Page 17 of Quest

When I’d first realized our destination my first instinct had been to sabotage our arrival, but it was too early to openly thwart His Highness’s plan—especially when every action would also affect my father’s honor…not to mention my duty to my countrymen, should I truly be able to help root out the lingering curse in the land. Out of respect for his wish to serve our kingdom as dictated by our legacy’s duty, for now I would proceed cautiously.

In truth I also possessed a less noble reason for my decision—I’d often dreamed of going on a pilgrimage to explore my family’s history for myself in order to deepen my knowledge of my craft. I might never get another opportunity to explore this site sacred to my legacy…particularly the ancient library, said to be a repository of herbalist knowledge that included rare manuscripts, texts, and artifacts related to the practice of herbal magic.

The prince’s presence only confirmed that the royal family was after one of the secrets housed within these sacred walls, though which one he sought remained to be seen. Whether it was the tombs housed within the temple’s hidden library, or the powerful herbs said only to grow in these gardens, it was my duty to protect them.

I felt the weight of countless generations watching me as I entered, their presence woven into the atmosphere, as if lending their support to the looming task my guardianship entrusted in me. Once more the temple recognized my presence—paper lanterns flickered to life as we drew near, illuminating our surroundings in an ethereal golden glow.

I unconsciously took the lead, and the three men fell in behind me as though recognizing my connection to this place. Silence cloaked the marble floors, muffling our footsteps as we explored. We passed through a series of ornate doors, each sliding open to reveal chambers adorned with faded tapestries and murals depicting plants and powerful herbalists of old. The air grew cooler as we ventured deeper, the scent of incense and ancient wood filling our lungs.

Though I’d never walked these corridors, some internal instinct guided my steps, as if leading me down an invisible path my lineage created centuries ago. It ended abruptly when we entered a narrow alcove that dead ended at a stone wall. A series of curses rose from the others, nearly eclipsing the subtle unspoken whispers tugging my thoughts, beckoning me closer.

The others didn’t seem to hear them. “Come on, Ren, nothing can be gained from exploring a dead end.” But though Sir Jiang’s sharp tone urged me to retreat to another section of the temple, I lingered.

I rested my hand against the stone, pulsing with a familiar warmth; I recognized this unspoken language, similar to the enchantment that communicated with me within my apothecary. I closed my eyes, listening to each magical stir filling the air to decipher the message it was trying to impart.

“There’s something beyond this barrier.” I spoke unconsciously before I could check the potential consequences of my words.

Prince Darcel was suddenly at my side, leaning forward with an eagerness he couldn’t quite disguise. “Is it the ancient library?”

I narrowed my eyes but didn’t respond. As reluctant as I was for him to see it, I wasn’t strong enough to suppress my own eagerness to explore…but first we would need to find a way to access it.

As if in response, the magic hummed again, directing my attention to a smaller, less ostentatious antechamber. I quietly slipped inside. At first glance it appeared to be merely a storage area, but then I noticed a faint glow from beneath a pile of fallen debris. Curious, I approached.

I pushed aside the wood and stone to uncover a lantern hidden in an ancient chest, its delicate surface coated in dirt but pulsing with soft light. I carefully brushed away the layer of dust marring its thin paper surface to uncover a series of intricate brushstrokes depicting the sun, stars, and other symbols of light. It responded to my touch, flickering brightly to life, as if greeting an old friend.

“How strange,” I murmured, “It feels almost…alive.”

The lantern glowed faintly in response to my awed whisper. “Ah, you have found me at last.” A warm and rich voice emerged, resonant within the confined space. I startled and nearly dropped it in surprise, but managed to steady my grip.

For a moment I could only stare, wondering if the soft voice that had filled the darkness had been my imagination. I glanced towards the others. Kael and Sir Jiang stood a short distance away, absorbed in their examination of the large fresco that guarded the wall blocking our access. While they didn’t glance over, Prince Darcel stood near, watching me curiously.

“Did you hear that?” I asked tentatively.

He tilted his head, as if cocking his ear to examine the oppressive silence. “Hear what?”

I dismissed his inquiry with a shake of my head. His confusion only confirmed that the lantern’s voice was a sound only I could hear—tuned to the magical language I’d studied my entire life—another sign this temple was part of my legacy.

“Your assumptions are correct, descendant of my first master,” the lantern responded to my unspoken pondering. “I am Lumis, once the guiding light of the temple keepers. Only the family of the caretakers who serve as this temple’s guardians can receive the guidance from my sacred light.” Each spoken word contained a faint pulse of light that flickered in the shadowy stillness.

Heart pounding with the realization of what I had uncovered, I lifted the lantern to eye level.You can hear my thoughts?I made the inquiry silently so as not to attract more of His Highness’s scrutinizing attention.

“As clearly as you are hearing mine.”

Extraordinary. I had heard that along with the herbal knowledge that filled these walls this temple also guarded magical artifacts, but in all my research I had never seen one as enchanted as this.

Once more the lantern was privy to my unspoken thoughts. It gave another gentle pulse in affirmation. “Enchanted and eager to assist. It seems fate has finally lit the way through the confines of darkness to allow our paths to converge.”

Lumis continued, speaking of guardianship and guidance, of a light that could pierce through any darkness. As I listened, the weight of its history and purpose settled upon me, the key to the temple’s deepest secrets.

Does this mean you can show me the way to the temple’s library?I lifted it experimentally, allowing its shimmery light to fall across the faded stones.

It glowed in affirmation. I carried it back to the alcove that Kael and Sir Jiang investigated. Their brows furrowed when they noticed the lantern that for them only emanated darkness, but Prince Darcel simply watched with a knowing look that made me suspect it was no mere coincidence I had located one of the enchanted objects that only I could wield.

“The items housed within these walls are no ordinary objects,” he told the others. “But enchanted artifacts. Considering the lantern has chosen him, Ren will continue to take the lead, and you will follow his guidance without complaint.”

I first lifted Lumis to the wall in search of a way to penetrate its barrier, but the lantern’s light faded, casting the stones in shadow. “If it’s the library you’re searching for, you will not find it here,” it said.

Then what lies beyond the wall?I scanned the crevices adorning the stone, searching for the secrets they protected.

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