Hell's Bane (COMPLETED)

Chapter Twenty: A Candle and a Fire

Standing in front of the massive two gates that led into Chandler Tower, the explorers looked at each other, unsure whether their knock could've been heard all those hundreds of floors that led into the clouds.

"He better not be dead," Joss muttered. "We barely salvaged the first set of the password last time."

As moments passed, Joss knocked impatiently on the gates again, this time louder. They waited, and as they were ready to do it a third time, they opened one by one, with a woman dressed in white silk robes on the other side, covered in jewels and necklaces.

"Is Rowan Chandler here?" Hugo asked, trying to sound as casual as possible. Katilyn Chandler shook her head, as nonchalantly as anyone could.

"Well, then is he dead?" Joss asked bluntly. The others glared at him, but the woman didn't seem to take any offense.

"He left a few days ago. Said he was going to meet somebody for an evening, and he would come back the next day." Katilyn seemed to swallow the lump in her throat. "...But he never returned. It's been nearly four days now, and I'm worried something's happened to him. It was just an evening, after all. He couldn't have been lost, could he? And Rowan knew how to defend himself. Maybe he was just delayed..."

The explorers looked at each other with fear apparent in their eyes.

Susan cleared her throat. "I'm really sorry to tell you this, but... I think we have reasons to believe that... well..." the spy's voice trailed off.

"Is he dead?" Katilyn asked.

Susan nodded gravely. "...I'm sorry."

Katilyn sighed. "We were safe on the island – there was practically no way to get onto it. Then Rowan insisted... said he was safe, and even brought a knife for precaution." The woman shook her head. "He insisted on going. I don't know why, but he said it was a message from a friend and that person needed help. And look at how that turned out."

"Message from a friend?" Drea asked hopefully and then turned to look at the other explorers. "Maybe Rowan isn't dead after all. Maybe he's at the Claimant right now."

Hugo shook his head. "I can't imagine Davis doing something like that. He knows the importance of the role that Rowan Chandler played. Exposing him and sending him out into the open would be a foolish idea."

Joss threw up his hands. "Then what? Rowan is kidnapped by the Scavenger and maybe even dead, then! The Scavenger once again found out another set of the password, and we're left in the dust, again! So I ask, what do we do now? Katilyn, did your husband give any notion of a riddle before he left?"

Katilyn stared intently. "First tell me – what's going on?"

I'm stuck in a time loop, Hugo thought, shaking his head. A bloody time loop! Dead people who don't bother telling anybody what's going on... and we have to clean up after them!

Hugo stared and, finally seeing no other option, retold their journey and the role that Rowan played in the collection of the three sets of the password to open the Bazayuk Pagoda wall. When they were done, they expected Katilyn's response to be one like Elise's, but the woman said plainly: "I always knew that fool was up to something. Dropping off hints about apocalypses and wars, accidentally letting slip of things about artifacts and magic when I was around..." Katilyn shook her head. "As to answer your question, yes, he did mention something before he left, but I didn't really pay much attention to it. I believe his exact words were 'if I am to never return, then go to the attic, find the key on the wall, and open the chest with the flame.'" Katilyn shook her head again, this time in disgust. "He sounded like a madman to me."