The Realm of Austur Episode 2: New Consequences

Vincent gives a light laugh, and a comforting smile, gently pulling her close. "You've never met a dwarf, have you? There's no reason to be afraid, Elia. I will never let any harm come to you. I've proved my trust in you... Now I ask you to do the same. Do you trust me?"

Vincent closes his eyes briefly, tightening his arms around her. "That means more to me than I can say," he breathes softly. "Thank you, Elia. Now, are you ready? Just follow my lead."

He steps out onto the flaming dance floor, holding Elia close, and begins the first few steps of the time old dance. I never thought I'd be dancing this again... Especially not with a partner. I'm just glad I still have it.

They weave through the flames easily, reaching the other side of the cavern in only minutes. Vincent gently pries himself away from Elia's embrace- admittedly a bit reluctant-, and smiles. "Are you all right?"

Vincent gives a small chuckle at that. This woman... She has the most wonderful way of looking at things. "Maybe Elia, but I had faith in you. Ready to move on?"

When she nods, he leads her into the next room, which is a giant underground lake. Or so it appears. "This last test is both the simplest and the trickiest. It is a test of trust and faith, just like the others."

He walks into the crystal clear water, stepping into the shallows, and turns back to Elia, offering his hand to her once more. "Don't worry. The water isn't very deep. Come with me, Elia."

This lake... Like life itself, it's all one grand illusion... Come with me Elia, and I'll show you the truth of the world.

Vincent merely smiles, gently gripping her hand and leading her into the lake. The water feels real at first, but as they wade deeper into the lake, the surface shimmers and it becomes clear they aren't even wet.

He turns to Elia once more, squeezing her hand. "It's fine, Elia. Just trust me."

The lake bottom continues to gradually slope downward, and Vincent leads her even deeper into the 'water', until the lake closes above their heads. However, despite being underwater, it is still possible to breathe and talk normally, and their clothes are dry.

"The lake is an illusion," Vincent explains, noting the look of confusion on his student's face. He points to the very bottom of the illusionary lake, where a stone dome-like building rises out of the ground. A single door is etched into the building. "That leads to our destination."

He guides Elia down to the building and places his hand on the door, speaking a single word in the Ancient Tongue: Open. The door obeys, sliding aside, revealing a small chamber beyond and a single ladder leading even deeper underground.

The ladder leads to yet another gilded hallway, which ends at a pair of massive circular doors. Once again, Vincent places his hand against the stone and orders the doors to open. The massive circular doors grind open, rolling aside to reveal a truly gargantuan chamber, brimming with gold, jewels, and ancient treasures. It was truly an incredible sight; a hoard to make a dragon drool with envy.

"Behold the vast riches of the dwarves," Vincent says, stepping into the chamber. He walks to the end of the chamber, where gilded marble steps lead up to a beautiful stone pedestal. A faintly glowing pendant rests on the pedestal, with a long silver chain and an ethereal rainbow stone set into the pendant.

Vincent bows his head in respect, mumbles a word of apology, and removes the Evening Star from its resting place. He returns to Elia and places the legendary artifact in her hand. "This is the greatest treasure of the Dwarves, the Evening Star. It is the very symbol of their people, and it is one of the most powerful magical artifacts to ever exist. In this single stone, is magic borrowed straight from Yggdrassil itself. It is a source of pure Holy Magick, and it contains stronger magick than a hundred Type 1s. However, the Evening Star can only be used by a Holy Mage with a pure heart and a kind soul."

He closes her hand over the pendant. "This will protect you, Elia. If you are ever in danger, and I'm not there to help... All you have to do is clutch the Evening Star to your heart. The Star will do the rest."

Vincent smiles. He takes the pendant from her hands, and tenderly clasps it around her neck. "I hope so too. But now, I can rest a bit easier when you're gone. Here, I have one more gift for you, Elia."

He removes the royal signet ring from his finger, and places it in her palm. "With this, I am only a thought away. If you ever need me, all you have to do is wear this and think of me. I will come to your aid, wherever you may be, even if it's just to talk. Don't ever hesitate to call on me. Now, are you ready to leave, or would you like to look around? Don't worry. The traps are disarmed now. They won't activate again until after we're safely back in the throne room."

"Even those," Vincent confirms, smiling.

"Of course milady," Vincent says with a small grin, inclining his head to her. They walked arm in arm back to the ballroom, and all the while, Vincent couldn't stop smiling. It felt... Nice, simply walking like this. He couldn't explain it. It was like she gave off a certain warmth, like she radiated heat. In those few moments, he had never been happier.

"This ballroom mirrors the one in the palace above," He says quietly, his voice distant, as they entered the grand chamber once more. "Everyone knows the Dwarves love song and dance... But few remember, or even know where that love comes from. Every year, the Dwarves of Gorgath celebrated the gift of life with the Grand Ball. It was an incredible sight."

He closes his eyes. "I still remember it so vividly. The King and Queen dancing together, the majesty of the royal dance, the sights, the smells, the people, and the music, oh the music... It was the first time in my life I had ever felt like I truly belonged... But now, the people are gone and the halls are silent... I alone remain. I have roamed these silent halls for countless decades, nothing more than a ghost... That's all I am now."

His eyes open, and he sighs. "Forgive me, Elia. I did not mean to burden you with my melancholy thoughts."

"I don't know," he replies honestly. "I used to have such a dream... I tried uniting the scattered Dwarven tribes at one point, but... The world has changed, Elia. This is no longer a world where Gorgath can thrive in the open. If I tried to restore Gorgath to its former glory now, I would find myself besieged by power-hungry fools within days. The world has to change first... But I lack what is required to do so."

He closes his eyes again and turns away from her. "For a long time, I had given up hope. All I wanted was peace... An end to everything. And so for decades, I sought someone strong enough to kill me. I sought a way to die. But then, at the foot of the World Tree, I was given a vision. A glimpse of the future I had so long desired... And of the young woman who could bring it about. That woman is you, Elia."

Vincent slows his pace, allowing her to pass him. He stares at her in bewilderment for a few moments. Finally, he smiles. "You are wise beyond your years, Elia. And... Thank you. You're right."

I wonder who is really teaching whom?

A sudden thought crosses his mind. "Tell me Elia, do you have any dreams of your own?"