Just beneath the surface

The wrath of An Eternal fire

The chief handed to them an obsidian pail ,and afterward he and the guide went down the mountain, as the crew entered the cavern. They lit torches to see in the cold, dark, stalactite covered cave.

"May God be with us all", Pedro said, as they walked by a corpse laying by the entrance. They clenched their crucifixes, and prayed.

"He was so close, yet so far", Jahmil remarked. The body wasn't cut, scraped, hacked, or torn. It was burnt, from the inside out. It seemed as if he had already escaped the horrors from beneath, but still got caught up in the flames.

"The entrance is still open to become an exit", Fernando said.

"Stop joking around, we said we're coming with you. I'll lead the way from here", Jahmil replied. The cave dug deep into the earth, so if something was to go wrong, there would hardly be any escape. They walked down the labyrinth, their shoulders scraping against the limestone walls. Water dropped from above, frightening one of the men.

"Stay calm and focused, and keep an eye on your surroundings", Fernando said.

As they walked further down, the limestone walls began to have bricks on them, with stone chests lined on the sides. It seemed like they had finally entered the mine itself. The men immediately scoured the chests hoping to find something valuable.

"Don't get caught up in those! They could be traps!" Fernando shouted. Immediately the men shut the chests close. They walked on further, and as they went further, more and more dead bodies lay dead, all burnt.

"Do you think we should really go on?" A sailor asked.

"You should have turned back when you had the chance", Pedro said. "But don't worry, we will not share their fate", he continued.

The mana concentrations all around him felt closer and closer, and Jahmil knew they were walking into what could be an inevitable trap.

"Lower your voices, and do not let a single explosion make way. There are enemies lurking around us, dormant they may be, so we must try our best not to wake them up", Jahmil said. They reached what seemed to be a forge. Furnaces, anvils, and cauldrons were all around. Jahmil felt a free flow of mana coming from different directions, as if it was the central point of the labyrinth. He decided to try out something he learned last night. He concentrated, and pictured out the entire tunnel system using the reflection of the mana waves throughout the labyrinth. He then molded his image using mana, condensing dust and sand to create a near accurate model of the entire labyrinth.

"Hold it", Jahmil said, as he handed it over to Fernando.

"What is this— how?" Fernando asked.

"Well it's not that accurate, but it will help us see where we are in this massive system", Jahmil said. He then pressed his finger into Fernando's forehead and took out what seemed to be a glowing gem.

"Well, this is intimidating", Fernando chuckled.

"This gem indicates where we are", Jahmil said, as he dropped the gem into the model. "As you can see, there are caverns and chambers in the upper levels. If push comes to shove, we won't need to find the exit as we could simply blow a hole in one of those chambers and get out. It is very close to the surface anyway", He continued.

"Back in Europe they'll call you a warlock", Pedro said.

Andres was so eager to have mana control too, just seeing how amazing it could be. They continued walking down, and so far, it seemed rather peaceful. Further down, orange glowing stones poked out of the brick walls, and Jahmil has a slightly bad feeling about it. They barely had mana, but he knew his hunches were always spot on. They reached the next large chamber, which appeared to be a storage room. Jahmil stopped, and wondered if they were going the right track.

"Are we lost? We should be able to exit from here", Fernando said.

"Yeah, but, there's no exit", Jahmil said. The entire crew probed the chamber for a way out, or any clue or pattern that could help. One of the men opened a chest, totally forgetting what Fernando advised earlier. Suddenly an axe came flying out of a slit in the wall, landing right next to Fernando, hitting a rope and nearly cutting it off.

"What did I tell you, about chests!" Fernando shouted.

The rope squealed and broke.

"Oh this is just great, classical dungeon", Andres said.

Arrows came flying everywhere, triggering other traps as it continued. Spikes came out of the floor, and hatchets jumped out of the ground. Jahmil immediately tried to locate the next trigger, and blocked an arrow heading it's way, stopping the chain reaction. Luckily, no one died. Some were injured, and were immediately treated. Most of the sailors took off their cloaks, as it seemed to grow warmer further down.

"Continue searching, but don't touch anything unless need be", Jahmil said.

Veronica squatted, unfazed by what just happened.

"What is with that man?" She asked Andres.

"In one of our adventures in the sss, he accidentally absorbed mana from pollen that came from a a magical plant, which gives him the ability to see and control the flow of mana", Andres replied.

"Magic? I don't believe it", Veronica said.

"Well, it is what he used to turn his sword into an iron whip when he tried to save you, and when he just created that map a while ago", Andres replied.

"That steel must have some compound or something, probably from Alchemy, just like that unbreakable glass", Veronica replied.

"Well it's totally up to you to believe me or not, but what We're up against is magic. There's a lot you don't know about this world, you might not even know that there are actually worlds other than this", Andres replied.

"Fernando was the one who actually told your father about Atlantis, and your father was a fool to believe him. Had they not been tricked by some myth of magic, none of this would have happened", Veronica said.

"Woah woah woah, don't go there, my father wasn't a fool, and this quest isn't a farce. Well, you're probably in denial, so I can't blame you, but soon enough, you'll see magic for yourself", Andres replied.

"Sir!" A sailor called. "I think we found something", he continued.

Fernando and Jahmil ran to the sailor to see what he found.

"Take a look sir", The sailor said, pointing to a hole in the wall which resembled a keyhole.

"Well here comes nothing", Jahmil said as he reached for his sword.

"Don't!" Fernando exclaimed, grabbing Jahmil's hand.

"Don't even think about it", He said.

"We won't know until we try", Jahmil said, as he inserted the sword into the hole and made it take shape inside. He twisted it, and everybody took cover. There was a moment of silence, but luckily, nothing bad happened. A Doorway opened up, and they entered it.

"Be more cautious next time, as we won't know when the next trap system will be unleashed", Fernando said.

"Yeah yeah don't worry", Jahmil replied.

More dead bodies lay on the ground as they walked further down. They seemed to be very old already, as the stench was no longer there. However, this time there were broken bones, cleaved off from the body, and one had a stone arrow stuck to its head.

"Well, this is where things get tricky", Jahmil said.

"These probably came from the golem's minions", Fernando said, as he dislodged the arrow from the skull. Just as he touched the skull, the whole skeleton crumbled into pieces. The temperature rose as they moved, and they could easily tell that they were getting close. Up ahead, was yet another dead end, clogged up by sand.

"What now?" Andres asked.

Jahmil noticed how the blockage had mana flowing through it. He borrowed a torch, and placed it near the wall of sand. The mana reacted, and the grains of sand jostled with one another. Slowly, the sand collapsed, and the dead end opened up.

"See, Magic", Andres said.

"Heat makes particles move so it could explain this", Veronica replied.

"How do you know all this stuff anyway?" Andres asked.

"My father hired a private tutor, a very irritating one", Veronica replied.

As they continued down the labyrinth, the orange stones that stuck out of the walls began to grow brighter. One of the men reached out for the stone.

"Stop!" Jahmil shouted.

The man pulled his hand back, and snapped out of it.

"Don't be entranced by the stones! Removing them would cause even more trouble than the traps earlier! They have mana in them, so this contraption might be even deadlier", Jahmil said.

"Fight it like how we fought the pollen back at the sss!" Fernando shouted.

"We fell asleep though so basically we didn't manage to fight it", Pedro said.

They reached another chamber. this one had no glowing stones, but it was full of bodies. Once again, it was a dead end. Andres sat down, but he was near a sharp edged rock, and it made a slit in his hand as he sat. Suddenly it felt very hot, burning from the inside. The pain was immeasurable, and he sweated.

"You don't seem so good", Veronica said.

Suddenly, the pain disappeared just as quickly as it started. Dregs of air began to be visible to him, and it swirled around the chamber. A lot of it radiates from Jahmil's sword. He then paused for a moment, and just realised what happened.

"Hey, you alright?" Veronica asked.

"Y-Yeah I'm fine", Andres replied.

It was amazing! He could feel the movement of the energy throughout the chamber, giving him a clearer picture of the entire labyrinth.

"This is more boring than I expected", A sailor said.

"No kidding, it makes me wonder what caused all those people to die here", Another said.

"The real threat could be further down. Either that, or those orange glowing stones will get the best of us", Pedro replied.

Jahmil looked at the bodies that lay dead, and saw one of them holding a book. It seemed to be a journal.

"Captain! Come over here", Jahmil called. He then showed the book to Fernando.

"It looks like Chinese, can you translate?" He asked.

" Well, it says; This does not move, and there is no keyhole. We have searched every nook and cranny, but there is nothing. We tried to move it by force, to the point where we used explosives. Now, the labyrinth beats with the sound of death marching upon us. We cannot get out", Fernando said.

"Well that's for future us to handle", Jahmil said. While Fernando translated the statement, he scanned his book, reouvengoule, for a possible enchantment. He then whispered the enchantment into a wall, and suddenly, the wall crumbled into pieces and silently collapsed.

"Like I said, magic", Andres replied. This time he was certain it was magic, as he could sense the mana immediately disappearing when Jahmil recited the incarnation. This time, Veronica remained silent. The way up ahead had even more glowing stones, and it lighted the cavern up. Andres noticed the massive amounts of mana sweeping through the tunnel from up ahead.

"Resist! Don't touch the stones!" Fernando warned.

"Why did we bring the whole crew with us again?" Jahmil asked.

"They volunteered, remember?" Pedro replied. "Why is it a problem?" He asked.

"Well the more people are in here, the more chances some i***t is going to fall for traps such as this entrancement", Jahmil replied.

"Stop!"a group of marines shouted, as they pulled a sailor who attempted to touch the stone away.

"See what I mean?" Jahmil said.

Up ahead, there was the final chamber. The entrance was so illuminated, that it seemed like it was under the sun. They entered the chamber, and all around them were glowing stones, more densely compact compared to the ones on the way.

"This is it", Jahmil said, as he stood on a ledge over the pool of lava. It flowed out from two openings in the wall. One spewed out natural, crusty lava, while the other spewed out lava as bright as the sun, golden, and pure. They converged at the center of the pool, but they did not mix.

"Keep the men intact", Fernando instructed Pedro and Randall.

They then scooped up lava into the Pail, and closed its lid. Andres walked around the chamber, and noticed something odd. In the corner of the chamber, there was a pile of rocks that emitted so much mana. The heat inside was intense, that most of the men went back out of the chamber. Unnoticed, a sailor touched one of the stones.

"Look! Haha! Nothing happened! You can touch it, it's safe!" He shouted.

"Oh for goodness sake!" Randall exclaimed.

The sailor pulled the stone out, enticing others to follow. Just as Fernando sealed the pail, he heard screaming. The sailor screamed in agony and rolled on the ground.

"It burns! It burns!" He shouted. His skin burned from the inside out, and smoke exited his mouth, nostrils, and eyes. In the commotion, the other sailors, taunted with fear, lost control and pulled the stones out, one by one falling to the ground. The marines, with their steady souls and clear minds, kept their composure under Randall's command.

"What happened?" Fernando asked.

The stones that were in the hands of the dead sailors began to radiate with even more mana, and they crawled to the center of the corpses. Jahmil and Andres could feel it, the chain reaction that sparks the demise of every adventurer that enters the cave. The stones reanimated the corpses, and became ashened fiends. Stone figures emerged from the walls of the chamber, all with the glowing stones in the center of their bodies.

"Run!" Fernando shouted.

The marines lashed out with their guns as they backed out of the cave, while the sailors panicked and rattled. Pedro shot one of the stone figures in the head, but even though it's head shattered, it continued its charge. Jahmil, knowing the stones were the source of their mana, elongated his blade into a coil, and sprang it, aiming straight for the stone figure's chest. It crumbled into dust and collapsed.

"Aim for the stone! But do not touch it!" He shouted. Fernando took out his revolver, hitting the stones with pinpoint precision. The stone figures were the golem's creations, it's own army. Each piece was a piece of the golem's power, exactly what Jahmil feared. They fought their way up the narrow passageway, but more stone figures emerged from all around them. From point blank range, Veronica shot through the stone figure's chest, hitting two more in the back.

"Still think it's a geological disturbance?" Andres asked.

"Oh shut up and do something!" Veronica replied.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I need you to cover me for a bit", Andres said. He sat down, and squatted, in the middle of the fray.

"What are you doing!?" Veronica asked.

Andres concentrated, ignoring everything around him, except for the mana. It seemed that every individual has his own way of manipulating mana. Whether through an object, a natural substance, or even the mana itself, he knew that a weapon could be made out of them. He tried to condense mana into his hand, given the rich amount of it around the cavern, sapping even the mana from the stone figures. From the rear of the company, Jahmil felt a massive surge in mana in Andres' hand, and smiled. A whip of concentrated mana formed out of Andres' hand, and it shined as bright as the lava. Using the whip, he smashed the multiple stones, shattering many of the stone figures in their path. The men fought hard, but most of them succumbed to their enemy's sheer numbers. The stone figures pierced through the men, with their sharp, rocky blades, and burned them from the inside through the open wound. They reached the next chamber, but the wall was somehow back again.

"There's no time to do the enchantment!" Jahmil shouted.

"We don't need to anymore! What's the point of staying silent when they're all around us now!" Andres replied. He then grabbed a bow from one of the stone figures and infused an arrow of concentrated mana. He shot the wall, and ignited the arrow, creating a massive explosion. Suddenly the stone figures stopped, and went back into the walls.

"Well that seemed to have worked", Fernando remarked. But Jahmil and Andres knew it wasn't over.

"Well I think I shouldn't have done that", Andres said.

"No, you did the right thing, At Least I'll have to hold off one guy and one guy alone", Jahmil replied.

"What are you talking about?" Fernando asked.

A massive concentration of mana rushed through the cavern. The mana swirled around, making Andres lose control over it. The serpent the hooded man had immense mana, and was absurd to begin with. But the mana of whatever was approaching them did not give it justice.

"Guns and swords won't help any of you, run!" Jahmil exclaimed. The men immediately ran up the tunnel into the next chamber. Jahmil took out his book from the satchel and gave it to Fernando.

"What's this?" Fernando asked. "Don't be stupid", he said.

"Take it, I'm holding my ground here to buy you guys some time", Jahmil replied.

"Are you really an i***t? We can't decipher these without you!" Fernando exclaimed. The walls of the cavern began to melt, and molten rock dropped from above.

"Actually you can, and I just realised how stupid it was to bring me along. It seems like I'm slowing you down right now so you better get going", Jahmil said.

"Well it was quite fun, but it seems fate has other plans. Remember the man at the jewellery shop?" He asked.

"Yes I still remember now hurry we need to run!" Fernando replied.

"There's a letter on the back part of the book, give it to his daughter when you've found the treasure. Give them my share, it's the least you can do", Jahmil said.

"Are you being a coward to show that girl your feelings?" Fernando asked.

Jahmil chuckled, and prepared his blade.

"Actually yes", Jahmil replied.

"Andres!" He called out.

"Lead them out of here, I'll catch up!" He shouted.

"I will!" Andres replied.

"You told the boy you'd catch up so make sure you do!" Fernando said.

"Now go!" Jahmil shouted.

A fireball came streaming their way, and Jahmil blocked it with his blade. The explosion shook the cavern, and Fernando ran up and hastened the pace of the crew. A massive golem towered over Jahmil, wielding an axe that melted everything around it. Victor fired a musket ball at the golem, but it was deflected with ease. Without even knowing what happened, a hole had pierced his chest.

"Victor!" They shouted.

"Foolish humans. Do you have to destroy everything you create?" The golem asked.

"I didn't create you, but I will destroy you", Jahmil replied.

"No one has stopped me, and no one ever will. When I'm done with you, another fireball is all it takes to wipe all your friends out", the golem said.

Jahmil reshaped the blade into a massive hammer, and pummeled the golem, slamming it against the wall.

The golem, however, seemed unfazed, grabbing the hammer with one hand.

"All the other humans were so boring that I fell asleep. Yet, you seem to be able to control mana. I hope you entertain me for more than two minutes!" The golem mocked. "Besides, nothing can compensate for fighting a worthy foe, it was what I was created for!" It shouted. Jahmil retested the hammer and reshaped it into a lance, with a shield blocking its guard. He tried to pierce the golem, but the golem parried the lance perfectly with its axe, melting the iron off. Jahmil backed off, and reshaped the lance into a whip, and tried to grab the axe. Once again, the iron melted, but this time Jahmil controlled the liquified mercury and made it race across the golem's body. The golem let down it's heat, and as the whip solidified, it pulled Jahmil in. Fernando and the crew exited the labyrinth, and took a breather. Even from the surface, the vibrations from the battle ensuing could be felt. Fernando opened Jahmil's book, and saw that there were visible writings. The night before, Jahmil traced all the symbols and incantations, as he knew one way or another he would have to leave their side. They waited until the sun set, and still, Jahmil didn't return. Andres desperately tried to sense out Jahmil's mana, but there was nothing. They knew that the battle had been decided. They walked down the frosty mountain, but there was no rejoicing this time. They had lost seventeen men, and losing Jahmil broke their morale even more.

"Let's not make their sacrifices in vain!" Fernando shouted. The men looked up, and saw their captain's steady gaze. " stay strong! They'll laugh at you if they see you in this pitiful state", he continued. One by one, the men stood up, and as a salutation to the lost, they fired their muskets into the air. Andres thought about it. Did nature and fate give him mana to take Jahmil's place? Or is his role his to decide? They walked down the mountain, and headed to the village.

"Just what miracle did you have on your side?" The chief asked, astounded that they had actually survived. The men remained silent, and Fernando himself looked to the ground.

"What's with the sad mood? We must celebrate! Bring out the finest ale and—"

"I believe it's best if you let us be", Andres said, staring at the chief with a dead glare.

"This brat, he wasn't like this earlier", the chief thought.

"We're leaving in about an hour, everyone pack up", Fernando instructed, his voice low, with no sign of celebration for the achievement they had obtained. They assembled the caravan, and made their way back to India. The air was cold, and the clouds darkened their way. The men could not help but grieve for their lost brothers. They couldn't even bury them, and if some actually survived but was left behind, what hope was there for them? Veronica could see it clearly, the change in Andres. She just realised how much he admired Jahmil, and how devastated he was with what happened. The way back was the complete opposite of the way going to the mountain, in many ways. Veronica noticed that she was now the one trying to cheer Andres up. He had been dead silent ever since they set foot out of the village, and he barely ate. In his heart, Andres knew that he could have done something. Perhaps if he thought calmly instead of turning his tail, he could have evened up the odds. But even so, what help could he have become?

"It appears that the other one blessed with the mana has vanished, where is he?" A voice asked.

"I have no intention to speak to you", Andres replied.

"To think that you were just the average boy days ago, and now you can hear me", the wind said. "Anyway, where is he, there's something I must speak to him about", it continued.

"He is no longer here", Andres replied. The wind could feel the emptiness in Andes' heart, and the hearts of all the men. He had felt it ever since; the aura of grief. Wherever he would go, grief would always be there. The wind blew stronger, and grew colder. He would have had two friends by now, he thought.

"I understand, I too grieve for your loss", the wind replied.

"I'll just have to tell it to you then", it continued.

"Why is it of so much importance?" Andres asked.

"This is a warning, and pay heed to what I have to say", the wind replied. "Your journey ahead will not only bring you and your crew destruction, but it could plummet the known world into gloom", it continued.

"What are you talking about?" Andres asked.

"As knowledgeable as I am, there are some things that are out of my reach, such as what lies under the mountain. But now that I see it, I am sure that the lava of purity you people think is pure, is not pure at all", the wind replied. "It contains an attribute of pure malice, and evil. You seek to raise Atlantis, am I right?" The wind asked.

"Yes, That is our goal from the start", Andres replied.

"The ocean is another being that I cannot contest. It has hidden secrets underneath it's surface that even I cannot dare try to uncover. But from what I can tell, because one of the ingredients for the map is linked with evil, there's a chance that the destination itself has partaken in evil", the wind said.

"But then again, I am a mere signpost that you can merely deny, but always remember that signposts are there for a purpose", it continued, resonating with the voice of Andres' mother.

"How is she?" Andres asked.

The wind dashed through raising the sand along the way as it raced across the globe.

"She is not well", The wind said.

"What did you say?" Andres asked.

"She is struck with a severe illness that could take her life in thirteen months if left untreated", the wind replied.

"What is my brother doing about this? Nothing?" Andres asked.

"He hired a personal servant to tend to your mother as he is currently in Campeche desperately searching for a cure", the wind replied. Andres was relieved, as he knew that as long as they finished their quest within thirteen months, they could save her with the poison of binding.

" If you'll excuse me, the great walls of China seem to have some kind of commotion", the wind said.

"Wow, So We're switching roles now?" Veronica asked.

"Huh?" Andres asked.

"Finally! You're talking", Veronica said.

"Well hi, and yeah I think we're switching roles for now", Andres replied.

"I know that feeling, all too well. But you seem to be tense for another reason just now, what's wrong?" Veronica asked.

"It's nothing", Andres replied.

"I know something's up and I'm very sure it affects me in some way so you better spit it out", Veronica said.

"It's just, it's just that I don't think we're supposed to be doing all this", Andres replied.

"Wow, to be honest i thought that way from the start", Veronica said.

"It's just that I think we're altering the course of things, too much in fact", Andres said.

"Obviously. I mean, there must have been a very significant reason why such a grand city sank", Veronica replied.

"That's what I fear", Andres remarked. For the first time, he had a true goal that did not have any missing points. He knew he had to finish what they started, whatever the consequences may be, so that the sacrifices of the lost would not be in vain.