Veritas

Chapter 67

Drystan took his sweet time leading Aislinn to the location of the spell, dragging an increasingly weak Darius along with him. Once they finally arrived, he all but threw the King to the ground, finally granting him oxygen.

Aislinn was surprised to see such an aggressive side of Drystan; although, she didn't mind it in this scenario. Despite continuing to have some lingering hope that the King would mend his ways, she was only more disgusted each time she interacted with him. Darius, meanwhile, was glaring at Drystan while trying not to gasp for breath too obviously.

Deciding to ignore the moron in the room, Aislinn turned her attention to Drystan. "So, it's somewhere here?" She asked, looking down at the rocks he'd piled on the ground to signal the location.

"It is. I am uncertain of its specific location, or how to locate it beyond such a general area...So, now I am hesitant on next steps" he admitted. "While it is most certainly the obstacle standing between us and the outside world, it is likely hidden, as well as protected by some means."

Aislinn let out a sigh, moving in a circle to look around the area they found themselves in. "Well, if it's boobytrapped, we can always let him try it out" she joked with a laugh, motioning towards Darius with a jerk of her head.

"How about the one who's already dead?" Snarled Darius, not finding Aislinn's little joke the least bit funny.

"He's not dead" Aislinn shot back, then turned to focus on Darius with a frown. "And I was joking. You're an ass; but, you don't deserve to die for that. We'll figure this out..." she said, trailing off while trying to convince herself of her own words.

Darius stayed where he was, unwilling to help his two perceived captors. Meanwhile, Aislinn and Drystan scoured the section of the tunnel for any obvious signs of the spell that was trapping them. After an hour of searching every nook and cranny, they'd turned up nothing and Aislinn was becoming frustrated.

"This is so ridiculous" she grumbled, kicking a rock so it skittered across the ground. She leaned her forehead against the wall and closed her eyes, letting out a heavy, exhausted sigh. "We're so close to freedom."

"Don't lose hope, Aislinn. We have not been captured yet" Drystan pointed out, examining the wall before him carefully.

Aislinn grunted in response, deciding that if she wasn't seeing anything with her eyes, she'd try her luck with her magic. She thought back to all the times she was in her dreamy, happy space, where she was able to relax and enjoy time with the various elements. Imagining the way the different forces felt, she could practically experience the way the energizing electricity made her arm hair stand on end, or how the heat of the fire seemed to mimic her blazing anger. A small smile curled on her lips as she remembered the soothing, calm delight she felt while vines twisted up from the ground and braided their way through her hair, with blossoms freshly blooming into fragrant decorations. As the happiness flowed through her memory and her heart, she felt her mind open up to the rock beneath her forehead.

She could feel it! As if she was the rock itself, she could feel every crevice, the tickle of little pebbles crumbling down the side of her stony body as a hand traced over her surface. And she could feel the unnatural pulsing of something that didn't belong. It wasn't far beneath the surface, maybe six inches; but, it was hidden itself, just like it hid their exit.

Aislinn opened her eyes, which were glowing a soft green, and stared through the rock to where the spell sat. Fortunately, her back was to her traveling companions, and they didn't see the glow. Closing her eyes again, she let out an angry yell and slammed her fist into the wall of the cavern, punching through the rocky surface to land exactly where the spell sat. Her intention was to reveal the spell; but, she knew too little of magic to understand its potential reactions. As her fist hit the surface of the magic, it created an explosive reaction that sent her flying backwards with a bang.