My Devourer System: Rise of the Bastard Son

Before Lucen could consider this a bad idea, they found the trap door leading down into the pits. It was an enormous block of wood that once could be used as castle doors.

Thankfully it was already open. Lucen doubted he could move the door an inch.

"This feels like a bad idea," Lucen muttered. He kept checking behind him, no one was in the castle, but he felt like someone was watching him.

"We don't have to take her out, but this is our only chance for you two to talk before you join the battle in Castaway." Selene hissed.

They both stared at the low running ladder.

Lucen shuddered. "I heard it goes down for hundreds of meters."

Selene eyes the darkness. "I heard there's monsters down there."

They turned to each other, and seeing no one was willing to turn back, started the descent.

The weak light of the torches were enough to combat the darkness in the pits. The flickering flames casted shaky shadows, and more than one something moved in the dark that wasn't a shadow.

He jumped off the ladder on the last few steps, and felt the cold, slippery stone of the ground, but remained balanced thanks to [Traveller's Aid]. He waited for Selene, and helped her down just in case.

He picked a torch from the wall and together they braved the dark. The place was eerily silent, but this was broken with sudden sounds of things moving.

Lucen whipped the torch around, and summoned his spear, but it was just a line of rats. He sighed, but Selene shrieked.

Whether or not there were monsters down here he wasn't sure. Mana sense went ahead of him, and scouted out the corners. But so many little things were alive down here.

And which direction would they even take to find Aya. He was about to suggest they go back, but he found something. He held Selene's hand, and pulled her with him.

There was a man carved into the dark stone. Long wavy hair, a strangely long and thin jaw, small eyes, and wide shoulders that were the end of his body.

"A statue?" Selene whispered.

"It's alive," Lucen answered.

The statue's eyes moved slightly, a crooked smile split its stoic facade. A low rumbling voice came from its mouth.

"The Lightcloak's halfblood, never thought i see you. It's funny really, your family never had a lot of halfbloods, but to be born after the disgrace. Haha, you are unlucky ."

"Call me, Lucen. Who are you?"

The stone statue titled its head, stone moving fluidly, and its hair flowed around its shoulder.

"Lucen? Old Kal seems to have recovered his sense of humor, now all he needs is something to balance his big, fucking head."

The giant laughed. Selene turned pale and furious. Lucen waited for a proper answer.

"Ahhh, yes, my name. It's been centuries since I had a name. You can call the Tron, the faithful watchman of the pits."

"You were born here? Or someone trapped you in stone?" Lucen questioned, "The Metia?"

"The Metia?! They were a lot better than your lot. They knew how to have fun with danger, their kids were always down here testing their courage. But no, no one in either of your famiies could scratch my middle finger when I was free."

"Why the middle?" Lucen muttered. "Do you know where Aya Medaza is?"

"The Medaza. How sad, even a family that had stood for hundreds of years still falls before the void. She is just down that hall, in the third cell on the right. Goodbye Lucen, I'd wish you a good life but I expect that would make things worse."

They rushed down the hall, and found her. She was slumped against a wall, in a dirty brown shirt and brown trousers. There were no doors, just an open alcove, and cold stone. She was shackled to the walls.

Lucen knelt beside her and touched her face. Her skin was cold to touch, and she was as pale as a ghost. He moved her dishevelled dark hair from her eyes, and tried opening them. But her alluring teal eyes were already open.

She stared into space blankly. Lucen clenched his teeth. "Aya? Are you alive?"

The silence crushed his heart. Lucen silently prayed that the dark hadn't broken her yet, that she hadn't told Chester everything.

She shuddered, her breath a painful rattle that turned to a painful cough. He took off his cape, and wrapped it around her.

"Fire," she whispered, "please let me feel the heat of fire once more before you kill me."

Lucen reached into his cloak and pulled a scroll from his storage space, an old habit. It was the fireball spell. He opened it and ignored the burning pain that was stabbed his skull.

He sharpened his Dominance till its utmost, and forced the runes into his mind. Then he spent some more time studying the shape, and mana pattern.

He rolled the scroll up, and put it back. Then stretched out his hands and summoned the runes for [Forgotten Embers]. A flames burst over his hand, and Lucen was caught by its life-like quality.

He didn't notice Aya leap for the flame. Selene grabbed her as she put one finger into the red flames. Lucen stepped back, and Selene grabbed Aya's burnt finger, it was red and steaming.

Aya exhaled a satisfied breath. Her eyes focused after a moment, and she looked up at him. She sat up, eyes widening. "Lucen! No, it can't be? What blasphemous magic is this? Chester, i won't—"

Lucen grabbed her shoulder, keeping the flames away, and said, "I'm here."

Recognition flared in her eyes. She turned her face downward, pulling the cape tighter around her.

"Please, leave me to myself. I am unsightly, I do not wish to be seen."

"I wanted to talk one more time, as friends. If we were ever really."

"You are the truest friend I've had in my long, fake life," Aya murmured, "please, i don't want you to see me like this."

"I don't mind. I find it concerning to see my friend in such a state."

"Lucen, please don't worry about me. I am where i deserve to be. I have watched many lose their lives to claims of heresy, and I did not object. I watched many halfbreeds and lesser beings die under the abuse of their masters, and I did not object. I prepared my whole life to preserve this brutal practice."

She drew away from Lucen, tears falling, but glanced at the flame in his hand. "Leave me too my fate, Lucen. I was blessed to meet you before I died, that is enough for me. Let god judge me, and if I have sinned let his light not find me in the underworld. Let me drift off in a long slumber."

"Aya, please just listen to me."

"I am content. You will change the world for the better. Your fable will uplift the downcast and misbegotten, and your kindness… let your kindness bring forth a warmer world. One—"

"Enough!" Lucen yelled. He punched the world, and the black stone caved in. He pulled back his hand, expecting pain, but his hand was unscathed.

He returned his gaze to a now frightful Aya. He sighed, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you. But Aya, you're a fool."

Selene raised an eyebrow, but Lucen continued, "You're putting so much pressure on yourself to change the world, and hating yourself when you don't do anything. Now you're throwing all your hopes at me, and hoping I do them for you."

"I apologise, it was arrogant of—"

"I didn't ask for your apology, yet. Hear the words I'm saying for once, don't dismiss me like i don't understand anything. I want you to live, and walk beside me. Let's do everything you wanted to do, let's change the fucking world if that's what you want. But I'll only do it if you're here with me."

Aya stared at him for a moment, then tears fell over her pale skin. She sniffled, and lowered her head.

"Kal show me the way. Let your wisdom—"

"Aya, just—"

A loud voice interrupted them both. It was Tron speaking to someone

"Ohhh, the Lightcloak boy. You should have said so. He's down that hall, third cell on the right. Hoho, don't cut yourself with that, Thomas, i've seen babies scarier than you."