and Jake walked through it hesitantly, the others following closely behind. A hundred feet or so later, they emerged from the darkness and stepped out into a large room which had been cut into the granite rock. The room was lit in places with candles and torches, there were several unlit dark corners, but the light inside was enough for them to see most of the dwelling so Jake closed the box with a wave of his hand. The stones dimmed and extinguished as the lid covered them once more.
“Yes, Jake.” came a voice from within the shadows, echoing eerily in the empty chamber. “Close that box. Be sure to hide from prying eyes that which you are sworn to protect.”
They all turned sharply around to their left, convinced that the voice had come from that direction, but nothing could be seen in the dark recesses of the cave. Verastus glanced at Jake, his hand felt for the pommel of his sword. Then, the voice spoke again, only this time it had moved, and it was now coming from out of the darkness to their right.
“Tell me, why have you come here, Jake? Speak, Keeper. These are not your people. This is not your land. It is not your fight! Why then do you seek me now? I am old. My time has come and gone. You have the stones, you do not need me. Will you not leave an old man in peace? I can help you no longer. Go now! Go home to your own people, and your uncomplicated lives!”
“Tien!” Jake shouted loudly into the darkness. “It is you, isn’t it? I won’t talk to shadows, wizard! Show yourself to me, please.”
“Ra! You speak like a Keeper, Jake. Good for you. But do you fight and think like a Keeper?” replied Tien, as he suddenly stepped into the light.
Standing before them, in the centre of the room was a small, hunched, bald old man, dressed in long grey rags that hung shabbily and loosely from his painfully thin, almost skeleton-like body. He looked ancient, more like a fossil than a living being. He shuffled forwards as if every movement was excruciatingly painful, until he finally sat down on a chair-like rock that lay in the middle of the room, next to a small fire that curiously burned without emitting any smoke. The light of the fire flickered constantly and revealed numerous shelves and holes which were cut into the surrounding rocks, all of them filled with small bottles, potions and medicines, as well as boxes and trinkets.
Tien looked up slowly at the strangers who still blocked the doorway, his white, pupil-less eyes examining each of them carefully from head to toe. “You have not answered my questions, Jake.” he stated, in a strong, coarse voice that should not have come from one so old.
Before Jake could answer, Ben responded for him instinctively. And once again, he spoke angrily on behalf of his friend without thinking, stepping forward slightly as he did.
“How can you question him like that? He’s proven his honour time and again for these people. He’s out-thought everyone here. He’s taken a fortress that no one believed could be taken, and the mines. We all wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him! There would be no army, and Vantrax would probably have the stones. So lay off! Who do you think you…”
Ben was stopped in the midst of his verbal attack by Jake, who grabbed his wrist and shook his head firmly at him. Both boys looked over sheepishly at Tien. The wizard was chuckling to himself at Ben’s reaction. When he was satisfied that the sudden outburst had been halted completely, he spoke once more.
“Good. You have a spirit in you Ben that you will need before you are through. But, you must decide here and now what it is you are willing to sacrifice on this journey? Before you go on, you all must ask yourselves that question.” Tien said mysteriously.
“We all will do what we must!” answered Verastus, in a deep and honourable voice. “I speak for us all when I say that we are united in our decision to go on. We will not falter wizard, if that is what you are scared of? Do not be fooled by appearances, these boys have qualities that few of my countrymen can match.” he added emotionally.
The boys looked proudly at each other and then at their friend, before turning to face Tien once