Deeper and deeper they went, the passage would sometimes shrink into a narrow fit, and at times, it would open to a larger cavern. They continued slowly and carefully making their way deeper with Anton in the lead, avoiding slips and stalactites, until eventually, they came across a wall. A chiseled stone wall with a large crack running through it revealed another side.

Anton brought the lantern closer to examine the crack. It was wide enough to shimmy through, though the lantern's light didn't penetrate into the darkness on the other side. For a moment, Anton thought he heard familiar whispers call out to him from behind the crack.

"I'm going to slide through first. Any objections?"

"None at all Mr. Krendal."

Anton passed the lantern to Raum and turned, facing his side to the wall, tucking in his broad chest, and pushed himself in. His coat and sheathed claymore scraped along as he passed through the twenty-centimeter wall, grunting with strained effort. Finally, popping into the other side, clutching the edge of the crack to make sure he didn't fall anywhere, he found himself on solid, even ground.

"I'm in." He called back, reaching through to take the lantern from Raum, who was preparing to follow suit. He took off his bag and passed it to Anton before tucking it in his chest.

With a small amount of effort, Raum makes it in. "Your turn Charlotte."

Charlotte slips in with no effort at all. "You humans grow big. To your detriment." She teased.

Anton brought the lantern around to examine the chamber, surveying the ground. It was paved with large limestone bricks that felt solid in their foundation as he tapped his foot against it, making his way to the room's other walls. It was considerably more spacious than the cave they came through in, and as he looked up, he saw that the ceiling was about seven meters high, with an arched hemispherical shape as the walls curved into each other at their corners. They were without a doubt in the Mausoleum now.

"This room's rather roundish." Anton comments.

Raum split off from Anton to examine one of the walls. Summoning a spark of flame into his hand to see that it was adorned with faded murals and glyphs, their colors dulled by age and neglect. Strange symbols and sigils are etched into the stone, not too dissimilar to the iconography on his own clerical cloak.

"Y'ashi symbols are as beautiful as they are melancholic."

"Can you read it?"

"I'm afraid not, Mr Krendal. It's a lost language that went extinct with the Y'ashi themselves. Unless..." Raum paused and turned to Charlotte. "Perhaps some knowledge was passed to their descendants."

Charlotte glanced at Raum and then took a look at the mural herself.

"The Y'ashi was an ancient civilization of Beast-people after all. Many Felidaen and Caninaen tribes trace their roots back several thousand years to the Y'ashi, before the collapse."

Charlotte stood in silence for a moment. "Can't read it."

"A shame then-"

"But." She interjected. "Even though. I can't read it. I can still. Understand it."

"Oho." Raum smiled.

"What do you mean by that?" Anton asked.

"It's like. I just know. I can feel the meaning. Like it's whispering." Her voice was soft and quiet as she concentrated on it.

"So what is it telling you?" Raum proded.

"It's something vague. A war. A king. A curse. that's all I can get."

"Fascinating" Raum chuckled with delight. "There will be more murals like this inside." he suspended his flame above his head and brought out a small notebook from his backpack. "Anything else?"

"No. I don't want to look at it. For much longer."

"I see." Raum pouted, putting the book away.

"There's a doorway here," Anton called from another wall. "This might end up a bit labyrinthian." He pulls out white chalk from his satchel to mark the wall. "Stay on your toes and beware of traps."

Anton paced forward slowly and cautiously into the corridor. It had been a while since the last time he delved into a dungeon, but the movements were all muscle memory to him. A warm feeling of nostalgia lit up within him, this was his life a decade ago, before he lost his comrades. Raum, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as experienced.

"The Y'ashi weren't a materialistic people." Raum lectured from behind Anton. "They aren't guarding any hoards of gold like a Dwarven dungeon would. The only traps you'll see are within the burial chambers to protect their dead."

"That's what they want you to assume." Anton corrected. "No better way to catch a grave robber off guard than putting a trap where they least expect it. Corridors like this are an ideal place for it."

"If it's ideal, then it's not somewhere you will least expect."

"Just look carefully at where you walk for pressure plates Ok? Also along the walls for any suspicious holes."

Charlotte was alert and listened adamantly to Anton's advice. Her eyes darted across every odd-looking stone brick.

Raum, contrastly, was trying to look ahead to see the end of the hallway.

"Mr. Krendal, could we not pick up the pace a litt-"

A sharp metal spike suddenly pierced forward through the left wall. Striking Raum in his side, sending him recoiling, and stumbling against the other wall.

Anton spun around to see what happened. Raum was clutching his side in pain, but Charlotte showed no concern for him. Anton, being reminded why, also rescinded his concern for his companion. There was no blood. No mark of penetration.

The translucent mystic veil that wrapped Raum’s body in had absorbed the impact like a layer of thick elastic rubber.

"Ouch. Ouch. By Gro, that hurt!" Raum unsummoned his flame light and clutched his side with both hands. "I think that will leave a bruise," he moaned.

"Serves you right." Charlotte scolded.

"I guess you can throw caution to the wind when you have magic like that to protect you." Anton shook his head and sighed. Most adventures don't get a second chance after being taught a lesson like that.

After a short break, the trio continued through the corridor. Carefully. Anton took the vanguard, Charlotte watched the rear, and Raum was still wincing. They found the end of the corridor intersected into the side of an even larger chamber. It appeared to be a hallway of some kind, its length seemed to stretch further than the corridor, and it was lined with four-meter diameter pillars in sets of two. Anton could only count three rows of pillars in each direction within the range of his lantern's light.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"Are we looking for more murals? Or is there something else I should keep my eye out for?" Anton asked Raum.

"Anything that looks interesting Mr. Krendal. Just call out, and we'll examine it."

"Wait." Charlotte interjected.

"Is something wrong?"

"Shush. I'm hearing something. Down the hall."

"Whispers? The same as the mural?"

"No. They're not speaking to me. They're speaking to each other." Her ears twitched. "We're not alone."

Anton immediately tucked the Wisplight lantern into his coat, covering its luminosity. The trio stood still, observing the darkness for a trace of light in the hall. They remained silent, anticipating a threat. Anton knew it was unlikely to be another friendly adventuring party; the mausoleum was only recently discovered, which meant that the Rovanian Adventurer's Guild would not have signed off on an official expedition yet. Anton did not have fond memories of the pace of bureaucracy back in his adventuring days

Then, from the other side, they saw a faint light approaching. It was torchlight, and not just one, but multiple sources at that. The echoes from this group started to reach Anton's ears now, as well as the clanking of heavy metal boots on the stone floor.

"Behind the pillar." Anton whispered. Raum and Charlotte followed suit, feeling their way around the cylindrical column, away from the main pathway.

They waited there in bated breath as the group drew closer. Anton could finally make out what they were saying.

"Soddin’ hell. Not a single ounce o' gold yet! What's the point in even coming 'ere?" A crass voice moaned.

"Quit your moaning, we're getting paid not matter what we find here. If you keep you mind on the bonus, you'll never get the primary job done." replied a more educated voice.

"We won't find nothing till we reach the burial chambers. The Y'ashi keep all their valuables with the dead." A low bellowing voice lectured.

"Speaking of dead... How's Fillian?" A feminine voice chuckled. "You think she's dead yet?" The voice laughed sadistically.

"Probably. She was stupid enough to get spike trapped. Can't waste any potions or healing magic on an idiot like that"

"Yeah. That's true 'innit? Just means more loot for us!" Several members of the cohort cackled.

"Look sharp scum!" The low voice commanded. "Or you'll end up sharing her fate."

The entire group obediently shut up, except for a few who clicked their tongues in annoyance.

Anton clutched the hilt of his claymore as they drew closer. In a few moments, they would be passing by their pillar.

In his mind, Anton was trying to count the group's numbers by listening to their footsteps. Ten, maybe fifteen of them.

His grip tightened as they passed by. They might not be hostile to them, but they certainly did not sound friendly. The smartest thing to do was to assume they were dangerous, especially given their difference in numbers.

But Anton was curious, he was thinking through what kind of party would illegally venture into this mausoleum.

*****

Are they really some brazen adventuring party going ahead of official proceedings? No, that's unlikely, only novices do that; any group that decides to run on their own without proper counseling and benefits from the guild never lasts long in this world. They would have turned tail a while ago.

Maybe this was some off-the-books arrangement to let them get the first pickings at potential treasures? No, that would mean there is bribery at play, and the costs for bribing the guild are too high for most adventurers to feasibly be able to pay. From a profits perspective, that's more risk than reward.

I can only assume that they are like us then. Unaffiliated with the Guild. A self-interested party. I think one of them said they were getting paid, so that means they're mercenaries then. Under normal circumstances, there wouldn't be a reason to come to a place like this without proper incentive of some sort of gain, monetary or otherwise. These mercenaries have that incentive, but what about their employer? If I can figure out who their employer is and determine their reason for being here, there might be a chance that we can reveal ourselves and remain neutral, even if cooperation is out of the picture.

They've already passed by, I should take a look at their backs to see if I can spot any hint.

*****

Anton carefully peaked around the pillar, his right hand still on his claymore's hilt, while his left was cradling the lantern tucked in his armpit. He saw them, twelve in total. Five wore leather armor similar to what Charlotte wore underneath her cloak. Four had metal curaiss's and helmets on top of their padded coats. Two of them wore light robe-like cloaks. A single one of them wore a full set of metal armor, completely covered from limb to limb, head to toe.

Anton caught a glimpse of an icon painted on the back of the heavily armored man, it was a blue marking resembling the side profile of a wolf baring its teeth. He knew it all too well. His hope of neutral ground was dashed.

It was the insignia of House Driev.

With a slow exhale, as the mercenaries' torchlight disappeared into the distance, Anton loosened his grip on his sword and carefully pulled the Wisplight lantern before turning to his companions.

"It's Arlak company." He muttered. "Of all the people, it's bloody Arlak company."

"Like the gentlemen from Brehella?" Raum asked.

"Yeah, though I wouldn't call them that."

"I wouldn't either." Charlotte added.

"Should we beware of them, then?"

"What do you think? Charlotte slashed open three of their throats, and you incinerated one of them!"

"They started it." Charlotte protested.

"It doesn't matter. Blood's been spilled. Arlak company may be roughly a hundred strong, but they won't overlook the deaths of a few." Anton looked down the hall again. "If they recognize us, it will instantly devolve into a fight."

"And if they don't?" Raum’s inquiry continued.

"Depending on who their leader is, they might just try to kill us anyway to take our gear. There aren't any witnesses here."

"Perhaps you've mistaken them?"

"No, the armored one had the Drievs' insignia; the Drievs exclusively hire Arlak company. I suspect it's just knight armor that was lent to them."

"Then I suppose they'll certainly recognize you since you killed Jason Driev. That was what started that Brehella fiasco."

"You two made it a fiasco." Anton said accusationally.

"You're welcome." Charlotte quipped.

At this rate, Anton's headache would resurface.

"But that does, however, bring into question why they're here." Raum pondered aloud. "What would the House Driev want from here?" Concern crept along Raums face.

"Whatever it is, it's probably nothing good. Let's just tail them for now." Anton made the call.

"Are you certain Mr. Krendal? After raising such concern, you believe we should follow them?"

"If we follow the direction they just came from, we'll just end up in the entrance they came from; who knows if there are more of them camping out there?"

"Excellent point."

"So we're not. Planning an ambush?"

"No. But we will let them trigger any traps in place of us."

"I like your thinking. Scruff."

They carefully stepped forward, down the hall. It wasn't just traps that concerned them, but also the possibility of the mercenaries turning around and meeting them. Charlotte carefully listened for them while Anton kept watch for their chalk markings.

Eventually, they came to an intersection where the great hall split into three separate stairways that went further down in different directions. One to the left, another to the right, and one directly forward. Anton checked for chalk marking along the walls of each one, and noticed there were now two different chalk markings. One was on the left staircase, the same markings that they were using before. The other was a new color of chalk on the middle staircase.

"They've split up into two groups here." Anton explained. "They've gone down the middle and the left."

"Why not the right also?"

"I don't know, they have the numbers to cover it."

"Should we take the right then?"

Anton deliberated for a moment. "No, there must be a reason they didn't take the right. We follow the middle."

As they descended down the stairs, Anton was still trying to think of why the right staircase was skipped. Anton never saw such a peculiar decision like this in all his years as an adventurer. There were twelve of them, and splitting into groups of four was still reasonably sized, Anton was here with only three afterall. There was something he was missing.

"Let's pick up the pace." Anton ordered.

"Excuse me, Mr. Krendal?" Raum was astonished. "I thought that was exactly what we weren't supposed to do."

"You're not supposed to be careless. I need to get a closer look at the group ahead of us."

Anton tread down the stairs faster. Charlotte nimbly followed suit. Raum sighed and reluctantly followed