The Sword and the Flame: The Forging

Chapter 16

Without the stars to aid them, time lost all meaning for the companions. The one certainty was the tunnel. For the duration of their walk, it remained level and straight, leading them at least a mile away from the city. At one point, they passed a stone arch cutting through the foundation of the city wall. The path had remained clear of obstructions through the years, giving credibility to its intended use for emergency evacuation. Thus their surprise when the tunnel turned to their left and opened into a small rounded room littered with digging tools. Picks, shovels, buckets, and such were scattered around, including a few barrels of water and crates of food. Across from them were two tunnels, one appeared to lead up towards the surface — the entrance Berek and Gilliam had been searching for — the other looked to lead further underground.

Without a wasted moment, Galin stepped forward to eye the work. He made no secret of his opinion that the tunnel was built by humans. Dwarves were never as sloppy in their work as to leave tools lying around to be found. It took the briefest of moments for Galin's skilled eye to notice the differences. When his study was complete, he motioned to the rest to see. "Look here. This isn't smooth like the other entrance."

"So?" Berek looked from the Dwarf to the chipped stone lining the passageway. "They were in a hurry."

Galin smiled. "No, lad, this is recent. Those tools haven't been down here very long. A couple of months at most. Notice how the handles are new? The ground's full of vermin that'd bore in and eat the wooden handles."

"Someone's been digging here," Berek said. He wondered who it could've been and didn't like the options that came to mind.

The rest of the companions looked around, their anxiety building while thinking about when those strangers would return. Each of them had their own thoughts on the proper course, but none wished to speak for fear they'd display their own weaknesses, greed, or fears to their companions. They each felt it queer that they came together with little to no knowledge about one another, but they still couldn't be completely truthful within their group. As the oldest and, as the rest believed, the wisest of the group, Galin glanced at each of them. "It seems to be a simple choice, left to the surface and right into darkness."

Viola's brow furrowed for a moment in thought. "It is easy." She paused for a moment before continuing, "It's playing on our fears." The young mage became aware everyone was staring at her as if she had grown a beard and danced like a Hobgoblin. Ordering her thoughts, Viola said, "Don't you feel it? As soon as we entered this chamber, it was like a shroud lowered over our eyes, but instead of clouding our sight, it did so to our judgment."

They listened, ready to dismiss her theory as lacking logic and reason, but instead, turned their thoughts onto themselves. A few seconds passed until Janessa broke the uneasy silence. "Whatever did this expects us to listen to our fear." The realization brought immense pride to the Halfling as she was the first to accept what they all realized. For her companions, all it did was solidify her friend's reasoning. Without giving anyone time to think over and question, what fear they each had, she looked at Berek. "Which do you choose?"

For the first time since he met the Halfling, Berek wanted to backhand her for giving everyone a reason to watch him; as if he had become their fearless, or fearful, leader. He sensed the mage was correct, though he had no idea how. If asked, he would've stated, "It just felt right." He glanced over his left shoulder at the two choices. He knew which one he feared, and therefore, which one he was to enter. After taking a deep breath, he opened his mouth to answer, but his uncle interrupted him.

"Are you certain it's magical? Surely, you have a detect magic spell handy?" Gilliam's tone was even, but with a trace a fear in it.

Viola nodded. She had several spells prepared for the various artifacts they would find if Janessa and Berek were right. "I do, but keep in mind, whoever magiked this corridor did so with the ability to hide it. The spell would, most likely, fail."