Kareth: "Finally back."
We returned to the plaza after grabbing our weapons. Thyra also brought some gear as a just in case, though clearly even she thinks we won't need it.
The plaza is now entirely empty.
Aric leads us over to the exact spot we say the guards vanish, kneeling down and running his hand lightly over the floor.
Aric: "Think it's a secret trapdoor or something?"
Thyra: "Almost definitely."
She presses her fingers against the brickwork of the floor and nearby wall. Moving with slow, methodical precision. Until she freezes
A shallow groove, hair thin at best, practically invisible
She pushes
*Click*
A low rumble shakes the ground softly. A section of the floor lowering just slightly before parting, revealing a staircase leading into the ground.
A cold draft swoops upward. I can only describe the smell as old, maybe moldy.
Rhovan draws his blade.
Thyra nods and steps in.
The air cools noticeably as we descend. Torches line the walls seemingly the whole way down the staircase and the long hallway that follows. Our footsteps echo.
Rhovan: "Stay sharp. Structures like this clearly aren't built for just anyone to enter."
His voice is low.
We continue, farther through the hallway. At a guess we're about 10 meters underground.
Three guards move into the main hallway from a side path. Armour is different from that of the ones at the announcement. The steel is darker, each one with matching patterns. They seem as surprised to see us as we are to see them.
Guard 1: "Hey! I don't know how you found this place but civilians aren't supposed to be here."
Guard 2: "This lot aren't normal civilians. They have weapons, idiot."
Guard 3: "Lower your weapons and let us escort you out. Forget this place, for your own sake."
Thyra's eyes meet Rhovans, both of them standing in front of me and Aric."
No words were spoken. But all of us understood.
We attacked. The four of us against the three of them. They didn't stand a chance.
Thyra's spear pierced the throat of the first guard, the tip of the spear being yanked out the side of his neck swiftly after its entry.
Rhovan blocked the panicked swing of the second guard before slicing cleanly across his chest. He stumbled back onto the floor, falling onto his back. Rhovan didn't let him beg for mercy before stabbing him through the head.
The last one tried to run away. Incoherently crying and screaming.
Aric appeared behind him, a flash of light emanating his path. He smashed the hilt of his blade into the poor mans head.
Kareth: "Holy shit Aric."
Aric smiles triumphantly
Thyra: "We never got to explain Aric's thread to you did we?"
Kareth: "Clearly not."
Rhovan: "After some research at the guild hall and citizen archives it seems to be some sort of light based thread. Not teleportation like we initially thought."
Aric: "Yup. I can move super fast now."
Kareth: "Wait wait. What do you mean by 'some sort of light based thread'? Do you not actually know?"
Rhovan: "Well in the most basic of terms it would be classified as light. But when being more specific it would actually be categorised under something else, most threads that are common get broken up into sub classes. Usually based on the intensity of the power or a key visual aspect."
Kareth: "So light is a common power?"
Rhovan: "No actually. Light is very uncommon, it's just that most light based threads vary incredible amounts based on the user. Imagine it like a sword, even though the sword itself stays the same there's countless styles used by every wielder of the sword."
Kareth: "So Aric will eventually name his thread something based on what he ends up doing with it?"
Rhovan nods
Aric: "I've got some name ideas. But I need to get stronger and better to decide on one."
Thyra: "Enough chat. We need to keep moving."
Aric's face saddens slightly, clearly he could drone on about his newly acquired thread forever.
We return to walking, leaving the bodies of the guards on the floor.
We walked for a few more minutes before reaching the end of the hall.
The end was marked with a massive door. Steel pitch black, every centimetre reinforced.
The oversize door bears no crest. No symbol of the country it resides in
Kareth: "Clearly this isn't meant to be here."
Thyra: "and looks like it was never meant to be opened."
Rhovan: "At any guess whoever made this didn't want anyone going inside. Let alone finding it."
The tension in the air is so thick its suffocating
Aric: "So we're gonna open it right?"
Thyra's finger traces the outlines of a thick keyhole.
Thyra: "We'd be stupid not to. If they had to hide and protect it this much it can't be good."
Thyra furrows her brow
Rhovan: "What's wrong?"
Thyra: "This lock is unbelievably complex. Multiple different locks."
Aric: "So how do you think we can open it?"
Rhovan: "I can't think of a way Kareth or I could. Though you or Thyra might be able to use your threads to open it from the inside."
Aric's face lights up
Aric: "I never even thought of that."
Aric steps up to the lock, Thyra moving aside to give him space.
He places his palm over the keyhole, exhaling slowly.
Light gathers around his palm, focusing into the keyhole.
*CLICK*
The door shifts, rumbling the entire underground as it slowly parts
Aric: "Holy shit! I did it!"
Thyra smiles softly
The doors slam against the walls as they fully open. Causing all of our heads to snap to face the room.
A vast chamber. Neatly cleaned.
In the centre a massive table. Made of wood, clearly very old. Atop it sits a massive piece of paper none of us can see the contents of.
No doubt the contents of that paper will change everything we know about the current state of Esmourne.