Blogtober 2021 Story Project
The Temple grounds were littered with immense stone blocks, toppled and scattered so that no stone rested upon another. The stones gave them enough cover from the advancing horde for Chaim to lead them up a steep incline to where the edifice had stood.
A narrow staircase led them down into darkness. No torches or candles could be found, so they stopped and listened for footsteps.
“Keep going,” Chaim whispered. “It leads to a chamber at the bottom.”
They placed their hands upon the walls to steady their balance as they descended. The darkness was stifling and oppressive, and Lucius thought this must be what the entrance to Pluto must be for the spirits of the dead.
Kamali reached the bottom and stopped; she was disoriented without the walls to guide her. She spoke a spell in her native language, and a small orb of light appeared above the palm of her hand. The chamber was wide, but the roof was only inches above the men’s heads.
“Which way?” she asked Chaim. He looked around to gain his bearings from his memory.
“To the left,” he said. “The tunnel lies behind several large rocks. The passage behind them is narrow, and we’ll have to climb down to the tunnel itself.”
They walked along the outer walls of the chamber until Chaim recognized the arrangement of boulders. By the dim light of Kamali’s spell, no access was visible.
“Where is it?” she asked.
“There,” Chaim said. “We have to crawl through.”
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