Converging Destinies: Part 1

Chapter 105

       After a few minutes of mental recovery, the group was able to approach Ella, and investigate her find. The wand itself was golden, with glowing glyphs on the shaft of the wand. On the tip was a massive ruby.

       "What does it do?" Ella asked.

       "Well, for starters, it powered all of the magical defenses of this temple. Beyond that, I'm not sure. Zerai, can you read the writing?" Eris asked.

       "No, I don't think these glyphs are writing. They're magical symbols as opposed to language." Zerai explained.

       "Can I try something?" Cedric asked. Ella nodded and gave Cedric the wand.

       "Everyone stand back." He said. He pointed the wand further, away from the direction of the group and closed his eyes. When nothing happened, he sat down.

       "Okay, for now, let's rest for a moment." Cedric said. The group didn't object. They sat in silence in the total darkness, depending solely on Ara' Sei for light. Cedric meditated with the wand in his lap. Time passed in complete silence, the group too shaken from what had just happened to feel like talking. But, eventually, Cedric felt something, a presence, a connection.

       Opening his eyes, he immediately could feel the source. The wand in his lap pulsed even more than before.

       "That's strange." He whispered.

       "What is?" Eris asked. He held up the wand, whose tip was shining with more red light.

       "Ooh, try it!" Ella said.

       "Okay, everyone, stand back." Cedric said. Everyone stood behind Cedric. He pointed the wand in front of him, and focused on the wand's presence. Suddenly, the tip of the wand flashed, and a bead of red light flew. After a second of delay, the bead turned into an explosion of red fire whose impact echoed throughout the temple. The whole group sat in silence momentarily.

       "Haha! Wow! That was amazing!" Ella shouted.

       "Okay... that's powerful." Cedric said.

       "Yeah, we definitely shouldn't tell anyone about this thing." Ara' Sei said.

       "Agreed." Zerai agreed. Cedric stowed it away.

       "It's amazing. But I don't blame whoever built this place for guarding so protectively." Cedric said.

       "What should we tell the people who hired this place?" Ella asked.

       "We should tell them we cleared everything out. And... I think they'd like that golden urn we found in the other room. Ella, would you mind carrying it back?" Cedric asked.

       "No problem! They'll like it. I'm sure of it." Ella said.

       With that, the group exited the chamber, and retraced their path through the temple. Despite how heavy it was, Ella was easily able to carry the massive golden urn, and Zerai was able to carry the lid.

       When the group had made it back to the bottom of the tall mineshaft, they decided to sleep. When they woke up, that feeling of strength, resilience, and heightened magical power had returned to them. The battles they had endured within the temple had strengthened them, and they were glad they had fought them. But, now they had a powerful artifact, and it was obviously something to be guarded.