The chamber rumbles, sand falling from the ceiling and a soft stale breeze rolls through the caverns, followed by a distant moaning of despair. Everyone shares an expression of apprehension and horror as the sound grows louder and beneath it the heavy thumping of steps echoes down the corridor.
Misxibis leaps into action and runs to the door, the only path into the room, skidding to a halt and drawing her crossbow. The sounds grow louder as she peers down the dark, half-lit hall, waiting for something to loom from the darkness. Heri slides across the sand slick floor next to Misxibis, bow drawn and trained on the shadows. Zipz, Zylnan and Ballen squeeze up next to the two, while Tyrvaan strides past, putting himself between everyone and the approaching danger.
Lights float from Charles’ hand, filling the chamber with additional light and casting dancing shadows along the wall of the extremely packed corridor as all brace and hold their breath. The wails and groans grow in tempo, and the repeated ‘thump-thump’ of heavy steps builds like a drum.
“Huh, far be it for me to give seasoned adventurers advice, but is crowding the corridor a good idea,” Talkoris asks as his companions close ranks around him and Charles at the centre of the room.
Misxibis nods at his comment and shuffles back into the room, followed by Zipz. The sound grows with each passing second. Heri draws an arrow, one eye closed, the other sighted down the shaft. A huge hoofed foot strides into view and slams onto the stone at the end of the corridor. Sand falls to the floor around it as the rest of the creature steps out, filling the space. The huge figure of a minotaur with glowing red eyes and completely made of sand squeezes into the hall and begins to stride towards Tyrvaan, who holds his ground as the others around him suck in a breath.
Heri releases her arrow, which darts forward and passes into the falling sand of the minotaur's chest, with little effect. The creature strides on as the sound of flesh behind squelches with the impact of an arrow. Zipz leaps up behind Heri and releases a bolt from her crossbow which bounces harmlessly along the floor of the crowded corridor before ducking away.
“It’s a giant monster… of sand!” she screams, causing those in the room to shuffle back a few steps. Charles summons a firebolt in his hand as Tyrvaan braces against the creature’s impact. Zylnan twists his hand before his face and a black shadow appears around the minotaur, lending it a more horrifying countenance. His other hand extends past Tyrvaan and a bolt of force explodes forward, hitting the creature and knocking blackened sand from its back, but on it strides. Ballen leans out into the corridor and sends an axe arching towards it, following the trail of Heri’s arrow it disappears into the sand creature. The sound of its impact with flesh a distant thud.
“I think we need to surround it!” he calls, ducking back into the room. Those in the hall let out gasps of horror as from the creatures’ chest walk people, the sand falling around them as they shamble forward, their eyes glowing a deep green. Within the shoulder of the first sand-wraith protrudes a handaxe and in its chest one of Heri’s arrows. Sand streams from each wound in place of blood, and further investigation reveals older wounds, some gaping, others shallow, all of which have sand shifting just below the broken skin.
The foremost sand wraith shuffles forward and batters against the shocked Tyrvaan, its nails raking against his scaled skin, causing him to flinch backwards.
“Get out here creepy sand thing!” Misxibis screams above the murmurs of the chamber, causing those nearby to fix her with a look of incredulity. Heri, unperturbed by the creatures, sends another arrow past the shocked Tyrvaan and it slams home with staggering force knocking the sand-wraith back a step.
In response the minotaur steps forward, its body flowing into a wall of sand that plummets down the corridor like an ocean wave. Heri leaps back as Tyrvaan raises his shield, its metal glowing with holy power and braces. The impact of its charge echoes through the cavern, matched by the low grunts of Tyrvaan’s strain as he manages to push the sand back. It retakes its previous form, its inflamed red eyes staring down at Tyrvaan as he swipes back with his mace and makes no contact, the mace passing through the creature’s chest as if it isn’t there, instead catching on something beneath it with a sickening crunch.
From the body of the sand minotaur falls a sand-wraith, its eyes draining of their green colour, the shifting sands beneath its skin stilling and seeping softly onto the floor. Tyrvaan takes a wary step back, his shield before him and walks around the corner into the room, stopping beside the formed up wall of his comrades.
Zylnan fires off another blast of force, knocking more black sand from the creature’s shoulder before fleeing a step behind Tyrvaan, squeezing into the line beside him.
The first sand-wraith steps around the corner, entering the room, and a barrage of bolts, arrows and magic blast the creature. Each impact knocking it back a step as its limbs flail under the withering fire of the assembled group. The last bolt of fire slams into the creature’s head and knocks it from its feet, where it lies still, sand leaking from its body and onto the ground. A collective sigh of relief passes through the room and for a moment all grows still, until the wailing rises once more and half a dozen more wraiths shuffle into the room, their broken faces and bodies dripping sand.
The first swipes awkwardly at Zylnan who catches its blow on his sword, leaving it open to a bolt from Misxibis’ crossbow that slams into its side and sends it stumbling. Another steps around and swings for Heri, who slips beyond its reach, releasing an arrow at the apex of his jump. It drives into the sand-wraith’s chest as he lands softly, skidding across the sand covered floor and coming to his feet before he freezes, his breath catching in his mouth.
Heri gazes around. The chamber he stood in moments before is now gone, replaced with a glade of tall grass that sways in a light breeze. Motes of life drift along the thin stalks of the plants and an overcast sky boils and shakes. The small hill at the centre holds a white stone and upon it rests a broken metal chain.
Heri reaches down and lifts the flower, holding it close to his chest, before striding through the grass and into the black shadows of the forest.
Misxibis glances at Zipz who shakes with uncertainty and pats her friend's shoulder. She looks up though her eyes pause as they pass over the frozen form of Heri and widen with concern. Heri mutters beneath her breath, her eyes now completely white.
“Bunny, zis not time!” she shouts, releasing a bolt at the sand minotaur as it steps around the corner, and misses. There is a collective hiss of breath as it once more shifts into a wall of sand, rolling across the floor and into Zylnan with a thunderous crash. The sand tears at his skin, driving him from his feet and sending him sprawling twenty feet across the floor where he comes to a stop at Charles’ feet.
Charles answers by flinging a shard of ice across the room. The shard enters the flowing sand of the monster’s body with little effect before exploding, sending showers of frozen sand blossoming from its chest cavity. The sudden flash freeze catches the nearby wraiths, one of which falls to the ground and smashes into chunks of ice that skid and skitter around the chamber, while magical frost forms around the stiffened limbs of three more.
“It looks smaller, right?” Charles mutters as Tyrvaan steps from the line and takes a deep breath. The minute gaps in his scales begin to glow with a dark fiery orange that trails its way up to his mouth and he exhales in a sudden explosion of air and fire that blossoms before him, engulfing four sand-wraiths. Everyone shields their face against the heat bloom and looks back to find two charred husks sizzling on the floor as the other two shamble on.
Zylnan sends another force bolt through the quickly vanishing fire, blasting another sizable chunk of black sand from the minotaur’s body.
“Definitely, looking smaller!” he shouts over his shoulder to Charles as Ballen swipes his halberd at the nearest enemy, removing its arm, which falls to the ground and flops around. Sand pours from its not so fresh stump and the creature’s hollow green eyes turn to Ballen, fixing him with an unreadable look, as six more sand-wraiths stumble into the room.
Four of the creatures swarm towards Tyrvaan, their blows clanging against his shield, armour and scales as they pummel him.
Talkoris and Ignin Greathammer wade into the fray with great sweeping blows. The dwarf’s axe sweeps wide of one of the sand-wraiths as Talkoris’ blade slices it from shoulder to hip, leaving a trace of magical energy in its wake, the two halves of the sand-wraith falling in opposite directions.
Seeing this Misxibis raises her crossbow and fires. The bolt drives straight into Zylnan’s back who just regained his feet, sending him tumbling forward. Misxibis grits her teeth and raises her hand, reciting a poem that flows magically from her lips. Zylnan’s wound knits closed and pushes the bolt out, where it clatters to the floor as Zylnan staggers to his feet once again.
“Get up!” she screams as Zylnan tries his best to figure out what just happened to him, glancing around the room in confusion.
Heri wanders from the forest on the opposite side of the glade, flower still in hand. The faint sound of horses hooves carried on the breeze tickles his ears and they twitch. Heri turns to the whisper and a petal breaks and drifts to the ground. Where it falls, the grass blackens and crumbles and Heri gasps in pain, releasing the flower. It hits the ground and the world shatters like shards of glass.
Screams, shouts and the sound of cracking bones fill his ears as the shards give way to the underground temple and Heri finds himself back in the sand covered chamber. It’s clear only moments passed, but to Heri it felt like an hour. He shakes his head to clear it, but can feel in his chest that something has been lost, broken.
The minotaur raises its arms, a huge blade appearing above it, and brings it down upon Tyrvaan’s shield with a crash, sending sand exploding around him. Zipz nips forward, driving her rapier upwards into the neck of one of the sand-wraith’s and out through the creature’s mouth. The lights in its eyes fade and as she pulls the rapier out, the creature crumples.
Tyrvaan crashes his mace into another sand-wraith and summons a magical shield before him as a firebolt from Charles flies overhead, smacking into the far wall. Zylnan charges up next to Tyrvaan, his flame alight with green fire and swats uselessly at the minotaur as Ballen sees an opening and drives his halberd into its chest. Sand falls around it like running water as he pulls it out and shouts.
“I don’t think I can hurt it with my steel!” The sand-wraiths push forward again, swinging wildly at Tyrvaan and Zylnan, their sand encrusted hands cutting through scales and skin alike.
“I think ve need hit with only magic,” Misxibis calls back, firing a crossbow at the nearest sand-wraith, catching it in the shoulder and chanting a gentle flowing poem that heals the fresh wound across Zylnan’s chest.
Misxibis turns and screams as a sand-wraith breaks from the shield wall and charges her. An arrow slams into its vacant eye-socket and it takes another unsteady step before falling to the ground. Misxibis turns to find Heri beside her, breathing heavily, his bow gripped so tightly it creaks beneath the strain. Zipz ducks past Heri’s shaking arm and drives her rapier into another sand-wraiths’ heart, darting back as a stream of sand pours from the hole left there.
Another sword appears above the minotaur and a wide swing passes over Tyrvaan’s head and drives deeply into Zylnan’s shoulder, the sand in the blade vibrating like a monodrones heart. Zylnan lets out a grunt of pain as the force drives him to his knee. The minotaur steps back, releasing the pressure on Zylnan as a bolt of fire zips through the air in front of its face and Charles lets out a curse.
"Can't throw straight today," he mumbles.
Zylnan stabs forward his fiery green blade piercing the sand-wraiths chest before him, its fire burning away at those around him as Tyrvaan brings his mace crashing down on the wraith’s head. It cracks open but the sand begins to knit the wound back together as it turns to face him. A halberd drives from over Tyrvaan’s shoulder and through its chest, pushing it back off of Zylnan’s sword and knocking it into the two others approaching, causing them to falter.
Heri sends another arrow between their heads, his shaking hands steadied and his confidence returned. It slams into a sand-wraiths’ chest who falls to the ground and lies still, before it starts to shift and gets back to its shaky feet. Heri begins to shake again at the sight of the revived creature and the minotaur steps up and drives its sword through Tyrvaan’s armour. He staggers back coughing out several specks of blood before steadying himself and rising to face it. Holy light glowing through his body as his wounds heal and his body strengthens.
Zipz steps beside him, piercing the nearest sand-wraiths’ chest and it falls heavily to the ground, its body twitching unnaturally. The sand in its body pushes it from the floor and back to its feet and Zipz’s eyes widen in horror as Zylnan cuts at it again, putting it back on the ground for good.
The last sand-wraith rushes them as an arrow from Sephina smacks into its head, another from Misxibis’s crossbow slams into its body, followed shortly by Heri’s that drives through its open mouth and lodges in the back of its throat. The creature staggers back with the force of each blow but ultimately stands tall, its green eyes aglow with something akin to determination as Zipz screams, violently driving her rapier up through the roof of its mouth, out of the top of its head and over onto its back, where it remains.
Three missiles of pure energy soar over Zipz and slam into the minotaur driving explosions of sand from its body, as it swipes awkwardly at Talkoris, smashing into his shield and exploding against white light. Charles summons fire in the palm of his hand and sends it in a high arc over Talkoris and Ignin, blasting the face of the minotaur. The heat of the magic turns the sand to glass and what sand remains in its body crumbles to the floor, collecting in a small pile.
The shadow over the minotaur flows across the space between Zylnan and the dead creature healing his wounds, a movement missed by most in the room. The room grows quiet, the only sound the heavy breathing of those remaining.
“Vy is temple cursed with sandcow?” Misxibis says, breaking the silence as Charles’ suppresses a snicker.
“Well we knew Ezeheli would leave traps, but…,” he surveys the corpses around him, looking over their damaged and broken bodies, noticing old wounds inflicted before this battle, now empty of the sand that knitted them together moments ago. “He’s so wasteful. These were his men and he used them to get what he wanted in here, but once they died… he must have left them behind.”
“Is not wasteful, is re-used, is recycle,” Misxibis answers, turning one of the corpses over. Her reply is met with a raised eyebrow from Talkoris but no words.
“I don’t think they were dead when he left Missy…,” Charles whispers.
“Ah…,” she mumbles sheepishly.
“Reduced not re-used,” Zylnan says with a smirk, only attracting further strange looks from others in the room. Talkoris slings his shield over his back and sheaths his sword, walking down the corridor the creatures emerged from, followed by the rest of the group.
As they enter the main hall, the once sealed doors leading to other parts of the temple now lie open. Talkoris continues on straight across the main hall into a smaller chamber. At the centre of which rests a five foot tall pyramid, its top made of a different blue-ish material carved with the writing of the ancients. Several of the party squint at it, shaking their heads at its incomprehensibility as Charles pushes his way to the front of the group. He removes his notebook and scans it fervently, passing one of his hands across the largely unblemished markings of its metal. The others form groups as they wait, moving to inspect the strangeness of the chamber, but there is little to no information to be gleaned.
Zylnan’s eyes dart around worriedly as Ballen inspects his shoes eager to make sure they are still tied and sighs with relief when he finds they are. The time passes awkwardly and it seems to be far too long before Charles lets out a satisfied sigh and steps away from the pyramid. All gather around as he reads the translated words, rough though they may be:
‘Touch the three to find the path and get the key that’s shown therein,
They’ll guide you on to Vidinor, where rests the chain of Ildranor.’
All those assembled share glances of varying levels of knowing, some with overly exaggerated smugness.
“Do you feel that?” Zylnan mutters to Charles as a soft pulse of magic emanates from the top of the pyramid.
“Do you have any idea what this could be… or mean?” Charles looks to Talkoris, who looks to Sephina.
“I followed Ezeheli’s minions down here before, and found three of these things… His minions seemed very intent on studying them, but they couldn’t work them.” Charles reaches out and touches the pyramid, feeling the magic flow up his fingertips and tingle. “I can show you where the others are,” she adds.
“We’re gonna have to split up into three groups, with Charles and I as the touching people.” Zylnan says, causing everyone’s heads to flick round and fix him with a bemused expression. Tyrvaan grunts in acceptance as Ravin walks up to the pyramid in the room and places his hand upon it.
“We’ll stay here,” Talkoris nods to them.
“Tyrvaan and Ballen, you’re with me,” Zylnan says walking from the room and heading towards one of the other now open chambers. Zipz, Heri, Charles and Misxibis share looks of excitement and concern.
“Guess, it’s us four,” Heri says and Zipz flashes her a toothy grin. The group sets out through the partially lit corridors, coming to another ritual room. Charles approaches the pyramid and places his hand upon it, this time the thrum of magic is stronger and he feels it flowing up his arm to his shoulder.
He feels another burst as Charles knows Zylnan has likely found the third pyramid and the energy flows into his chest, locking his hand to its surface as the sands across the chambers’ floor begin to swirl. Everyone shields their eyes as it whips faster and faster and in the blink of an eye four sand elementals appear, floating like miniature tornadoes with loosely formed arms and heads. Their black eyes of swirling sand turn to the four.
“Ahhh fuck… are you kidding me,” Charles mutters.
“I hate zem…,” Misxibis states.
“You know I can’t move my hand?” Zylnan shouts as the three elementals that appeared out of nowhere begin their advance. Tyrvaan grunts and moves to intercept one. Ballen turns and charges two on the other side of the room, cutting into one of the creatures’ chests with a flash of his halberd. It shrieks in response as the metal flashes through its body, leaving a trail of light in its wake and he spins driving his halberd deep into its chest. It explodes in a shower of sand that cuts into his face and eyes and Ballen drops his halberd as he attempts to clear them, moaning in pain.
Zylnan swallows heavily and pulls the life magic he feels from the air, strengthening his life and resolve as one of the creatures tears into the staggering Ballen. The other swings at Tyrvaan who deftly bats it away with his shield, replying in kind with his mace, causing the creature to scream a high pitched grating sound.
Zylnan sends a blast of force at the one beside Tyrvaan and the creature detonates, vanishing in another whirlwind of sand. Tyrvaan screams, staggering back and wipes frantically at his eyes with his other arm as he fumbles wildly towards Ballen, intent to help even in his wounded state.
The last elemental takes another swipe at the blinded Ballen, leaving a deep wound across his back and causing him to groan in pain. He fumbles on the floor grabbing up his fallen halberd and whips it around at the onrushing elemental, hearing the satisfying scream of his foe as he manages to clear the sand from his eyes. A blast of force from Zylnan follows it up and crashes into the elemental, cutting off its scream as it too detonates in a whirlwind of sand.
As the last elemental explodes in a shower of sand Zylnan feels a surge of magic and his eyes roll back into head, the world around him momentarily gripped by darkness.
He appears over huge hole in the ground, the top appearing as some kind of quarry around which sand blows. His vision flows down into the darkness at its centre and it feels as if a distance is being crossed in the blackness, then the world levels out and he stares out into a cave.
As his consciousness slowly returns, he hears the voices of Tyrvaan and Ballen.
“I hope the others fare well…”
Heri’s arrow slams into the floor two feet in front of him and the other three turn to look at her, disappointment clear on their faces. Charles summons a firebolt, hurling it across the room at the nearest elemental and knocks a tiny pile of sand from its shoulder that sizzles to nothing. The three turn their heads back along the line to look at Charles with the same look.
“What?” he shrugs, gesturing to his stuck hand. Misxibis sighs and steps forward, drawing her rapier and ramming it into the nearest elemental. The vibration of its shriek pass up the sword and Misxibis’ eye twitches as Zipz steps up beside her and replicates the action.
Two of the elementals swipe at Zipz, leaving deep cuts in her skin and she whimpers, under their onslaught, but holds her ground. Misxibis dodges the two before her and takes a step closer to Zipz, her eyes locked on the elementals as one of Heri’s arrows slams into its ‘face’ catching in the air for a moment, before it explodes. Zipz and Misxibis cover their eyes as the sand rains down upon them.
Heri whips another arrow across the space and into the nearest elemental that roars in anger, followed by a firebolt from Charles, though it fizzles out as it strikes the creature with little effect.
“Really?” Heri groans from beside him.
“Hey! My arm is stuck, okay! You try it!” Charles bites back defensively, as Misxibis and Zipz stab at those before them, the screams of their successful strikes filling the room. One of the elemental's eyes glow a deep crimson and it lashes at Zipz, leaving a deep cut across her chest as one of Heri’s arrows slides along the stone floor beside her boot.
“Sorry,” he mumbles.
“Let’s try it again!” Charles says, throwing another firebolt that looks more akin to candle embers. Misxibis tuts at the two of them and mumbles something in a singsong language, causing some of her wounds to close ever so slightly and lashes out with her rapier driving it into the nearest elemental.
Zipz mimics the action, her rapier glowing as it enters the elemental. It shrieks and claws wildly at her in reply, sending goblets of blood and flesh into the air.
“Zipz!” Misxibis shouts, taking a step closer. The elemental sensing its chance leaps on Misxibis’ back and rends at her, driving her to the floor as her screams of pain slowly fade to nothing.
“Missy!” Zipz shouts, glancing at her fallen friend, one eye still on the elemental before her. Heri bounds forward, sliding across the sand and places a hand on Misxibis’ back. One that begins to glow green as warm nature magic flows like vines out of her and around Misxibis, healing her wounds and reviving her.
The elemental that ravaged Misxibis senses an opening and rushes towards the distracted Heri as a huge bolt of fire crashes into it, and it detonates in an explosion of sand that covers the kneeling pair.
"Booyah!"
The two turn to Charles who grins.
“Just had to find the knack again!” The two smile in return and Misxibis scrambles up and around the back of the last one, swiping her sword at it to gain its attention as Zipz grips her sword with two hands and drives it deeply into the creatures’ chest. It hangs there a moment and then explodes. The sand whirls around Zipz as she lets out a sigh of relief and catches her rapier before it falls to the ground, spinning it around her head wildly and sheathing it.
Charles’ vision darkens and his consciousness plunges into a huge cavern of water. He can feel it running downward, flowing, trickling into holes in the ground, converging on a great well, and he stares up from one of its pools like looking through a window. An altar carved of pure Amethyst rises from the ground at the centre of a massive chamber.
It vanishes with a ripple and he feels the aches of his body and dryness of the chamber's air return.
