The Phantom Riser

CHAPTER TWENTY - THE EIGHT (2)

Karenia and Victor gaped at Kiro. There was no way they could grasp what was going on. Kiro was the one that usually answered their questions but now, he was in trouble… or was he in trouble?

“What do we do Karenia?” asked Victor, as he shuddered.

“Act now, think later,” Karenia replied instinctively. Whether or not she would be making the right decision, she didn’t care to know. She weighed the risks. She didn’t know what they could gain but the risk of potentially losing Kiro was far too heavy to wager. She charged head on towards Kiro to pull him out. He was heavy – far heavier than he was on a normal day. She had been the one that carried him after he passed out, so she was well aware of what he weighed. And it was only just a day ago. Something was clearly wrong. Kiro was in a trance again and they didn’t know how to respond. She was okay with him keeping some secrets; everyone had one. But if it could cost his life because they didn’t know how to help him in dire situations, she didn’t want to be kept in the dark anymore.

Victor ran across to help her out. He was quite shocked that someone has strong as her was having difficulty moving Kiro. Or maybe its because she can’t use her abilities? Or was there some kind of pull there? Whatever the case was, Victor thought little of it. Like Karenia had said, act now, think later. After a short but rigorous struggle, he was finally out of the circle. And then he was too light. Kiro came to it after they laid him down to rest. He ran his hand over his head as he tried to regain his cognitive ability. “What just happened?” Kiro asked.

“We should be asking you that. Why the hell did you run into the circle? Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?” Karenia scolded. Victor made a face at her. Wasn’t she the one that entered that space first? She even went as far as hugging a statue. “Are you okay?” she asked softly. Her sensitive side began to show.

“I don’t even know how I got there, much less why. I think I was called.” Kiro rubbed his eyes a few times before finally finding his feet.

“Let’s get out of here. There’s nothing for us here. It’s dangerous to even take anything outside. Who knows what kind of trap we might set off in the process?” Victor said.

“But still---” – Kiro remembered his encounter with Aaron. Could this have any connection with what he said? and how? Did he know this place existed?

“Let’s not forget the goblins outside,” Karenia said.

“We can use our powers in here, up until we step out of this temple,” Kiro said – Karenia grinned. That explained why she felt so free. Her powers had returned. – “Victor, light up our path all the way through we came, and maybe some two hundred meters more. But only on the sides. We’ll run through the middle. It’s a gamble, but it’s the only way I can think of. Otherwise, we might not be able to keep the goblins at bay. Think you can do it from here?”

“You’re speaking to am Ascient,” Victor gloated. That was probably the first time he accepted the title. A title that would stick with him forever. Using his multiple fire balls skill, he did just as Kiro instructed. Both sides were burning, leaving the centre path free. It was a tough run though. The hot flames proved difficult to run through with their immense heat, also making it difficult to breath. But they persevered. Only for a moment longer. They would soon be out of there. They were not using their powers but they were doing something that ordinarily they wouldn’t be able to do. Ever since they got their powers, the impossible bar had been raised so high, that they could attempt almost anything. They had gotten extremely confident, and not just in their powers, but in themselves as well. And their superb teamwork was as a result of the trust they had amongst one another. A trust that was starting to be questioned.

They approached another door, not as big as the one that guarded the temple. The goblins sneered, unable to approach the fire. The door was by far easier to open. In fact, it opened so easily that you would think that it was already open. Maybe someone forgot to lock the doors?

They crashed into the room that laid behind the door. It took a few minutes for them to catch their breath. The run had taken all they had within them and maybe even more. “So, where’s this map of yours?” Karenia asked, still gasping for air.

“Let’s catch our breath first. Then we’ll move. We’re safe here,” Kiro said.

“That’s what you said the last time,” Karenia retorted. “And we both know how that ended. Although I feel it was kind discriminatory that the statues refused to glow when I stood there. I mean, I stood there.”

“It didn’t deem you worthy maybe,” Victor goaded. He enjoyed riling Karenia up. “Do you think maybe it would have responded to me though, being an Ascient and all?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know why that happened. Before now, I’ve never heard of the statues responding to a person, much less a Riser. Well, that was my first time in a sage temple. It’s just up ahead. The map is in a chest ahead. This is like a free zone. Get in and out without any disturbances. But somehow, those goblins came in.”

“Let’s figure that out when we are out of here. This place gives me the creeps,” Victor shuddered. They continued walking forward. They went through a few turns and curves, choosing out of many paths that existed. Were Kiro not navigating them through, they would have been sure to end up lost. And there it was. The chest they were looking for. It was shiny, covered in a mixture of gold and silver. Karenia’s eyes glistened as she walked towards it. It was definitely worth it; the map and all the riches they would find within. Karenia reached for it but Kiro slapped her hand away.

“That one is a trap. That’s the chest we are looking for,” Kiro said, pointing to dull coloured tiny chest. It was so small that you wouldn’t even notice it if you weren’t looking for it, especially with the shiny chest hogging all the attention.

Kiro opened it to find it… empty! The chest was completely empty. Had someone else known about it and got there before them? It was possible, but very unlikely. Far ahead, into the creeping darkness that lurked at the end of the room, a silhouette formed. “Is this what you’re looking for?” it asked, waving the maps in its hands.