The following story is based on Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem. All characters, that were originally in the game by Silicon Knights and Nintendo are property of those companies. The characters Richard Cale and Yvette Cale are characters from my own stories. All other characters are original.
Chapter 7: The Lost Shrine
I. Percival
Percival Marsh sat at the table in the room he had been given, mulling over the book Yvette Cale had brought back from his office. With him were Dr. Edwin Lindsey and Amber Snow, both of whom were looking at the glowing golden gauntlet she now wore. He had finished translating the runes that had appeared on the thing, but what they translated to were vague references about a lost shrine of The Goddess. While he researched this in secret for years, every shrine site he had located had been destroyed, as if forces had been working to hide her existence. Of course, he now knew this to be true, but still, he had kept searching.
With what the gauntlet provided, he was now closer to what he believed was the location. He had remembered reading that The Goddess, according to legend, had some how inserted some followers into the religions so that every religion somehow had a creation myth. Of course, most got twisted so people forgot about her, or vilified her. He looked at the references to Gaia in Greek Mythology, or how most Christian beliefs seemed to vilify the female form. Still, the most discrete reference to the shrine was the story of Eden. Some people believed the mythical garden was in the Middle East, and he was certain that was the Lost Shrine.
He finally set down the book, and pointed to the passage that he felt confirmed it. "I think I found the location. The shrine where the next part of the artifact is hidden is in the Middle East." He watched as Edwin pulled out a map of the area, then looked from the map to the drawing, almost frowning. This caused Percival to become very concerned. "What's wrong?"
He watched as the archeologist placed the map down, pointing to the same spot on a modern map. "If that is the location, I fear it might be gone. Michael Edwards had found the necropolis, as well as the location where Pious Augustus had found the cursed artifacts at. It was a base of his power when he was the source of problems. Michael had bombed the place, and barely escaped."
For a minute, Percival seemed devastated by the news. That ended when Amber sat bolt upright. Her eyes glowed for a moment, and then she spoke in the ethereal voice of The Goddess. "While the necropolis was destroyed, the location of the shrine was not. It still resides there, waiting for the rest to be restored to it." When the last word was uttered, Percival watched the young woman sagged, and then almost collapsed.
Before he could even react, Edwin had already rushed to the young girl's side to steady her. As he did so, he just said, "I think I may have an idea where that is. The way Richard described how the Goddess had save him from the explosion, I'm betting that the Goddess's shrine is right here." Percival watched as Edwin pulled out a map and pointed at a certain spot on it.
When Percival looked at the map, he realized the map had to be of the place they had to go to. It was near what had been marked as the location of a massive explosion, in the Middle East. Before he could ask about it, he heard the Goddess's ethereal voice. "Yes, the shrine is there. When the necropolis was destroyed years ago, the shrine was left unscathed. Richard had ended up just inside its borders, which allowed me to get him safely back to where he belonged."
Percival nodded when he realized what that meant. The next relic they needed was there, and it should be a relatively safe place to go. He looked at the others, and said, "That has to be it. By the way, what used to be there?" He had a feeling he knew, especially as he recalled some of the old legends he had read over the years.
He saw Dr. Edwin Lindsey get up. "It had been the place where three Ancients had been imprisoned. Mantorok had allowed Pious Augustus to find the place millennia ago, and that led to them being freed, and then destroyed. I had never been there, but Richard had. We'll need to talk to him before he send anyone there." Percival nodded, and noticed Amber doing the same. With that, the three of them got up, and headed off to find the three leaders of the group.
II. Yvette
Yvette Cale stood by her husband's side as the work progressed on securing the new tunnel. When they had found it, they hadn't had the time to start securing it with the runes of the Goddess. The appearance of the Trapper caused them to start doing so. It could be a time consuming process, taking the better part of a day. In the past, it had been just her, Richard and Alexandra doing it, but as more people arrived, they taught more how to do it.
Now, Richard was standing guard as one of the residents cast the spell to extend the barrier. As it was, the barrier progressed slowly, meaning that there were hidden runes throughout the area. As the latest barrier extension fizzled to a stop, she shook her head and said, "Damn. How many runes are in here?"
She watched as her husband walked to the latest spot, and stabbed at the spot with his sword, which glowed yellow. "A lot. It might be why this tunnel had been covered up." She nodded in understand, peering into the darkness that filled the tunnel. While her husband had gone down it first, she wondered how far the thing went. All they needed was to find one place that would allow anyone to find the place, without going near the mansion, and everyone was threatened.
She looked again at the progress that had been made, and then looked at Richard. She could see the concern on his face, and leaned into his side, hoping the proximity would relax him. "Hopefully, we can extend the barrier far enough to restore security here." She felt him put an arm around her, and she could tell that that simple motion made him feel better.
She remained like that until she heard more people approaching. She turned her head to look in the direction, and was surprised to see a small group coming. She straightened up, noticing that the group consisted of her father, Edwin Lindsey, Alexandra, Percival Marsh, and Amber Snow. Something in their pace told her that they had some good news about the other task they had to do.
When the others finally reached them, she heard her father give some very good news. "We figured out where the lost shrine is." She smiled at that news. The lost shrine of The Goddess was where they figured the next part of the artifact was, and with the portal device, they could get there both easily and safely.
It was Alexandra who delivered the bad part of the news, and Yvette could tell how bad it was when she felt her husband stiffen. "It's in the ruins in the Middle East." She noticed that Alexandra looked right at Richard when she said that, and she knew why. Richard had almost died in those ruins.
Yvette glanced at her husband as he nodded. "It must have been where the exit had been. That's where The Goddess extended her protection to. Do you want me to head this mission as well? I'm sure the portal will put us right at that point." She noticed that Richard had slowed his comments down when Alexandra had started shaking her head. It was obvious that Alexandra didn't want Richard heading this mission.
Yvette looked at her husband and said, "You have your hands full with this right now." She then turned to Alexandra, and asked, "Who did you have in mind to lead this mission?"
She watched as Alexandra nodded, and then pointed at her. "I was thinking both you and I head this mission. No doubt, it should be easy, unless one of Mantorok's minions managed to get into that sanctuary." For a moment, Yvette shuddered. She still remembered the Lesser Guardian of Mantorok that she had encountered. It had killed Michael Edwards, and was probably the inspiration of various creatures in one of those animation styles from the Japan.
As if her shudder had triggered it, she heard her husband start to protest. "Wait a moment. We've all seen the tricks that beings aligned with Mantorok can do. You two shouldn't go alone. Besides, Yvette still seems shook up after her encounter with the Lesser Guardian." She knew her husband was right, but right now, he was needed here. She knew she had to address this now, or else, all those aware of the danger the world faced would possibly end up in great danger.
III. Richard
Richard had noticed his wife shudder when she realized it was possible that there may be a chance that they would encounter what she encountered before. Some time ago, she had told him about something that scared her. It had been what appeared to be a cartoon, but some odd thing that had been a mass of tentacles was doing unspeakable things to her. From that point on, any time she saw something like that, she needed to be held, and only held. If there was a chance with another encounter with those minions of Mantorok, he was certain she'd want him along.
To his surprise, he saw her look at him. In her eyes, he saw that she was afraid of that, but there was a good degree of bravery there too. "Dear, I know you want to protect me, and Alexandra as well, but we need to do this, and you need to stay here. This tunnel needs to be secured. If you don't get it secured, it could mean disaster." Deep down, he knew she was right about that, and after the run in his group had with the Gatekeeper of Mantorok, security should be first and foremost.
He finally agreed, but offered his advice. "Fine, but you really need to be on your guard. Mantorok's Gatekeepers remain invisible until they are ready to strike. If you see purple mist on the floor, be ready." He saw both of the girls nod, and he felt a bit better. While he was certain they could both take care of themselves, he worried for both of them.
After a moment, he saw Alexandra look back towards the building where everyone resided, and said, "We better start preparing. I would not be surprised if it doesn't take long for the transporter to be calibrated." He saw Yvette nod, and then watched as the two headed off. Before they had left, though, he saw Alexandra turn and say, "By the way, don't forget to set up a few barriers. We had spotted a Trapper. That doesn't mean it was the only one." He nodded, understanding what the warning meant.
He turned around, and headed back into the tunnel, pausing only when he saw that James, who had been helping with the task, looked puzzled. Of all the things that James Mulroy had seen so far, the lad was either fortunate enough, or unfortunate enough to have seen what a Trapper can do. He beckoned the young man over to him, and said, "Wondering what that's about?" When he saw the man nod, he started to speak as they walked. "Let me explain then."
As they walked down the tunnel, towards the farthest point they had secured, he start to explain about the Trappers. "One of the creatures the Ancients have at their disposal is a Trapper. It's about the size of a small dog, looks a bit like a scorpion, and has the suicide attack that transports you to another dimension. They can't see, but have excellent hearing."
As they reached the midway point, he heard James ask an important question. "Can people survive there?" He nodded, and the college student let out a low whistle. "I guess you've experienced the place. Can one get lost in it?"
He glanced at James for a moment, and then answered. "Not at all. The only land in the place is five floating islands. On those islands are the things that have been transported by the Trappers. There is a special place there where anything that can get to it can return back to the world of the living, to the exact place they had been sent from." He paused a moment at that point, noticing a slight tingle in the air.
He wasn't the only one who noticed it, especially when James reached the spot and shivered for a moment. He even noticed the young man looking around, and backing up for a moment, as if he saw something. "Don't tell me that this spot is one of those spots?" When Richard just nodded, he heard James utter a small curse.
Richard then moved to the exact spot, and tried to judge the size of what had been transported to the Trapper Dimension. It had to be something human sized, and after a moment, he could have sworn he heard something, like a hiss, coming from the spot. Was it possible that someone, or something, had deliberately used a Trapper just so they could sneak past the barrier?
After a brief moment of doubt, he decided it was. There was only one safe course of action, and he stepped into the spot. Again, he felt the sensation, but he kept his wits as he cast the spell he was certain would be best. Soon, the area was surrounded by seven runes, and seven lines connecting those runes. While the lines disappeared, the walls were still present. Since he had been the one to cast the spell, he didn't hesitate passing the barriers, confident that they would remain.
Once he was out of the barrier, he heard James ask a question he figured was coming. "How is that going to be helpful? Is that going to make sure nothing can come back?" Richard started to nod, but then stopped. It wouldn't do exactly that, and he knew an explanation would be needed.
He started to walk away from the barrier, taking James with him. As he did, he explained what he had done. "We can't break off the connection with the Trapper Realm, unless the item is destroyed. If it is something hostile, going there to destroy it might not be best, since no magick can be used there. Our only option is to set up a barrier around it. That means that if something returns, it can't cross the lines unless it is aligned to the alignment of the barrier."
Richard saw James glance back at the barrier, and then heard him say, "Did you really have to do that then, since you've been increasing the range of the Goddess's protection barrier?" Richard again understood the question, and he had the perfect response to the question. In fact, it was one he had seen many times.
He stopped, which caused James to stop as well. "Do you remember the movies, cartoons, and shows where someone was trying to sneak into a place? Many times, the infiltrator uses something like the old Trojan Horse to get in. They hide in an object, and wait for the foes to bring it inside. They then wait for the guard to be down before they sneak out."
He saw James's eyes go wide as the realization hit him. "So someone, or something, might be doing the same thing here. Using the Trapper dimension as a way to get past the protection." Richard nodded, and he took some happiness in the fact that James could make the next step. "So by putting up the barrier, you literally set it up so they return inside a trap. That's brilliant. You're foiling their attempt to infiltrate our ranks." Richard nodded, but since he knew that it might not just be infiltration, but also a way for Mantorok's forces to wipe them out. If that were to happen, humanity would be lost.
IV. Marlene
Marlene Jacobs walked through the streets of the underground city. It still marveled her that such a huge place was. It was still a lot to take in, but her gazing was in part to look for James. Before she had been attacked, she wouldn't have looked twice at him, but now, she had seen him in a different light. She saw that he was a better person than some of the guys she had one night stands with. She was actually developing feelings for her rescuer.
As she walked, she noticed a pair of familiar women walking, and talking. It was Yvette Cale and Alexandra Roivas. The redhead was always easy to pick out, since she had only seen one redhead in the underground city. The two seemed in conversation about something important, and she didn't want to interrupt, but at the same time, she wanted to find James.
She didn't have a hard time deciding what to do. This was something she had done many times. She was going to get what she wanted, the location of James. She walked up to the two women, and asked her question right away. "Have either of you seen James? I wanted to talk to him for a moment." She noticed that both of the women gave her a look that seemed to say they understood why she was looking for him.
Marlene was a bit grateful when Yvette answered the question. "He's back at the new tunnel that was found. He and Richard are busy trying to secure it. So far, the task seems to be going smoothly, so it might be safe to distract him." She didn't want to acknowledge the look in Yvette's eye, but she had the feeling Yvette understood her a bit more, or even a bit too much more.
She then heard Alexandra say, "Just be careful. We don't need to be so distracted that someone manages to sneak in. It would be the last thing we would need to happen while we are on our mission." Those were the kind of words that made Marlene pause in her tracks. While she was eager to go see James, the thought of being on a mission made her excited. It also made her feel important, and given her past, that was better than being promiscuous.
She turned to look at the two women again, and calmly said, "Mission? What mission? Is it something that can help stop Mantorok?" That had been what the others had been going after on the last mission, and what Yvette had been after when she rushed back to the school to try and help Yvette.
To her delight, Yvette nodded, and even elaborated on the mission. "It seems that the prior mission gave use the means to get the next item we need. In fact, it pointed us to a location we didn't know existed. Alexandra and I are heading up that mission, with Amber, since she has the artifact." She remembered Amber, since she had arrived at Ehn'gha at the same time she had.
In that moment, without hardly any consideration of the risks, she made another decision. She looked at both of the women, and said, "I want to be a part of this mission. After finding everything my great-grandfather said was true, and living like I had been, I need to make up for it. I need to do this." It was the truth. While her great-grandfather's words made her think of just being reckless since it seemed there was no point, with this hope that mankind would make it through, and stop the dark forces, she wanted to make up for her mistakes.
To her shock, she saw Yvette shake her head. She was certain the redhead would be on her side. The woman hadn't seem to mind having to run around near topless after that thing attacked her at the college. "Normally, I'd say yes, but with you and James starting to..."
Marlene was thankful when Alexandra cut of Yvette. "You can come along. Trust me, I know more about what is going through your head than Yvette does. I know how important this is to you. I somewhat understand what she was going to say, but since you want to volunteer, it saves us asking around. Besides, time is of the essence. The sooner we are ready to depart, the better. I want you to get a few things together, since we don't know how long this will last."
She nodded to both of the women, and said, "Thank you. Are we assembling in that room where I first arrived?" She saw both women nod, and then she rushed off. She knew where the place was, and she was certain she didn't have much to get ready. She just wanted to let James know now what was going on.
She quickly moved her way through the underground city. It had gotten easier, especially since the new discovery had resulted in many people trekking to see it. That also meant that it didn't take long to memorize the route to the place. She moved faster, however, when she saw James and Richard leaving the entrance to the tunnel.
That sight made her run, and in almost no time at all, she had reached James, and embraced him in a hug. She saw he was surprised by the action, but she didn't care. She really was falling in love with him. She release him, realizing that he might not realize her actions were genuine. She was going to have to prove it, and do so over time. Right now, she wondered if James knew about the mission. She also wondered how he'd react to the news. It might tell her if he was having feelings for her as well.
V. James
James was amazed by the fact that Marlene hugged him. Part of this was because he knew of her reputation back at the school, but another part of it was that he was starting to have feelings for her. If she was still living up to her old ways in this new place, those feelings could be ignored, but something told him that the hug was genuine. He gave her a slight smile, and asked, "What was that for?"
He watched as she blushed, and then noticed she was turning her leg in some sort of nervous twitch. It was the kind of thing people associated with when someone had feelings about someone. Maybe there was something starting between them, and part of him liked that idea.
Marlene finally answered his question. "Just thought I would do that. You deserved it, especially after you risked your life to save mine. It's made me want to do things to make me a better person." For some reasons, something made James start to worry when he heard those last few words. Given her less than virtuous lifestyle, he had a feeling she was talking about doing something possibly reckless in the name of helping humanity.
At that moment, it hit him, and he looked at her. He had been present when Yvette Cale and Alexandra Roivas talked about the upcoming mission. His eyes were going wide as he realized it too. "You volunteered to go on the mission, didn't you?" When she nodded, he noticed a smile on her face. He wondered if she was seeking approval from him. It wasn't like they were a couple, although part of him wanted that now. If she died on this mission, however, he'd never have the chance of being in a relationship with her.
While he thought about that in his mind, he heard someone approach them from behind. There was only one person it could be, since there was only one other person who had been down there. He then heard Richard speak, as if he had heard part of the conversation. "I think I understand why you want to go, but you understand that this mission could be dangerous. You haven't had any combat experience, have you?"
As James figured, Marlene looked away, and quietly responded, "No, I haven't." He was about to say something in response, but she just looked back at both of them, and he swore he saw a fire in her eyes. "But how many of us here knew how to fight these things when we first saw them. None of us did. I'm betting even you learned to fight them with no prior experience." James saw she had pointed right at Richard when she said that.
He glanced over at Richard, and noticed that he didn't look shocked, or even ashamed. Richard just nodded and said, "Very true. Not many of us had any prior experience in fighting these things. Some of us have had experience in using weapons." He then saw a smile cross the man's face. "And you are like Alexandra. Your family has fought these things, and you didn't know. Now that you do know, you want to do the right thing." To his surprise, Richard then just looked at him. "Why don't you give her some pointers."
James blinked, and then watched as the older man walked away from them. He had a feeling that Richard had a reason for it. He looked at Marlene for a moment, and realized that Richard had some points. He smiled, thinking that maybe there were some bright points to this whole scenario. He put an arm around Marlene, and said, "He's right. Let me show you how to handle some of weapons. You can't fight these things with just your hands." The action made a smile cross Marlene's face, and that made him feel better. He had a feeling that if they made it through this rough time in humanity's history, they might make a very strong couple.
VI. Roberta
Roberta Ossein was upset. She had not known that any of The Goddess's chosen ones had been to the Trappers' Dimension They would be aware of the feeling a link to this place was like. Unfortunately, the one who was aware of it also knew the perfect counter measure. Taking the link back would defeat the purpose of it now.
Luckily, the link did allow her to over hear things. She heard them speaking of a mission to a hidden shrine of The Goddess. What was even better was the fact of where it was located, as well as who was going there. That was a mixed blessing, however, since she would have enjoyed another shot at the redhead. Of course, if she couldn't get out of the Trapper Dimension, there was no way of getting vengeance. She needed a miracle of some sort, a blessing from Lord Mantorok.
At that moment, a small blessing appeared in the form of a Trapper. Roberta had never seen one of the creatures in their home dimension before, and she was surprised by the fact that they had eyes here. Did the strange creatures forfeit their eyesight to go to another realm?
She bent down to the creature, and said in the native tongue of those creatures aligned to Mantorok, "I have a mission for you. Can you deliver a message for me?" To her delight, the creature responded in the affirmative. She then told the creature its mission. "Find Lucinda Tepes. Once you find her, inform her that I am in the Trapper Dimension, and I have information for her. Then, transporter her here." After a moment, she added, "Regardless of what ever she is wearing." The creature chittered, and then disappeared from the dimension.
Once it was gone, Roberta sat on the ground, cross-legged, and focused on the link. While no one was near the link's point in the realm of Earth, if she concentrated, she could hear the people close to the tunnel entrance. Right now, she could only hear the occasional breath, but she had heard enough to know she had to inform Lucinda. Now she just had to wait.
While she waited, she started to ponder the process that would be needed for her to return to the other world. The barrier that was put up was a problem. It wouldn't keep her from returning, but it would keep her trapped; and that was the best case scenario. Odds were that if she returned, she would cross one of the barriers, and the magick of The Goddess would end her existence. It would be a folly to chance going back until that barrier got dispelled.
Now, if she could somehow find a way to trick someone into dispelling that barrier, that could work. The trick would be getting a message to someone that was in the underground city. It would take another Trapper to bring someone here. Once that happened, she could tell the person that she was trapped by Mantorok's forces. They would easily believe that, and then the barrier would be dispelled.
She was brought out of her thoughts when she heard a familiar voice say, "This had better be important." She turned and saw Lucinda Tepes had just arrived in the Trapper Dimension, and she was obviously brought here at an inopportune time. No doubt, she was preparing to speak with Mantorok in her shrine. Roberta was going to enjoy this.
VII. Lucinda
Lucinda was pissed off at the situation. She had been preparing to go down to the shrine under her building. Since she had locked her office door, she felt confident that she could have gotten in her priestess outfit without being bothered. To her shock, she was halfway in the outfit when the Trapper had appeared in the room, and brought her to the Trapper Dimension. Seeing Roberta with a smirk on her face just made her mood worse.
She then realized there had to be a reason for this inconvenience. The Bonethief would not have invoked such a method to communicate with her unless there was a barrier in place somewhere. She made her way to the Bonethief, and narrowed her eyes on her. "What has happened, and why haven't you gotten into Ehn'gha yet?"
She watched as Roberta motioned to the departure point of the Trapper Dimension. "Sadly, I was not informed that some of The Goddess's followers had been here as well. The man, I believe his name is Richard, knew about the link, and put up a barrier around the spot." Inwardly, Lucinda groaned. She had never considered that something like that might happen. While it was true that Mantorok had manipulated the Roivas family and their allies into helping his cause, she should have expected the odd chance that one of them would end up in this place.
She sighed then, and looked around. She didn't fully understand the facts about this place. It wasn't a place a creature should be able to survive in. She felt no connection to magick, and looking at the corpse of a human soldier, she realized that nothing seemed to change here. There was no food, or anything here. Maybe creatures that did not require any type of nourishment at all, like a Bonethief, and the Trappers, could survive for a long time away from the glowing spots.
She returned her attention to Roberta and calmly said, "I suppose you need a trip back to our realm then. I shall take you back..." She trailed off when Roberta just shook her head. Obviously, this was something she didn't know about the Trapper Dimension. She blinked and then asked, "I can't take you back with me?"
She was stunned when Roberta responded, explaining something she never knew. "It is part of the magic of the Trappers. Anything living that they transport here can only return to the point they were transported from. Dead, or inanimate things only get transported to near the portal out. We can, however, hear what goes on from those points. For example, I heard that they are heading to the lost shrine of the Goddess, which was next to one of Mantorok's places of power."
Immediately, Lucinda knew where that was. "Right near the old city in Persia. He knew there was a shrine there. Apparently, Richard Cale had found the location, since Mantorok had thought, like Pious Augustus, that Richard had been killed in the explosion back in the early nineties." After those words crossed her lips, a realization crossed her mind. "If that is the case, we need to get Mantorok's forces there as soon as possible. I will inform Mantorok, while you work on figuring out a way in there."
She started to head towards the portal out of the Trapper Dimension. As she did, she heard Roberta say, "The key is getting someone to remove the barrier. If we can convince one of the newer followers of The Goddess to remove the barrier, then I can do what I've been ordered to do.
She turned to look at her servant, and nodded. As she did, the magickal portal whisked her back to her office, causing the images of the Trapper Dimension and her office to blur, and shift. The nodding image of Roberta dissolved into her empty office, and in front of her now was the top part of her priestess outfit. She quickly put it on, and then moved to the elevator to the shrine.
As it descended, she started wondering how she would be able to fool the followers of The Goddess. She wasn't sure if any of them knew that Roberta was the current body of the bonethief. Trying to trick them into believing that Roberta was a normal college girl might work, but it was not foolproof. She would have to ask Mantorok for advice, or for him to intercede.
When the elevator doors opened, she walked into the main part of the shrine, and kneeled at the altar. Before she could speak, she heard the Ancient's voice. "So they venture to the lost shrine. There are a few of my minions wandering the area near there. They just need to get through the ruins of those ruins." At that moment, she saw a few of Mantorok's snake like tendrils coming up from the depths. These were smaller than the normal ones she saw, and a part of her shuddered from a memory.
She took a deep breath, aware that her master was already anticipating her next words. Lucinda spoke, keeping her voice calm. "You know that I need to ask your help in getting someone inside the city of Ehn'gha. We need a way to fool them into think Roberta is not inhabited by a bonethief. You know that they know of the sounds the bonethieves make."
Some of the tendrils started to move towards her, and she knew what that meant. Countless ages ago, Mantorok had masqueraded as a fertility god. She understood that it meant that occasionally a priestess would have to pay for Mantorok's help in a way that reflected that claim. This wasn't the first time she had done this, and she did not hate it. As it was about to begin, she heard Mantorok say, "I will make sure the Trappers have a special edge added to them. Anyone they send into their dimension won't hear the hiss." She nodded, understanding what this would mean. Once one of the Goddess's followers appeared in the Trapper Dimension, they would not believe Roberta was a host for a Bonethief. She also made another request to Mantorok, one she hoped the Ancient would fulfill at the same time.
VIII. Alexandra
Alexandra Roivas entered the portal center with Yvette Cale and Marlene Jacobs. They were all prepared to do battle with anything that might be waiting for them at the shrine. She had her enchanted Gladius, while Yvette and Marlene both had guns, and hopefully enough ammo. She also hoped that Marlene had received a bit of training on how to use firearms. She really didn't want to fall victim to friendly fire with so much on the line.
She turned to look at the others, and then wondered where the last member of their mission was. They had taken some time to prepare and rest up. That had been Yvette's suggestions. Alexandra figured it was so her married friends could have some time together before they departed. She felt a little jealous about that, but then remembered how few married couples had made it down the Ehn'gha. It was wrong to feel jealous about that happiness they had, even though she longed to have someone in her life.
She sighed, and said to the others, "I hope Amber gets here soon. We can't wait too much longer. There is no telling if Mantorok is trying to find the place, has found it, or has left the area alone." She honestly didn't think Mantorok would leave the area abandoned. They had to be aware that the Goddess had intervened at that location, saving Richard's life when he was transported to the past.
To her relief, she heard Yvette say, "Here she is now, with Professor Marsh." She turned and saw the two walking in. She noticed that Amber walked with a little more confidence than she had when they had found the gauntlet. Perhaps this connection to The Goddess was giving the Wiccan Priestess a boost in morale, or something.
When they had finally reached the group, she watched as Professor Marsh went over to the portal devices console, and started entering in co-ordinates. As he did so, Alexandra looked at their assembled group. "Alright. Here is the mission. We will be entering unknown territory for any of us. We can't assume it will be safe, so we should be on our guard at all times." She knew Yvette understood that point, but the other two might not be fully aware of what all they would be in for.
She looked at the redhead as she took over things. "I want you both to know that we will be entering an area that was literally destroyed by a bomb. It happened years ago, but some areas could be unstable. Hopefully, where we will arrive at, will be clear of debris." She watched as everyone seemed to nod, agreeing with the hope that it will be clear.
As they talked, the portal to the ruins opened, and Alexandra chose that moment to remind them of the minions of Mantorok. "Before we go, remember that Mantorok's minions seem to have new tricks. Watch for signs of them being around. While Mantorok's Gatekeepers are invisible, they are still going to have purple mist in the area. The Bonethieves are capable of speech outside of a host, and the Lesser Guardians are the stuff of nightmares."
She had seen them all nod, and was about to lead them into the portal when Yvette raised her hand. "You also need to be wary of the Trappers. They are blind, or at least they appear to be. They lock in on sounds very well, and if they zap you, you'll be sent to their dimension. We don't want that, since something is known to be waiting there." Alexandra remember what Richard had said before they were going to leave. Something had used a Trapper to enter that dimension, most likely as a way to get past The Goddess's barrier.
With that last bit of information in mind, she led them into the portal. It took only seconds, and as she walked through, she felt her body dissolve and reform in the matter of moments. It was obvious that the portal hadn't been used in a long time. She just hoped that didn't mean it would also fail as well. Once she was through, however, she turned to see the others appear. She saw both Amber and Marlene looking around in wonder. Yvette, who came through last, didn't look around as much, but visibly shivered.
Alexandra took a moment, and walked over to Yvette. She realized what the shiver had meant. She quietly said to her friend, "Was this were Richard had disappeared from?" When she saw Yvette nod, she looked around again. She was trying to pinpoint the exact spot Richard had to have disappeared from. She had a feeling that was the point were the Lost Shrine was located.
Before she knew it, Amber walked towards a spot, her gauntleted hand extended. It even had a yellow glow to it. The woman didn't even appear shocked as hand started to go into the wall, like it wasn't there. "It's this way. This wall must be an illusion."
She blinked at that comment, and then saw Yvette move in that direction. The redhead didn't even think to doubt the statement. Alexandra then remembered something when Yvette spoke. "I should have realize that when I saw you just look past this hall. The destruction from the bomb is opposite this hall." Yvette had the uncanny ability to see past all the illusions that hid the truth. Alexandra then hoped that this illusion would be affective against Mantorok's minions.
As she and Marlene entered the hall, she was amazed at the sight. The whole place was bright and spotless, as if no time had passed since the place was built. She could only imagine that this was how the whole area was supposed to look like. Even Marlene was impressed by the structure. The girl just marveled at the place, and it was evident in her voice. "This place is amazing."
Alexandra only nodded, and then started to follow Amber and Yvette. The pace had picked up, as if no threats could be in the area. She also had a feeling that the whole place might be a mirror of what Richard had gone through. It was amazing how much she had gotten from the Tome. Even as she ran, she felt as if she knew every corridor of the place.
Eventually, they all entered a room with a huge pit, and she knew exactly what this room was. It was just like the one were Michael had left the bomb that destroyed the other one. It was intact, a bridge suspended over the pit, but in this case, a warm glow came from the pit. She blinked twice, and then watched as Yvette managed to lower the bridge.
Once it was down, they all crossed. Once on the other side, Alexandra started having a feeling of unease. She started to look around, expecting to see some of Mantorok's creatures. It didn't seem likely, but she had learned not to ignore that feeling. She just said, "I have a feeling something is about."
As they reached the wall, she heard Yvette say, "You might be right. Something seems odd here. It's almost like the protection of the Goddess is getting thin near here." She then watched as Yvette pointed at the wall on the right hand side. "Does anyone see that hallway there?"
Alexandra shook her head, and noticed everyone else did the same. She also noticed that Amber just stepped towards the wall, and then through it. As the girl had done that, she heard her say, "We have to go this way, and not head to far down this hallway. The Goddess had a special illusion in place to keep the minions of the other Ancients out. If we go down it too far, Mantorok's minions might find out about it."
She nodded, and kept up with the others. As they neared a side path, she was able to see the hallway extended to a similar spot in a destroyed area. She managed, however, not to gasp when she saw something big moving about. It had to be a Horror, and the way it moved, she had a feeling that it suspected that a path was there. It was enough to make Alexandra back away, and then ran quickly to the others. She had a feeling that the safety of the Goddess here was about to be compromised.
Author's notes
Again, I want to thank my loyal readers for bearing with me when it comes to this story. Since my last posting to this story, my life when through major turmoil. This included on the negative side, two job changes, a move, health issues with my daughter, and my parents moving. On the positive side, I had started an e-publishing career. Those are under a different name, but they brought in a small amount of cash last year. Please bear with me as I continue this story, and I will try to get the next chapter out faster than this one.