Conquest Of The Fallen: Dark Dominions

THE BELL TOWER tolled early the next morning.

"What the heck?!" Aya Naamah roused and rubbed her eyes to clear off the sleep. It seemed like she had just settled into their makeshift bed a second ago. "Why the hell is the damn bell ringing of its own accord? It must be some kind of magical spell weaved on the land."

Ravenna tossed and turned in the crook of Rafel's arm. She heard Aya talking but grabbed a pillow to stuff over her ears. She was by far the neediest one for comfort of the bunch. The others let her remain closest to Rafel. Unlike the women, he hadn't slept a wink. Rafel didn't trust empty bastions.

And in truth, the Abbey was a holy [El Dorado].

Since the air mattress Sekhmet had wisely packed up in her duffel came with a single Persian bedding, all the women had tumbled in with Rafel for the night. The sprawling blanket was of warm gold and green colors. "Careful with your tossing, Ravenna. You might hurt his bandages," offered the nurse.

Rafel smiled at Sekhmet's cat eyes.

"Good morning, everyone!" He sat up.

"Nooo! I want to sleep some more!" Ravenna whined. She clutched the small pillow tighter to her face, though she was more annoyed at missing Rafel's wolfish warmth than been roused to daylight. "My eyes hurt. Can't we sleep some more? Please!!!"

Rosa chuckled from her left at her babyish antics; "in case you haven't heard, darling, the Bell Tower just fucking tolled on its own. And it is certainly by the arcane. We are not alone, and we won't know if it's ghosts or just a random helping spell to aid the monks who'd lived here as an alarm clock. But, I'm certain we all understand if you wanna stay here and rest it out.

We'll just be on our own, I guess. . . opening forsaken chambers, discovering sanctums, stumbling upon holy relics, unveiling five hundred year-old sculptures of Saints, discovering secrets of the blessed.

You wouldn't want any part in that, would you?"

Ravenna's green iris automatically flashed open.

"I'm awake! I call dibs on first shower."

And then she lurched to her feet and ran off in the direction of the bath pools. Rafel shared a smile with Sekhmet at her exit. "Genius, Detective," said Aya. They all knew Ravenna would sooner forfeit all sleep than miss a moment of exploration. The littlest mention of relics and lofts had cleared her vision faster than a hummingbird could blink.

Rosa and Aya took a private booth in the general bathing area. Sekhmet settled with Rafel in the pool and watched him manage his daily laps.

"You are growing stronger, my liege."

She gave him a glowing once-over as she offered a bathrobe and pushed her own towel ends tighter into her cleavage to prevent it from slipping. Rafel caressed her cheek. He was taller as he leaned on his cane. He smiled. "All thanks to you, nurse. Or do I say goddess of healing?

You patched me right back up, and kissed on it for good measure. But, I will feel much better when we find the Book."

Rafel gave the ladies space to change their clothes.

He waited patiently in front of the Abbey's covered altar. Seated on the first pew, he tapped his skull cane on the marble dais. He had a minute to himself and wished briefly that Corazón was present. 'She would have loved the islands and its jungles. She would've loved the singing birds and seagulls.' He knew it.

The four women appeared in the corner of his eyes and he cocked his head to study them all.

"Beautiful." He rose, picking his cane. "We start in the Bell Tower."

Rafel refused Ravenna's quest to go off on her own. The last thing he needed was her trapped under some ancient stairwell or worse, in the belly of a lurking basilisk. They went into the bell tower, and observed the spires. No ghosts! Sekhmet said, as she ran a lovely hand on the cold upturned pail,

"I sense holy magic, my liege. It's a tickling clock spell. Rosa was right. The monks must've set it up for their morning devotions. The mana is weak here, but stronger up in the main levels. There must be a Mystic Sphere or its equivalent nearby."

Rafel nodded, and they continued to the Outhouse. It was an empty shed, dusty, and full of what seemed like medieval torture tools.

"Yikes!" Ravenna slammed the door.

She edged on in front of the others, skipping under a great archway, and pausing only to peep into the courtyard where a mighty Flame tree carpeted the white cobblestones with pink leaves. She hurried on, pushing at looming doors. Most of them were locked. But it seemed the formerly labyrinth area of the Abbey was leading to a destination.

"Ugh! Where are the goodies?" Ravenna petted a stone pillar. It was cold alabaster.

"GUYS!" She stopped jogging suddenly and stiffly called back. "Hurry up. YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS."

"What am I staring at?" Rafel studied the area she pointed with her finger.

It just seemed like a tall, black wall.

"A wall?" Aya offered.

"No," said Rosamunde. "A door." Her voice was a hush as she stepped forward. "I always guessed the Abbey was more of a tomb as well a temple when I played to this corner of the isle as a child. But now it is confirmed. See this markings all over the surface? The ones that look like circles in circles; they are actually holy writing.

I can decipher and read it, but I need a key.

A-A focus. A word to unravel the rest."

She skimmed the great door with her fingertips and looked back, meeting everyone's eyes.

"Try TOMASINA," Rafel said.

Rosa nodded and turned back to the wall. She worked the key in her head to break the whorly, mystic codes. Ravenna studied her profile closely: the elegant coif of her black bob, the regal set of her spine, the brilliant sparking in her gray eyes; she could almost see the gears turning in the cute Detective's head.

Apparently, Rosamunde read Valhallan, the holy glyphs of the Martyr.

Rosa finally sighed, her shoulders slumping. She had cracked it. Ravenna was unable to stand still, and kept hopping from one feet to the other.

"Well, what does it say?"