Pool of Twilight by James M. Ward

Author:James M. Ward
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2011-11-02T18:20:50+00:00

* * * * *

Kern was the last one out of the maze.

"It wasn't my fault!" he protested to a sniggering Listle. "The walls kept moving on me. I'm certain of it."

"Whatever you say, Kern."

Before Kern could argue his case further, Miltiades approached. Though it was difficult to say the skeletal pal-adin was excited, there did seem to be an unusual eager-ness to his perpetual grin.

"What is it, Miltiades?" Kern asked.

"I've found the stairwell."

Moments later the four adventurers were exploring the half-formed hall where the stairwell was located.

There wasn't much to see besides the rows of stone sarcophagi lining the perimeter. The coffins stood upright, their frozen death masks staring blankly ahead. Listle and Sirana were both weaving spells, trying to detect any danger-ous magic that might be guarding the stairwell.

"I don't think there are any traps," Listle announced finally, though her tone was less than certain.

"My, that's reassuring," Kern snorted.

Listle glared at him. "Well, there is one way we can know for certain if there are."

"What's that?"

"You stand over here, Kern." Listle smiled sweetly. "I'll just push you down the stairs, then we'll see what happens."

Kern nodded absently. He wasn't really listening to the elf. He found himself shivering. "Do you notice anything strange about those sarcophagi?" he asked the others. "I suppose it's just my imagination, but their eyes seem to be following me."

"Do you think yourself so worthy of attention, then?" Sirana asked with a sultry laugh.

He blushed. "Of course not. Like I said, it's probably just my imagination. Still..."

"Let us examine one to be sure," Miltiades said. He moved toward the standing sarcophagi. Kern, Listle, and Sirana followed. "Perhaps there is some trick about these—"

"Miltiades, get back!"

The four spun around to see Daile dash into the cathe-dral, eyes panicked.

"Everybody, get away from those sarcoph—"

She was too late.

Suddenly the lids of four sarcophagi sprang open with a groan. Dozens of skeletal hands reached out with uncanny swiftness, clutching at the four adventurers, who strug-gled in vain.

"Daile, what's happening?" Kern shouted in terror. He had the horrifying sensation that he was reliving a dream.

"Let him go!" the young ranger screamed, using the dagger called Right to hack at the arms that clutched Kern. It was to no avail. Another sarcophagus opened. Long, spindly limbs sprang out to engulf Daile. The skele-tal arms inexorably dragged the adventurers into the wait-ing shadows of the five sarcophagi. Then the stone lids slammed shut, cutting off their cries of protest.

The half-formed cathedral was silent once again.

11

Road Into Danger

The day after Kern and his companions set off for the ruins of the red tower, Evaine decided it was time to em-bark on a mission of her own.

She rose in the cold of predawn and, teeth chattering, hastily donned thick woolen breeches and a tunic of her favorite mossy green. Deftly, she bound her long chestnut hair into a braid, winding it in a tight knot at the nape of her neck. As she did, she caught a glimpse of her reflec-tion in a teardrop-shaped mirror.

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