Hard Light (NaNoWriMo15)

Chapter 13 - The Buried Temple

Leah somehow staggered down to the stairs leading to the League's lower levels the next night, despite being fairly certain that every muscle in her body had turned to stone.

She slipped inside the archway without anyone around, wondering how Shade would manage to get inside the League at all. It wasn't that she doubted him, it's just she didn't know it was even possible to get inside without a Displacer or strict scrutiny from the Radiant guards at the single set of gates that led inside.

"Shade?" she whispered, glancing around the room. "Shade, are you here?"

She got no reply and made her way further into the room. Wondering why the League had lower levels at all when it was built by a race for whom the sun was a daily requirement to live, Leah found the three spiral staircases that descended down into the depths. They started at different places in the room but appeared to twine around eachother as they circled a central pillar into the ground.

After a few minutes of no Shade mysteriously appearing from the shadows, Leah noticed the symbol drawn onto the crystal. It was in no way obvious, and if she hadn't all but stepped on it she was pretty sure she would have missed it.

Leah ran her fingers over its surface. She didn't have her reference journal on her--she didn't want Shade stealing it again--but she recognised the symbols. 'Light' following 'Shadow', followed by a plain 'S'.

It didnt' take a genius to figure out who'd left it.

Leah took the stairs one at a time, wincing with each movement, unable to bear the thought of the fact that she'd have to climb back up these later. The curved stairs passed several slabs of opaque crystalite doors and two open hallways leading off into the gloom, but with no Shade and no symbol, Leah continued her descent.

It was at about the fifth level with a worrying amount of rock above her head that Leah saw the symbol outside an open hallway. Lighting the crystal patterns on her skin so she wouldn't trip over her own feet, Leah took a deep breath and went in.

The hallway was made of a dark coloured crystalite, one that, even with her light, made it appear as thought she was walking into a void. The only place in it to reflect the light was in the carvings that appeared like constellations in the inky darkness of the walls.

"Shade?" she called, well aware that it wasn't the best idea ever. She just needed to hear something, see something living down here before she lost her nerve and ran. "Shade, are you here?"

Footsteps ahead. Leah hesitated, one hand on her Hilt. She'd almost forgotten it upon leaving her room.

"Here," said Shade. Once more, he was covered in his grey cloth, the large, dark sword hanging on his back. "Was starting to think you weren't coming."

"Are you ever going to take off that cloth covering your face?" asked Leah, relief sagging her shoulders.

"It's for my safety just as much as it is for yours," said Shade. He pulled a slow-burning crystal out of his pouch. "Think you can Light this up for us? Figured I'd get one to save your Light for the more important things."

Leah did as asked, pulling the Light from her own crystals as the slow-burner took over the job. "How'd you get into the League?"

But he just grinned--not that she could see it, but it was obvious from his words. "The League only has one front entrance, but there's a few ways to get around that if you happen to like spending time exploring the forgotten hallways underneath. Shall we?"

"You're the bodyguard who knows where they're going," said Leah. "I'm following you."

Shade left his sword sheathed as they continued down the hall. "You're moving pretty stiff. Take a beating?"