TWO OF A KIND
by Ulquiorra9000
Chapter 36
Luckily, there was no further sign of Nihil as the evening wore on, and both Morrel and Mizuki settled into an uneasy sleep within the forest's depths as the Roil raged on. As Morrel lay on his back in his assigned tent, he closed his eyes and listened to the howling winds and booming thunder of the progressing storm, wondering how much the terrain would be altered and re-arranged by the phenomenon. There was nothing like this back home, he mused, wondering how much longer he'd have to wait for sleep to come. Another boom of thunder rattled the air. I have to take the good with the bad when it comes to exploring new worlds, I guess! That's only fair.
He thought back to Zoira, the elf getting impaled by Nihil's re-creation of Mizuki's mana tendrils. His insides seemed to chill. We have to do something about Zoira. She's led Mizuki and I this far into our quest. We need her! But... is there truly a way to bring back the dead? It's a long shot but it's worth it. I'll ask Sherbal in the morning.
*o*o*o*o*
"Hmmmm? Returning the dead back to life? Yes, boy, it can be done," Sherbal answered Morrel's question briskly the next morning. The Kor busily rummaged in his borrowed tent, pulling out his kitesail and checking its rigging. "But what you're suggesting is dangerous."
"Just tell us what to do," Mizuki added impatiently, her arms folded. Behind her, the other men and women of Kamsa's Gliders setting up their kitesails.
Sherbal nodded, content that his kitesail was in working condition. "A few temples are known across Zendikar's continents to contain powerful life magic. There's even one here on Akoum, a series of catacombs set in a wide valley not too far from here. As I said, however, going there isn't as simple as it sounds." He hefted his kitesail over his back and strode toward the cliff beyond the forest edge. Or rather, what was left of the cliff. The other Kamsa's Gliders members followed him, also carrying the three spare kitesails for Morrel, Mizuki, and Zoira.
"Is the temple guarded, by any chance?" Morrel asked as the group checked the open winds. The sky was cloudless and bright, with no sign of the Roil evident. A light wind blew past, and four massive hedrons hovered high overhead like sentinels.
"Guarded?" Sherbal forced a laugh. "In a sense. Facilities like that temple are situated in rough terrain, treacherous to explore. What's more, ancient traps and magic defy all but the most hardened explorers. If there is resurrection magic to be found, expect tough defenses."
Morrel bristled, drawing himself to his full height. "I won't be intimidated by this world or its inhabitants. Sherbal, I request that you take Mizuki and I to this valley temple. It's our only chance to get Zoira back. Our quest can't go on without her." We have to reach the Sphere fragment before Nihil does! We're falling behind as it is.
The rugged Kor pursed his lips for a moment, then nodded curtly and snapped open his kitesail. "Very well, but you've been warned," he said with a hint of a smile. "Get your kitesails, Morrel, Mizuki. Iztet, retrieve the elf's body and carry it."
One of the male Gliders nodded, dashing back into the forest and returning with Zoira's limp form. He carried her gently and set her down even more carefully, strapping his kitesail to himself. Then, without a hint of revulsion, he took firm hold of Zoira's body and tied it to himself. Last, he closed his eyes and radiated a mist of shimmering white mana that settled onto his kitesail like a fine dust. "To enhance my flight to accommodate the extra weight," he explained when he saw Morrel's and Mizuki's confused expressions.
"Right," Morrel commented, securing his kitesail onto his back as Mizuki did the same with hers. He unfolded his kitesail's wings and took a deep breath. "Let's fly."
*o*o*o*o*
Just as Morrel guessed, the light, gentle winds made for quick and smooth flying, but he still found himself dipping unexpectedly and veering off-course, so constant adjustments had to be made. Nearby, Mizuki similarly fought against her drifting, her face screwed in concentration.
"Do not feel bad," Sherbal called over his shoulder at them both. "Kitesailing is not an easy art to master. You only need more practice."
"Haven't you already said something like that?" Mizuki bit back impatiently as she fought not to drift from a sudden shift in the breeze.
Only hedrons and birds passed by the kitesail group as Sherbal led them to a rockier section of Akoum, and before long a panorama of badlands sprawled below Morrel, stark and unforgiving. Unfazed by the barren terrain, Sherbal angled downward and glided in a steep curve toward a wide valley that had many boulders jumbled at the bottom. The rest of his airborne party followed suit, landing on a short but wide cliff that jutted out from the valley wall.
"I thought the temples around here had rough terrain to navigate," Morrel commented, folding up his kitesail.
Sherbal couldn't help a wide grin. "Unless you have a kitesail."
"Hey, we're not alone," Mizuki noticed, pointing. Everyone turned and beheld a party of five goblins with mottled gray-green skin, all of them carrying machetes and rope. One of them also had a torch. The lead goblin gawked at the sight of the Kor and humans, clenching his machete tightly.
"What you do here?" the lead goblin demanded.
"We have an important mission to carry out," Sherbal told the goblin, taking a few steps forward. "Our friend, a Tajuru elf, lost her life in a difficult battle. This temple will bring her back to us."
The goblin's ears perked up and the rest of its party made chattering noises. "Yes! Powerful magic! Get sample for masters," the leader agreed. "Let us go together!"
Sherbal narrowed his eyes. "Masters? Who?"
"Matter not! We go now," the goblin leader insisted, leading his fellows into an artificial opening set in the valley wall. Morrel watched the five goblins march inside, lighting up their torch along the way. The temple opening was barely seven feet tall and shaped like a trapezoid, wider at the base. Strange runes were etched into the stone blocks that lined the entrance.
Mizuki glanced at Sherbal. "Are they going to be an issue somehow?"
"Most likely not," Sherbal shook his head, following the goblins and motioning for everyone else to follow. "They can be of some use."
"You think they will obey you?" Morrel asked, entering the temple with everyone else. The air suddenly became damp and cool.
"They'll have more important uses," Sherbal said mysteriously.
The Glider named Iztet now carried Zoira over his shoulder, slowed down slightly by his load. He did not complain, however, and his eyes drank in the temple's sights with everyone else. This long, wide tunnel had numerous branching rooms, each containing a stone bed and wash basin. The light of the goblin's torch revealed everything nearby, but there were still too many shadows for Morrel's liking, and the smell of moss and fungi and the staleness of the air bothered him more by the minute. He shivered slightly but didn't complain, instead clenching his teeth.
"Oh, many ways to go," the lead goblin noted as the large party entered a vast, circular room that branched into three ways. The torch seemed to be enchanted because its light spread far enough to light up the whole room, revealing stone staircases that curved upwards against the stone wall, leading into yet more rooms and chambers. Several tall obelisks stood near the walls, their etched runes glowing with a soft blue light.
"Does any part of this architecture look familiar?" Morrel muttered into Sherbal's ear, hoping that the Kor's experience on this world would help out here.
Sherbal tapped a finger on his chin. "Yes, I've seen a ruin or two like this before. I can't say I know every room here, but if the pattern holds, the right way to go should be -"
"Onwards!" the lead goblin declared, leading his party on. The five goblins marched into the room's center, trodding on circular stones set on the floor.
"Hey! Wait!" Sherbal shouted, extending a pale hand. He was too late: as soon as the goblins' feet pressed on the circular stone plates, arrows suddenly filled the air, the deadly shafts impaling the goblins from head to foot. Red blood leaked onto the chamber floor as arrow-riddled goblins shrieked in agony, flailing for a minute before falling to the floor. Only one of them managed to get back up.
"My... knee!" the goblin moaned, his long ears flattened in meekness as he clutched at an arrow that had struck his left knee. Sherbal hurried over, avoided the circular stones, and knelt by the wounded goblin. After one other Kor picked up the enchanted torch for lighting, Sherbal gently extracted the arrow from the goblin's flesh and retrieved a roll of bandages from a pouch on his belt. He wrapped several layers of soft white cloth on the goblin's knee, then helped the creature back onto its feet.
"What was that?" Morrel stared. "What sort of magic...?"
"It's more mundane than that," Sherbal told him. "Pressure plates on the floor trigger hidden gears and pulleys when stepped upon, and the arrows hidden in the walls fire. That trap can last hundreds of years, waiting for a victim."
Mizuki made a face. "Remind me not to step on any more weird stuff on the floor."
"Oh, there are other ways to trigger traps," Sherbal said with a short laugh. "Stay close, everyone. We're taking the hallway directly ahead of us. That is the way."
Fervently glad that Sherbal was leading the party and not him, Morrel carefully circumvented the pressure plates and jostled with everyone else into the hallway, wondering what was waiting for his party next.
The hallway opened into a vast, multi-story chamber illuminated by glowing white crystals set into the walls at regular intervals, and Morrel beheld numerous balconies and catwalks in the vast chamber. An empty fountain stood in the room's center, and several alcoves nestled themselves into the walls.
"Slow... slow..." the wounded goblin muttered to everyone, slowly shuffling forward and favoring his good leg. His ears were pressed flat against his head in agitation. "Not trigger trap... no no..."
"Hey," Mizuki brightened. Everyone turned to her. "I've got Sora. He's from Esper, a place of arcane magic and wisdom and whatnot. He can sniff out traps, I bet."
"Good thinking," Morrel grinned. Returning the smile, Mizuki fetched her small, palm-sized gold capsule and opened it. Her child-sized, blue-skinned homunculus servant Sora materialized, his hands pressed together in contemplation.
"Mommy summoned me?" he asked, drawing funny looks from the Kor.
"Yeah." Mizuki knelt by her follower. "Now listen. There are scary traps in here, okay? Can you sense them and show us all how to avoid them?"
Sora nodded once. "Of course." He trotted forward, his small blue hands extended. Wisps of blue, white, and black mana leaked from his hands as he wandered into the vast room, his nostrils flared. Then, he knelt and sent a pulse of his mana into the floor.
Morrel nearly jumped out of his skin when a statue of a snake's heads slid out of an alcove, bellowing a stream of scorching fire across the chamber. The blaze filled the space between Sora and the adventurer party, and by the time the fires died down the snake head sank back into the wall, leaving no trace that it was ever there.
"It won't trigger again," Sora announced, motioning for everyone to follow. "Come! It's safe now."
"Pretty useful guy, isn't he," Morrel commented as he and the others advanced into the vast chamber.
"He's so wonderful," Mizuki beamed. "Sora can –" Her face fell. "Do you feel that?"
Everyone else paused; a faint but distinct rumbling sound hummed in the air, growing louder by the second. The room started to shake as a section of the roof slid away, and then the air grew hot as a huge sphere of compacted lava and molten rock rolled into the chamber, at least fifteen feet across.
If only Sora caught that one too! Morrel thought dryly as he leaped back with everyone else. The lava ball rolled down the wall and across the chamber floor, rapidly melting the stone as it went. Another, even bigger lava sphere came crashing down through the roof, slamming into the floor and rattling the walls to their foundation. Cascades of stone bricks rained as the walls started to crumble from the strain, and the floor buckled and started to collapse from the strain.
"Mizuki!" Morrel seized his friend's hand just before she fell through the fissure in the floor, hoisting her back up. The Kor scrambled to safety, at once dodging the rampaging lava spheres and trying to find secure ground. The goblin, meanwhile, squealed in terror until a large brick from the ceiling crushed him flat.
"This way!" Mizuki tugged at Morrel's hand, leading him to the opposite end of the chamber where another hallway beckoned. Morrel fought to keep running and maintain his footing, but the larger lava ball smashed into a wall, causing more sections of the floor to give way. Mizuki's hand slipped out of his as Morrel started to fall, his stomach writhing in vertigo. Mizuki's right arm manifested to full size, reaching out to take Morrel's hand again. She was too slow; already, Morrel had fallen one floor and sprawled onto the rocky floor below, rubble piling around him.
Oh, my head... Morrel griped, scrambling to his feet and ignoring his various aches. He fixed his glasses back into position, then realized that Sherbal and one other Kor had fallen with him, trying to dodge the falling debris.
"Down the hall! I'll cover us!" Morrel told them, hurrying down the hall. Without hesitation, Sherbal and the other Kor tagged along, watching the ceiling for any more debris. Luckily, Morrel and the others reached a new, quiet chamber where the ceiling was quite secure and glowing crystals provided light.
"Let us rest a moment," Sherbal ordered, settling against a wall and huffing in exhaustion. "We need to find a way to get back with the others. I didn't expect a lava ball trap here, but what's done is done."
Morrel breathed deep to slow down his heart but didn't feel like settling down just yet. "This place is huge. It could take a long time to find the others, especially since we can't coordinate movements with them."
Sherbal admitted a small smile. "That would be true, Morrel, except that we are all heading to the resurrection chamber, and all my fellows have a rough understanding of temples like this one. We just have to reach the right chamber and wait for them to catch up. Or the other way around."
Morrel nodded, then marched down the chamber toward another crystal-lit hall. "Mizuki and the others need us, and we need them. We shouldn't fall behind."
"You are impatient, boy, but I suppose you have a chance," Sherbal conceded, getting back up. He and the other Kor followed close behind Morrel's quick trot until Sherbal took the lead, guiding the three-man party through the temple complex.
Up one flight of stairs, past several chambers, through a secret passageway, then down a different set of stairs Sherbal went, Morrel staying within a few feet of him the entire time. The other Kor remained silent, his dark eyes fixed on Sherbal's back. Once or twice he caught Morrel's eye and nodded to reassure the battlemage.
"We're close," Sherbal announced at last, coming to a halt in a large square chamber. Four wide, rather tall entrances occupied the walls, and a hole in the ceiling allowed a ray of sunlight to illuminate the chamber. More unreadable runes were etched on the floor and the edges of the hallway entrances.
"Which way?" Morrel asked, unwilling to take a single step without Sherbal's guidance.
Sherbal squinted at the entrances, muttering something to himself. "If we went up a level, then took a left and entered this room from the south-east, then..." he pointed. "Up ahead. Carefully, now."
Sherbal slowly crept into the chamber, watching where each foot landed on the floor. Morrel followed him closely, nerves tingling and stomach tightening in anxiety. Easy, now... don't make any rash movements... let the angels give you the grace to overcome fear.
Then, a deep, rumbling growl caught everyone's attention.
The glowing yellow eyes perked up in the hallway up ahead, at least ten feet off the ground. Heavy footfalls echoed in the chamber as a hulking, shadowed form approached with more guttural snarls. A heavy odor of animal hide and breath wafted into the room, and Sherbal tensed. "Baloth!" he hissed.
"A what?" Morrel gawked, then realized that baloths were enormous four-legged beasts like this one. At least fifteen feet high at the shoulder, the baloth had the body shape of a rhino or elephant, but its lean, well-muscled body and sharp claws suggest much more grace and precision than lumbering elephants had. Bristly black fur lined the green-skinned baloth's spine, and its toothy mouth opened wide to reveal hundreds of teeth and a long, barbed tongue.
"Move!" Sherbal shouted as the baloth broke into a full run, its feet thundering across the large chamber's stone floor. Morrel dove out of the way just in time; the baloth's front left paw slashed the spot where Morrel had stood, its claws raking deep gouges in the floor. Roaring its bloodlust, the baloth whirled to face Morrel, swinging its other paw downwards. Once again Morrel dodged the blow. The beast's arm was thicker than his entire torso. How do I subdue such a thing? Morrel wondered frantically. My ring of oblivion probably can't handle it, and even my fire spell might not cut it. But I have to try something! I'm a fighter.
Both Sherbal and the other Kor backed into shadowy corners, giving themselves time to draw their weapons. Morrel, meanwhile, backed up to another wall with his fists raised, the baloth lumbering after him. "Distract it!" Morrel shouted.
Without hesitation, both Sherbal and the other Kor leaped into the fray, the former's double-hook weapon slashing quickly through the air and the latter's machete slashing furiously. The baloth rumbled as the blades hacked into its rear left leg, diverting its attention for a moment. Taking his chance, Morrel knelt and planted his hands on the floor, flooding it with green, blue, and white mana. Huge golden crystals erupted from the stonework, rising up and encasing the baloth's left front leg. The baloth grunted and tugged at its leg, confused.
"Let's go!" Morrel called out, breaking into a run toward the hallway Sherbal had indicated as the right way to go. The two Kor hurried after him, infuriating the baloth. Roaring again, the beast strained and broke its leg free of the crystals, then slammed both front paws on the floor. A shock wave of kinetic force threw Morrel and the Kor to the floor, giving the baloth time to charge at them. The baloth rammed its head at the Kor, attempting to snap them up in its jaws. The deft Kor evaded the blow, raking the baloth's jowls with their weaponry, drawing shallow wounds.
Rumbling in irritation, the baloth swung its head to the side, catching the machete-wielding Kor on the stomach. The Kor man slammed into the wall, knocked out. He slumped to the ground in a heap.
"Not today, monster!" Sherbal cursed, flinging one of his hooks. The weapon cut into one of the baloth's legs, then snapped back to Sherbal when the Kor tugged on the hook's chain.
"How does this thing survive in here?" Morrel wondered in frustration, backing away from the huge baloth. He did not like the ravenous look in its fierce yellow eyes.
"By eating adventurers like us!" Sherbal grunted back. "Lots of people explore ruins like these looking for treasure, and smart beasts exploit that fact like our green friend here."
The baloth rumbled and charged again, swiping its paws at Morrel. The Bant battlemage rolled to avoid one set of claws, then leaped back to evade the other paw. The baloth grunted and rammed its head down, trying once again to eat its adversaries. Morrel backed away from the blow, but he didn't notice the baloth's left paw coming toward him. With a bone-shuddering collision, the baloth's paw smashed into Morrel and sent him sprawling on the floor, his vision flickering from the blows. Damn it! This baloth is too tough. I can only dodge it. A normal person I can handle in a fist-fight, but beasts aren't my thing. Mizuki would be better off fighting it, because she can –
"Raaaah!" shouted a familiar voice, and Morrel scrambled to his feet at the sound. A familiar dark-haired girl had entered the fray with three Kor in tow, and Mizuki sent two dozen black mana tendrils through the air. The deadly tentacles impaled the baloth's head and neck, punching into its thick hide. Bleeding and growling in pain, the baloth ambled backwards, its small ears flattened and its teeth bared. Mizuki pointed her cursed right arm's index finger, and a beam of focused black mana stabbed into the baloth's right shoulder. Howling in protest, the baloth squirmed and retreated backwards through one of the hallways, leaving a ringing silence.
"Are you okay?" Mizuki asked quickly, hurrying over to Morrel as her right arm shrank back to normal.
Morrel rubbed his head. "Don't worry. I took a hard fall but nothing major. Thanks for the help. I don't really have the offensive power to deal with large foes like that."
Mizuki lightly punched Morrel's right shoulder with a smile. "That's why you've got me."
As soon as the knocked-out Kor recovered, Sherbal earnestly led the reunited party through the appropriate hallway. On the way, one of the Kor explained that the sounds of the baloth drew Mizuki's group to Morrel's.
After navigating one last set of hallways, Sherbal led everyone into a relatively small but warm chamber, where one altar lay in the center on top of a short but wide circular platform. Strange, glowing fungi clung to the walls and mists of blue and green mana constantly wafted from the altar's platform without any visible source. A strange, faint humming sound rang in Morrel's head as soon as he entered the room.
"Over here," Sherbal said tensely, pointing at the altar. Wasting no time, the Kor bearing Zoira gently laid the elf's body on the altar and backed away.
"So... what next?" Morrel asked hesitantly.
Sherbal drew a short knife from his pocket. "Now, we unite the living with the dead." He drew a small cut on his hand, squeezing a few drops of blood onto the altar's smooth, pearly white stone surface. At once, the blue and green mists enveloped Zoira's body and glowed brightly, searing Morrel's eyes. He covered his eyes and turned away, as did everyone else. Strange howling sounds echoed as strange winds ripped through the chamber's stale air, all the air rushing toward the elf body on the altar. Then, with one sudden jolt of mana, the air rushed back into place and the glow died down. The blue and green mists settled back into place, and Sherbal beckoned. "It is done! Let us greet our friend."
Heart hammering in astonishment, Morrel slowly approached Zoira, unsure what to think. "Zoira. Can you hear me?"
The elf's eyelids twitched, then her eyes slowly opened and she sat up. "Hi, guys," she greeted everyone. She jolted. "Nihil! Where is he? Stay on your guard!" She bolted to her feet, then her knees gave out and she fell to her hands and knees.
"Easy, Zoira. The battle at the cliff is over," Mizuki assured the elf, kneeling by her side. "We're in some temple Sherbal guided us through."
Tremors shivered Zoira's body. "I-I... I see." She swallowed, her face pale. "Did you defeat him? Nihil?"
Mizuki's face darkened. "Not really. That Roil storm got close and blew Nihil away, and we had time to drag your body into the forest. We spent the night there, then flew here this morning."
Zoira let out a shaky laugh, looking up at Sherbal. "Should have known you'd find a quick solution," she commented. "A resurrection temple? Fancy. But now I've used up my one use."
Morrel blinked. "I'm sorry?"
"Zendikar has powerful, bizarre mana but even that has its limits," Zoira explained slowly, settling onto the floor. "The spirits don't like giving up the souls of the dead that easily. A temple like this one can bring the dead back... but only once. Only once like this, that is. A necromancer or lich is a different case entirely and can bring back a person multiple times as a soulless zombie. But I am me, soul and body together." She smiled again. "Thanks for not giving up on me, guys."
Morrel extended a hand to help Zoira up. "I would never abandon a friend."
"Me neither," Mizuki added.
Accepting Morrel's hand, Zoira let a gleam spark in her eyes. "Thank you both. Now, let's get a move on! I really don't like stuffy temples like this."
*o*o*o*o*
Across the sunlit grasslands of Bant slithered a being with a long, thin body propelled by an aura of blue mana and multiple squirming legs. The monster wound its way through the grass of the Akrasan castle's front grounds, the native Rhoxes and human knights oblivious of its presence. The monster paid no attention to them, either: its single huge, yellow eye was fixed on one particular hill, where it could smell two shards of the Sphere of Ages. Snaking its way past a Rhox's wide feet, the creature slithered up the hill and settled even lower into the grass, making certain that no one could see it.
Two silver, scythe-like appendages sprouted from the creature's body and began to dig in the soil, rapidly and efficiently. Clumps of dirt and grass roots flew past as the probe monster burrowed further into the hill, stopping only when its scythe-arms reached an Etherium shell. Chattering in excitement, the creature snaked a thin arm into a crack in the Etherium shell's armor, flooding it with foul blue mana. The Etherium shell glowed brightly for a second, then shattered to pieces.
The two shards of the Sphere of Ages glittered with a thousand colors inside the ruined Etherium shell, immense power humming inside them. The probe creature gathered up both shards, and once it had the shards secured to its body with sticky mucus, the probe quickly slithered back down the hill and toward a nearby forest where its master patiently waited.
*o*o*o*o*
Cards in this chapter... Forest (Vincent Proce), Kitesail Apprentice, Goblin Bushwacker, Blazing Torch, Arrow Volley Trap, Courier's Capsule, Homunculus (creature token), Lavaball Trap, Summoning Trap, Grappling Hook, Trusty Machete, Crystallization, Tendrils of Corruption, Plains (Michael Komarck), Gitaxian Probe