Empty Echoes

Shadows

SPECIAL THANKS for the puzzles and riddles from ShinyShiny9 and TheAmberShadow!

Chapter Twenty-One:

Shadows

"I pass before the sun," read Seamus, "Yet make no sound. What am I?"

Lloyd sighed, wishing the constant pounding of his skull would go away. He pressed his palm into his closed eye, but it did little to relieve him. "Uh... a shadow?"

They waited for a moment. Nothing happened.

"Hm," Seamus hummed, regarding the wall in front of them with a critical eye, "Isn't shadow the only thing that sun can't reach?"

He pinched the bridge of his nose, temple spiking, "Shut up."

Seamus didn't look at him. He wondered, for a brief moment, if he'd gone too far. Then he decided he wasn't in the mood for caring.

"Oh, wait," said Seamus suddenly, "I've read it wrong. It says 'yet make no shadow.'"

Lloyd groaned. The guilt of getting his team split up was clawing at his chest, and the headache that had been a constant pound against his skull was far from helping matters. He was annoyed, irritated, guilty as charged, and even the slightest sound sent his ears ringing and his vision whitening. They didn't have time for this, he didn't have time for this.

For a moment, he thought perhaps he should have brought along some painkillers, but the idea was quickly banished. Painkillers, while affective, would dull his senses, make his movements slower, leave him weaker than he already was.

Why did it have to be puzzles?

"Oh!" Seamus exclaimed, causing Lloyd to wince as the man's voice bounced off the walls, "It's the wind!"

The wall shifted, opening to reveal another corridor. Lloyd gave a relieved sigh, happy that he was, at the very least, not by himself. He would have probably ended up sitting on the ground in defeat at some point. Hell, he'd probably have fallen asleep by now.

That thought wasn't all that bad, actually.

The two began to make their way down the newly opened corridor, a ball of green light swirling to life in Lloyd's palm. They walked in silence for a long time, and at some point Seamus took the lead, leaving Lloyd to trail after him like a confused child, his fingers almost never leaving his forehead.

If Seamus noticed that there was something wrong, he didn't say anything. Didn't even shoot the younger male a concerned glance, didn't even seem annoyed with him. Lloyd was grateful for this. It was just a headache, after all. He'd gotten his very core partly sucked out of him by a resurrected Overlord, a headache- even a migraine- was nothing compared to the undying agony he'd experienced in that blasted tube.

A shudder ran up his spine, as thought a cold finger was running along it. He pushed those thoughts away. He'd rather not start having nightmares again.

"Wow."

Lloyd blinked, raising his head. His eyes widened. They'd come to a large cavern, light by glowing torches. But that wasn't what had caused his surprise.

Across the floor were large, black pillars about a head taller than Lloyd, attached to the thin gaps in the ground. Each of the gaps lead to a hole in the wall the same size and shape as the pillars, and, at the other end of the room, was a large door, bolted shut by heavy, silver bolts.

"What is this?" asked Lloyd, more to himself than Seamus, the green energy in his palm flickering out of existence. He squinted in the new light of the torches, the throbbing in his head spiking.