Sonal heard the others enter the cave. It was dark; the moonlight did not penetrate the entrance. He felt someone brush up against him, heard the dwarf mumble and then Ogden speak some familiar words. The cave was suddenly filled with a blue light. Sonal moved his hand to shield his eyes from the sudden burst of light. He felt stupid for not expecting it; he even knew the damn words Ogden spoke to cast the spell. The pommel of Ogden's staff was generating the light, bright when he stared at it but a low light when it was cast about the cave. Ogden cast the staff out in front of him, waving it slowly about the cave. The cavern they stood in was a short passage that led into a larger chamber, fifty or so feet across by Sonal's estimate. A small trickle of water ran from the mouth of the cave down into a pool in the middle of the chamber. The stranger stood there ahead of them, his hood lowered. His head was shaved or bald, it was hard to tell. His ears were pierced many times over which was a sign to the others that he was no Ithgarian and that he had traveled quite a way to make trouble for them. He's having fun with this, he's excited.
Sonal heard the sound of steel being drawn and found that his hand had found its way to the hilt of his sword; he didn't remember unsheathing it. The leather wrapped handle felt warm on his palm through his gloves. It's getting stronger. In fact they had all drawn their weapons, all except the stranger. 'Come, it's not far now.' Said the stranger. He turned and moved further into the chamber, finding a passageway as if he had known where to find it, even in the low light. They all followed, Romulis first behind the stranger, then Owen, Sonal and Ogden in the back. The caves dug deep into the mountain; the walls were a grey-blue granite. The first few chambers seemed naturally formed by water, especially the small entrance, but the further they explored the more the cave walls appeared carved by intelligent hands. Owen was the first to point out a set of rusted out sconces set on opposite sides of the passageway.
Besides a few words spoken to call out dangerous hazards in the cave, the five walked in silence. It was the stranger who hummed as they walked. It was not a tune Sonal recognized. He was not sure where this man was from originally, but he had the look of one of the northern city states. His skin was paler than Sonal's, but it was cold and dry, lacking in the color that blood brought to the cheeks. 'Ah, watch your heads here, we're entering the temple now.' Spoke the stranger, his accent thick in the common speech. Sonal heard him muttering a few words in the language of the northern low-lands and the city states; a language only Sonal knew out of the group. The man's voice was light but deep, echoing through the caves when it broke the silence. He ducked under an overhead stone formation and stepped out of Sonal's sight. Romulis gave a look back, not at Sonal, but at Mathew who nodded. Sonal stepped to the side of the passage, allowing all the others to pass through. Owen barely moved his head to pass under the outcropping while Mathew had to just about get on his hands and knees. Sonal placed his hand on Ogden's shoulder as he walked by towards the opening.
Ogden was slow to react and it took him a moment for his eyes to meet Sonal's. 'If anything happens in here, I don't want you doing anything that will be a danger in these close quarters, disable, don't set the place on fire for the gods' sake.' Sonal's voice was all but a whisper, pulling himself close to Ogden, speaking directly into his ear. Sonal did not wait for a response and gave Ogden a light push down to force him through the passage. Sonal went to follow but met gaze with Ogden bent down on the other side. His hood still covered his head and the blue light from the staff reflected off the shard rocks to illuminate only small parts of his face.
'Sonal, you are not usually one to take the back, but perhaps you will watch all of ours tonight instead of just your own? I do believe I will start using those spells you so warned me about if I so much as see you wince away from whatever awaits us in here.'
'A threat from a scribe?'
'A warning from a friend.'
Ogden turned back, allowing Sonal to move under the stone. Even he was surprised seeing what awaited them on the other side. The room was formed from crafted stone, obviously man-made. The floor was a single slab of smooth rock, not a type Sonal had seen in the cavern. The room was dominated by four huge boulders that stood free from the stone of the room. They sat two on either side of a small path streaking through the center of the room. At the far end sat a steel pedestal where a stone sphere sat. The stranger had already walked down the path accompanied by Romulis. Mathew and Owen examined the boulders as Ogden and Sonal entered. The stones were ten feet tall and five wide. They were smooth and almost egg shaped with cracks and imperfections covering their faces.
Owen ran his hand along the base of the closest boulder. 'I think they're statues that have seen too many years' far too many years. Here, look at this, it's some sort of writing, I don't recognize the language'' Owen spoke, exploring as much of the stone as his height allowed. Mathew wandered to the next, but peered back when he heard Owen speak of writing. Ogden joined them, squatting down and examining the base of the stone. Sonal moved towards the end of the room. He felt odd exploring the room when they were not exactly in an exploratory situation, but he figured it was just in their nature to be curious of these sorts of things. Sonal brought his gaze to the pedestal. The stranger and Romulis were perched over, neither touching, both in silence. Sonal found difficulty in seeing clearly with their bodies blocking the light from Ogden's staff. He squatted and reached into his pack to produce a cloth wrapped torch. A second later he pulled a piece of flint and steel as well as a small flask of oil from his pack. He proceeded to dip the end of the torch into the oil then light it by striking the flit and steel against one another. The cloth flared up and the heat and light grabbed the attention of the others, they looked only to see what was happening and quickly went back to their studies.
'Protectors' Sonal heard Ogden speak behind him, 'These statues are protectors of this temple'
'This doesn't seem like much of a temple,' said Mathew
'That is what this inscription says Mathew. It's an ancient Ancillian dialect, probably predating Ithgar's Founding. This cave could predate even your people Romulis.' Ogden turned his head towards the elf, probing for a hidden nugget of knowledge that might be hiding in Romulis' memory.
Unmoved, the elf replied simply that, 'No people lived here when we arrived, no living people.'
'That may be, but do these inscriptions have no meaning to you? Do you not know of this type of temple?'
'No, I have no knowledge of this architecture, I have not seen this writing before, though it does have an Ancillian styling to it as you mentioned.' Romulis turned and motioned to the pedestal with his hand and making eye contact with the magi. 'I believe that this place was not meant to be found.'
'Wrong my friends!' The stranger interrupted, raising his voice, his excitement peaking as he finally decided on his course of action. 'You are wrong because we have found it and it will be I who takes its treasure.' Sonal stood between them; between his companions and the stranger. Take it you fool, do what you came here to do.
'Take your damned treasure and release my clansmen you twice damned bastard! Take it and leave!' Owen shouted, rising to his feet and brandishing his axe.
Mathew turned to face the stranger as well, taking a steady grip on his sword. Ogden rose from the statue.
Sonal slipped away from his position between them.
Romulis moved in front of the pedestal.
The stranger smiled and took a step back, then another, and another. 'I did not bring you all here to simply climb and walk with me. Think about why someone like me would need people like you?' The stranger put his back against the wall behind him, slipping into the darkness behind one of the statues. It was then that the room came to life. Everything started from the sphere; its surface became the color of molten rock and from it, light spread throughout the room. Hidden glyphs in the Ancillian language lit up with a yellow light, encompassing the entire room. All turned in place, looking for an attack, for an enemy. The statues too became the same color of red-hot rock; they melted. The companions found themselves back-to-back in the middle of the room, weapons at ready, Ogden protected by the other four who surrounded him.
'Protectors'' whispered Ogden.
'Great fighters for a great challenge was the idea, I think,' said Mathew.
'More like a coward sorcerer who can't handle a few guardians!' Owen yelled. The molten statues quickly molded themselves into vaguely humanoid shapes. Now monstrous burning men, the guardians moved towards the companions. Fight well friends.
And they did.
The first creature approached and struck out, swiping its clenched fist across the tightly packed group. Mathew ducked out of the way as Sonal tumbled off in the opposite direction. Ogden turned towards another creature and began speaking in the arcane tongue, moving his right hand in front of him, weaving his magic. Owen's axe caught the first creature's initial swipe and severed it at the wrist. It reeled back as the next one came in, raising two hands up above its head, almost touching the ceiling, to have them come down on the dwarf. But Sonal had tumbled close, bringing his sword across the thing's leg. The sharpened tip of his sword bit into the soft creature and it bled fire and stumbled back; Sonal had averted the creature's attack. Romulis seemed to have moved out of sight as the last two statues moved in. Mathew was ready though, his sword came up from below in an arcing attack that caught the molten giant across the chest. Yellow fire billowed from the wound, forcing Mathew to stagger backwards into Owen. The two tumbled over each other and landed on the stone floor. Ogden finished his spell and with a swift forward motion of his hand a blast of blue energy engulfed the last creature. Ice covered the beast as it tried to reach for the magi, but it slowed to a standstill as even its molten core was frozen solid by the spell.
Mathew rolled off Owen and, out of nowhere, Romulis appeared to drag Owen back as a molten fist of rock came smashing into the ground. The blow shattered the stone floor and sent shards of rock into the air, falling on Owen and Mathew. Silently, the creature turned, its stumped arm spilling fire into the room, and let out of mute roar from an opening in its featureless head. Sonal turned to look, but it was a mistake as something crashed into his back. He rolled with the blow and found himself kneeling between the creature's legs, one of which was bleeding fiery rock. Sonal saw the creature's head bend down and an arm coming around with an open hand. He slid back through the statue's legs and, turning, pulled his sword in an upward arc as hard as he could. The cut was deep and the creature was stopped dead as it was split from groin to shoulder, its two pieces falling to either side as a stream of the hot molten blood spilled onto the floor. The room was becoming very hot, they were all sweating before the fight began; now the sweat came off in sheets. Sonal looked on as Mathew scrambled for his sword, but was delayed by another crashing fist from the first creature. Ogden had fallen to a knee; the spell he had cast was too much for him and it had left the magi winded if not injured. Romulis had rearmed the dwarf and he was charging towards the last standing statue. Ducking under two crossing swipes, the dwarf buried his axe in the creature's thigh. Owen almost tried to place his foot on the molten statue to pry out his weapon, but appeared to have second thoughts about plunging his foot into molten rock. Instead he called out, 'Sonal!' Without so much as a blink, Sonal found one of his daggers and in one swift motion sent it flying across the room into the creature's face. It stuck and seemed to finish off the beast, as it then slumped down, allowing Owen to free his axe.
Mathew back-peddled on his hands and knees, barely dodging another blow from the last creature. Sonal readied his sword but made no move to help; instead he scanned the room for the stranger. He was creeping towards the pedestal which still held the sphere intact. Sonal moved forward quickly brandishing his sword. The blade was dark, black and inky. The stranger's eyes spotted him. The sight seemed to horrify the man; he reeled back and raised his hands to guard his face. Sonal did not think the man capable of such fear for possessing such power. But it was not Sonal the stranger was afraid of, it was the sword. He saw it now, the blade glowed with a light purple aura, the black markings on the steel churned and the grip grew hot in Sonal's hand. He found his stare lingering on the blade; never before had he felt the true hate and malice that it possessed.
'No, Sonal, that sword, I thought you and I had a deal!' The stranger was pressed up against the wall of the alcove where the pedestal sat, cornered with Sonal advancing.
Sonal did not smile, nor did he frown. The look he gave the stranger was ice cold. 'Do not tell me you actually expected me to let you take it? You are truly more stupid than I could have imagined.'
The stranger cringed, but found a last bit of courage to say, 'My death will not lift the spell Sonal, they will sleep forever!'
Sonal's gaze went from sword to man and back to the sword once more. 'Sorry, but its telling me it needs your life, stranger.' He moved forward quickly, bringing the sword to bear, sliding it cleanly into the man's stomach. There was no resistance for the blade; Sonal hardly realized he had even made contact. It was only when he felt himself pressed up against another body did he look up to the man's face seeing the look of bewilderment and a silent gasp for air. The stranger's body grew cold quickly. Sonal tilted the sword and let the man slide off the blade and onto the floor. Quietly he slipped into death, blood spilling from front and back.
Sonal sheathed his blade and moved towards the Pedestal. Behind him his companions still fought the final Statue. Mathew had retrieved his sword and was trying to taunt the creature away from the paralyzed Ogden. Owen brought his axe around in a whirling sweep and cut deep into the statue's side. Distracted by the blow, the beast did not see Mathew's attack coming, which came down severing the creature's leg from its body. A silent scream came from its face as it slid backwards off its remaining leg and onto the floor. Mathew and Owen took one last look before turning to search for the stranger themselves. But it was Sonal that they found. He held the sphere that had sat on the pedestal; it glowed still with the red-yellow color of molten rock. They all stared at him, not sure what they were witnessing. Owen spoke up, 'Is that it Sonal, is he dead? Is the spell broken?' He took a step closer and spied the slumped body and the blood pooling on the floor below him.
Slowly waves of heat flowed around Sonal and with a smile on his face he was consumed by flames. The companions shielded their eyes from the brightness, Mathew gasp and moved a step forward, trying to think of a way to help, but finding none. After a moment the flames subsided and the others saw that Sonal was still standing. He appeared unharmed by the fire. The sphere now hovered motionless before him, a central piece of light as darkness began to engulf them all. The fire ceased giving off light as did Ogden's staff, but the sphere remained, floating in the darkness.
'Do not forget what you have witnessed here today friends,' said Sonal, 'the birth of a god.'
