If one disregarded from the layer of dust that covered the enormous statue, it was surprisingly well preserved.
Girdur was impressed by the incredible skill and the great patience the creators must have had possessed to build such a collossus, if it wasn\'t Talad himself who had created it with his own divine hands.
The dwarf walked against it quietly, as not to wake a sleeping giant, but he gave out a cry when he saw how incredibly detailed it was at close range. Not even the artisan masters in his home-villiage could have achieved something so conspiciously majestic as this amazing work.
The features and the strict gaze in the giants eyes made it look frightening real, and Girdur couldn\'t look at it without feeling a strong reverence to this divine figure who was followed and worshipped all over Yliakum.
The enormous hall was well as magnifique, and when Girdur set fire to a torch it spread in its full splendour, and he saw that neither it seemed very affected by the sands of time.
High and beautiful columns rised against the roof without showing any sign of giving in, for they were carved in one piece, directly from the very rock it seemed. Girdur supposed it was a temple built to the glory of Talad, but the whole place seemed frozen in time, like if the people that had once walked there suddenly had ceased to exist.
Girdur noticed some strange symbols on the statues piedestal. They were carefully carved and filled in with some strange silver-coloured liquid which made the characters glow in the dark.
Even though the symbols seemed ancient and strange Girdur had no trouble interpreting them. He was sure he hadn\'t seen these symbols before, but yet they were fully understandable for him, like a memory suddenly waking to life.
When Fire no longer cast its shadow,
When Water no longer flows from springs,
When Wind no longer frees its airflow,
And Earth no longer viability brings.
Like earth without life,
Like wind without air,
Like water without springs,
Like fire without shadows,
this place hidden in darkness is... Girdur guessed that it was some sort of riddle or poetry, but the more he though about it, the more confused he became. He had never been very amused by puzzles and riddles, or games overall for that sake, and he didn\'t feel very motivated to ponder about such nonsense when Ika could be in grave mortal danger.
He muttered and looked around for a door or an opening that would take him further, hopefully in Ikas direction, but instead his gaze fell on an old, but beautifully carved chest that seemed to be there mostly of esthetic purposes.
He went and lifted the lid, and there, amongst decomposing clothes and rusty ornaments he found a beautifully decorated staff that, in the same moment the chest was opened, started to shine with such a bright light that Girdur had to look away. the light gradually died out, and Girdur picked it up carefully.
When he took it in his hand he noticed how light it was, and suddenly he could feel a warm stream flowing into his body, and his legs felt lighter as well, like if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders.
This staff had obviously been used by some healer or priest to heal wounds and cure diseases a long time ago, but why such a precious item had been left here was a riddle Girdur couldn\'t find an answer to. He placed the staff over his right shoulder and continued his search for a possible exit.
While Girdur was searching, an unpleasant feeling crept over him. He felt observed, as if someone was spying on him from a dark corner where the light didn\'t reach. His hand grasped harder around the handle to the warhammer, and his senses sharpened to the outmost, but the only thing he could hear was the sound of his own footsteps. Maybe it was just his imagination, but his senses rarely betrayed him, and he had a well developed sixth sense that had never failed yet.
-Who wanders in the shadows? Are ye brave enough to come out, or do I have to come get ye myself?
Girdurs voice was hard and cold. If it was something he hated, it was foes who didn\'t have the spine to look him into the eyes, but instead like a snake in the grass hid themselfes, only to strike when he least expected it.
He didn\'t get an answer to his question, and it didn\'t surprise him, but at least he had proven that he wasn\'t some foolish human or elf that one could surprise easily and stab before they even reacted.
Suddenly Girdur felt a freezing cold wind in the room, and he found it very strange since he couldn\'t detect any openings or cracks anywhere in the hall. Neither did the wind seem to come from a certain direction, and it almost seemed to live its own life where it played around in the air and changed way randomly.
He could feel how the wind chilled his body and how his strenght slowly faded away. It was like if this wind of death sucked away all his life-force and feeded on it, for he felt dizzy and feeble like after a day of hard work in the mines.
After a while the wind died out, but the dwarf could hardly stand up, and he felt tired and drowsy. His legs felt heavy as lead, and when he tried to walk, his feet hurt awfully.
-What sorcery is this? Talad help me! Cursed wind, a creation by darkness! I will not surrender to ye that easily. Then you have underestimated me, for I am a proud member of the stonebreaker-clan which doesn\'t fear neither man nor demon, so fall back to the shadows or feel my wrath!
Girdur raised the warhammer into the air and gave out a war-cry that resounded in the great hall, whereupon he awaited some kind of answer.
At first nothing happened, and Girdur started to suspect that the invisible enemy had left, but soon a strange, gurgling sound that propably was meant to be some kind of laughter sounded in the hall whereupon everything became quiet as in a grave.
Girdur breathed deeply and prepared himself for the worst, for he had wandered right into the gap of the unknown, and stood now and waited for it to close its horrible jaws around him.
***To be continued***
EDIT: Thanks for the comments, It\'s always appreciated
I\'m pretty busy at the moment, so I don\'t have much time for writing, but I\'ll do my best to deliver as fast as possible. Most of my work is still on paper because I rarely get the opportunity to type it on a computer, but things will change soon, and then I can devote more time to this story.
