“There will be a secret passage behind that section of wall. The entry will most certainly be booby trapped.” Dereniik informed his motley team.

“Oh, how exciting,” Maddie enthused.

Flagsteen pulled a horrified face.

“Do we look for another lever, similar to the one under the arches?” Shaar asked.

“They'll be another lever, but it will be different from the one you found before.”

Sheeli moved a little further away from the group. Dereniik was going to have to have a word to her, it was a good way of getting yourself killed. He pulled up, noticing what the young woman was examining. A length of pipe that had once been part of the decorations had detached from the wall.

Sheeli gently tugged exposing thin wires.

“What do you have there Sheeli?” Jieleen asked.

“No idea, but I would bet sequin on it being broken.” She held the offending pieces out for her sister to examine.

“I think we can forget about finding a lever.” Dereniik added after further inspection. “The wires have been cut, not broken, this was intentional, sabotaged.”

“Well Viky’s not here, so there must be some way of moving forward.” River was hugging her animal again.

“We could try pushing on the door, when all else fails use brute force and ignorance, my Aunt Lilliaan always used to say.” Maddie said.

Dereniik wondered if the lady in question was still alive.

They tried various methods to secure entry.

Tapping the walls, floor and checking the ceiling. Dereniik quicky exhausted personal experience and began having to rely on knowledge acquired via the library. Although offering multiple solutions for this problem, it took a long time to work through them all.

Time, he wasn’t sure they had. When tracing an individual, much could be gained from knowing the sort of person he or she was. His interactions with the people of Xiaan had shown them to be intelligent and resourceful. Proud of their heritage and uniqueness but, unlike the coalition, they saw themselves as part of humanity, not greater or less, just different. These traps had been set to catch thieves, but there would be a workaround, it just needed to be found.

“I think I should just knock it down.” Maddie volunteered.

“My Lady,” Dereniik said. “It will be rigged to cause harm. Even if you could destroy the wall, it is our sacred duty to protect you.”

“Jieleen and you have done the bulk of the work. He's tired, and we don't know what's ahead. I'm Strength enhanced, and I’ve trained. I don't have a long tap of Speed, but I'm sure I could jump back out of danger quick enough if I need. And as my aunt Rosaliie always says, ‘Women look after women,’ and ‘fortune favours the courageous.’ Viky is my friend and I need to contribute to her daring rescue.”

Dereniik was touched by her loyalty and disturbed by the casual disregard for her own safety.

Jieleen was tired, and the deeper into the bank they went the less Gods Fire was available. Phasing was dependant on a good supply, how much longer would he be able to maintain his Manipulation.

Dereniik was finding it more difficult to hold his own centre, and Invisibility and Drifting were only partially reliant on Gods Fire.

The previously compliant group fragmented into bickering fractions each with their own point of view. This was the problem of not having a cohesive team with experience working together under an authoritative leader. Maddie vocalized the loudest, but the women often deferred to Sheeli. Flagsteen and Jieleen look to him.

Except Jieleen, riddled with anxiety, was not always a voice of reason.

The situation only resolved itself when Maddie threw caution to the wind, ignored popular opinion, and gave the wall a substantial shove. Within a heartbeat it collapsed inward, momentum taking the young woman along with it. Her shriek echoed up from the abyss and back along the hall.

“Jieleen, catch her.” Dereniik yelled to the stunned man.

Dereniik was temporarily blinded by an explosive flash. The glowing after-image so bright spots danced erratically for several heartbeats. God’s Fire streamed to Jieleen’s outstretched hands. Ozone filled the air and swirling currents tugged at loose clothing and hair.

The scream cut off, replaced by a near hysterical giggle, followed by a hiccup.

“Maddie?” Sheeli peered over the edge.

“I’m alive,” a small voice answered. Dereniik breathed again.

“Well, grab the ladder to your right, Jieleem looks like he is going to pass out.”

The sound of scrambling reached them. “Got it.”

“Does the ladder go all the way down?” Shaar came and stuck her head over the edge.

“Yep, I can see the ground. It’s not far.”

Dereniik recovered enough to hobble over. “Don’t move, please Lady Maddie, just stay where you are. We don’t know if the floor is safe.”

They didn't know if the shaft was safe, and they didn't know if the ladder was safe, Dereniik considered getting everyone out of the bank. Losing Viky would be a tragedy, but there were six other people to consider, not including himself.

“Can you climb back up?” Dereniik asked.

“I could get down that ladder.” Sheeli said.

“So could I.” Her sister agreed.

“If that’s where Viky gone, that where I’m going.” Jieleen lent against the wall, exhausted. Throbbing purple veins in his temple disappearing as Flagsteen massaged the sides of his head.

“You’re going to have a headache, you should rest, I can’t give you energy.” The youth murmured.

“What happens if we can’t catch up with Viky?” River asked.

“I don’t know, but I also don’t know what will happen if we continue. We have been lucky so far.”

Dereniik said.

“I’m at the bottom of the shaft, nothing bad happened.” Maddie’s dismembered voice floated up to them. “But this room has been trashed, looks like there has been a war down here.”

Dereniik caught his breath. Was Maddie incapable of following instructions? Gods light, this was going to end in tears.

***

Lady Briziit strode confidently across the room and started down the ramp. Viky with some reluctance followed. Musty, still air enveloped the narrow spiral. A feeble light from above shone and of course there was no handrail.

A vibration under her feet alerted Viky to the next development. With a shutter that sent chills racing up her spine the ramp began sliding back into itself. The lower section lifting off the ground. Viky tapped Speed and leapt, scattered detritus made for an awkward landing as the ramp slid upwards and became ceiling. Glancing quickly at Lady Briziit, Viky had hoped to have seen what she had done. But the woman was stationery, a smug and superior look on her face. She hadn’t touched a lever or device, but Viky took careful note of her exact position and rearranged her own facial features to convey unconcerned indifference.

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“It's further along this way,” Lady Briziit turned and stalked away.

Viky, careful not to indicate she’d twisted her ankle, followed in her wake.

“This place must have taken you ages to explore, and it would have been dangerous, how long have you known about this place?”

“I had a friend, the woman who taught me about Invisibility. She knew how to get across the foyer floor and through the archways. We used the hallway with the hidden shaft for rotations to stash stolen goods before discovering it’s secret.”

“Was it her shrine in the last room?”

“No, my life partner put that their, sentimental fool.”

Viky waited for more information, but none was forthcoming. The short passage ended, and multiple tunnels were revealed. This time it was not hard to decipher the one in use. Scant illumination shone in only one direction and Lady Briziit did not hesitate to take that path. Viky glanced at the ceiling; patches of static glowing light battled against encroaching darkness.

“There is no Gods Fire?” She murmured. Viky couldn’t remember ever being in a place without the crackling blue-white strands. It was unnatural, everything was too still, too creepy.

“Yes, don’t know how, may be something to do with the weird material lining the walls, but I’m sure it is intentional.”

In this place of undefined shadows and gloom they stepped over metal squares with spikes imbedded in the parquetry floor. The ceiling was Phase scoured and warped and twisted bracing indicated where the metal structures once resided. The ingenuity was mind blowing. A shiver ran down Viky’s spine. What would have happened if the structure had dropped on an unsuspecting person beneath?

The hallway, long and narrow, revealed no doorways or auxiliary rooms leading off it. No convenient alcoves or bolt holes to duck into.

“This next section is tricky,” Lady Briziit twittered. “No doubt intended to keep people who could Fly or Drift out of the vault.”

Viky picked her way over the twisted metal shapes. Rotations of Shifts had taken their toll and whatever form they had once held and function they used to served, had been long lost. Her stomach clenched and she remembered she hadn't eaten for a while. Extensive damage was evident, one pile reminded her of a gaping mouth, hungry, dark, and angry. A dark staining on the parquetry beneath warping shadows. The uneasy thought blossomed into full blown knowledge. At some time in the past a person had been caught by those spikes and impaled.

“What made you keep exploring? The last room would have been safe enough to hid things in?” Viky asked.

“Oh, you simple child. This was a bank. Previously owned by the richest people living in the wealthiest city of the entire world. What do you think they kept in the vaults?”

“I think the Coalition would have made sure they were emptied long ago.”

“No, you’re wrong. My friend said the Xianees people, those who weren’t killed, left in a hurry. Had to leave their riches.” Lady Briziit’s voice was firm.

“They may have left great wealth; but the Coalition wouldn’t have. As soon as they had gone the vaults would have been stripped. The Coalition wouldn’t have cared about the body count. This metal structure has been collapsed for ages. It probably came down soon after the Xianees left when the Coalition raided the place, long before you or your friend started exploring.”

Lady Briziit’s back stiffened.

Irregular footfall broke the silence. Viky wished she could see the woman’s face, but it was cast in shadows.

“So, you spent a lot of time, energy and resources searching for something that had potentially been emptied anyway. Why?” Viky asked.

“Did anyone ever tell you you're a very annoying little girl?”

“What, because I speak the logical truth?”

No answer was forthcoming, Viky tried a different line of reasoning.

“Did you find anything in the vaults?”

“I never found the vaults.”

“Did your friend find the vaults?”

“No.” The answer was clipped.

“Why not?”

“Oh, you’ll see my dear.” She twittered.

Viky was now quite sure she didn't want to and decided following this woman was not the wisest life decision she had ever made. And she didn't know how to open the wall at the top of the shaft or the spiral stairway. Storm blast, this was so far from her plan, she wasn’t just on another page, but in a completely different manuscript.

***

Dereniik using his grip rope Drifted into the Shaft, found a leaver, conveniently labelled in Xianees, and deactivated the shaft’s defence mechanisms. After an ineffective attempt to persuading the young women from continuing he tried another tactic.

“My Ladies, it would be good if we had a few others to help us on this quest, is there a possibility of one of you going to the Continuity Council officers and asking in my name for a team of Deputized Operative Commanders to come and help us?” Dereniik suggested.

There was some discussion. The women were not keen to involving officials. Flagsteen recommended the help of another Healer, confident in his discretion. River mentioned that her brother and his team had their day off and she was sure they would love to help. Dereniik made some quick calculations, either suggestion had merit and it would take another one of women out of the immediate vicinity and potential harm.

Sheeli took over care of the Vorraal and River was given directions to Healer Zegreeb’s suite and a message from Flagsteen.

Dereniik was required to carry the animal down the shaft. It was difficult to tell who suffered the most discomfort. Reaching the bottom, he passed the Vorraal to Maddie.

“Viky’s left us a message.” The subdued young woman gestured to the floor.

Dereniik, having difficulty rearranging his shortened crutches, turned awkwardly. He stomach lurching with the evidence of so much Phase destruction surrounding them. A seething knot of tension grew. Half formed memories collided with physical pain and shortness of breath. The desire to find and protect Viky warred with the guilt of putting other people in danger.

“I gave her a ring with a concealed charcoal taper, she’s used it to write written Glyphs on the floor.” Maddie added.

Dereniik inspected the scratching.

“Lady Maddie, I don’t know if this is her script, Viky’s penmanship is precise and neat. Although she may have written it in less-than-ideal circumstances.”

Flagsteen, breathing hard and paler than usual dropped down beside them, wiping shaking hands on his skirt as he took his bearings.

“Not a lot of Gods Fire, I wouldn’t have thought we were not far enough underground for it to be negatively affected.” The youth said.

“I didn't know being far underground affected God's Fire.” Maddie said.

“Well, it shouldn’t at Chruciaal, the whole city is carved into a dissected upland plateau, you should be able to go down a lot further than this and still be above the level of the surrounding forests. There must be something else dampening its effect.”

“Probably a ploy to negate the use of fractal powered enhancements.” Dereniik said still trying to decipher the last glyph.

Sheeli dropped to the floor, grinning. “Wow, what a mess, someone started the party without us.”

“It was possibly over before we were born, this is all very old.” Flagsteen took a step towards one of the gaping cavities that had once been a door.

“Best not to move about too much, we don't know if all the traps have been deactivated.” Dereniik reminded him.

“How can you tell how long it has been since someone redecorated with Phasing?” Maddie asked.

“Oh, I can't,” Flagsteen blushed. “But that's a human scapula sticking out from the pile over there and the soft tissue completely mummified. It takes rotations for that to happen.”

“I did not want to know that.” Sheeli pulled a face.

“What do you think the last glyph is supposed to represent?” Maddie asked, changing the subject, and making a point not to look at the pile Flagsteen indicated.

“I don't know, and I think that is going to be a problem.” Frustration joined shame, Dereniik wished he had answers. “An explored and neutralized Xianees bank vault in First City had a room where placing the right shaped puzzle piece in the corresponding slot open the correct door. From the clues Viky has left she may be asking us to throw a specific-coloured stone in the right bowl to open the correct doorway. ‘Danger’, ‘Throw’, ‘Stone’, ‘Bowl’, are the first four glyphs, but we don’t know what colour stone, or which bowl. And we can almost guarantee there will be negative circumstances if we get it wrong.” Dereniik explained.

Shaar joined them and the sisters began a whispered conversation.

“There are a lot of stones scattered on the floor, but most of them on the other side of the room.” Sheeli said.

“And there are more blue ones around that bowl, than any other colour elsewhere.” Shaar added.

“Yes, you're right, and if you're going to throw a stone from one side of the room to the other there's a good chance you may miss sometimes and more of that colour would end up on the ground.” Dereniik nodded.

“Well, I wouldn't miss,” Sheeli said.

“We would both be able get it in on the first try but most people would miss from that distance.” Shaar conceded.

“The other stones on the floor, I guess they would have spilt when the place was being torn apart. It's funny there is nothing in the middle of the room. A good indication that's where one of the next traps are.” Maddie looked to Dereniik as if he would know the answer.

Jieleen stepped off the ladder, eyes scanning the room and disappointment written on his face.

“Viky has left us a message; it means that she made it to this room safely.” Dereniik reassured him.

“What does it mean, danger, throw, stone, bowl, opposite,” Jieleen read the glyphs with care.

“You think that last word says opposite?” Sheeli asked.

“Yeah sure, what do you think it says?”

“We weren't sure, but you would possibly know your life partners script and way of thinking better than anyone else.” Dereniik said.

“Well let's get going then,” Jieleen went to grab a handful of stones.

“Wait,” Maddie yelled.

Jieleen’s hand hovered over the bowl.

“We think you have to throw a blue one.” Sheeli said.

“And Sheeli’s going to do it. She’s the best shot.” Shaar added.

“Lady Sheeli, could you pick up a blue stone, using the leather of your sling, without touching any of the other coloured ones?” Dereniik asked.

“I could but do you think it's important?”

“I don't know My Lady, but I would very much like you to try.”

Sheeli untucked the sling from her waistband, stepped over some rubble and using the leather to protect her fingers selected a smooth blue stone. Placing it on the floor she poked the stone into the pouch section of the sling with the end strap. Folding the sling she took the ends and gave it a couple of twirls above her head. The still air sang with the whirling sound.

Dereniik didn't even see the stone release, but there was a satisfying thwack as it landed in the bowl opposite. Within a few heartbeats a grating sound accompanied movement and the central circular section off floor lowered, creating a spiral ramp leading down to the next level.