by Jacob Rundle
“Because she told me to.”
They all widened their eyes as they knew that no one was ever allowed to interfere, but this would be the second time that a spirit had gone against the cosmic rule.
“I know what you all must do. And, I am here to help. This temple has places that are dangerous even for me.”
“Thank you, Arnav.” Henri was glad for the divine intervention.
“Do not thank me yet, Augur. There are many dangers here. The old monks hid Mother’s items well.”
“Arnav, how old are you? You don’t speak like a normal kid?” Henri asked without thinking how the question would resonate with someone else.
“Who says that I am a child?” He responded with a smirk. The young boy continued to walk down the passageway. Along the way, a spec of light shone in the distance.
“What is that?” Etlina immediately braced herself with the force of her magic. Siméon did a similar action, calling upon his guardian.
“Am I going to have to kick someone else’s ass?” she asked.
Arnav hushed the group so they were not detected.
“I am not supposed to be in here. We must remain quiet.” Arnav was clearly worried that he’d get caught.
“Sorry,” they all responded simultaneously.
They reached the area where they saw a spec of light, and Arnav motioned for Henri to walk into the room alone.
“You must look into this room for which no one else can see.” Arnav tried to ease Henri into the room, but he snapped back in anger, hating that once again, someone was throwing him into a darkened place.
“Hey!” Henri tightened his fists, shaking them vigorously. His heartbeat became erratic and sweat started to form on his brow. He let out the anger he had withheld from everyone since Metatron’s death.
His inner blue light erupted from his inner being. The light spread throughout his body, creating electric charges pulsating in his fists. He glanced at his hand and saw a brightly shining glyph. Henri realized that every time his glyphs appeared, he had been in a stressful situation. He had never even examined them to see what the glyphs looked like or what they meant.
“What do they mean?” Henri knew there was a deeper meaning to the glyphs, and he had an idea. He tried to see if he could get a vision of the glyphs origins.
“Henri?” Etlina gasped at the sight of his glyphs.
“What?”
“What is happening to you? What are those?” Etlina sensed their energetic signatures, and they weren’t of a mundane or mystical nature.
“It is you because you are the Augur, Henri,” Arnav whispered to him.
“What do you mean? Because I am the Augur that means I get to have glowing symbols on my body?”
“They aren’t just symbols, dear Henri. They are a map to your soul.”
Just when Henri was about to surrender to his destructive nature, he heard a loud, piercing, buzzing echo in his ears.
He tried to cover his ears, but the noise hammered through his defenses.
“Hey, champ.”
“Dad… is that you? How?” Henri looked around the room, expecting to see his father’s image.
“Yes. Now, why are you doubting yourself?” His dad’s voice delivered a much-needed tone of reassurance.
“I can’t get anything. What kind of Augur am I if I can’t even get a simple vision?”
“Son, listen to me. You need to calm down, and you need to breathe. Once you are calm. Try to feel the vision and allow it to flow to you.”
“How do I do that? Come on, Henri. Get yourself together. Okay, Calm down… and… breathe… feel the area… feel the different energies… the temperatures… the sounds… feel everything in the room… even feel the darkness in here and… let it… flow.”
Henri centered his mind and body into a rhythmic pattern, clearing his mind of all thoughts. He received multiple visions that were fleeting until he saw the room they were occupying.
“Guys, I’m in a room, and there’s a staircase outside the room. I don’t know where it leads, but I am going to follow it. The treasure’s emitting a mystical pulse. If I can connect with its signature, I might be able to find its location.”
“Henri, be careful.” Siméon had an uneasy feeling about the entire situation. He had no idea about Henri’s glyphs, or what their next course of action should be.
He walked down the steps until pausing when he heard a noise; the noise led him farther along. After quite a few more steps, the noises became louder.
The long trek down the steps became tedious, and the darkened path wasn’t helping Henri’s fear of the dark. When he finally reached the end, the noises became audible words that he could fully understand, and Henri listened to the conversation.
“They are close. They have been here for a while… three of them…weapon…the hinax…cannot stop them.”
“The what?” Henri was shocked to hear the name of the creatures - Hinax.
Henri lightly whispered to himself in an attempt to remain unnoticeable. It occurred to him that no one could see him in his astral form, so he tried to see who was speaking by peeking his head around the corner.
He spotted two cloaked figures. Their beaten clothing still had galactic symbols upon the threads. Henri took notice of them, and he had a strong feeling they were a key to their identities. One of them was speaking very fluently with his hands while the other one was listening.
Henri stepped out from the corner to eavesdrop on their conversation. His body shook with fear as he crept closer to the cloaked figures. Henri didn’t know whether or not they could see him.
“Aquarian, they are going to find it. For whatever reason, they are here. We must make sure that they are not successful. The hinax is all fired up. We aren’t allowed to fail.”
“Piscien, I am well aware of what our mission is. We will kill the children if we must. They won’t find it, though.” Aquarian’s arrogance and stubbornness shone through to Henri.
“I don’t even know what they are looking for. No one knows,” Aquarian commented, throwing his hands up in confusion.
“No one knows everything. All the monks meditated for weeks, trying to find out what is happening, but they weren’t able to find out anything.”
Henri was worried that these men knew that he and the others were already in India, looking for Kali’s treasure. He remained still to not make a sound. Henri wasn’t sure if he could make a sound in his astral form.
Henri was attempting to sneak away when Aquarian and Piscien announced their acknowledgment of his presence.
“Hey, you!” yelled Aquarian as he ran towards Henri.
“Oh, shit!” Henri ran through the pitch-dark corridor. His fear of the dark fed his paranoia and his desire to run. He noticed that the figures acted as if they were able to see in the dark. Henri couldn’t believe how relentless they were in the chase.
“You aren’t going to get away, boy!” Piscien threatened him.
“You are going to have to catch me, old man!” Henri noticed that the cloaked figures were older looking men. He slipped on one of the steps, which caused him to fall off the stairs. He fell into the dark, depths of nothingness. Luckily, he heard a familiar voice.
“Henri!”
He felt a gripping sensation tightening around his body. The excitement of the chase clouded Henri’s senses. The next thing Henri noticed was an intensive ripping feeling that pulled him back to his body. The speed at which his astral form and his body made contact gave Henri an immediate migraine.
“Henri, I had to do it. I had to pull you back with that spell. We had no idea where you were, and we were getting scared,” Etlina explained as she wiped the tears from her eyes. Both Siméon and she had horror-struck expressions on their faces.
“It’s okay, Etlina. Thank you so much for getting me back. I had a vision of a section, and I projected to it. These two guys, Aquarian and Piscien, know we are here, and they are going to try to stop us.”
“We must hurry!�
�� Arnav hustled the Destined back through the passageways towards the door he had opened.
“We have to find that item, and we are not leaving without it.” Siméon stood fast, not willing to leave. Etlina looked back at Siméon, and realized that he wasn’t moving, “Siméon, we must get out of here. Those two men are coming.”
“I am not going anywhere. We are here for a reason, and we are not going anywhere until we have found Kali’s weapon.” Siméon took a stance against the others.
“He is right. We can take care of them,” Henri interrupted. He stood by Siméon, holding his hand in unison.
“Sorry, Arnav. They’re right. We aren’t leaving,” she told him to go and hide.
The young boy smiled and ran off to hide. Etlina walked towards Siméon and Henri so that she could stand by them.
“Alright, guys. Let’s do this.” Etlina sounded confident in their talents.
“You are right, Etlina. Let me just see if I can see them.” Henri closed his eyes, hoping to see Aquarian and Piscien. One thing was clear; his ability to scan an area thoroughly was beginning to get easier. He moved his astral form through the walls of the secret sanctum of the temple.
“I found a wall that is completely made out of gold. There is an image carved into its surface, and the image is of a sword. I wonder if Kali’s weapon is in that room.” Henri placed his full attention on the golden entryway.
“Henri, can you see into the room?” Siméon asked impatiently. Siméon paced back and forth, waiting for Henri to tell them something. He walked over to Henri, and he stood guard as he projected.
“I can’t physically get into the room. However, I do hear someone within the room. This is where we have to work together. I feel that this room is where we must go.” Henri returned his astral self to his physical body.
“Alright, let’s go!” Etlina harnessed a sense of hope now that Henri had found a lead. She needed to be on full alert in case Aquarian or Piscien found them. A slight breeze brushed up against her brunette hair, giving Etlina an idea.
“I’m going to shield us from anyone’s line of sight. They won’t be able to see us.” Etlina commanded the molecules of air, rushing through the passageways. The strong, brisk winds wrapped themselves around them, blending the Destined in with their environment.
“So, we are camouflaged? Because the two men were able to see in my projected form.” Henri was worried that they’d see through her spell.
“Trust in my magic, Henri. We have no way of knowing what these men know or what magic they have if any at all,” Etlina reassured. They continued down the hall, following Henri to the golden wall. He used his senses to remember the way in which he had opted to scan the temple.
“Etlina, I don’t know what we’d do without you.” Henri wanted to be confident with her magic, but there was a part of him that was a bit skeptical.
“Henri, do you know where we are going?” Etlina asked sarcastically.
“Yes, I do know where we are going!” Henri noticed the stress of the mission was getting to him. Etlina laughed at the amount of shade Henri gave back to her.
They ventured down many steps, passageways, and corridors to locate the room that they needed. Henri was happy to finally see the golden wall before them.
“Guys! This is the golden wall,” he stated with absolute certainty.
“So, this is the golden wall,” Siméon responded, looking over the exterior surface of the wall. He knocked on it to see if there was an opening.
“Okay, if this is a door, how do we open it?” Siméon said. The wall was a puzzle, and he was confident that he wasn’t the best puzzle solver.
“Wait…. what did the Ancestors say? Hmm…they had said that the Destined are the key, right?” Henri asked rhetorically while losing himself into the wall.
“Yeah. So, what?” Etlina didn’t see what Henri was trying to say.
“Well, if we are the key then we open it,” Henri responded. They all stood at the wall, examining its intricate patterns and images.
“Blood. Maybe it is our blood that opens the door?” Siméon suggested.
“Our blood?” Henri wasn’t a fan of using his precious blood to open anything.
“Henri, it will be a tiny drop. It’ll feel like a paper cut,” Etlina explained smartly to calm his nerves.
“Okay, do it.” Henri turned his head and closed his eyes. He stuck his hand out towards Siméon so that he could have his finger poked. Henri patiently waited for Siméon to nick his finger to gain the necessary part to open the wall.
“What is the hold-up?” Henri wanted it to be over since he didn’t like the sight of blood.
“What are you doing, Henri?” Siméon asked as he and Etlina stared at Henri, mocking his disposition.
“I am waiting for you to get the drop of blood.” Henri didn’t understand why blood always had to be a key. He was getting himself all worked up.
Siméon pulled out a blade from his backpack, and he approached Henri.
“What is that?”
“I am going to get the blood this way,” Siméon told Henri, making Henri quiver slightly more.
Siméon grabbed Henri’s hand, and he held it in his for a moment. Henri had always felt safe around Siméon since the moment they had met in French Class.
Siméon blushed and wanted to divulge his feelings to Henri, but he knew that it wasn’t appropriate. He pulled his hand closer to Henri, and he whispered, “It’ll be quick, ma cherie.”
Henri locked eyes with Siméon, and they stood in their own little world.
“I trust you, Siméon.”
He took the blade from his hand, and he pressed the tip of the blade into Henri’s finger. He made a slight cut into his skin until he saw a drop of blood.
Siméon released Henri’s hand and inserted the tip of the blade into his own palm. He made a small cut, but it was enough to draw a fair amount of blood, which made Henri squeamish. Then, it was Etlina’s turn. Without hesitation, Etlina gathered her own droplet of blood.
Once they gathered the three droplets of blood, they walked over to the wall. The three of them placed their hands onto the wall, thinking simultaneously open. And to their surprise, the wall, like the wall that Arnav showed them, opened to reveal another hidden chamber within the temple.
“Guys…” An ancient pressure was present in the room, giving Henri massive vibrations.
“Let’s do this, mes amis.” Siméon sighed softly because he knew that they wouldn’t be the same once they left the room.
The three of them reached the threshold of the chamber, and they braced themselves before entering. Etlina took a deep breath, and she whispered, “This is for you, Abuelita. Be with me.” The three of them entered the chamber, wary of the unknown, but determined to complete their duty.
CHAPTER 29
HIDDEN ROOM
KALI’S TEMPLE
The reality of the situation truly dawned upon them in the final moments of the wall closing behind them. There was no way out, to their knowledge, and the room was pitch-black. The air was stagnated and dry. Henri bumped into Etlina, gripping her. She understood how Henri had a fear of dark places.
“Hold on,” Etlina blurted as she ignited a fire in her palm. She saw Henri’s relieved face.
As Henri tried to navigate his way through the room, he ran through hundreds of spider webs.
“What the…?” Henri prayed that finding the weapon would be like a video game, receiving a magical exit after they collected Kali’s treasure.
“Guys, I’m thinking that since I wasn’t able to see into this room when I projected that I won’t be able to see anywhere within this room. But I can tell there’s something really old in here. I can’t explain it, but I know that it’s here,” Henri stated while walking around the room.
“I wonder how deep we are in the temple?” Etlina asked, still trying to locate an exit if needed. Not even her magic could break through the wards, rendering her spells useless in finding a way o
ut.
“We must be deep below the surface. Right? I can’t hear anything,” Siméon replied. He looked for any sign of a passageway so they might proceed to find the item. “Etlina, can you give us some more light?”
“I am on it.” Etlina closed her eyes, channeled her inner goddess, and then snapped her fingers. The flame in her palm exploded into tiny sparks, and every candle and torch in the room lit itself. The entire area was now flooded with kindling light.
“Thank you, Etlina.” Henri’s nerves calmed a bit now that he could see what was in front of him. He picked up a torch from a sconce on the wall, and he paced down a passageway he had found. “Follow me.”
As they walked down the passageway, Siméon saw the remnants of all the previous individuals who had tried to reach the weapon, yet failed. Henri attempted to walk over the skulls on the ground, but almost the entire floor was lined with human bones.
“I wonder how these people got here, and I wonder how long they have been down here?” Siméon asked to distract the team of their current predicament. He received no response and they continued down the passageway only hearing the sounds that they made.
They turned the corner, and a giant metal wall stopped them all. Henri approached the wall, and he discovered an inscription carved across the wall: “Saltate Cum Flamma.”
“Guys, what does Saltate Cum Flamma, mean?” Henri asked, scratching his head for the answer.
“I really hate languages.” Siméon laughed at Henri.
“It is Latin. It means something about dancing with fire,” Etlina surmised, and she took a moment to figure out what the inscription actually meant. She rubbed her hand across the words, hoping to get some kind of message.
“I don’t know what this means.” She dropped her hand from the wall in disbelief. “A damn wall is going to stop us! Abuelita, I wish you were here.”
A swift, chilling breeze brushed passed Etlina, reminiscing her of her beloved abuelita.
“Abuelita?” Etlina mumbled.
“Mi niña, you haven’t learned this yet? I am always with you,” Abuelita innocently reminded Etlina.