I stepped away from the stairwell, judging from the look on the innkeeper's face this might not be a time to argue. I followed the Innkeeper back to the table where my group of men were finishing their meals. Jaxus had attracted the attention of a young barmaid, and Trevor was almost sleeping on top of his porridge. Dari and Halon were still in a deep conversation but now about the old bridge crossing over the Wexlor mountains.

I sat down at the table and gnawed on a piece of hard bread.

Dari stopped his conversation with Trevor.

"Cathol, tell us about those three men you were so curious to follow," Quinn said

"There is not much to tell, they disappeared behind that mural. I followed them through the door in the wall and discovered a stairwell that led below this Inn. I was going to follow those men, But the Innkeeper Suddenly appeared." I replied

" It is probably storage for the Inn," Dari responded.

"That's what the Innkeeper told me, But it does not explain why those men entered and disappeared down the stairs. One of them had a Glowstone. He was showing it to the others before they left."

"Cathol are you sure it was a glowstone, those have not been seen since the time of The War of Red Oaks.The Verses say the caverns were destroyed." Dari said.

'" I saw it, one of the mercenaries pulled a stone from a satchel and showed it to the other two men. It was small and glowed like embers. I have to get down there, I have to find out where those men were going and how they came across a glowstone." I added.

Dari looked at me, he turned briefly to Trevor and then back to me. " Cathol we need to get back on the road by daybreak, there is not much time left before the harvest season."

"I know Dari, you and Trevor will come with me tonight after the Inn has closed. If there is a source for the glowstones we need to find it before we cross the Wexlor's." I said, looking over my shoulder at the mural.

Later that night the three of us quietly descended the stairs that lead from the Inn's guest rooms into the dining hall. I placed a finger to my lips, indicating to Trevor and Dari to be quiet as we carefully made our way to the back of the Inn. A torch above the mural lit the room. The intricately carved brass handle on the door reflected the torch light.

I reached out to grasp the handle and open the door. It creaked as I slowly pulled it, breaking the silence. I looked at Trevor and Dari. I held my breath and hoping it would not wake the Inn keeper.

It was dark on the other side of the door and cold. A wind blew up from below, and brushed my cheeks. Trevor looked down the stairwell.

"Cathol there is a torch at the bottom but nothing on the other levels. Maybe we should take the torch above the mural to light our way." Trevor said.

"Ok, but try not to make that door creak again and be quick about it." I said, looking into the depths of the stairwell.

Dari looked down the stairwell and back at me. He seemed concerned but did not say anything more. I knew he was worried that anything we might find was going to turn into something more complicated than it should be. That was just the way, Dari was an over thinker.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

The door creaked again behind us, Trevor appeared with the torch. "Trevor quietly" I whispered.

"Oh sorry boss, no worries the Inn is asleep, no movement at all." Trevor replied.

"Yes I know, But we don't need to wake anyone either. We are supposed to be sleeping ourselves, remember." I said. He handed me the torch and we started our way down the stairs. The walls of the stairwell were smooth to the touch, just like the stone tiles beneath our feet. We descended five landings before we arrived in a large room. Against one wall was an old wooden kitchen table. Bags of potatoes, onions and carrots were neatly stacked along the opposite wall and from the ceiling hung salted pork legs and a variety of dried meats. The room smelled of root vegetables, peppercorns and wine soaked salami.

"Very good Cathol, I could be sleeping, resting for the morning journey." said Trevor. "looks like we have found ourselves a kitchen storage."

I ignored Trevor for a moment and examined the room, I knew there had to be something more. "Where did those three mercenaries go?" I wondered out loud. I looked at the bags of carrot and onion stacked along the wall, it was as if they were stacked from the floor to ceiling with a purpose.

"Trevor, Dari help me move some of these bags, I want to see what is behind them." I instructed both the men to help me.

We moved a few bags, but the wall behind was the same as the other three, nothing special at all.

"Come on Cathol, there is nothing here, just kitchen goods, I think we would be better off spending the rest of the night preparing for tomorrow." Trevor said, want to go back upstairs.

"Alright boys, let's get out of here, I am not sure what I saw this afternoon, maybe it was fatigue tricking me into seeing something that was not there." I said, as we turned to ascend the stairs, a twinkle of light caught my eye. On the corner of the old table was a very small pebble, its smooth surface reflected the torchlight.

"Dari, Trevor look there, that pebble on the table is it a glowstone?" I pointed to the table, both of their eyes widen. "by Sig's Hammer." Dari whispered. "It can't be, the mines were destroyed three hundred years ago."

"And yet there it is," I said to Dari.

I picked the pebble up and rolled it back and forth in the palm of my hand. It felt warm and I was overwhelmed with a sense calm. I rolled it back and forth it started to glow.

"By Sig!" Trevor said. "Cathol let me."

I placed the pebble in Trevor's hand, the warmth and calm left me. I watched Trevor. He seemed to be entranced by the pebble but it did not glow in his hand, it only reflected the torchlight.

"I'm cold," Trevor said. He was physically shaking. "It is so cold. don't you feel it?"

"Drop the stone Trevor." Dari said. "drop it now"

"I can't, I don't want to, isn't it all so beautiful. Look around you, don't you see them," Trevor was shaking uncontrollably now, and as he exhaled his breath it condensed into vapor, the same way it does on a cold winter day.

"Trevor listen to me. Drop the stone." Dari said. HE was becoming more concerned with each passing minute.

"Cathol he has to drop the stone or it will take him," Dari ordered

Trevor tightened his grip on the stone. "No, you can't. I won't let you. I'm going,I 'm going to go with them, Can't you see them: Can't you hear them, can't you hear them singing? it is so beautiful, they are calling out to me."

Trevor fell to his knees and Dari rushed to open Trevor's fist. Trevor gripped the pebble so tightly that Dari was powerless to force the stone free. A faint blue glow could be seen between Trevors fingers.

"Cathol I need you to hold him down." Dari said to me.

I knelt beside Trevor and firmly held his shoulders, while Dari tried again to pry open Trevor's fist.

"We are losing him." Dari said. The entire room was bathed in a blue light, Trevor had stopped shaking. His skin was cold and he was trying to say something but I could not understand, his voice was too faint.

"Let go of him," I heard Dari shout at me. "let go of him now!"

I quickly released Trevor's shoulders and jumped back.

Trevor lay there on the floor, his lips moving, staring at me, as if he was trying to tell me what he was seeing. His body began to glow an intense icy blue, and within moments he had vanished. Not a trace of him remained. It was as though he had never been there.

"They have taken him." Dari said turning to look at me

"Who, Where?" I asked, not believing what I just witnessed.

"To the Hidden," Dari said as he started his way back up the stairs.