A Gleaming Path

by Jeffrey Pawlak

  Still, he ran on, his indomitable will holding back the burn in his lungs and the throbbing ache in his muscles. No matter how much his fatigue threatened to bring his pursuit to a halt, his faith that Raissa was near pushed him forward. He may very well have been fueled by his Serenity, his magic empowering him well beyond what his physical form could ever achieve.

  Alamor had no idea how long he dashed across the desert before he reached the top of a particularly large sand dune. Further away, there was a sight that made his heart soar—an enormous ridgeline rising from the desert’s sandy floor. His eyes squinted, trying their hardest to peer through the hazy horizon created by the Arid Reach’s heat. When he was able to make out what he believed to be a huge doorway carved into the front of the ridge, he took off in a maddened sprint.

  It was the fastest mile he had ever covered with his own two legs. Even though his body was weary and his breath threatened to fail him, the sight of the Sandstone Mausoleum growing closer only spurred him forward. It was not long before he spotted several shapes standing in front of the tall ridges. They were the same shapes he saw in his vision a few days ago.

  He saw the group of Aesur warriors. He saw Dayneth and Joth.

  He saw Raissa.

  When he finally got to her, they seized one another in a joyful embrace. Alamor wanted to say so much to Raissa, but his throat would not allow it as he tried to regain his breath. His legs quivered, so sore that they seemed to want to collapse beneath him. If he had been anywhere else, with any other person at that very moment, he likely would have fallen to the ground in complete exhaustion.

  But like so many other times before, Raissa kept him standing.

  When they at last released one another from their embrace, Raissa looked at Alamor with a smile that contained more than just her love and admiration for him.

  “I’m so proud of you,” she said.

  The smile that Alamor returned to her could have reached from one side of the desert to the other.

  * * * * *

  It was a little while before all of Alamor’s companions finally managed to catch up to him, their group having been unable to match his determined pace as they hurried across the Arid Reaches. Tridian was the first to arrive, and he was just as elated to finally reunite with Raissa. Tiroku and Rawner joined them a few minutes later, bringing with them Alamor’s armor which he had dropped behind him. Lastly came Hinton and Pauma, although not without an effort on their part to join their friends as soon as they could. The Bachus had tried to conserve their energy during the last leg of their trek, but once they were within sight, they came bounding across the sand dunes faster than Alamor had seen from them in the last several days. Even the desert’s unbearable heat could not temper their joy at seeing Raissa.

  Their group was just as happy to be reunited with Dayneth and Joth. Once their party was finally whole again, Dayneth took a few moments to introduce Alamor and the others to her sister, along with the regiment of Aesur soldiers accompanying her. Tridian’s earlier guess as to Elisstriss’s identity proved true, but he, Alamor, and the rest of their group that traveled the Arid Reaches together were still amazed to see and speak to Dayneth’s sibling. Tridian was especially intrigued by Elisstriss, having grown up his entire life knowing of her, and only meeting her now for the first time.

  Elisstriss recounted the plight that had befallen Skyscape and drove the Aesur to descend to the surface world in search of help. She spoke of their journey all the way up to the afternoon on the ridges where she and her soldiers rescued Raissa, Dayneth, and Joth from the predatory Kaivu. Raissa then took over to explain their long trek across the Arid Reaches. Alamor also told of his party’s journey, going into great detail about their days with the Onda, and how they reawakened the monstrous Samuras in order to do battle with the monsters who attacked their ships.

  “And now, here we are,” Alamor said to close out his account, his eyes moving up along the giant ridges that housed the Sandstone Mausoleum, “The resting place of Ralu’s Radia.” He looked back to Raissa. “You’ve been here for a few days you said, right? Why did you not enter the Spirit Shrine on your own?”

  Raissa smiled. “Because I doubt I would have been able to obtain the Radia of Hope by myself,” she answered.

  Alamor recognized that she was not merely trying to compliment him; she was confident that she needed him by her side. Just the same, Alamor knew that he would need Raissa’s magic in order for them to claim the second Radia. “Well, no reason to wait any longer,” he said, and glanced about the rest of the group to gain their approval. “As long as nobody objects, I think we should head inside.”

  Nobody argued.

  “Allow me to lead the way, then,” Joth announced, and started toward the ridge. “Follow me, all.”

  The party did not immediately heed him, but instead waited to allow Alamor and Raissa to go first, knowing that the young man and the young woman were the most capable among them at meeting their task inside the ancient structure. Everyone fell in line after them, and they followed Joth to the base of the front steps that stretched to the yawning entryway high above.

  It threatened to be a grueling ascent. The stairway was very steep, running with scarcely any angle up along the rock. Each huge step rose nearly three feet above the last. The staircase would have been difficult—if not, dangerous—to climb, but Elisstriss’s remarkable Airtaming ability provided a safer means of reaching the top. She gathered a great deal of her magic together and took command of the air all around their company, forming a series of air streams that she guided beneath everyone’s feet. As if she created a massive platform that floated up along the rock formations, she directed the air streams to send the company hovering high above the desert floor until she set them down at the top of the staircase.

  The pinnacle of the steps showed them a beautiful, panoramic view of the sprawling desert behind them, as well as a harrowing look down at the near-fifty foot drop along the stairs—a sight that sent the entire party hurrying onto the safety of the ridge’s solid, secure ground.

  Joth led them into a long tunnel that ran deep into the mountainous rock formations. It was fairly roomy inside, much wider and taller than the tunnels beneath Sleekleaf Forest. In that regard, it reminded Alamor more of the hallways inside the Bachu Caverns, although it was nowhere near as fine. While the entryway’s façade was obviously cut with great care, the tunnel’s walls were crudely carved. The more that Alamor looked about, he wondered if the passage had actually been formed more so by erosion over time than by living hands, perhaps from a river that flowed through there in the time before Scourge’s devastation.

  He and the others reached the end of the tunnel and stepped into something that was certainly crafted by hands of long ago. The tunnel opened into a sprawling courtyard that was hollowed out of the ridge’s rocky makeup. The floor and walls were as smooth as those in the regal halls of Tordale Castle, the stone having been expertly hewn by the ancient engineers of a past age. They were so polished, and still so pristine, that they glimmered like marble underneath the bright desert sun.

  Two rows of obelisks ran across the center of the space, each standing at least twenty feet tall. Their sides were filled by glyphs that had been carved into their surfaces—the script of a language that likely had not been written elsewhere, or even spoken, in thousands of years.

  The columns of obelisks concluded at another yawning entryway. Like the first one that the party passed through, it was elaborately cut into the sandstone that formed the ridge. Standing atop the arched threshold were a pair of huge statues that were fashioned out of the same rock as the rest of the courtyard. The giant effigies depicted Xogun and Ralu. The Sage of Valor stood with his sword in hand, encased in armor, mask over his face. Beside him stood Ralu. Both lifted their heads, their expressions fixed on the sky. Ralu held her right arm close to her chest, covering her heart with her hand. Both she and Xogun reached skyward with open palms. The gesture made it appear a
s if they were trying to grasp something, perhaps the heavens above.

  Most of the group was captivated by the amazing sights as they passed through the courtyard, but Alamor’s attention was seized only by the entryway beneath the great statues, and the mystical presence that dwelled within.

  He felt it the moment he stepped beyond the mouth of the tunnel. Similar to how he detected Raissa’s Serenity, it was like a beacon calling out to him from afar. Its cries emanated from somewhere deep within the chambers of the Sandstone Mausoleum, and its echoes traveled far enough to reach the courtyard and whisper to Alamor’s spirit.

  This magic was very different from Raissa’s, however. Alamor recognized this immediately by the fact that the magic was not deliberately searching for him, but was simply so immense that he could sense what was exuded in the distance. He also realized that it was not from just one source, but many, and none of them were living creatures. Even where he stood, Alamor felt the presence of magic from Spiritcasters and Champions of Light from long ago. Similar to when he walked within the Jade Keep, he perceived the souls of those ancient heroes who once drew breath in his world, but remained within the Sandstone Mausoleum’s chambers to watch over the portal to one of Tordale’s greatest treasures—the Radia of Hope.

  “You can sense it, can’t you?” Raissa asked as she stood beside Alamor.

  He nodded wordlessly, never looking away from the entrance ahead.

  “Your Serenity has grown even more than you may realize,” Raissa told him. “To detect this kind of magic is a very difficult feat, especially given where, and who, that magic emanates from.”

  “I definitely wasn’t able to do this when we were in the Jade Keep,” Alamor noted. “At least, not until we were nearly right on top of it by the portal to the Hallowed Plane. Maybe you’re right about how my own magic has grown.”

  “I’m sure of it,” Raissa said, not a trace of uncertainty in her voice. “You’ve become a true Champion of Light.”

  Even though it was one of the greatest compliments anybody could pay Alamor, he did not revel in it. His focus remained pinpointed on their task at hand. “Let’s hope that it’s enough for us to walk out of here with the Radia of Hope,” he said. Alamor then turned and looked back at his other companions behind him. “Raissa and I will head inside,” he announced, and spared a glance in Joth’s direction, as well. “There’s no need for any of you to follow.”

  “Are you sure of that?” Joth asked. “I may not have explored the entirety of the temple, but I can at least guide you through some of the early hallways and chambers.”

  “I appreciate you wanting to help,” Alamor replied, “but we won’t need a guide. We’ll be able to find our way on our own.”

  Joth’s expression leveled; he seemed to understand that Alamor was implying his and Raissa’s ability to follow a magical presence. Still, there was a hint of concern in Joth’s eyes as he looked back at the entrance. “It just doesn’t feel right to send you two in there all alone when there’s so many of us available to come with you,” he explained. “It’s likely been a couple of months since anyone from the Azure Sands Outpost stepped inside, and far longer for the parts you two will be venturing through. There’s no telling what traps may lay there, or if some wild creature has managed to find its way inside.”

  “There were no other living things inside the Jade Keep,” Raissa said. “These temples built by Spiritcasters and Champions of Light have certain…ways of keeping dangerous, unwanted things out of their halls.”

  “As for any potential traps,” Alamor continued. “If Raissa and I wouldn’t be able to overcome them on our own, then we’re probably not capable of wielding the Radia of Hope in the first place.” He and Raissa faced Joth with their unflinching expressions, the young magic users making it very clear that had no intention to relent.

  The Captain of the Azure Sands Outpost could only stare back at their determined faces for a few moments before he looked behind them. “Tiroku, what do you think?”

  All eyes fell to the Champion of Light, who stood with his arms crossed and a stoic expression over his aged features. He did not answer immediately, but seemed to contemplate his choices as everyone waited on his response.

  “They have accomplished it before, and they will have to do so once again,” Tiroku finally said. He gradually approached Alamor and Raissa as he continued to speak. “I have my own worries about what awaits them inside, just as you do, Joth, but what Alamor said before is true—they cannot hope to use the power of Ralu’s Radia if they will be stopped by what possible dangers are inside the Sandstone Mausoleum.” He finished just as he came to Alamor and Raissa. He looked only at them, his firm eyes sending their own message along with his words. “They are ready to meet this task.”

  “I’m with Master Tiroku on this,” Rawner added with a broad smile. “Alamor and Raissa have handled far worse than a few dark and dusty hallways. There’s no two people better in the whole kingdom to take care of this.”

  The Bachus appeared to be just as supportive as Rawner. “We’ve got complete confidence in you two young’ns,” Hinton said, he and Pauma flashing smiles to Alamor and Raissa. “You’ll find that next Radia in no time, I’m sure! I only wish some of my Blueblaze candles had survived our little dip into the ocean, I would’ve loaned you my lantern for you to take in there.”

  Alamor smiled back at the Bachus. “Don’t worry, if the Sandstone Mausoleum is anything like the Jade Keep, there will be more than enough torches lighting the way inside. The magic that remains in there seems to make sure the flames never burn out.” He glanced over his shoulder at his sword’s hilt as it jutted from its sheath, and then briefly at Raissa. “And if we’re really desperate, our own magic will be able to help us.”

  Behind him, Joth let out an audible sigh—a sign of admission that the man would no longer argue with their plan. Once Alamor and Raissa turned and faced him, Joth stepped out of their way and gestured toward the entrance. “Be on your way then,” he said, evidently making an effort to appear encouraging, despite his pleas falling on deaf ears. “May you succeed just as you did before.”

  Alamor and Raissa nodded to him, and then nodded back at the rest of their friends as a final show of reassurance. They only shared a fleeting look at one another before they started forward and entered the Sandstone Mausoleum.

  22

  The hallway that brought Alamor and Raissa into the depths of the Sandstone Mausoleum was cramped compared to the tunnel that led to the courtyard. Its walls were spaced just far enough apart for them to walk side by side, and the ceiling rose no more than eight feet high. Also unlike the earlier tunnel, which ran straight, this hallway took numerous twists and turns, snaking throughout the massive ridge like a maze. After no more than a minute inside, Alamor’s and Raissa’s view of their friends and the courtyard was cut off by the hallway’s shadowy walls.

  Spindles of light fell through many holes and crevices above, illuminating portions of what would otherwise have been a pitch black passage. As Alamor and Raissa continued along, he noticed a uniform pattern to their placement in the ceiling, and there were far more than he would have expected to find from mere erosion. It seemed as though the tiny gaps were deliberately cut into the rock by the engineers who built the Sandstone Mausoleum long ago.

  No matter their origin, Alamor was thankful to see so many shafts of light as he and Raissa made their way deeper. Without them, he would not have even been able to see Raissa beside him, at least not without one of the two summoning their Serenity. Given the strenuous spells that would be necessary to take them into the Hallowed Plane, and then what would likely be necessary for them to obtain Ralu’s Radia, they hoped they would not have to deplete their magic for anything but last resorts.

  When the narrow passage finally ended, it brought a welcome change of scenery—a huge chamber that must have run one hundred yards across. As soon as they stepped beyond the tight, murky hallway and entered the chamber, Alamo
r and Raissa felt refreshed by the clean air that filled the space. It spilled in through windows carved high into the walls, flowing to the floor some fifty feet below. Those same windows also granted passage to great shafts of light that sent all shadows retreating to the chamber’s furthest corners.

  Two rows of rounded pillars connected the floor to the tall ceiling. Each one was thicker than the trunk of an old willow tree. Series of caskets were set at their bases, sometimes in such great numbers that the caskets filled the space from one pillar to the next. Most of the caskets were made of stone, but Alamor spotted several others that appeared to be fashioned out of wood. He assumed that the ones made from stone were from ages ago when the Sandstone Mausoleum was first constructed, while the ones made of wood were brought by the folk of the Azure Sands Outpost in more recent times.

  After initially being overjoyed to walk within the huge chamber, Alamor soon found his spirits leveling.

  “There must be hundreds of people buried here,” he said as the sobering realization fell over him.

  “Likely more than that,” Raissa noted.

  “You think there are other burial chambers besides this one?” Alamor asked.

  “Most definitely,” Raissa answered. “But I think that there are even more in this chamber than within the caskets.”

  Alamor’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean by that?”

  “The walls,” Raissa said, pointing to one side of the enormous room.

  Alamor followed Raissa to the wall, and noticed that the lower half wore a greyish surface dappled in black, what Alamor assumed to be granite. It was a stark contrast from the rest of the chamber’s appearance, which was clearly hewn out of the sandstone that built up the ridge. Upon further inspection, Alamor saw that the granite portion of the wall was fashioned in a grid-like design. Each square block was the same exact size as all of the others, and they were lined up so evenly that there did not appear to be an inch’s disparity between any two. Alamor also noticed some kind of ancient script written over each of them. When he saw that it was the very same that wrapped about the pillars in the courtyard, he finally knew what each block represented.