Hell's Bane (COMPLETED)

Chapter Twenty-Two: A Setback

"Hunger, candle, gold," the leader continued to say as the entire legion began to step forward. "One could suppose that we could've wrenched the answers out of Amandalin ourselves, but.." the leader shook his head. "It appears it doesn't work that way."

The explorers looked at each other, then to Katilyn, and finally to the final password-bearer, who seemed to be unsure of what she should do next, though her eyes were aleady calculating her options. Hugo clenched his fists.

The leader grinned at their expression of failure. "...The original brothers who hid the crown though over every possible outcome their action would make, as legend goes. If there was ever to be a corrupted side of the Brimstone Faction – as there is now, they made it so that both sides of the Faction had to work together in order to open the Kardod Gates. The mosaic you see behind you is more than just shining glass in a variety of colors. The runestones that guard it will only open the gates if both sides speak the Lost Tongue by their own free will."

The leader gestured to the five of them. "Then again, we were surprised you actually made it this far. If you burned along with the rest of Chandler Tower, we would've just used prisoners from the siege of Gladwyn. But it appears that I underestimated you all, and now that you're here..." The leader raised his rifle. "...You will help us open it unless you wish to watch everyone in this damned pagoda, including you, die."

The other soldiers also cocked their rifles and aimed. The explorer looked at each other, and finally, Joss said, with a smirk of amusement: "None of us speak the Lost Tongue, though. How do you expect us to open it?"

The hermit's expression died away when the leader shrugged and pointed to Susan. "She speaks it. She is on your side, though she might not admit it, and she will help us open it."

"I would never-" Susan sputtered out, but then froze when she saw the guns trained on her and her friends. "We really don't have a choice, do we?"

The leader nodded. "I'm glad we see eye to eye here. Remember that even if you die, we can easily educate and manipulate one of the prisoners to speak the Lost Tongue, and the gates will be opened anyway. So come, Susan. Aid the Scavenger yet once again."

Susan grimaced at the thought but reluctantly followed the leader over to the giant mosaic. The others watched, one side in fear, another in excitement.

"Hunger is for the weak, and only the strong will bear the candle and the flame. The weak will find no mercy, while the strong will find gold and riches like no other, as the Bazayuk has blessed him." The leader turned to look at Susan. "Now say it in the Lost Tongue."

Susan looked at him. "You say it first."

The leader rolled his eyes. "I will, but don't forget – one false move, and you will all die." Taking a deep breath, he recited: "Grenkt cein mael, om muln hu'unla flykr om dzane. Mael eplone nay dijvn, om mulhn hu'ula eplone gane om munet se nayne diefm. Now you recite it."

With a sigh, Susan mimicked the leader's words, often forgetting to say one or mispronouncing one, until he finally raised a gun at her temple and snarled: "Enough. Stop playing stupid, or you're going to see Hugo's hometown completely burn to the ground." The leader grinned. "And only Hugo will be alive to see it. And once he's finished, we kill him too."

Susan had never spoken so quickly. At last, the wall began to rumble, and many of the Bazayuk followers turned to look at it, afraid, as it suddenly started to split into two, revealing a wide staircase that went down into darkness.