Leaning heavily upon the staff, he gets up off the stone and says, “You better take me there.”
“Is it on the ground floor?” Miko asks, worried about James having to climb unstable stairs again.
Nodding, he says, “Yeah, it is.”
“Good!” Lending James a hand, Miko helps him as they follow Jiron over to where he’d found the plaque.
The building wherein it lies looks to have been but a single floored structure and still to be in fairly decent shape. Jiron leads them up three stairs to the entrance of the building where they enter through the doorway.
“It’s over here,” he says as he takes them through another doorway into an adjacent room.
When James enters the room, he immediately sees what Jiron was trying to describe. Having designed many dungeons for his role playing games, he instantly recognizes what he’s seeing. It’s a layered map of different levels.
“This is showing the layout of an underground complex,” he explains to them, as he steps up closer to the plaque. “Here,” James says, pointing to a set of squiggly lines, “this looks like it could be stairs leading down.”
“Does it show what’s in there?” Jiron asks, not able to see it for what it is.
Shaking his head, James says, “No, this is just a map of the layout, nothing more.” He turns his head to look at Jiron and says, “We’re going to need to get in there.”
“How?” he asks. “I found no entrance to a lower level during my search.”
“Hmmm…” James says as he turns back to study the plaque some more. He points to a section and says, “This here looks to be where the entrance lies.” He points to a pyramid shaped symbol and continues, “And I bet this is the main pyramid over there in the courtyard.”
He studies it some more as Jiron and Miko watch him. Suddenly he turns to Jiron and asks, “Did you find what looked like an empty pool or possibly a fountain while you were searching?”
“Yeah,” he says. “It’s over there a ways,” he explains as he points to where it lies.
“That is the entrance,” he states.
“You sure?” he asks, not really believing him. “How can you tell?”
“Practically one hundred percent,” James replies. “Here, look,” he says as he points to a circular formation near where he said the entrance is.
“I see,” Jiron says, still not convinced.
James turns from the plaque and says, “Show me where it is.”
With Miko helping James along, Jiron leads them out of the building and over to where the dried up pool is.
The outer edge of the pool stands two feet high and about six inches thick. The interior is bare, just the flat stone of the bottom showing.
James slowly walks around the pool as he examines it. “Here, look,” he says as he points out five triangles evenly spaced on the top of the outer edge. “I’d bet anything that these are the five small pyramids.”
Excited, Miko cries out, “And look in the center, that must be the main one.” They look to where he’s pointing, and sure enough, there lies a pyramid that’s proportionally larger to the ones on the outer wall of the pool, as the main pyramid is to the ones on the perimeter.
“But what do we do now?” Jiron asks.
“Not sure,” he replies. He begins to closely inspect the designs, pushing and pulling at them but nothing happens. Then suddenly, the plaque he’d seen in the upper room flashes to mind. What if it wasn’t showing the skull pyramids at all? What if it was in fact showing the designs on the edge of the pool?
What did it show exactly? he asks himself, as he pauses a moment to recall the details. A power grid, that’s what it reminded me of. Maybe it’s a lock only a mage can open.
He turns to the others and says, “I think I may know how to gain access to it, but you both better step back, just in case.”
“What are you going to do?” Jiron asks.
“Not sure,” he says, “just watch.”
After they’ve moved back, he turns again to face the pool and begins to concentrate. In his mind he pictures a sphere of magic hovering above each of the outer triangles. He opens his eyes when he hears Miko gasp behind him.
Five red, pulsating spheres are hovering above the five triangles. Nodding in satisfaction, he again closes his eyes in deep concentration. He needs to get this just right and when he’s ready, he completes the spell.
Opening his eyes, he sees a thread of energy shoot out of each of the spheres and connects simultaneously above the triangle in the center of the pool. When they connect, the combined beam seems to be drawn down to the larger triangle engraved in the bottom of the pool. The ground begins to shake slightly as the pool slowly begins to rotate.
Maintaining the spell, he watches as it continues to turn and is startled when a bottom section of the pool drops down into the ground. At regular intervals, more sections drop down into the ground as it continues to turn. After turning halfway around again, the pool stops. Where the bottom of the pool had been, now lies a spiral staircase descending down into the complex beneath the ground.
James releases the spell, halfway expecting the pool to begin closing again, but is relieved when it remains still.
He creates his glowing orb and steps over the edge of the pool. “Shall we, gentlemen?” he asks over his shoulder as he begins to descend the stairs. Miko and Jiron come over and follow him closely as he descends the stairs down into the darkness below.
Nervous, he continues down until he reaches the bottom where a corridor extends away from them. The air is stale, as if it has been bottled up here for a millennium. The light from the glowing orb reveals carvings upon the walls, people going about unknown tasks.
The first room they come to is on the right and a brief glance within shows it to be empty, the walls having the same designs as the corridor had.
“What was this place?” Jiron whispers, nervous about disturbing the silence.
“I don’t know,” replies James as he continues further down the corridor. “But we better be careful. Whoever set that trap that ensnared us might have others down here as well.”
Miko looks around nervously as he continues following James closely.
At the end of the corridor they’re following, they find another one running perpendicular to the one they’re in. James shines the light to the left and right but only sees more corridor going in either direction.
He turns to the right and makes his way slowly down it. After twenty feet, the corridor makes a ninety degree turn to the right and after another five feet, opens up into a room.
This room holds a large table that’s in remarkably good condition for its age. Six chairs sit around it. The walls of this room are plain stone, no image marring their surface. A doorway in the wall opposite where they entered is the only other exit from the room.
“Looks like a meeting room,” guesses James as he enters and comes over to the table.
“Or a war room,” suggests Jiron.
James nods his head and says, “Maybe.”
Miko stays close to James as he walks around the room, looking at everything. “What are you looking for?” he asks.
Shrugging, James says, “Not really sure. I’m hoping to find something or some way to turn off the barrier so we can get out of here. This place gives me the creeps.” And the constant prickling of magic has become decidedly annoying.
“What’s in that other room?” Miko asks, indicating the doorway they haven’t gone through yet.
“Let’s see,” he says as he moves in that direction.
A solid wooden door stands open and they pass through into another room, this one having shelves of books upon them. When James touches one, it crumbles into dust.
“Must’ve been here a long time,” Jiron says when he sees the book crumble.
“Perhaps,” James says, “or it could be the result of being exposed to magic for a long time.” He turns to Jiron and admits, “I’m not sure.”
N
ot finding anything of use here, they return past the ‘boardroom’ and hurry along the hallway until they come to the intersecting corridors. Continuing straight this time, they follow the section they haven’t been in yet.
Forty feet down, they come to a door on the left while the corridor continues past. James tries the door but it doesn’t open. He turns to Jiron and says, “Locked.”
Moving out of the way, he watches as Jiron comes and inspects the lock. Pulling out a knife, he sticks the point within the lock as he begins manipulating the locking mechanism. Suddenly, a ‘click’ can be heard and he swings the door open.
On the other side is a flight of stairs leading down. He starts to move down them when James stops him. “Let’s continue with the search of this floor first before we continue down,” he says.
Knowing James to be the expert here, he nods his head as he follows James further down the corridor.
Another fifteen feet and the corridor turns to the right and the prickling sensation begins to grow. James slows his speed as he moves cautiously closer.
“What?” asks Miko when he sees him slow.
“I feel magic ahead,” he whispers back to them.
“Bad?” Miko asks fearfully.
Shrugging, he replies, “Don’t know.” A little further more and the corridor again turns to the right where it ends after another ten feet. It opens upon another room.
As they move closer to the room, the prickling becomes more intense, like ants crawling all over his skin in spiky shoes. When the light from the orb illuminates the interior of the room, they can see another of the pyramid of skulls, similar in size to the ones on the perimeter.
James catches his breath for he can almost see the magic moving upward from this pyramid. “I think we’re under the main pyramid of skulls that was in the courtyard.”
“What makes you think that?” Jiron asks.
James steps into the room and replies, “I can feel, almost see, the magic flowing upward from this pyramid. It would just make sense for the magic to be going up to the other one.” He turns back to them and adds, “My guess would be that this is the source of the magic keeping the barrier in place.”
“This pyramid here?” asks Miko.
Shaking his head, he says, “Probably something further down, I would imagine. Though, who knows?” He reaches his hand toward the flow of magic and pulls it back suddenly when his hand begins to burn like he’d stuck it in a fire.
“Damn!” he curses.
“What?” asks Miko excitedly.
“That burned,” he says as he looks at his hand but doesn’t see anything out of the ordinary.
“Let’s go back to those stairs leading down,” Jiron says.
Nodding, James turns and follows him back. Once at the stairs, he again takes the lead as they proceed down to the next level.
At the bottom of the stairs, a corridor runs to the left and right. Pointing down to the right, he says, “My guess would be another pyramid like the one we just saw lies down there.” Turning right, he follows the corridor as it turns right and then after thirty feet, right again. Sure enough, they come to a room containing another pyramid.
“Why would they have another one here?” Jiron asks.
“Maybe to help in the flow of magic from its source below,” he offers. “Won’t be able to fully understand it until we get there.”
As they turn to head back down the corridor, Miko asks, “Do you think it’s dark outside yet?”
“If it isn’t, it’s not far off,” guesses Jiron.
Following the corridor, they return to where the stairs go back up and then continue on down the corridor in the other direction. Not very far, they come to a junction of corridors and James turns to follow the left one.
Twenty feet brings them to another room, this one larger than any so far. The room looks to have been a barracks of some sort, six beds are lined up in two rows of three. The bedding has long since deteriorated and at the foot of each is a chest.
As Jiron goes over to the chests, James says, “Be careful, they may be trapped.”
“I realize that,” he replies.
James moves around the room and discovers a mural painted on the wall. Though faded with time he can still make it out. Several figures stand around a dark pool, they look to be executing someone. He takes a closer look at the pool and sees headless bodies floating within.
Barely perceptible lines are drawn, as if some invisible force rises from the pool.
Crash!
Turning around suddenly, he looks to see Jiron removing his foot from a crushed chest. Coming over, he can see something sparkle from within. Ten gems lie upon the bottom, Jiron reaches down and scoops them up.
Smiling, he holds one up and says, “Not bad, these will fetch quite a bit.” Nodding to James, he places them within his belt pouch.
Seeing the treasure that Jiron had found, Miko goes and smashes one open too and is disappointed when he finds his to be empty.
“I thought we were going to be careful,” reminds James as he stands there next to Jiron.
“Couldn’t get it open,” Jiron explains, “so I kicked it. I really didn’t figure there to be a trap or anything bad.”
Shaking his head, James says, “There may only be one in a group. One on the edge that, once everyone is lulled into complacency by not finding any in the others, the would-be robbers will rush headlong into.”
“I don’t really think there’s any reason to…”
Just then they hear Miko kicking in another chest when… Kaboom!
They turn to see Miko sailing through the air as he smashes into the far wall. Rushing over to him, James can see one of his feet is smoking slightly as he lies there unconscious.
Kneeling down next to him, he gently shakes him, “Miko!” he cries.
Eyes fluttering open, Miko looks at them standing over him. “What happened?” he asks, dazed and confused.
“You okay?” Jiron asks.
“I think so,” he says as he starts to sit up. “Ah!” he says as he reaches back and feels a goose egg sized knot on the back of his head from where he’d hit the wall.
“Let me see,” James says as he closely examines it. “It doesn’t look too bad, there’s no bleeding.” Coming back in front of Miko, he says, “It’ll probably hurt for a while.”
Turning to Jiron, James is about ready to say something when Jiron says, “Okay, okay, I understand now.”
“Next time be careful, someone could’ve been killed,” scolds James.
Miko gets up and goes over to the chest that nearly killed him and says, “Hey, look at this!”
They turn to see him reaching in and pulling out a handful of clear crystals. Coming over to Jiron, he says excitedly, “How much are these worth?”
Taking one, Jiron examines it closely and says, “Nothing. They are just common crystals.” As Miko’s excited smile begins to fade, he adds, “You could probably get something for them at a market, but they really are not that spectacular.”
Looking upset, he says, “Then why did they have an exploding trap that almost killed me?” Throwing them down, he says, “Stupid crystals.”
James comes over and bends over, picking one up. Inspecting it, he says, “Why indeed?”
“Are they magic?” Miko asks, seeing James’ curiosity.
Shaking his head, he says, “No, thought they might’ve been, but there’s not a trace of magic about them now.” Tossing the crystal back down, he says, “Let’s go. It’s almost night outside and I’d like to get out of here by then.”
“I’m with you,” agrees Miko.
Leaving the room, they go back to the juncture of corridors, and take the one to their right, leaving only the one across from them unexplored.
The corridor quickly ends at a barren room with a mural of what looks to be a depiction of the swamp and the surrounding area.
James brings the orb closer for a better look and points to a spot, saying, “I think we�
�re here.” Indicating another area to the south, he says, “This looks like where the cannibals’ village had been.”
He puts his finger on the waterway running near where they are and says, “If we can get out of here, it looks like if we follow this river north, it’ll lead to a lake in the mountains.”
“Do we want to go there?” Jiron asks.
“As good a place as any,” replies James. “Elsewhere would put us in cannibal territory or close to the Empire’s forces, I would imagine.”
“Then let’s get out of here!” insists Miko.
They leave the room and return to the juncture of corridors and turn right. Following the passage, it winds first to the left, then the right. After a long straight section, they come to another closed door, locked of course.
Jiron works at the lock and soon has it open. Within are shelves and shelves of crystals of varying sizes. All are the common crystals that Miko had almost been killed over.
“What would they want with these?” James asks as he picks one up. It’s three inches long and one inch wide, well crafted. He puts it in his belt pouch to examine later.
Further examination of the room reveals nothing of interest. James stands there with a confused look on his face.
“What’s wrong?” asks Jiron.
“I thought for sure that there would be another level beneath this one,” he says.
“Maybe there is,” says Miko. “Could there be a secret door? Like the other ones we’d found?”
Nodding, he says, “You’re right, I don’t know where my mind is.” Suddenly, a bubble forms in front of him and begins floating out of the room.
They follow the bubble as it moves down the corridor. Upon reaching the corridor junction, it floats to the left, back toward the stairs to the upper level. Ten feet before reaching the stairs up, it stops and hovers by a section of wall on their right.
“This is it,” announces James as the bubble disappears.
“Where?” asks Jiron. “I don’t see anything.”
Glancing at him, James says, “That’s the whole point of a secret door.”
Smiling, Jiron replies, “Sorry.”
Turning back to the wall, he begins to examine it but is unable to ascertain how to open it. There are no indentations, no markings, nothing that would indicate a way for it to be opened.
Warrior priest of Dmon-Li ms-3 Page 8