The Temple of Fate, page 19
part #5 of Bander Series




Bander didn’t particularly like this turn of events, but he figured that he would have more options out of this chasm than in it. So he started climbing.
He wasn’t a natural climber, and he weighed nearly 250 pounds, so his progress was slow. But he eventually made it to the top without the rope snapping.
There he saw Mortam Rowe kneeling next to Valthar. Beside them stood Talessa Kreed, and the ape-like man Keave lurked off to the side, a dozen feet away. Neither of the men held any weapons, but Keave had two large knives at his waist.
Around them rose up the forest of stone trees, towering twenty feet over their heads. But, thankfully, the statues were still. Bander saw his spear—still glowing with magical light—propped against one of the trees.
Mortam Rowe held a vial under Valthar’s nose.
“What are you doing?” Bander asked.
“I’m trying to wake him, Mr. Grannt. How long had he been unconscious?”
“Two hours maybe.”
“That’s not good.”
Bander moved closer, and Valthar began to stir. Mortam Rowe gently placed his hands on either side of Valthar’s jaw and ran them along the side of his head.
“Are you a healer?” Bander asked.
“I used to be. A long time ago.”
“Why are you here?”
“Your questions will need to wait, Mr. Grannt. That is, if you wish your man to survive.”
“I don’t think he’ll live,” Keave said, out of nowhere. His tone was matter-of-fact.
“Don’t be so pessimistic, my friend,” Mortam Rowe said. “We’ll do what we can, won’t we?” He continued gently run his hands along the side of Valthar’s head.
Bander glared at Keave. There was something off-kilter about the brute.
“These trees,” Talessa Kreed said, turning slowly to take in their surroundings. “They came alive. I had blocked all that out.”
“Yes,” Bander said. “That’s what swept us into the pit.”
“Are you sure, Mr. Grannt? The statues seem quite solid to me.” He rummaged through his bag.
“I’m surprised you didn’t trigger them,” Bander said.
“Ah, here we go,” Mortam Rowe muttered to himself, as he withdrew a small bottle from his bag. “Mr. Grannt, if you would assist me by keeping your associate’s head upright.”
Bander got down on the ground and helped prop Valthar’s head up.
“That’s right. I want to make sure he ingests the oredmeun tincture.”
“What’s that for?”
“It will bring down the swelling of his head, among other things. That’s the biggest danger right now. Oh, I think he’s returning to us.”
Sure enough, Valthar’s eyes fluttered and he groaned.
“Valthar!”
His friend tried to speak, but his voice was hoarse and barely audible.
“I think he’s asking for water,” Mortam Rowe said. “Keave, the canteen, if you please.”
The brute ambled over and handed Mortam Rowe a flask.
Valthar was only able to drink a small amount, but it seemed to revive him a bit.
“Ease him up all the way,” Mortam Rowe said.
Bander did so, and Valthar blinked a few times and took a deep breath. If he was surprised by the presence of Mortam Rowe and Keave, he didn’t show it.
“Did we find it? Did we find the Nave?” he croaked.
“Not yet,” Bander said. “We were all swept into a pit. Sward didn’t make it.”
“What?”
“I’m sorry,” Bander said.
“I am sorry, too,” Mortam Rowe said.
“Who’s this?” Valthar asked.
“Perhaps now is the appropriate time for introductions,” Mortam Rowe said.
“We’ve already met,” Bander said. “You tortured Eton Sward and burned the Temple.”
“And you threw me to my death,” Mortam Rowe retorted. “But I won’t hold it against you.”
Bander felt his fists ball. He took a step closer to Mortam Rowe. “What do you want from us?”
“Come now, Mr. Grannt. You don’t want to threaten us with physical violence, do you? We both know how you fared during your last encounter with Mr. Keave.”
“He got lucky.”
“Perhaps. But the fact of the matter is that we bear you no ill will. I think I proved that by extricating you and your friends from that pit—and ministering to Mr. Valthar here.”
“It’s just Valthar,” Valthar mumbled.
“In any case, I am proposing to you that we can all walk out of this unholy place without further injury or loss of life.”
“If…?”
“If you cooperate,” Mortam Rowe said. “I need to know everything. Why you’re here. What you are looking for. What happened to the aona you were given by Melanthris Jeigh.”
Bander feigned a look of surprise.
“Yes,” Mortam Rowe continued. “I know all about that. So what do you say?”
“Well, sir,” Valthar said, struggling to his feet. “It seems that you have us at a disadvantage.” He glanced over at Bander. “Tell him everything. It matters not.”
Bander allowed his shoulders to slump. “It’s true that I was given an aona by Melanthris Jeigh. It was a reward for saving the life of her brother.”
“Yes, yes. Very admirable. What I want to know is, how did you come to visit Eton Sward?”
“I am employed by Valthar and have been for many years,” Bander lied. “As part of my duties, I keep my eyes open for any aonae I may come across. Valthar instructed me to take them to Eton Sward.”
“For what purpose?”
“Sward collected aonae as well,” Valthar interjected. “Before you arrived in Irfals, he identified the one Bander found. He got excited about the markings etched in it. Eventually he deciphered the clue and told us that it led to a treasure trove. That’s why we’re here. We hired Talessa Kreed as our guide.”
“You’re telling me that a treasure map was etched into a pendant?”
“Not the full map, you fop. But an important piece of the puzzle. The last piece, in fact. You see, Eton Sward had been keeping careful records about all the aonae he had come across. As have I. We decided several years ago to join forces and share our knowledge. And split the treasure—once we found it.”
“And now, it seems, Mr. Sward has met an untimely demise. Pity.”
“It seems we were misled about the dangers of this cursed place.” Valthar glared at Talessa Kreed.
“Tell me, Valthar. What exactly is this treasure you seek?”
“In truth, I don’t fully know. I suspect it is magical in nature though. But there is one way to find out for sure. We must continue!”
“What?” Talessa Kreed exclaimed. “You’re half dead, sir. This is a folly. We must return to the surface and then, when you are strong enough to travel, we will journey back to Malverton.”
“I have come too far, madam. I will not give up now.”
“You’re mad!”
“Ah, but you are wrong. There is but one difference between a madman and me. I am not mad.”
She turned to Bander, eyes flashing. “Talk some sense into your employer!”
Bander shrugged. “I do what I’m hired to do.” Inwardly, he smiled. They were all playing their parts admirably well.
“I admire your dedication, Mr. Grannt,” Mortam Rowe said. “And what if I were to make you an offer of employment myself?”
“I would not be inclined to entertain it,” Bander said. “You’ve asked us a lot of questions, but we still don’t know who you are, what you want, and why you are here.”
“Surely Valthar or Eton Sward must have mentioned that there were others collecting aonae. Our employer is a mage—much like the late Mr. Sward. He is quite generous, by the by.”
“And who is your employer?” Bander asked.
“Ah, that would be telling. He values his privacy far too much to allow such a disclosure. But I will say that he would be most intrigued by this treasure trove—as you put it.”
Valthar looked down at the ground and then back up at Mortam Rowe. “Well, since Eton Sward is no longer a part of this enterprise, I may consider another alliance. Especially in light of the circumstances.”
“Excellent.”
“Tell me what you had in mind, sir.”
As Mortam Rowe prattled on to Valthar, Bander found himself looking over at Keave. The man had seated himself cross-legged on the ground and was fooling with some sort of small wooden figurine. He appeared to be bored by the proceedings.
Bander walked over and nodded at Keave. “You are a skilled fighter.”
“I know.” He didn’t look up from his figurine. It was a carved dragon.
“I’ve fought a lot of men,” Bander said. “You might be the best.”
“I’m not your friend.”
“I didn’t say that you were.”
Keave finally looked up. “Then why are you talking to me?”
“Mr. Grannt,” Mortam Rowe called. “We have come to an arrangement, Valthar and I.”
“Have you now?” Bander asked, as he walked back over to where Valthar, Talessa Kreed, and Mortam Rowe stood.
“Your share is the same,” Valthar told Bander. “As is yours, Talessa Kreed. From this point on, you will follow Mr. Rowe’s directives as though they were my own. Understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Kreed?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Now, Rowe, have you and your primitive friend located an exit to this damned chamber of trees? Because that’s your first task.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Keave led them on a twisting route between trees, through the stone forest. Valthar was still too weak to walk, so Bander carried his friend. But with every step, Bander felt his heart jump. One wrong move might trigger the guardian statues. He pictured them coming to life and flinging everyone back down into that abysmal chasm.
But Keave moved confidently and unerringly, never pausing, and seemingly at random. It was like they were traversing a maze—a maze that he was completely familiar with.
“How does he know where to go?” Talessa Kreed whispered.
“No idea.”
“I think I figured it out,” Valthar said. “If you’d stop bouncing so much and walk a bit more gracefully, I could be sure!”
“No one has ever accused me of being graceful,” Bander said.
“And, you missy, if you could hold the light up a little higher. Stay to my left. Yes, like that.”
They continued winding their way deeper and deeper into the stone forest.
“Ah, yes,” Valthar said. “Not too difficult, once you know the trick.”
“Which is…?” Bander asked.
“See the butterflies carved into the trunks?”
Each tree had a single butterfly adorning its trunk at eye level. Some were on the side facing them; others were on the opposite side.
“They’re not butterflies,” Keave grunted. The sound of his voice surprised them all. “They’re moths.”
“Indeed,” Valthar continued. “Well, then. Mark the direction that each moth is turned.”
As they walked, Bander noticed that some of the moths faced to the left. Others faced to the right.
But Keave always walked in the direction the moth faced.
“They’re like arrows!” Talessa Kreed said.
“Exactly,” Mortam Rowe chimed in.
“But how did he know?” she asked. “Keave, have you seen such a thing before?”
“No.”
“Mr. Keave is quite good with patterns,” Mortam Rowe said. “He has an uncanny ability in that regard.”
“Well done, then,” Valthar said. “If Sward had been half as observant, he’d still be with us.”
After a quarter hour, Bander noticed that the trees began to thin. Shortly after that, they came to the farthest end of the cavern. There was a man-made passage, leading down a short flight of steps towards the west.
“Let us rest for a moment, and get our bearings,” Mortam Rowe said.
“Put me down, you oaf!” Valthar struggled in Bander’s arms until Bander eased his friend to the ground.
“I suggest no one venture down those stairs until I check them for traps,” Bander said.
“But, of course.”
The rest of the group milled about while Bander prodded and probed the steps, the walls on either side, and the ceiling. “I don’t see anything,” he announced.
Valthar decided he no longer wanted to be carried, so the five of them walked down the few steps into a low, wide hall. As Bander held the illuminated spear aloft, he saw that the room ran for about thirty feet and ended in a small arched passage on the west wall. Cold air billowed from the passage and Bander could feel a marked difference in temperature even from where he stood. The hall was low and wide and every footstep echoed throughout it.
“This is cheery,” Talessa Kreed joked.
“Reminds me of a killing chute,” Mortam Rowe said. “For cattle.”
“I don’t like it either,” Valthar said.
Bander did his best to check for traps and they slowly crossed the hall. There wasn’t much to see until they arrived at the arched passage at the far end. As they drew closer, Bander noticed that an array of runes was etched all around the edge of the doorway. He had no idea of what they meant.
“Keep clear of this,” Bander said.
“We have to go through,” Mortam Rowe said.
“Not quite yet.”
The arched doorway and the passage beyond was a just half a foot taller than Bander and maybe a yard wide. It continued west for four or five feet then widened a bit and stretched into the darkness.
“Any idea what these runes mean?” Bander asked Valthar.
“I’ve never seen anything like them.”
“Nor I,” Talessa Kreed said.
“I see bones,” Keave said.
“Where?” Bander asked.
“There. On the other side of the doorway.”
Bander held his light as close as he could to the passage without breaking the plane of its front surface. He could barely make out some white shapes at the edge of the darkness.
“You sure?”
Keave nodded.
“I found something,” Valthar called. He stood a dozen paces back and he was pointing at something on the north wall. “I believe it’s a concealed door. See this gap here?”
Mortam Rowe took out a blade and poked at the wall. Bits of dried mud flaked off and Bander could start to see the outline of a door. He borrowed Talessa Kreed’s dagger and worked on the other edge of it. Soon they had exposed the entire door.
After a bit of poking and pushing, Bander located a loose brick which acted as a switch to release a hidden latch. The door swung inward.
Bander used the spear to push it completely open, revealing a rough tunnel curving back west. The air was cool and stale and it seemed like this particular door had not been opened in a very, very long time.
“Well?” Valthar asked.
“Do you have any spikes?” Bander asked Mortam Rowe.
“No, I’m afraid we don’t. Are you concerned about the door closing of its own accord?”
“Something like that.”
“Keave will scout ahead, then. Won’t you my friend?”
The ape-like man nodded and, without warning, stepped into the tunnel.
“You need to check for traps,” Bander called after him, but Keave paid him no mind. He just strode in and disappeared around the corner.
Bander listened for any sign of misadventure, but the tunnel was silent. A few minutes later, Keave returned.
“Just a small room. A dozen feet away. Big metal crank in the wall. Nothing else, really.”
“Crank?” Mortam Rowe asked.
“Like a wagon wheel. A little smaller though.”
Bander decided to see it for himself. He followed the tunnel around the curve where it opened up to a small chamber. There was an iron crank wheel set in the west wall. Just like Keave had described.
He returned to the main hallway and slowly paced to the arched passage. It seemed about the same distance as the crank room.
“That wheel might have something to do with this doorway.”
“That would make sense,” Mortam Rowe said. “Perhaps it operates a hidden door.”
That gave Bander an idea. He used the butt of his spear to tap around the inside edge of the passage within the arched doorway to the north. The stonework seemed to give a little, so he struck it harder and harder. In a crumble of dust and dried mud, the wall flaked away.
“What is it?” Valthar asked.
Bander pushed the illuminated tip of the spear into the hollow. He saw a long horizontal screw as thick as his leg running back to the north. It was connected to a set of big solid iron gears—which probably were turned by the crank in the wall.
“Rowe, go back there and turn the crank!” he called.
A few moments later, Bander watched as the screw turned and extended out towards him.
“It’s projecting out into the doorway,” Talessa Kreed said.
“Yes. Likely, it’s designed to open this door.”
“Open how?”
Bander instructed Mortam Rowe to continue to turn the crank and soon the screw protruded all the way to the opposite side of the arched doorway.
“Keep going!”
The screw dug into the wall opposite it and whole sections crumbled away as if they were made of plaster. Bander aided the process by hammering away using the hilt of Fenrue’s sword.
Behind the broken wall was a tall cavity, a yard wide—and inside that was an immense stone wheel, held in place by some sort of mechanism at the bottom.
“A trap!” Valthar exclaimed at his shoulder.
“Or just a very large door,” Talessa Kreed said.
“But to what purpose?”
Bander inspected the stone wheel again. “I have no idea, but whatever it is, it’s engineered to keep something very strong from coming this way. I suggest—”
Before he could finish his sentence, Keave leapt through the doorway. The idiot!
Talessa Kreed gasped and Bander pulled her away from the doorway. He expected some sort of trap to be sprung—most likely the big stone door sealing them off. But everything was still and quiet.
He wasn’t a natural climber, and he weighed nearly 250 pounds, so his progress was slow. But he eventually made it to the top without the rope snapping.
There he saw Mortam Rowe kneeling next to Valthar. Beside them stood Talessa Kreed, and the ape-like man Keave lurked off to the side, a dozen feet away. Neither of the men held any weapons, but Keave had two large knives at his waist.
Around them rose up the forest of stone trees, towering twenty feet over their heads. But, thankfully, the statues were still. Bander saw his spear—still glowing with magical light—propped against one of the trees.
Mortam Rowe held a vial under Valthar’s nose.
“What are you doing?” Bander asked.
“I’m trying to wake him, Mr. Grannt. How long had he been unconscious?”
“Two hours maybe.”
“That’s not good.”
Bander moved closer, and Valthar began to stir. Mortam Rowe gently placed his hands on either side of Valthar’s jaw and ran them along the side of his head.
“Are you a healer?” Bander asked.
“I used to be. A long time ago.”
“Why are you here?”
“Your questions will need to wait, Mr. Grannt. That is, if you wish your man to survive.”
“I don’t think he’ll live,” Keave said, out of nowhere. His tone was matter-of-fact.
“Don’t be so pessimistic, my friend,” Mortam Rowe said. “We’ll do what we can, won’t we?” He continued gently run his hands along the side of Valthar’s head.
Bander glared at Keave. There was something off-kilter about the brute.
“These trees,” Talessa Kreed said, turning slowly to take in their surroundings. “They came alive. I had blocked all that out.”
“Yes,” Bander said. “That’s what swept us into the pit.”
“Are you sure, Mr. Grannt? The statues seem quite solid to me.” He rummaged through his bag.
“I’m surprised you didn’t trigger them,” Bander said.
“Ah, here we go,” Mortam Rowe muttered to himself, as he withdrew a small bottle from his bag. “Mr. Grannt, if you would assist me by keeping your associate’s head upright.”
Bander got down on the ground and helped prop Valthar’s head up.
“That’s right. I want to make sure he ingests the oredmeun tincture.”
“What’s that for?”
“It will bring down the swelling of his head, among other things. That’s the biggest danger right now. Oh, I think he’s returning to us.”
Sure enough, Valthar’s eyes fluttered and he groaned.
“Valthar!”
His friend tried to speak, but his voice was hoarse and barely audible.
“I think he’s asking for water,” Mortam Rowe said. “Keave, the canteen, if you please.”
The brute ambled over and handed Mortam Rowe a flask.
Valthar was only able to drink a small amount, but it seemed to revive him a bit.
“Ease him up all the way,” Mortam Rowe said.
Bander did so, and Valthar blinked a few times and took a deep breath. If he was surprised by the presence of Mortam Rowe and Keave, he didn’t show it.
“Did we find it? Did we find the Nave?” he croaked.
“Not yet,” Bander said. “We were all swept into a pit. Sward didn’t make it.”
“What?”
“I’m sorry,” Bander said.
“I am sorry, too,” Mortam Rowe said.
“Who’s this?” Valthar asked.
“Perhaps now is the appropriate time for introductions,” Mortam Rowe said.
“We’ve already met,” Bander said. “You tortured Eton Sward and burned the Temple.”
“And you threw me to my death,” Mortam Rowe retorted. “But I won’t hold it against you.”
Bander felt his fists ball. He took a step closer to Mortam Rowe. “What do you want from us?”
“Come now, Mr. Grannt. You don’t want to threaten us with physical violence, do you? We both know how you fared during your last encounter with Mr. Keave.”
“He got lucky.”
“Perhaps. But the fact of the matter is that we bear you no ill will. I think I proved that by extricating you and your friends from that pit—and ministering to Mr. Valthar here.”
“It’s just Valthar,” Valthar mumbled.
“In any case, I am proposing to you that we can all walk out of this unholy place without further injury or loss of life.”
“If…?”
“If you cooperate,” Mortam Rowe said. “I need to know everything. Why you’re here. What you are looking for. What happened to the aona you were given by Melanthris Jeigh.”
Bander feigned a look of surprise.
“Yes,” Mortam Rowe continued. “I know all about that. So what do you say?”
“Well, sir,” Valthar said, struggling to his feet. “It seems that you have us at a disadvantage.” He glanced over at Bander. “Tell him everything. It matters not.”
Bander allowed his shoulders to slump. “It’s true that I was given an aona by Melanthris Jeigh. It was a reward for saving the life of her brother.”
“Yes, yes. Very admirable. What I want to know is, how did you come to visit Eton Sward?”
“I am employed by Valthar and have been for many years,” Bander lied. “As part of my duties, I keep my eyes open for any aonae I may come across. Valthar instructed me to take them to Eton Sward.”
“For what purpose?”
“Sward collected aonae as well,” Valthar interjected. “Before you arrived in Irfals, he identified the one Bander found. He got excited about the markings etched in it. Eventually he deciphered the clue and told us that it led to a treasure trove. That’s why we’re here. We hired Talessa Kreed as our guide.”
“You’re telling me that a treasure map was etched into a pendant?”
“Not the full map, you fop. But an important piece of the puzzle. The last piece, in fact. You see, Eton Sward had been keeping careful records about all the aonae he had come across. As have I. We decided several years ago to join forces and share our knowledge. And split the treasure—once we found it.”
“And now, it seems, Mr. Sward has met an untimely demise. Pity.”
“It seems we were misled about the dangers of this cursed place.” Valthar glared at Talessa Kreed.
“Tell me, Valthar. What exactly is this treasure you seek?”
“In truth, I don’t fully know. I suspect it is magical in nature though. But there is one way to find out for sure. We must continue!”
“What?” Talessa Kreed exclaimed. “You’re half dead, sir. This is a folly. We must return to the surface and then, when you are strong enough to travel, we will journey back to Malverton.”
“I have come too far, madam. I will not give up now.”
“You’re mad!”
“Ah, but you are wrong. There is but one difference between a madman and me. I am not mad.”
She turned to Bander, eyes flashing. “Talk some sense into your employer!”
Bander shrugged. “I do what I’m hired to do.” Inwardly, he smiled. They were all playing their parts admirably well.
“I admire your dedication, Mr. Grannt,” Mortam Rowe said. “And what if I were to make you an offer of employment myself?”
“I would not be inclined to entertain it,” Bander said. “You’ve asked us a lot of questions, but we still don’t know who you are, what you want, and why you are here.”
“Surely Valthar or Eton Sward must have mentioned that there were others collecting aonae. Our employer is a mage—much like the late Mr. Sward. He is quite generous, by the by.”
“And who is your employer?” Bander asked.
“Ah, that would be telling. He values his privacy far too much to allow such a disclosure. But I will say that he would be most intrigued by this treasure trove—as you put it.”
Valthar looked down at the ground and then back up at Mortam Rowe. “Well, since Eton Sward is no longer a part of this enterprise, I may consider another alliance. Especially in light of the circumstances.”
“Excellent.”
“Tell me what you had in mind, sir.”
As Mortam Rowe prattled on to Valthar, Bander found himself looking over at Keave. The man had seated himself cross-legged on the ground and was fooling with some sort of small wooden figurine. He appeared to be bored by the proceedings.
Bander walked over and nodded at Keave. “You are a skilled fighter.”
“I know.” He didn’t look up from his figurine. It was a carved dragon.
“I’ve fought a lot of men,” Bander said. “You might be the best.”
“I’m not your friend.”
“I didn’t say that you were.”
Keave finally looked up. “Then why are you talking to me?”
“Mr. Grannt,” Mortam Rowe called. “We have come to an arrangement, Valthar and I.”
“Have you now?” Bander asked, as he walked back over to where Valthar, Talessa Kreed, and Mortam Rowe stood.
“Your share is the same,” Valthar told Bander. “As is yours, Talessa Kreed. From this point on, you will follow Mr. Rowe’s directives as though they were my own. Understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Kreed?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Now, Rowe, have you and your primitive friend located an exit to this damned chamber of trees? Because that’s your first task.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Keave led them on a twisting route between trees, through the stone forest. Valthar was still too weak to walk, so Bander carried his friend. But with every step, Bander felt his heart jump. One wrong move might trigger the guardian statues. He pictured them coming to life and flinging everyone back down into that abysmal chasm.
But Keave moved confidently and unerringly, never pausing, and seemingly at random. It was like they were traversing a maze—a maze that he was completely familiar with.
“How does he know where to go?” Talessa Kreed whispered.
“No idea.”
“I think I figured it out,” Valthar said. “If you’d stop bouncing so much and walk a bit more gracefully, I could be sure!”
“No one has ever accused me of being graceful,” Bander said.
“And, you missy, if you could hold the light up a little higher. Stay to my left. Yes, like that.”
They continued winding their way deeper and deeper into the stone forest.
“Ah, yes,” Valthar said. “Not too difficult, once you know the trick.”
“Which is…?” Bander asked.
“See the butterflies carved into the trunks?”
Each tree had a single butterfly adorning its trunk at eye level. Some were on the side facing them; others were on the opposite side.
“They’re not butterflies,” Keave grunted. The sound of his voice surprised them all. “They’re moths.”
“Indeed,” Valthar continued. “Well, then. Mark the direction that each moth is turned.”
As they walked, Bander noticed that some of the moths faced to the left. Others faced to the right.
But Keave always walked in the direction the moth faced.
“They’re like arrows!” Talessa Kreed said.
“Exactly,” Mortam Rowe chimed in.
“But how did he know?” she asked. “Keave, have you seen such a thing before?”
“No.”
“Mr. Keave is quite good with patterns,” Mortam Rowe said. “He has an uncanny ability in that regard.”
“Well done, then,” Valthar said. “If Sward had been half as observant, he’d still be with us.”
After a quarter hour, Bander noticed that the trees began to thin. Shortly after that, they came to the farthest end of the cavern. There was a man-made passage, leading down a short flight of steps towards the west.
“Let us rest for a moment, and get our bearings,” Mortam Rowe said.
“Put me down, you oaf!” Valthar struggled in Bander’s arms until Bander eased his friend to the ground.
“I suggest no one venture down those stairs until I check them for traps,” Bander said.
“But, of course.”
The rest of the group milled about while Bander prodded and probed the steps, the walls on either side, and the ceiling. “I don’t see anything,” he announced.
Valthar decided he no longer wanted to be carried, so the five of them walked down the few steps into a low, wide hall. As Bander held the illuminated spear aloft, he saw that the room ran for about thirty feet and ended in a small arched passage on the west wall. Cold air billowed from the passage and Bander could feel a marked difference in temperature even from where he stood. The hall was low and wide and every footstep echoed throughout it.
“This is cheery,” Talessa Kreed joked.
“Reminds me of a killing chute,” Mortam Rowe said. “For cattle.”
“I don’t like it either,” Valthar said.
Bander did his best to check for traps and they slowly crossed the hall. There wasn’t much to see until they arrived at the arched passage at the far end. As they drew closer, Bander noticed that an array of runes was etched all around the edge of the doorway. He had no idea of what they meant.
“Keep clear of this,” Bander said.
“We have to go through,” Mortam Rowe said.
“Not quite yet.”
The arched doorway and the passage beyond was a just half a foot taller than Bander and maybe a yard wide. It continued west for four or five feet then widened a bit and stretched into the darkness.
“Any idea what these runes mean?” Bander asked Valthar.
“I’ve never seen anything like them.”
“Nor I,” Talessa Kreed said.
“I see bones,” Keave said.
“Where?” Bander asked.
“There. On the other side of the doorway.”
Bander held his light as close as he could to the passage without breaking the plane of its front surface. He could barely make out some white shapes at the edge of the darkness.
“You sure?”
Keave nodded.
“I found something,” Valthar called. He stood a dozen paces back and he was pointing at something on the north wall. “I believe it’s a concealed door. See this gap here?”
Mortam Rowe took out a blade and poked at the wall. Bits of dried mud flaked off and Bander could start to see the outline of a door. He borrowed Talessa Kreed’s dagger and worked on the other edge of it. Soon they had exposed the entire door.
After a bit of poking and pushing, Bander located a loose brick which acted as a switch to release a hidden latch. The door swung inward.
Bander used the spear to push it completely open, revealing a rough tunnel curving back west. The air was cool and stale and it seemed like this particular door had not been opened in a very, very long time.
“Well?” Valthar asked.
“Do you have any spikes?” Bander asked Mortam Rowe.
“No, I’m afraid we don’t. Are you concerned about the door closing of its own accord?”
“Something like that.”
“Keave will scout ahead, then. Won’t you my friend?”
The ape-like man nodded and, without warning, stepped into the tunnel.
“You need to check for traps,” Bander called after him, but Keave paid him no mind. He just strode in and disappeared around the corner.
Bander listened for any sign of misadventure, but the tunnel was silent. A few minutes later, Keave returned.
“Just a small room. A dozen feet away. Big metal crank in the wall. Nothing else, really.”
“Crank?” Mortam Rowe asked.
“Like a wagon wheel. A little smaller though.”
Bander decided to see it for himself. He followed the tunnel around the curve where it opened up to a small chamber. There was an iron crank wheel set in the west wall. Just like Keave had described.
He returned to the main hallway and slowly paced to the arched passage. It seemed about the same distance as the crank room.
“That wheel might have something to do with this doorway.”
“That would make sense,” Mortam Rowe said. “Perhaps it operates a hidden door.”
That gave Bander an idea. He used the butt of his spear to tap around the inside edge of the passage within the arched doorway to the north. The stonework seemed to give a little, so he struck it harder and harder. In a crumble of dust and dried mud, the wall flaked away.
“What is it?” Valthar asked.
Bander pushed the illuminated tip of the spear into the hollow. He saw a long horizontal screw as thick as his leg running back to the north. It was connected to a set of big solid iron gears—which probably were turned by the crank in the wall.
“Rowe, go back there and turn the crank!” he called.
A few moments later, Bander watched as the screw turned and extended out towards him.
“It’s projecting out into the doorway,” Talessa Kreed said.
“Yes. Likely, it’s designed to open this door.”
“Open how?”
Bander instructed Mortam Rowe to continue to turn the crank and soon the screw protruded all the way to the opposite side of the arched doorway.
“Keep going!”
The screw dug into the wall opposite it and whole sections crumbled away as if they were made of plaster. Bander aided the process by hammering away using the hilt of Fenrue’s sword.
Behind the broken wall was a tall cavity, a yard wide—and inside that was an immense stone wheel, held in place by some sort of mechanism at the bottom.
“A trap!” Valthar exclaimed at his shoulder.
“Or just a very large door,” Talessa Kreed said.
“But to what purpose?”
Bander inspected the stone wheel again. “I have no idea, but whatever it is, it’s engineered to keep something very strong from coming this way. I suggest—”
Before he could finish his sentence, Keave leapt through the doorway. The idiot!
Talessa Kreed gasped and Bander pulled her away from the doorway. He expected some sort of trap to be sprung—most likely the big stone door sealing them off. But everything was still and quiet.