Whispers of the Furtive

Although the trip in the small vessel lasted only several minutes it felt like a lifetime to Corin. Since he did not have to worry about steering the vessel he kept his eyes shut during the majority of the voyage. Now and then he would open his eyes to make sure his newfound allies were indeed leading him in the correct direction but beyond that he spent most of the trip firmly rooted in place just waiting for it to be done. The few glimpses of Livia that Corin could catch showed that she was much more at ease than Corin was.

Once the sirens got them to Aubea Corin was more than happy to jump out and land on solid ground. Both Nishandra and Gavlin got a good laugh at Corin’s reaction. They bade the duo goodbye and informed them that they would be ready to bring them back to Trinixo once their business in the Dragon temple was concluded.

Corin and Livia now found himself on the shore of Aubea, an island he had seen many times during his lifetime but a place neither had ever been to. In fact, this was the first time in either Corin or Livia’’s nearly three decades of life that they had ever left Trinixo. Despite the many islands that could be seen from the shores of Trinixo, the idea of leaving it was never something they discussed.

But they only came here for one reason, now it loomed large before them.

“By all under the sun.” Corin uttered.

“It is even more amazing up close.” Livia responded.

Standing so close to the gargantuan was very different from seeing it from a distance in Trinixo. From where he stood it was hard for him to see even the top of the structure. In the relatively small island of Aubea, the structure was perched so perfectly in the middle that it seemed as if it was made specifically for it.

Corin found himself hesitating slightly as he stared at the structure.

He grabbed his pendant. “Weather the storm.” He whispered to himself.

Livia looked at him and echoed. “Weather the storm.”

Corin pulled out the weapon that Livia had fashioned for him from his bag, as well as the weapon holder which he wrapped around his waist. He had some practice with the weapon but it was still very much a work in progress. Livia was much more adept with it, but she had her own version of it. He also sheathed his trusty dagger as they made their way to the structure.

It did not take long for them to make it to the base of the structure. The only entrance that was observed was through a cracked wall which Corin was barely able to fit himself through.

Inside the structure both of them saw familiar shapes to those he had previously observed in the smaller fragments of temples that had previously landed on Trinixo. Intricate carvings on the wall depicting various dragons being worshiped, small weird repeating shapes, stone walls that were as smooth as glass and intricate mechanical apparatuses that would operate various doors and contraptions. They also saw the repeating light fixtures that were affixed to the ceiling at recurring intervals. They had seen this in other temple fragments but have never been able to decipher how they provided the steady dim light.

The pair continued navigating the long dimly lit hallways. Every corner they took seemed to bring them face to face with an even more majestic area of the temple than before.

"By all that is holy." Corin muttered aloud.

“This is amazing.” Livia muttered.

They found themselves in the middle of a large great hall. In the center of it a large shimmering and intricately carved stone statue was placed. The chamber had several stories and the statue went as tall as the room. This hall was much much larger than anything Corin had ever seen from a dragon temple. The walls were covered with many reliefs portraying different dragons in majestic splendor.

Corin could see smaller repeated carvings over the various dragons. He felt as if these were meant to convey some information but neither he nor Livia had no idea what they could mean.

At the very top of the chamber there was a pristine glass dome through which the sunlight could come in. The glass dome seemed to disperse the sunlight in such a way that it was meant to bring the attention of any individual standing in there to the various carvings. But of course the majority of the light bathed the majestic statue in the middle.

Behind the large statue a set of stairs went up and split up leading to a second floor in the chamber. Corin's curiosity and admiration compelled him to go up and continue studying the chamber.

On that second level they found the stone carvings of the wall replaced with glass reliefs. This time they were not dragons, but of a different type of creature. Some of them looked humanoid but they were completely covered in armor making it impossible for Corin to tell what exactly they were supposed to be. One of them had on armor, but unlike the others this one did not have its face covered. Corin was surprised by what he was seeing.

"Is this, a human?" Corin asked Livia.

Livia studied the relief as well.

“I think so.” She replied.

They both studied the relief on the wall and there was no mistaking it. There were various furtive creatures in the lands, but this one was definitely a human. Corin knew of humans that lived amongst dragons of course. Simeon has been amongst dragons in the past. But the relatively small amount of information he had on these relationships had never indicated to him that they would honor humans in such a way. Corin and Livia were both confused by the relief on the wall, but now was not the time to determine what exactly all the reliefs here meant.

Corin looked down on the first level from where he stood. He had no words to express his admiration. In all his years of life he had never seen something so awe inspiring. It was hard for him to comprehend that another civilization was able to construct something so beautiful. He felt as if he could spend several lifetimes in this very room admiring the various reliefs, studying the works that were clearly crafted by masters.

But they were not here to study the fine designs on the walls. They were here to find any type of object or device that may be of use to bring back. They needed to move on, but that was not a simple task.

This Grand Hall was not only flush with various artworks, it also had a large number of hallways leading into it. As far as Corin could count there were four on the first level, one of which he had entered through, and three on the second.

“So where to now.” Livia asked as she stood next to Corin.

“Well…” Corin said.

“That is what I am trying to decide. Any ideas?” Corin added as he looked around.

There was no feature that Corin could discern that would give him any clear idea of where each hallway led to. In all the time they had spent preparing for the trip they had not considered how exactly they would traverse it. They knew the structure was gargantuan from having seen it fall, but being inside it gave them a better appreciation of the magnitude of the structure and underscored the fact that they were both hopelessly lost inside here.

"I think that one looks good.” Livia added as she pointed to a hallway straight across from them.

Corin looked at the hallway and studied it. Nothing about it signified it was any different from the other choices in the room. Corin thought about it for a second.

“Fine suggestion!” Corin smiled as he followed Livia’s lead.

The hallway they encountered did not differ from the ones they had already traversed.

Along the hallway he eyed an item that he knew Livia was on the lookout for. He quickly drew her attention to it.

“Let’s see if it is here!” Livia almost ran to the object. Beneath a stone carving on the wall there was a raised dais with a dragon figurine perched on top of it.

Livia went behind the dais and from underneath pulled out several bags.

“Corin there is so much of it!” Livia almost shouted with enthusiasm as she kept bringing out the small bags.

Corin started grabbing the small bags that Livia was pulling out and putting them into his pack. The small bags were filled with a fine black powder. The dragon powder had the unique property that it would create small explosions when exposed to fire. It was how Livia had made the ammunition for the weapon she had given to Corin and for the one she carried.

"Amazing!" Livia laughed as she kept grabbing more of the bags.

Corin nor Livia had ever found so much dragon powder in a single location.

“Is it too much already?” Livia asked with a tinge of sadness.

Corin lifted his pack and realized how much heavier it felt with just the dragon powder added. They had just started their exploration.

“I would say so.” Corin replied.

“Well we can always come back on another trip in the future and grab more.” Livia replied happily.

Corin’s heart sank. The thought of having to brave the trip across the sea again filled Corin with dread.

From there on Corin and Livia moved on. The hallways they traversed continued winding. THey would find themselves in small rooms but had been struggling in finding much of interest. Eventually they came across a large room.

This one was different from the previous great hall. Instead of several stories it was just one large circular room with domed walls that went up to the ceiling. The walls left a gap at the top through which the sunlight entered.

The only thing of note in the room was a glistening object in the middle, floating as if in mid-air.

Corin cautiously entered the large chamber, but nothing happened.

Livia followed close behind him.

Curious about the floating object, Corin moved towards it. As he neared it he gasped in amazement as he realized what it was.

What Corin was looking at was the finest blade he had ever laid eyes on. The blade was so meticulously crafted that the reflected shine from the sunlight was almost blinding. Corin had seen many metalworks from dragon temples before but none as large as this or as immaculate.

The blade pointed down as the handle was held by a metal hook hanging from the ceiling.

Corin placed a hand on the metal and it felt cool to the touch. He passed a finger over the edge of the blade and instantly felt how sharp the object was.

“Corin.” Livia said in a concerned tone. He looked back at her and smiled.

“I am merely observing.” He replied.

“You observe with your eyes not your hands.” Livia said but Corin went on.

He carefully grabbed the blade and picked it up holding it by the hilt. As he studied the blade a soft slinking sound was heard as the hook retracted slightly up into the air.

The next thing Corin heard was the door slam shut. He looked back and the way which he came through was slam shut.

Oh of course that would happen!

"Corin!" Livia shouted.

As he looked around trying to find a way out, he heard another noise. The quick swish of stone moving. In the floor in front of Corin, where he had grabbed the blade there was now a large opening. Corin heard a snarl coming from the pit.

“Get back!” Corin shouted at Livia.

He started stepping back when he saw the first talon reach out from the pit. The red scales were very reminiscent of the beast Corin had seen flying years earlier. Corin dropped everything he was holding as he stared.

In the blink of an eye another talon reached out holding to the side of the pit as the creature roared in anger, voicing its displeasure at whoever had dared walk into its lair.

It finally pulled itself out of the pit and looked around, searching for its next victim. Corin was paralyzed in fear, unsure of what he was staring at. It looked like a dragon, but it was only a bit larger than Corin and it had no wings. The lizard scanned the room and caught Corin in its gaze and roaring at him began a mad charge at him.

“CORIN!” Livia shouted at him.

As the creature approached Corin froze.

“MOVE!” A familiar voice shouted in his mind rousing him to move.

Corin jumped out of the way at the very last instance. The beast turned quickly and dashed headfirst into Corin, who moved away again. This time the creature dashed headfirst into the wall being temporarily stunned but not for long. As Corin lay on the ground he reached for his dagger and prepared to face the creature.

“Corin!” Livia shouted.

“Stay back!” Corin replied as he eyed the creature.

Corin could see Livia in his peripheral vision but could not tell what she was trying to do.

As the creature spun around it lunged at Corin who was barely able to miss its wild swing. The creature hunched back preparing to lunge at Corin, who sidestepped at the very last second as the creature bit at the air.

BANG!

The loud noise pierced the air, and the next instant Corin heard a noise from the wall behind the creature. Livia had missed the creature and struck the wall with her rifle.

The creature looked back at the source of the noise. Seeing an opening Coring lunged with his blade at the creature’s back. As the blade made its way into the creature’s back it struck the rough scales and split in two. Seeing no effect on the creature Corin pulled out the weapon that Livia had given him but he was too slow.

Not hesitating, the creature spun its tail around hitting Corin directly in his chest and knocking him back several feet. Livia's weapon was knocked out of his hands.

Now Corin lay on the ground gasping for air as he heard the creature prepare itself to pounce on the prone Corin.

Corin felt a cold touch on the back of his neck.

“The blade” He grunted.

As he reached back to grab the blade the creature once again lunged at Corin. As it came down upon him, Corin thrust up, spearing the creature through its neck. This blade went through the creature’s scales easily.

But this only enraged the creature who bit into Corin’s shoulder. The pain from the bite was excruciating. The small teeth were sawlike and they dug in firmly into his flesh as they picked him up. Corin grabbed into the blade that was firmly lodged in the creature’s body and twisted it around, trying to hit some vital spot. Screaming from the pain the creature threw Corin across the room, but Corin was unable to get the blade from him.

The creature prepared to finish Corin and started charging at him.

BANG!

This time Livia connected directly with the creature hitting it in the torso. The creature yelled in pain and turned towards Livia.

The creature charged towards her and within seconds was upon her. Livia managed to get off another shot, but this one grazed the creature which used its large body to ram into her and launch her across the room. She landed on the wall and crumpled on the floor.

“Livia! NO!” Corin screamed at the creature as it turned its attention towards him.

As the creature neared Corin, he jumped up and held onto the hook that had held the blade. The creature passed under him and Corin saw the pit from where the creature had come quickly close and the door to the large room open. But he did not have much respite. The creature was turning around preparing to attack Corin once again.

As the creature charged towards Corin he let go of the hook and the creature fell back into its pit. This would not stop the creature in its goals and iIn mere seconds it already had its two talons on the perch of the pit as it was getting ready to escape and finish Corin once and for all.

As the creature got its upper body over the pit Corin jumped onto the hook again, and the floor quickly closed. Despite the creature being in its path, the floor closed as if there had been no obstruction. The upper half of the creature was cleanly removed from its bottom half and where the center of the floor met now there was a large part of the creature’s internal organs. The creature still writhed in anger trying to claw at Corin. Despite missing its lower half the creature refused to succumb, but each passing moment reduced its ability to fight. The creature weakly clawed over to where Corin hung and stopped, having finally succumbed to its injuries.

Corin quickly dropped and ran over to Livia.

“Livia please, please be ok.” Corin said as he held his wife’s hand.

“I told you not to touch that stupid blade you idiot!” Livia replied angrily.

“I’m sorry. I know! I should have listened to you! Are you ok? Are you hurt?” Corin asked Livia.

“I think I’m ok. I didn’t get mauled like you did.” Livia replied.

“Help me get up.” Livia asked Corin.

As he did, she immediately winced in pain.

“Agh!” She cried in pain.

“What is it?” He asked her.

“It’s my leg. I don’t think it’s broken, but I don’t think I’m going to be able to move a lot.” She replied.

“Get me the medicine.” Livia told Corin.

He obliged her and quickly got her the small box of tonics she had prepared.

“Let's take care of you first.” Livia said.

“Do you think you broke anything?” Livia asked Corin.

Throughout the entire time Corin had yet to focus on his wounds. Now that the fight was done he was starting to feel some of its effects. His stomach felt as if someone had jumped on it several times and his shoulder ached from all the incisions made by the tiny saw-like teeth. He felt his stomach where the beast had struck him. He did not think the creature had broken any of his ribs.

“No I don’t think anything is broken.” Corin replied.

“Ok, take off your shirt.” Livia told him and he obliged.

Corin took off his leather shirt. Livia took one look at the wound and recoiled.

Corin looked at his shoulder.

“Oh that does not look very good.” Corin said as he felt revolted at the sight of his own flesh.

The bite marks were not deep but they were many. Livia grabbed one of the salves that she had prepared. They had only expected that they might slip and scrape themselves on some stone, but never expected anything like the creature. She applied the salve on him.

He let out a loud cry. It hurt almost as bad as when it was bit into.

“Are you ok?” Livia asked.

Corin could only nod.

“Well this is your fault anyways.” Livia said.

“I know, I know.” Corin knew that Livia would bring this moment up for the rest of their lives.

When Livia finished Corin put on his tattered shirt.

“Get me a cloth and two of the supports we brought.” Livia asked and Corin obliged.

She quickly wrapped them around her leg and was able to stand.

“I’m not going to be able to move much Corin.” She mentioned.

“It’s ok Livia we’ll leave.” Corin tried his best at reassuring her. It was his fault after all.

“Leave? Are you serious? After we went through all that to come here? Because I can’t walk well? You can walk right?” Livia asked him.

“Well yes.” Corin replied.

“Then you go on about looking for more things! We’ve barely started to explore this place, we’re not going to leave now. You just have to be more careful about what shiny things you decide to pick up.” Livia said.

Although Corin did not feel that was the best course he also knew that Livia was right. There was still much to see and who knew what else they could find.

“Well how do we get out of here?” Livia asked.

“Leave it to me.” Corin replied.

He moved up to the dead creature and grasped the blade. He pulled it out and cleaned the gore off it. After doing so the blade looked as it had when Corin first laid eyes on it.

“You don’t mind if I bring you along now do you?” Corin whispered to it.

He turned towards the deceased creature.

“Well you won't be needing this anymore.” Corin said to the creature as he raised one of its arms and sliced it off. Corin placed the arm on the hook and the door opened.

“Well that was disgusting.” Livia shouted at Corin.

He simply shrugged his shoulders in reply.

“I would say goodbye and I wish our paths would cross again. But for now I will say good riddance.” Corin bade his farewells to the creature as he kicked it. He grabbed the weapon Livia had made him and left the room with her.