~Chapter 3~
Corri and the others continued slowly around the temple, Kelvin sniffed the ground as they went. Upon closer inspection it looked as if the stone walls of the temple were coated in gold. If they weren't in such dire straits, Temp would certainly try to profit off of it.
They turned a corner and found colored but worn stone etchings on the wall. There was much repeated iconography. As they went a long they saw symbols representing an Owl, a Ram, a Tortoise, and a beautiful woman with flaming red hair. These images were repeated several times around the temple.
The woman was no doubt meant to be a representation of the Goddess Ralosia. Corri had seen many statues of her in the sky lands. She ran her hand across the stone etchings of an owl, and couldn't help but think of the sky deity Ool she met up there.
The group came upon a large scale mural on the wall portraying a great battle. On the far left stood a representation of the Goddess surrounded by the same Owl, Ram, and Turtle. Ralosia wore golden gauntlets and pointed a thin finger to the right. As Corri walked along the stone etchings there was a large army which appeared to be commanded by the Goddess comprised of Ralosians, Densius, Phantine and Mecarne warriors.
Corri continued along the image until it revealed another army, filled with beings foreign to Corri. Reptilian-humanoid creatures wielding frightening looking weapons and disproportionate limbs, arachnid like people with varying numbers of arms and legs. There were beings that appeared to be like the Densius, but they were disfigured. Most Densius she knew emulated a humanoid form, but these took on the forms of beasts, some on all fours with rows of sharpened rocks serving as teeth, others appearing serpentine like, all of them terrifying.
Among these foreign beings was a group people with ebon black arms and legs but spotted bodies, and luminescent eyes. They looked like the one she saw in the skylands, the one called Lunahreim.
Far to left was a muscular being with pitch black arms and legs, a white tinted body, fiery red eyes and long red hair that could be mistaken for flames. The being gripped a jagged great sword in one hand and pointed left with the other, directing those that appeared to be its army.
Opposite them was another intricate stone etching. There was a large circle with a line cut through it horizontally. In the top hemisphere of the circle was another image representing the Goddess, wielding her golden gauntlets. In the bottom hemisphere was the same muscular being from the other portrait, wielding the jagged great sword.
Aero had been staring at Ralosia at the far right of the mural.
"What is it Aero? Think the Goddess is cute or something?" Corri teased.
Aero continued to stare, "That’s not it... She kinda looks like you Corri."
Corri eyes lit up and she rushed to her brother’s side to look at the etching of Ralosia. She rolled her eyes, "We look nothing a like. It's just the red hair."
Jirro circled behind the two and looked at the image of Ralosia, "I don't know. I could see you looking like that when you're older."
Temp folded his arms and asked, "Corri, what exactly did you hear when that made you want to go south?"
"I'm not sure... It felt like I was being called."
Temp leaned against the wall, "You felt like you were being called, or you heard someone calling you?"
Corri turned slowly, she didn't like where his train of thought was going, "What're you getting at?"
"You had us sail this way, and suddenly a burst of light that I never saw before swallowed us up. I've been through that part of the desert more times than I can count and that's never happened before."
Corri shouted, "Are you saying this is my fault?"
Temp did a wide gesture, "It's too much of a coincidence not for me to be looking at you!"
Corri tightened her fist and began walking towards Temp before Jirro stood in her way, "It's no one’s fault. We're wasting enough time as it is. We need to keep moving."
Corri turned up her nose at Temp and the group continued through the temple. They turned another corner and the torches lining the wall lit up in sequential order until it reached the end of a hallway. At the end was a short stone staircase leading up to a circular gate.
Corri and Aero rushed towards the gate, both of them excited at a potential way out. They saw a shimmering substance covering the gate, and Aero placed his hand on the substance. It was solid, but it looked liquid, it even created a reflection.
Or was it? Corri looked directly into the liquid but saw no reflection of herself, only of the environment behind her. There was no reflection of Aero either.
As Aero pulled his hand away the shimmering substance began to ripple like water, "Maybe this is out way out."
Aero cracked his knuckles and punched the peculiar substance, a violent looking ripple effect ran through it. It reverberated for a moment before returning to normal. Aero struck the substance a few more times and pushed against it, all to the same effect, "This is weird."
Jirro ran his hands through his hair for a moment, "If that is our way out... Maybe we just need to hit it harder to break through."
Aero turned to his cousin, "We could use Focus. Hit it as hard as we can."
"That'll tire you out won't you?" Corri asked, "That's the last thing we want right now."
Jirro pulled the bag off his back and looked inside, there were still a few potions. "We could try it once and use a potion to help whoever does it recover. Its worth a shot."
"I'll do it," Aero volunteered enthusiastically.
Jirro shook his head, "Whoever is the strongest of us should do it."
"Yeah. That’s why I should do it," Aero said in a matter of fact way.
Jirro's eyes widened, "Are you kidding? I'm definitely stronger than you!" Jirro continued, "Remember that time I killed that giant Cobra with a single strike?"
Aero waved his hand, "That doesn't count. That was a one-time thing! Besides, I got 3rd in the tournament and you got 4th."
Jirro pointed his finger aggressively at his cousin, "That’s only because you were placed against Tyro instead of Emer. Besides, that was months ago. We've both gotten stronger since then!"
Aero and Jirro continued to compare personal feats against each other, even going as far back as when they were both 9-years old and fought for the first time. Aero reminded his cousin that he won that fight. This only triggered Jirro to incite a fight right then and there. If they continued, the two prideful boys might actually come to blows.
"I think Aero should do it," Corri intervened, "He probably is a little stronger than you."
Jirro looked at her flabbergasted, "Of course you'd say that. He's your brother," Jirro looked to the others, "What about the rest of you? Who do you think is stronger?"
Without hesitation Temp pointed at Aero. Ruben and Nout reluctantly motioned to Aero as well. Even Kelvin seemed to look at Aero, as if the hyena understood the question.
Jirro's face was flush red. He always prided himself on excelling over his cousin, but no one backed him here, "Fine. Aero can do it." Jirro said with his pride clearly wounded.
Aero stood in front of the gate, and breathed in hard. Both of his fists were illuminated with a radiant red light. With a roar Aero did a two fisted punch to the barrier and it rippled violently for a moment... before settling calmly. Aero fell back and began to breath terribly hard. Jirro reluctantly passed him one of the potions and he gulped down the bottle in a single go. Aero's stamina was restored as he drank the lost drop of the potion.
Jirro smirked slightly, "Well, that didn't work."
Aero turned to his cousin, "Do you want to give it a go?"
Jirro squinted his eyes, "We should conserve all the potions we have left. We'll have to find another way out."
Jirro pivoted and turned back the way they came, and the others hesitantly followed along. Under her breath Corri uttered, "Petty."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu2Q36HD6cb
