Road to Nordaka Part 2 - The Greatest Treasure

Morn awoke coughing sand out of his mouth while checking his surroundings. A creature in the shape of a man sat cross legged on a stone slab looking down at Morn. He was dressed in heavy brown robes and his skin was covered in ash colored bandages. The only feature of this creature that was not covered was a white eye in the center of his face.

As Morn started to stand up a voice pierced the oval stone room he was in. "Welcome Moringar Silvertyr to the forgotten city under the ash and sand. The voice echoed in the room coming from the creature but no mouth moved under the bandages. Morn shook the sand off his clothes "who are you and where are my companions?" Morn noticed his weapons were intact and left on him; he had his hand near his bow while waiting for an answer.

The creature continued to look at Morn with his one eye. "Relax hunter of darkness we only seek peace. They are here in the city, the dwarf and your lady friend are safe this I can assure you. With time names are forgotten as was with our race long ago and my name is not important as such. We are now just a memory lost to the time and sand. We do however need from you and your friends help that would free us from our bonds. For now however go and see to your friends. Tonight at dinner I shall explain our history and what we would seek of you all.

With that the creature vanished and left Morn to ponder his situation. He noticed an opening in the wall lit by some torches and made his way out. When he cleared the opening he was taken aback by what laid before him. Walking up to a balcony he found he was above a small city made of white stone and gold that was encased in various forms from the statues to the roofs of the city. Morn noticed others walking through the city were all similar to the creature he met in the oval room. He thought to himself they must be a form of monks or priests well at least seem peaceful.

In the center of the city was a round temple with no roof and a statue of a man dressed in robes with his hands to the sky. Morn looked above to find a shell of molten rock encased over the city that protected the ash and sand from falling in. Morn shook his head and looked quickly away as the thought of the rock above made him shudder. He made his way down into the city seeking his friends but something tugged at him in the back of his mind that something was very wrong in this city...

Ash studied the painting of an older man in red robes holding a book and a staff. While Forge was sitting on a bed where he slept last night to recover from the sand he had inhaled. "Now what I want to be knowin is two things lass. First where be Morn and second just where in the abyss are we?!" Ash turned to Forge and shrugged "well that creature said Morn was safe and should be meeting with us soon." A breath of relief passed her lips as she spoke those words. As of late a bond was forming between them that to Ash were starting to show of a love forming in her heart for Morn. "As to where we are Forge I'm going to guess we are under the desert though how that's possible is beyond you or me." They both looked at one another with a sense of dread at this outcome.

Morn asked the creatures as he passed the where about of his friends and though not one spoke they pointed the way for him. Soon he found the house they were in and heard the voices of his companions. As he entered the room without thinking Ash threw herself in Morns arms and held him tight. Forge smiled as Morn looked at him with confusion. "To say the least me friend she was worried about you." Ash realized what she was doing and backed away very fast. "Well you are the one leading us to Nordaka and yes I was a little worried if you must know." Morn laughed "It will take more then black ash and sand to finish me off my friends." He bowed as they smiled at him.

Morn paced back and forth while Forge and Ash looked at him with confusion. "Does anyone have the slightest idea how we even got here? The last thing I remember was that storm coming in and I thought we had found shelter for the night." Ash shook her head "I do remember the storm and all the black sand flying everywhere but beyond that nothing." Forge nodded his head to both accounts trying to remember something they may have forgotten but to no avail.

After trying to recount the events a robed creature walked in and motioned for them to follow him. The creature led them back to the same building Morn had left to enter the city. Passing a few halls and doors they came to a large square room with a large dining table. Seating themselves the robed creature that Morn first met walked into the room and sat himself at the head of the table. Two creatures that looked very identical to the main creature brought in food and drink. The creature at the head of the table did not eat but motioned them to help themselves.

He looked over the three them as they finished their meal. Though he did not speak his voice echoed in the room. "Do not mind me or my brothers my friends we do not require much sustenance except for a leaf from a plant we grow here in the city once a day."  Forge stopped to wipe the food off his beard "that's too bad your missing out especially when it comes to the ale." The others laughed feeling more like they did days ago and a little more comfortable in their situation now. Ash spoke up after placing her utensils on the plate "you mentioned you need help from us and you must have a name we can call you?”

The creature bowed his head "forgive me I forget that you prefer names where my people respond by telepathic thoughts as we are all one mind. Very well if you must call me a name then you may call me Maerd. Ash spoke again "thank you for all the hospitality Maerd do you know how we got here none of us can remember? The most we can think back to was finding shelter and then falling asleep to only find us waking here".

Maerd looked upon the three "why yes I can it was my people that found you. A raging storm had forced you to seek shelter but with a storm that strong the sands and ash had soon broke through. We could sense you from above and sent out to find you and to seek your help. When we found was burying you alive, so we worked fast and brought you here." Forge spoke up this time "we thank ye for saving us but I am curious of something, in this city we find pictures and statues of humans that look to be mages though we see none here."

Maerd nodded his head "ah yes I was awaiting this I believe it is time I told you about us and the help we are seeking. To understand us you must go back many years as once this city had lived above the sand in the sky. We were humans once and proud but yet arrogant mages. We used magic for the easiest of tasks and we always sought more and more power. We were foolish in our ways and delved too far into the abyss seeking that power. When the denizens of the abyss looked back to us they cursed and deformed us for looking to deep. They also sent a powerful daemon to destroy us all and this city. The fighting lasted years and in the end though we had overcame the daemon. We had sacrificed much in order to fall from the sky and sink deep into the sand.

In order to seal the daemon we used the magic of this city to bury us in the sand covered in a shell you see above us trapping the daemons power and banishing it. Now in order to rise again from this earthly grave we must undue the magic under the city. Only we can not do this and we come to you for help. The spells will only recognize a true human and we are too deformed and tapped of all our magic that we once had to be able to reverse what has been done. We would ask if you would help us restore our city and rise to the skies once again. Once we rise out of the sands we will welcome any who would come to this city and learn the follies of our ways. Of course we also have many treasures in the city and would reward you with the greatest of them if you succeed.

The three looked at one another and smiled while Ash spoke for the group. "Maerd we would be honored to help you, so what must we do?" Maerd as still as stone looked at the three of them and one could swear if it was possible for the creature to smile it would.

"Thank you my friends, if you succeed we shall owe you much. Under the grand temple in the center of the city is a sealed doorway that leads into a labyrinth and in the heart of this maze lies the globe of cities power. The maze itself is guarded by a construct that allows none near the the orb. However in order to access the center the construct must be destroyed and the key to the orb lies within its chest. I must make another note to the maze because it is ever changing or else we would give you a map straight to the center…

Hours later they had gathered some supplies and headed to the center of the city. As they passed the creatures Forge looked to them and stopped the group. "Is it me or do these poor creatures seem to show no emotion, I mean were setting off to save their city and they don’t wish us luck or show a sign of hope"? Morn turned to Forge "well the odds are not in our favor. An ever changing maze, a construct guardian, and the hope we can bring this orb back at all is pretty overwhelming." Forge smiled to them both "and let me guess the treasure is one of the reasons were doing this?" It was Ash who spoke up as she put an arm around Forge "come on where is your sense of adventure, plus think of all that treasure we can bring back to Nordaka to help the cause." Forge smiled up at Ash "you been spending to much time with the bard lass you’re starting to sound just like him, oh lucky me." Ash hit him off the back of his head as Morn laughed while they headed into the temple.

Maerd was awaiting them as well as two other creatures identical to Maerd. Forge studied the two creatures who acted as if the group was not even there. Maerd motioned to the others who were standing by a large black iron door and began to pull two chains next to the door. A creak resounded through the temple and the doors began to open as the chains clinked along the various holders along the wall. As the doors opened a red light bathed the temple room and a long corridor with red torches awaited the trio. Maerd stepped in front of the heroes "I shall pray for you as will we all will. You must continue on from here my friends as we can not enter the maze; you see these lights weaken us even now.

They bowed to Maerd and walked into the hallway. Forge turned and noticed as the doors were closing that one of the creatures shimmered like an illusion but he dismissed the thought as he turned back and walked with the trio further into the hallway.

The doors in the temple closed fully as Maerd backed away weakly from the entrance. The two creatures holding the chains shimmered away as the chains clattered to the floor. Maerd regained himself and a laugh could be heard in the entire city as he said to himself as he walked out of the temple "and now it begins, my time is almost here just a little more patience."

The glow of the hallway had casted eerie shadows while they continued down the path before them. The size of the hallway could handle the trio with enough room to move around comfortably and where a ceiling should be was only blackness above them. They soon came upon a door and Morn checked it for any traps in the lock or on the door itself. Morn gave the ok and Ash with her shield at the ready opened the door. They walked into another hallway and as they passed through the doorway an odd bell sounded throughout the maze. They counted three rings and the bell finished. Forge turned to Morn who shrugged "maybe a coincidence that it just happened to be three?" Forge just turned away while growling under his breath "this better be some good treasure."

They continued into the maze with various turns and some dead ends when Ash stopped for a moment all of a sudden. Morn and Forge stopped to ask what the matter was when she motioned for them not to make a sound. Along the halls behind them they all stared down the hallway as they began to hear what Ash had heard. A sound of metal slowly scraping against stone came from the hallway behind them. They awaited the source of the sound and were greeted with a site that made even Forge step back.

Taking up half of the hallway was a man made of pure metal. The metal was clean as a mirror as the red flames glowed off the metal like the man was bathed in blood. The face was elongated with no mouth or nose and only two slits for eyes that glowed with fire. The feature that made Forge step back and what was making the sound from before were two hammers headed on each side that replaced its hands. Scraping the hammers against the stone had produced a frightening sound that made the trio start to fear the metal man.

Morn fought back the terror and unleashed a few arrows that bounced off the armor. Ash ran in sliding under one of the hands that smashed into the stone wall above her sending small chunks everywhere. Her sword slashed across the abdomen of the metal man with out even producing a scratch to show on the armor. The other hand smashed against her lion headed shield with enough force to send her back tumbling down the hall into the group. Morn quickly rushed to her side and their eyes both met with a fear against this opponent and the outcome that may come. Forge jumped in front of them both and slammed his battle staff into the ground unleashing an electrical wave that washed down the hall. The electricity ran through the metal man as he continued down the hall arms swinging in a challenge while not stopping or showing any signs of being hurt.

The trio turned to one another and decided on the only option left. They soon were running through the maze searching for the center point. "Their must be way to stop that thing!" Ash said as they ran deeper into the maze. Behind them the scraping sound echoed through the halls as the metal man followed at a slow pace behind them. Morn kept looking back to figure out the distance of the metal man. "I am hoping the center will have a way to stop this thing or we will have a serious problem to contend with!"

Running on and starting to show strains of fatigue the trio found a crossroad in the maze with two choices. Though the metal man was distant the sounds still came as they had to make a choice very fast. Choosing a path they soon entered an oval room with a black stone in the center. On top of the stone was a hole that looked to be able to fit a three sided star within like a key. The rest of the oval room was smooth stone but the torches were green instead of red like the hallways. Forge looked around the room "what do you think?" Morn smiled to them both "I think we found our center but I see nothing to help against our new friend that will be here very soon." Ash put her hand on Morns shoulder "this room is large enough to make a stand and if we must at least we will do it together." Forge nodded his head in agreement.

The sound of scraping metal grew in the maze but nothing could be seen down the hallway. They looked in puzzlement and Forge turned to them in shock "Wait didn't Maerd say the maze was ever changing?" Ash looked to Forge in confusion "what does that have to do..." Morn pushed them both out of the way as to there left the wall exploded within sending stone at them.

As the dust cleared the metal man stood looking at them hitting both his hammer hands together in a mocking stance. The blast sent Forge the farthest away but he noticed something about the metal mans back. It was made of a smooth emerald gem and Forge could swear something moved under the gem.

Forge yelled to the others "Get around this thing and aim for the back I think I found how to stop it!" Morn nodded and rolled past the creature to see what Forge had found. He unleashed an arrow that cracked against the emerald that sent a small crack right through it. As he fired another the metal man turned with an insane speed and let the arrow bounce off his body.

Ash had regained herself and tried to swing around the man but it seemed to know the plan now and backhanded at Ash's shield sending her tumbling away again. Forge however took the opportunity to slam his staff into the ground and send an arc of lighting at the emerald gem cracking it a little more but not enough to break it. Morn yelled to them both "focus on its back I'm going to do what I do best... make myself a target!"

Ash yelled to Morn to stop but he had already put his bow on his back and grabbed his daggers. Dancing in into the battle he swiped at the metal man that just sent sparks off its armor but it was working as it kept its full attention on Morn. Swinging its hammers one way or the other it kept trying to collide with Morn unleashing hell but he was just a tad quicker as he danced and weaved from the hammers.

Ash and Forge bit back the fear for their friend as they went to work on the metal mans back. Ash dived in slamming the pommel of the sword at the emerald back smashing a small chip off. Forge yelled to Ash "slam your sword into its back and jump back I got a plan lass!" She looked to Morn and could see he was running out of time as soon one of the hammers would connect with a serious blow.

With all her might and love she had for Morn she slammed the sword into the metal mans back. The sword pierced right through the emerald into its center. Forge slammed his staff down and shot an arc of lightning at the sword. When it hit the sword the current slammed through the sword straight into its center sending an electrical current through the metal man.

The metal man shot its head to the sky as lighting burst from its eyes and it shook and shuttered as the emerald on its back exploded. The metal man dropped crumpling to the floor with a crash of metal and the fires in its eyes dimmed out. Morn walked over and kicked the metal man on its back while reaching his hand in to grab the three star metal orb that was the creatures heart that spun around.

They gathered themselves and Ash smacked Morn on the back of the head. "Could you stop playing the hero just once, you scared me half to death?!" He smiled as he rubbed his head "well it did work didn't it?" She gave him that look that said do not say another word. Forge came over and looked to them both "foolish but effective aye that was one monster I don't ever want to tangle with again if we could help it."

They walked over to the center and placed the orb in the stone pedestal. The orb locked in place as a green light shot to the outer wall. The rock exploded before the beam and revealed a gem that sparked to life. Two beams snaked from the gem to make a doorway as an entrance revealed itself. Looking inside was an orb the size of Forges head. It had energy that coiled around it over and over as it spun in the center of the room. Near the walls were two skeletons in tattered robes standing in a guarding stance. As Morn breathed in he grabbed the orb with both hands and the two skeletons collapsed in a heap. A ring rolled out from one of them that Forge picked up and pocketed.

"Do any of you notice something wrong here I thought Maerd said all of those mages became like him?" Forge said as he was studying the skeleton. Morn shrugged as Ash looked around "maybe being near the orb they didn't change and they trapped themselves in here away from that monster we fought, or created it." Forge nodded with unease and a feeling of something was not right about any of this.

They left the room and as they passed the metal man the torches began to turn purple. All along the room and the hall they changed color and instead of the multiple turns that brought them to the center the maze reformed into a straight line. As they made their way down the hall following the torches they soon found themselves in front on the large door they entered from. Sounds of rattling chains were heard on the other side as the door started to open revealing Maerd that was waiting for them.

"Well done heroes this is a glorious day now we must place the orb in the center and we shall rise once again. After that we shall reward you with the greatest treasure and can be given." With no emotion Maerd walked out of the temple with the two others behind him. As he passed the others like him they all followed Maerd and soon as they reached the center of the city hundreds like Maerd were soon entering the building. The trio entered the room with the others giving them a clear path and watching them with their one eye. Morn stepped to the statue of the mage holding his hands high and the orb flew into the sky and hovered just above the statue. Maerd made a gesture and a shell of protective magic covered the orb as it began to spin with an almost supernatural speed.

The trio turned and all the others as well as Maerd bowed there heads. The city began to shake as all around a shell of purple magic started to encase the city while above the earth began to crack wide open. Sand and ash exploded down on the city but as it hit the shell it just slid off in all directions. Rock smashed against the shell but only causing it to shimmer a little with no damage to the shield. Maerd waited for the trio as they watched in awe while the city slowly began to rise.

Maerd voice changed into a more calculating and daemonic sound. "Now enough of this cherade and on to that treasure I owe you." The trio turned to watch as the hundreds of others like Maerd walked and melded into him like they were a part of him. Around them the city changed into a spectacle of horror. Blood was splattered all over the walls and the humans that once lived here appeared nailed to the walls still alive but in utter agony as they screamed throughout the city.

The trio quickly grabbed there weapons to face Maerd. A laugh bellowed throughout the room and the city. "Oh don't look so mad I didn't lie completely. The mages here were very reliant on their power and when they looked for more they had found me instead. I am the daemon keeper of eternal nightmares that can be found deep in the abyss I am known as Dream the keeper of dreams and nightmares. I answered there calls and unleashed upon them a nightmare that they could never wake from. These mages however were smart and took the power that kept the city a float deep below the city crashing us below and trapping me within. They created the maze, the guardian, and the wards so I would be trapped here for eternity.

Then I sensed you on the sands above and when you found your shelter I came for you. I found in you a sense of heroics and justice and knew if I came to you in peace and deception you would help me escape from this prison. I am also a creature of honor though and for that your treasure will be the greatest one can I can bestow I shall allow you to live. Dream laughed that carried throughout the city intertwining with the screams of the mages in their suffering.

Morn looked to the others and they all nodded. Without a word he unleashed his arrows on Dream. With fluent movements Dream side stepped one of the arrows and snatched the other with his hand breaking it in half. Ash charged at him sword out and Dream stepped out of the way then with a spin kicked her in back. As she slammed into the wall she shattered into hundreds of pieces like glass.

Forge and Morn screamed out as they watched Ash shatter into nothing. Morn dropped to his knees as Forge charged at Dream with his staff. Dream deflected the attacks like a master as lighting clashed off each blow. Dream jumped into the sky and ended up behind Forge where he grabbed his neck and broke it instantly. He crumpled to the ground smashing into hundreds of pieces like Ash.

"You basterd!" Morn fired a few more arrows at Dream that he danced around as if they were nothing. After he fired the arrows however he dived at Dream with his daggers with a rage that he could not contain. Dream and Morn danced away in battle as Morn unleashed himself trying to hit him with one of his daggers. Dream didn't attack but just deflected each blow as if it bored him. "I grow tired of this game you can not win here this is my realm!." Morn’s rage just grew as he became determined to kill Dream "then let’s end this daemon!" Dream laughed "yes let us just do that maybe we shall meet again hunter and I will look forward to it". Dream danced in and with supernatural speeds unleashed himself on Morn. Before his fists and feet he knocked Morn around like he was a feather in the wind. When Dream was finished Morn looked up at him with blood in his mouth he spat up at Dream. Dream just blinked with his one eye almost as if he was smiling "goodbye hunter." Dream lifted his leg and with an axe like kick smashed Morn into a hundred pieces of glass.

Morn shot up screaming as Ash cradled him in her arms. Forge stood above them both as Morn started to regain himself. "Well at least we all made it to the other side together… wait were not dead are we?" Looking around him they were in the same cave they found when seeking shelter the night before. "It was a dream? We all shared the same dream?" Morn looked into Ash's eyes as Forge paced the cavern “I am still trying to figure it out maybe something in this cave or the desert but aye lad we all had the same dream or nightmare if you will."

They gathered there stuff and left the cavern. The trio stopped dead as they looked out into the black sands. Ash turned to Morn “It’s impossible; we dreamed it only we had to.” Morn looked back to Ash with a look of fear in his eyes.  The city from their dream hovered above a hole in the desert.  

They ran to city without a second finding a bridge that allowed them within. Finding the center room where the orb was still spinning protected by the protection magic Dream had casted on it. While instead of the living mages in their dreams now hung skeletons nailed into the walls with agony left on their faces. They looked at each other with a look of ultimate disbelief as a hideous laughter resounded in the city.

"I told you heroes you have earned the greatest treasure of them all but if you ever wish to return it come and find me and I will gladly take it back from you all" The laughter continued on as they left the city with looks of defeat. When they reached the other side of the desert they looked back to the city and to the road ahead.

Morn looked to them both with despair “for now the journey will continue on and this must be discussed at Nordaka. I swear though that we shall meet this Dream again and we will grant him a treasure as well” They both looked to Morn with confusion as he looked back to them “Will send him back to the abyss with an arrow in that eye of his!” The trio gained their stride back as they continued on into the mountains with another adventure awaiting them on the road to Nordaka....