Error 66b
Jeremiah
The gate closed behind them, locking them in the walls of the second trial. Looming danger on the horizon with no clear way out, Jeremiah wondered if this was what Daniel felt when he was locked away in a den of lions. Prayer saved Daniel then, and it will be Jeremiah's saving grace now.
In a brand new cave system darker than before, the black stones carried veins of blue, like glowing rivers in the night of the black walls. Moments earlier, James had called for a brief rest after the onslaught they had faced. And just as God did on the seventh day of creation, Jeremiah too rested. At least for the brief moment.
Many in the group were in conversations as they enjoyed some snacks and drinks. Though Jeremiah's mind was not attuned to the conversations. It was on the marvel of this place, and his eyes were reading the cave's curvature like a canvas.
The surface rock below his feet was smooth and flat, similar to the arena. The ceiling was also stone, but more jagged like the walls. Between the rocks making up the wall, Jeremiah took a look through the gaps. They were nowhere large enough to squeeze through, but they graciously offered a sight into a vast void of emptiness. Though it was just a trick of the eye. He could only see emptiness due to the dust and electric clouds most certainly put there to obstruct his vision of what lies beyond. To him, the sight was a reminder of all he didn't know, all he wished to know; vast and mystifying.
Never did he ever expect to be in the Vault of the Seven. He had heard stories told of this Precursor monument when he was young of years, but words only went so far. Truly a place lost in time yet full of stories he only wished he knew. If his kin could see him now, what would they say? Of that, he couldn't be sure.
Jeremiah, using the light from the glowing stones woven throughout the walls of the cavern, had the Book of Sin ready to read. He gazed at the scramble of words, phrases, and puzzles. With every page, the book seemed to get harder and harder to decipher. He thanked God the words were portrayed in his advanced native dialect. He had found many of the concepts written about wouldn't be very translatable in many of the basic languages of this galaxy.
After some time, he found what he was looking for. "And to those whom still remain shall be tested not of prowess but of ingenuity within the Walls of Perdition," he read the put-together phrase in English after translating it in his head from his native language.
"So… hell. We're in hell," Shadow-Walker said, with a hint of sarcasm.
"Not literally, I would guess," Valiic reassured Shadow-Walker, with a pat on his uninjured shoulder.
Letting his eyes meander some, Jeremiah caught sight of James pushing a few boulders that were not small to reveal a pathway. Each boulder had to weigh close to a ton. In many ways, James reminded Jeremiah of Samson of the bible, both blessed with prodigious strength no ordinary human could achieve. Samson's downfall was women, and Jeremiah wondered if James would fall victim to a downfall of his own.
James grabbed Geariic's attention with a wave. "Time get this gear in rotation. You first, big guy." Inside the small pathway, James pointed down an opening between three flat rocks leading down almost like a chimney.
Geariic grunted, but he unattached his warhammer from his back and leaped down. James followed. Then Frost, Brad, and Shadow-Walker, in that order.
As Jeremiah approached the ledge, he noticed the jump was only a couple meters down. He crouched his body, then placed his legs over the ledge and pushed off. Landing with ease, he was presented with a tight corridor in front of him. It was the only way to go and pathed with many flat rocks descending down like a staircase. He let his faith be the strength to guide his feet onward.
Newly healed after the break, Jeremiah was ready. He was the second to last in the line, with Valiic Bessile covering him from behind. Here and there, gaps had formed between the group of men, with none too big to lose sight of each other. Valiic and Jeremiah were not as separated from each other as Jeremiah was from Shadow-Walker, who was ahead of Jeremiah.
Within a minute of moving, he noticed Geariic disappeared down another drop in the form of a chimney. Members of the unit began to follow his lead until it was Jeremiah's turn. When he looked down, he noticed the drop was at least three times deeper.
James and Geariic had their arms up. "Jump. We've got your ass," James said, gesturing him down with his fingers.
Jeremiah leaped into the catching arms, and they released him and made room for Valiic. He thudded against the ground shortly after.
His eyes mooched around in a room more open than the previous. When he noticed himself, he realized his gaze was fixated on a glowing, ponding pool of steaming water building up on the left corner. A rock, shaped almost like a volcano, extended out the middle of the pond, and spring water poured out from it. A breath of life in this otherwise dark tunnel.
Before he had a chance to comment on it, Geariic was already leading the group down another opening. Again, it was the only one, leaving Jeremiah a bit underwhelmed with this particular trial. It promised that which would call on one's ingenuity to complete. In spite of that, every space they'd entered had only one path leading out.
Maybe it isn't meant to be a maze, Jeremiah then thought. Perhaps a different challenge lurks.
He realized then he didn't see the big picture; just the tunnel he walked. Therefore, who was he to question his path? There's no reason to strike the stone twice, as Moses did when he questioned his path.
Within a tight corridor that led downward, Jeremiah continued onward. The spacing of the path often varied in this particular corridor. At one point, he found himself stepping over a blockage. At another, he was dipping below a lowered ceiling. The long corridor wasn't as much trouble for him as it was for Valiic, who was behind him. Jeremiah, being the gentleman he was, didn't let his pace get the better of him so Valiic wouldn't fall too far behind, as he had with Shadow-Walker.
"Psst," Valiic whispered from behind to get Jeremiah's attention.
"Speak your mind, o' wise soul." Jeremiah let his pace slow even more so Valiic was closer.
"Maybe this isn't the right time for this, but I have something I'd like to discuss with you. Something that has been on my mind."
"Do you wish to speak to me as a pastor, or as a comrade?" Jeremiah ducked under a hanging piece of rock.
"Well, I wouldn't say either. It has more to do with you, and not me."
Jeremiah was taken a bit off-guard by his statement. He was used to being sought after to aid in others' inner questions of themselves or help with other matters pertaining to them. "Did I do something to hurt or offend you?"
"No… it's--" He was silent for a moment. "During our battle, I could see you helping Shadow-Walker, and I mean not to make spite of that. What you did for him and us - it will never be forgotten."
Jeremiah hesitated before asking, "You saw me helping him?"
"In the heat of battle, I'm not sure exactly what I saw. But if my eyes are to be trusted, what I saw was… bizarre." Valiic's voice softened, almost unsure of himself.
The path veered right and down some steep boulders laid out as steps. Jeremiah made a small leap to the first step and then to the next. "I don't follow."
He heard Valiic following him down the steps, the metal of his armor and shield creating noise as he descended. "It looked like light, glowing over his back… and from your hands. The light wasn't bright, but subtle," Valiic whispered. "I keep thinking about what I saw, and the only thing that makes sense to me… is an ace. Are you an ace?"
Jeremiah pondered for a few seconds on the words spoken. "Have you told anyone what you saw?"
Valiic, of course, was apprehensive. "Is this something you mean to hide?"
"No, it isn't that, and I'm no ace, I assure you," Jeremiah was quick to respond. "What you saw was no trick. I mentioned a healing agent to everyone when questioned before, but it was a half-truth. It does heal, but that isn't all. The host who uses the substance gives up part of his or her lifespan to trade for miraculous healing of another. They call it Life's Barter here, and it is astronomically rare."
"You gave away some of your own life for his?" Valiic's voice was shaken by this revelation.
"That's why I didn't want anyone to know. Promise me you'll keep this secret."
Jeremiah could hear a sniffle. "I will," Valiic promised.
They were almost at the bottom, having descended tens of meters in all.
"I appreciate it." Jeremiah graciously turned back to Valiic and gave a quick nod of respect. Gazing up, he noticed him reciprocate with his own sign of respect.
Jeremiah reached the last step, which lead into another corridor similar to the last, only much shorter in length. At the end of the corridor, Shadow-Walker was waiting. Jeremiah stared at him for a moment, without moving.
"Oh yeah, Pastor... I'll just wait here another eternity while you stand there." Shadow-Walker rolled his eyes at his own sarcastic words.
"My apologies." Jeremiah moved forward.
As he neared, Shadow-Walker asked, "Seriously, though, what took you so long?" Jeremiah eyes went back to Valiic, then to Shadow-Walker. He seemed to understand. "Valiic! So you're the culprit." Shadow-Walker laughed.
Valiic forced his way between a tight set of boulders. He stopped and looked up. "Culprit of what, I ask?"
"Being slow as a motherfraker. No seriously, you both are slower than a one-legged grandpa on tranquilizers with no cane."
"The wise man takes his time in hostile territory," Valiic said with confidence. But Jeremiah had a sense he was really just trying to hide a bit of embarrassment.
"Be vigilant, then, how you walk lands unknown - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every step, for there is evil and ill-intent on a warrior's journey. Klooberic 488:10," Jeremiah said to Shadow-Walker, coming to the defense of Valiic. In truth, he shared some responsibility. If not for the conversation, they might've held a faster pace.
Jeremiah reached Shadow-Walker and looked down the hole Shadow-Walker stood in front of. It was massive, deep - a hole to perdition, figuratively speaking. As deep as it went, it was generous, too, having provided a few rock ledges from top to bottom tens of meters apart. Geariic was already so far down, he looked to be an insect, while James, Frost, and Brad where higher up. Brad continued to scale down, while Frost was working on creating small bridges from one bumped out rock to another. James was looking upward, ready to assist in case of someone falling.
Shadow-Walker gestured to a rope tied with multiple knots to a thick rock. It dropped to the first boulder down the hole. "Any time now," said Shadow-Walker.
"I'm not comfortable with this," Jeremiah said. Nonetheless, he sat down over the edge and leaned forward to reach the rope. Gripping the rope tightly, he pushed off the ledge and scaled down to the first surface.
There was a tiny bridge of ice from the first to the second highest perch he used.
Valiic was much less fluid with his descent. He leaped to the first boulder. The impact caused a split to form, and Valiic tumbled back, losing his footing.
"Someone help Valiic!" Shadow-Walker called, catching the attention of the others.
Valiic flailed his arms around, trying to catch his balance, but the angle of the rock he landed on increased more as he neared the edge. He had no choice. Valiic turned and gave a wobbly leap to a different rock.
"No! Not that one!" James shouted.
His words came far too late. Valiic flew and crashed into a small rock lower in the hole; one protruding apart from the rest. His weight forced the rock from its place, and he had no chance. He started to fall with the rock to an early grave!
Jeremiah had a moment where he thought he should intervene. He then saw James preparing to jump. As Valiic fell in level of where James was, he jumped from his spot and caught Valiic's extended arm. James, with a sharp bolt in his free hand, stabbed into the first wall he hit. The bolt impaled in, and after dragging down the wall some, both of them came to a halt.
"Christ! You're one heavy brother, Valiic." James strained as he struggled to hold them both up.
You're not supposed to take the lord's name in vain, Jeremiah thought but didn't say aloud.
"As are all maelkii." Valiic's eyes were down, looking at the abyss, as he responded.
Below them, Frost had started to form a slide of ice to another boulder. "Hang in there a bit longer, uzzos," said Frost.
When he finished, James let go, and they were both treated with a gentle slide to the next boulder. James took a moment to stretch and massage his arms before everyone involved started down again.
Jeremiah and Shadow-Walker now had some catching up to do.
The rest of the way down went off without a hitch, but the journey down seemed endless. Jeremiah had no sense of time anymore, much less how long they spent descending.
He hit the lowest surface with a jolt but was still on his feet. When he reached the bottom, everyone was waiting, breaking for the moment, snacking and taking in water. The last one to land was Shadow-Walker.
"Jeremiah, Shadow. You guys need to rest your feet, or can you two soldier on?"
Jeremiah gave a smile as he adjusted his glasses. "I'm ready as long as he is." His look moved to Shadow-Walker.
"Just 'cause I got injured, doesn't mean I'll be the one to hold everyone up." He gave way to some laughter.
"Then it's decided." Geariic, already on his feet, strode right into the next tunnel.
Frost followed. "I like a soldier who's always on the go."
James sighed. "Those two were born to be on a team." He was next, with Brad behind.
Shadow-Walker tapped on Jeremiah's shoulder as he passed. "Don't take so long this time, boys." His eyes met Jeremiah's, then Valiic's.
Jeremiah went in after them, and it didn't take long for him to start falling a bit behind in the narrow tunnels. Mostly he was trying not to leave Valiic too far behind.
Some time had passed, but Jeremiah could not tell how much any longer. He didn't give up his pace and stayed close to Valiic. His journey was treated with light of almost torch-like patches of rock, smoking stars that bid him follow. After a few moments, the light seemed to disappear, but he kept on straight. And soon he found himself at the top of steep, narrow stairs that led down, another torch-stone glimmering far below him. He followed the call, down and down. Halfway down, he stumbled over a protruding rock and rebounded against the wall, and his hand found raw, smooth stone supported by Precursor columns, whereas before the tunnel had been dressed stone.
A bit after Shadow-Walker and James's voices had faded away, Jeremiah asked Valiic, "Do your thoughts still dwell on your cohinla?" As a pastor, he had grown used to these kind of troubles over the years.
"Are you asking as a comrade or man of the robe?" asked Valiic. His question was a play on what Jeremiah said earlier, and he gave a quick laugh at the humor.
"Both… neither. It doesn't matter. I'm here for you." He paused. "So do they?"
"She's in my thoughts always." Valiic's words came from a pit of sadness.
"She must be someone quite special to win your heart."
"More than words can describe. I have faith we will be reunited again."
Jeremiah smiled. He could feel in his heart Valiic had a bond true in the eyes of God. "For we live by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7."
"Forgive me, I've never read the Bible. I don't deny Christianity's similarities with Knoblelism, but I've always been faithful to the Book of Ancient Prophets."
"That's fair. Perhaps the verse of Obitan 83:12. To have faith is to have confidence in our hopes and dreams, to be sure for what we cannot see."
Valiic had himself a bit of laughter. "It is a rare seen talent to produce quotes not from one, but two separate holy books."
"When I was young, the lord put his holy words in my mouth. It was his greatest gift to me."
"I imagine a truly holy man such as yourself gained many followers on this planet."
"Not as many as I wish." In truth, Jeremiah was a bit ashamed of himself in this mission. He had always been partial towards the idea that everything has a purpose behind it. So when he remained the last survivor of a mapping and scientific mission on this planet, he believed it was for a purpose. He believed he could continue what he did on Earth by teaching spiritualty on this planet. Yet, he had fallen short of his own expectations.
"Really?" Valiic voiced with shock.
"The corelinn species have always held faith in their Holy Triangle: Oteyk, Guardian of the Oceans; Saeona, Guardian of the Skies; and Moonikwaa, Guardian of the Surface. I've had my troubles gaining follows since my message preaches otherwise. Nonetheless, I admire their devotion. Even so, God gifted me with the spiritual gifts of evangelism and apostleship. At moments I feel defeated, but I must keep trying. Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23. Every day is new, and I must make the most of it." That was a verse Jeremiah was partial towards.
Truth be told, he had more hope in these people than he did when he first got started. Back then, he preached to sinners who thought themselves in the right; today, he preached a different viewpoint to already faithful creatures.
"Even if it's not what I believe, I'm glad the corelinns have faith in something. It is my belief that a culture without a faith that upholds a standard of morals and good-hearty ends up building a culture of sin and evil. If they have no reason to live selflessly, they turn to selfishness instead. Too many species, in my eyes, have lost such an important part of being an individual with a living soul."
Jeremiah had a sense of warmth from what Valiic had to say. "I'm glad to have met you, Valiic. You truly are a good man."
"And you have a soul full of light," Valiic returned the compliment.
"Manner of speaking?"
"No. I mean every word. The corelinn are made better by your presence, whether they know it or not. One day, I believe you will accomplish your goal."
"I have faith." Jeremiah smiled and whispered softly so only he could hear, "But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. James 1:6."
They must have been walking for at least another kilometer or two. Finally, the stairs reached the bottom, and there was no place to go but forward. And forward led to all consuming darkness. He found the wall and followed, blind and lost, letting faith be his guide in the darkness. Soon, he was knee-deep in sweet-smelling water and shivered at its icy touch. It was total darkness when finally Jeremiah and Valiic emerged into a massive, cavernous opening and into some light. The squad was there, waiting.
The air was clearer down here, but the surroundings were still dark and blue. Jeremiah stood in the arctic pool of water and looked around. He and everyone else were in a cavern, and all was quiet. Although much of the ground and walls seemed to be made of natural rock, some structures still seemed to be created by the Precursors; like lost treasures in a field. In some areas, the opening divided into tunnels, while other paths followed tiny rivers. Different paths led in different directions, but no clear answer indicated which one was the right one to take. It was the first time the path ahead was unclear. And Jeremiah prayed they would make the right choice.
"Now that we're all here, we have some decisions to make," said James.
Jeremiah already took the cue and was looking in the Book of Sin for answers. Ironic to be looking to sin for answers, but the lord works in mysterious ways.
The team sat down on the bank and laid their weapons on the ground as they waited.
Jeremiah found something of use to translate. "Into the lair of the sandren those travel. Be wary, for if they see something they don't think should exist they remove it from existence."
"Sandren?" asked Shadow-Walker.
"Imagine a religious extremist who works under a convert-or-kill philosophy - a person who lives only to convert others to their beliefs, else that extremist kills them in a ritualistic manor. Best translation I could give."
"In dummy words, you don't want to be face-to-face with a sandren, correct?"
Jeremiah nodded. "Precisely."
"Yah boyz ready?" The group turned to see Brad reappearing from the shadows.
Jeremiah wasn't aware he had ventured away. Brad waved them on and started down a path beside a stream and towards the leftmost area of the labyrinth. The stream ventured right, but they stayed left and traveled towards the cover of a thick boulder.
The squad gathered behind cover. "Check it out." Shadow-Walker pointed at a shjarr sandren floating back and forth in a pattern in an open area. The machine glowed a teal light from its circular core, with six tentacles made of light and of similar appearance to the tentacles of a jellyfish. They waved in the air on high alert.
Has it discovered us? Jeremiah thought.
He snuck a better look, and it seemed to be facing them. But it had no eyes, so he was unsure.
Jeremiah scanned the area. He saw another shjarr sandren circling a massive boulder on the left, and another one even further with its own rock to circle. To the right of them were two sloped rock pillars many meters in length, and less so in width. Those two rocks split the open space into two main areas.
"We need to put air under our steps. Can't afford them seeing or hearing us even once," James whispered.
"Once is enough to wipe us from existence. And that don't work for Big Daddy," whispered Frost. Jeremiah was unaccustomed to him using a quiet voice.
Shadow-Walker was giving Valiic a funny frown. "We all know sneaky isn't this guy's specialty." He pointed. Valiic shrugged, knowing his words were the truth.
"Doesn't matter right now. Step one is to find an exit, and we need a brave volunteer to do so," James said.
"Just send the tiger." Frost's eyes motioned to Brad Swift.
Tiger? Jeremiah wondered, what does he mean by that?
Brad didn't even respond. He just started moving towards the center pillars, cautious of the sandrens. Not much of a talker, but quite one to take action. In spite of the darker mystic around that man, Jeremiah thought of him almost as a guardian sent by the lord, possessing talent and skill unrivaled by many. He was and continues to be a gift.
In fact, Jeremiah felt blessed to be within the company of such capable men. At moments, even he felt like a pup amidst a pack of wolves.
"That settles that. But what in Sam-Hell do we do?" Geariic grumbled.
"Wait," Shadow-Walker answered for James.
"I fraken hate sitting still." Geariic shifted in his spot, trying to make himself more comfortable. With his warhammer over his lap, he fiddled with the handle.
"Patience is a valuable virtue--" Valiic started.
"Oh, here he goes again," Geariic interrupted. His eyes spat fire. "That's a fine-looking high horse you got there, Valiic. I bet you're proud. But I came from a place where high horses only made you a bigger target, and an easy kill." Geariic's tone and voice were starting to become loud. Too loud given they were near the enemy.
James put his finger up to Geariic. "Enough of that! This isn't the time," James commanded, with a powerful whisper.
After a short time sitting in silence, Brad reappeared behind their cover. "Follow me." Brad motioned with his weapon and started toward the first of the large pillars, keeping his center of mass low to the ground.
The team followed Brad forward on a path straight from where they were sitting. Geariic and Valiic lagged a bit behind, and Valiic placed his arms around his armor and shield, trying to keep the metal from clacking against each other.
Brad leaped onto the bottom of one of the center pillars dividing the cavern and went upward with silent steps. The slope was forgiving enough to trudge up without needing the use of hands.
"I get it," Jeremiah glowed. "Most people would try to maneuver their way through the maze of rocks to find the exit. Ultimately, their chances of stumbling upon a sandren exponentially increase. The wise man avoids the challenge designed for failure and makes his own way, just like the story of Dahmathada the Wise, in the Book of Ancient Prophets. That's why going up this pillar over the maze is the best strategy."
"So the trick is having the sense of mind to see the big picture instead of letting tunnel-vision trick you," said James.
Brad was at the peak of the pillar. "Any assassin worth ah shit would avoid da target till da moment of da kill, controllin' every moment 'n-between." Jeremiah could hear a bit of excitement in the voice of Brad.
"I sometimes forget you were a hitman, Brad," Shadow-Walker added.
Brad, using a boost from his power armor, jumped from the peak of this pillar and landed on the second pillar. That one didn't have much of a low point and was fairly flat down its span.
James made the leap, while Frost prepared a bridge for the rest of the unit. He crossed, as did Geariic and Shadow-Walker. Jeremiah's turn came, and he steadied his arms out for balance. Over the ledge of ice, he could see a shjarr sandren patrolling the gap between pillars. The sight was like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, and it tempted him to quicken his pace. Valiic was last and took the most time, inching forward so as to make as little noise as possible.
Brad was already at the end of the second pillar, waiting as the squad joined him moments later. He squatted down at the ledge and pointed down the right edge to three rocks patterned in a semi-circle - two were only large enough for one person to hide behind, while the middle one was roughly three times the size. Those rocks seemed to provide cover for a small dome-like indention into the pillar of which the group waited on top. "Exit iz cut into dis rock," said Brad.
Jeremiah noticed Brad reach for his pouch, and he pulled out a trigger device. "Rigged ah flash bomb to ah fuse." He pressed the trigger, and a flash of light went off in the near vicinity. The sandren that was coming up to the rocks by the exit pulled itself away and towards the flash of light. Brad jumped down and landed on the surface a few meters down.
"Haul ass," James whispered.
He jumped with Geariic and Valiic. Frost was a second behind and created a slide of ice down as he fell. Jeremiah, followed by Shadow-Walker, aimed for the slide, and both were down in seconds. Frost started to build some cover with ice to prevent the sandren from finding them.
Having recovered from the landing, Jeremiah's eyes looked back at the pillar. It was carved out and shaped like a dome, and just as Brad foretold, an exit led downward into a cave system, going deep below the pillar.
Frost finished, and everyone made haste down the path to the exit, away from the danger above. When they figured they were safe, they all slowed back to a march.
The path ahead had many low hanging ceilings, and each time Jeremiah had to crawl through. After spiraling a few times to the left, the group came out of the short cave. Jeremiah crawled past the last of the low ceilings, with Valiic behind, and met up with their teammates in a wide room.
A pillar designed by the Precursors was blocking the path onward. James was staring at it with Geariic and Shadow-Walker nearby, while the rest of the crew was off to the side, sitting against a batch of rocks with some snacks and drinks.
"Made it just in time," Shadow saw Jeremiah and said to him.
"For what?"
"James was just saying how he was going to move this damn thing."
James was now at the pillar and pushing with all his might before shifting to try to lift it instead. It was no good. Geariic then joined in on the other side to help. It was no good, and because of the position of the pillar, only two people could try and lift it at one time.
James and Geariic relented to catch a breath. James said, "For the record, this really sucks." He looked to Jeremiah, who took it as a cue to come over and help. Now beside them, Jeremiah was already flipping through pages of the book.
"Maybe you just need try harder." Shadow-Walker laughed at James and Geariic's expense.
James smiled. "We'd have better luck picking up a turd by its clean end than moving that son of a bitch."
"Let's see you do it," Geariic added, with a taunt.
"Sure. I'll tag right in." On his sarcastic words, Shadow-Walker held out his good hand.
The pillar suddenly started lifting to reveal a short pathway. Jeremiah looked away from the book to see Valiic holding his hand on a flat piece of rock now glowing at his touch.
Valiic was glowing at his discovery. "I found the answer." Only, as he removed his hand, the pillar began to fall until Valiic stuck his hand over the rock once more.
James grunted. "Well, that's just dandy."
"One of us will have to stay behind," Geariic realized.
Jeremiah put the book away, since it clearly had no answers on this particular situation. "This trial is about ingenuity. So there must be a way to trick it."
Frost jumped in. "I'll do one better, uzzo. I already thought of something that will is guaranteed to cheat it."
"You always had a head on you." Geariic gave his friend half a smile.
"I bet those Precursors never knew about forcidion when they designed this little thing, since it only ever originated on Maelkiin. If we just stick Valiic's shield under the pillar, it should hold it up."
James was already doing just that. He grabbed the shield from Valiic and struggled as he carried it under the pillar. Valiic let go, and lo and behold, the power of the mind trumped sheer strength. A success in anyone's mind.
"Good thinking." Shadow-Walker nodded to Frost.
Everyone was able to get by, and Valiic pulled his shield out as they left the obstacle behind and soon entered a completely new area. Vast was the ravine before them where no one could see a bottom, much like the area of the battle arena from this first trial. Above them was a mirror of the bottom - no visible ceiling.
The rock around them could probably be scaled down, but it was clear they were supposed to make it to the other side of the ravine. Just like the side they were on, there too laid a cliff face that spanned right further than eyes could see. But as the cliff face continued left, it had an indentation into an opening to a cave. The cliff face was angled that way too, making it so the further right it went, the closer it was to them. On the same cliff was smooth dressed stone, with several footholds on the vertical surface. The distance away was probably a few hundred meters between them and the other side.
"Jeremiah? Any helpful tips from the book?" James stood closest to the ravine.
"Yeah. How the Sam-Hell are we going to get over there?" Geariic mouthed.
Jeremiah was just beginning to open the book as James neared the edge of the drop-off. A block of stone appeared from nowhere in a mere second. Suspended in the air, it was unmoving and only a jump away.
"Scratch that. I think we have our answer." James jumped to the platform. Others followed, as did Jeremiah.
Just then, another platform appeared, lower and at a greater distance from the first. Another came, and the team hurried to make it onto it. Valiic, unfortunately, was lagging behind. Geariic was not doing much better himself. They had just gotten to the second platform as the fourth and then the fifth appeared.
"Frak this!" Geariic cursed between breaths.
Jeremiah turned at this. Then he realized something haunting was happening. "What happened to the first platform?" He threw the question out to the group.
James, in the lead, ground to a halt at the words. Everyone followed and witnessed the second platform begin to disintegrate just as Valiic jumped to the third.
"Run, boys! Run! Don't look back!" James gestured for everyone to move on ahead. As Frost was about to pass James, he grabbed Frost's shoulder. "Start with the fifth platform, and build up some ice to land on. Do this every two platforms."
Jeremiah was now on the fifth, aiming for the sixth. Every platform was further away and farther down than the last. All the same, that meant the same strength was required for each jump, but the landings were getting harder.
Frost had finished with the fifth platform and landed on the sixth, using some ice to help the fall. Shadow-Walker was now on Frost's back, hanging on for dear life. Jeremiah landed on the sixth platform behind Frost. They were more than halfway across at this point. Every platform seemed to lead them closer to that cave opening.
The seventh was there, and the eighth was just appearing.
They sure are fast, Jeremiah thought.
He gazed back to see James give Valiic a massive boost with his hands. Valiic had gotten a running start, and James launched him up with cupped hands.
Now last, James was off the third platform a second before it completely dematerialized. He crossed the fourth with ease and jumped for the fifth.
James's boost allowed Valiic to skip the fourth and land directly on the fifth. He almost didn't make it quite there, but with an assist from the ice that increased the size of the platform, Valiic landed safety. Geariic was ahead, and he just made the jump to Jeremiah's platform.
That's when Jeremiah realized he'd better be on the move. He made it onto the seventh platform, then the eighth, still landing with relative ease. Brad had already made it to the other cliff face and was waiting on an angled platform that dipped into an unlit cave.
Ten platforms total. Frost and Shadow-Walker were just making their way to the tenth platform just as Jeremiah jumped to the ninth.
Jeremiah looked back to see James giving Valiic another boost. This time, James made the jump half a second before the disintegrating platform disappeared completely.
The timing's getting too close. Jeremiah stood still on the thought.
Valiic landed on the seventh platform just as Geariic zipped by Jeremiah. James was there in no time, and they prepared another round.
Valiic gave it a full run, then lift off!
The platform was gone, and James, having just started to push off, barely had enough momentum to reach the eighth platform. He caught the edge, pulled himself up, and ran for the ninth as Valiic landed.
Jeremiah looked back. Frost and Shadow-Walker were in the middle of jumping to the cliff face. Geariic wasn't far behind. They weren't paying attention to the situation like Jeremiah was.
Quickly, Jeremiah ran to the tenth platform and landed. Valiic was preparing another leap when the platform started to disappear under their feet.
They aren't going to make it! Jeremiah's mind raced.
It was gone. The platform was gone!
"Holy shiivvvvffffff!" James started to yell.
Valiic's running momentum took him into James, and they both were falling towards Jeremiah, with nothing below them.
Without thinking, Jeremiah extended his hand. James saw this and grabbed Valiic's hand as they were still in freefall. Jeremiah was at the furthest point of the front edge of the platform, and as they passed, Jeremiah caught James and used the momentum to swing them to the cliff face.
Heavy! They were much heavier than anticipated. Jeremiah was forced to let some of his energy flow through his body to complete the swing.
As they arched in the other direction, Jeremiah and James let go. Both James and Valiic landed safely.
Jeremiah had no moment more. His platform faded to nothing, and he fell. Not a moment later, he lost sight of the last landing zone.
His mind went into a spin, a million things at once. He couldn't let himself fall into oblivion. He had to see this mission through. People would die if he didn't. He had already used much of the power stored within him to heal Shadow-Walker, and even more just now. But he had some left. He let it flow and gave himself a quick upward burst.
It was just enough for him to shoot just over the platform. He landed harshly, rolling into the cave, losing all sense of direction, and crashing into Valiic.
Jeremiah shook his head to clear the daze and stood up rather slowly. He turned to see a few of the unit wheezing for air, hunched over; Valiic was in the worst shape.
James, not breathless like the rest, maneuvered around Geariic to get to Jeremiah.
"How did you do it?" James was too close to Jeremiah for comfort.
Jeremiah put his hand to his forehead, still a bit dazed and drained. "Do what?"
"Don't horseshivf me. You held both Valiic's and my weight. How?"
"Are you not thankful I saved your life?"
James let the tension in his face and shoulders relax some. "Don't take me the wrong way. I'm off-the-walls grateful that you did. But it would've taken magic pixie dust and a rabbit's foot of luck to get us out of that situation. What you did wasn't… human."
"God gave me the strength I--"
James's kindly mien shifted into a frown. "Tch. Pulling that hocus-pocus shivf isn't gonna work for this."
Jeremiah shrugged, not knowing how to answer. "Adrenaline, then?" He formed the statement into a question.
Just then, Jeremiah and James noticed Frost coming to them, having just scooped up something from the ground on the way. He extended his hand towards Jeremiah, with the object firmly in his grasp. "Uzzo, I think you dropped--" his hand opened, and all three were aghast at the object in his hand, "--this," Frost finished.
Jeremiah didn't believe his eyes, prodded his pocket, and soon realized nothing was there. It must had fallen out as he landed earlier, now in witness to all three.
James snatched the object from Frost's hand and held it right in Jeremiah's face. "Where did you get this?!" By now, the eyes of the rest of the unit were glued to the scene.
Jeremiah stared at the object that had once been in his pocket. An object he knew all too well, and by the tone of James's voice, so did he. What lay before his eyes was a Quondam Key, one of four - triangular, with two additional lines protruding from the triangle and converging down into the center of the triangle to form an inner circle. Tangible symbols created a pattern from key words and instructions.
Jeremiah was searching for words to say.
Frost cheered. "James, you know what this means, right? We have the last of the four keys. The Wersillian Legion may have two, but now we do too!"
The Wersillian Legion? Jeremiah had no idea what that meant. But that was nowhere near the most concerning thing spoken. Frost mentioned that the four keys were now removed from their original hiding spots. Jeremiah never imagined this would happen in his lifetime. Just how much had he missed in the galaxy outside this planet?
James pulled out a second Quondam Key, to the shock of Jeremiah. And it was the centerpiece, no less, the one that held the other three in place.
Geariic came closer, lingering over the three of them with heightened curiosity.
"It means we need to get them both back as soon as God's grace allows us," James spoke to Frost.
Did he say both? Was James really intending on taking his? Jeremiah couldn't allow that. He needed to guard it.
James turned his attention back to Jeremiah. His eyes were spheres bottling intensity. "I asked you a direct question, Priest."
Jeremiah ignored the stare. Rather, his attention was pulled away by something truly profound. The two keys touching in the hands of James were reacting to him. Those symbols glowed a very subtle red, and James was none the wiser. This was something Jeremiah never thought was actually real. Once he heard a tale about a being who would cause such a reaction within the keys, but it was just that to him, a tale.
Frost saw and immediately pulled James's eyes to them.
"Take it," Jeremiah blurted out. He had no idea just what the reaction meant, or why it was happening. The sole thing he knew about this phenomena was that those keys belonged with this man. "You must take them with you."
James was back to Jeremiah. "I planned on it. Do you plan on answering my question?"
Jeremiah was so aghast by all that just happened, he forgot to answer the question altogether. "That relic came from this planet, and I found it. Nothing more." Jeremiah intentionally decided to downplay his knowledge of the keys. Not doing so would only bring more mistrust, along with a string of interrogative question.
"Found it?" Frost was apprehensive by tone.
"Exactly."
"And the events earlier," This time, Geariic was the one who asked, his arms crossed.
"I don't have the answer you're looking for." Jeremiah walked backward to the edge until he felt his foot partially over. "All I want is to complete this mission. If you feel that is best accomplished without me, I'll fall willingly to my death."
James lost his built up ire and breathed it away. He took a few steps and pulled Jeremiah away. "Come now, no need to be so dramatic."
"Just when I thought this trip wouldn't get any stranger." Shadow-Walker was up with his weapon, giving in to a light laugh.
The group rounded everything up and pushed forward on the path. Geariic gave Jeremiah a long look, and as he neared him, Geariic grinned. "Seems you aren't as weak as I thought you were."
Jeremiah wasn't quite sure what he wanted to say, so he stuck with a simple, "Thanks."
The path that led onward was short. And a door sat at the very end of the path. Once everyone got close, the door slowly opened. Everyone took a gander around at each other, knowing how close they had come to not getting there.
Light poured into the dark hallway from the new room. Jeremiah saw a few shield their eyes as they walked through the door. But Jeremiah was accustomed to light. They were inside and ready for what awaited.