Chapter 36
The Kamaraka Tombs

~*~

When I open my eyes again, Oren tells me we've arrived in Port Stoney. The others are waiting for us outside the cabin, ready to disembark. I go join them. The halls are packed with travelers already pouring out of the ship, a scene I haven't seen before, as I never made it this far last time. And although the town has been mentioned a few times, I don't think I've ever stepped foot in it.

"All the port towns have similar designs," Melisande tells me. "You don't have to explore Port Stoney."

Proving her words correct, a sight like Port Hollicker emerges as we step out of the ship. The people are different, but the buildings and houses are practically cookie-cutter.

Even the music is the same.

Elric takes several steps ahead of us to searches around.

"What are you doing?" Melisande mimics his movements to see if she can figure it out.

"Checking to see if the coast is clear."

"Of what?"

Oren "Is this about your friend?"

"Former friend now. That traitor...If I see him, I don't know if I'll be able to hold back..."

I assume he's talking about Jorry, the guy who sold us out on the Royal Road. He did mention he would be settling down in Port Stoney.

"Let's not stick around then." Cassis looks to us for agreement, then continues walking.

The five of us navigate through the crowd, skipping the concession stands and other fanfare. Just as we arrive at the exit, a familiar face appears before us.

"Princess Cassis." The sorcerer of Asentus approaches us. "How lovely to see you here."

"Cylaro!" Caught off guard, she seems unsure how to respond. "What are you doing here? We're heading back to Asentus now, just so you know."

"Did you accomplish what you set out to do?"

Cassis nods and gestures to Melisande with her eyes.

Cylaro meets Melisande's gaze and smiles. "Have we met before somewhere?"

"It's possible," she responds. "I've been around for hundreds of years."

"HUNDREDS OF YEARS!?" Elric almost does a flip. "You must be joking."

Cylaro, however, doesn't even blink. "I see..."

"Melisande is a Spea--"

He interrupts Cassis with a touch on the shoulder. "That much is clear. Let's not discuss further. Remember, we are in public."

"You're right. Father will be in for a surprise. We've learned a lot from Melisande."

Melisande smiles politely. "Shall we head to Asentus, then?"

"King Triton is away..."

For sensitive reasons, we decide to continue the conversation in the only tavern in town. With no other eyes watching, Cylaro tells us that they've been following a lead that could reveal the Evil Speaker's next steps.

Melisande's eyes expand. "The person you speak of is my sister, Katja. Will you tell me what you know? Perhaps I can help."

"Yes, Cylaro. That's the reason Melisande joined our party. She wants to help us stop Katja."

"I'm afraid I cannot divulge the details."

"Not even to me?"

"The king will be back in three days. You can all talk to him then."

"Very well," Cassis says. "Cylaro...Is Father angry with me? You know, for leaving Asentus without his permission."

The sorcerer pats her on the shoulder. "His Majesty didn't even know you left...until a letter arrived regarding your escapade at Shalaron."

She looks away, embarrassed. "I-I can explain..."

Oren jumps in. "She saved my life. Surely King Triton understands."

"There's no need to explain. All is good." Cylaro eyes each of us again, then returns to Cassis. "I will take leave now. Come home anytime you wish, Princess."

Cassis nods.

The sorcerer smiles and disappears out of the tavern.

"To Asentus?" Melisande asks.

"Yes," Cassis says. "Unless anyone has other suggestions."

The monk crosses his arms. "I have no other matters to attend to."

I give them a thumbs up to indicate my consensus.

Elric strokes his chin. "There's no rush to go to Asentus, right? Like the old man said, the king won't be back for days."

"Three days. And it takes at least a day to get to Asentus from here."

"So we have time." The thief smiles, eager to share his plan. "Let's visit the Kamaraka Tombs."

He's interested in the rumored treasure. We paid thousands of gold for that knowledge. In real life, the folks at the Tower of Knowledge would soon be proven as frauds, but considering this is a game, there might just be something in the tombs. I suppose there's no better time to explore.

"I would prefer if we go to Asentus immediately..." Melisande lets out an audible sigh. "But if you all want to visit the tombs, I won't object."

Oren looks to Cassis for a decision.

"I wanted to resume training and learn a new skill..." She rolls her eyes at Elric's pleading expression. "Fine. Let's make it quick. The information is probably false anyway."

"Yes!" Elric does a happy dance. "Bunny Shoes, I'm coming to get you!"

And so we leave Port Stoney and head north. Soon, the Asentian Desert appears before us, its sand swirling in the air from a continuous gust of wind. The town of Kamaraka with its obelisk like structure looms to the east. We turn west and hug the coastline, taking in the view of the Sea of Seamen to our left. The Tower of Destiny is impressive even from this angle.

"When you get to level 30, you should revisit the Tower of Destiny," Oren says to me. "You can ascend to the next tier in your class."

I linger on the tower for a moment, then nod.

To the north, a tiny pyramid-like structure appears. Wrapped in green vines, the sand-colored building looks more like a cave than an ancient burial chamber. From the outside, it's no bigger than a shed, but upon entering, its layout starts to unravel. Visitors led by a tour guide crowd the well-lit vestibule. A single flight of stairs lead underground into a passageway almost equally well-lit.

"Have the tombs recently been renovated?" a tourist asks. "It's surprisingly clean."

"Yes," the guide answers.

"I'm afraid of the the dark."

"Not to worry, every tunnel is lit with eternal lanterns. They never go out!"

"There aren't any monsters in here, are there? I'm classless."

"No monsters. The Kamaraka Tombs were cleared out over fifty years ago. There's absolutely zero threats in here whatsoever. Come now. Down we go! Let's begin the tour."

We follow the group down the stairs into a narrow passageway. Lit by lanterns, the tunnel runs for a surprisingly lengthy distance. When we finally reach a wall, we turn left and continue downwards, descending deep underground. There aren't any doors, simply tunnels that lead into various rooms. In one room, a series of murals tell the story of the ancient Kamarakans who once inhabited the land of what has now become the Asentian Desert. In another room carved on the walls is a message warning visitors not to disturb the slumber of the kings. Then, we arrive at a much larger room decorated with treasure chests of various sizes and colors. In the middle rests a sarcophagus-like case, large enough for a dwarf.

"This is the resting place of King Kamaraka and his two wives and seven cats. Don't touch that! Just kidding. All the traps in the tombs have been disarmed. Go ahead, touch all you like. Take a rock home as a souvenir."

I examine the chests. All empty. The rocks the guide mentioned are nothing special.

"Can we see King Kamaraka's corpse?"

"Absolutely!" The guide slides open the case. "Tada! Nothing. The corpse has been missing for ages. Folklore has it that King Kamaraka rose from the dead and wandered back into the world. If you ask me, I think here's still lurking in the tombs somewhere. Hah! Just kidding. Scared you, didn't I? Alright, let's move on to the next room. This way!"

We navigate through a few more tunnels, then arrive at another sizable room. The defining feature is the six stone pedestals in the center, each with a groove that could fit an object. Metal spheres with markings on them are scattered on the floor in one corner. We stare at one another, confirming to ourselves that this is the place Marcus at the Tower of Destiny was referring to.

"This room showcases more of the Kamarakan's ingenuity," the tour guide explains. "The six pedestals, we believe, represent the six rules of life these mysterious folk followed. Rule 1: Love your family; rule 2: eat seven meals a day; rule 3: listen to the sea for guidance; rule 4: save your words for the wise; rule 5: do not bathe without the sun; and rule 6: give, but don't reward."

"Smart, these Kamarakans!"

"But I always bathe at night."

"Wow, look how smooth those spheres are!"

The tour guide nods and smiles. "They're called sizing spheres. Historians believe they were used for all sorts of things, from mathematical calculations to weight measurements. They're only replicas, of course. The originals have long been claimed and sold."

"This room...the pedestals...and the spheres......There must be some secret behind them."

"Hahahahaha!" the guide laughs. "If there were any secrets, scholars would have discovered them years ago. Every treasure, every secret room, every nook of the the tombs have been explored. Alright, to the next area!"

We stay put. The tour group proceeds down yet another tunnel. When the last of the visitors disappear, we walk around the room for a more purposeful look.

"That guy in Arabon said something about spheres and pedestals..." Elric grabs a couple spheres and places them on one of the pedestals. One sphere stays on, but the second one falls off, making a slight racket.

"Be careful," Cassis says, picking up the fallen sphere.

"Why? These aren't the real things anyway."

Oren reminds us of the Marcus' cryptic words. "When the correct equilibrium is attained, the doors to the king will open."

"Interesting," Melisande says. She glances at the pedestals and the spheres, then moves to stand in a corner of the room. "I'm not good at puzzles. I'll just watch you, if that's alright."

Elric scratches his head. "Well, I have no idea what it means!"

The wizard turns to me, mouth moving. "You're smart. Go figure it out for them."

Eyes in the room dart back and forth between the two of us, no doubt curious about what the Speaker said to me. I shrug, pretending to be just as confused as they are.

"You've seen this kind of enigma before, haven't you?" Oren asks, his expression exuding confidence of ability. "Have a look."

Elric shakes his head. "I doubt the mute will be of any help."

I go examine the pedestals. My foreign eyes may not be qualified to scrutinize the structures in detail, but they all look identical to me. The only difference is that the one holding a sphere is slightly lower than the rest. It seems that the weight of the object has pushed it downwards. I lift the sphere to confirm this. The pedestal slowly creeps back up. I go and grab more spheres from the pile, placing one on all six pedestals. The result is as expected: they all lower from the weight. I check their levels and notice that they weren't all the same. Some were higher than others.

"Have you figured something out?" Cassis asks.

I give her a thumbs up. My mind focuses on the word "equilibrium," as I switch some of the spheres with different ones. It takes a few tries, but eventually I manage to find six spheres with identical weights. The pedestals all lower about a foot, but nothing happens.

"Stop playing around, genius," Elric says, taking the spheres off the structures and tossing them aside. "If it were as easy as matching the depression levels, scholars would've long solved it. That's if there really is a hidden room. I'm starting to think we were cheated."

He's right. There must be another meaning to the word "equilibrium."

I examine the pedestals again. My eyes follow the structures from top to bottom. Lines on the concrete floor catch my attention. Initially thought as part of the design of the room, I now realize they're likely more meaning to these marks. They run from the foot of one pedestal to another, following the triangular layout of the six structures.

Oren joins me. "Very interesting. It's as if the pedestals are linked in chains of three. The corner pedestals overlap two chains, while the edge pedestals are only part of one chain."

Elric checks the lines for himself. "What does that even mean?"

"Equilibrium..." Cassis juggles two spheres up and down.

"Folks, I think you're getting very close." Melisande smiles. The look on her face tells me she already knows the answer to the puzzle.

I test out the spheres again, making note of how they affect the pedestals. It seems there are six different weights. The lightest sphere depresses the pedestal by two inches, while the heaviest one moves it down a whole foot. A thought crosses my mind, and I'm reminded of math class. Maybe the sum of the weight depressions must be the same for all chains and using all six different weights? I arrange the spheres to create a sum of nine on all sides.

     1
   6  5
2  4   3

Nothing happens.

"But that makes perfect sense," Oren says, appreciating my efforts. "I was sure the equilibrium you've created is correct."

Elric tries to count with his fingers but gives up. "I don't get it."

"So close!" Melisande whispers.

"Perhaps there's another way?" Cassis switches a few spheres around.

I watch, and then it hit me. There's another solution to this simple math puzzle. The sum of each chain is 12.

    6
  2  1
4  3  5

My hands move quickly, switching sphere for sphere. The pedestals rise and fall, while the rest of the group watches. I place the final sphere into position and wait.

"Nothing's happening..." Elric starts to say.

Suddenly, the lines on the ground lights up. The room shakes with the force of an earthquake.

"The ground's moving!" Oren points to the area inside the triangular space created by the pedestals.

Like an elevator, the platform begins to descend. I jump on and wave for the others to join. Elric and Melisande don't hesitate. Oren and Cassis exchange glances.

"We'll wait for you up here," Oren tells us. "We may have to help you get back up."

Cassis crouches to stare down at us. "Be careful!"

Within a few more seconds, their faces disappear from view. We continue to descend down the shaft, the light above us growing dimmer and dimmer. Just as the last ray vanishes, we are bathed in an orange glow.
"Holy Asharia!" Elric bounces left and right, pointing at the newly revealed tunnel in front of us. "Let's go, let's go!"

"After you," Melisande says, gesturing for the thief to proceed.

Without any hesitation, he eagerly enters. We follow him down the orange tunnel, as if marching towards hell. Whispers of a foreign language reverberate against the walls of the passageway, growing louder the deeper we get. Whatever's waiting for us at the end, it can't be good. I shiver in spite of the heat.

"We're here!" Elric runs ahead but stops at the threshold to a room. "Uh oh..."

The source of the orange light turns out to be a jewel embedded into the crown resting on the head of the skeleton standing right in front of us. Its mouth chatters. "You dare disturb my sleep!? Die!!!"

"Um...who is it?"

"It is I...King Kamaraka!"

* BATTLE START *

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[battle omitted]

 

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* BATTLE END *

"That was a close call!" Elric rests his arms against a wall. "You're actually pretty good, mute."

I smirk and heal him back to full health.

"Over there." Melisande points to the three treasure boxes on a platform in the center of the room. "Are those what you're here for?"

"Three!?" Elric's eyes sparkle, as his body floats towards the treasures. "This is my lucky day!"

Does he think they're all for him? I whack his hands with my staff and give him a sneer.

"OK, OK, I get two, and you get one. Does that sound fair?" He turns to Melisande. "You're a Speaker. You don't need any treasures, right? Let's keep this to ourselves."

"I have no objections," Melisande says.

Unable to argue with him, I simply roll my eyes to show my dissatisfaction.

"You guys are the best!" He immediately flips open the chest on the left and lifts up the contents. "Bunny Shoes!!! Oh wow, they do exist! Is this for real? +50 to SPD!? Tillis is going to be so happy when I give this to her. She'll dump that idiot Andy and marry me. Yes, yes, yes!!!"

The sorceress chuckles. "Ah, young love! I'm so jealous."

A second ago, I wanted to clobber Elric, but seeing that he has Tillis on his mind, I feel more inclined to let it slide. He's not so greedy after all. As the thief ponders which of the two remaining chests to claim, I eye the jewel in the crown that had fallen to ground when the skeleton disintegrated.

"Take it," Melisande tells me with her voice. "The Eternal Flame will help you see in the dark."

I hesitate for a moment, then crouch down to pick it up. The warmth of the jewel seems to have healing properties. I cup it between my hands. The room grows dim, with only a few rays escaping the gaps between my fingers.

"Hey, who turned off the lights?"

I uncup my hands, and the orange light refills the room.

"OK, I've decided." Elric points to the chest on the right. "That one's mine." He lifts it open and retrieves the item inside. "Rogue's Mantle! Holy Asharia's X@#@!!@# No way! +25 to every attribute! That's almost unfair. Ah, my level's too low to wear it! It's still good, but maybe I should've picked the middle chest." He looks at me. "It's yours. Go ahead and open it. If it's Thief gear, can I keep it? It'd be useless to you anyway. Please?!"

All eyes are on me, as I approach the remaining chest. It's probably Thief's gear. Maybe I'll sell it. We are short on gold. Still holding the Eternal Flame in one hand, I lift open the chest with the other.

"What is it?" Elric walks over to have a peek. "Nothing? That's too bad."

I wave my hand through the dark emptiness of the treasure chest, slightly peeved. Suddenly, a burst of energy causes me to recoil. The three of us leap backwards. From the void of the box, bats begin to gush out.

The creatures quickly fill up the room, eyeing us.

Elric slashes at them doesn't land a single hit."These things are quick!"

Bats continue to fly out of the chest in an endless stream.

"There're hundreds of them!"

"We can't kill them all," Melisande says. "Let's get out of here!"

The throng of monsters chase us through the tunnel, some soaring past us and up the shaft. After a few more battles, we make it back to the moving platform.

"How do we get this thing to go up?" Elric asks a question that no one here can answer.

Just then, a rope appears. I put the Eternal Flame away and quickly grab onto to our life line. Elric and Melisande wrap their arms around me. I pull, and suddenly, our bodies soar upwards. Before I realize what has happened, we're already back up in the room with the spheres.

A chaotic scene of bats versus humans unfolds before my eyes. Tourists struggle to fend off the creatures, while those who are classless run for their lives.

"What happened down there?" Oren asks, strike a bat with his palm.

"We'll explain outside," Elric says. "Where's Cassis?"

"She's escorting the folks out."

Melisande unleashes a lightning spell. Three bats fall to the ground, sizzling. "Time to go!"

The last of the tourists run past us. We follow him through the tunnels, fending off the incessant swarm of bats. When we reach the vestibule, Melisande casts her Crush spell, causing the walls of the tombs to collapse on the stairs. Oren and Elric take care of the remaining bats that managed to get through.

Cassis appears. "Good, you're all safe. What happened?"

The tour guide also joins us. At the sight of the blocked off stairs, his face turns pale. "W-What in Asharia's name happened?"

"The bats won't be able to get through." Melisande exhales and smiles, proud of her work."

"But the Kamaraka Tombs are my livelihood!" The tour guide tries to clear the rocks with his bare hands. "Now I'll have to find a new gig!"

"Sorry."

"Wait a minute...There was a giant hole in that room. I saw an orange light. The bats...There's an area in the tombs scholars have never explored! Once I tell everyone this, I'm going to be rich! I discovered a new part of the tombs!"

And with that, the tour guide disappears from sight.

"What a strange man," Oren says.

Cassis looks to us for answers. "So, was it worth the trip?"

Elric and Melisande update the others on our discoveries in the secret room, from the battle with the skeleton king to the treasures we collected. All in all, it was certainly worth the trip.

The sun has already set out. As the monsters on the Royal Trail can be quite a pain to deal with, Cassis suggests we spend the night in Kamaraka before setting off to Asentus. Elric shows signs of concern, but he eventually agrees.

When we arrive, the town's mood is noticeably different. Despite it being nighttime, an ordinate amount of people are wandering the streets, and some of them look like they're from Asentus.

"Asentian soldiers..." Cassis' eyes count them all. "What are they doing here?"

Elric goes up to one of them. "Hey, what's going on here?"

"Get lost, thief." The soldier pushes him away and walks off.

He goes to interrogate another soldier, but then stops. A few yards away, a familiar face appears. "Jorry!"

His former friend makes to leave, but Elric grabs a hold of him.

"I didn't mean to betray you," Jorry starts to explain. "It was for Ayla."

"I don't care about that. You did what you had to do. Is Ayla alright?"

"Yes, they finally released her..."

"Really? That's hard to believe." Elric looks around at the confusing scene. "What the hell is going on here?"

"I-I..." Jorry seems paralyzed with fear. "They're invading Fortra..."

"What!? We have to stop them!"

"You're too late. Magnus and his men set out this morning. They're probably already through the desert. These men here are just backup, I assume."

"Why didn't you stop them!?" Elric lifts Jorry into the air. "And how did they find out about Fortra?!"

Oren run to thems, prepared to step in should the unthinkable happen. "Elric, calm down."

"I-I'm sorry. I had no choice...!"

Elric drops him to the ground. He opens his mouth to scream, but no sound comes out. "Gahhhh!!!!!

~*~