Anima, Ch.28: Trial By Fire

[Anima, Ch.28: Trial By Fire]
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--01-- [Scene: Rundal] <BGM: The Spirit's Tears> {SFX: plop}
As the echoes of my shout faded, Aer re-emerged from the glowing pool of water,
and resumed floating above it.
She glared at me with a mixture of annoyance and disappointment.


--02-- (Aer) <BGM: The Spirit's Tears>
You've already returned...? That was faster than I expected...




--03-- <BGM: The Spirit's Tears>
"Did you expect something...unfortunate...to happen to me? Considering what I ran into there,
I can't help but feel like I was being led into a trap."

Aer's expression hardened.

--04-- <BGM: The Spirit's Tears> {SFX: plop}
Aer waved a hand; the statuette in my hands flew away, and into her palm.
A light-blue gemstone rose from the shimmering depths, then drifted towards me, hovering in the air just within reach.



--05-- (Aer) <BGM: The Spirit's Tears>
Very well... But before I aid you any further, I must judge your intentions...
I would test your character.
Take this aquamarine to Ciar Dungeon, and place it upon the altar.


--06-- (Aer) <BGM: The Spirit's Tears>
You will face a trial there...
A trial that will stare deep into your soul...and make you confront the darkest aspect of your very nature.
You must overcome it...


--07-- <BGM: The Spirit's Tears>
The palm-sized gemstone floating before me glowed with an inner light. I warily took it.

"What if I don't pass this test of yours?"


--08-- (Aer) <BGM: The Spirit's Tears>
Then I will not help you...
If you fail, do not return here.
There would be no point in allowing you to try again.
The outcome will not change...

--09-- <BGM: A Safe Zone> {SFX: plop}
With that challenge issued to me, Aer once again sank into the luminous pool and disappeared,
leaving me holding the glowing aquamarine.

So... Ciar Dungeon, was it?

--10-- <BGM: A Safe Zone>
Now what am I getting myself into?
If I didn't know better, I'd say Aer was trying to get rid of me...
Fortunately, she doesn't seem to be very good at this whole plotting-your-death thing...


--11-- [Scene: Ciar] <BGM: A Safety Zone>
There's a Moongate right outside the cave containing Ciar Dungeon.
I went directly there from Ceo, and entered the intricately carved altar room.
I stood before the Goddess and set the gem down...


--12-- <BGM: Eat or be Eaten>
...this isn't a dungeon.
It's pitch black in here... My fears of emptiness bubbled to the surface.
Is this real? I feel solid ground under me.
I hear sounds. It's not a void, then. So where is this?

--13-- <BGM: Eat or be Eaten>
I cast a Firebolt spell. The flame gave barely enough light to see my immediate surroundings.
It's...a cave?
Columns of merged stalactites and stalagmites formed walls, creating a natural maze.


--14-- <BGM: Eat or be Eaten>
I wandered aimlessly in the dark, as if lost in a dream.
I have no sense of direction here.
In some places I was able to squeeze between columns, but only found more of the same on the other side.


--15-- <BGM: Eat or be Eaten>
I lost track of time.
After what may have been hours of spelunking, I left the confines of walls and entered a vast, faintly illuminated chamber.
Something's in here...something radiating malice...


--16-- <BGM: Eat or be Eaten>
I hear sounds...
Heavy breathing. Scraping rocks. A burning flame.
I readied my wands. Whatever Aer sent me to confront, I think I'm about to find it...
Or it's about to find me....

--17-- <BGM: Death March>
Something emerged from the dark.
A towering humanoid shape, a being of living fire clad in stone armor, its whole body ablaze with roiling flame.
Its head was a fireball, with a demonic face within!


--18-- <BGM: Death March>
It brandished a massive mace with a molten stone head.
It stared down at me, fifteen feet tall, and spoke with a booming voice,
a roaring mixture of a blazing inferno and a landslide.


--19-- <BGM: Death March> {SFX: wind}
"LONG HAVE I WAITED HERE. LONG HAVE I SLEPT.
HAVE YOU COME TO RECLAIM YOUR POWER, OR TO RENOUNCE IT?"

A searing wind issued from the demon of flame as its powerful voice swept past me.

--20-- <BGM: Death March>
"I renounce anything to do with you! I came to prove myself, that I can be a Knight of Light!"
"HAHAHAHA! TO THINK THAT YOU, DAUGHTER OF DARKNESS,
SOVEREIGN OF SHADOWS, WOULD BE A CHAMPION OF LIGHT?"


--21-- <BGM: Death March> {SFX: explosion}
The demon's flames grew hotter and brighter.
"YOU HAVE RENDERED WRONGS DARKER THAN DEATH OR NIGHT. YOU HAVE SPILLED SEAS OF BLOOD.
NOTHING WILL ABSOLVE YOU OF THE EVILS THAT YOU HAVE WROUGHT."


--22-- <BGM: Death March>
I did WHAT? No...! It can't be...!
"Lies!"
"I KNOW YOU BETTER THAN YOU KNOW YOURSELF.
THERE IS NO LIGHT WITHIN YOU! THERE IS BUT HATRED AND DARKNESS, BLOOD AND FLAME."
Its fiery face smiled wickedly.
--23-- <BGM: Death March>
"No...! I have Morrighan's blessing! I will stand in the light!"
"THE GODS FEAR YOU. THE SPIRITS DETEST YOU. THE WORLD OF MEN REJECTS YOU.
YOU HAVE NO BLESSINGS, UNCROWNED QUEEN. YOU HAVE ONLY ME."


--24-- <BGM: Death March>
"I have friends who accept me!"
"YOU HAVE LIES! IF THEY KNEW WHAT YOU WERE, THEY WOULD TURN ON YOU.
EMBRACE MY FLAME. ACCEPT MY DARKNESS.
RECLAIM YOUR BIRTHRIGHT, AND WALK THE PATH OF DESTRUCTION."

--25-- <BGM: Death March>
"No...! I don't want it. I don't want it!
I don't want that kind of power...! I will not dwell in darkness anymore...!"
"NO? YOU REFUSE?"
"That's right. No! I refuse you!"

--26-- <BGM: The Beginning and the End of Tragedy> {SFX: explosion}
The demon growled.
"YOU THINK YOURSELF DARK-SPAWNED NO LONGER? YOU WOULD DEFY YOUR NATURE?
THEN SHOW ME YOUR STRENGTH. ENDURE MY FURY. STRIKE ME DOWN.
IF YOU CANNOT RESIST ME, YOU SHALL SERVE ME!"

--27-- <BGM: The Beginning and the End of Tragedy>
The demon of flame took an aggressive stance, but did not advance towards me.
It's...waiting for me to make the first move...?
This is my trial? I have to defeat *this*?
What can I do against it?

--28-- <BGM: The Beginning and the End of Tragedy> {SFX: pitpat}
Fear ran through my veins. Sweat was pouring off me, and not all of it from heat.
I struggled to clear my mind.
Fire Wand in hand, I casted a Fireball, the strongest spell I had at my disposal.


--29-- <BGM: The Beginning and the End of Tragedy> {SFX: huge explosion}
The demon didn't even flinch as the Fireball spell exploded under its feet.
"FLAME? BE YOU A FOOL NOW AS WELL?
DID YOU THINK THAT WHICH GIVES ME FORM COULD DO ME HARM?"


--30-- <BGM: The Beginning and the End of Tragedy>
What *was* I thinking? I'm so scared, I'm not thinking straight!
I switched wands and cast Thunder.
The leading charge struck its chest, followed by five mighty lightning bolts.


--31 <BGM: The Beginning and the End of Tragedy> {SFX: lightning}
The lightning had little effect upon the demon's stony shell, though...
"PATHETIC. YOUR LIMITS EBB LOW.
ONCE, YOU BURNED WITH THE SPLENDOR OF THE SUN.
HOW IS IT THAT YOU HAVE FALLEN SO FAR?"

--32-- <BGM: The Beginning and the End of Tragedy>
Nothing's working!
What do I do? Wait, I still have...! That new spell...
I fumbled for my Ice Wand, and tried to cast it.
A massive spike of ice formed in the air, hovering above my raised hand.

--33-- <BGM: The Beginning and the End of Tragedy>
This is all I've got left! This has to work!
I willed the Ice Spear to launch itself at the contemptuous demon of flame, like a giant Icebolt.
It flew straight and true, right at the demon's face...


--34-- <BGM: The Beginning and the End of Tragedy> {SFX: explosion}
...and it burst into a harmless cloud of steam just before making impact.

No... No! What do I do now? What do I do?!
I... I can't win...! I can't win!!
I can't even hurt this thing!!
--35-- <BGM: The Beginning and the End of Tragedy>
"YOU DRINK DEEP OF DESPAIR, DARKLING.
YOU CANNOT DEFEAT ME WHEN YOU DO NOT EVEN UNDERSTAND WHAT I REPRESENT.
IT IS TIME FOR THIS FARCE TO END. PREPARE THYSELF."


--36-- <BGM: For The Fallen> {SFX: pow}
With terrifying speed, the demon closed the distance between us in four strides, swinging its molten mace at me.
My world exploded in indescribable pain. I flew twenty feet and collapsed in a heap.



--37-- <BGM: Whisper of Wind>
I lay broken, scorched, and bloody. I can't move. I can't...feel my body.
My senses waned as my life's blood spilled out upon the dark rocks...
The demon stood triumphant over me.

"YOU HAVE FAILED."
--38-- <BGM: Whisper of Wind> {SFX: explosion}
It stabbed the mace's glowing red-hot haft into my chest. I smell burning flesh...

"I BRAND YOU, SCION OF INIQUITY. THOUGH UNWORTHY, YOU SHALL BE MY VESSEL.
ONCE MORE, WE ARE ONE...NOW AND FOREVER."

--39-- <BGM: Whisper of Wind>
My vision went dark... Am I really...dying?
I...failed... I've failed...
I wonder if this...was all just a nightmare?
Will I wake up again? Where will I wake up...?

--40--
Do I...even deserve to wake up again?
If this was this 'darkest aspect' of me, then...maybe I should't...

Darkness reclaimed me. In my last lucid moment, I realized...I had never been free of it.

[chapter end]