Book One Chapter Fifteen: Forbidden Temple Run

Book One Chapter Fifteen: Forbidden Temple Run

The Chosen One looked thoughtful for a moment.

A save point is well its a Hero thing. He finally said. I was just surprised you could see it now.

Have there been other ones? She asked.

Yes. The Hero said bluntly.

Oh! Qube chirruped, instantly satisfied with that answer. Okay! After a few seconds of silence she continued. So where do we go now? The Hero, after looking at her for a few seconds more, turned back to the chest. He tried to pry it open.

We dont have the key to open it. He mused. Maybe its back in the room we skipped over hmm

Meanwhile, Qubes thoughts were whirling.

How could she now see a Hero only thing? Was she becoming more in tune with the Chosen One? Were they not in sync enough before? Was it because of the strong temple magic? Was she somehow secretly becoming the Hero?

No. She was the Chosen Ones Companion. She narrowed her eyes at the mystical Save Point. The fact that these Save Points had been hidden to her before there had to be some deeper inner meaning to it.

Maybe by allowing Sexy Screamy Spider Lady to join their group, and not feeling threatened that she would take her status as Companion, she had proven herself worthy of some secret test, and was now more in tune with the Hero.

Slowly, she reached out to touch the blue ball of light. Maybe now she was able to learn more, be more, become more somehow.

Oi! The Chosen One shouted from the doorway. Qube jumped. Dont touch that. Itd probably melt your brain or something and mess up my file.

Your file?

Come on. I think one of these monsters has the key we need to open the chest. The Chosen One gestured at the pit they had so recently climbed out of.

Shouldnt Sewer Bard first try and pick the lock? Qube asked.

Nah. Wouldn't work. The Chosen One said, still looking at the pit

Then maybe we need to go through it on foot and defeat all the clearly evil monsters? Qube suggested sweetly.

Do not worry, my most delicate of forest flowers. I will not allow any beast to bruise your tender petals. Sewer Bard said, bowing deeply to her.

This time, Qube pushed him into the pit.

---

The aggressive twisted forest beasts that were gathered at the bottom of the ladder ignored the Sewer Bard shaped splat on the ground, continuing to look up at the Chosen One with pure hatred in their eyes. Enough of them had gathered that the friendly forest creatures had been driven back.

In fact, Qube was reasonably certain that almost all of the clearly cursed animals were gathered underneath them, drawn by the Chosen Ones heroic mad dash through the temple after hed parted ways with his truly ingenious improvised tightrope in a very graceful manner. She watched the Chosen One look down at the mob of monsters and nod to himself. Was it possible that this had all been part of a plan, she wondered.

Did that hurt at all? He called down to Sewer Bard. Sewer Bard sprang to his feet in an instant.

Haha, it would take more than a little fall like that to hurt me! He bragged.

Cool. Can you stab one of them? The Chosen One looked at Qube and whispered conspiratorially. I want to see what happens.

This should open the giant chest. The Chosen One explained patiently. Qube narrowed her eyes at his tone.

Yes, I know what keys do, thank you. She said.

The Chosen One laughed, then set off back to the room with the chest and the Save Point. Qube caught up with him just in time to see him enveloped in a golden light. When the light faded she saw he was holding a stick.

It was a very nice stick, true, well polished with art painted on the side, but it was still a bent stick. Qube frowned, but before she could comment on the inefficiency of using a chest easily capable of containing a child for a small stick, part of the wall shifted, and slid away.

Oh! The chest must be on some kind of very sensitive pressure plate, that would allow the door to open when the stick was removed. Shed never actually seen a pressure plate in action before. She walked over to the chest and inspected it.

What are you doing? The Chosen One looked down at Qube, who was attempting to lift up the treasure chest.

Just-nrrrgh!-trying to see under it. Qube grunted. She sat down and started using her feet to try and push the chest. It didnt move.

What-why- The Chosen One was staring at Qube like shed grown a second head. Walk me through this. You want to see underneath the chest?

Yes.

Why?

Because I wanted to see the pressure plate underneath it. Qube sheepishly stood up and brushed the dirt off of herself. The Chosen One was right. She shouldnt be wasting time on frivolous curiosity when the entire fate of the world was at stake! It just had seemed so cool.

The Chosen One was still looking at her incredulously. Qube felt herself slowly turning red in embarrassment and shame.

Or if it was some kind of spell. She mumbled. Anyway we should probably get going.

So you saw me take an object out of the chest, then the door opened.

Yes.

And you deduced from that that there must be a pressure plate or spell, to connect the two events.

Yes, I just thought it would make sense. Qube was starting to get confused.

That is some incredible advanced reasoning. The Chosen One said eventually.

Truly, our gentle Healer has vast wisdom. Sewer Bard said. The other two ignored him. The Chosen One continued to stare at Qube, as if he had never really seen her. It took all her self control to avoid squirming and instead appear like the calm and wise guiding light he needed. A surprisingly difficult look to pull off when one still had dirt on their butt.

Thank you. She said, head up, back straight. Now, maybe we should continue on our quest?

Your wish is my command. The Chosen One said, smiling slightly. He turned and looked at Sewer Bard. Sewer Bard, did you think there must be a plate or spell connected to the chest to open the door?

I fear, Noble Patron, that my mind was rather filled with thoughts of the perils before us. I have not our fair Mages talent for analysis. Sewer Bard gave Qube a flourishing bow. Qube looked at him in disgust. But I console myself with the reflection that my baser preoccupations will help protect our delicate flower from said perils, so she may spend her energy on more academic pursuits.

Qube frowned. Nice as the speech was, she was pretty sure that Sewer Bard had just said the only reason she was able to be smart, rather than him, was because he only thought about protecting her. Which was pretty rich coming from a guy that had only sung a few songs and made a few lights.

While she would never dream of asking anyone what spells they knew, she was also reasonably sure that, magically speaking, she could wipe the floor with him. Not that she ever would, of course. Because she was Good. They! They were Good! As a group! So of course they would never fight with each other!

And yet Qube was still pondering how her Healer spells might be used offensively (just in case she got attacked on her own or some such! Purely hypothetically!) as the party approached the newly exposed doorway, and the dangers it would reveal.