Luckborn

Dawn broke slow and grey over the Academy. Fog clung low to the stones, curling between the hedges and benches, remnants of the recent rains. They were necessary during the early spring, but Otter was glad the last of the weather had passed.

Inside the Library, the Museum Annex stood quiet and shadowed, lit only by a few enchanted lanterns casting a steady glow across the marble floors and glass cases. The Library was closed for the long weekend. There would be no studying for exams or researching done by students. Which meant Otter and the others were the only occupants.

They waited in silence near the central display, where the compass sat locked in its velvet-lined case. It hadn't twitched or spun since it first settled two days ago. It didn't need to. It knew where it was going.

Jasper leaned against a pillar, arms crossed, dressed in a suit of studded leather armor with a long cloak and a blade at his hip. Liora stood nearby, silent as ever, calm and confident.

Levi and Erin sat on the edge of a display dais, whispering about food rations and contingency plans. Milo was pacing, muttering to himself, adjusting and readjusting the contents of his backpack. Sage stood a few steps away from the group, hood up, her golden-clasped cloak shadowing her face.

The sound of measured footsteps echoed down the corridor.

Blackwood arrived without ceremony, his long coat dusted with dew. He looked each of them over in silence before speaking. "Good," he said. "You're all here. I was hoping to join you for the duration of your expedition, but the fates have conspired against me. Urgent matters have arisen that I must attend to. I only have a few hours before my presence is required at a meeting in Aurelia." He strode over to the compass display, unlocked it, and gestured for Otter to take it.

Blackwood was acting strangely. Otter had expected more preamble, more discussion. He hadn't known the man to be so direct and to the point. He shot a look at Dane, but she didn't react.

Otter shrugged and moved to pick up the compass. It began to glow softly, but the previous theatrics were absent.

"That being said, I shall accompany you for as long as I can." He looked at Otter. "Where are we headed?"

"Ironside Keep. The compass points that direction, and I have reason to believe our ultimate destination is in the ruins beneath it."

"Very well. I have arranged for our passage through the Academy to be silent and unobserved. Stay close." With that, he strode out of the Annex, and the others fell in behind.

Instead of exiting through the main Library doors, he led them through a staff corridor behind the Annex—one that wound downward and out through a forgotten service arch in the library's foundations. The fog thickened as they walked, veiling the world in silence.

Otter watched the compass carefully as they walked. Every time they made a turn, the needle swiveled to point toward the keep.

When they reached the training yard, Blackwood led them around the side, away from the main entrance to the keep. Like most other castles, the massive stone walls of Ironside held several concealed posterns or sorties in its sides. Blackwood led them to one of these and used a comically large iron key to unlock it. He ushered them inside and locked the door behind them.

In a low voice, he said, "Alright, Mr. Bennett. It is your turn to take the lead."

Otter lit a small lantern he'd brought and stepped forward, eyes on the compass, and walked down the corridor. They made it fifty feet before the needle turned and pointed directly at a blank wall. Otter stopped, scanning the stone surface. He saw no sign of a hidden door, so he looked to Blackwood.

"There is another corridor on the other side of that wall. Continue on and you'll come to a left-hand turn. That will take us in the correct direction."

They continued along the narrow corridor, moving in a quiet single file, the only sound the faint rattle of shifting equipment in their packs.

At the corner, Otter paused and glanced down at the compass again. The needle twitched slightly but remained true. He turned left, the rest of the group following in lockstep.

Eventually, they came to the set of large stone doors that led down to the ruins below. Here, Blackwood paused and cocked his head, like he was listening to some distant sound. His expression darkened.

"What's wrong, Overseer?" Otter asked.

"I'm not certain," Blackwood muttered. "Something strange." He said no more, but stepped to the doors, ran his hands over them, and uttered a few words.

The doors ground open, revealing stairs leading downward.

They continued onward. The air grew cooler, and soon they were in the cavernous chamber where they had awaited the Simulation. At the far end stood the wooden doors. Blackwood paused again. This time, his face paled behind his beard.

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"I have been summoned by Headmaster Voss. Something is happening."

"Should we leave?" Milo asked.

Blackwood gave them all an appraising look. "There are things I have not told you. Otter, I have had to keep what you learned a secret. There are some Overseers that would not like me letting you undertake this quest. In fact, they would take great measures to oppose it if they knew what you might discover. I could lose my position as Overseer, and you could be expelled. But I believe it is worth exploring. That being said, I have no idea what you will find through these doors. While much of these ruins have been explored, I daresay they harbor many undiscovered secrets. And dangers. Even that which has been explored is not entirely safe. You have already encountered Koaosborn on the other side. However, I believe that you all are fine and capable young adventurers. Only you can make the decision whether or not you should turn back."

Otter nodded and looked at each one of his companions. "This compass responded to me for a reason. I need to see this through."

"Very well." The Overseer touched a series of symbols on the door. Otter tried to memorize the sequence, but couldn't keep up.

When they entered the simulation, the doors had become a magical portal. But now, when Silas finished, they simply swung silently open, revealing only darkness beyond.

"I must close the doors behind you," he warned. "When you return, knock thrice, and they will open again." He looked each member of the party in the eyes. "Good luck. And be careful." Then he turned and strode back across the ancient room.

When he was out of sight, Otter spoke. "Okay. Time to explore."

He held the lantern aloft and stepped through the door.

The hallway beyond was narrow, framed by old stone blocks, the air thick with dust and age. The walls were etched with faded patterns that might have once been inscriptions or murals, but time had turned them into ghostly impressions. Otter couldn't tell if these ruins had once been part of a single, massive building or if the complex was a small city that had been buried and built upon over the centuries.

They moved slowly but steadily through the warren of tunnels. The compass remained steady in Otter's hand, swaying and shifting as it led them down turns and corridors that bent at unnatural angles. The architecture shifted subtly as they walked—stones gave way to something darker, smoother, almost metallic.

"What is this?" Milo wondered aloud.

"Never seen anything like it," said Levi, running his fingers across the wall.

A low sound, not quite a whisper, slithered past Otter's ear. He froze. "Did anyone hear that?"

The others stopped. They listened. But the sound was gone.

Erin shifted uneasily, then strung her bow. "This place is giving me the creeps."

***

Blackwood hurried back through the keep. Headmaster Voss had sent him a message by means of a spell only he could hear. Such spells could only relay limited information, but Voss's was clear. Report to my office immediately. Extremely urgent.

Voss didn't say such things lightly. Unfortunately, the timing was awful. He had a scheduled meeting at the palace in an hour. Being late to that wasn't an option.

He slipped out of a side entrance and cast the spell Rush on himself. Unlike similar spells, this one only increased his movement speed and had no debilitating side effects when it ended.

Within minutes, he had crossed the campus and arrived at Voss's office.

Standing in front of the Headmaster's desk was a young man dressed in the robes of a Divine Conduit. His close-cropped hair was dark and framed two amber-colored eyes filled with calm determination.

Blackwood cleared his throat as he stepped through the door. "Headmaster, you wished to see me?"

Voss inclined his head. "Indeed. We have a visitor from the temple of Caelum. This is Conduit Dewali. He has a writ from the High Cleric requesting permission to enter the ruins beneath Ironside. Can you accommodate this request?"

Blackwood arched a bushy eyebrow and scratched his beard. "I would be happy to escort our esteemed guest, but I have a mandatory meeting at the palace," he checked his wrisplay, "in less than three quarters of an hour. If Master Dewali can wait until I return, I will be sure to give him a proper tour."

Marcus spoke. His voice was even and polite, but Silas heard an undercurrent of impatience in it. "My errand is also on a timetable. All I ask is access, not a guide. I will conduct my business and be on my way as soon as possible."

"The ruins are a labyrinth," said Blackwood. "I'm certain that I can lead you to whatever you're looking for much quicker than you will find it yourself. Even if you must wait a few hours."

Marcus smiled. "Perhaps. Perhaps not. In this, Caelum guides my steps. I am certain I will find that which I seek."

Blackwood looked at Voss. "The ruins can be dangerous. We cannot be held accountable if he ventures inside unaccompanied."

Voss nodded. "Indeed. You will need to sign some papers, Master Dewali. After that, you will be escorted to the ruins' entrance. I'm sure the Overseer can at least deliver a message before leaving for the palace." He gave Blackwood a knowing look. "Will that be a problem?"

"No, Headmaster. I'll see to it."

Blackwood hurried away from Voss's office. Time was now very much of the essence.

After making arrangements for Dewali, he climbed aboard a carriage heading for the palace, and whispered the incantation for another spell.

***

After another bend, the corridor opened into a chamber. It was circular, with a domed ceiling covered in cracked mosaics. In the center stood a low stone pedestal. Carved into the floor were strange symbols.

"I think this is the place Hervey told us about," Otter said to Levi. "Look at those markings. Don't they look like what's on the compass?"

Milo nodded.

Otter stepped forward. As he did, the compass in his hand pulsed once, and the whispering returned.

Sage drew closer. "What are they saying?"

Otter shrugged. Then the pedestal began to glow.

Suddenly, the floor beneath them shifted with a low, grinding groan. The stone surrounding the pedestal trembled, pulling inward in concentric rings as dust spilled into the cracks. The group scrambled away to keep from losing their balance on the uneven floor, and stone blocks continued to sink. Slowly, a spiral staircase revealed itself, unfurling downward into the dark.

They stared at it in silence. Otter's heart hammered in his chest. They were about to venture into truly unexplored territory. It was both thrilling and terrifying.

"You think this is one of those undiscovered secrets Blackwood mentioned?" Jasper asked.

"I think that's a safe bet," Otter said. He looked at the compass again. The needle still pointed toward the pedestal. Suddenly, he heard a voice in his head. This was no whisper. It was a voice he recognized.

A conduit of Caelum is about to enter the ruins. I believe he hunts you. Take every precaution.

Otter's eyes went wide.

"What's wrong?" asked Erin.

"Blackwood just contacted me. He said we're about to have company."