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Al'Hrax. An Initate's Account.

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Solmestix
Aug Member 2020

Solmestix

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Ahtel awoke with a start. Another nightmare, this time about the famous Tsunamis that struck his birth-place monthly. Stretching, He realised his assigned group of initiates had already left for a combat training session. He had missed their lecture - a shame too, it was Ahtel's favourite teacher, a man called "Sarkhan."

He sprinted to catch up to his group on the lower floors, He was stopped by an Elder. Masuta. He was, after all, in one of the groups Masuta oversaw. As Ahtel began to stammer out an apology, Masuta quickly said - "You are late. I do not wish to remind you again of the consequences of being late. It shows you are unfocused, untroubled. Do you wish to succeed in this Temple?" Ahtel responded with a quick "Yes master."

Masuta looked at Him and said, very quietly, "You are very lucky that you show the most potential out of your group. Remember that is the only reason I have not expelled you yet."
Ahtel nodded, and thanked Masuta, and turned the corridor to the assigned chamber. He realised that this was Masuta's personal arena, but his class was here. He shuffled over to his classmates, some of who were laughing below breathe, and stood in formation with the rest of them.

Masuta walked in front of them and said, in a commanding, militaristic tone - "Now that Ahtel has decided to grace us with His presence, we may begin. In these three hours, I will teach you the basics of the sword, the spear, the glaive, and the bow. I will also if I think you can handle it, teach you how to command water. Watch as I do." With that, Masuta levitated off the ground and called up several waves of pure water that thrashed around the arena, just missing the initiates. The class clapped as he returned gracefully to the floor.

The next three hours were gruelling, but Ahtel was thankful for it. Masuta had always been better to him than the other Elders and teachers. It was like he could see right through a man and judge them based on that.

04-Mar-2019 20:49:29 - Last edited on 04-Mar-2019 21:26:50 by Solmestix

Solmestix
Aug Member 2020

Solmestix

Posts: 477 Silver Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
When the session finished, Ahtel could proficiently use a sword and glaive against 3 of his fellow acolytes at once and had even summoned a wave - one larger than his peer's. Unsurprisingly, Masuta held him back and said - "You show better promise than I had thought. You will be moved to the Elite classes, and if you surpass them, we will begin your Sakadagami Trials. Should you succeed, you will be allowed to become a Temple Guard, a teacher, or an Island Guard. But i think you can do better. Speak to me tomorrow, and i will arrange for off-schedule private lessons, once you have achieved the Sakadagami form."

Ahtel was dumbfounded, this was the first time Masuta had even been decent to him, save for this morning. As Ahtel sat down at the midday meal, he felt something was off. He looked over to his right and saw a crowd, no, a swarm of monsters. Horrible, terrible, sea monsters - resembling a cross between a dread crab and a squid, of monstrous proportions, purple and blue in colour. They had killed 3 acolytes. They then attempted to feed on the corpses, until Masuta and a squad of 5 Arhat turned the corner, and yelled at them in some... alien language, and the monsters retreated to the Canals.

Masuta then told the acolytes that these monsters were called the "Crassians", and that they were a gift - security for the temple. He then told them about the "Sanctum Guard", who was ordered to prevent anyone from reaching any floors below level two. With that, he and the 5 Arhat turned, and walked back to where they came. As Ahtel got up, he glanced over the bannisters of the stairs and bridges and saw legions. Legions of crassians, perhaps 5000 in each, walked - no, crawling into the canals.

Ahtel was assigned the Elite Dormitory from then, located on the floor below the canals. He later learned he was the last one to enter the Canals, before they actually installed the guardian.

04-Mar-2019 21:40:22

Solmestix
Aug Member 2020

Solmestix

Posts: 477 Silver Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
As he walked, Ahtel caught sight of a group of Acolyte Mages setting up... pillars. Pillars of twisted gold, with ornate designs, that carried a levitating Black crystal on top. As soon as Ahtel saw the stone, he nearly cried out from pain - a migraine had formed, and with it... whispers. He heard all of his family, his brothers, and his youngest sister. He then heard his father, but he did not want to listen. They were dead.

Ahtel began a sprint, and blundered his way away from the crystal, anywhere but the crystal. In his blind fear, he had stumbled down a staircase and into a tunnel. Just as his migraine had dissipated, he had an actual headache. Following the dim lights of the tunnel, he found Him.

Seiryu, the Azure Serpent.

Except... different. The Seiryu of legend was azure blue, not the colour of those monstrous "Crassians". Neither did he have chains... or shackles... or Black stone crystals embedded into his neck .

Ahtel was dumbfounded. Seiryu, the Azure Serpent of myth and legend, now a shackled abomination. Ahtel ran, up the tunnel and clambered up the staircase. FInding a corridor, he ran. It was time for Masuta's private lesson.

"Enter, Ahtel. You are on time, for once." Said Masuta, looking up from his table. "The reason you are taking private lessons is that I wish you to unlock an ability very few even could comprehend. If you are to fulfil your role in this life, it is imperative." Masuta did not elaborate.

"What is this ability master?" Ahtel asked. "The ability to change between mortal, and elemental. Sotapanna, and Sakadagami. At will." Ahtel's face lit up, he had heard of this ability, in fact - He had seen it once when he was very small, a traveller to Hanto, from Aminishi who entertained the islanders by changing into an elemental.

A day passed by, and Ahtel was still in the room. He had spent whole hours in deep meditation, but his thoughts shifted to Seiryu, and to the Crystals.

04-Mar-2019 22:01:19

Solmestix
Aug Member 2020

Solmestix

Posts: 477 Silver Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
After what seemed like millennia of waiting, it happened.

Where Ahtel had stood, an elemental of water - the Sakadagami, now stood. Ahtel spoke, "Master". Masuta was overjoyed, he was never happy, save for combat training. He grabbed his warspear - which at this point Ahtel realised was made from jade, and the same black stone - and stabbed Ahtel in the heart. Nothing. Ahtel gazed down at Masuta, who had then removed the spear, and reverted - almost instantly into a human again.

"Well done. You are ready." Masuta said, with a clear and concise purpose to his words. "Ready for what?", Ahtel asked. "You are ready, to join the uppermost ranks of the Temple. Second only to the Council.", Masuta responded. Ahtel's face whitened, if he said anything now about Seiryu or the crystals, he would be ruined. Entering off-limits areas was punishable with death, especially for entering Seiryu's room.

"If I am to ascend further, Master, I must ask. What are the crystals that we are setting up? I walked by one, and I heard my previous family." Ahtel was worried if he had made the slightest of mistakes in wording, he was done. "They are a gift, from a patron of ours, who wishes to aid us in enlightening the world. The same with the crassians, although I find the Crystals more reliable. As for the voices you heard, you need rest I assume."

As Ahtel walked to his new dormitory, which was finally a one-room chamber, he tried to switch forms as he went. It worked. That night, as he read the ancient texts he was given by Masuta for study, he read that 'A sakadagami's form depends on the acolyte. If they are confused, the form will waver and destabilise. If they are calm, so will be the form. Their power in water will wax and wane depending on mood.'

04-Mar-2019 22:10:12

Solmestix
Aug Member 2020

Solmestix

Posts: 477 Silver Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
As Ahtel slept, he dreamt. This time - he was traversing the ocean floor, the very bottom, and he found himself in a city. A city whose buildings and monuments were made of arms and hands, which were made of more arms, wrapping and warping around each other. They were all made of the same black stone. As Ahtel walked to the city's centre, a large circle surrounded by black monoliths, a ring of stars appeared. And from it emerged three creatures. The first, was a serpent, not unlike Seiryu. However it's horns were tentacles, and its claws were mouths.

The next animal to emerge was a reptile... of some form. It was pitch black, the only breaks in its void-like coat were deep purple eyes, glowing with hate. On inspection, Ahtel noticed it was a dragon - a rare Western beast found in caves and volcanoes, apparently. Its wings were torn and rent, its spikes were broken.

Finally? Ahtel did not know. It was... a sea creature of some form, but it floated upright, and had arms, hands, and wings? Fins? It's two eyes were deep blue. It had a hole in it's chest, which opened to another portal. It looked at him, and Ahtel awoke.

04-Mar-2019 22:16:12

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