Warrior Priest of Dmon-Li - Brian Pratt [26]
“Others?” asks Miko, nervously.
“Yeah, there were several of them over there,” he tells him. Looking to James he says, “We can’t go that way either.”
“Now what?” asks Miko.
“Seems we are faced with several unpleasant choices,” he says as they gather around.
“East are the rhino-lizards, west is the river which may or may not have those flesh eating fish in them,” he says. “South are the natives, and I’m sure they’ll not welcome us back. Finally, to the north is that odd pyramid of skulls that feels like it’s radiating magic in some way.”
“South and east are definitely out,” Jiron says. “We could never survive unscathed if we take either of those routes. Not in our present condition.”
Nodding, James says, “I’d have to agree with you there.”
“Not the water!” pipes up Miko. “I couldn’t go in there!”
Sighing, James says, “Then we must chance the pyramid and whatever lies beyond it.” He glances at each of them before continuing, “This could prove worse than any of the other choices, you know.”
Shrugging, Jiron replies, “We don’t know that for sure. Until we do, it’s our best route.”
“Alright then,” James says as he gets up and readies his stick for travel. “Lead on.”
Taking the lead again, Jiron takes them back toward the pyramid of skulls. Worry and dread fill their hearts as they make their way through the dead and withered trees. The ground around them seems almost grey in the light, the grass and bushes upon it are twisted and warped, just like the trees. When they can at last see the pyramid ahead of them once more, Jiron pauses for a moment. Glancing first to James and then Miko, he gathers his courage before continuing down toward it.
When they are but scant feet away from it, Miko gives James a weird look. This close to the skull pyramid, even the other two are able to feel the magic of it. Miko stays as far away from it as the ground will allow him. Any further and he’d be in the water.
Jiron reaches out to touch it as he passes by, but before his hand can connect with it, James cries out, “Stop!”
Startled, as though he didn’t even realize what he was doing, Jiron snatches his hand away and quickly hurries past. “Thanks,” he says. The others step lively as they too pass the pyramid. As the pyramid disappears behind them, the vegetation slowly begins to regain some life, but none of it looks remotely healthy.
The telltale prickling of magic subsides, but doesn’t disappear altogether. Even when they’ve put distance between them and the pyramid, far enough so he shouldn’t have been able to feel anything, still the sensation remains with him. James comes to the conclusion that there may be other sources of magic here other than just that lone pyramid. Keeping his eyes open, he follows Jiron as he continues his way north.
Everyone is on edge while they make their way through such a desolate locale. “Something’s not quite right here,” says Miko in a hushed whisper.
“I agree,” states Jiron.
James begins to notice that there are no animals here, not even birds high in the trees. Never in all the time since being washed upon the shore have the trees been silent, there has always been a bird or some other kind of animal calling out. This eerie silence just makes his anxiety grow.
Jiron suddenly comes to a stop ahead of them.
“What’s wrong?” James asks when he and Miko come to where he’s standing. Looking over Jiron’s shoulder to what lies before them, he says, “Oh.”
The gnarled and withered trees end a short distance ahead at a large clearing. In the middle of the clearing sits a large complex of buildings which have long since fallen into ruin. Portions of some of the buildings remain intact, while others have collapsed completely. Several of the buildings look to have once stood over two stories tall, sections of some still do. The buildings form a semicircle around a weed infested courtyard. All the vegetation within the clearing and bordering it show the worst signs of the withering.
Within the center of the courtyard sits a larger pyramid of skulls, two, maybe three