Provider of Light (Book Two of the Elementals)

VIII. Helian

Interestingly, roomy stables stretched far to the right and left of the anteroom. Each stable—obvious they hadn't been used in a long time—was already supplied with fresh hay and a constant renewal of cold water. After storing the camels so they could finally rest after the harrowing flight, the Sun, Moon, and Elementals set up the stone steps to head down the torch-lined entryway.

So far, the hall was built out of the same crude, sand-colored stone as the steps: from the floor to the walls set in from the large rectangular columns holding the torches. There were no vibrant splashes of color and nothing ornate other than symbols engraved into the stone, lining the tops and bottoms of the walls, and wrapping around the columns. On closer inspection, Helian recognized the foreign symbols matching those on Pica's medallion.

Pica bounced ahead of them, already forgetting about the danger just outside that drove them there. They had sturdy walls around them, and they had successfully reached Ibi before nightfall—the lack of arrows in his quiver and the draining of energy in his armor said the sun was gone. She had a reason to be happy. And he too relaxed—being inside the temple had him feeling safe.

At the end of the hallway, an enormous stone door bared entry. It, too, was extensively engraved with the symbols and set into the middle was a circular indentation—matching the one on the outside door.

Pica skipped up to it with the medallion already in hand. She placed it into the slot and pushed it; a booming thud sounded deep within, causing her to jump back. Then metallic clicks and grinding sounded out as the door unlocked. It split in two, revealing the invisible crack where the halves met as the doors slowly opened for them. When the doors stopped with a thud, they cautiously stepped in.

They walked into the biggest circular room he had ever seen. The sand-colored stone only provided the floor and steps up to an elevated circular platform. On top of it, they could see a single sign. They looked up, and up... and up; the ceiling looked like it didn't end. Bronze pipes provided the structuring of the walls and ceiling; in between the pipes were golden metal sheets bolted together. More pipes encircled the roof in varying spaces between each level; pistons constantly shot up and down; steam hissed; metallic gears ground.

But there wasn't a single shadow in the room; it glowed, seemingly on its own accord—a light source couldn't be spotted. It wasn't a harsh, bright light either. Helian couldn't think of the right light source to compare it to—he could only think of it being a combination of all manners of light.

"W—o—w," Pica breathed, stretching out the word as she looked at the ceiling, holding her head as far back as balance would allow her.

"You can say that again," Helian said as he continued to look at the marvel.

"I wonder what that says?" Pica said before running up the steps, thought about something, and turned back to the door to retrieve her medallion. With it in hand, she spun around and sprinted up the steps, past Helian, Zelenia, and Kalisa who had walked up them.

She reached the upright sign and read it as they joined her; Helian heard the others stepping up behind them. Helian stopped beside Pica to read.

"Illumination reveals all

Nothing can hide, no matter the shadows

Provide the glow to see dangers.

Become too bright

Takes sight away

Learn moderation.

Luminosity brings comfort, but

Be unashamed to brave the dark for there

Light shines the brightest."

"I don't like riddles," Pica said. She looked back at them. "Do any of you understand it?"

"It's not really a riddle; they're directions," Kalisa said.

"Directions for what?"

"Your trial."

"Ohhhhh." She looked back at the sign. "'Trial' doesn't really sound easy; 'game' sounds so much better, and fun."

Helian read it again and again; Pica was right, he had a sense that the trial was going to be challenging. "We don't know what to expect, and we're tired, so maybe we should wait until tomorrow to start," he suggested.

"That sounds like a good idea," Zelenia said; the others agreed too. "Let's see if we can find somewhere to sleep."

They walked down the steps and separated to check out the doors lining the room. Not wanting another incident to happen between the Elementals, Helian and Zelenia separated into opposite groups.

The door he and Tegen chose opened into an adjoining hallway encircling the inner chamber, with more doors on the left wall sealing off other rooms. The same light in the circular room lit the passageway. They walked down to the nearest door and opened it for a small bedroom with a single bed. Most of the doors they opened on the hallway were more bedrooms, all similar in size, while others were small libraries stocked full of tomes and scrolls.

They rounded the corner to meet Zelenia, Aeris, and Geryon coming down the other end.

"There are many bedrooms to choose from," Zelenia began.

"Sounds like we both found the same thing; all these were either bedrooms or small libraries," Helian said, nodding back down the hallway.

A door opened beside them, and Pica peeked out.

"Well, we found a big mess hall and kitchen; come look!" She disappeared back through the door. Helian chuckled—count on her to make everything sound exciting.

They followed her into a sizable room compared to the bedrooms they found, but not near the size of the main circular chamber. More pipes, working pistons, and turning gears provided the only decoration; a long table occupied the middle of the room.

"Kitchen's over here," Pica directed as she walked to a door-less entryway. There they found Renuo and Kalisa admiring the technological advancements of the kitchen: two stone ovens, a large but cold fireplace with cooking spits awaiting use, a cold box for storing meats, two clear-of-any-dishes sinks, water pipes connected to the sinks, a filled wine rack, a flour mill and a small, enclosed greenhouse already thriving with green plants for spices. Kalisa explained the other shut door led to a self-sufficient garden with any vegetable they would need. Shelves and cabinets lined the walls and, by the looks of it all, Helian assumed they would be fully stocked too.

"We won't have trouble finding food," Renuo said as he shut another cabinet.

"Or finding somewhere to sleep," Helian added.

"So, what are we gonna eat? Ooooh, I want an apple tart," Pica said as she hurried toward a cabinet to look for the ingredients she needed.

They all set to fixing supper; even though Pica focused on cooking her sweet treat, she made one for everyone and baked them in the ovens. With all of them contributing and having enough room to do so, it didn't take them long to prepare a meal.

Weariness hit them after they were done eating, so they hurriedly washed their dishes. They split up again like they did the past night at Nyan, so they bid each other goodnight as they headed toward the separate bedrooms.

"That's a library," Geryon stated as he walked past Helian, grabbing a door handle. The older man pointed at the next door over as he kept walking. "That's a bedroom."

Helian just took his word on it and moved next door. "Thanks."

He opened it to a small bedroom similar to the ones on the other side. He stayed standing long enough to take off his armor, then collapsed on the bed. He didn't remember anything after that.