by J D Cowan
Ordopha pointed to the pit. “You don’t hear that?”
“Hear what?”
“Listen!”
He glanced down into the void below. It was impossible to see anything through the downpour and thick wall of white mist and distant green fog, and the hard raindrops and thunder didn’t help. But he caught a subtle sound in the abyss. The rustling of footsteps and breaking stone crumbled from far below. The blasted frogs followed them from underneath.
“These things don’t give up,” he mused.
“Forget them! The gold is just ahead!”
“Hey! Jason says we’re close.”
The brother and sister made Shaula go first. After some pouting she obliged them. After she made it across, the witch wiped the hem of her robe.
“I hope for your sake that Jason is correct.”
“I thought you trusted him?”
“Jason is an honest boy, not a smart one.”
“She’s right. I trusted her. Ugly witch.”
Matthew nodded. “You can say that again.”
Both Shaula and Jason agreed without knowing who he actually referred to. Ordopha and Alain soon joined them on the other side. The mountains shook around them.
Alain let his breath catch up with him. “Where is the boy taking us, Matthew?”
“He thinks we’re close to that place in his dreams.”
“Those visions were enough to run us out in the rain with those things on our backs?” Alain grumbled. “You had me abandon my kin for this? I was fine following him before, but not after we found someone who could help.”
“What do you expect, Alain? There’s nowhere else to run. We don’t know where the others are, and we’re being swarmed by those frog freaks. If you have a better idea, I’d like to hear it.”
“I’d much rather be slain in battle than run from them.”
“You and me both. But it’s not just us, is it? You have to think of Jason . . . and your sister.” He pointed to Ordopha. “Do you want to see her die in a place like this? I sure as hell don’t.”
“Please, you two.” Ordopha piped up. “For now we should trust Jason. We will find the others when the storm clears.”
“I am only asking for an explanation,” her brother answered. “I deserve that much.”
She rubbed her eyes free of rain. “Do you want to end up like Case? Jason is injured, and our enemies are still in pursuit. No more death. Stop arguing and let’s go!”
For the first time since this whole mess started, Matthew really looked at her. When he lived in the city, he met many women. None of them did much more than offer momentary entertainment. Ordopha had no filter. He didn’t even know if she did it on purpose or if she was just that trusting. Her clear eyes always locked onto his, her graceful hands always ready for the bow, and her thoughts always on those around her. She reminded him of a world he had thought long abandoned. He’d forgotten there were people like that.
“What are you staring at, man?”
Dumb kid.
He ignored Jason. “Alain. Ordopha. I’m moving on. Are you coming?”
“Of course,” Alain replied. “Who do you think I am?”
The group glided down rock paths and fought against the blowing storm. They followed the roads down into a closed cavern embedded in the mountainside.
The way was at least forty feet long and only six or so wide. The narrow crevice allowed shelter from the rain but little room. At the end remained a tall flat wall that stretched on at twice Matthew’s height. Matthew led with Ordopha, Shaula, and Alain in the rear.
Jason exited Matthew’s head. He reformed in time for Shaula call out from behind them.
“Finally you return, Jason. Now maybe you can explain where we are. All I see is another dirty cave for the filth out here. Will you be sleeping in the trash once more?”
Alain seized her by the arm and lead her deeper inside. “You know much of filth, witch. Keep your lips fastened. Explain, Jason.”
“Give me a second,” he responded.
Ordopha’s brother faced the cave opening where the downpour continued unabated. He tightened his hold on Shaula’s shoulder and pushed her toward the cave entrance. Alain kept watch on the opening with her at his side.
Matthew leaned against the cave wall, and Ordopha joined him. They watched Jason stare at the flat surface mumbling to no one in particular. He ran his hand against the solid stone wall at the end of the path. Matthew and Ordopha remained alone together in the center.
Outside the rain poured harder. Any sound of the frog men had been lost to the storm. Matthew breathed a sigh of relief.
“How long have you been doing this?” he asked Ordopha.
“Excuse me?”
“Taking care of your brother and the others. You’ve been doing it for long?”
She laughed nervously. “I hope this is not an indirect way to ask my age.”
“I may be insensitive, but I’m not that dumb. I’m asking because you’re shaking a lot.”
“That would be the cold.”
“Not shivering. Your hands have been twitching. You weren’t doing that before those frog men showed up. You miss your friends.”
“This is unlike you. Normally I would expect this from Jason.”
“I’m just curious. We have some time to kill, so give me a hint. What did you do in that prison?”
Ordopha took a moment to think before she locked her stare with his. Those grey eyes betrayed a depth within them that hid a world from him. Finally, she bit her lip.
“Our parents died three years ago. They were the last to be slain in the Trial Bridge. When we get to a certain age, we are sent to the arena and fight against impossible odds. We don’t always return—they didn’t. The ones you met? We are all that is left.”
Matthew shook the dampness from his hair. Water drops leaped off. He needed a moment to tackle this revelation.
“I’m not privy to Shaula’s master or his plans,” he replied, “but I’m sure he thinks everything is born to be a sacrifice to him. Did your parents ever say anything of the outside world?”
“They were raised here, too. Their ancestors, as well. All we learned about the outside was of the God Beyond Sunsets. He is the one that waits for us to reach Him and the end of our long day.”
“So you don’t know anything about Tyndarus.”
She blinked and laughed softly in a gentle whisper. “You make me sound as if I were an automaton with no thoughts of my own, Matthew.”
“I just meant that you haven’t seen or heard anything beyond Nieto’s city.”
“Truth be told, I’m a bit afraid of what lies outside. I never expected we would get this far. Is there anything out there? I have spent late nights worrying about it.”
He held back a laugh. “I’m sure it can’t be as bad as all this. I’m more worried about whatever it that is messing with Jason’s head. He’s losing it.”
She sighed as if a weight had lifted from her. “Of all of us, I worry about his head the least. It’s his body that needs training.”
“That goes for both of us. Tell me, Ordopha. You must have heard a story or some speculation from the lizards about Tyndarus.”
“I’ve learned only what I’ve learned by deception or thievery, and only in that cramped castle. All I know is that the Great Sorcerer King fled the outer world of Tyndarus ages ago. Why he left is a mystery no one ever talks about. It is almost as mysterious as you.”
“Me?” Matthew recoiled. “I’m mysterious? How so?”
“We helped each other escape, and you know more of us than we of you.” She winked. “That isn’t quite fair, is it?”
His mouth opened but no words escaped. He finally coughed them out. “There’s nothing to tell. I don’t mean that cryptically. I mean that there’s nothing to me. I’m just a man who was chosen for a simple job. But if you want to know more then, we should save it for when we’re out of here.”
She outstretched her hand. “Prom
ise?”
“Promise.”
They shook and shared a small laugh.
“Hey!” Jason called out. “I think I’ve figured it out.”
The boy crouched by the flat wall and dug deep into the dirt. When he finally spoke up, Alain nearly jumped out of his skin.
Matthew stepped up behind him with Ordopha in tow. After a few more moments Alain and Shaula also crossed over from the entrance. Still, the boy plunged his fingers deeper into the dirt and dug furiously.
“Well?” Matthew broke the silence. “What exactly is this, Jason?”
“I can’t get under.”
“It’s a solid wall. Why are you trying to get under it?”
Jason slammed a fist on the dirt and stood up before the group. “This is a door. We need to get on the other side. I can’t figure out how to open it. See the crease right here? But there’s nothing to grab onto, so I can’t pull it.”
“Why not use Pollux?” Alain suggested. “Surely it has recovered some strength by now.”
“It doesn’t work that way. Pollux is part of me. We share the same energy. We’re both spent.”
“Fascinating,” Shaula whispered. She watched him intently.
Alain ignored her. “In other words, the reason you were hurt earlier is because you are not strong enough to use it?”
“Alain!” Ordopha exclaimed.
“What did I say, Ord? It wasn’t a lie, was it?”
“No,” Jason interrupted. “You’re right. I’m learning to parse it out. I got through Richter without losing control, but I used too much getting us out of that dead end. Anyway, that’s not the point. Even if I could smash it, there’s no guarantee it won’t come down on us. We need a way in.”
“How about Matthew?” Ordopha asked. “Castor still has strength, yes?”
“It does.” Matthew thought on it a second. There was a chance he could get through. He placed his hand on the small crease at the base. “I’m not sure if I can get in. It’s a tight fit, and I can’t see any light at all. How thick is this gate? If I run out of power getting through I’m dead.”
“That’s why I was digging. See? There’s less than half an inch. You can turn into water and go under to the other side.”
“Not that I don’t trust you, Jason, but this whole gold thing has been weird from the get-go. If you’ve seen this place in your dream then don’t you have any hint on getting in?”
“I told you that I only ever saw gold through the cracks. I don’t know what’s in there at all.”
“Then this is a gamble.”
Alain sighed. “Leaving the others was already a risk. They will never forgive us if we return with nothing.”
“That’s easy for you to say, Alain,” Ordopha cut in. “You are not the one who has to risk his life going inside. We should wait for the storm to pass and return to the others.”
“No way,” Matthew answered. “I’m not going to waste this chance. Sure, the kid might be wrong, but there’s a chance he’s right.” He took a hard breath. Putting all his chips on Jason was not a plan he wanted to rely on. “Just step back in case I open this thing.”
Before anyone could respond, Matthew let Castor loose. His body sunk into the ground with a splash, and he squeezed into the crack. It was a tight fit, but not as difficult as he expected.
He slipped out the other end after only a foot in pitch darkness. Dust motes and thin ash streaked the empty stone carved hall. He did not transform back for the simple reason that he couldn’t see anything ahead.
Matthew streaked forward, sliding against the gravel floor. He felt around the edges. The pathway stretched easily twenty feet wide which meant the outer tunnels blocked the door. A switch or lever should be on this side.
Onward he traveled, but the floor shifted underneath him. Before he could gather his bearings, gravel broke open, and he fell through into black darkness.
A trap!
Long spikes stabbed through him. Red streaks of pain reverberated through his watery form. Thankfully the holes gouged out instantly refilled but the burn split through him like a needle injection of fire. He hit the jagged ground of the pit with a splash.
He landed in a narrow crevice with no way out. Spikes littered the small pit. He would have to transform to get out.
However, the pikes were too close together. He didn’t know what would happen if he reformed, but he would have to risk it. Castor slipped a little, and the pain lit his soul on fire. He couldn’t leave the others stranded out there.
Matthew reformed in the pit, his body growing and solidifying back into shape. As he pulled himself together, the stone spikes buckled and shifted, breaking under his weight. His skin was harder than stone. The trap shattered against him, laying several of the pikes to pieces. He was whole again, as was his skin. It solidified hard for the brief moment he transformed back.
After slowly climbing out, his reddened vision allowed him a momentary glance of the surrounding darkness. The narrow path from the door stretched onward, but ahead of him, a small groove in the wall waited. There he spotted a lever.
Matthew used Castor again, this time for mist as he floated forward over any possible pits. Thankfully, concentration came easier this time.
He reached the lever and became normal again. To his left sloping upwards he spotted a hallway that went on for twice the length of the current one. At the very end was a sharp turn to the right with a glowing light.
The pale light shone of gold. Jason’s dream was right.
Matthew hit the switch. Stones and tightening gears shifted behind him in the walls. The large door opened. Stone and rock slid apart as the outside wind blew in.
The spikes made him think twice about the whole expedition. Whoever built this place did not want them there, and if it held a relic like the Gemini Bracelets then maybe they had a point.
As the door swung open, he thought he saw Shaula’s toothy grin flashing with the lightning. Whatever happened he would make sure she got nothing.
Even if it cost him everything.
Chapter 10
Empire of Gold
Matthew warned the group about the spikes before they entered. Thankfully the faded light from the outside storm gave some visibility to the tunnel. Falling on those spikes had sent pitchforks of pain into his chest, and without his powers, he’d be dead. The others wouldn’t be so lucky.
Alain checked the floor for any further traps. Several pokes of his sword revealed false coverings carefully laid out over more pitfalls. The holes were arranged in a jagged diagonal pattern from the left wall back to the right. The only other sights were grooves in the walls and ceiling, but nothing came from them. This setup was almost too elaborate.
No one had been in this place in ages.
When the others made it to the branching pathway, he plainly asked Shaula what she knew.
“I’m sorry, Matthew. Not everything in this world is related to me or my love.”
“You wanted Jason to find this place, and you don’t know what’s here?”
“I’m here for a relic left here thousands of years before my birth. How could I possibly know what was hidden here? And before you ask, no, my love did not put it here. Every world has its own relic, and they are all as potentially powerful as yours. It is no wonder this hideous place has been left so well guarded.”
“Nobody has been in here in years. The torches are extinguished. You’re telling me this isn’t magic? This is the relic you’ve been looking for?”
She scanned the light with a furtive glance. “That is an excellent query. What say we find out?”
“You’re crazier than I thought if you think I’m just going to let you lead. Magic or not, I’m not trusting you. I’m going first again to see if there are any more traps.”
“I’m not convinced there are any,” Alain interrupted. “The ground had been softened and dug up with the stones plainly sticking out. The floor ahead is stable and solid. But check regardless.”
> “Sure. Anything I should look for?”
Alain scanned the dark through slitted eyes. “Off-center plates or grooves on any solid surface. Don’t trust anything that can be pushed. This witch had traps all over the castle like those.”
“It keeps rats out,” she sneered. “And in.”
Alain grumbled. “I would remove your tongue if we had the moment to spare.”
“Alright, I’m going,” Matthew said.
He transformed into mist and flew toward the light. This form he had a total three-dimensional view around him. It would also be harder to fall into any more pits this way. But there were no spots like the previous path—no badly placed floor traps or grooves along the walls. It appeared Alain was right and the traps were finished.
Around the corner, he found another lever in a wall groove. Before he could figure its purpose out, he glimpsed what was beyond it. Gold light beamed through the jamb of the great gates. The relic had to be the source.
If he hit the lever, it might set off another trap. He would have to gamble.
He carried Ordopha and Alain before the crash. Could he carry them all again?
Making sure there was nothing to land on, he reformed beside the lever.
“You guys should all go back outside,” he called around the corner.
Eerie vibrations ran along his spine. No matter how he tried to rationalize it away, he couldn’t do it. Some seedier presence hid nearby, watching and waiting.
They assented to his request and disappeared back the way they came. After waiting few moments, Alain yelled that they were outside the door again.
Matthew took the metal lever between sweating palms. There would be only a split second to transform when he pulled it, and he needed to be sure he could. He prayed that it would hold a bit longer. They were so close.
Gooseflesh prickled his skin as he threw the lever. The ceiling rumbled above him as did the hallway behind. He transformed—but it wasn’t fast enough.
Stones in the ceiling slammed down upon him. Pain flashed as the rocks broke apart and the rubble dug into his back, but they didn’t break anything. His body hardened just before transformation, just as it had when he was in the pit. He became fog, and the stones fell through him. Metal tinged in his chest—the bomb? The rest of the rocks fell through his ethereal form. Crimson lights surged through him.
