A Circuit of Time: Book Two of Spark (A MPHFPC Fanfiction)

Chapter Nine

The Gate of Hell.

"Alright, let's go." Sophie said, "No one would guard an entrance if it doesn't lead to something important."

*

"What is him?" Emma asked as they descended down the stairs.

"Residents of this loop, probably, or loop-trapped people." Sophie said. "Either way, if he really can stop us he would have done it already."

At the end of the stairs was a temple built inside a cave. Torches still lit provided faint orange light for people to make out the surroundings.

Across a lake, sitting under walls painted in colorful metallic substance, illuminated by the golden light of special decorated torches, was an altar made of gold and ivory-white stone.

A single stone bridge the width of an average man's shoulder was the only thing connecting the two sides.

They crossed it carefully, what just happened with the crocodile-looking animals still fresh in their mind. But the water was calm the whole time, no sign of predators lurking below.

They reached the shrine unbothered. There doesn't seem to be any more animal waiting to kill them or any other people guarding this supposed sacred temple.

There's nothing but a knife and a dead bird on the altar.

Miss Bittern took a closer look. The animal was the size of a falcon, covered in dark iridescent feather. It had claws on both legs and wings, and a lizard-like mouth full of small, serrated sharp teeth. Its throat was slit open, perhaps by the very blade lying next to it.

"That's not a bird." Olive said. "It's something else."

"And those crocodile aren't really crocodiles, either." Sophie replied. "Perhaps they are peculiar?"

"I don't know." Miss Bittern replied. "But Miss Bulbul mentioned this place holds key to the mother of ymbrynes, what if this is what she meant? What if this species is the alternate form of the mother of birds?"

"It wouldn't explain anything." Sophie disagreed, "Knowing this won't allow anyone to seize that power. So if this is all Miss Bulbul found, she wouldn't have kept it a secret."

"What about the paintings?" Emma suggested, "They must mean something, right?"

They turned to look at the painting. At first glimpse, it wasn't too different from the rest of the paintings they had seen earlier. It depicted an army in battle. Most of the soldiers dressed in golden armor like the ones on the dead bodies they found earlier, but those surrounded the leader were dressed different. Their armors were dark metallic green, their shoulder plates decorated with small metal wings shimmering under the painted sun. Their leader, a woman, was dressed in similar armor, just much fancier.

What really caught their attention, however, was the animal she was riding. It was a beast even Miss Bittern had never seen. The animal had an almost bird-like posture, but was much bigger and bulkier than any grimbear. It was covered head to tail by dark grey and snow white feathers, those weren't flight feather on bird wings, but the kind of feather that covered a bird's body. It had a long and beefy tail. Its powerful arms connected to three huge claws that were depicted to be dripping blood. Two red crests stood on top of its eyes, and a dark yellow structure that started right in front of them extended all the way to the end of the snout. Inside its open jaws were multiple long, sharp teeth.

It's a magnificent animal, and an even more terrifying battle mount.

"What is that thing?" Olive exclaimed.

"It's just a painting of some ancient warlord." Miss Bittern said. "Exaggerations are common in this kind of paintings."

"Yeah, and crocodiles don't usually have tusks." Ethan mumbled.

Sophie moved in closer to examine the painting. "Look here" She pointed at a soldier in green armor. The paint had come off, revealing a golden line where the soldier's head should be.

"This painting is covering something else." Sophie concluded.

"Well, we don't have the tools to remove these paint." Olive said.

Miss Bittern thought for a moment and went back to the altar. A few drops of red stains remained on the marble-white surface.

Then she checked the bird corpse. It was drained of blood.

"Some kind of sacrifice?" Olive said. "They slit the creature's throat open on the altar to worship their gods?"

"No." Sophie disagreed. "This altar is too clean and the animal having no blood left in it can't be done by someone with a blade."

"It's a key." Miss Bittern said. Then she picked up the knife and put her other hand on the creature and started chanting in old peculiar. A faint green light started shimmering from her hand and grew stronger and stronger. The glow soon enveloped the creature. Its head moved stiffly, like a wind-up doll being activated the first time in years. The glow entered the creature through its mouth, nostril and the gap on its throat. Slowly, the opening on its throat closed and eventually disappeared, as if it had never been there.

The animal opened its eyes and chirped.

"It would be very useful if you do that when our friends were being slaughtered by wights and bloody crocodiles." Olive mumbled bitterly.

"It only works within a loop, and doesn't work on peculiars. The effect also can't last for over twelve hours." Miss Bittern said. "I'm sorry, Olive, but nothing can really reverse death."

The animal struggle in Miss Bittern's hand, trying to break free. But the ymbryne held it tight and raised the knife.

Sophie gasped, "What are you doing?"

The creature screamed loudly but was soon silenced by Miss Bittern's blade. Its blood dripped down, leaving crimson stains on the ivory-white altar. Then more blood came pouring out as if some invisible force was draining those scarlet-colored liquid from the animal's body. The altar turned red for a moment, then the color faded back to white. Meanwhile, the colors on the walls started to change.

The painting of ancient peculiar army slowly disappeared, replaced by a combination of lines and symbols and texts written in old peculiar.

It was a map.

Sophie took out her film camera and snapped a few photos of the map. Then the light on the camera glitched and won't stop flashing. It was so bright that they had to turn away for a moment, and that's when they saw it.

Standing on the other side of the lake was the silhouette of a beast just like the one in the painting.

Then the camera's light went off.

Under the faint glow of wall torches, the creature opened its jaws and let out a deep, bone-shaking rumble.