The next morning the friends met in the Band Mobile for another briefing. The day before had been spent working as they set up camp. They had all wanted to get a peek at the temple that day, but by the time they were done, it was too late. Hours after the sun rose the next morning, they were ready to explore the temple.
"We'll all make the first exploration together," Cindy announced. "That way we can make notes on what we need and what's already there."
"Are we planning on going into the chambers?" Beth asked. Cindy nodded. "I'll go get the night vision goggles," she sighed as she stood and left the Band Mobile.
"No point in making her get them herself," Cindy said as she stood. "Let's go."
The friends followed her lead and prepared their own packs (with the much needed night vision goggles) and started the walk over to the temple. They paused at the entrance and stared up at statue of Mara before them.
"What's that say Grace?" Cindy asked, pointing to the runes above the door.
"Standard translation dictates: 'beware of the eyes of Mara.'"
"They really like to stress that, don't they?" Beth asked.
"It's all over the temple."
"My friends! Wait, my friends, wait!"
The friends turned to see Miguel rushing over to them. His pack was in disarray and he wore night the night vision goggles on his head.
"Miguel, what are you doing?" Cindy asked as Marissa and Beth took his pack and repacked it before placing the night vision goggles safely inside.
"You are not planning on going in there alone?" Miguel asked. He gasped when they nodded their heads. "No, I must go with you! It is Mara's command."
"Grace?"
"There are some runes that say that a person can not go any farther into the temple without a servant of Mara," Grace said. "I didn't think it was important because this temple hasn't had people serving it in years."
"What do you think tour guides are?" Miguel asked. "I am a servant of Mara. That is part of why I was chosen as your liaison."
"So you've been inside the temple?" Marissa asked.
Miguel nodded. "Yes, many times."
Marissa gave Cindy a small shrug. Cindy sighed. "Do you need to go into the chambers with us?"
"No, just to the Chamber of Destiny," Miguel replied.
"Guys, look at this," Grace called. She had made her way over to the temple and was standing under the entrance, studying the wall. The others raced over to her saw what she was starring at immediately. It was a picture of Mara.
"It's the temple," Grace muttered.
"How do you figure?" Beth asked.
"The observatory of the future," Grace explained, pointing to the jewel around Mara's neck. "She's holding the Chamber of Earthly Riches." Grace moved her hand to the bowl of fruit Mara was holding. "And that," she pointed to the jug of water Mara was pouring onto the ground. "Is the fountain of youth."
"Fruit?" Becky asked.
"To each their own," Marissa replied.
"Look not into the eye of Mara and you shall receive the gift of eternal youth, earthly riches or future knowledge," Grace read, running her hand across the inscriptions.
"If I know the lay out of this place," Jenny chirped. "We should be coming up on the anteroom."
"Kate, has that room ever been excavated?" Marissa asked.
"No," Kate said. "That's the room with all the ruins. They didn't want to risk the chance of losing valuable information with the ruins."
Jenny hadn't lied when she said the room was filled with ruins. Grace instantly had her video camera out and slowly began to tape every inch of the wall.
"Kate is right," she said. "We can't risk excavating these walls."
"I wasn't thinking about the walls," Marissa said as she knelt down on the ground and tapped the stones. "I'm thinking about going through the floor."
"Think that will work?" Cindy asked.
"I can't tell if there is anything under here," Marissa sighed as she stood up. "And I won't until we actually dig. However, this is the only room that hasn't been excavated."
"Besides the chambers," Kate broke in.
"Why haven't those rooms been excavated?" Beth asked. "It seems like a good place to start."
"We're afraid that if we excavate the chamber, the magic surrounding them will no longer work," Miguel said.
"Well, I don't want to destroy these people's way of life," Marissa said. "We should try this room first and than look into the possibilities around the chambers."
"What's next?" Cindy asked Jenny.
"The Obelisk room," Jenny replied.
"Ah! The obelisk of doom!" Miguel gasped. "Oh my friends, go no further, for that room is a place of death!"
"You do tours here a lot, don't you?" Beth asked.
"Three times a week," Miguel replied, holding three fingers out to Beth.
"Figures," she muttered.
"Grace?" Cindy asked.
"It was given the name 'Obelisk of Doom' in 1935, but not because of the Obelisk itself shows pictures of the four perils."
"Four perils?" Becky asked.
"Death by fire, rats, spikes and snakes," Grace explained.
"So, if it's not called the Obelisk of Doom for that reason, why do they call it that?" Kate asked.
"I'll show you," Grace said, beckoning them forward into the Obelisk Room.
"That's really pleasant to look at," Becky muttered as she studied the Obelisk. "Are you sure that's not why they put the 'doom' in the name?"
"Positive," Grace replied, motioning to a blocked door on the side. "That door used to lead down to a crocodile pit. In 1935 they were excavating the area, looking for the Shakuhachi when there was a cave-in. A majority of the workers and three archeologists were killed."
"I don't know," Kate muttered, exchanging a glance with Becky. "I think the four perils are worse."
"Did they ever continue excavating the area?" Marissa asked, putting a hand on the door.
"No, the lead archeologist ordered the area closed," Grace said.
"Well, I vote we try again," Marissa said, stepping back.
"Do you guys hear something?" Beth asked. Everyone glanced at her. She was standing near the hallway that lead to the next room.
"Must be the bats," Jenny said.
"Bats?" Kate asked warily.
"Yeah," Jenny continued. "They filled the next chamber with bats."
"Really?" Cindy asked, clearly excited.
"The Rabid Bat Cave," Miguel supplied.
"Come on," Cindy said, leading her friends through the hallway and into the Bat Cave. About a quarter of the way in, the bats dropped down from the celling and flew over them, screeching as they went. Everyone except Cindy and Kate ducked down out of their way. Cindy was excited to be around bats again, but Kate let out a scream.
"Kate, are you afraid of bats?" Cindy asked in disbelief.
"No," Kate said with a shrug. "The author just needed someone to be and I volunteered."
"Oh," Cindy said, giving the others a baffled yet amused look before they continued on.
"Look at this," Grace said, point to the wall. "There are some ruins here."
"What do they say?" Shelly asked.
"It's hard to make out," Grace replied. "These walls have been worn down by the bats. I don't see anything that relates to the Shakuhachi."
"Probably just more warning about the 'eyes of Mara'" Beth scowled.
"I'll get what I can on tape," Grace continued as she scanned it with her tape recorder. "But I'll need to be in and out of here in order to decipher it. There wasn't any mention of this in my notes."
"Good, maybe it can help us," Cindy said.
"Can you read any of it, Grace?" Shelly asked.
"Ah, I can make out 'deadly traps, hidden passage, eternal doom. virtue."
"Exactly, more warnings," Beth huffed.
"We have better keep moving," Cindy said. "Grace, we'll make sure to get you in here later, so you can try and translate that."
Again the team moved on, past the Bat Cave and through another hallway. The path to the next room actually had something that resembled a door leading into it.
"What's this room?" Marissa asked as she looked into it without making a move to enter. The room was way too contained for her taste, and by now they should have come across some traps.
"It could be the spike room," Jenny said as she pointed above the entrance. "Grace, what does that say?"
Grace stepped up and looked at the ruins that Jenny was pointing at. "Let's see. 'The gates of doom are ever open.'"
"Definitely the Spike room."
"Where's the trigger?" Marissa asked.
"Step back," Jenny ordered. The others did as she said while Jenny moved her hand to the wall next to the door. Carefully, she pushed down on one of the stones.
Instantly a stone rolled over from the side, covering the entrance. The group listened uneasily to the ceiling in the other room lower itself to the ground. After a few minutes, they heard the ceiling lifting up again as the stone rolled away.
"Do we need to worry about any stones inside?" Marissa asked, stepping forward again.
"Not until the next room."
"Go," Cindy ordered.
Marissa started through the spike room, subconsciously avoiding the holes in the floor. The others followed, using the same caution.
"That's the Hall of Descending Blocks," Jenny said as the stopped before the next room.
"The one where if you step on the wrong stone you get squashed?" Marissa asked as she leaned into the room.
"Yeah, watch out for the one with the arrows," Jenny warned.
"I know," Marissa said as she shifted her pack over so she could grab a piece of chalk out of it.
"You're going to mark a path?" Cindy asked.
"Yeah," Marissa replied as she looked down at the ground.
"Do you think-" Grace started to ask, but Shelly sent her a look before glancing at Miguel.
"No, I've got it," Marissa said.
The entrance to the room was bordered with arrow stones. Thankfully, none of the stones were very large and she was able to get over the first row rather easily. Every time she stepped on a safe stone, Marissa leaned over and marked it with the chalk. The others followed the zig-zag path through the room safely and stepped out into the Rotunda.
"Oh my friends, we are almost there," Miguel said. "See, this is the sarcophagus stone. It is an ancient calendar."
"'Plow the field, plant the seed, keep the harvest tribute to Mara,'" Grace read, placing her fingers on the stone.
"Which makes that the Chamber of Destiny," Marissa said as she pointed to the steps that lead to the next room.
"And the three chambers are beyond that," Beth added.
The two pulled their night vision goggles out of their packs and started towards the Chamber of Destiny. Miguel suddenly stood in their way.
"What?" Beth demanded.
Miguel pointed to the writing above the stairwell. "'The pure of heart are protected beneath the watchful eye of Mara. Woe to the unworthy who pass beneath.' Why have you come, my friends?"
"We told you, we're looking for the Shakuhachi," Cindy said, walking over to Miguel. "Our people are in trouble and it's the only thing that can help them."
"What are you willing to do, friend Cindy, in order to get the flute?"
"Anything we can," Cindy replied.
"Short of destroying the island's economic basis," Kate added.
"Your hearts are pure, Mara welcomes you to her temple," Miguel said, stepping aside. "Choose your door wisely."
"Aren't you coming?" Becky asked.
"This is a journey you must make by yourselves."
"Come on," Marissa said, before climbing the steps to the Chamber of Destiny.
Unlike the rest of the temple, the Chamber of Destiny held no torches. The only light in the room was coming from a candle on the alter, and it was covered by blue glass. Mirrors covered the walls of the room.
"Spooky," Beth muttered as she looked around.
"Hey guys!" Becky said, pointing to the wall on their right. Above the mirrors were three small masks of Mara.
"Those mirrors look like they open," Shelly said.
"They do, into the chambers," Jenny explained.
"How do we open them?" Marissa wondered out loud as she stepped towards them. After a few steps something appeared in the mirrors.
"What's that?" Kate asked.
"It's writing," Grace said. "'Behold the gifts of Mara.'"
When she finished talking, the mirrors swung open, revealing the three chambers.
"Do you think we should switch now?" Becky asked, glancing back to make sure that Miguel hadn't followed them.
"No," Cindy said.
"Goggles," Beth ordered, pulling hers down over her head. Everyone took theirs out and quickly pulled them on.
"Which door?" Cindy asked.
"It doesn't matter," Jenny replied. "We'll probably search through all of them before we're done."
"Far right, the Chamber of Earthly Riches," Marissa said as she moved towards the door.
"Why?" Cindy asked as they hurried after her.
"Lucky," Grace replied.
Cindy shrugged as they stepped into the chamber. It had been made with simple bronze. Altars lined the sides of the room, holding small tokens that had been giving to Mara. At the head of the room sat a great statue of Mara, holding an empty gold bowl in her hands.
"Who wants to volunteer to look into the eyes?" Kate asked.
"Already done," Marissa said. "It seems like the goggles work."
"Good," Cindy said, looking around. "Do you see anything that might be able to help us?"
"Well." Marissa said, looking up at the statue. "It can't be that easy."
She walked up the steps to Mara and rested her hands on the bowl the goddess was holding. Instantly it was filled to the top with gold flutes, none of which looked even remotely like the Shakuhachi.
"Figured as much," Marissa muttered, picking up a flute.
"Oh my god," Cindy laughed, joining her. "Do these things even play?" Cindy picked on up and tried to play it. It let out a horribly flat A. "Eww!"
"We might as well take one," Shelly said. "That note would kill the dead again."
Cindy laughed, but replaced the flute in the bowl. "We had better go. We have a lot of work to do."