“What is it?” David asked.
“That,” Trent said, pointing at the tower, “is the Tower of Earth; built by the Pallàdrim over a thousand years ago.”
“I’m not following,” David said, still sounding confused.
“It means we have our work cut out for us,” Lauren cut in. “The Tower of Earth was said to have been a great labyrinth that snaked its way to the roots of the mountain. If the lich has taken control of the tower, it may take weeks to find him.”
“Well,” Trent sighed in frustration, “there’s no problem bad enough that complaining about it won’t make it worse. I need you all to come back alive.” Trent looked at them all seriously. “Vincent, I want you to go with Lauren and Ben.”
“What?” Lauren nearly screamed. “He’s just going to slow us down. I can tolerate him if I have to, but to have to rely on him when our lives are on the line? I don’t think so. Besides, he’s supposed to be shadowing you.”
“A group of four would be too risky in this situation, and as we don’t stand a chance of navigating the tunnels below the tower without someone who uses the token of Earth, so we can’t go on our own either,” Trent explained. “But you might be surprised by him; he’s stronger than he looks.” Lauren didn’t answer. Her glare said it all.
“I’m going to send a message to Master Silva before we go in,” Trent continued. “If anyone finds anything, signal the others and wait. We need to work together on this. May Sandora watch over you all, you’ll need it.”
“Let’s go then,” Lauren grumbled, “the sooner we get this over with, the better.”
“Don’t mind her,” Benjamin said as he walked past Vincent. “She’s like this with everyone new.”
The three of them covered the ground quickly, without encountering any resistance. The gates themselves were made of thick stone and lay in a broken heap on the ground. Where the gates once stood, a long dark passageway led deep into the earth. Lauren confidently strode over the remains of the gates and down into the darkness. Benjamin was close behind. Vincent paused before he too ventured into the darkness.
Vincent’s eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness of the tower. The passage continued straight with no other corridors connecting to it. The three moved silently, deeper beneath the tower.
The passage led to a large circular chamber that had various corridors and tunnels branching off in every direction. They paused to determine which path to take.
“Where do we go from here?” Vincent asked.
“The lich will want to make itself as hard to find as possible, so it will probably be in the heart of the tower, at the very center of the labyrinth,” Lauren explained. “We need to find a path that leads down.”
Three of the corridors sloped steeply downward, while all the others climbed higher. They stood, staring into the darkness. Benjamin, however, had a look of extreme wonder on his face.
“It’s this way,” he said confidently, pointing at the corridor directly in front of him. He started walking toward it, but Lauren stopped him.
“How do you know?” she asked.
“I don’t,” he answered. “I can’t explain it. This tower seems to resonate with power. It pulsates, as if it were alive. And the source of that energy is down this tunnel.”
“I don’t feel anything,” Vincent said quietly.
“Neither do I,” Lauren said hesitantly. “Are you sure you’re not imagining it?”
“I have never been surer of anything in my life,” Benjamin said firmly. “This tower, it gives me a strange sensation. A feeling of power, greater than anything I’ve ever felt before. You have to believe me.”
Lauren grabbed Benjamin and turned him so she could see his eyes, scrutinizing him. She seemed to come to some conclusion as she nodded suddenly.
“You’ve never led me wrong before. I’ll trust your judgment.” Lauren released Benjamin’s arm and he continued down the tunnel.
They followed Benjamin downward. They traveled slowly as the passage was significantly narrower than the other had been and the ground was slick. Complete darkness encompassed them.
Suddenly, the passage ended, opening into another large room. Several other passages led off of this one as well. However, one of these passages had a point of light glimmering from it. Vincent could see the shadowy forms of Lauren and Benjamin moving toward the light. He followed swords in hand.
The light was coming from around a sharp corner, hiding its source. Vincent reached out with his token. Six different fires were elevated in the air in a tight square.
“There’s a room around the corner,” he whispered. “Judging by the spacing of the torches in there, it’s rather small.”
In the dim light, Vincent could see a smile on Lauren’s face as she pulled an arrow from the quiver at her belt and placed it on her bowstring.
“For the Golden Hand,” she whispered with a wink as she darted around the corner, letting the arrow fly.
Vincent and Benjamin followed. Vincent rounded the corner in time to see a minotaur fall, clutching an arrow buried in its side, just under its arm. Lauren had now drawn her sword and was charging behind Benjamin.
There were eight more minotaurs in the room, all heavily armed. Vincent’s blades glinted as they danced in the firelight, finding the holes in his enemy’s defenses. His first blade found the gap between the plates of mail worn by one, while the other blade cut across the throat of another.
Vincent turned to see another minotaur standing ready to strike at him with its axe. He prepared to dodge, but the creature didn’t move. A glazed look had come into its eyes. The beast dropped to the floor, revealing Lauren’s blade protruding from the base of its skull.
“Three,” Lauren said triumphantly, “and that’s one you owe me, Fire Boy.” She pointed at the dead minotaur on the floor before pulling her sword from it.
“Four for me,” Benjamin said modestly.
“I got two,” Vincent was not impressed with himself and he was determined to beat the others in their next encounter.
“We need to keep moving,” Benjamin said as he continued through the door at the far end of the room. “The passage from here is lit. We could meet something at any time, be on your guard.”
They followed the passage. Torches lined the walls, lighting the way. They met no resistance as they went. The path they followed wound wildly through the earth, following side corridors and rough cut tunnels, but they continued to follow the lit trail.
After about half an hour of slow progress, the corridor they were following started to open and become wider. It ended at a wide ledge, overlooking a cavernous room. They dropped to the ground and peered over the ledge. The room was massive. Tables ran from one end to the other. More minotaurs than Vincent had ever imagined sat in clusters around the tables. There were also some other much larger creatures that Vincent didn’t recognize. He guessed they were trolls. A steep but narrow flight of stairs connected the ledge they were on with the chamber below. Vincent could see many smaller passages leading off from the chamber on the other side of it.
They slowly crawled back into the tunnel from which they had just emerged.
“This isn’t good,” Benjamin whispered. “There’s got to be more than two hundred of them in there, plus five trolls and an ogre.
“Maybe we should try and find a way around them,” Lauren suggested.
“That could take hours,” Vincent pointed out.
“Would you rather try your luck in there?” Lauren asked, angrily.
“What if we wait for the others?” Vincent offered. “They should catch up soon enough.”
“That’s if they followed the same path we did,” Benjamin said pensively. “I’m going to try to contact them.”
Benjamin’s hands glowed a deep green. Hastily, he drew the symbol of earth on the ground. He knelt over the mark and punched it hard with his glowing fist. His hand sunk deep into the earth. Benjamin paused, a look of deep concentration on his face. Suddenly he smiled triumpha
ntly as he pulled his hand free. A head followed Benjamin’s arm from the ground, clasped firmly at the hair by Benjamin’s hand. The head looked like it had been carved from stone and seemed to grow from the floor.
“Who dares summon Dahl, Lord of the Earth?” The head growled loudly.
“I, Benjamin, Ranger of Sandora have summoned you,” Benjamin stated calmly.
“Ben,” the head laughed, “It has been too long. How can I be of service, my old friend?” Dahl’s voice sounded like rocks being ground together.
“We need your help,” Benjamin explained. “We’ve got to get around this room, but it’s full of minotaurs. Is there another way?”
“The Tower of Earth was built to be impenetrable; with only one path to the Heart Chamber at the base,” Dahl responded solemnly. “I’m sorry, but the only way is through that room.”
“I understand,” Benjamin said, sounding disappointed. “Do you know where our companions are?”
“Of course,” Dahl said, sounding offended. “I know all that occurs within these walls. They are in the upper halls, retrieving relics of significant value, as instructed. Once again, I am sorry, but they will not be able to aid you.”
“What do you mean, ‘as instructed’?” Lauren asked. The head looked at her in surprise before answering.
“They sought council from Guardian Silva, by means of a shadow elemental, before entering the tower, my Lady.” Dahl explained, very respectfully. “Those where his orders in accordance with the will of the Goddess.”
“You will not refer to me as such again,” Lauren growled.
“A thousand pardons, my-” he cut himself off under the glare of Lauren.
“Is there no way you can help us?” Benjamin asked, almost pleading.
“We beings of the Immortal Realm are not permitted to involve ourselves in the conflicts of the mortals. Only the gods can do that,” Dahl explained apologetically. “But I can tell you, there are no more minotaurs along the path you follow; beyond that room that is. The cursed creature you seek despises their presence.”
“Then if we can get through that room, we should be fine,” Vincent reasoned. The head turned its gaze on Vincent, once again surprised.
“It is an interesting company you travel with,” Dahl said to Benjamin before addressing Vincent. “No, Chosen, there are more ancient creatures in the depths of this tower. Beware; it has long been corrupted by the minions of the abyss.” Dahl paused. “May the blessings of Sandora accompany you.” The head tore free of Benjamin’s grip and plunged back into the ground.
“What do we do now?” Vincent asked
“The only thing we can do,” Benjamin replied. “We push forward. We take out every one of those blasted minotaurs, or we die trying.”
“The real question is,” Lauren said, turning to Vincent, “are you willing to give your life for the glory of the Golden Hand?”
“Yes,” Vincent whispered in response.
“You don’t sound very convinced,” she spat back. “If you’re not in this one hundred per cent, you might as well turn back now, because you’ll just get in the way otherwise.”
“I’m not turning back,” Vincent said firmly. “Master Silva and Master Auna have put their trust in me. I’m in this till the end.”
“Good,” Lauren smiled. “Then prepare yourself, because this is going to be one wild ride.”
Chapter 10: The Heart Chamber
“Lauren,” Benjamin scolded, “we don’t have time for squabbling.”
“Sorry,” she replied curtly.
“Vincent,” he turned his attention from Lauren, “get your token ready; we’ll need all the help we can get.”
Vincent embraced his token once again. “Let’s go,” he whispered, gripping his swords tightly.
They crawled back to the ledge. The minotaurs were now busily eating the spoils of their latest raid.
“We need to be smart about this,” Ben whispered. “If we attack head on, we’re done for. Any ideas?”
“Yeah, I’ve got one,” Vincent said, smiling. “Minotaurs don’t get along well with each other, right?” Benjamin nodded. “So we use that against them.”
“What are you thinking?” Benjamin asked.
“Just watch,” Vincent was still smiling. “I’m not sure if this will work, but if it does, it will give us a huge advantage.”
Vincent closed his eyes, concentrating while trying to ignore Lauren’s protests. Slowly, he reached out with his token until he had found all of the torches lighting the large chamber below them. He opened his eyes. His face was glowing with excitement.
“Now the fun begins,” he said.
The torches lining the walls all burst into roaring blue flames. The minotaurs looked up at this strange change. The flames suddenly shot from their places on the walls to the long wooden tables, which then burst into flames. The blue fire ran up and down the room. The beasts at the tables quickly jumped away, trying to avoid the flames. They soon became frenzied as the beasts closest to the tables also burst into flames from the intense heat.
“This is where we enter,” Vincent shouted over the din, jumping to his feet and charging down the stairs.
He called some of the flames from a nearby table to his sword as he crashed into the fray, slashing at anything that moved. The flames on his sword cut easily through the armour of the beasts, and they fell left and right.
He was soon lost in the rhythm of his swinging blades as he followed the forms he had practiced so long, and perfected with the help of Trent. Vincent was quickly stopped though, as his sword dug deep into something very hard.
Vincent looked up in time to see the huge hand of a troll swing at him. The blow picked him up off his feet and sent him flying. He landed hard, the wind knocked out of him.
The troll started lumbering toward him, roaring angrily. Vincent’s sword was still lodged in its leg. Vincent struggled to regain his feet, but with little success. The monster was only a few strides away. He could feel his death approaching.
A large spike suddenly grew from the ground at Vincent’s feet, pointing at his charging foe. The troll tried to stop itself, but it was too late. It drove itself straight into the spike, impaling itself through the chest.
Vincent felt a hand on his shoulder, pulling him to his feet.
“This is no time to be lying down,” Benjamin’s voice came from behind him, almost laughing.
“Right,” Vincent replied as he pulled his sword free from the troll and returned to the battle.
“Leave the trolls to me,” Lauren’s voice carried over the noise from her perch on the ledge, as she sent another arrow flying into one of the hulking creatures.
Vincent once again fell into the rhythm of his dancing blades, hacking through waves of foes. The minotaurs were now trying to organize. It was a meager attempt to save themselves from the blades that rang with death, but it was too late. Vincent hacked through the last of the minotaurs, cutting it cleanly in two at the waist. He continued in his forms, striking nothing but air, before realizing that there was nothing left.
He bent down and wiped his blades clean on one of the felled creatures, breathing heavily. He released his token, and the flames on the swords disappeared. Sheathing his weapons, he surveyed the room. There was little left of the tables. A few of them still smoldered in places, but for the most part, they had been burned completely to ash leaving the air thick with smoke. There was very little floor that was not covered with the bodies of the dead creatures.
Benjamin and Lauren were staring at Vincent, open mouthed. He raised his hand triumphantly.
“Fifty five,” he called through his gasps for air.
“Fifty six for me,” Lauren said bluntly, “but that’s not important. How did you do that?”
“Do what?” Vincent asked.
“The flames,” Benjamin said, sounding impressed. “I’ve never seen anyone use their token on such a scale.”
“And what’s more, you maintained it for
almost an hour,” Lauren cut in.
“We were fighting that long?” It hadn’t felt nearly that long to Vincent. Benjamin just nodded in response.
“Well,” Vincent started to reply, but his head suddenly started to spin. He stumbled a few steps before falling to the ground.
“Vincent,” Lauren asked sounding concerned, “what’s wrong?” Her voice sounded like it was miles away.
Vincent tried to answer, but his mouth wouldn’t move. Slowly, everything went black.
*** *** ***
Vincent opened his eyes and groaned. His body felt like a lump of lead and he could feel a slight trickle of blood running down his arm. His mask was gone.
“It’s about time you woke up,” Lauren said with a relieved smile. “I was starting to worry.”
“What happened?” Vincent asked groggily.
“You pushed yourself too hard,” Lauren said with what sounded like forced concern. “I’m surprised you’re not dead. Using a token drains your energy, and you had yours going stronger than I’ve ever seen. Not even Jason - I mean, Master Silva - can do something at that scale.”
“Where’s Benjamin?” Vincent asked as he tried to sit up. His head started to spin again so he lay back down.
“He’s lying over there,” Lauren said pointing to the other side of the room.
Vincent looked, taking in the room for the first time. It was small, with no visible door. A small fire burned in the middle of the room with smoke escaping from a square hole in the ceiling.
“He was exhausted after the fight,” Lauren explained. “Closing this room so we could rest safely was too much for him and he collapsed as well. He’ll be fine in a bit, but I’m worried about him. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but he’s been muttering to himself ever since we entered this tower. It’s like he’s talking to someone that isn’t there, or like the tower is talking to him.”
Vincent tried again to sit up, this time with success. He was looking suspiciously at Lauren now. It was odd that she was being so kind to him.
“Alright,” he interrupted her, “what is it? Why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden? For the last two months you treat me like I’m less than dirt and suddenly it’s all care and concern.”
The Ranger (Book 1) Page 13
