Chapter 50 - The Gate

Together the party entered the cavern, Cake’s power gave the other’s sight, but it did little for Raeyn who could see better than even the Kithe’s divine power could allow. The bats had returned to their roosting, but only a pile of ash and the finest smattering of guano lined the first part of the cavern. It was obvious to ignore the second pitfall trap further back. Crossing the shallow stream and venturing into the depths was a trivial process.

“Such a place. To even call it a dungeon is a bit lacking at this point.” Cookie thought out loud.

“We have yet to reach the actual stone entrance.” Violetta explained, “If we can get in the easy way then perhaps it will be possible to see what the dwarves of this land were like.”

“Were?” Raeyn asked.

“Dwarves are all but gone. It is perhaps why Belos decided to adopt you green skins and more than a handful of industrious Mahn. The records vary, but dwarves used the power of the divine as a means to operate their mechanisms.” Violetta explained.

Cake nodded, “So you knew that Rayne could be a key.”

“I doubt it.” Raeyn looked back, “Mudohoon took the key to the fortress. Ruha told me herself.”

Violetta stopped walking and looked at Raeyn with a bit of irritation, “You know he has the key? Then why not go after him ourselves?”

Cake counted the reasons on her finger as she talked down to Violetta, “First, Mudohoon is an agent of the previous expedition. Second, he consulted with the soldiers sent to destroy the warren. Three, only forty-five soldiers of fifty were amongst the dead. That means Mudohoon likely has the other five as guards. Four, Lady Geraen was absent, and she is likely with Mudohoon. Five, Mudohoon must be returning to the settlement and is going to undercut us by completing his mission.”

“You don’t need to be so harsh.” Sig shook his head.

“Observations and conclusions like that are not normal.” Locke agreed, “What are you a sage?”

“Compared to the lot of you,” Cake pulled out four little scraps of paper and held them up, “I am a hundred points above any of you in intelligence. Though we Kithe are naturally superior, the gap is incredible when it comes to our ‘fire priestess’.”

“Where did you get those?” Violetta wanted to snatch them away, but Cake pocketed them long before she had a chance to strike.

“No-”

“Lady Hilda.” Cookie explained and undermined Cake, “Even you should have known that. Why you are merely the third smartest of the group. Though you are not really first in any category. Except for cup size.”

Violetta cracked her knuckles, “Oh… I wouldn’t mind seeing what is written on those cards. It seems you know what sort of thing upsets me too.”

“Yep.” Cookie grinned maliciously, “It has an interaction guide. How to pick every nerve.”

“Please stop,” Raeyn said, “We should not be fighting like this.”

“Yes,” Cake nodded, “It is not helping us. The only cards that mattered were the two men and that is because we needed assurances for our protection.”

Violetta crossed her arms, “What does that mean? Are they a threat?”

“No.” Cake sighed, “We are frail and they are both exceptional candidates; well besides General Stronghold and brutes like Marsol. Either of them could easily support both our weight and our packs in case of emergencies. Having physically capable soldiers will be the way through the more challenging parts.”

Sig and Locke nodded together before Sig said, “Pretty full of yourselves, but the concern was for Violetta not some puny Kithe. You two are more than capable of defending yourselves, but Violetta and Rayne are not monsters.”

“Right.” Cookie smirked, “I am interested in this Demon bit. Aren’t you, Cake?”

“It is interesting, but it does not concern me.” Cake seemed disinterested, “She is a gobbo, but even the blessing of two divine beings doesn’t change the fact that she’s still working for us.”

They were very plain about it all, but there would be no arguments further about it. Raeyn was just part of Lady Hilda’s new venture and such a thing as being a Gobbo or a Kithe did not matter so much as the simple results. The thought of Lady Hilda giving details on everyone did make Raeyn concerned, but Violetta was furious and showed it with her body language.

Before long they came back to the heavy stone door that blocked their path before. The Kithe were quick to examine it for secret marks and look for any signs of the mechanism used to activate it. After ten minutes of searching, Cookie concluded that there was truly no obvious mark or clue to its operation. Cake was more persistent but soon came to the conclusion that it was intended as a one-way emergency gate which could only be operated from the other side.

“I am going to try to force it open.” Cookie concluded and pulled out a piece of chalk.

The Kithe began to draw a series of six circles across the door, each one containing strange runic symbols and triangular marks with various lines drawn between them. Cake and the rest of the party simply watched as she built up a complicated series of marks and connected them all together with a single smaller circle that acted as the focus of the glyphs.

“A magic engine glyph?” Violetta was astonished, “This is incredibly complicated. Can you actually control something like this?”

“Of course.” Cookie nodded.

She held out both hands and placed them on the central circle and the stone began to shift and rise. There was no flash of light, no surge of power, nothing visible other than the stone which began to move on its own. As the stone began to rise, it budged and grinded, but then it came to a stop and Cookie let out a grunt, “It is locked in place!”

“Force it.” Cake demanded.

The little Kithe let out a high-pitched cry and pushed with all her might, but the stone did not move. The ground shifted and the barrier for the walls began to crack, the heavy stone columns shattering with deafening claps. Still, the stone barrier did not move. The ceiling then suddenly broke and fell down beside her. A massive, jagged cut of the ceiling, large and heavy enough to pulverize her landing less than a pace away did not deter her, but it was enough for Cake.

“Stop.” Cake demanded as she looked overhead, “This is not going to work.”

The part of the cavern which gave way was just a thick layer of stone, but even though it had collapsed, the massive stone block which comprised the mechanism was still visible. It was not a meager door that blocked their path and forcing through would likely cause the whole of the cavern to cave in.

“Dwarves.” Cookie spat on the door, “They have to overdo everything don’t they.”

“If it were defeated by a little Kithe then it would not be much of a door.” Violetta nodded, “Perhaps we should have Raeyn try again.”

“There is no point.” Cake shook her head, “Cutting her hand will do nothing. This is not a door meant to be opened by a blood mark. No channels or active glyphs, besides I do not think the Gobbo is capable of operating a mechanism yet. Trying to force it up was our only real way. They must have used sound or timing to raise it when needed.”

“Why would they go to such lengths to keep everyone out?” Locke took a seat on the fallen chunk of the ceiling, his legs dangling off the floor.

“Dwarves did not like the surface world but needed its resources all the same. Think of it like mining, you have to go into the depths to recover what you need. They did the same for wood which only grows on the surface.” Cake continued to explain, “They even cultivated glowing plants, but actual trees are very different from glowing moss.”

“Do you think anyone could open this door?” Sig asked.

“I am sure the General could manage it. I’ve seen him lift a longship by the keel and toss it. Any mechanism would surely break if he gave it a good toss.” Locke grinned, “Think we should go back and beg for his help?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Cookie scoffed, “The embodiment of a titan would not risk bringing down the whole of the cavern just to break through the main entrance. There are always other ways in.”

“The Thieves’ Entrance.” Raeyn nodded, “That is where Wilde attacked…”

“Still our best way,” Violetta shifted and felt her thigh, “If I wasn’t capable of healing myself, I’d probably have died bleeding from my rear end.”

Cookie restrained herself and asked plainly, “Do you want me to give him the rites?”

“Yes,” Violetta said softly, “His soul should find rest. Even the worst deserve it.”

Raeyn nodded and smiled. The party then left the exit and headed down the corridor to the right, making way towards the Thieves’ Entrance.