Kaelen and Lyra descended the spiral staircase into the next chamber, their steps echoing softly in the stillness. The air grew cooler, tinged with an otherworldly resonance that vibrated faintly in their bones.
“Is it just me,” Kaelen muttered, peering into the shadowy chamber ahead, “or does every ancient trial insist on spiral staircases? A straight ladder would suffice.”
Lyra, padding gracefully beside him, tilted her head and purred a soft trill. “Ladders lack a certain... drama,” her voice echoed in his mind, warm and tinged with amusement. “And I suspect you’d complain about the splinters.”
Kaelen huffed but didn’t argue. “Fair point.”
As they entered, the room lit up with faint blue flames hovering in sconces along the walls. In the center, a circular dais shimmered with runes etched into its surface. Above the dais, glowing orbs floated in a lazy orbit, each containing a fragment of light that pulsed rhythmically.
A voice, neither male nor female, echoed through the chamber:
“To unlock the path forward, you must answer the riddles of the Forgotten.”
Kaelen instinctively placed a hand on the hilt of his blade, but Lyra stepped forward, her luminous eyes narrowing at the orbs. He exhaled, his sharp gaze scanning the chamber. “Riddles. Fantastic. Do you suppose they’ll ask us something sensible, or will it be another round of cryptic metaphors?”
“Do not underestimate the wisdom of riddles,” Lyra replied, settling herself near the dais with a swish of her tail. “Even if the riddles underestimate your wisdom.”
Kaelen shot her a look but turned his attention back to the glowing orbs.
<hr>
Riddle 1: The Weaver’s Task
“I am the thread that binds the stars, woven by hands unseen. Without me, the sky is chaos. What am I?”
Kaelen scratched his chin, his silver hair catching the faint glow of the chamber. “The constellations,” he said, his voice steady.
The dais glowed faintly as the first orb dimmed.
Lyra purred approvingly. “A solid start. Though I was expecting you to overthink that one.”
“I’m perfectly capable of simple answers,” Kaelen said, a touch defensive. “Sometimes.”
<hr>
Riddle 2: The Eternal Cycle
“I rise and fall, giving life to mortals and marking the passage of time. Yet I am not alive. What am I?”
Kaelen glanced at Lyra, who tilted her head as if urging him forward. “The sun.”
A faint hum echoed as another orb darkened.
“Well done,” Lyra said, her tone dry. “And here I thought you might say a loaf of bread.”
Kaelen glared at her. “I’d rather face a dragon than a smug nymphryn.”
“Noted,” Lyra replied, her tail flicking.
<hr>
Riddle 3: The Silent Keeper
“I hold the memories of the past, yet I have no voice. I stand witness to time’s march, yet I cannot move. What am I?”
“The stars,” Kaelen said confidently. “They’ve witnessed everything.”
The dais glowed brighter, and the next orb extinguished.
“You do realize you’ve just flattered yourself,” Lyra observed, eyes twinkling. “Being an elf of the stars and all.”
Kaelen smirked. “If I don’t, who will?”
<hr>
Riddle 4: Reflection
“I am both truth and illusion, reflecting what I see. To find me is to find yourself. What am I?”
“A mirror,” Kaelen answered. The orb dimmed, though the hum grew more intense.
Lyra let out a soft sigh. “Practical, but uninspired.”
“Next time, I’ll say ‘a pool of existential dread,’ just for variety,” Kaelen shot back.
<hr>
Riddle 5: The Guardian
“I am always with you, yet I flee the light. I follow your steps but can never lead. What am I?”
“A shadow,” Kaelen said confidently.
“Ah, shadows,” Lyra mused. “Forever loyal and tragically unambitious.”
<hr>
Riddle 6: The Wandering HunterThis tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
“I roam the skies with my bow, chasing my prey for eternity. My name is written in the stars. What am I?”
“Orion,” Kaelen said, recognizing the Fae name for the constellation.
The voice murmured faint approval as the next orb dimmed.
“Are all riddles about stars?” Lyra asked, yawning. “It’s getting predictable.”
<hr>
Riddle 7: The Eternal Guide
“I shine brightest in the darkest of nights, guiding those who are lost. What am I?”
“The North Star,” Kaelen said without hesitation.
The dais pulsed, and another orb faded.
<hr>
Riddle 8: The Sleeping Giant
“I slumber beneath the earth, but my dreams shake the world. What am I?”
“A mountain,” Kaelen answered, then added quickly, “or perhaps a volcano.”
Lyra’s tail twitched. “Careful. The dais might explode if you hedge your bets.”
<hr>
Riddle 9: The Crownless King
“I rule over all yet wear no crown. I am the beginning and the end, the maker and the unmaker. What am I?”
Kaelen hesitated, his voice quiet but firm. “Time.”
The dais brightened, and another orb faded.
<hr>
Riddle 10: The Harbinger of Change
“I come before the light and leave before the dark. I bring renewal, yet I am fleeting. What am I?”
“Dawn,” Kaelen said, his gaze sharpening.
Lyra approved “A poetic answer.”
<hr>
Kaelen and Lyra stood before the dais, the last whispers of the previous riddles still fading into the cold air. The chamber shifted slightly, its faint blue glow giving way to warmer, golden hues. The floating orbs reappeared, now twice as many as before. A deep voice echoed in the chamber, carrying an almost playful tone:
“You have passed the Riddles of the Eternal. Now, face the Riddles of the Creatures.”
Kaelen sighed, adjusting his sword belt. “More Riddles. Great.”
Lyra smiles, padding closer to the dais. She tilted her head, her ears twitching as if to suggest that she found the challenge intriguing rather than daunting.
“Well,” Kaelen muttered, glancing at the nymphryn, “at least you’re enjoying yoursel”, then turned his attention to the new set of glowing orbs.
<hr>
Riddle 11: The Serpent of Wisdom
“I am a guardian of secrets, my scales like shimmering gold. I am a hoarder of knowledge, feared for my fire. What am I?”
Kaelen barely hesitated. “A dragon. The Star Court called them Almarix, didn’t they? They were said to guard the Celestial Vaults in the Age of Zenith.”
Lyra nodded approvingly. “Of course. Did you know the Star Court used to bargain with dragons for starlight crystals? Very diplomatic, though I suspect the dragons thought they were getting the better end of the deal.”
Kaelen smirked. “Considering how dragons view everyone as snacks, I’m not surprised.”
The dais glowed, and one orb dimmed.
<hr><hr>
Riddle 12: The Eternal Flame
“Born of the ashes, I rise again. My feathers blaze with light, and my cycle never ends. What am I?”
“A phoenix,” Kaelen said, his voice steady. “They were symbols of renewal, weren’t they? Said to bring hope to the Star Court during times of despair.”
Lyra nodded, her silver eyes gleaming.
<hr>
Riddle 13: The Soul Singer
“I lure mortals to the depths with a voice like a song. My beauty is my snare, my watery home my fortress. What am I?”
“A siren,” Kaelen said, then paused. “Or a mermaid? Are those different?”
Lyra gave a faux gasp. “Oh, you’ve done it now. Somewhere, a siren just cried herself to sleep.”
Kaelen sighed. “Fine. A siren.”
The dais approved, though Lyra’s amusement lingered.
<hr>
Riddle 14: The Stone Sentinel
“I stand unmoving, my skin of stone. I guard treasures and sacred places, though my life is not my own. What am I?”
Kaelen thought for a moment. “A golem,” he said. “They’re said to be protectors, bound by magic to serve their creators.”
The orb dimmed as another pulsed to life.
<hr>
As the riddles continued, Kaelen and Lyra found themselves slipping into a rhythm, their banter lightening the oppressive weight of the chamber.
“Let me guess,” Kaelen said, reading the next riddle. “This one’s about something mysterious and dangerous.”
“It’s either a faun or a talking shadow,” Lyra replied, deadpan. “Or worse—an enchanted cheese wheel.”
Kaelen snorted. “If they left riddles about cheese, I’m walking out.”
<hr>
Riddle 15: The Winged Majesty
“I soar high above, my gaze piercing the clouds. My cry is freedom, and my strength commands respect. What am I?”
“An eagle,” Kaelen said confidently. “Or maybe a gryphon?”
The dais glowed brightly as his answer was accepted.
<hr>
Riddle 16: The Forest Guardian
“I am a keeper of the woods, my antlers like branches of the ancient trees. I am as old as the forests and as wise as the earth. What am I?”
“A stag,” Kaelen said after a pause. “Or a forest spirit, like a dryad or a cervidian.”
Lyra gave him a sidelong glance. “Look at you, pulling out the fancy terms. Next, you’ll be giving me a dissertation on dryads.”
“Only if you stop being sarcastic,” Kaelen shot back, pressing the glyph.
The dais pulsed approvingly, and Lyra purred.
<hr>
Riddle 17: The Lunar Wanderer
“I prowl by night, my coat silver as the moon. My howl echoes through the dark, my strength bound to the cycles of light. What am I?”
“A wolf,” Kaelen said, his tone almost reverent. “Or a lycanthrope. The Fae myths often tied wolves to the moon.”
Lyra grinned, her fangs glinting faintly. “Of course. The Star Court loved wolves. They considered them noble, loyal, and deeply misunderstood. Personally, I think they just liked the howling.”
Kaelen smirked. “Not all creatures like to nap as much as you do.”
The dais pulsed with approval.
<hr>
Riddle 18: The Silent Stalker
“I am unseen, yet my presence is felt. My fangs bring death, and my eyes gleam like jewels in the night. What am I?”
Kaelen frowned. “A panther? Or perhaps a snake? The Fae spoke of shadow creatures—silent hunters of the Veil.”
His answer was accepted as another orb dimmed.
<hr>
Final Riddle: The Key to the Stars
“I unlock the heavens, but I am not a key. I open the path to the infinite, but I am not a door. What am I?”
Kaelen frowned. “Knowledge.”
Lyra nodded. “The most dangerous weapon of all, according to the Star Court. They guarded it fiercely.”
Kaelen pressed the glyph, and the chamber filled with golden light.
As the last orb faded, the dais began to hum with deep, resonant energy. The runes along its edge flared to life, each one glowing with color. The walls of the chamber rippled like water, dissolving into the image of a vast, star-filled sky.
<hr>
System Notification
<ul>
<li>Puzzle 3 Complete:</li>
<ul>
<li>Lock 3 unlocked,</li>
</ul>
<li>Proceed to Puzzle 4 to unlock Lock 4.</li>
</ul>
<hr>
Kaelen stepped back as the center of the dais opened, revealing a spiraling staircase of light descending into darkness. Lyra’s silver eyes gleamed with determination, her fur glowing faintly in the chamber’s light.
“You ready?” Kaelen asked, glancing at his feline companion.
“Always,” Lyra replied with a purr. “Though if we find more stairs, I might insist on being carried.”
Kaelen chuckled. “I’d like to see you try.”