Revelation Of The Chosen (Book 1 of The Radiant Warrior Series)

Chapter 15: A Thousand Questions

Planet - Axial

The gate with the golden exterior and twin diamond doors opened with beautiful blue, gold, and white lights radiating from within, into what appeared to be an enormous stone walled basement filled with old antique bottles and trinkets settled on brown wooden shelves.

The unventilated, cobwebbed covered room was packed with cider boxes piled up against and on top of each other, and many other items from another time.

A small rusted oil lamp, a dust covered Libra Scale, and many silver coins and faded golden candleholders littered the floor and shelves.

Troy and Shark were heaved out of the gate and onto the floor with all the debris from the exhibit.

They landed on their stomachs and were somewhat in ache from the smack to the cold floor.

Shards from the glass case Shark had crashed into, pieces of the canoe Panthora demolished, and portions of the model sphinxes and pyramids had accompanied them on their unplanned and unwanted trip.

The two somewhat in pain and now sitting on the cold floor watched the gate close while its departure made the basement tremble as it reverted into the ground leaving them in an unknown place.

Shark and Troy stood up. Thousands of questions literally walked into their heads. What had just happened? How were they able to use water and wind to their advantage?

Who was Panthora and what did she want with them? What did she mean they were the ones who confined her to her prison and who was she going to send them too?

Who was the man that saved them? Was he friend or did he have his own hidden agenda and where did he send them too?

Troy stared at Shark, who was walking around the large but clustered basement.

"What are you up too? What are you looking for?" asked a confused Troy.

He had to talk about what had just happened or he would explode like nuclear bomb but his dear friend seemed pre-occupied. He needed answers, but no one was around to ask and maybe that was a good thing.

Who knows where they were and what type of people lived in the vicinity? They might not be friendly and want to capture them like Panthora did. All he could think about was them being held in a cell, poked and prodded like rats in a lab.

Shark, now holding a candleholder, finally responded, "Well, I don't know. I guess I am looking for clues."

"And you think there in those boxes?" exclaimed Troy.

Who would have known what they went through or even had the time to catalogue it and carefully place the information in the boxes for them to find?

Only Panthora and the hooded figure knew and they were nowhere in sight and even if they were, he doubted they would answer his numerous questions, the questions which were eating away at him like parasites.

"I don't know," replied a hasty Shark. "Maybe, maybe not, who knows. I certainly don't and you certainly don't either. For sure, standing around will not help."

Troy felt bad. Shark was doing something to find out what had just happened and all he was doing was being defeatist.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

The basement fell into silence for a long time, except for the constant pounding on boxes by Shark, who was using the candleholder like a hammer.

Shark was angry at Panthora and wished she was the one he was pounding on, but it was a foolish thought. If she was there, she would be trying to kill or capture them.

At that second, he did not know which one would be worse. She might have ended up doing both since she seemed so impulsive and hot-headed.

Most of all, he was lost. He might as well be thrown into a maze with no chance of getting out since it was how he felt.

Troy finally broke the long silence. "Are we ever going to talk about what happened today or are we going to pretend all of this never occurred and that everything is as it was a couple of hours ago?"

Shark continued smacking the box for not opening. He threw the candleholder away and heard it made a thump. It hit something.

He decided to use his hand instead but with the same result, a bruised knuckle and a closed box. The box now appeared to hold something important like the Holy Grail inside. Fed up with it, he decided to reply to Troy.

"Obviously this isn't our imaginations as the pain I feeling right now is very real, so no I am not going to pretend that none of it happened, but I will not..."

"Not what?" interrupted Troy, "Not going to give up on these foolish beliefs of ours?"

He could see through Shark's expression. Both went through the same experience. This wasn't the time to lash out as if it was Shark's fault for their predicament.

Shark did not answer instead he picked up another box and discarded candleholder.

"Why won't you open? What are you hiding from me?" demanded Shark.

He did not feel like talking to Troy. For once in his life, he was strapped for words and if he did open his mouth only questions would come out, questions Troy had no answers too. Worse, arguments would happen real fast with their tempers running high.

A flicker of light from behind the boxes caught Troy's attention. Was it a possible way out of their predicament? He quickly moved the four boxes overcrowding his view and hollered at Shark.

"I think I found a way out of here and maybe it might lead to some answers."

Troy heard his voice. He was delusional for believing behind the boxes a beautiful maiden would be standing there, ready to answer all their heartfelt questions.

"What? Are you sure?" asked Shark.

He immediately dropped the candleholder and glided over to Troy, spotting the light. It was coming from a huge spiralling staircase.

Without any words the two decided to head up to the top of the staircase where a set of dim-yellow lights were, and hopefully find some answers to their never-ending questions.

They stepped onto the first stair and the entire structure shivered like it was going to fall apart.

"Hold on tight. We have to get to that light," said Shark.

They clutched the handrails and walked closer to the top when it happened, the staircase started to move on its own, spiralling upwards with more stairs coming up from the ground.

"It's like an escalator, but spiralling," said Shark.

A chill went down their spine. Something dangerous was most likely waiting for them. It was like they were walking into the belly of the beast but it was the only way out.

"We can do this. We can handle whatever is at the top," said Shark, trying to sound convincing.

Hope was all they had and he was clinging to it like a life preserver. He prayed there was no danger at the top but given their fortune so far, danger was more likely pending.

Question:

1) Fantasy and adventure lovers, how would you all feel if you were thrown into another realm or world?