Calradian Chronicles: Coming Darkness

Chapter 14: The Temple

Outer Reaches of Calradia

Pethos rode his horse along the grassy slopes of the outer reaches on a very dark night. He rode beside Cormac along while Destorian rode with the five Battanian soldiers accompanying them. Pethos looked around for any possible danger until suddenly Cormac pulled his horse to a stop, prompting him to do the same.

Pethos:
What is it?

Cormac:
We've arrived.

Pethos looked out to see the towering yet hidden stone temple in the distance. Cormac then turned his horse to face the rest of the group and Pethos backed up.

Cormac:
Remember we come her to search. Come we now prepare to venture into the temple.

Cormac dismounted his horse and which was quickly followed by Pethos doing the same, followed by Destorian and the rest of the soldiers. The group treaded along the grassy plains and onto the massive stone steps of the temple. While walking up the stairs the group turned and found a large dark room that was the inside of the temple. Lighting torches they ventured into the temple. As they entered the temple Destorian came up to Pethos.

Destorian:
Your highness, I have something to discuss.

Pethos:
Yes?

Destorian:
This temple, you don't believe it actually is the temple that Galdores spoke of.

Pethos:
What other temple would it be?

Destorian:
This could simply be for prayer or some secret society.

Pethos trailed off and turned Destorian's attention to the hieroglyphs on the wall. Moving his torch he read the story that the hieroglyphics told of. He read of the story of Balcodor's original good nature before his eventual greed from magic, how he would try to rule over all of Calradia if not for his eventual defeat. As the story ended, Pethos saw another picture of Balcodor rising from what appeared to be a dead man.

Soldier:
We found something!

The soldier's call broke Pethos from his trans and he turned to see Cormac approach two soldiers that waited at a set of stairs.

Cormac:
You, guard these stairs.

Soldier.
Yes my lord.

Cormac:
Everyone else follow me.

Pethos knew this was a bad idea but he complied and followed Cormac up the stairs. Upon their arrival at the top of the stairs they looked out to see an entirely empty space with a darkness that seemed to go on forever. Cormac led Pethos, Destorian and his men to the farther areas of the room until they found a raised platform with a grey-skinned man laying on top of it.

Destorian:
Is he dead?

Soldier:
He's laying motionless on a block of stone! Of course he's dead!

Pethos:
No he's not. That's Balcodor.

Cormac did a hand gesture that prompted one soldier to approach the body. The man looked over the body and to the pendent around it's neck. The man reached for the pendent when suddenly a dagger came flying out of the darkness and struck his head. As the man fell to the ground dead various men and women in black cloaks and skull-like masks came from out of the darkness. The group all drew their swords in a defensive manner just as the leader of the many cultists came walking out of the crowd.

Pethos:
You! Your the Shadow aren't you!

Shadow:
Of course I am, Prince Pethos. Welcome to the temple of Balcodor.

Cormac:
You! What do any of you want?

Shadow:
We want the same thing we have for decades, our master's revival. Unfortunately we need someone to fulfill the ritual, and while the last fool to venture in here escaped I assure you that you will not!

The shadow manifested two spears from pure smoke and threw them so that they impaled two of the Battanian soldiers. Cormac moved forward and used his sword to fight against the other cultists. Pethos and Destorian followed his lead and attacked the additional people. Once a path was cleared they all ran back down the stairs though while Pethos, Cormac and Destorian managed to run down the stairs the additional soldier was overwhelmed and killed. The group ran down the stairs and made a dash for the exit only for the Shadow and eight other cultists to appear from thin air in front of them.

Shadow:
Going somewhere? Oh that's right, your not going anywhere.

The Shadow unsheathed his sword and the others did the same with their's. The group charged forward and began fighting with the cultists. Pethos began fighting the Shadow in a sword duel. Cormac and Destorian managed to push through but as Pethos fought the Shadow the blade of his sword was sliced in half and he was thrown to the stone floor. Destorian tried to go back for him but was stopped when he saw he could not make it. Cormac and Destorian were casted out of the temple and forced to run for the horses while Pethos was restrained by the cult. The members tried to run after the other two but the Shadow stopped them.

Shadow:
No let them run, we have what we need.

The cult then took Pethos and dragged him away into a lower part of the temple. Despite his best efforts he could not escape and while glad Destorian and Cormac could, he could only imagine what was in store for him.

To be continued