Escape from the Swamp

"We need to pull back… There's a large number coming in this direction." Stannir nodded while striking down the strange beasts in front of him.

"It's like they're learning from our fighting…" Stannir cursed and sent a fireball towards a small group turning them instantly into ash. He jumped back as a beast tried to attack him with its claws. He cursed and released a large pulse of fire energy that killed the group of beasts that surrounded him.

He turned and started running towards the next ruin, keeping to the firmer ground as much as possible.

"RRRrroarrrr!"

"More are coming… You look tired. They're using their numbers to exhaust you. You need to find a place to hide and recover." Stannir nodded and focused on running through the swamp.

He looked up. "There's the next ruin. Hopefully can hid out there for a while." He increased his pace jumping over roots of the trees around him until he stopped in front of the ruin.

"Can you see anyplace where we can hide and rest?"

Stannir closed his eyes calming himself before opening them and ran into the ruin.

"Stannir… This ruin feels different then the others. Maybe the beasts won't come near here?"

"We can't leave that to chance. Are there any doors where we can hide behind?"

"Over there…" Stannir looked in the direction where Salina pointed and nodded. "Then that's where we're going then. He ran up the stairs cursing and panting. He pulled on the wooden door groaning until it opened slightly and went inside pushing the door closed behind him.

"Rrroarrr!" "Rrrroarrr!" "Rrrrrrroarrrr!"

"They've arrived… I hope that this door keeps them away for a while." Stannir looked around and pushed old bookshelves and tables and put them against the door. He sat down against the far wall letting out a long breath.

"Whatever those beasts are. They're bent on hunting you down."

Stannir smiled at the concerned Salina. "Don't worry, I won't let that happen to us. I prefer to be walking around in one piece."

"That's good to hear. You wouldn't look as handsome if you were eaten alive or slashed into pulp."

"Hahaha… Thanks for your encouragement. I'll remember those words." He looked around in the room he was in. "Now, where are we? There better be not another way in here."

"Rest first, and then we can look around. You used up a lot of energy just to get here… Recover and eat something and then we can go look around."

Stannir nodded and pulled out some meat. He made a small fire on the stone ground and then started to cook the meat. He looked up around him as the dancing light from the fire revealed the space around him. "It's like a room for some rich person or something." Stannir frowned. "There's another door over there. That means there's more then one way to enter the ruin."

"At least the roaring from the beasts have quieted down." He nodded as he watched the meat cook over the fire. The smell of the cooking meat made Stannir's stomach grumble.

"Hahaha… Seems my body is very hungry."

"I'm happy you can still laugh and smile in this condition."

"There has to be something to make you smile even when the world is going against you. If you can't then how can you step forward?"

He looked at Salina smiling at him. He watched as she leaned forward touching his head. "So, what keeps you stepping forward?"

"To be the best Firewarrior, as well as you… I'm lucky I have two things that push me to do my best. And the best thing is, only one of them slaps me if I'm being an idiot."

"Hahaha… It started nice and sweet, but you finished rather poorly…"

Stannir felt his face heat up as he stared at Salina. He felt his heart skip a beat. He looked down at the fire and picked up a piece of meat and started chewing on it.

"Good news for you. There's a lot of energy around here you can swallow. Use it to recover your strength after you eat."

Stannir nodded. "I can feel it too. The more I swallow it the more I start to feel it around me. I also feel the mouth wanting to open…"

He took a bite from the meat. "Remember what you've been told. Don't lose control of that mouth. You must always be stronger than the mouth always."

Stannir nodded as he swallowed the meat in his mouth. "I haven't forgotten, and nor will I ever forget that. It's our life, and I need to look after it."

"At the moment yes… Things will be different one day... I can promise you that, my general."

Stannir looked at her confused. "Do you mean when you are able to physically form your body again?"

"Yes… That will be a fun day I think."

He watched as Salina's face started to blush. He smiled. "I'm sure it will be."

Stannir finished the meat and then closed his eyes. "It's time to feed mouth… Open and swallow."

He felt the mouth open over his heart and a warmth fill his body. He revolved the energy in his body making it his own.

"Pop… Pop… Pop."

"Your body is almost at the next level. It seems these battles are helping you become stronger."

Stannir nodded as he floated around his body watching the changes happening inside.

He felt his body almost bursting with energy and frowned with a slight pain in his heart. "That's enough mouth. Stop."

He watched as the mouth closed and once again become part of the tattoo on his chest. He opened his eyes and looked down at the tattoo smiling. "It looks amazing… The old monster did a great job didn't he?"

"Yes, he did… It makes you look almost complete… You're still missing something."

Stannir stood up and stretched his body. He clenched his jaw as his bones popped.

"What am I missing?"

"Something from me… But you're not strong enough for that yet."

Stannir sighed and looked at Salina with a smile. "Now, I'm recovered shall we explore this ruin a little more before we keep moving out of these swamps?"

"Sounds good to me. Just as I said. This ruin does feel different. Maybe it's holding or hiding something…"

He nodded and walked to the smaller door opening it and checking the hall before walking down the hall. He looked at the dark stone and ruined paintings on the wall. He stopped and frowned. "Can you feel that Salina?"

"No what is it?"

"I feel like I'm being pulled in a direction below the ruin." He frowned. "This feeling is as if I know there is a treasure down there. It's calling out to me, to grab it and take it."

"That sounds strange… Do you want to have a look at it?"

Stannir nodded. "No harm in looking, but still…"

"Just keep revolving the energy within you. That should keep you safe from whatever is pulling you."

Stannir growled. "It couldn't be a trap, could it?"

"It's possible. I can't feel it pulling towards me… Just be careful."

He nodded as he looked at her worried expression. He started to walk in the direction of where the feeling was coming from. As he walked, he looked at the large broken statues around him and shuddered. "These statues seem to have energy coming off them. It's like they're following me as I walk past."

He walked up to one of the statues that was missing it's arm and was holding a spear in the other hand and touched it's foot.

"Badump!"

He pulled back his hand and took several steps back from the statue.

"What is it?"

"It's alive… When I touched it I felt its heart beating. It's also full of energy. Very strong energy within the statue." He looked at the statue in confusion.

"What is this place?"

"The further we go, the more we'll know about this place."

"Badump… Badump… Badump…"

Stannir took a step back from the statues. "I think we should leave this place. Maybe when we're stronger to come back then."

"Why what has happened?"

"All the statues have beating hearts. I can hear them. They're very loud."

"…"

"hættaaðhreyfa sig."

Stannir frowned. "Did you hear that?"

"Yes, I heard that… It's the ancient language… The same language your name came from."

What do we do?"

"We stop moving."

Stannir nodded and stopped moving. He looked at the statues and the large door behind them. "Salina that door is glowing with energy. This ruin isn't a normal place."

"orkan í líkamaþínumerveik. Afhverjuertuhér í musterianicents?"

Stannir frowned as the loud voice echoed off the walls and spoke directly to his heart. "Salina what did the voice say?"

"It asked why are we here in the temple of the ancients… That's why this ruin is strange. It's a very ancient and dangerous place. Let me use your mouth for a bit. I'll communicate with the voice."

Stannir nodded and felt Salina's hands over his mouth and throat.

"Okkur var eltafdýrum. Viðkomumhingaðfyrirslysni. Viðmunum taka okkurfrínúna. Þvímiðuraðtruflagrafreitinaþína."

"Ahh. Drekineistier í barninu. Hann ereldsmiðurerhann ekki?"

"Þaðerrétt. Hann eraðhjálpaméraðmyndanýjalíkamaminn.Viðförumnúna."

"Fínt. Þegarhannersterkari, færðuhannaftur. Viðmunumsj��hvorthannerfær um aðopnadyreldvarnarinsogberaarfleifðokkar."

Stannir felt Salina moving away from his body and looked at her. "What happened?"

"We need to leave now, but the voice said when you're stronger we need to return and go through the door... They will be standing here waiting for you."

Stannir nodded and walked backwards from where he came from and stood in front of the staircase. He let out a long breath and sighed loudly. "Salina… That was the ancient language?"

"Yes. That's right. The next time we return here, you'll be able to speak the language."

Stannir's eyes opened wide. "Will you teach me how to speak it?"

He watched as Salina's eyes blinked at him. "Of course. Who else will be able to teach you to? Sometimes you really have got rocks in your head."

Stannir frowned at her. "Fine… Now let's leave this place and get out of the swamp. I'm tired of fighting against those beasts."

"Now we know what this place is. I have a feeling all these ruins are all connected. Let's keep looking around. There are probably old tunnels that connect the ruins together."

Stannir smiled. "I like your thinking. If there're passages to the other ruins then there'll have to be some signs or at least a map."

"Unfortunately, we don't have that. However, we do have your energy pulse."

"Energy pulse? What's that?"

"When you were in the north learning how to control your energy. You were releasing energy pulses to keep the snow and ice off you. It works the same way. Instead of trying to destroy things. You can use it like a nightwing uses their screech."

"Nightwing? I've never heard of that. What is it?"

"It's a hunting bird that is blind and only comes out at night. They use the sound of their voice to find their way."

"This sounds interesting. What do I have to do?"

"Easy. Just close your eyes and release a gentle pulse of energy out. Let the energy then bounce back from objects and then enter back into you. You'll will be able to create a map in your mind."

"Won't that voice be annoyed by this?"

"No… They'll know what you're doing."

Stannir nodded and closed his eyes. He felt the energy inside him grow and he let a pulse of energy out of his body. He kept his eyes closed and waited.

"I can feel the energy returning to me. What do I do now?"

"Let it enter your mind, and let it draw a picture of what it landed on."

Stannir nodded and felt the returning energy return to him and smiled. "There's an image forming. It looks very weak, but I'm sure I can find out way through the ruins."

"Now lead the way."

Stannir took a step forward releasing a pulse of energy with his eyes closed.