Chapter 5
The adventurers arrived at a long, drafty hallway covered in a red carpet, along with a flight of stairs, two open doors to the left on the second floor, a torch overhead, and a locked door. They all sensed that the warlock is close by. Their nerves became uneasy, but they still forged ahead.
As they passed the first door, Luneth wandered in it. To his surprise, it was a library filled with books collecting almost five-hundred years of dust. Above the bookshelves was a human skull. He had goosebumps over his body as he thought what would it mean.
To the left was a sturdy desk with a closed drawer and a black book. He thought it was the same book he saw before, only larger. "The Prophecy" was written in gold, script letters on the cover. On the wall was a clear drawing of the Cornelia Isles, although it was incomplete. He realized it was where he started his travels for his crystal; this was not good.
He opened the book, but he couldn't read what was in there. It almost looked like Chocobo scratches. Next, he opened the drawer and saw some spectacles which looked like it was worn by an old man. He put them on and almost felt light-headed. When his vision cleared, he read the book.
"The light grows faint, the path winds round. Where life is lost, wisdom is found."
This reminded him about the unfortunate events after Cosmos's death. With a straight face, he read on. "The seed of the dream, fore the evil is free. Where the sword is hung, he must place the key."
Dreams? Evil is free? He thought about Firion's dream and his determination to stop the warlock lord from summoning the behemoth.
He turned the page. "A bridge to from, amidst burning death. A demon to guard."
At the center of the page in bold letters, it read "Motari Riseth." As he read the two words aloud, the book vanished! Blinking his wide eyes, he stared at the place where the book was.
"Another magic spell? I'm getting pretty good at these." Just then, he saw a hole in the wall next to the bookshelf. He put in a red gem and it glowed as if it was on fire. The shelves slowly turned, revealing a secret passage. He went through.
Inside he saw a fireplace that has burnt out centuries ago in a brick wall. Across from it was a globe in a stand showing all of the known lands.
Could it be the distant worlds everyone lived in?
He could see a large continent in the center; he recognized it as his home, the Floating Continent, where he was raised as an orphan.
As he turned it there were castles, deserts, mountain ranges, forests, and every other landmark. He understood why Cosmos and Lamrik summoned him and his friends here. The behemoth is going to destroy his homeworld if freed.
Looking closer, there was a seam as he traced his hand on the equator. He tried twisting it, but to no avail. He then took a fire poker and a lustrous cup on the mantle. He casted Fire and logs began to spark. The room became warm and so he sat down on the floor to relax his aching feet. He opened one of the scrolls and read "Lands under the heavens, the key to the world."
In bold letters it said "Terra Terrakk."
Terrakk, meaning crack? he thought.
As he said it the globe opened, uncovering a key and astonishment, he opened another scroll. "To move the sun from far to near, light is what the darkness fears. Instantum Illumina."
Nothing happened with that spell, but it bestowed hope on the little knight. With complete confidence, Luneth marched to the hallway and headed to the next room.
He smelt a kennel that was burnt, but there was no air for circulation. He started to cough and he heard a low, rumbling sound.
"Was that a furnace?" he said to himself.
He looked inside a cage and saw a mutated dog lunging toward it. He gasped and backed away so it wouldn't reach him. Fearing for his life, he made haste. He looked inside the kennel and there was a poisonus liquid inside. This was definitely the source of the stink. He also saw a horseshoe lying next to his right foot, and a testube and a few bottles on the shelves. He lifted a latch from the floor and appeared a hidden vial.
"This must be some kind of laboratory...maybe for witchcraft?" He thought about the Cloud of Darkness, but when the dog slammed on the cage that knocked him out of his daydream, he ran out.
The Onion Knight came to a garden with a big fountain in thr center. He examined the water and hesitated.
"No...this might be the slime again."
From the smell of it, he backed up and noticed there was a flute stuck in it. He used Blizzard and the water froze. He snatched the flute and started to play it. It was music to his ears and when he looked back, he saw a hole in the tree with a ring inside. Feeling he has nothing else to do, he ran back to the hallway and headed straight for the door.
Inside was a banquet of some sort. At the top floor, he saw a chest and a mirror, with three doors locked. When he stepped toward a door, he heard a tingling noise, as if there was something metal underneath. He removed the rug, and found a key. He used it on the door in the middle and saw two arched doorways already open.
He went right and a thunderstorm with gusts of wind loomed from outside. He headed further and saw a pot and a sack. He opened it and saw a big coin and three gold coins. "Well it's about time!" he said triumphantly.
He examined the pot, but it was a trap! The ledge gave way but his hand was grabbed by Firion.
"I got you!" he said over the roaring wind.
He pulled him up and was grateful that he found him. "We should go, I don't like where the wind and the lightning are going."
Luneth thought that with all his weapons and armor, Firion would be a human lightning rod. They rushed inside and went to the left door.
In it were two tall torches and a horn on the floor. The cool breeze blew against their faces, but they still felt a little hot. Reaching for the horn, fire ignited out from the hole. When they opened them, they saw a Flamehound which made the room hotter. "
The two of us can't stand a chance against this monster!" Luneth reasoned.
"True, but remember what I told you." Firion said.
He did about combining their powers together. The two unleashed their prowess and the hellhound vanished with a burst of flame. Luneth took the horn and he and Firion pressed on.
At the third door they saw a sphinx glaring at them, with the body of a lion and the head of a man.
"A sphinx! They usually appear when there is a riddle to be solved." Firion said suprisingly.
"I wonder what it could be?" Luneth asked.
The sphinx spoke "Who are you? No one may pass without my permission. First, you must answer this riddle. 'I'm a fire's friend, my body swells with wind. With my nose I blow, how the embers glow!"
"Huh. That's odd. He's got me stumped." Luneth gave in.
Firion was still curious. "Could it be a phoenix...or some other entity?"
"Dost thou know? Bring me the riddle and you shall pass."
"Wait a minute!" Onion Knight's eyes brightened and took out bellows he found from the fireplace. The sphinx smiled with its shiny fangs gleaming.
"You've answered it correctly, warrior. Thou shall pass."
"I don't know what we'd do without you, kid!" Firion said proudly. He patted his back and Luneth blushed.
On the way up the stairs, there was an observatory with a telescope and a star map on the wall. A scroll was laid on a wooden, round table and a ladder ascended through the ceiling. Luneth opened the scroll. "Observing the stars: The throne constellation appears once every five summers. Legend says that it's a portal to a foreign land."
He gazed on the star map and took it. There was a seam at the side of it, so he opened it revealing a rod. "Star? Rod? This could be useful."
Firion reminisced about how Cecil mentioned his Lunarian heritage. He suddenly almost forgotten him and rushed up the ladder.
"Firion, wait!" Luneth trotted behind him.