Ulric sighed and began explaining, "From what I was able to piece together from the intel my connection sent me, the entrance to the ruin should be somewhere near the center of town. The problem is that it wouldn't be in plain sight. Most likely, it's underground, but one can't simply just begin digging in random spots."
"So why not use a detection spell?" asked Melodi.
"Because the area around the ruin, namely this entire city, will be protected from such a straightforward approach. If it were that simple, then I imagine that the ruin would have been discovered a long time ago. However, you might find this useful," Ulric paused and pulled a sack of scrolls from within his dimensional pocket and put them on the floor in front of Alex and Melodi.
The two each pulled a scroll out and unfurled it to read the contents. "Those are all the documents I was able to gather about this area in the age before Farnor became a country and Ardua was constructed. From those, I was able to learn of three possible locations for the entrance. However, on my own, it would have been far too suspicious to examine them one at a time."
Melodi was already immersed in the documents, and Alex scoffed as he was reminded of her intense study sessions back at the Academy with Professor Lardok. However, he too soon delved into his own scroll, and Ulric sat back and meditated as the two poured over the knowledge in front of them.
Several hours had to pass while the two studied the scrolls, and often they would consult each other and point out specific things in different scrolls. Ulric was impressed at their ability. He had been barely able to pull together what little information he could on his own. He found it laughable that these two young Conductors could outperform him. Still, everyone had something they were good at, and this kind of thing wasn't exactly his area of expertise.
He left them to it and headed outside. Concealing his presence, he scouted out a radius around the empty house for a few dozen meters. He didn't detect anything out of the ordinary during his search.
As the former leader of Silent Night, he was the foremost sensory expert in the Academy. He was more than capable of detecting anyone below his level, no matter what methods they might employ. The Order was well-funded and capable of terrible things, but their ability to avoid his detection wasn't something he thought possible.
As such, he soon returned inside. By then, Alex and Melodi had spread out all the materials he had provided and were already cross-referencing things even he had missed. The sun had gone down by then, and a faint orb of Mage light hovered over the two of them, illuminating the scrolls. With nothing left to do, Ulric began meditating again.
Sleep wasn't something a Rank-Three Conductor like him needed regularly. He could go for weeks without sleep and not be any worse for wear. Although, he had already been awake for an entire month at this point. Still, this wasn't near his limit, and he only focused on going over what he already knew as he sat with his legs crossed upon the empty crate.
More time passed, and sometime after midnight, the two young Conductors exclaimed in triumph. Ulric opened his eyes and moved closer to see what they had discovered. "What did you find?" he asked.
"Well," began Melodi. "It looks like before Ardua was constructed, the crumbling remains of an ancient civilization could be found here. The City was built around a wellspring of Zight that helped the Conductors back then achieve advancements in their Orriums. However, at first, we couldn't find any mention of a ruin entrance or other similar opening."
"That was when we discovered that the entrance had been overlooked," continued Alex. "Whoever drafted the blueprints for the town hall and square found that the source of the wellspring was only a short distance from the first structures built in this town."
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
"Your labels were really quite helpful, and we saw the three locations that you mentioned," added Melodi. "The first one was near the fountain at the very center of town. That would be the most obvious place to look first. However…"
"However," interrupted Alex, "that would be too easy, and we quickly discounted that as the possible entrance to the ruin."
Melodi scowled at him and continued, "The next two locations were at a tree near the town hall. It’s been standing since the completion of Ardua and was another obvious point of interest. Still, we couldn't stop there."
"A record of a festival held in honor of the divines was held near the last location. An actual water well that stands just out of sight of both the town hall and the town square. The problem is that all three of these locations are more than obvious candidates for an ancient ruin's entrance," said Alex.
"So we cross-examined all three and found that these were only waypoints. The architect for Aruda actually discovered the entrance to the ruin after they were done planning the original construction. A short journal entry really gives away a lot if you know what to look for," finished Melodi.
Alex cleared his throat and began, "Twas the opening of the maw that beckoned us forth. No man, nor beast, nor insect, nor Zightstream dared to opposeth the shawl of the yawning abyss. Lo' many a brave Warrior and Wizard strove to fell the wicked beast, yet none ever returned. A black curse, woe to all involved, and mercy of death befell those of kin and like kingdom who dared to resist.
"Verily, thou wouldst do well to avoid the angering of the gaping darkness. So it was that the Queen herself barred all entrance, all expedition into the inky black. All knew well enough to leave well enough alone. Yet what to do of the ever-deepening black? What do men create that should be the call of the evening? How does one bring to heel the mind of a beast beyond blood and flesh?
"A brick would but fall into the void and clatter most foul. A life lost. A bond is forever broken. What skill do these hands possess that can close shut the jaws of oblivion? Should it be that I found myself a Wizard of the court, I might find a true answer. Yet I am not but more than a man gifted with a small portent of the Divine’s grace. I am lost in this. Lost to a solution."
Alex finished reading, and Ulric was left pondering the words he had just heard. However, he didn't have to wait long, as Melodi soon spoke up. "That was confusing at first, but it quickly reminded us of an ancient story from a ruin Alex and I delved into with Professor Lardok back in Dellorim."
"I can't remember the exact wording, but essentially, it was the story of a great craftsman who once blocked off a legendary void. He labored for weeks on end and fought off an oppressive darkness. Yet, when all was said and done, a great Queen rewarded him with a massive diamond the size of a boulder. That diamond was kept in the ruin we delved into, but that isn't the important part.
"It took us a moment to realize that this great craftsman's work was actually referring to the opening to the ruin here in Ardua. According to the story Alex just read to you an intricate seal protected the ruin's entrance. Anyone who tried to enter was driven mad or died.
"It seems like that seal was so powerful, nobody in early Farnor could handle it, let alone get near it. Furthermore, it seems like it wasn't some structure, but a deep pit cut into the earth. The wording of the story is strange, and it speaks of abstract ideas, but when you think about it, it's all pretty straightforward.
"Still, it's a bit of a stretch to connect the two stories since the craftsman from the ruin in Dellorim was known to have lived in the early days of the Kingdom, and Farnor was founded a few centuries after that. Additionally, the only Queen to ever rule Dellorim was Queen Yvonna only 700 years ago, and even that was only for a short time," finished Melodi.
"We didn't even consider the two instances to be connected," said Alex. "But then Melodi suggested that the craftsman in the story might have been a Conductor. If that were the case, living for a few centuries would have been no problem at all. Furthermore, if he was a Conductor, he would have been strong enough to deal with the seal set on the ruin.
"He might not have been able to break it, but he would have been able to help build over or around it. If we're looking for a massive hole in the ground, then given the clues in this journal, the best place to look would be underneath the cemetery here in Ardua. However, that means the entrance is not in the middle of town, but somewhere on the outer edge," finished Alex.