The Species of Power [Draft 1]

Chapter 33

When Ruth had returned, they continued travelling through the woods immediately. Luckily, her backpack was found with everything in it, and nothing was lost during her rage. Ruth used her blades to light the way as they continued through the forest, she walked everyone on the ground instead of taking to the trees. Compared to everyone else, Ruth looked like she had just come back from a salon. She was clean, fed and well rested, while everyone else looked and felt tired, hungry, and unkempt. 

Without stopping for food breaks or rest, they reached the temple just before dawn. They quickly settled a resting spot near the temple, and endured the night's cold through a long deep sleep. They allowed themselves to sleep in that morning; they would have slept in longer if the rain hadn't of woken them up. By the time they had set up the tent, and they were all soaked and freezing. Once inside, they all ate a miserable breakfast of trail mix and flat bread in silence. After they finished their meal, they started planning who would go with Ruth into the temple. 

"I'm coming," Mark said once they started the discussion. He was shivering, and all the color had drained from his face. He kept his hood up on his sweater, and he was curled up into a ball; it didn't look like he was getting any warmer.

"Me too," Margaret said. She too was curled up into a ball, with her head resting on her knees and her eyes closed. She sounded quiet, and sleepy. 

 "Are you sure?" Ruth asked. Unlike everyone else; Ruth wasn't suffering from the cold. In fact, she would rather endure freezing temperatures than blistering hot weather. Her skin was best against the cold more than anything else.

"I'm sure," Margaret said. "These two will be fine out here; it's not like I have to keep an ear out for any stabbers."

Ruth nodded; she did have a point. "Alright," Ruth said. "Let's get this over with."

The three exited the tent and hurried to the entrance of the temple; a large boulder lodged into the ground. On it, there was no riddle or requirements for entry, other than needing a Child of Rage to pass through. Ruth placed her hand on the boulder and felt the energy spark on her palm. As she touched the boulder, a door shaped piece of the rock quivered and lowered into the ground.

"What's the catch?" Mark asked. "Last time this thing needed blood, there's gotta be something this time." 

"I don't know..." Ruth said. "Let's go see." Ruth stepped in first, and Margaret followed her. The two stood in the small space that didn't go any deeper. "I guess it works like an elevator."

Margaret nodded, and looked over at Mark who stood eyeing the temple suspiciously. "Come on," she said. Mark snapped out of his thoughts and went to join them.

As Mark took his first step, the ground started shaking beneath them. Mark toppled over, and the door started rising to seal them in. Mark noticed, and pushed himself up into a sprint, but he didn't make it in time. The door was sealed shut, and the two stood alone in the darkness. Before Ruth could pull out a pure dagger of anything; the ground disappeared beneath their feet.

As they fell, Margaret screamed while Ruth didn't make a sound. Their bodies hit the ground with a thud. Ruth had landed directly on her crossbow; it didn't break, which was good, but the pain was a lot to handle. Ruth powered through the sting of pain, and she made her way toward the sound of Margaret's cries just nearby. She grabbed a pure dagger of forgetting and held it up like a torch, and saw Margaret holding her ankle and rocking back and forth; her face was contorted in pain.

"You alright?" Ruth asked as she inched closer to Margaret.

"Yeah," she said; she sounded like she was in pain. Still, she stood herself up with a bit of struggle, while Ruth stood up with her. "Let's keep going."