The Stacks

Back in the main chamber of the ruins, Yanig inspects the carvings on the floor, or what remains of them. "You really did a number on this. I don't know if we will be able to reconstruct it in this state." He says to the group at large but really means Doa and Grath.

In a huff Doa answers, "Sorry if we did not consider keeping the floor tidy while our lives were hanging in the balance!"

"That is ok, maybe next time." Yanig dismisses Doa's sarcasm. Ruben stifles a chuckle, earning him a jab to the ribs from Doa.

The chamber is much as the group left it after the battle. Even the Hydrantis seems untouched, which makes everyone uneasy. This is the desert and although scavengers are rarely seen, they are everywhere. For a buffet like the Hydrantis to go untouched, something has to be very wrong in these ruins.

Bored of watching Saqwe and Yanig recreate the sigil at the center of the chamber floor, Doa explores the surrounding area. He remembers the hall being big but with nothing threatening his life now, he can appreciate just how vast it is. "Where is the throne?"

"There is no throne room, we think these ruins were more like communal temples." Saqwe answers from the center of the hall. She and Yanig are on their knees tracing the sigils engraved into the stone floor, filling the grooves with sand as they go. Ruben and Taek are now also helping, filling the large gaps in the floor with stone from the surrounding rubble. Saqwe and Yanig then engrave the missing parts of the sigil into the broken areas, connecting the giant circular pattern perfectly.

"Oh, fancy." Doa says, approaching the center. "This is the only way to the heart of the desert?"

"No, but it is likely the safest method." Yanig answers, then stands up, having filled in the last of the grooves. "Taek, if you please."

At Yanig's request Taek sends a heatwave over the floor, turning the stone and sand red hot. The fillings in the grooves find equilibrium as the molten glass flows through the sigil, spreading evenly. "Done." He says after a moment, then Saqwe casts a spell, materialising a mist over the hot floor and cooling everything down.

Yanig walks around the large engraving, now turned into a glass embossing, nodding appreciatively. "Yes, I think this will do. In the only other one we ever found, the central piece was completely destroyed so we could not restore it, but this," he chokes back rising emotions, "this is a miraculous find."

Saqwe, still on the opposite side of the group, looks at Doa. "Even better if you did not damage so much of the area."

Doa is about to retort but notices the smirk on her face and decides to ignore the provocation. "Ok, what now Yanig?" He asks, making a point of turning away from Saqwe.

"Now, we play, I mean experiment." Yanig walks back to the group and takes a book out of his satchel. "From what we could discern in the literature found in both ruins, this requires a spell. We just don't know which one." He flips through the book and settles on a page.

Tapping the page as though it is obvious, Doa realises Yanig wants him to come and look. "I don't know what that says."

Yanig raises a brow. "Oh? Ruben, come here." He glances over and Ruben trudges to their side.

"I know, but he does not listen. All he does is practise his own things." Ruben knowingly complains, then preemptively dodges a smack to the head. Doa does not have the same foresight.

"When this is over I will teach him." Saqwe announces. "He will learn it or else..." She trails off and Doa shivers at the thought of what 'or else' might mean for him.

"Anyway, we will try this phrase without you Doa, as a test. Given your talent with changing spells you need to observe. If it succeeds, good. If it fails, you need to, well, do what it is you do." Yanig shuts the book and shares the spell with the rest. "Through the realms, between the lines, connect the here with the now, veer not from this path, shift horizons to the past."

"Not very elegant, is it?" Doa quickly nitpicks.

"Maybe when you can read the language you can provide your own interpretation." Yanig shuts him up. "Ok everyone, take a point around the circle and place your hands on the outer ring. When ready we will all chant together."

Doa watches the group take their positions and begin to chant. At first the sigil does not respond. By the third iteration it begins to glow, casting an ethereal blue light around the chamber. Everyone's eyes are fixed on the sigil as they chant, clearly enthralled, and Yanig struggles to hide his excitement.

Yanig slaps his palms to the floor. "Dammit!"

"Maybe it needs an actual passenger?" Ruben suggests. Without further discussion everyone jumps up and drags the poor Hydrantis corpse onto the sigil and begin again.

"Ok, we tried. Doa, join us." Yanig orders without removing his hands from the circle. The spell fades again. By the fifth chant it abruptly stops and the soft blue light filling the chamber dies, leaving only the grey stone.

"Wonder boy!" Yanig's impatience gets the better of him.

"Ok, ok. First, Yanig you try alone, then I will try alone." Doa says, appealing to Yanig's experimental side. Both attempts fail but it placates Yanig, demonstrating that possibly only one person can activate the glyph.

"How about..." Doa begins, then crouches down and places his hand on the rim. Before uttering another word the glass begins to glow. Everyone else steps back. Then Doa speaks. "Between realms, across all lines, shift body and mind."

The soft blue glow becomes a bright white light. Everyone turns their gaze away but the whole chamber is enveloped and they have to cover their eyes. Doa, both hands on the circle, squeezes his eyes shut, which barely protects him from the blinding light.

"It is gone!" Doa hears Yanig yelling. "You did it!" Opening his eyes, Doa struggles to focus, white dots crowding his vision. Panic overrides the excitement coming from around him.

Ruben spots Doa sitting on the floor, blinking. "You ok?" He rushes over. "Did the spell drain you?"

"No, just a moment. The light blinded me but it is getting better." Doa answers. After a moment he gets up, everything in focus again except the Hydrantis, which is gone. He smiles.

Now that his vision clears, the adrenalin kicks in. Doa gives a simple warning to the group. "Cover your eyes!" He follows his own advice, places his arms over his face and his free hand on the circle. "Between realms, across all lines, shift body and mind!" He casts and waits. "One, two, three..." to ten, then everyone dares to look again.

"Well that settles it." Saqwe says. "You are an ass, but we should be able to return also."

Doa smirks at Saqwe then looks to Yanig, who is scribbling notes in his book. "Care to try yourself?" When no one answers, Yanig looks up from his notes and again without warning places his hand down to cast the spell. A moment later the Hydrantis is gone.

Everyone tries but most fail to trigger the transfer platform. After the final attempt, Yanig gives orders. "I will go with Taek, Grath and Saqwe. On the other side we will trigger the transfer ourselves within two minutes. If we fail, trigger it from this side. That should confirm whether we will be able to return on our own."

Without waiting for confirmation from Doa's group, Yanig activates the sigil and they are gone. "That guy is like a kid in a candy shop." Doa says to those remaining.

"There are shops filled with candy?" A woman behind Doa asks.

Doa turns around and smiles, taking in her vibrant green eyes, messy auburn hair and tan skin. 'Wow.' He thinks, hoping it is hidden behind his smile. "You have never been outside the desert I assume?"

The woman looks at the floor. "No I haven't." She says softly, her initial curiosity gone.

"Well, maybe we can make our own candy shop." Doa says feeling awkward. "Oh, damn, is someone timing them?"

A blinding light answers for him. On ten everyone eagerly opens their eyes. "Come, come, quick, it is amazing!" Yanig shakes his hands like a little kid while calling out. As the last person steps into the ring he already fires off the spell.

On ten everyone opens their eyes and looks around, turning in place. Doa almost falls over, spinning about to scan the area. "What is it?" He is the first to ask.

Yanig steps behind Doa and slaps him on the back. "Answers. That is what this is." He says, looking up and around.

"Answers to what?" Doa asks.

"Hopefully to many things, like why you are so powerful, or what is at the heart of the desert."

"You mean you don't know? You said you would tell Ruben and I later."

"I never said I don't know, I just said later. This is later." Yanig gestures broadly at the rows upon rows of bookshelves.

"Is it a library?" Ruben finally finds his voice. "These shelves are impossibly high, and I don't see an end to the rows."

"Where is all the light coming from?" Saqwe asks as she already pulls a book from the nearest shelf.

"There is no dust." The green eyed girl notes.

"Everyone, really?" Taek calls, still in the same position as their arrival.

Everyone else has already taken a book from the nearest shelf. Even Yanig has climbed up a rung to reach one higher than the others. They are slowly spreading apart, which makes Taek's paranoia kick in.

Doa looks back and notices the distance to Taek seems far greater than the few steps he took into the stacks. 'Odd, I could have sworn this was only a foot or two away.' He mutters.