Some rings were plain and broken. Others are arrogant and flashy. But some of them were neither. Some rings were righteous and full of vigor. Some were disturbing and evil. But why did that matter?
A bunch of useless metal that couldn't remember, couldn't speak, couldn't see. Why did people wear them?
'Whats the point?'
Leo asked himself this very question as he inspected the several rings dropped by the brute. Each ring visually cleansed of the molten flesh by the flame marks on its surface. All of them looked fairly valuable, having several gemstones embedded through them.
These weren't special by any means, if they were he'd be able to faintly feel magic coming from them – just like he could feel it from the talisman, the sword and the surrounding lanterns – which were now diminishing in number as he went deeper in.
But that was not the case for these rings. Occasionally, he'd see them on the slender hands of nobles, flaunting them around like their hands were being anchored to the floor. Each swing of their arms was another attempt at showing them off. He never quite understood it.
With his hand caressing the rightmost wall, still following through with his strategy of exiting the maze, he held the ring that seemed to fit him most; a dark, slightly charred ring with golden linings going round it. And with his freehand, he wiggled his fingers until the ring fell into place – on his index finger.
'Well? What's so special about this?'
He held it up to the moonlight seeping from the walls. The piercing light that followed hit every pit in the design, bouncing around and scattering across the room, creating a mesmerising translucent pattern across the deep dark room.
"..."
Leo took in the sight, perhaps he understood just half the reason nobles wore them. He was surprised that such a simplistic ring could bring out a spectacle like that. It was reminiscent of the forests canopy, where the only light was from the scarce plants glowing in the dark. If for entertainment, then it was no wonder the nobles all wore them.
Putting his hand back to his side he grabbed the pouch as if he were a real knight taking a casual stroll through town, making sure his ring could be seen by all while his hand lingered around the opening.
'Hm...'
But that only brought a blush to his cheeks as he realised how embarrassing it was to do, someone as lowly as him pretending to be a knight; he'd be a laughing stock back home, nobody would spare him!
Except for maybe Luna, who would probably coddle him and tell him to aim higher than the sky, even if she knew how helpless he was.
Of course she would. Was there even anyone else that believed in Leo? He didn't believe in himself either, but Luna seemed to. Whatever drove Luna to support Leo was confusing to any onlooker.
Her unwavering manner when it came to him was far beyond what love could explain, infact nothing could. She was unlike anyone in her town. Just why was she so fixated on a failure like him, if she'd left him on the side of some ditch when they were younger, Luna would've probably made it big in the world, maybe becoming some rich nobles wife or something. Not living through the dirt in the most secluded corner of the earth.
Luckily, though, no one was around to witness. Otherwise, he'd have died on the spot from the heat going to his brain, more so if Luna saw it and started encouraging him.
Shaking his head, he travelled the maze further in. He'd been walking for ages and ages. But as he saw earlier, the fire would stop for no one. He spent too long in one chamber and look at what happened, it caught up with him just short of the finish line. Had he stalled any longer, he would've surely been done for.
Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.
Air was still tight, not too bad, but not ideal. His body slowly acclimatised to the thick surroundings. He'd been quite hasty getting into the forest and didn't give himself the proper time to adjust. After all, the forest was located deep within a mountain range that lined its outskirts.
The town Leo lived in was located atop the Avento Plateau, a place surrounded by huge mountain ranges and perilous locations. On the grander scheme of things, it was the only 'recognised province' located south of the known continent.
But unlike the South, nobody dared exploring the West. Because that's where the blasted forest resided. The very same one that's been strangling him this whole time.
It didn't stop at simply restricting your magic, but it also sapped your precious air the higher you went, and that was just the first two circles. Who knows what the others could do.
There were no real escape routes either. The same mountains holding Avento up also extended their hands far into the unnkown. Shielding the forest from any unwelcome guests it may receive, it prevented anyone from taking a look of the forest from up above, removing the possibility of any worthwhile planning.
The worst part about the range, though, were the monsters residing at its peaks.
Shiver.
The descendants of the dragons.
Leo's shoulders shuddered at the thought, he wasn't sure how scary real dragons were, but if it was anything like their descendants, then you could count him out of ever meeting one; not like they were alive anyway, but maybe it was for the best.
'Brrr — good thing those things can't come down here...'
If he thought the werewolf was bad, then the draKons were the devil. Even the way their names were spelt was dangerous, that imposing 'k' was without a doubt on purpose. Whether it was to symbolise their might or whatever else, as long as he did not meet one, he could not care one bit.
But as he'd just assessed, there's no way they would come down here, not with the magic restriction in place. If they ever did, they'd be more pitiful than a limbless dog stealing food.
Leo tip toed his way around, coming across splitting paths, hidden roads, many more doors, whatever you could think of when talking about a labyrinth he encountered. But he was unwavering, sticking stubbornly to his practices.
Salivating at the mouth, he was getting really tired. The fatigue was catching up with him from these past few days. Even if he made it out of here, out of the forest, and even back to his town.
'Would there even be anything for me to eat or drink?'
Biting down on one nail, he looked around in hopes of finding something fitting. His crepitating lips were as dry as his palms collecting the dust and web off the walls. He tried looking to the sword for some advice, to the runes. But would they help?
[...]
'Didn't think so.'
Swallowing his saliva was no longer a valid option in hydrating his throat. He'd long ago used all his resources, way before the worm gave chase.
'Every time I think It's getting better, it only gets worse.'
And since then, just how long has it been, two – three days maybe?
'I should've turned back when I still could, fuck.'
Leo looked up, reaching another junction point. He had the option of choosing between three different paths, but choosing the rightmost side again seemed foolish. Especially when he was so desperate for comfort.
On one side he could go searching for more offerings and hope for the best, on the other side he could try persisting through the maze, there was no telling how well either would go though – both had life endangering risks to them, not the first time he'd have to make one.
As a last option he could also gather up magic again and slow down his body. Though that may also just kill him before he achieves it.
'Damn it–'
Wobbling left and right with his hand on the wall he made his lightheaded mind up.
'Forward!'
Every direction looked the same, the usual golden statues, defective lamps; everything fancy and twisted was there.
Clank.
The dial on his hand lit up, and so did a symbol on the floor. In the next moment a human sized hatch opened beneath his feet, sending Leo sliding down an unkept tube of stone.
'Woah-'
Dust followed as he cleansed the walls, his ring occasionally bouncing off the moonlight into a dazzling glint.
Leo was certainly regretting his choice now, but that wouldn't last for long once he saw his destination.
Holding his sword to his side and belongings on him, another hatch opened at the end of the curving slide. The bright white light at the end overwhelmed his senses. As he passed through the gritty rock into the smooth marblestone.
The runes came out of hiding, and before he could regain his vision they relayed to him:
[Chamber Of Heroes]