The location of the ruins was deep in the only forest of the Sunken Islands, so he waited until first light the following day before he traveled there. The way was difficult, but surprisingly there was a well-worn path most of the way. Many visitors had hiked to the ruins as it turns out, but none knew of the place’s significance. It took some fairly powerful magic, a location spell, to find the doorway into the chamber where the scroll of the Cryonias was rumored to be kept. Once he was in the chamber, after using a spell to get the hidden doorway opened, he found that his magic became null. No matter how powerful a spell he tried, none would work. Somehow, magic was negated completely in this place.
“Hmm, good thing I brought a tinderbox and flint.” He said to himself. He lit a torch the old fashioned way, and it disintegrated in his hands, almost burning him. It seems hundreds of years made the ancient torches brittle. He exited the chamber due to it being too dark and tried to think of an alternative light source. He lit the top of his staff, but as soon as he entered the chamber, the magical light would go out. He scoured the surrounding area until he found a hole in the top of what he estimated must have been the chamber below. He cupped his hands and dug it around the hole until he could see inside. The chamber was well lit now. He rushed to the entrance and descended into the chamber. The light was reflecting off a large mirror into the chambers beyond. Since it was morning, he had several hours to explore before the sun moved too far west to strike the reflective mirror.
Inside the long, now well lit chamber, he came to what looked like an alter. Upon the alter was a plaque with strange writing on it. Since he could not use magic, Ephaltus had no way to read the writing. It was not in any language he understood or read. He examined around the shiny tablet for any traps or abnormalities and finding none with the naked eye, he touched it. Immediately he regretted it. The room began to spin, and he became disoriented. He closed his eyes and when he opened them again a second later he was in a chamber surrounded by stars. The floor appeared to be glass and there was a desk ahead of him. He approached the glass desk and looked at the tablet there. The letters began to shift until they settled into something he could read. It read: Greetings to anyone who made it this far. You are seeking the lost seventh god. He does not wish to be found, nor do we wish for you to find him. Around you is the abyss. You have two choices. First you can stay here and die of starvation and thirst, or second you can jump off the platform into the abyss, never to be seen from again. Congratulations on finding the chamber of the god Cryonias. It’s just too bad for you that you did. The tablet was signed Cryonias, god of the abyss.
Ephaltus tried to use magic to no avail. He could not teleport. He could not use any magic at all. He couldn’t even use the stone he brought from the Arsenal of the Way to contact Marlee. He was truly trapped.
Chapter 22: Abominations
When the sun set and the rest of the light of day subsided, Thessa and Sarren left the inn to explore the city ion Talt nestled in the largest forest of the kingdom of Vestia, the resident kingdom of the king of the six kingdoms. The city had guards from the king as well as from the city, being that it was the capital of Vestia, but there were not nearly as many as would be in King’s Cross to the east. Thessa stayed close to Thessa as she led her through the streets to the seedy north side of Talt. The northern gate was where the smugglers from Ironhold, in southern Adendalind, entered the city with their illicit goods. There were two taverns there, both filled with the kind of people Thessa was looking for according to Sarren.
If you want my instruction, I can tell you how to find those you seek.
“Yes, of course. Tell me.”
Your power lies in death and the evil in men’s hearts. You can sense the power in death on people. If they have killed, even if they are a soldier, you can sense it on them. It feels like a strong pull to that person. The more death surrounding them, the bigger the pull. If you open yourself up to it. You have to clear your mind and search for it with your feelings or you get nothing. She cocked her head. Are you sure you want to look like that in the tavern?
“Good point, but I have not made anymore blood feeders or caused any deaths. I am stuck this way.”
No, you can revert back to your normal look. Once you create a blood feeder, you can use the magic to change back.
“I don’t want to change back. What if my mother finds out I was here? I had better find someone to change into a vampire before I go into the tavern.”
All right, go in the alley behind one of the taverns. There is always something shockingly bad going on in the alleys.
Thessa nodded and rounded the
