Morte, the lost Heir (ONC 2024)

11. The medal again

They marched all day, and it was well past noon by the time they reached the city. Goddar was the northernmost major city of the empire, and as such, it was also the farthest away. This was evident in the behavior of the people, who, accustomed to mountain life, were much more reserved and silent. Even the buildings eschewed any hint of extravagance, mainly using wood for construction. The city was roughly circular, with a wide wooden staircase leading up to it, and at its center stood the temple, which was no taller than any other building.

Tobi assigned tasks for everyone to gather supplies to replenish their stocks while he sought out a courier to send a message home. Aura headed to the temple, and since the dark elf didn't have a specific task, he accompanied the girl.

The temple's interior was also simple, with no frescoes or colors, just wooden beams, and wooden-paneled walls, with torches everywhere, making it seem bright and warm.

At the creak of the door, a priest appeared, stopped in front of them, and looked at them expectantly.

Aura hesitated but said, "We came from Narig, from the temple there. We were sent to see Trigor. Could I speak with him?"

The young priest furrowed his brow. "Well, are you sure about Trigor? Because we don't have anyone by that name here."

Aura hesitated. "Is there anyone here who came from Narig? The old man said I should see one of his disciples."

"Then it must be Beliem. Follow me." They went through a narrow door into a room resembling a library, where he led them to a boy sitting at a distant table. He whispered something in his ear, offered Aura and her companion a seat, and left.

Aura felt she could trust the boy and placed the medal on the table. Beliem's eyes widened, and he immediately covered it with his hand, whispering in horror, "Oh my gods! Where did you get this?"

"The old priest gave it to me in Narig so I could show it to you. But he said I should look for someone named Trigor, and then he didn't remember your name correctly! I wanted to improve my warrior skills, so he gave me this," explained Aura.

"My father was Trigor... but this makes no sense. Do you know what this medal is?" the priest exclaimed incredulously.

Aura shook her head, and Elgatto just hummed.

"Is there any connection between you and the oracle in the sepulcher?" the priest whispered.

Aura and Elgatto exchanged glances, feeling no point in hiding it.

"As a matter of fact, yes," Aura began. "We are looking for the heir to the throne with our friends because he has disappeared. We are on our way to the sepulcher, yes. But I thought this would be related to my studies..."

"Come!" With that, he stood up, went to one of the shelves, rummaged around, took out a thin notebook, and handed it to Aura. "This is for your warrior skills," he said, gesturing for them to follow him. He led them through another low door into an inner courtyard, where no soul was present, only a sprawling walnut tree.

"I suppose you've already realized that Morte didn't disappear by accident; that's why you set out to find him," he said. Both nodded, so he continued: "When you reach the oracle in the sepulcher, and she lets you proceed, she will give you this medal. It's the key to getting out. Whoever doesn't receive this will not make it out alive."

"Does that mean there's only one of these? Or does everyone get one of these medals?" Elgatto asked.

"This is the only one! So, even if the oracle approves them, anyone who has gone down without it lacks the key to escape. See the string? It shouldn't be there because it works by going to the door and sliding the medal into a slot, but this one has a string. You slide it in, and when the door opens, you pull it out."

"You're telling this as if it were a common practice... And who brought out the medal? Who did this?" the dark elf marveled.

"It was Sol, of course. He knew when Morte set out and wanted to go down before him. This ensured that he would be the rightful heir to the throne. The priests in Narig figured this out, which is why everyone disappeared from there. But what can we do? Who would believe us? It's just a tale used by Morte supporters to scare Sol supporters. The empire is divided into two parts; everyone wants to hear their truth."

"I don't understand... If we had gone down without the medal, would we have been lost because we couldn't come out? But doesn't the oracle know this? Why doesn't she give out another medal?" Aura queried.

"The oracle is a sepulchral entity. She has no connection to the outside world. Maybe wizards sense that something's wrong. I'm curious how the medal could have ended from Sol to the old man. Until now, I also thought this story was just speculation, but seeing the medal now, I'm sure it's true. Go, don't delay! I hope you find Morte still alive!"

Aura and Elgatto silently stepped out of the temple, both stunned. Aura carefully tucked away the medal while Elgatto grabbed her arm. "Me too, if I don't meet you... if I don't meet you all, I can't come out? Will I be a spirit in the sepulcher catacombs? This is... so unbelievable!"

"It's accidental!" Aura replied, then looked for the others to tell them what they had heard. Everyone was waiting in the square except Tobi, who was still trying to find a courier. The locals sent him back and forth until finally, after a long time, he found someone going to Narig in two days and willing to detour to Dion.

Aura saw the dwarf's annoyed expression and thought it best to tell him the news later, perhaps when they had found lodging for the night. They left the city as usual and spent the night outdoors with Dupe; they found a small grove by a lake nearby.

When everyone was settled comfortably, Aura and Elgatto told them what they had heard from the priest.

"So, I was right to suspect something was wrong, and Morte needs help! But I didn't think it was this serious!" the dwarf exclaimed, shaking his head.

"But that Sol did this to his brother!" Sessom exclaimed in outrage. "Of course, I've heard enough stories about the royal family, what they wouldn't do for power, but to see it so up close!"

"And those who have gone down since then have no chance of escape; that's harsh!" Dupe chimed in, now lying down as a dragon, resting his pretty golden-scaled head on his massive paws. "Did Sol not think of them? Or that it might leak out, that people might find out somehow?"

"The important thing is that now we know what we must do. We must admit, we were lucky!" Tobi said, getting ready for sleep. He was already in a better mood now that they knew exactly what the task was, and the weight on their shoulders was much more straightforward.