The energy emanating off the cog was nearly overwhelming. The cog moved around the center with ease, and it's slow rotation was a strange contrast to the extreme winds blasting from it.
As it settled, the winds died down, but the cog continued its slow, methodical spinning.
The piece gently started falling to the ground, so I jumped forward to catch it.
A tremor of guilt, and sorrow rushed through me. My body was an icy shell that I gazed through. For minutes I tried to shout, but nothing came. The feeling of dread, and betrayal started to sink my soul deeper into the catatonic state, until Selene finally came to inspect my motionless body.
With a touch of the finger, my shell was filled again, and my movements came all at once.
A backlog of shouts, and screams came cascading from me along with several twitchy motions.
I was so explosive that even Selene's calm presence was shocked. The energy shook through me, eventually slowing, like when the cog first formed.
I was unable to keep the cog from spinning. Even when I clutched the teeth, the center continued to swirl. Just placing it on my chest was enough to keep the pendant hovering in place on me. Held there by what felt like the same chain that held the caged sphere that saved me earlier.
The steady movement began to interlock with my essence, and I soon found a calm heart.
I was in control of my movements again, and was able to communicate. Selene asked every question in hopes of understanding the power. It was difficult for me to describe, but her words helped me control the feelings in some way.
We made our way out of the solitary room that was now a mess of papers and debris. As we stumbled into the main chamber, I could still feel my outburst vibrating through the walls. What spooked me more is a distant ticking noise growing louder.
Selene assured me that we could make a quick escape, but her normally calm face had a wrinkle of worry in it. The sound was still too distant to be concerned, so we carried on with exploring some more of the great library.
We wandered into another distant wing of the building. Some disturbed rubble looked “out of place” to Selene, and we found further evidence of someone else visiting the library, at least after the fire was set. Scrolls, and scribblings littered the ground, eventually we found a large drawing of some contraption mounted on an easel.
It was a plump looking rocket, with a network of inner mechanisms. No doubt something of Meka’s designs. Some phrases were stained at the bottom of the paper. Reading ancient script was another talent Selene calmly brushed off with a mention of her father. Her finger traced the symbols as she read outloud “To recapture the sky.”
I rolled up the priceless blueprint, and cringed as I had to stuff it into my bag. With a wince we made our way to another part of the library.
The only other thing that seemed to be immune to the damage was a large painting seated on the wall of the main hall. It depicted three symbols balanced in a triangle. In the center sat a crude illustration of an intricate looking bracelet.
I recognized the symbol at the top of the design, it adorned many tapestries, and items in the tower. Selene claimed it to be the symbol used for the ancient town of Mol, before it became Tresoro.
There were some inscriptions laid underneath the picture, but it was smothered in soot. When I wiped away the crust, The three symbols were arranged in a line bisecting a larger circle. Selene read the symbols as “The collective reveals the path to Pazmoltae.”
My mind sprinted in thought. This seemed to be the most legitimate clue I have found so far. I can only assume the bracelet is the one mentioned in the books. The Bracelet of Command could still be hidden here. The book claimed those with the knowledge held the key… I emptied my pockets in hopes of finding something that could resemble one.
The items laid in front of me created quite the collection, however, only one fit the description the best. My dragon eye companion let loose a gentle growl as I passed my hands over the horde. It settled as I picked up the small, square stone that I got from the back of Sorrow. The pieces aligned as I found the symbol for Mol on one of the faces. The eye around my neck confirmed my suspicions with a gleeful squeal.
I snatched the cube quickly, and almost left the rest of my treasures. Selene stopped me in my tracks, and I went back to stuff the remaining trinkets, and baubles into my bags. My hands were shaking in excitement, and every inch of me tugged my body to the outside of the library where the large stone container still sat underneath the sculpted rubble.
The ticking grew louder as we left the sanctuary of the large stone walls. The golem was closer than we originally anticipated, but as long as it continues its sluggish pace we should have plenty of time.
We rushed to the side of the box that held the inscription, and looked for a place to set the small stone key. There were no holes, or openings for the piece to set into. For minutes, Selene, and I ran our fingers across the side of the container in hopes of finding a crack or seem to pull at, but the craftsmanship of the box left nothing to pry.
Finally, I inspected the intricate carvings once again, but with a different eye. Holding my crimson dragon pendant to the box, a faint, red glow reflected off of the stone. As I passed it over every inch, eventually, I found that only one spot did not reflect the light.
It was the center of a circle, carved in the center of the slab. The rest of the design seemed to build off of it, so I ran my fingers along it.
Like before there were no gaps, or cracks, but it felt slightly different. With no other option, I took the stone cube, and placed it into the circle with the symbol facing out.
The key sank into the solid stone slab with ease, as if being pressed into sand. It became flush, and a thunderous crack radiated from the box. The symbol for Mol started to glow, and inspired the rest of the inscriptions to follow suit. The light began to become too much, and a blinding flash forced me down to the ground.
Selene was able to withstand the pulse, holding her stance, held captive by the light. When it quickly faded, her hypnosis was broken, and she found me scrambling to my feet.
The air pouring from the revealed chamber held its own distinct aroma, sealed away from time. The compartment in the large stone slab was about as big as your head, and contained a small wooden chest.
No further lock stood in my way. Peeling back the top revealed a powerful looking bracelet. Selene, and I admired it for a slight moment before I reached in to withdraw it.
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