XVIII

Servants of the Dead

True to her word, Sakayra and her pack led them to the entrance to the Mountain of the Undead. Her pack stopped in the shadows but she went on with Tzyrgor and his friends. She then turned to the dragon.

“You are very brave and courageous to enter such a cursed place. May the gods protect you in there. I must leave now, farewell O mighty dragon of Wyvengul!” Sakayra said and took to the skies and was followed by her pack.

Taeolyn looked up at the arc, it had strange glyphs written on it.

“Never before have I seen such strange markings,” the elf said. Tzyrgor looked at them.

“It reads, ‘Beyond this point thou will enter the Realm of the Undead! They made it and they keep it locked! Few can enter and fewer shall leave!’ we better be careful, least we anger them. Remember one thing the dead are not to be trifled with,” the dragon warned. Tayren drew Aëquena.

“I do not fear the undead!” he said and he entered.

“I shall follow him even into the Eight Hells of Black Fire!” Taeolyn said and he too entered the cave, Tzyrgor whispered something in Draconic before he slipped in, Orjeck followed and that left Rosemary standing by herself. She heard a sound and she jumped.

“Wait for me!” she cried and ran in the cave.

Once inside, Tayren found a thick piece of wood and had Tzyrgor light it. The inside of the cave was dark and damp. Bones littered the ground, and cobwebs clung to the walls. A strange mist curled at their feet. Slowly they made their way through. Strange noises filled their ears. Yet, deeper they went into the mountain and as they went deeper it got colder. They wandered through the labyrinth of tunnels until they found themselves facing a temple like structure. In the center of the temple above the door was a stain-glass window, it showed a young woman that looked more like a wraith then a person, and they knew this to be Mnemosyne, the goddess of the dead.

She was the wife of Bloodfang the god of the dead. This was the only place were Mnemosyne had a temple. Two gargoyles perched at the top of the stone steps, their eyes were set with rubies and they stared at them with their gem-eyes, but to Tayren and his friends those eyes seemed very much alive as they glinted and danced in the torchlight. Tayren walked up the steps, followed by the others. He was in the shadow of the doorway when a freezing wind blew through his hair.

“Pass through the Temple of Mnemosyne and you shall enter the heart of the Mountain of the Undead!” said the wind. Tayren walked in, the others followed, but then the gargoyle statues turned alive.

“Go back! Go back! Your time to enter has not come!” they said.

“Go back to Wyvengul, dragon! Your part in this tale has passed!” said one of the gargoyles that looked like a dragon. Tzyrgor roared and belched flame.

“Never! I will not bow down to the Servants of the Dead!” Tzyrgor said.

“Very well then, it is your own undoing that you bring upon yourselves!” the gargoyles said.

“Hold!” came a voice and a woman in white that glowed like a jewel stood before them.

“Hold your attack vile servants of the dead ones! You shall not harm them nor let them pass until your masters say they can! Go back to your crypts and keep them safe! You shall not leave either, until the dead ones call,” she said and then left. Tzyrgor and his friends were left alone before the temple of Mnemosyne. The gem-like eyes of the gargoyles watched them. Their eerie stare haunted Tzyrgor and his friends, for the wind seem to whisper the words… leave or die!

Me: Yeah, when I was writing this, I didn't really...okay, I'll admit it, I was suffering from a mild case of writer's block. Just R'n'R!

Dragon Jadefire