Zackory - a fateful touch (Vol. 2) ✅

Chapter 24

Zack was awakened by a movement on his leg. He opened his eyes a little fogged and looked at what had woken him up. In front of him lay a black panther staring at him with his crystal blue eyes. Lucan.

He scratched the panther by the ear and it purred. Cats will be cats, big or small. A warm feeling spread in his chest. He leaned forward and cuddled with the wildcat again. He sighed. "I like to cuddle with you, but you have to give me Lucan back. We have to move on."

The cat growled. Is it offended? He knew that these natures were a part of Lucan, but they also had their own character? As it would seem, the cat didn't want to leave the place. Zack had to smile at this circumstance. Apparently, I found a new friend.

The cat reluctantly took a few steps back, then the transformation began and a tall demon stood in front of him.

"You are a master at enchanting my nature," Lucan said. "They seem to like you more than me," he added, with the latter twitching the corners of his mouth.

"Animals are always honest. They are neither for sale nor do they have any ulterior motives. They live sincerely," Zack said, massaging his feet, which had become somewhat numb due to Lucan's weight. Lucan looked at him knowingly.

"You may be right, but they let their instincts guide them. They can't make a decision that goes against their instincts." That's all he said. He stretched out his hand to Zack and helped him get up.

A thousand small needles pierced Zack's legs. Ah, I hate that disgusting feeling. He rubbed his thighs to drive it away more or less successfully.

"Well, demon, let's go." Lucan nodded and they moved on.

After about a quarter of an hour, they reached another passage. They both had to duck a bit to get through. They stopped right at the entrance. Finally no lava or magma testing... at least I hope so.

The room they had entered was cube-shaped and relatively large. In the middle of the room, five waist-high columns were mounted on a circle, which became smaller in descending order. On these pillars stood metal bowls with a flame pattern that reminded him a bit of their silver tires. The shells became larger and larger clockwise. The smallest was about as wide as his palm and a finger length in size, the largest was about three times as large.

When they took a closer look, they found that the columns were standing on the corners of a pentagram. Fragments of words were carved on the columns.

"If you put the words in the right order, the following sentence results:

The sound of the flames contains the truth, hidden and so clear. But no hurry, heartbeat after heartbeat."

Lucan first looked at Zack, then at the pentagram with the columns. At the edge of the room, he discovered a bucket with a liquid and a small bowl floating in it. Meanwhile, Zack had examined the shells on the columns and found that the smallest contained some liquid at the bottom, while the others were empty.

"Zackory, here's a bucket with a liquid and a bowl," Lucan shouted, looking at his companion.

"Bring it," Zack shouted.

Lucan grabbed the bucket and tried to lift it up. In vain. "That won't work. It is firmly anchored." Lucan straightened up and went to Zack.

"The sound of the flames," Zack murmured, then heard a muffled sound. He looked in the direction from which it had come.

Lucan stood in front of the largest bowl and had hit it with the staff they had found.

He looked at him and said, "I thought maybe they were making a sound that could contribute to the solution. They remind me of ceremonial singing bowls."

Zack pondered. "Hit each one from the side and we'll see what happens."

Lucan followed the suggestion and went from the largest to the smallest in a circle. Every time the same muffled noise could be heard, only not with the last one. There the sound was a bit brighter. Thoughtfully, they stood in front of the bowl.

"You said there was a bucket with a liquid and a bowl in the back," Zack said.

"Yes. But he is immobile."

"But the bowl, can you take it out?"

Lucan nodded. Zack went to this bucket and filled the bowl with the oily liquid. He carried the full bowl to the smallest bowl and poured something into it. "Please hit them again," he asked his companion.

Lucan hit the bowl with the bobbin and a bright tone sounded. This was much brighter than before, although still a bit dull. "Zackory, I think we have to put a certain amount into it until the sound is pure."

"Yes, I think so too. Let's feel our way forward."

Again, Zack emptied a sip of the liquid and Lucan hit it. Almost, but not quite yet. It still had a little reverberation. Another sip went into it. When Lucan hit the bowl a third time, it suddenly sounded in a bright, pure sound. As a result, it began to vibrate and the liquid became inflamed. A yellow flame burned brightly in the shell.

"I think this one is done. Now we have to fill the others," Zack said and ran to the next one. They felt their way forward together. Especially with the last one, it was tricky to find the right amount, but even this one ignited after Lucan's blow.

Five flames burned brightly around them. Zack wiped the sweat from his forehead and put the bowl back in the bucket. So far so good. What's next?

"We have fulfilled the first part of the hint, now we have to decipher the second part. Do you have an idea, Lucan?"

"Shall we all beat one after the other? Maybe something will happen then," Lucan suggested.

Zack nodded, so he went to the smallest bowl. He walked through the rows and knocked off all the bowls one by one. Then something strange happened. It was as if the following bowls swallowed the sound of the previous ones.

"Maybe in the reverse order?" Zack suggested.

But again, the same result. It had to have something to do with the sound. But what? Lucan pondered. Heartbeat after heartbeat. Could this be meant literally? Lucan stood in the middle of the pentagram, then he closed his eyes and put a hand on his chest. Slowly he began to feel his heartbeat. Dadamm, dadamm, dadamm. In the rhythm of his heartbeat, he began to beat from the small to the large bowl.

The pure sound of the bowls sounded, but unlike before, they weren't swallowed by each other, they overlapped and became louder. A vibration went to the room, then part of the shells broke out in front and the burning liquid ran down. Lucan jumped out of the circle and stood next to Zack. They watched the spectacle that was now taking place in front of them.

The burning liquid hit the ground and spread over grooves on the floor. A burning magic circle was formed. As soon as it closed, it began to glow and magic surged. The circle began to rotate and sink into the ground like the first one at the entrance of the volcano. Another spiral staircase was created to lead them to the next room.

When the fire and magic had settled, the two entered the spiral staircase and went downstairs. However, the stairs were short and so they reached the next room relatively quickly.

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The next puzzle solved. They are getting closer and closer to the key.

What could they expect in the next room?

Your Mouse Goddess