The Exiled King

Chapter 15 - The Temple

Esover was illuminated brightly despite the darkness of the night. The flames licked hungrily at the collapsed wooden structures. The group made their way through the mess carefully, heading for the centre of the city. The stench was unbearable and the heat from the flames made the trek miserable.

Their only lead was the worn tower that stood high above the rest of the city. As it was made of sandstone, the tower remained relatively undamaged by the fires below.

"Are you sure that the dragon eggs we're supposed to find are in this tower somewhere?!" Lirya asked quietly, disbelief evident in every word.

Taryn nodded and said, "They should be... the elven royals were very adamant that they were underneath the tallest tower in the city. Granted, that building seems more like a palace or temple than a tower, but it is the tallest tower around."

They quickly arrived at the foot of the building, which was a massive temple with columns at the entrance and a large, central tower topped with a massive bell. They had not met another soul in the city—neither demon nor anything else.

Standing near a large column was a familiar face.

Lirya's eyes brightened and she called out, "Jason! You got here before us!"

He turned to them and she paled. He was covered in golden demon blood, but his blonde hair was matted with crimson blood.

Her heart sank and she rushed up to him and frantically asked if he was alright. He nodded slowly, seemingly a little disoriented.

Altein brushed past them with a grumpy muttering under his breath of time wasted, and they all entered the building.

The interior was far grander than the exterior. The floor was polished marble and the sides of the hall were lined with stone statues. Right in the centre there was a massive statue that dominated the room. Leus recognized the visage of the giant statue—it was of Pelos, the creator god. Naturally, no one knew what he truly looked like, but that was the most common depiction of the god, present in most temples all over Dargon.

On either side of the statue were a set of stairs that curved behind the statue downwards and a set of stairs that curved the opposite direction upwards. With their footsteps echoing loudly in the eerily silent hall, the group made their way to the stairs going downwards.

<--<< >>-->

Waiting for a time when the hallway was clear of demons, the Blackroses and Halian made a dash for a nearby corridor. The place they were in was large and consisted of many winding corridors with rooms.

Adrian tried his luck on the first door he saw, and found it unlocked. He opened it and quickly slipped in, praying there was no one within. He breathed a sigh of relief as he found the room indeed empty and the others filed in. Upon closer inspection, the room was an odd one. It was rather small, and quite bare—a stark contrast to the extravagant decorations in the hallway outside. The walls were plain white and there was minimal decoration. At the end of the room, right in the middle, was an altar. Placed before the altar were plush cushions.

As Adrian took it all in, all of a sudden it dawned on him.

"This isn't a castle," He exclaimed, "It's a temple."

<--<< >>-->

Erv'um naid renai...

As they descended, a hauntingly familiar melody grew louder. Lirya frowned, making out what seemed to be clearer words, though they meant nothing to her. A quick glance at the others made her think she was the only one to hear it, for they showed no sign of hearing anything out of the ordinary.

What am I hearing? What is it saying? She wondered, feeling certain it was not the first time she'd heard that melody, yet she simply could not recall where she'd heard it before.

The more she listened to it, the more it sounded like... a question, rather than a statement.

Erv'um naid renai?

Lirya shook her head, trying to ignore the persistent voice.

Am I going crazy? She worried, I don't think it's normal to hear voices...

Xil erv'um niur, ethur'en?

Something had changed... Lirya could barely make out different words, though they made no more sense than the first ones had.

Taiur, ethur'en!

"Lirya?" Aidan touched her shoulder lightly and peered at her.

She started, her heart racing, then answered, "Yes?"

Aidan frowned and shook his head and muttered, "Nothing... I just thought I sensed something..."

A little bewildered, she continued walking. But more than ever before, Lirya felt the strangest sense that something was calling out to her... something she could not comprehend and could not remember.

<--<< >>-->

The room they had entered was well-lit and warm. Massive magelights illuminated the room with an inviting golden glow. The room was circular, with columns along the outer edge and exotic plants growing along the walls. The air was humid and there was a faint humming sound coming from somewhere in the room. In the centre of the room there was an elevated platform that radiated heat.

Under ordinary circumstances it would have been an incredibly calming and peaceful room. However, the guardians found that they were not the first ones to find the chamber, for standing near the platform—as if awaiting their arrival, stood a tall man that no one recognised. He wore a long, fancy sleeveless tunic in a deep lilac shade, trimmed with gold around the edges and lined with small gold buttons. His face was unremarkable, though rather attractive and what stood out the most about him was his stark white hair and crimson eyes.

Though nothing about his appearance was as concerning as the full scene before them. Behind him, strewn on the floor like common debris, were broken eggshells lying in a pool of glittering silver liquid. Scattered limply among the mess were small, dark shapes. They had small patches of scales and short, stunted wings twisted at an odd angle. 

<--<< >>-->

As always, if you enjoyed the chapter and want to support me for free, please leave a vote and a comment! It makes my day!