Rav doesn’t respond immediately. He wore a deep, thoughtful expression, that became more pronounced when I asked my question. His glowing eyes rove around the interior of the illusion, when his head suddenly snaps to look at a small corner of the entrance. He reaches down and brushes some dirt from the side of the cave, right where the illusion joins the actual hill, and reveals a small blue stone that gives off a faint light.

“Oh… my… the stone is full of concentrated mana… more than I can have in me at once. Much more.” He pauses for a moment, tracing the area around it with his eyes, before pronouncing “I believe if we remove this, the illusion will fall. We would have the stone to do with what we wish. I believe the Mana stored within could be accessed rather easily, much like a battery.”

Rav stops, and looks expectantly at me. “This place is your find, Anthony, what would you like to do?”

Part of me wants to retort that he, in fact, found the stone, but I already know in a broader sense that literally neither of us ever would have found this place if not for Kaythe. The battery would run out one day and someone would stumble across it. That would be how it was revealed. Long in the future. That, or someone randomly running across it… like… a small pack of carnine in a… scouting party.

Oh. Ohhhh. Fuck.

I quickly explain my theory to Rav, whose expression darkens and he nods. “We must not allow this place to fall into the hands of the enemy.”

“Yeah, I was thinking similarly. We need to explore this place, find out what it’s there for, why the monsters want it, and take it for ourselves. Letting those things get another advantage likely spells the end of all of us.”

An uncomfortable silence follows as the thought reminds us of the seriousness of our situation.

“How did you find that Mana battery anyway?” I ask, trying to change the subject.

“Ah, there are some strange symbols that cover the perimeter of the illusion. They all flow into each other, and they begin and end at that point.” he gestures, indicating the area the stone now softly glows in.

Symbols? That’s intriguing.

I walk over to where he’s standing and look along the edge, like he indicated, but see nothing out of the ordinary. It just looks like dirt that suddenly ends into an illusion.

Voicing my concern earns me a wry look from Rav and a brief explanation. “My eyes can see constructs of Mana. It is a part of a magician’s skillset. Mundane vision will not be able to make very much out. I do not know how the mana is kept in such intricate shapes, however. Mana is wild, volatile… it does not form orderly lines easily, and even then, only through great effort and concentration…” he trails off, not knowing how to continue.

Of course, this explanation only stokes the fires of greed in me, as now there is this amazing concept of embedding magic into static objects and having it do something. Imagine a tent with this capability, you could pitch it anywhere and just look like a small hill. You could make a shield seem bigger or smaller than it is, a sword longer or shorter… the applications are as varied as stars in the sky! I bite my tongue to avoid asking for the second time today if Rav will just give me the power. His point was valid then, and it’s still valid… but damn…

And the battery itself looks beautiful in ways that are difficult to describe. The Power stone was elegant and sparkling, where this has nearly the opposite appearance with its cool blue translucence and soft, comforting light. It practically calls to me, but the threat of this place being quickly discovered is far too important to ignore to feed my petty greed. Plus, there’s probably some amazing stuff in here. Stuff that those monsters have spent a ton of time searching for…

Stuff I totally plan to take.

“Rav, it’s getting close to sun...down? Or whatever happens when the star passes behind those giant rings, but it’s going to be dark soon. I don’t want to leave this place unattended, because the scouts could definitely find this place while we’re gone. I volunteer to stay while you return to get more people to help with the exploration.” It isn’t a lie, the celestial ring is already apparent in the sky, and staring at it lets me see visually just how little time is left.

Rav looks at me, concern in his eyes. “Will you be alright? I will be unable to return immediately, the dark is… unlikely to be safe, and people need to sleep. You must hold here by yourself until morning.”

“It’s no problem. In all likelihood, it will be a quiet night with the protection of the illusion to keep me safe. Otherwise, a cave opening is fairly defensible… plus I’m not alone, I have Kaythe to keep watch while I sleep.” I smile, gently patting Kaythe’s back. “I’ll be fine. You need to hurry back to camp, though. I don’t want you getting caught out after dark.” He’d probably be fine, but the nights are dark out here. Even with enhanced Perception and the limited ‘starlight’, it would be way too easy to get ambushed.

Rav hesitates another moment, looks at his new hand, and nods. “Good luck, my friend. Be here to greet me on my return.” He nods again, with a slightly less genuine smile, and takes off running.

Leaving me, by myself… with a dungeon to explore.