The cavernous room descended down, wooden beams were built into the rock to create a crude staircase. Shaynen was the first down the steps with Haagut behind him. Crystals grew in clusters along the walls, mushrooms grew on the ground. Haagut pulled the map out of his bag and mumbled over it. At the end of the hall was a large iron door with a dwarven face carved into it. Shaynen reached for it.

“Shaynen don’t.” Haagut said sharply. Shaynen stepped back in surprise. Haagut lowered the map so he could see it. At the bottom corner, pointing to the entirety of the map was the text TRAPS!

“Are any of us good at finding traps?” Shaynen asked, looking up at Cleatus at the back of the group. He snorted.

“Nope.” He laughed. Odelia rubbed at the spot on her forehead where the third eye had closed and vanished. Haagut slipped past Shaynen to the door; he poked and prodded at the iron.

“Careful Haagut, last time you did that a cannonball shot out of the wall.” Shaynen said. Haagut nodded absently. He pushed open the door with a heavy grinding, creak. Nothing happened.

Haagut turned and flashed Shaynen a quick thumbs-up and entered the room. The room was structured. Held with pillars and distinctly carved wall and floor tiles. Shaynen hesitated for half a second before entering the room. In the middle Haagut held out the map and turned about before holding it out for the party to gather around.

“Okay so… there’s a door over there.” Haagut pointed then turned to the opposite side of the room. “And two archways over there.”

“If we…” Shaynen started, then paused. He looked around for a second before rubbing a hand in the dirt. “Go this way, it’s the fastest way out.” He traced a path through the map with the dirt. Making a single line all the way through the mine.

“But we could go this way,” Cleatus said, scooping up a handful of dirt as well and tracing a line that went all over the map.

“We could..” Haagut nodded but brushed off all the dirt from the map. “Let’s just see what’s behind that door.” Haagut put the map away and moved to the lone door at the northern corner of the room.

“I thought we were in a hurry.” Shaynen insisted. “Y’know, people disappearing and never leaving? Pile of corpses? You really want to explore the whole mine?”

“Not all of it,” Haagut shrugged. “But you never know what could be behind the door.”

“Yeah and because no one ever leaves there could be some great shit here.” Cleatus agreed. “Finders keepers and all that, free shit Shaynen.”

“Makes sense I guess,” Shaynen shrugged. “But we should keep track of where we’ve been on the map so we don’t spend forever checking the same rooms.” Haagut turned and pulled the map out and placed it into Shaynen’s hands. He went back to the door and began inspecting it. Shaynen shrugged and started digging about in his own bag.

“Here.” Odelia pulled out a small piece of charcoal and handed it to Shaynen.

“Ah, thank you.” He nodded. He knelt down and began marking small neat notes and marks over the rooms they’d been in. Haagut inspected the only door in the room, running his hand gently along the frames and handle. At the bottom there was a small gap between the door and the floor. As Haagut traced down near the bottom he noticed a soft flickering coming from under the door.

“Flickering,” He said aloud. “Flickering means fire, fire means people, people means stuff.” Cleatus’ ear turned toward the door and then the rest of him followed. He looked up and down the door’s rusted hinges. He motioned Haagut to the side and pulled out a dagger. Cleatus flexed his fingers, extending his curved claws he began very carefully picking and prying at the hinge pins.

It took a few minutes of hard concentration and a broken claw that made him curse under his breath. But Cleatus stood up and put his dagger away.

“I can’t get it,” He mumbled.

“Have we tried knocking?” Shaynen asked. Walking up behind Haagut.

“Whhy?” Haagut breathed in disbelief,

“They could be friendly. Are we just supposed to assume everything hiding behind a locked door is evil?” Shaynen asked.

“Yes! Doors get locked for a reason, Shaynen.” Haagut rubbed under his eyes.

“Yeah, but they could have the door locked to keep the evil stuff out,” Shaynen defended further. “I’m just saying, there’s a possibility and either way if we open that door it’ll make a ton of noise.” Haagut shook his head. He put down his bag and shifted through until he brought out the ornate bag. Carefully he slid his thieves tools into the lock and it clicked. Haagut snickered.

“Was it even locked?” He laughed. The smile was wiped off his face when he looked at the rusty hinges. His frown deepened.

“I have a plan,” Haagut said.

“Okay,” Shaynen nodded.

“We go to bed.” Haagut said definitively.

“... what?” Shaynen asked dumbfounded. “Wh- I don’t like this plan.”

“I don’t have the… the energy to do it quietly now. But I could, tomorrow.” Haagut explained slowly.

“I still think we should just knock,” Shaynen insisted. “If we’re going in anyway?”

“Wha? What? Wh-what go in there; ‘Hi, nice to meet you’ punch them in the face?” Haagut scoffed.

“Maybe,” Shaynen shrugged. “Depends on if they punch me first.”

“Shaynen,” Odelia came up behind him and gently put a hand on his shoulder. “Whatever is behind that door is not friendly. When underground and possibly dealing with things from the underdark, it’s much safer, for us, to assume that it wants to kill us.”

“Mhm , mhm, mhm, mhm” Haagut nodded rapidly. Cleatus nodded as well from above Haagut.

“We knock on that door, we die.” Odelia said seriously.

“But if we open the door, we also die.” Shaynen pointed out. “And it’s just as dangerous to sleep here.” Cleatus left the iron door to inspect the other two archways that were missing the doors. The one nestled between the corner had the sound of movement coming out of it while the other descended further into the dark. The arch was much rougher and unpolished than the other doors in this room. Rusted and broken hinges were partially buried in the rock walls that signified there had once been a door.

“If we are looking to avoid trouble, it’s safe to say we should go that way.” Shaynen said. Following Cleatus across the room.

“Well what’s the map say, map-boy?” Odelia rolled her eyes. Shaynen frowned and pulled out the map.

“I drew a line!” He snapped as he pointed at the map.

“I was talking to Haagut,” Odelia said. “What does the map say about traps?”

“There’s a note that says traps, and it circles the whole map.” Haagut said. “Shaynen has it, you can look for yourself.” Odelia looked towards Shaynen who held out the map toward her. Lips pressed together in a stern frown.

“Helpful,” She said. Haagut dug through his bag and pulled out a small clay jar of lard. He knew a small amount about getting through iron doors without the inhabitants knowing. He spread the lard generously over the hinges, then he slowly opened the door. It made the barest of sounds that was only noticed by those listening for it.

Inside the room, hovering about the stone floor, were two medium sizes skulls completely bathed in flames. Haagut’s eyes widened, he shut the door just as quietly. He turned to the party silently. They were all staring with equally unnerved expressions at the door.

“So… not that door,” Shaynen’s voice broke uneasily while breaking the silence.

“Yeah not. Not that. Let’s just go.” Haagut quickly walked away from the door. Shaynen quickly made a few marks onto the map. Cleatus turned back to the hallway.

“Hallways mean traps,” Odelia pointed out. Cleatus’s ear twitched, he swiftly moved past Shaynen to the other archway. Coming from the archway was the sound of movement; specifically the grinding sound of stone against stone.

“That’s a sound,” Shaynen winced and pressed a fist into ear and moving away from the door.

“That is a sound,” Cleatus agreed. “We’ll try the hallway.” He led the party down the hall and deeper into the mine.