The Compass Key (Book 5) (31 page)

Sari nods and gives Metis a tight hug before slipping into the coffin of water. For an instant, she feels like she is about to drown, but the fear is swiftly replaced by a comforting serenity. Her emerald eyes flutter as sleep overtakes her and her mind is filled with dreams of an endless ocean that obeys her every command.

14

Timoran drags himself out of the hole in the ground and turns away to help Nyx and Delvin out. He can still see a faint light from the distant jail that once held the
Compass Key and will be descended upon by historians and scholars. The barbarian laughs and falls back to enjoy the feeling of the sun and cool breeze on his tan skin. From his position, he can still see the top tiers of seating for the arena. With a gentle sigh, Timoran stares at the stone basket suspended above them and he reaches out as if he can crush it in his fist. Glancing up from his comfortable pose, he notices Delvin and Nyx watching him with concern.

“That was a grand adventure, my friends,”
the barbarian declares. He flips to his feet and flexes her back muscles to get a few knots out. “I cannot believe that abomination blew a hole to the surface. Now, we are off to save Sari and we shall be off to our next adventure. I truly love all of this.”

“I think Timoran has lost his mind,” Delvin whispers to Nyx. He smiles and waves when
the large warrior shoots him a narrow-eyed stare.

“Why do you even bother whispering,
Cunningham? He always hears us,” she responds while absent-mindedly fingering the Compass Key. “I wonder what this can do. The name suggests that it can lead us to specific locations and open something up.”

“That would be a smart guess,” he replies. Delvin gets to his feet and offers his hand to Nyx, who uses magic to stand up
instead. “You’re never going to let me be polite and chivalrous.”

“You can be as polite and chivalrous as you want. It doesn’t mean I have to accept your hand,” Nyx says with an impish grin. She walks by Delvin and blows in his ear, her voice
playfully echoing in his head. “You’re trying too hard.”

“Fair enough
. So, how do we get the Compass Key to work?”

“I have no idea
.”

“I believe we should have Cyril or Willow look at it,” Timoran suggests, catching up to his friends. He stops when he sees the pained expression on Nyx’s face. “I do not mean that you are incapable of figuring this out,
fire sprite. I only mean that it could be dangerous and your teachers are more experienced.”

Nyx holds up the
Compass Key and turns it so that the sinking sun bounces off the silver setting. Tucking her hand in her sleeve, she gently buffs the gems in the hope of setting off a spell. Licking her lips, Nyx taps the Compass Key on her forehead and she feels the potent aura pull at her senses. Her body is practically vibrating as she focuses on the item’s aura in an attempt to uncover its secret. Pain seeps into her temples and threatens to rip through her skull until she breaks contact. She spins the Compass Key in the air and juggles it as her frustration grows.

“You shouldn’t do that,” Delvin says, catching the
Compass Key and handing it back to the caster. He refuses to let go when she grabs it, making sure he has her attention. “We’ll figure out how to use it. Just give yourself some time, Nyx.”

“Sorry. My patience is really thin lately.”

They freeze when a loud rumble shakes the city, sending flocks of pigeons and seagulls soaring into the air. The chaos ends abruptly, except for a high-pitched whistle that slowly fades away. The whistle returns, but the three adventurers ignore it when bells and alarms begin going off around Gaia.

“Gaia doesn’t get earthquakes,” Nyx nervously
says.

“Maybe the battle is still going on at the docks,” Delvin guesses, peering up at the empty sky. “The griffin riders aren’t patrolling, so it’s possible.”

“I do not hear any battle,” Timoran informs everyone.

“The battle ended hours ago,” Luke says
as he walks up behind them. He chuckles as he shakes Delvin’s hand and slaps Timoran on the arm. With a grin, he gives Nyx a spinning hug and leads them to the stairs. “You three should have seen what happened. The griffins decimated the chaos elf ships, but one of them got away. I followed it out to sea and they sent a Crossbow Dragon after me. I fought that monster in the air as myself because I couldn’t out fly it. They’re going to be singing bard songs about that fight for ages. So, did you find the Compass Key?”

Nyx holds the ancient relic up and turns it in her hand. “We have it, but we don’t know how to use it. Why are you in the arena, Luke?”

The forest tracker gestures to the top of the arena and waves at a tiny form that flutters into the air. “Isaiah sent Fizzle and I here to meet you. He sensed you would return to this spot. He’s with Kira discussing ship preparations because we’re going to the Island of Pallice. That’s where Sari is sleeping.”

“
We’re going to find a missing land that easily?” Delvin inquires, doubt dripping from his words

“Isaiah has already been over that with me.
Apparently, the island is under the ocean outside of Gaia,” Luke explains before the city violently shakes. He takes the stairs in twos and threes, urging the others to follow. “Isaiah will tell us more when we meet him at the docks. First, he wanted us to be at the top the arena to watch the island rise out of the ocean. No real reason beyond trying to drive home the importance of our destiny.”

“My life was so much easier before
I met you people,” Delvin playfully complains. He grins at Nyx, who glares angrily at him. “Prior to becoming a champion, I only knew of a life of mercenary work. Now, I get to fight unique creatures and adventure into ancient places that are considered nothing more than legend.”

Timoran nods in agreement
as he climbs by the brown-haired warrior. “I agree. This life has many appeals, but we should remember to be cautious. An ancient region can and probably will hold monsters that we know nothing about.”

“We can discuss this on the ship,” Luke impatiently declares as he reaches the top of the stairs. “How much longer, Fizzle?”

“Rising now,” the drite whispers in child-like wonder. He flutters over to Timoran and lands on the tall man’s shoulder. “Friends make in time.”

The city shakes violently and the terrified screams of the citizens put all of the champions on edge. They can see the griffins take to the air and circle the docks, waiting for a target to attack. As the earthquake grows, every stall in the marketplace topples over, turning the area into a chaotic mess. Dogs howl at the sky while their masters yell at them to be quiet. Minutes pass before the earthquake stops and the city goes deathly silent. The air is filled with tension as every living thing nervously waits for whatever happens next.

A faint movement appears on the horizon and steadily grows until anyone within view can see that the ocean is foaming. The Island of Pallice slowly rises in the distance, its crystal peak glinting even from hundreds of miles away. Its silhouette is smooth with no signs of jagged cliffs along the central mountain. By the time the ocean settles, the single-mountain island is sitting with its peak piercing the clouds.

“Guess we’re going on a boat,” Nyx mentions with a nervous chuckle. She notices Luke go slightly pale, so she slaps him on the shoulder. “Come on, dragon slayer. Are you afraid of a little, harmless ocean tide?”

“I just realized that I’m not going to like this trip,” Luke groans.

*****

Kira quietly watches the preparations to the Matriarch from alongside the bearded captain, whose voice rips through the air with the help of a magic toothpick sticking out of his mouth. With a yawn, the heiress touches the dwarf on the shoulder and leaves to get some sleep in her room. As she climbs the gangplank, she glances at a nearby tavern where she can see Luke sitting at a table. She frowns after having been told to stay near the ship because the others had champion business to discuss.

“This is an item of great power,” Isaiah says as he examines the
Compass Key. He gently hands it back to Nyx, who goes back to staring at it. “Sadly, I don’t know how it works. The writings about the Compass Key are minimal at best. They do not even tell us the shape or composition of it. We do know that only a champion can awaken its power, but there is nothing written on how to do so.”

“That’s why I’m inspecting it,” Nyx states, her eyes glowing a dull red. She stares at the intricate aura threads, noticing that there are strands going to each of her friends. “The pearl in the center has strong aura cords wrapping around the other gems. Each outer gem is connected to a specific champion by aura threads, except for the obsidian and the sapphire. I assume the sapphire is Sari and the obsidian is our missing sixth champion. The aura threads mean each champion can only activate one gem. We’ve already passed it around to take turns focusing on it.”

“Is it possible that we need Sari or the sixth champion?” Timoran politely asks with a mouthful of roast beef. He coughs when a splatter of apple hits his cheek, causing him to look at Fizzle who is perched on his shoulder. “I said you could eat while sitting there as long as you did not make a mess. Please do not make me ask you to leave.”

“Fizzle sorry,” the drite says, fluttering over to Nyx’s lap. “Artifact very strong. Fizzle smell it. Smell missing part. Timoran be right?”

Isaiah finishes his water and shakes his head. “No. The Compass Key can be used at this time to gain access to the Island of Pallice. In fact, it’s the only way to reach the shore and access the area that contains your friend. I was only able to get Sari there by contacting the guardian beforehand and gaining his blessing to approach. It is no longer an option.”

“
So what is the missing part that Fizzle mentioned?” Luke asks while absent-mindedly staring out the window.

“I sense that something is missing too,” Nyx
answers as she gently strokes Fizzle’s head, making him yawn and squeak. “Two of the gems are dormant and the others are reaching for our aura. It could be that it reaches full power when all six champions are gathered, but I do sense that it can do something now. Can you ask that guardian more questions while we’re on our way, Isaiah?”

“Sa
dly, I had to agree to never contact him or step on the island again.”

“That’s probably for the best,” Nyx says, her eyes returning to their natural violet. She flicks her hand and a spoonful of stew flies into her mouth. “Being a champion means being able to stand on your own two feet. We need to face these dangers on our own. It’s the only way we’ll grow strong enough to face the Baron in the end.”

“Very well said,” Isaiah agrees as his tongue licks some moisture off his bottom lip. “So, have you uncovered anything else about the Compass Key, Lady Nyx?”

Fire ripples around the half-elf’s hand, the flames evaporating when they get within an inch of the Compass Key. “Not a damn thing!
It absorbs magic like an aura sponge, but it isn’t doing anything with it.”

“Maybe we’re looking at this wrong,” Delvin int
erjects after taking a drink of fresh water. “The Compass Key might not be doing anything now because we already know where we’re going. Why do you need a magical compass if you know your path?”

“Because you can still get lost,” Luke
says with a grin. “It could be that it sets us on the path to the region we’re needed. Is region the right word? I’m a little unclear what the Compass Key and the Island of Pallice mean for us. Isaiah, you mentioned temples.”

The fireskin’s
chair scrapes across the floor as he gets to his feet, grabbing a pear and devouring it in one bite. He slowly mutters a spell in Draconic and focuses his aura on his red wood staff, which gently hums. Isaiah gently bangs his staff against the ground and the green crystal emits a pulsing light over the table. The light shifts and warps until it transforms into six hazy silhouettes, one of which looks like the Island of Pallice.

“The four of you, Sari, and the missing champion are part of the oldest active prophecy in Windemere
. You were destined to gain great power and battle Baron Kernaghan when he attempts to return to Windemere. To that end, Gabriel created power centers that you will bond with for stability and a boost of abilities. They have been hidden on Ralian since the Great Cataclysm, which was rumored to have been an attack on Gabriel by the Baron. We believe this because the Baron’s agents became more active soon after that disaster. Some of them found ways into the temples to corrupt the magic, so it is no longer a simple entry and god-made challenge. These places hold ancient monsters that have been waiting for the champions to arrive.”

“It sounds like the Baron is winning,” Delvin
claims, scowling at the silhouettes. “He’s used our resources against us and turned them into old world vaults. I remember hearing stories about such things and they were always filled with death. That’s why many adventurers shy away from entering ancient ruins these days. It’s too dangerous and nobody knows if the rewards are worth it.”

“I’m not going into vaults,” Nyx stubbornly declares, crossing her arms and shaking her head. “They are adventuring clichés that Windemere grew out of centuries ago. It’s nothing more than battling monsters, dodging trap
s, and getting lost in a maze. And you know who always dies in those stories? The caster is always killed by a trap or some magic-eating monster that has been lost to history.”

Everyone silently stares at her
until Luke says, “I speak for all of us when I say you’re the least likely to die in a vault. I’m sure you would find a way to blast yourself out of a trap or stuff a magic-eating monster until it explodes.”