Then I woke up. My eyes darted here and there, searching, wondering what happened. The monument was gone, the sensation of falling was gone and somehow I don't even know what's actually me. I tried to move my fingers, one by one. As I tried to get up, my head shot a pain throughout my skull. I clutched it, massaging my temples. Then I realized the lights that I was seeing before this aren't from a sun. There were from the crystals around me.
Pushing my legs up, trying not to feel the spell on my head, I looked around. Tattered clothes hang on my back, and the lower thigh of my leather pants are gone, as if ripped. I massaged my neck, trying to remember what happened. But the pain of dizziness was in the way. My throat longs for water but my stomach swirled at the mention of food. I can't remember my name.
There was nothing else but to look around this place. It looked like a cave, filled with big crystals that emit light. It hurts to look at them directly. My legs move on their own as I tried to remember a single piece of memory of my life. Not even a single trickle remains in it. There was a gaping hole that is used to be filled with life. I can't remember my name.
There was no other way but to go forward. If this is a cave, then there must be an exit somewhere. It's just hard to find the real light from the sun when there's so much light from the crystals. The spell shot another hard pain throughout my head and I stumbled, caught my hand on one of the crystals. They felt like glass. Shining glass that fills my hand. It wasn't warm or cold, it felt unreal. Then I looked up and saw the big arch.
It's a portal. I don't know how I know but in my heart I realize I am looking at a portal. We used to have that everywhere in... We used to travel around in... The portal was the one method we used to travel in... I can't remember. We? Who are we? I shook my head a little, shaking off sweat eminating from my forehead. I realize that I was actually cold. A pleasant cool around my skin. But that too felt so wrapped up. There was no other way to explain it. It was as if the cool was transplant into my brain directly and not through my skin.
I walk up to the portal. Every portal has a lock. Like a door, every portal needs a key to open it. Usually, there was someone who's in charge of the key but not now. I looked around the big arch, searching for the little key. I couldn't find it. The owner of this portal must've have it with him. I don't know. I looked up the big arch, leaned on it, hoping there was a way out of this. At that moment, the arch move away from each other. I gasped and walked away. This isn't an ordinary portal.
A swirling smoke came out of the middle of the arch, small at first but soon it was as big as the arches could hold it. I expected something more. In my head, I knew there had to be more. There were supposed to be an image, a clear path that shows where the portal goes. Like a door that opens up to somewhere, a portal does the same. But the swirling went on and on. I sighed and that's when another surprise hit me.
The portals emitted light that combined themselves into words. Words that I know and yet not know at the same time. I could read it but I do not recognize the smooth edges of the words nor the pointy vertices of them. The message was direct, surprisingly. It was as if someone left it there for me. And he knew someone would come read it and made it simple. I don't know.
To you I send this message,
For I am the owner,
The key lies with the beast,
that flows with wings of dark.
Find three of them,
Kill three of them,
And the light shall be shown.
There was only one creature that can fly in a cave. The bats. But with this much light around, I could not tell if any bats live here. Besides, how am I going to catch these bats? I do not even have a weapon. And why does this person torment me so? If he wanted to help, he would've just left the key where it is. No. There must be a way. But I need a weapon.
My eyes caught a glint behind the arches. I walked up to see what it was. The owner did think of everything through. There was a sword, a sizeable one, with the point plunged into the ground. I took hold of it and pulled it out. Instantly, the cave went dark as night. I backed up against the wall, shocked, and ready my stance. I do not even know how to use this weapon. Or do I?
Suddenly, there was chittering. I could feel the flow of air around my skin, and this is real as it can be. Light suddenly emitted from the crystals around me but only enough for me to see. Enough for them to see as well. The bats the message was about? They were the size of eagles. I gulped as I saw them swooped around, luring me out of the corner. I kept my hands above my head as shields but soon realize that it was futile. They were scratching my arms with gashes. I could feel blood flow out. If this keeps up, I would have no way but to fight them head on. And that's the only way I could think of.
It was easy enough. They came at me one by one and all I had to do was time my slashes and soon feel the rip of flesh against the edge of my sword. I slashed out three times and each of them hits a target. I readied my stance again for more but the air was quiet. I held my guard up until I realized the crystals are glowing up again. Slowly, making my eyes adjusted to them. When I wanted to see the carcass of the bats, there was nothing but pieces of glowing crystals on the ground. These must be the key.
I picked them up and went to the portal. Now what? With one hand gripping my sword and the other holds the glittering pieces, all I could think of was to offer them to portal. The messages blurred themselves and the arches move even further apart I would think the pressure was enough to blast this cave and bring the roof down. But it held. And the pieces in my hand moved by themselves. They swirled like the portal above me and combined into a single key. It was made out of the crystals around me, for sure. It emits the same light but duller and looked more solid. I held it up to the swirling portal and touch it.
It was not a portal. I was wrong.
All I could feel at the end was the leather padded hilt of the sword and the sensation of falling. Again. I think I lost consciousness at this point. I realize I was waiting for the earth to meet my back and crash every single piece of my bones.
