The chamber was circular, thick cobwebs hanging along the edges. Stone doors stood along the walls of the chamber. A thick layer of dust covered the floor while in the center, a round stone stood with a broken statue. It lay in pieces on the surface on the smooth surface, whatever it was depicting long crumbled away.

  Fern spun around, taking it all in before she darted down the corridor she came in and flew outside. Wings moving in a blur, she made her way to the group as they waited at the clearing edge.

  “It seems like a tomb,” Fern began before explaining everything else she saw.

  Dax looked up, the sun sliding lower in the afternoon sky.

  “Let’s not take any more time,” Dax said and started walking.

  Symon stayed by Dax’s side as they approached the entrance. The foul stench seemed to grow stronger as Fern hovered closer. Nuria and Vance stepped along, side by side and Zarra took up the rear, holy staff in hand.

  The group of companions made their way in, step by careful step. Shadows grew around them as Dax pulled out a card from his robe. Symon drew his sword while Nuria and Vance opened their spellbooks. Zarra focused, moving carefully behind everyone, her senses alert.

  The corridor seemed to stretch on, darkness closing in until Dax and Symon stepped into the main chamber.

  “Fern and I will guard all of you while you work at deciphering the puzzle,” Symon whispered.

  Dax nodded as he stepped in, eyes on the circular stone in the middle of the chamber. Fern slowly flew around the room, mace in hand. Vance and Nuria moved to either side of Dax, looking down at the stone in the middle.

  Dax eyed the dust covered stone before he reached out and swiped his hand across. Sand and dust fell away, strange carved symbols appearing. Nuria and Vance nodded, the mages helping Dax to wipe away the layer of dust to reveal many symbols carved in a circular formation. Each design was different, the ruined statue directly in the middle.

  “This is definitely a puzzle,” Vance sighed a whisper.

  Symon stepped to one of the doors lining the chamber. Hand up, he brushed away some dust to see a symbol carved into it.

  “I see a symbol on the stone door,” the spellsword said before moving to a door next to the one he just touched and wiped away more dust. “I see a different symbol on this one too.”

  Fern flew over to Symon’s shoulder, looking at the symbol before flying over to the circular stone and peering down.

  “The symbols match,” the fairy hissed.

  Dax touched the carved symbols, “They are not buttons or keyholes. The doors match this stone dais, but I’m not sure how to activate it.”

  Vance looked to the surrounding stone doors. “Maybe there’s a pattern we have to find.”

  The group spread out and looked at the symbols on the other doors before returning to the middle. They compared what they saw and the symbols did indeed match. For every door, there was a matching symbol on the dais.

  “We should…” Dax was cut off when old torches flared with blue fire along the vast chamber.

  Zarra’s eyes glowed white as she stood, “The dead are waking up.”

  The coterie surrounded the stone dais, backs to each other. Symon and Fern hefted their weapons. Vance and Nuria opened their spellbooks, pages flipping to spells. The white glow in Zarra’s eyes faded as her serpent gaze peered to the right and left, clutching her staff to her.

  Dax’s hands slipped into his robe and pulled out two cards, one in each hand.

  Name: Dax Sage

  Class: Mage

  Health: Normal

  Mana: 600

  Mana Shards: 1

  Name: Lightning Bolt

  Element: Air

  Degree: 1

  Ability: Damage

  Special Ability: None

  Name: Troll

  Element: Life

  Degree: 1

  Ability: Damage

  Special Ability: Tough

  The mage scanned the room as ghostly flames waved to a non-existent breeze. A chill flowed from the very walls, sinking into the chamber. The group stood silent, watching every shadow, waiting with bated breath.

  The stone doors trembled, dust falling like an earthy waterfall. A scraping sound filled the large chamber, each of the stone doors sliding open. Moans dripped from the darkness as skeletal fingers grasped at the stone lids.

  “Not doors, sarcophagi,” Dax said as his eyes narrowed. “No one attack yet. We have to see if they are connected to the puzzle.”

  Symon’s left hand crackled with energy. “What’s going to stop them from attacking us?”

  “Dax is right, we have to observe them and see how they fit with the puzzle,” Nuria growled.

  A few pairs of eyes glanced to the mage, wondering if she just said what they heard.

  The lids opened completely, bones and armor lurching out. Old swords were pulled from decaying sheaths as hollow eyes stared at the living bodies in the middle of the chamber. Boots shifted and stepped forward. The shadows grew longer as armored skeletons moved in unison, placing another step forward to the foul life in their home.

  Dax studied them, watching them slowly advance. Small chains hung from their necks but sank down below plate mail breastplates.

  “Does everyone see the chains around their necks?” Dax asked with a whisper.

  Heads nodded in unison.

  “I think we need them. Aim for their heads and no area of attack spells. We can’t risk damaging them if they are needed for the puzzle,” Dax ordered.

  “Just use lightning spells,” Vance followed up.

  Pages in spellbooks flipped to new spells. Zarra eyed the undead, her normally blank expression filled with a simmering rage. Fern’s hair turned blood red as she gave a manic smile. Symon stared with cool eyes, planning his moves and counter moves.

  The undead closed in, ancient warriors with urges to snuff out their living lights.

  “Now!” Dax shouted and aimed his lightning card.

  Magical energies bloomed and fired out in all directions. Dax’s card went off first, lightning arcing forward and crashing into a helmeted head, caving it in and shattering the skull. The skeleton crumpled instantly, falling into a heap of armor and bones.

  Nuria and Vance were next, blasting out lightning bolts. Each one struck a skull, blasting them to pieces. The mages channeled their mana and incantations, ready to release a new volley.

  A white aura appeared around Zarra before she pointed her staff. White energy glowed at the end of the staff before it shot forth in three, simultaneous bolts. Holy energy slammed into armored chests, the skeletons letting out inhuman moans before they fell into heaps.

  “Come on fuckers!” Fern shouted before she blasted forward.

  Symon pointed his hand and unleashed a lightning bolt as the fairy swung her rune covered mace at an armored head. Skulls went spiraling through the air as lightning struck breastplates. Energy arced, the undead falling to their knees and then falling to pieces.

  The fairy laughed as she slammed her mace into an armored head, denting it but sending the skull flying from its decayed neck.

  Dax relaxed as he saw the last skeleton fall to the stone floor.

  Fern landed on a helmet, her hair returning to its black color. “That wasn’t much of a challenge.”

  Dax slipped his cards into his robe and stepped forward to a fallen skeleton. Kneeling down, he fished into the breastplate and pulled out a necklace, a symbol carved into it.

  “Collect the necklaces and bring them to the center,” Dax ordered.

  Fern flashed into her taller form as the others began looting the corpses. Nuria’s lip wrinkled as she reached down, her hand grazing long dead flesh. Zarra moved with intent, grabbing a necklace and moving to the next corpse. Vance and Symon worked as Dax moved back to the center dais.

  The group brought the necklaces over and held them as they all peered down.

  Vance’s gaze shifted from the necklaces to the symbols carved into the dais. “There are nineteen symbols but only eighteen necklaces. Did we miss one?”

  Dax looked over his shoulder to the stone doors. “I count eighteen sarcophagi.”

  Nuria looked to the symbols on the dais and the necklaces, “I think there must be a pattern. It would be too obvious if we simply matched them up. There must be something we’re missing.”

  Symon moved to a sarcophagus, the light of blue flames chasing away the shadows within. Hand up, he reached in and ran his fingers along the inside. Touching something, he peered into the empty tomb.

  “I need some light,” the spellsword said over his shoulder.

  Zarra nodded and lifted up her staff. Bright light blazed, the blue flames growing dimmer in her presence.

  Symon looked in the sarcophagus, seeing a symbol carved into the back.

  “I see a symbol and the number one by it,” the spellsword said.

  Dax smiled. “Check the other sarcophagi.”

  The group fanned out while Dax pulled out his spellbook and opened it to a blank page in the back. Taking out a small inkwell and quill, he pulled the corresponding necklace from the pile in front of him and he began drawing the symbol with a number next to it.

  Each member moved to empty sarcophagi and called out a description of the symbol and their number. After each tomb was searched, they all returned to the center, Dax drawing quickly.

  “There were only five symbols with numbers,” Vance said as he approached.

  Dax finished his drawings and picked out each necklace, laying them on the edge of dais.

  “It’s simple. Let’s place the necklace symbol face down on each corresponding symbol on the dais by numbered order,” Dax said.

  Every member except for Dax picked up a necklace. Fern was first, placing her symbol down. Vance was next with his. Zarra was third and Symon was fourth. Nuria was last, pressing her necklace down on the last symbol.

  For a moment, nothing happened.

  Dax’s brow wrinkled until dim blue light glowed from each of the symbols carved into the dais.

  The mage was quick to pick up his quill, inkwell and spellbook, placing them in his satchel before pulling out his two previous cards again. The Lightning Card was used up and he quickly charged it with 50 mana.

  Zarra’s bright light began to dim as the chill grew deeper in the chamber. The group stepped back, eyeing the dais when it cracked. Wisps of ethereal smoke rose up from the cracks, swirling and coming together.

  “Get ready for anything,” Dax said as the group moved about six feet from the smoking dais.

  Fern flashed into her smaller form while Symon held his sword at the ready. Vance and Nuria opened their spellbooks. Zarra eyed the rising smoke, staff in hand.

  The chamber grew vastly quiet when the smoke curled together and formed the naked torso of a man. The ghostly man’s body was still in the dais from the waist down but he looked to those gathered with an innocent gaze.

  The group remained silent, watching with interested eyes as the ghost looked to them.

  “Maybe we have to help him?” Symon said.

  Everyone watched as the man began to rise, his ghostly eyes bright. The room pulsed with a dreadful gloom. Hearts thudded in chests. The man rose higher and higher and horror rushed through every living soul in the chamber.

  The group watched in stunned dread as the man’s lower body was revealed, long, thick black tentacles writhing and curling as he floated above the dais.

  “Void Spawn,” Dax hissed.

  “There is phantom void spawn? How?” Vance said as pages turned of their own accord to his most powerful spell.

  Dax could barely think, the sound of blood pumping into his ears. They were the creatures of nightmares that attacked close to a hundred years ago. They dragged people from their homes, stealing their knowledge and mana like wraiths. They ate what was left and performed sickening experiments on any they captured and kept alive. The monsters from another world stole magical artifacts and took those who could enchant and make them. The stories had been told for a few generations, the fear sinking into eyes and voices, still fresh across the collective people of Ikkudran.

  “Kill it!” Dax shouted before an inhuman screech filled the chamber.

  Confusion colored senses, the screech not coming from the ghostly void spawn but from Zarra as she launched herself forward in an inhuman blur.

  Zarra’s staff swung hard, striking the void spawn and sending it clear across the room. Sandaled feet landed on the dais as the cleric’s eyes glowed with power. Another screech vibrated along the chamber as she shot forward like a comet.

  Black energy curled into the void spawn’s hands, but before it could lift them up, Zarra was on him. Staff arcing down, it slammed down on the ghostly creature’s head. Mad roars continued, the cleric a tsunami of power as she struck down the phantom. The creature’s hand pointed up and tentacles curled around Zarra’s legs. The dragon didn’t slow down, bringing her staff down so hard, the phantom couldn’t keep its form. Zarra spun her staff, knocking away the hand and energy blasted outwards, striking a wall and cracking it.

  The cleric’s murderous rampage continued, driving her staff down again and again.

  Dax woke from his stunned state, seeing Zarra unable to control herself. “Pull her back!”

  Symon, Fern and Dax rushed to the cleric. Hands grabbed at her, but she made inhuman sounds, her staff still swinging down. The phantom’s face was split in two, eyes turning in different directions. Fern flashed to her full-sized form and the three pulled with all their might.

  The cleric would not budge as she continued her onslaught.

  “Forgive me,” Fern shouted as she took a stance and lifted her mace.

  Blood red seeped into the fairy’s hair as her muscles bulged. Dax and Symon stepped back as the fairy swung her mace, directly at Zarra’s chest. The strike sent a pulse through the air as the cleric stumbled back.

  Dax pointed his lightning card as Symon pointed his left hand, energy crackling along it. The two men stared down at the ruined creature as it tried to pull itself back together. Lighting flashed from the mage and spellsword. Energy bolts crashed into the void spawn phantom, it’s form rippling before it shattered to nothing.

  Fern fell to her knees and held Zarra to her. The dragon sobbed, her staff on the floor and tears running down her pale cheeks. Dax and Symon were to their sides, Zarra burying her face into Fern’s shoulder.

  The Dais cracked into two, each side sliding off and falling to the floor.

  Nuria stepped closer, looking down at a heap of glowing soul shards and a bright blue jewel in the middle.

  “We won,” the beautiful mage whispered, her words lost to the gentle sobbing as the rest of the group knelt with the cleric, crying in sorrow.

  Fourteen

  “Thank you! You all have outdone yourselves,” Gerald beamed as he gazed on the blue jewel between a finger and thumb.

  Dax gave a polite smile as the rest of the group sat around a table in a private room. Zarra sat with her head bowed. The rest of the group looked to her as Dax continued with the small meeting by the door.

  “We were challenged within the crypt, but managed to make it out okay,” the mage stated simply.

  Gerald nodded before placing the jewel into his robe and pulling out a small metal badge. The quest giver held it up and handed it to Dax.

  “You all have certainly earned it. I paid for your rooms, meals and drinks for the night. Celebrate your win and I wish you the best journey to Axminster,” Gerald smiled.

  The quest giver bowed to Dax and those in the room before turning and making his way out, closing the door behind him.

  Dax let out a long exhale before he turned to his companions. The mood was somber, almost everyone looking to Zarra as she sat silently. The mage made his way over and sat down, showing the new badge.

  “Second badge for the collection,” the mage said with a weak smile.

  Heads nodded weakly.

  Nuria sat in her chair, counting mana shards at the table.

  “It comes out to six shards a piece,” the mage said with a greedy smile.

  Symon eyed Nuria, “How about a little compassion?”

  Nuria looked up, her eyes narrowing. “For what? We made it through and thanks to Zarra’s freak out, we made it out comparably unharmed. We had more trouble with the Vexbrood.”

  “Dax, I’m going to cave her head in,” Fern growled.

  Nuria looked to the full-sized fairy. “Not before I blast you to cinders,” the mage seethed.

  Dax shook his head. “Enough. We won, but we should be there for each other,” the mage said sternly.

  “I need a drink,” Zarra said in a small voice.

  All eyes turned to the cleric.

  Nuria smiled. “See? She’s fine.”

  “Are you sure?” Symon asked.

  The cleric nodded.

  Vance was to his feet, “I’ll have them bring in a few barrels.”

  Time lingered as the group sat. After the long silence, bottles, plates of food and a few barrels were brought or rolled in. The gloom in the room shifted to hunger for food and drink. The servers rushed in and out, bringing in so much, the table was filled to the brim. Forks stabbed into meat while drinks were poured.

  Not many words were spoken as the coterie enjoyed their meal and drink. Zarra lifted up a barrel and drank down its contents in a long moment. Barrel empty, she placed it down by the other two, picked up another one and began drinking.

  The group looked to the dragon as she guzzled the barrel of spirits. Wine and spirits loosened up tense muscles among all present. The food was the cherry on top, bodies enjoying the rest they earned.

  It didn’t take long for Fern to shrink down to her eight-inch form and began dancing on the table. Symon clapped in rhythm as Vance began to sing. His voice cut through the gloom, uplifting spirits. The group soon smiled as Fern put on a show with a fairy jig. Zarra cracked a smile. Nuria nodded to the beat.

  Dax was the only one holding back from joining in the merriment. Soul shaken, he couldn’t stop seeing Zarra unleash in his mind. Her very body vibrated with power as she took down the void spawn phantom nearly by herself. The fight might have been much worse for all of them if Zarra didn’t move like the powerful creature she is. It continued to color his thoughts as Vance’s melodic voice filled the warm room.

 

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