Dexter

With the work divided, it didn't take long to set up camp. Within an hour or two, the sun was just setting, and a fire was crackling in the clearing. Brokil and I had even dragged some fallen logs over to the fire to use as seats. After another few minutes, Salthu was emerging from the tree line, carrying some skinned snakes and stepping into the light of the fire. The bodies still writhed slightly as Dumag's figure emerged behind Salthu, carrying a few more tubes of meat. Amelia and I cringed slightly as we saw the bloody carcasses. Meanwhile, the others cheered. “Marvelous,” Brokil remarked, undisturbed by the sight. “Tell us, what variety of serpent has the honor of being our meal tonight?”

Salthu grinned as he held up his fists to show a total of three skinned serpents. “We discovered a few nests of Rattlers. We killed about a dozen serpents before skinning half of them. The rest we can take back to the merchants once we have finished here. I am sure they will appreciate some serpent skins.”

I looked nervously at our potential meal as one of the tubes let out another twitch. “Is snake meat any good?” I asked, still uncertain about the idea. “I don't think Amelia or I have tried it.”

Salthu considered for a moment then shrugged as he gestured towards his satchel near the fire. “It is a little difficult to stomach at first, but I have supplies that should make the meat tolerable. I would not have chosen to skin these creatures otherwise.” I nodded as Salthu approached the crackling fire and set the skinned snakes on the ground, Dumag following suit. Once he set the fresh meat atop Salthu’s pile he returned to Bruga’s side, giving her a quick embrace before sitting beside her.

I stoked the fire as I observed Salthu’s work with the meal. Salthu pulled out jars of herbs and began grinding the contents in an accompanying mortar. He diligently worked as he began carefully adding oils and ground up herbs, creating a thick sauce that he would dip the snake meat into. Before long, he was pouring some of the sauce into a frying pan and set it on the fire to heat up. Within a few minutes, he was laying the meat in with it, causing a crackling hiss to escape the flames. The sizzling of cooking meat gradually joined the crackling fire. I added another branch to the blazing pile as Salthu finally removed the pan and began extracting the cooked and now rigid and curled snakes. He placed each fried serpent onto a plate and handed them out. Amelia and I looked at your plates a little skeptically as we waited for the meat to cool a little. Meanwhile, the others began eagerly picking apart their snake and discarding the bones into the fire. I let out a sigh as I look at the finished product. It did look like a meal, the sauce still coating the now cooked snake meat, but knowing it was snake meat made me apprehensive to try the meal.

After a minute, I worked up the courage to tear off a piece of meat and take a bite. I used my teeth to tear the food off the bone and slowly chewed the seasoned snake. I allowed the flavor to wash over my tongue as I tasted a familiarity in the meal. The meat itself was uniquely textured, but I could swear it was similar to an octopus. Even the way he seasoned it made it taste like calamari, minus the bone I had to pick out of it. I looked down at the remaining three feet of snake I had to eat. “It's not filet mignon, but it'll do for the calories.” I took another bite as I glanced at Amelia. Her face was scrunched up as she slowly chewed her morsel of meat. She turned to me as she finally swallowed. “I don't think I've ever tasted something so . . . interesting.”

I shrugged as I followed the lead of the others, tossing the stripped ribs into the fire. “You were right about needing to get used to it,” I said, addressing Salthu. “Though, you did very well with the seasoning. I can't imagine being able to eat this without that sauce.”

Salthu nodded as he took another bite. “My mother taught it to me. In case I ever find myself needing to eat something less than savory, she said. So far, it has served me well.”

Brokil nodded as he tossed another bone into the fire. “I did not expect to enjoy the meat so thoroughly. I was merely content with filling my belly, but this is far more than I had hoped. Excellent work, Salthu.” Salthu grinned as I glanced at Gremach. He had not touched his plate yet and was still writing furiously on a piece of parchment as he muttered to himself.

I opened my mouth to ask about his progress just as he finally jumped up and held the page out at arm's length. “At last! It is complete.” He grinned as he quickly sat back down and reread the paper, tapping his fingers together as he did so. “I estimate five minutes total to cast. Seven mana at first but only one for every minute afterward. It should allow the castor to observe objects within the stone that respond to the pulse. I even believe it can show the tunnels within the mountain. We will not have to stumble around the area searching for the proper entrance to the Archive.” He smiled as he looked up at us. Well, as best a smile an orc could make with their tusks. “It is perfect for this expedition. If this works, we may find the Archive within an hour of entering the mountain.” Everyone cheered and clapped as they realized what he was saying.

Brokil was the first to congratulate him as he held out his hand for the parchment, Gremach quickly complying. “Excellent work, Gremach. This will certainly help in the exploration of underground ruins. Especially the ones as vast as Vedug.” Gremach continued to grin as he watched Brokil reading from the page before his stomach let out a low growl. Upon hearing this he turned to his plate and began eating.

I turned to Brokil as he read down the page. “Double-check and make sure there aren't any mistakes,” I said, cautiously. “I'm confident in your work, Gremach, but it's better to be safe than sorry.”

Gremach nodded as he chewed and gestured towards Brokil “By all means, search away. Just because I finished the spell does not mean it is without flaw. I may have overlooked a crucial step to structuring an incantation.”

Brokil gestured dismissively as he read. “I have no reason to believe you have done so. You are most skilled in this art.”

I waved and dismissed Gremach's concerns as I took another bite of my snake. “Still, check just in case. We don't want to have to fix the spell in the darkness of the mountain.”

It was Salthu's turn to chime in again as he shook his head. “The main chamber is not that dark. The sunstone has managed to remain active for this long. I doubt such a sight has gone out since my last visit.”

I nodded as I gestured towards the mountain. “Regardless, it'll be good to finally see this spell in action. I can't wait to see what's actually in the archive. And even if it's empty, we can just register this to the Repository as a ruin exploring spell.” Brokil nodded as he finished reading the page and handed it to Salthu. Brokil turned back to his meal as Salthu began reading. I glanced at Amelia as she took another slow bite of her meal. “What about you? Are you enjoying the food?”

Amelia shook her head as he put down a half-eaten morsel. “No offense, Salthu, but I think I'm going to stick with the bread we packed.”

Salthu looked a little disappointed but nodded as he gestured towards the fire. “Serpent is not for everyone. You can turn to your original rations and we can share your unfinished meal.” Amelia nodded as she set her plate aside and reached into her satchel to pull out some bread and dried meat. I turned to the fire as Salthu finished reading and handed the page to Bruga. We continued to eat as the fire crackled in the center and the night slowly ticked on.

The next day we packed up and made our way to the entrance of the city. I turned to Brokil as we walked up the hill. “We'll need someone to stay out here to send the pulse. Can you do that when we signal with the beacon?”

Brokil nodded as he reached into his bag and pulled out one of the beacons, handing it to me as he did so. “A single pulse to signal the spell and an extended glow for me to teleport to you.” He replied.

I nodded as I added the beacon to my bag looked up at the looming mountain. It looked extremely intimidating from here and I felt my breathing grow rougher as we continued our approach. “Be prepared for anything.” I voiced. “I'm guessing there are more than Magma Worms in there.”

Salthu tilted his hand back and forth as we walked. “Any creatures beyond those are few and far between. We may encounter them, or we may not. It all depends on our fortunes in there.” I nodded as we finally climbed over the ridge and spotted our entrance. Carved into the side of the mountain was a set of giant stone doors, lined with an intricate but worn design from when it was new. The doors themselves were currently broken and laying haphazardly on the plateau before us. The broken doorway revealed a cave, dark and smooth, that dove deep into the mountain. The small plateau before the door, beyond the two giant slabs of stone that lay upon it, was trampled and flat as if hundreds if not thousands of pairs of feet had walked across it. We walked towards the doorway and I gazed at the frame. A series of swirling designs surrounded the broken doorway. I could make out tiny flecks of green where the branching carvings were once painted. Our group stopped in front as we paused to admire the entrance. Finally getting close enough, I estimated it to be twenty feet tall and ten feet wide. If I wanted to, I could drive my car straight in. The doors on the ground were smooth and featureless, a stark contrast to the design above them. I stepped forward and ran my hand along the massive frame, feeling the remnants of what was surely an even more detailed carving. The best I could tell, it was some sort of tree theme, the now apparent leaves running up and around the frame.

Amelia was the first to break the silence. “This certainly made the city easy to find.” She remarked. “

Salthu tilted his hand again. “Correct and incorrect. The mountain is far from small. The entrances are sprinkled about the rock and are still being unearthed today. This is just one of the easiest and well-known entrances. The others travel through many smaller tunnels before leading to the main chamber. If we wish to begin at the center, this is the way to do it.”

I nodded as I reached into my bag and pulled out my flashlight, flicking it on and gesturing into the cave with the beam of light. “Let's get started. Brokil, wait here for our signal. We'll get to the main chamber then use the beacon to tell you when we're ready.”

Brokil nodded as he reached into his shawl and gestured into the cave. “I will wait here.” He confirmed.

I turned to the others as I gestured again. “Into the city.” The others nodded as we walked through the door and started making our way towards the center of the mountain, leaving Brokil to lean on the doorframe as we descended.

The smooth tunnel went on for a long while. The dimension didn't change as a few doorways became visible and branched off from ours. We followed Salthu as he remained on the original route and led us deeper into the cave. The only thing that could be heard for what felt like eons were the sounds of our feet on stone and the echoes it created. Orbs of Illuminate were soon created to fill the tunnel with a light beside my own. Soon, we were walking in only the light of my flashlight and whatever orbs the others were making. The temperature around us started to drastically drop as a slow dripping sound could be heard further in. The ground beneath us even started to grow damp. Eventually, a new source of light started coming into our field of vision, a pale orange glow that seemed to radiate off the walls. Salthu pointed in front of us as a gentle woosh suddenly sounded in front of us. “We are nearly there.” He stated. We nodded as we pressed further in, the floor beneath us growing wetter as we walked. Our shoes were practically making wet slaps on the stone at this point.

Finally, we emerged onto a sort of balcony that seemed to be molded, rather than carved, from the stone. Salthu gestured over a molded railing, designed to resemble a long branch from post to post, as he grinned. “Behold, Vedug.” We stepped forward to gaze out at the enormous cavern beyond. My eye grew wide as I looked out at the sight. Despite how far down we had traveled we were still near the top of the main chamber. The first thing that drew my attention was the absolutely massive sphere that was hung in the center, about two hundred feet in diameter and still about a hundred feet below us. It seemed to be the source of the light and the orange color that it emitted appeared to support that hypothesis. Looking out at the city, I had no trouble believing it would have rivaled Snakhagr in terms of size. It seemed that Vedug had an ongoing theme of wilderness designs. The sphere itself seemed to be engraved with a swirling vine design, vast and numerous enough for us to see it even from this distance. The buildings in the mountain weren't normal either. Sure, there were a few structures on what little floor there was in the cave, but most of them seemed to be grown from the ceiling. They had this older Japanese design that meant each floor had a large platform just beyond the walls, accompanied by a railing designed similarly to the one we were currently looking out from. They drooped down, almost like vines, as they bathed in the light of the central sphere. Interestingly enough, I could not see shadows from where I stood. Instead, the stone appeared to emit a penetrating light that traveled through stone, bathing the entire chamber before us in its light. I cautiously looked down as I heard another woosh echo from below and saw piles of rubble with a few isolated buildings still standing. Some rubble appeared to have fallen from above and decimated whatever structures were once there. The only spot the seemed untouched was a large pitch-black hole below the stone, as wide as the stone was big. If the stone just dropped, it would have likely fit perfectly into the hole. I felt uneasy standing so high up. I was quickly being reminded of my aversion to heights. If this balcony suddenly collapsed there'd be little stopping us from falling to our deaths.

I felt a cold aura radiate from the hole as Amelia let out a low whistle. “That's quite a sight.” She exclaimed.

Salthu grinned as he watched us marvel at the city. “It truly is. Now then, shall we test the spell here, or should we descend a little further?”

I turned to him as I suddenly snapped out of my amazement and fear and focused on the issue at hand. “We might as well. If Gremach was successful, I doubt a couple of extra stories will make a difference. Gremach, you start casting. I'll get ready to signal Brokil.” Gremach nodded as he stepped back from the railing and turned to begin gesturing. I reached back and into my bag and pulled out the beacon as I watched him.

The others turned as well as Gremach knelt and looked up at me. “I will only be able to hold the spell for ten minutes at most. After that, I will no longer have mana to supply.”

I nodded as I pulled out the beacon and gripped it, preparing to give the signal. “If it works, it shouldn't take too long; two or three pulses at most.” Gremach nodded as he turned back to his gestures. He appeared to concentrate a lot harder for a moment as he quickly moved through a few more gestures. Finally, he let his hands slam into the ground and looked up at me. I took that as the sign and forced a pulse of mana into the beacon, causing it to glow briefly. Gremach closed his eyes and looked around as we waited. After a minute, a brief rush of air radiated from behind us. Gremach looked up and out of the balcony with his eyes closed, likely searching for the spell to indicate where the Archive was.

His face briefly showed one of relief and joy and I felt a bit of my own as I watch him, but he slowly changed his expression as he continued to stare out and I felt a sense of dread creeping up on our situation. “Again.” He suddenly said. I nervously complied and sent out another signal, keeping a close eye on Gremach as I did so. A second pulse radiated from the tunnel and Gremach continued to look around. His face was starting to fall now. “Once more.” I complied and watched as he looked out over the chamber. “Another” Again, I had another pulse emanate from behind us. Still, Gremach didn't show any signs of victory. Gremach continued to stare around as he asked for more and pulse after pulse was signaled.

I glanced at my watch as I realized five minutes had already passed. “Gremach, what are you seeing?” I asked, concerned. “You only have so much time. Are you finding a route to the Archive?” I asked hopefully. Gremach remained silent as we all stared at him questioningly. “Gremach?” I asked curiously.

Gremach paused for a moment then let out a defeated breath as he looked down dejectedly. “I do not see it.” He finally admitted. Everyone gave him a confused look.

Bruga was the first to break the question. “What do you mean you cannot see it? Does the spell not work?”

Gremach shook his head. “No, the spell works. I can see the branching tunnels throughout the city, but I cannot see where one material stops and another begins. It is all one big mess.” Everyone let out a groan at that and I rubbed my head as the week of work flashed through my mind. “Shit. I thought sonar could work. We've been using it for years. Then again, the way we've designed it might end up just showing how the ground around us is shaped. I should've anticipated this. I can't just assume a method is going to work. Now we're going to have to search the entire goddamn city. We're back to square one. FUCK! No no no, just stay calm and work through it.”

I let out a sigh and begrudgingly accepted that the idea failed. I looked around and gestured towards one of the tunnels leading out from the balcony. “The long way it is then. I'll signal Brokil and we can start combing through the city.” I looked down and noticed Gremach was trembling slightly. I let out another sigh then crouched down and gently patted his back. “Don't worry, we still have a general map of the city now. We can use that to make our way around.” Gremach paused then slowly nodded, not rising from his kneeling position.

I stood and looked down at the beacon as I prepared to signal Brokil, but stopped as Gremach finally spoke. “Wait.” He said. I looked back at him. He was still staring at the ground, but his time at a certain angle, towards the exit tunnel. His disappointed expression was now replaced by one of shock. “Have him cast again.” He said. I glanced at the others, they carried an equally confused expression. “Cast It Again!” He said, loudly this time. I gave him a shocked expression that he couldn’t see as he gazed at the floor with intensity. “It can't hurt. At worst we're just losing another minute or two. He's probably near the end of his rope anyway.” I complied and made the beacon glow again. This time I felt a tension in the air as we waited for that pulse to come through the tunnel. I felt a degree of apprehension and excitement coming from Gremach as we waited. Finally, the latest pulse emanated from the tunnel and Gremach's expression turned to joy and amazement. My heart started pumping as I realized what that could mean. His head turned slowly as he appeared to be watching something deep beneath him. “One la-ha-st time.” He practically laughed. At this point, the suspense was killing me, and I complied with his request. Gremach's head continued to turn towards the main chamber as one last pulse came barreling out the tunnel. Finally, Gremach opened his eyes and smiled the biggest smile I had ever seen on an orc. “I Know Where It Is!” He exclaimed.

Salthu was the first to let out his ecstatic enthusiasm. “YES!” He roared, shoving his fists into the air. “Wait, Truly?” Gremach nodded as he lifted a hand off the ground and placed it over his mouth, laughing. I felt a swell of relief and Salthu let out another enthusiastic shout as I tilted my head back and basked in the idea. “FUCK YEAH! ONE WEEK OF WORK, TWO HOUR OF EXPLORING BABY! WOOO! THAT HAS GOT TO BE A FUCKING RECORD! NOW WE JUST NEED TO FUCKING GET THERE.” I took a deep breath and looked at the others. They were letting out cheers of their own and roughly congratulating Gremach as he knelt there. I turned and looked out over the balcony. “You're Known, Archive, And We're Coming For You!”

I turned back to the others as they finished their aggressive congratulations. I waved calmingly as I tried to bring temporary order. “Alright, let's calm down for a second, we still need to get there. Gremach, do you think we can teleport to whatever tunnel leads us there?”

Gremach considered for a second then frowned and shook his head. “I cannot be sure of the distance between us and there. If we attempt to teleport, we may end up materializing into solid stone.” I nodded as I looked down slightly and rubbed my chin. “Alright, that means physical travel, not just getting there instantly.”

I sighed and turned to the beacon as I forced a long pulse of mana into it. “Then we'll just have to walk. Be prepared for anything. We don't know what we'll encounter between here and there.” The others nodded as I set the beacon on the ground and took a step back.

After a second, Brokil materialized and looked expectantly at us. “Are we successful?” He asked, his expression apprehensive, but hopeful.

I grinned and nodded as I gestured towards Gremach. “We have a route and a guide. We can start heading there now.”

Brokil grinned as he leaned out and looked upwards. “Excellent. How far up is it? Can we avoid the Nest?”

Gremach shook his head as he explained, pointing towards the sunstone below. “We are not traveling up. We shall have to go down.”

Brokil turned to look at him, confused. “Down? I thought the Archive would be located near the peak.”

Gremach nodded as he gestured towards the floor. “As did I, but as it would seem, the correct route is down. There is a large chamber below us. A tunnel from there leads directly to a structure of immense density, just as our spell was designed to differentiate.”

Brokil paused for a second as he seemed to process the turn of events then nodded as he stepped away from the balcony. “Then let us depart. I am anxious to discover the Archive and the knowledge within.” Gremach nodded as he glanced at one of the tunnels leading out from the balcony. He then turned and began leading us down a set of stairs and deeper into the mountain. We all followed as I'm sure each of us had an idea of what we would find.

The sounds of footsteps were once again the only thing that occupied the space around us, beyond the light coming off the sunstone and leaking into the staircases we were walking through. We continued our descent into the mountain as we wound through corridor after corridor and staircase after staircase, passing countless other corridors and doorways that had either collapsed or were broken down. I glanced towards Amelia as we passed by another busted doorway. She was pursing her lips as she stared ahead, unfocused but intense. I could tell she was thinking deeply. I grinned as I watched her silent contemplation before my curiosity finally drove me to break the noiseless tunnel. “What do you think the Archive will be like?”

Amelia was suddenly yanked from her thoughts and looked up to me, startled. She quickly composed herself as she considered the question for a moment before shrugging, a grin stretching across her face. “I'm more interested in why no one bothered to check down here. Either some massive obstacle is between us and there or there's some sort of way their brain is wired to put important things higher up. Maybe it's a combination of both. Of course, then you have to ask why these orcs didn't follow the same route if they were even orcs at all. Although considering all I've read, this is definitely a desolate orc settlement. That leaves the question of what made these orcs different and why did they abandon this place?”

I chuckled as I listened to Amelia lay out her rapid-fire series of questions. “Spoken like a true psychologist,” I remarked playfully.

Amelia grinned wider and shrugged as she brushed her hair behind her ear. “It was supposed to be my job. Of course, I'm going to nerd out about something like this. You'd be surprised how much can be gathered just from the way a city is structured.” She seemed immediately crestfallen as she considered something. “It was supposed to be.”

I felt my face droop as I realized what she was thinking and patter her on the shoulder. “Listen, I promise we'll try to get back. After this is over, we can start looking into Banestorms and find out what they are exactly.”

Amelia gestured dismissively as she wiped her face. “It's nothing it's just . . . even after . . . especially after all this time, I still miss my family. I'm kind of afraid of what they're going through right now.”

I felt a small lump in my throat as I was reminded of my own emotions. My mind quickly ran through each of my family members and what they might be thinking. “Shit. I don't need this right now. Worrying isn't productive in finding a way home right now. Just focus and gather information. You can worry once you have an actual way home.” I looked at Amelia and placed my hand comfortingly on her shoulder as I quelled the lump. “I miss my family too. We'll figure it out. I promise. Until then, we just have to stick together.”

Amelia grinned as we continued walking through the corridors. “Thanks. I think I needed to hear that.” I nodded as I turned my attention to the next set of stairs we would descend, the ground beneath us remaining damp to the touch as the temperature continued to drop.

After a lot more walking, we finally emerged at the bottom of the main chamber. The rubble around us was massive up close. We practically had to climb over a fallen tower as we followed Gremach towards the hole in the center. “Are you sure this is the correct route?” Brokil asked.

Gremach nodded as he pointed towards a spot next to the hole. “There is a passageway further into the mountain somewhere over there. The spell gave me a clear vision of it. It should be just over thi-” He stopped as he reached the top of a pile he was climbing. “Fext.” He muttered. We all followed him to see what had caused him to stop. I felt my body grow disappointedly limp as I saw over the ridge. One of the buildings from above had fallen right on top of where Gremach probably saw the tunnel. Additional rubble was piled up around it, making it impossible to tell where the tunnel was supposed to be or how far down it even went. “Fext!” Gremach said again, descending the hill and approaching the pile of rubble. “I Should Have Known It Would Not Be That Easy. What Did I Expect? This Place Is Filled With Fallen Buildings. Why Would A Building Not Have Fallen On The Passageway?”

Dumag was the first to step forward and speak over Gremach. His military-esque behavior was gone, instead replaced by concern and experience as his eyes darted across the pile. “Calm Yourself. This is merely an obstacle to be overcome. Now then, can you be certain of where the tunnel is in all this rubble? Is this the only route to the chamber?”

Gremach let out an angered sigh as he gestured towards the pile. “I saw it with my own eyes, a curving hole for a staircase that led into the mysterious chamber. There is another passageway on the other side, but from here I can tell that that too is blocked off.”

Dumag let out a growl as he looked at the rubble. “Then I advise we select this one to unearth. We are here already, and this appears to be the smaller pile. Dexter, Brokil, Salthu, form a line so that we may transport this rubble elsewhere. Once we clear enough, we can use a spell to move the tower out of the way. We will see this tunnel yet.” We all nodded as we formed a line and began moving the rubble from the pile to a clear section of the cave floor. The cool air felt good on my skin as we started to work. I felt my muscles flex as I walked a short way and handed the rock off to Brokil. Rock after rock was removed as Bruga and Amelia walked around, waiting for us to clear enough of the pile to get a good spell in. The sightless pit beside us appeared to such what little heat managed to come near it. It was a welcome condition, however, as we continued excavating this tunnel. We slowly carved a hole into the pile as Gremach searched for the entrance. First, it was only a few feet, then several. Eventually, we had a rather large hole that was centered around where the pathway was supposed to start. I felt a bead of sweat drip down my face as I handed another stone to Brokil.

We were starting to carve out a decent way into the pile when a loud PLOP echoed around the cave. We all turned to the hole in surprise and saw Amelia standing near the edge, looking down. “What has come over you, Outsider?” Dumag asked, a hint of annoyance in his voice. I set the stone I was carrying down with a sigh as I watched their interaction. “I thought for certain something had emerged to attack us.” Amelia didn't respond to his question, merely kept staring into the hole beneath the sunstone.

She suddenly pointed up as she asked a question. “Why can't we see into this hole? I just see pitch blackness. The light source is right there, and we had light going down the stairs. So, why won't it shine down there?” Dumag seemed annoyed and was about to respond but stopped suddenly. I started piecing together Amelia's thinking as she turned to Gremach. “Are you sure the chamber wasn't connected to anything else?”

Gremach paused for a second then brought his hand to his head as he seemed to think. “Reasonably sure?” He said with some uncertainty. “It was an isolated tunnel and I believe these were the only routes that could be taken.”

Amelia nodded as she pointed towards the hole, then at the far side of the cliff. “What if it wasn't?” She asked. At this point, everyone was intrigued and we were all walking towards the edge of the pit, causing Amelia to side-step before looking back in. The cold aura was coming full force now as if something below was far colder than the air above. Now that I was aware of the glaring inconsistency, I felt a certain unease staring down into the darkness as if I was staring at an actual Paradox.

Brokil slowly waved his hand over the pit as he briefly muttered, drawing it back once he was done. “It is enchanted.” He declared. “It blocks the passage of light between two areas. If the sunstone is constantly on, I would imagine the citizens would need such enchantments to gain a period of respite.”

Amelia nodded as she looked up. “But that means something lives down there too or gets light from up here. Either way it means something needs the light on occasion as well as a means of turning it off. If the passageway leads down further towards the chamber. . .”

“Then we might be able to get to it through the pit.” I finished calmly, crouching to grip the ledge. I was slowly becoming aware of my fear of heights again. I picked up a fist-sized rock near the edge of the pit and tossed it in. Half a second passed before the stone vanished into the darkness. After another moment, an audible sploosh sounded from the blackness. I nodded as I confirmed the presence of water beneath the blackness. “That was definitely water,” I said as a dangerous idea began to form in my mind. “W-uh-we can probably dive down and find a way in near the water. Hell, the place might end up being underwater for all we know.”

Amelia shook her head as she looked down again. “It's too dangerous. We don't know how far down the water is. We don't even know how deep it is. If we just jump we could end up dying, either cause the water is hundreds of feet down or because it's just a few inches deep.”

I nodded as I stood and took a few steps back, coming up with a plan. “Amelia, What did you throw down there?” I asked as I brought my hand to my watch and changed it to stopwatch mode. Amelia seemed to understand and created an Illuminate orb, this one looking to have a bit more mass than the others. “On go,” I added gesturing for him to throw the object. Amelia nodded as she stretched her arm out over the darkness. I started mouthing a countdown as Amelia held the orb over the pit. Once I said, “Go.” I started the timer and Amelia dropped the orb. I waited for the telltale sign and stopped the clock once another PLOP rose from the pit. “1.56 seconds. That means . . .” “About forty feet,” I said, looking up at Amelia.

She nodded as everyone else looked at me curiously and Dumag tapped his satchel before walking away from the ledge. “How can you conclude that?” Salthu asked, a bit amazed.

I gestured dismissively as I took a tentative step forward and looked over the edge. “No time to explain. More algebraic math that involved a gravity constant. The problem is we still can't tell how deep it is.”

Amelia nodded as she looked over again. “We couldn't see the orb once it reached a certain point. I think it's like some sort of curtain over the whole thing. There's no telling the depth until we go down-” She stopped as a small boulder was suddenly tossed over the edge and pulled back to slam into the side of the pit, causing a loud CRACK to echo around the cave. Everyone jumped in surprise and turned to see Dumag slowly lowering the boulder into the pit using a length of rope that snaked into his bag. “Holy hell, sir. You couldn't warn us?”

Dumag shook his head as he continued to lower. “That was a most astute method of measuring the distance down to the water, but I have my own methods of measure. I can measure the depth by lowering an anchor in and drawing it out after a certain period.”

I nodded as I pointed towards Dumag and walked around him, spotting the impossibly long rope emerging from his satchel. “Nice thinking. I now feel retarded for not bringing a rope.”

Dumag nodded as he continued to let the rock sink down, a small splash indicating it reached the water. “There is not much need for a rope when one can merely hop from ledge to ledge. But in a situation such as this, a rope is most useful. If anything can be taught in service of the guard, it is to be prepared.” I nodded as I turned and watched the rope continually feed into the blackness. “You're A Mother Fucking Dumbass. You Should Have Anticipated Something Like This. Quiet, I just have to prepare for the future. No point in getting angry over this.”

I jumped as a rapid vvvvvvvvvvvvvrrrrrrrrrrr suddenly emanated from the rope and I turned to see Dumag's panicked fumblings, grimacing as the rope was suddenly yanked through his hands. He finally let out a cry and let go as a coil of rope exploded from his satchel and disappeared over the edge, taking a few bottles and foodstuffs along with it. The sounds of rope being pulled into water continued to rise as Dumag let out an angered shout. “SARD!” He roared, clutching his hands to his chest. Everyone either looked over the edge or looked at him as he flailed his hands in pain, leaving Bruga to rush over and tend to him. “Something Tore The Tether From My Grip.” He roared, his fingers twitching from paint. Bruga comforted him as she tried to direct his hand towards herself so that she could heal them, leaving everyone else to gaze in fear at the pit. I closed my eyes as I quickly played out several possibilities in my head. “Magma worms: Unlikely, we would have seen some kind of sign of their presence here and I doubt such a chill could come from something so usually hot. Rockslide: Unlikely, tremors would be present and something audible would have occurred with the rope sounds. Underwater creatures: Very likely, the amount that got dragged down would support the idea that the water below us is deep. I doubt Dumag got lucky when he lowered the stone into the hole.” I looked back up at Dumag. He had allowed his hands to be exposed and Bruga was working to heal the red marks that were currently embedded into his skin.

I looked over the edge as another plan started to form, connections forming as I reasoned through several knowns and unknowns. “This is actually a good sign. Something down there must have pulled it out of your hand. Meaning something down there is strong enough to pull it out of your hand. Since tiny minnows aren't able to do that, we can conclude that something big is down there. Meaning the water must be pretty deep to hold that something. Ergo, we can drop down from here and be pretty sure we won't crash into the bottom of the pit.”

Amelia placed a hand on my shoulder and turned me to her. “Are you crazy? We don't know what's down there. There could be a giant school of sharks for all we know.”

I shook my head as I quickly ran the scenario through my mind. “Unlikely. The number of calories they'd need to consume is too great. Besides, individual sharks don't have that kind of pulling power. It's more likely a network of tunnels housing one large creature. In which case, we just have to avoid traveling down that far.” I turned to Gremach. “Were you able to see anything below the chamber?”

Gremach closed his eyes and brought his hand to his head again. “Not that I can recall. The distance may have been too great for me to see. In truth, I was more focused on the chamber than anything else. This is what Gashur has been searching for for a time now.”

I nodded as I looked over the edge again. “Then we'll just have to take a look to find out. Who's up for a swim?” I looked back and they were surprisingly silent. My face fell as they remained as such. “It's not that big a drop. There have been higher diving boards built. If we keep our legs straight, we won't even feel them hitting the surface. From there we just swim the chamber.” I was disturbed by the lack of enthusiasm.

Finally, Brokil spoke up, a look of apprehension on his face. He began speaking in a roundabout way, avoiding what he was implying and instead of trying to make it seem like another matter entirely. “It is not as easy as you think. I doubt any of us would be able to make the journey to the chamber. Even if we were to find ourselves safely down there, we would be more motivated to depart from the water than to continue downward.”

I rubbed my head as I realized what they were saying. “Wait. Are you saying you guys can't swim?” The guilty look on their faces said it all. “I- I jus- How?”

“It is not a skill commonly taught,” Brokil explained, trying to be dismissive about the subject. “It is usually a skill for the fisherman of the coast. Why would we require a skill such as that?”

I let out a sigh as I begrudgingly accepted the development and turned to Amelia. “We'll just have to use the beacons then, make a doorway into the tunnel. One of us can dive down and plant the beacon in a dry area. Once it's there, the others can teleport to it. Sound like a plan?” Amelia bit her lip as she looked off slightly. I tilted my head as I looked at her. “Don't tell me you-”

“I can't swim either.” She admitted, speaking quickly to avoid dwelling on the idea. “I lived in Ohio. There's not much need for swimming lessons beyond sitting in a kiddie pool on hot days out there.

I let out an exasperated groan as I turned to the pit, a sinking feeling growing in the pit of my stomach. “And I . . .am fucking terrified . . . of heights,” I said slowly, my heart sinking at the idea of dropping forty feet. The world fell silent as I stared into the pit, save for the occasional breeze and the sounds of Bruga working on Dumag. I stood there as I ran through our options. “We could go back to the pile and finish uncovering the entrance. That'll take too long. Plus, the chamber might be flooded after all. It could just be a waste. I wouldn't have to jump in a dark pit if we did that. It still would take too long.” I closed my eyes as I filtered out the background noise and just focussed on the issue. I gradually eliminated option after option as I slowly accepted the inevitable course I'd have to take. I turned my head, but kept my eyes closed, as I narrowed it down to two options. “Do you have any more rope, Dumag?”

I heard an angered “No.” sound from behind me and I turned back to the pit. “That just leaves the one then.”

I opened my eyes as I forced myself to ignore my body crying out in protest. “Only one way to do this then,” I said as I pulled off my shirt, the cool breeze giving me a degree of focus as I went through the motions. I tossed it behind me as I counted everything I'd need and discarded everything I didn't. “Shirt: No. Pants: Yes. Sword: No. Potions: No. Glasses: No. This Is Insane This Is Insane.” I glanced to Brokil as I pulled off my shoe and help up my hand. “Beacon,” I said simply. Brokil hesitated before reaching into his shawl and tossing me one of them. I caught it and slipped it into my pocket before emptying the stuff I'd brought out of habit, my wallet, and my keys.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and I turned to see Amelia staring at me. “Are you sure this is a good idea? We can just go back to the pile of rocks.”

I considered the options again before nodding, taking off my glasses, and handing them to her. “It's faster this way,” I confirmed, turning back to the pit. The darkness appeared to stare out at me like something was watching me beyond my line of sight. I deliberately quelled my unease. “Stop, This Is Insane. There Is Always Another Option. do it. do it. do it.” I looked up slightly and out over the pit, ignoring the illogical blackness below, gazing at the far side as I let out a sigh. “I'll see you guys on the other side,” I said to no one in particular. I then took a deep breath and stepped off.