Tyler Harisson Chronicles: The Gryphon's Sacred Blood

Chapter 23: The Puzzle of The First Piece

"Very well. I hope that lady won't interrupt again." Amber mumbled, "Now, what're we looking for again?"

Hannah snorted. "First piece of the broken key."

Tyler ducked and peered under the sofa like chairs that were completely aligned with each other, furiously. Hannah's expression twisted.

"Hey? What're you doing?"

"Umm... Looking for the broken piece of the key?" he answered.

"What?! Tyler... Ugh! We were told that it was in that throne as an ornament or as design, right?"

Tyler stood up and brushed off his lap. "Brilliant. Yeah."

Tyler and his friends approached the throne together slowly, looking back and forth, not wanting to accidentally push something aside, and ruin their whole quest.

"Look beside Hannah and Amber. I'll check the front of the throne." Tyler ordered.

Amber and Hannah nodded. They took their places and checked every corner carefully. Looking closely, Tyler realised how intricate the throne's designs were. Minutes passed. Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead down to his nose bridge. There's nothing here. He thought to himself.

"I'm afraid there's nothing here," Amber concluded. He stood up and laid his back on the floor.

"That's what I just thought." Tyler seconded.

"Please. Don't give up. This is our first quest, right?" Hannah pleaded. "Tyler. It's not helping."

Tyler did the same thing as what Amber just did. He laid down his back flat on the cold floor and examined the also intricately designed ceiling.

Amber examined the ceiling. He remembered the ceiling wall of their kitchen. He remembered how his mum would spend thousands of pounds just to make their house as intricate and parallel as possible. He also recalled how his mum hated odd things. His mum was very proportionate with everything.

"Proportion..." he mumbled under his breathe. I never heard a quest that was too easy. There's something here that we need to do to find that first part of the key. He thought.

Amber examined the ceiling once again. He squinted and brought out his wand and pointed at it. He knew there was something about the ceiling wall that is hiding beneath those intricate paints and designs.

Revellum

Tyler and Hannah did not notice what he did. A faint trace of smoke struggled out of the tip of his wand and slowly caressed the ceiling walls. Moments passed, and it revealed three diamond-shaped tiles that when connected together, they would form a perfect equilateral triangle.

"Guys!" He sat bolt upright. Tyler did the same thing, perplexed. Hannah stopped searching and waited for Amber to talk.

"Look." He pointed at the ceiling wall. Tyler and Hannah followed his finger. "I think those have something to do with the key."

Hannah raised an eyebrow. "What made you think of that?" she asked.

"I used a revealing charm, and those diamond-shaped tiles appeared. I don't know what the use of those is, but I know it has something to do with the key." He explained.

"So, do you know?" Tyler asked. Amber did not respond. Telling them that he also wasn't sure.

Tyler stood and brushed off his trousers. He went for the entrance to a lookout. But before he could reach for the opening, a click of sound startled him. A metal like a piece of thick metal sprung out of nowhere and disappeared in thin air.

"Whoaaaa ho! What was that?" He asked terrifyingly.

"Step back again," Amber asked. "Step back. Only once."

Tyler did what he asked, and the metal like a piece of thick metal sprung out again before vanishing.

"That!" Amber yelled and cautiously covered his mouth immediately. "I'm sorry. I mean, did you guys see that?"

Hannah nodded. Awed. "So what do we do now?"

"What if stand exactly right under those diamond-shaped tiles?" Amber guessed. "I think it needs a proportion magnetic pull of energy. It needs equal force to show itself." He said.

"But... How did you know all of these?" Tyler asked.

"Look around you." He answered. "Haven't you noticed how intricately and proportionately this place was designed? Since we went here, I have heard clicks of a metal. I did not pay too much attention to it, but I have concluded that the key is moving places." He explained. "Its place depends on our magnetic field."

Tyler stared at Amber. Awed. "Wow. I regret nothing having you here. You are brilliant."

Amber smiled.

Hannah stood up and walked beneath the diamond-shaped tile from the ceiling. Another click and clang of a metal ring. The key showed itself and vanished once again.

"Amber is right!" praised Tyler.

Amber was in the act of doing the same thing. He took off his eyes from the vanishing key and started to leap toward beneath the diamond-shaped tile. But before he could do it, a whiff of burning tar caught their noses, and growing footsteps of running creatures were coming toward their direction. Tyler turned pale. Hannah was frozen in her position. Amber grabbed his wand and aimed at the door. Blood rushed in their veins and trembles travelled through their spines.

"Amber! Stand beneath the tile! We need to get out of here quickly!" Hannah rushed. Her voice was shaky.

He leapt as fast as he could and slid on the floor. He ended up just right beneath the diamond-shaped tile; his wand in his right hand.

A green burst of light surrounded the throne of the queen. The whole place was suddenly covered with green sparks and visible waves of light. The quarter of their quest was almost complete, they thought.

Amber waved his wand, snatching the first part of the broken key away from the green vessel of light that carries it. "Got it," he announced.

"Let's get out of here!" Tyler firmly ordered. "Quickly!"

Hannah nodded. Grabbing up herself.

The door behind them blasted open as they started to escape. Revealing the woman from before. Her long pitch-black hair flowed in thin air like a wave of tar paint. Her expression was painful, and as seconds passed, her claws in one of her hands grew longer. She was holding out her wand as she stared at them painfully.

"How dare you intruders steal my possession?" she hissed. "Do you think you could get out of here?"

Tyler did not think twice. He lunged and grabbed his necklace and pulled; covering him in bright white light. Hannah brought out her wand and uttered shock waves. Amber called out a spell that shot out fireballs. The woman ducked as the tar wolves like creatures poured in, forming a shield, and shielded her from their assaults.

"Nice try kids. Now darling... It's my turn." She laughed hysterically.