Dexter

We ended up using the Teleport spell to get up to the doorway again and started walking back. I stretched my tired muscles as our footsteps echoed around the tunnel. My muscles had initially complained about carrying Bruga so far, but the training I'd done had helped to mitigate some of the effects of the fatigue. “I'm really going to have to go hard on training at some point. I'll have to talk to Bulak about more sword training when I get back.” I glanced at the others as I felt one of my joints pop. Dumag had placed his hand on Bruga's shoulder as we walked and hadn't removed it since. Bruga did the same with the way she gripped her right side where the weapon had struck her. I tried to lighten the mood a bit by distracting them. “So, what was with the other Gauntlet? It looked pretty similar to the one we saw up here. What made it different?”

Dumag reached into his satchel and pulled the gauntlet out, handing it to me as he explained. “The symbol is incorrect. It is not Kremthu's emblem. It is similar to it, but it is also different.” I nodded as I examined the inner forearm of the gauntlet. It was a little slimmer than the other one and had a sleeker design to it, both on the fingers and along the forearm. It seemed designed for a smaller person in mind. Instead of the modified Mars symbol cut into the metal of the forearm, it was a similarly modified symbol for the goddess Venus, four lines quartering the circle near the wrist.

I handed the gauntlet back as I explained. “I've seen that pairing before, at least a pairing for a different version of the symbols. Mars and Venus, what we sometimes use to represent male and female. It's from a society that's been dead for a couple of thousand years. Though I doubt that's what inspired these. There's probably some other symbolism behind them, but I don't exactly recall what it is right now. If I were to hazard a guess, the symbol is for another god they worshiped here.”

Dumag nodded as he placed the gauntlet back into his bag. “I had the same thought. Else they would have not created a pairing of weapons similar to a Divine Gauntlet. I now doubt they were truly bestowed with a Divine Item. Such items are said to hold the power of the god himself. They would not allow their wielders to so easily fall.”

I nodded as I let out a small laugh, recalling Dumag’s scowling face climbing over the giant statue. “Really says something about what you did back there. They were willing to leave the gauntlets behind because they probably knew what would happen if they disturbed that one. Meaning they doubted they would be able to beat that big statue. Yeah, we acted pretty recklessly, but we ended up pulling through. You, in particular, were quite impressive to watch, Dumag. This Kremthu guy would be really impressed if he saw what you did.”

Dumag let out a laugh as he shook his head. “I doubt as such. I only did as much as I could. Many others would be able to do the same in my position.”

It was my turn to shake my head. “Come on, you blew the thing's eyes out and that was after almost draining your supply of mana. I doubt the others have the same resolve to pull that off. Now I'm kind of glad you're teaching me combat magic.”

Dumag nodded as he stared ahead. “I appreciate the sentiment, but I do not need your approval. It would not change my method of teaching either way. I have always made it a point to not allow any prior thoughts affect my actions towards anyone. The same is said for my teachings.”

I nodded as I spotted the first body further along the tunnel and scooped up the crown of bones. “Still, I can better accept and take in your rigorous method of teaching now that I know what you're capable of. It's always unwise for a student to disregard such a powerful master.” I then reached up and placed the crown on top of his head. “Plus, you blew off its fucking face. That is something to be proud of.”

Bruga smiled as Dumag tipped the crown slightly. Bruga then brought her other hand up and place it on Dumag's hand still placed on her shoulder. “I, for one, am happy that you were able to come to my rescue. The world would be better off if more people were like you.”

Dumag grinned at that as he seemed to tighten his grip a bit. “I hope you find such situations rare. The world would be a terrible place without you in it.” I grinned as Dumag and Bruga started whispering compliments to each other and I turned to Brokil. He gave me a quizzical look as he saw the two interacting. I raised my index finger to my lips in a sign of silence and Brokil gave me an understanding nod. “Alright. Time to tell the others the bad news and . . . You have got to be kidding me.” We re-entered the portion of the tunnel containing the entrance to the Archive and noticed the three we'd left behind had multiplied. Salthu was still working on the door, near one of the holes in the wall, but behind him now stood what I can only describe as a posse of female mages, plus Yotul and Borba. Amelia and Gremach were sitting on the far wall being watched by four unnamed mages while Yotul and Borba were standing next to a third mage as they watched Salthu work.

The third appeared to sneer down at him as he examined the door. “Open it already. I am not leaving here empty-handed.”

Salthu let out a growl as he looked down slightly. “I am telling you, I cannot open this without the keys. I cannot even imagine how many safeguards they have in place here. If I had time, maybe but not in the span of a single trip.”

The third mage scoffed. “Do you think I care? This magic is hundreds of years old. I know you studied this city extensively. Even a lowly wizard such as yourself should be able to unlock it with that knowledge by now and without any fexting keys. Now open the sarding door.”

At this point, Yotul had stepped forward slightly. “Oghash, do you not think this is a little harsh? They found the Archive. They have earned the right to claim it.”

Oghash turned to glare at her and Yotul stepped back timidly. “I poured too much time into this to just surrender, not to a puny outsider and a scrawny wizard. She has not even been here a season.” She then turned to glare at Borba. “And do not even consider bringing up the other one. He is equally incapable, and we would be better off if he were left in the wild to fend for himself.”

At that, I gritted my teeth and stepped forward. “People really ought to teach you about speaking of the devil.” I quipped angrily. Everyone turned towards my group and I felt a surge of adrenaline as I sensed malintent with a few of them. I tried to stifle the sinking feeling as I stared squarely at Oghash. She glared back at me with her bright green eyes. She probably came up to my nose, but she seemed to tower higher than her actual stature. Her face seemed hardened and stern as if someone had destroyed her prized possession. Her shoulder-length frizzy brown hair made her look a bit like Miss Frizzle if Miss Frizzle was crossed with Trunchbull.

I did a once over of the room as I considered our options. There were seven of them in total, enough for each of us to face off, but four of us were already drained and tired from fighting the statue. What’s more, Amelia and I were still severely outmatched in terms of skill and experience. I felt my stomach flair as I remembered what had happened when Dumag made us fight other mages. The way Oghash spoke also led me to believe that she only aligned herself with those she considered powerful. All in all, I would need to come up with something to even the odds.

I took another breath and raised my hands in a display of pacifism as I finally spoke again, portraying an air of calm as I thought of a plan. “Now now. Don’t shoot the messenger. I'm sure we can come to some sort of agreement.” The hallway was not a great place to fight, too little space and they already hold power over three of us. “We have the Archive in front of us and if we get it open we get whatever is inside it. Regardless of whatever conflict you two have had in the past,” I flicked my finger between Salthu and Oghash. I needed to open the space up. “perhaps we can pool our knowledge and find a solution together. There's no point in both of us fighting if the Institute gets some of the artifacts at the end of the day.” In a fair fight, on all fronts, we were outmatched and outgunned. “Either way, we'll all have access to the knowledge within and it'll just lead to more conflicts in the future if we fight here.” I then extended one of my hands towards Oghash, trying one last attempt at compromise. “Does that sound reasonable?”

Oghash glared angrily at my hand then back up at me. “Far from it.” She growled, not even considering the idea.

I blinked in mock surprise as I heard her response. “Be practical,” I asked calmly, trying to come up with a plan B as we stood. “The energy that would be expended should a fight break out is not worth the treasures behind that door, no matter how fantastic they are. It is in all our best interests to not escalate the situation and come to a peaceful agreement on how to go about this.” If we were in the main chamber, I could position us better but then we’d have to draw their group to that location and that wasn’t an option. “And I assure you, if a situation were to evolve, you are more likely to be given the short end of the stick. Not that it wouldn't be close, but I think the odds are more in our favor.” I felt the quizzical eyes of Brokil, Bruga, and Dumag on my back and I flicked my fingers minutely to try and signal them. I needed their help. I needed a strategy.

Meanwhile, Oghash gave me an expression of predatory mirth. “You honestly think that? How pitiful do you think we are? I have heard the rumors. You did not even know of magic before coming here. What could be going through your head that would make you think you could reasonably stand up to us?” Oghash then gestured and caused arcs of electricity to spread out from her fingertips. The four orcs guarding Amelia and Gremach did something similar and summoned a range of fire, water, and electricity. I felt my eye twitch as I saw the display of force.

I quickly stifled the anger I was feeling and focussed on Oghash, noticing Yotul and Borba were the only ones not currently sporting spells. I then stifled a smirk as I shrugged. An idea had materialized, something I should have considered before, something that would leave us better off, all options considered. “With all due respect, you couldn't even begin to comprehend what runs through my mind daily. I doubt you'd understand, or even know, what just a quarter of them are related to.” I opened and closed a hand behind my back, signaling to Brokil behind me. “I don't extend this offer out of pity, but out of practicality. The energy lost in this fight is not worth what will come of it. So, this is your last chance.” I raised my extended hand slightly, emphasizing it but mostly drawing their attention to it and away from the others. “Let's work together and try to open the Archive.” The silence hung in the air as I waited for her response. We waited one second, then two, finally after what felt like an eternity Oghash responded . . . by bursting into laughter.

I scowled as I saw her double over, unable to contain herself. I hoped Brokil would understand what I needed and comply, but I guess I hadn’t been clear enough yet.

Oghash laughed for was seemed felt like a minute before finally calming down enough to respond. “HAHA HAaaa You outsiders truly are an arrogant bunch. I ha-have three of your friends as a ho-hostage and you still threaten me. I would think those from such lofty places would know when you're outmatched. Of course, I will not take you up on your offer. You do not seem to comprehend the severity of the situation.”

I lowered my hands as I let out a defeated sigh and stared at Oghash. “That's disappointing. Plan B then.”

Oghash continued to sneer as I saw her tense and crouch, preparing for a fight. “Indeed.” She said slyly. I flexed my legs a bit as I nodded and prepared for what I would do next. My muscles would hate me later, but I needed them right now.

I then turned, likely to Oghash's surprise, and addressed Dumag. “I'm going to need that crown for this. Could you toss it over?” Dumag hesitated for a moment before reaching up and throwing it in my direction. I caught it as I did another inventory and unhooked the belts for my sword and bag of manastones, letting them drop to the floor with a clatter.

I looked up as I started bobbing through some exaggerated leg stretches to see Oghash's confused expression. “What is the meaning of this?” She asked incredulously.

I glanced towards Amelia and let out a small wink, keeping my serious expression as I stretched one leg then the other. “I know Snakhagr has a lot of rumors floating around about us, but what you likely haven't heard is something you're about to see personally. You see, we humans have an interesting advantage over the other creatures and it seems to extend to even the orcs and elves. Whereas you can only work for four to six hours in a given day, we can work between eight and twelve hours, depending on how motivated we are.” I then moved to stretch my arms, keeping a tight grip on the crown as I raised both fists in the air. “And unfortunately for you, I'm haven't used any of my energy and am fired up for a full day of work, at least what you might consider a full day.” I tapped my fists together above my head as I said that, emphasizing what I was seemingly capable of. I then glanced back at the others as I checked one last thing. “Where does the Institute usually register a find such as this?” I asked, holding up the crown.

Bruga answered almost instantly, seeming to know what I was getting at. “In the Repository. Just go up and ask the front desk about it. They should be able to give you the correct document.”

I nodded as I turned back to the posse and did a few more stretches. “Then I guess I'm ready to get started. All I need to do is head back to the Institute and register the find using this artifact as proof.”

Oghash's face fell as she finally understood what I was planning. “You assume we would be foolish enough to allow you to leave with that.” She crouched slightly again, the four guarding Amelia and Gremach stepping out to form a wall of spell prepped mages. “In any case, I anticipated others and took the beacon you used to travel here.” She reached into her shawl and pulled out the stone obelisk. “And I do not plan to relinquish it easily.” I let out an exasperated sigh as I learned of the development. “Doesn’t matter. There’s more than one way to solve a problem.”

I then furrowed my brow as I took the crown and place it on my head, drawing the curious expression of everyone in the room. “Then I'll need to put on my thinking cap for this fight.” I raised my left hand and covered my mouth as I began slowly pacing, pressing the back of my right palm into my hip and flexing the fingers there. “It is rather unfortunate you’ve taken our method of escape. One would need a beacon of their own to circumvent your plan.” My pacing slowly led me back towards the others as I continued to furrow my brow and flex my fingers. “Get the signal. Get the signal. Get the signal.” As I slowly passed behind Dumag, Bruga, and Brokil, I felt something hard and something soft press into my palm and I felt a surge of relief. “The unfortunate aspect is, beacons are expensive and we were fortunate to have pair handy.” I took the opportunity to close my fingers around the objects. I then brought my paces back in front of the group and walked towards Oghash again. “If only we had planned ahead and brought multiple beacons for just such an occasion. ” I finally let out a sigh as I returned to my original position and brought both hands up to my mouth, staring intently at Oghash. Her expression never faltered as she watched my distraction of a show. I then drew my hands out slightly and opened them, examining what I'd been given in secret; an obelisk and a small coin pouch, similar to what Dumag had used to store the crystals. I turned to look at the others with a serious expression. “What do you think guys? Should we be able to do it?”

Dumag nodded insistently as he reached into his pouch and pulled out the mentioned bag of crystals, the gems making a noticeable clatter within. “If you use everything at your disposal, the day should be won.” He then seemed to make a point a squeezing the bag, forcing it to fit into the palm of his hand. “The fuck? Don't tell me magic bags are possible.” I turned back to my hand as I looked at the empty pouch currently there. “Only one way to find out.”

I looked up at Oghash and her group as I grinned. “I guess there's only one other thing to tell you then.” I then gripped the obelisk with one hand and turned to reveal it. “Us humans don't get nauseous when we teleport.” I had a brief instant to enjoy Oghash's surprised expression before shouting the incantation for Teleport and disappearing from the Archive tunnel and reappearing in an empty bedroom.

I quickly scanned the room for an exit and dashed out the door, running back into the floor of the cavern near where I'd dropped into the pit. I turned as I quickly retraced our steps and ran towards the fallen tower leading to the staircase that would take me up. I placed the hand holding the obelisk firmly on my head, holding the crown in place, as I looked at the coin pouch. “How would one enchant a pouch? Why would Dumag give me this? How will this help me?” I started panting as my muscles groaned from the new exertion and I began climbing the fallen tower, kicking rocks down the side as I did. I was now slowed enough to not need my hand on my head and I shoved the Beacon into the pouch. I blinked in surprise as it disappeared and I could still crumple the bag up as if it were empty. I opened it up slightly as I slowed down at the top of the tower and saw an impossibly large space within the bag, about as big as my torso. Even the opening of the bag itself seemed to be able to stretch farther than it should be able to. If I wanted to, I could probably slip my entire head in with little to no problem. “Oh, I get it.” I quickly pulled the crown off my head and shoved it into the bag, the weight of it practically vanishing as it entered the soft leather. I breathed a sigh of relief as I pulled the bag closed and began running again, sliding down the opposite side of the tower. I paused for a second at the bottom of the tower to slip the bag into the pocket of my jeans then burst back into a run, free of anything and everything that could slow me down or distract me from running. “Alright. Now to the surface.”

I continued to run as I found the staircase and started my ascent, sprinting up the steps as I tried to find the right way out of there. I continued to move as I dashed through passageway after passageway and visualized a path that would lead me out of here. “Left right left left right left right.” I continued to climb as I panted, my legs straining under the exertion. My panting and footsteps echoed impossibly loud in the confined space as I continued to run. “Always assume they're right behind you. Don't look back. Don't stop for anything.” I skidded to a halt as I reached the top and came to a dead end. The only other exit from the tunnel was a doorway to my left. “That's not good.” I turned and sprinted back down the staircase as I tried to visualize my route again, but the place was a haphazard maze. It seemed like every time they wanted to build a new home, they just chose a spot and made another tunnel, avoiding other tunnels already in place. “Shit. Shit. Shit. Where's the exit?” I turned and ran back down the steps and thought through my path again. “Maybe this way.” I ran up a different staircase as my legs started to protest. I came upon another dead end and let out a curse. “FUCK!”

I dashed back down as I tried to estimate where I was. The maze-like layout of the city was doing me no favors in finding the exit. I re-emerged into the room that branched off into several staircases. I let out a growl as I paced angrily. “There are probably hundreds of chambers like this. I could lose hours trying to find the exit. By the time I get out of here, they might have already registered the find for themselves. I need a way to narrow down the possibilities, even a little bit. I just need to thi-” I stopped pacing as my hair suddenly stood on end. I paused as an idea came to mind. I backed up a step and reentered the draft that had sent a chill through my arm. “Bingo.” I turned and started running again, going against the draft as it pushed its way down the stairs. I emerged into another ante-chamber and slowed down a bit. “Find the draft, find the way out.” I raised my hand a bit and found the breeze again. I burst into another run and followed the wind as it led me towards the exit.

I stopped on a set of stairs as I suddenly heard a pop, a groan, and then running feet from somewhere above me. “Shit! No. No. No. No.” I started running again as I followed the sound of retreating footsteps. I burst through two more chambers before finally emerging into the balcony that overlooked the city. I turned and ran down the tunnel, continuing to follow the footsteps as they too retreated from the city. I suddenly heard a commotion from further ahead. “Sarding Watch Where You Run!” I quickly found who had shouted as I suddenly saw myself running towards a group of orcs entering the city. Their eyes grew wide as I approached and showed no signs of slowing down. They tried to press themselves against the wall again to let me pass, but I had a better idea. I quickly ran through the gestures for Teleport and materialized behind their group with a loud pop, eliciting a nauseous grumble from my stomach and causing me to stumble slightly before regaining my composure. I continued running as the group threw an obscenity in my direction and I chased the pounding footsteps. The tunnel around me briefly faded as the light slowly changed from a soft yellow to a much harsher white. I finally burst from the stone doorway and squinted around in the now near blinding light, causing me to slow to a stop. My eyes slowly adjusted as I tried to get a sense of direction. “South. South. Which way is South? Where's the mage? Is she waiting for me out here?” I turned as my eyes finally adjusted and saw a figure running off in the distance, a yellow skin draped over their shoulder. “Son of a Bitch.” I burst back into a run as I internally berated myself. “Fucking Statue Thing. Of Course They Take Another Artifact. Why Wouldn't You Want A Shawl Than Can Survive Being On A Rotting Corpse For A Thousand Years? Now I Fucking Need To Beat Her Before She Gets The Shawl Back To Snakhagr. Run God Damn It! You Can't Let Oghash Get Her Fucking Way!”

I suddenly came up with an idea as my mind thought back to the group I'd passed in the tunnel. “This is either going to be very painful or absolutely genius.” I quickly went through the gestures of Teleport and rematerialized a few yards ahead of me. I stumbled slightly as I dropped down a few inches but kept running as my stomach let out a growl of protest. “Little bit of both it is.” I focused on the mage running ahead of me as I prepared another Teleport. This time, I appeared just behind the running mage and caused her to turn to me in surprise. I saw the hand not holding the shawl on her shoulders move to cast a spell. Against my stomach's better wishes, I Teleported again and vanished just in time to avoid a bolt of lightning shooting in my direction, reappearing in front of her this time and still running in the direction of Snakhagr. I gave the mage only a second to register the event before I Teleported again and widened our gap. I felt an intense wave of nausea from the combination of Teleporting and running, my heightened senses from the adrenaline for once being a detriment to my goal. “Just Fucking Run. Don't Look Back. Don't Stop. Just Run!” I stumbled again as I Teleported another thirty feet or so and my stomach let out another big wave of nausea. “I Swear To God, Salthu, You Better Find A Way Into The Archive Cause I'm Not About To Run All The Way To Snakhagr For A Crown And Bragging Rights.”

Amelia

Oghash's expression immediately turned to anger as Dexter disappeared from the tunnel, taking the crown and obelisk with him. She turned to one of the mages guarding me and Gremach and started bellowing. “Go After Him! Register The Discovery Before He Does.”

Surprisingly, she protested as Oghash threw the Beacon towards her. “Wait, why me? I want to see what's in there just as much as you do. Besides, I cannot just take it from him. If he makes it back and speaks in front of the Candor Bars while I am registering the find, they will nullify our discovery and give it to him.”

Oghash jabbed her finger poignantly at the tunnel behind the Archive and shouted again, causing the mage to take a step back as Oghash shoved something into her hand. “Then Find Something Else! I Don't Care What It Is, Just Find Something That'll Prove We Were Here!” The mage nodded timidly before running past Brokil, Bruga, and Dumag and into the tunnel they'd just left. Oghash turned to glare at them again as her numbers were reduced. I slowly got to my feet as I signaled Gremach to do the same. I put on a face of confidence and finally stood straight again as I suddenly clapped my hands together and drew everyone's attention. “Now then. Since the playing field has been leveled a bit, I think I'm going to join my group again. Not that captivity hasn't been fun, but I think I prefer exploring ruins with people that aren't threatening to kill me.” Before anyone could protest, I turned and started walking towards Brokil and the others as I dragged Gremach behind me. I motioned for Salthu to follow me as I continued. “You can come away from that now. I doubt your falsetto explorations were going to fool her much longer anyway.” Salthu nodded as he stood and joined us on the other side of the tunnel, leaving Oghash to glare at him as he left. I kept a face of confidence as I stared at her carefully.

I turned to the others as I covered my mouth and dropped my voice to a whisper. “How bad is it? What did you encounter? No way was Dexter actually that energized. He was being too much of a showboat even for him.”

Dumag rubbed his face and covered his mouth as he quietly replied. “It is not favorable. Bruga, Dexter, and I drained our energy reserves defeating a living statue. Even the manastones he brought no longer hold mana. I believe Brokil is the only one still with a modicum of mana. In truth, I would be surprised if Dexter could make such a journey before she catches him. Unfortunately, we were also not successful in finding the necessary keys for the Archive. Dexter may be the only way we will be able to prove we discovered it first.” I nodded as I glanced back at Oghash and the others. The now three mages that had been guarding us joined her near the center of the tunnel, staring daggers in our direction. The only ones that didn't look ready for a fight were the two that had been standing with her earlier. “Total fighting power for both sides; four definite and two maybe versus four definite with one slight drain and two full drains. In terms of raw power, the advantage is definitely to them. They have several spells I probably know nothing about. Plus, Oghash seems pretty confident in her level of skill over Salthu. Speaking of which.”

I turned to Salthu as I dropped my voice again. “Why does she keep calling you a wizard? I thought you were a mage.”

Salthu looked a little timid as he quietly replied. “Strictly speaking, I am a wizard. Though I technically have enough skill to be considered a mage. Based on how someone views me, they will call me one or the other. It is rather irksome when I wish for others to seriously consider my skills and knowledge. As you saw, I am only needed when it is convenient for them.”

I nodded as I glanced towards Oghash again. She and the other three were having a quiet conversation amongst each other. Meanwhile, the two that were originally with her were having their own quiet discussion. I turned back to the others as I eyed the tunnel behind them. “I don't expect Dexter to actually try to run to Snakhagr. He probably just said that to trick them into dividing themselves. If what you said is true, he'll likely make it halfway before running out of steam. Besides, I'm sure you guys didn't leave any artifacts behind. If you got a crown, you probably picked up everything that was near it.”

Dumag nodded as he reached over and tapped his satchel. “Only the crown and two other artifacts remained. All else was destroyed when the city was abandoned.”

I grinned slightly as I heard the news, but my face quickly fell as we heard a shout coming from further down the tunnel. “I Found Something! I Have An Artifact!”

Oghash bellowed back as the sound of pounding feet echoed around the walls. “Then Go After Him! Do Not Waste Your Time Here!” I peered over Brokil's shoulder as we all turned to look at the commotion. The orc that had gone in had returned with a large pale-yellow cloth draped over her shoulder. I had half a second to take in the sight before she nodded and disappeared with a loud Pop. “God damn it.” I rubbed my face as I let out an aggravated sigh. “That's unfortunate and it's not confidence-inducing.”

I turned to Dumag as I reassessed our situation. His face was contorted in frustration, but it was otherwise focused. “What did you end up finding back there? Do we at least have something of value? Cause right now, our claim on the Archive is up in the air. The artifacts you found might be the only thing we get out of this.” Dumag nodded as he reached into his satchel and pulled out two gauntlets, one right-handed the other left-handed.

Salthu let out an amazed breath as he gently took one of them and examined it. “Two Divi- . . . a Divine Gauntlet.”

I reached out and took the other gauntlet as I examined it. “Divine? What makes them divine?” The metal let out a clinking sound as I flexed the fingers. There were seven gems colored on the back of the palm; a ruby, a sapphire, an emerald, an amethyst, a topaz, a piece of quartz, and an onyx. I turned the gauntlet over and ran my finger along with a familiar Mars emblem. “Intriguing.”

I turned to Salthu as he whispered enthusiastically. “They are said to be made by Kremthu, the god of battle and metal himself. Very rarely does he bestow his works, but each one that is given is said to be a marvel in and of themselves. Rumor has it that each divine weapon contains a piece of his power, pledged to serve any that it deems worthy.” I nodded as I leaned over and glanced at the gauntlet Salthu was currently holding, a near copy of the first gauntlet except for the slimmer design and different emblem. “Now that has got to be something significant.” I glanced back at Oghash again. She and the other three were now eyeing us cautiously as if preparing for anything we might do. The other two were still speaking quietly to each other and seemed to be getting a little heated in their discussion. I turned to look back at the gauntlets but stopped as I noticed the Archive door, more specifically the two holes on either side of the door. The one on the right seemed a tad larger than the other one, still about elbow height, but definitely larger.

I quickly turned back to the group as I asked the now obvious question. “Where did you find these? Was anything noticeable nearby?”

Bruga nodded as she gestured behind her. “The first we found on the body of a dead chief. The second we found bound in a tree next to a second body, the one that the enchanted shawl had come from. Removing the gauntlet from the wood was easy, what came after was . . . less so.”

I tilted my head towards the door as I kept the hushed tone. An idea was forming in my head. One that was either genius or completely stupid. “What if you did find the keys? They're just not the kind of keys you'd expect.”

Salthu's eyes grew wide as he looked towards the Archive and seemed to understand what I was getting at. “You do not think . .”

I nodded as I raised a finger to my lips and quietly hushed him. “In my world, there's a way to create a lock that requires a specific item to open. I'm guessing with the right magic, you could do the same thing.” Everyone's eyes grew wide at the idea.

Brokil quickly ran his hand over one of the gauntlets as he muttered to himself. “She is onto something. The gauntlets possess several enchantments. Perhaps one of them could allow us entry.”

I leaned in slightly as I whispered again. “What about the other enchantments? What do they do?”

Brokil shook his head as he waved his hand over them again. “They are too intertwined. I cannot discern their purpose. They could enhance spellcasting or merely hold mana. For all I know, some of these gems are spellstones as well.”

I gestured dismissively as I looked towards Oghash again. They seemed intrigued at our sudden energy. “We won't try to cast spells with them yet, just open the door.” I pointed at Dumag and Bruga as I continued. “You two put them on. If they can help cast spells, you might be able to fight for a bit should that ever become necessary.” Dumag nodded as he took the thicker gauntlet and pulled it on. He then presented the other gauntlet to Bruga who looked at it hesitantly before pulling it on herself. I nodded as I addressed Dumag again. “This is going to take some more trickery. I need you to look as intimidating as possible.” Dumag didn't change his expression. “That's perfect. Now just follow my lead.” I then gestured for the group to follow as I spoke in a normal voice. “It's worth a shot. Let's try it.”

I turned and led them towards the Archive door, drawing a bewildered gaze from Oghash and her posse. “What on Kur do you think you are doing?”

I pointed towards the door as I replied. “We're going to open the Archive. Since we've both got runners heading to register the find, we might as well take a look at what's inside.”

Oghash scowled as she stared at us. “What makes you think we will not take the artifacts once the door is open? Surely you must know the risk of opening it in our presence.”

I frowned and gestured towards Dumag as I retorted. “You're welcome to try.” I heard the clicks of a flexing gauntlet and Oghash seemed to hesitate. I nodded as I turned back to the door as I gestured. “I thought so. Dumag, take the one on the right. Bruga, you take the one on the left.” They nodded as they moved into place and stuck their hand out, preparing to slide their arms into the hole. After a second, they pushed the gauntlets in and a loud click echoed around the tunnel. I grinned as I waited for the door to open, but it just remained stagnant in the wall. I let out a sigh as I looked at Dumag and Bruga. “Maybe if you twist?” I suggested. They nodded and twisted their arm, causing another loud click to echo off the walls. Still, the door didn't budge.

I heard a low chuckle from behind and turned to see Oghash laughing at us. “I honestly do not know what you expected. They would not make the lock so simple. Salthu must know this. This is their prized vault. Even if they did manage to enchant gauntlets to act as keys, that would not be the only protection they placed on the Archive.”

I let out an exasperated sigh as I turned to face Oghash directly. “You know, you could help. Anything we do here won't affect who gets to the Institute first. Neither of us has control over who gets to claim the find. So, you might as well help us open the Archive so that we can share the loot. I doubt we'd be able to carry out all the Artifacts and books in there. Besides, it would be unwise to aggravate the only ones that can get you out of here.” Oghash let out a smirk as she reached into her shawl. The smirk quickly faded as she suddenly started desperately tapping all along her person and then glanced to where the other mage had vanished.

Her face then shifted to one of anger as she realized who had all the leverage. “Very well then.” She conceited begrudgingly. “I shall offer my thoughts if it means a chance at the artifacts within. If those gauntlets are not sufficient to pass into the Archive, then perhaps there is a verbal key, a word or phrase one must speak to gain access. If an item is capable of acting as a key, then perhaps words can as well.” I nodded as I rubbed my head and thought through all the possible password combinations. “They wouldn't use the crazy stuff. It would probably be something simple and easy to remember. Though there are still potentially thousands of possible combinations, assuming they chose a thing and not a name, we could be here for hours guessing them all. If they chose something we don't know about, we might never get it open.” I turned back to Dumag and Bruga as I let out another sigh. “Optimism. If Dexter believes it's possible to run to Snakhagr, I can believe in us finding the right word.”

I pointed towards Salthu as I readopted my optimistic expression. “Salthu, if you were the designing this, what passphrase would you use?”

Salthu scratched his head as he gave it some thought. “There are innumerable words that could be used. Even more that could potentially be out of my realm of thought. It could take days for us to go through all of them. The city name would be too obvious, as would the name of the mountain. What’s more, the phrase may be a name or title that we are not privy too and would thusly disallow our-”

Dumag let out an angered growl as he turned to Salthu, keeping his gauntlet in the recess as he did. “Then pick a word And Start From There. I do not care how unusual or foreign the word is; wheat, Chemisit, forge, sarding choose Kremthu for all I ca-” Dumag stopped as the stretch of brass above him suddenly hummed and was aglow with yellow light, causing the metal to morph and recede into the wall and reveal an engraving. The sound of bending metal accompanied the shift as the figure of an orc in full battle armor and carrying a large Warhammer was slowly revealed to us. We stared in amazement as the glow from the wall finally died and the tunnel returned to its quiet state once more. “Kremthu.” Dumag gasped. I covered my mouth in amazement as I took in the sight of the statue. The face of the figure was brutish yet handsome, displaying a strength that was covered by the garments worn over the rest of its body. The armor and helmet were a strange mix of Viking and Samurai. The material they showed appeared to be leather and chainmail, layered on top of each other in a way similar to the Japanese samurai of old. “Definitely a god of battle. It's awe-inspiring just to stand here and see the statue. Imagine if he were real. . . I'm going to jinx myself a lot with that word from now on.” I turned towards the door again, expecting it to open up at last, but still, it remained close.

Oghash spoke up again after letting out a low whistle. “I am impressed. I thought it would take much longer to gain even a small insight into what the correct word is. Though it would seem two words are required to open the Archive.” She glanced towards Bruga as I finally noticed the metal above her side was still bare.

I turned to her, a little aggravated, as I tried to rationalize the closed door. “Maybe both parties have to say it.” I turned to Bruga. “Bruga, Do it.” Bruga nodded and repeated the name of the god. The wall above her remained flat and inert. I internalized a string of curses as I ran through the possibilities. “Either it's something related to Kremthu, or something entirely different. Maybe the gauntlets hold a clue. They're virtually identical except for . . .” I turned to Salthu as I solidified the question. “Is there another god, one related to Kremthu in some way? Specifically, a female one.”

Salthu scrunched up his face as he seemed to consider. “Maybe? I do not recall legends of a goddess related to Kremthu. I know of other goddesses, but they are from elven tomes. They would not be connected to Kremthu.” I let out another sigh as I looked at the others. They each shook their head as they answered my silent question.

I suddenly heard another laugh from behind and I turned to see Oghash again, chuckling. “I expected better of you, Salthu. With all the tomes you have read, surely you know of the goddess of harvest and fertility.”

I kept up my calm expression as I bit back a venomous retort. “It would be in your best interest to help us, considering we're the only ones with a means of escape,” I repeated firmly, glaring at her with as much menace as I could muster.

I saw a twinge of annoyance flash across her face before she composed herself and let out a slow sigh. She seemed to consider something for a second before finally speaking again. “I know of the goddess that could potentially fit your description, but you should not expect me to merely give you the name. I expect fair compensation for assisting you.”

I let out a sigh of annoyance before addressing her. “What kind of compensation?” I asked calmly.

Oghash smirked again as she pointed towards Bruga. “I noticed you possess two gauntlets. Perhaps fair compensation for opening the Archive is one of the means of access. A key for a key as it were.”

I stared at her, dumbfounded. “They're hardly the same.” I retorted. “You can't replicate the gauntlet easily, if at all. The word itself is very easily replicated and we could probably leave to find out about this goddess before coming back and opening the Archive without you.”

Oghash grinned slightly as she nodded. “Fair point, but regardless of what happens today, the Archive will be known amongst the Institute. If they heard it was found but not yet opened, you can be assured that there will be many a group that venture here to attempt to open it. After today, the Archive will be teaming with groups just waiting to open it and the artifacts within will be distributed based on who gets them first. Face it, the only way either of us can hope to gain access to the items within is if I receive the gauntlet as compensation.” I closed my eyes as I internalized another string of curses. “We could try guessing or see if Salthu can recall someone like that. She's right though. After today, the place will constantly have a group trying to open the door. At that point, any hope of us getting the artifacts inside will be nothing. We need that password now or not at all.”

I stood there for a minute as I weighed the two options for a minute. I felt everyone's eyes on me as I was somehow left to make the decision. I knew how easily some locks could be tripped if you knew the right techniques. The hours of study Salthu had spent could have been mere minutes for someone that had enough skill. Once word got out just about everyone in the Institute would make the journey up here. Two hundred mages and wizards, each one more likely able to have that skill set, meant that we'd have to come back soon. Knowing people like her, she'd be posted close by for weeks, just waiting for someone to open it for her. Either way, she would be getting what was in the Archive and we might not. Finally, I turned to Bruga as I let out another sigh. “Let her have it.” I sighed defeatedly. Bruga froze as Oghash grinned and made her way over to the embedded gauntlet. I gestured insistently as Oghash stopped expectantly beside her. Bruga glanced at Dumag and he gave a nod before she finally relented and removed her hand from the gauntlet, stepping away.

Oghash grinned as she stepped forward, slipped her hand into the vacant slot, and looked up. “Ugor.” She said loudly. The brass above her glowed a familiar yellow and the metal started receding to reveal a new figure, a female orc holding a bundle of wheat aloft and a swaddle of cloth in the other. She was positioned and dressed similarly to the statue of liberty, a long greek-esque robe covering her from shoulder to toes in metallic cloth. Her face held an unnatural air of beauty that extracted a similar feeling of awe as her warlike counterpart. The swaddle of cloth was cradled close to her large breasts, drawn close as if to protect it. I had a few seconds to admire the newly revealed figure before the door let out a loud CLANK and the circular engravings began to spin. Clockwise and counterclockwise, the engravings began to glow as whatever magic was being used to seal the doors were loosened and the circles continued moving. Metal slid against metal and along each other as the runic carvings bathed the corridor in light. I felt my heart surge with excitement as the door let out a few more clicking noises and each of the nested circles suddenly started slamming to a halt, gradually forming a split down the middle as the inner circles began stopping as well.

I hear a stifled cry of joy as Salthu hopped from one foot to another. “Here it comes,” Salthu said enthusiastically. I grinned and nodded as the innermost circle finally slammed into position and the large ‘X’ dominating the center glowed. The central circle finally split with a resounding CRACK and the wall slowly started to bend outward. Our excitement suddenly turned to confusion and then to fear as water started leaking out of the split in the middle. It started slowly at first, dripping out from the center, but as the door opened more and more the water started coming out in a torrent, soaking the floor and splattering the wall on the far side.

A sense of panic suddenly rose as I thought about the enormous pressure that might be behind the door. “Get To Cover!” I shouted. Our groups dashed towards where the gauntlets were embedded and gripped their respective wielders as the Archive doors suddenly burst open and a massive wave of water poured from the entrance. I watched as the water flooded the tunnel and washed damp scrolls past us. The flood lasted what felt like forever, but was probably just a minute or two. By the time the water had finally died, the floor was almost covered in blank and wet scrolls that had probably once held information. I crouched there in shock as I processed what had happened.

I saw Brokil scramble forward, stunned, and pick up one of the destroyed parchments, examining it in disbelief. He then moved and circled the door to look into the Archive proper. A weak “No.” was all that I heard crouched near Dumag. Finally, I snapped out of my shock and stood to follow him, the others doing the same as Dumag twisted the gauntlet and pulled it from the recess in the wall. We rounded the door and saw Oghash and her group do the same for the other door. I let out a gasp as I turned and saw the inside of the Archive.

The room was as deep as it was tall, making a perfect cube of a vault and dripping wet. The sounds of water were present throughout and fell on everything within. The room also seemed halfway looted. Boxes of items were pulled out and their contents scattered about the room. Staves were lying haphazardly about, whether from the water or actual handling I couldn't tell. There were diamond-shaped recesses all along the wall that I can only assume used to hold scrolls, scrolls that were now blank and spilled about the tunnel behind us. However, that wasn't the most notable feature. In the middle of the room stood a gnarled and warped tree, its branches reaching up as it to pry the very ceiling open. It partially succeeded as that seemed to be where the water was coming from, dripping down in an almost steady stream. I felt like puking as I saw what was beneath the branches. Collapsed around the tree were shriveled husks of bodies, bone-thin, made of wood, and recognizably humanoid. I covered my mouth as someone let out a scream and Brokil fell to his knees. “What on earth happened here?”