Shattered Spring

Southeast of the city of Coalstead lay an ancient temple, long abandoned by the ancient race of men that used to inhabit it. Back in its prime, it was no doubt majestic, inspiring awe in all who beheld it. Now, thick vines grew through the bricks and a strange odor like blood mixed with flowers lingered in the air, so much so that one could almost taste it. Gnarled trees lined the pavement, branches twisted like cursed creatures—suffering for some crime against the Goddess.

It was said that the temple and the ruins of the ancient city around it Suffered some kind of cataclysm several thousand years ago. The inhabitants allegedly sacrificed their own children to the gods under the mountain in exchange for fertile soil among the rocky land. Seeing this, the great Creator Goddess destroyed them utterly and completely. Or so the ancient texts said.

The temple lay within what was known as a blooming waste, a place where plants seemed to grow too fast for anyone to settle, and where creatures seemed to be cursed with an endless supply of bloodlust. The air was filled with a dangerous aura, and sometimes could make a person sick and at other times could drive them mad. Legend had it that hundreds of years ago, these places were once fertile land, with thriving societies and cultures, people who lived and died, loved and fought each other as mortals were bound to do. 

Then, one day, something changed. Crops failed to grow, while the wilds seemed to reclaim what was once theirs, to the point the people had to flee, or died thinking they could contend with nature. This temple, the site of child sacrifice was probably a place where the people tried and failed to return things to normal.

The temple itself was said to contain many legendary objects that beckoned adventurers with endless riches, scholars with boundless knowledge, kings with eternal glory. those who were the strongest ransacked what was left behind for profit. Cheska hated to admit it, but while she wasn’t very strong or brave, she was counted among that number, even though she justified herself with the constant need of money for survival. The young orc woman, scrawny and definitely below average height for her age, desired not power, but the security that came from having enough money to secure a bed and enough food.

If she weren’t so low on cash, she may have bypassed the temple altogether. Cheska cursed herself for being so easily swayed by novelty things. A merchant had stopped her the day before last, offering a once-in-a-lifetime deal of twenty copper coins for a spoon that poured endless amounts of soup. It was a good idea at the time, but she soon realized that the spoon did nothing else, and it didn’t even produce different kinds of soup, only a thin, watery broth. By the time she realized the mistake, the merchant was long gone.  She still had some meager savings, enough to buy some food in a tavern for one day, but she foolishly spent most of it in her pursuit of collecting magical items. She wouldn’t have enough to aid in the rest of her travels. Hence, the need for a bit of grave robbery.

Now, the air about the place was certainly unsettling, though Cheska didn’t know if it was because of a curse or because the once bustling place was a resting place for the dead. Or, if it was the shame she felt for taking things that weren’t hers, even if the users were long dead. However, the fact of the matter was that such tales didn’t dissuade her from seeking the treasures from within.

At the top of the steps, the massive stone doors lay slightly ajar, and it seemed like one wrong movement from the wind would knock them over. Fortunately, they didn’t collapse on top of Cheska, but the hinges did let out an awful creaking noise that was reminiscent of grinding teeth. 

“Now, I just have to find the inner sanctum,” she muttered.

She began to shimmy herself through the narrow gap that the doors provided, pausing when she heard footsteps on the pavement. It took everything in Cheska to not run back outside, or hide behind a tall bush, but upon further inspection she saw that she was still alone, save for some cracked statues. She sighed, summoning her staff and holding on to it with a tight grip, her nails forming little half-moons on her palms. 

It was time to get to work. 

Cheska stepped into the inky darkness, the path in front of her lit only by the meager light of her staff.  It seemed that she had stepped into a kind of open foyer that was supported by cracked pillars. Cheska reached out, feeling the cold stone on her fingers. Some of it crumbled into a fine powder, revealing the roots of some kind of vine. The air itself was like an inhale, a breath of anticipation where it should have been stale and undisturbed.

“It’s for the money,” she repeated to herself like a mantra.

Past the foyer was a tall archway that led into a wide hall. She stepped past fallen stone and ever larger vines. Smaller doors lined the sides, some of them closed with what looked like difficult runes to break, at least for Cheska’s skills. She bypassed those, going into the first open one she saw. The small room was simple. Cheska pushed aside cobwebs with a shudder and searched through the old books that lay scattered on the floor. She couldn’t make out most of what they said, but that mattered little to her. They could probably go for a bit of a good price for how old they were and where they came from. She grabbed as many of the least damaged books that she could and placed them into her bottomless satchel. 

Then, she reached the end of the great hall, to be met with one last large door, a lot like the one at the entrance. Except, this one was more intact than that one and it didn’t have a rune. In fact, it was relatively untouched compared to everything else in the temple. The flowery scent that Cheska smelled in the foyer seemed to emanate even stronger from right inside.  Like the scent of food attracted someone who was starving, Cheska felt herself drawn to the smell of flowers. She went to push open the large door, but it fell open with very little work. It was as if it wanted her to enter. 

There was very little light in the room, even less than the rest of the building. The light of Cheska’s staff caught on the stone visage of an unidentified idol. A message was etched into a plaque near the statue’s feet, but in the dim lighting, it was difficult to make out. However, that wasn’t what drew Cheska’s attention. Her light caught on something shiny that lay among the debris. It should have been unimportant, especially if it was thrown on the ground like it was, but she couldn’t help but look closer. Cheska moved the rubble aside to reveal nothing but a simple braided necklace with a small copper coin crudely tied to it. 

It was like she was possessed. Cheska wanted to take it very badly, and she did. But, it became clear that it wasn’t an ordinary trinket. When her fingers brushed it, it felt like the room fell away, leaving Cheska somewhere in between the cracks of reality. Images of warm, mild days and gentle trickling of streams flashed before her eyes, until all Cheska could feel was peace. The images faded, but she could still smell the air and hear the birdsong and the wind whistling through fields of grain, which grew freely and easily, without the aid of magic. it was a world where there was enough to eat, for everyone.

As Cheska came back to herself, she realized that she couldn’t bring herself to put the trinket down, even though it wouldn’t fetch much money. Something within it drew her in like a snare. Cheska put it on. Somehow, it fit her neck exactly, like it was made for her. 

Cheska turned to leave. She had been there long enough. But, to her dismay, the door was blocked. In front of her glared two large, beady eyes, glowing from the sparse light. The next thing Cheska noticed were the scaled feet and the claws as large as her forearms. Lastly, a snout full of razor sharp teeth emerged from the darkness. It wasn’t a dragon but more like an overgrown lizard. A long, red tongue flicked forth from its mouth as it to taste the air. 

Cheska stood frozen, her breaths coming out in short puffs. Whether it was just another cursed creature or the guardian of the temple, it clearly didn’t appreciate that Cheska was there. She moved her staff so that it was pointed at the lizard, all the while not taking her eyes off it. The beast stared back in anticipation of her next move. 

Cheska summoned her magic, building it up for the right moment, then letting go in an intense beam of bright light, right into the lizard’s face. Then, she made a dash toward the entrance, hoping the light was too overwhelming for the creature’s sensitive eyes.

It only deterred it a little bit. Cheska could hear it scramble along the ceiling. Distracted, her foot caught on a stray root and Cheska tasted blood as she bit back a scream. 

The creature dropped in front of her, suddenly, and Cheska did scream this time. She tried to summon more magic, enough to injure or kill, but Cheska couldn’t focus through the haze of pain and terror. Her staff glowed off and on, like a flickering flame. The lizard salivated, its terrible mouth opening wide to swallow her whole. Cheska gave the staff one last hit with her palm, hoping it would somehow save her. To her dismay, all it did was make the last of the light fizzle out, leaving her completely in the darkness.

But, as she prepared to be eaten alive, something strange happened. Behind her closed eyelids, she made out a bright green light. Cheska opened her eyes, seeing the lizard staring at it, head tilted in bewilderment at the necklace, which was shining and floating of its own accord. 

“What the-“

Before she could mutter another word, or the lizard could take another step, Cheska’s staff took on the same green sheen. She felt a foreign power flood her own limited well of magic, threatening to make it overflow. Cheska tried to release her hold on the staff, but it was like it had a hold on her.

“Don’t be afraid. Let the power flow through your body and into the creature. It will stop it for long enough to let you escape.”

And who was Cheska to ignore the magical voice in her head in a time of danger? Cheska did as the voice said and channeled the power through the staff. The light took shape, unfolding like a flowerbud and thorns burst forth in a jumble of limbs, catching the creature by surprise. The scaly thing tried to escape, but the thorns latched onto its thick skin, traveling up its body, until it was encased inside a lush cocoon. 

Cheska didn’t waste time to see what would happen next. On trembling legs, she stumbled forward, using her staff–which had returned to normal in the blink of an eye–as a makeshift crutch.

When she returned to her camp in a nearby shallow cave, she dropped onto her pallet and slept, her magic nearly depleted.