Awakening at end of the world: Arrival in Ouamua

THE OBELISK OF MAGIC

THE OBELISK OF MAGIC

However, on closer inspection, they weren't made of wax but were as hard as stone.

"They were turned into stone, for failing the Obelisk's test," Cartelle told us.

"What? what turned them into stones?" I asked him.

"The magic of the Obelisk", he replied to me.

I was quite shocked by the revelation, and if it was true, then those statues weren't for art and this place wasn't a museum, but a tomb for petrified corpses.

"What strange technology could transform organic matters into stone?", I thought to myself.

Sara scanned the statues and had a theory.

By means of some technology or magic, the skin and flesh of the corpses were coated or infused with dense Neutronium matters, which hardened and turned them stone-like.

Then Cartelle said, "We need to pass this test to leave this place" pointing at a large stone tablet on a pedestal in front of the Obelisk.

We moved away some of the stone corpses and made our way to the front of the pedestal.

The test was relatively simple.

There were a thousand alphabets on the tablet, and the test was to consecutively pick three correct runes, to pass.

Pointing his finger at the Obelisk, Cartelle said, "Only with eyes of Magic shall pass", translating the words written on it.

While Cartelle was deliberating his choices, Sara scanned the stone tablet and found it to be like a keyboard with a thousand alphabets.

There were energy circuits that ran from the Obelisk to the tablet, and after some analysis of the circuitry, Sara discovered that most of the alphabets were linked to a common pathway but there was one alphabet that was connected to a different path.

By logical deduction, the single phased alphabet should be the correct answer, so I pointed at the "Ꝣ" on the Tablet which had the unique circuitry among the lot, and said, "Press that".

"Trust me that's the right key to press", I told him, but Cartelle wasn't convinced.

Cartelle considered for a while and frankly I believed he had no clue what to choose and although he considered the alphabet that I pointed out to him, he hesitated.

He may trust me in other aspects, but the deciphering of runes wasn't my specialty, and there was truth to that because I really had no idea what the alphabet or runes were.

In his mind, it was not reasonable or prudent to trust the guesses of a Barbarian to answer a problem even learned Magus couldn't answer, especially if a wrong guess would cost his life.

Ultimately, it was natural that he chose to believe in his own guess, rather than to listen to the guesses of his native companions.

Before he chose and pressed on the rune of his choice, Cartelle gave me his magic amulet, which accessed his space locker.

"If I fail the test and turn to stone, you can have the amulet and everything in it, but I wish my body would be returned to my family in Magisandria", Cartelle made his last will to me.

After he made his last will, Cartelle pressed on his chosen rune.

"Don't, not that one", I warned him again, but the Obelisk changed its color and turned to flashing red.

"Zzinggg"

Sara observed an energy-like current coming out of the Obelisk which went into Cartelle's body as he was immediately stunned, and his entire body slowly hardened, petrified by the magic of the Obelisk.