Seamus pressed himself against the dirt cliff, his eyes moving to watch Miles. The ex-follower was peeking from their hidden position, keeping watch in case any of the orcs nearby got too close for comfort.
“Are they getting any closer?” Seamus whispered to Miles, who had crawled to hide himself behind the dirt cliff. They were currently on the shore, hiding behind a bend in the dirt cliffs. The sun was getting lower with every passing moment in the distance, its warm orange light reflecting off the black waves and showering over the group of oddballs.
“Not really… One of them seemed to have thought he found the entrance, so they’re all digging.” Miles tilted his head, peering over Seamus’ shoulder. “Not unlike our friend here.” Seamus turned to see what Miles was looking at, only to be met with a handful of dirt thrown at him.
“Ugh!” Seamus spluttered, spitting out the dirt that had made its way into his mouth.
“Sorry!” Lowe quickly apologized before he went back to digging through the dirt at the side of the cliff, pulling on roots and rocks. “It’s in here somewhere,” he muttered, his hands throwing heaps of dirt to the side.
“Are you certain this is the right spot?” Seamus asked as he wiped his mouth with a sleeve. The gnome had been vigorously searching throughout the dirt cliffs, looking for something he swore was there. Seamus wasn’t sure if Lowe was… right in the head.
‘Maybe he really is getting older.’
Seamus frowned as he watched Lowe rip out a tree root, his hand throwing it away as he cursed audibly.
“This has to be the spot… It has been a while since I last came by, but I know it’s here!” The gnome continued to dig, his clothes and bandages already stained with dirt. Seamus sighed, scratching at the back of his head as he watched the gnome poke and dig. Seamus settled his attention on that strange woman, Lilith. She was currently sitting cross-legged on the gravel, her eyes watching the sunset in great interest.
“At least there’s one person enjoying themselves,” Seamus muttered as he laid back against the dirt.
“So, since we have the time,” Miles spoke up, leaning against the dirt, not unlike Seamus. “Would you mind telling me your story, Seamus Halvorson?” The masked man inquired. Seamus felt his shoulder tense up at the sound of his full name, his fists clenching all on their own.
“I would rather not,” the young man responded, resting his head against the dirt as he closed his eyes. “There’s nothing much to it than what you already heard from the bards and drunks at Vindis.” Seamus opened an eye, nearly recoiling in surprise at the closeup of Mile’s grinning mask.
“I really doubt that,” the mercenary whispered, his low voice unnerving Seamus in a way he couldn’t explain, the strangeness of it all making the young man slowly back off a little. “How is it that out of all the people in your clan, you’re the only one I’ve heard of coming out alive?” Miles asked, a gloved hand pointing an accusatory finger at Seamus.
“I don’t know–”
“It’s because you’re something special. Someone so interesting that fate has allowed you another chance,” Miles murmured.
“This is ridiculous. Do you have a point with this?” Seamus retaliated, his hand moving to push Miles away. He couldn’t help but feel unsettled by the ex-follower’s words.
“I do if you allow me to finish,” Miles answered, no reaction coming out of him as Seamus pushed him.
“I don’t want to hear it. Keep that stuff about your insane god and his ‘interests’ away from me and my life,” Seamus angrily expressed. He was getting irritated by the mercenary, his hand moving to shove Miles even further away. The follower caught it, twisting Seamus' hand into a weird angle, making the affected young man wince painfully as he fell onto a knee.
“Myr is not insane,” Miles spoke softly, his grinning mask staring down at Seamus. There was a menacing look to the wooden mask, especially with the orange light of the sunset casting a long shadow on the left of the mask’s grin. “As chaotic as he may seem, Myr has a plan.” Miles soon took a knee, his face now leveled with Seamus. “A plan that obviously involves you… Seamus.” The man poked at Seamus’ forehead, right where his birthmark was. “I only want insight into what he sees in you and that strange friend of yours.”
Seamus stared back at Miles, a tinge of fear clouding his mind.
‘What is with him?’
“Then again…” Miles let go of Seamus’ hand, his feet moving to stand himself up again. “I can live without knowing.” Seamus stared up at Miles with a confused look while his hand rubbed at his hurting wrist. The strange man had lost the air of uneasiness that had radiated from him earlier, now passive and calm like before.
Seamus slowly stood up again, narrowing his brow as he looked at Miles. Before he could ask the mercenary about what the hell his problem was, Seamus caught the glint of steel in his peripheral. Seamus turned to his left, his eyes focusing on Lilith. She was holding both of her axes, a scowl on her face as she positioned herself on the gravel, almost as if she was going to lunge at Miles.
“I wonder,” the ex-follower pondered, “Why does she seem to only protect you?”
Seamus swiveled back to Miles, noticing how the mercenary didn’t seem to be worried about the berserker possibly tearing him to shreds. Seamus felt conflicted towards Miles, mainly because the man had a point.
Why did Lilith save Seamus? Why was she protecting him at all? How did she learn to sign? These questions had been bothering Seamus for the better part of the last couple of hours, to the point where he felt as if he was going insane. Seamus looked at Lilith, wondering if the berserker was more closely related to his family than he had initially thought.
“Got it!” A voice sounded out, catching everyone’s attention.
“I found it! I actually found it!” Lowe happily expressed, his hand pulling on a pale root. Seamus stared at the gnome, who was pulling the root with all of his might.
“Lowe, I don’t think—”
CLICK!
A noticeable sound came from the root Lowe was pulling. More clicks sounded out on the cliff in front of him, the dirt shaking as a section of it slowly moved.
“What the…?” Seamus watched in awe as a dark cavern was revealed, clumps of dirt falling from its roof as its hidden door opened. Everyone around stared into the dim opening, with Lowe happily cleaning his dirty hands on his clothes.
“This is it. This is the entrance to the vault,” the gnome proclaimed.
Seamus blinked, looking down at Lowe with wide eyes. “This is it?” He asked, his eyes moving towards the beckoning dark.
“Yes, but there is still one last obstacle. One that needs you, Seamus,” Lowe breathed out before walking himself into the dim cavern, leaving Seamus and Miles at the entrance. However, Lilith didn’t seem as cautious as the two men as she curiously followed the gnome into the cavern. Seamus followed her example, forcing his feet to move as Miles followed him.
Seamus squinted as he entered the cold and damp cavern, the light from the setting sun turning cold and faint.
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“I can’t see a damn thing,” Seamus muttered, treading carefully over the rocks in his way.
“Illuminate,” Miles’ voice spoke out suddenly behind Seamus, followed by a low humming. A soft blue light appeared right after, cascading the young man’s shadow in front of him. Seamus turned around, noticing the small quartz stone in Miles’ hand.
It was a spell crystal, a common alternative to the widely used rune stones. Seamus had seen and heard about them twice before, but the crystals weren’t as popular as the Wizards in Azurvale wanted them to be. Spell crystals were mainly used as portable torches for adventurers or as placeholders to rune stones since they could only hold level one spells and some level two spells. Level three spells, such as Fireballs or lightning bolts, were too much for the small crystals to hold. Although level one spells, like Illuminate or Candlelight, were a perfect fit for the spell crystals.
Miles took the lead ahead, his hand holding the spell crystal above his head as he walked deeper into the cavern. Their walk wouldn’t be as long as Seamus figured, as they soon came across a dead end. At least, that’s what it seemed like.
Seamus’s eyes focused on the wall in front of them. It wasn’t a wall at all but an old door, covered in moss and dirt from the years it had endured. At its foot, Seamus could see small bluish coins scattered haphazardly, their glint noticeable in the spell's light crystal.
“Valdoras,” Seamus pointed out before he crouched down to grab one of the coins. It was a long and rectangular piece of currency commonly used by traders from Areno. It wasn’t uncommon for Seamus’ father to keep such coins, especially since Valdoras were specifically made for use all around Azura. Non-enchantable, scry-free, and valuable enough to be used like gold, even out-valuing a single gold piece since a single Valdora was worth around two of them.
“Looks like they left in a hurry,” Miles commented, his hand pointing out the way the Valdoras were spread out.
“Yorn wanted the vault to be cleared as soon as possible back when he was transferring its contents. It makes sense that a couple of Valdoras were dropped during the move,” Lowe explained, his own hand grabbing one of the Valdoras available on the floor.
Seamus himself pocketed some coins before noticing Lilith curiously picking up one piece. She examined the blue Valdora as if transfixed by its shininess. Lilith quickly put the coin into her mouth, surprising Seamus. He watched as the strange woman moved the Valdora around her mouth before spitting it out with a disgusted look.
Seamus held back a chuckle, looking away from the strange woman as she poked at the coin. Seamus’ eyes turned back to the aforementioned door, his brow furrowing as he caught the writing at the top. His eyes widened as he recognized the words and their meaning. The mercenary seemed to have spotted it simultaneously as he wiped away some of the dirt and moss to read it.
“Sister moons…they will shine… onto tiny blades of grass,” Miles muttered. “What is this?” He asked, turning over to Lowe and Seamus.
Lowe shrugged, gesturing towards the mossy door. “I am not entirely sure. Whenever Yorn brought me here, he had me wait outside while he opened the vault.” The gnome turned to Seamus, his small hand gesturing towards him. “Do you think you can understand this riddle?”
Seamus frowned, keeping quiet as he stepped up to the door. He focused on the writing, his hand wiping away some of the grime that had formed under it. It revealed another piece of writing, this one detailing something else.
“I knew it,” Seamus muttered, his eyes focusing on the carved words. “It’s not a riddle. It’s an old lullaby,” he explained, noting the significant gap between two of the pieces of writing.
“A lullaby?” Miles asked, his mask turning back to the wall of writing before him.
“Yes… an old lullaby,” Seamus mumbled, his eyes scanning the wall for anything else. He could spot something else beneath the moss, his hand wiping it away to reveal a large handprint that could only belong to a single man.
“How does that help us?” Lowe asked, his hand wiping away more of the moss, possibly in hopes of a hidden clue.
Seamus thought back to his memories, remembering the last time he had heard this lullaby. He was but a child, resting his head on his mother’s lap. He had a nightmare prior to coming to her and wished for his mother to comfort him. Seamus closed his eyes as he remembered her soft words, her gentle hand brushing his hair as she had sung this same lullaby. The young man opened his eyes, his hand gently touching the words.
“I might have an idea,” Seamus said slowly. He rubbed the back of his head, feeling his cheeks grow red as he looked at the handprint below the words. He swallowed nervously, pressing his palm against the handprint that resembled his father’s. Nothing.
“It’s going to be like that, huh?” Seamus muttered, a small smile forming on his lips as he sighed. Seamus closed his eyes as he took a deep breath, his voice singing out the same lullaby that his mother had sung all those years ago.
“Go to sleep, sweet darling. Don’t you see the moons in the sky? Sister moons, they will shine onto gentle blades of grass. Go to sleep, my darling. Ravens watch over you and me. No matter where, they will see, white raven, do you sleep?”
An ethereal tone accompanied the words of the lullaby, proof that opening this door was the correct answer. While he sang, Seamus could feel his palm growing hot, and the sound of gears whirring and stone moving, signifying to him that his assumption was right.
He opened his eyes once finished, slowly pulling his hand away from the door as it shuddered. It split wide, both sides of the stone creaking loudly as they opened for Seamus and his group. The young man turned to look at his entourage, watching as Miles and Lowe stared in awe. Seamus noticed Lilith, who had stopped playing with her blue coin. She was staring at Seamus with a distinct look, her eyes glinting with sorrow and nostalgia. Before anyone could speak, however, distant voices sounded out from the cavern’s entrance.
“I heard something in there! Sounded really loud!”
“Wot, like a bear?”
“Nah, like something huge just moved!”
“Git in there then! I think we found it!”
“Shit!” Seamus cursed, his hands quickly gesturing towards the open vault. “Get in now! Close the doors!” He hurried, watching as Miles and Lowe rushed through the open doors. He turned to look at Lilith, who was moving to grab her axes.
“Lilith, get back now!” Seamus shouted. The berserker ignored him, her arms sliding off her jacket and cloak, leaving her shoulders free to move. Seamus cursed, not wanting this crazy woman to get herself killed. He grabbed her arms, pulling her away to get her to safety. Lilith didn’t seem to like it, however, as she thrashed around in his hold, shouting incoherently as she clawed at him.
Seamus took the scratches. His jaw clenched as she bit his hands and arms, leaving even more marks on him. He still didn’t care. Seamus forced the woman into the vault as Miles tried to push the doors closed.
“Close it!” Seamus shouted. In the distant part of the cave, he could see the light of a torch, followed by the outline of the orcs and smaller creatures with visible spears.
‘Goblins,’ he realized with wide eyes.
“I… can’t move it!” Miles shouted back, the effort in his voice. Seamus cursed to himself, mainly from Lilith’s bite to his biceps.
“Take care of Lilith, then! I’ll handle the door!” Seamus shouted out as the mercenary moved quickly to help subdue the berserker.
Seamus wasted no time, his hand grabbing the spell crystal from Miles’ hand. He quickly shone the crystal’s light onto the doors, looking for any way to close it. Seamus cursed to himself, realizing that there was no way to close it from the inside. An idea suddenly popped into his head, his eyes widening as he ran to the exterior of the door, pressing his palm against the handprint once more.
“Go to sleep, sweet darling. Don’t you see the moons in the sky?!”
“Seamus? What the hel are you doing?!” Lowe’s voice exclaimed, fear in his words.
“Sister moons, they will shine onto gentle blades of grass!”
“Seamus, get the hel away from there!” Miles shouted, “The orcs are getting closer!”
“Go to sleep, my darling. Ravens watch over you and me!”
Seamus spotted what looked to be Lilith running out of the entrance, a blur of steel and skin passing by him. He ignored the sounds of steel clashing and orc screams behind him.
“No matter where, they will see, white raven, do you sleep?!”
Seamus finished, feeling his hand burn hot as he pulled it away from the doors. He could see how they moved, signifying that his plan worked. He turned around to see Lilith fighting, her axes wrenching away from the head of one of the unlucky goblins that had come at her. She kicked away another of the smaller creatures before slashing at the lead orc. Seamus’ eyes widened as Lilith made a misstep, resulting in the orc’s kick connecting with her gut. The berserker rolled back in a tumble, her axes scattering around the vault door.
There were visible wounds on her body as she tried to get up, blood running down her arms and forehead. Seamus quickly grabbed her by the arms, dragging her back as the vault doors closed. Thankfully, she didn’t fight, her body relaxing in his hold as he dragged her into the vault just as the doors neared each other.
Before they could fully close, however, two greenish hands stopped them, the orc behind the doors yelling incoherent threats as he tried to pry the stone doors apart. Unfortunately for the brute, Miles came in, using one of Lilith’s axes to cut through the bastard’s fingers. The orc screamed in agony, his hands pulling back just enough for the vault doors to close, leaving the group in the darkness of the empty vault.