The Quest - Book 1 Ch. 28
By Eliad Sholomovich

OUTSIDE THE TEMPLE OF DOOM

Shadowbane stood in the shadows. "I wonder if they are capable of beating this challenge?" Shadowbane said and rubbed his chin.

He sensed a familiar presence. A purple portal appeared before him. He smiled as he saw Draco step out of it. He was accompanied by about two dozen Humaniods. They were in full plate mail with Raziel's clan symbol on their breastplate. Their eyes glew in red.

"What a surprise I never thought you would have the guts to face me again. But this confirms my beliefs that you and Raziel are either too confident or very stupid" Shadowbane said and crossed his hands.

Draco and the humaniods spread out. None of them speaking. They surrounded Shadowbane. Shadowbane stood still. "So you want to fight. Well I could use a good bout to flex a little"

He was in human form. And his new appearence had frightened Draco since he felt Shadowbane was more powerful. But Draco kept his fear hidden behind an impassive mask.

Draco useathed his Fire-reaper and thrusted his hand forward "Attack" he shouted and all the humaniods charged. Shadowbane shook his head. Shadowbane lept effortlessly into the air. He landed 25 feet behind them. He motioned them to come.

Draco's eyes burned with fire and he shot a stream of it after opening his mouth. The stream hit Shadowbane's open palm. It surrounded his arm.Shadowbane closed his hand into a fist and the flames died.

Shadowbane ran forward. shadows behind him. He kicked Draco. Sending him flying into a rock. Two of the humanoids swung their swords. Shadowbane caught the blades in his bare hands. Then he crushed the blades.

He quickly grabbed them by the neck. Without warning a stream of fire hit his back. Shadowbane wasn't harmed but turned to see his attacked. He was wide eyed. "What the.." Again he was hit but this times by 23 beams of fire.

Shadowbane reeled backwards.releasing the two Humanoids. His armor was melted his skin bare. His eyes burned in red "If you play with fore you might get burned" He said and turned to them. His armor rebuilt itself.

Draco lunged sword first. Shadowbaneside stepped and extended his arm. He grabbed Draco's throat. He looked in Draco's eyes. "Are you feeling lucky?" Shadowbane asked. Draco shook with fear sweat dropping down his forehead. Then heard a familiar voice in his head.

"Don't ask questions just Shout these magic words" Balorthion Carmana. And all will be O.K" Draco complied.After the words were spoken Shadowbane coughed and held his chest. Shadowbane then let go of Draco. His eyes flashed in green and red. His body was covered with a red aura that entered his body. Shadowbane fell to his knees and Draco backed away Shadowbane grabbed his chest with both hands. He couldn't move or breath "Whats happening to me?" He coughed His heart was racing a mile a minute.

Draco raised his sword intending to kill Shadowbane. Shadowbane used his telekentic power to push Draco away. He held his head. He felt his blood boil his ears ringing his feet were too weak to stand on.

Shadowbane was on his knees. "Leave threw the portal He isn't a threat anymore" The voice of the figure from before boomed. A purple portal appeared and they all left.Shadowbane was left alone he tried to speak some magic words but was too weak to speak.

He summoned his healing power. But it failed to come to him as well. He tried to turn to his true form but the spell failed. He forced himself to his feet. He stood weakly his legs shaking. He gathered his power and opened a portal. He fell again and crawled threw it. It blinked out of existence.

MEANWHILE INSIDE THE TEMPLE

Ryu and his group stood before the stone bridge. Ryu spoke queitly "Stay close you never know what this place will throw at us". The other three nodded.

They walked slowly. The fumes from the lava made breathing hard. And soon they were all sweating and tired. "Ryu lets stop I'm too tired" Chunli said" Ryu nodded and they stopped for a while.

Suddenly the cavern shook. The roof cracked. "Rest time is over lets move" Ryu shouted. Ryu looked behind and was wide eyed. The bridge behind them was slowly collapsing its tiles falling into the lava below.

He looked above and jumped aside pushing Chunli and the others with him. A huge chunk of stone fell from the ceiling and shattered the tile they stood on.

"Run" Ryu shouted They burst into a great sprint. The fumes made it hard to run and breath. Slowly Ryu was passing the others. Chunli was behind and Mel and Mariko behind her. Ryu turned and saw a boulder about to fall in Mel and Mariko.

Without thinking twice Ryu shot a Hadouken and shattered the stone. "Come on were almost there" Ryu shouted. and they Continued running.

Another problem was that rocks kept falling all around them. Then the bridge starting falling apart before him as well. leaving only a few platforms. Ryu jumped on one and it started descending. Ryu jumped to the next. And the other one rose as his weight jumped off it. He was about to jump when a burst of fire rised before him.

He had to wait for a few seconds. He crouched low and lept high barely reaching the ledge. He climbed on it and took a quick glimpse behind him. The others were doing fine. Ryu then heard a crumbling sound. His ledge started descending and the other one rising.

Ryu lept high and grabbed onto the platform with one hand. Then his platform descended while the other one rose. Ryu looked down in horror and saw the lava rise to him. He quickly climbed on to it. He saw the legde was two platforms away. They didn't move. But Ryu knew something had to happen.

He lept onto one and it crumbled. Ryu lept quickly onto the next platform. Then he jumped onto the other side and took a deep breath of fresh air that strangily was there. He coughed a hunched over in exhaustion.

He watched the others pass worriedly. He shouted warnings helping them out. Chunli reached the other bank and immeadiatly started coughing for the fresh air as well.

Mel then passed. Mariko's last jump was short.Ryu jumped ignoring his weakness and grabbed her arm.He held her. His grip was slipping. He pushed against his aching muscles. His breathing was ragged. He summoned all his strength and heaved Mariko up.

Then the ledge he stood on cracked.Ryu closed his eyes. He fell towards the lava. But then he felt himself floating in the air. "Ryu come on grab the ledge I can't hold you for long" Chunli shouted. Ryu grabbed onto a rock ledge. Then Mel joined Chunli and both helped him up. All four were sprawled on the ground.

They were panting, sweating and exhausted. "I can't believe We actually made it" Mel said "Me too" Mariko coughed. They decided to sit down and rest for a few minutes.

MEANWHILE DOWN THE OTHER TUNNEL

Ken and his group reached a large room. "I don't remember this place" Dan said. "Me either" Cammy said.

The door behind them locked. four openings opened in the walls before them. And then out of the walls giant metal schytes started swinging back and forth.

Ken was wide eyed "Oh my god". They looked at the schytes they were 10 feet tall and 3 feet wide. Ken gathered them together "O.k guys we can do this. Learn the pattern and pass the schyte and remember don't pass until your sure its safe. One false move and we'll be sushi"

They all nodded. Ken jumped first passing the first schyte easily. he then noticed Each schyte was faster then the previous one. He stood there waiting. Swishing sounds around him.

Then when he was about to jump he stopped himself. He noticed the platform ahead of him had started vanishing and reappearing every two minutes. "What next?. I'll have to be cautious" He waited until the schyte was at the middle of its swing and the platform just reappeared.

When he landed on it a clinging sound was heard at stone platforms came out of the wall. Ken quickly jumped on one and it started falling to his weight. He jumped to the other and it did the same.

Ken looked at the schyte while jumping from platform to platform.He timed his jump but saw the schyte coming He spun into a hurricane kick barely dodging the scyhte's blade. He turned around and saw Cammy standing before the disappearing platform.

He looked ahead and saw the plateform again disappeared and reappeared. But this time every minute three spinning razor disks flew from the openings to the left to the right openings right after the schyte before the platform.

Ken sighed "Is someones idea for a sick joke. When get my hands on this temple guardian I'll.." He calmed himself down. "Come on Ken the group is depending on you stay calm" He thought to himself and focused his mind on the obstacle.

Ken counted the time for a few minutes until he knew the rythem. Then he lept past the schyte. and spun into a hurrican kick avoiding the spinning disks. Then when he landed on the platform and he took a deep breath "That was too close"

He noticed there were no more schytes and he jumped to the ledge. He heard a swish. He cursed under his breath and spun is body in 90 degrees. An arrow passed and only grazed his ribs lightly.

Ken heard more swishes one hit his leg and he then hit the ground. the arrows all hit the schyte with a clang. Then he heard a chain moving and the platform opened up. He spread his hands and stopped himself from falling threw it.

He looked down and saw the opening burst with flames he heaved himself up just in time to miss the flames. "And I thought Indiana Jones had a hard time." Ken mused. He then looked and saw the trap tile.

When his friends passed he guided them away from the trap tile. They all landed and sat down to rest.

"I've got a feeling someone is watching us" Guy said. "I bet Shadowbane is laughing his bloody head off" Cammy said. "Lets rest a bit and continue" They rested for a few moments and continued."Guys help me walk O.K" Ken asked and Guy and Dan helped him walk.