Silas took a large bite of an apple and stared at the cave's ruins.
"Ah, what an exciting day that was. The falling debris. Golden times."
Arzan looked horrified. "We-we could've died in there."
"My existence is too powerful to get crushed under some cave."
"It was your disciple's powerful ice, to be precise," Zerath said.
"And whose genius idea was it? A powerful body is worthless if the brain doesn't work just as fast," he then raised a brow. "And now I'm wondering why you've brought us back here after very clear orders to leave this cave alone."
He tilted his head. "Oooo, are we sensing some rebellion here?"
"We need to identify the other set of runes."
"It's all buried under rubble down there."
"Yes. Which is why quite a lot of digging will be involved. You'll be a tremendous help."
"I don't like that attitude."
Zerath smiled. "I didn't bring you here in chains."
"Huh. True. But there's still the matter of compensation."
"What compensation?"
"The little brat and that older brat had their little fight, and his ice tore through my humble shop. It broke several hard-to-acquire potions - expensive ones."
"I believe you already punished him appropriately for it."
"Obviously. He's dead in some corner of the room as we speak. I thought he had finally put on some muscle. Apparently not. Regardless, the little brat's death quenches my anger but doesn't reimburse the repair costs."
"He's your disciple. Your responsibility."
"My responsibility also includes spending my time training him, and yet here I am about to spend my time digging for you instead," Silas smiled pleasantly. "Or do you think my time isn't worth anything?"
Zerath shook his head, laughing quietly. "Just send me the bills. I'll cover the costs."
They made their way into the cave, which was considerably harder to navigate now than the first time. Tall, broad piles of rock blocked every floor, and it only worsened the deeper they went. Even so, the two moved efficiently, and before long they had climbed down to the innermost floor where the altar stood.
It was in the same ruined state as the rest of the cave, but by some small mercy, the altar was still in place. Barely though. They cleared the rocks blocking access and got a proper look.
The side bearing the Xul runes had fared worse, with only the base still faintly visible. The other set of runes, however, were partially intact, more so than the Xul side.
Arzan bent to examine them. "It cuts off here in the middle. We'll need to find the other broken fragments to piece it together."
"Find the fragments?" Silas looked around at the countless piles of debris. "In all of this?"
"The digging wasn't only to clear a path," Zerath said cheerfully.
Silas smiled back. "Expect some extra numbers in those bills. This job just got significantly more annoying."
After a good deal of tiresome digging and shifting of rocks and debris, they managed to unearth several broken fragments bearing what looked like rune inscriptions.
"Just one more," Arzan said. "It should be somewhere around here."
Zerath moved to the far side, the area near where they had found Eurus's mother's ribbon against the shackle. He used his sword to dig through the rubble in search of the last missing piece, when something caught his attention. He squinted and took two slow steps closer.
In the corner, a strange black void floated in the air. Neither any sound echoed through it, nor any smell. It looked like a quiet disturbance in the space.
What is this? I didn't see this the last time we were here…
Behind him, Arzan noticed Zerath's posture shift and peered over to see what he was looking at. He watched Zerath slowly extend his hand towards the dark circle. Arzan blinked once. Then twice. Then he gasped, horrified.
"My lord, no! Don't touch that-"
"What?"
Zerath turned - but it was already too late. His hand had crossed the threshold, and he felt himself pulled inward. A moment later, he was gone.
"Noooooo!!! M-My lord, my lord is gone!" Arzan wailed.
Silas dropped a hard smack on his head. "So loud. What's the fuss all about?"
Arzan pointed at the floating black void with a trembling finger. "It's a Shifting Vein! These are pockets of space that appear randomly, mostly in natural areas like forests, caves, mountains and underwater. If you step into one or get pulled through, it transports you somewhere completely random. It's like a very raw, uncontrolled form of teleportation magic. The difference is that we've absolutely no control over where it sends us."
"So he might've ended up back at the palace?"
His eyes flew wide. "The palace? Not just the palace. Not just Rudaheim. He could be anywhere in the entire world. Including the Human Realm!"
—
Emberlain.
"What is this place…?"
Vivia stared in disbelief at the cavern-like structure beneath the lake bed. Had she not been standing at the shore only moments ago, she never would have believed this place existed underwater.
Judith brushed her palm against the damp wall, eyes narrowing. "Whatever it is, I don't have a good feeling about it."
Her fingers were already resting on the hilt of her sword.
"I expected an ambush," Vivia said.
Judith had been thinking the same. A place like this - hidden, isolated, perfect for keeping someone captive - should have had guards posted. But there was only silence. Even so, neither of them lowered their guard.
As they walked further, they stopped cold. A small turn to the left opened onto a corridor. Prison cells lined either side, built into the walls. The steel bars were rusted and old, as though they hadn't been used in years, and the air reeked of gloom.
Judith found another room with more of the same.
"The shackles in these cells are different," she said, crouching to study one. "What'd you even need this kind of restraint for? Wild beasts?"
The shackles were heavier than anything a human prisoner would normally require. She couldn't imagine what else might warrant them.
"I don't understand this. What is going on here?"
Vivia's confusion ran deeper than it appeared. Zerath had described almost exactly this in the astral realm - a hidden underground cave, multiple floors, prison cells built into the walls. He believed it to have been used during the war to house demons and build up army numbers. Standing here now gave her the exact same feeling.
But that was in the Demon Realm. How is a cave like this sitting beneath a lake in the Human Realm? Does that mean this cave has more floors too?
A foreboding nauseated in her stomach.
Don't tell me humans were doing the same thing?
"Lady Judith, I think there might be more-"
She turned to look at her and found her strangely still. Her gaze was fixed at something, staring at it with an intensity that felt out of place even for Judith.
Vivia approached her. "Lady Judith?"
Judith straightened quickly, her expression still unchanged. But she had already caught the hasty movement of something being tucked into her dress pocket.
"Yes?"
"What did you just hide, Lady Judith?" Vivia asked point-blank.