Warrior Priest of Dmon-Li - Brian Pratt [27]
“What should we do?” Jiron asks him, not once taking his eyes off the scene ahead. Unconsciously, he’s drawn a knife and is holding it ready in his right hand.
“Can we skirt around this place?” James asks.
Jiron looks around and then nods his head as he begins to move to the right.
James and Miko stay right with him as he slowly makes his way around the area, remaining within the vegetation.
Miko suddenly trips on an exposed root and looses his balance. Trying to remain upright, he ends up stepping out of the vegetation and finally falls upon the ground within the clearing, coming to land a couple feet from the edge of the vegetation.
As soon as Miko’s foot first steps into the clearing, the prickling sensation suddenly spikes. James’ attention is drawn to the large pile of skulls and it almost seems as if he can see an enormous pulse of energy suddenly erupt from the pyramid. Moving fast, the wave washes over them as it moves away into the swamp.
“Miko!” he cries. “Get out of there!”
Getting up lightning quick, Miko scrambles back over to them as he quickly looks around for the reason for James’ warning. “What’s wrong?” he asks, not seeing anything threatening.
Both he and Jiron look to him as he replies, “When you stepped into the clearing, I felt and I think, saw, a pulse emanate from the pyramid.”
“A pulse?” Miko asks, eyes widening in fear.
Nodding his head, he says, “Yeah. It seemed like it fanned out, moving out into the swamp.”
“What does that mean?” asks Jiron, nervously.
“I don’t know,” he says. “I’ve never encountered anything like this before.”
“Well, let’s not wait here and find out,” Jiron says, as he looks around. “Let’s move!” Without waiting for a reply, he heads out and they make it around the complex, everyone taking extra precaution not to step within the clearing.
Upon reaching the far side of the clearing, they put it behind them as they move quickly away from it and the ominous pyramid of skulls. As they leave it behind, the vegetation begins to improve slightly, though only for a while.
Soon, the vegetation once more begins to show drastic signs of withering and decay as they see another of the smaller piles of skulls appear before them. The prickling sensation grows as it did before when James approaches it.
As Jiron begins to pass the midpoint of the pyramid, he suddenly cries out as he falls backward into James, knocking them both down.
“What happened?” James asks as he picks himself up.
“I ran into something,” he says.
“Let me see,” James says as he cautiously approaches the pyramid of skulls. Holding his hand out, he walks slowly toward it. He moves around the skulls to the right, still holding out his hand. When he comes next to the pyramid, his hand touches a barrier.
Stopping, he places both hands upon it and pushes. It feels solid, smooth. He runs his hand along it as he walks several feet to his right. Pausing, he takes his hand and moves it along the barrier as high as he can reach. Unable to find an end, he turns back to the other two. “I think when Miko tripped and fell into the clearing, it activated some kind of barrier,” he explains.
“What do you mean?” Miko asks, confused.
James places his hand against it and says, “Come here and feel it.”
Hesitantly, Miko comes and places his hand upon it, eyes widening. “What is it?”
“Some kind of force field I’d imagine,” he explains. Then he turns to Jiron, “Kind of like the dome I used to keep the sandstorm out, remember?”
Nodding his head, he says, “Yeah, I remember.”
“What does it mean?” Miko asks.
“It means we’re trapped inside,” explains James.
Chapter Five
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Miko and Jiron have been sitting back from the little pyramid while James has been attempting to breach the barrier. After standing motionless in front of it for several minutes, he cries out as he stumbles back away from it.
Coming to him, Jiron worriedly asks,