The group crept on down the dimly lit path huddled around the torch bearers. Ruby slowed down and let the group pass feigning interest in scratches and markings along the cold stone. “Go on ahead,” she whispered with a smile, “Perhaps something here can help us figure out what this place is, and hopefully tell us another way out.” She pulled the large Luxon alongside of her using the torch he carried to provide her light as she mumbled to herself while moving her fingers across the ruins. Some of the linguists stopped and looked slightly worried over the loss of a torch. Jenkis coughed quietly and slowed his pace a bit. “Remember what happened to me not long ago standing near her? I wonder what would happen inside of this delightful place.” As a group they all resumed their pace, hoping to distance themselves from the potential fall out of any accidents. As their steps became softer in the distance and the flicker of their lights grew more distance Ruby sighed with annoyance “Finally, they’re gone. Too damn annoying for their own good.” Crossing her arms and standing she witnessed the torch light in the distance disappear, “I take it they never shut up?” The large Luxon sighed, “Dey aren’t dat bad.” His deep voice reverberating against the stone, creating soft echoes that seemed to accent their distance from the group. “So, dis is gonna happen, right? I mean I dun wanna be rainen on the party but…” Ruby placed a finger across his lips, her crimson eyes seemed to emanate a light of their own “Oh, I’m sure. We wouldn’t dare bring them here for the rite if they weren’t.” She paused, “But you shouldn’t worry you big lug. You know what will happen, and what will be given up.” The Luxon smiled at that, “Yea, but dey don’t.”
Far ahead of the two Jenkis lead the linguists down twisting and winding corridors, hushed whispers from the group coming in fits and starts. Not known for his hearing Jenkis could only make out a few words here and there, but that didn’t matter. He could feel their curiosity and fear battling it out in all of them behind him. A wicked smile cracked along his face. Glancing over his shoulder at them he knew it was almost time for the real surprise to be brought out into the light. “If only you knew, then it would just be all the better,” he whispered softly to himself. “Huh? What would be better? What are you mumbling about up there?” an attentive linguist spitted out towards Jenkis. Quickly suppressing the anger and wiping the smile off of his face he looked over his shoulder, “To find something other than twisting and winding one way hallways, or would you prefer only this for the rest of our time down here?” The linguist was quickly silenced by the venomous retort. Jenkis stopped short, causing the group to slow to a stop just behind him.
Before any could speak their eyes were transfixed on what caused Jenkis to stop in his tracks. A golden double door sparkled in the torch light. Its plain façade belied by its ornate handles. The left handle looked like it was set ablaze. The torch light flickering off its curves added to the effect its designed must have intended with only a portion of the back looking untouched. Its counterpart was also its opposite. The handle looked as if it was exposed the frigeded expanses of the north and just recently placed there. The bar encased in thick ice, again with only a portion of the back seemingly untouched. At the point where the two handles conjoined two heavily faded symbols sat across the two massive doors beyond the hope of being read.
As Jenkis raised the torch some letters at the top became visible as the light flickered. “Gi Suma. Gi Ruzam. Gi Seprus.” The group read in unison. “What do you think it means?” “An exit?” “Or an execution room?” “Perhaps a library?” “Maybe a Tomb?” The linguists buzzed with some excitement, their fear fading quickly at the mysterious language. Jenkis reached out and pushed open the golden door, “Only one way to find out.” As he pushed the doors didn’t move. He handed off his torch to a linguist and leaned in with his shoulder. Even straining with all of his might he could not budge the door. He grasped the fire handle, braced his legs and pulled. No movement from the door on this attempt either. The group sighed as he was handed his torch back. The linguists turned towards one another quietly discussing the design of the door, but found themselves turning towards their current fate.
The youngest linguist held a torch just below the handles and examined the doors. “I think there’s a lever back there we need to press”, her quiet voice carried well in the silence of the group. She reached behind the bar encased in ice and a soft click quickly garnered attention. The door started to budge but ever so slightly. The linguists quickly gathered and examined the door way. After a few minutes they noticed many buttons behind the handles spaced out that only one could be pressed with each hand. Jenkis too the other torch in his free hand to free up another linguist. The group followed the lead of the young girl and grabbing with one hand and each pressing a small button and got ready to pull. They looked back at Jenkis expectantly, who just shook his head “I’m holding the torches, plus we don’t know what happens if you release a button. Let’s not take the chance.” The group, filled with fear of having another encounter like Ruby did squeezed hard making sure to not release the button pressed. “Ok, on the count of three pull. One. Two. Three!” Grunts and groans of the linguists filled the air as the door started to slide open, slowly at first then easier until the door was opened enough for two to walk abreast through it.
The linguists glanced at one another breathlessly, some involuntarily letting go of their buttons. They realized their actions and looked around. The ceiling didn’t cave in. The floor didn’t drop out from under them. More importantly the door stayed put. Jenkis passed around some water and let them regained their strength before pressing on. The youngest linguist, while sitting on the floor, looked at her hand and saw a single finger was bleeding. She looked up at the group with a worried look. None of the group, save Jenkis, took note of her anxiety. He took a knee next to her and cleaned up the wound. “Only a small pin prick on your finger, next time don’t rush in. You’ll get far worse than that.” He helped her up and started to usher the group forward.
Behind them just out of the reach of the light the specters watched with anticipation, wondering what would happen now that they were inside of the sealed room. They were quickly scattered at the sound of approaching steps from behind, knowing that whatever it was, it would satisfy the need that had been growing in them. Unseen the blood drawn from the linguists concentrating around the symbols. Finally settling in the grooves of the symbols making them fresh as if they were freshly made.
The group found their way inside of the room, squinting about straining for sight. They fumbled around for some time until Jenkis found a few braziers near them and lit them. Part of the room lit revealing some stone statues standing over stone tombs. The images transfixed the linguists. A man and a woman in what would be light and loose fitting clothing their arms intertwined as they stood back to back. Symbols reliefs were carved over the tomb and the clothing. Two young female linguists stared awestruck by them. “Find something useful there or have you just never seen a statue before?” Jenkis spat as he was walking around the room lighting more braziers as he wound his way around the room. ‘Its… it’s the old Aranic symbology. What the first Arcanicites used to control magic even after it was mostly sealed away. It was considered more of a myth and story, but here it is in stone,” one quipped. “It’s not so much that its here, but that it’s the symbols that are found in the oldest of writings, and not what is taught to others. Its unusual for someone to actually get it right,” the other followed up breathlessly. The others found themselves examining a single statue, transfixed with one aspect or another. A thin woman whose face was hidden by a mask knelt down holding a bow in one hand, petting a large flamingo with the other. The clothing etched in stone seemed to hide the statue itself amid the stone. “A true ranger,” Its examiner whispered, turning its attention to the painted flamingo each feather fleshed out and painted, “such detail.” Around the room similar comments bore out as Jenkis found himself facing the stairs at the far end of the room. He turned slowly and looked at them and whispered, “The pieces fall where they should.”
One linguist stepped back from his statue of an older healer leaning heavily on a staff and looked around the room. “You know,” he cleared his throat and raised his voice slightly; “you know I think this is a guild’s burial tomb. One that is intact and untouched by looters or archeologist.” The room fell silent as all eyes fell upon him. “Think about it. The entrance was very well hidden, probably not what we found. A roof could have just collapsed out of pure luck. The hallways were not booby trapped; there were no real warnings of ‘Do not venture down yonder path’ or anything like that. Now we find ourselves here staring at statues so well carved they seem to live on their own.” Jenkis smiled to himself at that comment. The man continued, “Each one here seems to embody what they did, rangers, aristocrats, arcanist, warriors, what have you. Each one of these people must have died around the same time, or were of the same cast within the guild. The time and craftsmanship of all of these is just unbelievable. I’m pretty sure none of us have ever seen anyth…” His words cut off by a shriek and the sound of someone scrambling away. A woman in the middle of the room scurried quickly away from the statue she was examining and into the arms of another linguist. Her body shook as she looked at the statue with wide eyes. As some tried to comfort her, the rest looked at the statue and saw what must have startled her so quickly. The statue was a woman in an elegant layered gown, who seemingly just placing a mask on her face with one hand. The other reached out invitingly to anyone sanding in front of her. What was once an empty hand now had a small glowing orb in it, colors of reds, blues, greens, white, and black swirled around casting light out into the room. The linguist found his voice again as everyone huddled in the middle, “Perhaps Mr. Jenkis we should be finding our way out of here?” Jenkis stood atop a small raised area with another statue aside him, “Leave? But why would you want to leave? Especially when the real fun has yet to be begin. You see, this is a guild tomb, but not just any guild tomb. This guild fought along side of the old gods and fought for one of their banners long after they left this world.” The light swirling around became darker and wilder as Jenkis spoke.
“But don’t worry. You won’t miss a thing.” Jenkis smiled wickedly putting his hands together he bowed his head and chanted, “Gui jun fih keth. Mouw Zxchu listch Iop num ves reti ma.” The linguist confusion was replaced with fear as a loud ringing quickly assaulted them, crippling some immediately as they covered their ears and screamed. A few stumbled slowly trying to reach the exit, Jenkis’ chanting sunk into their minds. A sharp pain beyond anything they have ever felt tormented them. As the pain continued the words of the chant seemed to change. “Vas gui not our final rest. Hwoij! Jxiz!” The pain grew in intensity along with Jenkis’ chant. Then as suddenly as his chant softened and slowed, the pain subsided, but the words he spoke became clear in their minds. “Let what has been done be unmade. Dethroned god of secrets. Hear an old man’s prayer. Let it be rekindled, let it be refrozen. Let those who what has been hidden be reborn anew!” The room shook violently causing the linguists to fall to the ground. As suddenly as it started it all stopped. The linguists slowly rose to their feet and, after a moment to collect themselves, ran as quickly as they could to the door. Their panic and fear of what would be only made them wish to move faster and exit the room. Their hope to flee was dashed as the Luxon blocked the doorway and stopped their mad dash to the halls cold. He pushed them back into the room, their bodies unable to compete with the former soldier in strength. Behind him Ruby and Perious slipped into the room and closed either side of the door. “We need to get out of here!” “Yes, you don’t know what they intend!” “Please, have mercy!”
Perious licked his lips, “Leave? But you just came to our home. Perhaps you might not know how to be a proper guest, but I’m certain we could teach you to behave.” His eye color slowly drained away as he laughed and drew symbols in the air. As his cackling ended another rumble shook the room, causing the linguists to question their balance. Hope faded from their eyes as they saw the door sink into the floor. “Now, perhaps its time for all of you to get comfortable, as we have much to do… squirming is allowed, it just makes it all the more delectable!”
Notes - This is the second chapter in a story I have worked on for a while. I lost near 15 chapters of my work thanks to my last Hard Drive crash. This chapter was the only one I put to paper. Hopefully I'll be more down here if people enjoy it.
Man that's pretty good indeed. Each of them had their own personality and objective, the narrative was also pretty good. really pro stuff in my opinion. keep up.
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