot them at quick speeds."
  "Wow, that's absolutely incredible! I can't believe it! However, I'm sorry to say that I need to get going soon. We'll most likely be leaving within the next hour or two, so please make sure to get all your stuff ready. When we have the time at the academy we will explore those weapons some more."

  Nytsul heads back to his tent, and we do the same. Once we are back we gather our belongings, placing them into our bags. As I finish packing, I make a makeshift holster for the rod using an extra leather strap.
  We proceed to dismantle the tent, making sure it is returned to its right place. We make sure to double-check our things before stropping to have breakfast. We spend the rest of the time relaxing until the captain comes to address us.
  "Ladies and gentlemen, please ensure that you have all your belongings ready, for we will be leaving within the next thirty minutes. Make sure you have everything prepared because it will take almost six hours to get to our destination."
  Edger, Pearl and I take a stroll through the village to see if any shops are open and if they have anything good to eat. As we walk our eyes catch sight of a small bakery off in the distance so we head over.
  we eagerly step inside, greeting the shopkeeper as we do. our eyes widen as we see the assortment of different breads and baked goods on display. The shopkeeper, tells us that they have just freshly baked some cinnamon buns with icing if we are interested.
  The three of us without hesitation, each reach for a cinnamon bun and we happily complete our purchase. As we make our way back to join the others we can see that pretty much everyone is ready to go.
  We begin our journey towards the capital city and our academy. we talked about our plans for the academy and what we wanted to do and acomplish when we got there.
  I also took this time to get better adjusted to the new weapons I was gifted by practicing controlling my mana with them. Every few hours, we took breaks to make sure people were doing well and to catch our breaths before continuing.
  After what felt like an eternity, we finally arrived outside the City walls. looking down either side you could see it stretching on wrapping itself around the city, The wall stood tall anywhere from thirty to forty feet roughly.
  As we approach, our eyes are immediately drawn to one of the main gates, Standing before us were many knights at the checkpoint for any illegal merchandise or wanted criminals. Hopefully, it'll be easy to get through.