Chapter 1
Olya gently found consciousness that morning as the light from the sunrise hit her face. She relished the comfort of awaking in a warm, comfortable bed with no tree roots or rocks poking into her. She stretched her limbs, then got up, dressed herself and went downstairs for breakfast. When she reached the bar area, Havi was already sitting enjoying a mug of coffee. There was another cup on the table clearly intended for her and she joined him.
"Morning." He beamed. "Innkeep is still preparing breakfast, but he got up early to make a vat of coffee, he thought there would be quite a few people who'd need it."
Olya looked around, there were various townsfolk littered around the bar. Some were sitting cradling their temples while nursing their coffee, others barely conscious, their cups remaining virtually untouched while a few were just passed out the floor.
"I'm guessing they didn't ease up even after we went to bed." She observed.
"Yeah, they pretty much went all night, it only quieted down a few hours back." Said Havi with an aloof expression on his face.
"With your hearing, it must have kept you up?" Olya sympathised.
"Ah, it's fine. I don't need much sleep, besides if this is how they grieve I had no right to tell them to stop".
A set of footsteps made their way downstairs and Tamlen walked over to greet them.
"Good Morning." with a friendly yet formal tone.
Havi gave him a nod in greeting. "We're waiting for breakfast, but there's coffee."
Tamlen nodded. He went and got himself a cup then sat down to join them.
Olya asked him. "You were still down here when we retired, did you stay here long with the mourners last night?"
"Not too long, I wanted to observe their ritual. It's surprising how close it is to the ancient version." Tamlen pondered.
"Sorry? Ritual?" She inquired.
"Oh. I'm here to fill in some gaps in the academy's knowledge of the ancient civilisation of Falinraike. I primarily wanted to study the ruins, but it has been interesting seeing the culture of the townsfolk. Seeing just how many of the hedonistic rituals and traditions are still performed. I wonder how many of them understand the significance or origins of such practices?" He pondered.
"Hedonistic practices? Back then... and now?" She asked, intrigued at this salacious topic.
"Yes, the Falinraike were renowned for it, it was the focus of their culture and their religion. The god they worshipped represented lust and inebriated frenzy. That culture still seems to exist in a muted form in the townsfolk."
He dropped his voice to a whisper. "Last week half the town held an orgy. They did invite me, but they said I had to participate not just watch their ritual. That held no appeal for me, what would be the point if I couldn't observe and take notes? So I declined to attend."
Olya found herself reassessing her opinion of the townsfolk and the elf. If this guy was a typical example of an elf, maybe Havi had a point about his people? She gave Havi a curious look and raised her eyebrows. He gave her a bemused look in return and shrugged his shoulders. She then cast her eyes around the bar, wondering how many of these townsfolk were at the orgy.
Tamlen clocked the path of her eyes. He smirked and continued whispering "If you are trying to guess how many of these people attended. The answer is all of them."
Havi sniggered at Olya's shocked, surprised face. "This world is filled with all sorts, you're going to need to get used to that fact" Then sipped his coffee.
The awkward silence was broken by breakfast arriving. Which they consumed promptly before heading off. They all headed to the stable, Havi and Olya mounted Styg while Tamlen climbed atop his chestnut coloured mare and set off for the ruins. The ruins weren't too far from town. Far enough that the townsfolk could keep their distance but close enough that what was inside the ruins could easily become a major threat if it started to wander further afield.
As the trio approached the outskirts they dismounted their horses.
Tamlen was about to secure his horse to a tree when Havi interjected."Don't! You will want your horse to be able to run if it needs to. It won't be pretty if she gets cornered."
Tamlen cogitated on his words and conceded leaving his horse unbound while Havi did the same. Tamlen then turned to Olya.
"I would like to apologise to you Miss Olya. I sometimes forget that some of the focus of my research can be...unusual. I'm sorry if I shocked you or caused any offence?"
"Oh...uh, it's fine you have nothing to apologise for." She reassured sheepishly.
Havi interrupted with a sardonic smile and a mocking tone. "Don't mind her, she was strictly raised under the tenets of the Faith."
Tamlen flashed a knowing smile. "Ah...say no more."
"What's that supposed to mean!?" She huffed, glancing between the two of them.
Havi answered. "That people raised under the Faith are known for having certain...restrictive attitudes."
"...I don't...I'm very open minded!" She contradicted.
Havi replied, increasing the mocking element of his tone. "I don't know sis' the face you pulled earlier at the mention of orgies was very telling!"
Tamlen had to purse his lips to stifle his giggle. Olya let out a sulky harumph and marched off toward the ruins, Havi and Tamlen followed close behind. While slightly annoyed at the gentle teasing, yesterday she had vowed to herself that she would view the world through a different lens and yet she had failed at the first hurdle. She felt disappointed in herself.
There were various stone buildings, weather worn, coloured dark grey and reclaimed by vegetation in a lot of places. They reached the centre, where there was a dais with a small black stone plinth and behind it a pyramid shaped building with a large set of stone doors. One side was cracked and the other had fallen forward leaving it wide open. Tamlen had already set about studying the dais and glyphs carved into it. Olya wandered near one of the adjacent buildings, just looking. Havi went to examine the damaged door. This was how they were coming and going certainly. He focussed on what his senses told him, the awful stench made him certain what they were. Lubbockkin, disgusting creatures. They wore their own filth like a perfume and they grabbed people to either eat or use the living host to incubate their eggs, injecting them inside. It would make the host painfully sick then the larvae would eat their way out.
He heard scuttling and chittering nearby. When he tried to locate the direction it was coming from he locked his gaze on Olya and saw it leap out towards her.
She screamed, and barely dodged it pouncing on her. She started to run toward Havi and the dais. Havi sprinted forward. Olya made it as far as the dais before stumbling and tripping. Olya scrabbled desperately along the floor trying to increase the distance before it tried to pounce on her again.Tamlen grabbed a rock and hurled it at the creature momentarily directing its attention to him. Havi drew one of the daggers from his belt and threw it just before the monster started to rear up, staggering it.
Olya ducked behind the plinth grabbing it with a bleeding hand to steady herself and provide some cover as she drew the dagger Havi had given her. The monster focussed on Olya again and started scuttling toward her, whilst Tamlen seemed to be desperately trying to unscrew his canteen. Havi drew his sword and closed the distance, he lunged and impaled the beast. Its legs collapsed beneath it, Havi withdrew his sword, brought it back down and cleaved it in two.
He turned to look at Olya and let out the breath he hadn't realised he was holding. Olya looked shaken but otherwise uninjured except for her bleeding hand.
The runes and glyphs on the plinth began to glow green. A flurry of green lights surrounded Olya and she started to panic. Before Havi could even try to reach her, she and the green lights disappeared in a haze.
"What just happened? Where did she go?!" Havi yelled at Tamlen.
Tamlen raised up his hands in a manner that would imply 'easy now'.
"Just let me have a look at the plinth and watch my back. I might know, I just need to check if I'm right."
Havi took a deep breath through his clenched teeth and gestured for Tamlen to do what he needed to. After a few minutes of being crouched down studying the plinth he got up and walked to the edge of the dais facing the door. He held out his hand in front of him and the vegetation and overgrowth covering the floor parted revealing a trail of runes.
"I thought as much, it's a transposition device. For the high priests to come between the entrance and somewhere deeper in the temple in seconds. She'll have materialised at its partner plinth. The runes on the floor connect the two, follow the runes we'll find her. The fact that she even activated it is astounding. She must be descended from the priests. As her brother, if we just drop some of your blood on it, it should activate, take us right to her" Tamlen explained.
"Won't work, she's not my sister by blood. Looks like I am taking the long way down, thanks see you later" Havi grumbled.
He retrieved his knife from the stinking corpse and started to walk to the door.
"Wait...take me with you!" Tamlen stammered.
"Why would I do that? It's crawling with lubbockkin in there. Unless you have some abilities that extend beyond throwing rocks and magical gardening? You're a liability!" Havi barked.
"I realise I'm not the best in a fight, but if I keep water handy I can use it to repel some of them, use it like a whip or a high pressure blast. Plus you are going to need me if you want someone to read any of the ancient signage or if there are any magically sealed doors down there." Tamlen pleaded.
Doing his best to reason with the irritable wall of muscle standing before him.
Havi sighed. "Fine, but you keep up and stay close to me, don't wander off. I know you are using this as an opportunity to check out the inner ruins even if you are offering help. You get yourself killed or injured, that's your fault, not mine!"
Havi walked towards the door, Tamlen followed, quietly containing his enthusiasm.
