Chapter Twenty-eight

Guardians of the Temple


The remainder of the day was gratefully uneventful. After having been in battle all together, we decided to share some of our talents with each other so we could better work as a team.

Besides knowing how to hide things and his contacts in the black market, Sindus was also skilled in disguise and poisons. He was also willing to take risks.

Naidaroe mentioned that she was good at telling a story, even if that story wasn't true and would keep her out of trouble. She also had healing capabilities and could boost morale in a fight.

Keothi's skillsets mainly relied on his strength, which we knew was impressive, but when he moved a boulder along our path we got more of a glimpse of his true strength. He could also bring himself back from heavy blows, all on top of his awesome fighting finesse.

Ari'yasa's skills would be of more help to us along our path, but she could provide a great hindrance to our enemies in combat. She could also levitate, and she could hold her breath indefinitely.

Melima mentioned her powerful spells, especially those involving lightning, and how she had some magical abilities to enhance those spells as well. She was also good at diplomacy and had several political connections as a princess.

I mentioned my bow, knowledge of forests, and that I considered myself an expert on dragons, if anyone didn't know already. What they didn't know was my ability to drive vehicles. Sindus asked why I'd never driven the cart. "No one asked!"

We slept in the trees again. Who knew what was in this forest? While I was confident we could fight off most creatures, we didn't want to make ourselves easy targets.

I awoke to a tap from Naidaroe. Something was walking on the ground nearby. It stood upright, but seemed to walk with a limp. Its arms were wrapped in some type of cloth. Most striking was the tone of its skin. It was too dark for me to see color, but the tone seemed unnaturally dark, different from a human with dark skin. I didn't think it would be a color of skin I'd ever seen before.

"He seems to be hungry, looking for food," Naidaroe said. To my relief, he seemed to be walking away from us.

"If he is leaving us alone, let's not worry about him," I said. We didn't need to harm something that wasn't threatening us. I wasn't woken up again for the rest of the night.

The next two days went by peaceably. It began to rain as we turned eastward. Naidaroe had helped me tie a rope securely to my broom, and I now kept it tied to myself while traveling. I was grateful for her sailor's knowledge of knots and ropes. If I were to fall again I would recover quickly.

With my broom securely tied to me, I flew up into the rain, trying to locate our destination. The wind grew heavier as I got higher. I strained to make out anything in the distance, but the clouds obscured my vision. We'd have to travel hoping we were on the right course. There did seem to be a faint path heading eastward.

That night on watch I heard something coming towards us from the west. Its movement puzzled me until I could see what it was. A huge snake stood erect as it slithered along the path towards us. It was almost twice as long as any of us. Something told me this was more than a snake.

Somebody snored at the wrong moment, and it stopped. I held my breath and lightly touched my bowstring. The snake looked around, then continued on its way. I let out a sigh of relief.

About thirty minutes later another one passed by, but all was quiet and it went by none the wiser of our presence. When I woke Melima for her watch I let her know what I had seen.

I mentioned to the group about the strange passers-by when morning came. Some party members were uneasy, but we decided to keep heading along the same path.

I led us through the forest, and our path seemed to follow the trail of the snakelike creatures. There was actually a fairly prominent trail, though only wide enough for one person. The forest grew denser and denser alongside us. It would be difficult to traverse for anyone unfamiliar with forest travel, which was most of our group.

After traveling for half of the day, the trail opened up, quite abruptly. There was a light mist lingering throughout the forest, despite the sunshine, and it still lingered in this opening.

I motioned a halt as we approached. The trail turned south, while the opening continued eastward. I peered out into the opening. All I could make out was some kind of archway. The mist turned more into fog, obscuring my view, and from the looks of it, I wouldn't be able to see through it even from above. "Sindus, I'm going to sneak forward to see what's in there. Do you want to go in with me?"

"Sure!" he said. I went along the northern side of the area, while he went along the southern border. I was able to stay in the shadows the trees still provided, and was confident in my stealth. When the treeline headed east again I could make out the shadow of a building in the distance. Continuing on, I started to make out pillars going towards the building.

There were trough-like tracks between the pillars, seemingly from the creatures I'd seen the night before. To my dismay, there were no footprints in the area, only these slithering tracks. I remembered however that it had just rained, and any tracks older than a day or two would be gone.

I went towards the pillar nearest me. It had broken, but still stood just shorter than I was. There looked to be four sets of pillars heading towards the building. It was sandy in this area, with almost no plant life. There were tracks all over, but most of them seemed to go between the pillars.

I heard a light grunt behind me. The rest of the group must have gotten restless and started to follow us. Sure enough, they soon came into sight. Keothi was in front and stepped through the archway that led to the pillars.

The fog disappeared as soon as he crossed the threshold. We saw before us a large pyramidic temple. Steep stairs led up to the top, where one of the snakelike creatures stood looking over the area.

Another one on the ground hissed something and came towards our group. It stopped and made itself taller, about a head taller than Keothi. "Why do you enter?"

Its voice sounded like a loud whisper, and its tongue flickered in and out as it spoke. I fingered my nocked arrow behind my pillar. Keothi stood a little taller as well. "We are here to find Kima."

"Kima you say?"

"That is what I said." The goliath stood stoic, unmoved by the dominant stance of the snake.

"Why do you seek Kima?"

"We believe she is in danger."

"Danger from what?" the snake hissed.

"She is missing, and we seek to help her, or save her if need be."

Melima stepped forward as Keothi spoke. "We wish to return her to her home."

The creature turned its head to Melima. "What are your intentions?"

Melima continued, "To save her, to take her back to her family and friends."

"Why should I trust you?"

"We are the group Vox Imperium. We go about doing good, and the great."

"What have you done worth of note?" I couldn't tell if the snake was skeptical, or genuinely interested.

"We have slain giant spiders, we have cleaned cities of their infestations."

It stared at Melima for what seemed like ages. It finally came down to Melima's height. "Do you mean any harm to the forest?"

Naidaroe spoke up. "We love the forest! We talk to the treants and are on the same team as them."

It turned to Naidaroe. "You have spoken to the treants?"

"We have, they recommended we come here," our excitable friend said.

"Indeed, they are friends to the forest. What do you want with this place?"

Melima spoke again, "Can you help us find our friend, Kima?"

"If you are of sound mind, and of courage, you may stand a chance."

"I have courage," Keothi said.

"Kima proved herself worthy," the guard said.

"You have seen her then?" Melima asked.

"Yes. She passed through the temple, approximately half a moon ago. She did not come out. The temple is fraught with peril, we are its guardians. Do you wish to enter?"

"Yes! We want to enter!" Sindus said. He had been by the other front pillar and had slowly made his way to the group.

"Is there anything you need help with in the temple?" Naidaroe asked.

"Do not disturb what you find in the temple. Do not take anything. This temple is the ancient resting place of distant ancestors and is protected by many magics from ancient wizards. You may enter at your own peril." The snake slithered backwards towards the temple, to the side of the stairs leading upwards. He hissed something to the guard at the top, and he moved away from an opening.

The group moved forward, and as Keothi passed by me I stepped out from my hiding spot when the guard wouldn't see. I walked nonchalantly with my friends.

We made our way to the top, and I kept glancing back. The trees were farther below us than they should have been for how far we had walked. They seemed to move down faster than we moved up. The stairs themselves must have been imbued with some kind of magic.

The snake at the top made itself slightly lower, almost like a bow, indicating us to the entrance. It eyed each of us as we entered. Melima and Keothi led the way, and I held to the back to guard our rear.

At the end of the corridor was a door with a symbol etched into it. We entered and began down a set of stairs. It was dark, some of our party wouldn't be able to see. Naidaroe pulled out a rapier which glowed a faint blue. I'd never seen anything like it.

Melima lit the end of her staff, and Sindus produced a lantern from his bag. We had plenty of light for this expedition. Melima told us what the snakelike creatures were. "They are the Naga. I don't know much about them, but I know they have some unusual abilities from other snakes."

"I've heard dangerous tales about them," Sindus said. "They are not the type of creature you would want to cross. Stay on their good side."

After we had gone down and around several turns, we came to a room with a pair of pillars much like the ones that had been outside. There was another archway at the end of the room, with darkness beyond. "Someone please check for traps," I said.

Sindus found nothing that he could tell was a mechanical trap. Melima tried to sense any magical traps. "I'm feeling like there is magic here, but I've been feeling that the entire time we've been here. This whole place seems to be magical."

We continued forward. Melima was leading, and she disappeared as she stepped between the pillars, almost in a shimmer. Keothi hesitated, "Melima, where are you?"

There was no response. Ari'yasa stepped through, but we could still see her. Melima appeared again on the same side of the pillars as we were on.

Sindus stepped through with no issue, and Melima tried again, disappearing a second time. She came back, and tried again, this time making it through without disappearing. Relief covered her face.

That left only Keothi and I to pass through. Keothi stood straighter and walked through. I followed. I felt warmer on the other side, like I had just had a nice hot cup of tea. "Tawariell! Where did you go?" Sindus asked.

I walked back to the other side, and felt cooler again. I looked at Melima. "Do you think it's because we're elves?"

Melima shrugged her shoulders. I tried to walk through again, but this time I was stopped by some force as I reached the threshold. My head started pounding, and I felt disoriented. Which way was up? Which way were my friends? I grabbed my head and looked to the other side.

"What is wrong little one?" Keothi asked.

"I don't know, but my head really hurts!" I said.

"You must need to have a thick skull to get past this place."

Naidaroe laughed, then looked at me with a kind smile. "You are stronger than you know!"

I smiled back, then stepped through again. This time I felt a force tugging on me as I moved forward, similar to what I had felt in the dungeon of the church. A thought came to the back of my mind, "Steel your mind, and be prepared."

I didn't know whether to take it as a threat or a warning. Either way, I knew what was coming would not be easy, but we would persevere.