by F. P. Spirit
A large, round pool of water completely encompassed the floor of the room, except for another platform in the center, and a narrow walkway leading out to it. Similar to the air room, the central platform had a dais with a lever. Embedded in the apex of the ceiling was a large circular door. It appeared wide enough for the central platform to fit through. The door was surrounded by numerous holes, each covered with a grate.
“I wonder what all that is for?” Glo mused aloud.
“I have a sneaking suspicion we’re about to find out,” Elladan answered, with just a hint of trepidation.
“Look down there,” Seth called to the others. He pointed down into the crystal clear water of the pool. The lower half of the room was another hemisphere, this one filled with water. At the very bottom of the water were what appeared to be two more levers. Next to those underwater levers stood two large grey figures. One marched back and forth, while the other one stood perfectly still.
Donnie squinted at the figures at the bottom of the pool. “Are those...”
“...stone golems,” Seth finished for him.
“Well, this should make things interesting,” Donnie said with a slightly nervous laugh. The problem was, this was no laughing matter.
Glo’s mind flashed back to the first time they crossed paths with the Boulder, at the keep on Stone Hill. The nine-foot-tall golem had battered down the door to the pantry and nearly killed their warrior friend, Titan. Luckily, they were able to escape down the chute to the basement, or they would have all perished.
These two golems looked exactly like the Boulder, their great heads decorated with eerie glowing eyes that sat atop a massive pair of shoulders. Their thick arms hung down to their knees on either side of wide torsos, supported by thick legs ending in large flat feet. Glo had no doubt that these creatures were equally as deadly as the Boulder, nearly impervious to damage, and able to kill any one of them with a single punch.
Aksel was equally aware of the dangers involved. “Donnie, why don’t you and Ruka see if you can get close to those two levers? But be careful—whatever you do, stay out of reach of those golems.”
“Will do,” Donnie said with a nod.
While Donnie and Ruka prepared to go diving, Aksel turned to Seth. “Feel like checking out that center platform?”
Seth responded with a nonchalant shrug. “Why do I feel like I’ve done this before—but sure, why not.”
The halfling stepped out onto the walkway that led to the central platform, carefully scanning his path as he went. Meanwhile, Donnie had put on his ring and taken off his boots. As he removed his shirt, Ruka started to blush furiously. The young teen immediately dove into the water, resurfacing moments later and calling out to Donnie, “You going to be all day?”
“Coming,” Donnie answered, throwing his shirt to the ground.
“Be careful, you two,” Alana said to the pair.
Donnie flashed her a pearly white smile and winked. “I’m always careful.” He then executed a perfect swan dive into the water.
In the meantime, Seth reached the center platform. The halfling scanned the dais for a minute or so then finally pulled the switch. A transparent purple bubble momentarily appeared over the platform, then winked out.
Elladan peered curiously at Glo. “Was that...”
“...a force bubble,” Glo finished for him.
Lloyd appeared perplexed, his brow furrowing into deep creases. “To keep the water out?”
Glo shook his head and shrugged. “As good a guess as any.”
Seth tried the lever once more, but the same thing happened. The halfling cast a glance at the others, threw up his hands, and then sat down and waited.
Donnie met up with Ruka underwater. She signaled for him to follow, then took off toward the bottom. Donnie was hard-pressed to keep up with her, but she finally stopped just above the floor of the pool. Donnie caught up to Ruka and signaled for her to stay put. She folded her arms across her chest and gave him a withering stare, then motioned him forward with a nod.
Donnie flashed her a bright smile, then spun around and swam toward the levers. He stayed just far enough above the marching golem so that it could not grab him, then quickly darted down to the unguarded lever. Donnie grasped the switch and pulled, half expecting it not to budge, but it gave easily. The second he switched it, the marching golem stopped, turned around, and came right for him.
Up top, Glo saw Donnie pull the lever and called over to Seth. “Donnie got the first one. Try the switch.”
Seth got up and pulled the lever. This time the force bubble appeared over the platform and stayed on. It lasted for about thirty seconds, then went out again.
“What happened?” Seth called over to them.
“The golem flipped the switch off again,” Glo cried back.
“And nearly got Donnie, too!” Elladan added.
A few seconds earlier, Donnie saw the large golem heading for him. He swam away as fast as he could, but the golem’s long arm shot out after him, nearly latching onto his leg. At the last second, he was grabbed from behind and whisked away, out of its reach. Donnie turned his head to see Ruka hanging on to him. He flashed her an appreciative smile. She grinned back, then let him go and nodded toward the lever. Donnie followed her gaze and saw that the golem had reset the switch.
Dragon dung. Now what do we do?
Ruka tapped him on the shoulder. Donnie spun around again and saw her pointing downward toward the stationary golem. He raised his eyes and saw her point to herself. Donnie shook his head vigorously.
Too dangerous, he tried to mouth the words.
A wide smile spread across Ruka’s lips. She swam up to him and patted him on the cheek. Without warning, she shot forward, passing him so fast that he couldn’t stop her. Donnie spun around and took off after the teen, but it was no use. He would never be able to catch her. He watched on in horror as she came within reach of the golem. It grabbed for her, but she neatly dodged its grasp and swam away, the large stone creature lumbering after her. Donnie had no choice—he swam down to the second switch and threw it.
The moment the second switch was thrown, Glo heard the door to the main chamber shut behind him. At the same time, water began pouring out of the large holes at the top of the room. Everyone exchanged alarmed glances.
“Check it out,” Aksel said, pointing down into the water.
At the bottom of the pool, Donnie and Ruka swam away from the second lever. The golem Ruka had drawn off now lumbered back toward the switch. The companions watched as it reached the lever and flipped it back into place. Just as suddenly as it started, the water stopped pouring in from the ceiling and the door to the main chamber opened up behind them.
Elladan let out a short sigh. “Phew, well that’s a relief. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m not exactly dressed for a pool party.”
Donnie and Ruka abruptly resurfaced, and Aksel waved Seth over to rejoin them. When they were all back together, Donnie explained what had happened underwater, ending with why they had given up. “I don’t think we can do this with just two people. I think we need a third person.”
Aksel listened thoughtfully to Donnie’s account of the situation down below. When he was done, the little cleric absently rubbed his chin. “Well, I can cast spells of underwater breathing, but I would need to rest overnight and then pray for that spell in the morning.”
“It has been a long day,” Glo acknowledged, feeling rather fatigued himself after all they had faced since entering the monolith. Just then, they heard a loud grumbling noise. Everyone turned and saw Lloyd standing there with a sheepish grin, holding his hands over his abdomen.
Elladan let out a short chuckle. “I think Lloyd’s stomach agrees, too.”
A Walk in the Park
As she drew close, a huge stone arm shot out
toward her
The companions left the water room and headed back to the main chamber. They set up camp in the center of the room around the huge pillar. Elladan brought out some slices of cold, dried fish, a few loaves of bread, cheeses, fruits, and nuts for everyone to share. They all gathered in a circle and began to eat.
“What time do you think it is?” Lloyd asked in between mouthfuls.
Glo thought it over as he gobbled down a piece of cheese. “Let’s see. It was late afternoon when we finally solved the runic wheel puzzle. The ride down wasn’t that long, but we spent a lot of time in the air chamber. If I had to guess, I would say between eight and nine at night.”
Donnie took a swig of water from a canteen, then yawned and stretched. “Why does it feel so much later?”
Glo, watching Donnie, had to stifle a yawn himself. “It does, doesn’t it?”
Seth reached over and tore off another hunk from a loaf of bread. “I’ve got a better question.” He paused a moment as he took a bite. “Why haven’t we seen any sign of the Serpent Cult?”
Everyone but Seth stopped eating. Glo felt his face redden—he had completely forgotten about the cultists. His eyes swept around the circle of companions—they all appeared as embarrassed as he felt. There were a few moments of silence, then Aksel finally spoke up.
“That is a very good question.”
Lloyd sat cross-legged on the floor, a half loaf of bread in one hand, his brow deeply furrowed. “Could they have left the monolith?”
Donnie grimaced and shook his head. “No, the only tracks went into the monolith.”
Alana sat next to the slight elf, pieces of her armor removed so that she could sit comfortably. The lady knight put down her plate of half-eaten dried fish, her eyes flickering around the group, her expression perplexed. “Could they have gotten past these puzzles somehow?”
This time Seth shook his head. “All the traps were untouched. There is no way they got past them.”
Alana threw up her hands in frustration. “Well they have to be in here somewhere!”
Elladan, directly across from the lady knight, snapped his fingers. “I think I’ve got it!” All eyes turned toward the bard.
“So, what is it?” Lloyd asked impatiently.
Elladan waved them all closer, then spoke in a soft voice, as if he were afraid the very walls might hear what he was about to say. “What if they couldn’t get past the first puzzle? I mean, without Elistra we might not have figured it out.”
Elistra gave the bard an appreciative smile. “Thank you, Elladan.”
Elladan responded with a half-smile and continued with his train of thought. “So instead, they hid out in the monolith, knowing we would eventually show up...”
“...hoping we would solve the puzzles for them,” Donnie finished for him.
Glo arched an eyebrow. If Elladan’s theory was correct, then even though the Serpent Cultists had reached the monolith days before them, they had not gotten very far on their own. Yet, they couldn’t just leave empty-handed. Glo had gotten a glimpse of their dark mistress, and she did not appear to be the type who would accept failure gracefully. If that were the case, it would make sense that the cultists would bide their time, skulking around inside the monolith somewhere. Perhaps in the basement...
A vision suddenly flashed before Glo’s eyes, of a room filled with treasure, four large serpents in its center, and his companions’ dead bodies scattered all around. Glo felt a shiver run up his spine, but immediately pushed the thought out of his head. It was just a dream.
“The cultists will have to surface again eventually,” Aksel was saying. “If I had to guess, probably once they think we’re done with all the puzzles.”
Elladan gave the little cleric a short nod. “Exactly. They’re making us do all the dirty work for them.”
“What do you mean us?”
All eyes turned to Seth—the halfling sat with his arms folded across his chest, a smug smirk on his face. Elladan responded with a closemouthed laugh. “If you’re fishing for compliments, then thank you for risking yourself with all these weird traps and puzzles.”
Seth responded with an overemphasized, “Thank you.”
“Anyway—if they are waiting for us, there’s not much we can do about it,” Aksel said, glancing around the circle at each companion in turn. “The best we can do is be on our guard.”
“Leave that to me,” Lloyd said solemnly, rising up from the gathered group and placing his hand on his sword hilts. “I’ll take first watch. If they do show their faces, they’ll find my blades stuck in them.”
Glo couldn’t help but smile at the young man’s fierce determination, but he was positive the cultists would not show just yet. “I think you can take the time to finish your meal, Lloyd. We still have a few more puzzles to solve.”
Elladan stood and placed a hand on Lloyd’s broad shoulder. “Still, we appreciate the sentiment.”
Alana also stood, placing her hand on Lloyd’s other shoulder. “Agreed.”
After dinner, Glo, Elistra and Aksel all went to lay down to replenish their mana for the next day. Lloyd stood by the doorway in the pillar, the young man in a guard stance keeping a keen watch over the chamber. Elladan took out his lute and strummed a quiet tune. Donnie tried to listen, but soon began to nod off where he sat.
“Go to bed, Donnie,” Elladan admonished him.
“Guess I will,” the slight elf agreed. He got up with a yawn, then stretched and went to find his blankets.
A minute later, Ruka also rose from her seat. “I’m going to go sharpen my sword,” she announced to no one in particular. “It got a little nicked up fighting that stupid suit of armor.”
Ruka walked off a short distance and sat down on the stone floor of the chamber, her back up against the huge pillar. She then took out her sword and a stone and began slowly and methodically sharpening her blade.
Seth stood up next. “That’s it for me, too. I should take over for Lloyd in a few hours.” He strode over to his blankets, dove in, and disappeared underneath them.
Elladan kept playing his lute, softly strumming a peaceful tune. It was just him and Alana now. The lady knight had removed her plate armor for the night and now sat in a tunic and light chain, silently listening to the music. She should have been comfortable, but Elladan detected an air of tension about her, as if something played on her mind.
He had become quite good at reading people’s expressions and body language, mostly from his years playing in taverns to small crowds. The patrons there often came in to soothe their souls with music and drink, to forget their daily troubles, even if for a short while. As an entertainer, it was Elladan’s job to read the mood of the crowd. He had learned to recognize when they needed to dance, to laugh, or just be lulled. Alana appeared to require the latter. He was also not surprised when, after a while, she began to speak softly over the music, almost as if to herself.
“I just don’t understand him. Sometimes he can be so charming, and other times, he just seems so careless. Is he trying to get himself killed?”
Elladan watched the lady knight closely as he continued to softly strum his lute. She was, of course, talking about Donnie. It seemed that his charms had finally gotten under her skin. Elladan had not known Donnie long, but he was a fairly good judge of character. The slight elf was a carefree spirit, one that was not easily tied down. He also fancied himself a bit of a swashbuckler, always rushing in to the rescue, with little regard for his own safety. Elladan had to admit, it was an enticing lifestyle, especially for a young elf. He measured his words carefully as he decided how to explain all this to Alana. When he spoke, he kept his voice low.
“You have to understand us elves. We live very long lives by human standards. That kind of gives you a different perspective on things. Some of the things you humans take ve
ry seriously, we elves don’t exactly see the same way.”
The lady knight glanced up, her eyes mirroring her inner anguish. She tilted her head and eyed him questioningly. “Like what, for instance?”
Elladan let out a soft chuckle. “Oh, a great many things. It is why someone like Donnie might seem so careless at times. When your life is as long as ours, it can sometimes feel—empty. That is why folks like Donnie, Glo and myself crave adventure. It makes life seem that much more worth living.”
Alana eyed him intently, an ironic smile crossing her lips. “You know, the elves don’t have a monopoly on that.”
Elladan grinned back at the winsome lady knight. “No, I suppose we don’t, but I’ll ask you this—would you like him any more if he were not the adventurous type?”
Alana blinked at him, surprise registering on her face at his question. She pursed her lips, her gentle brow furrowing for a few moments as she thought it over. Finally, she let out a deep sigh. “No, I suppose not.”
“Well then, you have you answer.” Elladan flashed her a half-smile.
They fell silent once more, Elladan continuing to strum relaxing music, the lady knight still his sole audience. After a while, he spoke up once more. “So when are you going to tell him?”
Alana tilted her head and squinted at him. “Tell him what?”
“How you feel about him?”
“Oh, that,” she responded, a playful smile crossing her lips. “Let’s just say, he’ll know it when it happens.”
A roguish grin spread across Elladan’s face. “He’s one lucky elf.”
“Isn’t that the truth?” Alana winked.
The night passed uneventfully. Seth switched with Lloyd after a few hours, then Alana took over after that. Early the next morning, they had a quick breakfast, then Aksel went to pray, Glo to study his spellbook, and Elistra to meditate. Meanwhile, the others packed up camp. When they were all ready, everyone gathered in front of the pillar, Aksel next to Donnie and Ruka. The little cleric’s eyes swept across the remaining companions. “Okay, so who’s going swimming with these two?”
