Caspian was surprised to discover that the first level of the Avrondale mine was, in fact, not a mine at all, but a home built within the bedrock.

From what he understood, the Heathcliff family didn't have enough money to own both the mine and a mansion, so they'd built their manor inside of the mountain that held their mine. It was a rather ingenious idea, Caspian would admit. Dislike of nobles aside, he could at least respect those nobles who displayed intelligence.

"This is the antechamber," Morrison swept out his hand in a grand gesture, to better display the decadent splendor of the small room they stood in. White marble glistened in the light as if freshly polished. Expensive statues of beautiful men and women lined the walls, acting as columns, their arms raised in festive repose. A door stood on either side of the chamber, each one gleaming with a network of golden designs, halberds and swords and shields, a depiction of warriors fighting against gruesome-looking monsters.

Caspian recognized the motif embedded into the door. It was one of the many historical events of Terraria, an event that took place before Sylvia de Floresca's rise to power.

Before the time of the Sorceresses, it was the time of the elves. Back then, the elves ruled over humans. They were the masters and humans their slaves. During this time, another species also existed—orcs. They were vicious, anthropomorphic beings that only vaguely resembled elves. Legends had it that they had been elves at one point, but they had let evil enter their hearts, corrupting them and twisting their bodies into misshapen beasts.

The story being told on the door was the one in which the elves, having no desire to bloody themselves, forced their human slaves to fight for them. The door depicted the first battle of that war, which was known as the War of Uruk Ven, supposedly named after the orc leader.

"Come," Morrison walked over to the door, "allow me to show you the rest of my manor."

The antechamber led further into the house, which was a network of hallways filled with doors. Each door led to a different room used for a different purpose. Despite its opulence, the mansion buried inside of the Avrondale mountain was rather small, possessing only 26 rooms. However, those 26 rooms were extravagant in every way possible.

Every room they entered was decked with artwork, and inlaid designs made of gold traversed the ceiling. They hung from the walls, paintings from famous artists; landscapes and portraits of important historical figures. Soft leather furniture sat arrayed around tables carved from exotic wood. The carpet was velvet and Caspian's boots sank into it like he was stepping onto lush grass. Each room looked like it cost more than a commoner made in a lifetime.

I wonder if Morrison is trying to compensate for his home's lack of size with extravagant commodities and expensive art.

"Morrison," an articulate voice called out as they walked down the hall.

Caspian turned with the others to see two people—a girl and a woman—strolling toward them.

Blond hair fell down her head in a beautiful array of drill-like curls. A gorgeous face set in a cold mask of arrogance smiled with the haughtiness that Caspian had come to expect from the nobility. The woman walked with elegance, her steps delicate, feminine, and perfectly measured. It was a very prissy walk, but then, given her luxurious and somewhat stiff-looking purple dress, Caspian supposed it was only natural that someone like her would walk as if they had something unpleasant shoved up their rectum.

Holding her hand was a tiny girl, who couldn't have been older than five or six. Blond hair like her mother's fell much more gracelessly around her head, though it remained perfectly straight and contained an oddly glossy sheen. Curious blue eyes gazed upon the newcomers, wide and round, containing the kind of innocence that only a child could have. She wore a dress made of expensive silk, bright pink and glittering as she walked. It made her look like a girl trying to play princess.

"Morrison, dear. Have you—oh? We have guests." The woman's eyes went cold when she saw Erica, but she bowed all the same. "Lady Erica. I had not realized you were coming."

"I like to do surprise inspections from time to time. It's important to keep people on their toes, you understand." Erica's smile was that of a goblin's, all sharp-teethed and filled with bite. The noble woman narrowed her eyes and gritted her teeth behind closed lips, which turned into a flat line of dark red.

Caspian sensed the animosity building up between the two, an almost physical manifestation of their mutual hatred for each other. It was like they were trying to electrocute the other woman with their eyes.

Why do they hate each other so much? Caspian wondered—until he looked at Morrison and realized that the man was staring at Erica's butt. Ah, that's why.

"Auntie Erie! Auntie Erie!"

The tension was diffused when the little girl, upon realizing who was standing before her, let go of her mother's hand and ran at Erica, who laughed and scooped the child into her arms.

And in that moment, Caspian witnessed something that he'd never expected to see.

Erica's eyes, normally filled with equal amounts of arrogance and disdain, suddenly turned soft and warm. He'd never seen her possess such gentle eyes before. Her face had also softened, becoming tender and caring. The placid smile that curled her lips was a thousand times more beautiful than the egotistical smirk she usually wore. Caspian closed his eyes to avoid looking for too long, lest he find his breath stolen from him.

"Well, hello there, Kristal. Have you been a good girl?"

"Of course," Kristal said imperiously—or as imperious as a child could sound. "I'm always good."

"Is that so?" a hint of amusement gleaned from Erica's eyes.

"Yes."

"I suppose I have no choice but to believe you, then. And look at how big you've grown since the last time I saw you. How old are you now?"

"I'm four!" the girl, Kristal, stated quite proudly.

"Oh, my. That's right. You had a birthday two months ago, if I am not mistaken."

"That's right." Kristal crossed her arms and pouted. "Auntie Erie didn't show up to my party."

Erica almost lovingly stroked the little girl's hair. "I do apologize. I had some urgent business to take care of. However, to make up for it, I brought you a present."

Caspian eyed the woman, Kristal's mother he presumed, warily. She was fuming. Her fists shook as they were clenched. She wore gloves, but Caspian imagined the blood draining from her knuckles, turning them bone white. Yet she didn't say anything. Erica was a Sorceress, and being rude to a Sorceress could end quite badly for her.

Kristal's eyes went wide. "Really?"

"Of course."

Caspian almost facepalmed when Erica reached into her cleavage. He did facepalm when Elric and Morrison stared at her heaving bosoms, their eyes popping out of their sockets. He would have yelled at them for being perverts, but really, he couldn't blame them for staring. Had he not grown so used to Erica's lascivious acts, he would have been in the same boat.

"Here you are." Erica pulled out a small crystal and set it in the girl's hand.

"What is it?" Kristal stared at the crystal sitting on her palm.

"It's a special device used to contain still-life images. Go on, give it a rub and see what happens."

The little girl did as told, rubbing the crystal with a single finger. Caspian almost jumped when light flared from the crystal and an image was projected onto the wall. It was an image of Erica wearing an expensive evening gown of black silk, carrying a glass of wine, and winking.

I... I have no words to express how impossibly arrogant that is. Caspian rubbed his eyes. I wonder if slamming my face against the wall will help me forget the last sixteen seconds of my life.

"It's so cool," Kristal squealed.

Erica's delighted laughter filled the air. "Isn't it? Happy belated birthday."

"Thank you, Auntie Erie!"

Kristal hugged Erica until her mother plucked her from the raven-haired Sorceress's arms. The girl squirmed a bit, but the woman shushed her.

"Morrison, dear, do you know where Lysander is? I cannot seem to find him, and it is time for his etiquette lessons."

"I saw him half an hour ago. I believe he was trying to sneak into the mines again."

The woman sighed. "Honestly, that boy." She shook her head. "Well, since it seems you are busy, I shall take my leave. Lady Erica." Bowing once more—though Caspian couldn't help but think her actions were more rude than respectful—the noble woman left, turning on her heel and walking away.

"Bye, bye, Auntie Erie!" Kristal waved at Erica, who grinned delightedly and waved back. When the girl and her mother were gone, she dropped her hands, her face becoming mockingly remorseful.

"It seems your wife still doesn't like me," Erica sighed and placed a hand against her head, as if this fact pained her. "Such misguided hatred. I do not believe I have ever done anything detrimental to her, certainly nothing to warrant such animosity."

Except for unintentionally seducing her husband, Caspian kept that thought to himself.

"I apologize for Amerelia's behavior," Morrison said, "I do not know what is wrong with her."

I do, Caspian thought with wry amusement. She's upset because you spend more time looking at Erica's breasts than you do hers.

"Oh, do not worry about it. A good deal of women seem to dislike me. Jealousy is such an ugly emotion. Oh ho ho ho!" Erica held a hand to her face, threw her head back, and let loose a haughty laugh.

"Don't laugh out of character like that!" Caspian shouted.

The tour soon continued. Morrison and his son led them to an elevator, a recent contraption built using a series of levers and pulleys, powered by a machine that ran on Spirit Crystals. The elevator hissed as hydraulics thrummed to life. Caspian steadied himself when their compartment shook before the elevator slowly, steadily, began its descent.

As they descended to the levels below, Caspian sidled up to Erica.

"You were awfully nice to that girl."

To her credit, Erica's face remained completely straight. "Yes, I suppose I was at that. Does that surprise you?"

"Of course it does. I never expected to see you show kindness to anyone."

"Such a quick response," Erica murmured. A moment of silence passed after that before, with surprising slowness, she glanced at him, her lips tracing a delicate arc that would have been beautiful, were it not for the desolation marring it. "I suppose you say that, being unable to bear children myself, I have a particular fondness for them."

"Ah."

Caspian looked away, unable to bear the sight of so much bitterness in Erica's eyes. He'd almost forgotten about the price Erica and the other Sorceresses paid to become a Sorceress: immortality and the inability to have children. He hadn't expected Erica to be the motherly type, but that might have just been due to his perception of the Erica he knew now.

Perhaps the woman who looked upon others with eyes full of egotism had, once upon a time, desired to bear a child. Perhaps she'd even had someone she loved, a man whom she'd wished to start a family with. He didn't know. It was not something they had discussed, and he didn't feel comfortable asking.

Regardless, Caspian could sympathize with her. Before that noble had almost drowned him, he would have done anything to gain even a single friend. He knew that wasn't possible now, but sometimes, just sometimes, the desire for a friend stung his heart. It was something that he had wanted for a long time and eventually given up on, or so he kept telling himself. However, he'd only been dealing with this pain for about five years. Erica had been dealing with the pain of being unable to bare children for centuries.

Caspian felt something sharp stab him in the chest, an almost physical pain that struck him like a dagger to the heart.

Why is it that I wish to help ease her burden?

Not just Erica's burden, but the one that all Sorceresses must bare. No one should have to suffer like that. No one should have to want something so bad that it hurt, yet be unable to attain it. It wasn't right.

Yet there isn't anything I can do, is there?

Becoming a Sorceress fundamentally changed a woman's genetic makeup. In order to house the Spirits inside of their bodies, Sorceresses gave up the ability to birth children. Even if a Sorceress never summoned a Spirit again, it wouldn't change anything. Simply by becoming a Sorceress, they gave up that ability.

I'm completely powerless to do anything.

For the first time in a while, Caspian felt the hopelessness of being powerless. It didn't matter how strong he was, or how skilled he became with a sword. He didn't have the power to help the Sorceresses like Erica, who wanted to have children, who wanted to fall in love, but couldn't because of their immortality and barren womb. He was completely, utterly, and unequivocally powerless.

I hate this.

The rest of the trip down was made in silence.