The entry to the tunnels that ran underground throughout Milagre was inconspicuous enough. In fact, if the priest hadn’t pointed it out to them, they likely wouldn’t have found it. Tucked behind an unassuming stall at the corner of the Market District was a stone wall. Not only was the wall part of the buildings of the Residential District beside it, but there was also a stone door, fitted so perfectly that they couldn’t even identify the seam.
“Normally, this is a closely guarded secret of our organization,” the follower of Atlas said, leaning heavily against the door so it pushed inward. “But you know what they say about desperate times.”
“Hold on,” Leonov said, stopping the man with one hand on his shoulder. “We should go first, to make sure there are no enemies waiting inside.”
“There won’t be any danger,” the man assured Leonov, sounding confident. “This safe house, and the tunnels connected to it, they’re all under the protection of Lord Atlas. You can’t get in unless a member is there to accept you.”
“It’s protected by Divine Magic?” Falynn asked, studying the door intently. She couldn’t spot any of the runery that was usually in place for blessed spaces like this. Maybe it was sewn into the stones themselves, she thought. “He must be stronger than I thought if he can cover an area so large.”
“He is our greatest protector,’ the priest said, his chest swelling with pride. “He is the firstborn of Bora Bora and once King of our country, you know.”
This was all known, of course, but they didn’t have time to discuss the matter further. Leonov simply pushed past the man, shouldering him roughly to the side with a sigh of impatience. Taiki followed, standing more than a head taller than the man and silent. This, combined with the hulking form she presented with her heavy armor, finally convinced the man to give up his protests. He stepped to the side and gave a small wave, inviting the others inside.
Falynn offered him a sympathetic smile, by now used to the impatient nature of her two party members. “Don’t worry, they’re just taking your protection seriously.”
That seemed to give him some small comfort, and he returned the druid girl’s smile if a bit hesitantly. The smile faded completely, however, when he met the stoic, uncaring neutral glare of Roni, who had resolutely held the rear. She gestured him inside, and, feeling like he’d been intimidated enough for one day, he stepped through the hole in the wall without comment. She slipped in after him, allowing the opening to seal behind her. The lack of sunlight from outside made the small space seem pitch-black for a moment, but her eyes adjusted quickly, and she could see several magic torches lining the wall of the room, providing just enough dim light to see.
The wall had led into a large open space that seemed to occupy the entire building in one floor. There was enough room to allow twenty people to sit comfortably, and indeed, many tables were scattered around, with chairs tucked against them. It seemed as though the place had just been abandoned. But the fireplace in the corner was cold and empty, even if the hearth had been swept clean.
“Very tidy for thieves,” Roni commented, which just seemed to annoy the man.
“We’re very organized,” he said, regaining just enough of a spine to glare at her. “We’re not highway or forest bandits. We take ourselves seriously, and we’re taken seriously.”
She met his gaze without the slightest change in expression, saying nothing. He gave a quiet sigh, choosing to drop the matter entirely. Instead, he made his way to the front of the group, gesturing at the stairs that led down and out of the room, the only other exit. “The tunnels are straight through here.”
“Right,” Leonov said. “Taiki and I will take the lead. Falynn, you stay in the middle, and Roni, you watch our back.”
The elven women nodded, and Leonov opened the door into the tunnels. Twenty feet in, Roni slid the bow over her shoulders, seeing that the tunnels were too small and twisting to make accurate shots possible. She drew her knife instead, casually flipping it in her hand as she occasionally glanced behind them. Some of the priests near her eyed the action nervously but didn’t bother to comment.
For nearly three hours, they wound their way through the tunnels without any sign of trouble, though their trepidation only got worse the further they went. One of the priests, made irritated by his mounting nerves, asked, “It takes two hours to walk from one end of the city to the other. How have we walked for three, and not found the exit?”
“The tunnels twist and turn,” the follower of Atlas explained. “It takes nearly twice as long, but it’s the safest route for us. We’re nearly out now, just be patient.”
It was as they rounded a corner and entered their first cavern, that they encountered something strange. This cavern, with half a dozen paths branching off to different parts of the tunnels, also had a large opening along one wall. Well, it was an opening, but it was also sealed by a massive stone wall. The only evidence that there was something more to it was a long line of faded runes. The runes, incredibly complex and of a language none of them could recognize, had been completely drained of mana.
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“These weren’t disabled in a hurry,” Falynn said, moving closer to the massive stone barrier. She put a hand to it, but almost immediately pulled away as if the rock had burned her. “By the mother, that’s a lot of natural energy!”
“So it’s nothing evil?” One of the priests, a follower of Komag asked. For a follower of a god of war, he was remarkably timid.
“Nature is neither good nor evil,” Falynn said, staring intently at the stone in her way. “It’s just another form of life.”
“Say that to the natural disasters that can destroy entire towns,” the man grumbled, but just quiet enough that Falynn could pretend not to hear him. “If it’s sealed away, it’s probably for a good reason.”
“But it’s not sealed,” she pointed out. “The runes are dead. Now it’s just a big stone in the way.”
“Do you know what kind of runes they are?” Taiki asked. It wasn’t the first time she’d displayed an interest in magic. “If it’s natural, you probably recognize them, right?”
The druid girl bit her lip thoughtfully as she stared at her runes. Then she coated one hand in mana and dragged a thumb across her forehead. After another minute of silent consideration, she shook her head. “I don’t recognize the language, even with magic to assist me. That can only mean one thing.”
“Which is?”
Falynn rested a hand against the stone blockade once more. “It was Ancient Magic that sealed this off.”
That sent a shiver through the group. Even the least magic-literate among them knew that the Ancients were unmatched in power. To put it bluntly, they had no rivals, even in the modern world. The only thing that could undo the work of an Ancient, such as these runes, was another Ancient. The more studious among them knew that the Ancient tongue was a unique thing, known only by them. Even if you knew the words and their meaning, you couldn’t replicate the magic. It would just be words, without the power behind them.
Falynn had an intense look of longing in her eyes, as though she were considering removing the stone barrier to see what was on the other side. Taiki, the first to notice this, stepped forward to put one hand on her shoulder. “Perhaps we should leave it alone, Falynn. We don’t know what’s on the other side. It could be dangerous.”
“I know what’s in there,” the druid corrected, but she removed the hand that was touching the stone. “But you’re right. If it was guarded, there’s probably a good reason. I don’t want to be responsible for ruining a sacred place.”
So instead, she knelt down at the front of the door and put one hand on the floor. With just a touch, she shattered a small area of stone, turning it into the dirt. A second later, a small flower grew out of the new soil, bright and vibrant as if it had been growing there for weeks. With the small mote of light, she left hanging in the air above it, it was her version of a tribute to the power inside. It would continue to grow and flourish in this place, fueled by the large reservoir of natural energy that lingered nearby.
“There,” she said, standing with a smile and dusting off her knees. “Alright, let’s go then.”
The rest of the group, though not as personally drawn to the seal as she’d been, still showed great interest in it, and were reluctant to leave the cavern at first. But with the party to urge them on, they got moving again, and within the next ten minutes, they noticed the tunnel beginning to rise higher. The last few hundred yards were a steep climb, but they took it eagerly, relieved to finally be leaving the tunnels.
“Oh my,” one of the priests said, “Wait, don’t attack!”
“What’s going on, Leonov?” Falynn asked. Trapped in the center of the group, she couldn’t see the exit yet, so she didn’t know what was going on. Was it an enemy attack? “Is everything alright?”
“Let’s have all of you out of the tunnel,” a commanding voice said. “Spread out along the wall, and don’t move.”
One by one, the rest of the group filed out of the narrow tunnel entrance. Falynn hurried the people in front of her, eager to see what the situation was and to support her allies if it was going to get dangerous. But when she left the tunnel and her eyes adjusted to the mid-day light, she felt herself relaxing at once. There was a group of armed figures, yes, but they were the uniforms of the Royal Guard. There were also two figures in white robes, clearly Issho-Ni Masters.
“Why are you stopping us?” Taiki asked, taking a step closer to the group of armed figures. “We’re not your enemy.”
As she stepped forward, the foremost line of soldiers drew their weapons, brandishing them at her. They made no move to attack, but it was enough of a threat to make her stop, and stare at them incredulously. An awkward sort of silence filled the area. Taiki’s face slowly transformed from confusion to annoyance. Before it could completely change to anger, Leonov stepped forward himself, making sure he held his hands up in a gesture of surrender.
“It’s a fair question,” he said, looking to the leader of the men. “What is the purpose of this? We were part of the attacking force on the city.”
“We know you were,” one of the white-robed figures said. With a gesture, he had the soldiers lower their weapons, though they remained drawn. “But while you were inside, there was always the chance that you could have been possessed.. With us being so close to victory, we can’t take any chances of enemies escaping.”
“Victory?” Leonov repeated the word, his eyes wide. “With only three hundred? We took the city back?”
“That’s what we’ve been told,” the Issho-Ni Master said, smiling. “Apparently they teamed up to kill the Primeval, and after that, the rest of them fled.”
“Wow,” Falynn said, at a loss for words. “So that’s it, then? It’s over?”
“Well, the trouble with the Infernals is. But apparently, there are still a few big threats out there. But greater warriors than we are dealing with that. You might as well take the chance to rest and relax. We’ll have a mage over soon to verify that you’re not possessed.”