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Chapter 43: Lankko's Discovery
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Journey Through the Shadow Realms Chapter 44: Trouble in the Jungle
The jade statue had grown to the size of an adult man and the jade color had started to fade into a natural skin tone. Before his very eyes, Lankko found that the jade statue had transformed into a real man, complete with the attire of an ancient Alnoc artisan and holding the tools of his trade. The statue-turned-man breathed deeply, his chest rising as air filled his lungs. He blinked his eyes several times and then looked around him in a confused manner, as if disoriented.There was a look of surprise on the man’s face when he saw Enzir and Lankko standing next to him. All of a sudden, he stepped close to Lankko and pulled Lankko’s blade from its sheath. The man wielded the weapon and held it just above Lankko's throat.Lankko was taken aback with the man's swift and precise movements and stared at the blade that was poised to cut his throat at any time. "H-help!" stammered Lankko and gulped. His eyes looked pleadingly at Enzir."Tell me who you are." The man asked Lankko.Enzir had
Journey Through the Shadow Realms Chapter 45: Casser's Secret
Earlier that day, Casser left Eldion and Wen at the temple and soon reached the bridge that crossed the moat. From there, he ran as fast as he could until he reached the tall reeds that grew over the swamp. Then, he waded through the water and mud and easily retraced his steps that morning by following the trail of broken reeds that he intentionally made as the crossed the swamp to find Alanca and Noha. Soon, he reached the place where they left the cart.Casser heaved a sigh of relief when he saw the cart just as they left it. He quickly lifted the cover and went inside. The pigeons were still inside their cage but looked agitated for not having anything to eat or drink the whole morning. Casser took a few scoops of grain and fed the pigeons. He also poured them water to drink. The pigeons ate the grains voraciously and soon finished their food. Then, Casser opened the cage and carefully took out one of the pigeons. He examined it and whispered to it and then got off the cart. He went
Journey Through the Shadow Realms Chapter 46: Waiting for Casser
"Casser's been gone a long time," said Eldion. "You don't think he got lost, do you?""You're forgetting that he's a good tracker, Eldion. He can find his way even in this jungle," replied Wen."I don't know. It's just strange that it's taking him too long," said Eldion.Eldion looked at the sky from the window, lost in his own thoughts. He recalled how valiantly Alanca fought the two men who came to the temple. She seemed determined to protect her home from the invaders. Could it also be the reason that she attacked them when they entered the ancient temple city? She saw them as invaders and was merely trying to defend her home. She seemed protective of that statue that the two men took from the central tower. How was Alanca connected to that statue?Then, Eldion returned his gaze to Wen who was sitting next to Alanca."Do you think she'll be alright?" asked Eldion, referring to Alanca."She had taken quite a beating from Lankko and Enzir," said Wen, shaking her head slowly. "I have p
Journey Through the Shadow Realms Chapter 47: The Sculptor
The sun was already setting when Eldion and Wen were able to return to the temples. The sky was splashed with brilliant colors of red and orange, providing a colorful backdrop to the crumbling walls and towers of the temples. The statues in the inner courtyard glowed in the fading light. Eldion wondered what the statues were for and why they were all gathered in the courtyard. Up close, he was able to see that the statues were of men and women in different poses, engaged in different activities. There were soldiers and swordsmen as well as servants all in the middle of doing something. In the middle of the courtyard were statues of couples dancing merrily. Eldion observed how the statues themselves were very detailed and could only have been carved by talented sculptors. Eldion wondered where the stones the statues were carved came from and how long the statues had been standing there. Unlike most of the temple and the surrounding areas, the statues and the courtyard were relatively cl
Journey Through the Shadow Realms Chapter 48: Tale of the Two Lovers
The fire crackled and Casser fed it some more wood. The flames went higher, casting light around the room as some sparks rose with the smoke towards the ceiling. The walls were all filled with carvings that seemed to be moving in the shifting light of the fire. Shaan had arrived with the firewood which he kept in one of the rooms of the temple and brought clothes for Verna. They all sat around the fire after they shared in the two fowls that Casser had roasted. Shaan sat with Verna who seemed to have regained enough strength to sit up while Wen and Eldion sat across from them.Eldion stared at the shifting shadows made by the dancing flames on the wall carvings, then asked Shaan and Verna, "How long have you been staying here?""Truth to tell, I have lost count of the days. All I cared about was to spend every moment of it with my love," said Shaan as he looked away from the fire to gaze tenderly at Verna."Maybe a century," suggested Wen. “All the stories told of the Emperor Sukram an
Journey Through the Shadow Realms Chapter 49: The Magic Powder
They all went quiet and stared at the fire. The fire crackled and quickly consumed the wood that Casser had just placed. The embers started to glow dimmer as its surface turned into ash. Eldion asked for permission to place more firewood from Casser who nodded his approval."So, did you carve all these sculptures?" Eldion asked Shaan after placing wood into the fire. Eldion was looking at the wall carvings and was admiring the intricate details."Some of them," replied Shaan. "They were all created by my Guild. The carvings on these walls, however, and the gallery across from us where Verna found you, were by my own hand.""They're very beautiful," said Wen, admiring the carvings on the walls."Thank you," said Shaan, bowing his head. "I carved these so that if time comes that we finally left this jungle, people who see them would know what really happened.""The stories told about you had already taken different versions," said Casser."And mostly to suit the storyteller," added Wen.
Journey Through the Shadow Realms Chapter 50: Escape from the Temple City
Casser led Wen, Eldion and the animated statues out of the courtyard and thought of what possible route that would give the least risk of encountering an imperial soldier. He passed by Noha who was still tied to a tree and thought if he should bring Noha with them as they escape the ancient city. Noha looked at Casser and brayed as if to ask where he was going. She flicked her ears and lifted her foot off the ground, like she wanted to come with Casser.Casser wanted to take Noha with them and remembered the many times that the carabao had been loyal and helpful to him. He realized too that Noha would only slow them down as they escape, and they could never outrun the imperial soldiers through the jungle the same way that they outrun them in the wetlands. Casser gave Noha's head a gentle tap and with a quick swing of his knife, severed the rope that tied her to the tree."Verna and Shaan are your masters now, Noha. Serve them well," Casser said and he walked on,
Journey Through the Shadow Realms Chapter 51: The Attack on the Temple City
Inside the temple city, Verna swept an imperial soldier to the ground with her tail. She hissed, revealing her fanged teeth and extended her arms to her sides with her hands clenched into fists. The moon shone on her body, making her iridescent scales glisten and her eyes brighten like silver stars. She pushed herself to full height, towering over the soldiers that swarmed towards her. With a strong sweep of her giant tail, she threw two imperial soldiers to the wall of the galleries as another one hit a nearby tree. Three more soldiers came with their swords drawn and tried to slash Verna using their sharp weapons, but Verna saw them coming and with a push from her tail, she was able to jump to the roof of the galleries. The soldiers hesitated for a few moments and then started climbing the walls to reach Verna. They were strong and agile and were able to scale the walls to quickly reach the roof. As they lifted their head above the roof, they saw that Verna had been waiting. She his
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