At the Arma

I looked over my shoulder as I ran through the dark corridor. A number of slit like windows lined the right side of the wall. Suddenly, I heard a blood chilling howl behind me. 

The creature was huge, with blood red eyes and pitch black fur. A number of dagger like fangs showed as it opened its jaws and snarled. It dropped on all fours, bounding down the corridor after me. 

I turned and started running. The corridor started curving to the left. I ran as hard as I could, not even daring to catch my breath. I could hear its heavy footfalls, as the creature gained on me. 

Suddenly, the corridor opened into a broad hallway, but there was no door on the other side. It was a dead end. I stood there, frozen with fear, as the monster advanced. Suddenly I heard a voice calling my name...

''Scarlett! Scarlett! SCARLETT!...

I woke up with a start, breathing heavily. Someone had been calling my name. My mind was still hazy from the horrifying nightmare when my eyes fell upon a dark figure leaning over me.

''AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH !''.

''Scar, it's me! Are you trying to wake up the whole dormitory?''.

I relaxed when I heard the familiar voice. It was just Alice. She went over to the window and threw back the curtains. Faint moonlight filtered through the glass, dimly illuminating the room.

''What were you doing?! You almost scared me to death''.

''I was just trying to wake you up. You were tossing around and muttering in your sleep'', she said, in an anxious tone. ''Are you alright?''.

''I think so. Just a bad nightmare'', I sighed, slumping back on my pillow.

She gave me a suspicious look before returning to her bed. I felt a shiver crawl through my spine as I remembered the nightmare. It had felt so real. 

I glanced around the room nervously. It was same as how it was when I had first arrived here, with two beds  and two lockers and a table in the corner with two chairs. 

My sword, Shadowfang, faintly gleamed on the table. It was a strange sword, with its black blade and the two stones on its pommel. My mother had given it to me during the selection. She had told me that it was my father's sword. A family heirloom. That was the only time she had ever talked about my father. I often wondered who he was. I sighed, leaning back on my pillow. After a few seconds, I slowly drifted back into sleep.

My eyes fluttered open as I felt a cold, tickling sensation on my face. I swore in anger when I saw Alice standing on my bed with a watering can. I picked up my pillow and hurled it at her, but she was too fast. She ducked and stuck out her tongue at me. I looked at the window. The dawn was just beginning to break.

''Why are you up so early?'', I scowled, wiping my face with the blanket.

''You know what day it is, don't you?'', she smirked.

''The test'', I groaned. 

I slipped out of bed and went to the bathroom, where I filled the tub with warm water. I undressed and slipped into the tub. The water was steaming hot, just like I preferred. I leaned back and sighed as it soothed and relaxed my muscles. 

After I had soaped, I toweled myself and pulled on a fresh set of clothes. As I looked into the mirror, my blue eyes stared back at me. I let my hair dry for a few minutes, before pulling it back in a ponytail.

Today was a big day at the Arma. It was the day of the final test. The day which would determine whether I was worthy to be a fully fledged hunter.

The Arma was a training academy for hunters and mages. It was located on the outskirts of Poseidonia, the capital of Atlantis. It was the best training academy in all of Atlantis. 

Children from all over Atlantis were sent to the academy at the age of five to undergo basic survival training. The humans underwent hard physical and battle training, while the mages were trained to control their magic. 

After undergoing five years of basic training, ten strongest and worthy students, five humans and five mages were selected each year to undergo advanced training for the next five years, at the end of which a test was held. 

Two pupils, one human and one mage, with the maximum points were awarded the Hunter's mark, acknowledging them as fully fledged hunters. The tests were never the same. I was excited, as I had been waiting for this day for the last five years.

When I walked out of the bath, Alice had already finished wearing her armor. Her dark hair was tied up in a bun, with a few strands hanging loose. Her blood red armor perfectly complimented her pale skin.

She was fifteen years old, a few months older than me. She was an orphan and had no family. One of the masters had found her abandoned on the streets and brought her to the academy when she was just four years of age. We had been best friends since our first year at the academy. She was like an elder sister I never had.

''Get ready slowpoke, we are supposed to assemble in one hour'', she said.

''Give me a few minutes''.

Alice helped me with my armor. I strapped on the bracers on my forearms, before belting on Shadowfang round my waist. I grabbed my helm and together, we went to the mess.

We piled our platters with some meat, bread and steaming mushrooms, before making our way to an empty table at the corner. Students kept streaming in, and after a few minutes, the whole mess was bustling with people.

After we had eaten our fill, we walked out into the grounds, where all the pupils had gathered. We joined one of the lines.

The Arma was surrounded by the dark forest to the east and a small lake to the south. The forest was out of bounds for the students and was surrounded by a magical fence. We were required to stay at the academy till the end of our training. 

The head of staff at the academy, Kaiser Hale, was a member of the Atlantian council. He was standing on a dais in front of the huge crowd of students. He raised his hand for silence, before he started speaking. 

''Some of you have already completed your training and are waiting to get out into the world. The time has come to test your skills. Only two of you will be leaving the academy with the Hunter's mark. This year, the test is going to be more dangerous than before. It will take all the skills you have gained here, to come out of this alive'', he said.

''It has been rumored that one of the five ancient magical swords, lies in the fallen castle, hidden within its walls, in the middle of the cursed forest. The task of the participants is to find the sword and bring it back. You will be divided into pairs, one mage and one human. The first pair to return with the sword will be awarded the Hunter's mark. As you all know, the forest is a dangerous place, even for hunters and mages. You are free to withdraw, if you so wish''.

''A rumor?'', grumbled Alice. ''We are supposed to find an imaginary sword?''.

''It might be real. He is just playing with our heads. Maybe he wants to see how many of us will give up at the beginning itself'', I whispered to Alice.

I remembered the stories about the cursed forest that the master had told us during the history lessons. ''A long time ago, before the great forest was born, there was a beautiful city named Avantis, ruled by the Witch Queen, Asteria. She was blessed with both beauty and power, but she craved for more. She wanted eternal life. Her greed drove her to do terrible things. She used forbidden sacrificial magic. But there is always a price for using forbidden magic. As a punishment for her crimes, her life force was bound to the castle, forever cursed to haunt its halls, and her followers were doomed to serve her for eternity. Before long the city was forgotten along with its queen, buried within the green leafy depths of the forest'', he had said, but I had not believed him then. I shivered at the thought of going into the Witch Queen's castle.

One of the masters came forward and started reciting the names of the participants from a scroll. ''The participants are, Vance Crypt with Belinda Vexx, Alice Black with Damon Crowe, Oliver Fenwick with Nicole Gilbert, Jessika Payne with Fendrell Godfrey, Scarlett Hope with Alexander Thorne'', he concluded.

At least I was paired with a familiar face. Alec was my second best friend after Alice. The four of us including Damon had been friends since we had started at the academy. Alec was half a year older than me. He had black hair and green eyes. He waved at me and gave me a thumbs up.

The Head master continued. ''Now you will be given half a day to prepare. You are allowed to carry weapons of your choice. It will take days to complete the task, so make sure to pack the necessary rations. All participants are required to assemble at the arena at sundown''.

I went back to my room and stuffed the necessary items into my backpack. Alice returned after some time and started packing.

''Be careful not to bump into me in the forest, Scar. I might not be so gentle'', she said, winking at me.

''As if you can beat me'', I replied, mockingly.

''Yeah, right! We will see about that'', she replied, a mischievous smile curving her lips. ''Be careful though. I do not trust that Godfrey kid. He is one evil character''.

At sundown we headed towards the arena, stuffing our mouth with food. The others had not yet arrived, so we waited at the seats. I started fiddling with my bracelet. It had a red stone pendant attached to the chain links. The stone looked similar to the one on the cross guard of Shadowfang.

The sound of clattering swords reached us from the nearby grounds, where the juniors were training. Some were clashing with blades while the rest practiced with bows and arrows. 

After a few minutes, the rest of the participants arrived. We shouldered our heavy backpacks and walked down into the arena to join our partners.

Master Kaiser called us near the gates of the arena. ''Now each pair will be taken to five different locations, from where you will be entering the forest. You will start only when I give the signal. Once you are inside the forest, you will be on your own'', he said, handing us a map. The masters came forward to escort us to the starting points. 

Alec and I were escorted by Julian Le Cordier, one of the swordplay masters. I noticed that we were being taken to the north edge of the forest. After a few minutes of walking, we reached a small arch with a gate marked with runes, beyond which stretched the cursed forest. It looked dark and foreboding in the twilight. We waited at the entrance for the signal. After some time, I heard a cannon blast and the master nodded.

''Be very careful out there. Don't ever let down your guard. There are vile creatures in that forest that are beyond your abilities. You will need to use both brain and brawn. Remember everything you have learned till now'', he warned.

I looked at Alec. He looked a little nervous. The master placed his hands on the front of the gate and the runes glowed. After a few seconds the gate slowly creaked open.

I had been in here once before, even though it was a different part of the forest. It hadn't been a very pleasant experience. I glanced around nervously, as the gate closed behind us. I looked at Alec and nodded, as we set out into the darkening woods.

Alec was an elemental mage, and had the power to control the four basic elements, earth, water, wind and fire, but it required a lot of stamina. Alec had almost mastered water, fire and earth magic, but he was still struggling with wind magic.

There were five mage bloodlines in Atlantis. The five families used different kind of magic. Alice's partner Damon belonged to the Crowe family which specialized in woodland magic. There were other magic users too, but their powers were not as impressive as the five major bloodlines.

We walked through the dense undergrowth, stumbling over roots and creepers. After plodding on for some time, it started to get dark and we were unable to move forward. So we decided to camp in a small clearing.

I spread the map on the ground after Alec had finished building a fire. The location of the castle was marked on the map. 

''We are still here'', I said, pointing at the spot near the edge of the forest. ''We still have two or three days march up north''.

The next morning, a light mist had settled in, making it difficult to see the path.

''Let's go to higher ground'', I said.

''Yeah, you are right. I can't  even see my own feet in this fog''.

After wandering for some time, we came across a small stream, which was flowing south. We followed it upstream and after some time the ground slowly started sloping upwards. On the way, we saw a couple of rabbits in a patch of grass. Alec raised his hand and two small pebbles rose into the air in front of him. He thrust out his hand  and the stones shot forward, piercing their tiny hearts.

''That is enough for a couple of days'', he smirked.

I rolled my eyes and sighed. We skinned the rabbits and stuffed the meat into our backpacks, before continuing on our way.

''I cannot see anything through this damn helm'', I cursed, removing it. The smell of metal was irritating. I hooked it over a dead stump and sighed as I felt the cool breeze on my face. ''I will take it when we return''.

''Well, don't blame me when you get your pretty face scarred or your eye poked out by one of these branches'', snorted Alec.

''Alright then, you go first. I will walk behind you''.

After plodding uphill for sometime, I found a tall tree and climbed up to a high branch. As I looked around, I saw an ocean of green stretching for miles in every direction. When I focused on the northern part of the forest, I saw a broken stone tower that rose above the treetops. It would probably take at least a day and a half to reach the castle.

''It's a day long march up north'', I informed Alec, as I climbed down from the tree. 

We continued on our way towards the castle. I kept one hand on the pommel of my sword. The back of my neck prickled as I felt the menace emanating from the forest. 

''Do you think the story is real?'', asked Alec.

''What story?''.

''The one about the Witch Queen?''.

''Probably not'', I replied, uncertainly. ''Even if it is, I doubt she is alive after all this time''.

''What if she is?''.

''We kill her?''.

''Yeah, that is an excellent idea. Never occurred to me'', he replied in a sarcastic tone.

We had covered most of the ground by nightfall. We decided to call it a day when we reached a small clearing by a stream. 

I gathered some fallen leaves and twigs in the clearing into a pile while Alec went to gather some dead branches. He returned after sometime with the wood, which he piled over the dry leaves. He placed his hands on the wood. The leaves started smoldering, before the wood burst into flames.

I gathered some water in a vessel and kept it over the fire to boil. I tore four chunks off the rabbit meat and dropped them into the vessel and added some salt and spices for taste. We discussed our strategies for some time till the aroma of the stew wafted through the clearing. 

I took a couple of bowls from my pack and poured the stew into it.

''Here'', I said, handing a chunk of bread and a bowl of stew to Alec.

''Thank you'', he replied, eagerly accepting the food. He looked very hungry.

We ate in silence and once we were full, we washed the vessels in the stream. 

''I will take the first watch'', said Alec.

''Alright'', I nodded. ''Wake me when you feel sleepy''. 

I spread my bedroll on the ground and slumped down, using my backpack as a pillow. I watched the stars shining through the gaps in the leaves, listening to the sounds of the night. The chirping of crickets and the occasional hoot of an owl. I closed my eyes, and after a few minutes, I was fast asleep.

The next day, we started early. I climbed a tree again to check our destination. I saw the tower more clearly along with the rest of the castle, surrounded by smaller buildings. We would probably reach it before sunset.

''Do you remember when we first entered this forest?'', asked Alec.

''Yes'', I smiled. ''We were twelve. They threatened to expel us''.

''I am sure going to miss the academy'', he sighed.

''Yeah'', I agreed, as I stooped to avoid a low hanging branch. I had not thought about what I was going to do after the training. I pushed the thought aside. I had plenty of time to worry about it after the test. 

We continued along the path. It was farther than I had thought. The ground was strewn with patches of flowers in between the dense grass, spreading their intoxicating aroma. A stream gurgled nearby. 

Around sundown, the trees started to thin and breaks appeared in the canopy. We passed through an arch made by two large trees leaning against each other, stopping at the edge of a huge clearing.

''Welcome to Avantis'', whispered Alec.

''Be wary'', I warned. ''If not for the Witch Queen, we must at least be on the lookout for traps''.

We carefully made our way towards the ancient castle that loomed before us, surrounded by ruins of the long forgotten city. The cobbled streets were covered with long grass, with only some stones visible in between. The ruins were quiet and eerie. 

The back of my neck prickled as we walked towards the castle. I slowly drew my sword, careful not to make any sound. I had a strange feeling that we were being watched. I glanced around, but there was no one in sight. 

We finally reached the gates of the castle. One of the towers had fallen off and creepers had climbed the walls, burying their roots in between the crumbling stones. The thick wooden door, which was reinforced with metal bars, was hanging on its hinges.

''Do you think we should enter?'', asked Alec, looking around nervously.

''Yes, of course. We have to get that sword''.

The heavy door made a squeaking a sound as we pushed past it. On the other side of the entrance hall, two stairways spiraled upwards on either side of an ornate door, which had caught mold. The ceiling was covered with cobwebs and a thick layer of dust lay on the floor. We walked through the door into an wide hallway lined with many similar doors. 

''You search that one'', I said, pointing to the door on the left side of the hallway. 

Alec nodded. I turned towards the one on my right, entering into what appeared to be an old study. Above the fireplace was an old portrait of a beautiful woman. She had long dark hair and penetrating blue eyes, which seemed to be following our every move. 

I gasped when I saw an ancient sword that stood on an intricately decorated stand. I knew that was the sword we were looking for, because there was no smith in this world who could forge a sword like that. Its steel blade had thin black veins crisscrossing across it and it had a handle made of wrought iron with a leather grip. The pommel was shaped like a claw, which held a green stone. Its scabbard was lying beside it. 

''Alec!'', I called. ''I think I found it''.

''What happened?'', he asked anxiously, as he came rushing in.

His eyes widened in amazement when they fell upon the sword. ''It is magnificent''.

Suddenly, I caught a movement through the corner of my eyes. It was the painting. The woman inside it was moving. 

''Alec'', I gasped, pointing at the picture. 

He staggered back in horror as she rose out of the painting. She was clothed in blue robes, her skin pale and translucent. I froze as her blue eyes bored into mine. 

''Does she look alive to you now?'', he whispered, his face pale with fear. His hand slowly inched towards his dagger.

Suddenly, the woman shrieked in a shrill voice. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end as the cry pierced through my ears. The windows shattered into a thousand pieces. 

''I have a really bad feeling about this'', I said, as I charged forward and slashed with my sword. It passed right through her, as if she was made of smoke. 

The Witch Queen raised her hand and I was thrown back by an invisible force. I felt a sharp pain as I hit my head on the wall. I saw Alec sprawled across the floor, a few paces away from me. I screamed, as I felt another stab of pain in my head. Everything dissolved into darkness as I drifted off into  unconsciousness.

When I opened my eyes, I was lying on the cold hard floor of the dungeons, bound and gagged. Alec was lying unconscious beside me. As I looked up, I was shocked to see Alice and Damon at the other end of the room. They were shackled to the wall. Alice nodded and winked at me when she saw that I was awake. 

They had probably arrived before us and had been ambushed by the witch. There were no side windows and the floor was slightly damp. Someone was standing guard outside the cell, but he was facing the other way. 

Alice caught my eye and looked at Alec. I nodded and rolled against him trying to wake him up. After several tries he finally began to stir. He woke up and looked around, taking in his surroundings with groggy eyes. 

I gestured with my head at his hands. He seemed to understand and nodded. He closed his eyes and concentrated. The ropes binding his hands started to smolder. 

As the last of the rope was burnt to ash, he flexed his hands and untied the ropes binding his feet, without making a sound. Then he started on the ropes binding my hands. The guard seemed to be oblivious to our efforts. 

As soon as I was free, I slowly crept forward towards the iron bars. The guard was still facing the other way.

Suddenly, without warning, he turned back, looking straight at me. I gasped in horror as I saw his features. The flesh on his face had rotten away, exposing the skull underneath. The stench of dead meat hit my nose and I staggered back, but before it could raise an alarm, Alec thrust out his hand and a spire of rock shot out of the ground, impaling the guard.

Then we proceeded to free our friends. Once everyone was free, we tried opening the door, but it wouldn't budge.

''Alec'', said Alice, gesturing at the door, bowing mockingly. 

''Do I have to do all the work around here?'', he sighed, as he placed his hands on the lock. After a few minutes the lock was lying on the floor, in a puddle of molten metal. 

''Wait a minute'', mumbled Alec, leaning against the wall. He looked exhausted. 

As soon as he had recovered, we carefully edged towards the end of the corridor, where we found a staircase leading to the upper part of the castle. 

We started up the staircase which led into another room which held the keys to the dungeons. Our backpacks and weapons were lying in a corner. Other than that, it seemed to be empty. 

''We have to get that sword'', I said. ''We cannot give up now''.

They nodded in agreement. 

We grabbed our things and walked towards the door on the other side, which led into another room. It had circular walls with three different doors. 

''What now?'', asked Damon.

''We split up'', I said. ''You and Alice take that one'', I said, pointing at the door on our left. Alec and I walked through the one on our right.

After passing through a couple of doorways, we came across a large, intricately carved door. I pushed it open and peered inside. It appeared to be empty. 

I nodded at Alec and we entered, careful not to make a sound. It was the throne room of the castle. As we walked towards the door at the side, I heard strange growls coming from the shadows. I grabbed Alec's hand and pulled him back. 

''We are not alone''.

A dozen undead corpses were closing in on us. They had appeared out of nowhere. I braced myself, ready to fight.

Suddenly, I heard a cackling sound and whirled around. The ghostly form of the Witch Queen was floating at the doorway. Her pale skin shimmered in the sunlight that filtered through the high windows above. She raised her hand and started muttering a curse. 

''Run!'', I shouted.

But, even before I could turn, I felt invisible hands tightening around my neck. I gasped for air, clutching at my throat. Alec was on the floor, struggling to breathe.   

At that moment, I heard a gasp and the hold on my neck slackened. It was the witch. She was looking down at the blade protruding from her chest with a shocked expression on her face. She gave a loud wail, as she started dissolving into dust.  

Alice was standing in the doorway with the magic sword in her hand.

''Just in time, Alice'', I said, smiling at her gratefully, massaging my neck. 

''How did you know it would kill her?'', asked Alec, standing up.

''Just a hunch'', she winked. ''Look out!''.

I whirled around, swinging my blade. It caught the creeping undead in the shoulder. I pulled back my blade and plunged it through its heart.  

We charged through the remaining undead. They were no match for all four of us. As soon as the last one fell, we piled up their bodies and set them on fire. 

As we passed through the gate, more undead started pouring out from the ruins. Alice charged forward with the magic sword, vaporizing the undead soldiers in her path. The sword sliced through armor and shields. 

More undead were closing in. Damon knelt down, placing both his hands on the ground and closed his eyes in concentration. 

Suddenly, roots shot out from the ground and grabbed the undead, dragging them into the earth. Alec ran his hand along the length of his blade and it burst into flames. Any undead touched by his sword was burned to ashes. We continued our assault till there was no undead left standing.

''That was exhausting'', Alice said, sitting on the ground and catching her breath.

''Let's get out of here'', said Damon, throwing a nervous glance at the castle. 

We made our way back into the forest. We had completed the task, but it was not over. We still had to get the sword back to the Arma.

Damon was staggering as we walked back through the ruins. He had used too much energy. We decided to rest for a while as it was already getting dark. 

We made camp at the outskirts of the fallen city. We built a fire and I kept the water for boiling. 

Alec returned after some time with a small doe on his back. We cooked only half of it, storing the rest of the meat in our packs. 

As soon we had finished eating, we cleaned and packed the utensils, before spreading our bedrolls on the ground.

''I'll take the first watch'', I said, sitting on a fallen brick.

''I'll take the second'', said Alice, as she snuggled into her sheets.

Damon was already snoring. I was starting to feel uneasy. I glanced around nervously, but there wasn't anyone in sight. I sighed, as I started picking at the ground with my blade.

We started back at sunrise. Going back was easy, as we were already familiar with the path. After two days, we had covered most of the way. 

We stopped to rest in a small clearing beside a brook. Damon and I went to search for food while Alice and Alec gathered firewood. We searched for an hour, but did not come across a single animal.

''We have been searching for almost an hour'', sighed Damon. ''We have to split up and search''. 

''I agree.  I will follow the brook. It might lead to a watering hole''.

He nodded, before he strode off in the opposite direction.

After hiking for a while, I came across a watering hole, where the grass had been trampled by multiple hoof prints. I nocked an arrow and waited behind a tree.

Suddenly, I heard a movement behind me. I whipped around and saw a huge bear standing at the edge of the clearing. I tightened the grip on my bow.

My eyes widened in surprise as Fendrell Godfrey, one of our fellow participants, stepped out from behind one of the trees, flanked by two huge tigers. 

I remembered that he could control animals. He belonged to the Godfrey family, one of the five great mage bloodlines of Atlantis.

''Where is Jessika?'', I asked, looking around.

''Give me the sword'', he demanded, ignoring my question.

''I don't have it'', I replied in a matter of fact tone.

''Give me the sword or I will kill you, like I did the other two'', he said, in a menacing tone.

I felt a pang of fear, my thoughts immediately going back to my friends. ''What have you done?'', I asked, rage bubbling inside me.

''It doesn't concern you, tell me where it is, or you will be next''.

''You will never have it'', I spat, angrily.

''Kill her'', he commanded his animals.

The tigers charged forward. I loosed an arrow, which pierced the flank of one of the brutes, but it kept charging. I threw the bow aside and drew my sword. 

As one of the beasts pounced for the kill, I swung my sword, separating the head from its torso. I ducked as the second one pounced on me and buried my sword in its chest, but I failed to pull it out in time. 

The bear was already in front of me, and before I could defend myself, it slashed at my face with its claws. I fell on the ground, clutching my face, screaming in agony. It attacked again and slashed at my side, cutting right through the leather armor. I momentarily blacked out, as I felt the searing pain in my side.

Suddenly, a wall of water crashed into the beast, throwing it off me. My friends had arrived. 

Alice yelled out in anger and charged forward, burying her blade in the animal, before turning on Fendrell. She grabbed his shocked face and banged his head on the tree trunk behind him. He dropped to the ground, unconscious.

Alec rushed to my side and started tending my wounds. ''Damon'', he called. ''I need your help. The wound is too deep and she is losing blood. We need to get her back to the Capital''.

Alice rushed to my side and gasped when she saw my wound. ''You are going to be alright scar. Stay with me....'', the rest of her words faded as I slipped into unconsciousness.

                                   ~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~