With their spoils of war collected they examined the rest of the room but found nothing else of interest save for the door on the lower level. Delde paid specific attention to the mural in this room thinking that it might have some hidden clue in it, but it was just the same continuation of battle scene that had been running on since they entered the crypt. The only interesting thing that Delde could see was the fact that the painter had manged to not repeat themselves throughout the whole crypt.

With no other options other than the dark passage downwards on the upper portion of the chamber that they were all willing to overlook for the time being the group surrounded the door on the lower section. Dal investigated it thoroughly, pressing his ear against it, staring at the small keyhole, and even taking a sniff of it.

‘So… Delde, serious question. Do we need to keep that key in the golem to keep it down? Because it looks to me that the key to this lock is the same as the one that we just used to put that thing to sleep. And I mean, I can try to unlock it with my tools, but I’ll be honest this is a pretty good lock here. I might be able to do it, but it’ll probably take me a while and even then I’m not sure if I’ll be able to unlock it’.

‘Well… Honest answer. I think we can take the key out of it. It would take me days of study before I could tell you for certain, but it seems to me that having a key to deactivate a golem that only works so long as it is in it wouldn’t be that effective. I think it’s reasonable to assume that the golem should stay inactive for at least a short space of time before it reactivates. How long? I can’t say, it could be a day, it could be five minutes. But we can always use the key on it again if it moves so I’d recommend unlocking the door, moving through hastily and avoiding resting in this room’.

Dal shrugged, went over to the fallen wood golem and plucked out the key. He staired at the golem for a moment, waiting to see if it moved before walking over at a brisk pace to the door, hurriedly unlocking it while occasionally looking back to the construct on the floor. It never moved an inch.

The door screeched as it opened, hinges clearly not tended to by the towns people before they were attacked. But it was clear that they had been here as the room had clearly been set up for Delde and her companions. It was a small room, they were only just able to all fit inside as most of the space was occupied by a large, sturdy looking oak table. And upon this table sat five parcels, all bound in brown paper and string, with a label naming each of them. They all went over to their parcel and began to open them. Onyx, perhaps sensing that the room was safe jumped out of Delde’s backpack and walked around the perimeter of the small room before lying underneath the table.

‘I swear if this is another trick or a trap I’m going to be annoyed, I mean we just defeated a giant magical wooden statue! Shouldn’t we be getting a rewar… oh!’.

Delde didn’t know what Dal had gotten in his parcel, but if it was anything like what she had received she could understand his surprise. There wasn’t much in hers, only two items in fact, but her hands began to tremble as she picked up the first of them. A pale, eggshell blue coloured wand that stood at about eleven inches long, with white, ceramic looking filigree along its length. The filigree took the form of shields, barriers and arcane symbols of defence. Her detect magic cantrip was still active which let her sense the magic that was stored within it, it was a spell she knew well, one of the spells of the first level that she knew how to cast, although she hadn’t prepared it this morning. That actually made the wand all the more valuable as she could now cast it on herself without having to memorise it. Delde identified the wand easily as she ran her fingers along it, a wand of mage armour, one that held around ten castings of the spell by her estimation. Her first wand as a wizard.

She sat it down reverentially on the table as she took out the other item. It was an unmarked wooden cylinder made of a dark wood, about the same size as her wand, a scroll case. She opened it with a similar respect that she had shown when handling her wand. Unsealing the side of it Delde slide the scroll out and looked over it with hungry eyes. She had been correct in her suspicions, this was no mere message but a special type of scroll, one that had a magic spell infused into it. And the spell that it contained…

Delde stifled a gasp, a spell of the second level, one that she could not cast under normal circumstances but with the scroll she could. For one time at least before the scroll would be consumed in its use. But she also knew that through proper studying she could perhaps learn the spell from the scroll and copy it to her spell book. She felt practically giddy at the thought of having the means to learn a spell of the second level at her literal fingertips. Of course, depending on how things continued to progress she might be forced to expend the scroll to survive. Delde privately promised herself she would strive to avoid such a scenario. As for the spell itself, it seemed that it was a conjuration based one, by her understanding of the scroll it would most likely summon a large mass of webbing like material that would entrap or encumber any who became caught in it. She had heard of the “web” spell before, but this was her first time looking at the arcane mechanics behind it. Delde was already looking forward to when she could properly sit down and study her spell scroll in detail.

The envelop at the bottom of the parcel almost went unnoticed by the wizard, so engrossed in her new magical accoutrements as she was. But the red wax sealing it caught her attention as it was marked with the same runic “H” that Holgast would occasionally use as a makers mark on the rare magical item that he made. Incidentally Delde had spotted this rune on both the scroll and on the base of her wand. She opened the letter from her mentor in the arcane and read his message.

‘Dear Delde,

I trust that you and your fellow trial takers are having a good time exploring the crypt of Kassen. I know, I know, you see the whole endeavour as being a waste of your time and talents but do try to enjoy yourself. The townsfolk who travelled there to set it up were all very excited about it, I do hope you’ll appreciate their efforts. I confess that I have contributed more to the trials this year than I have in the past as I hoped to make the experience more fulfilling to you as well. I imagine you’ll ether be rather impressed or rather angry over the whole orc bandit illusion that you went through. It just goes to show what the proper use of ritual magic can achieve. I actually based the orc’s off of one that I faced off against in my youth, it was just outside of Absalom, and I was… No, I’m getting off track, now where was I?

Ah yes, the trial, and if you are reading this, your reward for getting this far. It’s tradition for a parent or mentor to leave some gifts as a treasure inside the crypt and nobody was willing to bother your father for such a thing after the infernal spider incident last year, so it fell to me to provide. Don’t mention you getting your staff before you set out, while I don’t see that as a case for favouritism you just know that if some busybody in town hears about it then they’ll go about town talking about how some people get unfair advantages and how they didn’t get the same treatment when they made the journey to Kassens crypt. That wife of the woodcutter’s guild master is the biggest gossip I’ve ever had the displeasure of crossing, why only last week she… No no, I’m getting distracted again, aren’t I?

I know that you have been a most diligent pupil, and will no doubt continue to pursue a path of magical learning, thus I chose to give you a scroll of one of my favourite spells. While there are those that only see the virtue of the more violent, destructive spells I like to think that an intelligent spellcaster can get much more use out of a spell such as this. I also chose to give you a wand that I’ve been working on for some time. Craftsmanship has never been my strong point, but I felt it was only fitting to gift you with a wand of your own and I believe that the mage armour spell is one that no right-minded wizard should be without.

As I said above, I know that you see little merit to the Trial of the Everflame but I hope that as you have travelled with the others you will have begun to see the merit in it. Where one person on their own struggles, a group can succeed with ease. And although you are undeniably highly intelligent and learned, there are things that others will be more competent at than you. It is not an act of weakness to accept the help of others, rather it is refusing aid out of pride or ego that is a sign of true weakness. This is something that you will need to understand as you venture forth into the wider world.

You are a good student, one I am proud to teach, but there will come a time when you outgrow my humble tower and the town of Kassen. You may have even started to realise that as you have been traveling with your companions. That is not to say that I wish you to leave, far from it! But I can see the hunger in your eyes as you study. Although you are happy to live your life in studious isolation for now, you will never gain the kind of knowledge or power that you desire here. For that you will need to either venture forth or abandon your dreams, and I know you, you are not one to give up on anything once you set your mind to it. I have no doubt that you will venture forth into the wider world at some point in the future, which is why I wish for you to learn lessons now that will serve you well going forwards. I hope that one day you will return to Kassen to visit your old mentor and share with him some stories of your travels.

Ah, but I am getting ahead of myself, for now you should see to completing the trial of the Everflame. I don’t doubt that some of the challenges will be difficult, but in overcoming them you will prove to both the townspeople and yourself that you deserve to be seen as an adult. Yes, yes I know you shouldn’t have to prove yourself to anyone but sometimes you need to put things in a way others understand before they will accept it.

I remember when you first walked up to my tower and asked to be tutored in the ways of the wizard. I admit I was uncertain at the time but looking back I can see that it was one of the best decisions that I have ever made.

In any case I sincerely wish you the best in your journey into the depths of Kassen’s crypt.

Your proud mentor,

Holgast.

P.S. Sorry about the key in the pool, it’s a task that’s done anytime there happens to be someone that can detect magic on the quest.

P.S.S. Also do tell me if the magic mouth message I left in the fountain room was too loud, I can never tell when I’m casting the spell.’

Delde took some time to collect herself after reading through the letter. Her mentor had never been much of one for words, something that they shared in fact. They had mostly gotten along because Holgast had for the most part let her do what she wanted in his tower so long as she completed his menial chores. The note, alongside her staff she received in his tower a few days ago were the first time he had shown her affection. But now, while she did feel affection in his words Delde felt something more from him.

Respect.

Holgast wrote to her not as a child, but as a valued apprentice who was on the cusp of ending their apprenticeship and leaving to go out into the wider world. If she was honest with herself, it was something she had considered in the past, but always as a sort of distant goal. Not something that she would be concerned with for many years. Delde wanted to properly prepare herself, to wait until she was strong enough that she would be able to overcome any threats she might face outside the safety of Kassen. She had no desire to be some whimpering girl needing to be protected, dependant on others. But now, after all she had been through with her companions?

She started to feel that Holgast was right. It was one thing to depend on others, it was an entirely different thing to be part of a team. She might have been able to get past some of the challenges by herself, but it would have been a struggle for her, and she could never have gotten past all of them. But with the rest of her companions at her side they had not only overcome all of the trials but done so with relative ease. There had only been one case where they came close to defeat and even then, they recovered from that setback and pressed on regardless.

And Delde felt different about herself as well now. Before she had felt… untested, unsure of her ability. She didn’t doubt that she could command arcane magic well for a relatively new practitioner and hadn’t worried herself about not being up to task for the “Trial of the Everflame”. But she knew that the world was far larger than Kassen and its petty traditions and townsfolk. How would she measure up outside of its walls Delde had wondered.

Now though she was certain in herself.

Delde had fought wild animals, the undead and even a golem. She had overcome physical challenges that she never would have considered attempting before she had joined her companions on the “Quest for the Everflame”, and she had proven to them and herself that her intelligence and studies were highly applicable in the world outside of Holgast’s library. Before she had set out with the others, he had felt that she still needed time before she was ready to venture beyond Kassen, but now she felt as though she could surmount anything that stood in her way.

She smiled as her fingers lightly danced over the ceramic filigree of her wand before she tied it to her belt. Onyx was purring contently at her feet from underneath the table as he stroked himself against her legs. In that moment, with her familiar, her staff, a wand, and a scroll to a spell that was just beyond her ability to cast she had never felt as much of a wizard.

Looking up from her letter and bestowed treasures Delde cautiously glanced at the rest of her group to see what they had earned and how they were reacting to it. Adriana appeared… neutral in expression, which Delde recognised after spending a few days with her was unusual. She was a woman of intense emotion and drive from what she had seen, this may have been the first time that Delde could not read what she was feeling just from looking at her. She was able to spot the items she had been given though and interestingly enough they were similar to hers, a wand and a scroll. She couldn’t make out what was on the scroll from where she was and could only see that the wand was made of a light-coloured wood. Delde wasn’t an expert on more divine based magical items so she didn’t waste her time attempting to identify them, she reasoned that Adriana would know how and when best to make use of them.

Baye and Dal both looked visibly proud at what they had read from their letters which for Dal was quite normal, but for his sister was a new look on her. She typically maintained a reserved appearance, seeming both aloof and professional, but now she reminded Delde of a pleased child having just received praise from their parent. She had been granted a pair of potions, although from what Delde could tell they didn’t appear to be of the healing variety. Dal meanwhile had been gifted with a short sword that to her untrained eye seemed to be of high quality. It had nothing much in the way of decoration but seemed sturdy, with an edge that looked razor sharp and the scabbard that it came with was pitch black leather. The gnome had already attached the scabbard to his belt and was making a series of posses with his new sword, which with his diminutive stature looked more like a long sword than a short sword. He appeared to be immensely proud of himself.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Out of all of them Igmar was the one that was having the most visceral reaction. Everyone else was being polite enough to ignore it, or perhaps they were all just too engrossed in their own letters and gifts, but the fighter was clearly crying. He was trying to fight back the tears, but it was a losing battle. That said he didn’t seem upset as much as he was moved by whatever he had read in the letter addressed to himself. Delde didn’t want to ask him about it, she figured that it was probably just as, if not more, personal than what Holgast had written to her. She did notice what had been bequeathed to him as well though, an unusual looking weapon but just as well made as Dal’s was, and more decorated as well. It was a hefty looking battle axe with a thick handle and a wedge like head, it seemed to Delde that someone of Igmar’s strength and skill could likely use with either one or two hands. The blade of the head was more angular than the axes she had seen before, and it was covered with runic markings which led her to suspect that it was a weapon of dwarven design. When Igmar picked up the axe he did so with the same reverence she herself did so when she first picked up her wand. She didn’t know what the axe was, but it was clearly of great importance to the young dwarf.

One by one they all put away their well-earned prizes and their letters. Delde noted that none of them discarded their letters but kept them on their possession. Igmar wiped away the last of his tears and acted as though he hadn’t been crying and the rest of them all went along with this.

‘Ah, right, so… Noo that we’ve gotten oor gifts does onybody have ony idea’s aboot whit we should be doin next? Ah reckon that we should look doon the other branch o that corridor a tween the pitfall room an where Roldare is. But does onybody have onythin’ else they can think o?’.

Delde stepped forward with her hand drawn map in hand. She figured now was as good a time as any to bring up something that had been bothering her since she saw that passage downwards in the room they had just come from.

‘Actually, there is something I would like for us to check before we try that door. It shouldn’t take long, especially if I’m correct. I’d like for us to go down that passageway there’. She pointed out towards the one in question. ‘And see where it goes’.

‘Are you entirely certain that’s wise Delde? Roldare did warn us that the undead that stole his sister away took her to the lower level. Would it not be wiser to complete our search on this level for survivors before walking down towards what will likely be a challenging battle?’.

‘That’s the thing, I don’t think that those stairs do lead to a lower level. Look at this map that I’ve been making as we’ve been traveling through this crypt’. She showed them all the map and the section that she’d noticed. ‘You see? The stairs over there match up exactly with the stairs downwards that we found in that chamber with the giant insect. If the two sets of stairs do connect, then the actual “lower level” would only be a few feet wide. I think that this is just some passageway that dips down to avoid running into another chamber on this level’. Delde now pointed to the large empty space in the middle of the map. ‘I suspect that there’s a large chamber or several smaller ones here that we haven’t reached yet’.

‘But might it not be that these stairs connect and lead off to form an entrance to a larger chamber? Just because the area that they join up in is small does not necessarily mean that that is the extent of what they might connect to’.

Adriana raised a fair point, but it was one that Delde had already considered.

‘True, but if that is the case then we can just head back up the way we came. I’m not saying that we need to make an extensive search, I just want to know if these stairways down are the means of accessing the second level, or if there is another way we need to be looking out for’.

‘Well, if you’re needing somewhere scouted out look no further!’. Dal proclaimed whilst posing with his short sword drawn. ‘I can pop down there and back no problem, though I will be looking out for that stair slide trap, that was nasty. But still kind of fun. Would have been better had there not also been a murderous wood golem dule wielding a pair of shields, but by terms of this crypt that’s not that bad! Anyways, you should all stay up here, I’ll shout up for you if I need help. Or I’ll rush up with a hoard of skeletons right behind me, one or the other’.

With no further delay Dal strode boldly down to the stairs down, the rest of the group following in his wake. He did slow his pace when he entered the passageway down, though his confidence didn’t seem to diminish. Rather he took great care in his examination for any traps or hidden surprises that might’ve been lying in wait for him. Delde mused that it might have had something to do with the fact that he had ended up triggering the stair slide as he referred to it as. While the gnome made a point to maintain his irreverent nature, she could tell that he took just as much pride in his roguish ability as she did in her wizardry. Delde imagined that falling for a trap, even if it was unexpected and well made, was intolerable to him if he held himself to the same high personal standards that she kept for herself.

They all stood at the entrance to the stairs and watched Dal descend deeper and deeper into darkness. His gnomish heritage meant that the dark poses no problems for him sight wise, so he went with no light source, all the better to hide from anything that might be luring out of their sight. After a couple of moments, he was gone, vanished into the inky shadows of the passageway, they couldn’t even hear him. It was a tense few seconds before they heard anything from him. But then.

‘IT’S ALRIGHT! DELDE WAS RIGHT! THE STAIRS JUST GO RIGHT BACK UP TO THE BIG BUG ROOM!’.

They all jumped as his shouts echoed back up from the stairway, giving his voice a ghostly quality to it. Everyone stared at him in annoyance as he swaggered up from the dark with nary a worry.

‘Yie ken that we’re no the only things in this here crypt!? Onythin’ that’s aboot will ken aboot us noo!’.

‘Phff, anything that’s been in this crypt for the past day or so probably already knows about us. Besides, everything that we’ve seen so far has been pretty much content to stick to their own rooms, so even if they do know we’re wandering about they’re not coming out to chase us down. Even the Murder Shadow’s kept to itself since trying to kill me’.

‘Murder Shadow?’

Everyone looked incredulously at Dal.

‘No? Still just sticking to Shadow? Fine. Still think it’s a dumb name…’.

‘Well, ah guess we’ve just got tae check the rest o that passageway back ower near Roldare. May as well cut through here then’.

They all marched down the staircase down then back up in relative silence. Even with Dal’s all clear and the light source provided by Adriana it still felt ominous to be walking downwards in an undead infested tomb. Delde examined the ever-present mural to see if there were any noticeable changes to it, but there were none. The only noticeable thing about the passageway was that the air tasted staler and fouler they further down they went, and that there seemed to be a claustrophobic feeling prevalent as they travelled. These feelings only left Delde as they came out into the chamber in which they had fought the giant bug, the corpse of which was still rotting away in a corner.

Delde was surprised at the sensation of relief that washed over her as she left the cramped passageway, even the stale air of the crypt tasted just a little fresher to her. How much better would she feel when she finally left the crypt and stepped out into the bright light of day once again?

The group walked past the room that Roldare remained in, with Adriana looking inside to make sure that he was still well. Seeing that he was, they ventured further forward until they came to the door that led to the pitfall trap room. There they went down the other branch that they had ignored the first time they reached it and after a couple of bends they all stopped before a door. This, Delde hoped would be the way forward for them that would lead the group to the second level and to the presumed source of the necromantic magics permeating within the crypt.

Dal stood before them all examining the door as was now habit for him, as they all waited and watched as was habit for them. But Delde could see one obvious problem with the door before them, one she hoped that Dal would be able to overcome or present some other solution to. But as he looked up at the rest of them her heart began to sink as he spoke.

‘So… there’s a problem. This door here doesn’t have a handle, or a keyhole… or any way to open it really. I can’t see any other means of opening it either, like a secret button or a lever, but it is a door, I mean it sounds like it leads to another room, it’s not just a door in front of a wall. But I don’t think that it was designed to open from this side, and it looks too sturdy to just hack through. I mean you could try it, but from what I can tell it’s pretty well reenforced and I can’t guarantee that there isn’t a trap or something on the other side that’s set to go off if anyone tries to break it down. The way some of the traps in here are set up it wouldn’t surprise me…’.

Igmar gave a heavy sigh. Looking around at the faces of everyone else told Delde that they had all reached the same conclusion she had when she saw the door.

‘An if this isnae the way forward, an the only other door we ken aboot is locked then that means…’.

‘That if there is a key then it will most likely be in the room with the Shadow’.

Adriana gave voice to the dark realisation they had all come to.

Nobody spoke for a while as they all took it in.

‘We all agreed to keep going through here until we couldn’t go any further, and if we had no other option than to fight the Shadow then we’d decide there and then if we were going to leave. We’ve reached the point we need to decide now. What does everybody want?’.

Delde didn’t want to be leading this discussion, but she did want it over with as quickly as possible. She knew that Adriana and Baye had strongly differing opinions on this when they talked in the morning and didn’t want to let tensions build up into something more serious. Whatever they were going to do, it was better they did it sooner rather than later.

‘Although I believe you all already know my thoughts on the matter, I will reiterate them now. I would like for us to make another attempt against the Shadow. I know you all may be doubtful of our chances of success, but I assure you all I am not just endorsing this action because of my faith or out of some petty pride. I do truly believe that we are capable of defeating this monster if we all work together… But I will acknowledge that it will not be an easy battle and if we chose to attempt to destroy this undead abomination that we all risk our very lives. So, if the group chooses to leave and return to Kassen I will go with the rest of you’.

She certainly sounded more subdued than she did in the morning, but that might just have been due to them already having broached this subject earlier. Delde glanced towards Baye, who was already preparing to speak up.

‘Like I said before, I don’t like unnecessary risks. Goin’ up against this Shadow sounds like a big one… But if the rest of you want to make a go of it, I’ll join in. Just don’t think I’m goin’ to fight to the death or some nonsense like that. If it starts lookin’ like we can’t take it, I’m goin’ to pull out. I’d advise you lot to do the same’.

Again, like Adriana Baye was more diplomatic in her speech, although her opinion hadn’t changed. But the fact that she was willing to at least try and fight the Shadow was a significant concession. Perhaps their recent victory against the wood golem was bolstering her confidence. If that was the case Delde wasn’t going to say anything about the fact that the Shadow would likely be a more difficult opponent. The golem they could at least hit, and they’d stumbled on a weakness that they have managed to take advantage of. The Shadow was going to be just as difficult to harm but even harder to strike, and the room it was in would make it more difficult to fight as well. It wouldn’t find the smoke to be a problem, but they would. Despite all that though she still wanted to press on.

‘I think we should make an attempt against the Shadow, at least once. The first time we came across it we had no idea it was even there, this time we will go in prepared. Adriana hasn’t made any use of her healing magics so we know she will be able to harm it. What’s more I’ve prepared two castings of a spell that is both guaranteed to hit and to damage the monster, and if what Adriana said is correct, she can use her light cantrip to ensure that everyone else’s weapons can also hurt it. So, if we choose to fight it this time we won’t be as helpless as we were before’.

Delde had come too far, done too much to simply accept defeat now. And she had yet to discover the root cause of the necromantic magics running amuck in the crypt. But there was something else as well… A burning need to prove herself, not to her mentor, not to the townsfolk, not to her companions, and certainly not to her father or siblings. She wanted to prove herself to herself. All her life she had spent in isolation, in safety. She’d grown used to it, to the point that she didn’t really thing of living her life any other way. But now?

Now she had already proven that she could do far more than she thought she could. Now she wanted to find out how much further she could take herself.

And of course, she wanted to help rescue Roldare and his sister… The fact that Delde couldn’t remember the woman’s name only slightly bothered her.

‘Ah’m o a mind tae try an finish whit we’ve started. But ah think that the one tae have the final say should be Dal. He’s the one wae the best reason tae no want tae face that beastie again, an ah dinnie think we should try an fight it waeoot aw o us’.

Everyone turned to the gnome who was now toying with his short sword and scabbard.

‘Well, thanks for putting me under the spotlight… But if I have to make a decision, and it looks like I do, then I choose to try and shine a light on this shadow monster once and for all. I mean, come on! We just fought off that wood golem thing and none of us even got hurt! I say we can do this, especially if Delde and Adriana are as sure about it as they say they are… But if it goes bad then yeah, I say we follow sis’s lead and just hightail it out of there’.

‘So… we’re all in agreement then?’.

‘I’m only doin’ this the once. If it starts to fall apart, we should get out. But I’m not goin’ in there to lose. I’ll give it my best shot’.

‘Aw right then, let head doon there an get oorselves ready’.

They didn’t speak a word as they marched towards the chamber that had only the other day almost cost one of their number his life. Now they were going back inside knowing full well that there was a real possibility that none of them would make it out of there alive. The last time they had entered they hadn’t known about the Shadow, but it didn’t know about them either. The creature had toyed with them rather than attempting to kill them immediately, it hadn’t seen them as a threat, it was only the shock of Adriana’s magic harming it that had caused it to retreat long enough for them to escape.

Now the Shadow knew that they could hurt it, even potentially kill it. The chances of it continuing with its sadistic playing with them were drastically reduced now. No, now they were a threat to it and from what Delde had read about the undead they were loath to permit a threat to their continued existence.

She gripped her staff tightly and checked for maybe the fifth time that Onyx was safe in her backpack. The undead were not bound by the same constraints and concerns as the living, that was one of the most foundational pieces of information one could learn about the undead. That meant that it was possible that the Shadow had been lying in wait for them to return ever since they ran from it. It would never tire, never weaken, never grow bored. If the Shadow so desired, it could wait at that door for one hundred years for them and would still fight with the same cold hate for mortals as it had when it struck down Dal.

They were in luck that all the undead they had encountered in the crypt of Kassen seemed to be bound to their own chambers as if the Shadow had chased them the group wouldn’t have stood a chance against it. But fighting it in that chamber brought a whole host of problems with it. They would struggle to see, struggle to breathe and the Shadow would be able to hide easily in the smoke. Delde didn’t know if the Shadow could see through the smoke as well but even if it couldn’t that wasn’t much of an advantage for them. It could still win through attrition simply through virtue of not needing to breathe whilst they all choked on smoke.

The walk to the chamber felt far longer than the few minutes that it took and with every step she took Delde felt a pressure surrounding her grow stronger, far stronger than she had felt during her recent dive in the thirty-foot-deep pool.

And despite all that Delde didn’t feel scared.

She was concerned, yes. Worried about the odds of success. But she didn’t experience the intense fear or dread that she had expected. As she watched the rest of her companions walk towards their potential death Delde realised that none of them looked scared either. Grim. Determined. Resolute. But not scared.

She didn’t feel safe, Delde wasn’t a fool. But as she walked towards the smoke-filled room with the Shadow, her companions in tow, Delde felt… Certain that they would triumph in the face of its might as she found herself standing before the door to the Shadow.