Chapter 22: Scary Evil Clones
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The doors groaned open, and the scent hit first, ash, sandalwood, and something faintly sweet like scorched fruit left too long in sunlight.
They stepped inside and despite the ruin outside, the inner sanctum was untouched.
The floor was stone and they moved between columns carved with celestial runes and old Alcazari lettering, some darkened like they’d been burned out mid-prayer.
Alyhana led the way to a room which opened up into a grand rotunda. Statues, twelve of them...stood in a wide circle, towering and strange. Gods and goddesses long forgotten by the rest of the realm. One with three eyes and a sword through its chest. One cradling a globe of fire. Another with no face at all and other which had a glare pointing right at him.
Xander stared at them like they might blink. "Why do I feel like at least three of these are judging me already?"
Iris nodded in approval at a horned statue with a decapitated lion at its feet. "Sick."
In the center of the room stood a massive iron bowl cradled in sculpted stone wings. The flame it held burned blue brighter than the firelight outside, cold and beautiful at the same time.
A soft wind stirred inside the room, though there were no windows. It tugged at their cloaks.
Alyhana approached the flame slowly, her voice barely above breath. "The Heart of Iasora..."
Even Eli, stoic, flame-scarred Eli stood a little straighter.
Xander tilted his head at the flame. "Is it supposed to be that color?"