Her companions were finishing their meal. They were out of immediate danger, somewhat rested and reinforced – both literally and mentally – by the ether that Nua had gifted, and their spirits were considerably higher. His wooden bowl emptied, Quintus set it aside and unfurled the maps, the ones they bought in the market, drawn with captain Idris’ help or sketched while exploring. With his guiding Muses, it made sense that he acted as the group’s impromptu cartographer. Right now, pencil in his hand, he was probably recording their desperate run through the ghoul-infested quarters. His brow furrowed, he was comparing his sketch to the other map he was carrying.
“Come over here, Nua.”
She leaned in. The poet pointed his pencil at the paper, then to his sketches.
“See this?”
She shook her head, unable to make heads or tails from his schematics. She could recognize the corridors they went through, but the other map did not represent the inside of the temple. While her reading ability was steadily becoming better, it didn’t encompass recording distances or directions. As a result, she had no idea what Quintus was up to.
“You can’t read maps, I suppose,” he muttered. “This partially answers my question, but I’ll ask anyway. Did you lead us here on purpose?”
Nua frowned, taken aback. Guilt welled up in her heart, but only a little. She resolved to tell him as much truth as she reasonably could.
“It depends on what you mean. My ability guides me towards treasures, and it’s been really loud since we got here.”
Anki shot her a glare. She did her best to ignore him.
“Also, I had on a good word that the ruins contain an Unsagga treasure trove, somewhere in this very tower, so you could say I was scheming,” she added. “Only for everyone’s benefit. What I did not expect is that the place was breached, and there were ghouls inside.”
Quintus pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Yeah, that figures. Judging from Hessa’s reaction, she did not set you up for it, either. Don’t get too involved with the local gangs, kid. You don’t have the power to fend them off when they become involved with you as well.”
“Don’t worry,” Nua was secretly glad about the misunderstanding. She had no idea how to answer if he would ask where exactly she got the information, so it was good that he had ideas on his own. “The message got through. What did you find?”
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“I’ve just realized that we’ve been walking toward the very epicenter of the recent earthquake that revealed a part of the ruins.”
Nua opened her mouth. Then she shot a brief look at Anki. The spirit gave her a worried glance.
“Now, it gets more interesting,” Quintus was tracing his pencil aimlessly along the passageways he just sketched out. “I have already sent the Muses to probe in advance. The terrain ahead should be getting more unstable, but it doesn’t. On the contrary, we’ve just been through the hardest part, at least for now.”
Oswald turned to look at them.
“That’s good to hear, I suppose” he boomed. “We can’t always rely on rope bridges.”
“Oh, I can’t wait for us to get out of here so I can compose a thrilling epic about our adventure,” Quintus was chewing on the pencil. “It’s far more reliable as a source of coin. And fame. And don’t worry, Nua, I’ll leave you out of it. More glory to us. Getting back on point, Oswald, yes, true, but this also means that the area was important enough that it had sorcerous defenses against the destruction. Earthquake damage does not just stop like that, especially the closer you are to the center.”
“I guess this is where both of our abilities come into play,” Nua answered. “Now that you can use yours without saving ether, and I don’t have to fiddle about how to tell you what I found. I think there is a passage leading upstairs and it’s nearby, but I would have to focus for a while to find it.”
“That would be great,” Quintus said, then he unrolled another map, this time one of those he made with Idris. “We’ll go slow and compare the insights. Two exploited excavation sites are nearby, and we could try for an exit if we find the passage.” He hesitated. “How often can you share your ether? Do you need much time to recuperate? Anyway, we need to make pit stops because of Lykomedes. The main thing I’m worried about is the time we spend here and the possibility of running out of water in case we bumble around for too long.”
Nua grinned.
“Save the piss,” she said and pulled her medallion from under her shirt. “I haven’t told you what Hessa’s medallion really does.”
Quintus stared. “Seriously? Show me that.” He focused his gaze on the pendant. “Good gods, aren't you a bag of tricks. Would you happen to have anything else to add?”
“Ask Zaina if she shares all the tricks of her trade,” Nua answered this time, her smile resolute. They knew all they needed to know.
Zaina turned her head and raised her brow. Oswald burst into laughter.
“I don’t know about the whole Autarch business,” he chuckled. “But it’s clear to me that you’re an explorer, through and through.”
For years, Nua imagined herself an explorer, but deep down, she knew it was just a childish dream, and that her reality was much different. Now, she got acknowledged all of a sudden, when it was the last thing on her mind. She was just trying to keep up with her life getting increasingly complicated. Even though she had been disillusioned about the explorers because of Flavius, she felt her pulse quicken, and her face grow hot. She stuck her gaze on the floor, then mumbled something that resembled thanks.
“Hey, guys,” Lykomedes called. While his right arm was secured in a sling, and it was clear that he was playing tough from the way he was touching the wall with his other hand, he seemed to be at least ambulatory. “If you’re done, I’m good to move. Let’s not stall and get out of here.”