Bernar flared his nostrils and spat, shaking his head as he tried to get rid of the smell. "I think we've found it," he wheezed, rubbing his nostrils with his forearm as Anwill approached and gazed downward into the hole. "This must be it. There are markings on the walls inside of elven make," he said, gesturing toward one of the only visible walls in the dark, to which the Master nodded his understanding. On the other hand, Pyle and I went outside and signaled for the others to dismount, tying their horses to the nearest tree.
I helped Meliss hop off first before leading Celer to the closest tree I could find, tying a quick half-hitch around its trunk. Edryd did the same and walked over to join us. "Guess this is it," he said, patting me on the shoulder. "Watch your ass down there. I don't want to be forced to use my Whip of Doom anywhere near you again," I said more lightly than the situation deemed appropriate. "You say that like I haven't learned my lesson," Edryd replied, punching me in the shoulder.
Irun and Batch came up to us after having secured their horses. "I say we hold a competition of who slays the most," Batch said with a slight air of arrogance. "I agree. After all, we still don't fully know who's the better sword-caster of us four," Irun said with a wry grin, but I could only shrug.
I knew he was a good sword-caster, but my arrogance immediately assumed either Batch or I could beat him; maybe even Edryd, if he actually gave enough of a shit to try hard enough. "I think it's the difficulty of the kill, not the quantity that matters," I chuckled as I checked Meliss' gear to make sure nothing had come loose. "Sure it is," Irun scoffed, knowing all too well that I'd already killed three ochelons.
"Oh, quit being such a wet hose," Batch threw his arm around Irun. "If Thoma's going to be stuck at the Master's side, then you and I can have that match together. What do you say?" he asked, putting his face right beside Irun's. "We could do that. I swear I'll win, though," Irun grinned as he tore away from Batch's arm.
"Remember what I told you about staying near to Leona and the other masters," I whispered as we made our way to the shack. "I remember," Meliss replied with a firm nod. It comforted me to know that while she was good at following directions, she also placed great trust in all of us to keep her and Leona safe.
Garett and Roburn joined us without a word as we entered the desolate shack. Aside from a few cobwebs on every corner of the walls, no furniture or sign of previous owners could be found within. The Master looked at the six of us as we entered the shack and gave us nods of acknowledgement.
"Alright, here is how this will work. Thorsen, Thoma, Bernar, Pyle, and I will enter first, while Meliss and Leona stay close behind us. Garett will lead the archers in a superficial attack to draw the Masked One's attention away from the Palace. We'll follow this passage while Roburn and Anwill remain closely behind us to open the Portal Stone once we reach it," the Master said.
"I'm no more than bait, Master? Wonderful," Garett said with a sigh. "Just stay out of their range as much as you can, and pick them off as they come," the Master replied. "Will do, Master," Garett nodded and proceeded outside to summon the bow-casters. Thorsen was the first one down the small ladder attached to the open hatch. There was no light inside the tunnel when he reached the bottom, and he could barely see even an arm's length in front of him.
"We need torches," he called out to the others as loudly as he dared. "Here," the Master said, tossing a strange-looking half-faced mask down to him. "What am I supposed to do with this?" Thorsen asked. "Just put it on already," Bernar said playfully. Thorsen shrugged and did as he was told. "I couldn't see shit before, and now I can't see a fucking thing," he said to Bernar.
I knew the feeling all too well and grinned at my brother.
"Just a moment," the Master said as his irises glowed more intensely. Hismanasurged as he waved his hand downward, infusing the wooden mask. I could almost hear Thorsen's blinking as the mana began to flow into the mask. "I-I can see everything!" he exclaimed. He let out a small chuckle. "Wish we had these while I was still a Synner," he muttered as the Master ordered the others to do the same.
Neither he, Bernar, nor Pyle needed them, but they helped the others put them on and infused them with mana, getting reactions from my friends similar to Thorsen's. "Hold still," I said, holding Meliss in place as I used the same spell my brother had shown me the night I went to fight the ochelon in the cave.
I drew just enough mana from the Ethereal and passed my hands over her mask, getting a sharp gasp of surprise as the mana infused the mask and revealed her surroundings. "Holy shit," she said, cursing for the first time since I'd met her with a disbelieving giggle. "It's great, isn't it?" I asked with a bright smile, to which she nodded rapidly a few times.
"Let's go. We're going to be late, and we don't know what we'll meet down here," Bernar told us. We followed his order and quickly descended into the tunnel, while the others followed in behind us. Thorsen led the way, as he was the largest and most frightening to look upon should any creature get in their way.
Meanwhile, I observed the walls and the fine markings engraved in the stone walls as though time had not noticed them, feeling the mossy floor damp and soft beneath my feet from the humidity.
It feels like I've just walked into the past, I thought idly, running a finger along one of the markings.
The masks provided more than ample sight in the tunnel's darkness, and like the others, Meliss was in awe. "I've never seen anything like it," she said quietly. "This tunnel was one of the sewers of the Arwydus, the ones who resided in these lands many years before the castle was built," Anwill explained in a hushed voice. "Quiet, now. We don't know what lies ahead," the Master whispered, immediately making us all take the warning seriously.
Formidable creatures adored being out of reach from the sun's intense rays, and their senses had adapted over the ages accordingly. We went on in utter silence, and the only sounds we heard were those of Meliss and Leona's footfall on the soft, mossy ground.
We went through various passageways for what seemed like forever and an age to reach our destination. Although, in reality, it didn't even take two hours of walking. Suddenly, Thorsen reached a large area ridden with moss hanging from the walls, and a small pool of water in its center. The area was as still as a graveyard, and could have easily been confused for one.
"Anwill, is that what I think it is?" he whispered to Anwill, who stepped forward to investigate. In front of the pair was a large, circular stone with runes engraved in it, and writing only he could understand around its circumference.
He smiled.
"It is, indeed, my enormous friend," he said, lightly patting Thorsen on his shoulder. We soon followed behind them and entered the large area, seeing the stone which had nearly put Anwill in a trance. "Here lies one of the greatest mysteries of old. Folk in my homeland often spoke of such things, though even I am too young to remember them," he continued.
Thorsen looked at him curiously. "How old are you again?" he asked. "Eight hundred and eighty," Anwill replied calmly, making Thorsen visibly shocked to hear as his eyebrows lifted far above his already widened eyes. "I-I must be a child in your eyes," he said jokingly. "But you are; an oversized child, perhaps, but a child, nonetheless," Anwill replied with a grin.
I wonder what he thinks of Bernar, I thought jokingly.
"Time we got to work, Roburn," Anwill said, gesturing towards his partner. "And you're sure this will work?" he asked skittishly. "I am not certain of anything aside from death," Anwill replied briefly. "Well, that's comforting. Alright, let's get this over with. Just like we practiced," Roburn muttered with a nod as he moved to the elf's side and grabbed his hand.
I closed my eyes and tried to sense the mana they were drawing, and within the heartbeat that followed, I could only feel its presence. "Do you want to see what they're doing?" Bernar asked quietly.