Morte, the lost Heir (ONC 2024)

18. Hard decision

As Aura and her companions entered the old burial site, the sense of abandonment and the heavy atmosphere of the past immediately enveloped them. Thick layers of cobwebs and dust covered the walls and ceiling, while the musty smell of damp mold accumulated over decades filled the air. The faint light only allowed a barely translucent glow through the crumbling vaults, further enhancing the dark and eerie mood of the place.

Although Elgatto's natural habitat as a dark elf was deep in the dark forests or abandoned caves, the site of the dead's dwelling place was still unsettling for him. His senses sharpened, and the yellowish glow of his eyes shone even more powerfully in the dim light.

Along the walls lay broken coffins strewn with grayish-white human bones, hinting at the activities of looters. In one place, a dark red pool of dried blood could be seen on the floor, fresh enough to indicate that dubious characters visited the place.

Elgatto studied the map. They entered a square-shaped chamber where natural light did not filter through the cracks in the ceiling, but strange minerals emitted a bluish light hanging from heavy chains. In the room, four sturdy columns supported the ceiling, adorned with various engraved motifs. At the sound of their presence, a creature, neither fully alive nor dead, shuffled forward. It looked exactly like the undead at the tower, except its eyes glowed white, and with every step it took toward them, its eye sockets trembled like jelly.

Keenan appeared with a few leaps, and with his sword, he severed the monster's head. Then, he stood in an attack position, waiting for the other monsters, but there were no more. The others caught up, and they also noticed that the room was empty. To the right, in another smaller room where only an altar fit, light filtered in vertically, illuminating the altar while dust particles danced in the sunlight. To the left, another room led into a corridor that descended into the Sepulcher.

They cautiously headed in that direction, their hearts pounding with the anticipation of an undead emerging from anywhere. But there was nothing, just their footsteps echoing on the dirty stone floor. At the end of the corridor, they could already see that the path led downward; from here, the catacombs began, with their intricate chambers continuously descending, waiting for them with unfathomable surprises. The map, however, was useful; they spotted a relatively short route that would take them down to the Sepulcher, touching the fewest chambers. Elgatto tried to memorize the route and where to turn right and left, but suddenly, a scorpion-like monster appeared before them in the first room from an unknown location. Fortunately, only one, but to their surprise, they didn't know what to do. They hadn't expected to encounter the same monsters here as in the canyon or if the Loyalty had lured them out from here.

Keenan was once again the fastest, and with a loud battle cry, he leaped forward while Dupe took flight and aimed at the stinger. Elgatto handed the map to Aura, asking her to hold it while they fought.

The elven girl felt utterly useless again, so the urge to retrieve the spellbook grew stronger.

There were also scorpion-like monsters in the further chambers, sometimes one, sometimes more, but in the last chamber, there were undead.

The small group arrived exhausted and tired at the Four Sepulcher. The place got its name because four additional gates opened from the large chamber, leading to different points of the Sepulcher.

Dupe didn't feel well; he sat in the middle of the room, a spitting image of the pagan temple above: four carved pillars and small altars stood in the recesses carved into the walls, providing uncertain light from tiny crystals. In the recesses covered with ornate lettering on the walls, coffins lay; there was no sign of looting here. However, abandonment was palpable, evidenced by the heavy, musty smell and the multitude of white dusty cobwebs.

The others sat down to rest, and after Dupe began to tremble and transformed into her nocturnal form, they wondered if it was already evening. But Keenan worried about something else, which he voiced: "So, you're saying that if we go through one of these gates, we can't come back unless we have the medal, which is in the hand of Loyalty?" This question hung in the air, heavy with the implications of their journey.

"That's right. Back home, my father told me to go through the third gate, but I think it doesn't matter which one we choose. When you cross the gate, an entity guides those seeking the oracle, but if we're looking for someone, I don't know how it works," Elgatto replied, unfolding the map again, which was starting to absorb the moisture from the heavy air of the place.

"Entity? You mean a ghost?" Aura shivered.

"Don't get me wrong, but isn't this madness?" Nerina began softly, her voice filled with doubt. "Let's say we find Morte; he's still alive. But how do we defeat the Loyalty?"

"Don't joke around; we made a promise to Tobi!" the dragon shook his head, preparing dinner with Aura, although they didn't feel hungry yet.

"By the way, have you considered what Morte's name means? Because it means death; in any case, it's not a good omen," Elgatto said thoughtfully. "It might seem strange that I'm bringing this up as a dark elf, but are we sure he's the rightful heir to the throne? What if Sol is right? And had a reason to get rid of his brother? We need to consider these questions as we continue our journey, for they could determine the fate of our mission and the realm."

Aura listened incredulously to the discussion. "I hadn't thought about that, but Tobi is his friend, and I believe him. I'll definitely search for him because of his memory!"

Dupe nodded in agreement. "Yes, I agree with Aura. I certainly won't break my promise!"

"But how long have you known Tobi?" Nerina asked. "What if he's wrong, and even more of us die for an heir who may not even be the real one?"

"Yes, we need to stop and reconsider this because what we're about to do is madness!" said Keenan, his voice filled with a mix of determination and uncertainty. "There might be another solution we haven't thought of yet."

"I actually came here originally for the oracle, and I'm sorry for Tobi, but Keenan is right; we need to consider other options," Elgatto agreed.

"But don't you understand?" Aura snapped. "If we don't hurry, Morte could die. Who knows if there's food or water down there? We've already wasted enough time here!" She packed up the partially finished food and took Tobi's backpack. "Who's coming?"

Dupe also stood up, standing next to the elf girl, and they both looked expectantly at the others. They didn't move, eyeing each other suspiciously. Elgatto stood up: "Aura, this is madness. It's more than likely that Morte is already dead. It's complete madness to go down there knowing there's no way back. What if the Loyalty didn't go down either?"

"The Loyalty is here to ensure Morte is dead; that's crystal clear. Where do you think the scorpions came from?" Aura said. "If you don't come, that's fine. Dupe, let's go!"

Aura headed towards one of the gates, not knowing which one it was, but she didn't care; she was too angry.

"Aura, for heaven's sake, this is madness! You're heading straight into certain death!" Nerina shouted, but it was in vain, as the elf girl and the dragon with his sparkling gold feathers disappeared behind the third gate.