Chapter 15: The Blade and the Crystal

The wind whistled around Caelum as he stood with his back to the massive door. Ahead of him, the enemy scouts advanced, dark silhouettes in the blue light of the crystals. Alaric, beside him, was already moving, his eyes fixed on the attackers. Time seemed to stretch, each second expanding with adrenaline.

"You got a bright idea, or do we just die heroically?" Caelum said, a smirk on his face.

Alaric didn't answer, but the smile he gave him spoke for himself. He pulled a small metal sphere from his belt, squeezed it, and threw it at the scouts. A moment later, a silent explosion sent up a cloud of opaque smoke, obscuring their enemies' view.

"That's to slow their advance," Alaric explained, drawing a short blade, honed to perfection. "Now we need to hold them here long enough to figure out how to open this door."

Caelum nodded and drew his own weapons: two black iron daggers, the blades glinting in the crystals. He knew the scouts were no ordinary foes. Their armor, reinforced with the same power crystals they sought, was nearly impenetrable. But the weakness lay in the joints, a point Aldric had taught him over and over again.

"If you survive this, I promise you I won't make any more lame jokes… for at least an hour," Caelum added, a defiant smile on his lips.

"That's a promise you won't keep," Alaric replied before charging into the fray.

The first scouts emerged from the haze of smoke, their ghostly silhouettes moving with deadly precision. Alaric was upon them in a flash, his blade cutting in perfect arcs, slicing through air and flesh with clinical efficiency. Caelum hung back for a split second, watching the enemy's movements, searching for an opening.

Then, suddenly, he dove into action. His daggers twirled in his hands, finding the gaps in the enemy's armor with unnerving precision. Each blow was calculated, each movement fluid and precise, like a perfectly choreographed danse macabre.

"Looks like you've ordered a fair bit of chaos," he whispered to one of the scouts as he sank his dagger into the man's neck joint, snuffing out his life in an instant.

The melee was fast, brutal, and suffocatingly intense. Alaric was a whirlwind of precision, his movements calculated and his attacks deadly. Caelum, on the other hand, was more unpredictable, his blows often preceded by scathing retorts that seemed to unsettle his opponents as much as his blades.

But the scouts were numerous, and the smoke was beginning to clear. Caelum could feel the fatigue creeping into his muscles, but he didn't have the luxury of slowing down. A glance at the massive door reminded them that time was against them.

"Alaric!" Caelum shouted, blocking an enemy blade with one of his daggers. "We have to get in, and fast!"

Alaric didn't immediately respond, too busy dodging a vicious attack. But when he saw a scout trying to circle Caelum to strike him in the back, he acted instinctively. With deadly precision, he threw his blade, which whizzed through the air to pierce the assailant's eye, killing him instantly.

"Thanks for the help," Caelum grumbled as he drove his dagger into another enemy's chest. "But really, find a way to get us in!"

Alaric rushed toward the door, running his hand over the ancient carvings. The symbols flickered faintly under his touch, as if reacting to his presence. "There must be a mechanism… something…"

Caelum glanced quickly behind him. More scouts emerged from the rocks, their armor gleaming eerily in the light of the crystals. Their strength was running out, and he knew they wouldn't last forever.

"Alaric, it's now or never!" he yelled in despair.

Then there was a click, a mechanical sound that echoed through the canyon. The massive door began to move, slowly at first, then faster and faster. A narrow passageway opened, revealing a dark corridor illuminated by the same blue light.

"Caelum, come!" Alaric called as he slipped inside.

Caelum turned away from the fight, diving through the opening just before the door slammed shut behind him, sealing their pursuers outside. He found himself on his knees, breathing hard, his heart pounding.

"We did it," he breathed, his voice hoarse.

Alaric, exhausted but victorious, slowly straightened. "Welcome to the City of the Ancients, Caelum."

Caelum stood slowly, taking a moment to observe the inside of the corridor. The walls were decorated with symbols similar to those they had seen earlier, but here, they glowed intensely, as if imbued with an ancient energy. A gust of wind passed through the corridor, carrying a scent of mystery and a strange feeling of power.

"I hope this city is worth all this blood," Caelum murmured, before adding with his ever-present sarcastic smile, "Because if it is just another trap, I promise you I will haunt you for eternity."

Alaric, though exhausted, burst out laughing. "I warn you, I do not believe in ghosts."

Caelum rolled his eyes, a smirk playing on his lips. He had no idea what awaited them in this hidden city, but one thing was certain: they had crossed a point of no return, and nothing would ever be the same again.