As we wound our way along the corridor, the ceiling grew taller, and we were able to stand without stooping, and my back was glad for it. The way was still narrow, and we had to turn sideways to continue at some points. Lady Churl was still ahead of us, calling back to us encouragingly.

I was studying the floor, noting how the stone had been methodically chipped away by hand, when Elixander's voice echoed from ahead.

"I'm through," he called back. "There's something you all need to see."

The walls bore the same long furrows I'd been examining. "Who could have done all this work?" I wondered aloud.

"Dwarves," Doan said firmly. "Only they have this kind of precision."

"Precision?" I asked, running my hand along the rough-hewn wall.

"Aye," Doan replied. "If you were to measure between these walls, you'd find them perfectly consistent, even where they narrow. Dwarves are odd that way—they value certain rocks and stones more than others, and shape them just so."

We emerged into a large cavern that took my breath away. Half-toppled pillars stretched upward into darkness, while numerous passages branched off in different directions. A broad staircase had been carved directly into the rock wall, descending what I estimated to be thirty to fifty feet, though the darkness made it difficult to judge the true scale. The ceiling bore remnants of what could have been painted constellations, now faded and indiscernible. Stone benches were spaced evenly along the room, facing what seemed to be an altar, or a lectern. The floor was a mosaic of fallen tiles and sunken pathways that appeared to have been worn by centuries of footsteps.

Elaborate carvings covered every surface—the walls, the pillars, even portions of the floor. Time had worn away some details, but others remained crisp and clear. Debris and fallen stones littered the ground, creating obstacles we'd need to navigate carefully.

Elixander raised his hands, and several orbs of light shot outward, taking up positions near the ceiling. The illumination revealed the space, along with the intricate sigils and runes carved into every surface. I didn't recognize any of the symbols, though they seemed to follow distinct patterns.

Lady Churl was already in the room, walking around, looking behind the lectern , pushing rocks aside, and peering into passageways. She paused at one, and looked into the darkness. I had never asked Lady Churl about her vision, but she'd insisted on living in a cave before moving in with me. She didn't appear to be in the least bit concerned about the large space.

"Ooh. This is grand," Lady Churl called to us. "Might be I'll sleep here from now on."

Doan ran a hand through his hair as he took in the sight, his war hammer hanging at his side. "I've lived in Everspring my entire life," he said. "Never knew this was down here."

"Very few know it's here," Elixander said softly. He pressed his palm against the wall and closed his eyes. After a moment, he opened them again.

"Why was it locked away?" I asked.

"There could be danger here. Or, once walled up, it might have simply been forgotten."

We had started toward the stairs when a noise from behind made us turn. Seraphina emerged from the tunnel, her staff in hand. She had changed into more practical attire - fitted leather pants tucked into sturdy boots, a long-sleeved shirt under a leather vest, and a belt that held various pouches.

"Welcome, daughter," Elixander said with a slight bow.

"What is this place?" Seraphina asked.

Elixander clasped his hands behind his back as he took to the stairs. He turned his head and said, "An excellent question. It was likely a school or a place for scholars to gather. Long abandoned. Walled off. This place has not been seen in centuries."

Seraphina joined me. She took my hand in hers while we stood at the top of the stairs and stared down.

Lady Churl had made her way to the other side of the chamber and stopped at another dark passageway. She stuck her head in and then pulled back. "Oi. This way leads ta food. Mushrooms, if me nose ain't betraying me."

"Of course, she'd find mushrooms down here," I said quietly.

Seraphina chuckled and said, "This is such a strange sight to find under Everspring. This place is ancient. We will have to get a scholar down here to find out what this is. It can't be a pre-cataclysm city. Maybe it was built as a place of worship?"

"I don't want a bunch of people traipsing through The Shadow's Respite just to get a look at this location. I should close up the entrance."

"Varix." Seraphina tugged my hand, pulling me close to her. "You can't do that. It needs to be studied. Besides, you know what this means, right?"

"Too many looky loos in my place?"

She smiled softly. "Have you already forgotten how capitalism works? You will be able to charge adventures to come down here. You can also make a rule that they will share some of the profits from anything they find and sell."

I grinned at Seraphina. "Can I do that?"

"It's your tavern."

Elixander walked around the space, hands clasped behind his back, studying the floor, then looking up and muttering toward the ceiling.

"My father can be a bit much," Seraphina leaned in and said quietly.

This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

I nodded, but also lowered my voice. "Elixander is growing on me. Did you know he is actively discouraging me from being with you?"

"I thought he might," Seraphina said. Her lips quirked up. "I'm guessing it’s the whole age thing?"

"It is. He mentioned your mother. He dearly loves her, and it crushes him that he won't be with her forever."

Seraphina drew close to me. I put my arms around her. The staff pressed against my back. Elixander glanced our way. He had an amazing poker face, but in this case, his lips turned down in a slight frown.

"I barely know them, Varix. It's been so hard to be their daughter. They have no idea I'm from you-know-where. I've tried to keep them at a distance. Glimmer filled me in on what he knew of my life before I arrived. He knows something changed five years ago, but I've always played it off as an accident with a gem enchantment gone wrong."

"That must have been hard. Have you ever thought about just telling him? He seems pretty reasonable."

She sighed. "Many times. I don’t think he could ever understand. I saw him when he went to war. He was a different elf. Cold. So cold. He… he…” She sighed and pressed her cheek to my shoulder.

“It’s okay.”

“He will never talk about this war. Or the others he has fought in. Varix, you can’t imagine the power he can wield. If there was anyone who could have challenged Morthisal, the real Morthisal, it was him. In a one on one, I don’t know who would have won.”

“Why didn’t he confront him?”

“He is powerful, but not strong enough to cross the wastes of the dark lord’s land and fight his way through hordes. Literal hordes. It was what kept Morthisal in power for so long. Only a joining of the races, to create massive armies, allowed his enemies to cleave their way to the fortress.”

I sighed. "I guess he can never find out who I am under this amulet, but I think he senses something.”

“I wouldn’t worry about that too much. The Heart of Shadows is as veiled as possible. What he senses could be anything. There is so much magical jewelry, it's hard to discern."

"So he might sense something, but it's normal for him to sense magical rings and amulets? That makes sense," I said, relieved.

"I should go help look around. Not that he needs it. This place is long dead. I can’t sense anything in the way of life here," Seraphina said.

I again lowered my voice and whispered, "I did. Just before breaking down the wall there was a sense of dread that reminded me of episodes I used to get before we fixed the Heart of Shadows."

"Okay. Tell me if it happens again. We can always do a little private exploration once they are away from the site. By the way, take extra care to make sure my father never sees the amulet."

I nodded and involuntarily touched the stone through my shirt. Seraphina had spoken of finding a permanent solution, and now I was more eager than ever to make that happen. At least the feeling of dread, often brought on when I sensed the dead, was gone.

"Oi, boss. You gotta look a’ this," Lady Churl called as she stuck her head back out of a passageway.

"I'll go see what she's up to. Oh. Did you know Lady Churl has a thing for your dad?"

Seraphina coughed loudly to cover a laugh and even ducked her head to the side. "What?"

"I know. I'll keep an eye on her. You keep an eye on him. Can't have those two running off for a tryst."

Seraphina put her head against my chest and laughed into her hand.

"Are you well, daughter?" Elixander asked from across the room.

"Yes, father. I'll be right there."

I forked my fingers and pointed them at my eyes.

"Stop." Seraphina burst into another laughing fit.

While Seraphina went to join her father, I followed Lady Churl down a passageway, guided by one of Elixander's glowing orbs that hovered near the ceiling. The light cast long shadows across the walls, which were covered in intricate sigils similar to those in the main chamber.

The passageway split, and I chose the right path, drawn by a faint glow in that direction.

"Lady Churl?" I called out. "Are you ahead?"

"Right this way, boss. Keep at it," she called back.

The passage curved right again, and as I emerged, my jaw dropped open. A set of dry stone steps descended at least fifty feet. At the bottom, something cast an ethereal blue-green glow that pulsed softly in the darkness.

Lady Churl stood at the base of the stairs, waving her arms excitedly. "Get down 'ere, boss! You gotta see this!"

I made my way down the steps, and when I reached the bottom, the sight before me stole my breath away. A massive cavern stretched out, its ceiling lost in the darkness above, but it wasn't the size that amazed me - it was what filled it.

"Ale and ashes…"

The entire chamber bloomed with luminescent life. Delicate mushrooms sprouted from the walls in clusters, their caps glowing in shades of blue and purple. Vine-like plants crawled up the stone columns, decorated with small flowers that pulsed with gentle green light. Patches of moss covered the ground, giving off a soft azure radiance.

The natural light from the flora created dancing shadows across the rock walls. In some places, crystalline formations caught and reflected the glow, creating rainbow-like patterns. The chamber stretched so far that I couldn't see its end, and multiple dark passageways branched off in different directions.

Lady Churl bent down and plucked a peculiar mushroom with a glowing yellow cap. She held it up, turning it this way and that.

"I wouldn't touch that," I warned. "It could be poisonous."

"Aye, could be," she said, but took a small bite anyway.

"That's maybe not a good idea," I said.

She chewed thoughtfully, her eyes growing wide. "Ain't poison, boss. Tastes wonderful, it does! Wonderful. Gonna collect a few and cook 'em up. Think'a the colorful stews!"

"But how do we know any of this stuff is even edible?"

Lady Churl glanced around and lowered her voice. "I can tells ya, boss. What do you think I did for him what's name we don't say? Yeah. Used to test his food. I can sniff out poison from a dozen yards away."

"So, what? We're going to bring up a bunch of these plants and cook with them?"

"Aye. Reckon that'll bring in the clientele."

Elixander appeared at the top of the stairs with a worried look. His eyes were drawn together, and his robe swished as he quickly took the stairs toward us. Doan and Seraphina were right behind him.

"What's wrong?" I asked him.

"Someone is trapped. Their cries followed on a wind brought by a Zephrinid."

"Father, are you sure it was a Zephrinid?"

He nodded sharply.

I looked at Doan. He shrugged.

"Okay. What is a Zephrinid?" I asked.

Elixander placed his hand in his pouch and removed a small red stone that glowed when he drew it forth. He turned to us and said, "A Zephrinid is an ethereal creature known for its ability to pass through caverns like a whisper on the wind. It generates a mesmerizing wind that can lull people and creatures into a deep and dreamless sleep, allowing it to steal their possessions, or in some cases, the affected themselves. Where they are taken is a mystery that has never been solved. The Zephrinid are exceedingly rare and can be deadly."

"You mean people are trapped down here, and that thing is trying to kill them?" I asked, then remembered Doan mentioning the exploratory group who had not returned to Everspring. "Mira…"