Shadow Temple of Zeal Chapter 8
Lucca's Magic
By Demi-God
Lucca smiled as she and Marle walked across the ice bridge. What a great idea! Lucca thought she was supposed to be the smart one. They lightly set foot upon solid ground again. Lucca turned and melted the bridge. "We can't leave any trials, Marle. Who knows who may be following." After a few moments, another stone wall appeared before them. This time, however, there was writing upon the wall. "Look, Marle, it's in the script of Zeal. I don't know this langauge..." The smooth flowing letters continued for several lines over the stone. Lucca studied it carefully, hoping that she'd recognize some Guardian script whithin it, but none was to be found. Lucca shrugged. "Well, Marle, I don't see any way of deciphering that text, let's go."
"No, wait!! I know this word! It's "Queen Zeal". It's on my pendant. 'This pendant has been carved from purest dreamstone, for use solely by Schala, daughter of Queen Zeal, hier to the Floating Kingdom'" Lucca took the pendant and observed the script on the back. "So it does! Very observant Marle! Come to think of it, this word is "Temple" in Guardian. What could this mean? Hmm..." Lucca sat and thought. Marle shrugged. "Let's go, there's no reason to sit here and do nothing!" Lucca nodded. Ok, let's follow this wall until we get to a door." They turned to the right and started walking.
Lucca walked along the wall, trailing her fingers across it's smooth service. Suddenly the the wall ended, and her fingers hung in the air. "Here's another portcullis, Marle. But no Magus to open it this time." Marle shrugged. "So what? It's just iron. Melt it with your magic." "Are you crazy? You saw how bad just lighting the cave burnt me out. I can't imagine getting iron so hot as to melt it." Lucca sat down next to the grating. "I just don't see any way to get past. This is why we don't just 'leave that gloomy mage behind'. Where is he, anyway?" Lucca frowned. Had Magus finally just left them? They had all thought that he would at some point, but why now, in the middle of this cave?
"Lucca, you have to at least try! We have dozens of MidEthers! If you use all your magic and still fail, eat some of that. Stop being so gloomy!" Marle grabbed Lucca's hand and pulled her to standing. Lucca sighed. "Ok, Marle, I'll give it a shot. Hold this." Lucca handed Marle several items off her person, that she did not want burned by her spell. This spell had to be powerful.
Marle took the items and stepped a few meters back. Lucca held her hands close together in front of her, and began forming a fire in between them. She started the incantations for "Flare". She felt a hot wind surround her as the magic began to take effect. She focused more energy into the blaze that was forming over her hands. A dull rumble began to resonate through the cavern. Marle took a few more steps back. Streams of fire started to seep from the floor, up Lucca's body and down her arms to her growing flames. Lucca felt her inner magic failing as the huge inferno was building, but still she focused more power into the developing blaze. Suddenly, Lucca felt a huge burst of magic whithin her. She could just barely see beyond her corona of heat that Marle was channeling her magic to Lucca. Lucca's fireball spread to cover her entirely. The stone under her feet began to melt, as the most powerful fire she'd ever formed was coverering her. She began to hover. She pulled her arms back slowly... Then swiftly brought them together, toward the door, channelling all the energy into the iron bars. The flames left her and flew towards the door. A ear-splitting roar came from the raging inferno now over the door and surrounding walls. Lucca fell to her knees and blacked out.
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