Wolf Moon Part 30
Two miles into Deep World.
Dusky gloom shrouded the battered boat but, instead of drifting in darkness, the quinque was washed over in pale amber light that had no visible source.
The phantom radiance didn't flicker like firelight or produce any heat to counter the cavern's chilly currents but it was bright enough to cause an eerie intermingling of light and shadows to dance over the pitted walls. It also illuminated the ceiling, which saved skulls from bumping into low sections or being bashed by stalactites.
A limestone shelf served as a makeshift dock. Trowa threaded the bow rope through a rusty ring fixed on an iron stake and tied off a hitch knot.
Black water sloshing against the boat's sides was the only sound as the assorted warriors gathered their meager belongings and stepped out of the moored craft.
Heero secured his cloak and hung the quiver over his left shoulder; his crossbow took its place against his right hip. Quatre and Duo took up bags and bedrolls and readied themselves for the final leg of their arduous journey.
Wufei secured his sheathed sword to his belt then tucked stray strands of ebony hair behind his ears. "I don't suppose you can explain this odd light?" he directed the question to Trowa.
The Cleric, his skin tinted a sickly color, admitted to the curious Beast. "I don't know everything."
Duo offered an explanation as good as any. "Tis magic."
Trowa tapped the Staff of the Rose on the ledge. The ruby stone fashioned into a rose fitted in the center ring shone crimson. "Now we walk."
*********
The path narrowed and curved to the left. Promptly the gloom filled in and erased all proof of the travelers' passing.
Footing was adequate considering the abundant moisture. Like smooth mirrors, puddles reflected the amber light. Water trickled over thick moss and traced slimy tracks through green algae.
Constant dripping plopped on hair, dampened shoulders and hefty droplets ran down collars much to the quinque's dismay.
The trespassers into this peculiar place soon discovered they were not alone. Dim fissures provided shelter for colonies of hard-shell brown beetles. Emerald bugs with gauzy wings flittered in and out of countless cracks and crevices.
Beady-eyed gray rats, bristled hair covering their slender bodies except for their bare four-inch long tails, scurried in all directions. Suspended from the honeycombed ceiling, black bats fluttered and squeaked at the intrusive strangers.
In fact, judging by the flurry of activity, one could only guess as to the number of subterranean residents dwelling in the cavity-laced world.
Once when Duo sidestepped a puddle he braced his hand on the wall for balance. A chunk of rock about the size of his fist pulled free, bounced twice then rolled until it stopped by his boots.
After the Irishman vanished from sight and the echo of his footsteps faded, the "rock" opened its eyes, raised up on spindly legs, darted across the path then scaled the opposite wall where it once again disguised itself in stony camouflage.
The underground labyrinth continued to twist and turn, to widen then narrow. At one point the passage forked. With the Staff's crimson gleam appearing to float beside his head, Trowa didn't alter his stride as he veered to the right. Quatre followed his lover without hesitation.
It occurred to the Tracker, that without expert guidance, how easily he and his fellow warriors could become lost in the intricate maze of tunnels.
Heero glanced back, passed Wufei and Duo who were craning their necks at wings flapping overhead, then looked forward with no clue as to the correct way to go. "What would we do if something happened to you and Quatre?"
The Twilight Priest pivoted to face his concerned comrade. "Your cross knows the way. Trust it and your instincts." he offered his wise counsel.
*********
Moving further into the heart of Deep World, natural laws that governed the surface regions no longer applied. Many organisms functioned without ever seeing sunlight, some without seeing at all having long ago evolved into sightless creatures.
Air lacked the outer wind's fresh vigor. Currents flowed in halts and starts, heavy and dank, saturated with the scent of forgotten time. Minus the solar rays, cold oozed from every inch. It embraced the warriors, seeped into soles of boots and through trousers, shirts and cloaks.
No one said it out loud but if the amber light they clung to was extinguished, if they were suddenly plunged into eternal icy midnight then madness would surely follow.
Single file the Priest, the Manipulator, the Duel Spirit, the Beast and the Demon Hunter trudged on.
The Brotherhood had traveled since early morning with only brief stops to catch their breaths. Breakfast was but a memory and they had packed no food. Adding to their misery, their water rations were almost depleted.
Legs heavy, stomach grumbling and throat dry, Duo stepped up between Quatre and Trowa. "I'm not one to nag," he prefaced his statement, "but this journey is draggin' on a bit longer than I..." he looked pleadingly at Heero and Wufei hoping to garner their support "ah...we expected."
Quatre offered an understanding smile. "Time is merely an illusion."
"Yeah," Duo snorted, "and I reckon the next thing ya have me believe is all this," he waved his hand for emphasis, "is a damn dream."
"It could very well be." Trowa added with a degree of seriousness that made Duo question his perception of reality.
*********
"What the hell!" Heero exclaimed as he stared through a rough-cut doorway into an antechamber bathed in a new color spectrum as mottled shades of sapphire had replaced the lemony light.
Stalactites of various lengths, streaked with stripes ranging from russet to pink, hung from the room's vaulted roof. Stalagmites, shimmering like they were sprinkled with diamond dust, spiked up from the floor.
A waterfall cascaded into a aquamarine pool ringed with iridescent mineral deposits that was home to long, slender shapes, that might or might not be fish.
But the most bizarre environmental alteration was that the walls continually shifted in contour and design.
Wufei squinted at the ever-changing patterns and wondered if his senses had finally succumbed to his perverted surroundings. At the risk of sounding daft, he asked, "Are the walls moving?"
Quatre pointed at a particularly active spot. "The walls are covered with thousands of Cerulean Beetles that produce blue light. The younger the beetle, the deeper the color. When they move around they make pretty pictures."
As the image of five blue-tinted skeletons with bones picked clean and vacant holes where eyes used to be flickered through Duo's mind, a shiver slinked up his spine. "I hope those creepy-crawlers don't eat meat."
Trowa made no effort to hide his amusement at the Irishman's fear of becoming the creepy-crawlers' feast. "They're harmless but they will hiss if you touch them."
*********
Large smooth stones, their edge to edge alignment proof that man not nature had a hand in their precise placement, flanked the final passage leading to the Temple of Deep World.
Six ten-foot crosses, three set on either side where the path broadened considerably, were also evidence of human intervention. Each cross was carved from flawless white marble and was etched with interwoven leafy vines bedecked with hundreds of roses in various stages of blooming.
Heero paused to examine one holy icon. His hand hovered over the detailed engravings, an index finger poised to stroke the delicate blossoms. But when his fingertip touched the cool, ashen stone, a painful prick caused him to yelp and jerk back his hand.
The Tracker held up his finger and watched in stunned silence as a lone drop of blood leaked from a pinpoint puncture. "What...happened?" he stammered from the unexpected piercing of his flesh.
"Roses have thorns." Trowa stated the fact of nature.
Heero gazed at the Twilight Priest then redirected his wide eyes to the flora that pretended to be harmless. When he looked at his finger again, four more individual drops had encircled the first.
Trowa leaned closer and studied "the four around the one". "Crimson symbolizes courage." He took Heero's hand and held it up for Quatre, Wufei and Duo to see. "Blood binds warrior's hearts and now blood will blush the roses."
With that declaration, Trowa pressed Heero's finger to a single flower. The pressure combined the drops, which started a suffusion that overspread the cross's entire surface. The scarlet stain traced lines, crept around curves and settled into the petals' veins. One by one the roses turned red but the vines remained white.
As if guided by supernatural authority, the other crosses also copied the miraculous transformation until every rose on the six stone markers was kissed with crimson.
The Lone Hunter, who believed that showing emotions was a sign of weakness, did nothing to hide the tears misting in his eyes. "Amazing." was whispered with reverent awe.
Trowa placed his hand on Heero's shoulder. "You have displayed bravery in battle and have been a noble comrade. Now, Heero Yuy, you have bound the Warriors of the Rose by blood. You have purified us to join Zechs Merquise and together we will shake the foundations of Hell."
*********
Four twenty-foot columns decorated with carved flowers and vines supported the impressive arch that guarded the Temple of Deep World.
Humans and animals stood out in detailed relief from the arch's polished surface. The animals included deer, bears, boars, lions and great winged horses.
Lovely women in gossamer dresses that clung to hips and teasingly exposed breasts danced with Nymphs and Fairies. Men, clad for battle with breastplates and shields, wielded swords and lances against fire-belching dragons.
However not all the forms were pleasant or heroic. Harpies hovered above a six-headed Hydra. A Minotaur wrestled with a Centaur.
One figure that stood upright like a man but had the facial features of a wolf peaked the Beast's interest. Wufei had heard stories about wolves that were cursed by the moon and, therefore, could never fully veil their true forms. He had chosen to dismiss the fanciful tales but perhaps the accounts were based on some measure of truth after all.
Beyond the graceful span, the passage formed a circle around two statures flanking a limestone tablet with scrolled edges.
A nude male demon with barbed wings and cloven hooves stood on tablet's left side. An angel with feathery wings, her modesty preserved by billowing garments, stood the right side.
Between the agents of wickedness and righteousness, ancient artisans had inscribed letters and symbols from an unknown language.
Duo tilted his head. His eyebrows drew together as he attempted to decipher the strange characters. "Not Gaelic."
"Nor Japanese." Heero confirmed.
Wufei shook his head negatively. "Could be some form of Cantonese." he supposed.
Trowa took pity on the baffled trio and translated the mysterious script. "Beware all who enter the Temple of Deep World..."
"That don't sound too friendly." Duo declared.
"Let Trowa finish." Quatre ordered with an admonishing glare sufficient to silence the Irishman.
"Beware all who enter the Temple of Deep World for the Guardians that never sleep watch the gate. Good will beget good, evil will beget evil and judgment with be absolute."
With the grave warning fixed in their minds, the Warriors of the Rose walked the last fifty yards to the Temple of Deep World.
TBC...
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