by James Wolf
Taem heard no voices penetrate the quiet, only the softest steps on the barren soil, as the companions crossed the silent city, heading towards the monstrous tomb. That pyramid was a malevolent entity, rearing up over the city, dwarfing all the other forsaken shells of buildings hundreds of times over. Taem shuddered as he realised that, somehow, the titanic Nakramilis had escaped the ravages of time, unlike everything else in the ancient city. The huge pyramid was unadorned in any way, except for the single imposing doorway that led inside, into the darkness. Although lying at an angle, its four exterior sloping walls were as smooth as sheets of glass. The massive sandstone blocks used to construct the pyramid were all cut at the angle of the slope. It was a feat that would have taken the lives of thousands of slaves, in those ancient times.
‘This place be evil,’ Forgrun whispered to Taem, as the Rhungar held his great axe close to his body.
‘A cloud of darkness lingers over that,’ Baek looked up at the pyramid, and Taem saw the dread in the Aborle’s eyes.
‘Stay close together,’ Taem nodded to both of his friends, ‘do what Logan and Hirandar tell us, and all will be well.’
The Hand of Fire crept to the pyramid’s base, and Ragad lit all the lanterns and torches they had brought with them. Taem caught Ragad’s stony gaze as the Croma passed him a torch, and the Sodan saw a rare emotion there. There was no fear in Ragad, only eagerness. Perhaps the Northman would find what he was searching for within the sinister pyramid?
The Hand of Fire climbed a long flight of steps up to the entrance, and passed into the darkness inside the Nakramilis. As the company crossed the threshold, and left the rays of the sun, Taem shivered as he felt the temperature plummet. Why did Taem fear that was the last time he would ever feel the sun? I am Sodan, Taem thought to himself. The Light will shine on my blade.
Taem caught the look in Jvarna’s eyes, and saw the Shacainian was terrified. Taem reached out with his Sodan senses, and his heart missed a beat. He sensed a great well of evil souls beneath the pyramid. His hands began to shake.
‘Taem,’ Forgrun murmured, ‘what do be ye matter?’
‘We are not alone in this place,’ Taem whispered.
‘Nay problem,’ Forgrun grinned, as he patted Taem on the shoulder with one of his massive hands. ‘We’ll ‘ave ‘em! It do take an army ter stop ye mighty Hand o’ Fire.’
Taem smiled weakly, before following behind the Rhungar.
The soft glow of the company’s lanterns flickered over stone, which had not felt the touch of light in many seasons. The company slunk down a long passage – bare, square-cut and empty. The only sound that Taem could hear was the soft muffled footsteps the warriors took. He saw how all the warriors grasped their weapons tight, finding solace in the reassurance of steel.
They headed deeper into the lifeless place. Making for the pyramid’s centre, the company came up to a monumental chamber – which was dark and void of anything, but its sandstone walls. The wary adventurers glanced at the looming shadows, expecting something horrific to come out of the dark. They were tiny figures in the vastness of this giant antechamber. It once might have been a grand throne room, but with the passing of ages everything had been looted, or long ago crumbled to dust.
Taem could just perceive, submerged in the black, a wide flight of steps far in front of them, leading down into the darkness below. There were passages to the sides of the stairs, which ran off the main room, and on into lightless places. With every further step the companions took, Taem felt the malevolent presence grow larger and more overbearing. It set him on edge, poised to react. His muscles wanted to burst into action. Alongside him, Baek’s gaze skittered over the darkness, and the Aborle was quaking. Ragad, on the other hand, seemed unbothered as he watched the company’s back trail. And Logan, of course, showed no fear, as he held his blade in the guarding ready stance. Hirandar was gazing around in amazement, trying to take in every detail of the ancient tomb.
‘There are many levels above and below ground,’ Drual whispered.
Taem understood why the rogue did not raise his voice, the quiet of the pyramid was so absolute that no one wanted to break it.
‘Any treasure will be deep down there,’ Drual pointed down the wide flight of steps.
‘Everyone stay close and be watchful,’ Logan walked to the steps.
Taem found there was such certainty in Logan’s voice, it made him feel calmer.
‘Should we split up,’ Balthus pointed his longsword towards the shadows, ‘so we can find the Key-Piece quicker?’
‘No,’ Logan said softly. ‘If we’re going to get lost, let us all get lost together.’
‘At least then we won’t be lost from each other,’ Baek stared into the shadows.
Taem saw the relief on Forgrun’s, Jvarna’s, and even Hirandar’s faces that the company would be remaining in one big group.
The Hand of Fire descended the once-grand stairway into a large chamber, where their lantern light revealed three high, squared doorways leading off in different directions. Taem saw how each doorway towered twenty foot tall, and was ten foot wide.
‘It’s this way,’ Drual pointed to the left hand door.
‘No it’s not,’ Balthus snapped. ‘It’s this door,’ he gestured to the centre door.
‘How would you know?’ Drual raised his voice, glaring at the Lord of Dolam.
‘I think I’m more trustworthy than a thief,’ Balthus sneered.
‘Begging your pardon, your majesty,’ Drual took a pompous bow. ‘But I think it’s you who’s untrustworthy!’
Balthus tensed up in outrage.
‘Silence!’ Logan growled. ‘You’re making enough noise to wake the dead! Let alone bring the undead down on us! I don’t know what the problem is between you two, but it ends now,’ Logan glowered at them both. ‘We take the left doorway. Drual was taken as a guide, so we’ll follow his route.’
Drual showed Balthus a mocking smile, and winked. The Lord of Dolam went red with wrath – his eyes bulged, about to pop out of his head, his jaw muscles contorting. Balthus was so furious that Taem thought he was going to run the rogue through.
‘Drual, lead on,’ Logan said strongly. ‘Baek, go forward with him, then Forgrun, Ragad and Jvarna; then Balthus. Taem, watch the rear.’
As the other companions moved off down the empty passage, Logan nodded to his apprentice with a look that said be careful.
Taem was bewildered by the intensity of Balthus and Drual’s dislike for each other. Even Ragad was riled up, and the Croma never seemed bothered by anything.
‘What do you think, old friend?’ Logan asked Hirandar, as they moved after the other warriors down the tunnel.
‘The pyramid is a maze,’ Hirandar whispered, ‘haunted by the spirits of the restless dead. But if we do not rouse them, we may pass through undisturbed.’
Taem followed his guardians, and the torches of the rest of the company up ahead. Being the last man he kept his eyes fixed on their back trail, and his ears strained for anything that could be following them. Taem sensed the oppressiveness become thicker as the company went deeper, and the air became ever more stale and stifling. It was close to suffocating him. Nothing moved except the companions, and the pyramid’s utter silence made the darkness more intense. He shuddered when he sensed all the lost souls beneath this tomb beginning to stir.
‘Master,’ Taem said anxiously.
‘Yes, Taem,’ Logan whispered, ‘I sense them too. We Sodan feel the darkness of this place. But we must find the Key-Piece. We must go on.’
At the head of the company, Drual went forward with a casual swagger, his crossbow resting on his shoulder, burning torch in the other hand, confident now he was leading. Baek was edging along by Drual’s side with a different attitude. The Aborle’s every step was careful. His bow was ready, with an arrow notched, and his gaze scoured the shadows ahead.
‘Stop!’ Forgrun hollered out, from behind the front two, flailing a hand in the direction
of Drual’s foot. But it was too late.
There was a click. A rasping echoed through the darkness. All the warriors scanned around, terrified. The careless rogue had stepped on an obvious panel in the dusty stone floor, and it dropped into a depression under Drual’s weight. Taem heard the sound of ancient rollers grinding away. All the companions looked around the passage, in panic, knowing that a trap had been activated. Glancing back, Forgrun saw a stone slab lowering from the ceiling above Balthus’s head.
‘Be lookin’ out!’ Forgrun yelled at the Lord of Dolam.
Balthus stared up in surprise to see the huge stone door, moments from falling on his head and crushing him. Logan shoved Balthus from behind, hurling the Lord of Dolam clear of danger. The stone slab slammed into the ground, separating Logan, Hirandar and Taem from the rest of the company.
‘What happened?’ Balthus asked, eyes wide with fear.
‘There do be pressure switch on ye floor,’ Forgrun pointed underneath Drual’s foot.
‘I might’ve guessed you had something to do with it,’ Balthus glowered at Drual. ‘Maybe you led us this way on purpose–’
‘What do you mean?’ Jvarna snapped.
Ragad and Forgrun strained against the stone door, with all their mighty strength, but it was immovable. Forgrun tried tapping on it, but heard nothing back from his friends on the other side.
‘I mean,’ Balthus said darkly, ‘what if he deliberately led us into this trap.’ Balthus stared at Drual.
Everyone glanced round uneasy at this. Each warrior now suspicious of the others. There was a horrible realisation amongst them, that they did not know each other at all well. Forgrun, all of a sudden, felt Baek was the only one there he really trusted.
Drual said nothing to defend himself. He just snorted and glared at Balthus. Maybe he thought the allegation so absurd it did not warrant a justification. Maybe, some of the adventurers pondered, Balthus could be right.
‘Don’t be ridiculous!’ Jvarna said furiously.
‘It was an unlucky step that any of us could’ve taken,’ Baek held up his hands, in a calming gesture towards the Lord of Dolam.
‘Really?’ Balthus said sarcastically, ‘I didn’t see you prancing around carelessly, my Aborle friend.’
Ragad and Forgrun shot wary glances at Drual. The rogue had been careless; they had all seen it.
‘Let’s just move on,’ Jvarna said. ‘The passage is sealed. We can’t go back, we must go forward. We’ll locate the Key-Piece, find a different way out, and meet the other three back on the surface.’
The other companions saw the sense in this, and began down the passage. Drual took up the front position again, with Baek and Jvarna by his sides, but now Forgrun, Ragad and Balthus watched Drual’s movements as carefully as they searched around and looked back up the passage. Of all of them, Ragad was the most anxious. The uncomfortable possibility of a traitor had him unsettled.
‘What happened?’ Hirandar asked, as Logan ran his fingers along the bottom of the stone-slab door.
‘Someone must have triggered a switch,’ Logan handed their lantern to Taem. ‘Can you move it?’
‘It’s too heavy to lift using air magic,’ Hirandar said. ‘It’s solid rock. Fire will do nothing, and raw power may not be able to destroy it. I could try breaking it with earth magic, but green magic is wild and unpredictable. My attempts could bring down the entire pyramid on our heads.’
Taem was still heedful of back up the passage, whilst his guardians examined the fallen stone that barred their way.
‘We must go back and try a different route,’ Logan led back towards the chamber with three doors.
The trio went back and took the middle passage that Balthus had advocated. This tunnel sloped downwards and was crossed with other passages, but they kept going straight. They went straight so it was easier to work out where they had gone, and would be easier to retrace their steps. The three of them stayed close together. Taem watched the rear, and Logan led at the front, whilst Hirandar lit up the deserted passage with a floating ball of magic light. As they travelled the spooky passages, Hirandar attached Power Stones to walls at the prominent crossroads of their route. Each time she channelled the smallest strand of fire and air magic into the stones, leaving them with a faint yellow glow.
Taem heard a knock faraway in the dark, and his pulse raced.
‘That was a long way in front of us,’ Logan whispered, as he gestured for Hirandar and Taem to stay close. ‘Be wary.’
The three companions walked on, and Taem heard a bang far back in the tunnel behind them. Taem spun. His hand shot to his sword hilt above his left shoulder. Logan and Hirandar froze. Hirandar’s magic orb lit up the passage. Taem strained in the darkness, beyond the light. The sound of his own pounding heartbeat seemed deafening in the silence. Taem readied his sword to lash out. But nothing came. Nothing stirred in the dark. Taem’s Sodan senses told him dead souls were close, and they were full of malice.
Logan glanced at Taem, and whispered to Hirandar, ‘We can feel the walking dead approach. I sense they know we are here, and they want to kill us.’
‘Light protect us!’ Hirandar stared into the darkness. ‘The wickedness of this place has made the dead evil. And now they want our souls as well. Best not let them catch us,’ Hirandar looked to Logan.
‘Follow me,’ Logan stalked on down the corridor, every footstep heedful and vigilant. Hirandar and Taem kept close behind, thankful the dauntless Sodan Master was leading them.
Taem’s fear grew with every minute that passed. Logan had them moving fast now. Taem stiffened as he heard shuffling, as if a broom was sweeping the kitchen floor. He sensed the lost souls trapped in this place had become agitated. A tapping echoed through the darkness, as if a workman were chiselling away. The noises made the three companions glance around the tunnels, alarmed, not sure where the sounds were coming from. Taem felt a shadow of terror swamp his heart. His trembling hand clasped Estellarum’s hilt.
The ominous sounds got closer and louder, and behind them as well as down the side passages. Taem’s nerves balanced on a knife edge. He was filled with the urge to run. They had to get out! Taem could hear low, mindless groans with the sounds of movement now, as a great many things lurched in the shadows.
‘We’re going the wrong way!’ Balthus moaned, for what seemed the thousandth time, as the group of six adventurers traipsed on through the empty passages.
‘We don’t know that,’ Jvarna said through gritted teeth. The fierce Shacainian was growing more exasperated with the King of Grantle and his ceaseless whining.
‘This passage has to lead somewhere,’ Baek said dubiously.
‘We mus’ do be a mile from ye pyramid by now,’ Forgrun muttered.
Ragad was stone faced, his gaze darting all over the passageway, but his thoughts he kept to himself.
‘Maybe we should take one of the side tunnels,’ Drual said reluctantly. ‘But I’m sure this was the way to the treasure chamber when–’
All of a sudden, the passage floor jolted.
‘What’s going on?’ Jvarna yelled, as she planted her feet and her spear butt.
‘It be a trap!’ Forgrun hollered.
From a level tilt, the juddering floor realigned to form an angled slide that fell away into an opened pit, further down the passage.
‘We don’t want to go down there!’ Drual searched for handholds on the smooth passage walls.
The six companions struggled to retain their balance, swaying one way then the other. The rumble of grinding stone drowned out the warriors’ cries. The lurching floor shook the whole corridor, and the adventurers all lost their footing and plummeted down the slippery slope into the hole below, screaming as they went.
The slide did not stop there. It continued going down and the falling companions gained speed. Round and round, over and under they tumbled. Baek feared the terrifying ride would never end. He heard the horrified shrieks of his companions magnified in the narrow tunnel
. In front of him, Baek could hear Forgrun bellowing, and see the glow of the Rhungar’s lantern-light, as they all zoomed down the smooth slide. The darkened walls rocketed past the slipping adventurers. Baek did not know which way was up. He began to fear what could be at the end of this slide. Panic overwhelmed Baek when he thought the shoot could end in a spiked pit trap, or a vat of ancient acid. The slide wound off in different directions so the warriors were swirled and turned so many times that they were disorientated, but still the tunnel slid on and down.
The six adventurers were flung out the slide, spinning onto a flat stone floor, skidding into a heap, lying against each other. Forgrun had managed to protect the lantern as he fell, cradling it in his massive arms, but the other torches had been lost. As the dazed adventurers regained their feet, Baek saw the chamber they had arrived in was many levels tall and was square. In fact, Baek thought through his dizzy head, the chamber was a perfect cube. Relief flooded in when he realised they had not fallen into a fatal trap. He saw there were tunnels leading off this chamber at ground level, as well as stone stairs that climbed up to passages on the levels above. Every way Baek looked there were more tunnels, or stairs ascending up to the level above or leading down below. They were right in the middle of a three-dimensional maze.
‘Brilliant,’ Balthus grunted, as the party shook themselves off, and their dizzy heads began to steady.
‘Which passage do we be takin’?’ Forgrun glanced around the chamber, at all the different passages and stairways.
All the adventurers looked around the underground chamber, searching for some clue. They all heard worrying noises stirring in the countless dark passages.
‘What is that?’ Baek said nervously, as the shuffling approached.
The anxious companions huddled close to each other, around their one lantern, facing out to the dark chamber on all sides. The menacing sounds grew louder and more numerous. They were surrounded!