your own,” commented Joseph. “Not with all the bandits and Oganti raiding parties about. So in the end you had to hire someone to escort you.”
“You just figured you’d play us for fools,” finished Kendril. He raised his pistol a little more.
“I admit,” said Galla quickly, “that I did not act as wisely as I should have. I was afraid, and certain that someone would kill me if they knew what I was searching for.”
“We still might ,” said Kendril.
Joseph threw him a nasty glance.
“I’ve told you what I know,” said Galla. He gave Kendril another fearful look. “What happens now is in your hands.”
Joseph lifted the tip of his rapier for a moment, weighing the weapon in his hand. “All right,” he said at last. “Let’s get this cover off.” He sheathed his sword.
“Joseph--” Kendril began.
“We can’t very well kill him in cold blood, can we?” Joseph gestured to the stone slab at their feet. “Besides, there’s obviously something here. Let’s see what it is.”
The Ghostwalker furrowed his brow, then looked back at Galla. “I’m watching you,” he said between his teeth. The pistol flashed back into the depths of his cloak, and he spun away.
Galla sank back against the wall, his hands shaking.
Joseph picked up the lantern. “Let’s get to work,” he said.
With a low thud, the stone crashed down against the temple wall.
Joseph and Kendril backed away, brushing the dirt off their hands. From the floor a five-foot hole yawned up at them, blackness and cold air spilling out from below.
“I don’t see any stairs,” said Maklavir as he peered over the edge.
Galla moved forward eagerly, looking down into the darkness. “No. It looks to be just a tunnel going straight down. No telling how far.”
Joseph grabbed a small stone off the ground, and tossed it into the hole.
After a second or two, it hit the bottom, echoing up from below.
He frowned. “Too far to jump.”
Maklavir walked carefully around the hole. “That doesn’t make any sense. How did they get down?”
Kara turned from where she had been standing over by the stone wall. “I think I know. Look here.” She rubbed at the dirt, revealing a dark shape.
Joseph stepped over next to her, raising the lantern. “Well I’ll be,” he breathed. “Looks like some kind of metal ring.”
“Set pretty well into the wall, too,” said Kara. She scraped some more dirt out from around it. “I almost didn’t see it at first. It’s covered over pretty well.”
Maklavir gave them a quizzical look. “I still don’t understand. What good would a metal ring—?”
“A place to attach a rope,” said Kendril from the temple’s entrance. He pocketed his flint, and lifted a branch at the same time. Its leaves were already starting to blossom into flame. “Stand back.”
Maklavir and Galla stepped back as the Ghostwalker strode to the open hole. He held the burning branch over the edge for a moment, then dropped it.
Everyone leaned in to watch as the branch fell down the hole, until finally it smashed onto a floor at the bottom, flaming cinders scattering from the impact.
“Looks like a larger room down there,” Joseph commented.
“Yeah,” said Kendril as he straightened up. “Maybe thirty feet down or so.”
Maklavir looked up sharply, glancing from Kendril to Joseph and back again. “Wait. You’re not seriously thinking of going down there, are you?”
Kendril gave a crooked grin. “Why? Scared of the dark, Maklavir?”
“Not the dark, particularly.” Maklavir pushed his cape away from one of the dirt walls. “Just the nasty things that run around in it.”
“I wouldn’t worry too much, Maklavir,” said Joseph. “Probably only a few bats down there.”
Kara stood back from the ring in the wall, admiring her handiwork. “You could
always stay up here, you know.”
“Why is it,” said Maklavir with an accusatory glare, “that everyone always seems so eager to ditch me?” He
“You just figured you’d play us for fools,” finished Kendril. He raised his pistol a little more.
“I admit,” said Galla quickly, “that I did not act as wisely as I should have. I was afraid, and certain that someone would kill me if they knew what I was searching for.”
“We still might ,” said Kendril.
Joseph threw him a nasty glance.
“I’ve told you what I know,” said Galla. He gave Kendril another fearful look. “What happens now is in your hands.”
Joseph lifted the tip of his rapier for a moment, weighing the weapon in his hand. “All right,” he said at last. “Let’s get this cover off.” He sheathed his sword.
“Joseph--” Kendril began.
“We can’t very well kill him in cold blood, can we?” Joseph gestured to the stone slab at their feet. “Besides, there’s obviously something here. Let’s see what it is.”
The Ghostwalker furrowed his brow, then looked back at Galla. “I’m watching you,” he said between his teeth. The pistol flashed back into the depths of his cloak, and he spun away.
Galla sank back against the wall, his hands shaking.
Joseph picked up the lantern. “Let’s get to work,” he said.
With a low thud, the stone crashed down against the temple wall.
Joseph and Kendril backed away, brushing the dirt off their hands. From the floor a five-foot hole yawned up at them, blackness and cold air spilling out from below.
“I don’t see any stairs,” said Maklavir as he peered over the edge.
Galla moved forward eagerly, looking down into the darkness. “No. It looks to be just a tunnel going straight down. No telling how far.”
Joseph grabbed a small stone off the ground, and tossed it into the hole.
After a second or two, it hit the bottom, echoing up from below.
He frowned. “Too far to jump.”
Maklavir walked carefully around the hole. “That doesn’t make any sense. How did they get down?”
Kara turned from where she had been standing over by the stone wall. “I think I know. Look here.” She rubbed at the dirt, revealing a dark shape.
Joseph stepped over next to her, raising the lantern. “Well I’ll be,” he breathed. “Looks like some kind of metal ring.”
“Set pretty well into the wall, too,” said Kara. She scraped some more dirt out from around it. “I almost didn’t see it at first. It’s covered over pretty well.”
Maklavir gave them a quizzical look. “I still don’t understand. What good would a metal ring—?”
“A place to attach a rope,” said Kendril from the temple’s entrance. He pocketed his flint, and lifted a branch at the same time. Its leaves were already starting to blossom into flame. “Stand back.”
Maklavir and Galla stepped back as the Ghostwalker strode to the open hole. He held the burning branch over the edge for a moment, then dropped it.
Everyone leaned in to watch as the branch fell down the hole, until finally it smashed onto a floor at the bottom, flaming cinders scattering from the impact.
“Looks like a larger room down there,” Joseph commented.
“Yeah,” said Kendril as he straightened up. “Maybe thirty feet down or so.”
Maklavir looked up sharply, glancing from Kendril to Joseph and back again. “Wait. You’re not seriously thinking of going down there, are you?”
Kendril gave a crooked grin. “Why? Scared of the dark, Maklavir?”
“Not the dark, particularly.” Maklavir pushed his cape away from one of the dirt walls. “Just the nasty things that run around in it.”
“I wouldn’t worry too much, Maklavir,” said Joseph. “Probably only a few bats down there.”
Kara stood back from the ring in the wall, admiring her handiwork. “You could
always stay up here, you know.”
“Why is it,” said Maklavir with an accusatory glare, “that everyone always seems so eager to ditch me?” He
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