to scratch it. But as he looked down, he realized his hand was gone. They had disappeared from sight. The itching spread to his left arm, and he watched it vanish before his very eyes.
"Do not worry, brother, you will be restored once the diaphanousphere has been removed from your tongue," Siegfried promised. "Once I have disappeared, I will go down to the door of the Tower, while you stay here. Keep your eyes fixed on the door. When it opens, run quickly and enter."
Lucius nodded his head, forgetting Siegfried could not see him.
Siegfried placed the diaphanousphere inside his mouth and in seconds disappeared from sight. The bush they hid behind suddenly moved as Siegfried ran through it, making his way through the last stretch of egini and into the open square of the Evingrad.
Lucius watched the empty square, searching for any trace of Siegfried's flight, but found none. He looked up at the sentries inside the Great Tower. Their pale faces showed no sign of alarm, and they continued to watch the cityscape in complete ignorance. Lucius smiled mischievously. He steeled himself and darted across the darkness.
He looked up at the sentry watching the main square. The elf didn't flinch in the least as Lucius reached the green seal and hurried inside the opened door. The door entered into a large chamber inside the Tower. A spiral staircase at the center of the room climbed up to the guard room where the sentries kept watch. Small torches were placed all along the circular room, which gave it a warm, inviting light despite the fact they were unwelcomed visitors.
Suddenly, the door closed behind Lucius. He turned quickly and saw a diaphanousphere appear from thin air. It hovered in the air for a few moments and was quickly swallowed up by Siegfried's right hand. The rest of the elf's thin figure soon reappeared.
"You may release the diaphanousphere, Lucius," Siegfried said as he tucked the small sphere in his pouch and approached him.
Lucius grabbed the transparent sphere from his mouth and, to his surprise, found it was neither wet nor warm to the touch. The prickling feeling, which had emanated from his insides, began to fade and his entire body came into view.
"That's quite a tool." He handed the diaphanousphere to Siegfried, who slipped it in his belt.
"We must go down the east tunnel, through that door," he pointed to an arched door nestled at the rear of the chamber.
"Where are all the guards?" Lucius looked around suspiciously.
Siegfried walked past him to the door, "There are none assigned to this room since the door is always locked, but I managed to pick it with relative ease."
"Do your skills know no bounds, brother?" Lucius shot him a wry smile.
Siegfried ignored the witty remark, "If Father is correct, there will be one or two elves guarding the exit of the tunnel below, but we must not tarry any longer."
Siegfried opened the arched door slowly and crept inside, motioning for Lucius to follow. He looked up at the spiral staircase, wary of any sentries who might descend or look down. When he saw none, he ran to the door quietly and followed his elf companion.
They entered a small room with two large holes in the floor. Unlike the last room, the interior of this room was not marble, but entirely wood. A small torch hung on the far wall past the holes and flickered as a breeze blew from the openings. The top rungs of ladders stuck out from each tunnel, allowing passage to the descending hollows of Breninmaur .
"Which is the east tunnel?" Lucius asked.
"That one," Siegfried pointed his slender index finger toward the tunnel on his left. He grabbed the small torch from the wall and began to climb down the wooden ladder.
Lucius followed him and peered into the dark pit. He swallowed hard, fears pouring into his mind. What lies at the end of this dark tunnel, I wonder? His hands clutched the topmost rung, and he began to descend into the darkness.
The descent was shorter than he had expected. The tunnel was
"Do not worry, brother, you will be restored once the diaphanousphere has been removed from your tongue," Siegfried promised. "Once I have disappeared, I will go down to the door of the Tower, while you stay here. Keep your eyes fixed on the door. When it opens, run quickly and enter."
Lucius nodded his head, forgetting Siegfried could not see him.
Siegfried placed the diaphanousphere inside his mouth and in seconds disappeared from sight. The bush they hid behind suddenly moved as Siegfried ran through it, making his way through the last stretch of egini and into the open square of the Evingrad.
Lucius watched the empty square, searching for any trace of Siegfried's flight, but found none. He looked up at the sentries inside the Great Tower. Their pale faces showed no sign of alarm, and they continued to watch the cityscape in complete ignorance. Lucius smiled mischievously. He steeled himself and darted across the darkness.
He looked up at the sentry watching the main square. The elf didn't flinch in the least as Lucius reached the green seal and hurried inside the opened door. The door entered into a large chamber inside the Tower. A spiral staircase at the center of the room climbed up to the guard room where the sentries kept watch. Small torches were placed all along the circular room, which gave it a warm, inviting light despite the fact they were unwelcomed visitors.
Suddenly, the door closed behind Lucius. He turned quickly and saw a diaphanousphere appear from thin air. It hovered in the air for a few moments and was quickly swallowed up by Siegfried's right hand. The rest of the elf's thin figure soon reappeared.
"You may release the diaphanousphere, Lucius," Siegfried said as he tucked the small sphere in his pouch and approached him.
Lucius grabbed the transparent sphere from his mouth and, to his surprise, found it was neither wet nor warm to the touch. The prickling feeling, which had emanated from his insides, began to fade and his entire body came into view.
"That's quite a tool." He handed the diaphanousphere to Siegfried, who slipped it in his belt.
"We must go down the east tunnel, through that door," he pointed to an arched door nestled at the rear of the chamber.
"Where are all the guards?" Lucius looked around suspiciously.
Siegfried walked past him to the door, "There are none assigned to this room since the door is always locked, but I managed to pick it with relative ease."
"Do your skills know no bounds, brother?" Lucius shot him a wry smile.
Siegfried ignored the witty remark, "If Father is correct, there will be one or two elves guarding the exit of the tunnel below, but we must not tarry any longer."
Siegfried opened the arched door slowly and crept inside, motioning for Lucius to follow. He looked up at the spiral staircase, wary of any sentries who might descend or look down. When he saw none, he ran to the door quietly and followed his elf companion.
They entered a small room with two large holes in the floor. Unlike the last room, the interior of this room was not marble, but entirely wood. A small torch hung on the far wall past the holes and flickered as a breeze blew from the openings. The top rungs of ladders stuck out from each tunnel, allowing passage to the descending hollows of Breninmaur .
"Which is the east tunnel?" Lucius asked.
"That one," Siegfried pointed his slender index finger toward the tunnel on his left. He grabbed the small torch from the wall and began to climb down the wooden ladder.
Lucius followed him and peered into the dark pit. He swallowed hard, fears pouring into his mind. What lies at the end of this dark tunnel, I wonder? His hands clutched the topmost rung, and he began to descend into the darkness.
The descent was shorter than he had expected. The tunnel was
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