[KEEPERS] Prompt 3

The three travelers were given free rein around the outer halls and the expansive knowledge held in the crystals. The Haedian that had helped them left to carry out their own research while the three wandered through the shelves. With each crystal one of the group picked up, Herja was the only one who had managed to bring forth a vision successfully. Garmr and Alowyn still tried but they were far less successful.

“I give up,” Alowyn sighed as she gently placed the crystal on the table. 

Garmr, for all his failed attempts, found immense joy knowing Alowyn was failing too. 

“Try one more time,” Herja insisted to both of them. 

Alowyn prodded the crystal gently with her magic, but nothing happened. She shook her head and countered that it just wasn’t meant to be. Garmr, on the other hand, decided to force his magic onto the crystal, like he had done earlier, though this time no one was paying attention. 

When the crystal shattered it sounded like fine porcelain hitting the floor and bursting into hundreds of pieces. Garmr shrugged, he didn’t see the consequences about to hit them. While Alowyn and Herja turned to see the crystal lying in thin pieces and knew they were in for a swift exit at the very least. 

“What have you done?” Alowyn cried and several haedians in the area turned to see the destroyed crystal. 

When the haedians saw the damage, they raced to find their leader. 

Khaldor appeared nearly instantly and with a crazed look in his eyes he stared at the crystal. Alowyn felt the tension rise as silence filled the outer halls. Everyone waited to see what his reaction would be. The haedians knew it wouldn’t be good, but given it was only one of the three visitors they couldn’t be certain. Herja was already formulating an argument to get them out of the mess without a fight, but Garmr, as always, was itching for some chaos. 

“Is there a chance that the knowledge is in the fragments?” Herja asked as carefully as she could.

Khaldor took a deep breath and said, “No.”

The silence that followed was suffocating, any slight movement was heard, and it felt like a string being pulled tight. Now, everyone was just waiting for it to snap. Garmr felt the tension like tingles on his skin, he was nothing but excited. Herja knew the look in his eye and fought to keep a level head. Alowyn, knowing Garmr and Herja, was reaching for her magic to stop a fight before it started. However, the silence continued and the tension only grew. 

“What was in that crystal?” Alowyn asked quietly, breaking the silence, hoping it would help ease the tension. 

“It was ancient,” Khaldor murmured and his expression grew fierce as if he just realized what he was saying. Until he hissed, “It was ancient knowledge that can’t be replaced.”

In an instant, the tension snapped. Garmr’s body erupted in flames as he launched himself to meet Khaldor’s attack. Their bodies slammed against each other as they roared their frustration and anger. Claws met claws and they tore into each other. Alowyn whipped her head to see Herja gearing up to join the fray. 

“We can leave,” Alowyn said anxiously, but her voice was drowned out by the increasing sound of fighting. 

Herja leaped into action when the haedians came to assist their leader against Garmr. She pulled their attention away from her partner and kept them distracted. Her fire erupted on her neck and whipped around in tendrils. Garmr didn’t pay any mind to Herja or Alowyn, his sole focus was on Khaldor. 

Alowyn backed away from the fighting until she realized they were fighting in the outer halls, where many more crystals were stored. She watched with bated breath as Herja and a haedian rolled close to the wall. They barely missed the shelf, but if they had, Alowyn knew it would have been more disastrous. Instead of using her magic to stop the fight, she pulled the roots and vines nearby to create walls in front of the nearby shelves. 

A few haedians noticed Alowyn out of the fight and made moves to attack her, but Herja would always pull their focus away, or on the off chance some even realized the protection she was offering their knowledge and left her alone. 

Garmr roared again before he launched another fury of attacks on the massive haedian. Khaldor batted the fire vayron away as if he was a fly and returned with his own roar. Khaldor continued his assault on Garmr until finally, he threw the vayron across the hall. It was at that moment that Khaldor realized his mistake. The large vayron was flying towards a shelf where many crystals were stored. Khaldor’s anger vanished and he flew to catch Garmr before he knocked the shelf. 

Alowyn witnessed Khaldor throw Garmr and was already preparing her roots to catch the vayron. Not a moment too soon, the roots halted Garmr’s body before it made contact. Khaldor exhaled with relief, but it was brief because when he looked around at the battle his anxiety returned.

Herja only saw Alowyn hold Garmr, she didn’t see the events that led up to it. In her present battle state, she only saw a betrayal from a companion. As a result, Herja quickly launched herself at the soft empyrian. 

“No,” Alowyn huffed, strained from the excessive magic use, “Herja, I’m not an enemy.”

Herja didn’t acknowledge Alowyn’s word and when Alowyn realized it was no use, she pulled her roots to stop Herja. Both vayrons howled and strained against the vines as the haedians started to descend on trapped vayrons. 

“Enough,” Khaldor boomed. 

One word was enough to break everyone out of their battle trance. Alowyn collapsed to the ground, exhausted, while the haedian quickly verified no new crystals were broken. Garmr and Herja collected themselves but kept a ready posture just in case. 

Khaldor looked at Alowyn and said, “We thank you for your help, but we must ask you to leave.”

Alowyn watched the leader with tired eyes and then her companions. She nodded without another word. Then, Herja came to her side to help her walk while Khaldor gestured for them to follow him to the exit. 

[1054]