Jeze led the Proven down the long tunnel that led to a wide stairwell that sloped downwards. There were lines as thick as Jeze's arms that ran along the walls and gave off a faint silver glow that illuminated the area. The steps were made out of carved stone that looked familiar. Jeze couldn't place where she saw similar-shaped steps that were made out of gold sandstone. Then it occurred to her.
"These are like the steps in the Pyramid!" She exclaimed to Zipocke. The Goblin rested on her shoulder. It seemed like a lifetime ago when she explored the odd ruins by her home. Her first adventure that set her off on becoming a Guild member. Now she was Adventurer ranked! And she was considered by most to be seasoned and experienced.
"You alright, Jeze?" Dunar asked. The team waited a few meters behind her.
"I'm fine," she replied back.
"Can you hurry up? We don't have all day," Mikal stated.
Jeze scowled over her shoulder and knelt to retrieve the Pyramid tome from her backpack. She skimmed through it in the hopes of finding any information about other Pyramid locations. From weeks of reading the pages, Jeze learned how to decipher the Runes without Ziplocke's aid. The Tome was several hundreds of pages long, and Jeze was pressed for time. She closed it without finding any answers. They continued deeper for many more steps until they finally arrived at leveled ground. It was another corridor that was illuminated by the strange glowing lines.
"This reminds me of the first floor," Rolfe observed.
"Ya," Helga agreed.
"Why are we not moving?" Mikal complained.
Jeze scowled at the Healer from over her shoulder and replied, "I hear something up ahead."
Dunar approached her as stealthily as a large armored Frostsworn warrior could move. It was not silent at all. His armor rattled, and his heavy boots thudded on the stone floor. Dunar came near Jeze, and he smelled of sweat and jingling steel. He squinted his eyes and held up his glow stick. The Leader carried one just in case the mysterious glow lines turned off.
"That's strange," Dunar observed.
In front of them was a haze of shadowy Darkness that the light from the glow stick could not penetrate. Just beyond, they could hear faint scuffling sounds.
"Was that groaning?" Jeze asked.
Dunar nodded and activated a second glow stick from his pack. He tossed it into the haze and it disappeared completely as if it was engulfed in a heavy blanket.
"What is that?" Rolfe asked. The others moved up to their position.
"The Darkness aspect. Jeze, you can Shape it away," Mikal said.
"I know!" She snapped back.
Jeze actually didn't think about that because the haze before her was a deep violet. She was not sure if it was connected to the Darkness aspect. But what else could it be? Before she attempted to push her Will into it, she turned to Ziplocke.
"Is that the Darkness aspect?" Jeze asked quietly.
The Goblin snickered and replied, "We will see, no?"
"Great, Jeze can't Shape it," Mikal muttered.
Jeze growled and, tapped her onyx ring and completed the final glyphs in the air with her fingers. She reached out with her Will, and with gritted teeth, Jeze Shaped the Darkness. Sweat beaded on her forehead, but her Will was much stronger now from weeks of combat casting, and Jeze parted the thick blanket of Shadows to reveal a circular chamber with a door on the opposite end.
"Oh my," Helga gasped.
The moaning came from a horribly burned Legionnaire as he crawled toward them. The Soldier left a streak of his melted flesh and blood on the stone floor as he reached toward them with a mangled hand. Behind the tortured man were four charred corpses that appeared to have stabbed each other with their spears.
"Mikal?" Dunar asked, though the Leader already knew the answer.
The Healer shook his head. "There is nothing I can do."
Dunar stepped forward and ended the severely burned Legionnare's misery with a swift sword thrust. The Leader wiped his blade clean before he sheathed it. The room still glowed with a reddish hue. That was when Jeze realized that it was the Affliction aspect mixed in with the Darkness aspect!
"This is like the Mist! But with Shadows!" Jeze explained. The Mist was a mixture of the Affliction and Water aspects. This curse spell was mixed with the Darkness aspect.
That was why it appeared as a heavy purple curtain, and the answer came to her. The Legionnaires had triggered a Rune trap! Dunar was about to enter the chamber.
"Stop!" Jeze cried, and the Leader paused. "Let me clear it first," she added.
She tapped her Affliction ring and shaped the Glyphs in the air. Jeze reached out with her Will and Shaped the Madness spell to disperse. With suppressed horror, she entered the chamber and moved in between the grotesque burned corpses. The smell of burned human flesh was something that she would never get used to, she realized. But Jeze was an Adventurer, and Adventurers go into dark places.
"Does this look familiar?" Ziplocke hissed.
Jeze was surprised that he followed her into the chamber. Normally, the Goblin stood back. Something was odd about him, but she nodded. The Rune trap was on the door, and it was exactly like the ones she had disarmed in the Pyramid. It was a mixture of Affliction, Darkness, and Fire. The realization hit Jeze. Those were the aspects that Ziplocke used!
"Did Goblins make these tunnels?" She asked and added, "Did they make the Pyramid?"
Ziplocke snickered, "Focus on the Rune trap, or you will end up like these poor fools."
Jeze did not want to be sidetracked and wanted to push Ziplocke for more answers. But she heard Mikal grumble that they were wasting time. The Healer was right, Jeze admitted to herself. The Golden Empire was interested in this Dungeon, and more Legionnaires could arrive at any moment. Time was of the essence. Jeze used her Amber resin to alter the Runes, and she felt her Will snap into place as the Trap was deactivated. She motioned to her team that it was safe to enter the chamber.
"What happened here?" Rolfe asked.
Mikal studied the room and answered, "The Rune trap filled the room with Fire, Madness, and Darkness."
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Jeze added, "It was triggered when they tried to open the door."
Helga shook her head, "That is a terrible way to go."
Mikal took the time to administer final rites to the fallen soldiers. "May the Frozen All-Father guide you to the next life and beyond," he prayed over each body.
"They were from the Golden Empire and most likely worshiped their immortal Emperor," Jeze pointed out.
"Their ignorance in life does not mean that their eternal souls should suffer," Mikal responded as he knelt over another body to pray.
"Jeze, can you open the door?" Dunar asked before she could make a wise retort about religion to the Healer.
The Scout nodded and pulled out her lockpick set. Jeze went to work on the door and tapped into her Earth aspect ring to shape the steel pylons within the lock. In moments, there was an audible "click."
"Door is open," she said and backed away.
Dunar nodded and ordered, "Proven, form up!"
Rolfe took the lead with Helga and Dunar at his sides. Mikal and Jeze fell in behind them. The giant Protector held his shield in his left hand, reached out with his free right hand to open the door, and paused.
"Are you sure it's no longer trapped?" He asked.
Ziplocke snickered, "Only one way to find out!"
Jeze arched an eyebrow and asked, "Are you doubting me as well?"
"He is getting wiser," Mikal joked.
Jeze stuck her tongue out at the Healer and said, "I can open the door if you like."
"No, we do not break formation. Go ahead, Rolfe," Dunar stated.
The Protector opened the door, and it led to another dark corridor. The glow lines along the walls flickered on and showed that it led to another chamber that branched off in three directions. The Proven picked a direction, and Jeze scouted ahead with her team close behind her. Dunar mapped their progress as they trekked along multiple twisting corridors for over an hour. Finally, they arrived at a dead-end chamber with a pile of rubble in its center. The room had the same glowing lines as all the others, except only half worked, which created ominous shadows. When the Proven entered the chamber, they discovered the skeletal remains of long-dead warriors in rusty armor and severely damaged weapons.
"Was this a Portal?" Dunar asked.
Jeze studied the rubble and the Runes on the floor. "I think so, but different from the ones we have seen so far," she answered.
"What does that mean?" Mikal asked.
"It means I need time to study!" Jeze snapped back.
Dunar looked over his team. They were tired. They fought hard earlier and ever since they have been marching on edge through corridors and chambers. They were in a single entry and exit chamber which meant they only needed to guard one access point.
"We won't be surrounded here," the Leader spoke his thoughts out loud.
"But we will be trapped with no escape route," Mikal, ever the pessimist, pointed out.
"Ya! But, it's not like we will rest here long," Helga added.
"I could use a moment to take a breath," Rolfe added. It was a significant statement, considering the Protector fought several times on the brink of death.
"Resting in the Spire! That is when bad things happen! I can't wait to see the looks on your faces when you get swarmed!" Ziplocke cackled with devious delight.
The team ignored him and set up camp. Mikal handed out recovery broths as Helga and Rolfe prepared a meal over the magical cooker that Jeze had purchased. It was a good way for them to practice using Glyphs to activate a magical tool. Dunar stood vigilant and guarded the corridor as Jeze studied the Tome she retrieved from the Pyramid. Jeze discovered something.
"This area is known as a Core Tunnel, and I believe this was a Core Portal," she explained.
"What does a Core Tunnel and Portal do?" Mikal asked.
The Healer was not familiar with the Portal aspect but knew enough of Runic magic to understand when given a proper explanation. The others paused as well to listen. Even Dunar glanced over his shoulder to hear what Jeze had to say.
She looked up from the Tome and replied, "Remember how I told you that the Wandering Spire is an invasion vessel called the Stronghold, and It is used by the Abyssal Fiends to invade other realms?"
"Yes, and the Ones from Before had found a way to sabotage the magic and Seal away the Fiendish Lord. But now the Seals are wearing off, and the Spire's erratic magic causes it to appear every five years," Mikal answered.
"You were listening to me," Jeze observed with a warm smile.
"Yea, on occasion. Don't let it go to your head," Mikal admonished back.
"Are these skeletons the remains of the Ones from Before?" Rolfe asked.
"I believe so. The Core Tunnels and Portals are where the magic for the Stronghold is housed. The Ones from Before were highly skilled in Rune Magic and figured out how to get here and exploit the magic," Jeze answered.
Ziplocke snorted, "They were stupid mortals! They had help."
Everyone turned toward the Goblin. "What do you mean by that?" Mikal asked.
The Goblin's eyes went wide at all the attention, and he snapped, "What do I mean? I meant nothing by it! You stupid mortals couldn't understand the complexities of the magic here."
"Tell us, Demon, what more do you know?" Dunar asked.
"I know nothing more! Leave me be," Ziplocke snapped and faded away into the Shadows.
Why was he acting so erratic? Jeze wondered to herself. Helga moved fast, which defied her bulky size, and snatched Ziplocke from the shadows.
"Come on, Zippy! Don't be shy. Talk to us," the warrior maiden said and hugged the Goblin.
"Unhand me! This is undignified!" Ziplocke squealed.
Jeze produced the paste and asked, "You have to answer me. What else do you know about this place?"
Ziplocke grinned and slurped up his favorite treat. He smacked his lips and replied, "To give you an answer. No, I do not need to answer your question."
"What? How can that be? You are a bonded familiar," Mikal demanded.
"He's right," Jeze said, and she tapped her chin. "He can not lie to me, and he can not withhold information from me if it will put me in danger."
The teenager perked up and began to read the Tome.
"What are you doing?" Ziplocke hissed.
Jeze held up a finger and compared the Runes etched into the floor with the ones listed in her Tome. She looked up and asked, "Helga, Rolfe, can you two move these heavy stones."
"What are you doing?" Ziplocke asked again, this time even louder.
"I believe the Ones from Before sabotaged this Core Portal. I want to repair the damage they made," Jeze answered.
"No! You can't do that!" Ziplocke shrieked.
Jeze grinned and asked, "Why not?"
"It will stabilize the Stronghold and weaken the Seals holding the Fiendish lord even more. It will also lead the Fiends to here. You will die!" the Goblin answered and couldn't help but snicker as he envisioned the look of surprise on their faces.
Rolfe and Helga snorted and gripped their weapons. "We could take them," they boasted.
"You believe you can take Fiends? Fools!" Ziplocke snapped.
"How do you know this?" Jeze asked.
Ziplocke grinned and nodded toward the paste. Jeze held it back and narrowed her eyes in thought. The others watched the exchange with interest.
Except Mikal, he grew impatient and muttered, "Can't trust Demons. This is a waste of time."
"I don't believe we will be in any danger. Unless you tell me more, I will proceed with my plans," Jeze stated.
"Fool!" Ziplocke cried.
Rolfe and Helga easily removed the stones, and Jeze began to work on the Runes.
"You have to stop your madness! This will get you all killed! You can ruin everything!" Ziplocke shouted. Spittle flying from his small mouth.
"How do you know this?" Jeze asked.
Ziplocke's body shook as he fought against their magical pact. Finally, he gave in. He had to give an answer that would convince Jeze to stop her destructive course of action. "I helped build the Spire. Us Goblins used to rule the Abyssal plane before the Fiends defeated us. To fight for my people's freedom, I aided the Ones from Before and taught them the Portal aspect and how to sabotage the Stronghold. They won, but it was not enough for my people, and we still remain slaves in the Abyssal plane."
This information shocked Jeze. Did Ziplocke write the Tome she had? Was this why the Archon didn't attack him? Jeze had more questions than before! He kept this major secret from her. What else does he know?
"For years, I continued to find an Adventuring Team that could make it to the final floor to Seal away the Fiendish Lord for good. So far, you have been my best hope since the Ones from Before," the Goblin said in a voice that lacked glee or mischievousness.
To Jeze, It was as if the real Ziplocke had finally shown himself.