The temple was huge, its halls went on forever.
The silence was oppressive and only the faint echoes of their footsteps broke it. Each of them was still carrying the tension of the mad monk, Eldon's sudden and brutal death a reminder of the dangers within these walls.
Kael walked in the middle of the group, his eyes scanning every nook and cranny for threats. The temple was saturated with Blight and while it gave him a faint buzz he also felt its press on his senses. The broken murals and shattered idols throughout the temple told stories but he couldn't read them.
"Spread out," Elric whispered. "Search every room, every nook and cranny. Anything that will help us pass this trial—anything at all."
The group split into smaller groups, Kael stayed close to the center of the temple with Talia and Jarek. Darren and the cowardly two—Marek and Hadrin—huddled together and whispered to each other as they crept to the far end of the room.
In one of the adjacent rooms Talia stopped in front of a large, dusty chest. She felt this might be important. With Jarek's help they pried it open and found a set of ancient weapons and armor, all glowing with a soft golden light of Etherion.
"Etherion equipment," Jarek said, his voice full of wonder. "This is amazing."
The weapons were sleek and sturdy, etched with careful designs that seemed to glow with life. The armor pieces were equally beautiful, far better than any gear they have ever had.
Talia pulled out a longsword and tested its balance. "Perfectly weighted," she said. "This might come in handy out there."
Kael approached the chest but didn't take anything.
"Take what you need," Elric said as he entered the room, his voice grim but practical. He took a large Etherion infused greatsword for himself. "If we're going to get through this trial we'll need every edge we can get."
The others armed themselves, their spirits lifted slightly by the find. But Kael stayed quiet, watching them. These weapons may give them strength but he wondered if they were enough to protect them from what was to come.
Further on they came to a grand hall with decaying murals. Time and Blight had warped the artwork but the scenes were still visible. The first mural showed a peaceful temple where monks and pilgrims knelt before giant idols.
The second mural was much darker. Flames engulfed the temple and shadowy figures, their forms indistinct, loomed over the monks. The figures had no features, only twisted black outlines that seemed to move even in the stillness of the painting. The monks fought bravely with Etherion weapons but were no match for the shadowy entities.
"What are those things?" Darren whispered.
"The Others," Kael said softly, his eyes on the mural.
Talia stood nearby and looked at him. "Yes. The monk mentioned them."
The last mural was the most disturbing. The temple survivors knelt in defeat as their gods' idols were shattered and their pieces scattered across the battlefield. The shadowy figures held above, their forms massive and victorious.
"This temple fell," Hadrin said grimly, his jaw clenched. "If these monks couldn't stop the Others what chance do we have?"
No one said anything.
Talia found some old texts in a small alcove behind the grand hall. The writings were carved into stone tablets, the script ancient and yet somehow familiar. Talia ran her fingers over the carved lines.
"These tablets... they're what happened here," she said, her voice steady despite the weight of the words. "The Others attacked the temple, used deception and illusions to turn the monks against each other. It says their power is in their ability to warp reality itself."
Elric leaned over her shoulder. "How do we defeat them?"
Talia nodded slowly. "It says the idols—the ones from the murals. They were broken during the battle and the pieces were scattered across the battlefield outside the temple. The texts say the idols must be restored and returned to the monks' chamber to reveal the truth and clear the trial."
Talia hesitated before speaking again.
"The texts warn the temple's sacred grounds protect against the Others which only emerge at night. Outside the temple... there is no protection."
The group fell silent.
They decided it was too close to night and best to wait till dawn to go look for the idol pieces. Inside the temple walls the group locked themselves in one of the larger rooms. The faint light of their Etherion weapons was a small comfort against the creeping darkness.
But as the night wore on the silence became suffocating, interrupted only by faint whispers that seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere.
"Did you hear that?" Darren whispered, his eyes flicking towards the dark corners of the room.
"It's nothing," Elric said, though his hand on his sword tightened.
Kael sat apart from the group, his back against a crumbling pillar. He heard the whispers too, though he doubted the others could. They spoke of betrayal, despair and inevitability, of snow that would forever be red with blood.
Phantom footsteps echoed through the halls, growing louder and then fading away. The group drew closer together, their earlier bravado slipping away with each passing moment.
What's out there?
Nothing good.
The group was silent. Everyone was thinking about the day and what was to come.
Kael closed his eyes, gripping Ather'valis tightly. The pieces of the idols were their only way out this shithole, but he suspected the Others wouldn't let them retrieve all of it without a fight. For now, they could only wait for morning, hoping the temple's sacred grounds would hold against the darkness and what hid in it.
Outside, the whispers became louder, and the phantom footsteps came closer.
The Others were watching, waiting.