Chapter 55

Zinjo gripped the partisan with a grim intensity as he saw the men race through the trees, and Gael put a pair of cestus over his knuckles and wore a wry grin. Aurelia moved her feet shoulder-width apart and sniffed the air. She smelled a lot of things human was not one of them.

"They aren't human," Zinjo said before Aurelia could utter a word. "What should we do?"

The Al' Miraj leaped off Gael's shoulder, and its horn started to glow, "Looks like the little guy knows something is up. If they are not human, what are they?"

Zinjo stalked forward, "I have no idea, but we will not find out anything by standing around." He stuck to the hunting trail.

The trees were more twisted and gnarled, "Is the land poisoned?" Aurelia picked up a skull-shaped pine cone. A fanged frog growled and vanished with a splash into a nearby pond.

Gaels's eyes opened wide, "I think I know why this place wasn't on any map. Someone felt this place was too dangerous and decided to erase them from the maps."

"I don't think everyone got together and agreed to forget an island existed," Aurelia's hand shot up at a twig snap. She estimated it was a hundred yards away.

"I hear them too, dark princess. We should meet our enemies head-on," Zinjo head swiveled around the area, "Where's the Al' Miraj?"

Aurelia saw the divine beast race down a trail to the west, "He went that way," she cried. Her feet dug into the earth as she prepared to hurl herself through the poisonous landscape.

The trio could barely keep up with the horned troublemaker. The air smelled of death and decay. In addition to the smell, insects buzzed and gnawed on the land. The resulting noise grated on the ears.

Tears formed in Aurelia's eyes, and she halted, "We can't go this way. My senses are overloaded." Her hands clapped over the rounded ears. The noise is insanity itself."

Zinjo wiped his eyes and pointed to the Al' Miraj, "Even our divine friend can't handle it," His face turned to horror as the onyx horn began to glow, "It's using magic again."

The glow spread across the poisoned area and then their section of the forest. Gael tackled the beast and covered the light, but it could only do so much light poured from the cracks and crevices. "How do we turn it off?"

"I don't think we can," Zinjo shouted, "Incoming," he brandished his partisan at the tree line. "Get ready."

The parasol blade remained sheathed at Aurelia's side. She practiced on most days when she and Zinjo were not preoccupied with each other. Everything about the sword was flash and surprise. The parasol distracted while the blade sought to maim.

Nothing came. The trio of adventurers stood shoulder to shoulder, ready to fight despite the acrid scent in the air and thick fog rolling in. Gael looked down at the Al' Miraj. The horned rodent looked back up at him. "Why did you bring us here?" Gael demanded.

The rabbit-like creature followed the trail once more. Zinjo signaled for Aurelia to keep her weapon at the ready. She looked skyward and saw a multitude of bats blanket the night sky. "Where do you think it's taking us?"

"I don't know, dark princess, but we should remain vigilant."

****

The Al'Miraj lead them into an abandoned settlement. The mystery deepened when the team discovered chests and chests of gold. Gael lifted some coins and watched them fall from his hands. They clattered to the floor.

"I'd say this a good find, but the ship couldn't possibly hold this much cargo. We'd have to turn around and go back," Gael sounded a little disheartened at his words.

Aurelia noticed a book on the table. It was old and covered in a thick layer of dust. Aurelia reached into her armor and drew the silver fan. She waved it back and forth. A small cloud of dust drifted across the room. Luckily the author wrote the book in a well-known dialect.

"I have finally found the temple's secret. The artifact creates illusions that are seen and felt. The Lemurians were a crafty lot. They kept a token colony for the world to see but kept all of their riches here.

The temple and palace ruins at the center of the island tell me this was the seat of power of the Lemurian empire. Scholars say there was a great conflict that wiped the Lemurians. I found no evidence of this in the temple. The carvings and pictures suggest the people spread all over the world to ensure their survival.

Strange how they left all their earthly possessions behind

I don't know what activated the illusions, but I suspect it has something to do with the jewel at the center of the temple. I fear the far wall holds the answer, but the jewels madness grows worse the closer one gets to it."

Aurelia whistled to her male companions, "I think we have a shot at grabbing the Lemurian runes here. The author says the closer we get to the temple, the worse the madness of the island will get. He also thinks the key to stopping the illusions is in the temple."

"Is that why the Al' Miraj helped us?" Zinjo asked.

Gael studied a coin, "Why does this look so familiar?" he rolled the gold between his fingers. His eyes never left the yellow metal. He reached into his shirt and pulled out a necklace. His eyes went wide, "I think I have Lemurian heritage." He showed his companions the amulet and coin. They were identical.

"Why wouldn't the Lemurians tell anyone they were leaving their home?" Aurelia asked.

"I can answer that," Gael rose from the chest, "I think they intended to return home one day. I think the Al' Miraj wanted to bring me home."

The horned rabbit dozed on Gael's shoulder. The trio watched the pint-sized wonder for a few moments. "Are you sure about that?" she paused and picked up the journal, "This might come in handy. If anything, we can give it to Lord Bathory."

"Hmmm." Zinjo gripped the partisan and bared his teeth. "We need to come up with a way to tell illusion from reality. If the magic is going to get worse, we need a way to keep each other grounded."

Gael petted the Al' Miraj, "Maybe we can use safety word?" he stared at his furry companion, "I wonder if the Al Miraj was trying to dispel the illusions?"

Aurelia shrugged, "I don't know. I know we can't ignore this opportunity."

Zinjo put his arms around Aurelia and said, "Agreed."