Chapter XXXII
For a split second Geldar stood suspended in motion, his body in the motion of running, his mouth wide open from calling for Talina. Then he fell forward, sprawled on a narrow set of stone steps and gasping for air. Then there was the unmistakable sound of the clash of steel, followed by the whisper of approaching wraths.
"Get up, Paladin!" called Talina in an angry voice from some distance away.
Groggily, Geldar got to his feet and was almost knocked off the steps by Norleche coming through the portal. They supported each other and kept their balance.
"Quick," Norleche said, almost pushing Geldar down the stairs, "Barak's coming through."
Sure enough the large Barbarian came crashing through the portal, making quite a crowd on the narrow set of stairs.
"This is wild," Barak said with a grin.
"Can you hurry up?" Talina shouted, she was busily engaging several wraths, skeletons and who knew what else at the centre of a smooth stone ground near a circle surrounded by symbols.
Geldar turned once he was finished with his quarry and went down the stairs, but again he was almost knocked over by Barak as the Barbarian made a flying leap over his head.
"What in Akarat was that?" Geldar barked, regaining his balance and joining Talina in cleaning up the remaining wraths.
"If you want to get somewhere quickly," Barak deadpanned, "why walk when you can leap?"
"Could you two clowns knock it off?" Talina reproached.
"We do our best," Barak shot back.
Several seconds later the undead were no more than a pile of bones on the floor the group examined their surroundings with barely veiled astonishment.
"Where are we?" Talina asked no one in particular, examining the circle of symbols and raising her gaze to look out on the moving starscape around them. "It's like we're…in the middle of the night sky."
"Not really," Norleche replied dryly, "we're just in another dimension."
"Oh," Talina said sarcastically, "now I am perfectly reassured. Come again?"
"You know how Sanctuary is between Heaven and the Burning Hells?" Norleche asked. "How our world is a sort of intermediary influenced by the Light and Evil?" They all nodded, he continued. "It's not as simple as that, not just Heaven, Hell and Sanctuary but other realms between that aren't a part of this world but can be accessed from here."
"Like that gateway we went through?" Geldar asked.
"Exactly," Norleche said, "some exist naturally but others can be created, for good or Evil. I heard below Tristram the Lord of Terror not only created an outpost of Hell beneath the village but two gateways to other worlds. Where we are is something of the like." He gestured around him. "This is the Arcane Sanctuary, it exists here because it is the only place it can. I am sure you will find that many of the laws of our world do not apply here."
"Like what?" Talina asked. "The law of gravity?"
"I think he means the law of perspective," Geldar said, he pointed to a structure not far from where they were standing. It seemed far too impossible to be real.
"I have the feeling if I stare at it too long I'll be sick," Barak murmured.
"Then don't," Talina snapped, she studied the circle of symbols. "Is this the orifice that we stick the Horadric Staff in?"
"Do you see a tomb anywhere, Talina?" Geldar joked.
"It could be beneath our feet," Talina argued.
"Not likely," Geldar pointed, "one tomb maybe, but not seven."
Talina gave him a hard stare but didn't reply.
"No, he's right," Norleche said, "Drognan and Cain said that the Arcane Sanctuary would give us the key to finding Tal Rasha's Tomb. Not the Tomb itself."
"So what are we looking for then?" Talina asked in a tight voice.
"Horazon's journal," Norleche said promptly.
"Who's he?" Talina asked.
"I'll explain," Norleche said, "we just need to get going. There's four directions, pick one."
Horazon, Norleche explained as they gleaned their way through wraths, ghoul lords and blood clans, was a Vizjerei mage some one hundred years ago who with his brother Bartuc sought power through the practise of Demonic Magic. While Bartuc allied himself with the forces of Evil, Horazon chose to harness demons himself. To do this he created the Arcane Sanctuary which was neither in Sanctuary nor in Heaven or Hell so he could practise undisturbed.
"What they didn't realise," Norleche told Talina, "is that the pursuit of power is ultimately self-destructive. Power for power's sake is an empty shell, leaving you to make compromises with your very soul."
"Wait one moment," Geldar interrupted, they stopped walking. "I understand, but aren't all those learned in magic pursuing power? So you're saying this is wrong?"
"Somehow I think we've had this conversation before," Talina murmured.
"It depends on what you define as power," Norleche replied, "and for what purpose it serves. Your Zakarum teachings, what do they say about the gaining of knowledge of the unknown?"
"That while the grace of Akarat gifts us with paranormal abilities," Geldar said promptly, "we foremost are servants of the Light."
"Very similar to the code of my tribe," Barak agreed.
"I think I understand," Talina said. "The good use power to serve others, Evil would rather dominate others."
"That is correct, but is very simplistic," Norleche replied, "but it's never cut and dry as you make it."
"What happened to Horazon, by the way?" Talina asked.
"No one knows," Norleche said, "Bartuc was killed but it was commonly believed that Horazon remained here. Yet it tore apart the Vizjerei and when the bloodshed was finished they finally realised they had been played for fools all along."
"Cain said that it was very unlikely Horazon would still be here," Geldar reminded her, then added for good measure, "but we still have to be careful."
"I am careful," Talina snapped, stalking off.
There was a murmur of surprise, but nothing was said.
In a way, the sanctuary reminded Geldar of the test he had to face before he was made a full Paladin several years ago. It was the same test his brother had faced, as well as all Paladins before them.
The Temple of the Zakarum in Kurast was built on a vast labyrinthine of tunnels that ran under most of the old city. Only those who cleaned the sewers for a living—and there were very few of them—could navigate successfully.
When he was nineteen Geldar had been led into the tunnels blindfolded and naked but for his sword and a pouch containing a flint stone and a protective amulet. He had managed to survive and escape, but some didn't.
But the sewers of Kurast had nothing viler than the huge serpents that dwelled in the pools of much as well as the white skeletal spiders that were attracted to light. Not like here where red goatmen would rush at them in bloodlust, or blood lords that threw balls of fire from afar and drained the life out of you. And not to mentions the skeleton ghosts, flying out of the depths of blackness at the most unexpected moments.
Yet despite the rather pleasing aesthetics of the architecture, the Sanctuary was not a pleasant place. There were hidden traps in the floor that shot up spikes as well as tall spindles that shot out bolts of lightning. There was also the confusing code of the teleportal gateways that formed an impossible maze that benefited no one save Barak who simply leapt from platform to platform.
Finally, when three of the four paths in the Sanctuary had been 'cleansed' as Geldar said, they turned to the last.
"How long have we been done here?" Talina asked as they walked along a narrow ledge towards another set or arches.
"I have no idea," Geldar replied, unconsciously touching the scar over his throat, "there's no sun so I can't tell."
"I don't think time has any relevance here," Norleche said darkly.
"Wait!" Talina stopped in her paces and closed her eyes, moving her javelin from side to side. Her eyes snapped open. "Can you sense it?"
Norleche's eyes glassed over. "Yes," he said finally, "corruption, like in the Claw Viper Temple, but this is somewhat…" his voice trailed off and a strange expression crossed his face.
"Mortal?" Talina suggested mysteriously. "Something good gone to seed?"
"It's hard to tell," Norleche admitted.
"This can't be Horazon," Geldar said, "it's nigh impossible. But that needn't diminish the threat."
A fireball fell next to them coupled with an evil cackle. Talina smiled forcibly.
"Well," she concluded doubtfully, "I think we have found our answer."
