Affliction - Book One - Man x Man

Chapter 16

The statue seems to almost hum as I near it, as if realizes it's close to a magic-user.

  I feel as though it might feel as though I stand a chance at opening it, my magic courses through my fingertips at the ready. It's not going to just respond to any simple revealing spell. I put my hands on the pedestal and the statue groans as I chant, the wall shudders and shakes as the statue slowly starts to move. 

It's taking almost everything I have to just slide it. The stale air from the passageway threatens to gag me as it finishes its pass and comes to a rest. My hands are clammy; I feel drained as if the statue itself sucked the very essence out of me. Lord Darrius was so much more powerful than me, it was foolish to think my own meager magic could stand up to such a force.

"Stay close me, Tonic. We don't need to get separated in there." I honestly don't know what could be down there. It could be a maze, a room, or even a realm. My father was the most powerful wizard the world had known, everything he did was meticulous and for a greater purpose. Or, so he said. It would make little sense for this task to be quite so easy.

We make our way down the passage and its dark and rank, the smell of dust and dead air make breathing difficult. The air feels heavy, each step feels weighted. Tonic crowds close to me and the cavern feels very cold and lifeless.

 My father probably hadn't been down here in some time, not like he was known for his good housekeeping. We can practically hear our heartbeats in the eerie silence and ahead, I can see a dim light.

 I try not to race towards it, the dark is eating away at me and I feel as if it might consume us. I feel watched, as if there are eyes bearing down on us, looking over our shoulders and just out of the corner of our eye.

I practically gasp for air as we reach the light and I realize it's a skylight but I can't picture from where in the castle it resides. The roof must be charmed. The air feels lighter here and we are surrounded by stone shelves and books. 

Tonic groans. I know from experience that he loathes the dust and dander of leafing through titles. "How are we going to search all these before everyone wakes up?"

I know none of these are my father's spellbook. "This is all history and lore, some are spellbooks but nothing like what we are looking for. Take a good smell. Where is it the strongest?" I watch him patiently as he inhales, only to cough then tries again.

"There?" He doesn't sound sure but there's an iron gate that is latched with a piece of rope.
Cautiously I approach and extend my hand. The rope turns into a snake that writhes and hisses, snatching at us in quick, sharp bites.

 I mutter a few quick words and it returns to its rope-like state. The gate screeches open and I take a few steps inside. There, I see my ax and I quickly reach for it only to have my hand stabbed through by the tip of a giant spear.

I try not to scream as I retract my hand, clutching it to my chest. The towering stone guardian pulls back his spear to stab again and I jump to the side to narrowly dodge the jab. Tonic allows his wolf to come forward but his teeth are useless against the stone spear. 

"Mutt." The guardian garbles as it swats him aside carelessly.

 He yelps as he hits the wall but it gives me time to grab my ax and I swing it with everything I have to strike the stone beast's leg. The electricity jolts through us both, with a crack of light, the leg sloughs off the giant with an audible groan as it slams to the ground.

 The creature screeches as it crawls toward me, its stone helmet cracked and I can see the glimmer of red eyes beneath as it pulls itself. 

Tonic leaps onto its back and digs his claws into the crack on its helmet. The guardian roars and swings at him. He stays low, pulling, trying to dislodge its head. I use the last of my strength to swing my ax for its neck and somewhat hit my target. The head dislodges and rolls away, red eyes dimming at the stone begins to crumble.