Don't do it Norman! (Prologue)

They walked through the dark cave crouching low. Their breaths were heavy as they went deeper into the cave. They could hear the squeaking of rats and howling of dogs. They knew by instinct that it was night already. Their flash lights were almost dead. Only one worked out of the four they had brought. They kept on moving. They wanted to reach their goal. Every time they thought they were nearing their goal,they felt their hearts pound. But no! That lasted just a moment. Before they could blink, they would've reached a dead-end. Their limbs had gone fragile from continuous walking. They knew, they couldn't walk anymore. They couldn't breathe. They had been walking through that cave for days without gain. Now they couldn't go any further. Atleast some of them couldn't.

"Norman, why don't we give up?"

"Don't even speak about giving up. We spend years for this. Only this. Now we are this close and you are asking me to give up?"Norman hissed.

"Norman, Dannie is right. We should go back."

"No! Go if you want. I'm not giving up."Norman replied without thinking.

"Use your brains Norman. We'll die in here. We are looking for a thing that do not even exist." This was a mistake.

"What do you mean by this Louis?" Norman could feel his nerves tensing. What all had they not done? And now! GIVE UP??? Never. He had decided. Even if I have to die in here, I'm not going back as a weak mage. No.

"Please listen Norman.. We should go back. The place is not safe. What will happen to our families if we die? Just think Norman. Please..... "

"You go back if you want to. I did not come here to go back as a failure."

"Are you guys coming or not? I'm leaving!." Dannie shouted.

That was the problem. All of them were short tempered.

"Why are you shouting? There is nothing to shout about."Norman shouted back.

Their nerves tensed.

"Let's go Louis. Let him die."

"Are you coming Eddie? Or do you choose death too."

Eddie was confused whether to stay or not.He didn't utter a word. He wanted to go back bot did not want to leave his friend either.

"Oh! So you are gonna get him dead too right?" Dannie raised his voice.

"What did you just say? I'm gonna get him dead? How dare you say that?"Norman shouted.

"No guys.... Please don't fight."

"You stay out of this Eddie."Norman commanded.

Then a punch landed right on Norman's face. It took him some time to realize what happened. He hit Louis on the chest with all the might. Louis landed on the floor. Dannie pushed Norman from the back. Norman landed on the cave floor too. Eddie was trying to stop them all along. But in vain. The other three were now rolling on the floor and hitting each other. Hurting each other..... Until, finally, Norman's back hit on one of the walls of the cave and suddenly they heard a thud. All of them stopped short.

They gasped together. Their jaws dropped at the site. One of the boulders which made up the cave wall moved by itself. The sound of the moving boulder was unbearable. It opened to a hidden chamber. Norman who was still unable to digest what he saw made the first move. He got into the chamber, followed by the others.

They moved as if in a trance seeing the unbelievable sight. They had actually found what they were looking for. They felt that they were being pulled by some usual force into the chamber. They gazed at the chamber walls and the floor as children watching an airplane in sky. With same excitement.

The chamber had a high roof. That was the only difference of that chamber from the rest of the cave. All four of them could stand with their heads high. The chamber was having a torch which glowed by itself. The one torch lighted the whole chamber. It was empty except for a glowing red stone on a round-table like rock in the middle of the chamber. On the rock it was carved in unclear writings 'For those who seek ultimate power'.

Norman bend forward to touch the stone when, the others stopped him.

"No Norman. Don't touch it." Dannie spoke.

"This is what we were looking for. Come on let's do it together. This is our key to imperial powers. "Said Norman overcome with pleasure seeing the stone.

They saw Norman's brown eyes glistening with pleasure. They saw his muscular body shaking with happiness. He was still in the trance.

"We don't know whether that's safe.So, let it be. Let's go back."Louis tried reasoning.

"No, there is no going back. We will get what we wanted. Come on."

"What if something bba...."Eddie started but was cut off in between. Norman was trying to reach for the stone. He had almost touched it.

"DON'T DO IT NORMAN!!"Dannie shouted.

But before he could say any more, Norman had touched the stone. Within a blink of the eye he was gone. Along with the stone. He had evaporated into thin air.