***
The companions sat in the ruin of the estate house listening to the crackle of the fire, and enjoying the hot meal the Bugbears had so thoughtfully left.
Frozen foot wrappings had been thawed out to sodden foot wrappings, and showed signs that they might even become dry foot wrappings before the morning, and the mood was generally good.
"Hush!", Euphemia called, cutting off the idle music that drifted from the Bard's lyre. "I heard something."
Sharp eyes peered into the darkness, hoping for Sylus' return, but the sound came from the sky, not the woods. Diving through two errant holes in the slate roof came a pair of large birds, each easily the size of a small child. They fluttered in small circles for a moment, then dove at Marcus.
Cassius was on his feet in an instant, blade in hand, ready to defend the Cleric with his life.
"Look out!, Euphemia cried. "Those things turn people to stone!"
"Wha?", asked the warrior, suddenly confused. He hadn't seen the collection of statues they had passed below. Still, he warded off the first dive, deftly holding it at bay.
"They do what?", asked Marcus, also in shock at the revelation. His curiosity was satisfied a moment later, however, when the second bird pecked him in the back of the head, and he was petrified. The bird made a show of rapping its beak against his throat, evoking a hollow echo from his open mouth.
"Where is Sylus when you really need him?", asked Nedel as he scrambled to his feet, launching a bolt of magical energy at the winged terror.
"Probably a statue in the woods.", Penn replied rhetorically as he took up his own bow. He fired even as he retreated, drawing a squawk but very little blood.
"Somebody do something, fast!", cried Euphemia as blades flew from her hands. These also drew blood, but not enough to fell her target.
Cassius faced off against the male of the pair, and they circled each other like wrestlers in the ring. The bird would dart forward, seeking an opening, only to be driven back again when it faced cold steel.
A quick flutter of wings and a cry of triumph marked Euphemia's end, and the bird began to peck at her stony skin.
"Get off of her!", Nedel cried, again launching arcane bolts at the creature, and driving it away. It now circled, seeking the source of its annoyance.
Penn's arrows were on target, but seemed ineffectual, scoring wingfeathers more than meat. Cassius blade, on the other hand, was proving its worth. His foe bled from a dozen places, each one marking a failed attempt to close with the warrior, and those wounds were taking their toll. One wing drooped down now, and bloody foam lined its beak. Still, it seemed determined to kill him, and pressed the attack relentlessly.
The hen, on the other hand, was flying freely in broad circles, selecting its next target. Then it darted in, magic flared against feathers, and Nedel was no more. Again, the bird pecked at the petrified remains of the man.
"We're losing this fight!", Penn swore. "I have no idea how to help a statue."
"Right now, worry about surviving. You'll figure out something later.", Cassius hissed. Then his foe feinted to one side and darted in under his blade. Iron and beak met, and then there was only one.
"Got the bastard!", the warrior crowed, then looked around. "Penn? Where are you?"
"Back here!", called the Bard from beyond the firelight as he sent another arrow whistling into the remaining fowl. "Distance is an archer's best friend."
"You've been listening to Sylus again, haven't you?", bantered Cassius as he now faced off with the remaining bird. Again, they met face to face, eye to eye,
"Kill now, talk later!", advised Penn, angling to get a shot at the stalking bird.
"Might not be a later.", joked the warrior in uncharacteristic manner.
The bird lunged in the moment the southland man turned his head towards Penn, and the sword point dropped to meet it. And the fight was over. The last of the birds had skewered itself on Cassius' blade.
***
Cassius and Penn stood in the circle of light, feeling suddenly chill in spite of the fire's warmth. Around them stood the petrified remains of their companions.
"There must be something you can do!", the warrior demanded. "What were those things anyway? Is there something in your book about them?"
"It's not like a list of facts or solutions.", Penn explained. "It's a story book. Ballads and legends, epic tales and sagas."
"Well, find a song or story about these things, and how to un-stone people they bite."
Penn delved into his book, and began skimming the collected wisdom there. Finally, he closed the work with a sense of finality. "Well, I know what they aren't.", he said. "At first I thought they were the legendary Cockatrice, but these are birds from head to tail. The Cockatrice has a lizard's tail and scraggly wings. They also live in warmer areas, particularly plains. Not the Dwarven Alps. But I do recall hearing tales of a cousin of that bird, one that some call the Mockatrice, because it mimics the effects of the real thing. If that's what these are, then I have a lot of work to do."
The Bard then began to cut the two birds open. He split the skulls from behind, avoiding the throat and the thyroid gland, extracting only the brain. He then carefully cut out the liver from each, and a handful of their tail feathers.
"Can you melt some snow water? Oh, and stir it with your sword. The mixture needs their heart's blood, from the weapon that killed them. You can get more from their bodies if you've cleaned the blade, but stay away from the throat. They're dead, but their venom may still be potent."
While Cassius gathered some snow from an unblemished area, Penn carefully prepared a paste of the bird's brains and liver, leavened with his own tears for those fallen, and warmed with a few drops of spring wine.
The mixture was then dissolved into the snow melt and slowly heated until it was blood warm and no warmer.
"There isn't much of this.", Penn fretted, his gaze searching the eastern sky as he worked. "I just hope that it's enough."
When he was done, he carefully painted the eyes of his friends, as well as the area over their hearts.
"Help me turn them around, carefully.", Penn said. "They have to see the sunrise."
"There are more statues around here.", Cassius noted. "Is there any of that left?"
"A little. Let's do what we can with what's left." And three more stone figures were anointed and arranged. They finished their work just in time.
The sunrise was muted by the eternally gray skies, but its virtue was still sufficient. As the light struck the eyes and heart of the afflicted, their gray pallor turned to a healthy pink and they began to move.
Nedel collapsed as his blood began to flow once more, clutching at his throat. Blood spurted between his clenched fingers, where the bird had chipped away some of his stony flesh.
Marcus staggered for a moment, then collapsed to his knees as well, but his purpose was different. He was kneeling near the Sorcerer, pressing his fingers into precise spots to staunch the flow.
"Help me Penn.", he gasped. "If I keep this up for very long he'll die anyway. Bring me a wand!"
The healing magic was applied, and Nedel's deathly swoon turned into the unconscious slumber of healing. He'd need rest, but he'd survive.
Euphemia recovered as well, to the relief of all. Of the others they'd tried to save, one clutched at his face screaming. The birds had pecked out his eyes as he stood petrified, and he died with blood pouring down his face. Another simply remained stone, apparently too far gone for the remedy to work. A woman staggered, but managed to keep her feet, then looked around in confusion.
"Why is it snowing?", she asked dazedly. "What happened to the villa?"
"Relax", said Euphemia, helping her to find a spot to sit. "This may take some explaining."
***
Sometime after dawn the snow turned to freezing rain. In some areas it soaked the accumulated snow to slush and cleared it away. In other places it simply coated the top layer with a crust of ice. Everyplace they looked, the world glittered, beautiful and treacherous.
Yet the companions knew that they didn't have the luxury of waiting for the spring thaw, and as far as they knew more snow was on the way. They set out on the road as soon as everyone was ready to travel.
A search of the buildings had garnered little, just a small stash of dried, salted meat. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing, and with the remains of the roast boar to warm their bellies and the thin sunlight to warm their backs, they set out.
The road was now fully cobbled, unlike the lower stretches which had had stone strips for chariot or wagon and a dirt track for horse's hooves. The improvement in the road was little improvement, however, when covered in ice, and there were more than a few spills taken on the slick surface. But the road was no longer climbing, which helped. The way now lead through a pass, and into a sunlit valley.
Within the valley one would be hard pressed to say that it was winter. The plants were green, and the sun shone warmly, with no sign of the ashen shroud that cloaked the world outside. The road wound down among trees and low greenery, leading down to a small cluster of buildings in the center of the hollow.
The buildings showed signs of neglect, but a thin ribbon of blue curled up from the chimney of one, showing that there was a cook fire within. Someone still lived here.
***
The woman they had rescued from the villa seemed to be recovering from her shock, though she still tended to look about, wide eyed and almost frantic, trying to take in the changes.
She said that she had been visiting the villa in the 2nd Year of Flavius Orestes' reign, which meant that she had been petrified less than a decade, yet the changes in that time had been tumultuous, to say the least. The Vandals had invaded, Rome had been sacked, her armies scattered, cities burned, and the world cast into eternal twilight. Hard enough on those who had lived through these changes, but to have them all come crashing down on you in a moment...
Cassius made a point of walking between the newcomer and Penn, out of concern for the Half-Satyr's natural proclivities when it came to women. The lady hardly noticed, though the gesture wasn't lost on the Bard.
"We plan to return to Rome when we're finished here.", Cassius was explaining. "You'll be safer there."
"Safe? In Rome?", she asked, still confused. "I thought you said it was destroyed?"
"No. The Vandals sacked the city and killed the reigning Caesar, but the city still stands, and is recovering."
"Oh. All right. Any news from Egyptl?", she asked absently. "I'm not Roman, you see. My family lives in Luxor. At least, they used to..." And then she lapsed into one of her long, staring silences.
"I didn't get your name.", Penn said, trying to draw her out despite Cassius warning glare.
"No, you didn't, did you?", was her only reply, and then she was gone again, her body in motion but her mind clearly elsewhere.
The conversation halted at that point, for they'd reached an obstacle. The road, broad and well paved, terminated abruptly at the base of a sheer cliff. The temple grounds stood on a rise so sheer that it looked almost as if someone had simply pushed the center of the valley upwards by a dozen or so feet.
The obstacle wasn't insurmountable by any means, but it was odd enough that it warranted investigation. Sylus and Penn split off to the left while Euphemia and Marcus moved to the right, seeking a clue, or even a simple way up.
There was some rubble at the base of the cut, showing that it had weathered a few storms, but over all seemed quite fresh, as if the titans of the earth had simply sliced the valley with a knife and driven a plug of stone towards the heavens.
"I found something.", Penn called as he peered behind a boulder. A narrow crack in the stone face had been hidden behind the boulder, and it showed signs of being used as a trail. Within, the stones had fallen almost like a set of stairs.
The others were called, and Cassius volunteered to go first.
"It's bleeding tight.", he swore, as he wriggled his way up. "Hey, somebody left a spike here. It looks like it's set to tie a rope to."
"Don't touch it.", Euphemia called. "If I was going to trap a trail I used a lot, the trigger would look something like that."
"Then you come up and look at it.", the warrior complained. "I'm going to keep going."
The climb turned out to be a bit farther than at had first looked, and the footing was unsteady, but the companions managed to make the climb without incident.
Now, spread before them were the temple grounds. They could see where the road had once extended into this area, which had been the center of the small valley. It was, in total, less than a mile across, and had been arranged like a parkland. Paved walks wandered among the buildings of the grounds, which had been arranged with more art in mind than pragmatism. A small vegetable garden had been added to provide for the caretaker, and looked to be well tended.
As they approached the lone building that showed signs of life, an aged man appeared in the doorway, a pruning hook in his hand.
"Hello, friend.", Marcus called. "May the blessings of Olympus be upon you."
"And may the sun shine warmly upon you as well.", the man replied in a friendly manner. "So, more pilgrims, eh? You'll find what you seek that way.", he said, indicating a path. "Take care not to stray too far though. Some of the old menagerie are still about, and are easily upset."
"I think I know where those birds came from. Probably the strangle vines too.", Marcus informed his friends quietly. "Have a care, and keep your eyes open."
They proceeded along the path as directed, enjoying the rare sunlight as they went. The trail meandered a bit, but ended at a circular structure. Its perimeter was marked by stone pillars, each bridged at the top by broad slabs of marble that formed a ring. There was no roof, nor any sign that there had ever been one. At the center stood a small marble cone, broad but low enough that a man could look down upon it.
"It looks like a model of the temple.", Marcus marveled as he examined it. "See, the center looks like this area. There are stairs that line up with those openings.", he added, pointing to three entrances to the underground sections. "It's a solid map of the place, for there is no way to depict it properly on parchment or vellum."
"All the stairs seem to lead down to the same place, a circular corridor. Then more stairs, and more corridors. Seven levels in all."
"The caretaker said that this was where we were supposed to go, so we'd best be going.", Marcus observed. He selected the north stair, and lead the way down.
Nedel was troubled by this. "Shouldn't we have said a prayer to Apollo first? This is his temple, after all."
"Shouldn't we have told the caretaker what we were doing here?", Penn countered. "This may not be the right building at all for what we need."
"This place is the center, the beginning of the way. As life centers on the heart, so the holy works of this place center here. From here all things can be found.", Marcus answered, his voice echoing up from below. "There was no altar there, so it was neither the place for sacrifices nor prayers. What we seek awaits below."
"He seems awfully certain of himself.", Nedel said in a worried tone. "I hope he's right."
"Seven circles, as the count of days in a week.", Marcus continued, oblivious to the doubts of those who trailed behind. "Each circle is quartered, as the seasons divide the year.", he continued as he turned at the base of the stairs. "And at the center of each quarter, marking the days of the solstice and equinox, are the ways that lead on."
And sure enough, as they progressed around the circular path, they found the next corridors halfway between the entrances, one leading in and a stair leading down.
"These inner passages weren't marked on the model above.", Sylus noted.
"They lead to the altar room, which is at the center.", Marcus said. "At least I think so."
"Then that's where we should really begin.", Penn advised. And so they turned inward.
The chamber they entered was a marvel of light and artistry. Circular channels as large as a man's arms might enclose angled upwards, their upper extents apparently hidden in the stonework and statues above. Carved of white marble, they caused the daylight to flow downwards as surely as a stream directs the flow of water. The room would remain well lit, no matter the hour of the day, from dawn until sunset.
The scenes carved into the walls were magnificent, each with an inscription.
"Light the Air", read one. "Light the Fires of Truth", read the next. "Let flow the waters of Life" read the third. "Release the Bonds of the Earth.", read the fourth.
"Well, those look like directions.", Cassius declared. Let's go."
"No!", Marcus countered. "First we pray to the sun god, and make sacrifice to him. This is his temple, his home. As he is our host, so we must be good guests."
***
Deep in the seventh house of Apollo's temple, they found their first challenge.
The large chamber was dominated by two crystal arrays, one set in the floor and one in the ceiling. Each was shaped from a myriad of quartz columns, ranging in size from those as slender as a willow shaft to some larger than a man's wrist, and the lower one was ablaze with light.
At the cardinal points around the room were secondary collections of crystal projecting beams of colored light into the center.
While the room was generally clean, and showed no overt signs of damage, the statuary appeared to have been vandalized. All were missing at least one arm, though no rubble or even dust remained to show where the missing limbs might have fallen.
"Be careful of this door.", Euphemia said, after a brief examination.
"What door?", asked Cassius. "It's an open archway."
"Exactly.", nodded the Halfling, pointing upwards towards a slot that ran across the opening. "Something drops down from there. We could get locked in if we aren't careful."
"Then let's be careful.", advised Penn, producing a pair of wedges and a mallet. Reaching up at the edges of the slot, he drove a wedge into each side, so as to jam anything that might try to descend.
"You're not behaving like a guest.", advised Marcus.
"If he's planning on locking us in here, then he's not behaving like a host.", came the short reply. The Bard's sense of humor was often impudent, and occasionally quite dark, but he was coldly serious right now.
"I'll check the other door.", Euphemia said, heading to the opening on the far side of the room.
"Hold it.", Penn said before she had taken three steps. "If I was trying to trap a chamber in the sun god's temple, I'd have it triggered by having someone walk through a beam of light."
"And how would you manage such a mechanism?", the Rogue asked tartly.
"I don't know, but I'd find a way. So humor me and duck under those beams of light, okay?"
"You duck, longshanks.", Euphemia laughed as she walked under the first beam, full upright. Barely taller than two cubits, she would have had to stretch to impede the beams in any way.
Cassius also laughed at the suddenly concerned Bard, but he ducked under the beams as he followed the tiny girl. "Come on, Penn. The caretaker sends all the pilgrims through this place. They couldn't be laying traps for everyone who comes here."
Everyone turned to look at the open door in anticipation of so prophetic a phrase, but nothing happened, and they breathed a collective sigh of relief.
"Give me a hand with this other door.", Euphemia called. "It isn't locked, but it's heavy.
The southern warrior applied his shoulder to the massive iron door, forcing it open. The creak of unoiled hinges echoed through the room, followed by the sound of splintering wedges as the entryway was abruptly sealed.
"Well, that was entirely expected.", Penn remarked dryly. "I hope they left us something in there to get it open again."
"Well, we'll be well armed when that happens.", laughed Euphemia. Then, seeing the Bard's dark expression, she pressed on. "Look, Cassius is right. They wouldn't just lock us in and kill us. Everyone who comes here on pilgrimage visits this room. And they get out again. It can't be that hard. Besides, I wasn't kidding about being well armed.", she added, dragging out a stone arm from the side chamber. "There's a bunch of these in here. I think we have to put them back where they belong."
The pair brought out the assortment of stone body parts and laid them out on the floor. There was one for every statue in the hall, but four were of particular interest. They held shields of burnished bronze, bright and shiny.
"I think I know where these go.", Marcus said with satisfaction. "If we put them in the statues by the light sources, they'll deflect the light beams up to the second set of crystals. Right now they're lighting the room from the floor. This will light it from the ceiling."
"We'd better save those for last though.", Nedel cautioned. "We shouldn't solve the puzzle clue before everything else is ready."
And so they set out to match the arms to their respective statues. It was a frustratingly slow process, since many seemed cut in the same style, but wouldn't fit the shoulder joint properly. But as more and more found their homes, the process sped up, until finally there were just the four remaining arms, the shield bearers.
"Just so you know, there's something moving inside the crystals.", Euphemia advised. "This may be more than just a simple puzzle."
"Simple?", huffed Cassius. "Easy for you to say, you haven't been the one hauling stone body parts around."
"Hey, can I help it if all the statues are taller than I am?"
"In any case, let's be ready for trouble."
Three of the arms were set into place, and as each one found its home the lower crystal darkened and the one above glowed brighter, and the figures in the lower array become more distinct.
Then everyone placed themselves, and the Bard began to sing a song to rouse the blood. And the last statue was restored.
Half the group were expecting the statues to animate, while the others were busy watching the dark crystal. It was from that place that the danger emerged.
"They look like living shadows.", Cassius said in wonder. "With no one to cast them."
The dark forms flickered forward, dancing about as if outlined by a candle in the wind. They'd be in front of someone one moment, and then a heartbeat later they'd be somewhere else.
"Ahhhh!", Marcus cried out as one of them struck at him, its dim hands passing through armor and flesh alike. "It's cold!", he cried as he stumbled back.
"Oblivion!", cried the unnamed woman as a flash of light sprang from her hand. The dim form danced back at her rebuke, light crackling inside it like lightning in a storm cloud.
And the battle was on. The foes' wavering forms were indistinct, and striking at them was like slashing at smoke, but they did react to some of the blows.
Nedel's magical bolts seemed particularly effective, as did the disrupting flashes from the new member.
The enemy seemed unable to stay with any particular opponent, for while their natural defense kept them dancing in and out of reach, it also moved them from companion to companion, preventing them from concentrating on any one person. Their blows drew no blood, but instead numbed the mind the way the winter snows numbed the body.
It took time, but by sheer numbers the companions were wearing the enemy down. The living learned to match the enemy's dance, stepping away as the enemy flickered in, then anticipating where they were going to be next when they aimed their blows.
One shadow fell, and then the second, and the room was quiet. Slowly, smoothly, the iron slab that blocked the doorway withdrew into the ceiling once more.
"Well that was odd.", Euphemia giggled, laughing almost as if she were slightly drunk.
"I think the crystals were a prison.", Marcus said. "As long as they were filled with light, the creatures of darkness couldn't pass. Once we lit the air above them though, they were free to attack."
***
"The next chamber should be this way.", Marcus said, as he took another turn.
"Why don't you let me scout the way, just in case there's trouble up ahead?", Sylus asked. "I saw the cartograph too."
The next chamber they found resembled the first, in that it was quite large, with an arched ceiling and just two doors. Again, there was a slot above the entrance for a door to fit into. They didn't bother trying to block this one.
In the center of the room stood a stone circle, and above it was a matching one of iron. Long pipes of black iron lead in from the sides, and a forge and bellows stood to one side.
"This looks like it's dedicated to Hephaistus.", the Ranger said, examining the carvings on the walls.
"Then lets light the fire and be done with it."
As before, opening the second door sealed the first, but this time the side chamber held a bin of charcoal.
Sylus considered the size of the fire pit, then called for three skupper's of charcoal.
"Before you light that, shouldn't we check to see that the flue is open?", Euphemia suggested. "We're pretty far underground, and we don't want to smoke ourselves out."
There was indeed a damper on the flue inside the iron hood. A quick check of the room showed other dampers on the iron pipes, which when opened provided a solid draft of fresh air.
The fires were then lit and fanned to a proper heat. Still the door remained closed.
"Maybe it needs something else.", Penn muttered, examining the room again. Then it hit him. "This is a shrine to the god of smiths!", he declared brightly. Moving to the anvil he hefted the hammer there and struck three ringing blows, reciting the traditional chant of the smiths as he did.
The fires in the forge suddenly flared bright, raising themselves from bright coals to a towering blaze, then abruptly went out. The door opened.
***
We should have been forging something.", Marcus said as they walked away. "I'm not sure, but I think we may have just angered the god."
"The fires were lit, and the room released us.", Penn replied. "I'm just as happy that we didn't have to fight anything."
Sylus kept his own counsel, as usual, and lead the group though the temple maze.
***
"The waters of life, I presume?", Nedel asked, as they surveyed the next room.
Again, the room was large, its ceiling vaulted, but this time there was no side changer, and no sign that the door might seal. Instead, the chamber was filled with a still pool of clear water. The floor descended into the depths as it got farther from the door, and large golden carp could be seen swimming about. The room was filled with a wavering blue illumination.
"So what's the challenge?", Sylus asked, looking the place over.
"There's something across the way.", Euphemia observed, trying to angle her head for a clearer view. Then she began to laugh. "There a huge stopper in the bottom, like you'd see in a washbasin. All we have to do is pull it out."
"Hmm. Looks far too easy.", said Nedel suspiciously. He reached down and trilled his fingers in the water, just playing with the surface.
At once the fish gathered as close to him as they could get.
"I think I see the problem.", he noted. "I think the fish have something to do with this challenge. Penn, do you have any of that dried beef left?"
"Yeah. I was saving it for the trip home, but it's certainly worth the sacrifice here."
Nedel offered bits of the hard, seasoned meat to the fish, and though they were curious, they showed no inclination to eat any.
"Let me try something.", Penn suggested. "If nothing else, they'll be happy." A song of change was sung, and the strong aroma of sweet mead filled the room.
"You didn't transform the whole pool, did you?", asked Euphemia in wonder.
"No, I can't do that much, and I'm sure it's a sin to water good wine, but in this case I'm adding wine to the water so I'm sure it's all right. Now, let's see if our friends here like getting drunk."
But the fish fairly bolted away from the area as soon as the first wisp of the honeyed nectar reached them. They wanted no part of the enchanted brew at all.
"Why bother with the fish in the first place?", Sylus asked, reaching back over his shoulder. From his quiver he withdrew a heavy, oddly shaped arrow. A line was quickly attached, and he took careful aim.
The heavy quarrel leapt across the distance, trailing the rope behind it, and sank right near the huge plug.
"Where did you get the grappling hook arrow?", Euphemia asked in wonder, clearly excited by the possibilities of such a thing.
"You remember that Half-Orc armorer back in in Rome?", Sylus asked as he drew his arrow back in. "He made all sorts of special items."
It took three tries before he managed to hook the loop on the huge stopper, but once it was caught it held secure.
"Okay, everyone pull.", the Ranger called, so they all took a grip and heaved.
Nedel lost his footing and splashed into the shallows. Almost instantly the fish darted in, slamming into the fallen Sorcerer. The impact fairly flung him back to the edge where he sat rubbing sore ribs and a wounded pride.
The stopper remained unmoved.
"I think there's probably a release of some kind.", Euphemia speculated. "Someone will have to go and work it loose by hand."
Penn saw their diminutive Rogue begin to remove her armor, and waved her back. "While I'm sure you're capable, your people aren't known for being strong swimmers."
"Well, you're not a strong anything.", came the sharp retort.
But Penn wasn't listening. Instead he was singing a song of transformation. His features flowed and changed, and in a moment he stood before them as a completely different person. His horns were gone, as was his beard. His skin was a pale white that seemed almost blue, and his hands and feet were webbed.
His dive as a long, graceful arc, and he flashed across the distance in a single fluid move, catching the guardian fish by surprise.
There was indeed a locking bar through the plug, and Penn gave it a sharp turn. At once he could see that the plug was loose, and he swam away as fast as he could, lest he be sucked down when it was freed.
This time the fish were ready, and easily matched his aquatic speed and grace, but they didn't attack. Either they sensed his nature as being similar to their own, or they didn't object to him leaving the pool.
"Pull now!"
The line was drawn taut, the plug came easily, and the room began to swirl down the exposed drain. Surprisingly the fish weren't carried with the current, but were left behind. Once they were fully exposed to the air they changed form, becoming graceful humanoid women with pale green skin.
The bowed, speaking some words in a language the companions didn't understand, then left the room.
"Wait!", called Penn as he saw them depart. "Stay. We could have drinks, get to know each other."
"They're gone, free now. I don't think even your charms could have kept them here."
"It would have been nice to find out.", pouted the Bard as he resumed his normal form. "I've never been with a Niad before, and six of them?"
"You wouldn't have survived."
"And I say again, it would have been nice to find out."
***
The party plodded wearily towards what they hoped would be their last challenge. It wasn't what they expected.
The stairway down was ten feet wide, and fairly steep, unlike the previous three challenges. At the bottom was a heavy plank door that stood as tall as three men, and was bound with heavy brass straps. The lock was clearly visible, a bit higher than a man's head.
"Okay, I'm going to have a problem with that.", Euphemia said when she saw it. "I can probably open it easily enough, but reaching it is the problem."
"You can stand on my shoulders.", Marcus suggested. "Will your tools work on a lock that heavy?"
"Tools? Grief, I can probably fit my hand in that thing.", she laughed.
Her bravado began to falter after a few minutes, though. "I can see the mechanism, but I can't move anything. It's just too heavy to move."
"You could try the key.", Cassius suggested. pointing upwards. Sure enough, a huge brass key hung high in the air, up near the right corner of the corridor.
"Hmm. Well, this will be a challenge.", Euphemia declared, eying the wall carefully. "If I work the corner, and put my foot there..."
"Maybe I can help.", Penn offered. He hummed a little tune, and extended his hand. The key began to swing on its cord, but was otherwise immovable."
"It's too heavy.", Nedel said. "Maybe if we try together."
"I have another idea.", Penn laughed, a crafty look in his eye. "Stand clear, that thing looks heavy." Then he hummed his magical tune once more and the torch lifted from his hand, wafting upward as a leaf on the breeze. Concentrating, he directed the torch to the key, and held the flame to the cord that supported it. The cord smoldered and smoked, then parted suddenly, sending the key clanging to the floor below.
"I think you dented it.", Euphemia warned, as she hefted the weighty thing. It was nearly as long as her arm.
"I damaged the key?"
"No, the floor. The key's fine.", came the response as she examined the gouge in the landing. "It's funny.", she said. "All the walls and floors here have been marble and granite. This piece is sandstone. Nobody uses sandstone for a foundation block."
"Well, see if the key fits.", Nedel called. "It's the fastest way off of that slab of sandstone."
Cassius hoisted the key up over his head and inserted it into the lock. It turned easily, and the door swung towards him of its own accord, sweeping the full width of the landing.
Beyond the door was a room, small compared to the others they'd seen, perhaps 20 feet on a side. The floor was inlaid with fine white marble tiles as wide as a man is tall, separated by strips of polished wood. Along each side wall stood wooden racks loaded with staves. They varied in length, but were as straight and as round as could be.
Euphemia began to venture out towards the double doors on the far side of the room, then suddenly froze. "The floor moved.", she whispered. Everyone cringed as she carefully sidestepped away from the suspect tile, only to see her flinch again. "This one shifted too." she warned. She shifted again, right up to the left hand wall, and began to look worried.
Crouching low, she drew a thin blade from her kit and began to probe around the edges of the stone. The blade slid in to its full length, meeting no resistance.
"Okay, each panel is pinned in place.", she declared. "One pin at the center of each edge. I can't tell what they're for, but I'm betting that something can be triggered that makes them pull out. The whole slab will tip or just plain fall if that happens. But I can't find the trigger. Whose lightest, besides me?"
"Probably me.", admitted the Half Satyr, shedding his pack. "I'm 7 stone, no more."
He examined the situation, then calmly strode out onto the floor, taking care to place his feet along the wooden rails that made up the supporting framework.
"Well, yeah, I suppose we could do it that way.", snorted Euphemia in disgust. "Do you think you can keep your balance if both panels fall away?"
"Good point.", agreed the Bard. "Maybe that's what these are for.", he continued, lifting one of the long staves from the rack. "If I hold it crossways, it can't pass through any of the openings, and I'll have something to grab onto."
"You know, grabbing that could have triggered the trap."
"Then maybe you should grab one, to help keep yourself from falling."
The pair glared at each other for a long moment, then broke into laughter.
"Smart ass.", the Halfling chuckled, shifting her feet so they were on the vertices, as Penn's were. She proceeded to the far door. The keyhole was at a more normal level, but was still oversized.
Cassius came out, carefully, braced his feet the same way the other two had, and lifted the heavy key into place. Almost the moment he turned the key, both doors slammed open. Cassius staggered back, blood pouring down his face, and the room shook with the impact of the doors against the walls.
