Ironworks Gaming Forum - Solo Warrior 34: Rebirth

Once again, Missy Hissy crossed dimensions and ended up in Kerah's underwater temple. This time, with her pack empty and no further minor tasks to complete, Kerah's words rang in her ears. "Anephas was a champion, but a magical champion. He knew little of battle and war, and the best battle he could plan was a tragic draw. You know more of arms and militia than most, and with your help, there can be no other result."

Missy took a breath of air and descended into the depths, to ride the giant column back into the shrine. As it reached bottom, she jumped off, water dripping from her armor and leaving puddles on the floor. She took the strange obelisk with her and continued exploring, discovering strange markings on the floor throughout the shrine and finally finding a beam of light coming from the ceiling. She placed the obelisk on a stand, and it reflected light down the near corridor until it hit a wall.

Missy stared at it for a moment until she realized that the light was passing over some of the strange floor markings. Nearby was another obelisk with markings similar to those on the floor, and when Missy moved the obelisk onto the marks, it too changed the light beam's path.

Walking along, moving obelisks onto squares, Missy followed the light path through the temple until it came to a giant stone slab, an altar of sorts. No more markings were present on the floor, and Missy soon realized that she needed to find something to put on the altar. Wheeling around, Missy began searching for something to put on the altar.

Among the dusty rooms of the shrine, she soon found a small altar apparently dedicated to the worship of the simple baboon. Placing the small baboon statue she had found earlier on the altar, she heard a grinding noise behind her. The stairway, which she had noticed before and failed to jump across, looked different, and she was able to cross it now. Ascending, she found three treasure chests, and inside one of them, a small urn with ashes in it and the mark of the mavin on it.

Breaking into a run, she headed back to the altar room and placed the urn expectantly on the altar to see... nothing. It just sat there like it had in the treasure chest, and as frustration rose in her throat, she noticed that the beam of light was nowhere to be seen. Backtracking, she discovered that she had accidentally knocked several of the obelisks off the floor markings. She began moving them back, paying careful attention to the obelisks behind her, and as she moved the last one in place, she heard a great commotion.

Turning, she saw that the urn of ashes had heated up from the light until it exploded, and the ashes swirled into a wraithlike form, becoming more solid until it became human, or something like it. She recognized the tall body, the golden face, the wispy beard... it was Anephas, just like she had seen in the paintings throughout the shrine.

"I am back... but who has brought me back?" asked Anephas, gazing around in wonder.

"I did, Anephas, with Kerah's help," responded Missy.

"Kerah?" he spoke. "She is still here... there is still hope. But if I am here, Cet is also still here. I cannot leave, lest he know it. You must open the pathway for me to do battle with him."

"About the pathway..." Missy said. "The teleporter's apparently broken in the temple under the water, so -"

"It matters not," interrupted Anephas. "I sense the black pearl on you... go to Cet's pyramid, and I shall meet you there."

"Black pearl? You mean this?" Missy held up the black pearl ring.

Anephas gave a start as he looked at it. "She - no, it couldn't be. She would never - Go. Leave here while I think about what this means. Such treachery after all these years... it could not be. I will open the door to let you access the Lost Sea."

Anephas remained still with his thoughts as Missy headed toward the ruined room she had traversed earlier. She found the pathway open now, and climbed up toward the surface. Treachery? From who?