Sapphire Ambition (Runics Book 2)

by Jeff Kish

  They eventually find a wide, flat wall at the end of the cavern, bringing an end to their exploration. Etched in the center is the outline of a door frame, marked with the shape of the elemental dodecagram.

  “Strange markings,” Era comments. “Is this a door? How do we open it?”

  Puzzled, Jem runs her hand along the sealed entrance. “Era… these aren’t the right symbols, are they?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “When Di sketched this out for us, she used three different markings. For making, shaping, and derivatives.” She waves her hand over the engraved diagram and says, “These are twelve unique symbols.”

  One of the symbols instantly jumps out at Era, and a shiver runs down his spine. “That mark…!”

  Jem shines her light around the etching. “Which one?”

  He points to the lower-right with a shaking finger. “That one! It’s hers!” Solemnly, he whispers, “That’s the mark Di had on her hands.”

  She focuses her light on the one in question. “Are you sure?”

  “I’ll never forget that mark,” he says, rubbing his stub shoulder as memories of their fight come flooding back. “These symbols are tied to the runics.”

  “I guess that should be obvious,” Jem admits, “though it’s interesting. Are there twelve runics, or twelve types of runics?”

  “I wonder what this one means,” he says while pointing to the center, where a thirteenth symbol is planted. Two vertical lines are connected to a third by way of a small circle in the middle, and it appears to have been added at a later time compared to the others. “Maybe the symbol for ‘runic’? So only a runic can open this door?”

  “You never understood a single thing Di said, but now you’re an expert at this stuff?” she chides. “I’m going to enjoy this when it turns out to be an ordinary wall.”

  “Only one way to find out.” He places his hand on the marked area to try and push it open, and the back of his hand starts glowing immediately upon contact. He watches in astonishment as the glowing takes the matching form of a mark on the wall, which is glowing in tandem. “Ummm… Jem?” Before either can react, the door crumbles into a pile of dirt. They stumble away from the plume of dust, coughing and gasping for air.

  “This is how an advanced civilization makes a door?” Jem scoffs in disgust.

  Era looks to his hand, which no longer sports the glowing symbol. “Guess that’s over,” he says in disappointment.

  Jem shines her light inside to find a narrow passageway leading within. A musty wind escapes its confines, and she waves her hand to dispel the draft. “So, are we going into the scary, smelly dungeon?”

  “Would be a shame to quit now,” he says while beckoning for the light rune. “I’ll lead the way.”

  Jem obliges, and the two move into the strange corridor. The walls are no longer made from rock, but from a metallic material which reflects the light, enhancing the effects of the rune. They soon arrive at a normal door made from a thick steel, this one already opened partway. Era pushes through it to discover a chamber, and his jaw drops at the sight of it. The ancient room is in the shape of a dodecagon, and a myriad of foreign objects are littered about, seemingly untouched since they were first abandoned. Portions of the walls are made from glass, and vast compartments populate the far end. The few desks are the only familiar sight to the adventurous duo, though their metallic construct makes them each an uncommon artifact.

  “What is this?” Era wonders aloud.

  Jem wanders to a desk and explores the devices resting upon it. “All seems somewhat orderly, doesn’t it?” she asks. “It doesn’t look like this place was abandoned in any great hurry.”

  Era bites the light rune between his teeth as he starts opening the drawers, but he finds them empty. “She -entioned a -af, right?”

  “A map? Sure, but would something like that really survive after all this time?” She snags the light rune from Era’s mouth, wipes it off in disgust, and sets off to explore the back. “Do you think you were made here?”

  “How should I know?” he asks as he sifts through the final desk drawers. “These are all empty,” he groans in frustration. “Where would this map be?”

  “Wouldn’t be a shocker if she was lying,” Jem notes with a grimace. She uses her light to study the many devices lying about. “Or maybe it’s hidden from our eyes.”

  Era chuckles. “Yeah, like maybe they stuck it inside a disintegrating door?”

  “No, I mean one of these things,” she says, kneeling beside one of the antique contraptions. She runs her hand over it, looking for any clue as to how it works. “I can’t tell… are these runes?”

  Era checks one out, running his hand over it before pounding the top of it. “I imagine some long-dead people would get a good laugh at us right now.”

  “Yeah, check out these savages trying to make sense of our sophisticated technology,” Jem utters in a mocking tone. “I’ve got to say, though, I’m starting to believe the Third Kingdom actually existed.”

  “Starting to?” Era bellows in amazement. “You’re extremely stubborn.”

  “I’m set in my ways,” she admits, coming to the next device in sequence, this one holding the shape of an inverse dome. She feels around until her finger finds an indentation underneath the base. When she presses into it, it instantly illuminates, forcing Jem to fall back in surprise. “Whoa!” she exclaims, shielding her eyes from the blinding light. “What is this thing? A light rune?”

  Era shields his eyes until they adjust. “Ummmm… I think it’s our map.”

  Jem lifts her eyes to find an expansive, translucent image floating in the air. “It’s making that?” Finding it rather light, she moves it to a nearby desk, and they step back to observe the image being projected. “How is this possible?”

  “I’m not doubting anything anymore,” Era says while studying the incredible sight. The flat map is oriented vertically, displaying a multitude of outstretched lines which appear to be pathways, but the fuzzy backdrop is difficult to discern. Noticeably thick circles appear where the lines intersect, one of which is pulsating a deep blue. “So… how does it work?”

  Jem peers past the lines, focused on the curious background. She suddenly gasps and points at the upper-right side. “Era! This is the coastline! And… are these the Impal Mountains?”

  “If that’s the case…” He traces to the western edge to find the increasingly familiar sight of the Allerian map. About halfway down on the left side is the pulsing intersection, and he tries to make out the background behind it. “This is Lake Magnifica?”

  Jem furiously unravels her Allerian map and plants it on the desk. After a quick comparison, she offers a satisfied grin. “This is our map.”

  “But it’s huge!” Era exclaims. “Valvoren and Alleria are only half the…” His eyes widen as he focuses on the southern region. “This is the Third Kingdom,” he whispers.

  “Exactly,” Jem asserts, suddenly an expert on her discovery. “That pulsing dot in Alleria is where we are.”

  “It knows where we are!?” he exclaims. “That’s not possible.”

  “What did you say earlier about a walking, talking rune?”

  He sheepishly scratches his head. “So what are the overlaying lines? Roads? Travel paths?”

  “They don’t follow any path I’ve seen, though the paths would certainly be outdated by now, right?” Jem glances over the Valvoren portion, tracing the lines until she gasps. “One of these cuts straight through Ugorzi…”

  Era squints. “The town is on the map?”

  “The bluffs are on the map,” she corrects. “And the line cuts right between them, which is where we fell into those caverns. Di and I found a small room not unlike this chamber down there! And that means…”

  It slowly dawns on Era. “These lines are caves! Or, well, tunnels?”

  A smug grin on her face, Jem crosses her arms in satisfaction and explains, “The cave we fell into wasn’t created by that r
unoid monster. It was part of a network of tunnels that exist beneath the three nations!”

  Turning his attention to the glowing dot, he asks, “So that means we’re connected to the tunnels from this room?”

  Jem snags her light rune and locates another seal etched into the wall. “There it is. Looks just like the one you opened.” She shines her light on the opposite wall to find another. “Two different directions, maybe?”

  Excited for another chance to see his glowing hand in action, he hurries to one of the etchings and plants his hand against it. As expected, his hand shines in tandem with the matching symbol on the wall, and this one also crumbles with an explosion of dust. “This is so cool!” he exclaims amidst his coughing.

  Jem shines her light through the dusty cloud, but she soon realizes she doesn’t need to do so. “Is there light coming from in there?”

  Era peers into the revealed tunnel and is surprised to find a light rune embedded in the ceiling. Though dim, it provides enough illumination to walk the narrow path without another guiding light. “How old is that thing? Can it really still have light?”

  She shrugs. “Must have turned on when you opened the door.”

  He shakes his head in disbelief. “Do you realize what this means? The nations are interconnected! Those Academy professors should be aware of this, right?”

  Jem plants her hand to her chin. “The hubs are likely all sealed by those mystical doors, so I doubt anyone else has stumbled into one of them. The tunnel we fell into was either a poor design or, well, maybe that runoid really did wear down the cave walls over time.”

  “Either way, there are six hubs on here. Two in each of the three nations,” Era observes. “The three brighter ones are likely the binding chambers.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “Partially a hunch, but Luk also told us about the other one in Alleria. He said it was a binding chamber for four other runics.” He points to northern Alleria, where a large hub is planted. “So, if there are three binding chambers in total, that would cover all of the elements. That would support the twelve-runic theory.”

  “One for each manipulation,” she realizes. “Makes sense from what we’ve seen so far, I guess.”

  Era follows the lines. “This chamber leads to the northern Allerian chamber, but it also connects southeast to the wastelands, landing at the next major hub.” His heart races as he realizes, “That could be where I can…!”

  Jem cringes as Era’s goal returns to focus. Given her encounter with Athena, dangerous obstacles may well stand between Era and the power he wishes to attain. Her safety is no sure thing, and she feels her anxiety growing.

  “Jem, this could be our ticket home!” he exclaims, oblivious to her thoughts. “That chamber connects back to Valvoren, right?”

  Her eyes widen in surprise. “I could go back?” she asks with hesitation.

  “Oh, right, you were thinking of finding Turk,” he recalls. “If you could have either one, which would you choose?”

  The uncertainty is evident in her expression. “I’m not sure.”

  “I mean, y-you could still come with me,” he tepidly offers. “I don’t know what lies in store for me after I save Di. Maybe you and I could find a way to work together again.”

  “That’s some wishful thinking, there,” she growls as she fiddles with the map-generating device. She runs her finger along the same indentation, and the light display dissipates, returning the chamber to its darkened state. “Would this travel?” she asks as she picks it up and shakes it. “It’s not heavy, and it seems sturdy enough.”

  Era watches her closely as she packs the advanced device into her bag, and he tries to squelch the guilt he suffers from rejecting Jem’s offer at Gantz.

  “So?” Jem asks as she heaves her bag to her back. “Tunnel to the south, right? What are we waiting for?”

  Era grimaces. “Fire.”

  “Oh, right,” she scowls. “Can’t she just find her own way?”

  “I’ll go get her,” he offers, heading toward the door.

  “No way am I staying in this dark and scary chamber on my own,” she insists, chasing after him.

  They wander back through the narrow entryway and out into the greater darkness of the cave. Era again leads the way, shining the light rune around in hopes of finding their elusive friend. “Whoever made this cave was showing off,” he asserts.

  “It’s mighty spacious for a hallway,” Jem agrees.

  “FIRE!” Era screams out, but his echoing voice is the only response.

  “Maybe she went outside?” she suggests.

  They head toward the entrance, shielding their eyes as they approach the midday sunlight. Era rubs his eyes as he steps outside. “Too bright!”

  “Good to be out in the fresh air, at least,” Jem says, wiping away the tears.

  A vine suddenly enwraps itself around Jem’s ankle and yanks her into the air. She shrieks as she is pulled upside-down to the treetops, her bag contents spilling out.

  “JEM?” Era cries as he forms a sword from the ground. He scans the surrounding cluster of trees, remembering his battle with the bounty hunter called Jaras. When the wood elementalist did the same trick to Fire, he had to have his hand planted on the tree to do it. The earth shaper charges the tree holding Jem and spins around the trunk, but no one is there.

  “Get me down!” Jem screams as she reaches for the dagger strapped to her thigh.

  Another vine whips out, this one from another tree. Instead of trying to ensnare Era, it cracks him against his back. As he reels, a vine from a third tree whips against his side. He spins around and narrowly deflects a strike, but another one hits from his blind side. Frustrated, he dashes further into the trees, running a circle around Jem’s location in a frantic search for their hidden assailant.

  A bush limb lashes out at Era’s ankles and trips him. Roots and vines crawl up and around his body. “Not this again!” he groans as he grabs the vines to slice through them, but this time it isn’t as easy as when he did it against Jaras. He panics as constricting the dirt around the roots fails to snap them, and he pours all his strength into sharpening the dirt to aid his cause. He eventually breaks through the roots, but the cleaner vines give him no earth for shaping and he soon finds himself trapped.

  Her blade now in hand, Jem reaches to the vine around her ankle and tries to hack through it, but the plant is seemingly impregnable. Gripping it fiercely, she saws against it as best she can, but it’s no use. She curses herself for leaving her rune blade in her bag, which is now on the ground below.

  Footsteps approach from a distance, and a band of hunters soon reveals itself. Era continues to struggle against his botanical chains, but he finds himself helpless to escape the trap.

  “Well, looky ‘ere!” one chides as he kicks Era in the side. “Seems we found ‘em nice and easy after all.”

  “One, two…” another counts, amused by Jem’s flailing antics. “Seems we’re still short the most important one.”

  “I’m not worried about it,” a third says. “These two are contained, so that should only leave the target.”

  “Wasn’t she also supposed to be the dangerous one?”

  “Pah! She can’t take us all. Especially not with you-know-who backing us up.”

  Era’s eyes widen as he recognizes the huskiest of the lot. “You’re one of Luk’s guards!”

  He stoops to offer Era a sneer. “Serves you right for having your way with the boss, little pig. I’ve never seen him give in to demands so easily. You must’ve had some good dirt on him.”

  Era struggles against the vines, but he can tell they’re still being shaped. The wood elementalist has remained hidden.

  “Fan out, boys. Find the girlie,” the guard spouts as he sits next to Era, twirling a blade in his hand. “Unless you happen to know her whereabouts.”

  “Like I’d tell you,” Era remarks. “What’s Luk want with us? I thought he wanted nothing to do with the runics!�
��

  “The boss wants something, the boss gets it. No questions needed.” He stops twirling his blade and bellows, “Now, I’m not supposed to hurt none a’ ya, but I’m also not returning to the boss short the most important target. So tell me where she is, or you’ll have a few scars to show off, at the least.”

  Era grunts in frustration as he pulls at his bindings. “We were just looking for her, ourselves!” he blurts. “We don’t know where she is!”

  “Convenient,” he replies. “Let’s see if your answer changes when-yeow!” he yelps, slapping the back of his neck. “Stupid pests,” he snarls as he flings it to the ground.

  The ‘bug’ lands right in front of Era, who is delighted by the sight of one of Fire’s darts.

  “Like I was saying,” he continues, “let’s see howwwyaaa… hoooowww…” He drops like a weight as the poison does its work.

  “She’s here!” his nearby buddy yells out. He spins around in a panic and calls out to the others, “GUYS, COME BACK-YEOW!” This one hits him in the thigh, and he pulls it out as fast as he can. He draws his sword and tries to run away, but he also succumbs to the toxin’s effects and falls.

  Upon seeing their downed friends, the last two take cover and watch for any sign of their hidden assailant. For several, tense moments, all is dead quiet as they square off against the hidden sniper.

  Though their adversaries are contained for now, Era knows he needs to alert Fire to the wood elementalist. “Hey, Jem!” he calls out.

  “Busy!” she replies, still trying to slice through the vine. As her strength wears down, she fumbles the blade, and she watches helplessly as it tumbles. She sighs and asks, “What do you want?”

  “Can you see the wood shaper anywhere?”

  Jem realizes his intent. “I think he’s still hidden!”

  “Yep, and he’s still holding me down!”

  “Same here!” she calls out.