Red Sapphire

[gravitron]

The mage smiled for a moment. "I knew this was too easy. I suppose it's buried over there?"
"What brings you to that conclusion?"
"The defensive magic surrounding it, of course. Just like all Mystic Artifacts I've encountered so far. I believe they are emitted from the Artifact itself. Only powerful mages can see them?"
"Then deactivate them."
"If only it were so simple. They're controlled by the Artifact. They can't be avoided. We have to choose the best path and survive whatever it does."

[focusedheart]

Sapphire nods a bit. "The stories go that the path you pick is how the artifacts would decide if they want to reveal themselves or not. So the stories go." She says as she looks around. Nothing seemed out of place or felt wrong but she was alert just the same.

[gravitron]

"Not exactly," the mage corrected Sapphire. "But those are the stories that most hear. I simply know better from experience. It is there to find no matter what you do, but you will more often than not die too quickly to retrieve it. All paths do something- summon a horrible entity, cause instant death, et cetera. Some are simply worse than others. Though what you hear may as well be true: If you choose the wrong path, you will never get it. We must simply, what is it you say.... Pick our poison."

[focusedheart]

As she looked to the mage her eyes seemed to swirl with power for a moment before fading. She smiles to him and shrugs slightly. "As I said those are the stories." She tilts her head and listens before speaking again. "Lets get going."

[gravitron]

"Agreed." The mage smiled. "I'll go get it, defeat the Guardian and bring it back-"
Matthew laughed. "Nice try. I'm going."
The mage laughed, too. "You trust me with your life? You have no choice but to trust that I'm not leading you into a death trap."
"I trust you with nothing. Especially not the Mystic Artifact, alone, without me ensuring you do what you're supposed to."
"If only we had someone expendable, who you could trust, but also let die...." His gaze fell on Sapphire.
"Good one. Unfortunately, we don't. I'm going."

[focusedheart]

She stared back at the mage quietly. Then her eyes flicker slightly again and she sighs. "I hate saying this but the mage gas a point....." the words tasted awful in her mouth but she nods." You are heir and king...too much a risk and it is my duty as a guardian to so this."

[gravitron]

"What kind of a king am I if not a fighting king? If I let my Circle sacrifice themselves for me? It is my father, my kingdom and my choice. I will do this, Sapphire. Me. And if it is my destiny to be killed now, by this mage.... So be it. My father showed me the world as it really is, just in that short conversation. He was a great man. I will do as he did, if it comes down to it. And it better not." He glared pointedly at the mage.
"That way." The mage pointed. "Right there. You will survive that battle."

[focusedheart]

Arguing about it seemed like a foolish thing as she gazed at him. She nodded slightly but fell silent.

[gravitron]

Matthew stepped forward confidently and came face to face with....
.... His mother.
"What kind of trickery is this?" he managed, shocked, and his mother punched him straight in the jaw.
The mage watched, amused. "This is your test. You are being challenged by those close to you and, after you've beaten them, yourself. And don't try to overstep your boundaries, Sapphire. He must overcome his challenge on his own, or you won't like the consequences. I assure you, this was the best challenge I could have given him."

[focusedheart]

Staying still was a challenge. She grits her teeth and doesn't move. She glanced to the mage though. " If he dies I still will kill you." She grumbles. She didn't like having to just watch.

[gravitron]

"Good luck bringing back either of them without me," reasoned the mage. "Besides, it's hardly my fault. I volunteered, and I suggested you. He insisted. But it won't come to that."
Matthew's mom had more experience and had taught Matthew everything he knew, and she was taunting him, nut Matthew seemed to have charged his powers and accepted that she was just magic and not real, as he was easily beating her.
In one quick notion, he'd staked her and watched her fall.
"See? One down. Next comes- Ooh, now isn't that interesting."
It was Alistair, just as he had been when last Sapphire saw him.

[focusedheart]

She glared at the mage slightly then looked back to the fight. She relaxed a little when she saw him defeat the illusion that was his mom but it was the next one that had her breath catching in her throat.

She stared at Alistair, wanted to go to him but she had to tell herself it really wasn't him. Her hands clench at her sides.

[gravitron]

Matthew frowned momentarily, then made a sudden attempt to stab his father's illusion in the chest with his stake. Alistair effortlessly pulled it from his son's hands and snapped it in half.
"I can't believe I chose you," he taunted. "Why did I think you'd be able to save me, just a boy, who I'd never even met before. What did I think was so special about you? You can't do anything. You couldn't save your mother, and you can't save me."
Suddenly filled with rage, Matthew kicked his father below the belt and attempted to shove the two broken pieces of stake into his chest. Alistair shoved him away, but Matthew maintained his grip on one of the pieces. They watched each other carefully, each with half a stake in their hand and a murderous expression on their face.
"Not bad," complimented Alistair. "But not what I would expect from my so-called champion. You are a failure. You should never have been born."
Again, Matthew attacked, his powers definitely charged. They began to duel, Alistair still taunting his son. Unseen by Alistair, Matthew allowed his dagger to fall from its hiding place in his sleeve into his hand and, with Alistair concentrated on the stake, stabbed him in the back with it. As Alistair dropped the stake in pain, wincing, Matthew staked him.
"Silver," came Matthew's voice, though he didn't speak. "Hidden in your sleeve. Not bad. But you have nothing I don't have. I have just as much skill as you. And most importantly, I know exactly how you think. How do you plan to defeat yourself?"
"Excellent," smiled the mage, who seemed to be enjoying himself. "The main event."

[focusedheart]

It took her all she had to not move. Reminding herself that it wasn't him, that it was just an illusion. She blinks a bit as she watched the fight finish and then the appearance of the next illusion. She blinks a bit and watches carefully.

[gravitron]

Matthew was suddenly facing himself, both of them identical, except that the new one was a lot less fatigued. They were each armed and armored the same. The duplicate, though, was smirking confidently and in perfect condition, while the real one had some cuts and bruises, sweat and a worried expression.
"You can't fight like you normally would," suggested the mage.
"Oh, but I know not only his first instinct, but also his second. And his third. I have his mind. I know what he would think to do, no matter what's going on. I know him just as well as he knows himself."

[focusedheart]

Sapphire shakes her head slightly. "Every day we learn something new about ourselves. Every second." She says. Hoping that Matthew will be able to figure this out. It was never easy to face yourself.

[gravitron]

"Ah, Sapphire, of course," smiled the duplicate. "The dragon, who came with a Hunter and kidnapped you. But, somehow, you've grown to like her. Too bad you will fail her. Just as you failed your mother. Your father. Everyone. I could replace you. I could do better. I would not fail."
"You're crazy," growled the real Matthew.
"No. I'm you."
The two began fighting, flowing between hand-to-hand, stake fights, daggers, all without thinking. Both seemed to be charging their powers, though the real Matthew was running out, and the duplicate was clearly winning.

[focusedheart]

She blinks slightly and stared at the duplicate. Her hands clenched at her sides. This wasn't going to be easy. She grits her teeth as she watched the two fight. The real Matthew was losing energy, he had to end the fight soon.

[gravitron]

"Matthew!" called the mage, sounding half-bored. "Need a little burst of energy?" He tossed a stone toward them, which the real Matthew caught. Suddenly, he seemed a lot more awake, moving much quicker, and he even resonated with a faint light. The duplicate snarled. "No fair. Outside interference is cheating. You can't do that."
"Oh, but he's using the magic," smiled the mage slyly. "I jsut gave it to him."
At this point, the real Matthew was winning easily enough.

[focusedheart]

As soon as the stone was given, she saw the change. It was good very good. He still needed to finish the fight though. Her eyes flicker and she glances around then back to the fight.

[gravitron]

Matthew stabbed his duplicate with the dagger and quickly grabbed one of the halves of the stake. Matthew 2 grabbed it and began struggling to take it from Matthew's hands, when he then managed to push it forward into Matthew 2's heart, who fell, stunned and dead.
Matthew half-stumbled to the ground, where he began digging up the ground to get the Mystic Artifact.

[focusedheart]

Sapphire felt some relief as she watched Matthew finish the fight. She glanced around then watched steadily as he dug for the artifact.

[gravitron]

He pulled out what appeared to be....
"A comb," mumbled Matthew. "Made from deer bones. You sure this is the Artifact?"
"Definitely," confirmed the mage. "The Mystic Artifacts were made by First Mage Shalidor, by which I mean the first mage, who learned his skills from Lucifer himself. He lived in the fifth century, and his success in creating Mystic Artifacts only came once, in his home. Due to the power of the spell, his home and everything in it was turned into a Mystic Artifact, the only ones in existence, at the same time killing him and spreading the Artifacts out across the globe, even here in America, which wouldn't be discovered for a thousand years, almost exactly, leaving it ripe with hidden and untouched Artifacts. For this reason, most Artifacts appear to be common household objects.... Or what would have been common household objects in fifth century England, which clearly aren't the same as modern day."
"No need for a history lesson," he said, bringing the comb over. "The spell."
"Let me look at it first," requested the mage. When Matthew hesitated, he continued, "The chance to investigate a Mystic Artifact is rare. I want to understand its inner workings. I'll have to do your spell anyway, which would make that a much more convenient time to betray you."
"Fine."

[focusedheart]

Sapphire nods slightly. "Either way, make it quick or we need to go some where more secure. The air has shifted around her." She says.

[gravitron]

"You think I don't know that?" scoffed the mage. "It always does when I uncover an Artifact. And that always spells trouble." He stood a moment with his eyes closed, concentrating on the comb. Then he opened his eyes, said, "I'm ready," and began chanting in Latin.
At certain points Matthew frowned. 
"He's not in Hell," he corrected at one point. "Our afterlife is different, as you full well know. And his title-" He gasped. "His title isn't First Mage, nor is his name Shalidor." He jumped at the mage, but he stepped aside and continued to chant, a ghostly form appearing nearby.
Matthew suddenly fell to the ground, wincing, and the stone the mage had tossed him earlier began glowing, but he seemed unable to take it out of his pocket.
"Sapphire!" he called in pain. "Get him! We need him and the Artifact to bring my father back!"

[focusedheart]

Sapphire tenses sharply but Matthew didn't need to tell her, she was already moving after the mage. She had shifted to her dragon form to better protect herself from his magic. She staggered slightly as she had before but managed to push through the shift.

She snaps her jaws at the mage as she brought her tail around to strike.

[gravitron]

He projected a small shield of magic which shattered quickly, but while preparing his spell it was the best he could manage. 
"Just toss me the comb!" He was able to cut his pocket off, with the rock inside, with his dagger, which he then threw at the mage, who weakened his hold on the comb as he ran to avoid it.

[focusedheart]

Sapphire moved sharply and suddenly, shifting to her human form as she got in close to the mage. As soon as his grip weakened, she pulled the comb and threw it to Matthew.

[gravitron]

Matthew caught it and began chanting. He seemed uncertain and worried, and hesitated at times, but so far he was successfully repeating the spell, but this time for Alistair, whose ghostly form began to appear the same way as Shalidor's, which was starting to fade.
Sensing what was going on, Shalidor began to chant, though the words couldn't be made out. 

[focusedheart]

Sapphire tenses and focused on dealing with the mage while Matthew did his own thing.