* * *
Bray wiped the dust-stained sweat from his forehead as he bent to lift the final slab. His muscles ached and protested against the laborious task. He was actually relieved when Elly came to assist him in sliding the final piece from their path. The spiral staircase below was deteriorated, fragmented, and collapsing, but possible to navigate with care.
Bray crept towards the crumbled banister of the newly accessible balcony. Looking down, he could discern a blue stone embedded within what would be the base of this tower's floor. The faintly illuminated tablet petitioned his attention only briefly before his focus was drawn to a more immediate concern. Circling below were dark shadows, gifted in flight, as they played and chased with each other in what he assumed to be their mating r
