"She did redecorate," Swordslayer observed.
The three entered through the arched door leading to a chamber with a high ceiling that was beyond the reach of Rainbow''s light globe and was shrouded in darkness. In front of them was a makeshift labyrinth made out of wooden planks and rusty nails that filled up the entirety of the wide chamber. They would have to traverse through it in a single file in order to squeeze through the narrow passageways. At the entrance was a ghoulish sight.
"I hope those two were not your colleagues," Rainbow quietly said.
Two corpses with rotting flesh and moldy armor stood on either side of the entrance. They were set in a pose as if they were waving to greet guests. Swordslayer squinted as he studied the cadavers.
"Yeah, that''s them. I have to hand it to her. She is patient." The sword fighter said with a shrug.
"You got to be kidding me! Ten years! Shouldn''t they just be bones?" Demanded Jeze.
"Death aspect. She preserved them," Rainbow commented. "I hate going against necromancers," she muttered.
Swordslayer nodded in agreement and studied the situation before them.
"Doesn''t this upset you?" Jeze asked and motioned to the corpses.
"I mourned them ten years ago," Swordslayer answered matter of factly.
Rainbow nodded and added, "It''s the life we live."
"But, weren''t they your friends?" The teenager couldn''t believe how callous they were over the loss of their companions.
"I didn''t particularly like them, if I were to be honest." Swordslayer shrugged.
"We are not going through there," Rainbow pointed out and brought the group back to the problem at hand.
Jeze agreed and felt that going through the tight spaces of the makeshift labyrinth would be a sure way to get killed. There would be no room to fight, and what''s to stop the Night Mistress from activating a trap to crush them? She reflected.
"Jeze, send your Goblin to climb up the walls to see how we can navigate in there," Rainbow ordered.
"No thank you," Ziplocke answered.
"I can do it," Jeze said.
"No need," Swordslayer responded.
Jeze and Rainbow looked at the Swordfighter. The man was testing out the jade-colored stone walls to their sides. The stone was rough to the touch and chiseled to have patterns and ridges, which could be decent enough hand holds for climbing.
"I remember a balcony up there and a second floor. The stairs are on the other side of this mess," Swordslayer pointed at the wooden labyrinth that took up the whole of the chamber.
"What was this place?" Jeze asked.
"A temple," Swordslayer grunted.
Rainbow nodded in agreement.
"To who?" Jeze asked.
"The Night Mistress. Stop asking stupid questions and help us figure out how to get up there!" Swordslayer snapped.
"She''s a goddess!?!" Jeze cried but was ignored by her colleagues. What were they thinking? How was this easier than going up against flesh and blood Legionnaires? The teenager wondered to herself.
Rainbow and Swordslayer were testing out the handholds through the ridges in the stone. They were decorative and not meant for climbing. Above them was ink-black darkness and the unknown. Climbing may not be a viable option if the risk of falling was great, especially if they had to climb high. How high? Jeze wondered as she stared up into the abyss above.
"Notice anything familiar?" Ziplocke said from her shoulder.
Jeze narrowed her eyes to study the shadows more closely. They did appear to be unnaturally thick, and why was Rainbow''s light not penetrating them? The teenager wondered as her colleagues climbed.
"Wait!" Jeze called out.
Swordslayer paused his hand just at the edge of the shadows. He turned to glare at her.
"Come back down," Jeze ordered.
The two adventurers came back down and faced her. "This better be good," Swordslayer growled.
"Rainbow, raise your light," Jeze ordered.
The lady complied. The glowing orb rose, and the shadows moved back, but it was still unclear to see what was up there. The area was illuminated but unfocused. The shadows somehow still got in the way of their line of sight.
"That is brilliant work," Ziplocke commented.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Demanded Swordslayer.
Rainbow tapped her chin as she studied alongside Jeze and Ziplocke. "I see it now. The Darkness aspect is used here," she said.
"Exactly! I need to see something," Jeze exclaimed and climbed up the wall just to the edge of the faint shadows.
It was as she expected. She wouldn''t have been able to notice the faint Runes that were made out of darker shadows within the existing shadows if she hadn''t tried this herself when she was camping.
"It''s a Rune trap. I can''t decipher what type," Jeze observed.
"Death aspect," Ziplocke stated.
"Oh, that''s pretty serious." Jeze made sure she did not touch the shadows.
"Can you disarm it?" Rainbow asked.
Jeze pondered the question. With a strong grip and sturdy leg muscles, she was able to hold herself in place with one hand as she activated the final Glyphs attached to her Shadow ring.
"I think so," she replied.
"Be careful," Swordslayer cautioned.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Jeze and Rainbow glanced at him.
"What? So, I don''t want to see you get hurt. Get over yourself!" The sword fighter snapped.
"He is right. Be careful," Ziplocke said and scampered down the wall to join the other two.
Jeze snorted, "Coward."
"I prefer the term, Self-preservationist." The Goblin called back.
The teenager shook her head and returned to the task at hand. She wanted to Shape the existing shadows. Since they were Summoned, it should be easier in theory. However, they were Summoned by the Night Mistress and it depended upon how much Will she had put into them. If it was a lot, then Jeze may faint from the effort.
"You two might want to be ready to catch her," Ziplocke suggested.
Rainbow and Swordslayer prepared themselves. It wouldn''t be a high fall, but the hard stone would make it very painful.
"Here goes," Jeze said and inserted her Will to Shape the Summoned shadows.
The teenager gritted her teeth as she came upon resistance, but it was nowhere near the difficulty of Shaping a non Summoned shadow. This Night Mistress did not anticipate anyone messing with her traps and exerted the minimum amount of Will to create them. With intense focus, Jeze altered the shadow Runes and inserted her energy into them. She felt a comforting snap that indicated the Rune trap was disarmed.
"She did it," Rainbow observed.
"I didn''t see anything," Swordslayer stated.
"Of course you didn''t, you oaf." Ziplocke teased.
"Watch yourself," the sword fighter growled.
Ziplocke yelped in fright and scampered up the wall to Jeze. From her perch, Jeze looked up and still couldn''t see through the mass of shadows. Her efforts before had strained her, but she still had plenty of energy left. Jeze gritted her teeth and completed the Rune pattern attached to her Shadow ring. She shaped the Summoned shadows. It took a lot of effort, and she was only able to part a narrow path through the thick shadows, but it was enough. The balcony Swordslayer had talked about became visible.
"Nice work!" The man exclaimed.
Jeze was too tired and only nodded her thanks. With shaking arms and legs, she climbed the rest of the way up and collapsed in the darkness of the second floor. Her colleagues joined her moments later.
"Let her rest," Rainbow said.
"She earned it," Swordslayer agreed.
Rainbow moved her light spell so that they could look down into the labyrinth. It was lined with all manner of spikes and salivating zombies that were packed so tight it would have been impossible to fight them off.
"Good thing we avoided that," Swordslayer observed.
The three tensed as a wailing shriek tore through the temple. The zombies collapsed as the Night Mistress released her Will over them. Swordslayer grinned.
"She put all of her eggs in that basket. Best we move now before she recovers," the muscular swordsman stated and drew his two blades.
Rainbow nodded, and Jeze rose on trembling legs. The Will that the Night Mistress had was substantial for her to Summon and Shape so many shadows and undead. Jeze brushed against it earlier, and it nearly exhausted her. The teenager recognized that there were levels in this world.
"Stay behind us. It is our time to put some work in," Rainbow told Jeze.
Without further delay, the two seasoned adventures advanced down the corridor. Swordslayer was in the lead with his blades at the ready. Rainbow was close behind him with her Channeling tools prepared to unleash magical destruction. Jeze wondered at what spells Rainbow would use. She saw the multi-colored-haired adventurer use the Light, Life, Nature, and Water aspects. What other tricks did Rainbow have? Would she teach me some? Jeze wondered.
"Stop daydreaming," Ziplocke hissed.
Jeze snapped out of it and saw that she was being left in the dark as her companions moved ahead with Rainbow''s glowing globe illuminating the way.
"Fire aspect would be best against the undead," Ziplocke advised.
"Why is that?" Jeze asked as she retrieved her fire Aspect Channeling tool and hurried after the others.
"It has a strong affinity to light and purification. The Death aspect is linked to decay and taint. Fire is a cleansing force," the Goblin instructed.
That made sense to Jeze. She hurried after the others, and along the way, she saw several chambers with their doors opened and furniture scattered about.
"They were looted," Ziplocke observed.
"By Swordslayer and his team?" Jeze asked. Could there have been others that came after the sword fighter?
"Based upon the number of zombies that were down there, I guess most do not survive their visit," Ziplocke stated.
The corridor Jeze ran along curved to the right. Ahead of her was a winding stone staircase that climbed downward. A stone banister was on her right, and over it, she saw the wooden labyrinth cover the entire massive chamber below. She turned the corner and found Swordslayer and Rainbow standing back to back.
"Be careful," Rainbow cautioned.
"Ghosts," Swordslayer said without glancing at Jeze.
The man held his blades out to his sides and was posed to attack. Rainbow had Summoned vines that coiled at her sides like obedient serpents ready to strike. The two stood still, and there was a silence that unnerved Jeze. Ziplocke had scampered off her shoulder and was out of sight, and Jeze hurried over to take up position.
"You can only hit them when they manifest to attack," Rainbow explained.
"And don''t let them hit you. Their touch is one of death from the grave," Swordslayer added.
"Where are they?" Jeze asked, her voice squeaked from her rising panic.
"All around us," Swordslayer answered quietly.
Jeze saw the ghosts in the glow from Rainbow''s Summoned Light aspect. They looked like faintly illuminated clouds that fluttered through the air. The ghosts passed through the ground and the walls like a fish splashing through water. They moved fast, but no faster than a sprinting howler through the Deep Wood. Jeze reflected to herself and gritted her teeth with determination. Jeze slashed a ghost that flew close by, and her blade passed through it harmlessly.
"Only when they manifest," Swordslayer growled.
"What does that look like!" Jeze demanded.
"You''ll know," Rainbow said.
More ghosts came through the walls, floors, and ceilings to spin around the trio. With horror, Jeze saw what her companions had meant. Initially, the ghosts were like shapeless clouds shifting and gliding. Jeze saw faces soundlessly screaming in anguish from within the floating forms. Some had bodies with skeletal claws-like hands that reached for her. The air grew colder.
"Get ready," Swordslayer said.
A ghost flew out of the wall in front of Jeze. It''s shape manifested into a gaunt-faced woman with tangled hair and long sharp nails that reached for the teenager. Jeze Summoned and Shaped a dart of fire, but the ghost let out a screech that broke the silence like a crack of thunder. The sound startled the young girl and threw off her aim. Her fire magic splashed against the stone wall as the ghost grabbed her arm. Jeze watched in horror as her skin turned black with decay. It burned, and the pain washed over her body like a tidal wave. The ghost sneered and squeezed, but a sword sliced its head off, and the apparition faded away like steam rising from a cup of tea. Jeze collapsed to the ground, shivering. Her arm burned, and terror gripped her heart. She had touched the other side, and she knew she was dying.
"Ziplocke! Feed her the silver vial," Rainbow cried.
Jeze''s curled into a fetal position. From her vantage point, she watched Rainbow and Swordslayer time each of their attacks perfectly to send ghosts back to the realm of the dead. Rainbow gestured and moved with the grace of a dancer to Control her Summoned nature aspects. One of the vines whipped and thudded soundly into a manifested ghost. The specter howled and faded away. Another vine ensnared a ghost that materialized behind Rainbow and squeezed it so hard that the apparition popped out of existence.
"Sip this!" Ziplocke placed the vial on Jeze''s lips.
She didn''t even realize the Goblin had arrived as she was so occupied with dying and enthralled at how well her companions fought. Jeze drank the offered potion, but her eyes never left the battle before her. Swordslayer stood with his head down. His face was obscured by his hair, and his swords readied at his sides. In the blink of an eye, his swords blurred as fast as a darting mouse and sent several ghosts back to oblivion. With that, the fight was over. Jeze grimaced and shivered as she sat up.
"You need to rest, Jeze," Rainbow said as her Summoned vines faded away.
"Aye, the first time experiencing a Grave touch is enough to never want to do it again," Swordslayer chuckled, and he sheathed his swords.
Jeze gritted her teeth and rose to her feet. She didn''t even kill one! Her companions nodded in silent approval of her resolve.
"We must hurry before the Night Mistress recovers enough power to Summon more undead," Swordslayer said.
He and Rainbow ran off down the corridor toward another stairwell that winded upwards. Jeze was left in the dark again, and she chased after. Ziplocke snickered from her shoulder.
"What''s so funny?" Jeze growled as she clambered up the steps.
"I saved your life. You owe me," Ziplocke said with an evil grin.
Jeze didn''t know what was more horrifying, the Grave touch or the knowledge that she was in the Goblin''s debt.