Dead Rainbow

The Tower

Melock granted Redwing his request for seclusion in the south tower of the Stone Mountain Castle and stayed away entirely for 7 years. When he appeared in the main hall with a young girl at his side, Redwing's teleportation alarm failed to go off. Therefore, he continued working away in his study at the top of his tower. 

The prepubescent girl was dressed in layered black and purple garments that floated behind her when she walked. Her long jet black hair did the same as she followed Melock out of the hall and across the courtyard to the tower. 

Melock stopped at the door and looked down at the girl. 

"Why don't you try your hand at getting us in?"

"Ok," she said in a high pitched child's voice. 

She examined the door for a long time. Her eyes were two different colors and though the pale blue one remained in its natural state her purple eye gave off an unnatural glow. She was able to read the invisible runes written on the door. 

"Knock three times to enter. And pass three floors to be welcomed. This goes double for you, father," read the girl aloud. "He is your boy, isn't he?" 

"That he is, I'm afraid," smiled Melock with a hint of pride.

"Should we knock six times then?" 

Melock's grin went to full pride. The girl rapped six times and the door opened. They walked into an empty room with a black stone obelisk at its center. The raw stone walls at the foundation level of the tower were as bare as the floor. The stairwell to the next level was opposite the entrance. They walked over and stood on either side of the monolithic pyramid. 

"I suspect he knows we're here now," said the girl.

"Indeed. Do you know what this is?" asked Melock. 

She looked at the object, walked around it, and placed her left open palm on it for a moment. 

"It's a power source of some kind?"

"It's called a Stone of Defense and it protects the tower from magical attacks and even physical bombardments." 

"Useful. Like a shield for a building?" she asked. 

"Exactly. Shall we proceed."

They walked over to the staircase and the girl stopped at the base of the steps.

"Walk only on the odd steps. There is a different trap on every other even one."

"Very astute. Anything we should be particularly aware of?"

"Yes. The poison darts on every prime numbered step." Melock hadn't even taught her that. 

"Excellent. After you."

They both bounded two steps at a time up to the next level. Like the last, it was empty but this time there were three stairwells on the other side. They walked across the circular bare stone space and Melock, again, looked to his new apprentice. 

"What do you think?" 

The girl lifted her hand to the central stairwell. All three staircases went up in direction. 

"The center one feels coldest. I say we start with the left. Avis-aviary-avy." 

She flapped her long flowing sleeves and turned into a slick feathered raven with one purple eye. The bird crowed and flew up the left stairwell. A moment later the bird flew out of the right stairwell. It flew around the room a few times, shot up the right stairs, and a minute later flew out of the left. The bird hovered for a moment next to Melock then transformed back into the girl.