by Jeremy Dwyer
“Is it? Just wait and see,” Pandaros said.
The floor in the middle of the room began to separate and Pandaros and Seleukos found themselves on opposite sides of a twenty (20) foot wide chasm which extended one hundred ten (110) feet in length from one side of the chamber to the other. Nov’Talod found himself on the same side as Seleukos.
“No: a trap would have killed us. This mechanism merely rearranged the room. There may be something hidden down there,” Nov’Talod said, fascinated by all of this, and peering over the edge into the chasm.
Murtagh, Quanda, Dagr and Netuno found themselves pushed into the large room with the turning gears and a chasm in the floor, on the same side as a pair of other men, one (1) of whom generated light.
“You may have arrived just in time for the revelation of something intriguing,” Nov’Talod said as the other men came near him.
“The gears are still turning,” Murtagh said.
“The walls don’t appear to be moving anymore,” Netuno said.
“The mechanism has another purpose, then,” Quanda said.
“You might be looking in the wrong direction. Try looking somewhere else and see if anything else is happening,” Dagr said to Netuno.
Lady Onora, Romana, Desmond, Celio, Anan, Lady Ismene, Jaguar, Portia and the Chronicler Alonso found themselves pushed into the large room with the turning gears and a chasm in the floor, on the same side as a lone man who had a machete in his belt and wore a backpack. The two (2) Hidden Paladins were there as well, still under the cloak of darkness.
“You again!” Portia said, looking at the man with the machete.
“That means that we’ve come to the right place!” Romana said, also recognizing the man with the machete.
“You know him?” Anan asked.
“He took the luminary!” Portia said.
“Which probably means that you’ve also been lighting them!” Romana said.
Pandaros looked at the women and sized up their reinforcements. He was concerned that they might be ready to strike and so he began walking toward the chasm, stopping at its edge.
“Strike at me and you will learn nothing of their location, and they will remain lit, so that the world will remain in darkness,” Pandaros said.
Taking their cue from his admission of guilt, the pair of Hidden Paladins began moving through the room – which was illuminated with the light generated by Celio on their side of the chasm and the light generated by Seleukos and Netuno on the other side – and toward Pandaros, whom they only knew as the man with the machete. The Hidden Paladins planned on capturing him alive, without knocking him into the chasm, so that he could be made to answer questions. Before they reached him, however, a square stone slab – twenty (20) feet on a side – came up from the chasm and partially filled the gap in the cave floor to reconnect the sides of the room. There were still large gaps on either side of the slab – forty-five (45) feet on either side – so that the seemingly bottomless pit below was still largely exposed.
Atop that stone slab was a cubic block of stone six (6) feet on a side. Protruding from the top of it were eight (8) black crystals, each having the shape of a candle and what looked like a wick protruding from it. The gears immediately stopped turning.
Alonso quickly drew an elaborate diagram of the gear mechanism that was visible and its operation, as well as the stone slab that was lifted up, along with the stone block and the black crystals upon it, recording all of these things into his book.
Pandaros immediately recognized the crystals and started grabbing at them, and the pair of Hidden Paladins followed him.
“Those are the luminaries! Get them first!” Portia said.
Portia, Romana, Celio, Jaguar, Desmond, Anan and Lady Onora moved forward to take the black crystals before the man with the machete could.
Dagr and Netuno believed that the black crystals were likely luminaries and moved in to take them.
Nov’Talod found the objects to be of interest and decided that he would investigate for himself.
Pandaros looked at Seleukos and then looked at the other man who generated light nearby him. Pandaros then made a hand gesture to Seleukos, signaling to him that he should no longer generate light.
Only two (2) men were providing any illumination at that point. Seleukos knew what to do about the man near him, however, and he drew a dagger and penetrated the man’s neck.
Netuno felt a dagger pierce his jugular vein and the blood spilled quickly, so that he no longer generated light, or breathed again, falling down dead.
After this, Pandaros drew his machete and swung it at the man on his side of the chasm who still made light.
Celio felt the machete slice through his neck and he fell to the ground, dead. The room in the cave went completely dark as he no longer generated light.
Pandaros then concentrated on the spirit world, calling out to restless souls, who came up out of the exposed pit in a swarm and filled the room.
The two (2) Hidden Paladins operated in darkness, but could not see the man who had done this, for their powers of darkness could not illuminate the darkness of the cave.
Pandaros then reached out in the darkness to where the black crystals were and managed to pull three (3) of them from atop the stone block – they were cold to the touch, so he was sure that these were the luminaries he sought. He then reached to take the rest of them, but found that they were already gone. Something struck at him in the darkness and he dropped one (1) of the crystals.
Not wishing to lose what he had obtained in search of more, Pandaros then called to other spirits so that one (1) of them could help him find his way, and he followed it. The spirit he summoned led him out of the cave.
The swarm of spirits from the pit attacked until nearly everyone in the room was under assault, except for the Chronicler Alonso, who was protected.
Seleukos tried to follow Pandaros, but was attacked by the swarm of spirits and knocked backward, falling into the exposed pit and to his death.
~~~
The spirit of Seleukos then appeared in a different dark place, filled with confusion. He heard a deep and terrifying voice speak to him, saying: “In life, you gave your light, so that darkness could be found. You took the lives of others, only to discover your own death.”
“Who are you? What is this place?” the spirit of Seleukos asked.
“I am Gadamalto, Master of Spirits in this, the Maelstrom of Vengeance. Here, you will suffer eternally. You will endure darkness and death as you have dealt to others, only the pain of the death will never end, and the confusion of the darkness will never give way to light,” the deep and terrifying voice said.
Gadamalto then tormented the spirit of Seleukos horribly in a maelstrom of darkness, pain and confusion that was eternal.
~~~
Lady Onora knelt down in the darkness and prayed: “I pray to Thee, One True God, to dispel these wicked souls, and grant us protection, that we may fulfill Thy Mission, and rid the world of this unrighteous darkness.”
Lady Ismene began to concentrate on the spirits to dispel them, but many of them left before she could do anything.
However, the spirits were followed by still more spirits, and still more, and still more, seemingly numbering in the thousands.
The spirits were luminescent and they could be seen leaving the cave chamber.
~~~
Lady Ismene followed the luminescent spirits, and by their low light she was able to find something on the ground. She felt a cold black crystal that had been dropped and she secretly took it, not wishing to let it fall into the hands of anyone else who might have ill intentions. She wasn’t entirely sure who could be trusted, but she was sure that the object should never be lit. Lady Ismene continued to follow the luminescent spirits, and thereby managed to escape the cave. She traveled out to the coast where she found a port and booked passage on a ship to distant lands. She planned to keep the black crystal – which was cold to the touch and had a wick li
ke that of a candle – as a closely guarded secret.
~~~
Murtagh, Dagr and Quanda were able to follow the luminescent spirits, as well, escaping the cave. They wandered through the mountains for hours but managed to find a port and book passage on a ship by which to travel to the east.
Inside their cabin on the ship, Murtagh said to the remnant of his group: "We lost Netuno and Giacomo! The bad luck followed us into that cave, and struck twice.”
“We have it,” Dagr said, holding out a black crystal.
Murtagh looked at it and felt it and said: “It’s cold to the touch.”
Quanda analyzed the crystal closely – looking deep into its structure using the powers that the Kazofen waters gave him – and said: “It’s definitely onyx.”
“It’s shaped like a candle, sure enough,” Murtagh said.
“We just need to make sure that no one lights it,” Dagr said.
“And make sure that we don’t run into the guy with the machete again,” Quanda said.
“It was the other guy who killed Netuno,” Dagr said.
“We know what they look like. They’re as good as dead if we find them again,” Murtagh said.
“After we ask them a few questions, like where they’re keeping the other luminaries,” Dagr said.
“Might not be that easy. I’m betting it was one of them who called the ghosts…just a hunch, though,” Murtagh said.
“The only light that got us out of there was the glow of the ghosts, so they weren’t all bad,” Quanda said.
“That’s strange, but true,” Dagr said.
“Ghosts are still bad luck to have around, so don’t be too happy about it,” Murtagh said.
~~~
Nov’Talod followed the luminescent spirits out of the cave, but not before getting his hands on one (1) of the black crystals. The swarm of spirits traveled to the coast, and by their luminescence he was able to follow them to a port.
The swarm of spirits soon flew out over the sea, filled with anger at the one who had killed them more than at the one who had summoned them. They headed toward the east, and their number was in the thousands.
Concerned only with enjoying his freedom – despite the darkness of the twilight sky – Nov’Talod hired transport to travel north, thinking it an opportune time to find a new location for meditation, and to ponder the significance of this black crystal which was cold to the touch and shaped like a candle, including having a wick.
~~~
Soon, however, the swarm of spirits emerging from the pit came to an end. They had all escaped the cave, so that they no longer provided their luminescence. The cave was left entirely dark, and some were still lost inside of it. Lady Onora was among them, and she planned on a different means of escape. She drank anew of the waters of the Pirovalen Ocean from her vial and was energized. Words came to her and she began singing:
We are lost in dark and winding ways,
With nothing to illuminate.
Night skies take the place of days
Hearts are filled with pride and hate.
We seek the path to liberty
From this maze and every lethal snare.
We reject the depravity,
Of those who bring death and despair.
(Refrain)
Lead us from this evil place...so your purpose we can fulfill.
Bestow on us your saving grace...so we can heal this world so ill.
Around us ancient secrets hide,
With power to bring endless pain.
To guard them, innocents have died,
So the wicked could not thereby gain.
We hope to walk on freedom’s trail,
And escape from this tomb of old,
We yearn to see the wicked fail,
When faced with righteousness so bold.
(Refrain)
Candles burn that give no light:
Their false flames darken all the skies.
The power mad have brought this blight.
The world is haunted by their lies.
We pray to see far and explore,
Beyond this valley of the blind.
We now endeavor to restore,
The light of day where truth can shine.
(Refrain)
A beam of light from an unknown origin illuminated the cave, making passage through it possible. The light bent around corners, forming a specific path.
Romana, Desmond, Portia, Jaguar, Anan, the Chronicler Alonso and the pair of Hidden Paladins all followed Lady Onora as she followed the beam of light which led them through the winding cave. Along the way, Romana spotted thirty (30) metal coins on the cave floor and picked them up. Various dangerous animals – scorpions and spiders – were nearby, but the creatures did not disturb them, staying away from the beam of light, instead.
The path of the beam of light was very different from the path by which they entered, and it led them out to the coast near a port. There, they hired transport on a ship headed to Emeth, paying with the coins Romana had found, which were made of platinum and covered their costs exactly.
“Lucky find,” Desmond said as Romana paid the fare to board the ship.
“It was more than luck,” Romana said.
Being a Chronicler, Alonso did not have to pay for travel. The Hidden Paladins remained with them and concealed by the cloak of darkness – in order that they could continue to give their protection – thus, they traveled without payment, as well.
The group then boarded the ship and went to their cabin to have privacy for their return voyage. While there, Portia looked at the single black crystal which she held.
“There were eight (8) luminaries. We have one (1). Only one (1),” Portia said.
“That’s because you are slow. I am fast, so I have two (2),” Jaguar said, holding up a pair of black crystals.
“Never underestimate the importance of speed,” Anan said, smiling.
“His speed saved my life, so I have to agree with you,” Desmond said.
“That makes three (3) that can’t be lit,” Romana said, smiling.
“Did the guy with the machete get the other five (5) is the question,” Anan said.
“Where’s Ismene?” Romana asked.
“You think she has one (1) of them?” Lady Onora asked.
“She just might,” Romana said.
“If she does, can she be trusted?” Lady Onora asked.
“I think so. She knows not to light it. We all got the warning,” Desmond said.
“Assuming she has no ill intent,” Anan said.
“She’s not evil. But we know who is,” Jaguar said.
“We know some of our adversaries, not all of them. There were plenty of other people in that cavern, and any of them could have one (1) or more of the other five (5) luminaries,” Anan said.
“We’ll have to watch the skies, and see how much darker they get,” Portia said.
“These things can’t be destroyed, can they?” Romana asked.
“Supposedly not,” Desmond said.
“That’s why they have to be hidden, so we don’t all stumble and die in the darkness,” Portia said.
“Celio died helping us to find them. I worked with him for years. He was a decent fellow, and smart,” Desmond said.
“We have to remember those who gave their lives to do what is right. And pray for them, that their souls find peace with the One True God,” Lady Onora said.
“You believe in that mythology? I wish I could,” Desmond said.
“You believe in the myth of people suddenly coming into being? We’re not that powerful. There is a single, True God who loves us and created us, by His Power,” Lady Onora said.
“Good people are those who are willing to make peace with Him, admit their faults, and accept His Sacrifice and His Forgiveness,” Romana said.
“You believe in it, too? I know there are ghosts – or leftover energy after people die – but an all-powerful being is stretching credulity. This is a worl
d of danger, and death,” Desmond said.
“I believe He gives the light which can end the darkness forever,” Romana said.
“Just like he gave the light after the song – the light which led us out of the caverns,” Lady Onora said.
“What is He waiting for? Why not end the darkness in the whole world now?” Desmond asked.
“For people to believe. An act of faith can unlock wonders, but you have to form the relationship with the One True God for yourself. We can only lead you to Him,” Lady Onora said.
“There are spirits who give light, and ones who give darkness. How can one (1) spirit give light and end darkness forever?” Jaguar asked.
“The same True God that called into existence every world and every living being has existed always and will exist always, and is just all powerful. It’s too much to fully understand. That is why you need faith, and you must reach out,” Romana said.
“And He loves us so much that he sacrificed to give us forgiveness, and suffered greatly due to our evil actions and thoughts and words. His Mercy is such that he did not destroy us, in the way that we deserved. You look at the world and see cruelty and madness and murder: that’s what people do with the powers of the oceans, and it proves they are twisted and evil. Yet, He still forgives us, out of His Love. In time, each of us will come to experience the truth, when our time here comes to an end,” Lady Onora said.
“I hope you’re right. I’ve lived a life without love. Some people died to protect these horrors, I lived to protect one, and it felt like death: every day was pain and lies, fear and anger,” Portia said, holding one (1) of the three (3) newest luminaries.
“Let go of those things and those feelings and seek Him, and accept His Truth and His Love, and His Forgiveness,” Romana said.
“Just don’t let go of those little black crystals,” Anan said, looking at both Portia and Jaguar.
“I don’t want to go through that again. I don’t want to be the one to have to hide this luminary. And it’s not a life you’re going to want either,” Portia said, looking to both Anan and Jaguar.
“You’re not going to hide them. The old man will know what to do with the luminaries, and where to keep them,” Anan said.
