The Archmage and the Unfathomable

Meldior walked slowly through the cavern, knowing that to reach the surface he would once again have to cross the dungeon of the Demon King.

The demons were the final vestige of the original evil’s power, the very darkness that had once stood against the First Emperor in the Primordial Era. Once the last of the demigods and mythological creatures who had followed it succumbed in the Ancestral Era, the leaders of the demons began calling themselves kings, waging war both among themselves and against the rest of Ameritia’s inhabitants.

Fortunately, the Demon Kings had also become a thing of the past. The last of them, just like the lord of that dungeon, met their end along with the Legendary Era. Had it not been so, the civilizations could never have advanced to the heights they have reached.

But even if most of humanity has long since forgotten their names, that doesn’t mean they should be underestimated.

Even today, malignant energy still abounds in the dungeon, and the path is far from pleasant (even for one of the four archmages like him).

Crack!

Crunch!

Kra-kooom!

Krrrshhh!

Before reaching an intersection in the network of caverns, a thunderous crash interrupted the old mage’s steps.

!!

"Antion!"

If not for his swift action in raising a barrier, the scattered rocks and the mangled remains of the creatures that usually prowled the Abyss would have crushed him.

"My apologies, I didn’t know I had company. There are many aberrant creatures around here; I didn’t want to sense the presence of each one of them."

From the darkness of the cavern came a voice, composed, resonant, its tone softly enfolding everything it touched.

Meldior readied his staff, for the presence emerging from the darkness was something he had never felt in his long life.

Stepping out of the shadows and walking toward him was an incredibly handsome young man with long silver hair and golden eyes that resembled tiny suns upon his face.

The old mage knew at once that what stood before him was not human, but neither was it a monster. It was something far more dangerous.

If he had the slightest hope of making it out alive, he had to act first, otherwise it would be too late.

Arthum!

At the tip of Meldior’s staff, a magic circle formed, and before it, several points of energy began to gather, swelling until they became spheres of light.

Shazzar!

At the mage’s words, which rang with magical echo against the rocky walls, the spheres shot forward toward the newcomer.

Kra-kooom!

Crunch! Crack!

But they bounced back before reaching their target, as if repelled by a magnetic field. Instead, they struck the cavern walls, triggering several cave-ins.

"An artifact… no, it is more than that!" Meldior murmured, now realizing what the young man was wearing.

The staff Aetherion that the old mage bore was one of the seven artifacts under the control of the Isle of Mages. Yet it had not left even a scratch on his opponent’s garments.

"After all, these clothes are quite useful now that I’ve learned more about their enchantments," the young man murmured as he inspected one of his sleeves. Then he turned his attention back to Meldior. "Sir, I know I was the one who attacked you first by accident, but can’t we talk this through? If we keep going, we’re going to bring the cavern down on ourselves…"

Meldior could not afford to be distracted by his opponent’s words. He knew a single misstep would cost him his life. Steeling himself, he began once more to gather magical energy into his staff.

Ugh! Gah…!

But before he could begin his incantation, the young man had appeared instantly before him and struck him with a powerful blow to the pit of his stomach.

Never in his life had Meldior seen a martial art skill of such speed and mastery. It left him unable to react. Not even his protective magic rings had time to activate.

"I don’t like resorting to violence against the elderly… but considering that I’m probably the oldest one in this situation and that the cavern was about to collapse, I had no choice. I’m sorry."

The young man’s voice grew more and more distant, though Meldior knew it was only because he was losing consciousness.

"I would have liked to say farewell to everyone… but it was, nonetheless, a fruitful life…"

Those were the last words the old mage managed to whisper before closing his eyes.

"Well, no need to be so dramatic, it wasn’t that bad… Of course, we shouldn’t mistreat our elders, but the life force of this old man is on another level; something like this won’t even faze him."

The young man, who had caught Meldior with his arm before he hit the ground, was now carrying him as if he were a princess, a scene that others would not let him forget, much to his future embarrassment.

"Well, the best thing to do is find a place where I can let him rest. He’s the first person I’ve seen in days, and I’d like to ask him about the outside world… and also about that spell he used. It wasn’t made up of words from the First Language (as Lirilien calls the tongue I knew from this world), yet it was still quite powerful."

***

"Does he have a quarter of our lifespan? Even if he’s an old man, isn’t that a lot for a human?"

It was a warm, intense voice, as if a fire had been kindled in the darkness of Meldior’s mind.

"He’s probably using magic to extend his lifespan."

Now it was a calm and harmonious voice, reminding him of the waves along the coast of the Isle of Mages.

"I’m sorry for calling you so soon. But I imagined you might know this person. Coletto mentioned something about a human who had settled in these caverns."

"It wasn’t soon at all, Zendal! Months have passed in Orb! You should have called us earlier!"

"Master, I never thought just a few months could feel so long…"

"It’s true, time flows slower inside the Sphere. For me it was only a couple of days…"

"When are you coming back to Myrthalas, Zendal? I have to show you Emberhall! Lady Lirilien gave it that name…"

"My master will spend the night with me in Sapphire Basin first."

"Ah! Trying to be sly already! Zendal never said that!"

Cough! Cough!

Meldior began coughing to make it seem as though he was just waking up. He felt it wasn’t right to keep listening to that conversation.

When he opened his eyes, he saw a campfire and three beings that looked as if they had been taken straight out of an ancient myth.