We go deeper, walking down an incline into the bowels of the pyramid. I wonder if the old witch knows which way to go, or if we’re only wandering. Thal’s hand brushes mine reassuringly but my eyes drift over the group to find Altair. His hair gleams in the light of our torches, but he only looks straight ahead. He has Erzur to worry about now.
The narrow hall opens up into a gallery. I stifle a gasp, the sound echoing through the enormous room. Even from the entrance and by the short light of our torches, it’s clear the room has been carefully detailed. The walls still gleam with sapphire and gold trim, carved, bulbous, columns reaching up for the high ceiling where they end in a spray of gold. The floors are painted with murals, the colors still bright and vibrant.
The old witch takes one of the torches and brushes it against the nearby wall. Suddenly, the wall erupts in flame. It courses down the center of the wall, until it’s circled the entire room. The flames light up the space so we can see its full glory. Reliefs of the gods and goddesses have been sculpted onto one of the walls. I even spot Sadal’s likeness on one and he grins. On another wall, monstrous beasts have been carved and painted. I see the dark images of the Shades in the far corner and feel a thrill of fear. The likeness is uncanny, as if the people here once saw them in person.
On the floor, the paintings resemble a history, and I can only assume it’s the history of the people who once enjoyed this fallen empire. While we gape over the richness of the room, Sadal struts closer to his sculpture. Moritz jerks on the chain, tugging him back a step, but Sadal isn’t bothered.
“Fine workmanship, don’t you think?” He asks, grinning.
I point to the Shades in the distance. “What about them? How do you find the resemblance?”
Sadal follows my finger and then pales at the sight of the realistic looking Shades. He shakes his head. I notice his fingers trembling. “Uncanny,” he mumbles.
I narrow my eyes at him, disturbed by his obvious fear of the Shades. Shouldn’t the man who ruled the ether and made it his home be the master of all its creatures? Then again, he wasn’t the master of Serus. Maybe he could only control the mindless beasts, like the demons he summoned.
The old witch heads towards the Shades, keeping her eyes on the floor. I catch glimpses of the empire’s history. Their rise at the discovery of gold in the oceans on the other side of the seas of sand. The wars between rival rulers that eventually led to a single empire. The golden age. And finally, a dark, shadowy end.
I halt in front of the relief of the Shades, a chill creeping along my spine. Their wide eyes bear down on us, shadowy fingers almost reaching out of the wall. I shudder. A hand steadies me, and I look up at Thal. His green eyes, once so humorous, are serious and sober. The old witch runs a hand over the glyphs etched into the stones beneath the Shades. I wouldn’t even dare to touch the wall.
“Many years ago, the emperor of these lands found a way into the ether, where he met the Shades,” the old witch says, her brows furrowed. “They tempted him with assurances of power and wealth, and in return he gave them a physical body. You see, it was only with a body that they could leave.”
“What do you mean he gave them a body?” Altair asks.
The old witch looks soberly at the paintings on the ground. “He let them possess him for a time. Each Shade had a taste of the physical realm. This emperor was a terror on the people. He even offered his own daughter to the Shades, but the people rose up before he had a chance to bring her into the ether. It toppled his dynasty, opening the way for a new one. But Fae nature in the face of unlimited power is not so easily changed.”
“The new emperor did the same,” I say softly.
“He did worse,” the old witch confirms. “I believe you once met him, did you not, Sadal?”
Sadal glances up from where he was picking at his nails, avoiding looking at the Shades. “I did. An arrogant young man, if I remember.”
“His pride got the better of him. Tell me, Sadal, how this empire wasted away,” the first Bloodbane demands, eyes glittering.
“I did as he asked, to teach him a lesson,” Sadal says. His voice is soft and uneven, as if he’s frightened. “I brought a single Shade to this realm, for the emperor to meet – to work with.”
“You – ” I breathe, trailing off in shock.
“I did,” he snaps, silencing me. “And it took all of my strength to overcome the single Shade after it brought down darkness and evil machinations on this realm.”
“How did you do it?” Altair asks softly.
“By destroying this empire once and for all,” Sadal hisses.
I stare at the painting in the corner, of a mass grave. “You killed the people of this city,” I breathe, shock and disgust roiling in my belly.
Sadal glowers at me. “As I said, it took all of my power.”
“How did you keep it from coming back?” Moritz asks. His analytical mind isn’t concerned with the mass murder Sadal committed.
“The ether does that quite well on its own. But,” he pauses, looking fearfully at the Shades. “But, in time, their power will grow to be too much
