Owin continued leading through the cave, heading straight across toward the cluster of gilled mushrooms, and more importantly, the crystal ball. Myrsvai had been quiet and followed without question. He hummed for a bit and grunted as he poked a few things with his staff, but he never tried to start a conversation.
Neither did Owin.
What was he going to say? The magus didn’t seem inclined to talk about much, especially when it involved his past. If Owin started asking questions, it would only be a matter of time before he brought up a subject that angered Myrsvai.
Owin looked at every little thing as he walked and frequently reached out to poke at the walls, mushrooms, and stalactites. Even knowing that everything was the same as his last visit, seeing it now made it all look new. He noticed things he hadn’t noticed before. Was it his higher attributes or was he just less worried? The last time he had been on the fourth floor, he was weaker and tired, and Ernie was injured.
Before long, the arches came into view. Owin gestured to them, but they were difficult to miss and it was obvious Myrsvai had already spotted them. He leaned his staff against a column and slowly approached the bowl. Owin grabbed the ledge and pulled himself up.
“What is it?” Myrsvai asked. He cautiously reached out and tapped the blue crystal ball.
“You can touch it.” Owin poked it a few times to prove it was safe.
Myrsvai rested his hand on top. “Do you have any idea what it is?”
“No.” Owin held onto the bowl to stop himself from falling backward. “It has to be for the secret. Nothing else on this floor looks like the arches or the orb.”
Myrsvai carefully maneuvered it into his palm and pulled it from the bowl. “Another object that doesn’t have any information. I am noticing a trend, Owin.”
“If we used Examine and it said what to do, it wouldn’t be a very good secret.”
“Hm. I suppose.” Myrsvai carefully set it back into the bowl. “Were there any spots it looked like it could fit? Is it a key?”
“I didn’t explore the whole cave with Ernie and Katalin, but I never saw anything that didn’t look like a . . . cave. I don’t know. It all looked basically the same. But why else would it be here?”
Myrsvai nodded slowly as he followed the arches with his eyes. He leaned against the column next to his staff. “I believe you’re right. Think of the secret in Ligala Lepis. Graliel had revealed the secret hidden behind a wall that looked like every other. If he hadn’t revealed it for us, how would we have ever found it? There are hints about the floors. Little symbols or directions to find the secrets. Sometimes it is even something a mob says.”
“You think Graliel would help heroes find the secret on the second floor?”
“Certainly. How else would anyone find that hidden room? Just like the handle Suta tripped over on the wreck. If Sloswen had wanted to truly hide it, he wouldn’t have provided an opportunity to trip, which has to be the only way to find an invisible door handle.”
Owin nodded quickly. “On the fourth floor of the Great Forest, there is a big window showing the Sovereign One.” Owin pointed to his head. “The purple halo that turned Artivan into a lich.”
“Yes, I remember. That was linked to the lake castle?”
Owin nodded.
“Secrets would be meaningless if they were impossible to find. There are plenty of scholars around Verdantallis who study such things, but how many are actually venturing into the dungeons to uncover the secrets? As I’m sure you’re aware, there aren’t any books or studies that actually reveal the secrets. Something or someone has barred those from ever coming to light. It is only word of mouth that has ever revealed any.” Myrsvai approached the bowl again and touched the blue orb. “Sanem is well versed in many of the early floor secrets, and that is only because of a dedicated series of extensive studies she committed herself to a few years ago. She spent days on each floor looking for the hints.”
“Does she know anything about this?”
“Unfortunately, I don’t think she has traveled through much of the Ocean. And even if she has . . .” Myrsvai looked about. “She’s not here.”
Owin leaned close to the orb. It mostly looked like blue glass, but a little something swirled inside. He squinted and watched the swirling wisps form into what looked like a face.
“I think it’s looking at me.”
“What?” Myrsvai leaned in. “It does look like it is scowling. Have you tried carrying it with you?”
“Ernie said people have tried but it disappears after going through the exit or the stairs.”
“Then you should carry it as we explore the rest of the floor. Suta will be ready to rejoin us soon and the three of us can find this secret. I will handle any fighting while you’re occupied with carrying the crystal ball.”
Owin picked it up and nearly fell over backward. Myrsvai carefully pulled it from Owin’s hands, allowing Owin to climb back to the ground before handing over the orb.
“You’re going to make it as painless as possible for Olma?” Owin asked.
Myrsvai grabbed his staff. “Yes.” The magus set off back into the cave.
Owin hurried to follow. The orb was light, but big, making it a little obnoxious to carry. He could probably smash people with the crystal ball, or his own head, or maybe even kick them, but Myrsvai also was plenty strong to handle everything on the floor.
“Why do you only use Abyssal Barrage or Abyssal Blast?” Owin walked beside the magus and helped guide them since his map was already revealed. Myrsvai walked confidently, but did follow Owin’s lead whenever he turned or suggested a different route.
“I use more spells than those.”
“You summon armor and weapons. What else?”
“I suppose from your perspective, those are the only truly offensive spells an abyssal magus has. The Dread Bind spell isn’t necessarily offensive, but I find it useful in a fight. Many of the other spells are to empower a summon, whether that is Suta, a demon, or an item like the weapon and armor. I stopped using Infernal Arrow when I was sixteen because Abyssal Blast is better in every aspect.”
Owin smiled. Myrsvai talked with enthusiasm.
“What else can a magus do? One mob I met in the Great Forest had invisible attacks that pushed everyone away. Do you have any of those?”
“Ah, telekinesis. A telekinetic magus has attacks that push, pull, lift, slam, and other movements that can be devastating. I had considered it for a period of time, but didn’t find it as interesting. There is no greater connection with telekinetics, while the Abyss connects all abyssal magi with demons and the Lords. Although, a telekinetic familiar can be a fascinating companion. I haven’t met many magi that have gone for a summoning focused telekinesis build, but it is one that fascinates me.”
“I think I followed maybe half of what you said.”
Olma’s faint shadow moved on the far wall.
Myrsvai swirled magenta fire around the top of his staff. “And was that half informational?”
“Um . . . yeah.”
Myrsvai smiled. “I’m glad.”
Owin took a step back as Olma fully rounded the corner. The massive, blind lizard immediately started to track Myrsvai as his magic swirled around his staff.
“Would you like to see a spell you haven’t seen?” Myrsvai asked.
Olma stomped its feet. A low growl spread through the water.
“Will it kill Olma?”
“Immediately. It’s called Hellish Torrent. I don’t believe you’ve seen many Power 5 spells. They can be used once per day, and this spell pulls the energy right out of me.”
“It seems like a bad idea.” He wouldn’t be able to easily carry Myrsvai and the orb. Plus, how was he going to find the secret on his own? He had no idea where to look.
Myrsvai smacked the butt of his staff on the cave floor. Suta formed directly beside Owin, wide awake and already putting his fists up.
“Suta will handle things if I am too exhausted.” Myrsvai lifted his staff again. The abyssal fire raged above it.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Olma charged, barreling down the narrow cave. Before the Proteunia Guardian could get any closer, Myrsvai smashed his staff back onto the ground. All the water between Myrsvai and Olma vanished, leaving the whole area suddenly clear.
Before Owin could react, before he could try to understand what was happening, a blast of abyssal energy as tall as Myrsvai erupted from the top of his staff, immediately filling the space between the magus and the wandering boss.
Owin had to shield his eyes as the spell raged through the cave passage. It felt like it raged for a minute, but the whole encounter was over in seconds. As soon as the spell ended, water rushed to fill in the opening, causing everyone to lose their balance and stumble.
Olma stood across from them with a hole bored straight through the middle. The dead mob didn’t move, like its limbs were locked in place. Abyssal fires still burned around the hole.
“That’s Power 5?”
Myrsvai leaned heavily on his staff. “That’s Power 5.”
“Could I even survive that?”
Myrsvai lazily shrugged. “We don’t need to find out.”
Suta ran ahead, checked the body, came back with a large sapphire, and shoved it in Myrsvai’s bag. He tugged on the magus’s pants a few times before Myrsvai stood upright.
“Yes, I know. We can move. My energy will come back quickly.”
“What are we going to do about the bristle worms?”
“I can manage.” Myrsvai lowered himself to one knee and let Suta grab some food from the pack. Myrsvai took it and immediately took a bite. “Suta will help if I don’t react fast enough, but I can still manage. Power 5 is meant to finish a fight. No hero would use it without knowing they will win.” He took another bite and sighed. “I also haven’t used Power 5 much, and haven’t had an opportunity to grow used to its effects.”
“You can get used to that?”
“I’m sure Shard Heroes have all gotten used to it.”
Suta checked on Myrsvai one more time before waving them on. The familiar hopped about with some extra energy in each step. They had to push themselves against the wall to get past Olma’s corpse.
As they walked, Owin held the orb on top of his head, using the tips of his fingers to keep it balanced. He wobbled on purpose, letting it roll and shift with each step. It took a few minutes before they came across a bristle worm.
Owin prepared to chuck the orb, hoping to kill at least one or two parts of the worm, but before he could do anything, Myrsvai lazily shot a barrage that destroyed the mob.
“Being a magus looks too easy.”
Myrsvai continued eating some food. He nodded slowly as he waited to see which way Owin led them. Once he swallowed he nudged Owin with the end of his staff. “You know, wizards and hunters can kill mobs just as easily from a distance.”
“I thought I was a soldier.”
“I thought you were a berserker.”
Owin scowled.
Suta gently punched Owin in the chest a few times. “Berserker twins.”
“We’re not twins, Suta.”
The next jab to Owin’s chest had a little more force. “Twins.”
“Okay, fine.”
Owin led the way through some more twisting turns. They were already near the exit, which felt so strange. The fourth floor of the Ocean was so much smaller than even the third floor. He took them around a different turn instead, twisting away from the exit. The secret wouldn’t be at the end.
“We’re looking for anything that looks like it would hold this,” Owin said, holding the orb in front of Suta’s face.
“Skeleton?”
“Where?” Owin twisted around, looking down every passage.
“He’s asking if we should bring the Shade out.” Myrsvai scanned the closest wall to him. “An extra set of eyes might help.”
“He wouldn’t like you saying that.”
“Saying what?” Myrsvai thought about it for a second, then chuckled. “You’re correct. I’ll phrase it differently. I will be sensitive to his lack of eyes.”
“Are you sure I should summon him?”
Suta nodded.
“Don’t blame me if he’s annoying.” Owin opened his index and found the spell. He waited for a second then selected it.
The Withered Shade appeared almost immediately, forming out of gray dust. The skeleton stretched, despite having no muscles. He yawned loudly and looked around.
“A cave underwater. Well, at least we’ve made some progress. How was it? Did you miss me?”
“Yes,” Suta said.
“Did you?” The skeleton crouched in front of the familiar.
“No.”
“Oh. Now I’m being lied to.”
Suta patted the skeleton’s arm.
“We need help finding the secret on this floor,” Owin said. “We thought you could help us look.”
The skeleton finally turned to Owin. “What are we looking for?” He slowly reached out and plucked the orb from Owin’s hand. He turned it over a few times. “This is possibly familiar?”
“Is that a question?” Myrsvai asked.
“Oh, everything is a question, isn’t it?” The Withered Shade stood all the way up, still clutching the orb in his bony fingers. “This is a key.”
“We assumed as much. What does it open?” Myrsvai stood beside the skeleton and gestured to the cave walls surrounding them. “No key holes in sight.”
The skeleton pressed the orb against a wall. “If we force it, perhaps it will just fit.” He pulled it back and bumped it against Myrsvai a few times. “Obviously there is no key hole in sight. If there was, why would you have me summoned?”
“Where should we look?” Owin asked.
The skeleton held the orb above his head, then brought it close to his eye socket. “I would suggest just finding the spot where it fits.”
Owin sighed.
“Alright, okay, fine. I will attempt to be as helpful as possible. Where have you not been?”
Owin opened his map. He had followed the exact path Ernie had taken him last time, leaving entire sections of the cave untouched, still hidden in shadow.
“We haven’t been through a lot of the floor,” Owin said.
“Then I would suggest going through those parts of the floor.” The skeleton handed the orb back. “It seems simple to me.”
“We don’t need you to solve the puzzle. We only need your eyes.” Myrsvai’s eyebrows shot up as soon as he realized what he said.
“Eyes? Really? Oh, so funny. Yeah, great. I don’t have eyes and it’s the funniest thing you’ve ever seen. I get it. Oh, look at me. I have eyes and the gods don’t hate me. Ha ha. So funny. The sad little naked skeleton is such a loser.”
“I truly didn’t mean it that way,” Myrsvai said. He stood in front of the skeleton. “I appreciate you helping us.”
“As if I have a choice.” The skeleton turned its head all the way around to look at Owin without turning its body, making it look like it had its neck snapped. “Do I?”
“No. We need help.”
The Withered Shade’s head turned all the way back. “See? Ah, now I’m making eye jokes. What’s next? You’re going to make fun of my fingernails? My lack of grooming? My skincare routine?” He held up his hands. “I’m calm. I promise. Don’t send me to my box.”
“We just want help finding the floor’s secret. I’ll keep you around if you can talk a little less.” Owin took the blue orb back from the skeleton. “We’re all looking for any hint. Just help us find something.”
“Hints.” The skeleton nodded vigorously. “I can find hints.”
Nobody could find a hint.
It took a long time to search every dead end of the cave system. Long enough that they had to fight bristle worms, Olma, and Chaeta again. Unfortunately, the chest protected by Chaeta was only usable once.
They ended up at the stairs from the third floor again, and Owin watched cautiously, expecting someone else to show up. They had taken over an hour just searching through the cave, allowing all mobs to spawn again. On the way to the next floor, they would have to fight all the same mobs a third time.
“Maybe it leads to a secret on another floor?” the Shade asked.
“No. We already know it disappears if you try to take it on the stairs.” Owin held it out, letting the light shine on the blue surface. “Maybe we need to just skip it?”
“We’re not skipping the secret. We’re unlikely to come back here, Owin. It is worth us spending time now to find this and not have a reason to return to the Ocean.” Myrsvai opened his index. “Let me look closer at this map and see if there is anything that looks unnatural.”
“Everything is unnatural. It's a damn dungeon,” the Withered Shade said.
Myrsvai shooed the skeleton away.
“I do have to say, I find myself agreeing with the magus for the first time. Any reason to not return to the Ocean is a good reason. Who in their right mind would want to waddle around in the water all day?” The skeleton sat himself on the ground and tried to pick up a handful of sand, but it all fell between his bony fingers. “You haven’t happened to find any more pieces of my body, have you?”
“No. Maybe we will in the secret.”
The skeleton was right back on his feet. “Ah, good point. A point which I had not thought about. My own survival depends on us finding this secret.”
“Is it survival if you’re undead?”
“Who knows what I am.” He walked with an exaggerated stride toward the nearest cave entrance. “Maybe we can blast a wall down and sneak around Sloswen’s boundary wall.”
“Wait.” Myrsvai’s index flashed as he looked through other pages. “Is that worth an attempt?”
“I don’t think you can break the cave walls.” Owin shoved the orb into Suta’s arms and walked to the nearest entrance. With the Shade standing beside him, Owin punched the stone wall with all his strength.
It turned out to be a bad idea. Punching a stone wall was incredibly painful as the chitin gauntlet vibrated from the impact.
“That hurt!”
“Owin, look at what you did.” Myrsvai hurried over and poked at the wall with his staff.
Owin’s punch had shredded the stone, causing an entire section of the wall to crumble. It left a dust cloud with bits of rock hanging in the water, but he had also destroyed it so easily.
“Last time I had jumped off the ground and ceiling with all my strength and didn’t break much.” He poked at the broken section of the wall. It didn’t crumble from a little touch, but if he struck it again, it would probably have the same effect.
“The ceiling collapsing would cause a cave in that would kill heroes and mobs alike. Maybe Sloswen only let the walls get destroyed to find the secret. We can’t keep hitting it like that or you will break every bone in your hands, but if we follow the outside walls and destroy everything we can, we are likely to come across a secret.” Myrsvai handed his staff to Suta and grabbed Owin’s hand. His thumb brushed over the gauntlet. “No damage. Your health is still fine?”
Owin nodded.
“Then we shouldn’t waste a potion. We will have to be creative here. I can use some spells, but I don’t wish to waste all of my mana destroying things. I’ll need my potions on the higher floors. But I don’t want you punching the walls every time.”
“We can take turns. I think we can all find a way to destroy something.” Owin poked the Shade. “Right?”
“Oh, yes. Of course. Me and my destructive power.” The skeleton punched the wall. His wrist bent and went limp as soon as he hit the stone. “Powerful.”
Suta punched the wall right beside where Owin had hit it, shattering an entire new section. “Destroy!”
“I guess that’s our plan. What side do we start with?” Myrsvai gestured left then right.
“The orb was on the right side, so we should start on the opposite.” Owin ran over to the left cave entrance. “You also need to handle the mobs, so maybe Suta and I should just take turns.”
“We will make it work. I’m recovered from the Power 5 spell earlier, so we should be fine. My mana recharge isn’t as slow as yours.” Myrsvai frowned. “I didn’t mean that to sound harsh.”
Owin shrugged. “Suta, do you want to go first?”
Suta launched himself at the wall, striking it with incredible speed.