Chapter -26: Beneath the Unseen Ground

It was a rare but wonderful sort of day at the Gaia household. Free from constant testing and coming up with new ideas, Pitori came home and completed the family circle for dinnertime.

His eating habits had gotten more refined over the years, but home was where he embraced his heritage and chowed on meat like a hungry dog.

His grandma laughed and patted him on the back, "I didn't know any better I'd say they be starvin' ya boy."

Pitori swallowed and smiled with his chin up, "Nothing beats your cooking granny Lianne!"

"Yer darn right." She whipped her fingers out with a snap.

Ezekiel slammed his stone mug down and shouted, "Oy, fill 'er up mum!"

Leanne rolled her eyes with a hearty chuckle, "Speakin' of hungry boys…"

She took a larger mug surrounded by ice Cecilia had provided and poured milk fresh from an Argent Heaver's teeth into the mug.

Ezekiel chugged that down in seconds and rolled his neck around, "Ah, much better!"

Cecilia propped her own mug against his and remarked, "To another hard day of work for our big ruin hunter."

Ezekiel clicked his mug back, "Harr harr, honey."

The two flashed intense, smooth gazes at one another that made Pitori blush a bit, "Uhhh, mom? Dad?"

The two retracted with Ezekiel letting off a cough, "R-Right, uhh…"

He then snapped his fingers out and stumbled over his words, "Ruins! Right! Soooo…"

After a delay he calmed down, but Cecilia has to get the conversation going again, "You didn't find anything."

Ezekiel slumped with a heavy sigh, "Not a page nor hide of his book."

Cecilia closed her eyes and remarked, "It's been years and you've combed most of the old city…Maybe this book doesn't exist."

"Ain't just our lands he's checkin' though." Ezekiel pointed out.

Pitori chimed in with a bit of eagerness swelling in his voice, "Maaaybe I could help?"

Ezekiel smiled weakly as he replied, "He's got a keener eye than ya, boy…Not to put ya down. If ya saw him in action ya'd get it. He can pick out a tiny chip in the walls that hold secrets behind them."

Lianne raised a slight fuss to break into the conversation, "Where's that chiseled jaw of a man anyways? I made extra food for 'im."

"Oh said somethin' about needing to think things over. Can't imagine he ain't a little discouraged…" Ezekiel then sipped out the remainder of his milk.

After cleaning up for the night Ezekiel fancied a stroll outside to clear his head a bit, take in the lay of his land.

Damages inflicted couldn't be fully fixed, but at least they got a new gate up and most of the people attacked were fit and work capable again.

It was an oddly quiet night unworthy of paying much attention to anything.

"Haaaa…" He let out a very heavy sigh and rubbed his aching shoulders.

"Let me guard down for a second and we'll be run over again." He folded his arms and once he was settling into an unhealthy mindset of worrying, he heard some footsteps coming from the north.

It was Stonestein, arriving empty-handed with an expression heavier than his shield.

Ezekiel waved his hand aside and remarked, "Evening partner. Any luck?"

Stonestein stopped and gestured out, "Can you stay up tonight?"

This gave the burly man a spark of surprise as he wondered with a gasp, "Didja find something?"

Stonestein crossed his arms, "There is a place I know about."

"But wished to be a last resort."

There was nothing about his tone that suggested this was dangerous but rather, something else funny was going on.

Ezekiel waved his fingers out and started going towards his house, "Lemme grab my hammer."

Once he did and confirmed with his wife that he'll be vacating the area for a bit, he followed Stonestein out of the ravine and towards the vastly unexplored North side of their territory.

There was nothing but arid rocks and brittle ground for miles out, and if they went too far they'd risk tickling the underbelly of the Devil's territory.

But it wasn't too bad of a march in the presence of company.

"So, no worries on yer end lately?" Ezekiel wondered.

Stonestein answered with some mild concern, "Surprisingly, no."

"Mrrr, thought yer cover woulda been blown for tryin' to help us."

Stonestein narrowed his eyes as he muttered, "Vermilion aggressively denies proper Sage protocol."

Ezekiel uttered unsurprised, "Sounds bout right…but ya don't seem too thrilled bout that."

"I wonder if Lilith is plotting something." He answered.

"I wonder…Mrrr…" Ezekiel had all the worries a father should have chiseled into his face, "Sometimes I worry my boy might become a target if I keep 'im too close to me."

Stonestein addressed his concerns with a sturdy, heartfelt look, "He has my protection. Adderbolt's too."

Ezekiel glanced aside and his smile was faint but poignantly warm, "Heh…now I know how me pop felt all the time."

There was a sudden drop off that led to a curved landscape that was a few stone spires short of looking like a mouth mid-chew.

But inside of this formation was a gleaming, domineering structure made entirely out of amber, a gemstone so mythical and mighty, passed down from ear to ear as the once cornerstone of Oreore tool production.

Ezekiel's pupils shrank as this dawned on him, "Yer kiddin' me…Amber?! All this time…?!"

Stonestein was quick to remark, "Perhaps. I cannot say how long."

He held his finger out like a statue depicting leadership and Ezekiel's gaze followed, "Generations of my clan haven't entered."

"Why would…" Ezekiel squinted until a pair of standing stone statues came into focus at the ruins entrance, then he blinked twice and wondered, "Those things…?"

"Sentinels," Stonestein uttered in a grim tone, "Guards eternal. Impervious to strength."

"Ya can't hurt them?"

Stonestein shook his head, "Break one, and they reform into two."

Ezekiel then said what sounded like an obvious solution in his head, "Then just break them completely."

When Stonestein looked at him it was to say "I have tried" without speaking, bringing a feeling of stupidity upon Ezekiel's face.

"Oh…So yer dealing with an army that grows bigger every time ya take one down…"

"Sneaking by is impossible, they are sharp." Stonestein then said.

Ezekiel scratched the back of his head, "Can see why ya were so hesitant to try this place out. But it feels important, like there's gotta be some kinda secret inside. So…"

He waved his hand out and offered his aid with full faith in the hand that would guide him, "Ya must have an idea, so lay it on me."

Stonestein closed his eyes and there was a notable strain in his voice, "I…was hoping you would have one."

"Ah…" Uttered Ezekiel, "Mmmrgh…There's gotta be sumthing a couple of us slow pokes can do."

Think, think, think. The burly, scruffy man pushed his mind to its limits and suffered some quick and painless burnout for his efforts.

However…!

His eyes rose with aspiring confidence and with a snap of his fingers he declared, "I got it! We just need a way to be faster than them ya?"

Stonestein nodded, and with a sharp turn Ezekiel flicked his hand out with a smile, "Even a slug feels fast near something that ain't movin'."

Stonestein was bewildered.

Ezekiel dialed back his enthusiasm and made it clearer, "Sarajin. He's got a secret weapon for this sorta thing. But we're gonna hafta wait 'til mornin'."

Stonestein crossed his arms and nodded, "That will suffice. We shall reconvene then."

"It'll gimme time to get in tip top shape too," He reached his hand out and grinned, "I swear, I feel it in me bones. This is the place."

Stonestein shook his hand and smiled, "Agreed. Together, we can succeed."

The following day Ezekiel got a hold of Sarajin through the old whistle for his pet bird, though it took some time.

When Sarajin arrived he and Ezekiel traveled out to the amber clad ruins to meet with Stonestein.

Sarajin was caught up on events along the way and that left him primed and ready for the majesty that was the ruins themselves.

"Whoa…! You weren't kidding Zeke. I've never seen anything like this before!"

Ezekiel smirked and nudged his brother in the hip playfully, "Nica ta see ya can still spark up like a kid, brother."

Sarajin blinked and rubbed the back of his head quickly with a blush.

He then approached Stonestein and asked him, "So you just need me to hold those sentinels off while you go inside?"

Stonestein nodded and then gestured out, "How do you plan to stop them?"

Sarajin took a look around and then reached into his pocket to pull out his black and gold stone, "This relic allows me to briefly stop time. I should be able to keep cutting down the sentinels the moment they reform and if they try to follow you, I can at least cut them off with it."

Stonestein's eyes widened with fascination, "I never knew such a relic existed."

Sarajin pocketed it and remarked, "It's called the Gaia Temporis."

Stonestein's expression showed a genuine sense of warm reflection upon hearing that, "Temporis…?"

Ezekiel commented, "Eh?"

Stonestein crossed his arms and smiled, "Sivilis…planned to name a child that."

Sarajin muttered a bit with heartbreak in his tone, "Borealis' wife…"

His face twitched and he felt a little throbbing in the side of his head that made him groan in pain. While he was scratching the area the pain resided, Ezekiel remarked, "Ya alright?"

Sarajin shook his head and commented, "Yeah, I'm fine."

Stonestein sighed, "This coincidence…may be a good omen."

Sarajin nodded, "This stone has helped me through thick and thin. It's as trustworthy of a companion as ol' Zeke here."

Ezekiel flung his arms together against his chest and scoffed, "Dunno how I feel being compared to a rock."

Sarajin playfully prodded at him and said, "Hey, rocks are your specialty. You should be honored!"

"Heh…ah, ya lovable goof." Ezekiel nudged him with his elbow.

With their hearts now at ease with this jolly conversation, they were prepared to face the challenge of these strange ruins.

With iron focus Sarajin keyed in on the entrance and the two sentinels guarding it and went over the facts one last time, "Do you know a lot about inside the ruins, Stonestein?"

Stonestein shook his head.

Sarajin closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "I can't sense what's in there besides a lot of amber. Could be full of traps…"

He then turned his head to Ezekiel and laid his hand on his shoulder, "Please be careful in there."

Ezekiel rubbed a finger under his scruffy chin and smirked, "Heh, if I die, least I know my boy's in good hands."

Sarajin smiled back and with his brows arched he looked back at the entrance and stood up with one hand on his hilt, "Alright…you start making your way to the entrance once I get the sentinels attention. When you're close to it, I'll leap over to you and you can grab onto my shoulders, that will allow you to move while time is frozen."

The two handed off their confidence with a nod and with a smirk of growing anticipation Sarajin was getting a little eager to head out, "We might find an answer to the Rot…"

He leaped off the precipice and in the blink of an eye and a dust circle emerging from where he would land, he stood a few feet from the entrance and stood sideways with his sword unsheathed at the stone sentinels.

But now that he got a closer look his expression briefly wavered with surprise as the sentinels had these insect-like features like a beetle-shaped head with sharp mandibles and the ability to part their back shell like wings. But their lower halves were distinctly human shaped down to the feet, which were two-toed and triangular in form.

His presence rustled the dirt from their cracked bodies and they tore the bottoms of their feet off marching towards this intruder.

As their wings spread the cracks in their body began to flow with a distinct lifebringing glow that fueled into the pikes in their three-finger pronged hands.

"A-Aura…?" Sarajin slammed down his brows and gripped his sword tightly, this was no time to be asking questions. He sensed his allies moving along the arid winds flowing behind him and readied himself for battle.

While the sentinels were still preparing for combat he took a chance to rush one down and cut them in half as easily as one would take a knife through a leaf.

But the exact moment he began to recover from the attack he heard a series of disorganized cracks and looked over his shoulder to see that two sentinels had reformed and were now leaping to stab him in the back.

His agility let him slide under their jump and then bounce back, using a quick slice of wind to cut them in half horizontally.

Didn't matter, less than a blink of time later and now he was dealing with four spawned off the original.

"Ok…" He took a deep breath and landed with the elegance of a fresh gust of wind across the water's surface.

He then let the five swarm him, their movements unified by their desire to hold him back. They could attack with reckless abandon as their 'life' was unbound from flesh's weaknesses.

Sarajin could feel their movements were unnatural, as taking just one step back made their aim adjust the exact angle required to hit him.

He couldn't afford to get too carried away cutting them down until he had secured his allies' entry inside.

So he settled for focusing on the sentinels' weapons and cutting them down with a series of tiny, precise wind slashes.

He then let them slam their empty hands against his body so he could shove them away.

But upon landing four sentinels turned to the center one and stabbed their hands into their being, using his mass to forge four new spears and leaving two halves in their place to reform into new warriors, who proceeded to snatch their own weapons out of the mass of their brethren.

"Wasn't expecting that…" Sarajin worried a bit, now faced with nine sentinels.

He would have to hold back only enough to deflect their attacks, but his sheer speed advantage meant he could dance around this small force and parry their attacks while pulling them further away from the ruins.

He started to reach for the Gaia Temporis and surrendered a bit of control over the sentinels' assault while he positioned his back towards his approaching allies.

By the moment the sentinels had started to catch their presence Sarajin jumped over to them and let their hands rest on his shoulders right as he activated the Gaia Temporis.

Stonestein was in awe of the monochrome world he was allowed to take part in, while Ezekiel was left stunned by his bewilderment.

No time to exchange reactions, Sarajin let out a pained grunt in response to the stress having this many people in frozen time had on him.

"G-Go…!" He shouted, and the two made a mad dash for the ruin's entrance.

The moment they were through, Sarajin pushed himself over to the entrance and turned around to face the sentinels.

Time resumed and the stone guardians went ballistic, glowing with deep red energy as their charged the entrance with speeds matching Sarajin's.

Sarajin braced his feet into the ground and the moment their weapons collided with his own and his body his angelic wings spread from his back to shield the entrance.

He grinned and beared through a little more pain, calling out to a force, a will, that may not even exist, "If there's a way to save our world hidden inside these ruins, then they're going to find it!"

He then speared the sentinels all across with a macross barrage of light beams, doubling their numbers but succeeding in repelling them a far distance away from the entrance.

He then continued to hold his wings up as a shield, a beacon of hope, while thrusting his sword at the small army, "We've fought many battles to make it here, we're not about to lose to some deteriorating statues!"

Ezekiel and Stonestein ran down the jagged passage, secure in their travels thanks to their friend.

As the passage began to open outward, waves of luminous energy splashed up against their feet.

It managed to grab Stonestein's attention the most, by causing his head to throb in agitation, his eyes starting to water.

Ezekiel turned around and remarked, "Oi! Ya holdin' up alright?"

Stonestein raised his head and pointed forward, "Look."

Ezekiel faced the scenic view behind him with slowly growing awe, until his jaw looked like it would become unhinged.

The pathway was but a mere twig suspended over a massive chasm carved deep into the planet, all lined with grand, glistening amber.

At the center, levitating over an enclosure, was a mystical core where energy swirled outward from it against the walls like a soft, sweeping wind.

Each pulse provided a different hue to the atmosphere. It felt…too similar to a Wellspring.

Ancient history was speaking to them through the environment, but just what kind of tale did it have to tell?

"Unbelievable…" Was all Ezekiel could utter, "How's this gone by our Titan all this time?"

Stonestein took the lead and carefully navigated the path laid out before them. It was a straight walk but there would undoubtedly be traps to get in their way.

Stonestein held onto the side of his head every time he had to blink, "There's…too much aura. My senses…overwhelmed."

He stood tall and began to walk, "Stay sharp."

Ezekiel nodded and stood at his back to keep an eye on their way out, just in case, "Right…"

It didn't take long for the ruins to tremble and the walls to jut out towards their location. With their blistering speed Ezekiel presumed they were going to be crushed, "Watch out!"

Stonestein grabbed hold of his shield but to the two's surprise the walls smashed together in a unique way, forging a maze for them to overcome.

Ezekiel took the lead and remarked, "There wouldn't be these kinda obstacles if there weren't somethin' worth hidin'."

"A maze? Too simple." Stonestein remarked with some level of confidence worth listening to.

"Betcha if we make a wrong turn we'll be sent plummeting into the abyss," Ezekiel commented, "Would be the kinda trap my pop would lay in our mines."

Stonestein nodded, "There is a trick to this puzzle."

"Follow my lead."

At the mouth of the maze, Stonestein pressed his left hand against the wall and kept moving at a snail's pace around every corner.

When it looked like they were getting near a dead end, he took out a small glowing stone from his pockets and threw it onto the floor. This caused a pitfall to open up, confirming Ezekiel's theory.

He then turned around and put his hand on the opposite wall, guiding them further into the maze.

It was a long way of doing this but his method was proving effective in keeping them safe. Ezekiel kept his eyes wide open and one hand near his weapon just in case one of the sentinels made it through.

Neither of them had any way of controlling the amber, or rather, the strength to overpower the magic in effect here.

They'd have to rely on their bodies and weapons to get by anything that requires strength, and experience to deal with anything else.

Eventually, Stonestein's expertise in puzzle solving carried them through to the end of the maze, and the very moment they left the walls retracted back into place.

Their next obstacle didn't seem ready to present itself, so they took a moment to catch their breath.

No signs of movement from behind, but they could feel shockwaves of Sarajin's battle penetrating through.

Stonestein took a moment to observe his surroundings and comment on the appearance, "Beautiful. Deliberate in its form…"

Ezekiel asked, "None of this looks familiar to ya?"

Stonestein shook his head, "But I feel it should…"

They kept moving on ahead and more tremors sought to beset their progress.

This time they were sandwiched between two floating layers of black and purple glitter stone.

Ezekiel's pupils shrink with dread as he mutters, "Gravistone…?!"

By the time this had been taken into account the stones were imbued with the life filled glow, causing them to fill the space between with waves of air distorting effects.

The two of them were pushed on both ends of their bodies and the feeling quickly enveloped them enough to start pulling them down.

"Kkk…!" Ezekiel grit his teeth as now, the muscles he prided himself on were being turned against him, crushing down on his bones.

But the more prepared Stonestein suffered worse, already dragging his knees along the ground just to survive.

This was a small area of effect but it was going to kill them before that could ever matter.

Every breath was being filtered through organs that weighed like boulders, every inch gained a victory worthy of wartime.

Stonestein stopped in place and the ground below him started to crack, Ezekiel following soon after.

Once more staring into the abyss of death, Ezekiel squeezed every muscle that burned in his flesh and forced himself forward, empowered by a greater, stubborn will than he could comprehend.

He fell to the ground and dragged Stonestein's arm atop his shoulder. Feeling like he was carrying the whole world on his back, he worked in tandem with his allies' steps to drag him across the floor.

The ground continued to break off under pressure, but they refused to embrace the endless descent below.

Pressing on, and on, and on, inevitably grasping tight onto the freedom of a well-earned gasp of air once they broke free of gravity's shackles.

It was only a foot they had to walk…whoever designed this trial was cruel, but with purpose.

Ezekiel could stand but kept his comrade steady until he was back on his feet too.

He was breathing heavily, looked tired and almost…upset at how this was unfolding.

But it wasn't aimed at the traps but rather, himself, "I…don't want you to die…Ezekiel."

Ezekiel felt tender in his chest and gave him a light smack on the back, "Ha! Ya don't have to worry about that. What's a few broken bones to help a friend out?"

Then he took on a more reflective tone as he murmured, "Y'know…I thought all Aurians were untrustworthy, save Auris. But ya put yer body in the way of that demon's attacks for the sake of our home. Ya saved my life, and Sarajin's!"

"I guess what I've learned is…ya shouldn't judge a person over the actions of others," Ezekiel then pulled him up onto his feet and told him, "So stand up friend! I'm gettin' ya to the end of this road, and yer gonna finally finish yer ancestors journey."

"Ezekiel…" Muttered Stonestein, his vigor returning to his every breath, "Your heart is magnificent."

He then started moving forward with his own two feet, their destination getting closer and closer, yet the intensity of their obstacles had declined completely to the point that the only thing holding them back was justifiable paranoia.

"It's too quiet…" Ezekiel commented.

Near the end of the road their final destination became clear. It was a self-contained room suspended in place by two very thin strands of amber. It had an open passage inviting them inside, and the shape was irregular, almost like it had been rushed.

Stonestein waved his hand back to insist on taking the lead and the two ventured into the chamber.

Here the waves of energy ceased, the light coming from within the amber.

Rather…what lied within.

Dozens of strange, black, cloaked humanoid creatures with multiple eyes, arms and fuzzy bodies were diving forward in a funnel formation towards a singular being in the center of the back.

On one arm were stone bracelets that glowed faintly with a light similar to what lay outside.

The being in the back sat in a meditative pose with one pair of three-pronged fingers folded in front of them and the other pair outstretched…a closed book, nestled between the palms.

Upon closer inspection the being closely resembled the sentinels, but looked more wise and melancholic.

The amber had captured a moment of time long forgotten, and none should dare awaken it from its slumber.

Stonestein took a deep breath and made one step of progress before immediately pulling back.

Spikes of black and gold stone thrust out of the walls to block their path, then we're gone like they had never appeared in the first place.

Ezekiel muttered, "One last trap…"

Stonestein crossed his arms and relied on his patience to think about what this trap entailed. He took out another glittering stone and tossed it forward. The spikes emerged out again and shattered the stone into dust.

And said dust was left suspended in the air, almost frozen in time.

"Chronostone…" He remarked.

"The same stuff Sarajin's stone's made out of?" Ezekiel commented, finally looking at the results of his allies' experiment, "Eaugh…don't wanna imagine what'd that look like with a person."

A mighty "Thud!" came where they were and they suddenly found the way out sealed off by a slab of amber, and it was approaching slowly.

"Hey!" He shouted, "Yer gonna hafta figure this out fast!"

Stonestein widened his eyes towards the encroaching wall and then looked back at the trap. He scanned it over and over but there didn't seem to be any way to figure out how the spikes were coming through and thus, how to stop them.

His expression started to show doubt and his stern lips quivered, with him turning back to remark, "I need…just a little time."

Ezekiel grit his teeth and cracked his knuckles, "Ya want it, ya got it!"

He then charged the wall straight on to slam his hands against it and combined with his feet, managed to slow it's progress just a little bit.

But the earlier toll on his body was going to show itself again in time. This could buy maybe thirty seconds at best, Stonestein calculated.

He began examining the trap closer, edging his chin out against the trigger point to get the spikes to reveal themselves.

They were simply too fast to react to, and the stone had been infused with properties that would likely negate his Drive.

The chamber continued to groan, and now the sides of the walls were closing in on them.

Ezekiel grit his teeth and turned around, pressing his back against the entry wall while stabbing his elbows against the side walls, with the sides of his feet making up for any weakness in them.

"Stonestein!" He shouted, believing he had the capacity to solve this and simply baffled that he hadn't yet.

Stonestein began to sweat as he feverishly darted his eyes around the passage. The book lay right in front of him, countless years of searching would finally bear fruit…

He could finally determine the truth, maybe bring light back to his best friend's eyes…

And yet he was greeted with a puzzle that seemingly had no answer.

Was it the wrong call to keep Sarajin outside?

Did he let eagerness get the better of him, and prevent him from considering other potential allies for this mission?

Would questioning all the flaws in himself, and this plan, really be a good use of his time at this present moment?

"No." He determined, deciding to ignore any further internal monologues so that his mind could be empty and clear.

He took one last look back, finding the man who he was honored to call friend struggling to hold up the ceiling as well now with nothing but his head and his grit and knew…He could not fail now.

Something inside Stonestein's head "clicked" in that moment and he looked back at the trap.

The discordant vibrations of this death trap began to slow down when he reached out towards it, and for a brief and tangible moment…he was able to perceive a shape between all the spikes.

From the peaceful eons past to this chaotic present, the symbol of his heritage had been passed down from hand to hand, and now it rested in front of him, waiting for the loop to be completed…

His heart grew warmer and he felt tears of nostalgia swelling in his eyes as he looked at the shield on his back.

He took it off and held it out towards the spikes, whispering with dutiful respect, "I present to you…my ancestor…proof."

The spikes jutted out of the walls and stopped in perfect formation around the shield.

And then there was silence.

Ezekiel's eyes widened, his heart banging against his chest. His sore body fell like a puddle onto the ground, though at least he managed to get his hands down in time.

"Haaa…haa…" He looked up and saw Stonestein take the shield back and then walk towards the book.

With a smile across his face, the man dropped onto one knee and bowed his arm across his chest as a spectral effigy manifested itself from the wall.

Little more than an exoskeleton of the being it inhabited, the ghost mimicked this respectful gesture and then disappeared into fine mist.

And when he was gone, so too was the body, leaving the book to fall onto the floor.

The walls then retracted back from whence they came.

Stonestein picked up the book and his tears fell onto the binding.

A lot of effort went into safe-guarding the secrets within this book. It filled him with pride and sorrow that he only stood in the shadow of his ancestor's best efforts…But it also filled him with the determination to continue to guard this secret, and finish what had been started.

He tucked the book against his chest and turned to Ezekiel as he lifted himself back up.

With a simple gesture of "Let us depart" they were on their way out of here, no struggle, no conversations to be had.

Stonestein took this opportunity to flick through the pages thoroughly, his brows turning with subtle gestures of intrigue.

He tucked the book into his armor once they saw daylight. What awaited them was an exhausted Sarajin having held the line against a thousand sentinels, his body and the ground of this canyon now covered in stone dust.

But he still had the spunk in him to grin and make a comment to his comrades, "So I take it you were successful?"

Ezekiel flicked his hand out and played coy, "Nuthin' to it."

Then the weight of what they had accomplished hit him all at once like a river rush and he turned to Stonestein to wonder, "We…did get what ya were after, right?"

Stonestein nodded, though the weight behind it suggested there was more to their success that he had yet to say, "It is missing half a page. However…"

He crossed his arms and closed his eyes, "The text. I do not recognize it."

Before dissuasion crossed his allies' faces he remarked, "It is fine."

"There are ways to translate it…" However, he made sure to emphasize to them, "It will take some time."

Sarajin waved his hand out and remarked, "If you need any help, just ask."

Stonestein nodded, "I shouldn't require it."

"However, I will still aid your cause."

Sarajin perked up with a smile, "Glad to have you around. Take whatever time you need."

"Thank you again, Sarajin, Ezekiel…"

It was a surprisingly simple note to end this expedition on, but no one was going to complain. Stonestein made his way home, and Sarajin helped escort Ezekiel since he was still sore as heck.

But deep in all their hearts, the trio of adventurers felt that there was something about the ruin's history that had yet to be revealed to them…

It was another puzzle…without an obvious answer.

Next Time: A Crescendo for Fire and Ice