Chapter 3:

“Luca, you’re my little lock picking genius!” Elandor patted me on the head, a wide smile spreading across his face. The rest of the group also seemed happy and appreciative.

I smiled weakly. “Thanks.”

We didn’t need Frenkie’s enhanced hearing anymore, as the sound of marching footsteps was obvious even to the normal human ear. They were getting louder, and closer, with each second.

“Let’s get inside, quickly.” Elandor pointed toward the treasury.

We rushed inside, and Elandor directed us to the doors. “Push them together. We need to close them to buy ourselves as much time as possible.” He said, and we complied. Frenkie and I pushed the right door, while Elandor, Will, and Ren pushed the left one. They were heavy, but with a group effort, we managed to close them with a loud bang.

“What now?” Will asked. “I doubt they don’t have the key.”

“Now, we use this.” Elandor said as he pulled a pale blue ring from an inner pocket in his trench coat and slid it onto his index finger. He concentrated and then with a swift move of his hands released a wave of magic that covered the giant doors, and the entire front wall of the treasury, with a thick layer of ice.

“This will buy us time.” He said.

“Is that an aquamarine ring?” Frenkie asked, surprised. We hadn't seen Elandor use this one in the past.

Elandor nodded. “Had to sell all of my other rings to get this one and the almost-dead black tourmaline.”

“You sold all of your rings?” Frenkie asked, shocked at the revelation.

“Almost.” Elandor smiled weakly. “I still have the hematite.”

Before Frenkie could add anything else, Will raised the pressing question. “What’s stopping them from blasting the doors down?”

“I assume they wouldn’t want to risk destroying the treasures inside.” Elandor replied. “Speaking of which, turn around. Only a select few can say they’ve set foot inside the treasury of the great kingdom of Morthryga.”

We did not notice it when we entered, since we were busy closing the doors, but now looking around, the treasury was truly a sight to behold. It was lit by many torches embedded in the walls, glowing with an unnatural faint white light, suggesting that runic magic was at play here as well, revealing a breathtaking display of treasures.

Golden ingots, meticulously stacked, formed glistening walls, while mountains of gold and sliver coins collected in massive piles rested beneath them. Different relics, which we knew nothing about, adorned fancy pedestals, and Will whispered that some of them would probably sell for more than an entire wall of golden ingots. Seemingly ancient suits of armor stood on display, carrying emblems which I assumed represented many of the noble houses of Morthryga, and perhaps even beyond. I recognized only some of them. While the walls to our sides were full of shelves that contained many scrolls and manuscripts. Last but not least, small cabinets with sliding glass doors displayed an assortment of minerals - an array of colors that cast colorful reflections across the room. There weren’t many stones inside the cabinets, which made some sense since the minerals were collected and secured by the Ministry of Magic in their personal vault. The stones here were likely gifts given to the king personally.

Frenkie approached the golden ingots and tried to slip a few into his pockets.

“Forget the gold.” Elandor stopped him. “Look for a unique transparent stone.”

“A transparent one?” Ren asked. “Which stone is it?”

“It’s called calcite. It’s supposed to be extremely rare, so you’ve definitely never seen it. Just show me any transparent stones you find.” Elandor replied.

We began rummaging through the magical stones inside the cabinets. Most of them were common and not so valuable like moonstones and hematites, while the occasional apatites and rhodonites emerged every now and then. None of those were considered rare and extremely valuable as well, but I put some of them in my pockets, nonetheless.

As we were going through the minerals, we could hear heavy knocks on the doors, which we assumed were the guards’ attempts to break the doors down. Yet so far, it seemed like Elandor’s ice held strong.

When we finished going over all of the cabinets, I had five stones in my pockets: Three hematites, one moonstone, and one rhodonite.

“Hey Elandor, no transparent stones here.” Frenkie called out.

“Same here.” Will and Ren joined in unison.

“Same.” I said as well.

“This can’t be it.” Elandor growled. “This doesn’t make any sense! Where are all the rare stones? There’s no way this treasury doesn’t have at least one sunstone or even an amethyst!”

“Maybe the king moved all the valuable ones to the ministry’s vault.” Will suggested.

“Oh, c’mon, with his ego?” Elandor countered. “There’s no way he’d receive envoys with valuable minerals and send them to the ministry. He would’ve definitely kept them here so he could check on them every now and then and feel good about himself.”

“Then maybe they just moved all the valuable ones away.” I proposed. “Since they knew we were coming.”

Elandor looked at me, his gaze both thoughtful and serious. “That couldn’t be it either. They were planning to ambush us on the other path, remember? There’s no way they thought we’d even reach the treasury. And the sealing rune on the doors? There’s no way they knew we could break it.”

Will shrugged. “I don’t know, Elandor. Based on what you told us earlier about your history with the kingdom and Joven feeding them info about you, I wouldn’t rule out them taking the cautious approach.”

Elandor was angry. He turned around and punched a wall. I assumed he activated his hematite ring because the stone wall cracked under his fist.

The hematite’s magical ability was to enhance all the physical aspects of one’s body. Which was enough to crack a wall, and sometimes even break it, without hurting yourself.

“Well, if the cool stones aren’t here, then maybe we should leave already.” Ren suggested, pointing at the doors.

We could see some of the ice Elandor applied earlier beginning to melt, probably because of fire magic applied from the other side by the mage-guards.

“Good idea.” Frenkie agreed.

“Wait.” Elandor said. “Frenkie, tune your enhanced senses. Look for irregularities in this treasury. Perhaps there’s a secret chamber here or something. There’s got to be something here.”

Frenkie nodded and concentrated on the treasury’s walls, while the rest of us tried to find anything unusual with our regular, unenhanced, senses. Meanwhile, Elandor approached the doors and applied another layer of ice on top of the previous one.

“What’s so important about this calcite, Elandor?” Will asked, voicing the question that had been bothering me as well.

Elandor seemed conflicted before answering evasively. “Just trust me. It’s important.”

He seemed a bit nervous, a sight which I couldn’t recall in all the days I’d known him, but he wasn’t showing it too heavily. Whenever our eyes met, he channeled his signature confident smile, even though it did little to reassure me. I still couldn’t understand why he was so obsessed with this calcite.

“There’s something here.” Frenkie suddenly called out. “Behind the crack you just made on that wall.”

Elandor rushed to his side quickly. “What did you find?”

“I can sense a bit of wind coming from behind the crack. There has to be a room or something on the other side.” Frenkie replied.

“Good job, Frenkie!” Elandor exclaimed, a smile spreading across his face, replacing his silghtly-nervous expression.

He hurried to the mineral cabinets and picked up five hematites, closing them tightly inside his right hand, forming a fist, as he concentrated. A second later, he delivered a heavy punch to the wall, and it crumbled under the impact of his fist. Through the hand-sized hole, we could see a small chamber on the other side, lit up by the same wall torches that were used in the treasury. Elandor peeked inside and his smile widened. “I think it’s there! It has to be!”

But our small victory was short-lived as the ice holding the door sealed began to crack audibly, and Elandor immediately rushed to apply another layer of ice.

“Frenkie – find more hematites and break this wall down.” He commanded as he concentrated on his ice magic.

“Can’t you just give me your hematite ring?” Frenkie asked.

Elandor shook his head. “No, I fear it’s on its last legs.”

Frenkie’s expression soured, but he nodded.

“Shouldn’t we help him, then?” Will asked.

“No!” Elandor snapped. “It’s too dangerous for you to use unrefined stones.”

He was right, of course. Not many in our world were born with the innate ability to channel mana and use magic, and even fewer possessed the skill to handle the minerals in their raw, unrefined form. When minerals were crafted into accessories like rings, bracelets, amulets, or earrings, they became what was called ‘refined’. In this state, anyone with the ability to channel mana could tap into their power to the extent their body allowed it, provided they had the basic magic practice. But minerals in their raw form were unrefined, requiring more magical knowledge than any of us possessed. Though they allowed a more proficient and potent channel of mana, they would also expire after a single use, unlike refined ones, which were a slightly weaker funnel for our mana, but had longer life expectancies.

Frenkie had been training with Elandor a lot, so I assumed he had some knowledge of using unrefined minerals. Or else, Elandor wouldn’t have asked him to do it.

Ren, Will, and I helped Frenkie find more hematites in the cabinets before he imitated Elandor’s earlier punch and created another hole in the wall. The hematite stones he used expired and turned to dust, while the wall, as a whole, was still standing firmly.

We needed to find more hematites, but there were only a few left in the cabinets. Frenkie used them to punch another hole, but the wall still wasn’t breaking down enough for any of us to get through.

“Status?” Elandor demanded as he continued applying more ice to the door.

“We’re not there yet!” Will shouted back.

I could see Elandor’s intense concentration as he continuously created more and more ice to keep the doors sealed. The amount of mental strength and mana it required had to be immense, and it made me appreciate him even more.

With no additional hematites in the cabinets, Will suddenly reached for his pocket and pulled out an additional two. “I know you guys picked up some too.” He addressed me and Ren. “Give them to Frenks. This calcite is more important.”

I had three, but I was not willing to part with them all. An eerie feeling which followed me throughout the night urged me to keep at least one for myself, so I handed him two. Ren gave Frenkie two as well. And with a total of six hematites, he took a few steps back from the wall, then charged at it with his body. The weakened wall shattered, and Frenkie tumbled through, landing face-first on the other side.

“Frenkie!” Ren yelled. “Are you alright?”

He stood up fairly quickly. “I’m fine.”

“You’re in?” Elandor asked with a shout.

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“Yes!” Will shouted back.

“Look for the calcite there.” Elandor said. “I don’t care about the other ones. Just get the calcite.”

The new chamber that Frenkie revealed was way smaller than the main treasury. It was no bigger than a small room in an inn. Around the room stood five wooden pedestals with glass coverings on top of them, each with a different color hue emanating beneath them. Once we got closer, we saw that each of the pedestals was filled with minerals of a specific color. One was filled with green stones, another with yellow ones, a third one with black stones, a fourth with blue ones, and the last held a single stone which was transparent.

“This has to be the calcite.” I surmised.

Frenkie nodded. He tried to lift the glass covering, but it wasn’t budging. He covered his right hand with the long sleeve of his sweater before trying to punch it, but it didn’t succumb to the force of his punch. Instead, he crouched and groaned in pain while holding his right hand. Will and Ren rushed to his side.

“Hells!” he screamed in pain. “This is no ordinary glass!”

I analyzed it quickly and realized he was right. It wasn’t glass, but in fact - diamond.

“It’s diamond.” I muttered.

“Diamond?” Ren asked as she crouched next to Frenkie and checked on his damaged hand. “Why would they use diamond as a pedestal covering?”

“Because diamond’s magic ability is reflection.” I explained what I knew about it. “Applying force to a diamond just redirects it back at you twice as hard. It’s perfect for keeping something safe.”

“Can we break the wood?” Ren asked.

“It won’t help.” I replied. “Look at the way the pedestal and the diamond covering are connected.” I pointed at the connection point between the two. “We’ll still be left with a layer of wood underneath the stone. And besides, I don’t think it’s even regular wood. If they used diamond instead of glass for the covering, then this wood is probably Drakenwood or Ironbark. Not an easy wood to break, even when using magic.”

“Then how do we open it?” Will asked.

I scanned the pedestal, searching for some sort of lock – and found one. On the right side, there was a small, nail-sized lock. After a quick inspection, I deduced that I could pick it, but it would take longer than the time we had left, especially with the loud bangs coming from outside the doors. There was no way Elandor could keep them sealed for long.

“There is a keyhole here,” I said, “but I won’t be able to lock pick this in time.”

“Then let’s take it as is.” Will suggested.

We all raised an eyebrow at the suggestion, but under the tense circumstances nobody had a better idea.

Will continued. “Let’s call Elandor here. We all put a hand on him, while he holds the pedestal and we’re all out, with the stone.”

“That…might actually work.” In a rare occurrence, Ren agreed with her brother straight off the bat.

“Elandor!” Will shouted. ”Come here!”

“I can’t!” he shouted back. “What did you find?”

“We found the calcite, but it’s locked under a diamond cover.”

“Can you open it?”

“We don’t need to.” Ren shouted. “Just teleport us together with it. Luca will lock pick it when we’re safe.”

There was a short silence as Elandor remained quiet.

“Elandor?” Ren asked.

“I don’t know if it'll work!” He shouted. “I’m not entirely sure how the tourmaline works. We might teleport the pedestal and leave the stone itself behind.”

Elandor's words were a sour disappointment to us, and especially to Will, who proposed the idea. “But isn’t it worth the risk?” he asked, trying to keep the idea alive.

“No.” Elandor replied. “We won’t have another opportunity like this.”

We decided to return to Elandor’s side to discuss our next steps together.

Amid the silence of the treasury, the muffled sounds of the guards’ attempts to breach the doors continued. Their rhythmic poundings and the unmistakable crackling of fire suggested a combination of magical and physical efforts, and I wondered how much time we really had left before the guards stormed the treasury.

“Is there a way to break through a diamond?” Will asked, directing the question at the visibly struggling Elandor.

Elandor’s expression tightened as he tried to recall something from the depths of his memory, all while still concentrating on creating ice to seal the door. After a few moments, his face turned sour. “Can’t think of anything.”

We all looked lost and out of ideas.

“Luca,” Elandor suddenly called my name, his voice sharp with urgency. “I’ll buy you as much time as you need. Can you pick that lock?”

His question caught me off guard. Judging by the sounds, we had mere minutes, at best, before the guards managed to break through. They were clearly focused on melting the doors and creating holes to force their way in. For Elandor to buy me time, he’d have to fight them head-on. And while I knew Elandor was a skilled fighter, if there really was a small army on the other side, like Frenkie said earlier, it wouldn’t matter. They would kill him. And then us.

“I-I don’t know how long it will take me.” I stuttered.

“You have to do it, Luca!” Elandor shouted at me for the first time in my life.

I was stunned by his response. Elandor was someone who I deeply respected and being shouted at by him felt like I had done something wrong. But was I wrong? Why was this calcite stone so important? Why is risking his life - and ours - so necessary?

“They would kill you before I even make it through the first layer of defense.” I whispered.

My words seemed to stir something in all of us. Ren’s expression, already panicked, now shifted to one of deep concern. Will wore the same frightened look, while Frenkie clutched his broken right hand, struggling to maintain a tough look. Elandor’s gaze fell on Frenkie’s injured hand, and in that moment, his expression softened. He shook his head slowly, his face clouded with disappointment – not in us, but in himself.

“I’m sorry, Luca.” He apologized. “It’s just that this calcite would’ve made everything so much easier for us.”

“What’s so special about it?” Will asked.

“I don’t know.” Elandor admitted, his voice laced with disappointment. “But the Kasean Intelligence offered me a huge sum of money, citizenship for all of us, and that house I mentioned earlier in exchange for it. Without it, we’ll have to find another way to get by – probably just keep stealing our way up as we always did.”

There was a short silence that spread between us with only the guards’ continuous attempts to enter breaking it.

“Then let’s get it.” Ren suddenly said, her voice filled with determination.

We all watched with surprised expressions, including Elandor, but then Will nodded and joined her. “Yes. Luca, get on that lock, please. We’ll help Elandor fend them off.”

Frenkie joined in as well. “Heck, let’s do it.”

Will stopped him. “Relax, you won’t be much of a help with your broken hand.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself.” Frenkie retorted. “I’m still useful.”

Elandor’s words about the importance of the calcite struck a chord deep within me. It felt like he was truly speaking from his heart, believing that stealing the calcite would provide a better life for all of us. I couldn’t remember ever hearing him speak like this before. Combined with the determination of the rest of the group, I found myself willing once again to go against my better judgement. I recalled my earlier talk with Frenkie about Elandor and the coinflips - it was incredible that we’d made it this far. Elandor had somehow learned of Joven’s betrayal beforehand and used that knowledge to make our infiltration a hundred times easier than it should’ve been. Perhaps Elandor really did have a way to overcome the odds, even when they were heavily stacked against him. Just like when he survived that mine collapse ten years ago.

“You all are crazy.” I said eventually. “But I’ll do it.”

Everyone looked relieved except Elandor. “No, I won’t put you at risk. Let’s get out of here.” He commanded. “Come closer.”

“We can’t hear you.” Ren dismissed his words, as she playfully covered her ears with her hands. “We’re getting ready for the upcoming fight.”

Elandor wasn’t convinced. “I’m not kidding.” He insisted. “Come here. Put your hands on me and let’s get out. I won’t risk your lives.”

Everyone ignored him until Ren spoke. “This calcite is necessary for all of us, Elandor, not just you.” She said, her voice sharp. “That’s why I’m ready to take a risk for it, and so does everyone else here.”

“But you’re not fighters. If things get bad, I may not be able to save you.” Elandor replied, his voice uncharacteristically shaky. “I won’t be able to live with myself if you died because of me.”

There was a moment of heavy silence between us as we absorbed his heartfelt words. Then, Will stepped forward and placed a comforting hand on Elandor’s shoulder. “Elandor, you already saved us. Each and every one of us. You saved us from the streets and gave us a home. Things didn’t always work out, but we always had each other. And now, we just need to push a little bit further in order to change our lives forever, and we are all willing to do it. Even if something bad happens, it’s not going to be on you.”

“Will, I…” Elandor was left speechless.

Tears were rushing down Ren’s face as she averted her gaze to the ground, clearly moved by her brother’s words.

“We’re with you, Elandor. Until the end.” Frenkie said.

I was speechless as well. I had never really stopped to think what each of my crewmates meant to me, but now, with the possibility of death looming over our heads, my heart began to race. Was this life in Kase worth risking our lives for?

“Looks like my recklessness had rubbed off on all of you.” Elandor said, a weak smile on his face, before turning to me. “Luca, I trust you to work your magic, like you always do. Do it fast but don’t rush, I know it’s a delicate process.”

I nodded, and he continued. “The rest – only support me from the back. Never get in the front line – got it?”

Everyone nodded in unison.

“I wasn’t planning on dying today.” Will said.

“Stop trying to sound cool. None of us plan on dying here.” Ren mocked him jokingly, and everyone, including Will, laughed.

“No one is going to die here today.” Elandor said, a confident smile spreading across his face. “Get ready. We’ll soon have our first visitors.”

***

I rushed toward the calcite’s pedestal and crouched next to it, opening my lock picking kit wide on the floor next to me.

Luckily, the mechanism inside this lock wasn’t so different from a simple pin tumbler lock, which I had experience of cracking. This one was just smaller in scale and demanded more precise and calculated movements.

In my side vision I could see Frenkie, Will and Ren lined up at the back of the treasury, taking cover behind the cabinets and some suits of armor. Elandor was out of my line of sight, but I assumed he was standing somewhere close to the doors, getting ready for the treasury to be breached. I knew I had to hurry up. The sooner I picked this lock, the sooner we could all escape.

As I began delicately manipulating the lock, a sudden explosion of noise shattered the stillness. “Get ready!” Elandor’s voice, sharp and authoritative, rang out above everything else, directing the defense against the guards’ assault.

A sound of a metallic clang had filled the room. And then another one. And another one.

“Don’t breathe it in!” I could hear Elandor shouting. The pieces connected in my mind, and I realised that the metallic sounds were likely tear gas canisters - a common weapon used by the city’s guards.

I could hear the sound of urgent steps running around the treasury. The steps sounded in rapid succession, suggesting quick movements. Combined with the reaction of the rest of the group, which I saw with my peripheral vision, I assumed it was Elandor, using his hematite ring to increase his speed of movement. The tear gas didn’t seem to be spreading throughout the treasury, so perhaps Elandor was tossing the canisters back from where they came. I couldn’t be sure from my spot.

“Elandor!” Will called. “They are getting inside!”

Ren was quick on her feet. She used her moonstone ring and brought a dozen of light orbs into existence, flooding the room with a cascade of blinding light. “Close your eyes!” The urgency in her voice carried a note of caution.

I made sure to comply by turning my head away from them as I continued working the lock. The light orbs seemed to erupt into brilliance, as I could see the illumination behind me shine brightly on the walls in front of me. Then, a succession of shouts and yells, accompanied by the sounds of physical blows, muffled but unmistakable, echoed from the treasury. I could then hear the familiar sound of Elandor’s ice magic crackling through the air and I assumed he sealed the melted holes and cut off the guards’ advance.

“It’s not over yet!” Elandor shouted. “Luca, what’s the status on the lock?”

“I’m still working on it!” I shouted back.

“Good!” He shouted. “We’ll keep holding them off. Get ready, everyone!”

Silence spread out across the treasury for the next few seconds, which only meant the guards were readying their next plan of attack.

“Frenkie, can you hear them with your hearing?” Elandor asked, his voice urgent.

“No.” Frenkie replied. “They are silencing themselves.”

Then, I could suddenly hear the sound of the metallic rasp sharper this time and Elandor’s voice following it up. “Watch out!”

The distinct whoosh of flames pierced the air and to my side I could see large arrow-like projectiles made of fire hitting the walls next to my dodging friends, just barely missing them. The collision of the guards’ fire magic with the treasury’s walls had left cracks and rubble in their way. The impact was so sudden and loud that I almost dropped the tools from my hands.

“Is everyone okay?” Elandor asked with a shout.

“Y-yeah.” Ren barely answered, panic evident in her voice.

“Looks like they switched tactics - they don’t care for the treasures anymore.” Elandor said, his voice carrying a mix of confusion and disbelief. “Frenkie - use the apatite stones. Protect the three of you.”

Frenkie nodded and then grabbed some apatite stones from the floor with his one working hand. He concentrated and the apatite’s defensive barrier flickered into existence, forming a translucent shield around Will, Ren, and himself.

“They’ll likely release another wave soon. Be ready.” Elandor warned them.

“Use the apatite too!” Will shouted. “There are plenty of them in the cabinets.”

“No need.” Elandor said. “I’m going to strike them back.”

Before they could ask what he was planning, we could all feel a sudden drop in temperature, as even our breaths turned frosty.

The metallic rasp was heard once more, and everyone braced for impact. The relentless assault hit the walls of the treasury. Some of the arrows hit Frenkie’s barrier and I could see his struggle to keep it up. The crackling of flames intensified, as he strained under the pressure of maintaining the defense, the apatite barrier began to look like it was wavering in strength.

The secret room where I worked on the lock was mostly unharmed, but the urgency of the situation still pressed upon me, and I hastened my efforts to unlock the diamond covering.

Smoke and debris had filled the room, and I could hear Will’s voice. “Elandor, are you there?”

Elandor’s answer was not late to come, and it was not in the form of words. The air whistled and suggested an attack of our own. Sounds of ice cracking against the metallic doors sounded throughout the room. The number of hits I could hear was incredible, I could not count them all, but it was definitely in the thousands.

The silence that followed was deafening.

“Elandor, that was amazing!” Will exclaimed in awe.

Frenkie dropped the expired apatite that protected them. “Good timing too. We wouldn’t have survived another wave.”

“They’re still not down.” Elandor reminded everyone. “They’re licking their wounds, but they will try something else.”

“Luca!” Ren called out to me. “How much longer do you think you’ll need?”

I shook my head as I tried to think of the closest estimation. “Around two more minutes.” I said while quickly working the lock.

“You heard him!” she said, trying to motivate us, a wide smile spreading across her face. “Two more minutes and we’re in Kase.”

Surprisingly, the silence continued for far longer than we’d anticipated. I turned the torsion wrench one last time and heard the click signaling that the lock had surrendered. The diamond covering was released from the lock’s clutches, and I was able to lift it up and reveal the calcite stone. I picked it up from the cabinet and turned toward the group. “I got it. Let’s – “

I wasn’t even able to finish my words, as an abrupt explosion shattered the fragile tranquillity.

The roar of the explosion reverberated through the treasury, shaking everything around us. The treasury trembled violently, and the calcite just slipped from my hand and jumped on the floor. Then, metallic groans filled the air and when I lifted my gaze, I saw the giant doors, ripped from their hinges, hurtling through the treasury, propelled by the explosive impact that tore through the front wall of the treasury as well. The room quivered as they soared, and landed with overwhelming force, exactly where my friends just stood.

With an instinctive lurch, I dove to the side as the rubble from the impact of the doors with the walls flied in my direction. I managed to find refuge behind the toppled diamond-covered pedestal. The world blurred and as the echoes of the explosion subsided, a heavy silence settled over the treasury, broken only by my heavy breathing, until...

“Will!” I could hear Ren’s blood curdling scream, and my heart sank.