by F. P. Spirit
He spread his arms, pointing out the company they were in. Ruka let out a short laugh. “Actually, it’s not as bad as you think.”
“How’s that?” Aksel strode up to them with Sir Craven and Alana by his side.
Ruka’s mouth twisted into another smirk. “There really isn’t much of a river anymore this far west. It’s more like a couple of streams.”
Elladan shook his head, a half smile crossing his lips. “Well, why didn’t you just say so in the first place?”
Ruka shrugged. “You didn’t ask me.”
Crossing the two tributaries to the West Stromen went smoother than expected. It turned out that neither river was very wide, nor deep. Thus the riders were able to easily wade across both streams. Martan, scouting ahead, found another partially grown-over path that led south from the tributaries. It was approaching midday when the companions caught their first sight of the monolith.
The tip of a dark spire appeared through a rare gap in the thick trees of the Darkwoods. The pinnacle rose well above the forest, the overhead rays of the late morning sun gleaming off the dark stone obelisk, giving it an almost glossy appearance. Alana called the riders to a halt. Ruka and Raven winged skyward once more, while Martan and Seth went ahead on foot. They all returned a short while later. Alana, Craven, and the others gathered around to hear their report.
“The place is deserted,” Ruka informed them.
“We did an entire perimeter sweep. There was no sign of anyone,” Seth confirmed.
“Although, we did find tracks leading up to the monolith,” Martan added. “Mostly of the two-legged variety, but there were some that definitely weren’t human.”
“None coming out?” Lloyd asked.
“None,” Martan affirmed.
Aksel, still sitting on his riding dog, stroked his chin slowly. “Then they must still be inside.”
Lloyd turned to him, a crease across his brow. “After three full days?”
It was a fair question, one that Glo had puzzled over himself. He had finally consulted Elistra, and based on her knowledge of Larketh, they pieced together what they believed to be the answer. “If this is indeed one of Larketh’s old strongholds, it could be filled with all manner of traps for the unwary.”
Elistra, still seated on their shared mount, explained further. “Indeed, the Golem Master was not known to be a trusting soul. It is not unthinkable that he would have all sorts of defenses inside his lair.”
“Hmmm,” Elladan murmured. “So they went in and they haven’t come out yet. Odds are, they are either dead or still haven’t found what they came for. That leaves us with one question—what’s our next move?”
“Well, I say we go in after them!” Lloyd said, slamming his fist into his other hand.
Alana placed a gauntleted hand on the young man’s shoulder. “Spoken like a true warrior.”
Glo’s eyes swept across the group—everyone appeared anxious to move ahead except for Aksel. The little cleric’s expression was pensive. Glo walked up to him. “What’s troubling you?”
Aksel gazed up at him, his brow still furrowed. “It’s as you said, if the cultists are still in there, then there has to be a good reason. What you and Elistra said about traps and defenses makes the most sense, but if that is the case, then we are likely to run into those as well.”
“If there are traps, you can leave those to me,” Seth said confidently.
Aksel shot the halfling a glance, then gave him a short nod. “True, but I’m not quite certain it’s a good idea to drag everyone in there with us.”
Alana pulled Sir Craven aside and the duo had a brief conversation. When they were done, she turned to the others. “Sir Craven will stay out here with our men and set up camp. They will guard the entrance and make sure no one else follows us in.”
Aksel nodded, his brow finally unfurrowing. “Thank you, Alana. That is an excellent idea.”
With that settled, the company remounted and resumed following the path south through the forest. The foliage thickened, cutting off their view of the monolith once again. A bit farther on, the path curved, veering west through the woods. A few hundred yards ahead, sunlight gleamed through an opening in the trees. All at once, the forest opened up and in front of them stood an enormous structure. The surrounding trees were ancient oaks and maples, easily reaching over a hundred feet. The monolith was easily three times that. The entire structure was made of that same dark stone they had glimpsed earlier, the rays of the midday sun granting it a glossy black sheen.
When Glo reached the edge of the clearing, a shiver ran up his spine. It was just like the nightmare he’d had a few days ago. The tall black structure stood in the center of the wide clearing, reaching high above the trees. The only difference was that the sky was a clear blue, and he was not alone. The riders behind them fanned out across the clearing, the treeless area spanning a perfect circle as wide as the courtyard back at Ravenford Keep. There was not a shrub or a single tree anywhere in the circle.
Martan nodded to the ground in front of them. “The tracks lead this way.”
He spurred his mount forward, the others following him to the east side of the tower. As they circled the monolith, Glo paced out the length and width of the base. It turned out to be a perfect square, nearly one hundred feet long on all sides. The riders halted about ten yards from the base and scanned the structure. After a few moments of silence, Lloyd spoke up.
“I don’t see any doors.”
“Well, there has to be, unless the cultists know how to walk through walls,” Seth noted dryly.
Glo had to suppress a laugh. He had been in a dark mood since entering the clearing, and Seth’s humor seemed to help ease it. “Oh, there’s definitely a doorway. I’ve seen it.”
Glo tried to recall the vision he had seen in the scrying crystal just a few days ago, but instead, his nightmare reasserted itself. He saw an arched open doorway with a dim reddish glow just beyond. Elistra, still seated behind him, suddenly tightened her grip around his waist and lay her head against his back. It was only a dream, her voice said in his mind. Glo turned his head and gave her a brief smile, then took a deep breath and tried once again to picture what he saw. This time he was successful. Three dark-robed cultists stood in front of the monolith. There was no visible entrance in front of them. One of them stepped forward and recited a verse. Abruptly, a doorway slid open in the side of the structure. Glo related his vision to the others.
“Let’s take a closer look then,” Seth offered.
Glo dismounted and followed Seth and Martan to where the tracks disappeared into the monolith. Elistra and Elladan trailed close behind. Even at this distance, there was no visible sign of the doorway that Glo knew to be there. The dark stone appeared seamless, completely flat without a single break. Glo reached out and placed a hand on the wall. It felt as smooth as it looked, and it was cool to the touch. Seth examined the wall of the structure, his agile fingers running over the dark stone looking for hidden seams or indentations. After a few minutes, he gazed up and shrugged.
“If there is a doorway here, it is hidden by magic.”
Glo thought back to his vision. The cultists had stood only a short distance from the structure and recited a phrase. Unfortunately, though Glo could see them through the crystal, he could not hear them. There was no way of knowing what those words were. The real question was, how did the cultists even know what to say? He turned to Elistra. “Any ideas?”
The seeress held a hand to her chin, her brow furrowed as she scrutinized the wall. After a few moments, she began to pace backwards. Glo and the others followed, watching her curiously. After a dozen or so steps, she stopped. “I believe they were standing back here.”
Elistra squinted her eyes, as if searching for something in particular on the surface of the monolith. Glo stood next to her, following
her gaze. The others lined up as well. After a few moments, Martan shouted, “I see something!”
The archer pointed at a spot about fifteen feet off the ground. Glo stared where Martan indicated, but didn’t see anything at first. He squinted his eyes, then finally saw it. There appeared to be slight indentations in the dark stone, running a few feet across the outside wall. Dragon’s teeth! The archer does have keener eyes than an elf.
Elistra leaned in closer to him and grabbed his arm. “I still don’t see anything.”
Glo stooped down so his head was next to hers, and pointed to the location of the markings. “Right up there.”
Elistra leaned in even closer, placing her head against Glo’s. Her hair brushed up against his face, and he breathed in its scent. He smelled the sweet odor of honeysuckle, as if walking through a glade in the middle of the summer. After a few moments, Elistra spoke, breaking him out of his reverie. “Yes, I see them now. They seem to form some kind of pattern.”
“They’re runes,” Elladan said with certainty.
Glo stood up and scanned over the indentations once more. After a moment or two, he was able to trace out faint lettering. Elladan is right! They are runes.
“Can you read them?” Elistra asked, still holding onto him.
Whatever language it was, it appeared ancient, but Glo couldn’t quite make it out from here. He strode closer, keeping his eyes fixed on the lettering. “Yes, I believe I can. They look to be in ancient Dwarven.”
Elladan strode up next to Glo, and the two of them pored over the runes together. All at once, the duo burst out in laughter.
“You going to let us in on the joke?” Donnie’s voice came from behind them.
Glo spun around and saw the others watching them curiously. “Well, if there was any doubt about who this place belonged to, we have our answer.”
“Why? What does it say?” Lloyd asked.
“Larketh... is... master,” Elladan recited the inscription. That elicited a mixture of snickers and groans from the others.
“Larketh always did have a high opinion of himself,” Elistra noted dryly. Glo took a sidelong glance at her. The seeress was obviously well-versed in the history of the Thrall Masters, but that particular statement almost sounded like a personal assessment. “Or, so I’ve read,” she quickly amended, returning his stare with an enigmatic smile.
Glo held her gaze for a moment or two, then shrugged. Nah, it couldn’t be. He turned his attention back to the monolith. “Oh, well, here goes nothing.” Glo raised his voice and repeated the words Elladan had translated, but this time in Dwarven.
“Larketh... bi... skilam!”
His voice reverberated across the clearing as if the monolith had picked up the sound and bounced it back at him. The echo continued for a few seconds then finally died down. The clearing went silent. Glo stared at the monolith expectantly, but nothing happened. Did I translate it wrong? Perhaps the phrase was symbolic rather than literal?
He opened his mouth to speak, but was stopped by a faint rumbling sound. It was coming from the monolith! Without warning, a section of wall directly in front of them began to recede. It recessed about a foot inward and then slid sideways, disappearing into the wall of the structure. When it was done, a rectangular opening the size of a large door was left in the side of the monolith.
Glo felt a slap on the back. “Nicely done!” Elladan exclaimed.
Glo nearly choked. “Th-thanks.”
The rest of the company dismounted. While the companions gathered their gear, the Knights of the Rose began to set up camp. Sir Craven dispatched sentries to the four corners of the clearing, while the rest of his men unsaddled the horses, pitched tents and went to gather wood. Martan elected to stay outside and help them. He felt he would be far more useful in the forest. Glo left Raven outside as well, sending her winging up into the trees on the outskirts of the clearing. When they were done with their preparations, Seth, Lloyd, Alana, Glo, Elistra, Elladan, Aksel, Ruka, and Donnie all lined up in front of the monolith. Glo strained his eyes to see beyond the open door, but it looked pitch black inside. Sir Craven joined them as they filed toward the entrance.
“Good luck,” he wished them solemnly.
Seth led the way, disappearing through the dark doorway. The inky blackness swallowed him whole, leaving no trace of the halfling. Lloyd went next, followed by Alana, both vanishing as completely as Seth. Finally, it was Glo’s turn. He stepped reluctantly forward, casting a brief glance over his shoulder. Sir Craven had spun around, preoccupied with the business of assembling the camp. A strange shudder passed up Glo’s spine as he watched those valiant men and women. It was as if he was seeing them for the last time. The eerie feeling was gone just as fast as it had come.
Must be nerves, Glo told himself. He then stepped through the doorway and all went black.
Inside the Monolith
Only by obtaining the holiest heights can one progress to the most glorious depths
Glolindir stood inside the monolith, the light from the entrance barely illuminating the area around him. He could just make out the darkened forms of Seth, Lloyd, and Alana a few steps away. Beyond the threesome there was nothing but blackness. It gave him an eerie feeling, almost as if they had stepped into a void. Glo reached into his pouch, pulled out a slightly phosphorescent material, and touched the end of his staff, a single word passing his lips.
“Lux.”
The end of his staff began to glow, its light fanning out as it grew steadily brighter. Seth, Lloyd, and Alana became visible, the latter two firmly gripping their swords. The radiance from his staff extended a few yards beyond them before fading into the blackness, yet Glo could still see nothing more than stone floor. There were no walls, doors, pillars, or steps of any kind in sight. Glo swiveled around and saw Elistra, Elladan, Aksel, Donnie and Ruka standing in the entranceway. All wore perplexed expressions except for the young teen, who appeared totally unphased by the encroaching darkness. Glo’s eyes strayed to the top of the doorway and his heart skipped a beat—they had passed under an archway. Just like in my dream.
Glo took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, shifting his focus beyond the arch. The outside world was clearly visible. Interesting trick, you can see out, but not in. It must be some kind of privacy spell placed permanently on the doorway. Once his nerves settled, Glo returned his gaze to the top of the archway. There were more runes written across it. He briefly scanned them, filing their meaning away in his mind. Meanwhile, Aksel had walked past him and was speaking with Seth in a hushed tone.
“What’s the matter?”
Seth’s response was equally soft. “This is a wide open area—I’m not sure just how far it extends.”
Once again, a shiver ran up Glo’s spine. A vision of a huge chamber lined with glowing urns and a giant statue of a dwarf in the center passed before his eyes. What are the odds? True, there were no urns or statues in sight, but the light spell he used was supposed to extend up to forty feet in all directions. That was about the size of the common room back at the Charging Minotaur, or rather, the Golden Golem. That could only mean that this chamber was larger than that, perhaps even as large as in his dream. Glo felt his pulse quicken and took another deep breath. Stick to the facts, Glo. This is no time to get caught up in visions and hallucinations.
Someone strode up next to him. It was Elladan. The bard gave him a quick wink. “Then let’s shed some more light on the subject.”
Elladan made some hand motions, followed by two soft words. Above them, four globular-shaped lights winked into existence, twisting and turning as if dancing in place. With a wave of his hand, he sent the globes spiraling upward. They rose higher and higher, until they were far above their heads. The area was now bathed in a faint glow that radiated well beyond the light from Glo’s staff. The outline of a huge pillar became visible straight ahea
d, but there was still no sign of the ceiling or the other walls.
Lloyd’s voice was filled with awe. “Just how large is this place?”
“Let’s find out,” Aksel answered. The little cleric made the same hand motions as Elladan, and another set of globular lights appeared above them. Aksel waved his hand and the lights traveled up and away, floating past the pillar and onward, until the opposite wall finally came into view. Aksel waved his hand again and the lights stopped. Glo arched an eyebrow. Judging by the pattern of the dancing lights, that wall had to be about a hundred feet away. Aksel glanced at Elladan. The bard gave a short nod and then the duo created another set of globular lights. They sent them left and right simultaneously, until they found the other two walls. When they were done, the entire room was dimly lit.
Someone let out a soft whistle. This room was enormous, encompassing the entire length and width of the monolith, easily twice the size of the large main hall in Ravenford Keep. It was an amazing feat of architecture, the like Glo had not seen since leaving his home city of Cairthrellon. It was exactly like Glo’s dream, except that in the center of the room stood a single huge pillar instead of a statue. A stone staircase wound up and around the outside of the wide column, disappearing into the ceiling far above. Directly across from them was another archway, though this one was completely black. Two more archways stood in the center of the left and right walls—they were dark as well.
“What an incredible feat of engineering,” Aksel murmured softly.
Like everyone else, Glo continued to marvel at the chamber around them until a familiar voice broke them out of their revelry.
“If you’re all done sightseeing, can we get on with this already?”
They all turned to see Seth standing there, his arms folded across his chest. Aksel wore a sheepish grin, probably none too different from the one on Glo’s face. The little cleric ushered the halfling forward. “Very well, Seth, lead on.”
