At some point, someone started a rumor of a secret chamber carved into the mountain behind the faces, which was filled with unimaginable treasure. It was buried beneath the dozen feet of volcanic ash and pumice, which blanketed the entire region from some ancient eruption. An archaeological expedition was formed, and the chamber was found after two years of digging. Unfortunately, it was completely empty. The dig’s nearly bankrupt backers were about to be run out of town when one of their workers struck the back wall of the chamber with their pickaxe and noted a hollow ring.
Merlin paused the story, and Janus stared at him with exasperation.
“And?” he asked. “Don’t stop there, man. What did they find?”
“I don’t know,” admitted Merlin. “That’s the end of the journal. We need to find the next one in the series.”
“Gods, I hate cliffhangers,” complained Janus as he began pulling books off the shelves and skimming the first few pages of each.
“And I hate people who don’t put books back on the shelves in the proper order,” grumbled Merlin.
Janus found the right book a few minutes later and excitedly shared what he learned as he read. The workers broke through the false wall and saw a handful of ancient relics and writings on some sort of parchment and more etched on a sheet of metal.
“This is it!” the boy exclaimed. “This is what we’re looking for! I’m sure of it!”
His face fell as he read further. The acid from the volcanic ash had degraded the parchment. The document turned to dust as soon as it was touched. The acid also corroded the metal to the point where it was impossible to read. The financiers, however, used this find as an opportunity to ward off their creditors. They claimed that this dig was never about anything as mundane as money and that the real treasure was in the sacred texts found in the hidden alcove. They claimed the holy books were written when the gods first walked among their creations. Their project was deemed a success, and the precious writings were secured from everyone other than the highest priests. They obtained another round of financing and built the shrine as it is today. A pooja was constructed along the back wall where the hidden alcove had been located. The original texts were placed on either side.
Merlin and Janus stared at each other before racing to the pooja at the back of the shrine. Both scoured the shelves for the ancient texts, but none were found. Janus cried out in frustration, but Merlin held up his hand and said, “Janus, I think I found one.”
Janus raced over to find the old man holding an ornate, cut-glass jar filled with yellow dust.
Merlin sighed, “I suspect this is all that is left of the parchment and that you will find a similar jar containing metallic dust on the other side of the pooja.”
Janus’ stomach dropped as he glanced at the other end of the shelf and saw a similar jar containing rust-colored dust.
“Oh man, it’s all gone,” he moaned. “What are we going to do?”
“Well, we should start by getting out of here,” Merlin softly answered. “Here, put this journal back on the shelf. And, please put it in the proper place. I despise disorder.”
Janus slid the book next to its companion and admired the bookend keeping them in place. It was a cube of granite with the names of the gods carved into the four sides. His excitement grew when he turned it over and saw Saturn’s name engraved on top and Ops’ on the bottom. At that moment, however, a new sound echoed in the room. The door began to open.
Janus dropped the cube in his pack and dimmed his glow stone as he and Merlin ducked behind two bookcases. They saw two people silhouetted in the blinding morning light streaming in from the open door. The two-person cleaning crew shuffled in with brooms, mops, and a bucket before closing the door and illuminating a glow-stone. They went straight to work, muttering about how the priests were slobs. The two custodians didn’t notice the two intruders hiding behind the far bookcases.
Janus grinned at Merlin, held his finger up to his lips in the universal signal for quiet, and stepped out from the shadows.
“My master feels the same way,” Janus loudly proclaimed as he strode over to the cleaning crew.
The two janitors jumped back in alarm, and one kicked over a bucket. This was most unfortunate because the spilled bucket contained last night’s pee. The stench was now overpowering, but neither janitor appeared to notice.
“Who are you? How did you get in here? You are not allowed to be in here,” whimpered one of the janitors. He had intended to be threatening but failed miserably.
Janus ignored the questions and continued walking toward the two, terrified men, and said, “My master wants to know how long the priests have been abusing this holy shrine.”
“Wh-wh-who is your master?” stuttered the second janitor, with wide eyes.
“Do not ask what you do not want to know,” growled Janus, as he stood before the trembling man, still lying in the puddle of piss. “Answer my question!”
“I-I-I don’t know. The shrine has been like this as long as I have worked here. The priests anointed six of us years ago to maintain it as penance for crimes we committed. We live by ourselves at the far end of the holy promenade and speak to no one,” answered the terrified man.
The first man was regaining his composure and said, “You keep mentioning your master, but I see no one here but you. I think you are nothing but a thief who was caught and is now trying to talk his way out of here. I demand that you surrender and explain how you broke into this sanctuary.”
Janus thought, “You have no idea how right you are,” but instead he said, “Thieves!? We are representatives of the gods themselves! You will respect us, and you will do our bidding!”
Then, he added, in a softer tone, “I was anointed by my master, much like you. I serve him on his mission to inspect holy sites like this throughout the world. Unlike you, however, this is not penancing for any prior crimes. I was taken from my family when I was thirteen years old to do his bidding and to be his voice to the world. I advise you to follow my every instruction as though they were commanded by him.”
Both men immediately screamed and fainted, as a tall, leather-skinned Soul Reaper with hollow eyes appeared from behind Janus.
✽✽✽
The janitors awoke to see that neither Janus nor the Soul Reaper had moved. Janus had the same, disdainful expression as before, and the Soul Reaper was expressionless. Neither man had ever seen a Soul Reaper this close, and both were pressed against the door. Janus knew that they had collapsed in the spilled urine, but the stains on their pants indicated that they had added to the mix.
“Open the door and instruct the guards to escort us to the priests,” Janus instructed in a bored, monotone voice.
“Ye-ye-yes sir,” answered both men, as they scrambled to their feet and pounded on the door.
The outside guard opened the door, and the two men ran out. The guard had expected the servants to take longer to clean the shrine and not to emerge smelling of pee. His eyes widened when he saw Janus and the Soul Reaper follow them.
“Halt!” the guard commanded, but it sounded more like a plea than an order.
Janus ignored him and said, “You will escort us to the high priests and the town leaders. The state and operation of this shrine are completely unacceptable. Changes must be made.”
The guard gulped and said, “But the priests are sleeping. They were here very late praying to the gods.”
Janus said nothing but illuded some wisps of smoke from his robes and released a few sparks of battle magic from his hands.
The nearest guards could feel the magical energy tingling their arms and quickly stepped back. The lead guard knew his superiors would expect him to do what they requested anyway. So, he ordered his troops to lead the two intruders to the priests.
The guards surrounded Janus and the Soul Reaper at a safe distance, clearing a path along the holy promenade toward the village. They prepared to take the janitors back to their prison, but Janus stopped and said, “No. Th
ese two come with us. They have much to share with the town leaders.”
The captain started to explain how that wasn’t permitted when Janus threw forward his left arm and released a full blast of battle magic above his head. The fireball exploded in the volcanic ash and pumice beside him to create a massive dust plume.
“Do not disobey my master’s command,” yelled Janus in the deepest voice he could muster. “The next blast will not be a warning.”
The captain and his nearest troops could barely breathe. They were covered in ash, and most were kneeling on the ground choking on the coarse, toxic dust. Janus motioned for the janitors to follow him as he and the Soul Reaper began walking down the promenade. They were halfway to town before the dust-caked captain caught up with them. “Let them through! Let them through!” he shouted as he stumbled to get in front of his prisoners.
✽✽✽
The townspeople were crowding around the entrance to the holy promenade by the time Janus and the others arrived. They had heard Janus’ explosion and witnessed the massive plume. Rumors about the strangers being escorted down the mountain spread like wildfire.
The mayor and minister of commerce appeared to be ready for business. However, the high priests were bleary-eyed and unshaven.
The crowd backed away when they saw the Soul Reaper, but the town leaders held their ground as the mayor prepared to speak. Janus, however, held up his hand to silence the politician and made his announcement.
He proclaimed, “My master and I are traveling the world inspecting all holy temples and shrines in the name of the gods. Your shrine is an intolerable disgrace.”
The most senior priest protested, “That is a lie! Our shrine is a sacred place dedicated to studying and honoring the gods!”
The mayor added, “And this town exists to maintain the temple and to support the beneficent opportunity of sharing the godly experience to all pilgrims who travel here.”
“Enough!” shouted Janus. “These men are witnesses to the state of the shrine itself. They can attest to the fact that it is in disrepair and reeks of urine. This is intolerable!”
The janitors were terrified of reprisals if they confirmed Janus’ statement. The priests and village elders were also scared of losing their positions and the tourism business. This fear didn’t weaken them, however. Fear made them dangerous, and Janus knew it.
Both the high priest and the mayor began to speak, but Janus stopped them again. Neither of the town leaders was used to being out of control. They glanced at the guards as if to give them an order.
Janus raised his voice and stated, “The shrine stinks of urine because there are no toilets for the priests to use during their long nights of meditation. The furnishings are far too old, spare, and uncomfortable for anyone to effectively contemplate the gods’ desires for the long hours required. And your so-called holy promenade is little more than a narrow trench winding up the mountain.”
The high priest’s eyes flashed with greed, and his complaints were silenced for the moment, but the mayor and minister of commerce were concerned.
“And what do you propose we do about this?” asked the mayor, who was worried about the direction this conversation was heading but pleased that he was finally able to speak.
Janus said, “You will renovate the shrine and place toilets nearby, of course. And, you will widen the holy promenade, add 1,237 steps, and line it with festive poles and arches. Only the priests may enter the shrine itself, but all pilgrims will be allowed to climb the steps of the holy promenade to view the entrance to the shrine. Furthermore, you will improve the overall appearance of the town and add more guest rooms and dining facilities for the additional visitors you will receive.”
The minister of commerce blurted, “And just how do you propose we fund all this?”
Janus reached into his pack and tossed the large sack of jewels he had removed from the talismans at the feet of the village elders. The bag burst open, and the crowd gasped as dozens of precious stones tumbled onto the street.
“The gods provide,” he said, without a smile or any vocal inflection.
“And what do you expect in return?” gulped the mayor.
“We expect that you spend this wealth wisely so that we will be pleased when we return,” answered Janus. He was desperately thinking, “any time now, guys” to his dragon friends.
A moment later, two dark shadows appeared over them, and people scattered as the dragon pair descended. The priests and village leaders scrambled to gather the jewels before scurrying away with the others.
“Heed my master’s instructions. We have other sites to inspect, but we shall return,” warned Janus as they each mounted a dragon and flew off to the east.
“Whoa, that was awesome!” thought Juice to his friend. “I am totally blown away!”
“I don’t know what blown away means, but I am truly impressed,” agreed Granny.
“Me too,” concurred Merlin. “It’s just too bad that we didn’t find the clue we were seeking.”
“Oh, but I think we did,” grinned Janus. “I think we did.”
Chapter 24
Jissika
The four, tired travelers arrived at Juice’s cave two days later. Their journey home was quicker than their trip to the Temple of the Gods. They had a strong tailwind, and all knew the way back. Juice immediately noticed that his home had been disturbed.
“Hey, someone’s been using my crib!” he shouted as he swooped in for a landing.
Granny observed, “And, that snoring coming from the opening indicates that they are still here.”
“We’ll see about that,” growled Juice, as he stomped into the cave.
A minute later, there was a massive explosion deep underground, and Juice quickly scurried out in a cloud of oily, black smoke with his tail tucked between his legs. He quickly glanced at Janus and whimpered, “Never interrupt your wife when she’s taking a nap. Female dragons can be scary.”
Granny giggled and agreed.
Saiph crawled out of the cave a few minutes later and smiled at Juice, who was cowering behind his great-grandmother.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart, but you should never sneak up on a sleeping dragon like that,” she apologized.
Juice extended his head a little further around Granny and said, “Sorry, Saiph, but I didn’t expect anyone to be using my home. By the way, why are you using my cave instead of yours?”
“Mine is a mess.”
“As usual,” chuckled Juice, as he began to resume his usual swagger.
“I mean, someone trashed my home,” growled Saiph with an angry and threatening roar.
Juice scampered back behind Granny before Saiph added, “Besides, your cave is nearer to Clothton, and the humans wanted to go into town for supplies.”
Now it was Janus’ turn to be excited. He needed Stavius’ help, and Saiph informed him that they should be returning soon. Janus kept peering down the hill as they shared their stories and was rewarded by a rustling sound a half-hour later when Stavius and Ops returned from town.
Janus hungrily ate some of the food they brought while they swapped stories. He hadn’t eaten anything since his meals ran out yesterday and kept expressing his appreciation through mouthfuls of delicious sustenance.
Stavius shared his stories while Janus ate. He described reviving over thirty of Esthara’s ancestors and how the unicorns promised to help them defeat the Septumcolans and retrieve the talismans. Janus was unsure of how much help the unicorns could provide. Stavius, however, assured him that the power contained in those thirty horns was massive. He wasn’t sure how they would use it, but Esthara and her ancestors seemed confident in their abilities.
Ops added that the five of them had traveled to meet the Lachians. Bor and General Jairmee were training troops from dozens of towns and now commanded a substantial army. The girls and their dragons remained in the village to help with the planning and training.
The seven families knew about the impending
battle by preparing their forces and bolstering their defenses. It was nearly impossible to enter or leave Septumcolis anymore, but Ops and Stavius were planning to sneak in. Ops had friends who had been trying to topple the seven families for years. She intended to engage this network of spies to gain information and sabotage the defenses. She was also going to introduce Stavius to someone who might be able to teach him how to teleport. Neither Janus nor Stavius held out much hope of him being able to do any magic, much less the most challenging form known, though. Ops smiled and cryptically said, “If I am right, Stavius has more magical ability than any of us realize.”
Stavius asked whether Janus had succeeded in finding his answers, and Janus thrust the stone cube into his hand. Stavius examined it but was not as convinced of its value. Sure, Merlin’s cube concealed a crystal ball, but nothing was indicating that this one was anything more than a doorstop.
Janus noticed Stavius’ perplexed expression and dribbled a mouthful of food as he said, “Remember the writing Merlin’s cube?”
Stavius answered, “Yeah, there was a ‘W’ and an ‘N’ on the top and bottom, and the letters on the sides spelled something like ‘LIER,’ right?”
“No, it did not say ‘LIER,’ you moron. That was an ‘M,’ and the six sides spelled ‘MERLIN.’ How could you have not figured that out?” grumbled Merlin before Stavius could reply. He was still brushing Janus’ spittle of food off his chest.
“Well, that makes sense, but this one just lists the names of the gods,” noted Stavius as he examined the cube more closely.
Janus grinned as he swallowed and clarified, “No, it doesn’t list the names of the gods. It lists The Prophecy Heroes.”
Stavius and Merlin looked more closely and realized Janus was right. Most Mearth cubes had portraits of Terra, Mars, Luna, and Venus carved on the sides with the sun on the top and the moon on the bottom. This one had the names Saturn and Ops engraved on the top and bottom.
Merlin grunted, “I agree that this is unusual, but I don’t see the significance. Let me remind you that we are looking for a clue for Janus. You might not have noticed that his name is the one name notably absent from this cube.”
Prophecy Page 25
