| Sect ten: roll the bones By Richard LeBlanc At the plateau - the giant wolf and horse were looking down into the black pit that seemed to swallow up Julia and Drake. Down the pit - way down - Drake was catching his breath. He looked up at how his dagger had wedged into a crack in the rocky wall. He then looked down at Julia who was hanging onto his free arm for dear life. "That - really - hurt!" he exclaimed. Forcing back the sensation of having his arms ripped off of him. He managed to shift his focus away from the pain and looked down at Julia. "You - okay?" he asked as calmly as he could. "I will be if you don't drop me," she retorted. "I won't - can you get a hold of the wall? I don't know how long my dagger will support us," he asked. "If I let go - I'll fall," she replied timidly. "No you won't! I won't let go! Just try - please," he requested. Hesitantly she let go with on hand and attempted to get a grip on the wall. "You secure?" he asked. She nodded. Slowly he let go - she remained in place. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small torch. "This will be a pain with one hand," he muttered. Before he could attempt to light it the torch burst into flames. It fell from his hand and dropped about ten feet before bouncing off the earthen floor. "Not that far to go at least," she pointed out. "Tell that to my arms," Drake muttered. With a great deal of effort the two made it down. Once there Drake allowed himself to feel the pain he was unable to enjoy while being trapped on the wall of the cave. "How bad is it?" she asked hesitantly. "Not broken - still in place - think I just pulled some muscles," he replied as he looked up. The light from the top hole they had fallen down appeared to be the size of a coin. "We aren't going back that way," he pointed out. "What now?" she asked. Drake picked up the torch and held it up. Around them were carvings - old looking ones. "Humans - didn't make these - did they?" she asked - shying away from the grotesque pictures. "I would agree with you on that," he muttered as he looked at a picture that showed the fall of Torann. "There is a tunnel that leads north - I think this goes right to Torann," he muttered. "The demon host had a tunnel that went under Torann - how could that not be noticed?" she asked in disbelief. "The water makes a lot of noise. And this tunnel is down pretty deep," he replied. It was then that some dust began to fall down on him from the roof of the tunnel. "Oh perfect - run - and do not stop," he muttered as he bolted. Julia didn't understand what had freaked him out - but when the ground began to shake - she had a vague notion. As they ran - the roof of the tunnel began to cave in behind them. Drake watched as they began to round the winding tunnel - there was a large door barring the way. "No time for doors right now!" he hissed as he leaped at the door - throwing his shoulder into it. The door flung from its hinges carrying him in. Julia leaped through the doorway just as the roof behind her collapsed - sending a cloud of dust into the room. Drake forced back the sharp twinges of pain that were going through his doubly sore arm. He waved some of the dust away to see if he could recognize anything. Just from a casual glance he could tell he was in the lowest level of Torann. "The demon host didn't make the tunnel - the humans did. The demon host just found it and used it. He muttered. The answer didn't sit well with Julia. "But in such a place? Why make something that could so easily be turned against them?" she asked - puzzled by the thought of making such an entrance to a fortress like Torann. "Last resort - if the city was to fall - the people could fall back to the castle and escape," he began as he looked at the piles of bones that littered the floor space next to the walls. "Which by the look of things they tried to do," he continued. "And the demons were waiting for them. You - knew the daemon of Gemma by name - do you know the beast that resides here?" she asked hesitantly. Drake walked over to the wall and picked up what appeared to be scales of some sort. "Heard stories - about a daemon snake. Said to be almost eighteen feet long - hypnotic eyes - oh - and quite venomous of course," he added with a smirk. She rolled her eyes. "Well of course," she added. "Other than that - I have no idea," he replied. "They seek to fell Gaph," a cold voice muttered. "They will perish before they even find his lair," another voice added. Julia and Drake frantically looked around to seek who was talking but could find no one. It was then that they slowly looked up. Atop each of the dozen some off pillars that circled the room sat a stone gargoyle. They eyes of each statue seemed affixed on them! "Statues that speak?" she muttered. "You have encountered nothing more bizarre than us on your travels?" one asked. "I doubt that very much," another added. "Enough chatter!" Drake shouted out - the room was silent. "I don't suppose you have any notion of how it is that we ended up here?" he asked seriously. "Gaph," one statue muttered "Gaph," another added. "The daemon champion Gaph - the lord of corruption - with his power broke through the ancient walls - hoping to send you both to your demise," another added. "When that failed - he sought to crush you within the tunnel's gory walls," another continued. "But he has failed - twice over - he will not leave to chance a third. Even now - he awakens from his lair and seeks your demise. To vanquish him - you must play the melody from the Seraph - the sacred flute carved from the horn of a unicorn," another stated. "So we play a song and this guy is history?" Drake asked. "The Seraph is kept in an ivory prison," a gargoyle began. "Approach it incorrect - death - will be your prize," another added. "Seek out - the chamber of bones," another continued. "If you have not the backbone to do what must be done - all will be lost," a gargoyle concluded - on that note - all life seemed to leave the living statues. The two looked at each other and tried to make sense of what they had been told. "I think I was insulted," he muttered. "So we find this flute - play a song - and we're done," he recounted. He nodded his head and then shook it. "I just know it isn't going to be as easy as it sounds," he added. "So where would this chamber of bones be?" she asked. "Never heard of it until now. But as we are on the bottom level of this place - I can only assume that it is up," he rationalized. "But so will that daemon's lair - and they said he was looking for us," she pointed out. "No one said this was going to be easy," he rebutted as he motioned for her to follow. The two made their way through the labyrinth of dusty web covered corridors. Besides the horrendous amount of human bones that littered the floors - there was no sign of anything living or otherwise in that dark catacomb. "We're lost," she muttered. "We are not lost," he retorted. She pointed to the dusty floor and saw footprints they had made earlier. "Okay - maybe we did get turned around," he admitted. She was going to say something when the sound of rattle echoed through the empty halls. "Gaph? He's down here," she whispered. "We have to find a way up," he muttered. "But we've been everywhere down here," she began as she then looked up. Drake looked up to see what had captured her attention. A trap door that led to the next floor. "No way up though," she muttered. "About eight feet up," Drake muttered as he took a rope out from his pack and heaved it up through the hole in the roof. He then knelt down behind Julia who became aware of what was at his eye level. "What are you doing?" she asked hesitantly. "You'll see," he replied. he put his hands on her hips and in one fluid motion hoisted her up so that she was able to get a grip. Once he was sure she was secure - he let go and whispered a foul string of curses for using his arms like that. "You up yet?" he asked catching his breath. "I'm trying - can't pull myself up," she replied - struggling to get out from the hole. He looked up and almost instantly looked away - realizing he had a view straight up her dress. "Please hurry there is a large angry snake down here," he muttered. he heard movement from above and looked up. She made it up! "Great! Now get that rope tie it to something secure and toss it down," he requested. She vanished from sight for a few seconds. A loud hiss sent a chill down his spine. The rope came down. He whispered a quiet prayer as he leaped and began to pull himself up. Within moments he was up. "That - really - hurt," he muttered between gasps. Just then all of the torches that lined the corridors ignited. Instinctively he pulled the rope up. Mere seconds later a loud hiss - resounded. The sound of something slithering through the tunnels below echoed in their minds. Silently the two made their way away from the trap door and resumed their search. "That was close," Julia whispered. A large serpent head exploded through the floor and bore its monstrous fangs at them. Julia and Drake screamed out ran in the opposite direction. "Where is that damn chamber of bone?" he muttered. he looked over his shoulder and saw the monstrous daemon slithering up through the opening it had made. "No look back - keep running," he added. It was then that they rounded a corner and saw a bridge made of bones - on the other side was a insidious chamber fashioned from bones of humans - animals and other things neither could name. "Chamber of bones," the two said together. A loud hiss encouraged them to cross the unsafe looking bridge. Behind them the daemon Gaph was in pursuit. The two dived into the unholy structure - knowing that there was no way they would outrun the serpent. They opened their eyes and saw the serpent swaying back and forth at the entrance. Drake shook his head and closed his eyes. He grabbed Julia and turned her away from Gaph. "Don't look at him," he warned. "He's trying to charm us," he added. "Do not lisssten to him. He liesss," Gaph hissed - eyes glowing. His hypnotic voice causing her body to sway. Drake gripped her by the shoulders and shook her. "If you give in to him - he will kill you. Find the Seraph. For some reason - he can't seem to enter this place," he stated as he pushed her forward. Julia tried to ignore the silent hypnotic chanting she heard in her mind. She looked at the floor of bones below her - below it - a black pit. She took a step - her foot smashed through the bones! She managed to regain her footing. Whatever effect the daemon was trying to use on her was gone. Fear replaced it. "The floor is too weak," she muttered. "The gargoyles! They said something - if you haven't the backbone," he began. "I'm not a coward!" she retorted. "The floor! Walk on the spines!" he interrupted. Julia looked at the floor and saw spines woven into the floor. She hurried along the backbones - taking exceptional care not to loose her footing. "No! You mussst not do thisss!" Gaph hissed. But it was too late. She found the altar where the Seraph flute rested. She lifted the flute to her mouth and began to play a song. She heard Gaph scream out in pain. She stopped her song and hurried back to where Drake was standing. Before him - the daemon Gaph was now a statue. "Let's get while the getting is good," he suggested. The two carefully made their way passed the statue and hurried across the bridge. Once on solid ground - the chamber of bones began to shake. The daemon reverted to his normal form. "No!" the daemon screamed out! The entire bony chamber - the bridge and the daemon plummeted into the darkness below. The two looked at each other. "That was unpleasant," Drake commented. "We have to put this back from where it was taken," she said quietly. "Huh?" he muttered. "If it isn't - the seal will remain broken and Gaph - will come back," she explained. "Okay," he muttered - motioning for her to lead the way. Some undetermined time later - the two found themselves in a large dusty room. At the center was a stone statue of a horse. Drake sighed and leaned against the wall. "We have been searching for hours - and have ended up at this place five or more times. Where exactly does that go?" he asked. Julia was going to reply when she looked more closely at the statue before them. It wasn't a horse - it was a hornless unicorn! "Right there," she replied as she walked over to the statue. She looked up at the head and saw a hole that was the same size as the Seraph. Slowly she place the horn back from where it came. Light began to seep out from the statue. A blinding flash of light filled the room - when it faded - a majestic - regal looking unicorn was standing beside the statue. "You must be joking," Drake muttered. "The seal that binds this place has been restored. Go now - your quest - is far from over," the unicorn said in a booming voice. Another flash of light filled the room. When it faded the two were out of the ruins of Torann and were topside. Near by were the wolf and his horse. "That was unpleasant," he muttered. "Let's talk about it on the way to Triar," she suggested. He silently nodded. The two mounted their animals to continue their journey. To be continued... |