NOVEL NEXT 142 - The Way Forward
With Suce's help, the excavation of the collapsed tunnel went smoothly. Div and Dana were soon able to climb the pile of rubble and set foot on the upper level.
Behind Gennorina stood a dozen people Div assumed were builders. Sturdy men and women whose build clearly showed how physically demanding their line of work was.
The hole in the ground was a few paces away from the door to their headquarters. At the moment, it could only fit a single person. But if fully excavated, even a horse could go through with no issue, showing the severity of the structural damage the underground had suffered.
"Well," Gennorina started. "What was this? Where are the mountaineers?"
Div followed the trail of dead rotlife to scattered weapons and armor lying ownerless on the ground.
"I might have overdone it. Just a little."
"A little?" Gennorina asked. "A little? There's nothing left of them!"
"I'm sorry. Not for killing them, but for putting you all at risk."
"Eh, don't sweat the details, kid." Patting him on the shoulder, a short but sturdy man comforted him. He was bald, and a thick three-day beard painted his face gray.
"Div, Dana, this is Ignamos, the lead builder of Trabine," Gennorina introduced.
"High Evolved Rank!" Ignamos laughed. "Yet I can't fight when my life depends on it. We owe you big time, little mage."
Perhaps the builders didn't understand how close they had come to rotting, and perhaps it was for the best. Div didn't feel like explaining it to them. He had apologized, and they had accepted it.
Better leave it at that.
Ignamos invited them inside. When the assault began, the builders had already been mobilized and were waiting for orders in their headquarters. As soon as the tunnels were breached, they notified the elders and locked themselves up in the basement.
The room was wide, the ceiling low. Carved directly into the stone, it was lit by a network of hanging magical lamps that bathed the space in a soft, amber glow. Thick wooden beams reinforced the walls, and the scent of candles burning hung in the air. Crates, tools, and spare parts were stacked with precision along the edges, leaving the center clear for a few sturdy tables and benches.
"It's quite cozy," Dana remarked. "If not for the lack of windows, I'd never know we were underground."
"You jest," Ignamos said, smiling. "It's just a place we use to get to the tunnels. Half storage, half resting area. While it was built with defenses in mind, I never expected we would have to use it."
"Still, it was wise to make the place impenetrable," Div said.
They sat at one of the tables.
"So, what brings you here?" Gennorina asked. "I didn't think you knew about the tunnels under Trabine."
Div shrugged. "What else? We came looking for you. You're right, we didn't know about the tunnels, Oerix pointed the way for us."
"Oerix did that?" Ignamos asked. "He shouldn't have. No offense, and to be honest, I'm glad he did. Especially since you dealt with the mountaineers. But you're outsiders."
Gennorina frowned. "What about me?"
Ignamos waved her off. "You're as good as a Trabinian, Genno. I know you've made up your mind about settling here."
"Yes, but my friends…"
"Your friends are welcome. But you two don't plan on staying in Trabine after the war, do you?"
Dana shook her head. "I don't."
"Same for me," Div said. "Not that it's a good time to have this discussion."
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"Right," Ignamos slapped his legs. "What's going on outside?"
Div and Dana recounted what they witnessed. From the explosion in the council to the elders fighting, they didn't leave a single detail out.
"So," Div concluded. "We decided to look for you, then maybe Lug."
"What about Lepin?" Gennorina asked.
Div nearly choked on nothing as he realized he had completely forgotten about his student.
"I assume he's at school. The place should be secure," he said, tentatively.
"Div…"
"Right, right, I'll look for him too. But you and Lugsellos are in more danger, so it makes sense to seek you out first."
Gennorina sighed. "Well, as you can see, the builders' headquarters is well defended. It's also not particularly important for the invaders. I doubt anyone strong enough to break past Suce will bother. If they do, sorry, but you're not going to be of any help."
Div sighed. She was right.
"Good," Dana said. "Then what's next, Div?"
"Lepin or Lug… We could bring them here."
Ignamos frowned. "I would love to shelter more people, but there's no way we can fit the whole school in there. They don't have an earth spirit to watch over them, but I can assure you we put a lot of care into the school's security. It's our children we're talking about."
"I'd also like to believe the mountaineers will show some restraint… " Gennorina added. "Lugsellos, on the other hand, was near the council. I don't know where exactly. He never wanted to talk about it."
"The tunnels are connected to the council's basement," Ignamos explained. "I say basement, but really, it's a dungeon. I can tell you how to get there."
Div nodded and turned to Dana. "Should we? It will be dangerous."
"The elders are off fighting, away from the village. If you want to help your friend, it's now or never. I, at the very least, am not going to cower underground."
"Thank you," Div said. "Let's do it."
Gennorina stayed silent for a moment, then gave a slow nod. "I'll remain here. I'm just Basic Rank. If something happens, I can't protect myself."
Div agreed. "That's for the best."
She gave him a tight smile. "I'll be here to keep the builders safe with Suce. I trust you two to handle yourselves. And if I stay, you've got a safe fallback point."
Dana gave her a quick nod of approval. "Sounds good."
"Then," Ignamos grabbed the map from Dana's hands. "You're gonna want to follow this path here. The entrance to the council isn't too far."
He traced a line on the parched paper and handed the map back to the explorer.
"Follow the red markings," he said. "They'll lead you to a steel gate. Beyond that, you'll have to pass through a few tunnels and keep an eye out for loose stones. This upper level has a lot more holes than the ones below. Eventually, you'll reach a large room. There, you'll find an old stone door. That's the back entrance to the council's dungeon."
Div examined the map. "Thank you."
"Let's go," Dana said, moving to the door. "There is no time to waste."
The tunnels beyond the builder's headquarters were narrower, the ceiling low enough that Dana had to tilt her head to avoid brushing against the beams. Their steps echoed dully against the stone, swallowed by the cold air that seeped from deeper underground.
At first, the path was straightforward. They kept a brisk pace, Dana leading while Div held the lamp. The warm amber glow barely pushed back the shadows, revealing only the next turn, the next arch of rock.
"What do you think we'll find there?" Dana asked quietly.
Div hesitated. "I don't know. You've seen the explosion. I doubt the place is untouched."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning that the basement might not even be accessible…" He trailed off, the thought unfinished.
Dana's jaw tightened. "We can only hope, then."
They passed under a sagging support beam, its wood splintered and pale with age. A shower of grit pattered down when Dana's shoulder brushed it. The air smelled faintly of damp earth and old smoke that had settled into the stone.
After a while, the tunnels became even harder to walk. Loose stones littered the path, forcing them to slow and pick their steps. The ceiling opened into a short stretch where sunlight filtered faintly through a hole above, with dust motes drifting inside.
"Upper-level damage," Div murmured. "He wasn't exaggerating."
The earth had shaken, and through the hole, they could hear the sound of metal against metal echoing from the surface, punctuated by crashes and screams.
They moved on, the air growing heavier the further they went. At last, the narrow corridor widened into the large room Ignamos had described. Their footsteps fell into silence here; the floor was smoother.
At the far end loomed the stone door. It was massive, its surface pitted and dulled by centuries, framed by two squat pillars carved directly from the rock. A thin draft of colder air leaked through the seam, carrying with it the faint scent of something metallic… blood, perhaps, or rust.
Dana paused to listen, head tilted, her fingers brushing the hilt of her knife. She glanced over her shoulder at Div, and though she said nothing, the flicker in her eyes carried the unspoken question. Was he ready for whatever they would find?
Div swallowed once, then nodded.
They both stepped up to the door, placing their hands on the cool surface.
Together, they pushed.
The stone groaned, and the door began to shift inward, revealing the faint light beyond.