When Cromer and Bonn told the group about the alternate entrance, Brand had been delighted. A quicker way into the dungeon was great news and the group set off immediately. They got to the entrance without problems and Brand could immediately see why the two scouts were so amazed. At the bottom of a long smooth tunnel was an impossibility; a forest. There was a forest deep within the depths of Big Keg!

It was impossible. Brand couldn’t even begin to comprehend how the dark mage manage to create the underground forest and the same went for the giant spirit matrix. Even from the top of the tunnel, Brand could see the giant crystal in the middle of a big clearing. Instead of being attached to a stand, the matrix was floating above some strange stone slab that had several engravings on it. Brand suspect that the engravings were magical. Although she didn’t say a word, Brand could tell that even Gwendis was impressed by the size of the matrix.

Not wasting time, Vall cast a spell he had prepared beforehand and the group stepped off the edge. As the group float down, Brand’s impression of the forest quickly took a turn for the worse. Spikes shot out of the wall killing several members of the group. Gwendis quickly shouted at Vall to release his spell. To his credit, the barbarian shaman didn’t even hesitate. He release the spell immediately and before he knew it, Brand was plummeting to the ground.

The air whish past him and Brand could see the ground, and his death, fast approaching. Still this was preferable to staying in place. Spikes were still being shot out of the walls and the continuous screams told him that their quick fall had not manage to save everyone in the group. Now Brand could do nothing but to pray to the 99 Gods that he survive the fall.

He had fell beyond the long tunnel. Light engulfed him and even in such a deadly scenario, Brand kept his calm. Brand looked around and saw that the underground forest was situated in a huge domelike cavern. The cavern was lighted in some magical way, giving the forest an eerie mystical feel. He heard Gwendis shouting a spell.

The air stiffed and Brand slowed. He was still falling at great speed but he was definitely slowing. He took a quick glance at Gwendis and could clearly see the strain the spell was having on her. Brand feel himself slowing even more but would it be enough? The ground arrived and Brand crashed into it with a thud.

Brand opened his eyes and felt pain erupting throughout his body. His body hurt with every movement so he didn’t move and just laid there, waiting for the pain to subside. On the ground in an underground forest deep within Big Keg in the territory of his enemy. The absurdity was not lost on him and a chuckle escaped him. He immediately stopped as the pain came but the laugh was the break in the dam. Brand didn’t know who it was but someone else laughed. That laugh was immediately followed by another and soon everyone was laughing.

The laughter was shared by everyone. They had survived! Brand couldn’t help but laugh along. He couldn’t believe it. How had they manage to escape death? Ignoring the pain, Brand laughed and sat up. Everyone was slowly getting up and Brand saw the mages going around casting healing spells. Everyone except Gwendis. The old mage was just sitting but Brand didn’t blame her. Her face was ashen and Brand suspected that the old mage had spent everything she had to save them from the fall. As Brand await his turn with the healing he looked around and did a count. Only eleven of them had survived. They would have to be enough.

Vall came to him and cast a healing spell on him. Brand nodded his thanks to the shaman and got up. Ideally they would rest for a while before heading on but Brand didn’t want to stay in one place for too long. Looking around, he realized he had another problem.

“Another know the way out of this forest?”

Everyone looked at each other. On the trip down, no one had bothered to spot the exit. In a way, that was to be expected but now, the group had no direction to go and no way out of the forest.

“Let’s head for the matrix.”

“Why?” Gwendis was the one who suggested this and Brand couldn’t help but ask for the reason.

“It’s a power source. The dark mage made it so he must be using it for something. If we can figure out what he is using the matrix for, we may know what he is trying to do. That could give us a lead on where he is.”

It was as good of a plan as any. Bonn stepped forward and said he know the direction to the matrix.