The Battle of Euangelion: Reborn

Chapter 17: Sage's Chamber

"Oh no no no," Phoebus kept muttering into his satchel and shut his eyes again.

"What is it?" Alexis asked.

"It's that last turn on the map. Talk about the understatement of the year. If this corner was any sharper, it'd stab your eye out!" he whimpered.

Aurelia hunched back down from the other side and stuck her head back in the tunnel to coach Phoebus through the turn.

"Phoebus, push your satchel around the corner, first," she instructed.

He slowly moved his head from the satchel and buried it in the nook of his arm before giving the bag one good push. The satchel traveled far enough for Aurelia to grab it by the strap and pull it toward herself.

"Okay, the bag is with me. That's how quick this next part is going to be! Now I need you to move all the way up to the turn and stretch out your arms before you."

She couldn't see it but he was shaking his head defiantly.

"Phoebus?"

"I'm not going to fit through!" his yelling was muffled by his arm.

"You're going to fit through!" she yelled back.

"Alex, what are you doing?" Phoebus asked over his shoulder.

"I'm helping," she said as she tried to push his legs from the back.

"I will kick you," he warned sternly.

Alexis complied with a loud sigh. "Just move Phoebus, we don't have time for this!"

"Arms Phoebus, arms -," Aurelia inquired from the other side.

Letting out a heavy sigh of his own, Phoebus pulled his knees into position and started wiggling his way forward with outstretched arms; eyes shut all the way. Aurelia reached in and grabbed his hands at the first sight of his fingers peeking around the corner and began to pull. First, his head came into sight, then his right shoulder. His left shoulder was momentarily stubborn but Aurelia twisted her angle and pivoted his torso - freeing the left shoulder, at which point Phoebus could kick his way out, nearly living up to his earlier threat by missing Alexis' face by an inch.

Phoebus half-landed on top of Aurelia before rolling over on his back and clutching his chest as he tried to catch his breath. Alexis tumbled out soon after.

Sage's Chamber was similar to the one they had just come from except for being half its size and having something shiny sticking out from one of the slanting cliffs.

"Is that the artifact?" Alexis' attention was instantly focused on the small light-reflecting object.

Aurelia retrieved the drawing of the cave chamber from her satchel and straightened it out for confirmation. The shiny object aligned perfectly with the cross Sage had marked on his downscaled depiction.

"Magi really are extraordinary creatures," Aurelia beamed at Alexis who reciprocated with laughter filled with all kinds of euphoria.

They found it! The mission was all but complete! Except...

"Is it just me, or has Rufus been gone for quite a while now?" it was as though Aurelia's thoughts were in sync with Alexis'.

"Phoebus, how are you with heights?" Alexis asked.

"A lot better," he puffed, still lying on the ground.

"Then you two can get started with that. I'll go look for Rufus," she said.

Aurelia was worried about her beloved redhead, but the Prophecy rang loudly in her head the moment Alexis proposed to go look for him.

"Alex, I don't think..." she looked over at Phoebus who had slowly gotten back up his feet and was noticeably silent on the matter.