Ring of the Or'tux, page 19
Larus sat back in his chair in shock when he saw that the illustration was of the lone man standing at the edge of the battle painted across the ceiling of the Silver Leaf Room. The one with the broken sword. There was no mistaking that the face he looked upon was his own.
His mind reeled with the implications. This had to have been done centuries ago, yet how could they have possibly known he would have been there, at this specific time. He knew that certain, rare Qyaendri had the gift of foresight, as did the gods, but this was almost beyond belief.
“My people stand on the brink of annihilation,” Father Biern stated. “Most prophecies are far vaguer than this one.”
“What do you mean?” asked Larus. He was still trying to get a handle on this new revelation and his mind was finding it hard to function.
“’Thy days will be numbered, thy nation soon sundered,’” said Father Biern. “To me that seems to infer the Ullentites will not be overlong in their siege of Xith. And once it falls…”
Larus’ eyes were filled with pain. This was the doom to which Xi had inferred when he first set Larus’ feet upon the road to find the Chosen One.
“Our Lady’s people are faced with great difficulties in the times ahead,” Xi had said. “Her presence on their world may come to an end.”
“What does our Lady want of me?” Larus asked.
“Why,” replied Xi, “she wants you to save her people.”
“Save her people,” mumbled Larus in despair. “But I don’t know what to do!” Eyes full of agony turned toward Father Biern. Larus felt woefully inadequate. He was not the one for this job!
“Then you must discover what must be done, and quickly,” Father Biern said.
“How?” asked Larus.
Just then, the door burst open and Father Thomas rushed in. “Hunter is gone!” he exclaimed.
“What?” asked Larus as he quickly came to his feet.
Father Biern quickly closed the tome, concealing Larus’ picture from his fellow priest.
“You were overlong in your talk with Father Biern,” he explained, “so I went to check on him only to find his bed empty.”
Larus turned toward Father Biern, “We have to find him.”
Already having pulled the embroidered bell rope, he nodded. “I quite agree.” A moment later another figure entered the room through the open door behind Father Thomas. “Edward,” he said as the young man moved around Father Thomas and came closer, “their companion has left their rooms and may be lost within the Temple.”
Edward gave a slight bow and nodded. “We shall find him,” he assured them and then turned about to head for the door.
Larus stopped him and said, “He is a stranger and cannot speak the language.”
“I understand,” replied Edward then hurried from the room.
“They will find your friend,” said Father Biern. “I would suggest returning to your rooms to wait.”
Larus shook his head. “I can’t just sit still while he’s lost,” he asserted. Turning to Father Thomas he asked, “You know this place well enough?” When he received a nod in reply, he grabbed Father Thomas’ arm and began dragging him toward the door. “Then let’s go find him.”
Before they left, Father Biern said, “I shall continue searching for the answer we both seek.”
Pausing by the door, Larus turned back and gave him a brief nod. Then he and Father Thomas were out in the hallway.
Headed back to their rooms at a fast walk, Father Thomas asked, “What answer?”
Larus ignored the question as they reached their rooms and begun the search for Hunter. He didn’t fear for Hunter’s safety, not here in the High Temple. Still, it would be best if they were to find him as quickly as possible.
Two hours later, Hunter still had not turned up. Edward and every other servant serving in the High Temple had combed the halls and rooms on every level to no avail. Word began to circulate among the priests and they began to aid the endeavor.
After the third hour of searching came and went, it was soon clear that Hunter was not within the temple. “How could he have managed to leave?” demanded an irate Larus. Everything hinged on Hunter. He had to be found!
“It is an open building,” stated Father Thomas. “Not one designed to keep people in.”
They stood out in the courtyard before the entrance, a cool breeze was blowing through the columns. Coming from all around them, they heard the voices of priests, servants, and anyone else they could wrangle in joining the search as they went from building to building, calling Hunter’s name.
“You know him best,” said Father Thomas. “Where do you think he would go?”
Glancing around at the darkened buildings radiating outward from the High Temple, he shook his head. “I couldn’t even hazard a guess,” he said. “To be honest, I’m surprised he would even leave the Temple.”
“Father Thomas!”
They both turned to find Arren, the young priest they had met upon first arriving, running toward them. “Father Thomas!” he again hollered as he quickly approached.
Coming to a stop, he announced, “Your friend has been found!”
“Where?” Larus demanded.
Pointing toward the northeast, he said, “In the Caves!”
Larus turned toward Father Thomas and could see surprise registered there. “Caves?” he asked.
Ignoring Larus’ question, Father Thomas asked Arren, “Are they sure?”
Arren nodded vigorously. “Yes Father,” he replied. “Father Greal saw tracks leading toward the entrance.” Lowering his voice, he added, “He was found in the Artifact Grotto.”
Father Thomas gasped. “Is he still there?” Hunter’s presence within the Caves couldn’t have made Father Greal very happy. He was the one in charge of the Caves and Hunter’s presence was a grievous violation of Temple Law.
“As far as I know,” Arren told him. “They sent me in search of you as soon as they were sure he was in there.”
“Thank you Arren,” he said. Without so much as a glance toward Larus, Father Thomas started across the courtyard in the direction the young priest had indicated. Larus hurried to catch him.
“What is this place?” he asked once he had caught up with him.
“It is a place where we maintain the history of our people and our faith,” he explained. “Within the Caves are many grottoes, the one our friend has managed to enter is called the Grotto of Artifacts.”
“Grotto of Artifacts?” questioned Larus.
Now that they were out of the Temple’s courtyard, the darkness grew deeper as only the occasional lights coming from within the nearby buildings were present. They made their way through numerous smaller buildings, most were housing for priests and their families while others held more of a utility capacity.
“The Grotto of Artifacts holds many items that we have accumulated over the years from faiths other than our own,” he explained. “Some hold to the belief that these items may have supernatural powers, though I have yet to witness any evidence to support such a view.”
“How did he get there?” wondered Larus.
“I do not know,” Father Thomas replied worriedly.
Once past the last building, they saw a light some distance away. As they drew closer, they could see two torches lighting an opening at the base of a sizeable cliff. “That’s the Caves?” asked Larus.
Father Thomas nodded. “It was shortly after they began constructing the Temple that the Caves were found,” he explained. “Within are nine Grottoes, each containing various items.”
Movement was detected just within the entrance. Five priests with their attention directed inward were standing together in a group. As Larus and Father Thomas drew closer, they could hear whispered conversation passing between the five priests.
Before they reached the entrance, one of the five turned and noticed their approach. “Father Thomas,” greeted a priest with a less than happy expression. “I am told he is your charge?”
Father Thomas nodded. “Yes Father Greal,” Father Thomas replied. “He somehow wandered away from the Temple.”
Father Greal didn’t look pleased. “You know that only the priests of Casdralla are permitted within the Caves,” he stated. In fact, for a non-priest to enter the Caves was a grave infraction.
“I am well aware of this,” he replied. The faces of the five priests looked upon Father Thomas with disapproval as he moved to pass by and enter.
Larus moved to follow him deeper into the Caves when another of the five priests stepped before him and blocked his path. “You cannot enter,” he stated.
Coming to a stop, Father Thomas glanced back as two other priests moved before Larus to prevent him from continuing further. “He must accompany me,” Father Thomas explained. “He is the only one who can speak the language of the man.”
“You have my word that I shall harm nothing,” Larus assured him.
Father Greal’s displeasure at the situation deepened. “He cannot enter,” he reiterated.
“He must!” argued Father Thomas. Though Father Greal outranked him in the Temple hierarchy, he stood his ground. “I shall take full responsibility for his actions while he is within the Caves.”
One of the other priests turned to Father Greal and said, “If this will quicken the removal of the trespasser, then it needs to be allowed.”
“What if we have to remove him by force?” another priest asked. “What may happen to the contents of the Grotto should that come to pass? We need to allow this.”
Father Greal remained steadfast, barring Larus’ path for a full minute as he considered the arguments of his fellow priests. Finally, he stepped aside. “Be quick and touch nothing!” he warned.
“Thank you,” Father Thomas said as Larus moved to join him.
“Father Thomas,” Father Greal said, turning his gaze toward him.
“Yes?” he asked.
“If anything is so much as out of place…” he warned, leaving the threat unvoiced.
“I understand,” Father Thomas replied. Then to Larus he said, “Come on.” Turning his back on Father Greal and the other four priests, he led Larus deeper into the Caves.
“Are you going to be in trouble over this?” Larus asked once they were far enough from the entrance not to be overheard.
“Probably,” answered Father Thomas. “Though with everything else that is going on, it is unlikely anything will come of it.”
“I hope you are right,” replied Larus. Then in the dim light of sparsely spaced torches, they continued deeper into the Caves.
Chapter 15
The Caves extended deep into the mountainside. The main passage through which they walked was wide enough for five men to walk abreast without rubbing shoulders, and high enough for even the tallest to have little fear of scraping.
When they reached the first of the torches burning along the main passage, Larus saw a dark opening to their right.
“That passage will take you to the Grotto of Light,” he said. “There you will find many items sacred to Casdralla.” Father Thomas glanced to him and added, “It is the largest Grotto within the Caves.”
Larus peered into the dark opening as they passed but was unable to see anything other than a passage much smaller and narrower than theirs moving deeper into the mountainside. “Why do they keep all this in such a place?” he asked. Once past the entrance to the Grotto of Light, the light grew fainter as they moved away from the torch burning behind them. They then entered a darker area through which they had to pass before reaching the next burning brand further down the passage.
Father Thomas replied with a shrug. Indicating the burning brand coming up ahead he said, “The passage leading to the Grotto of Artifacts lies there.”
“It’s amazing that Hunter made it this far,” Larus commented.
“I doubt if it was by chance,” stated Father Thomas. A glance to Larus revealed that he had been thinking the same thing. “There is always a priest watching the entrance to the Caves and he would have assuredly prevented Hunter from entering.”
As they neared where the burning torch sat in a wall sconce, Larus saw the opening of the passage leading to the Grotto of Artifacts. When they reached it, Father Thomas removed the torch from the wall sconce and took it with him as he entered the smaller passage.
Following close behind, Larus could see how the passage they were now in had been widened in places from its natural shape to allow sufficient room for men to pass. It curved back and forth almost continuously, at times entering areas where it widened and rock untouched by the tools of men could still be seen.
“Must have been an old waterway,” guessed Larus.
“So they say,” agreed Father Thomas.
Spaced along the passage walls were a total of four wall sconces where further torches could be placed to light the way. Currently, each was empty except for the fourth which held an unlit torch.
Before he came to the unlit torch, Father Thomas turned his head toward Larus and said “We are almost there.”
Larus nodded. Then in a voice that seemed much louder due to the closeness of the passage walls, he shouted, “Hunter!” Continuing pass the unlit torch, they each strained to hear a reply.
When none came, Father Thomas shouted, “Hunter.”
Not far past the unlit torch, the light from the torch Father Thomas held revealed where the passage entered a much larger area. Larus glanced to Father Thomas who nodded. “That is the Grotto.”
It wasn’t what he had expected. Instead of being an underground cave, it was instead a room one might find in any stone building. The walls of the Grotto were not natural stone, rather they were made of stone blocks set one upon the other. Even the ceiling was of manmade construction. The only thing that looked like it may still be the original cave was the floor.
Several items were displayed upon the walls while still more sat upon tables spaced around the room. The artifacts in this room were rather plain. A cloak of blue with ribbons of dark purple attached along the neckline, three knives identical to each other lay by themselves in a uniform row upon a table, and four vases along with two statues sat upon another.
Father Thomas paused at the entrance as he gazed into the Grotto. When he failed to find Hunter, he stepped into the room and made his way further toward the back.
Moving past the artifacts, he went to the rear of the room where a small archway was located. Passing through the archway, he entered a short, narrow passage that quickly ended at another room.
This room was smaller than the first. The walls on the left and right of the room each held a single niche. One held a small statue of a gnarled, evil looking creature while the other held what looked to be a knife.
The space between two large tables formed an aisle which led from where they stood to the archway leading from the opposite side of the room. On the table to their left were arrayed five oval stones the size of a man’s hand that looked plain and rather unimposing. The table on their right held a long, thick staff with part of a human skull at its apex. At first Larus had thought the staff was made of wood, but as they crossed through toward the other archway, he saw that it was made instead of human femurs wrapped in dried skin. The sight of it made his skin crawl.
“Where did you get that?” he asked.
“I do not know,” replied Father Thomas. “Most of what this Grotto contains has been with the Temple for a very long time. I would think it came from another god’s follower, one that was at odds with the Lady.”
“Any priest who would construct a staff like that would have to be no friend of the Lady,” agreed Larus. As they passed the staff and neared the archway, he asked, “How many rooms does this particular Grotto hold?”
“Six I believe,” replied Father Thomas. “Previously, I have only had occasion to enter the first four.”
“What is held in the last two?” he asked.
“More of the same I would suppose,” came the reply.
This time the archway opened onto an adjacent room rather than another passage. Father Thomas again went first with torch held aloft. His eyes scanned the small room for any sign of Hunter. Two other arches led deeper into the Grotto, one in the right wall and the other in the left.
Entering behind him, Larus saw six pedestals standing in a hexagonal formation in the center of the room. It was clear what had once sat upon the pedestals, for what once had been highly detailed, decorated crockery lay in shattered remains around their bases.
Stepping through the debris, Father Thomas commented, “Father Greal is not going to be happy about this.” Aside from the shattered crockery, there was nothing else of note within the room. He paused a moment to determine which of the two archways they should pass through first.
Larus went to stand in the center of the hexagonal pattern of pedestals and grew motionless.
“What…” began Father Thomas when Larus motioned for him to remain silent.
After several seconds had passed, he pointed toward the left hand arch. “He’s that way,” he stated.
“Are you sure?” asked Father Thomas.
Nodding, Larus replied, “Absolutely.” Not waiting for the priest to lead the way, he hurried toward the archway and passed through into another small, connecting passageway. At the other end, it opened up onto a room, twice as large as the one they had just left.
This one held a curious apparatus. A square box with several rods emerging from it at all angles. The box was constructed of wood while each of the rods were made of a different metal. As curious as it was, Larus paid it little heed. Instead, his attention was focused on the man sitting in the corner of the room. His hands were held together in his lap and his head lolled forward so his chin rested on his chest.
“Hunter?” he said softly, afraid the man may be dead. When he didn’t immediately react to Larus’ call, Larus crossed over to within a couple feet. Behind him, Father Thomas held the torch high as he followed.
Coming to a stop, Larus asked, “Are you okay Hunter?”
