Chapter 9.

First Trial: The Scrolls of Zanderhust

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The Paladin turned to his companions, "From this point on we are no longer allowed to use the mundane names. We must address each other in persona." He reminded the two females. "Sareth, Roxanne will read the clues as they appear. Ladies, follow me, keep a sharp eye open for traps. The course is bound to be littered with them."

Sareth held a hand up. "How do we know what a clue is?"

Roxanne smiled, "All clues are in green and gold scrolls."

Ryaven, hand on the hilt of his sword, led the way into the course. The first obstacles were getting though the forest. Finding the first scroll tethered to a tree, He pulled the tether, and handed the scroll to Roxanne to read.

"The ancient Scrolls of Zanderhust have been stolen from the Temple of Bassk. Find the scroll and return it to the temple… go see the wise one in the Old Oak tree."

Roxanne rolled the scroll back up, and released the tether, it swung back into place.

"Wise one in the old Oak tree?"

Ryaven looked round and pointed down the path. "Oak tree?" He motioned the women to follow. The path was straight forward, or so it seemed. As one neared the old Oak, the path became steep and slippery. "Don't stray from the path," the Paladin warned.

With joint effort, they managed to reach the base of the tree. Roxanne looked around. "I don't see anyone here. Where's this wise one?"

Sareth pointed up into the branches of the tree. "There." Looking down at them with wise eyes was an owl, a large old Great Horned Owl. It sat perfectly still, then blinked at them.

Roxanne looked at Ryaven; "It's alive?"

Sareth looked closer, shook her head, "Nope, it's like the stuff in Disneyland… electronic…but real looking and acting." She moved closer. "Old one, you have something for me?"

"Whhhhhhhhhhhooooooooo Are Youuuuuuuuuuu?" a voice from the realistic creature came.

"Sareth, of the Vortex!"

"Riddle me this, Sareth of the Vortex." The voice became more human in its delivery. "What begins the day on four legs, walks on two legs at noon, and three legs at sunset?"

Roxanne looked at her Paladin; "I don't know that one."

Sareth raised a hand, "Ah, but I do!" She looked at the owl and winked, "Man."

The wings on the creature began to flap, and the eyes blinked wildly.

"Correct!" The bird proclaimed as the head moved from side to side.

A door on the oak popped open and a tray came out. A scroll for the taking and three coins were on the tray. Sareth took the scroll and the coins. She handed a coin to each of the team and the scroll to Roxanne.

"In marble orchard, with dust and bones, the words of Zanderhust repose." Roxanne read. "Marble orchard?"

"Cemetery." Ryaven commented.

"Dust and bones?" she looked unhappy. "It's buried in a grave? We'll have to dig it up and we don't have any tools for that."

"There's no dust in a grave… but there would be in a crypt." Sareth suggested, looking around. "Now which way to the cemetery?"

"The way back will take thee forward." The Owl said and went still.

Ryaven looked at the path; it was no longer steep or slippery. "Back it is."

Sareth glared at the bird in the tree. "The way back indeed."

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Jareth looked in his crystal orb, winked at Cairbre. "I told you my girl was good."

Cairbre and the Pixie looked on with the Fae King. "She has wit," Cairbre agreed.

Meep tugged at the boot of his employer. "Well aren't we going to go save her?"

Jareth picked the Pixie up by the scruff of his neck, letting him dangle. "Not on your life, little man. She does not need saving, not just yet. For now, we just watch."

Cairbre snickered as the Pixie swung in the breeze.

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The path back forked where it had not forked before, and the new path led to an opening that held a cemetery of sorts. The trio entered carefully, still knowing there could be traps. There was only one crypt in the small graveyard. Several of the graves showed signs of being disturbed. Roxanne pointed to them, but Sareth shook her head and pointed to the Crypt. Ryaven moved to the Marble building, nodding. He pointed in the door. On a sarcophagus, within the marble hands lay the Scrolls of Zanderhust, tied together in a neat bundle.

The trio entered the Crypt, carefully. Ryaven shook his head. "It's too easy. Has to be a trap."

Sareth nodded. "This is so familiar… let me think…." She tapped her fingers on her chin. "Ok, this is Robin Zaker here… what did he do…" she snapped her fingers. "Look on the floor there has to be bones."

Roxanne found a bundle of bound bones in a corner. "Here." She handed the dusty items to the Mystic.

"You should have read his books," She said to Ryaven. "These bones match the size and weight of the scrolls. When I say go, you grab the scrolls and I'll drop the bones." She got in position, nodded and said. "Go!"

The exchange took place with precision. Sareth stepped back, and smiled.

Ryaven handed the scrolls over to Roxanne for safekeeping. He led the way out of the crypt. "Now, to find the temple." He looked and the path that had led them in was gone. "Follow the yellow brick road." He quipped. Both girls laughed.

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Cairbre made himself comfortable, "she mentioned she'd read Zaker."

"She more than read him," Boasted Jareth. "She lived it! She practiced his stories in a park with her dog playing the odd parts." He looked at the images playing out in his orb. "That's my girl."

"You keep saying that. Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?" The Bard teased.

Meep sat quietly on the lap of the Goblin King. "Anyone who will listen." He muttered with his chin resting in his hands.

Jareth thunked him with his thumb. "Quiet you."

The Bard smiled. "So you think Sarah can out wit Zaker?"

"With ease." Jareth proclaimed.

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The temple of Bassk was an open structure with an ornate domed roof. The girls followed Ryaven as he led the way and kept an eye open for traps. "I don't really expect too many traps on the lower levels. Mostly near clues and items. Perhaps one at the destination." He said confidently. "The game is fairly easy to start with."

Sareth shook her head. "That's a normal Conquest game. You have to take Zaker's twisted sense of drama into account." She paused and added. "Don't take anything for granted."

Roxanne held the scrolls, "So far so good." She said almost bored.

Sareth grabbed both the others pulling them to a halt. "Stop." She warned.

"We're almost there." Ryaven glared at her.

Reaching down, Sareth picked up a small stone along the path. "If I recall right, he's got a trigger here." Tossing the stone it landed on a piece of flagstone, which suddenly went down into a trapdoor. "See? Nevertheless, we cannot go around it because we need to stick to the path. So we need to go over it."

Ryaven crossed the opening first, held out a hand to Roxanne and she jumped over. Sareth motioned them to clear away and she crossed over with an easy hop. They entered the edifice and placed the scrolls into a golden coffer. The moment they closed the lid, a trumpet sounded and little flags shot out of the domed roof.

"Level one completed," a feminine on a loud speaker announced. "Team Triad Score, three hundred points, bonus of one hundred points, final score, four hundred points."

A flag went up and the voice said. "Follow the flag to level two."

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Jareth snickered. "Child's play for Sarah."

Meep looked at him, "You forget Zaker is watching her, he's going to try to pull something."

Jareth roared with laughter, "I'm counting on it!"

Almond eyes narrowed. "You want him to tangle with our lady?"

"Our Lady?" Jareth shot back, "My Lady, Meep."

Cairbre cleared his throat, "As I recall, she's not exactly your lady either. She's only half marked."

"Details," Jareth grimaced. "Mere Details."

"Rather an important one," Cairbre said thoughtfully. "Why any Fae interested is free to peruse the lady."

Jareth pushed Meep off his lap. "See here, Bard, are you challenging my rights to the lady?"

"Perhaps," nodded the Bard. "Just perhaps."

"You're a little long in the tooth for her, don't you think?" Jareth insulted the other Fae. "And they call me a cradle robber."

Cairbre snickered. "Indeed."

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Ryaven passed the coins achieved by the first task completed. "Next level we should start to find objects to collect." He led the way toward the flag with a touch of a swagger.

Roxanne turned to Sareth and both girls giggled.