Artemis hopped to his feet quickly, unsure which direction seemed the safest to go, but before he had time to make a choice he noticed the world around him start to shimmer and flicker. The cavern’s walls started to ripple as though melting away. Artemis looked at his own body and noticed the same effect upon his being.
“This can’t be good,” he said in a whisper. As he looked up, he watched the man laughing darkly. For whatever reason, the figure did not look bothered.
Seconds later the ripples and transitions seemed to end and Artemis stood in a rather large cavern complex. The ceiling reached nearly two stories above and had been cut smoothly into a series of domes. Small buildings had been carved out of the stone as well, though still part of the mountain. They were not made as an afterthought it seemed, but rather were created at the same time as the complex itself. As Artemis took a breath in he could feel lost millennia fill his lungs. The taste of forgotten names and memories lingered on his palette like a strongly brewed tea. Wherever he had landed, no whispers had been spoken for countless generations. The silence almost felt like a parasite had sucked every drop of life from the cracks and crevices of time itself.
More of the white mithril could be found all over, lining what looked like small roads and paths as well as wrapping around each building, though now they appeared as though vines spreading and growing to swallow the entire complex. Even the ceiling seemed overgrown with their invasive glow. They all seemed to extend from a central point – an elevated platform leading to a strange open structure. Upon the dais, a dozen pillars stood, connecting the roof to the cavern floor, and within that chamber a white light brighter than all the rest seemed to flicker.
Three bodies still lay upon the ground at the feet of the laughing figure, as far away as they had been before the world began to shimmer. The figure seemed particularly interested in the source of light, turning to the dais and moving onward; perhaps he didn’t even realize the young warrior had followed and been so close. Hesitating, Artemis watched, unsure what to do but let the man walk away. When it felt safe, Artemis crouched and hurried over to the three bodies. The first he examined looked dirty, like the man hadn’t showered, carrying a simple steel cutlass on his hips. The second and smaller one seemed a ragged little man wrapped in fur, not even armed. When he came to the third, he rolled the robed figure over and saw the dead eyes of an elf.
The bodies seemed almost drained, like they’d been rotting for days already. ’Be wary of that man. It seems he uses blood magic. I’ve not seen much of this dark art, but it can be exceptionally powerful and dangerous.’ Artemis looked up, hoping to catch sight of the blood mage once more and follow his trail, feeling wary of Judicis’ warning. He thought he could discern shadows coming from the dais so he walked on. Doing his best to remain hidden while moving fast, he traversed the large open stone surface without a sound, only to discover that the man had already entered the structure. Upon a small podium, a strange orb appeared to be the source of the light.
“Now, let’s see,” the man said, reaching into his thick coat and pulling out what looked like a scroll of some kind. Strangely, the scroll seemed to be made of an extremely thin form of mithril, and instead of ink the lines were etched into the surface itself. Yet all the same, it seemed to serve the same purpose. The man lifted it before him, unrolling the document, and as he did Artemis shifted quickly off to the side to get a better vantage point at what the man was about to see.
As the man lifted the scroll, Artemis focused his enhanced vision and saw what looked to be blueprints of some kind. ’That vaguely looks like where we are now . . .’ Artemis thought, recognizing some of the structures he’d noticed as well as the podium where they now stood. What really intrigued Artemis and the man equally was that a small silver-white dot glowed on the map now.
The man started to laugh, as though overwhelmed with the joy of victory. “Finally!”
Artemis knew this was it – that spot on the map marked the location. And time was against him. He had to make sure that he got there first. ’Judicis, I’m counting on you to guide me.’ Artemis activated the magic of his ghostly movement, creating a sphere of silence around himself where no sound would enter and no sound would leave. With that in place, he went into a full on sprint across the stone floor toward the spot marked on his map.
’There are two floors to the facility, Artemis. It looks like the stairs are on the opposite side of the cavern complex from where the light sphere sits. Head there first. Keep looking around when you have a moment – the more data you give me the more thoroughly I can map everything.’ And Artemis did just that, rushing past buildings that spanned the distance from ground to ceiling. Some even had staircases that climbed the sides of the building to grant access to the second floor, as if these were small residencies. Few structures along the way seemed larger in size and scope and often lacked the staircase – likely simply bigger on the inside. Artemis didn’t have time to look after all.
His steps took him over various vines of mithril that made it seem like he was traveling through a glowing white metal jungle. When his sprint reached the opposite side of the cavern, which surprisingly spanned hundreds of yards, he rushed down the stairs as they spiraled down along the cavern wall, curling back eventually to a massive space of equal scope and build to the flight above – though here there was significantly more open space and less cover. Artemis had to hurry – if the man reached this point, he’d see Artemis and realize that this expedition had competition.
Near the center of the complex hung a semi-circular structure with a low ramp up to its center. ’That’s the building.’ Artemis rushed up the ramp, urging himself onward toward the entrance. Once there, he deactivated his sphere of silence and stood looking upon an intricate door with a handle that glowed with the same mithril light that spread through the complex like veins through a body, giving it life and energy. Artemis removed his mask and gloves, reached for the door, and opened it.
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