Only a handful of paces after passing the skeleton, they arrive at an open doorway. For the first time while exploring these tunnels, they are obliged to walk in single file to enter. And as they do, they find -- of all things -- a library. Ancient-looking tomes and scrolls line every wall. Others are piled up neatly in corners or on the single desk in the middle of the room. In addition to the way they entered, there are two other exits from the room -- one directly ahead of them and the other to the right.
Goatie's back is sore from having Jednook's beak prod him in the back as the griffin walked behind him through the narrow doorway; the creature seems keen to get somewhere, standing quivering next-to his master.
Goatie taps the pebble in his hand in anxious boredom.
Jednook snaps - he is done with the underground monotony, the endless tunnels. He longs for the outdoors and open sky. He starts to squawk loudly, his single eye narrow.
"Oi! Get your beast under control!" snaps Brandr (one of the Zweihand soldiers, if you don't remember).
Liam gives Brandr an annoyed look. Turning to Goatie, he asks, "Is he alright? Anything I can do?"
Only a handful of paces after passing the skeleton, they arrive at an open doorway. For the first time while exploring these tunnels, they are obliged to walk in single file to enter. And as they do, they find -- of all things -- a library. Ancient-looking tomes and scrolls line every wall. Others are piled up neatly in corners or on the single desk in the middle of the room. In addition to the way they entered, there are two other exits from the room -- one directly ahead of them and the other to the right.
"What in all the world. . . ?!" Daniel breathes softly, turning in a circle to take in the sight. "How-- why is this place here?"
"I have no idea," says Alinor. "This is some old stuff, probably left here by whoever built the place." She walks along the wall, tracing a hand over the spines of the books. Pausing, she peers closer. "No dust."
Goatie's back is sore from having Jednook's beak prod him in the back as the griffin walked behind him through the narrow doorway; the creature seems keen to get somewhere, standing quivering next-to his master.
Goatie taps the pebble in his hand in anxious boredom.
Jednook snaps - he is done with the underground monotony, the endless tunnels. He longs for the outdoors and open sky. He starts to squawk loudly, his single eye narrow.
"Oi! Get your beast under control!" snaps Brandr (one of the Zweihand soldiers, if you don't remember).
Liam gives Brandr an annoyed look. Turning to Goatie, he asks, "Is he alright? Anything I can do?"
Goatie shrugs. 'Not sure, I suppose it is the smell, although you can hardly smell it now,but then they do say that animals have a better sense of smell than humans.'
He examines the griffin with a puckered brow.
Jednook appears to be calming down. His squawks turn into tiny whines.
"What in all the world. . . ?!" Daniel breathes softly, turning in a circle to take in the sight. "How-- why is this place here?"
"I have no idea," says Alinor. "This is some old stuff, probably left here by whoever built the place." She walks along the wall, tracing a hand over the spines of the books. Pausing, she peers closer. "No dust."
"No dust? Then..." Lucas's eyes widen. "--then someone must come down here."
"Oi! Get your beast under control!" snaps Brandr (one of the Zweihand soldiers, if you don't remember).
Liam gives Brandr an annoyed look. Turning to Goatie, he asks, "Is he alright? Anything I can do?"
Goatie shrugs. 'Not sure, I suppose it is the smell, although you can hardly smell it now,but then they do say that animals have a better sense of smell than humans.'
He examines the griffin with a puckered brow.
Jednook appears to be calming down. His squawks turn into tiny whines.
'I think he's fine now.'
"Good, good. Just let me know if there's anything I can do."
"I have no idea," says Alinor. "This is some old stuff, probably left here by whoever built the place." She walks along the wall, tracing a hand over the spines of the books. Pausing, she peers closer. "No dust."
"No dust? Then..." Lucas's eyes widen. "--then someone must come down here."
"Or has been down here recently enough that not much dust has settled," suggest Visnja.
Alinor nods. "There is a little dust. It may not have been too recent, since this whole place is sort of sealed up, but there's no way to tell. In any case, we know someone has been down here. Someone stole from Evixar's hoard. Someone opened that door mechanism and deactivated those runes. And someone spent some time in the library."
"No dust? Then..." Lucas's eyes widen. "--then someone must come down here."
"Or has been down here recently enough that not much dust has settled," suggest Visnja.
Alinor nods. "There is a little dust. It may not have been too recent, since this whole place is sort of sealed up, but there's no way to tell. In any case, we know someone has been down here. Someone stole from Evixar's hoard. Someone opened that door mechanism and deactivated those runes. And someone spent some time in the library."
"I bet they're up to no good," Daniel growls. "We should find them and get an explanation from them!" "Slow down," Lucas says. "We have no idea who--or what--exactly we're dealing with here. They could be dangerous." Daniel mutters, "All the more reason to hunt them down."
"Or has been down here recently enough that not much dust has settled," suggest Visnja.
Alinor nods. "There is a little dust. It may not have been too recent, since this whole place is sort of sealed up, but there's no way to tell. In any case, we know someone has been down here. Someone stole from Evixar's hoard. Someone opened that door mechanism and deactivated those runes. And someone spent some time in the library."
"I bet they're up to no good," Daniel growls. "We should find them and get an explanation from them!" "Slow down," Lucas says. "We have no idea who--or what--exactly we're dealing with here. They could be dangerous." Daniel mutters, "All the more reason to hunt them down."
"I agree," says Alinor. "If there's someone down here who could endanger the people above, we need to be aware of them, and we need to be prepared to remove them. But for the time being, we should continue through the labyrinth as we have been, cautiously. That's going to be the best way to find out what's been going on."
"I bet they're up to no good," Daniel growls. "We should find them and get an explanation from them!" "Slow down," Lucas says. "We have no idea who--or what--exactly we're dealing with here. They could be dangerous." Daniel mutters, "All the more reason to hunt them down."
"I agree," says Alinor. "If there's someone down here who could endanger the people above, we need to be aware of them, and we need to be prepared to remove them. But for the time being, we should continue through the labyrinth as we have been, cautiously. That's going to be the best way to find out what's been going on."
"All right." Lucas peers uncertainly through the dim shadows. "Where's the next door?"
"I agree," says Alinor. "If there's someone down here who could endanger the people above, we need to be aware of them, and we need to be prepared to remove them. But for the time being, we should continue through the labyrinth as we have been, cautiously. That's going to be the best way to find out what's been going on."
"All right." Lucas peers uncertainly through the dim shadows. "Where's the next door?"
He goes forward, stepping cautiously into the continuing darkness.
Ivor moves in to flank him, motioning for Azril to guard Lord Daniel. Clearly impatient, the Zweihander soldiers come close behind, followed by Alinor and her guards with Visnja, leaving Liam, Goatie, and Jednook in the back. This section of the tunnel is made up of sharp, winding turns, first left and then right and back again and so on. It also slopes downward very gradually, unlike the other tunnels they have explored.
He goes forward, stepping cautiously into the continuing darkness.
Ivor moves in to flank him, motioning for Azril to guard Lord Daniel. Clearly impatient, the Zweihander soldiers come close behind, followed by Alinor and her guards with Visnja, leaving Liam, Goatie, and Jednook in the back. This section of the tunnel is made up of sharp, winding turns, first left and then right and back again and so on. It also slopes downward very gradually, unlike the other tunnels they have explored.
Azril keeps close to Lord Daniel, taking to heart the order to guard him to the point that Daniel snaps at him to give him room to breathe. Meanwhile as he walks, Lucas observes the walls of the tunnels--he tries to observe whether these tunnels were manmade or natural.
Ivor moves in to flank him, motioning for Azril to guard Lord Daniel. Clearly impatient, the Zweihander soldiers come close behind, followed by Alinor and her guards with Visnja, leaving Liam, Goatie, and Jednook in the back. This section of the tunnel is made up of sharp, winding turns, first left and then right and back again and so on. It also slopes downward very gradually, unlike the other tunnels they have explored.
Azril keeps close to Lord Daniel, taking to heart the order to guard him to the point that Daniel snaps at him to give him room to breathe. Meanwhile as he walks, Lucas observes the walls of the tunnels--he tries to observe whether these tunnels were manmade or natural.
The uniformity of these tunnels makes it extremely clear that they are not natural. They are smoother and more perfectly made than any structure Lucas has ever seen.
Focused on the walls, Lucas does not notice at first that someone is calling out to him. His attention is only caught at Ivor's gentle nudge. "Sir, they're saying we need to turn back."
Azril keeps close to Lord Daniel, taking to heart the order to guard him to the point that Daniel snaps at him to give him room to breathe. Meanwhile as he walks, Lucas observes the walls of the tunnels--he tries to observe whether these tunnels were manmade or natural.
The uniformity of these tunnels makes it extremely clear that they are not natural. They are smoother and more perfectly made than any structure Lucas has ever seen.
Focused on the walls, Lucas does not notice at first that someone is calling out to him. His attention is only caught at Ivor's gentle nudge. "Sir, they're saying we need to turn back."
