Mannaric | Azorius Senate
Mannaric had never even been close to the Maze. He had never walked past it, nor strolled by or flown over it. Though, since he was but a boy he imagined what it would be like to see it, to go inside it, overcome its puzzles, and emerge the sole victor.
No matter the outcome, he could never be victorious now. All of that planning, all of that scheming on part of Isperia, on his part, on part of the Maze... it would all come down to one of three outcomes for him.
The first one was him doing what he came here to do. Save his brother, Shade. But, there can be only one winner, so that will surely mean his own demise.
The second one was watching his brother die, and somehow managing to succeed in getting out. No matter how much glory he would bask in, he would have to go on with the shame of being too weak to save his little brother.
The third one... The third one was both him and his brothers perishing at the perils of the parlous Maze.
He ceased his train of thought as he arrived at the entrance.
He found himself standing outside a tall gate made entirely out of bone. There was not a single gap to gaze through the cracking ivory - the door was clearly well-made.
Mannaric placed one hand on his chin, and the other on the bone gate. He was filled with a feeling of warmth, the smell of a meadow, and the taste of fresh air. He squinted, even though there was no strong light shining into his eyes.
He heard a voice from behind him. "I can't wait to start."
He turned around, and saw a human in a dark blue, hooded cloak. The man wore a pendant on his neck, clearly magical.
"I can't wait to finish," Mannaric whispered.
"That's what I meant," the man said joyfully. "The sooner we start, the sooner we finish."
"You are too eager to die, human." The elf backed away from the gate. "Have we met before?"
"Yep," the man chuckled. "I didn't think you'd remember me."
"You tried to sell me an aquarium for three times its genuine price."
"I nearly succeeded." The man gazed at the gate. "The name's..."
"I don't need allies," Mannaric interrupted. "Goodbye."
The elf closed his eyes, a bright flash of light penetrated his eyelids.
When he opened them, he found himself standing in a grassy flatland. In front of him was a large, white marble structure, a number of avians patrolling the skies above it. The warm sun blinded him for a second, and he had to look down to the pleasant-smelling grass to regain his sight.
The ground vibrated.
"You have done well, Mannaric," a deep whisper echoed in the bright valley. "Though, at first I thought you would think of the Windmill of Gargle-Gargle."
"I did think of it," the elf said with a mild smile. "That's how I knew it was something else. Your intellect has proven itself to be quite... illusive."
The voice paused for a while. "You will find a Key Scribe inside the Pantheon."
Mannaric stepped forward towards the structure. "My brother passed here, didn't he?"
"Perhaps he did. Perhaps, he did not."
The elf walked between the marble pillars. "You know, you are but a being. I will kill you."
"Too many others have said that before."
"I am not like any other."
"They have said that as well."
Mannaric placed his hand on the doorknob of the small wooden gate that led inside. "You have not yet seen power like mine. I will destroy you, Maze, and forever free the people of Ravnica from your tyranny and vile extortion."
He entered through the gate, and walked into an open-roof courtyard. Flying around in large circles, not too far from the ground, were over three dozen avians of all kinds. They all carried weapons of their own: some maces, others swords, some even carried bows they would use to lay death from above.
In a corner lay a mutilated man in dismantled red armour, a tightened fist engraved on his metal plates. He was lying in a pool of his own dried blood, his stomach torn open, his intestines missing from his inside. He was dead.
In the centre stood a tall, wide-branched tree, its leaves casting a large shadow on the ground. Leaned against the tree, rested a young helioproct, his battered wings spread wide. Mannaric began to slowly walk towards the winged creature.
"There are things that are far beyond the reach of your understanding, elf. Ravnica needs the Maze. Without it, they would have no common enemy. They would destroy each other. What are the lives of twenty-one compared to the lives of thousands?"
"Why are you doing this? What have you to gain?"
"Entertainment."
Mannaric approached the sprawled creature. He appeared to be in some sort of a trance, his wounded body not twitching a muscle as he stared forward. He only occasionally blinked, to show that he was indeed alive and not a highly detailed sculpture.
"You," Mannaric said. "You're a Champion. Have you seen Shade? I'm talking to you! Have you seen..? Ah, forget it..."
The elf continued across the courtyard, avians flying closer and closer to the ground.
"You shall not..." one of them said, but was unable to finish before he flew away.
"Pass at your own peril," another, slower avian screamed from above.
Mannaric snickered and rolled his eyes. He extended his arms and waved his hands as if he were flying.
"How dare you mock our sacred race!?" One of the fliers screamed in anger. He descended at Mannaric, swinging his large flail.
The elf motioned with his hand, and the avian soared right past him. The bird-person flew at full speed and into the wall, bashing his skull against the hard marble. A red stain remained on the white wall, as the flier fell to the solid ground.
The rest of the avians froze in their flight, some nearly forgetting to keep themselves in the air. They watched as their fallen brother's brains slowly slid down the reddened marble, and dripped on top of his crushed body.
"Eat him!" a helioproct cried out.
The bird-people dove towards Mannaric, who ran under the shade and protection of the tree. An avian fired her bow, but a branch deflected the arrow's route. She flew to the side and landed on the ground, drawing another arrow to shoot at the provoking elf.
She released the shaft, but it did not fly into the flesh of Mannaric. Mannaric had extended his hand, and suspended the arrow mid-flight. He rotated his wrist, and along with it, the arrow, which turned around, pointing towards the shocked avian.
He forced the arrow to fly into her forehead at tremendous speed, and she made a few backflips as the force of the arrow pushed her several feet backwards.
Mannaric raised his hands up in the air, as the tree above him began to rustle. The hundreds of branches began to grow at an astounding rate. They sprouted upward, and toward the vicious fliers.
The fliers began to swing their weapons, attempting to slash at the branches, but there was simply too many of them. The branches made their way around the avians' legs, arms and bodies. The leaves tickled the avians as the growing plant slowly impaired their flight.
The branches grew around their throats, chests, and faces, and began to tighten. They crashed their ribcages, broke their necks, and cracked open their skulls. A lot of them fell in the dirt, but most of them remained to hang from the branches
Mannaric began to breathe heavily. He sat down next to the stunned helioproct, and leaned on the tree to get his rest. For a minute or two, he wondered what the young man had gone through in order to be as stupefied.
"You do not appear so powerful now," the Maze spoke in its deep whisper once more. "Do you, Mannaric?"
"I was holding back," the elf said as he panted. He collected his breath and rose to his feet. He walked to the end of the courtyard, and exited through a thick metal door which opened as soon as he approached it.
He entered a vast, empty hall, its ceiling at least a hundred feet tall. A vast staircase on the far end split in two, and led to the second floor. As he walked in, he heard the slamming-shut of the metal front door.
On either side of the hallway, as well as right where the staircase branched, stood proudly three large statues: one of a Leonin carrying an axe, another of a Loxodon Elephant wielding a flail, and a third of a Loxodon Rhino who had spiked stone gloves on his tightened fists.
The ghost of a human appeared in the middle of the room. His transparent body levitated over the decorative pattern on the floor, slowly drawing closer to Mannaric. The elf strode forward to meet the ghost.
"Where is the Key Scribe?" he asked curtly.
"All scribes are essential, young one," the ghost uttered with an echoing voice. "There is no single one who is 'key'."
"If you have time to waste, I do not. I shall only ask one more time: old one, where can I find a Key Scribe?"
"You are too vain, my friend," the ghost said as it circled around him. "I'm the one who cannot touch the ground, yet you seem to live miles into the clouds."
Mannaric scratched his head. "If I sat down for lunch with every single thing I encountered in this wretched Maze, I would… be very pleased indeed. However, I am here for a purpose. And that purpose is saving my brother from the wicked games of this merciless entity. You may either stand by my side and help me, stand by and watch, or stand in my way, and see what is left of your being torn away from existence."
The ghost ground its spectral teeth. "Let us see if your actions are as big as your mouth." It turned to the staircase and raised its glowing arms. "Statua, awaken! Awaken, Statui, and show this insolent intruder that our hospitality does not extend to disrespect!"
The joints of the tall statues began to crumble as their limbs began to move. The Leonin stretched its arms, the axe in its hands grazing the wall behind him. "At elf, my bruvs!" it said and roared a powerful yawn.
The Elephant began to swing its mighty flail. The Rhino started to rub its hands.
"Thank you," Mannaric said.
The ghost gave him a puzzled gaze. "Why are you thanking me?"
"The lion is one of the Scribes. I can sense on him the same magic that was used on the gate. Now, Leonin, give me the key so that I may find my brother."
"At," the lion said. Both Loxodon charged forward.
Mannaric extended his arms towards the attackers, and clenched all muscles in his body. The charging statues were slowed down, but they continued their advance as Mannaric was pushed back.
The ghost smirked. "They are not inanimate objects, elf."
The elf ground his teeth and lowered his arms. Just as the statues were about to reach him, he stretched his hands open. His boots lifted him from the ground, and raised him high in the air just as the elephant struck the ground with its flail. The floor shattered, long cracks coming out of the point of impact, spreading in all directions.
Mannaric struggled to retain his balance, as the ghost frowned and tightened its fists.
The elf flicked his hand towards the Rhino. "The Elephant is a traitor. Attack it."
The ghost laughed. "Your mind tricks will not work on them, either. They are not alive. You have insulted my house, young one. Do you understand why I cannot let you live?"
Mannaric's breathing accelerated along with the beating of his heart. He was tired, and tiring still. He was afraid of losing the key, afraid of losing his brother. He was afraid of losing his life.
There was no water inside the room; no water inside the statues or the ghost. There were no plants to lend him their aid. He was alone.
He slowly floated to the other end of the hall, landed on the ground and leaned on the wall. After catching his breath, he produced a deep sigh. He turned around and saw the approaching two statues, the Leonin observing from the staircase.
Mannaric clenched his teeth. Anger festered inside his bones. Rage boiled in his very soul. Wrath burned inside his mind. Fury blazed behind his eyes.
He pointed his tightened fist towards the attackers. Around his finger was a white ring with a white gemstone embedded inside it. The ring glowed, and the brightest of lights discharged from the gem, evaporating the ghost away from the room, blinding the statues as well as himself.
He extended his other hand, and centred all of his effort on the ring. He bent the beams, the very particles that made up the light, and made them travel into single point ahead of his fist. Out came a ray, not thicker than the gemstone of the ring.
The highly concentrated stream of light melted the railing of the staircase. Mannaric pointed the beam towards the confused statues, only grazing the Rhino's stomach. Both statues charged forward once more.
Mannaric held his ground.
He increased the intensity of the beam, and diagonally slashed the Elephant in two. He then brought back the ray, and cut off the Rhino's legs just as it was about to tackle him. The Rhino fell, and slid into the corner. But it did not give up.
It started crawling on its hands, still charging the elf with its long horn, though, considerably slower. Mannaric pointed the ring at the Rhino again, but an entire day's charge had run out, and the light emitted was no more.
He flew away again to avoid the Rhino's strike, and landed behind it. The Leonin started to climb down the steps, in order to help its still-remaining ally. Everything happened so quickly – surely it did not expect for a lone organic to defeat its protectors.
Mannaric reached for the destroyed Elephant, and the flail from its arms flew into the air. The elf squeezed his hands as if he were holding the weapon himself, and swung at the crawling Rhino. The flail plunged into the Rhino's back, rocks and dust crumbling off. He swung again, and formed a hole into the Rhino's stone-hard spine.
The statue collapsed, but Mannaric gave it one last bash on the head to make sure it was dead. Only the horn and the creature's mouth remained. The entire back of its head was completely annihilated.
Just like the head of the Rhino, the head of the flail was also destroyed.
Mannaric turned towards the Leonin, who hesitantly held its stone sword. It backed away a few steps up. "I can give you the key," it said in its deep voice. "Spare me. The Maze will reward you for it."
The elf ground his teeth. "Mercy? You want mercy?"
"How do you expect the Maze to grant you mercy if you are not capable of it yourself?"
"Reward!? MERCY!?" Mannaric shouted in furious rage. "I WANT NOTHING FROM THE MAZE!" He punched forward, and the Leonin flew up the stairs, crashing against a few of the steps on its way up. "I am not 'rewarded', I am not 'shown mercy'. I'm the one who rewards, I'm the one who takes away, and I'm the one who does not grant you mercy!"
He extended his hand, and the Leonin was pushed against the wall. It dropped its sword as Mannaric smashed it against the floor, again and again. Pieces of it missing, he pressed it against the wall once more.
"Foolish elf," the Leonin whispered with a weak, but still deep voice. "Used to people obeying your every command. Used to people kissing your boots and giving you everything you always wanted. The Maze always chooses well. Foolish elf. Your arrogance will be your downfall."
"Choose?" Mannaric grunted as he lifted the Leonin. "I chose myself."
The Leonin used its final strength to laugh. Its fangs showed as its smile confused the mage. "I was wrong. You are not a foolish elf. You are a stupid elf."
Mannaric clenched his jaw and raised his other hand. He pulled his hands together, before he quickly pushed them apart. The Leonin shattered to a thousand pieces, chunks of him flying both left and right. The only thing that remained was a large bone in the shape of a key, which levitated in front of the angry elf.
He slowly approached it, and a bright flash of light ensued as he grabbed it from the air. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them, he found himself standing back at the bone gate.
He walked up to it, and a keyhole appeared right in front of him. He placed the key in the keyhole, and turned the bone into its place.
A set of clicking sounds came from inside the curtain of bone. It slowly began to open as it slid to the side. The unsettling dragging sound gave Mannaric the most chilling of goosebumps.
Only the Maze knows what Trials await inside.
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