"We should get some rest," Kainith announced, his voice firm. "Tomorrow, we will press on towards the center of the desert. Hopefully, the inscription on this…sandworm souvenir…will guide us to the Sunken Temple."
The others murmured in agreement. Exhaustion weighed heavy on their eyelids, the desert wind whispering through the dunes. With a shared nod, they settled into their makeshift beds for the night, the strange canister nestled safely beside Lucian.
"You approach the next gem, little devil." A menacing voice slithered into Lucians dream.
Lucian opened his eyes only to see Vornath. A gnarled smokey face in the darkness with two murderous red glowing orbs for eyes.
"Rory, I need your help!" Lucian shouted.
A grating laugh sounding like coins rattling in a metal box rang out. "Lucian, you're in a dream again. I'm not going to come hang out in the desert. I just wanted to let you know that you are approaching the next gem. The Tears of Aela is just a basic sapphire that enhances magic within beings that can cast magic. Find the Temple and get me the gem."
"Well if you've been snooping again Vornath you know we also know where the Eye of Thanatos is then. Tell me, is that a gem as well." Lucian spat.
Vornath smiled. "Yes and I'm so glad you found that info as soon as you did. I honestly had no idea where to even start looking for that one."
"The point I'm trying to make is we need the gem to not only cure the tomb robber and get the information on where to find the Eye." Lucian shot back.
"Watch your tone with me, whelp. Fine, get the gem, cure the man and then give me the gem. I'll bring you and your friends to hell to see me. We'll have a grand old time." The demon smirked.
"How about you let us get the gem, cure the man, then take the gem to find the Eye…" Vornath started to interrupt but Lucian spoke over him "...Wait. What if we need the Tears to ensure we don't get cursed from the Eye. We won't do you much good if we get cursed by the Eye and cannot retrieve it for you. Then you can bring us to hell and take both gems at once."
The demon lord shifted his weight in thought. After what seems like forever but must have only been a minute. "Fine. But do not make me regret this. Because if I regret this, you and your friends will be greasy smears and I'll find someone else to do the work."
"Deal." Lucian said.
As quick as he approached in a snap the demon lord faded from existence.
Dawn arrived, painting the eastern sky in hues of fiery orange and bruised purple. Refreshed from a fitful sleep, they started making some of the questionable stew Rory had bought from the suspicious merchant.
"Guys Vornath came to me again last night." Lucian started saying as he was breaking down the tents.
"What? What did he want?" Rance said with worry.
"He said that the Tears we are chasing down is definitely a gem of power. He said we could keep it to help break the curse on the man so we can learn where the Eye is at, which is also a gem he wants, and use the Tears to make sure we don't become cursed." Lucian explained.
"I knew it." Rory shouted from the dwindling fire.
"Well that's good at least." Rance said. "At least that gives us some time."
As the party ate Lucian looked over at the canister. The inscription on the canister, now bathed in the golden morning light, seemed to thrum with energy.
As the party traversed the sand dunes they noticed that the light on the canister dimmed as they continued on their way. So the party turned ninety degrees and started walking that way. After an hour more of walking Lucian noticed the light just kept getting brighter and now there was a quiet sound of thrumming coming from the canister.
Following the canister's cryptic guidance, they navigated a treacherous maze of sand dunes, their boots sinking into the ever-shifting sand. The relentless sun beat down mercilessly, turning the desert into a shimmering mirage. But they persevered, fueled by a shared determination and a healthy dose of Rory's outrageous stories.
As the day wore on, the landscape began to change. Rolling sand dunes gave way to a steep decline, rocky outcrops helped them get to the bottom of what seemed like a hole in the desert.. The air grew cooler, a welcome respite from the scorching heat. The inscription on the canister, its faint glow intensified, pulsed faster.
As the party cautiously descended, climbing down ledges and sliding down the side, a large cavernous opening started to reveal itself under one of the rocky outcrops. The party swung into the entrance and they were greeted with a room of pure inky blackness. In the not so distant, distance they saw a floating structure with everburning green flames adorning it.
"What the hell? Is it floating?" Lucian asked, puzzled.
"We need to get closer. Kainith can you summon a light to help us see the way?" Rance asked.
"Sure thing." Kainith said. He murmured some magic words and a ball of golden light started floating above the party. As the group walked closer to the temple they were still walking on sand. The chamber was so large they couldn't see the walls or the ceiling. Finally, they were within sight of the structure. The Sunken Temple loomed before them, a magnificent yet unsettling spectacle. Built from a material that shimmered like obsidian in the fading light, it appeared to rise from the desert floor itself. But unlike any structure they'd ever seen, its peak wasn't a pointed spire but a flat, expansive platform that seemed to defy gravity, hovering a good twenty feet above the surrounding sand. Atop it, crumbling statues of forgotten deities gazed out over the desolate landscape with vacant, sightless eyes.
A hush fell over the group. Rory, usually the boisterous one, was uncharacteristically quiet, his hand instinctively going to the handle of his axe. Lucian scanned the temple with a hawk-like gaze.. Kainith, however, felt a thrill course through him. This wasn't just an ancient ruin; it was a living monument, a testament to a civilization long forgotten.
"Yup It's definitely floating." Lucian mused.
"I cannot wait to tell stories about this. Think of everything we will find inside there!" Kainith exclaimed.
"The inscription…" Lucian breathed, his voice barely a whisper. He held up the canister, now cool and inert in his hand. "It led us here. But how do we reach the floating platform?"
As the party approached the floating temple the canister started growing more and more cold.
"Ouch!" Lucian shouted as he dropped the canister.
"What?" Rory asked.
"It just got really cold. I couldn't hold onto it any more." Lucian answered.
Kainith bent over to tray and grab the cylinder but as he did the cylinder started sinking into the sand. Kainith stumbled as he reached for it and before he could grab it, it was completely subsumed.
"What the hell was that? How the hell are we going to get up there now." Kainith said from the ground.
As if in answer, a faint shimmer appeared along the edge of the structure. It grew brighter, revealing a narrow, translucent ramp that materialized from thin air, bridging the gap between the ground where the canister had sunk and the elevated platform. The ramp pulsed with a soft blue luminescence.
But the awe quickly gave way to caution. This was unnatural, a display of magic unlike anything they'd encountered before. Stepping onto the ramp could be a one-way trip into the unknown. Rance took a tentative step forward, the sole of his boot hovering on the edge of the shimmering barrier. "Seems sturdy enough," he mumbled, his voice laced with a hint of nervousness.
Kainith knelt on the ground, his calloused fingers brushing the sand. "Rance, wait." Lucian reached up and grabbed his arm. "There are faint… etchings here," he murmured, tracing lines in the sand with his finger. "Runes, I think."
He stood, his face grim. "It could be a trap. The guardians of this place might not be as accommodating as that sandworm."
Rory snorted. "Well, we can't exactly knock on the door and ask politely what the entrance fee is."
"Rory's right." Kainith stated. "Can you read the runes?"
Lucian shook his head. "No. I've never seen a script like that."
"We should just go up the ramp." Rance said.
"Fine, but I need to take a rubbing just in case it is relevant later on." Lucian said as he pulled paper and a piece of charcoal out of his satchel.
Finally, Lucian straightened his shoulders, his gaze resolute. "We came here for a reason," he declared. "Let's climb this ramp and get this gem," he added with a hint of a smile, "who can resist a floating temple?"
With a deep breath, he stepped onto the shimmering ramp. The cool blue light pulsed around his boots, and for a fleeting moment, he felt a tugging sensation, a whisper of something ancient and powerful. But it passed as quickly as it came, and he stood firmly on the ramp.
The others exchanged nervous glances, then with a collective nod, they followed Lucian. Slowly, cautiously, they ascended the shimmering walkway, their boots leaving no imprint on the translucent surface. As they climbed, the desert floor fell away.
The once-immense temple now seemed to dwarf them, its scale and magnificence becoming truly apparent from this vantage point. And as they neared the top, they realized with a jolt that the platform wasn't entirely solid. Its edges shimmered with the same blue light as the ramp, blurring the line between structure and energy field.
Taking a final, hesitant step, Lucian stepped onto the platform. The world seemed to hold its breath for a moment. Then, with a soft hum, the platform solidified beneath his feet. Relief washed over him, quickly followed by a surge of exhilaration.
Kainith surveyed the scene with a raised eyebrow. "Well," he drawled, his voice laced with a hint of amusement, "one might wonder why they call it the Sunken Temple when it appears to be rather… buoyant."
The party as a group let out a loud gasping laugh.