HiveComb

The picture is generated by @wakeupkitty on behalf of pic1000

I see a man dressed in a cloak walking through a town with bent head, the day has just begun and a bird is flying overheard.

I feel this cloaked man is on a mission. He has somewhere important to be.

Southern region, Azbetec
The clouds loomed above, dark and gloomy, lightning streaked across the sky as the heavens rumbled, burdened by the weight of the storm it was about to let loose. People littered the streets scrambling to get home or look for cover while store owners rushed to pack their wares on display. In the midst of the chaos stood a man cloaked from head to toe, none of his physical attributes on display. He gazed up at the sky and drew his hood lower on his face, then he resumed his journey. But foremost, he had to get out of the rain.

The octagon's chambers, Northern region

The fire crackled in the hearth, the warmth embracing those in the meeting room. Allister Mcganon stood up to close the windows. A storm seemed to be brewing at the southern region and a cold wind had found its way to the northern region.

“Allister, time is running out, I thought you said he was coming?” Athena whispered, walking up to him.

“I sent for him through the portal, and he didn't say much, but I think he will accept to help” Allister replied.

“We could really use his help, I pray he comes” Athena replied, looking around at the worried faces in the chambers.

Theirs was a gathering of sorcerers or the gifted as they like to be referred to in northern Azbetec drawn together by the impending doom about to befall their region. A gifted novice had mistakenly opened an enchanted jar containing the soul of a great sorceress who had been possessed by a malevolent spirit centuries ago.

Their fore fathers had battled fiercely to save the entire region from her wrath and seal her soul in an enchanted jar, but somehow Acheron the gifted novice had mistakenly released her. They suspected there was some foul work at play because he shouldn't have been in the secret chamber in the first place. Either way, they needed the help of the most powerful sorcerer in the four regions. So there they sat pondering their unknown fate in the dark chambers of the octagon, expectantly awaiting their helper.

The cloaked figure watched the rain pour down, although he could have stopped it since it had cut his sightseeing short he decided not to be selfish. The people require the rain for a good harvest, he thought to himself. He augured that time was running out and decided to use his powers to speed up the journey, he could always return to sightseeing after the impending disaster had been averted. With a swish of his cloak, he was at the entrance to the octagon chambers.

He decided to use the door instead of appearing inside the chambers unannounced. He lifted the heavy brass knocker and rapped it on the door twice.

“Gwendolyn, you came!” Allister exclaimed, half surprised to find him at the door.

“Allister, you reached out, shouldn't I have heeded your request?” Gwendolyn questioned, moving into the chambers as Allister stepped aside to let him in.

“Well, it is known in the four regions that you barely come out these days. I'm honored that you came” Allister replied, a little awed by the man standing before him.

“Don't flatter yourself Allister, I had a sign. If we don't stop the malevolent, she will destroy all four regions and not only your region” Gwendolyn replied. He wondered for the umpteenth time how the octagon could have been foolish enough to be so careless with the enchanted book.

“Zeus save us” Allister replied, turning pale at the thought of what Gwendolyn’s words meant.

“Where is everyone?” Gwendolyn asked behind his hood.

“They are in the meeting room. This way” Allister replied, leading Gwendolyn to the meeting room.

The other members of the octagon stood up as he walked in. Sighs of relief filled the room, and Gwendolyn could see hope in their eyes. He drew back his hood and unfastened his cloak. The females in the room nearly fainted at the sight before them. Gwendolyn was a tall, handsome man with dark, unruly locks. His eyes were ash in color and there seemed to be little flecks of gold in them. His lips were bow shaped and lush.

Gwendolyn's hands rippled with toned muscles as he pulled off his cloak, and Gwendolyn pretended to be oblivious to the reaction he had on the ladies and sat down, laying his cloak across his knees.

“Okay, firstly, we know that the released soul in the secret room will attain its full power at midnight. We have four hours left” he said, looking around the room.

“Yes we know. This is Athena, my second in command, meet the other members of the chambers” Allister replied as the other 15 people present began introducing themselves, seven males and eight females.

The novices walked into the room as soon as the introductions were over, almost as if on cue, Acheron cowering behind them looking devastated.

Gwendolyn took one look at him and said
“Well he didn't do it deliberately, his curiosity and the charming power of the malevolent sorceress caused it. But never ever in your life go near the secret chamber except when you're a full-fledged sorcerer” he warned Acheron sternly.

The young man was so relieved to have been let off easy that he burst into tears.

“Oh heavens!” Gwendolyn groaned, rubbing his eyes.

After Allister had confirmed that they had thought as much, they began to set plans to trap the released spirit.

“She must not leave this building, I need Alistair and Athena with me in the secret room, and fortify yourselves novices. At midnight, we go to war” Gwendolyn said smiling.

It was decided that the other members and novices would guard the entrances and chant binding spells in turns to prevent the spirit from escaping.

At midnight, Gwendolyn, Athena, and Allister entered the secret room warily. Gwendolyn had donned on his cloak, and his eyes sparkled as he focused on locating the enchanted jar.

“Looking for this young bloods?” a sinister voice snarled behind them, sending chills down their spine.

“Hand us the jar, and we promise not to hurt you” Allister replied, stretching out a hand.

“Well, I don't like being trapped, so NO! And you're the ones going to get hurt” she replied, barking out a hollow laughter and rushing towards Allister.

“No!” Athena replied, pushing Allister to the side and saying a spell to barricade them from her claws. The spirit broke through the spell and crashed into Allister and Athena, trying to choke them.

Gwendolyn sprang into action, neither Athena nor Allister knew what happened next, but cries of enraged anguish filled the octagon chambers. The novices quaked in their shoes, while the other members steadfastly held the binding circles at the entrances.

Inside the secret room, the battle raged on.

“Do not give her a breathing space, hit her with everything you've got!” Gwendolyn instructed.

Allister and Athena channelled their powers and fought together using everything they possessed, while Gwendolyn, still yet unscathed, used a powerful subduing spell to get the enchanted jar from her. With fire burning in his hands, he lunged straight for her heart and ripped it out and with one last blood curling scream, the malevolent sorceress collapsed.

Gwendolyn took the heart and jar and wrapped it carefully before putting it in his cloak. He helped an exhausted Athena and Allister out of the secret room, then returned to restore order to the chaos they had left using magic.

“Well done everyone, you all did well. I will take these things with me to the cave of Lumen and bury it there. That way she will rest forever” he said, looking out the window to discover that it was dawn already.

“Thank you for your help Gwendolyn, we wouldn't have been able to defeat her without your special powers” Allister said.

Gwendolyn acknowledged his gratitude with a nod and while the others fussed over Allister and Athena, he silently appeared back to the southern region. The rain had stopped, but the sky still looked cloudy. A bird flew overheard emitting a sharp sound while few early morning shoppers were heading to the market. He drew up his hood, looked around and set off for the Cave of Lumen.