Chapter 19 A Heart in Darkness
Lynn was back in the cottage again. It was winter and frost covered the windows. The fire was roaring and Lynn was cooking breakfast over the stove. Ham and eggs crackled in the pan as Lynn lovingly prepared another meal. The cottage was filled with wonderful smells. It was like a warm oasis in the midst of a cold and snowy wilderness.Lynn served up two plates of food and sat down, waiting for Eliza to walk drearily into the kitchen, but she hadn't awakened yet. More time passed. Lynn began to grow impatient and called out to Eliza, but she heard nothing. Finally, Lynn got up and went to the bedroom.
"Wake up sleepyhead.", Lynn said with a smile but Eliza was nowhere to be seen.
Lynn's good feelings began to fade. She searched the cottage but found no sign of Eliza. Fear gripped her.
"Where could she have gone?", Lynn wondered. “Outside. That's the only place where she could be.”
Lynn grabbed her heaviest coat and went out the door, pausing only to see that all of Eliza's coats were still in the closet. Panicking, Lynn ran around their land searching for Eliza and calling out her name. She searched and searched until her fingers and toes grew numb in the biting cold. Finally she crested a hill and descended into the field where they had planted their wildflowers. In the field Lynn saw a figure lying in the snow. She ran down the hill and fell to her knees beside Eliza, who lay half buried, unconscious, and blue with cold.
"Oh no! Oh no!", Lynn cried out.
She grabbed Eliza's hand and started rubbing it to revive her but Eliza's hand was as cold as ice. Lynn looked closer at her and saw that she wasn't breathing.
"No! You can't be dead!", Lynn screamed, shaking Eliza by her shoulders.
But it was true. Lynn knew it. Through her ring she felt a familiar feeling, one that she had come to dread. She could feel Rastinon again, pulling at her heart from beyond the grave.
Eliza's eyes opened wide and her hand reached out and grabbed Lynn's throat. Her mouth opened and Rastinon's voice came out.
"My love, I've returned."
The undead creature had been right. Eliza couldn't escape. She had run from him until she could no longer run and then she had walked away until she could no longer walk. Now she sat in darkness, alone, and surrounded by a hoard of voracious ghouls.
Eliza's strength was fading slowly. The Beast ate at her stomach, growing larger with every hour. Eliza fought against it but she knew that she couldn't fight forever, and the ghouls knew it too. Around her they had gathered in a circle, getting as close to her as they dared, for they were still afraid of the power that the young priestess had inside.
Eliza could feel them getting closer. They were so close that they could almost reach out and touch her. She sat silently in prayer with her head down and her hands together in her lap. Alone in total darkness she calmly repeated the prayers that she had known all of her life. All she had now was her faith, her faith in Ezra and her faith in Lynn. Through her ring she could feel that Lynn was far away, but she knew that as long as she could feel her, there was still hope, and hope was the only thing keeping her alive.
"Soon you will be mine.", the voice hissed at the dying priestess. Eliza kept whispering her prayers, hoping that they would be heard.
Lynn awoke with a start. She was paralyzed with fear. The camp fire was out and she couldn't see anything in the pre-dawn darkness. All that she could feel was her heart pounding inside her chest. The fear within her began to build as she realized what she had done. She had left Eliza all alone in that castle with that evil woman. Lynn's body quaked as she thought about Eliza trapped in that windowless tower so far away.
"No.", Lynn told herself. "It's going to be alright." But deep inside she knew that it wasn't.
Lynn felt through her ring, reaching out to her fallen soul mate. Eliza was so far away, but Lynn concentrated hard, trying to close the distance between them. She could feel Eliza. She could feel Eliza struggling. Something was happening to her. Lynn could feel pain and fear through her ring, but in all that she felt, none of it felt like Rastinon. Lynn breathed a sigh of relief. Then she lent as much strength to Eliza as she could muster. It was helping, Lynn could feel it, and so Lynn stayed awake, giving Eliza strength until the ordeal was over. Then, exhausted, she dropped off to sleep once more.
The ghouls were backing away, Eliza could hear them cursing in some long forgotten tongue. Now she could feel warmth on her face and on her hands, and even with her eyes closed she could see a dim, flickering glow. Eliza opened her eyes and saw that a candle now stood between her hands, the wax seeming to have grown from out of her ring. The candle's flame was small, but in the darkness it shone like a beacon. The ghouls backed far away from it, shielding their eyes from the glare. For a moment Eliza saw the face of the ghoul who had spoken to her. It was twisted, mottled, and disfigured, but there was still something human about it. She gasped and looked away.
"I can wait forever.", the ghoul snarled.
Eliza looked back at the ghoul who had retreated into the darkness. She had seen his face and she was no longer afraid of him. Now she was curious.
"What happened to you? What made you that way?", the young priestess asked. She was unprepared for his answer.
"Love.", the ghoul replied in a voice as cold as death. He paused for a moment as the word sunk in and then he continued, each syllable sending a chill down Eliza's spine. "Love for one's family. Love for one's country. Love for one's god."
"I don't understand.", Eliza replied, fighting her fears.
The ghoul paused again. The he answered he one last time.
"You will."
Silence fell once again. A single candle burned in the darkness. Eliza closed her eyes and said a prayer for Lynn.
As the sun crept over the mountains, Marinae was awakened by the sensation of lips softly pressing against hers. Marinae hoped that it wasn't Weamar and opened one of her eyes. To her delight it was Jonathan. She closed her eye and felt one of his hands gently caress her face and neck and run down the length of her body.
"The morning is brilliant, like your eyes.", Jonathan said.
"Flatterer!", Marinae replied, pleased but embarrassed by the compliment.
Jonathan's hands worked their way underneath Marinae's robes and he kissed her again, deeply.
"Marinae, I want you.", Jonathan whispered.
Marinae smiled. "You're always hungry, aren't you?", she said wryly.
Weamar was similarly awakened by the sensation of a long tongue lapping at his face. Cujia seemed to be in slightly brighter spirits than she had in days past. Weamar sputtered and wiped his face. With a stretch and a yawn, Weamar took a look around the camp before dragging himself upright. The sky immediately above was clearer than it has been for the past few days. However, there was a rather large thunderhead on the horizon. The camp itself was clear, and everyone else was still in their bedrolls. Weamar got up, wandered off for morning ablutions, then returned and started making breakfast.
David sat up and twisted his head from side to side, cracking his neck. He saw Lynn resting peacefully and decided to let her sleep in, going about his usual morning routines in a mechanical fashion. Weamar glanced over at Jonathan and Marinae and decided to make idle conversation with David.
"How's the arm?", Weamar asked. "Sleep well?"
David tied a fresh bandage on his arm. "It'll heal and I'll sleep better once we're out of these mountains."
"You're like an angel when you sleep.", Jonathan said, then he smiled wickedly. "Now I desire your sinful side."
"Preposterous! I have no angelic side. Just ask the human priests!", Marinae said in jest. "We Elves are demons with pretty faces and, lusty natures."
"However", Marinae added, glancing around at the camp. "I'd like more privacy."
Jonathan smiled and laughed. "Yes.", he whispered and looked around for a quiet spot.
David ate a little. "We should get moving soon.", he replied loud enough for everyone to hear. "The sooner we find the tomb, the sooner we can go home."
"And the sooner you can get laid.", Marinae whispered to Jonathan.
"Aye. Though I can't really say I'm looking forward to seeing Kendra again.", Weamar answered David.
"The tomb may be our doom.", Jonathan said half seriously.
"Well, hopefully she'll keep up her end of the bargain and you won't have to enjoy her hospitality for too long.", David assured Weamar.
"Yeah, I'm trying not to be pessimistic, but Kendra keeping her word isn't something I'd trust my life to.", Weamar said. His voice trailed off as he realized that that was exactly what he was doing.
"So it's 'Let's ball, for tomorrow we may die', hmmm?", Marinae asked Jonathan.
"Then I could die happy.", Jonathan smirked.
"I'll protect you, slugger.", Marinae said with a wink. "But only if you'll protect me."
Kiri grew angrier, and hornier. She thought about using a spell to make Marinae give in to her, but she held back. "When we get out of the tomb.", she thought to herself. "She's really going to get it."
"Tonight then.", Jonathan conceded. "We'll indulge our lusty natures with abandon."
"You're on!", Marinae answered. Kiri grinned evilly.
David walked over to Lynn's bedroll and tapped her foot with his. "Time to wake up. We're almost there."
Lynn rolled awake. She hid her eyes from the sun with her hood but didn't put on her blindfold.
"Today is the day.", Lynn told herself. She was filled with feelings of both hope and dread. She ate a small breakfast quickly and broke off a small piece of chocolate. As she savored the flavor, she felt through her ring, hoping that Eliza could taste it too. Then she set off with the others.
It took roughly two hours to reach the entrance to the cavern marked on the map. The thunderclouds had caught a swift wind out of the west and were approaching steadily. The mouth of the cave was like gaping wound in the mountain with a trickle of a stream flowing into it. It was the only water that they had seen since leaving the castle, but no one bothered to fill up their water skins. They remembered what Jonathan had told them about the water.
Lynn stared into the yawning mouth of the tomb, wondering if it would be her tomb too. She hesitated for a moment, but when Weamar moved to enter first she went ahead of him. She knew that he didn't want to be there and so she wasn't about to let him go on ahead of her. Lynn drew her old katana and held it out in front of her as she stepped into the tomb. She closed her eyes and tapped it on the ground in front of her, hearing the echoes like a bat, and using them to find her way. The others followed her quietly. Marinae cast a light spell on her staff and raised it above her so that the others could see.
The stream widened as it progressed into the cavern. Eventually it covered the entire bottom of the narrow passage in six inches of water. The tunnel seemed to go on and on. With each sloshing step, the temperature dropped, but Lynn kept going, the tapping of her katana and the babbling of the stream were the only sounds that could be heard.
After about forty minutes of walking Weamar noticed some pale colored fish swimming around at his feet.
"The water can't be too bad.", Weamar said, pointing at the fish.
Marinae was about to say something when she was interrupted by the rumble of distant thunder echoing from back up the tunnel.
"We got inside just in time.", Marinae said.
Lynn stopped as Weamar and Marinae spoke and then continued when they were quiet again. Marinae blushed just a little and promised to stay quiet. The current picked up its pace and the water's depth increased to calf height as they went further into the cave. The life in the water also increased. There were more of the tiny fish and a few similarly pale crustaceans. The water continued to grow deeper until it was just above everyone's knees. Then the tunnel opened up into a wider cave. Ahead the water grew deeper but to the side they noticed that there was a ledge that was dry. Lynn led everyone towards the ledge and they climbed on to it.
As they moved along the ledge, Lynn noticed that the echoes took on a different feel. At the far wall up ahead something was different. It wasn't rough stone like the rest of the cave. Part was worked stone and part was wood. Marinae could see the door and she pointed it out to the others.
"There's a large wooden door ahead.", Marinae whispered.
Lynn stopped. "Is there something in the water?", she asked nervously. "If there were small fish then there could be large fish.", she thought to herself, wondering how large they could get and remembering stories about giant fish that could swallow men whole.
Marinae peered into the dark water. She could see something, but it wasn't a fish. "There's something in the water.", she told everyone. She extended the lit end of her staff towards it.
The light of Marinae's staff revealed the white of bone about four feet beneath the surface. Trapped under a submerged boulder were the remains of a person. One arm stuck out into the current. It clutched an ivory scroll case. There was another rumbling but this time it was obvious that it wasn't thunder. The cavern itself trembled. The tremor quickly passed but it had caused the scroll case to become partly loosed from the dead man's grasp. It was in danger of slipping away in the flow.
Working quickly Marinae stretched into the water to grab the scroll tube while Jonathan took hold of her legs to ensure that she wasn't washed away. Marinae snatched the case from the skeletal hand and Jonathan hauled her back to the ledge. The water was very cold and the young half-elf emerged soaked and shivering.
"Is there anything else in the water?", Lynn asked.
"D-dead guy, s-s-scr-scroll, w-water!", Marinae stuttered. "I didn't see anything else."
Lynn waited for Marinae's echoes to die down and then kept going towards the door. Jonathan wrapped his cloak around Marinae and did his best to dry her off. Soon they reached the wooden door. The door was very old and the moisture had caused the wood to darkened and swell up within its frame. Lynn tapped across the door. She could hear that there was empty space beyond it.
Weamar examined the door closely. The hinges were on the side he was on and the iron was severely rusted. The wood was thick but it was very rotted. Weamar tried to open the door but it was stuck in its frame.
"We need a dwarf. With an ax.", Marinae said. "Or big strong men who can kick things down."
Weamar glanced back at her, but soon realized that she was right.
"So what's in the tube?", Jonathan asked Marinae.
Marinae took a close look at the scroll. The scroll was very fragile, and the text was written in a dialect of old Darkonese. Marinae was able to make out some of it but the seal on the case was not entirely watertight and much of the writing was smeared. She read it aloud.
"Dear Brother Percy.", Marinae began. "I pray that this letter finds you and your parishioners in good health. The weather here has become quite bizarre as of late, even more so than on your last visit. Just this morning the sky took on a peculiar green cast and there have even been occasional rumblings from the earth. It is all quite fascinating. Such oddities have not dissuaded any of the usual petitioners, though. We have collected quite a sizable number of donations and offerings. Once you receive this letter, please dispatch the usual escort so that we may transport it to the Church coffers in Il Aluk..."
"I can't make out the rest.", Marinae added.
At that point they all heard a crash as the door groaned and cracked along the center. The pieces clattered loudly to the floor as Weamar stumbled through the now cleared doorway. Weamar crouched and looked around in the gloom as soon as possible after hitting the door. Lynn walked through the door after him quietly, sensing her new surroundings. They found themselves in a hallway of worked stone which extended for about fifteen feet before turning left. Lynn began tapping again, making her way down the hall. The others followed her.
They came to an intersection where the path split in three directions in addition to the way they had just come. The temperature was cool but not as cold as it had been near the water. The air was still and dust coated the walls and the floor. Lynn noticed that the hall to the left sounded odd. The echoes were stopped short as though there was a blockage or a dead end. The hall straight ahead of Lynn turned right, as did the hall to her right.
"Why three passages?", Lynn said softly. But no one could think of a good reason.
Another tremor shook the mountain. There was a great sound of crashing stone. From the hall straight ahead the voices of men could be heard when the quake ended. It sounded like they were cursing in Falkovnian. Lynn slid up next to the wall straight ahead and crept silently towards the voices. David blanched and quietly drew his weapon. Weamar drew his acid blade in one hand and his knife in the other.
Lynn kept moving forward until she came to the corner. One voice rose above the others. He barked out orders in a commanding tone. The other men fell silent. Lynn peeked around the corner. The man who was calling out orders was walking down the hallway towards her. He was a harsh and thin looking young man dressed in well tended armor, but before he could get close enough to see Lynn, one of the others called out to him, and he headed back down the way he came.
Lynn silently put away her old katana and drew her magical one. From the darkness, she watched the leader disappear around a corner at the far end of the hallway. Soon their torchlight faded as well. Lynn followed silently, as did the others soon after. Then they came to another four way intersection that mirrored the one they had just come from. The men took the eastern hall. Lynn held her katana behind her so that her body hid the reflections off of it and followed. She came upon a staircase leading down. Below she could see the glow of the Falkovnian's torches.
Lynn stopped. She had the feeling that they had gone to far and had passed the tomb.
"Maybe there's a map hidden in the case.", Lynn whispered to Marinae.
Marinae nodded and inspected the case. She searched for a hidden map, or a code in the wording of the message, but she found nothing. Then she noticed some writing on the inside of the lip of the cap.
"Unity of the opposed halves will open the way.", Marinae said as she read the inscription aloud.
"That was one of Balican's more common proverbs.", Jonathan whispered.
"What does it mean?", Lynn whispered.
"Male and female are opposite.", Marinae said.
"As are good and evil, law and chaos.", Weamar added.
"The philosophy of Balican and his followers centered around the idea that life and death were essentially the same.", Jonathan continued. "They're just opposite ends of a continuum. They believed that when those two ends were brought together, it was a time of divine power."
"Perhaps we should look around a bit more.", Jonathan suggested. "This complex can't be that large. I don't like the idea of following after them, though." He nodded towards the way the soldiers went.
"The two intersections.", Lynn whispered. "They're opposites."
"A doorway?", Marinae wondered out loud. "Maybe halfway back along the corridor?"
Lynn got the feeling that Marinae was right. She started going back the way that they came. Marinae jumped ahead of her, hoping that she could spot a hidden door first. As they walked along Jonathan whispered more about Balican's philosophy.
"They viewed existence as an eternal cycle. Birth, death, rebirth, death.", Jonathan explained quietly. "They celebrated both equally. To them life was just a big circle."
Once between the intersections Marinae discovered an imprint in the southern wall of the hallway. It was a groove above a half inch wide that ran the length of the corridor at ankle height. They followed the band along the wall until they reached a point where it turned upward, passed over the ceiling and ran back down the south wall. The band from each end of the hallway ended at two impressions in the wall. Each was shaped like a hand.
Lynn put her katana away and held out her hands towards the hand impressions, but they were too far apart for one person to touch them both.
Lynn went to the left hand imprint. "It takes two people.", she said to no one in particular.
Weamar began to squirm. He didn't like the idea of touching the hand impressions. He figured that it was a trap.
"More opposites? Male and female?", Marinae suggested. "Or just left and right?"
Jonathan shrugged. "It's possible.", he said.
David stepped over to the other hand imprint. "It's worth a try.", he said indifferently.
Lynn lifted her hand up to the left imprint and hesitated before pressing it. She looked across at David who did the same. Lynn nodded and put her hand on the imprint. Weamar adjusted his grip on his sword and looked around. Marinae took Jonathan's hand and squeezed it. David pressed his palm into the right imprint. Both Lynn and David felt an electric tingle crawling up their arms and into their chests. A barely audible hum filled the hall. Marinae forced herself to not take a step backward. Instead she cast a spell so that she could see the magic working and was dazzled by what she saw. Blue arcs of energy were engulfing Lynn and David, but nothing else seemed to be happening.
"You have to complete the circle.", Jonathan said.
Marinae caught his drift. "Hold hands!", she called out.
Lynn glanced at David and extended her other hand towards him. David hesitated and closed his eyes before reaching out and touching Lynn's hand. As the two touched the blue light became visible to everyone. The display was impressive but David and Lynn felt only a slight tingle. When the fireworks subsided, the outline of a doorway appeared between the pair. With a rumble it opened and the energies faded away.
Lynn let go of David's hand, pulled her hood down over her face, and stepped into the room. David's arms fell to his sides. He waited to let the others pass through first before entering. Inside the room they found a lone statue standing in the middle. It was a likeness of a man who had seen many winters but still carried himself with the bearing of a warrior. Still, his eyes showed the thoughtfulness of a fatherly sort. The statue's head moved and looked at the assembled group.
Marinae swallowed hard as the statue spoke. Lynn braced herself for the statue's anger, but instead it asked a riddle.
"Round she is, yet flat as a board.", the statue said in verse. "Altar of the Lupine Lords. Jewel on black velvet, pearl in the sea. Unchanged but e'erchanging, eternally."
"Forgive us for our trespass.", Lynn said apologetically. "She is the moon."
The statue extended its left hand towards Lynn. In its palm was a silver key. Lynn pulled back her hood just enough to see. She then took the silver key and thanked the statue.
The statue spoke again. "A golden treasure that never stays. The coin whose face gives wealth to all. Strands, nuggets, and dust of gold are all bought with its shining grace. And all are more precious than any gleaming metal."
"Life?", Weamar thought but didn't say. He knew that he wasn't good at riddles.
Marinae scratched her head. "The...sun?", she said unsteadily.
The statue extended its right hand to Marinae. In the palm was a golden key. Marinae accepted the key and curtseyed solemnly. "Thank you, sir.", she said politely.
"Opposites.", Lynn said quietly.
Behind the statue was a set of double doors. Lynn walked over to the doors and Marinae followed her. Before them there were two locks, one on each door. Lynn put her key into the left lock. Marinae shrugged and put her key into the right lock. Weamar took a step back and prepared for the worst. Lynn glanced over at Marinae and turned her key. Marinae turned hers at the same time.
Weamar sighed with relief as the doors creaked open. Beyond was a small chapel which had several rows of stone pews leading up to an altar. Resting on the altar was an ivory medallion that bore the symbol of two hands clasped as though in prayer. Standing over the altar was another statue of the same man as before. Its hands were raised in front of its chest with its palms inches apart.
Lynn approached the altar. As she did so she heard footsteps coming from behind her. Lynn spun around and drew her katana. She couldn't see them, but she could hear the Falkovnians approaching.
"Close the doors.", Lynn whispered loudly.
Weamar moved towards the right hand door and looked down the hall. The Falkovnians were just about to come around the bend. Lynn backed up towards the altar as Weamar tried heaving on the right-hand door. But the stone door was too heavy and refused to budge. A Falkovnian voice called out.
"They've seen us.", David whispered.
Weamar thought quickly. He figured that it might be best to split up their enemies. So he ran into the hallway, looking briefly towards approaching men. He could see a half-dozen Falkovnian military men who were rather surprised by his presence. Four of them looked to be regular army while the other two seemed to have some authority. One of those two, a gaunt looking man, yelled "Halt!". Weamar turned and ran the other way.
"Sergeant! After him! I want him alive.", the gaunt man shouted. With that, one of the officers and two of the grunts took off down the hall after Weamar.
Lynn looked around her. There was no escape. She thought that the only way to get away from the men was to unlock the tomb and hide inside. She held up the medallion and dangled it between the hands of the statue, hoping that they would close around it, but nothing happened. Above her in the ceiling she could hear an odd squishing and gurgling noise. Lynn looked up, but saw nothing. Whatever was making the sound was moving around in a space above the ceiling. It sounded as if it was looking for a way down.
Marinae got herself into a good spot to fight, though she wondered how whatever power existed in the chapel would look upon fighting. She didn't want to defile the chapel an enrage its god, but if she had to, she would.
"If they want me, they'll have to kill me.", Marinae said bravely. "I don't fancy being a Falkovnian guest."
Lynn looked around the altar for anything that might give her a clue as to how to open the tomb. Jonathan could see the Lieutenant and two other soldiers standing outside the room of riddles. Kiri knew that she had to do something. She whispered an enchantment to the Lieutenant. A confused look passed over his face and he stopped before entering.
"What is it sir?", one of the soldiers asked. "Let's get them."
But the leader turned to him with frightened eyes. "The statue will kill us if we go in there.", he said. Kiri smiled.
Weamar quickly outdistanced the armored men. Once out of their sight he hid around a corner and readied his sword and dagger. When the men rounded the corner Weamar took them completely by surprise, slashing at the first one around the corner and giving him a frightful wound across his abdomen. Weamar attempted to use the momentum of the initial attack to take down one of the other men but the Falkovnian dodged just in time, ending up with only a smoking line across his breastplate. Weamar didn't stick around and fight. He figured that he could do the same trick again. The Falkovnians watched as he ran away once more.
The gurgling noise moved away from Lynn towards the riddle room. One of the soldiers in the riddle room happened to glance up and scream as a putrid purple tendril darted down from the ceiling above him, leaving a trio of deep claw marks across his face.
"My eyes! My eyes!", the soldier cried out as he fell to the floor.
David stumbled back from the riddle room, aborting his intended attack. From above, a shifting mass fell on the wounded soldier. The man's screams were muffled as his face was covered by a pulsating, pulpy flesh. The creature's form was in constant flux. Its surface was covered in hooks and spines one moment and the next by a hundred eyes and mouths sliding across a translucent sack of viscous fluid. The other two Falkovnians were horrified. Only the lieutenant had the presence of mind to strike the creature but his action only elicited a gurgling squeal followed by screams of renewed intensity from the thing's first victim.
"I wonder if we'll be allowed to leave?", Marinae said as she watched the horror show. Jonathan came over and stood next to her. Kiri scratched her head, wondering if her spell had caused the creature to appear.
Lynn paid no attention to what was happening and tried to figure out the secret to opening the tomb. She put on the ivory medallion, stood before the altar, and brought her hands together in prayer. Nothing happened. Then Lynn put the medallion around the statue's neck. As she did so its hands came together and the altar began to shake. It slowly began to descend into the floor. Lynn looked down and saw a small dark room below her.
The amorphous creature pulled itself up and its form became one of hulking muscle and bulging veins. The height was short lived as its body came crashing down upon the two remaining men. The lieutenant managed to deflect some of the blow but still came in contact with the unnatural thing. His skin began to blister and ripple. He ran off screaming.
"I guess that they got the riddles wrong.", Jonathan said to Marinae. But she was in no mood for humor.
Weamar dashed back towards the riddle room. As he ran he saw the Falkovnian lieutenant running towards him, his face mad with terror and pain. Weamar jumped out of his way and the officer ran right past him, but the Falkovnians who were chasing Weamar didn't have time to react. The men could do nothing as lieutenant ran straight into their over anxious blades. Weamar stopped in his tracks and spun around. The soldiers were stupefied but were still holding their swords.
"Drop your weapons or die. Your choice.", Weamar commanded.
The slain officer fell to the ground and lay still. The other two soldiers stood looking at each other, then at Weamar. Then they both dropped their weapons and ran the other direction. Weamar shrugged, sheathed his sword, and jogged back towards chapel. As he rounded the corner he could hear the muffled shrieks of the dying men and an unsettling gurgling and slurping noise. Weamar slowed and redrew his weapon, but the creature made no motion to stop him as he walked towards it. The thing was intent on devouring the two fallen Falkovnians.
Lynn looked down as the alter descended into the floor, stopping about six feet down. The room below was dark and she could hear nothing coming from it. Marinae peered down into the hole and saw nothing hiding in the darkness. The slurping and bubbling in the riddle room continued, but the screaming was suddenly halted by a forceful crunch. Weamar stepped cautiously around the creature. As he did so, its surface took on a texture that looked like a lizard's hide. A rainbow of colors flowed in random bands across the surface. It made no moves as Weamar tip-toed through the riddle room and joined his friends on the other side.
Lynn reached down and tapped the altar with her katana, listening to the echoes. The room below was empty and opened into a narrow hall to the south. Lynn climbed down into the room. It was very musty. The hall to the south was only wide enough for one person and it was very long. On either side of the hall there were many cavities, each about six feet long and stacked about three high. Lynn looked around for another riddle but it was too dark to see. She could sense that the cavities were filled with something though she couldn't tell what. Marinae found a rock, cast a light on it, and dropped it down next to Lynn.
From the riddle room there came a slight rumbling from the thing and what sounded almost like a belch. Weamar turned to look. The bodies were gone. All that was left was the creature, and it was changing again. Its skin became brown and slick like a dirt road after a heavy rain.
David watched the creature. "Have you ever seen anything like that?", he said to Weamar.
"Not while awake and sober, no.", Weamar replied.
Lynn picked up the rock and looked around the room. The room the altar was now in was of simple, bare stone. Enough of the illumination extended into the hall to reveal the contents of the nearest cavities. Each held the dried remains of someone long dead. It appeared to be some form of catacomb. Lynn put the light in her pocket, drew her katana, and tapped her way down the hall. The hall was plunged into darkness once more. The hall continued for some way with its entire length lined with the recessed graves. One by one, Lynn's friends descended into the hole and followed behind her. Soon they came to an open archway. Beyond the arch, Lynn could sense another room. Inside was a raised stone section in the center. Lynn drew forth the stone again and looked around.
Carved into the arch was some writing. "Here lies Balican. Healer and Defender. May his grace remain, though his soul leave us."
"By the way", Weamar began. "Two of those that followed me turned and fled rather than fight, just after they accidentally skewered their boss.", Weamar hoped to get a chuckle out of someone, but all were silent. "One didn't get the chance", he added.
"We may need to clean them up on the way out.", Marinae said. "They'll probably bring friends."
Weamar nodded in agreement. Lynn walked into the room and went half way around the raised stone section, holding the light over it. The room beyond the arch was of the same, unadorned design as the majority of the rest of the ruin. In the middle of the room was a raised stone slab. Upon the slab lay the body of the ancient hero. His body was in a state of perfect preservation. While obviously deceased, it appeared as though he only passed away mere days ago.
This was the man the statues were modeled after. Balican. He was clad in a fine set of plate armor. At his feet lay an ornate shield bearing a complex heraldic symbol of silver and alabaster and a sheathed long sword. Of particular note were the gauntlets the man wore. As Lynn drew near, they both begin to glow faintly. The right gauntlet was of a highly polished silver metal. It shimmered faintly with a bluish light. The twin gauntlet on the left was tarnished and blackened as though it had been through a great fire. A faint aura of red surrounded it. On the ground against the far wall was a sturdy chest.
"Forgive us, but we need your hands.", Lynn whispered to the corpse.
Marinae whispered a spell. She looked around. The glow around the gauntlets intensified as her sight shifted. There were also enchantments upon the armor, shield, and sword.
"Everything he's wearing is enchanted.", Marinae reported.
Lynn set the stone down next to Balican. She reached for his right gauntlet, her own tattered leather gloves making his look so much more regal in comparison. Slowly she began to pull it off. Marinae held her breath, expecting something bad to happen at any moment, but the silver glove slipped from Balican's hand readily. Lynn set it on Balican's chest and moved around to the left gauntlet. Marinae stared at the corpse's hand. There was something odd about it. The gauntlet's aura faded somewhat as it was removed, but the hand that wore the glove remained as bright as before. Lynn did the same with Balican's left gauntlet. Again Marinae saw the magic brighter on the corpse's hand.
"The magic on the gauntlets are faded.", Marinae said. "But the hands still glow!"
"Well yeah.", Jonathan said haughtily as Kiri's act slipped again. "Kendra said the hands, not the gauntlets."
Marinae threw a nasty look at Jonathan and he looked down in shame. "You did wonderfully, Marinae.", he said contritely.
Marinae poked Jonathan gently in the ribs with her elbow.
Lynn walked back around Balican and placed her katana over his right wrist. She prepared to cut it off, but when she saw it looking so lifelike she couldn't do it. She pulled her katana back. Then she thought about Eliza and tried again to cut Balican's hand off, but she stopped short.
"I can't.", Lynn whispered.
"So we need someone who's handy with a knife.", Jonathan said with a big grin.
"Forgive us.", Lynn whispered to the corpse. She tried to cut the hand off a third time but she couldn't bring herself to do it. This time she stepped away. David moved in next to her.
"What's one more step?", David asked himself. He drew his short sword and brought it down swiftly, severing Balican's right hand. The wound, however, did not bleed. It looked as though it should have but it didn't. Lynn looked away. Marinae could see the aura around the right hand wavering but it quickly stabilized. With a blank expression on his face, David took the hand and placed it below the gauntlets on the man's armored breast. He then circled around to the other side. Another quick stroke freed the left hand from its arm.
"It's done.", David said, sheathing his blade.
Lynn got out an empty bag and held it open next to Balican. She waited for someone to place the hands inside. Marinae found a scrap of cloth and picked the hands up one at a time by one finger and deposited them into Lynn's bag. Then Lynn closed the bag and tied it tightly to her, fighting the creepy feelings by trying not to think about what was inside the bag. Nervously Lynn placed Balican's gauntlets at the ends of his arms as if to fool whomever was watching into thinking that nothing was missing.
David tried to comfort Lynn. "I'm sure he'd understand the reason."
Lynn nodded but Marinae wasn't so sure. She knew that the dead were not to be trifled with. Jonathan looked about nervously as well. When Marinae looked at him she could see that he was anxious to leave.
Weamar turned to look at the chest. It was a heavy wooden strongbox. The lock didn't appear to have been of any special quality though. Weamar used his sword to prod various parts of the box, trying to set off any trap that might be on the box. As he slid the blade around the lock, he heard a soft click and a small needle sprang forth from the keyhole. The tip was covered in a greenish discoloration.
Weamar smiled and continued to poke and prod at the box more forcefully. He wedged the blade under the lid above the lock and felt it give a little. Then Weamar sheathed his sword and drew his knife. He slid it under the lid and used it to pry the lock open. The weak metal of the lock broke without much of a struggle. Weamar opened the lid and whistled. The box was filled to the brim with gold coins.
"Are those gauntlets still radiating a magical aura?", Weamar asked Marinae.
"Yes.", Marinae replied.
Weamar crossed to Balican's corpse to retrieve the gauntlets. With some trepidation he slipped them on to his hands. He could feel a slight tingling in his arms but he didn't feel any different. Weamar had heard tales of magical gauntlets that gave their wearer great strength. He crossed to the strongbox, and attempted to lift it off the floor. To his surprise and joy he lifted the box as easily as he could normally lift his pack. Marinae simply stared.
"I think we know what these gloves do.", Weamar said as he hefted the chest around.
Lynn frowned. She didn't want them to take anything more from the tomb, but she wasn't going to deny Weamar from what he wanted. Instead she started walking back up the hallway and Jonathan followed behind her.
"Know any orphanages that could do with some funding?", Weamar said, wondering what he would do with the gold. He didn't want it, and he was pleased with himself that he didn't. He'd spent years in the woods with almost nothing to his name. He felt that he was happy being poor, but he never really knew what he would do if he suddenly came into wealth. Now that he had, he was happy that he felt like giving it away.
David laughed. "A couple.", he added.
"Then I think we have a better use for this than it just sitting here.", Weamar replied.
"I know of an inn that could use it, too.", Marinae interrupted. "But the orphans get first, um, dibs?"
"The same probably goes for the sword and the shield too, though not for orphans.", Weamar suggested.
"There is nothing here I can use.", Marinae replied. "We should go, I think."
Weamar agreed and he and Marinae left Balican's armor, shield, and sword behind. David lingered in the tomb for a moment after the others left. Once he was alone he spoke to the body on the stone.
"If there must be any reckoning for this, let it come to me. Let her, let them be.", he spoke quietly. Then he too left the room.
The tomb was once again in darkness.