The Forgotten Temple
"Whoa..." breathed Mara, gazing up and up at the mossy broken columns towering above. Vines crawled all over the crumbly grey stones of the mega ancient temple. "Can you believe magic priests lived here zillions of years ago?!"
Alaric stepped carefully over cracks in the pathway, his glowy wizard staff lighting the gloom inside. "Before your granny's granny was born, kiddo," he said with a wink. This place gave him the creeps too though. Like ghostly whispers echoed down the dark halls...
"Why'd the wizard guys leave their huge temple?" Mara wondered, squinting to see shapes in the shadows. She hugged Alaric's arm nervously.
Alaric paused thoughtfully. "Not sure...but feels like bad stuff happened here. We better stick together." Strange carvings of odd monsters and symbols marked the walls. Alaric traced one with a shiver. His teacher instincts made him say "Let this be our first history lesson - magic goes nasty when people get too greedy."
The Spooky Central Room
They entered a giant room with a tall dark stone tower in the middle. Mara gulped nervously and pointed at the base. "Uh, why's that statue guy got no head?!" The remains of a broken stone body knelt there, holding up the obsidian tower. Hungry shadows seemed to wiggle over the tower's glassy black sides.
Alaric felt colder, clutching his glow wand tighter. "Many years ago, magic priests probably stood chanting around this tower," he whispered. "I bet they did tricky spells together to do big magic with that statue's power." Mara edged closer to the tower. "I feel hot and cold zappy feelings from it! Do the spell now!"
"No way!" Alaric caught Mara's collar, pulling her back. "Messing with forces we can't control is mega bad news, remember?" This strange statue probably took priests' energy, he guessed. But that kind of sacrifice magic could turn evil fast. Fear and greed corrupted people. Mara kept trying slip free towards the tower, hypnotized...
Stolen story; please report.
Spooky Shadow Monsters Attack!
Suddenly, the dark tower rumbled loudly, tilting and opening a black hole. "Oh no!! Run!!" Alaric cried in horror watching his apprentice vanish into the gaping portal. No choice now - he leaped in after her,wizard staff flashing scared warnings.
Ghostly crawling shadows swirled everywhere here! Mara shrieked as shadowy claws grabbed them deep inside the portal's tunnel. Glowing eyes and slavering fangs appeared in the dark, cackling madness. "Destroy mortal intruders!" hissing goblin voices yelled. Mara screamed as shadow claws raked her backpack, trying pull her away!
"Let her go!" Roared Alaric as loud as he could. His wizard staff blasted zapping lights, driving the shadow goblins back a little. More spooky yellow eyes peered from the tunnel's black throat as Mara's cries faded deeper into the stone tower. Alaric's heart pounded with terror realizing the situation was mega out of control! Some allies with big magical firepower would really help about now! But it was all up to him saving Mara somehow...
The Bright Shining Lady Rescues Them
Sweating with fear, Alaric lifted his sparking staff into the air, ready to charge super dark magic forces inside when a sudden gentle hand touched his shoulder. Dazzling brightness lit up the underground portal space. It was a beautiful glowing lady with rainbow wings and colorful robes smiling at Alaric. "Do not fear, brave one! These sad creatures cannot comprehend the light within them waiting to shine out!"
Her voice sounded like pretty harp music. Invisible angelic helpers pried apart shadow claws holding Mara tightly . Alaric's knees felt all wobbly seeing Mara limp but okay. The dark shadow beings wailed mournfully backing into their stone tower hole hissing angrily until the lady waved one delicate hand, closing up the scary opening with rocky rubble.
Soon Alaric's little friend came around again with a big gasp. "You...you saved me!" Mara whispered gratefully. Her eyes went huge staring at the magical winged woman beaming love to all around her.
"A divine blessing to you both for enduring the trial." The lady's smile warmed their hearts like hot cocoa on snow days. Her sparkly robe traceries constantly shifted beautiful colors. "Remember the shadows still wish love's grace shown them too." And with musical laughter she floated up into the crumbling temple's open ceiling, dissolving into rainbow sunbeams.
After leaving the mega creepy temple later, Alaric put one arm around Mara's shoulders reassuringly. "We make quite the explorer team huh, kiddo!" She grinned back. Their frightening adventure gave new respect towards understanding forces bigger than themselves. But it sure felt good being scaredy cats together!