A bright glow disturbed the quiet of the massive stone chamber of the temple in the ruins of the old Olmec settlement. As it dissipated, five figures stood in the room.

Why that old bastard! He could have directly transported us inside before!

Tyler looked around. The magelights lit the moment the group arrived. Otherwise, it was the same as when they left.

“Habrok, it’s your first time here. Men bunk of this side and women on the other side. Tyndur and I have been using these two rooms. Tyndur, please check if there are still food and water available. Ideally, the three of you should check the temple surroundings before we call it a day. But the barrier may not know Habrok. Arrange your accommodations while I check with the guardian.”

Tyler walked towards the amorphous entity and entered its jelly-like embrace. He halted in the middle of it.

Now how do I communicate with this thing? I doubt if I can use words. I open my mouth, and its body will fill it. No, not that way.

“Hello,” he thought out loud.

“Hail. High Mage,” came the reply.

Delighted, Tyler smiled at the unexpected success.

“Thank you for remembering me.”

“Long time since visitor. I remember you. Others.”

“We have a new companion with us. Habrok. I was worried you might eat him if you don’t recognize him.”

“Temple lord joke. I no eat your kind. Dissolve. Throw away. World magic enough. Not much need.”

“Ah. Please don’t dissolve him.”

“Your word good. Temple lord says.”

“He will be going out with two other companions to check the area. What’s your name, by the way?”

“Name Apu Rumi. Stone guardian spirit. Also, joke on enemies if they come.”

“Anyway, nice to meet you, Apu Rumi.”

“Rumi will do.”

“Thanks again,” mentally said Tyler as he walked out of the gray gelatin mass. That was surprisingly simple. I think I understand why Viracocha wanted us all to pass through Rumi. That being may have some rudimentary ability to detect corruption. That means the deity must have encountered that kind of altered energy in his travels. Come to think of it, he knew fire would be effective against Yayauhqui when the disguising flesh of that creature was removed. Asem was right. The guy’s parsimonious with knowledge.

He sat down at the table. Tyndur had found food and drink and piled them on the table. Habrok was already eating with the einherjar.

“I cleared matters up, Habrok. It’s safe for you to use the entrance.” Tyler reached for a piece of bread.

“A magical trap, sire?” asked the ranger between mouthfuls.

“Sort of. A guardian. It blocks the entrance. You have to pass through its body going in or out.”

Habrok nearly choked at the bizarre clarification. His choking situation earned him a laugh and a slap on the back from Tyndur.

“Nothing to it, ranger! Feels like swimming through slime without the muck when you emerge,” remarked the einherjar.

“No other entrance, sire? How does one breathe? How long do we have to walk through it? Is it dangerous?”

“No, not dangerous and there’s no other way,” Tyndur answered, preempting the mage. “You can breathe easy inside its body, and it's about fifty feet.”

Tyler smiled. It’s actually around twenty feet, but he let Tyndur have his fun.

The color of Habrok’s face paled a little.

“You’re sure there no other way?” he asked Tyndur.

“No, my good man. What’s the matter? Don’t tell me you’re scared? You? The one who rushed into an Aztecha city full of blood eaters and mad deities?” Tyndur’s surprise was genuine, the mage could tell.

“Ah… I have to admit to a fear of enclosed spaces. That’s one reason why I became a ranger. Wide open spaces. I am not afraid of caves or tunnels. There’s still some space in them. But really tight spaces, like a cabinet for instance. That’s also why I prefer jumping through windows in my adventures of love.”

“Love? Lust, more likely,” caustically remarked Astrid as she joined them. The group laughed.

“Where’s Asem?” asked Tyler.

“Praying, sire. She said she had been remiss in her devotions and intends to make up for it now that we’re in a safe place.”

“Have some food,” said Tyler. “If she’s not finished by the time you’ve eaten your fill, go and scout ahead with Habrok. I doubt if the temple area has dangerous creatures in it. Though you could ask Rumi on your way out.”

“Rumi?”

“The gate guardian. Just think out loud when asking him. He’ll understand you. But make the sentences short and concise. I don’t think his mastery of human speech had progressed much.”

"I'll walk ahead while you ask the creature," volunteered Habrok. "There might be dangerous beasts waiting for us."

Tyndur grinned.

The group continued eating. But Tyler wrestled with another issue.

How do I get to the chamber? Viracocha opened the entrance the last time. I remember where the door was located but how to open it? Forget it. I’ll experiment tomorrow. I do hope his battle with those Aztecha deities is going well. He does have friends with him. I guess it’s not going to be a one-sided battle. With some of their temples destroyed, I trust his enemies are now considerably weakened. Viracocha did say that the deities tied their source of power to their sanctuaries, feeding off the energies of the pyramid occupied by their patrons. He’s not facing the whole pantheon, so I think the ones who will be involved are those whose temples were destroyed. Angry deities, Camulus said. My conclusions should be correct.

Then his mind turned north.

I hope Viracocha was able to send a message to Eira. By now, I guess she must be worried. A bit of information would be welcomed by her. I do still have the staff, and she has the necklace, but something close to the current news would go a long way in assuaging hidden fears. I would be anxious too if the situation were reversed. But for now, there’s nothing to do but rest and wait.

He stood up and took his leave of the group, saying he wanted to rest. Tyler noticed Habrok was pumping the two for information about the temple area though he also saw that the ranger was inserting innocuous queries about their experiences while inside Rumi. Unfortunately for the ranger, Tyndur noticed his efforts and the answers Habrok got were not to his liking.

Laughing a little at the antics of the companions, he laid himself down on the bed. Tyler closed his eyes. He intended to rest for a while and then go back out to check on the reports of Habrok and Astrid.

He woke up, floating above Viracocha’s temple. The sky was aflame.