Chapter 181 Hidden Carving

[My love, read the back of my throne and you will understand everything – Your Queen]

“Huh, I thought she was the queen.” Jay nodded.

It made sense but he didn’t want to assume until he knew for certain, and it wasn’t like he could analyse the dead statue.

“Back of the throne.” he said as he walked around.

“Huh, no wonder the throne is so big… I mean, the queen is tall, but not that wide.” he thought as he saw engravings covering the whole back of the throne.

The writing was made large to help with engraving it, and it almost seemed to be written with a sense of elegance and care – rather than a desperate rush like in other parts of the dungeon.

Anya was still strangely walking around the throne, looking at its base as she seemed more interested with something else, but Jay just left her be; he had a message to read after all.

[Words to Helotian, my love. I have received word that the cult is dead. The revenge pact is complete. Our beloved son has dealt with them himself – though unfortunately he has since lost his sanity to another of their curses, and wanders the world. End his torment if he ever returns, but know that I have sent guards for him.

As for the soldiers, I have begun to free them from these stone shells, and soon I myself will be free. I long to reunite with you. I ask that you end the spinning of the crifex rings and join me; let the attunement fail.

I will wait for you on the other side. If you ever see our child, don’t be alarmed if he attacks. Have mercy by freeing him too. Forever yours, your faithful queen.]

“Huh, so the pact is done? I guess Sedulus will be happy.” Jay chuckled, “and to think she wanted to give up.” he shook his head..

“Well, there is one more pyramid to do, but I think completing this quest will be better.” Jay thought.

“Yeah… the last pyramid can wait. I want those quest rewards” Jays eyes were filled with anticipation as he thought about the three new skills he would be able to try out.

Jay went to tell Anya that he was done, but she was crouched down, still looking around the bottom of the throne.

“Anya?”

“Hm?” she didn’t look up.

“What are you doing…” Jay said, though it almost seemed like he was mocking her.

“Look, the throne. It doesn’t line up with the room or the other two thrones. It’s different. There’s got to be a secret or something.”

Jay looked a little more closely and he began to notice it too.

For such delicate and fine craftsmanship, it didn’t make any sense to have a throne off-centred like this.

“Oh yeah. Weird…” Jay thought as he looked closer.

“Let’s try to push it.” he suggested as the skeletons came over the help.

“Okay.”

They all lined up and began to push, but it was simply too heavy.

“Hmm… we need to make it lighter.”

Jay immediately had the skeletons break down the queen’s statue and move her rock chunks off the throne.

It felt wrong, but it was necessary. Right now Jay’s curiosity was the stronger force.

After that, the throne groaned and shifted for a moment, but stopped.

“Needs more work.” Jay said to his skeletons as they began their demolition work again.

They started smashing their hammers against the large decorative armchair parts of the throne, and soon two large chunks fell off, each taking two skeletons to move away. He decided to preserve the back of the throne for the engraved message on it.

“Okay, push!” Jay commanded them all at once with a grunt.

*DRRRRRRRR*

Slowly the statue moved back into place until it seemed perfectly in line with the room.

It looked fine to Jay, but Anya insisted on moving it slightly a few more times before she was satisfied.

Jay and Anya looked around the room for a moment, patiently silent as they looked and listened for anything.

Would a staircase appear in the ground? Would enemies come out of a hidden passage? Perhaps a treasure chest would fall down from the roof?

It was anyone’s guess.

Then, to their surprise, nothing happened.

“Uh..” Jay looked at Anya.

“Just give it a moment.” she held her hand up, sure that something was going to happen.

They both waited longer, but soon enough, Anya gave up.

“Ugh, damn. I guess it was nothing.” she pouted.

“Hmm, maybe we’re going about this wrong? Maybe we should move it even further off-centre” Jay shrugged, and Anya’s face lit up with a smile.

“Good idea!” she got excited as she went back to pushing the statue.

All of them then repeated the process but pushed from the other side this time.

*DRRRRRRRR*

The statue went back to its original position, and then kept going as they continued to push.

Anya and Jay both smiled as they looked down while pushing – there was something below the statue, a small opening glistening from within.

It seemed roughly made, but was filled with the same tablets the queen was holding – all nestled in some shining gold coins.

“Jack-fucking-pot” Jay grinned, his eyes shining right back.

With the statue fully moved, it was time to get the loot. Remembering what happened to the ore, Jay just decided to add it all to his inventory. He wouldn’t let it disappear like the sparkling ore did.

[500 gold]

“Only five hundred gold? So stingy…” Jay pursed his lips.

Unfortunately, the stone tablets didn’t enter his inventory, so he quickly got on his knees and pulled them all out of the hole, though he soon found it was merely a carved out hole in the white stone platform so he let the skeletons finish grabbing all of them.

Anya looked at him with puppy dog eyes, and Jay knew what she was waiting for.

“250 gold, here you go.” Jay smiled, “Nice work noticing that.” he encouraged her.

“Thank you very much. Imagine what the last pyramid is hiding…”

“Hmm, about that. I won’t be doing that today. Two is enough I think. Plus, I have to go back to the start for my quest.” Jay said, casually stretching his arms.

“Oh ok… well, maybe tomorrow?” Anya looked a little dejected but had some hope in her eyes.

“Sure, maybe tomorrow.” he nodded back.

Jay was glad she didn’t force him to make any promises as he looked across the stone tablets.

There were many of the tablets, but Jay was thankful as they were numbered.

“Hm, I hope it’s a treasure map, but probably not.” he thought as he began to glance over them. It seemed that they were all text.