They swam through the green archway and found a wide stone staircase leading upward.
The water level slowly dropped as they climbed the slick steps until they finally broke the surface.
They stepped out into a dry cavern illuminated by braziers burning with pale blue fire.
Gina dropped the water-breathing spell with a tired sigh.
She leaned against a stone pillar to catch her breath.
Eliza and Lora wrung the excess saltwater from their clothes, leaving small puddles on the ancient tile floor.
'This place looks very old,' Kai thought, looking at the elaborate carvings covering the walls.
'These are not simple village cultists. This is an organized religion.'
A wide stone altar sat in the very center of the huge room.
The young village girl from the night before, Clara, was chained tightly to the stone slab.
She was unconscious but still breathing. Six men in dark robes stood in a tight circle around the altar, holding long, rusted cutlasses.
