[https://em.wattpad.com/60010d79787c2095ad4566c96fff44bb695c597a/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f634e4e36324156614d59724d78513d3d2d3437393238353239382e313536396632313036393834626639343537333033383338373736322e6a7067]
https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/304133781065145272/?lp=true
(Click here if you have stepped on the correct stones.)
Spoiler: Spoiler
"Oh but of course! Now I understand, I should have realised this much sooner! The mouth must represent the words Ice Eyes left behind for his followers to listen and heed!" Lorna squeals in a breathless voice full of excitement, before blushing red at her unseemly outburst. (+1 Lorna Companion Reputation.)
With that test solved, your two companions quickly cross over to join you by the sarcophagus, careful to only step on the stones with the mouth.
(Click here if you have stepped on the incorrect stones. )
Spoiler: Spoiler
You struggle against the waves of pain that course through your body, causing your limbs twitch uncontrollably.
Dragging yourself over to the sarcophagus you rest your back up against the cold hard stone and see your companions staring at you worriedly from across the room. "It's okay, I'm fine. I must have stepped on the wrong stone."
Lorna calls back to you, "Wait right there! And don't move! There must be a way to walk across the stone steps without triggering the traps."
You let out a dry chuckle at the suggestion you would be moving anywhere, accidentally setting off another wave of fiery pain that burns across your chest forcing you to wince.
Lorna bites her upper lip, studying each of the images in turn, before abruptly letting out squeal of delight, "Oh but of course! Now I understand, I should have realised this much sooner! The mouth must represent the words Ice Eyes left behind for his followers to listen and heed!I almost certain of it."
With that test solved, your two companions quickly cross over to join you by the sarcophagus, careful to only step on the stones with the mouth.
Upon reaching you, Lorna bends down beside you and presses a palm to your forehead and whispers something underneath her breath that you can't quite make out. The pain inside of you easing to a dull roar. "There, you should be able to move now without speeding up the poison's circulation."
"You can't take the poison out from me?"
She shakes her head. "I'm afraid not, I am no healer."
Sighing heavily you pull out all the darts out from you, Gorrack moving forward to help lift you back up onto your feet.
Together with your companions, you look down at the stone sarcophagus, noticing for the first time that the lid seems to be inlaid with bronze symbols that decorate the corners. With strange words inscribed along the edges of the coffin and let out a small gasp of surprise as the words begin to shift and move, until you can read them.
"Here's lies the first of the Honor Bound, his blood spilled in defense of our great land. Speak his ancient words and pass through into his halls."
"Did you see that?" You ask in a hushed whisper, although you have no idea why your speaking softly.
Lorna nods her head, while Gorrack tightens his grip upon his battleaxe. "I do not like this place. We should leave here."
Normally you'd poke fun at the big orc's fear, but this place just didn't feel right. From the moment you'd gotten here, you could feel yourself being watched, a feeling which has only grown stronger the longer you've been here.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
You open your mouth to agree with the orc's suggestion, when Lorna states in a loud voice, "We guard the peace." The chamber grumbles around you, the floor shaking beneath your feet.
Cursing her impetuous, you draw your weapon and see the lid of the sarcophagus begin to move. The groaning of the temple growing louder, dust filtering from the ceiling to tickle the back of your throat.
Coughing, you think about making a run back outside to safety, when you catch sight of something inside of the sarcophagus that makes you stop.
Confused, you lean forward and see stairs leading down into a dark passage way that opens up inside the sarcophagus.
Unable to believe your eyes, you look over to Gorrack who swings his battleaxe nervously by his side.
The rumbling inside the chamber finally comes to end, leaving behind an ominous silence that fills the room. Not sure what to make of the passage inside of sarcophagus, you wonder if Ice Eyes was truly even buried here, when Lorna as per usual pushes her way past you and steps down into the stone passageway. "Well what are you waiting for you? This must be the hidden entrance that leads out of this place."
Disliking the imperious tone of her voice, you consider going back the way you came again, before tiredly shrugging your shoulders and following after her. No sense in wasting anymore time here than was necessary.
Lorna weaves her fingers through the air and incants another spell, creating a thin ball of light that floats beside her and continues down the hall. Gorrack bringing up the rear of the party.
For awhile you traverse the dark, empty corridors that haven't been touched in years, dust covering single each of this place and come across piles of white bones that litter the path ahead.
Not liking the way this looks at all, you say, "We should go back. There could be more traps ahead of us."
Lorna looks back over her shoulder with a bored expression. "I had no idea you were such a coward. What happened to your willingness to brave any danger for gold."
Grimacing at her accusation, you look down at your feet and see dozens of tolamites scampering across the sides of the passageway. Tiny insects that preferred the darkness with light black fur, frail bodies and long antennas that help to guide them below the surface. You watch the creatures do their best to skirt the light and tunnel their way into the surface of the walls.
All the while thinking about what Lorna had said to you and to your surprise you had to agree with her. For the first time in many years, you did feel fear, but you don't know why. All you know was that it had something to do with this place, it just felt wrong to be here like you were intruding upon holy ground never meant for you.
You would have voiced your concerns to Lorna, but you got the distinct impression she wouldn't have cared either way. The discovery of the passageway in Ice Eyes temple was like a portent to her and she was determined to see it through to the end, if only to try and satisfy her insatiable curiosity.
After travelling for many miles beneath the surface of Coroleya, you reach a round chamber with symbols marked into the surface of the walls that look like alphabetical letters. There is also a open doorway ahead of you with another inscription on the wall around it.
Again the words shift before your eyes allowing you to read the engraving upon the wall. "I saved my people from years of strife and yet in the end I too was betrayed by those closest to me. Speak the name and pass through."
Lorna purses her lips thoughtfully, gazing around at the letters on the walls. "I believe this to be the language of the Minotaurs, but I cannot make any sense of it."
1 [https://em.wattpad.com/b66610cd8608527f7977b7ab3efa7baef71db882/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f624a6a32434978575536454644413d3d2d3437393238353239382e313465623834353364376565383431333137323130353530333732302e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
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[https://em.wattpad.com/c7a863964d263486e963d939061bb0c1b69e7a2f/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f48536462595559796b34766139513d3d2d3437393238353239382e313465623834353862653635383462333235383939333632383935352e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
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3 [https://em.wattpad.com/8a2e8e1fd6709cbf25b60a445d8c6bd00b0d189d/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f7175573445416563474932434e513d3d2d3437393238353239382e313465623834363839383136666639623235313537303235393431312e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
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4 [https://em.wattpad.com/b7e6c2e03d29d3d39c104f9c0c8fdfd1c0e6c8ec/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f4270656f6e676b44306d376c6e413d3d2d3437393238353239382e313465623834363633613935343838333536363436343334353036352e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
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5 [https://em.wattpad.com/2c8bbb00eb423c8df6c1a09fb96b90ae262f0f63/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f4b784e736230647a2d5538685a513d3d2d3437393238353239382e313465623834363063336663636634393130383531393239303730372e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
5. Or do you ignore the test and run through the open doorway?