He frowned sadly. There wasn’t any hope of finding water. They were going to die. Dying of dehydration would be a horrible way to go. His hopeless thoughts were interrupted by the horses. They were no longer rearing in fright but struggling against their ropes to get to something. He peered into the darkness but couldn’t tell what they were so anxious about. He stood up and walked toward where the horses were straining to get to.
He took several more steps forward and stopped in amazement. He couldn’t believe his eyes. He rubbed them and stared. The philosopher had never seen anything so wonderful in his entire life. Directly at his feet was a pond full of glistening water!
7
Traven awoke at dawn with a splitting headache, a sore back, and a parched mouth. He slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position and blinked in the bright dawn light. He closed his eyes and rubbed the back of his neck. He let out a groan as he stretched. He felt horrible. He reopened his eyes and located the philosopher.
Studell was already awake and splashing water on his face. Water. Where had it come from? He ran his dry tongue over his cracked lips at the thought of water. He got to his feet and hobbled over to Studell. The philosopher was standing right next to a small pond.
Where had the pond come from? It hadn’t been there the night before. Traven didn’t care. He fell to his knees at the edge, leaned over, and slurped up the water. It was the sweetest thing he had ever tasted. After getting his fill, he laid down on his back with a sigh.
“Isn’t it wonderful,” Studell said cheerfully. “We’re not going to die.” Traven smiled and then winced again at the pain in his head. “How long did it take you to dig it?” the philosopher asked.
Traven pushed himself up and looked at Studell, slightly perplexed. He saw the small shovel at the edge of the pond and remembered his fruitless digging during the night. Then it all came back to him, and he remembered blasting the hole with an ambience-created bolt of lightning. He must have blacked out right afterwards, because he couldn’t remember anything after seeing the bright flash of light. He stared at the sizeable crater, now full of water.
“I blasted the hole with lightning,” he mumbled.
“You what!” Studell exclaimed.
“Well, I got too tired to dig anymore, so I decided to see what else I could do.” Studell looked back and forth several times between Traven and the pond.
“Wow! I wonder what all you’re capable of?” he said thoughtfully.
Traven looked at the pond and shrugged his shoulders. He didn’t know how to respond to the philosopher. What all was he capable of?
They had a nice breakfast beside the pond and drank as much water as they could. They then filled up all of their water skins and watered the horses. Traven took one last long drink before they headed away from the small oasis and toward the twin mountains.
He felt better knowing there would be plenty of water for their return journey back to the coast when they were done. Much of the worry that had accompanied their journey thus far was now gone. Other than his pounding headache and sore back, he felt very upbeat. Two more days and they should arrive at the ruins. After a day or two of searching for anything important or useful, they would head back to the small oasis and return to the coast. There they would be picked up by the captain of the Arrow and return to a milder and more civilized climate. Things would work out just fine.
As they made their way towards the two mountains, the lighter rock and dirt began to give way to rock that was black. The dark rocks soon completely took over the landscape. By midmorning the heat was almost unbearable. It felt hotter than it had at any other point along the journey. After an hour they made camp and waited to continue until evening.
“Those two mountains are volcanic cones,” Studell began to explain as they sat under their small shelter. “All of this black rock is the dried lava flow from those volcanoes.”
“What’s lava?” Traven asked.
“It’s the molten rock that spews from volcanoes,” the philosopher replied. “It bursts forth from the opening at the top and runs down the sides and all over the countryside. As it cools, it gets hard and becomes this black rock. The lava from those two volcanoes is what caused this sweltering, barren wasteland that we are currently sitting in.”
Traven looked up at the Twin Guards and wondered what it would have looked like to see lava spewing from their tops. As far as he could see in every direction the ground was black. There must have been an incredible amount of lava that came from the two volcanoes to cover such a large area.
They talked, slept, and rested until the sun was low on the horizon and then continued on with their journey. The sun set and night fell as they continued making their way towards the two volcanoes. The Twin Guards truly looked majestic against the night sky. Traven wondered what they were guards of. Was it of the treasures that were waiting amongst the ruins of Faldor’s Keep?
When they arrived at the base of the volcanoes they turned left for the last stretch of their journey. There was a sense of excitement as they rode due north across the hardened lava flows.
“Do you really think there will be something special in the ruins? Will our journey through this barren desert be worth it?” Traven asked.
“Well, it depends on what you mean by special,” the philosopher answered. “I believe that the ruins themselves will be special. Can you imagine walking among the crumbled walls of an ancient castle where no one has walked for centuries? I believe that in itself will make this journey worth it.”
“So we’ve risked our lives to walk around some crumbling walls?”
“I didn’t say that,” Studell replied with a smile. “I hope we find much more. If these ruins really are connected with the ambience and the wielders of ancient times, we may find some writings or artifacts that tell us more about their history. Who knows? We may even actually find another might stone or some other magical object that will help the Royal Army.”
Traven wondered what kind of magical object could help the Royal Army. Would they truly find some kind of weapon? If they did, he could take it with him when he went to rejoin the army. If the rogue army truly had a wielder leading it, it would be good to have some magical weapon to fight back with.
For the first time, an interesting thought made its way into his mind. He was a wielder. He had magical abilities. Was he a weapon that the Royal Army could use in its fight against the rogue army? The thought brought with it a mix of emotions. Could he really make a difference? If the rumors he had heard about the wielder leading the rogue army were true, he was very powerful. If the High King learned that Traven too was a wielder, would he expect him to confront the rogue army’s leader? He doubted he could last very long against a powerful, experienced wielder. He would rather face an opponent with steel than with magic. He knew how to fight with a sword, but he had no idea how to fight with the ambience. If he were forced to face the Balthan wielder, he would be destroyed.
He shook his head. Why should he worry about this now? First they needed to find the ruins and see if there was anything useful there. He would have plenty of time to think about the future on the journey back. Maybe he would even have enough time to develop his newfound power and be ready to face the Balthan wielder.
“Is it okay if we stop here and sleep for the remainder of the night?” Studell asked. “I haven’t gotten nearly enough sleep on this trip and want to have my wits about me when we get to the ruins.”
Traven looked around. He had been so engrossed in his thoughts that he hadn’t been paying any attention to his surroundings. The Twin Guards were now distant silhouettes to the south. To the north, he could just make out some mountains on the far horizon. He supposed it probably would be wise to get a half night of sleep before finishing their journey to the ruins. It would be best to search them in the daylight. He looked around to see if there was any type of natural shelter nearby. Seeing nothing but the flat, black surface of the hardened lava flows, he decided here was as
good as anywhere.
“Sure, let’s stop here. We can finish making our way to the Blood Mountains and the ruins early tomorrow morning before it gets too hot.”
As they made camp and snacked, they talked of the coming day and what they hoped to find. Both were excited for what lay before them, but both were also tired. They soon settled down on their bedrolls and drifted off to sleep.
8
They arose before dawn and broke camp. Traven wanted to be as close to the mountains as they could get before the sun rose. They made good time and were only a short distance away from the base of the mountains when the sun began to peek over the horizon.
The sight of the mountains in the morning sun left both of them speechless. The mountains shone a brilliant red above the dark black lava fields. Traven had never imagined that rock could be so vibrant. As he rode closer and closer he became more and more awed by the bright red rock. The black lava flows had been diverted to either side of the clump of red rocks and mountains. As they crested a hill in the midmorning light, they stopped and stared in amazement, forgetting the oppressive heat that was beginning to beat down on them. Out of the dark lava flows, sharp, red fingers of rocks stretched up towards the sky. Sheer cliffs shot up behind the skinny formations of rock, towering above them. Behind the cliffs rose a small cluster of tall red mountains.
Mesmerized by the sight, Traven and Studell guided their mounts quickly down the hill and towards the base of the rock formations without talking. They left the hard, black lava flows behind and stepped onto the fine red sand at the base of the finger-like formations. They dismounted in the shade of one of the wider rock towers and watered their horses. They welcomed the shade as they ate an early lunch.
“So we’re here,” Traven said with relief. “Where are the ruins?”
“Oh, we’re not quite to the ruins yet,” Studell replied. “We still have a little ways to go.”
“I thought this was the ending point on the map. It can’t be much further to the ruins.” Traven looked around searching for any signs of the ancient keep. At least there was plenty of shade amongst the tall formations and cliffs. They wouldn’t have to search under the unrelenting sun.
“Now is the tricky part,” the philosopher announced.
“What do you mean?”
“The back of the map includes additional directions,” Studell said as he pulled out and unrolled the map. “They tell how to get through the maze of canyons and to the actual keep.”
“Well, if there are directions it should be easy,” Traven said as he noticed for the first time that there were multiple canyons that gave entrance into the cliffs and beyond.
“The instructions aren’t straightforward like they have been up until now. They seem to be in riddles. Either that or I’m not translating them correctly,” he said with a frown. “Oh well, we’ll just have to follow them the best we can.
“Why didn’t you say anything earlier?” asked Traven.
“I guess it was because I wasn’t really sure what they all meant. It makes more sense to me now actually being here and seeing what is in front of us.”
“Let’s hear the rest of the directions,” Traven sighed. He was anxious to know how much further they needed to go.
Studell stared at the back of the map for a few moments in silence. He then cleared his throat and read the directions.
“Into the maze, between the two towers;
Don’t leave the way, until you see flowers.
Deeper you go, follow the new path;
Stay to the sides, or face the sand’s wrath.
Into the valley, beautiful and sweet;
Prepare yourself, for those you will greet.”
“That’s everything?” Traven asked confusedly when Studell stopped reading. “What does it even mean?”
“That’s why I didn’t bring it up earlier,” the philosopher said while shrugging. “Of course, looking at what lies before us, I think I understand what ‘Into the maze’ means. Perhaps the other parts of the riddle will make sense as we get closer to the ruins.”
The philosopher was probably correct. However, he thought it strange that the directions had been so clear and easy to follow until now. Why would the last part of the directions be so confusing?
They remounted their horses and started making their way through the maze of narrow red towers towards the base of the cliffs. Neither of the narrow canyons that led into the cliffs near them had ‘two towers’ by their entrances, so they followed the base of the cliffs towards the east.
They passed numerous columns of the bright red rock as they continued eastward along the cliff face. After passing several more openings without any towers, they finally found an opening into a very narrow canyon that fit the description. On both sides of the opening, a slender spire shot up into the sky, reaching even higher than the tall face of the cliffs.
“This must be it,” Studell exclaimed as they stood staring at it.
Traven agreed. At first he had worried they wouldn’t know which canyon to follow, but after seeing the two grand spires, he was convinced that this was indeed the canyon that the riddle described. Perhaps the last set of directions wouldn’t be too hard to follow.
They looked at each other with grins and headed into the canyon, excited for what they might soon find. The shadowed canyon was nice and cool. Traven was grateful to be out of the sun and heat but felt slightly claustrophobic in the narrow canyon. It was only a couple of arm spans wide and reached high into the sky.
Looking straight up, he could barely make out a sliver of the bright blue sky. He stared up at it as Pennon continued through the canyon. Every once in a while a wispy cloud would make its way across the thin sliver of blue. Traven shook his head and looked back down. The movements of the clouds crossing the sliver of sky created the illusion that the canyon walls were moving and not the clouds. It left him feeling slightly dizzy.
The horses appeared happy to be in the cool shade as well and contentedly walked along the fine red sandy floor of the narrow canyon. As the day wore on, they passed several side canyons but saw no signs of any plants at all, let alone flowers. There was only red sand and the towering rock walls on either side. Traven finally pulled up.
“I don’t know how we are going to find any flowers,” he muttered. “There’s nothing alive in these arid, sandy canyons.”
“I’ve been thinking the same thing as well,” Studell added. “These rock formations would still be the same centuries after the map was made, but for all we know, there might not be flowers anywhere in these canyons now.”
Traven sighed with frustration. He wished that the final directions had included measurements of distances like the first. He wondered how long they should keep following the main canyon that they were traveling in. After yet another hour, and having bypassed several more side canyons, Studell suggested that perhaps they should turn around and explore the side canyons that they had already passed. Traven was about to agree, but then he heard a faint sound in the distance ahead of them.
“What is it?” Studell asked when he noticed Traven listening intently to something.
“I’m not sure,” he replied while trying to make out what it was.
“It is probably just the wind. Let us turn around and explore the side canyons.”
“No,” Traven replied. “I’m not sure what it is, but I do hear something. Let’s continue on a little further. I want to find out what it is.”
As they continued onward, the sound slowly grew louder. Soon the horses’ ears were also twitching, listening to the faint noise. Finally Studell heard it as well. By then it was almost a roaring in Traven’s ears. He urged Pennon into a trot, eager to find the source of the noise. It almost sounded like rushing water. As they came around a bend in the canyon, the source of the sound was revealed.
Water came crashing down into a small pool of water. They looked up at the waterfall in awe. The water tumbled over the top of the cliff, falling from an imme
nse height. Traven’s mouth broke into a grin as his eyes returned to the crystal clear pool of water. The edges of the pool were teeming with small white flowers. And just as the riddle had suggested, there was a narrow side canyon that opened up in the canyon wall opposite the flowers.
They both dismounted and refilled their water skins. The mist from the waterfall felt great on their dry skin after having traveled in the arid air of the desert.
“Isn’t it strange that no river flows from the pool,” Studell said as they relaxed in the cool mist. Traven realized that the philosopher was right. With all of the water pouring down from the waterfall, one would expect to see a stream flowing away from the pool. The water had to be going somewhere.
“The pool must be connected to an underground river,” Studell concluded. “We thought there was no water in this arid desert, but it seems that there might be more under our feet than we realized.”
After eating some dried meat and fruit, they remounted their horses and prepared to enter the side canyon. It was actually slightly wider than the one they had been following and looked as though three horses could easily traverse it side by side. This canyon led deeper into the center of the mountain range and was obviously the ‘new path’ mentioned on the map.
However, the next part of the riddle gave them pause. It had stated to ‘stay to the sides, or face the sand’s wrath’. Neither of them were sure what the ‘sand’s wrath’ was, but since the directions had led them so well thus far, they decided to follow them exactly.
Traven led the way into the side canyon keeping his mount as close to the left side of the canyon as he could without scraping against the rock wall. Studell’s mount and the packhorse followed directly behind him. As they made their way through the winding canyon, Traven kept alert, scanning the canyon for any signs of danger. However, he didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary.
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