Housepets! Always Save the Day
Chapter 8: Let's Crash A Temple
A "Housepets! Comics" Fan Fiction
Based on the characters by Rick Griffin
By: Fenrir Black
A Message from King
Things have gotten worse since last time. Rowan has lost his mind, and Lisa is heartbroken about it. From what I've been told, Rowan was kidnapped as a little kid and used as part of a demonic ritual which honestly before everything that's happened to me over the last nine years, I would never believe it or taken that seriously. Apparently, whatever they did is now coming out in the form of Revenant who is bent on causing untold chaos in our world. He is trying to require the mana from four different temples and so far, has two. I can't help because I have my own drama to deal with. I recently found out that I have a human son named Kyle who resented my very existence at first but after a magical mishap involving the last nine years of my life to be reset and me getting the chance to see how my life would have turned out if Pete had not turned me into a dog. It was a lot to deal with, but now Kyle actually wants to get to know me. All it took was me almost dying to get him to admit that he loves me and want to be a part of my family. I've worked hard to get my life to where it is now, and I will not allow anyone to take it from me again. Kitsune, Lisa, and the rest better figure out a way to keep Rowan or Revenant or whatever he's calling himself from destroying the world because if they don't, I'll probably have to do it. Again.
The Sandwich House, Babylon Gardens
"Here's what we know," Kitsune said as he tapped the dry erase board with the tip of a metal rod. An expertly drawn image of Rowan stared back at them. "Rowan, I mean Revenant has claimed the power in two of the mana pools left by the four stags. That leaves two more to go." He moved the rod down to the images of four stags. "Drasil aka Duneyr and Dvalin's pools. From what Keene has managed to gather from Henry Milton's notes there is a pool in South America that belongs to Dain. That is our target. Any questions so far."
He turned to face the Sandwich's dining room table where Peanut, Grape, Max, Tarot, and Sabrina were sitting. Simultaneously they raised their paws.
"How do we know that this will be Revenant's target?" Tarot asked.
"What do we do once we get there?" Sabrina asked. "The last time we tried something like this it didn't end well."
"Why am I here?" Max asked.
"Where did that dry erase board come from?" Peanut asked.
"Where's Lisa and Nick? Shouldn't they both be here?" Grape asked.
Kitsune sighed, letting his nine tails drop behind him. He placed his pointer on the table before leaning forward on the table with his paws placed firmly on the wooden surface.
"To answer your questions in order. Durathror was the eldest and most powerful of the brothers. Revenant would need the power of all three of the other stags to reach the mana pool in Durathror's temple. Yes, like before the goal is to drain the mana from the pool. If we can succeed in keeping Revenant from one pool, then we can stop him from ascending to divinity and unleashing chaos in this world. Max, you are here because you are part of this team. Peanut, don't worry about the board right now."
He paused to take a deep breath. "Lisa is still not doing well, so I left her at the manor. Nick is there to try to help her."
"Isn't that your job?" Grape asked leaning back in her chair. She eyed Kitsune suspiciously before continuing. "Are you not her boyfriend or did you guys really break up.?"
Standing up straight, Kitsune said, "We haven't broken up."
"Yet," Max whispered in Grape's ear. She chuckled slightly, but Kitsune ignored it.
It had been a week since the episode with King being human and Lisa realizing that Rowan had been completely taken over by Revenant. Kitsune decided that she needed time to come to terms with it, so he gave her the space she wanted. He was busy helping Keene and the others decipher the location of the last two temples. Revenant seemed to be two steps ahead of them. No one in Heaven knew where the stags hid their temples which were the point. Kitsune hated feeling helpless. He couldn't help Lisa in her time of need or find the temple. He was a god, but this was something that only the mortals could do for themselves.
Turning to the window, Kitsune let his mind wander to what Lisa was doing while they were discussing the battle plan. She had to be ready for anything because, at that moment, Keene was busy ordering plane tickets for them all.
"Wait, we're taking a plane to South America?" Max asked. Kitsune turned to see the cat's annoyed expression. At first, Kitsune thought he been thinking his thoughts out loud then realized that it was written on the board where the others were looking at. "Can't you teleport us there?"
"Several circumstances are plaguing us at the moment. We don't know where Revenant is or if he already knows where the temple is. If we pop there, then we could alert him to its location or if he's already there, alert him to our presence. The purpose of this mission is not only to reach the mana pool first but also to keep out of harm's way. Revenant has already shown that he's willing to kill to get the mana."
The others exchanged nervous glances. The incident with King had become common knowledge around the neighborhood including Lisa's confrontation with Revenant.
"I for one would just like to get away from Babylon Gardens for a while," Sabrina said. "It's already starting to get cold so going someplace warm for a little while would be a welcome change."
"I wonder how Keene is going to handle this weather now that's he's living out of the mansion?" Peanut pondered."
'Doesn't he disappear this time of year?" Max asked.
Sabrina rolled her eyes. "Knowing him, he'll come up with some kind of ridiculous scheme."
"Guys, can we remain focused?" Kitsune slammed his paws on the table snapping the others back to the mission.
"Kitsune's right," Tarot said standing up in her chair. "This is serious, and we need to prepare ourselves for anything."
Milton Manor
Lisa was lying on her bed with her head half buried in her comforter. She lost track of how long she had been laying there. For the last week, Kitsune had tried to make her feel better, and there were times when she thought that she was coming to terms with what happened. But each time, she would have flashes of Rowan's cold gaze as he spoke to her. He told her that Rowan was gone and every time she replayed that moment in her head, all the progress she made vanished. She wished Kitsune was there with her but at the same time knew that it was better that he wasn't' He needed to stop Revenant and to deal with her drama was only hindering that mission.
A knock on the door snapped Lisa out of her daze. She lifted her head up slowly, glancing at her ragged reflection in the mirror. Her long hair was sticking out which matched her sunken face. She had barely eaten in the last week, and it was beginning to show.
"Go away, Kitsune," she yelled at the door.
"It's Nick," the voice answered.
"Oh. Go away, Nick."
"Lisa, please let me in. I've barely seen you in a week, and I'm literally staying next door to you."
Rolling her eyes, Lisa dragged herself off the bed. The floor was ice cold to her bare feet. After running her fingers through her hair, she decided she looked good enough for Nick. She walked to the door and opened it revealing the tall gray wolf. She instantly regretted her decision after seeing the anxiety on his face. His ears were lowered slightly along with his tail.
"Here I am. What do you need?" Lisa asked not bothering with politeness. She appreciated his concern, but this had nothing to do with him.
"Can I come in?" Nick asked nodding towards her bed.
Rolling her eyes, Lisa stepped to the side and gestured for him to enter. Nick strolled past her and sat on the bed. Lisa laid down beside him, staring at the ceiling with her legs dangling from the foot of the bed.
"I'm worried about you. We all are. Kitsune especially." He turned to her. "Are you sure you're ready to go to South America? We have no idea what to expect when we get there. Rowan could be there."
"I'm going to stop you," Lisa said holding her hand up. "I am going because I have to go. The real question you should be asking yourself is why are you going?" He looked away from her, but she kept going. "You have nothing to do with any of this. This isn't your fight. I appreciate what you did for me, for all of us but you have a book to finish."
"The book's finished," Nick said bluntly almost like a growl.
"What?" Lisa sat up clearly caught off guard. "When did this happen?"
Nick sighed. "A few days ago. I finished the last chapter and began some editing, but it's pretty much finished."
"That's…great." Lisa was lost for words. She knew this would happen eventually but hearing them out loud was like having someone reach into her chest with an ice cream scoop. If Nick were done, then that would mean there was no point in him staying at the manor. "I'm sure Becky is thrilled."
Nick cringed at the name of his fiancé and agent. "I haven't told her yet. Actually, I haven't spoken to her in a few weeks."
"What? Why not?"
"What am I supposed to tell her?" He raised his paws up and stared down at them like they were alien parasites that had attached themselves to the end of his arms. "The book is finished, but that doesn't change anything. I'm still this." He waved at his body. Lisa felt a pang of grief for him. He had been a wolf for four years now and spent most of that time in a cabin in the woods away from people who would only fear him or reject him if they knew the truth. Nick continued, "We can't be together. We can't get married."
"You love each other. Isn't that enough?" Lisa said, but silently she scolded herself for sounding like a Hallmark card. "If you want to change things why don't you stay here?"
The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. Nick has become a good friend to her over the last few months. He helped save her from the white space and in a lot of ways filled the hole that Rowan left. She needed a friend, someone who could understand her in a way that the pets and Kitsune couldn't. She secretly had been dreading the day that Nick would eventually have to leave the manor. She would be alone but more than that, she didn't think she could handle losing someone else.
"I've thought about it. I can't imagine the ferrets would be to keen on letting me stay here to work on the third book. The only reason I'm here now is because of how long it took just to finish the second one."
"They let me stay here," Lisa said. "They have so much money and such a big house I don't think they really care about who stays here. Especially now that Keene is living with Breel in the neighborhood."
"It's not the same," Nick said. "Besides, God knows what Cody has done to the cabin over the last few months."
Lisa thought about the infamous cougar that served as Nick's roommate over the last few years. "Have you talked to him lately?"
Nicked nodded and rolled his eyes. "I talked to him the other day. He says the cabin is still there, but part of me doesn't believe him."
"So, what are you going to do now?" Lisa asked.
"I'm going to South America, and I'm going to help you guys stop Rowan."
Lisa was taken aback from the seriousness in Nick's voice. His green eyes were hard as he stared at the wall like there was something only, he could see.
"You don't have to risk your life like this."
"The thing is, I do. You said this isn't my fight, but it is." Nick turned to her. Despite his wolf-ish appearance he never seemed so human to her before. There was a coldness in his eyes but also something else. Fear. "You remember the prophecy I got from the dream about where to find you."
Lisa nodded. "I do. Light the way to lover's arms. From the shadows of forgiveness, there will be no harm. Feelings born from across the reaches of time and space will guide the way through the empty place. Scorn comes from the words left unsaid. The dreams and truths emerge from the queen's head. The heir will speak to the father's pride. The Atlas of the stars will then be your guide. Four havens of stone, fire, ice, and wind. The magic lost will be the final end. Heart in hand she will illuminate a past hidden. Only to discover the secret of darkness kept forbidden. One becomes two, two becomes one. Only the knight can finish what has begun. The wolf will howl with his last breath. A hero's sacrifice will spare the heavens' death. It's hard to forget something like that."
"Did I ever tell you about how I heard the prophecy in the first place?"
Lisa thought back but couldn't remember. After everything that had happened since she met Nick and escaped from the white space, some things seemed unimportant. She shook her head.
"I had a dream that I was in this dark house. Becky was there, but she was chained to the floor. She sat in this chair staring out the window at this apocalyptic landscape." Nick paused like the words were hard for him to get out. Lisa wanted to comfort him but didn't know how. Nick took a deep breath and continued, "She kept saying 'It's all gone.' There was this thing in the shadows. A monstrous guard dog almost. I know it was me. At first, I thought it was anxiety about our relationship. I was chaining down by being this. Now I think it was a vision of the future. If Rowan gets the power to corrupt all the animals in the world then what will happen to us?"
"That won't happen," Lisa said. "We'll stop him. I know we will."
"That's easy to say, but this isn't a book where the good guys win," Nick said. "It sometimes doesn't feel real at all. Human transformation is one thing. I've accepted that is real but Heaven, demonic possession, divine powers, gods and deer. It's all so crazy. You're from another world, how am I supposed to understand how that works."
Lisa didn't have an answer. There was a time when she felt like none of this was real. Like she all of this was still a comic that she and Rowan would read together.
"If Rowan succeeds then what will happen to me?" Nick pressed a paw against his chest. "I'm an animal too, and it scares me to think that I could become that monster lurking in the shadows. I could forget who I am and become something else. When I first changed, I had the same impulses and instincts as a regular wolf. I fought hard to keep them down and learn to deal with them. They're still there inside me. Even if the corruption doesn't affect me the same way as a 'normal' animal, I know that I will hurt someone."
Lisa bit her lip. She didn't realize that Nick was going through so much. Some friend she was. Despite everything that had happened she still wasn't good at recognizing when someone close to her was suffering.
"You're not alone with any of this. I was wrong to say this has nothing to do with you. Honestly, I'm glad you're here with us. Whatever happens, we are in this together." Lisa stood up and turned to him. "I'm done crying and feeling sorry for myself. Rowan needs to be stopped, and we're going to do it together. You, me, Kitsune, and the rest of the pets. This affects everyone, and no matter what happens I'm glad you are here with us."
She held out her hand, and Nick smiled before taking it. He stood up, and Lisa could see his tail wagging behind him but suppressed the chuckle that was threatening to come out.
At that moment, Lisa's phone buzzed. She let go of Nick's paw and reached in her pocket to pull it out. Reading the screen, she said, "Keene got everything set for us to go to Peru. We're leaving early tomorrow morning on his private jet."
"Ooh, a private jet. This should be fun." Nick said with a slight grin.
Lisa put her phone away. "At least he's letting us use the jet. When King and the rest had to go to Australia stop Pete, they took a commercial flight."
"I know Keene is technically my boss in a way, but he is so strange," Nick said heading to the door.
"You have no idea," Lisa told him. "Remind me to give you Rowan's tablet. I have a feeling that you should familiarize yourself with what the temples are like."
Sky Over the Atlantic Ocean
Nick hated flying. As a child, his parents would take him on vacations to other countries, but each time he got on a plane, his body would freeze up. He essentially was a statue for the entire flight. The sheer image of dying in a fireball dropping from the sky was too much for him. He could never sit by the window without covering his eyes the entire time. As he got older, he was able to handle his anxiety better, but the fear never went away.
Here he was on a private jet, sitting on a long couch with one hand gripping an iPad while his other was claw deep in the leather. The others were busy staring out the window as the ocean blew by beneath them. He tried to ignore the excited yelling coming from Peanut as he stared out the window with his tail wagging behind him. Nick scanned the cabin at the others. Sabrina and Grape were both sleeping. Max was looking almost as uncomfortable as Nick felt. Tarot was bent over a table with several papers spread out in front of her. From where Nick was sitting, he could make out a large map of their destination.
Before take-off, Kitsune explained what was going to happen. "We're all flying to Cusco, Peru then taking a car to what is known as the Valley of the River. That is where Dain's temple is located according to Henry Milton's notes."
"Valley of the River?" Lisa sounded confused. "I've never heard of that place."
"It's not well known. Most likely it doesn't exist in your world. It was home to the Jaca civilization which was made up almost entirely of jaguars."
"That would explain it then," Lisa said.
"Remember I can't help you once we get to the valley. It would be better if I don't enter the valley at all, so I'm going to have to leave you once we get close."
Nick felt Lisa tense up beside him. Kitsune continued, "The temple should work the same way as Pete's temple, so I've asked Peanut to bring paper bags for this mission. On the flight, you will all have to decide what class of fighter you want."
Peanut started handing out paper bags. Nick was hesitant to take one, but Lisa gave him a slight nudge, and he accepted it. When Peanut got to Tarot and Sabrina, they said, "No thanks, hon. We're prepared." Tarot placed a strange mask over her face, and Sabrina pulled out a witch hat. Nick glanced at Lisa who gave him a pitiful look and whispered that she would explain it later.
After that the boarded the plane and took off. That was a few hours ago. According to Nick's watch, they had another hour before reaching Cusco. So far, he'd spent the flight flipping through the comic on the iPad Lisa gave him when they sat down. She went ahead and bookmarked the pages he was supposed to read. He was entertained by the wacky adventures the pets had been on before his arrival but more than that he was worried about what lied in wait for them in Peru. He could feel the paper bag burning a hole in his backpack as he thought about what to write on it. Glancing over at Lisa, he willed her to come over to him, but she was busy talking with Kitsune. He couldn't see her face with her back turned to him but judging by Kitsune's serious expression, whatever they were talking about was a big deal.
Nick turned his attention back to the screen but wasn't reading. His mind wandered back to the other conversation he had the night before. After talking to Lisa, he decided to call Becky.
"Hello." Hearing Becky's voice almost brought Nick to tears. He didn't realize how much he missed hearing it. "Nick? What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong. I wanted to call you and tell you the book's finished." Nick waited for a response but got nothing.
"Why don't you sound happy about that?" Becky asked. There was concern laced in her voice. She knew something was bothering him even over the phone she could tell.
Nick didn't know how to explain what he was feeling. Becky didn't know about the strange things going on in Babylon Gardens or that the fate of the world somehow rested with him and the rest of his friends. How could he even begin to tell her what was going on? "It's just. What's going to happen now?"
"You sound like this is your first book," Becky laughed. "You send it to me, and we have the editors look over it. We've done this before."
"Becky," Nick said sharply. "You know what I'm talking about."
There was silence on the other end. "I know." Silence again. Nick's heart beat inside his chest like he was running a marathon. He felt breathless and exhausted just standing there. "What do you want to do, Nick? Do you want to go back to your cabin and work on your third book there or do you want something different?"
"I want something different. Being here made me realize that hiding in the woods isn't working. I want to be with people again. I want to be with you."
"Nick, we've been over this before." Her voice was breaking. He was upsetting her. "Do you want to do this now? Over the phone?"
"I need to know, Becky." Tears began to roll from his eyes. "What is going to happen to us? We can't keep living like this anymore. I'm trying to find a way to get things back to the way it was, but if that doesn't happen, then we need to decide what we want."
"Nick." He could tell she was getting more and more upset. "I don't know what to do. I never did."
At that moment, the dream came rushing back to him as his ears flattened against his head. He didn't want Becky to get dragged into this no matter what happened. He couldn't become the monster he saw or the monster he already felt like he was. "Becky let's talk about this later. The other reason I'm calling is that I'm leaving the country for a few days. I can't tell you where exactly, but you won't be able to call me." He hated lying to her. The truth was that Keene had already supplied them all with satellite phones. "Come to Babylon Gardens as we planned. The deadline we set with the publisher. We can talk about it then."
Silence.
"Becky are you still there?" Nick asked gripping the phone tighter in his fingers.
"Is this what you want?" Becky whispered.
"No, but it's what's best for us both," Nick stopped himself before he could say anything else.
"I know," she said, and Nick felt like someone jammed a knife through his heart.
"I love you, Becky. No matter what happens to remember that."
"I love you too, Nick." With those final words, she hung up but not before he could hear a loud sob coming from the other end.
Someone sat down next to him, bring Nick back to reality. Lisa stared at him like she was trying to read his mind. Something flashed in her eyes like she realized something was wrong with him and knew what it was.
"We're almost to Cusco, so you need to get ready." She waited for a reaction then asked. "Nick, did something happen?"
He didn't look at her, only kept his eyes on the tablet in his paw. A tear fell on the screen blurring one of the images. He squeezed his eyes shut. "I think that Becky and I might have broken up."
Valley of the River
The car ride from the airport to the valley was long, bumpy, and most of all awkward. Kitsune was at the wheel seeing that it was better for a divine being to drive rather than Lisa or one of the others. Lisa was in the front seat watching the scenery fly by as they drove. Behind her, she could feel Nick's sadness coming off in waves. The others could feel it too even if they didn't know exactly what was going on.
Before they landed, Nick told her about his conversation with Becky and what happened between them. Lisa tried to comfort him, but he told her that he wanted to be alone. Lisa honored his wish knowing exactly how he felt.
The rest of the pets were tense as the car drove. Lisa kept stealing glances in the rearview mirror at them. Grape and Peanut were sitting next to Nick with Max, Tarot, and Sabrina in the very back. Knowing what they were about to do, no one was in a talkative mood.
After a few hours of driving, Kitsune pulled the car to the side of a dirt road and put it park. He looked over at Lisa who nodded. It was time. She opened the door and stepped out. The morning sun shone down on them feeling like a blessing. The temperature was already high despite it being the middle of November. After being in Babylon Gardens for so long, she was no longer used to the heat. She grabbed her bag as the side door opened. The rest of the team poured out. Nick walked to one of the trees and stood there with his back turned to the others.
"Where is the temple?" Peanut asked. He had his camera out and was already taking pictures. Lisa wanted to tell him to put it away. This wasn't a family vacation but couldn't bring herself to scold the poor dog. They would need Peanut's optimistic nature if they were going to make it through this challenge.
"The temple is still a few miles from here," Kitsune turned and pointed into the trees where Nick stood. "I can sense the magic from mana from here. This is as close as I can get without alerting Revenant to our presence."
"Is he here?" Tarot asked looking around like he could pop out of the bushes at any moment.
"He's been through here," Nick called. He had knelt to the ground. His head was bent over like he was sniffing the dirt like a real dog. "His scent is faint, but he's definitely passed through here. I would say at most twelve hours ago."
"How can you tell?" Lisa said sounding impressed.
"I lived in the woods for four years. You pick up a few skills. Plus, my parents were big into camping, so I know how to track."
"That settles it then," Tarot said. "Nick, you can lead the way to the temple. The rest of us will have to remain vigilant in case any surprises are waiting for us."
"Who put her in charge?" Max whispered to Grape only to get elbowed by Sabrina.
Stepping towards Nick and Tarot, Sabrina said, "We need to get going. Revenant already has a lead on us, so we have to catch up. Kitsune, can you tell if he's reached the mana pool yet."
Kitsune shook his head. "I can still sense it from here. He's hasn't gotten there yet."
Tarot nodded. "Then we still have a chance of reaching it before him. Peanut, Grape, Max, put on your paper bags and let's get going."
Lisa watched as they all put on their bags. Peanut went with the classic Puzzle Master again as per Tarot's recommendation back on the plane. Grape went with ninja again. Max was the only one who changed this time. His bag read, "Warrior."
"Really, Max. I'm surprised you would want the warrior class," Lisa said to him as he pulled out a broad ax from the trunk of the car.
"Well, I'm tired by being useless during these adventures. I thought that maybe if I had a strong class, then I could actually hold my own."
"You weren't useless went you went into Pete's temple," Lisa said.
He swung the ax around as if checking its weight. "Really, do you remember me doing anything useful. I was sent away as soon as we reached the pool."
Lisa thought back to the comic. As far as what was shown, Max's role was limited. He was the one who read the incantation and was teleported away.
"Well, either way. I'm proud of you for wanting to try to help," Lisa told him.
Max looked grim. He looked past her at Peanut and Grape who were both laughing behind Lisa. "If I'm being honest, I'm trying to impress Grape."
Lisa felt a ripple run up her spine. "Why? She's your girlfriend. You don't have to impress her."
"She's been acting extra chummy with Peanut lately. I don't know what's going on, but I'm going to make her realize that I'm a real boyfriend and not just eye-candy. I can do stuff and be the hero."
He walked past her before Lisa could respond to the "eye-candy" comment. Shaking her head, she pulled out her own paper bag. She held it her hand like it was a live bomb. The memory of the last time she did something like this came rushing back to her. The feeling of divine power flowing through her as she placed her tiara on her head. Followed by the surge of energy as she blasted Drasil. Most of it was a blur, but she remembered one thing perfectly. Rowan calling to her and reaching for her hand as she faded away. The desperation in his eyes haunted her still. Putting on the tiara was another burden that she had to bear on her shoulders. Another reason that everything that had happened to Rowan was her fault. Guilt clawed at her heart as she gripped the bag, feeling the paper crumble in her fingers.
"Lisa," She turned to see Kitsune standing behind her. The others were already disappearing in the shadows of the tree with Nick leading them.
"I need to get going," she said and walked past Kitsune only for him to grab her arm and stop her.
"Lisa, this isn't your fault," he said to her. Lisa felt exasperated.
She gave a weak grin as she turned to him. He let go of her arm and leaned in closer to her. His scent washed over as his warm eyes seemed to peer into her soul and heart. "Was it that obvious what I was thinking?"
"It was," he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his furry body. She pressed her hand on his chest, letting her fingers intertwine in his cream-colored fur. The other hand still gripped the paper bag so tightly she was sure her nails would rip into it. "I know you better than you know yourself."
"I have to do this, but I still feel like he's there somewhere. Am I fooling myself even after everything that's happened?"
"If you want to know what I think, as long as we can keep him from getting any more power then maybe there is a chance to save him."
Lisa froze as Kitusne continued, "One thing I've learned over my entire existence is that hope is a powerful thing, and so is love."
"Kitsune…" Lisa started to say, but he cut her off.
"I know you love him and if he's the one you want, then I'll understand. It's your choice."
"That's not it. I do love him, but I want you," Lisa said drawing her body closer to his. "I wish you were coming with us. Not only to add some divine muscle to our team but for my sake. I know why you can't but still. I need you with me."
"I love you, Lisa," Kitsune whispered in her ear.
Lisa felt her eyes water but blinked a couple of times to keep them from coming out. "I love you, too."
They separated from each other. Kitsune said, "You don't need me. You have everything you need there." He pointed at the bag in her hand. "If things do go south, then I'll be there for you and the others."
Without another word, Lisa walked into the trees and not long after turned around. Kitsune and the car were entirely out of view, but she could still feel him like a thread connecting the two of them. Hurrying along, she reached the valley.
True to its name there was a large river that cut through the entire landscape. In the very center was a large stone temple that towered over the trees and jungle. Despite its age, it looked better than most of the ruins she had seen in the pictures when she researched ancient South American civilizations. The stones had an almost orange gleam to them as the sun shone down on them like the entire temple was encased in fire.
Finding the trail down into the valley, Lisa caught up to the others. No one said anything, but she received a few sly smirks from Grape and Sabrina like they knew what she had been up too with Kitsune. Ignoring them, Lisa walked up to the front beside Nick. He was focused entirely on the trial. After a few minutes, he pointed at something in the dirt. Lisa looked down and saw that it was a footprint. She recognized it instantly as one of Rowan's.
After that, they moved double time. Something felt wrong as Lisa walked. It took a little while, but she realized what it was.
"It's so quiet," she said. "Where are all the animals that live here?"
Nick sniffed the air. "Nothing. I don't think there are any animals around here."
"I could be because they know that this place is scared or cursed even," Sabrina interjected. "This land was once ruled by jaguars so they could be avoiding it out of fear."
"Or they sense what's in the temple," Lisa whispered.
When they reached the bottom of the valley, they found themselves at the bank of the river. The current was too strong to swim across, and the other bank was too far away. Lisa looked around for a bridge of some kind, but there was nothing.
"Guys check this out," Peanut called from farther down the bank. He was staring at something in the water.
The others walked over to him and looked down at what he was staring at. It was a stone tablet half buried in the muck. The words were slightly faded but still visible.
"Is that Spanish?" Lisa asked feeling a sense of dread growing in her stomach. She hated having to learn Spanish in high school then in college. She sucked at it and barely passed her classes with a C average. Over the years everything she learned had been quickly forgotten.
"It says, 'Crossing miles of ocean, the vastness of the deep. The dark mouth is it to keep. Running along in the to the end of time. Washing away what is left behind." Nick finished reading the words and crossed his arms against his chest. "What is that even supposed to mean?"
"I didn't know you spoke Spanish," Lisa said sounding impressed.
"My parents thought it was important for me to learn both Spanish and French at a young age. Right now, I wish they taught me more about riddles."
"Is that even a riddle?" Max asked leaning over the water. "It doesn't make sense. What is it even asking?"
"Did you read it right?" Grape asked.
"Yes, I did," Nick growled causing Grape to take an instinctive step back. "Sorry, it's just Kitsune didn't tell us anything about a riddle."
"We can try to find another way across the river, but it might take too long," Tarot said. Lisa could see the Pomeranian was lost in thought but whether it was about the riddle or an alternative way of passing was lost on her.
"If only Peanut could use his Puzzle Master power," Lisa mumbled to herself but loud enough for the others to hear. "It's clearly a what am its riddle. So, it is referring too."
"It's not a normal riddle that's for sure," Peanut said.
"Do you know anything about riddles, Peanut," Grape asked.
"I know a few. Like the one about what walks on four, two, and three legs. Man. What gets wetter as it dries. A sponge." He pressed his paw to his forehead. "This one is confusing. Parts of it seem to not even matter to the riddle.
Something clicked in Lisa's head as soon as the words were out of Peanut's mouth. "Your right. Look at it again. The first two lines are unimportant. It's talking about the river but now the answer." She bent over and stuck her hand into the water.
"Lisa that is not sanitary," Nick told her.
"The water is the key. What is something that is washed away by the current? If this river was dry but refilled from the ocean, then what would be washed away?" Lisa shot up and shouted, "Footsteps."
The ground underneath them shook, and the water in front of them rose up forming an arc in the air. They had a clear path to the other side. Without wasting a moment, they all crossed to the other side. As soon as they had made it the water crashed down washing away the footprints they left in the soft mud.
"That was incredibly impressive," Nick said to Lisa. The others nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, but I think that there will be a lot more than just that one."
"Once we get to the temple, I can use my Puzzle Master's power to get through any others," Peanut said holding up his paper bag.
They kept going. The temple loomed in front of them. The closer they got, the more impressive it looked. Two jaguar statues stood at the base of a long staircase leading to the entrance. They each held large spears that were crossed in the air. At their waists were long stone swords and they were both dressed in outfits that instantly reminded Lisa of Teoxihuitl including a feathered headdress.
As they drew closer to the statues, their eyes glowed red, and a voice rang from nowhere. "Those who seek the Temple of Flame, hear these words," the first statue spoke in a low rumbling sound like the earth itself was speaking.
The second statue spoke. "From nothing comes darkness and from darkness comes light. Only those who seek justice can hold it, and those who lie can never claim it."
Together they spoke at the same time. "It is hidden but can never stay unseen. To enter this temple, you must tell us what you seek."
The statues moved on their own. The jaguar's spears separated and quicker than Lisa thought possible they were pointed directly at them. The glowing red eyes burned like fire as they stood there ready to strike them down if anyone made a wrong move.
"What do we do now?" Sabrina asked.
"We have to tell them what we seek," Tarot told them. Taking a step forward, she opened her mouth to answer but before she could get a word out the first jaguar stabbed his spear at Tarot's feet causing her to yelp and jumped back.
"There is only one answer," the statue said. "Answer incorrectly, and it will be the final word you ever speak."
They huddled together and tried to figure out the answer.
"This is ridiculous. We're not even in the temple yet," Max complained.
Lisa agreed. The first one was hard enough, but now their lives were on the line. They all looked to her for an answer, but she was drawing a blank. She looked at each of them until her eyes fell to Nick. He was lost in thought but seeing him reminded her of something.
"I know the answer," she said. Breaking away from the others she moved back to the statues who raised both their spears as she drew close.
"Lisa, are you sure?" Grape called from a safe distance.
Swallowing her fear, Lisa said, "The truth. That's the answer."
For a second nothing happened, and Lisa was afraid that she might have gotten it wrong. Then the statues slammed the blunt ends of their spears on their pedestals, and the light in their eyes died. They were frozen once more.
The others rushed over to her. "How did you know that," Tarot asked.
Lisa turned to Nick who was beaming at her. "I remember something Rowan, and I did once in college. We spent a weekend binging Teen Wolf. One of the seasons had a pack whose motto was an old Buddhist chant. 'Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.' Nick reminded me of that, and suddenly the riddle made sense."
"Glad I could help you," Nick said smiling at her.
"Let's keep moving," Sabrina said.
They headed up the long staircase to the top of the temple. Once at the top they were greeted by a large stone door in the shape of a circle similar to the one in front of Pete's temple. The image of two jaguars and the head a deer was engraved into the stone.
"If only the opener of ways was here," Lisa said laughing.
"I don't think Zach will be much help here," Sabrina said moving toward the stone slab.
"No, it was a joke…oh never mind." Lisa said. "You see a button or something."
"Nothing like that," Sabrina told them. "This doorway was not designed to be opened easily. Most likely another riddle will open it."
"Here it is," Nick called from the side of the door. "It's in Spanish again. It says, 'I cannot be moved to the left or right. Up or down.' That's it."
"That can't be it," Grape said joining Nick. Peanut walked up beside her, and together they examined the encryption.
"This reminds me of one of those apps," Max said. They all looked at him like he grew a second head. Looking uncomfortable, he explained, "You know like those moron test apps. You get points if you can solve the problem as quickly as possible. It seems hard at first but there is usually is a simple solution."
"I never played those kinds of games," Lisa said.
"I think I understand though," Nick said. He walked to the door and examined it again. He looked up the deer's head. Reaching up, he gripped both antlers and pulled.
"Um, Nick what are you doing?" Lisa asked.
Nick pulled harder, letting loose a loud howling sound and suddenly the door moved outward. His muscles rippled under his shining gray fur as he took a step back. After a few more steps there was a large enough gap for each of them to squeeze through.
Nick let go and collapsed on the stone. Lisa rushed beside him, pulling out a bottle of water from her bag and giving it to him. He drank from it greedily before handing it back to her.
"Thanks," he said breathlessly. "That was harder than I thought it would be."
Lisa grinned to herself, unable to hide her feelings of pride. "You solved it for us, and I don't think anyone else could have done that. I'm definitely glad you're here."
"I just drew on my feelings of bitter rage and frustration," Nick said catching his breath. Lisa knew he was serious. He continued, "Let's go. We have a temple to crash."
Together they followed the others inside. Together they stood in the threshold of the temple and pulled out their paper bags. Tarot and Sabrina already had theirs on, so they went on ahead.
"Tarot, wait for us," Peanut cried as he lifted the paper bag with the words "Puzzle Master" written on it.
"Do you smell something?" Nick asked. He lifted his muzzle and sniffed the air. His eyes grew wide, and he screamed, "Gas! Everyone outside now!"
A loud hissing noise filled the air as they ran outside. Lisa could fill an intense heat surround her, burning the tips of her hair as she raced into the sunlight. The entryway was filled with orange and red flames that consumed the very space they were just standing in. Her heart was beating in her ears. If Nick hadn't said something when he did, they would have been charred to the bone.
Screaming and howling filled the air. "AH!" Lisa turned on her heel recognizing Peanut's agonizing screaming. He threw something on the ground and was stomping on it with his foot. His hat had caught fire. Lisa rushed over and pushed him out of the way. She slammed her foot on the growing flames, but it was too late, the Puzzle Master hat was nothing but ash.
"What do we do now?" Grape asked walking over to survey the damage. "That was our key to making it through the temple. What's going to happen if we run into a trap or puzzle that's as difficult as the ones in Pete's temple?"
"I highly doubt anyone could come up with puzzles are sadistic and cruel as Pete," Tarot said firmly. "I have still have my years of experience dealing with demigods and their ways of doing things. Lisa has already proven that she is clever with riddles. Between the seven of us, we should be fine."
Lisa was not so sure. So far they managed to reach the temple, but the riddles she solved was because of luck and chance. It was true that Tarot was most likely the smartest of them all and could think in a way that the rest couldn't, but Peanut was their ace. She looked back at the jungle wishing Kitsune would appear with another paper bag and an encouraging smile. It didn't happen. He was most likely still at the car waiting for them.
"I think the path is clear. I can't smell any more gas or anything. If the trap resets itself automatically it will take a while," Nick told them.
"Just to be on the safe side, maybe you should take the lead," Max suggested slipping behind Grape. The rest of them rolled their eyes but said nothing.
Nick nodded and entered the temple once again. Lisa was right behind him. As soon as they crossed the threshold, their paper bags disappeared, and their clothes were replaced with outfits matching what was written on the bags.
"Okay, let me just asked since I didn't get a chance to see it but what are you supposed to be?" Lisa asked examining Nick's ensemble. He wore something that resembled leather armor including a chest plate and pants. His hair had grown twice as long and tied itself in a ponytail that draped past his shoulders. His claws and fangs had grown longer and suddenly had a much more threatening appearance. Even his fur seemed thicker and rougher like he had been living in the woods for a year.
"I'm a wolf-walker," he told her like it was obvious.
"Is that from your book?" Lisa asked then immediately slammed her hands over her mouth, but it was too late.
Nick stopped and growled at her. "You still haven't read my book?" His eyes glowed with a dark rage that Lisa hoped was just an effect of the temple.
"I'm sorry, but you know things have been crazy lately. I promise once all this is over, I'll read it. I'll even read the draft of the second one if you want."
"No thanks," he said bitterly. "To answer your question, no the wolf-walker from a game I used to play. Rite of Realms. It's an MMORPG"
"Never heard of it. Must be something from this world," she said. "I was never into those type of games."
"What are you supposed to be?" Nick asked nodded at Lisa's new outfit.
Her t-shirt and shorts had been replaced with a short-skirt and colorful uniform with a glowing gem on her chest. "I'm a warrior princess. Apparently, the temple read it as I wanted to be some kind of anime character." She gestured at the long braids protruding from both sides of her head each adorned with a glittering ribbon. Light blue streaks were running down the twists that seemed to glow in the warm light of the hall.
"This isn't happening," she said and undid the hair braids. She let her abnormally long hair fall behind her and dropped one of the ribbons on the floor before replacing the other one in her hair. Satisfied with her look she grinned at Nick who rolled his eyes.
They made the rest of the trip down the hallway in silence. The tension was heavy in the air. Peanut was sulking over the loss of his hat and powers. The others were busy watching for more hidden traps. The hall itself was lined with torches. Lisa tried to remove one, but it held tight. There wasn't even a coin slot like in the comic which made Lisa think that might have been a joke and not something that actually happened. They continued until they reached the end of the hall where they found themselves at a dead-end.
"There must be a trick to this," Nick said touching the massive stone wall in front of them. He felt around for a switch or stone to press but found nothing.
"What's that up there?" Grape asked pointing at something above their heads.
Lisa lifted her head to see what Grape was pointing at. "DOCE? Isn't that Spanish for twelve?"
"Twelve what?" Peanut asked. As soon as the words left his lips the tiles on the floor began to glow. Seven in all. They all stepped back and examined the glowing tiles.
Taking a chance, Nick stepped on one, and the color changed from a vivid white to a cool blue. "Stand on the tiles, and maybe something will happen."
"I don't know about this," Tarot said bending down to examine the tile in front of her. "How do we know this isn't a trick?"
"We don't," Grape interjected. "But considering this is our only lead at the moment we should take the risk." She stepped on one tile, and Peanut and Max followed her example.
Sabrina took a deep breath and stepped one. Tarot sighed and reluctantly stepped on hers. Lisa was last. She stepped on the last tile, and once it turned blue, a loud whistling noise filled the hall.
"What is that?" Lisa asked.
The tile beneath her feet disappeared leaving her standing on empty air. She screamed as she fell into the darkness. At the same time, the other's tiles disappeared sending them plummeting into the nothingness.
Lisa screamed at the top of her lungs as she fell. She expected to splat against the ground but instead fell into a large pool of ice-cold water. She sank partly to the bottom before opening her eyes. She was surrounded by glowing moss growing on the rocks that formed the base of the pool. Kicking her legs, she swam to the surface taking a deep breath of fresh air when she broke through. She was in an underground cavern filled with large red crystals that decorated the walls and ceilings. Spinning around in the water she looked for a shore or something she could swim to, but there was nothing.
"Hello," a voice echoed around the cavern.
Lisa turned around and screamed. Standing on the water behind her was a giant deer. He must have been twelve feet tall not including the antlers that almost reached the ceiling. He was a young deer with a boyish grin on his face. Once Lisa calmed down, she realized that the deer was only a hologram. She could faintly see the far wall through the deer's body.
"My name is Dain, and this is what I call the Trial of Heat," the deer said.
Lisa remembered this like this from the comic when Thomas was cursed by the treasure. Pete had a hologram recording. Dain's words registered in Lisa's head, and she asked, "Trial of Heat."
"If you want to escape this trial and continue through the temple then you find a way to escape this room," Dain spoke like this was a game. "At the bottom of the pool is a doorway that will take you forward, so all you have to do is swim to the bottom and find it. But there is a catch." Dain pointed to the crystals which steadily started to glow brighter. "I meant it when I said 'Trial of Heat.' Those crystals will keep growing hotter and hotter until this entire room is turned into a forge. This water you're in will begin to boil so you may want to hurry."
"What!?" Lisa screamed at Dain's image disappeared. She could feel the room growing warmer. The water was still cold, but that wouldn't last long. With no other option, she sucked in a lung full of air and dived before the surface. She was never a strong swimmer but somehow managed to make it to the bottom of the pool. The base was sparsely covered in moss which helped, but Lisa had no idea what to look for. Worse the lake was fairly large, and which meant she had a lot of ground to examine.
After a few seconds, Lisa's lungs screamed for air, and she kicked off the ground and swam back to the surface. She reached the top and fell the air burning her cold skin. Even the water was lukewarm now. The way the crystals glowed reminded Lisa of the coil in an oven. Her face twisted in rage as she dived again. What kind of trial was this? Were all the stags psychopaths?
Lisa glared at the bottom of the pool almost willing for the exit to appear with bright neon letters and maybe even an arrow. That would have been nice, but unfortunately, that did not happen. The water around her was growing hotter so now it was like swimming in a warm bath. At any other time, she would be relaxed but not now. Panic was beginning to fill her chest. She was running out of time. She swung her body around in a circle hoping for something to jump out of her. And froze.
At the far corner of the pool was a patch of moss that was not like the rest. It was a perfect square. Lisa blinked a few times and noticed that the moss was glowing brighter than the rest. Her lungs burned from lack of oxygen so with no other choice Lisa swam to the surface. The air was suffocating when she breathed. The heat was so intense she felt like she could pass out. The pool had turned into a hot tub with steam filling the cavern. Without wasting another second, she dived back down. She kicked and moved her arms as fast as she could. Once she reached the glowing square, she felt around for something to grab, but there wasn't a handle or anything that could help her.
Her skin burned from the water causing her to scream silently. Jamming her fingers under the moss, she tried to peel it off the ground. She managed to lift the moss up and with it came the stone it was attached to revealing a small passage. Lisa propelled her through the hole in the rock and found herself falling into thin air. She fell down for a second until landing on her stomach on what appeared to be a stone slide. Her wet body sped her descent down towards the bottom.
Nick was growing tired. The glowing deer thing called this the "Trial of Twins" but Nick had a few better names for it, none of which would be appropriate to say out loud. Two phantom jaguars ran around him in circles on a floating steel platform. They were both yellow, but one had glowing red spots while the other had blue spots. Both were armed with long swords that were encased in red and blue fire respectively.
He jumped back as the red jaguar blasted him with its flame and as soon as Nick landed the blue jaguar charge at him, swinging its sword. Nick dodged the swing and swiped upward with his claws. The jaguar expertly dodged and backflipped to the edge of the platform.
Nick could still see the red jaguar slowing its pace. It let loose a low growl. Nick tensed ready for a strike. Instead, the jaguar raised its sword and conjured several fireballs in the air.
"Oh, come on!" Nick cried as the fireballs sailed towards him. He jumped and ducked feeling each one pass by him. The last one managed to sear his fur causing him to howl in pain. Rage filled his vision, and he charged at the jaguar. He swiped at the cat with his claw, but the jaguar moved out of the way. Nick was ready this time. He kicked out with his right leg hitting the cat in its side. The jaguar was sent sprawling to the edge of the platform. Nick ran towards it, lips peeling back in a threatening grimace. He was already in a foul mood and was ready to take it out on anything that got in his way. The jaguar raised his sword, but Nick knocked it away with a slash of his claws. His vision turned hazy as his ears were filled with Becky's words, "Is this what you want?" Nick screamed and howled as her words penetrated deep into his skull like a drill. Tears ran down his face as he struck the jaguar. After three powerful strikes, the jaguar disappeared into a red mist. Nick didn't stop, he kept slamming his fists against the steel floor unable to contain his anger and pain.
Behind him, the blue jaguar leap towards him but Nick didn't notice until he could feel the heat of the flame against his fur. He turned around to see the pale eyes of the jaguar inches from his face. Nick closed his eyes ready for the end, but it didn't come. A giant purple flame appeared from nowhere and consumed the jaguar before it could strike. When the fire disappeared, there was nothing left of the jaguar except blue mist.
"That was a close one," a cold voice said.
Nick instantly recognized the voice. He stood up to face Revenant who was watching him with a slight hint of amusement on his face. Nick took a step back, not taking his eyes off the other man. He looked exactly like he did before with the same long black cloak and a black mark on the left side of his face surrounding his glowing golden eye. The right eye was glowing purple as Lisa described to him. There was something different about him though. He looked tired. His hair was dull and long as well as his fingernails. He seemed thinner as well like he hadn't had a decent meal in weeks.
"What do you want?" Nick asked. "I'm not exactly in a good mood, so if you want to fight, I'll be happy to give you one."
"Fighting you would be a waste of time and energy. If I wished it I could send you flying off this stage and into what I can only assume is a bottomless pit." Nick peered over the edge and into the darkness below.
Across the room, a stone panel opened revealing the exit. The platform shuttered and moved towards the doorway until it hit the wall, closing the gap between the two.
"There you go. The trial is complete, and you can move on," Revenant said lifting his hand towards the doorway.
Nick didn't move from his spot or take his eyes of Revenant. "What do you want? I know you didn't save my life just so I could continue on through the temple."
Revenant frowned. "How do you know that isn't exactly why I did it?" He took a step forward causing a slight growl to escape Nick's mouth. "I don't need you to trust me. I don't care what you think about me. I am here to offer you a choice."
"What kind of choice?" Nick asked. He narrowed his eyes not sure if he should bother listening or simply run towards the doorway. He needed to warn the others that Revenant was in the temple.
"I can give you what you want more than anything," Revenant smiled cruelly at Nick not bothering to hide his amusement. "I can make you human again."
Nick's body froze to the spot. Everything faded away except him and Revenant. There was a sharpness in the back of his head as the realization of what he was being offered filled his mind. Becky's face filled his vision as well as the scenario he always imagined for them if he returned to her fully human again.
"And what do you want in return," Nick asked. "Although I know the answer. I've written from the perspective from the villain enough times to know exactly how you think." He pressed his paw against his chest and scowled. "You want me to either betray my friends or be your spy."
"Bingo, wolfy." He laughed, but there was no warmth in the sound. A chill ran up Nick's spine. His stomach churned with disgust at what he was hearing. "I'm not trying to be original or come up with some complex plot. I have simple needs and a simple method of getting them. Judging from the look on your face and the way your ears are pressed against her head, you don't want to help me." His smile was instantly replaced with a serious expression. "I will succeed no matter what happens. This disgusting world will be destroyed by my hands. You have a choice to either spend the rest of your life, no matter how long that may be, with the woman you love or become the monster you always feared you really are."
"How?" Nick muttered. Fear swelled inside him. "How did you know?"
"My powers are beyond your understanding or your imagination. Not to mention it is not hard to see it in your eyes. The longing to have something that was cruelly stolen from you. Was it fair for you to be cursed right after you were engaged? To spend the last few years alone in the woods like a feral animal. Watch as the woman you love slowly distances herself from you."
"Stop talking!" Nick shouted. His entire body burned as his fur stood on end. He wanted nothing more than to charge at the man in front of him and tear his throat out, but he held firm.
"I'll let you think about it. When the time comes, you will know what to do. Remember what I said. It's your choice to either remain a monster or to return to normalcy." Revenant paused before saying, "Not everyone gets that choice."
Nick's ears perked up at the way the same that last part. There was a hint of unmistakable sadness in Revenant's voice. Without another word, Revenant stepped off the platform and disappeared into the nothingness. Nick hoped that was the end of him but knew that was a lie. Revenant would beat them to the mana pool at this rate. Energy poured through him as he ran to the exit. He sprinted down the hallway until he bumped into something fluffy.
"Ow, what was that for?" Peanut asked before realizing what happened.
"Peanut?" Nick asked rubbing the back of his head. "What are you doing here?"
"I came from down that hallway," the dog said pointing down another stone hallway.
Nick nodded and helped the dog to his feet. "Did you have to go through a trial too?"
"It was called the 'Trial of Shapes," he said. "All I had to do was collect these different sized rocks and place them into their proper holes. It was surprisingly easy."
"Lucky you," Nick said silently. Out loud he asked, "Have you seen any of the others?"
"No, not since we were separated."
"I figured as much. Come one, this is the way to go," Nick pointed forward. "We need to keep moving. If you had to go through a trial as well, I think I know what 'DOCE' meant. There are twelve trials to overcome."
"That would mean the others would have to go through their own individual trials before reaching the end," Peanut said. "I hope they're doing okay."
"I'm sure they'll be fine," Nick said trying to reassure Peanut as well as himself. He thought about telling Peanut about Revenant but decided against it. He would wait until everyone was together again.
They made their way down the hall until they reached a large steel door. It had an image of two figures on it. One that resembled a wolf and the other a dog. Nick reached out and grabbed the handle. "Subtle, isn't it?"
He tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. "Come on you stupid thing," Nick said getting more and more annoyed.
"Let me help," Peanut said and gripped the lower part of the handle. They pulled together and the door opened with ease. "I think we have to get through this trial together."
"That seems to be the case," Nick said.
Together they walked into a small empty room except for a large metal chandelier lined with candles that hung from the ceiling. The door shut behind them with a loud clang. Once it did, Dain's image appeared in the center of the room. He smiled at the two of them and said, "Welcome to the "Trail of Brothers."
"What?" Nick and Peanut asked simultaneously.
"This is an easy trial depending on how well you two work together," Dain said. "Somewhere in this room is a secret panel but the only way to find it is by working as a team. Find it and press it to move on."
The image disappeared leaving Nick and Peanut alone. "Well, let's get looking," Nick said. He pointed to the left side of the room and said, "I'll take this side, and you take that one. If we split the work, then we should find it twice as fast."
"Are you sure that is what we are supposed to do?" Peanut asked clearly uncertain about the plan. "He said we have to work together."
"Once we find it then we can do whatever we have to do to get it to work," Nick said thickly. "It's most likely like the door, and we'll have to press it together. But first, we have to find it."
Nick wasn't sure if he trusted Peanut's intuition without his hat. After reading the comic, he knew that the Puzzle Master hat was no joke but without it could Peanut really help? He walked to the far wall and began feeling each brink for something that was not like the others. After a minute, he could feel Peanut staring at him. "What is it?" Nick asked without turning around.
"Do…do you not like me?" Peanut asked.
Nick twisted around. He raised his arm slightly and asked, "Why would you think that?"
"Well, it's just that since you've been in Babylon Gardens, you've barely spoken to me or the others that much. You always keep to yourself and even on the way here, you barely spoke to any of us. Even now, the way you're acting you seem like you rather be doing anything else than spending time with me."
Nick raised an eyebrow. "I have a lot going on. It has nothing to do with you or the others. I just don't want to spend any more time in this room than I have too." He glanced up at the chandler. "Judging from the way those candles are burning, I don't think we have forever to find the way out of her. If those lights go out, we are screwed."
"We have to do this together," Peanut said walking over to Nick. "Just like Todd and Geneva."
Nick's green eyes flickered with joy. "You read my book?"
Peanut nodded. "I loved your book. I was telling others about not long before you came. I was so happy you were here. I've been meaning to ask you to autograph it, but I never could find the right time. If there is anything, I can do to help you, all you have to do is ask. I'm not always the best listener, but I can try."
Nick turned away to try to hide his growing smile spreading across his face. "After we get through this, I'll sign your copy and even let you read the draft of the second book."
"Really?" Peanut asked, his tail wagging exciting behind him. It was so fast it was practically a blur.
"We're a team. Not just in this trial but for the entire mission." Nick said. Peanut wrapped his arms around him, and Nick did the same.
A loud scraping sound came from above them. They glanced up to see one of the stones had slid out from the wall. It was high above their heads, too far for even Nick to reach. They both looked at each other and nodded like they were thinking the same thing. Nick knelt down and held his paws out. Peanut gripped Nick's shoulders and stepped up. Nick lifted Peanut so that it was eye level with the block. With one forceful shove, Peanut pushed the block back into place.
At the other end of the hall, a section of the stone wall disintegrated revealing a metal door precisely like the first. Peanut hopped down, and they moved towards the door. Like before they both gripped the door and pulled it open. As the door moved, Nick noticed something was slightly different about this door. The image of the wolf and dog were holding hands this time.
Lisa finally caught up to the others. They were all a little worse for wear but otherwise safe. The seven of them sat in a circle in a large room covered in images of the four stags. Pictures of the stags grazing among the branches of Yggdrasil surrounded them, but they were all too tired to take in the artwork.
"What happened to everyone?" Lisa asked.
Nick was the first one to respond, "Peanut and I were the first to get here. After we all got separated, I had to fight these two jaguars' things that wielded flaming swords of all things. Peanut here had to match shapes in holes." Peanut smiled at the others who were all giving him dirty looks. "After that, we literally ran into each other than completed a trial where we had to work together."
"Sabrina and I did something similar," Tarot said. "I had to complete a trial consisting of solving a complex puzzle."
Sabrina spoke next. "I had to run across a path of glowing blocks. If I stepped on a block that was not glowing it fell into a pit of lava. There was a lot of backtracking."
"Sounds like a Super Mario level," Peanut said.
"Whatever you would call it, I was not thrilled," Sabrina said shortly.
Tarot continued. "After that, we had to do a trial together where we had to stack blocks in a way to reach the exit as the floor slowly disappeared from under us by actually using pieces of the floor." She waved her arms in the air before falling backward on the floor. Peanut rushed over to her and comforted her.
"My trial was a monkey bar challenge," Grape told them. "Except the bars were slowly growing hotter as I moved. Thankfully I had my ninja powers." She gestured at her costume. "So, it was easy."
"I'm glad you had it easy," Max said.
"What, being the 'Warrior," didn't help you?" Grape asked giving Max a small playful shove.
"No," he said crossing his arms. "I was stuck in another one of those M C Escher trials."
"Wait. Wait. Wait," Lisa said holding up both hands. "That was real? It actually happened and wasn't a joke Rick made."
The pets all exchanged glances and nodded. Lisa threw her hands in the air and shook her head.
Grape went on. "We teamed up to solve a puzzle involving throwing flaming daggers at moving targets. Once again, thank you ninja powers."
"What about you, Lisa?" Nick asked turning to her. "What did you do?"
Lisa slumped back. "After we fell through the floor I fell into this underground lake. Dain appeared and told me that these crystals that were covering the wall were going to cook me alive if I couldn't escape. It took me a few tries, but I managed to get out. After that, I fell on this slide that sent me to another trial. It was called the "Trial of Luck." The way my luck has been going these last few months, I wasn't hoping for the best." She sat back up and crossed her legs. "I had to choose a bottle of liquid and hope that it didn't kill me or turn me into a mouse or something. I chose the middle one, and it was the correct choice. Only it knocked me out for about an hour which was why it took me so long to get here."
Lisa left out an essential detail from her story. When she got into the room, Revenant was already there. She was so shocked by his appearance that she was completely frozen. She couldn't even say anything to him. Instead, he was the one who talked, "The middle one is the right choice." Then he walked through the door and was gone. After that Dain appeared and explained the trial.
"I need to tell you guys something," Nick said. He was all business. Lisa had a feeling she knew what he was about to say. "I saw Revenant. He saved my life from one of the jaguars in the first trial. He's here and probably ahead of us. We need to hurry if we still hope to have a chance of stopping him."
Max was counting on his fingers when he said "That's eleven trials in all. If what you were saying earlier was right, then there should be one left."
Nick nodded. "Doce. Twelve. Twelve trials." He stood up and faced the hallway behind him. It was the only hall that was separate from the others. Lisa looked at it and noticed that each image of the stags was facing it. Their last trial was down there, and so was Revenant.
Together they hurried down the hallway. When they reached the end, there was a collective groan as they realized what was in front of them. Lisa knew what they were all thinking. Facing them were three different stone faces carved into the wall. Their large blank eyes were haunting to look at as well as the gaping mouths like they were ready to swallow all them whole. Her mind instantly flashed back to the comic, and the Knight and Knaves challenge Peanut solved. If this one was anything like that one, then they were in trouble since Peanut lost his hat.
Once again Dain appeared and smiled at them all. Lisa was growing sick of seeing that face. "Welcome to the final trial. The Trial of Truth. You all have done well to make it this far, but this is the most challenging trial of all. One of these paths will lead to the center of the temple while the others will only lead you to the outside. Whenever someone passes through an entryway, it will shut behind him so no backtracking. Now since there are seven of you, there are some options at your disposal. You could simply risk taking all three paths and ensure that at least one of you makes it to the treasure. Or you could risk it all together. Either way is fine."
"Unfortunately, that is not an option," Lisa said turning to Tarot and Sabrina. They needed Tarot to drain the mana. She did not know if Sabrina could do it alone and judging from the cat's expression there was a good chance that she didn't know how. That meant that they had to choose correctly and get Tarot to the mana pool.
Dain clapped his hooves together and spoke "Here is your riddle. I am fragile but strong. I am always with you but where do I belong? With one sound, I am broken. It only takes one word spoken."
With the last word, Dain vanished, but in his place, three flaming words appeared over the faces. Each was in Spanish. Everyone looked to Nick who was busy reading them.
"We might have a problem," he said. "The choices are 'Silence, Dreams, and Heart.'
"What's the problem then?" Max asked. "Even I know this one. The answer is silence."
Lisa repeated the choices in her head before realizing what Nick was referring to as the problem. She slapped her forehead with her palm. "They're all the correct answers." Pointing at the words, she went on "They all qualify as a correct response. How do we know which is the right one?"
The others recognized the situation they were in and shuffled around nervously. Lisa kicked out in frustration. Revenant could have already solved this and be in the next chamber, and they were busy standing there completely helpless.
"There has to be a solution," Tarot said rubbing her chin. "Maybe it has something to with the last eleven trials. Something they all had in common."
"The only thing they really had in common was fire," Nick pointed out. "I don't think that will help us here."
"Well, there has to be something to tell us the right choice," Sabrina said heatedly.
"Now would be a good time to have the Puzzle Master," Max muttered under his breath.
"I said I'm sorry about that," Peanut shouted.
"No, you didn't," Max said moving closer, so they were face to face. "If we fail this would be your fault."
"Guys, this is not the time to argue," Grape said pushing herself between them.
Max turned away in a huff and Peanut did the same. Grape stood there unsure of who to go to. She finally decided to go to Peanut's side. Lisa could see the hurt in Max's eyes as he watched her move.
Lisa's eyes widened as she realized what the answer was. Everything they had done did have a common factor. Rowan. Everything they did so far was because of him. She turned back to the faces and walked towards the third one. Lisa inhaled sharply as she stared at the face. It was similar to the frowning theater mask, the pain it was feeling was obvious.
Her mind wandered back to the previous July. Rowan was standing in front of her, pouring out his heart, telling her he loved her. One word. One sentence led them here. She broke something genuinely fragile. "I don't feel the same way." She broke his heart.
"Guys," Lisa called to them. They all turned to her. Without looking at them, she said, "This is the right path."
"How can you be sure?" Nick asked walking over to her.
She gazed into his eyes. "I know it is. This is the trial of truth. This is the truth."
Nick nodded. The others joined them and together entered the Path of Heart. As soon as the last one crossed the mouth closed behind them leaving them trapped in darkness. Without a word, they moved forward. Lisa knew this was the correct path but could not shake the fear that any second, they could be on a one-way trip outside. That didn't happen. Instead, they saw a light at the end of the tunnel, but it was not the light of the sun. They reached the end of the hall and found themselves in a large chamber filled with a massive inferno.
In the very center of the chamber was a pillar with the mana pool. Lisa didn't know what to expect but definitely expected it to look more impressive. It was the size of a kiddie pool someone would inflate on a hot summer day. She could feel the mana from where she stood. A few feet away was a long stone bridge that connected the pillar to where they were standing. To reach the mana, they would have to cross over the ring of fire that surrounded the pillar.
"Who going first," Sabrina asked.
"I'll go first," Lisa said trying to sound confident.
She took a step forward only to feel someone grab her arm.
"Not without me," Nick said. He let go of her and stepped beside her.
The bridge was barely wide enough for both of them, but Lisa didn't care. She was glad to have someone by her side. She didn't want to risk the pet's lives any more than they had already.
Nick turned to the others "We'll check for any traps or tricks then give you the okay to come on over."
Tarot and the rest nodded in agreement. Lisa started walking with Nick right behind her. It wasn't long before she was sweating through her uniform and Nick was panting behind her like a dog in the summer. The flames below them only seemed to grow hotter as they moved, but she knew it was only her imagination.
When they were halfway across the bridge, a chill ran up Lisa's spine. Something inside her grew cold, a dark place where she was scared to look because she knew what was kept there. Lisa lifted her face and saw him standing on a stone ring directly above the pets.
"That's far enough, don't you think," Revenant shouted. He jumped from his hiding place and as if just to show off, spun head over heels in the air before landing perfectly on the pillar with the mana pool.
Revenant's face had changed. It was darker, more intense than Lisa had ever seen. She barely got a good look at him during the Trial of Luck but seeing him now it now makes her want to cry. He looked nothing like Rowan.
Nick growled and bared his teeth as he moved between Lisa and Revenant. "Were you waiting up there the entire time just to do that?"
"Well," Revenant said. He placed his elbow in his palm while holding his other hand to his face. "Something like that."
He smiled at Lisa, but there was no warmth in it. Seeing it felt like something ran a rusty dagger through her heart. He shifted his gaze back to Nick and spread his arms wide. "It's like you said before. I'm the bad guy. It's time I start acting the part."
He fell backward with the same cruel smile plastered on his face. Lisa screamed and tried to rush forward, but it was too late. Revenant hit the mana pool and sank beneath the surface. The mana turned black like sludge. They all watched as the flames that filled the chamber turned a dark shade of purple. The pool exploded with cyclone of purple, black, and golden light that towered above them. Streaks of light shot from the vortex like arrows being launched from a bow. Ribbons of energy swirled around them. It would have been a wondrous sight if under any other circumstances.
Lisa could feel the power from the mana as it roared around them. It was a strange sensation like something deep within her blood and bones was being awakened. Something ancient and powerful but also wild. Nick grabbed her arm again and shouted something, but his voice was lost in the roaring. He pointed to the others who were waving from them to come back.
Before Lisa could move, something tugged at her. It was a slight sensation but still noticeable. She walked towards the mana, gently breaking Nick's hold on her. Beneath the sound of the roaring in her ears was something else. A small whisper that was distant but no less familiar. A voice was calling her name. She felt her heart being pulled towards something she couldn't see. It was the same feeling she had that told her where she could always find Kitsune waiting for her.
"Rowan," she whispered. Her eyes watered and she let the tears rolled down her cheeks without shame. "He's in there," she screamed as loudly as she could.
Nick must have heard her with his wolf hearing because he started making wild gestures at her. He was practically begging her to stop before she did something crazy. She couldn't stop. She turned away from him and sprinted to the mana.
Without a second thought, Lisa jumped into the abyss of mana and was gone.