A New Life (Part 2)
#6 of A New Life
Brande had already risen before the sun had made its first appearance in the morning sky. The typical throbbing of his skull accompanied him as he made his way through the damp alleyways. No one dared to disturb the hulking figure as he hazily wandered through the back roads.
Gravel began to crunch under his hooves. Looking up, Brande found himself in front of a large abandoned warehouse. The paint from the walls had been chipped off, leaving behind the folded sheets of metal. Most of the windows were shattered, allowing a view at the darkness inside. Brande walked over to the metal door and tried the handle. Surprisingly, he found it to be unlocked. He pushed the door open slowly and peered inside.
Despite the darkness, Brande could make out shelves of large crates lined against the wall to the right of him. He stepped inside cautiously as he continued to look about the large room. It was mainly empty, obviously cleared out except for a single crate that stood in the middle of the deserted warehouse. Curious, he walked over to it.
Cracking his knuckles, he tried to find a place to pry the thing open. It was just a normal crate; nothing special to it. But for whatever reason, Brande was drawn to it. Finding no way of opening it, he lifted his leg and thrusted his hoof against it. The crate's side was smashed apart, causing small styrofoam balls to pour out. He pulled his leg out and bent over to inspect the contents.
Brande shifted through the beads and he felt his hand touch stone. He wrapped his fingers around the object and lifted it out. It was smooth and rounded like the stones you would find at a pond. On closer inspection, he noticed a large strand of purple swirling from the center, outward. Strange words were inscribed upon the edge. Brande felt at peace as he cupped the strange rock in his hands. Lifting it closer to his face, he began to read the words aloud.
"Verdaci, deleion, yegarne..." Brande continued to read the text that wrapped its way along the stone, feeling a strange tingling of energy with every syllable he pronounced. The rock began to glimmer slightly, making the world around Brande swirl.
His voice grew louder, the stone now glowing brightly. "Fevous burteo tauranous!" A jolt of energy surged through the rock, making Brande cry out in pain as it laced through his arms and into the rest of his body. The warehouse was bathed in light as Brande was lifted into the air, the air around him crackled with energy. He clutched the stone to his chest, feeling as though his insides were being pulled out.
The minotaur vanished with a flash of blinding light, causing the mysterious rock to fall to the floor.