EPISODE THIRTY-SEVEN:
THE SHADOW TEMPLE
The strange barking-cough call of the Scalebacks echoed through the cavern. This time, it seemed to come from Vash’s left. “I think they’re getting closer.”
“Maybe five or ten minutes away at the rate they’re gaining.” Jabez said, face set in a scowl that was part frustration and part physical pain.
The dwarf had started out strong, keeping up with the arduous pace that Vash set to keep ahead of the Scalebacks. For a time, he felt they were pulling away from the Scalebacks. The strategy of moving closer to the site of the Shadow Temple worked for a while. The Scalebacks slowed, considering their options. Vash had seen the primary group through his . They were snapping and hissing at the scarred bull that lead them. A fight even broke out at one point, but once the bull drew blood, all other challengers backed off.
Things changed when the second group finally caught up. Working together, the two packs of Scalebacks effectively moved to cut off the Wayfarers, forcing them further and further to the northeast. They had backtracked several times to avoid running straight into either pack.
After two hours of this cat-and-mouse, Jabez’s stamina waned. He was moving slower, struggling on any sustained climb, and his breath was heavy and labored.
Can’t keep this up much longer. Vash thought. Either Jabez will collapse or the Scalebacks will catch us.
His thoughts drifted to the dark presence to the northeast. The shadow temple was visible now, a collection of stone pillars that looked grown rather than carved. From this distance they could almost be mistaken for stalagmites, except for the uniform distribution and more geometric base shape. ‘Morning’ in the Underlands was dawning. Pale blue glowmoss dimly lit the uneven planes that they traveled across. The spires of the shadow temple, however, held a muted purple glow from somewhere deep within.
Vash shuddered. Every time he looked in that direction, he could feel it pulling at him.
. Cass’s voice sounded muted and faraway, almost like she was whispering across a distance.
“Cass!” Vash whispered, happy to hear her voice.
Cass hissed.
“What’d you say?” Corwin asked, turning to Vash. The big warrior had kept his eyes glued on their trail, not wanting to be caught by surprise.
“Nothing.” Vash said quickly. “I just stubbed my toe, that’s all.”
“Keep quiet, both of you.” Jabez said, his voice a low rumble. “If those Scalebacks figure out exactly where we are, a stubbed toe will be the least of our problems.”
Cass said.
Vash nodded to himself.
Cass said dryly.
Vash thought.
Cass said.
Vash thought.
Cass said.
Vash thought, wearily.
Cass sounded worried, like she didn’t want to say the next bit.
Vash said. Again, he looked to the northeast, towards the menacing purple glow of the Temple.
Cass asked. She sounded worried. Vash could feel her almost trying to hide deeper in his mind.
Vash thought. He glanced back at Jabez and Corwin. Jabez had slowed again, and he seemed to have difficulty with both the weight of his pack and his hammer. Corwin slowed his own pace to make sure that his master didn’t get left behind. Another cough-bark call echoed around them.
Vash thought.
Vash felt Cass give him the mental equivalent of a scowl, but she didn’t protest any further.
“They’ve gotten in front of us,” Vash said, keeping his voice low. “It’s dangerous, but the Scalebacks don’t like that place up there.”
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Jabez and Corwin turned to look at the glowing forest of columns that were now almost directly east of them. Corwin made an uncomfortable face. “Doesn’t look ominous at all. Why should we be worried?”
“It at least gives us a fighting chance,” Vash continued. “Those columns unnerve the Scalebacks, but they also give us cover.”
“” Jabez swore. “I hate it, but you have a point. Let’s head that way. With any luck, the Scalebacks will fall back and bicker a bit, give us some room to maneuver.”
Corwin looked dubious, almost like he wanted to say something, but he kept it to himself.
Waiting to get Jabez’s ear alone, no doubt. Vash thought, bitterly. Turning to the east and setting a new pace, hoping that Jabez could keep up.
Cass chided.
Getting closer to the shadow temple did not improve it one bit. The towering stone columns were about five feet in diameter, pitted and scarred with age, giving them a strange mix of architecture and organic growth. The purple glow coming from within the temple seemed strangely muted, like a light shining through mist. To add to the overall creepy feeling of the place, glowmoss did not grow on the cavern ceiling directly above the temple.
Angular runes ran around the base of the columns. Vash still didn’t recognize the writing, but could tell they were similar to the ones in Cass’ temple.
Vash thought, careful to keep his thoughts quiet and directed away from Cass. She had been quiet as they approached the temple. Vash hoped she had gone back to rest. For the entire walk to the temple, Cass had been a tiny ball of fear and worry in the back of his mind. He needed to focus, and having that doubt and fear whispering in his ear could be catastrophic.
A set of steps ran up from the floor of the cavern to the top of the carved stone foundation. The pitted black stone ran the length of the temple and gave it an oddly grandiose feel, like anyone mounting those steps should feel humbled to be in this place.
Corwin joined him at the base of the steps, Jabez close behind. All three of them stared at the temple, none wanting to be the first to step inside.
“This place just feels wrong.” Corwin said. “The angles, shapes, they all aren’t quite right. I can’t can’t explain it.”
“It’s shadow-touched.” Jabez said. He was pale and sweating, fatigue leaving dark circles under his eyes. Vash could feel a steady trickle of mana coming from Jabez, not like one of them using a major Talent, but definitely something passive.
Vash thought.
Jabez stretched out one hand, holding his lantern aloft. The alchemical light dimmed slightly as it crossed over the first step of the temple. “I’m not sure how much use these are going to be in there.”
Vash started to respond but a sudden coughing-bark pulled his attention. Looking out over the plain they had just crossed, Vash could see dark shapes moving at speed. “The Scalebacks are here.”
“Damn,” Jabez growled, hefting his war hammer. “No choice now.”
Corwin looked conflicted, drawing his sword but staying in place. Not daring to take that first step.
Vash thought and raised his foot to the first stone step.
Nothing happened.
Vash let out a breath. He didn’t know what he thought would happen, but enough strange things had occurred over the past few days that it was surprising when the steps, at least, were just normal steps.
“Come on.” Vash said, mounting the steps and heading for the forest of columns. “Let’s get moving before those things catch us out here.”
Corwin and Jabez hesitantly followed, taking those first few reluctant steps before gaining a kind of resigned confidence and jogging to the top of the stone foundation with Vash.
Jabez was right about the lanterns. Once they had passed beyond the first row of columns, the lanterns dimmed to the barest of glows. Corwin exchanged a glance with Jabez before turning his lamp all the way down and hooking it to a clip on his pack. With the lanterns stowed, the only light came from the strange purple glow from somewhere within the temple.
They walked past the first few rows of columns. At that point, they felt surrounded by the oddly organic pillars that soared into the darkness all around. Vash felt hemmed in and disoriented. The strangely regular pattern and dim purple light made him feel light-headed. He leaned one hand against a column to steady himself and felt a strange gritty texture beneath his fingers. Pulling his hand back, he looked at the fine sand that stuck to his fingers. Tiny purple crystals, small as a grain of sand and light as dust, clung to his skin before flaking off and floating to the ground.
Vash thought through the haze of disorientation.
Back in Sathsholm, one of the Eth Mitaan’s more lucrative, but distasteful, trades were in smuggling Therium salts. The fine powder of ground Therium crystals, mixed with a few other alchemical materials, was a very useful component in a great number of potions. On its own, it was also a very potent drug when inhaled or smoked. It was like inhaling raw mana. Use enough of it and you had visions, or could peer past the First Veil and see the meridians of mana in the world. Collegium mages were notorious for using the stuff. It gave you a quick burst of mana, so anyone who used mana in any way had a use for it.
And here it is, just coating the walls of an ancient temple. Vash thought. Damn, need to clear my head. He blinked rapidly, shaking his head, trying to get his thoughts straight. Byar had taught him what to do if one crate ever broke open. Vash let his mind sink into his Core, like he would if he were about to use a Talent. He felt mana sluggishly flow through his meridians. Gradually, the disorientation faded, especially now that he knew what he was dealing with. Nearby Corwin stood gaping at the columns, jaw slack and eyes vacant. Jabez was down on his knees, taking long, shuddering breaths, his eyes squeezed shut.
Vash approached Corwin, grabbing his arm and shaking him. The big man’s head lolled for a moment, then he looked down at Vash with a confused expression.
“Therium salts.” Vash said. “It’s all over the place in here.”
Corwin blinked, trying to focus. “Wha-?”
“Just focus, like you’re using a Talent.” Vash said. “It helps convert the salts we’re just sort of absorbing into usable mana.”
Corwin shut his eyes and grimaced in discomfort. Vash felt a slight pulse of magic from him and felt reassured that the Corwin could cycle the extra mana and clear his head. Jabez, however, Vash wasn’t sure what was wrong with him.
Snarls and hisses drew his attention. Vash left Jabez and Corwin for a moment and moved towards the sound. The temple was disrupting his , and with that much free-floating Therium, he wasn’t surprised. Peering out from between the columns, Vash could see the Scalebacks just beyond the stairs.
The lizard-men paced back and forth. They snarled and snapped at one another. Now and then they would stop and stare at the columns before making another of those coughing-bark calls and going back to pacing.
Only one of them was still. The bull with the scarred face stood in the center of the milling Scalebacks. His one clear eye burned with anger as he stared at the collection of columns. The bull scanned the columns back and forth, searching, searching.
Vash thought.
As if he heard Vash’s voice, the bull’s head whipped to stare at him through the columns. The bull’s eye glittered with anticipation and bloodlust. He let out a low, rumbling roar, raising his spear in triumph. The other Scalebacks turned to look at the bull, then followed his gaze to the columns.
Vash felt the hungry stares of a dozen lizard-men. They turned slowly, tails making lazy undulations behind them as they stalked forward.
They had finally found their prey.
Now the hunt could truly begin.
