The party circled down the shaft for what felt like hours, with no interruptions. The scenery repeated itself endlessly: strange corridors branching off to mysterious ends and a central chasm of darkness that seemed bottomless.
And all the while, the Sapphire Star glowed on his chest. From moment to moment, it was hard to tell if it was getting brighter. But it was at least not dimming.
From time to time, Eldrin lifted his Wayfinder’s Compass. Its enchanted golden needle continued to point ahead.
Whenever Justin glanced upward, the spiraling shaft they had descended was lost to darkness. The ether crystals, which had provided faint illumination higher up, had all but disappeared down here, leaving only shadows and the faint glow of Justin's cane and the Star itself.
“It’s strange,” Ryak said at last, breaking the silence. “Nothing has challenged us yet.”
“Don’t jinx it,” Lila muttered. “We’re overdue for something horrible.”
Justin didn’t respond. He had plenty of time to second-guess this path he had sent them all on. Several times, he'd been tempted to stop and turn back and admit he was wrong.
But all it took was thinking of the Baron and his sneering face to change his mind.
He watched Kargan closely, trying to gauge his emotions. His face was a stoic mask, but any time he caught a glimpse of his amber eyes, he detected traces of fear. Their harrowing journey through Drakendir had obviously affected the young orc more than Justin had thought. He wondered if he had been a bit too insistent that they stick together. For all he knew, Kargan had the right of it.
But at least this would be an opportunity for them to learn more. It hadn't gotten dangerous. At least, not yet.
At last, his thoughts were broken when the spiraling ramp came to an abrupt end. As the floor leveled, Justin realized they were standing on an intricately patterned mosaic, the geometric shapes forming a beautiful design. The Sapphire Star on his chest was burning brighter than ever.
"We have to be close now," he said.
Twelve tunnels branched out from the central chamber, their dark mouths yawning open like the maws of beasts.
Ryak shook his head. “This is why I warned against this. We’re far beyond where we should be. That compass may be enchanted, but it doesn't guarantee safety—or that it’s leading us anywhere good.”
"Eldrin?" Justin asked.
Eldrin nodded, holding the compass steady. He pointed to the tunnel ahead. "That one."
The Ranger led the way, his boots making no sound on the polished floor. The others followed in a line.
As they continued, what had once been a natural cavern gave way to something unmistakably constructed. The rough stone walls transitioned into paved hallways with faded frescoes lining the surfaces. As they walked, Justin examined the artwork.
The frescoes depicted scenes of a bygone era, with small diminutive figures—clearly gnomes—engaged in various activities. One panel showed a bustling marketplace, with gnomes trading intricate mechanical contraptions and glowing gemstones. Another depicted a group of gnomes working together to erect a massive, ornate archway, their faces alight with triumph. But the final image was far darker: gnomes clad in armor, commandeering intricate machines that looked like something out of a steampunk fever dream. They were locked in battle against an army of fiery demons. Their expressions, even through the peeling paint, radiated terror.
Justin’s gaze lingered on the last panel. “Looks like we’re not the first ones to deal with Fyrspawn.”
“Or worse,” Lila murmured. “If this is who they were fighting, no wonder the gnomes disappeared.”
Kargan snorted. “If they didn’t win, what makes us think we have a shot?"
"Well, we're not here to win," Justin answered. "Just to find that gate."
Eldrin turned around, raising a hand to signal silence.
Hours passed as the party navigated the maze-like tunnels. The Star's steady glow illuminated their path, paired with the soft light from Justin’s cane. No enemies appeared. The compass shifted its golden needle whenever they came to a crossroads, pointing decisively down the correct path. Or at least, what Justin hoped would be the correct path.
Several times, however, the party mistakenly went the wrong way, only for the compass to almost frantically correct them. Each time, they retraced their steps, and Eldrin marked their trail with small piles of stones or scratches etched into the walls—practical reminders to ensure they could find their way back if the worst were to happen.
As they pressed onward, the Star's glow intensified, almost as if it were eager to guide them to their destination. It had grown so bright now that Justin kept it carefully hidden. It was too much of a risk. Instead, they relied on his cane's light.
Once, they were heading down a wide, straight passage, which seemed to be a main thoroughfare through the rock. The compass's needle suddenly jerked back in the direction they came from.
Ryak shook his head. "See? This is folly. It's leading us on a merry chase to nowhere. It's not too late to—"
Eldrin held up a hand, straining to hear while his expression darkened.
"It's no merry chase," Eldrin said. "There's a reason we haven't run into any enemies."
Justin's eyes widened. Was the compass literally leading them away from potential ambushes and traps?
The answer came with a molten glow that appeared from one of the corridors ahead. Eldrin swiftly followed the compass's new directive, diving into a narrow passage. It was a dead end, with rubble burying it, but the party did the best they could to hide behind a broken column. With a mental push, Justin completely dimmed the light of his cane.
Within the minute, a pair of patrolling Fyrspawn walked by, speaking in a grating dialogue with discordant tones. Justin couldn't understand the language. He hid the Star as best he could by covering it with his pack.
Within a couple of minutes, the coast was clear. With a nod from Eldrin, Justin allowed his cane's light to power back on. Once again, the golden needle pointed ahead, down the same passage from which the Fyrspawn had come.
Justin was grateful, but he had to wonder. Was it really leading them to the gate, or merely allowing them to dodge the demons?
Whatever the case, the usefulness of the compass was never questioned again.
The narrow tunnel passage they were in widened and came to an abrupt end, onto a jagged cliff edge. Justin froze, his breath catching in his throat as he took in the sight before him.
The cavern stretched far beyond what he could have imagined, a sprawling expanse that defied all logic. Massive glowing mushroom-like trees dotted the landscape, their bioluminescent caps casting a pale bluish light over ruins that could only be described as a lost city. Ancient towers jutted upward, some crumbling and leaning precariously, while others stood proud, almost as if time hadn't touched them at all. At least a dozen metallic bridges spanned a wide underground river that wound its way through the city, its waters shimmering with a silvery-blue hue.
He would have been reminded of Drakendir, but the buildings here looked...different. Almost modern in their conception, made from metal and glass. It was quickly lost to distance, but there was nothing to say the city didn't stretch even further, losing itself around a bend in the cavern.
Then he saw them. The distance was great, but he did not miss the fiery forms that flickered like living torches as they stalked through the streets below. Some appeared to be patrolling, while others gathered near a massive central tower that rose like a beacon at the city’s heart, across the largest bridge spanning the river. That building must have been at least sixty or seventy stories tall. Justin’s stomach churned at the sight.
“This…” Lila whispered, her voice barely audible. “This is incredible.”
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“And dangerous,” Ryak muttered, his gaze fixed on the patrolling Fyrspawn. “We’re not getting through there unnoticed.”
"We can certainly try," Eldrin said. Lifting the compass, Justin could see it was pointing directly toward the city, and specifically to that central tower.
"The gate has to be in there," Justin said.
"Of course it is," Kargan said, sitting down on a nearby rock. His form was practically despondent.
Justin buttoned his coat, doing everything he could to hide the Star's light, which was becoming quite radiant.
He adjusted the Monocle of Insight, squinting at the Fyrspawn in the distance, hoping the artifact would grant him some crucial information. But no names, levels, or descriptions populated his interface. He could only guess they were too far away for the enchantment to function.
“Nothing,” he muttered under his breath, stepping back from the cliff edge. “I can’t get a read on them.”
“Well, let’s hope that changes when we get closer,” Lila whispered, her gaze flicking between the glowing mushroom trees, the cliff, and the city. "At least it looks like this mushroom forest will provide cover."
"Yes, but what about after that?" Kargan asked. "Maybe Eldrin can hide himself, but what about me? What about the rest of us? There's no way we can get through there without a fight."
Justin was afraid Kargan was right. On paper, it looked impossible. The right move was to turn back. But the idea of wasting a whole day coming down here and back weighed heavily on Justin. It all but guaranteed that Valdrik would get enough time to catch up.
Justin’s eyes fell to the stairway carved into the cliffside, which led into the mushroom forest. It looked precarious at best, and at worst, an obvious route that the Fyrspawn used to reach the surface. The thought made his chest tighten, but if the compass said it was safe, they just had to trust it. Options were thinning at this point.
Eldrin kneeled at the edge, peering down the stairway. “I’ll take the lead. My boots make no noise and will hide me in the shadows."
“And what’s the plan if we get caught?" Kargan asked. "Remember what I said. If it looks too tough, we need to turn back."
Silence met his words. It was clear that no one really had a good answer for him.
At last, Ryak broke the quiet of the cavern. "I think it's clear, from that compass, the gate is in that tower. If indeed that's what it's pointing to. Whatever the case, I have led you as far as I am able. It's obvious that if I don't intend to continue into the gate, I'm as good as dead." The Cryomancer turned to face the rest of them. "This is where my path ends." His eyes went to Kargan. "Kargan, my offer still stands."
Kargan looked up at him hopefully. "Do...do you think we can get back out?"
Ryak nodded. "It's much easier than going that way. We came here for more information, and we got it. I have something to take to the elders. But before I do that, I want to make good on my end of the bargain. I swear on my life that I'll get you south of the Seraphims. Wherever you wish to go."
Justin resisted the impulse to protest. Lila put a hand on his arm, urging silence. More than anything, he didn't want Kargan to be captured by the Baron. He had the feeling that it would be far worse than whatever awaited them down here.
But he also knew he needed to let go. What right did he have to force anyone into anything? Especially in light of the obstacles before them. They had learned more, and the new information was bad news.
Justin turned to Eldrin. "Eldrin. Tell it to me straight. Assuming the gate is inside that tower, is it even possible?"
Eldrin hesitated a bit before answering. "It'll be a tough nut to crack. Then there's the problem of Lila's theory. If she's right, and these Fyrspawn are using the gate, it stands to reason all we'll find on the other side is more of them. It's possible they have some sort of waystone that allows them to use the gate. Or, it's possible these Fyrspawn are just one of the many monsters that live in this place, and they just happen to be using this city as a base. Who can say?"
"It's said that in the days before the Godswar, even a poor person could travel the gates with a simple waystone ring," Ryak said. "Perhaps they found one of these rings. Or even several of them."
Had they really come all this way down here for absolutely nothing? Was it even possible to get to this gate without Kargan or Ryak?
"I understand," Justin said. "This...is a lot. More than I ever imagined it would be."
Ryak watched him impassively. While the Iceborne didn't have much in the way of facial expressions, Justin imagined this one meant, "I told you so."
"I can't risk anyone who doesn't want to be here," Justin said at last. "But at the same time, all that's waiting for me up there is Valdrik. And with us losing an entire day on this expedition..." He shook his head. "I know it's going to be tough. But as I see it, I have no real choice." He touched the Sapphire Star on his chest. "This artifact grants me complete invincibility for ten seconds. I'm willing to take the risk, go in there guns blazing, and draw all their attention. Then I can use that five seconds of increased damage to just blast them all with my Drake's Breath. Maybe it'll be enough to take care of most of them, and if it doesn't, well, it also inflicts Greater Darkness, which should blind them. Do we know how powerful that spell is?"
Eldrin cleared his throat. "Quite powerful. Basically, any enemy looking at you while it happens will be rendered completely blind for at least a minute or so. The effect might fade with distance, but certainly, anything in the vicinity will be blinded."
"Maybe a quick Dazzling Display while I'm using Sapphire Aegis to ensure I have everyone's attention," Justin said. He looked at Eldrin and Lila. "I'm not sure what your thoughts are. But Lila has a skill called Disappearing Act, which allows her to disappear and reposition somewhere else. It buys a few seconds and also blinds nearby enemies. And Eldrin's new boots will let him disappear entirely as long as the shadows are deep enough. I'm not sure if they will be in that tower. We have options."
Kargan cleared his throat. "Justin, listen to yourself. That sounds crazy as hell."
Despite herself, Lila laughed a bit. Both at the truth of the words and the fact that no one had ever heard Kargan curse before.
"I mean, really," Kargan said. "I get taking crazy risks when we're already forced into a Vault and we have no options. But none of us has an invincibility ability like you."
Justin sighed. "I know it's crazy. Maybe my desperation to get away is clouding my judgment a bit. And I know it's not fair for me to force anyone else into this. But maybe something crazy is just what we need."
Kargan looked at him seriously, his mouth slightly agape. "No, Justin. Crazy is the last thing we need."
"So what do you want to do? Surrender?"
"No, not surrender. But definitely not fight our way through an army of Fyrspawn, with no guarantee it even leads to anywhere good."
Lila looked at Eldrin. "I mean, could Justin's idea work? Personally, I love crazy, but not when my life is on the line."
"It might work, it might not," the Ranger answered. "It's the toss of the dice, and do we really want to toss those dice when lives are on the line? We don't know what's inside that tower. We don't know if the gate is near the entrance or on the very top floor. Or even behind the tower. If you're asking me what we should do, my advice would be to scout the city a bit more and get some more information. But that means committing ourselves more to this idea."
Ryak shook his head. "We did what we came to do. We scouted, and it looks too dangerous. We must turn around while we still have the chance."
Eldrin faced the passage from which they had just come. Indeed, it looked empty, a lifeline to the surface.
Justin went to Eldrin, looking at the compass he held in his hand. The golden needle still pointed behind toward the city.
More than that, it was glowing now, vibrating almost frantically. It had to mean something.
"The needle hasn't lied to us yet," Justin said. He looked at Ryak. "I understand if you and Kargan want to go back. But my belief is that the Vault gave us the compass for a reason, like Eldrin said. Crazy? Maybe. But I'll take my chances."
Lila shook her head. "I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I agree with Justin."
"I could go either way," Eldrin said. "But I'm inclined to think there's something to this compass. Like Justin said, it hasn't lied."
Indeed, the needle was still pointing toward the city, glowing as brightly as before.
There was silence until, at last, Kargan cleared his throat. "I fully understand. Personally, I can't buy it. We don't know enough about that compass, about the gate, just exactly where it's leading us. If all of you want to gamble on that..." He hesitated. "I...wish you all well on your journey. Maybe we'll meet again someday. I hope so."
That was it, then. Justin felt his stomach twist at the idea of parting. It wasn't just Kargan's healing he would miss. He had grown close to him over the past few weeks. From the amount they had experienced, it was almost as if years had passed.
He wondered if there was anything he could say to change Kargan's mind, but that would just be making this much harder than it needed to be.
Even if it wasn't easy, he forced himself to nod. He approached the orc and held out a hand. "I get it. All I can say is...be careful, Kargan. And I know wherever you end up, you'll thrive. Just don't forget us, okay?"
Kargan gave a grunting sort of laugh as he clasped Justin's hand. "How could I forget you? I should be telling you to be careful. I'll admit, maybe there's something to that compass, but I'm not willing to stake my life on it. Don't worry about Ryak and me. I trust his expertise."
Ryak nodded. "I must thank you once again for all that you've done for my people. We had better leave."
Eldrin and Lila also said their goodbyes, and sooner than Justin would have guessed, the two mages were walking back toward the passage.
[Kargan and Ryak have left the party.]
That notification almost felt like a death knell. The compass had been pointing away from that tunnel hard. To Justin's mind, that didn't bode well, but what could he do? Letting go wasn't easy, but perhaps it was necessary.
"Do you think they will make it?" Lila asked.
Eldrin watched them disappear around the corner. "I think so. Perhaps two can travel where five cannot. And without Justin, well, the Baron may lose interest in them. We'll see."
Justin wasn't too sure about that. Valdrik had been quite interested in Kargan and his blood magic. And Ryak had already established he was willing to work with him under the right circumstances. It didn't sit right, but again, there was nothing he could do.
The key to peace, perhaps, wasn't taking control. It was letting go, even when it was hard.
"How are we supposed to make it without a healer?" Lila asked.
"It's true we've come to rely on Kargan," Eldrin said. "But we'll find a way. Each of us still has some of Wolfram's potion left. Your abilities also provide a bit of passive healing, while Justin has his Life Affinity and Ring of Regeneration. It's not perfect in truly dire straits, but it's something." He nodded toward the staircase. "We'd better move. This compass needle is liable to break out of the glass entirely."
Justin glanced over, seeing that it was pointing just as aggressively toward the city. Justin got the strange premonition that the compass was almost like a bloodhound on the scent. It was a strange thought, but it seemed accurate.
Justin nodded. "After you, Eldrin."
The Ranger nodded. "Silence and speed are key. Let's find that gate."
Eldrin led the party down the steps and into the glowing mushroom forest. All Justin felt was a pervasive emptiness from his throat to his stomach.
Maybe it was for the best, but it certainly didn't feel like it.