The Myth Seekers made their way through Tarn at a snail’s pace with the renewed requirement for stealth against opponents who had evolved long past the point that the team was capable of defeating them. Perhaps a solitary bone horror, maybe even with a single shrike serpent, would have fallen to the team after some time and concerted effort, but the creatures were never found fewer than half a dozen at a time. Oten twice or more that number.

  Complicating matters, they could no longer depend on the safety of the buildings and their ability to easily defeat the wights with Raith’s dreamforged weapon. Their safety to be found in the ability of Veil and Tolliver to serve as excellent scouts in this environment, the stealth of the team, and the Hollow Earl’s geas of forgetfulness on their perilous journey through the dungeon.

  After several slow and arduous hours, a couple of stamina potions, and the continued evolution of the fearsome creatures that haunted their every turn, the enchanted arrow in Raith's mind’s eye finally indicated that they stood in front of the building which held the key.

  Raith was grateful that they hadn’t needed to waste time exploring the first building the Earl had indicated as the most likely place to find it. Although a part of him wept at the treasures they were almost certainly leaving there unclaimed.

  It was large by any human standards, but among the stone-built behemoths that loomed throughout the central district, this one was of modest size. It had the appearance of some sort of administrative building, with large pillars out front and enormous stone steps leading to double doors far too large for Raith to imagine how they might open them. The style brought to mind the lorehall of Beckhaven on a scale he could scarcely have imagined before entering this accursed place.

  The building sat on the edge of that vast central lake that he had seen, which meant they were also not too far from the aethercore once they recovered the artifact. The ancient skeletons of long-dead trees lined the lake, hinting at the natural beauty this place must have once held.

  Thea whispered in a low voice from her hiding spot next to Raith.

  “I just figured out why this place gives me such a bad feeling.”

  Raith turned to look at his closest friend.

  “I thought it was because we were deep underground.”

  She shook her head.

  “No. I mean, I hate it down here, but this cavern is so vast that I really don’t feel the weight of it unless I really get to thinking of where we are. No, what I meant was that there’s no life. Those dead trees are what finally made it come home.”

  “What do you mean?” Raith asked.

  “Even a cave should have flora and fauna. There’s nothing down here that’s alive. No insects, no moss, no mice or bats. Even the shrike serpents, that seem the closest to life of the monsters this dungeon has to offer, hold no true life in them. They’re merely constructs of the gods.”

  Raith gave an involuntary shudder as he considered her words. Although he didn’t mourn the absence of whatever skittering insects might dwell so far beneath the earth, the utter absence of anything besides themselves that held a spark of the Weaver’s light loomed ominously.

  He shook off the feeling and checked the arrow. The building in front of them appeared to be about three stories tall, which was at least five times that of a human building. The arrow, however, pointed slightly down, which indicated a basement or sub-level where they would have to go in order to find this artifact.

  They waited in their hiding spot to observe the comings and goings of the local monsters. Several patrols went by, bone horrors on the ground and shrike serpents in the air. Careful inspection of the windows and doors gave no clue as to what the interior of that building held. There was no indication of movement or monsters either within, exiting, or entering their target.

  Raith breathed an internal sigh of relief, but also realized that this place would most assuredly not have been left undefended. There would be traps, and it would be his job to detect and disarm them…a job he felt somewhat less confident in than his other responsibilities on this team.

  He took a moment to enter [Staccato] and his library to review the books on traps and the notes he’d taken during his time with the trapmaster in Janekstown. He reassured himself that he’d had some of the best training money could buy, and the most thorough instruction manuals on traps to be found in the three kingdoms. Indeed, at least one of them offered instructions on the setting and crafting of traps that were far beyond his understanding and anything they were likely to find in this dungeon.

  For all that the gods were petty and cruel, they rarely created a test completely beyond the reach of mortals. Such a test, after all, would ruin their fun and discourage any attempt at taking it in the first place.

  Raith considered the obstacles to even getting in there. Those doors were far too massive for them to push, even working in concert. He couldn’t even reach the handle, and even if they were somehow able to get the handle turned and work together to shove the massive stone door, such an act would take far too much time. Time in which they would almost certainly encounter one of the monstrous patrols.

  He looked up to the roof, considering. If they could quickly get to the top, there might be a way in from there that was less exposed and perhaps more manageable than trying to figure out the front entrance. Such a tactic, however, would still leave them exposed to the skies, where shrike serpents flew with their beady-eyed surveillance.

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  An idea occurred to him. He looked around at his companions.

  “Are these things considered immortal?”

  Nyhm shrugged, and Thea gave a considering look, but Tolliver shook his head sharply and confidently.

  “If, as Thea says, these are constructs of a sort, they would not qualify as immortals. Constructs do not fall into the mortal/immortal paradigm, for they are not alive in the first place.”

  Raith formed a small smile.

  “Excellent. I think I know how we can get in, then.”

  He reminded them of the invisibility potions provided by the Hollow Earl. That would give them plenty of time to find their way, scale the outside of the building, and work out getting in unobserved from there. More importantly, without finding themselves in a desperate battle against the mighty creatures these dungeon denizens had become.

  They uncorked the faerie brew, and Raith suggested that Tolliver be the one to test them out before the rest exposed themselves. If he was spotted in his bat form, it would be far easies for the [Mage] to get away from any pursuit that might ensue from being seen.

  Tolliver gave a thick gulp, a trace of fear apparent on his face in spite of his earlier confidence. He screwed his face up determinedly, threw back the potion, and darted off to find their foes. A short time later, he returned and transformed with a satisfied smile on his face.

  “I was able to locate groups of all three of these creatures, and none of them could see me. Even when I darted back and forth right in front of their faces there was no reaction at all.”

  Raith breathed a huge sigh of relief.

  “Alright then, let’s head on over.”

  They circled the building as Raith ascertained the best way to get up. He had been hoping for some kind of exterior stairwell, but they had no such luck. Raith turned Thea, needing to ask but afraid to shake her slowly returning confidence.

  “Can you still do that [Vine Gauntlet] climbing trick?”

  She looked up at the towering roof above them and nodded uncertainly.

  “Yes,” she said, “but I can’t get extend them that far at the same time. I could get up to some of these windows though, and then move up one floor at a time.”

  “Alright, I’ll go up slowly below and spot you to make sure you don’t fall.”

  She gave another nod. He looked to Nyhm.

  “Do you think you can make it up this?”

  His brother gave a a terse, tight-lipped smile and his claws appeared.

  “I’ll make it to the top.”

  And so it was, slowly but surely, the Myth Seekers made their way to the roof.

  When they finally pulled themselves over the wall that surrounded the rooftop, Raith saw that it was obviously some sort of garden retreat in its heyday. A beautiful mosaic path wound its way between barren beds of dirt and beautifully crafted pottery that may once have held plants that don’t even exist anymore. In the center was a small outcropping from below with a door that presumably led to stairs beneath.

  The team paused and looked carefully around for any threats. Seeing none, they began to proceed towards the doorway. Raith slowed to admire the incredible craftsmanship of the pottery and the path. It was like nothing he’d ever seen, with intricate details and designs, some depicting scenes of the gods in their ancient glory.

  As he slowed, he heard Thea gasp and dart quickly towards one of the pots. He drew his weapon and looked around in alarm at the noise she had made.

  “There’s a spark of life in here,” she said excitedly, digging at the dirt with her good hand.

  Nyhm came over to watch her eager scramblings, and her efforts were soon rewarded with an amber seed the size of a thumb and pale white markings along the side.

  “I thought you said there was no life down here like two minutes ago,” Raith said.

  She answered without taking her eyes off the prize in her hand.

  “It’s in some sort of hibernation. I couldn’t have detected it from any further away.”

  “What is it?” asked Nyhm.

  She looked at him with wide eyes and a huge grin.

  “I have absolutely no idea, but I can’t wait to find out.”

  She tucked the seed away and took the opportunity to meander throughout the garden, making sure no more hidden treasures were to be found amongst the barren flowerbeds and finely crafted pots. As she ran her hand across the last bed, she looked up and shook her head.

  “Nothing else here. But I’m still excited.”

  The others turned back towards the door, Nyhm closest and Thea following close behind, as they prepared to make their way into the building. Nyhm, first to arrive, stepped in front of the massive door. Raith’s keen sight noticed something and called out.

  “Stop!”

  Nyhm froze, still as a statue, not even moving his eyes as he responded to his brother. “What is it?”

  “You’re standing on a trap,” Raith said, “and I’m pretty sure there’s another one on the door. Your boots are the only thing that saved you. Back away and let me come up there to inspect. You guys move to the other side of the roof in case I set something off.”

  Nyhm did as he was asked, and Raith approached the pressure plate in front of the door. It was, thankfully, a simple affair, and he had little trouble disarming it. But the one on the door was far more complicated. He looked back over his shoulder.

  “This one’s going to take a minute.”

  [Life in Staccato][Mnemonic Library]

  He referenced his tomes just to make sure. It was very similar to one of the traps he’d practiced on during his training in Janekstown. After some back and forth, confirming that he understood the mechanisms properly in order to safely disarm it, he ended his [Skills] and got to work.

  When he finally had it undone, he looked back to see Thea sitting with her back against the wall, admiring the seed in her hand. Nyhm kept vigil in the skies. Tolliver was pacing back and forth, seeming lost in thought.

  “Alright guys, it’s good. I’m going to need your help getting this door open.”

  As he said it, though, he turned the handle and the door, as massive as it was, swung open on hinges that flowed so smoothly it was as though it was being supported on a cushion of air. He stepped back quickly to avoid being pushed by the enormous slab of wood as it swung wide, revealing the dark corridor before them and its descent into the building.

  He could see down with his [Hawksight] to the closest landing, and already another trap stood out. He shook his head sadly. This was going to be a tedious trip through the building.

  As his teammates joined him at the top of the stairs, he pointed towards the landing. “There’s another trap down there. I’m afraid this is going to take a while.”

  Thea let out a groan. He nodded in agreement.

  “Yeah. Tolliver, since you know where the giant-kin are, would you mind doing a recon of their progress while I fuddle through these traps.”

  The [Mage] nodded, changed into a bat, and was off like an arrow.

  Raith turned back to the landing, then made a more careful examination of the stairs leading down to make sure he hadn’t missed anything.

  “Alright guys, I’ll be going ahead. Don’t move up until I tell you it’s safe.”

  And so they began their slow descent.