The Last Candle - 1. Chapter 1

The

Tail

and the

Sting…1939

Candles.

Wall to wall; floor to ceiling. Large, medium and small, all arranged in perfect order by height, perfume, and colour. Every one of them, a masterpiece of skill and passion. Each one of them represented a history. Professor James Fellow stood in awe of the craftsmanship. He edged forward a little, holding the torchlight high above his head. They had broken into the last chamber of the maze of caverns beneath the palace of Qin Shi Huang and his protégé, Mister Colin Davis, nudged him. ‘I told you this is something big.’

A tingle shot up Jame's spine. ‘Oh my. Oh my. Oh my.’

‘Exactly what we are looking for,' the younger man’s eyes lit up.

Before them stood a lead container about the size of a small car.

‘Is this too big for us?’ Colin asked.

James stared at it. It seemed so out of place. It seemed to be preventing an evil force from escaping. There was no seam where a seal might be found.

James approached the container and stopped at the inscription in the lead.

 ɱ 

Scorpio.

The eighth star sign.

Glee enveloped Robert’s face. This was Qin’s signature for Mars, ruler of Scorpio.

They stood back in awe of the sight they had stumbled upon. It was a rare find. For if the legends were true, inside this lead container was the Scorpion candle as created by the emperor of a Chinese dynasty.

They tried to burn it with a spiking hot blowtorch, and the more frustrated they became for the cutline simply disappeared with each application. It was a serious blow to both. If fire could not destroy the container then what could? Falling from a height? Submersing it in water? Cutting it with a gigantic industrial saw? It needed a concerted effort. Maybe a powerful explosion. They placed small charges at the base of the container and attached each explosive to a remote detonator. Colin pressed a button on a machine . The explosions sucked in the air. One by one the charges detonated and the outer layer of twisted lead fell away and crashed to the floor. The air smelled like phosphor. The heat applied an almost unbearable claustrophobic pressure beneath a plume of smoke, creating a mushroom as it rose from the damaged container. Colin watched the mushroom form and only then noticed the writing on the ceiling.

会当烟雾升起的一天，并须太晚、死亡本身已经被释放。

James started for the gaping hole but Colin managed to grab him and pull him back. He pointed to the ceiling. James froze when he read the words.

‘What does it mean?’ Colin asked.

‘There will come the day when smoke shall rise and it shall be too late, for death itself has been unleashed. That’s what it says. What it really means is that we are in deep shit.’

And then the smoke covered it.

James whispered. ‘I suggest we back off and get out of here.’

Colin wouldn’t hear of it. He had come this far and he wasn’t going to back off. It’s like a platoon commander deserting his troops in combat. He was going in.

‘Are you coming?’

‘Nope.’

‘Then stay here. I’ll write you a letter.’

James smiled at his humour. He understood him. He was Arian, an adventurer. Impulsive. He lived on the edge. He’ll die on the edge.

Colin nervously approached the gaping hole that remained after the rim fell away and popped his head around the corner. He peered into a dark cavernous expanse of black and then

something wrapped itself around him; it happened so fast that James only noticed him being pulled into the canister. After a terrifying scream there was silence.

James's legs leaped into action. He spun on his heels and fled into the dark cavern towards the wall. Halfway there, he stopped and looked around, the cavern was cold and silent. His breathe fogged the air. His heart skipped a beat. His mouth turned dry. The sweat on his forehead collected above his brows. The metallic wetness of adrenaline swamped his mouth as if he were about to throw up, but he swallowed the nausea twice before he realised he was already dead.

In the darkness behind him were two red eyes and they blinked.

For a brief moment, Professor James Fellow's gaze rested upon the terrifying shape of a fat, red scorpion with a staggered, scaly tail and a sting that looked like a sword. It hovered above his chest.