27

Clash With Pixies II

Lycidas studied the pattern. “It looks like a cycle, a balance of elements. We need to activate them in the right order to unlock the door.”

Claud frowned. “But what’s the order?”

Lupa looked thoughtful. “If I remember correctly, the ancient texts spoke of the cycle of creation and destruction. Water nourishes earth, earth produces life, life creates fire, fire produces ash, and ash becomes earth again. It’s a cycle.”

Lycidas nodded. “So we need to follow the cycle.” He pointed to the symbols. “Water, earth, life, fire, ash.”

They studied the door, noting the connections between the symbols. “But how do we activate them?” Claud asked.

Lupa noticed small depressions in each symbol. “I think we need to press them in the right order.”

“Let’s try it,” Lycidas said. He reached out and pressed the water symbol first. The symbol glowed faintly, and the light spread along the lines connecting it to the earth symbol.

Claud pressed the earth symbol next, and it too began to