Chapter 22

One at a time.

The mage had nothing on him but his robes and a necklace with a pendant. The pendant looked to be made of crystalline bone, if bone could appear gem-like. The room the mage had come from turned out to be a simple quarters for sleeping. There was a cot with loads of bedding material and hides piled atop it. There was a single bookshelf across the room with some articles of clothing, and piles of used dishes. A small round table sat in the middle of the room. Upon it were stacks of books and a handful of candles, nearly burned through to their base. Wax had run across the table and fell to the floor.

“Anyone want any of these books?” Arris said, to which no one answered. “Tosin?”

“I’m good,” I said. “Thanks though.”

We moved on from the room, and Filo had been the one to hold onto the necklace and pendant. She and Robern led the way. She held both their torches to give Robern the freedom to continue searching for traps. Pelle walked beside me and whispered softly.

“I think it’s good you took charge,” she said. “I like your idea.”

“I went on a few dungeon runs with another healer who also took charge,” I whispered back. “I picked it up from her.”

“For what it’s worth, just ignore Robern. If it were to come to a vote, I’m pretty sure we would all vote to do things your way. It made sense, after all.”

“Maybe not Vynk, though,” I said. “I think he’s more on Robern’s side of things.”

“That’s still everybody else against two.”

“Two can cause a lot of trouble.”

“I just wanted to say I got your back.”

“Thanks Pelle.”

Robern paused in the middle of the tunnel and crouched to inspect another trap he’d found. The edges of the false stone floor glowed yellow. Filo walked around him and went to move around the trap, when all of a sudden, the floor before her glowed blue. Then the pendant on her necklace glowed a dim white. She stopped just at the edge.

“Interesting,” Robern said. He went to her side and courched once more to use his Sense Trap spell. The same false patch of stone floor Filo had run into, changed from blue to yellow.

“What’s going on?” Filo said.

“Just a second, because I’m not quite sure,” Robern said.

He stood up and thought for a moment. Then he backed away from the trap. The yellow glow faded away, and the blue glow came back.

“Filo, can you go sideways and stand where I was right in front of that trap,” Robern said, pointing to her right. She moved to stand exactly where he’d pointed. The trap now in front of her glowed blue, and the previous one lost its blue glow.

“I think I know what’s going on,” Robern said. “The mages have to be able to navigate through the dungeon without setting off traps right? I think the necklace and pendant is a sort of key or something that illuminates all the traps. Here, give me the necklace,” Robern said.

Filo handed a torch over, then the necklace.

“Stay right there,” Robern said.

Then he moved back to stand with us. The trap in front of Filo lost its blue glow. He returned to stand beside her and the trap glowed blue once more.

“I think I’m right,” Robern said. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to wear this during our time here. It'll help me check for traps.”

“Yea, sure. I guess that’s fine,” Filo said.

“You’re still going to use your Sense Trap though, right?” Lep said.

“Yes of course,” Robern said.

We moved along the dungeon at the same pace as before, even though Robern was having an easier time navigating us. He stopped once more when we arrived at a wall. A tall narrow tunnel passed through the wall. There were deep dark grooves every few feet in the tunnel that ran vertically. The tunnel seemed to be about forty meters long from end to end. It emptied into what looked like a larger chamber beyond.

“Looks like only one person can cross at a time,” Arris said.

“This seems odd to me,” Robern said. “I’ll go first and test for traps. I’ll let you know if it's safe.”

Robern took his time, taking baby steps along the way. When he made it to the end, he crouched down and took a peak at the area ahead. Then he turned and waved for another one of us to move forward.

Vynk was the next to enter the tunnel. When he arrived at one of the grooves, a large blade came swooping down, slicing down his shoulder and the front of him. Vynk cried out in agony and Arris yanked him backward just as another swoop of blade came rushing down.

“I got you,” Pelle said, kneeling down to cast another healing scroll spell.

Pelle’s mana pool was draining until the scroll’s cost was fulfilled. Vynk’s head was in Filo’s lap and he was gritting his teeth against the pain. Then the scroll was dissolving in shreds of burning parchment. A silver orb was manifesting from a coalescing silver haze. The orb was strengthening in color and thickness. Pelle was guiding the orb down to the warrior and the light of the spell was reflecting in Vynk’s pained eyes. His body was absorbing the silver orb and he was beginning to relax. Then his breathing was starting to become regular.

“Son of Felke,” Vynk cursed. “That was extremely painful.

He sat up and checked his chainmail armor. It was gashed open. His tunic beneath was also sliced open.

“Is everyone ok?” Robern said, having returned.

“There was a trap!” Vynk said. “I triggered it and almost died, man!”

“I didn’t sense any traps,” Robern said. “None of it glowed blue either.”

“I knew those grooves meant something bad,” Arris said. “I should have said something. I just knew it.”

“Why didn’t you?” Pelle said.”

“I’m not the rogue here,” Arris said in exasperation. “I trusted Robern to prevent stuff like this from happening.”

“Guys,” I said. “It’s ok.”

“It’s not ok,” Vynk said. “You would not be saying that if you got cut in half.”

“What I mean to say is that Robern did check for traps. Right?”

Robern gulped and nodded.

“So it’s not his fault. We’re not enemies,” I said. “Let’s figure out what’s going on and continue to trust each other, no matter what.”

“It had to be the necklace,” Robern said. “I have a hunch that the blades aren’t behaving like traps, which is why I couldn’t sense any.”

“That doesn’t make sense,” Filo said. “It’s clearly a trap. Maybe it’s because you had the necklace that you couldn’t sense it?”

We had decided to test things out. Robern handed the necklace back to Filo and entered the tunnel once more. He made it to the first groove and used Sense Trap. The grooves glowed yellow. He waved a hand in front of the groove and nearly lost it as a blade came swooshing down.

For the next experiment, Robern did the same thing but with the necklace once more. He used Sense Trap, but nothing glowed and he was able to freely pass through the tunnel.

“Without the necklace acting like a key, they’re traps,” Lep said.

“Will only one of us be able to cross?” Pelle said.

“I could throw the necklace back to you guys,” Robern said.

“That’s a long way to throw the necklace,” I said. “If it hits the wall and falls down, no one’s got a chance at getting the necklace back.”

“What if we go two at a time?” Vynk said.

Robern and Vynk were the first to attempt going two at a time. They made it to the first groove, with Robern holding the necklace. I saw him use Sense Trap, and nothing happened. He passed the first groove. Then he turned back around and grasped Vynk’s hand. He used Sense Trap again, and the groove glowed yellow. Vynk yanked his hand back in fear.

“Sorry Robern,” Vynk said. “Once was enough for me.”

“Yea, this is a problem,” Robern said.

“Try handing the necklace to Vynk,” I said.

“There’s a groove right in front of me,” Robern said. “It’s not a good idea.”

Robern and Vynk returned and we all huddled together. Getting through was going to be tricky. Only one of us could pass at a time, and handing off the necklace might mean the death of someone.

“One person can cross at a time, right?” Arris said.

“One person,” Robern said.

“What about insects?”

“Insects?” Lep said.

“What if I cross,” Arris said, “and I conjure my Orb Weaver? I put the necklace on him, and send him back to you guys. Then another one of you guys can cross and I can conjure another Orb Weaver and repeat the process.”