Chapter 56

As the journal promised, things in the forest grew to intolerable levels. The illusions tricked the sense and drove a wedge between Aurelia and Zinjo. Gael suffered no ill consequences from the magical assault. It lent weight to the theory he had Lemurian heritage.

They stopped to eat some leftover deer, and Aurelia and Zinjo tested the meat to make sure it was real. Gael confirmed they were indeed eating real food. The fog rolled in a bit heavier, and the sights and sounds rattled the brain.

"No offense to the Al' Miraj, but we are not following it anywhere next time," Zinjo swatted at an imaginary swarm of bugs. "This is easily the most irritating version of magic I've ever encountered," The frustration in his manner and tone was apparent.

Aurelia put her arms around him, "And what if the little beast leads us to another component we need for the witch trap bottles?" She kissed him softly on the lips and swirled her tongue around his, "I hate to say it, but the little ball of fluff saved us a lot of time and energy."

"I see you die in front of me over and over. It's like the magic has nothing better to do than torment me. I have never cared about someone as much as I have you. Each time I watch you die horribly, it chips away at my sanity like termites in wood."

Gael set the Al' Miraj down and sighed, "I can handle this. You can always go back to the ship if it suits your purpose." Guilt crawled all over his face, and his eyes remained downcast.

Aurelia shook her head, "I don't think so." She waved a parental finger at the seaman, "Your crew will lose it without you at the helm. Zinjo and I know nothing about sailing the open water, and your first mate is considered a joke among the others."

"I don't plan on dying, and I still have the Al' Miraj," the hand petted the tired creature softly. It should be more than enough to handle the situation."

"Might I remind you, the only reason Aurelia and I have made it this far is because you are immune to the magic? Or at least have some built-in resistance."

"We should get a move on then. The faster this is over, the faster we can leave," Gael paused and gave a sly grin, "Do you think we can squeeze one of those chests of gold?"

Aurelia and Zinjo shoved the sailor to the ground in unison, "No offense Gael, but you have a crew for that," Aurelia and Zinjo held hands and stared into each other's eyes with love.

***

Aurelia never cared for temples. When the Heart's Call failed, they became the bane of her existence. To see a monument to the gods in disrepair made Aurelia a little sad, despite her aversion to holy places.

The Al' Miraj's horn glowed brightly the whole way, and the effects of the magic lessened. The horned rodent lay fast asleep on Gael's shoulder. "I am glad the offensive little ball of fluff came with us," He smiled.

Aurelia threatened to throw a rock at the jovial sea captain, but Zinjo held her hand back, "As you said, dark princess, we need the man."

"His cheerful attitude annoys me," Aurelia said in a bratty tone.

"Look, I am trying to keep the brave face on because you two hit rock bottom. If you two decided to turn on me, I don't like my chances of survival," Gael let his facade fall and revealed the misery within.

"Hmmm," Zinjo scratched behind his ear in thought, "Perhaps we should stop looking at the temple and enter?"

The ancient stone structure had weathered the years well. Dense foliage grew between the paving stones. Vines and moss crawled up the side of the rocky surfaces but left the bird nests alone.

Aurelia's skin crawled at the patron deities statue. A scantily clad woman with death moths as hair ornaments. The long distorted staff fanned out into a bony hand that clutched a jewel.

"I have a feeling this god was evil," Gael said in a sarcastic tone, "And quite possibly why everyone left or died here...Hey, you're up." The Al' Miraj landed on the ground softer than a whisper, horn aglow with energy.

The heavy air in the templed weighed on the mind of Aurelia. All of the old doubts and fear assaulted her the moment she stepped foot in the unholy space. The Al' Miraj kept the horn lit. The warm glow reminded the travelers where the darkness existed so did the light.

Gael stopped to light a torch and examined the carvings on the wall, "Come look at this?" his hand traced the relief.

The one carving depicted a woman on a boat next to a shining city. The next showed her arriving on the island. The people looked happy to see her, and she looked pleased to be among them. As they tread carefully down the corridor, the carvings grew darker in theme.

"Who was this woman?" Gael asked. "Look, here she is stirring a cauldron with skulls in the steam, and the people die outside her door," Gael moved to the next set of carvings and crowed loudly, "You two need to see this."

The smell of the temple grew sweet and alluring. The pleasant aroma worried Aurelia far more than the horrid stench of the forest. She opened and closed her eyes to adjust to the darkness. She covered her mouth and pointed to the next set of carvings, "I think we are in the right spot."

Zinjo stared at the wall and shook his head. He knelt to the Al' Miraj and smiled. "Forgive me, my small friend. I shall never doubt you again."

Gael cocked his head to the side, "Why are you acting nice all of a sudden?" suspicion owned his visage.

Zinjo pointed to the relief on the wall, "See the woman over the cauldron,"

Gael nodded, "Yeah, she is an evil deity?"

Aurelia shook her head, "No, she's an evil magic user," her hand traced another picture of Villagers surrounding a hut with their swords drawn, "Here is where the woman dies." She lit the next set, "Here shows the Kivuli rising from her body."

The next set chilled her to the bones, "The people worshipped her and the cruelty she wrought on the island inhabitants. It showed the shadow woman covered in the blood of her followers while they built her temple.

"Do you think the woman is still here somewhere?" Gael asked with a tremble in his voice.

Aurelia shrugged, "I sincerely hope not. Let's head to the altar room."