There was a lot of boot scuffing and side looks between the surviving members of the group along with some clearing of throats. None of them seemed to want to look at the door. Draucs suddenly spoke up.

“Ilisa, it has to be Ilisa,” He said. There was surprise on all faces and a dawning awareness.

The eyes of Fastos widened, “Of course.” He said. The professor and the four other pirate’s heads bobbed in agreement.

Ilisa was backing away, shaking her head.

“It must be you,” Draucs insisted, “You saved others. You helped us all to keep together. You brought the water around to everyone. Not just Jenna. No one here is worthier then you and you brought the sword to Jenna.” Draucs was quiet but firm in his speech.

Fastos added his agreement. “I said to Thurgod when you wanted to board that I felt that you were important, now I know it for sure. You can do this, I will help if I can.”

“I will back you up and help as well.” Spoke Jenna.

Slowly, very slowly, Ilisa stepped to the doors, Jenna and Fastos on each side.

Up went her hands slowly. Looking closely, the place where one would normally see a door handle held an outline of a hand. One on each side of what would be the joint. As Ilisa put her hands on the outline, there was a collective drawing in of breath. Her hands fit the outline perfectly.

Nobody breathed. There was silence, then the outlines glowed with a golden light with Ilisa glowing with the same fire, outlining her body. All the words were glowing. The fires golden light ran up and down the cracks forming the doors. Ilisa dropped her hands and stepped back. With a groan, the doors split apart and opened.

There was a collective gasp as the breath that had been held escaped.

“Let’s go!” Extsu exulted stepping forward.

“Not so fast. Jenna?” Thurgod was over his desperation. Looking at Jenna, he asked a silent question.

With a nod of agreement Jenna moved into the tunnel. Lights sprang up around them. With a start of surprise they stopped, covering their eyes with their hands. As their eyes became accustomed to the light they saw that they were in a room identical to the furnished room they had left far behind.

“What, are we going in circles? This is the same room!” Anger was visible on Thurgod’s face. “To go through all that and come back here.”

“Wait.” Fastos interjected. “This room only seems the same. But it isn’t. Look.”

Staring around differences sprang out in relief. While the furnishing seemed to be the same, it was books that lined the shelves that covered the walls, not paintings. Books lay on the tables, some open as if they had been put down by someone who had been called away on an urgent errand.

Moving into the room, the professor and Fastos began examining the books while the others looked around. On some of the tables there were what appeared to be some old-fashioned kind of reading lamps. Some of the tables had chairs pushed up against them. Others had chairs pushed away as if they had just been vacated.

The professor suddenly looked up from the book that he had been examining. “I know what this place is.” He exclaimed, “It’s a library!”

“It’s a what?” asked Extsu.

“A library. A place where, thousands of years past, people would go to read.” He seemed to be giddy with his discovery. Fastos joined in, looking over the books. They talked backwards and forwards exclaiming over each new discovery. Costos wandered around, looking but in an uninterested way. Extsu and Thurgod exchanged glances and rolled their eyes.

“Hey everyone.” Rumbled Tyrone stretching his arms as he did so. “Look.” He pointed back the way they had come.

Looking they saw that the doors had disappeared back into the wall. Bookshelves now covered the place where they had been.

“We’ve been here long enough,” he said, “let’s go.” Shouldering his powerful rifle, he strode towards where Jenna, Ilisa and Draucs were standing.

As they began to move, Costos gasped, “Shadows, there are shadows.” Spinning around the others glared over the room. Out of the corners of their eyes, they too saw shadows moving.

Fastos and the professor hurried to where Jenna, Ilisa and Draucs were walking towards the far end of the room. Collecting Costos on the way, Thurgod and Extsu trotted after Tyrone. Huddled together again they watched the shadows become slowly distinct.

“Eyes, they have eyes.’ Extsu breathed. “Red like an aged star.”

“They will not bar us so long as we stay together, do not disturb them,” Jenna assured them, “and I hold this sword.” Jenna had drawn the long sword Ilisa had fastened around her waist.

Again Thurgod wondered. Where is she getting all this knowledge? Is it coming from the glowing figure? How much longer do we have to go? Indeed the shadows would turn to watch them pass, but afterwards always returned to whatever arcane task consumed them. Some however had moved towards the exit door, gathering close to it, but not baring their way.

Was it indeed the sword holding them back? Fastos wondered.

Doors loomed up in front of them. As they approached, the doors rolled back to allow them to enter the tunnel beyond. As they crossed the threshold, behind them the lights winked out. Turning automatically, they saw hundreds of red eyes looking back at them, crowding the exit but disappearing as the door closed.

“Well, that was creepy,” Extsu spoke for them all. Turning around, “We are back in the tunnel. Feels almost normal now!” The comment got a short bark of a laugh.

*********

Without speaking, Jenna moved along the tunnel, the sword back in its scabbard. The rest followed in their accustomed order. Steadily they moved down the tunnel.

“Another door.” Tyrone spoke in his bass rumble, pointing. Looking ahead they could see doors.

How many more? Ran through all their minds. Along with, What is behind this one?

Coming closer, they saw that this door was different from the others that had preceded it.

These doors loomed higher and wider. They were bare of any mark except that each door held the emblem of a sword pointing upwards. Jenna took a deep breath, “We are here, this is it.” She whispered. Stepping forward to the doors she touched the carving to them. The image sang an ascending octave. As the highest note was reached, the door began to swing open with a long, slow groan.

Beyond was another room. A deep, dark and dusty cavern. Tunnels ran off from each side. As they moved slowly in, still together in a group, the dust lifted and swirled around their feet as the doors closed behind them. Down the cavern they moved, noting absently the polished walls.

Out of the gloom, a throne appeared. On the throne there was an occupant. A dark hooded figure.

The Dark Lord raised his head, deep in the cowl, eyes gleamed. A hand was raised and beckoned. The gloom lifted as a source less light chased it away. Slowly the nine figures moved to the foot of the throne. “Welcome.” He said and smiled, a cold cruel smile. They shivered, a sliver of fear sliced through them.