Dragon Rising

Chapter 18 - Earth

It was surprising how long it took for everyone to reach the top of the stairs; the ascent looked shorter before they started the climb. Another bannister filled with oil followed the stairs up and were the only source of light. The ascent was steep, and occasionally someone braced themselves against the wall; each time, it reacted by shifting its color to the power associated with it. It reminded Roshaun of the ring he used when he first met the king. Was it possible that this stonework was the same? While the stairway was plain and devoid of any type of ornamentation, the room that awaited them was a stark contrast. The center of this new room was filled with a large statue of a figure wielding a lance engraved with the Rakshana Ox upon its handle. The statue was standing atop an even larger pedestal preventing them from seeing what waited at the other end. The floor was covered in dirt and stone, and there were elements of plant life that growing sporadically along the way. How they managed to live in this dark environment was a mystery.

"Welcome, my friends, to an undiscovered world," Chrono said with a smile.

"What are you talking about?" Sharon asked.

"We have single handedly gotten further in this tower than anyone has been able to in centuries." Chrono replied, "Who knows, the last to set foot in here may have been the original four."

"I suppose that is possible," Sharon said.

"What is up with this place?" Jalia asked. She took a few steps forward toward the statue. She took one step onto floor where the dirt began as Chrono reached out and grabbed her elbow.

"Wait!" he said.

"What?" Jalia asked; obviously stunned by the sudden intensity. Chrono reached his hand out and conjured a stone that he let fall where Jalia had been inches away from stepping. Rather than landing with a resounding thud as Roshaun had imagined, the stone fell through the floor.

"Ah," Jalia took a couple of steps backward, "It seems not all of this is a solid floor then."

"It would seem not," Chrono agreed, "We need to be careful."

"How did you know she would fall?" Roshaun asked.

"I can sense the density of the earth around us," Chrono said, "I'm sure you have felt a similar sensation whenever you are near a body of water." Roshaun thought back to the times he fetched water for the group and realized that Chrono was right. He never put much thought to it, but he could sense when he was getting close to a source of water and how much there would be. He mentally told himself to look into this ability more when he had the chance.

"Right," said Sharon, "so how do we get across?"

"A most excellent question, my dear," Chrono said, "And I believe I may have a solution."

"Do tell," Sharon said.

"Since I can tell where the floor is solid enough to hold our weight, I will proceed before you. Each of you will then do exactly as I do so that we can reach the other side safely."

"Sounds doable," Jalia said.

"I hope so," Roshaun muttered.

"We'll be fine," Sharon patted Roshaun consolingly and looked at Chrono, "Lead the way, love." Chrono carefully stepped forward onto the dirt. Each step was carefully thought out and tested before proceeding to the next one. Each of them followed his steps one by one, being as careful as possible not to stray from the path Chrono was setting for them. The time it took them to cover even a small distance was agonizing and slow, but Roshaun appreciated the care that Chrono was putting into his steps. Their lives rested in his hands and he knew it. Roshaun wondered if Chrono was being even more careful because of what had happened with him and Cersi in the caves. Though time seemed to crawl with each step it was satisfying to see they had covered significant ground when Roshaun glanced back over the path they covered. Chrono stopped suddenly when they were about a quarter of the way around the room. Sharon bumped into Chrono before realizing he had stopped.