Path of Dragons

Book 7: Chapter 69: Riddles and Stones

Book 7: Chapter 69: Riddles and Stones

Elijah appeared in a simple, square room. It was made of the same material as the wall outside, so the surface glimmered dully in the light of a single torch set into the wall. A few wet spatters of blood glistened on the floor, evidence of Gideon’s failure.

However, Elijah’s attention was solely on the figure at the center of the room. It was tall and slim, wearing a hooded black robe that obscured its features. Except for a pair of withered, black hands, nothing else of the creature’s body was visible. But Elijah could feel everything he couldn’t see, and he recoiled in horror.

The thing defied description, and the sense of it felt like insects skittering across Elijah’s mind. The most prominent thing he felt was that the thing was cold, and its skin looked like it was covered in advanced frostbite. However, it was not human, and its features were wholly alien, with a multitude of eyes and an odd skeletal structure. In only a second, Elijah knew he was dealing with a monster.

In a voice that conjured memories of cracking ice, the creature hissed, “I creep and crawl, an icy breath. A herald of stillness, a cousin to death. I sap the life and numb the pain. In my embrace, no warmth sustained. What am I?”

Immediately, Elijah recognized the answer. “Frost.”

“That answer is...acceptable.”

At that, the temperature plummeted. Then, the creature said, “You are clever, mortal, but one answer does not free you. The path to escape lies hidden, sealed away from prying eyes. No door I have. No hinge, no key. Yet power flows through parts of me. To wake my path, you must discern, the proper order for power to burn. What am I?”

Elijah nodded, and even though the cold continued to envelop him, he felt that it wasn’t quite as powerful as it should have been. Perhaps that was due to his Cloak of the Iron Bear, but it was probably because of Ward of the Seasons. He’d long since taken to keeping it active at all times, and as such, he often forgot its effects. But it continued to silently protect him from elemental damage.

In any case, with the effects of the cold having been cut, Elijah could fully focus on the riddle. It was only after a few minutes, during which the creature silently watched him, that he remembered the Tin Hua Temple. More specifically, he recalled the runes carved into the columns that had formed a puzzle that Sadie had solved.

Elijah focused on Soul of the Wild, looking for flows of ethera. At first, he couldn’t sense anything in the thick cloud of energy swirling around the monster at the center of the room. It pervaded everything, pushing the density of ethera much higher than it had been outside. Elijah looked deeper, though, and soon enough, he saw glyphs on the walls. There were hundreds of them – one on each block that comprised the walls. The all glowed slightly in his senses, though some were far stronger than others.

After a few moments, Elijah said, “The glyphs on the walls. That’s the answer.”

“Correct,” said the monster. “Infuse your magic, and the path shall open. Beware, a single misstep, and the cold will consume you.”

Elijah stopped mid-stride. He’d expected there to be consequences, but he didn’t think they would be so unforgiving. Clearly, he was wrong. So, he took another few minutes to study the glyphs. As he did, the monster said, “Five runes conceal your fate. A touch of power must activate, the order’s key, a sequence pure. Hints lie within the frost’s allure. Warmth fights the cold, but cold remains. Seek balance now to break frost’s unforgiving chains.”

That gave Elijah some insight into what he saw, and it wasn’t long before he recognized five symbols. The first was a snowflake, the second a flame, the third a water droplet, and a fourth was clearly meant to represent wind. Finally, there was a mountain’s peak.

Ice. Fire. Water. Wind. And earth.

Elijah squatted, lost in thought. If it had been anyone else, they would have already succumbed to the frigid cold. He was merely uncomfortable, though, which allowed him to think clearly.

“Fire and ice,” he muttered. “Ice, then fire. That makes water. Wind is a neutral element, spreading balance. Moving the water across the earth. Then, the cycle continues.”

So, after throwing down the seventh, he shifted toward the next. It was much too large for him to reach all the way around its circumference, but with his vines acting to stabilize the load, he managed it. Then, finally, he lifted. At first, the weight didn’t budge, but then, inch by inch, he hoisted it aloft. He held it there for a short moment before letting drop to the ground.

A normal stone probably would have shattered, but this one didn’t. Magic, Elijah assumed.

But he also knew he wasn’t finished. The goal wasn’t to simply match the ogre-demon’s strength. He needed to best the creature. So, he shifted toward the next. By his calculations, this one weighed at least sixty tons, give or take a few thousand pounds. His estimates certainly weren’t exact, but one thing was sure – it was extremely heavy.

Even so, Elijah felt good about his chances. The eighth stone had been taxing, but it wasn’t his limit. Not by a long shot.

So, using a similar strategy with the vines on his arms and shoulders, Elijah established a grip. Then, he lifted. His joints creaked under the strain, but with his adrenaline having peaked, he managed to get it off the ground. After that, it was just a matter of willpower, and like the last, Elijah managed to lever it into position.

He released it with a pump of his fist.

“Strong. You pass,” said the ogre-demon, obviously ashamed at his showing.

Elijah barely heard him. Instead, he had his eye on the final stone. It was at least twice the size of the last, and if his estimates were accurate, it probably weighed more than a hundred tons. Later, when he would look back on what happened next, Elijah would wonder what got into him to prompt such an action. It didn’t make any sense. It wouldn’t help him in any way. But with the challenge looming before him, Elijah needed to see if he could do it.

So, he shifted into position before the final sphere, then wrapped his arms and vines around it. When he tried to lift, the thing wouldn’t budge. The ogre-demon said something derogatory about Elijah’s efforts, but by that point, Elijah had tuned everything else out. Instead, he only had room in his mind for two things – his body and the stone.

He let out a mighty roar, but still, the thing wouldn’t move.

Had he met his match?

Elijah wasn’t willing to admit defeat, so he activated Savage Strength. The stone shifted, then ascended an inch. Two inches. Three. Elijah passed his knees, then gave himself a break by setting it on his thighs. They nearly buckled under the weight.

Then, with Savage Strength ticking down, Elijah tried to resume his lift.

But it would not budge another inch.

No matter how hard he pushed or pulled, it was stuck in place. And eventually, he had to admit defeat. Disgusted, he let the thing fall, and to Elijah’s surprise, it actually cracked the black tiles on the floor. None of the others had done that.

His shoulders sagged in exhaustion, but he was so dismayed with his failure that he didn’t even glance back at the ogre-demon before he strode forward and through the next portal.