The secondary Dungeon entrance didn’t look like it once had. In the past, when it had been hidden in plain sight, a rotting house had sat on top of it. There’d been a fence around the property, tall grass filling up the surface inside, and everything about it had seemed abandoned.
Now, it was slightly different.
The house was gone. The hill it sat on was gone as well since it had originally been put there to hide the entrance. All that remained to be seen, once you got inside the constructed half-sphere of stone to keep out prying eyes from the work-site, was a wide spiral staircase going into the darkness.
It was still protected, of course, Olivia refusing to leave it unguarded. With the Supervisor of the Dungeon Guards being promoted to the Supervisor of all guards in Kulvik, after the removal of some more-than-mild corruption, the woman had made sure that the secondary entrance had ten sets of eyes on it at all times of the day. While some had thought such a thing a waste of the quarterly budget, Olivia’s eyes of death had made everybody back down. That Vera had likewise shown a fondness for Olivia’s tenacity seemed to have helped things as well.
“There were some fairy lights keeping everything well-lit previously, but the removed protection is steadily making the dungeon reclaim everything it can,” Alin explained as the gathered group looked at the depths. Elijah just nodded along like everybody else, nobody wanting to ruin this moment. “Not all of the wards have been removed yet, of course, but everything dangerous should’ve been dealt with.”
Should’ve.
Even with their weeks of work, there was no reason to become overly optimistic at the end. Elijah knew that just as well as Alin did, attributing that fact as to why he’d brought along four other Royal Mages that could assist if things turned out for the worse. Grace had already assured him that it would, that he and Aleksi would have an easy time in the depths, but caution never hurt anyone.
“Standard shield spells, please,” Alin requested towards one of the other Royal Mages, an old bald man who looked around Elijah’s age. It barely required a few muttered incantations and finger pointing before each of them gained a translucent covering over their bodies, one that briefly shined blue before becoming near-invisible to his senses. “Thank you, Paul. All of you, follow me.”
Just like that, they started the journey downwards. A slow and steady journey, making sure nobody missed a step accidentally. It allowed for some minor chatter, which Grace made sure to abuse as she and Elijah walked side-by-side.
“I’m almost done with my thesis now,” she mentioned within just a few minutes. “All those variables I had a hard time with got figured out quickly, once Alin pointed me in the right direction. All of it just… fits together so easily now.”
“Is that so?” Elijah replied, giving his standard response as Grace continued to explain the intricate details of whatever problems she had been struggling with for the past months. Most of it went over his head, as it’d likewise had during the original run-through of her project, but some parts did start to make sense after a while.
After the death of her previous mentor, there had been some struggles for the young Wind Mage. The events around the summoning of the Tarrasque, the betrayals, and the near-death experience that had forced open the mental block for her Wind Magic to shine had all caused Grace to somewhat… shut down afterward. It hadn’t been good for anybody, but being forced into such a situation had forced her to realize many things about the world that she hadn’t been ready for.
Luckily, when Grace had talked to others and found some peace in her soul, another Royal Mage had been able to step in where the previous one had failed. After getting some time to talk to and evaluate her, Alin proposed the idea of him becoming her Mentor. With how hard she’d worked to get into that position with Rubeus, it had been an easy choice.
There had also been the proposed idea of scrapping her thesis, to make a new one based around her new-found abilities within Wind, but Grace had vehemently rejected the notion.
She had started that path, had worked on her project tirelessly for months without end, and the mere concept of stopping when so close to the finish line was the largest sin in the world to her. With how several administrators had learned the fury of Grace’s mother during those weeks, they were wary to see what the daughter could do.
And so… she had continued in her studies, now with Alin there to guide her along. And, as it turned out, that had been the right choice all along.
“My student here will be defending her thesis just next week, if I’m able to free up enough of my colleagues’ calendars,” Alin added once Grace mentioned the possibility. “Her work is quite ingenious, to be honest, though her work ethic… I never have had a student before who I’ve advised to slow down before. It’s a new experience.”
“I’ve unlocked a part of me that has been gone for almost twenty years, sir,” Grace protested. “You would be doing the same if you were in my shoes.”
“Probably, yes, but that doesn’t mean it’s wrong to take a breather every now and then,” her mentor lectured, falling into his role with ease. Elijah could hear that distinct tone-shift, as Alin went from half-joking to trying to give an important lesson. “You’re single-handedly depleting the Academy of healing paste with your new experimentation.”
Oh?
“Should I be worried about you injuring yourself?” Elijah questioned, one eyebrow raised as Grace steadily turned more and more red. “Skipping nights of sleep is unhealthy, but anything that requires medical intervention is very serious.”
“It’s just bruises!” Grace objected, her words having no impact on the looks of judgment. Even Aleksi was sending his own towards her now, the giant narrowing his eyes in mild worry. “Listen, it sounds bad but it isn’t. When you’re trying to learn how to fly, you’re going to be falling a lot. I have mats down on the ground, so it doesn’t even hurt that much when I mess up.”
…
The hubris of youth was truly something.
Alin assured Elijah that her attempts to learn were done under observation by others and that they had the supplies ready in case of an emergency, but even then it left a sour taste in his mouth. Grace wanted to learn one of the signature abilities that those with her Affinity were known for, and there was little anybody could do to stop her. She was an adult, she was expected to have mastered it already, and this process of getting hurt was a standard when learning it regardless.
In the past, she might’ve been able to get an instructor who was a Wind Mage themself, but that ship had sailed two months ago, so mats and healing paste were what they had to work with.
… I’ll have the assistants make a batch just for her.
It was the least he could do.
“Are you able to fly somewhat now, then?” Aleksi asked once Eijah conceded his judgment over her activities. With how much he’d been working, he couldn’t criticize her too much anyway. “Are we to expect an air-show once we get down into the caverns?”
“Oh, uh, I’m not sure that’s a good idea just yet,” Grace said, cheeks flushing once more. “My control over the wind isn’t as delicate as I need it to be just yet, and doing it indoors makes everything around me… fly as well?”
One attempt to do it inside the laboratory, and the full day of cleaning up and sorting notes that had been ripped out from the bookcases during it, had taught her that lesson.
They respected it.
“Beware now, people! We’re getting close,” Alin announced the same second that Elijah noticed the stone around them shifting from a dark gray to an almost-white marble. It was smooth now as well, a clear difference from the previous natural roughness and bumps that came along with it. “Make sure you don’t touch anything until I give the all-clear. Some wards may have reactivated in our absence, so we need to make some initial analysis before we can get close.”
Tired feet were allowed to rest once the group reached the end of the spiral staircase, a large door in front of them. With the uniform structure of the cave around them, it almost looked manmade, but Elijah could see beyond the walls. The energies of the Dungeon were still out there, forced away from this section of its insides. He could feel its anger, its frustrations.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
But nobody else made comments about it, not even Grace acting like anything was amiss, so he kept quiet while the Royal Mages worked. Lines were chanted in unison, sparkles of bright blue and brown energies flowed through the air, and whatever power held the door in place crumbled as the conjured wood turned to dust.
Still, nobody moved, all standing firmly in place when a red whip-like construct shot out towards them. It had no respect for gravity, flying through the air in twisting patterns before trying to go for their heads. It faltered when it came within two meters, a blue barrier appearing and stopping it in its tracks.
A moment later, a thin line of stone was conjured and wrapped around the whip, crushing it and annihilating this place’s last attempt at denying them entry.
“And… I believe we are in the clear,” Alin said, as he took a step through the gateway and suffered no near-divine punishment. “Standard precautions are still in place, of course. Don’t get too curious and touch something that seems off. But, other than that, I think we’re almost ready for the last step.”
Elijah believed that, feeling that the room they stepped into was being watched from all angles. Eyes that weren’t there, clawed hands that couldn’t enter, were all around it, practically salivating at the thought of reclaiming the lost territory. He had a headache from just looking at the Dungeon’s mind.
“Is the Mana-Density getting to you?” Grace asked in a low voice as he continued to stand at the entrance. The others had already ventured further inside, looking at the strangely habitable space. “I know Alin said you were in the clear for this, but if you need, I can ask that we go—”
“No, the density is more than bearable,” Elijah assured her before she could try calling over Alin. The old Mage had already noticed their conversation but was respectfully keeping out of it. “I’m fine. It’s just the Dungeon that’s being… emotional about this.”
…
“Oh,” Grace finally replied, needing a moment to process that comment. “You did mention that a while ago to us. I kind of forgot about it, but… right, yeah, you said you were able to feel the Dungeon after unsealing your Core, didn’t you?”
“I did,” he confirmed. With a deep breath, he felt himself getting some form of control back from the pressure. Finally, he could look around the area and get some form of idea of what this was all about. “Current theories about why it happened was the act of unsealing my Core making it curious or it was the Royal Mages messing around this place that might have made it lash out in desperation.”
Going by the fact nobody had any documentation surrounding an occurrence like this, it was probably a mix of those two factors. This wasn’t an event that commonly happened in the world, and the Dungeon needing help with reclaiming a chunk of its own body hadn’t been considered a possibility since… well, it hadn’t been thought of as something that could happen.
The act of setting up magical wards and barriers to restrict the Dungeon’s influence within this massive cavern, while also allowing for the high Mana-Density to stay the same, was something that Alin could find no historical documentation about. And, going by the notes that Rubeus had started writing two years ago, the old traitor had considered it an original concept.
If not for the Dungeon’s fury regarding it, and what the concept had been used to create, the final wards would’ve been considered genius. Instead, the only thing all of this would be remembered for was the pain it caused Serenova.
Regardless of it all, though, Elijah had to admit that they’d worked hard to make it a comfortable workspace. The massive cavern had gotten its ground flattened, and that white marble that now covered the surface reflected the conjured fairy lights perfectly. On one side, rows of bookcases and schematics could be found, with schedules and notes lined beside them. Names, reminders, scribbles, and complaints could be read. All of this had been a well-coordinated operation, yet now it had all collapsed into nothingness.
He could see the bitterness in Alin’s eyes when he read the names of the people on the schedule. Reminders of who amongst the higher echelons had been traitors for years, who had harbored distaste about the power structure within the kingdom. There had been so many promises for promotions and better positions after the insurrection, and greed and pride had allowed such a large group of traitors to grow.
It disgusted them all, yet Elijah likewise couldn’t find himself to be shocked.
Greed and pride were facets of life when you were given a smidge of power. Some could handle it, some could act and work under their new responsibilities, but some just wanted more power, more authority, and the knowledge that they wouldn’t get it twisted them from inside. It turned them into angry shells of their former selves.
That most of these betrayers likely had carried unseen scars from the old war hadn’t made it any easier to hold down that anger when presented with the opportunity to have more.
“What are you going to do with all of this?” Elijah asked Alin when the others moved over to inspect the other side of the cavern where various items and artifacts were stored. None of it looked to be used for combat but instead the creation and modification of rituals, if the mutterings of the Royal Mages were to be trusted. “All of these notes, these instructions… I know if I asked the Dungeon, it would ask for it to be gone, but I know how you Royal Mages are about documenting the uses of magic.”
…
Though it took a few moments, a low laugh escaped Alin. A sad one, accompanied by a few tears that were wiped away before the others could look over to discover their leader brought so low by so little.
“The books surrounding the summoning of otherworldly beings were never meant to leave the academy grounds, so they’ll be brought under lock and key without question, but everything else… I honestly can’t say,” Alin admitted. Using his cane to keep his balance, he bent down and grabbed one of the notebooks. Opening it, they could both see it filled with detailed illustrations and explanations for how it was going to work. Another notebook, this one needing an enchantment removed so they look inside, showed the final steps of their plan. A step-by-step guide on how to lock in on the Tarrasque and chain it to their wills. “Our goal has always been to research, to discover the unknown, but recent times have made me consider whether some things truly aren’t meant to be known.”
"Trusting curious minds not to go down the wrong paths can lead to terrible things,” Elijah agreed, offering the other man a vial of liquid fire. While only mildly warm to the touch when trapped inside the glass, it would easily devour anything it touched when released. “Why allow them the chance to skip all the tedious work?”
There was a second of hesitation before Alin accepted the vial. Channeling his powers, the Royal Mage used claws of stone to grab the remaining notebooks, piling them in a heap close to the middle of the cavern.
Nobody objected to his actions, once they noticed what was happening. They just watched as the vial was thrown into the pile and allowed to shatter, bright flames instantly shooting out.
One bad chunk of history had been erased. They could only hope it would stay gone for many more years to come.
Nobody needed a repeat of this.
“Have you found everything worth keeping?” Alin asked one of the Royal Mages currently stuffing artifact after artifact into a small bag. Logic would dictate it should’ve filled after the first three, yet many more had been able to fit without trouble.
Elijah remembered freeing her during the night of the summoning, and how one raised hand had been enough to teleport away chunks of a traitor's flesh instantly. A frightening ability, though it seemed to also work well in other areas.
“Just about,” Tina, as Elijah finally remembered she was called, said. “Most of it has sadly been attuned to specific people. It’ll take more effort to remove the curses than to simply recreate the tools.”
“Ah, a shame,” Alin commented, making sure everybody was far enough away before raising his right hand once again. Below the remaining artifacts appeared a giant palm of stone, steadily wrapping around the dozen tools. A slow movement, but one that carried endless force as it compressed the magical items without any signs of feeling resistance. There were a few bright flashes as the crunch of metal was heard, but nothing was allowed to escape their fate.
Within a minute of work, everything had been broken down into the smallest of fragments, harmless and useless.
Sacrifices for security.
There was a bit of irony in that thought.
“Our old brothers and sisters did the work of cleaning up the old rituals in here, so there is only one last piece of this disaster that needs to be destroyed,” Alin announced, looking at the walls of the cavern. The others did the same. Could they feel the eyes of the Dungeon? Even without touching the last wards, the destruction within had seemed to weaken them by the slightest amount. “I’ll count it as a stroke of luck that it won’t be done by our hand alone. Elijah, I believe you can see what I can just barely feel a hint of?”
The Dungeon.
The eyes were assimilating into one massive pupil, staring directly at them from the other side. It knew what was about to happen, could feel it in the air. The slightest residue of its influence had started seeping through the wards.
It was desperate, the pain that the separation had caused finally coming to an end.
That Elijah knew it was in pain from all of this, despite having never been told, worried him more than a little. And, yet, he wore a face of calm confidence, not wanting Aleksi and the others to feel hesitation.
“Like you wouldn’t believe,” Elijah said, sitting down once he confirmed that they could begin the final tear-down of the magical wards. While the others would most certainly feel the change in the air as the Dungeon came to take what it was meant to have from the beginning, he knew it would hit him the hardest. “Let me know when you’re ready to remove it.”
“Of course,” Alin promised, sounding distracted as he and other Royal Mages channeled their Mana into a shared spell. A mix of different Affinities all working in tandem to remove what was meant to sit in place until the end of time. It was as beautiful as it was foreboding. “Walls will be down in three… two… one.”
An unnoticed feeling of tension snapped, and Elijah gasped as his eyes widened, the feeling of power flooding his senses like nothing before it.
The Dungeon was here.