Chapter 23

In front of the traveling duo was a single stone staircase the led into a black abyss. It was only wide enough for a single person to fit down its narrow passage. There were also no handholds to aid with the descent.

It was quite apparent that this stone staircase had been the source of the noise that they had heard earlier. This particular patch of land was free of the Sylaalian trees, but a few of the thinner trees had previously grown on the spot. In addition, a mixture of short grass and thick moss covered the nearby forest floor.

The skinny trees which used to cover the top of the staircase, toppled over as the trap door opened. In addition, the moss bordering the entryway had been shorn on its edges by the sliding platform which once hid the flight of stairs. Layers of peeled grass lay amongst the fallen trees.

"It must have been very long since this door was last opened," Marissa remarked. "Just look at the trees that used to grow on this stairway. They must be at least several decades old if they have grown that large."

Only the first few steps were visible in the daylight, and the others were clouded by shadow. Each stone step looked as though it had been carved from a single piece of rock and then carefully positioned into place. Large scratches covered the front faces of the blocks.

"And look at those scratches," Marissa pointed out. "These steps must be like large pistons that raise and lower as the door opens and closes. See how you can tell that the stones rub against each other?"

She continued to make observations, "Also, see that inset portion at the back there? You can see a stone platform hidden there. That must have covered the entire length of this entry before we came along."

"I'll buy that," Beaumont replied. "Now answer me this: how was it that you were able to open this portal?"

"I… I don't know… Maybe it was designed to react in the presence of magic, just like these trees."

"And who do you suppose built this flight of stairs?"

"I don't know that either, but we will follow them and see if we can find out."

Marissa spoke a single word and snapped her fingers. A ball of light popped out from the thin air in front of the young mage. It hung directly in front of her, almost tethered directly to her head. She twisted her head to look at her male companion and the light followed. Looking at the somewhat befuddled young man she spoke, "Come on. Time to find out where this hole goes."

Beaumont unsheathed his sword into his right hand as they made their way down the narrow flight of stairs and into the darkness. With the mage in front of the warrior, the only light they had to guide them came from the glowing tuft floating in front of the young girl. Step by step they proceeded down further, with the sky behind them becoming smaller and smaller. They continued walking until the light from outside world was no longer within view.

Marissa's heart was racing. She began to ask herself, "What could possibly be at the end of this path? Will it be friend or foe? Should we be worried? Could this actually lead to the source of the Pontia?"

The young mage thought she sensed hesitation in her male friend's demeanor as well. He too, was unsure of what might they might find at the end of these stairs.

Strangely, as they descended deeper into the structure they finally reached a portion where the steps abruptly stopped. In front of them the path now began to have a common slope and continued on a level grade.

Also, much to their surprise, their path was now being lit by a source other than Marissa's spell. The ceiling above them was uniformly glowing with the familiar colored lines of light.

"Look, the ceiling is made from Sylaalian! It's reacting to my spell, just like the trees outside. It's helping to lead our way," Marissa stated with a bit of excitement.

The young mage was correct, and their travels underground were becoming easier with this new lighted assistance. The mysterious Sylaalian wood was indeed casting a usable light onto the walls and floor. Their pace through the tunnel increased with this new found discovery.

For the next ten minutes they crawled down the passageway, venturing deeper underground. At the end of the long path the duo came across a single large room.

The room was constructed with the same carved stones that of the walls and floor of the tunnel. In its center was a rectangular-shaped stone box without a top. Its wider side faced out towards the long tunnel, and on this side there were carvings dug into the rock which depicted simple flowing shapes. Similar carvings had also been cut into the room's back wall that was located behind the box.

Moisture from the ground above was slowly dripping between the gaps in the stone walls and wooden ceiling. The occasional drop splashed on the stone floor and echoed through the chamber. The air smelled musty and humid. This hidden room which had never seen a beam of sunlight was also quite cold. The duo's hands and fingertips felt chilled.

The pair's eyes were fixated on the centerpiece of this strange room. They saw the odd object almost immediately upon entering. In the center of the room, sitting in the stone box, appeared to be the remains of a humanoid body.

The shriveled form sat kneeling in the center of the box. Both of its thin arms were positioned upright with its palms facing upwards. Upon its torso was a simple garment which was soiled and decayed. The figure's eyes were completely closed, as was its dehydrated mouth. Only a few straggled white hairs stuck out from its bare scalp. The skin was still flesh colored, but very pale and covered with a layer of dust. Whatever life force was once been in this body had left it long ago.

"What do you suppose that is?" Beaumont asked.

"Whatever it is, it looks to be deceased. Look at the webs underneath the arms. It must be as old as this cavern. Is it just me, or does it look like a man to you?"

"It does, but that garment is unlike anything I've ever seen before. How could a shirt survive this long if it was only made from plain linen? This water would have rotted it ages ago. It must be something else."

"Strange. Maybe the markings on this tomb and the wall behind it will help to shed a clue or two."

They both looked inquisitively at the stone carvings. A few unfamiliar words had been cut into the rock next to the grooved designs. The texts did not look to form anything meaningful in a language that the duo could recognize. They continued to search the carving's tiniest details for more information.

"Anything?" she asked.

"Nothing concrete, but this one shape does look somewhat familiar. Doesn't it look like it’s the same motion one would use to change the direction of flowing water?"

Marissa looked at the swirling lines. "Yes, that is the motion one would use. But how would you know that?"

"Did you forget already? At one point I did study magic. That spell always interested me because of its possible uses in irrigation. It would have been such a boon when I was still working on the family farm."

The clues began to fall into place, "And look at this," Marissa pointed at one of the odd words. "Here is one of the base words for that particular spell!"

She turned to Beaumont and kissed him on the cheek. "Brilliant!" she exclaimed.

The startled young man froze as Marissa walked back over to the wall to re-examine the carvings. He stood there motionless as she continued to ponder the mysterious words.

"Yes, that spell is indeed referenced here. Should I cast it?" she asked.

"Urm… ahem," he was still struggling from the sudden kiss. "Sounds like as good an idea as any. Go ahead and try."

Using the index and fore fingers of her left hand, she traced the flowing shape seen on the back wall. As she drew the design in the air, the color within the carving also began to light up; mimicking the motions of the young mage. Marissa finished casting the spell and other runes located throughout the wall began to glow. The lights trickled down the stones and began to outline portions of the large rectangular box.

The pair heard the sudden sound of water bubbling to the service. They bent over the edge of the box and noticed that a small amount of water had begun to fill the rectangular container. The clear liquid slowly bubbled up from parts unknown as it continued filling the box.

As the water spouted into the tomb, the body within it began to stir. Not quite noticeable at first, but Marissa swore that the flesh of the humanoid inside was changing from a pale and dusty white.

"Look!" she screamed as the pair took a few steps back.

With wonder in their eyes, they watched as the skin of the being within the box began to hydrate. Wrinkles along the skin started to smooth, and weight began to fill up the once frail arms. Color continually flushed across the once pale flesh, transforming it into a coloring closer to the pair of travelers. The white hair from on top of its head began to grow again as it shifted to a brown hue. The old single raggedy hairs fell from the skull and into the rising water.

The once raised arms began to casually relax as they bent down towards the being's sides. Its once dry hands dipped slowly into the water surrounding it. The back and posture of the figure began to straighten.

The eyes and mouth remained shut as life began to fill back into this mysterious figure's face. The horrific site of a shriveled nose and indented cheeks made way for marble-like smooth skin. The being's visage began to resemble something that was gentle and no longer gruesome. As its life returned, it also looked as though the figure was not much older than those of the cowering adventurers.

Water continued to fill the stone box even once it began to spill out over the edges. A secondary lip beneath the large box caught this overflowing liquid, but some of it still managed to splash onto the stone floor.

As the water kept to its steady flow, the once mummified figure looked more like a normal human being. His flesh had fully returned along with a full head of dust-colored hair. The figure sat motionless in his small pool for several minutes as Marissa and Beaumont watched.

A noise came from the man kneeling in the water, "Uuuaaaaa." His once dormant lungs began to inhale the surrounding air. His chest expanded with each intake, and deflated as he exhaled. Even though he had begun to breathe again, his eyes remained completely shut. Breath after breath continued to add more color to his skin.

"He's opening his eyes…" whispered Beaumont as the man began to wake.

Tiny little slits opened within the man's eyelids. Dark pupils started to appear from behind his slowly rising lids.

Almost shockingly, he opened his eyes completely wide within just an instant. His blaringly stark eyes remained open as he stared at the young adults standing in front of him. The man did not blink a single time as he forcefully focused on the pair.

A deep voice echoed from the ancient throat of the newly hydrated man, "Pullan tie mertian."

Marissa spoke, "I'm sorry. What did you say? I cannot understand you."

"Pullan tertia bollo mertian." The tone of his voice changed slightly and he motioned with his hands as well. It almost sounded as though he was trying to give the young woman some instruction.

Marissa shook her head. She did not understand a single word of this foreign language.

The man dipped his cupped hands into the water surrounding him. Using the water within his palms, he performed a drinking motion. The water poured down his throat and across his chin. He swallowed the majority of the liquid in one large gulp. The man in the pool then motioned for each of them to come over and do the same.

Marissa began to walk over to the stone box, but Beaumont abruptly stopped her.

"Wait! We don't know what's going to happen. I should go first, in case something goes wrong."

With a bit of hesitation she let the young man be the first to drink. He cautiously walked over to the man in the water. The figure motioned again. Beaumont cupped his hands and took a drink.

The strange man spoke again, "Pullan tie mertian."

"Did you hear that?" Beaumont asked Marissa.

"Yes I did, but it was still foreign. I didn't understand a word."

"What are you talking about? What he said was spoken perfectly. I clearly understood every word."

"Strange, it must be the water in that pool that lets you hear his true intentions. Let me take a drink as well."

Thoughts ran through Marissa's head, "Beaumont appeared to be fine, and he did say that he understood the mysterious man in the water. It should be safe." Marissa carefully walked up to the stone box full of water.

Both Beaumont and the man were motioning for her to drink from the box. She peered down into the liquid and noticed that it was perfectly clear. With caution still on her mind, she dipped her hands into the water.

It was cool to the touch, but not cold. Using her cupped hands, she lifted a small amount of the liquid closer to her face. The lights of the magical ceiling above sparkled in the magical water. The curiosity within her thoughts mixed with her hesitation.

She quickly downed the cool liquid and it tingled as it fell down her throat. She swallowed the last bit and turned to man kneeling within the pool.

Once again he began to speak, "Welcome, young wizard."

Continue reading onto Chapter 24