Crystal Guardian

15

The young man drew his sword with such laziness that Aldric did not feel threatened in the slightest.

'Beat me in battle,' said the man monotonously, his grim blue eyes fell upon Aldric who stood closest to the cave entrance. 'Only then will you be allowed to pass.'

'But...why?' he glanced back towards the others for support but they were further away than he had anticipated. 'I don't want to fight you.'

'Come on Ty,' said Floyd, stepping forward. 'What's the meaning of this?'

'You are armed,' Ty replied. He lifted his weapon, which in comparison to its wielder, was solid. Before he had a chance to argue, Ty had lurched forwards. Aldric defended the blow with ease. His opponent wasn't even trying and the sword was so limp in his hands that it was knocked straight onto the floor the second time Aldric swung.

Ty straightened up. 'Finish me off,' he said but Aldric lowered his sword.

K ran forward but Floyd grabbed her arm.

'Get back here, Aldric,' he shouted. 'I don't know what's wrong with him. Ty stop this now.'

Ty glowered, disappointed, and lunged for his sword. Aldric dived out of the way and jabbed his sword forward as if to poke hot coals. He hadn't intended to hurt his opponent but Ty clutched the blade and pulled it towards himself. Aldric felt the sigh of the sword as it pierced through skin, the softness of metal gliding along flesh and blood. He pulled back, repulsed and terrified as Ty collapsed at his feet. A lump rose in his throat. His legs wobbled and his hand went limp. All he could hear was the echoing clatter of his sword as it landed in the dust.

Aldric turned. His eyes flickered to meet K's but her expression was unreadable. Forcing his legs from the spot, he took flight into the cave. Diving headfirst, he pulled himself through on his hands and knees. Deep breaths. He had to get away from them all. How would they ever forgive him?

The cave opened up and Aldric found he could walk at full height. The crystals projected their images onto the rocky walls of the cave like rainbows. He was a little unnerved by the sight ahead of him. Hundreds of misted coloured crystals stuck out of the ground as if they had been grown by some sort of magic. Each one contained a naked person, frozen in stasis between life and death.

A gruff voice floated down the passage. Floyd was calling him back. Panicked, Aldric moved further through the cave, his eyes welling, making it impossible to see. A strong hand pulled him round by the shoulder.

'He's okay,' said Floyd.

'How can he be?'

A half-smile crept onto Floyd's face.

'You think this is funny?' said Aldric.

'That was Ty, our Crystal Guardian,' he explained. 'You can't kill him that easily.'

'I don't understand.'

'You will,' he pushed past, lowering his head so not to bang it on the cave ceiling. 'Follow me. Let's do what we came here for in the first place.'

Floyd paced this way and that to find what he was looking for. It didn't take long because the crystal that they were searching for had become alit with a green light, glowing like a dying flame upon Aldric's approach. They headed in its direction and when they had reached it, Aldric could see that frozen within the crystal grave was Raiden.

'Hold your pendant up,' Floyd ordered, 'and repeat after me.' He recited some ancient Isahiel words. Even from Floyd's mouth, they sounded poetic and soft-spoken. It took a few attempts but Aldric repeated every word. As he did so, a bright green light burst from his own pendant, mirroring the glow coming from the crystal grave. It engulfed the chamber, remaining only a fraction of time before retracting back into the pendant, which he almost dropped.