The stairs that wound through the column were sized for those much larger than either Aedmorn or Ivkarha, giving them plenty of room within it. They made their way up, circling around to a number of new floors the higher they climbed, each one as empty as the last. Unlike the floor that they had entered the tower into, these didn’t even have tapestries, but all were lighted by the same soft glow, illuminating their path.

There was dust upon the floors, a faint layer but one that remained undisturbed; no one had walked the rooms for some time.

“I expected more,” Ivkarha noted as she peered into yet another empty room in their circuit up. “It is passing strange that there is not at least anything; if the place was abandoned and they took all with them, then why would they leave the tapestries below behind?”

“Aye, that is a puzzle,” Aedmorn replied, a frown touching his brow. “Maybe we should have gone down instead.”

“We haven’t reached the top yet,” Ivkarha pointed out, continuing her climb. “No telling just how much more we have to go.”

It took some time, and many more empty floors before it all changed. The stairs they had been following at last reached a ceiling, one in which was set a trapdoor blocking access to whatever was above, a trap door inscribed with golden symbols.

“At last we may have something,” Aedmorn said. Standing beneath the trapdoor, he extended a hand cautiously towards it.

“Magic sigils?” Ivkarha asked.

“They look much like the script e saw earlier so it may just be a message of some kind, but we can not rule out any other possibility.” With a deal of care he rested his hand upon the trapdoor and then gave it a gentle push. Much like the doors into the tower, it easily swung up and open.

Taking a hold of the edges of the opening, Aedmorn pulled himself up into the room above.

A low whistle came from him, one of surprise. Swiftly Ivkarha hauled herself up to join him, to see what he had discovered.

The room above, alone of all the ones in the tower, was not empty. It also had doorways in it, ones that must have led out to a balcony that ringed the top of the tower, but that was not what had caught Aedmorn’s attention.

There were giant chairs ringed around the room, all looking towards the centre of the room where they had emerged, chairs of gold and silver and ivory, and upon each was seated a figure; they were all of the mysterious people that they had seen upon the carved stones and the tapestries.

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Twice the height of Aedmorn and Ivkarha they would have been if they were standing, with spindly, elongated arms and legs and long, thin heads, almost to the point of looking gaunt. Their skin was grey and they were hairless, with eyes slightly larger than would be expected for the size of their heads, eyes that were closed. Even so without the hair there were differences enough between them that they could tell the males from the females.

They wore circles of gold resting upon their heads, in the centre of each, in the middle of their foreheads, was set a gemstone, all of seemingly different types and cuts and shapes. Each was clad in a robe of white that left the arms free and bare, falling to around their knees, while sandals were upon their feet. The robes had elaborate decorations around the cuffs and colours, fine embroidery in deep purple, fiery red and bright gold thread, woven into elaborate patterns that in some way reminded them of the display upon the silvered doors that led into the tower.

No movement came from them at the entrance of the pair, sitting as if dead.

There was one more of them in the room as well, though not seated upon a throne. Just behind the entrance was a stone slab, over which was draped a rich purple velvet cloth, and a body lay upon it, arms folded across their chest. This one stood no taller than Aedmorn or Ivkarha, a child of the strange people. The child, a girl from what they could see, wore a simple white robe similar to that which the adults wore, though without decorations. Her feet remained bare, as did her head. At either end of her, one at her feet and another at her head, sat a small brazier of gold upon which the mysterious lettering could be seen, picked out in orichalcum. There were also gems resting there upon the purple velvet, surrounding the body; diamonds of pink and blue and clearest crystal, red rubies, shimmering black and white pearls, green emeralds, fiery opals and more, a scintillating display of colour and wealth.

They stayed where they were, not moving, barely breathing as they looked around the room, trying to take it all in.

“If they are dead they are most well preserved,” Ivkarha said quietly after some time. “But they do not feel dead; I can not sense it here.”

“And nor can I sense that they are alive,” Aedmorn added, frowning as he did. “Neither dead nor alive. It makes little sense.” He motioned towards one of the seated figures, one perhaps a head taller in height than the rest, a black gem set into his circlet. He held an object in one hand they could not make out, while in the other he held a book open, rested upon his lap. “That one is different.”

Together they made a slow crossing of the room towards the seated figure, each step made with care lest they disturb something and awaken the seated figures, even if they were beyond awakening. The room had a feel to it, of a place that demanded silence, almost funereal in feel. As they neared the figure, they could make out what he held; a small bell, made of golden-red orichalcum, chased with silver filigree across it forming unknown letters and words.

Even as they looked at it, they could feel a call from it, power radiating from it; ring me, it called to them, ring me. The power was near overwhelming and unbidden their hands strayed towards the bell.