humid and filled with the smell of wood and tree sap. In the torchlight, he saw the knotty walls of Breninmaur's trunk. Beetles and other small bugs crawled in and out of crevices in the wood. The wind howled inside the tunnel from the entrance hundreds of feet below. It would take them about a half hour to get to the forest floor, but Helmer had told them to make it out of Verdania before dawn lest they be caught.
Siegfried led the march down. The tunnel descended in a spiral, but at some points leveled out. It was a dreary walk due to all the bugs and sticky tree sap Lucius kept stepping on. They both remained silent as they walked. Lucius' thoughts were scattered most of the time. For a while, he thought about Aldron and the great kings who had reigned in the legendary city. Would he ever be accepted as a king? He seemed so insignificant and unfit to sit on the throne of Cervantes Nostra, but if it was Yéwa's will for him to do so, then perhaps the role of authority would come naturally.
Lucius ... the time has not yet come for you to enter the door.
He recalled the words of the light in his dream, who he understood to be Yéwa. When would the time come for him to assume the kingship as the prophecy foretold? Perhaps the elven seer, Lumiath, would know the answer. Helmer had been very discreet in revealing any details about the D'aryan exile; a fact that raised questions about Lumiath and whether or not the seer could be trusted.
"We are nearly there," Siegfried said, interrupting his thoughts.
"How can you be sure?" he peered ahead, seeing no change in the winding hollow they'd traversed for the last few minutes.
"I can smell the grass and humid air in the forest below. A few yards more and we shall be at the bottom." Siegfried quickened his pace, and the torch flickered wildly, casting eerie shadows along the tunnel walls.
Lucius followed in suit with a sudden surge of adrenaline. He was excited to see the world below Evingrad and perhaps meet another human for the first time in Sylvania.
As they hurried onward, the tunnel walls began to widen around them, and the ceiling rose above them. Lucius saw a dim light forming at the end of the tunnel. The torchlight quickly became useless as the wooden walls were swathed in the fading moonlight coming from Breninmaur's large entrance. Siegfried muttered something in the elven tongue, and the torch's flame immediately dissipated, leaving a small trail of smoke.
The elf stopped a few steps before the entrance, peering through the fading darkness outside. Lucius crept beside him, seeing nothing but trees and shadows.
"What do you see, Siegfried?" he asked quietly.
"There are two Protectors in the forest, ten paces south and twelve paces east," his eyes twinkled in the dim light
"Should we use the diaphanouspheres?" He cringed at the thought of the prickling sensation the small sphere caused on his body.
Siegfried remained still and quiet for a moment. "No. The diaphanouspheres will not aid us."
"Why not?" Lucius looked out into the forest, thinking he saw a flicker of movement.
"They already know we're here."
Lucius searched the forest, looking for any sign of the Protectors. How had they spotted them so easily? And while they still stood inside the dark tunnel?
"We must go, Lucius—now!" Siegfried dashed outside in a split second, heading for the nearest tree.
Lucius quickly ran after him, adrenaline pumping in his veins. They ducked behind the nearest tree as an arrow whizzed by them, hitting the soft grass near their feet. Lucius grabbed his dagger, but Siegfried grasped his wrist.
"These are my brethren. They are merely serving Evingrad and protecting this sacred place," Siegfried tightened his grip as he said it.
Lucius snapped his hand free. "Well, who's going to protect us?"
Another arrow flew by them, landing a few inches from Lucius' torso into the tree trunk.
"We must flee to the Marble Gate. It is a few miles from here. The darkness can aid our
Siegfried led the march down. The tunnel descended in a spiral, but at some points leveled out. It was a dreary walk due to all the bugs and sticky tree sap Lucius kept stepping on. They both remained silent as they walked. Lucius' thoughts were scattered most of the time. For a while, he thought about Aldron and the great kings who had reigned in the legendary city. Would he ever be accepted as a king? He seemed so insignificant and unfit to sit on the throne of Cervantes Nostra, but if it was Yéwa's will for him to do so, then perhaps the role of authority would come naturally.
Lucius ... the time has not yet come for you to enter the door.
He recalled the words of the light in his dream, who he understood to be Yéwa. When would the time come for him to assume the kingship as the prophecy foretold? Perhaps the elven seer, Lumiath, would know the answer. Helmer had been very discreet in revealing any details about the D'aryan exile; a fact that raised questions about Lumiath and whether or not the seer could be trusted.
"We are nearly there," Siegfried said, interrupting his thoughts.
"How can you be sure?" he peered ahead, seeing no change in the winding hollow they'd traversed for the last few minutes.
"I can smell the grass and humid air in the forest below. A few yards more and we shall be at the bottom." Siegfried quickened his pace, and the torch flickered wildly, casting eerie shadows along the tunnel walls.
Lucius followed in suit with a sudden surge of adrenaline. He was excited to see the world below Evingrad and perhaps meet another human for the first time in Sylvania.
As they hurried onward, the tunnel walls began to widen around them, and the ceiling rose above them. Lucius saw a dim light forming at the end of the tunnel. The torchlight quickly became useless as the wooden walls were swathed in the fading moonlight coming from Breninmaur's large entrance. Siegfried muttered something in the elven tongue, and the torch's flame immediately dissipated, leaving a small trail of smoke.
The elf stopped a few steps before the entrance, peering through the fading darkness outside. Lucius crept beside him, seeing nothing but trees and shadows.
"What do you see, Siegfried?" he asked quietly.
"There are two Protectors in the forest, ten paces south and twelve paces east," his eyes twinkled in the dim light
"Should we use the diaphanouspheres?" He cringed at the thought of the prickling sensation the small sphere caused on his body.
Siegfried remained still and quiet for a moment. "No. The diaphanouspheres will not aid us."
"Why not?" Lucius looked out into the forest, thinking he saw a flicker of movement.
"They already know we're here."
Lucius searched the forest, looking for any sign of the Protectors. How had they spotted them so easily? And while they still stood inside the dark tunnel?
"We must go, Lucius—now!" Siegfried dashed outside in a split second, heading for the nearest tree.
Lucius quickly ran after him, adrenaline pumping in his veins. They ducked behind the nearest tree as an arrow whizzed by them, hitting the soft grass near their feet. Lucius grabbed his dagger, but Siegfried grasped his wrist.
"These are my brethren. They are merely serving Evingrad and protecting this sacred place," Siegfried tightened his grip as he said it.
Lucius snapped his hand free. "Well, who's going to protect us?"
Another arrow flew by them, landing a few inches from Lucius' torso into the tree trunk.
"We must flee to the Marble Gate. It is a few miles from here. The darkness can aid our
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