Chapter 104: Hidden Maze of the Bones
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It took them months, but they finally arrived at the Hidden Maze of the Bones. It was deep in the mountains and was overrun with beasts, so, in addition to Edwin’s shadows, Sebastian summoned a couple of wraiths.

That was the first time Edwin saw a wraith being summoned. It involved blood and mana, and the sun was even hidden by clouds when the wraiths came to be. This time, Sebastian had gotten the wraith and its loved one resurrected at the same go. They were embracing now and crying.

“Yes, yes, very nice of you to remember who is who. But, now you have to follow these two shadows and go into the maze,” the wraiths nodded and went after the shadows. The pained screams of animals were heard soon after.

“Fluffy has ouches,” said Elidys as Edwin rubbed his hands together.

“Yes, well, Fluffy would have eaten us all. Eli, in this life you have to sometimes do ouches to those who want to hurt you,” said Sebastian and Elidys looked at Edwin next, who just nodded.

They waited until the screaming from inside ended and, when the animals were cleared, the entire family went in. Just as before, Edwin didn’t leave any stones unturned, and he saw a key in a basket near the first door. Sebastian came from the connected chamber and shook his head.

“Nothing there but more hallways. Did you find anything?” Edwin held up the key and grinned.

“If this dungeon is like the last one, then there is bound to be a keyhole somewhere,” said Edwin and they continued on. They kept going down, until they saw a dead end. Then, they returned to the entrance and took the right chamber’s route.

Soon, they were in front of an intricate chest with a crowbar on top of it. Edwin stepped back, and his shadow smashed the chest open. Gold glim inside, but it wasn’t in the current Alanqian currency. 

“We can sell this to a museum,” said Hadrian as he eyed the coins. “I remember when those were in use. They have more gold than usual. See?”

He picked one and then took out a gold coin from his pocket and handed them to Edwin. Indeed, the older coin was heavier.

“Or we can melt them,” suggested Daniel. “I melt the old coins in the hordes from the dragon hunting.”

“That could work too, but they will lose their historic value,” said Marisa with a little frown. “I say we sell them to a museum.”

Hands were raised, and the decision was made. They kept going in and found a great door with a keyhole to the east. Edwin tried the key and was overjoyed to see it fit. They went inside and found a half-filled room with rubble.

“Only junk here,” said Sebastian, already turning around.

“Something is glimmering over there!” Said Ben, rushing to what Edwin could see was a skeleton of someone, probably a child, and picking a shining rod from the ground.

“What could this be?” Asked Ben. Hadrian sucked in a breath and grinned.

“A holy rod, one of Harika’s. Good find, kiddo. Wish for something, and it will happen, and the rod will disappear,” Ben looked at the rod and then proclaimed loudly:

“I wish for Luciano to learn faster, so we can go on adventures!” Luciano blinked at him.

“Big brother, I learn as fast as I can!” Protested the blonde and Edwin placed an arm around him.

“You do, Lucy. No one says otherwise,” and Luciano turned to look at his brother.

“I spend more time learning than either you or Rael. I even know my multiplication table,” said the blonde and Ben bowed his head. He didn’t know the entire table.

“Sorry, Luciano,” the blonde grinned at him and extended his hand towards his brother. “But now you will learn even faster.”

“We have to bury the skeleton,” said Marisa as she took out a shovel from her dimensional bag and began to shift the rubble. She was soon helped by her brother and Hadrian. The two necromancers stood to the side. One ashamed for not having figured out that the man, for it was a Halfling, needed a grave and the other annoyed at the delay.

They finished that and poured a bit of wine on the grave. A light breeze went pass them in the cavern, and they continued on.

Then, just as they were rounding a corner, a rat scurried by them.

“The core is making more mobs,” said Edwin and they began to madly dash towards where the major mana buzz, the telltale sign that the core was there, was located. They found the core just as it was making a bear. Hadrian threw his dagger at its eye, and it fell down, dead.

“Eddy, can I smash the core?” Asked Hadrian as he looked at Edwin with a lopsided smile. The same that Edwin couldn’t refuse anything to.

“Sure, go ahead, Harry,” Hadrian made his way to the core carefully, looking for pressure plates. He didn’t find any and soon, the core was smashed on the ground. Edwin grinned. Another one bites the dust.

“Rest in peace, shiny rock,” said Luciano and his brothers and Elidys took off their hats and began to stand vigil. The adults mirrored them, and they had a minute of silence for the core.

On their way back down the corridor, they saw a door leading to a side cavern. There, on the far wall, was a beautiful mural depicting a wedding. The bride was surrounded by animals while the groom had plants around him.

“A wedding between two cores?” Asked Marisa, suddenly sad.

“Could be. Do you think the male core was the Asylum of Blood?” Elidys went and poked the mural and a hidden door appeared. The raven haired boy rushed in before anyone could stop him. Edwin ran to him and scooped him up, only to see a lever in the wall opposite him. He went and pressed it down, and sunlight streamed through the new cave opening.

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