The hum of magic fades as glittering runes across the floor flash with unknown power and dwindle to nothing. The adventurers peer around as warmth enshrouds them, a relief after the nothingness that was The Crystal Path. Darkness is punctuated by the light of ancient and cracked glow globes embedded in columns and statues depicting heroes and gods of incredible beauty, their faces disappearing into the gloom of the high vaulted chamber, none of which hold a hint of familiarity. The flickering light splays dancing shadows across the ancient walls, every centimetre of which is scribbled with meticulously crafted art and runes. Once vibrant colours, now worn and eroded with time, and every surface glistens with a thin film of sand, while mounds of it pool intermittently throughout the room.

Zips' eyes widen, mimicking the glow globes in size and light as she takes in the wonders before her. Zylnan has the opposite reaction, recoiling from the splendour of the room, his fear and hatred of temples bubbling to the surface.

"Wh... What happened to Ballen?" Charles says, peering around at the assembled party. Tyrvaan shakes his head slowly in response, and Charles clenches his jaw and nods.

"We must keep moving," Talkoris says, placing a hand on his shoulder, and meeting Charles' eyes.

"The Dragon said it was the manner of your failure that mattered. Perhaps he failed and was ejected elsewhere?" Sephina whispers, keeping her voice low as she stalks forward into the chamber. Charles and a few others nod at that glimmer of hope and follow.

Heri's ears flick upright as soft footfalls crunch against sand and her eyes trace the trail of humanoid shadows along distant walls.

"Is... Is that real gold?" Misxibis mumbles, breaking Heri's concentration as they both gaze up at the mighty statues. Misxibis elbows Zips and points to the decoration gracing the beautiful features of the nearest stone hero.

"Get the bag!" Zips chirps.

"Hmmm," Misxibis muses as she inspects the eight-metre climb to reach the gold. "Maybe later." She states, pouting as she peers suspiciously around the ominous chamber. "I feel it not yet safe."

"It's true, we've made it, friends, but we are not far behind Ezeheli. Be wary." Zips snaps off a salute of some kind in affirmation but soon goes back to inspecting the floor for any treasure that may have found its way free.

The party sneaks past the first of the mighty pillars and freezes, turning slowly to the right, where a huge balcony sits seven metres above the floor. From the top, a man in black leather, with short matching hair, a hooked nose, and hungry eyes gazes down on them. Behind him stand dozens of green-eyed thralls, not moving or talking, their eyes fixed entirely on the party.

"You have made it Talkoris, but you will not live long. You have entered the temple of Vidinor, which is more than many have done in the last five thousand years. I will make sure that triumph appears on your tombstone. For once I reach the centre of this place, Galenten's will be enacted."

A low growl spouts from Charles’ throat at the sight of him and he thrusts his arm towards the base of the stairs. A two-metre-wide burning sphere blossoms into existence and Charles whips his hand towards Ezeheli. The sphere follows, flying up the stairs in a blinding flash and at the last minute collides with a sand-wraith who dives into its path. Ezeheli turns to Charles and their eyes meet, burning with hatred. Heri steps forward and snaps an arrow off. It trails just over Ezeheli’s head and disappears soundlessly into the corridor behind. Zylnan waves his hand at the man and vanishes from sight.

Misxibis tugs her crystal lute from her bag and grins, baring her fangs as she does. She strums a cacophony of chords, their melody thrumming like the light of the broken crystals, and high above the air begins to churn. A rift splits the chamber's ceiling, its edges bubbling with black light and through it, the darkness of the abyss can be seen. Many look up as a huge crystal plummets through, hurtling with startling speed towards Ezeheli and his sand-wraiths, colliding with a deafening crash and explosion of razor shards.

Several turn to Misxibis, their eyes wide and she winks in reply as Ezeheli pulls himself from the balcony floor, bloodied and enraged, and spits onto the floor below. His thralls move around behind him forming ranks, their injuries pouring sand like open wounds.

Ezeheli's thin face is split with a wide grin, one a little too wide, and a chuckle, tinged with insanity, echoes through the chamber as his body begins to shake.

"Good luck, but you will all certainly die here," Ezeheli turns, and steps back from the balcony. "Enjoy your welcome party. It was a gift from Pelena," his voice calls as the static green eyes of his sand-wraiths wink out, one at a time, as they turn to follow him.

Tyrvaan pushes through his companions, skidding around a pillar and towards the base of the stairs. A scythe and dagger lash out from the shadows of the great stone column and Tyrvaan dodges back, turning to face two black-shrouded humans, their eyes aglow with green light as they fan out before him. A bolt slams into the side of one and he turns to peer at Zips, who squeaks as she notices the man's eyes.

"Vat is it? Vat do you see?" Misxibis shouts to Zips at the sound of combat. She shakes her head as the rest of the party closes ranks, peering into the darkness of the great chamber.

The two assassins remove a deep blue potion swimming with silver flakes, from the depths of their robes and chug the contents. Their forms begin to blur and they dart to either side of Tyrvaan. One lashes out with a scythe and Tyrvaan manages to raise his shield. The blow leaves sparks across its surface, though the next blow finds its way beneath and drives deep into his thigh. He emits a growl of pain as two daggers find the chinks in the back of his armour and plunge deep. A burning agony spreads from the wounds and Tyrvaan feels the familiar pain of poison seeping into his system, as he swings his mace wildly in an attempt to drive the assassin away from his exposed back. The man blurs backward and the blow passes harmlessly through empty air.

From the deep corner of the chamber dart half a dozen black-cloaked shapes, the glow of their eyes a familiar, disturbing green. Their forms shimmer and blur with barely contained speed as they close on the party, appearing around and between them before many have the chance to raise their guard.

One looms before Charles, great axe in hand, and takes two mighty, speed enhances sweeps. He dances back from the first and as the second comes down on his head he raises his hand and it collides with a sparkling blue shield of light. Charles pulls his hand forward and the giant burning orb teeters over the balcony high above and crashes onto the assassin before him, sending sparks dancing across the floor and setting fire to his clothes. Seizing the distraction Charles swipes with his staff in an attempt to fend his assailant away and jumps to the side.

A glaive whips towards Misxibis and she winces and staggers back a fresh slash across her shoulder. Green flame encompasses her and rushes towards the assassin, swirling about a woman and burning the cloth coverings from her face and leaving blackened skin beneath. Misxibis pulls her dagger and follows up, driving it into the woman.

Another swipes at Heri, slicing across his thigh and arm and he grunts, raising his handaxes to ward off the onslaught. He swipes back, catching the assassin across his chest, and leaving a crimson gash.

Talkoris bats the scythes away from the man before him and spins his sword elegantly, bringing it into the man's side with a satisfying crunch.

Revin wheezes in pain and staggers forward, two deep dagger wounds seeping crimson, staining his robes, and vanishes, appearing in a blur of mist thirty feet away. The assassin stumbles to the floor, gasping in pain, as dead black skin spreads from a point on his back, seeping over his entire body and Zylnan appears above him. The man struggles to his knees and gains his feet, turning to his new assailant.

"Purple Hand agents! Stop what you're doing!" Sephina screams, then removes a potion identical to theirs and drinks it. Her words do nothing to quell their aggression and she blurs around the assassin before Heri, slashing wildly forward with her daggers and turning one of the assassin's backs into a bloody mess. "They must be under his influence!"

Tyrvaan raises his mace and it flashes with radiant energy as he brings it down on his adversary with a burning jolt of light. The impact throws the man back against the pillar and the green light vanishes from his eyes for a flicker of a second, before returning. Zips scoops her crystalline dice off the floor and smirks as she tucks them into her pocket and charges, ripping her rapier from its scabbard as she closes the gap.

The assassins simultaneously pull another potion, this time red, from within their robes, pop the cork, and down them. The party watches in horror as the assassins before Charles and Zylnan begin to grow, their height and size doubling with their weapons. Heri takes a step back as her assailant's hair suddenly turns white. The assassin behind Tyrvaan staggers back from him, the green light fading from her eyes as she stumbles to her knees, dropping her scythes and blood flows freely from her eyes and ears.

"Wha... What's happening? I... can hear him... in my head." She spits through clenched teeth, her eyes darting around as she clutches her head as if locked in a struggle for her mind. The other turns away from Tyrvaan and swipes towards Zips, who slides onto her knees as the twin daggers sweep over her head.

Charles ducks beneath the sweep of the great axe, now twice its original size, but fails to dodge the backswing, taking a glancing blow across the shoulder. The burning orb vanishes as Charles' concentration lapses and he dissipates, appearing high up on the balcony behind the giant man and turns, throwing a fire bolt that fizzles out as it hits the assassin.

Zylnan raises a magical shield as the injured assassin bounds from his knee and slams several rapid blows against it, driving him back a step. Talkoris steps up behind the assassin and with a swift slash to the calf, brings the man to his knee. He takes another step to the side before driving his sword through the gap in the man's armour and out his chest. Light fades from his eyes and he falls face down on the ancient stone. Another assassin flashes up behind Talkoris and plunges his glaive into his exposed side, leaving a gaping wound.

Sephina bats a blow away and catches the end of a glaive between two daggers as she stares into the green eyes of her assailant. Before spinning to the side and driving her two daggers into his leg. Heri pushes the advantage of Sephina's distraction and slams her axe down onto the assassin's head with terrifying force. His body instantly goes limp and Heri kicks it to dislodge the dangling assassin from her axe.

The assassin before Misxibis, swings a wide arcing blow and catches her across the shoulder. She turns with the blow minimising its damage and sees Charles has now disappeared from her side, leaving a huge man wielding a giant axe there.

"Oh, no," she breathes and mutters a litany under her breath, casting her hand in a flourishing gesture as magic flows out and seals her open wounds.

Revin moves behind the others and raises his hand as energy crackles through the chamber and a blinding bolt of lightning explodes forward as the two assassins in the way scramble out of its path. The boom echoes through the high chamber and those nearby wince from the sound.

Tyrvaan's eyes narrow as he sizes up the confused assassin, but deems her no threat as she seeks to make sense of the world around her, and turns to the other. He slams his mace into the man's chest and there is an audible crack as he gasps. Zips hops around behind him as he confronts the huge dragon and plunges her rapier deep into his back.

The remaining four assassins pull another potion, this time black, from within their robes and proceed to down the contents.

"For the love of the gods! Stop!" Sephina screams as the effects of the magic begin to take hold, and the one before Heri and Misxibis begins to grow, doubling in size. Weapons clatter to the floor as the one behind Talkoris falls to his knees and clutches his head, blood seeping from his ears and nose. The massive great axe rings loudly as the giant assassin staggers back and crashes into the wall, blood flowing freely from his face.

Heri raises his axes to parry the giant assassin's blow, but its force breaks his guard and cuts deeply across his chest and shoulder. He cries out in pain and takes a quick step back, swiping wildly at the assassin, and leaving a deep wound across her leg. Sephina leaps forward and drives a flurry of dagger blows up in the woman's back. Zylnan runs towards his imperiled friends and rams his blade into the side of the giant woman. The sudden battering of blows drives her forward onto her hands and knees and the green light fades from her eyes as she collapses to the ground. Misxibis steps forward and drives her dagger into the body of the giant woman, silencing the ragged breathing with a final choking groan. Zylnan, Heri, and Sephina shoot her an incredulous look, but she sniffs and turns from their judgemental eyes.

Talkoris peers down at the bleeding assassin before him and sheaths his sword, offering his hand to the confused man.

"Get a hold of yourself," he says, the steeled tone of authority in his words.

The assassin turns on Zips and stabs wildly, leaving two deep wounds as she scrambles back from his onslaught. A fire bolt slams into the man, staggering him as he seeks to close on Zips and he staggers back to peer up at Charles atop the balcony. Tyrvaan steps up and crashes his mace onto the assassin's shoulder as Zips swipes wildly to keep the advancing man away. The woman, recently freed of Ezeheli's influence, dives forward onto the assassin and pins him to the floor before Zips and Tyrvaan.

"Toril, snap out of it!" she chants, pushing his weapons aside. The man thrashes, though his deep wounds begin to tell and his strength fails as the woman turns his hand against him, the dagger slowly inching towards his face. "I'm sorry, this is gonna hurt." she breathes and drives it with a sudden surge of strength, through his throat. Zips and Tyrvaan gasp at the sudden savagery of the blow and silence descends throughout the chamber.

"She was on the ground, why did you kill her?" Zylnan shouts at Misxibis, gesturing to the giant corpse of the woman.

"Vey ver attacking us," she bites back.

"But she was no threat!" Misxibis turns from Zylnan and a loud gasp fills the chamber as the corpse takes a deep breath and the woman rolls onto her back. Zylnan, Heri, and Misxibis jump back as Sephina runs to her side and kneels, checking her eyes.

"Rest a moment. It is not a nice process," she assures the woman and pats her on the shoulder before standing again.

"Shall I stab her again?" Misxibis queries.

"I wouldn't," Talkoris says, stepping up beside her and looking down at the woman.

Tyrvaan and Zips likewise jump back as the man stabbed through the neck takes a ragged breath and coughs, the wound in his throat closing as he takes in those before him.

"What happened? Who are you people?" Zips squeaks to the woman. Sephina appears around the pillar and looks at the two assassins before recognition flares in her eyes.

"Kalani! I thought I recognised your voice. What the hell is going on here?" She steps forward and embraces the woman, who takes a slow, tension-relieving breath.

"I don't know how we got here. We had a mission. Pelena sent us after Ezeheli, worried about Galenten's recent movements. We shadowed him for a long time...and then... something happened. It was like a barrier crashing down in my head, and I lost consciousness. I felt asleep within myself, but knew my body moved without me. Then, as sudden as it appeared the barrier broke and I found myself here. His power is growing... It's that damn crystal." She shudders and twitches as if throwing off the remains of some mental shackles.

"Pelena, what does she want?" Talkoris says, appearing around the other side of the pillar.

"She's had her eyes on Galenten for a while. She's deep within the Game of Lords and wanted us to keep track of his plans, and now we know. It's about the Sacred Amulet. We never thought it was real," her last words hum with the awe of a myth made real.

"Before you turn into horrible people and attack us. Vas there any sign?" Misxibis asks the assassin before her. She pushes herself to her knee and her body begins to shrink, returning to its previous size.

"No... he knew we watched him. He used the crystal to push into our minds, and by the time we realised what was happening, it was too late. It's the crystal... it's full of souls. I don't know where he got them, but he's taken lives to fill it, and he uses them to fuel his power."

"He knows ve follow him, Vhy not use it on us? How did you snap out of it" The woman shakes her head and shrugs.

"The potions." The other assassin says, reclaiming his fallen great axe. "Usually to drink more than one is madness, but the crystal forced us to. They are toxic and some side-effects cause internal damage, maybe that is what did it?" Mixibis nods, in thought.

"I have worry, if ve targetted by crystal, ve get controlled too." The assassin nods.

"Its influence is not always so strong, and you can fight against it. But when it is concentrated on you, it is like a raging torrent crashing through your head, and it's difficult to stay afloat. The longer you are near the harder it is. When he found it he had us chained and always in his presence. The power seeped into us, slowly muttering within our minds, until there was nothing we could do, but obey."

Misxibis lets out a long breath and nods again.

"With him far away now, the words are like whispers."

"You think it vill get you again if you go near him." The man shakes his head.

"I don't think so. We know what is waiting and can steel ourselves. I'm more worried for you." Misxibis looks around for others to air their concerns and spots Charles high above, gripping the handrail of the balcony tightly as he stares down.

"We are losing him if we sit here for too long!" he shouts at the battered party.

"You still vant follow?"

"We have to!"

"Okay, ve follow."

"Let's move!" Talkoris shouts, taking the stairs two at a time to stand beside Charles.

"Purple Hand, fall in on me. Let's show Ezeheli he messed with the wrong people." Sephina shouts and is met with a flurry of movement as they hurry around the pillar to stand before her. The rest of the party collects themselves and rushes up the stairs to stand with the impatient Charles.

"Hey," Zylnan whispers to Revin, out of earshot of the others, as he begins to mount the stairs. "We were going to have a talk after the test."

"Forget about it. We have more important things to attend to," he shoots back.

"That lightning bolt looked pretty close," Zylnan presses, fiddling awkwardly with the invisible ring on his finger.

"What is this Revin?" Sephina cuts in, having appeared silently behind Zylnan. "What is this Zylnan? What did he say?"

"That is between Revin and I," Zylnan mutters, eyeing the two of them suspiciously. Sephina returns the look.

"I see," she states, steps over to Kalani, and mutters a few hushed words before leading the Purple Hand agents up the stairs to stand beside Talkoris. Revin shakes his head at Zylnan and follows them up.

"Did you see that," Heri mumbles from beside Zylnan and he arches an eyebrow. "He twitched as Sephina passed, as if afraid. And his face coloured when she asked what you were talking about." Zylnan nods

"Let's keep an eye on him."

"Sephina, will these people be helpful, or continue to be a liability as we move forward," Charles whispers as the group catches up with him.

"The Purple Hand are the top agents in subterfuge, assassination, and magical enhancement, and there can be no doubt they will follow my commands. If any get out of line, I will deal with them myself." Charles nods and then continues down the stairs and slides to a halt.

Before them, spreading the entire height and width of the corridor lie broken pillars and rubble, slowly being consumed by falling sand. Dust and mortar fill the floor and air and several cough, taking a few steps back. Charles swears, loudly as Talkoris slams his fist against the rubble.

"I'll kill Ezeheli, then Galenten," Talkoris spins back the way he came and begins marching with purpose, Sephina and Revin in tow. "Tales that tell of this place, talk of many paths that lead to the centre. Let's see if they are true."

All scour the walls of the darkened great chamber and come together before the north wall, where two identical, large doors of fresh oak rest. Runes carved into the stone above each mark the only difference and everyone pauses as Charles reads the left door, followed by the right aloud.

"Temptation in Life, and Virtues in Death."

"Neither seem quite pleasant," Tyrvaan grumbles.

"I think we should split up!" Zips chirps excitedly.

"There was much written about the paths, to heaven and hell some called them," Sephina adds. "Made to test your worthiness, though it's hard to know what is true and what isn't about them. I do know that many tests will test you personally, and individually."

"There could be a thousand doors and Missy and I would pass everyone!" Zips grins confidently.

"Is everyone feeling up to the task?" Zylnan asks, peering around at his friends.

"You choose your door, and we'll take the other one. That way no stone will be unturned by the end."

Zips sniffs audibly and everyone turns to her as she paces back and forth sniffing in front of each door.

"Wha...," Revin begins, and Zips holds up a hand as she continues to sniff, then stops and points to the left door.

"That one, it smells better," she announces confidently and walks over to stand before it. "We should go this way. I have a good feeling about it!" Charles steps up and shoots the smaller Zips a wink as he moves around to stand with her, followed by Tyrvaan who nods in agreement. The others hesitate a moment, peering back and forth and muttering in their small groups.

"Come on guys! Where's your sense of adventure?"

"Zips, you sure you can handle any temptation?" Misxibis asks, cocking her head.

"Any temptation!"

"Okay, I trust you. We go your way." She says moving over to the group. Zylnan inspects the runes a moment longer.

"There are no virtues in death," he mutters, before stepping over to the others. Heri sighs and steps up beside the rest of the party, his bow clenched tightly in his hand.

"Fare ye well. I know you will pass these tests, then we can be done with this." He waves goodbye, opens the door, and steps through, followed by Sephina, the Purple Hand agents, and at last Revin.

"What if you don't pass?" Mixibis calls after them.

"Then it's up to you," Talkoris' voice echoes out and the door clicks shut. The runes above twinkle with their own light for just a moment.

Virtues in Death

"Let's go!" Zips shouts confidently, turns and steps through the door, followed in turn by the rest of the party. Tyrvaan enters last and the door clicks shut, leaving the chamber abandoned once more, as an unexplained breeze slides across the floor, disturbing sand that has not been disturbed in thousands of years, and the runes above their door sparkle.

Temptation in Life