by V C Sanford
“Absolutely nothing,” he replied. “I’ll take first watch. I’m not tired, it would be impossible for me to get any sleep right now. I don’t know if its excitement or just pent up frustration. We haven’t found anything that remotely resembles a treasure.”
“I’m certain this is the right place. We covered the entire temple today. We must have missed the wyvern. The runes led us here, there has to be a clue here somewhere.”
Rhianwen listened to them talk for a moment and then spoke in her usual quiet voice.
“Perhaps we’ve been trying too hard. We expected it to be out in the open, like the ones we found in the underground passage. We were wrong. Tomorrow we’ll try again. Nikiva is already in her bedroll…it would be smart for us to join her.”
********
“We’ve searched the shrine, the main sanctuary and every hall leading away from it without finding a single wyvern. I think we’re in the wrong place. Face it, there are mystical symbols everywhere. But none of them look anything like a wyvern.”
“I didn’t notice you complaining as you filled your pack with the loose pieces you gathered today,” Alex stated.
“Sure, there are scattered bits of gold and jewelry to be found, but it feels wrong to scavenge from the dead. Not that they need it anymore.”
“We need to make a decision,” Alex agreed. “If we leave tomorrow, we should have enough supplies to reach Port Nabob in three or four days. I vote we write the entire nightmare off and get back to civilization. Face it, we suck as treasure hunters.”
“I disagree, Rhianwen stated. It’s unarguably a fact that we’re low on food. But we can manage on less if necessary. This isn’t the catastrophe you are making it out to be. Sure, things have gone wrong. So, what? To you, this might only be a way to appease your uncle. But it’s much more than that to me. It’s probably my only chance at adventure. You all have a life of some sort to get back to. I’m Shii, remember? It’s the temple or nothing.”
“What about me? Maxx asked. Don’t I count?”
“Maxx, you’re wonderful! And I’m sure Alex’s uncle will have a new task for you as soon as you arrive back home. But this is it for me. My birthday is only a few weeks away.”
“Would it be such a bad thing if you don’t get a chance to join the order?” Maxx didn’t wait for her to answer before stalking off down the hallway into the darkness.
Rhianwen rose to follow but Alex held her back. “Give him a little time to be alone. He’s a very private person. It was hard for him to let his guard down and say as much as he did. He’ll be back once he clears his mind.”
Maxx’s defensive attitude surprised Alex, who was usually the source of the caustic Duaars’ rants about love and crazy women, or some wild plan that had gone wrong. Maxx was only frustrated and exhausted from the long trek. Nikiva had explained Shii-Lakka to him. If Maxx was in… No! It couldn’t be that…not Maxx. Either way, this situation required diplomacy, that’s not one of my better talents. Unsure of his friend for the first time in years, he was startled from his musing by Maxx’s excited shout.
Chapter 25
Maxx felt rotten. He’d snapped at Rhianwen for no reason and did his best to ruin everyone else’s evening. Aurora’s Heart…what was it? Everybody wanted it, yet no one seemed to know what it was. He hadn’t really put that much effort into locating it during their earlier search. Was it because he didn’t want Rhianwen to leave? Was he falling in love? That was a question he needed to answer before it tore apart his growing friendship with the dark-haired girl.
He needed something to keep his mind occupied, so he decided to return to the main shrine and thoroughly examine the stone altar. There was something about it that didn’t feel right to him. It was only a feeling, but that same instinct had saved him from trouble many times in the past. Besides, staying busy would keep his mind off his other problems.
He felt a slight sense of relief as the door to the sanctuary opened immediately. From the doorway, he had a clear view of the entire room, a rectangle space, about twenty spans long and about six spans wide. The floor was all open space, except for the altar and the two giant statues of Ligazra and Yaaga placed to either side of it.
There wasn’t anything special about the dais, ---just a raised, flat-topped slab of some shiny black stone set on a rectangular base of a similar material. The slabs surface was polished smooth but pitted from the blades wielded by the priests during the religious ceremonies. Maxx could see hints of rusty brown stains still present in the pits and he wondered exactly what had been sacrificed to appease the twin gods.
Running his hand along the base of the altar Maxx noticed a slight depression in the stone. Kneeling, he tried to see inside but his body wouldn’t fit between the altar’s base and the marble statues resting on pedestals to either side. He solved the problem by lying face down on the altar, then sliding headfirst toward the ground directly in front of the opening. There was just enough room for him to line his eye up with the depression. Sure enough, there was a wyvern glyph inscribed within the depression, an exact match for Rhianwens copy.
“Alex! Rhianwen! Nikiva! he called excitedly. “Come to the room with the two statues. I think I may have found it!
********
Everyone rushed through the temple doors certain Maxx was injured and perhaps dying. Instead, he was reclining atop the altar, lying back against one of the carved statues, grinning smugly. The Nikiva noticed the shadowed opening directly behind the altar. She was certain it wasn’t there when they checked out the room earlier.
“What took you so long,” Maxx quipped. He didn’t wait for an answer, sliding instead off the backside of the altar. In anticipation of their needs, he grabbed a burning torch from the iron rack beside the door and then waved them forward. Alex could tell he was excited. Maxx had found something important, he was practically dancing along the newly discovered passageway. Near the end of the short passage, he halted, using his arms to block them from entering. “Don’t try to enter, you can’t. Every time my light went out, and it becomes harder to breathe the farther in you go. I finally gave up after making at least ten attempts.”
Alex paused just beyond the glow of Maxx’s torch. Despite the light from the torch, the hidden chamber was pitch black. It made him uncomfortable, not warning him off, but also not welcoming him inside.
“Maybe it doesn’t like you. Let me try.” Alex took two steps then stopped. The room seemed to swallow the light from his torch, the flickering beams shrinking until the room was dark once more. His breathing was heavy and strained, loud in the silence of the chamber. He took one or two uneasy steps forward before he found himself gasping for air. Facing death in a fair fight was one thing, suffocating in a pitch-black room was an entirely different matter. Defeated, he meekly retreated to the entrance.
“This is going to be tricky,” he conceded.
Maxx laughed bitterly. “Tell me about it. I had my heart set on finding the treasure and then returning triumphantly to rub it in. I couldn’t make it more than four steps into the room.” He crossed his arms across his chest and looked from Alex to Nikiva to Rhianwen. “I think the air diminishes the farther in you go. That must be why the torches keep going out.
I can do something about the light problem,” Nikiva offered. “It won’t solve the air problem but it’s one step in the right direction.”
“Another glow stone?” Maxx asked eagerly.
“No components, sorry. But I don’t need any for this.” She rubbed her hands together briskly and spoke a short cantrip, then clapped once. At first, nothing happened, then hundreds of tiny sparkles of light materialized around her open palm. The pale amber motes of dancing light swirled and came together only to fall apart, continuing to shift in size and shape. Their light steadily grew in intensity until the room was lit well enough for human eyes to see without strain or discomfort. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed them into the room. Almost immediately the tiny motes began to fade.
/> “That’s strange, it’s like the charm was dispelled, except the barrier itself must be magic. My dancing illumination can’t move any closer, but the light itself can pass through. It’s only after the source of light attempts to move inside the barrier that it’s affected. She quickly repeated her earlier cantrip. “At least we can all see inside.”
The most important feature of the hidden chamber was a carved marble platform. Eight severed heads long devoid of flesh were positioned on stakes driven into the rock, four to either side of a center pedestal. Where the skulls eyes had rested, fiery opals the size of hen’s eggs had been set. Atop the platform, streams of brightly colored energy danced, rising like heat off the hot desert sands. And atop the center…
“Wow, I can’t wait to get a closer look at that ruby. It’s got to be as big as my hand,” Maxx chortled.
“Or maybe your heart, Alex replied. We found it! Now we just have to figure out a way to reach it.”
“True. There has to be a spell involved.” Nikiva appeared puzzled. “But I’ve never heard of a magic spell to bind magic, it seems like it would cancel itself out. At least we know the spell has limits. My glows work, at least as long as they stay outside the room.”
“That solves the light problem but what about the lack of air?” Maxx asked no one in particular, preferring to get everyone’s opinion before offering his own.
“Let’s see how close we can get to the pedestal before running out of air,” Alex said.
Nikiva cast a second cantrip and directed the glows movement as Alex entered the room once again. By the second step, it was obvious that the air was diminishing. Two more steps left him in the dark and gasping for air. He quickly returned to the outer chamber.
“That answers that question, Nikiva said. As long as we stay out of the room, the light spell works. Take four steps and the air is almost gone.”
“I think it’s tied into the floor,” Rhii said.
“Why do you say that?”
“Because we held the torch inside the room and the light didn’t go out. It began fading after Alex stepped into the room itself. It was the same with the glows.”
“Then we have two distinct problems, no magic, and no air,” Nikiva stated. “My glows can produce enough light but how do we enter a room without touching the floor. Any spell I used would be dispelled as soon as we entered the anti-magic field.”
“Nikiva, can you cast that light spell again?” Rhianwen asked. She had an idea, but it would only work with Nikiva’s help.
“Sure, it’s a simple cantrip. It doesn’t take much effort. But why? It’ll just fade away once anyone enters the room.”
“You’re all are going to have to trust me on this. I think I know how we can work around this. I’ll be right back.” Without explaining further, she ran back up the stairs.
“Do you need any help?” Maxx called after the running girl.
“No, just stay out of the room until I return.”
********
“Drasst missed again!” The iron hook hit the floor in a shower of sparks. Somehow, they had to get the homemade grappling hook over the heavy beam. Alex, Maxx, and Nikiva had all made attempts and failed. Nikiva had come close, but the space between the ceiling and the beam was too narrow for the awkwardly shaped hook to pass through. Rhianwen knew her idea was a good one if she could get it set up, but so far it had just wasted a lot of time.
Finally, Alex got an idea. “Maxx, do you still have that lightweight piece of spider silk?”
“Yes, but it’s not long enough to reach the beam.”
“True, but I think I can make it work for something else. Would you go get it and bring back a few other things?” The two men talked quietly for a moment then the Duaar hurried away. He returned carrying a small bag as well as a crossbow scavenged from the remains of a dead guard.
Alex wasted no time explaining his plan before putting it in motion. He used his knife to carve a slit near the end of a bolt. Once he was satisfied it was large enough, he threaded the end of the thin spider silk through the hole, then tied it securely. Then he removed the hook from the climbing rope and tied the two lines together. With a self-satisfied wink, he sighted carefully then shot the bolt over the beam and into the wall beyond. It struck the stone and bounced back toward the doorway landing just a few feet inside the door.
“Now we just need to snag the line with the grapple and pull it back to us,” Alex crowed.
“Not bad, Maxx said, except for one small problem. Where are we going to get another rope to tie the grapple to?”
They solved their problem by tying the grapple to the other end of the rope they’d used. It was simple to catch the line near the bolt with the grapple and pull it back to the edge of the room, then attach it securely to the door frame. Once Rhianwen had the line securely set, she rigged a makeshift rappelling harness so that it could support her weight. The heavy strip of leather slid smoothly over the rope, allowing her to pull her body over to the altar without ever setting foot on the floor.
“What about air? How will you breathe? Nikiva asked as Rhianwen hooked herself into the rappelling harness.
“If I’m right, that won’t be a problem,” Rhianwen replied. “But if I’m wrong, get ready to pull me back. But this is the important part. Once I touch the Heart it may trigger the spell that removes the oxygen… or worse. I can only hold my breath for a minute or two. It will be up to you to pull me back to the rooms’ door before I pass out from lack of air. Better make sure the boys understand because we won’t get a second chance.” She began pulling herself hand over hand along the rope system stretched across the room. Once she was centered over the pedestal she stopped, then released a latch that enabled her to slowly lower herself toward the surface of the altar.
She took a big breath and held it--- then reached for the ruby.
********
“Never realized how much I’d come to appreciate a simple length of rope,” Maxx said as he wound the heavy rope up and tied it to his pack alongside the spider-silk that already hung there. “And that pulley thing you used. Maybe we’re in the wrong business. We could make a fortune selling them. Once we get back to Cabrell we really need to talk to an artificer or two.”
No one was paying the chattering Duaar a bit of attention as he rambled on about future plans. Rhianwen was resting and Nikiva and Alex were examining the softly glowing ruby. Just like a real heart, it seemed to pulse, a soft rise and fade from pink to scarlet. Realizing he’d just spent the last candle mark talking to him-self, Maxx slumped down by Tweet.
“You don’t mind listening to my rambling do you Tweet?” Maxx asked as he scratched between the Mirrcat’s ears. Ever vigilant for any excuse to get this tummy rubbed, the furry dragonet purred to show how much he appreciated Maxx’s’ attention before rolling onto his back in a blatant catlike plea for more. He’d no use for a pulley system but Maxx could talk about it all day, as long as he kept up the delicious finger movements.
“I wonder why everyone is so intent on finding this, Nikiva asked Alex. It’s a pretty bauble, but I was expecting something more.”
“Pretty bauble? It’s beautiful! It’s got to be worth a small fortune. I’ve never seen a ruby of this size. It solves all our startup problems. With the money from the sale, we can buy two, maybe even three wagons, and the oxen to pull them.”
“It all comes down to money, doesn’t it,” Maxx added wryly. “I’m still wondering why your uncle wants it so badly. He can afford to buy hundreds of gems like this one. There has to be more to it, something we don’t know, that would make it all clear.” He tossed the last bundle of bedding to Alex then settled down to catch a short nap before they began packing up for the long trip home. The bulk of responsibility for breaking camp always fell onto his shoulders. It had been a long day and he was tired.
Rhianwen and Nikiva were conspiring on some secret project that brought them both to hysterical giggles every time he looked their way. He grimaced at
the thought, enabling Maxx a quick glance at his face before he had a chance to change his expression.
Maxx cocked an eyebrow in a silent inquiry, but Alex shook his head, indicating that now wasn’t the time to discuss it. Maxx nodded once, agreeing to wait, but he made it a point to remind himself to corner Alex sometime soon to discuss the situation. He stopped him before he’d a chance to walk away. “I think that you might be making a big mistake. You are both too young to be making any kind of commitments. What if she doesn’t feel the same about you? Imagine how you’ll feel. The trip back will be a long one, you’d have to face her every day knowing she doesn’t care.”
“I have a peculiar feeling you might be right.” Alex agreed, followed by a weary grimace. He’d passed up several opportunities to talk to Nikiva about their future, letting fear of rejection prevent him from doing it each time. Strangely, what disturbed him most was the idea that she might laugh at him. I may not have another chance. This way she’ll know how I feel about her. I’m glad mages aren’t banned from bonding. I’d hate to end up with a broken heart like Maxx. He started to protest again then changed his mind, turned and walked off without a word.
Maxx snorted in frustration. Alex wasn’t thinking. He’d never consider a bonding, at least not for another ten years. Till then, he was just going to continue to enjoy the company of as many females as possible. Besides, by then Rhianwen might be tired of the temple and eager to enjoy a fling with a handsome young Duaar!
Chapter 26
Alex fumed as he wandered along the main corridor of the temple. Maxx made him so drassted mad! He could tick him off more in five minutes than most people could after an hour of mindless chatter. It was ridiculous! Maxx should trust his judgment. Sure, he’d almost gotten them killed in Muut, but that was no reason to say he wasn’t ready for a relationship. Anyone with half a brain could understand why he ran from his last engagement. Lost in thought he didn’t notice Nikiva approaching. He forced his thoughts back to the present and motioned for her to join him.