Alex looked around, marveling at the drastic change in the stone atmosphere.
Not long before, they’d descended a plateau for the first ti, following a winding path that seed untraveled. At the bottom of the canyon, Robert led the group into a dark tunnel.
There was no light at all. The humans were forced to follow blindly along the curves of the tunnel, using their hands and the sounds of the others to guide them.
When they’d reached a steep slope, Robert had stopped them all.
“Remove your shoes,” he whispered.
Able to see the mana leaking from Robert’s team, it was clear that they were already doing so. Without asking questions, Alex removed his black boots. The fractured clones followed suit.
Only after everyone was standing in the tunnel barefoot did Robert elaborate. “There’s a rope here that I’ll hand you after the other two go up. Once you’re in the cavern overhead, don’t move unnecessarily. Get out of the way of the others coming up and stand still to wait for . We’re getting near the mines, and there’s a chance that Kinley’s n are patrolling.”
“Got it,” Alex whispered back.
It took a bit of maneuvering, but once on the ledge, the group waited patiently while Robert moved to the front of the group. The cavern they’d entered was still pitch black, though there were lines of mana that spidered out at random points along the walls. The lines gave Alex a vague sense of how large the space was, and compared to the mana spinners’ caves, it didn’t seem all that special.
That was until Robert began to hum.
Having heard the man humming twice before, Alex tensed; however, both Aisha and Luis stayed relaxed, which caused him to watch and wait.
He could tell from the sound of it, it was different from before. Through his mana vision, he could see Robert’s head bobbing along with the beat, as if getting himself more and more into the lody.
Several long monts passed, and the tone seed to reverberate through the space around them as the only sound to be heard. Alex was so engrossed in watching the older man fall further and further into the humming song that he almost didn’t notice the flickering of mana in his vision.
If his normal vision had worked at all, he might have missed it.
The humming grew deeper in tone and sounded more somber. It was at this lowest point that Robert began to stomp his feet in ti with the tune. In the quiet of the underground, the stomping sounded louder than shattering glass to Alex.
He physically winced, and Warrior almost cursed aloud, but Aisha covered his mouth instantly.
Robert’s performance soon tapered off, leaving Alex holding his breath. The longer he’d watched, and the more he’d seen the mana react to the tones, the more certain he was that Robert was communicating with soone.
As if to prove his point, minutes later, he could hear the slap of bare feet on the stone ground a short distance away.
“Robert?” A smooth voice asked from the darkness. The pitch rose as if asking a question, but they said his na with an odd cadence that ca with speaking a foreign language.
“It’s ,” he said in a calm, neutral tone, no longer bothering to whisper.
“Why have you returned?”
“For you. For the others.”
“No, no, no. You should not have returned.”
A figure’s mana signature ca into view. The faint outline of a small human was visible through his left eye. The pulsing brown and blue mana was difficult to make out, naturally lding with that of the surroundings.
“But we have. Nothing to do about it now.”
“We?” the voice asked.
Aisha and Luis both gave short, even-toned hums.
“Droq’shan will not be pleased.”
“I know,” Robert said, though Alex could hear the smile in his voice.
“Follow,” said the voice.
“Stay close,” Aisha whispered as she followed Robert forward.
Alex instructed his clones to both allow a small amount of mana to emit from themselves without thinning it. With that, it was much easier to see the group and know where everyone was, allowing him to follow across the cavern to where the voice had co from.
Once they were in the far tunnel, Robert said, “There’s a rope overhead. Grab it and follow. It will guide us most of the way back. Before we enter the city, Shael’quir will help us get past the guards and get more fitting clothes for the three of you.”
“Clothes?” Mage asked.
“You three are dressed like normal people, not slaves,” Aisha answered.
“Oh.”
“Yeah. Just stay close for now. Alex, if you have a cloak, you should wear it. Your scar and eye will likely draw attention. The guards don’t know every slave here by na, but that would make you stand out for sure.”
Alex thought for a second. “I have so magic that can change my appearance. Would that work?”
“Yes, as long as you can hide it. There are no mages here, but so do have skills to see mana.”
“Shouldn’t be a problem.” Alex removed the mask that Lin had helped him make and pulled it across his face. The magic was stable and fit in a way that the illusion covering his left eye wasn’t as dense as that over his nose or cheeks.
It made the mask less annoying to wear compared to the shoddy one he’d originally made while on the run in the Celestial Rift. It no longer felt like soone was shining a flashlight directly in his eye; instead, it looked like there was a thin film of blue across his vision.
Better than before, that’s for sure. When we get to so light, I need you guys to make sure the illusion sits well on my face and that it reacts well with my facial expressions.
“Oh shit… what if these people just live in the dark like this?” Warrior sent in response.
That gave him pause, but he quickly dismissed it.
I feel like Robert and his team would be acting very differently if that were the case. Maybe this is just a hidden entrance or sothing.
He continued to follow the party, watching what he could of the small figure leading the group. Three tis, they doubled back and moved up a steep incline. Thinking of the plateau that they’d co down before entering the tunnels, he wondered if they were in the middle of one as they wove through the widening space.
Before long, they’d exited the confined space of the tunnels and entered into a more open space where they saw their first bit of warm light. It was because of that distant light that Alex could appreciate the sheer size of the cavern that they’d entered.
“Keep low and do your best to stay quiet,” Robert whispered over his shoulder.
“The evening’s ticket will start soon. Unlikely the Deafened will present.” Shael’quir said, the hum in her voice deeper than it had been before.
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They continued to wind through the cavern, skirting along the outer rim of a drop that disappeared further into the open middle. It wasn’t until they were almost on the opposite side and fifty ters higher than where they’d entered that they crossed the first light on the wall.
It was clear, even through the obscured vision of his eye, that it was magical. The light was a steady source of light, more akin to a modern light than a flickering torch. It was partially hooded, allowing the majority of the light to shine on the ground and avoid blinding the eyes of those who passed.
Several of the nearby alcoves showed signs of frequent work, and it was then that he realized they were deep within a mine. So abandoned equipnt was scattered within an alcove, and several hanging pulleys ca into view as they continued up.
Once they covered another thirty ters and rounded a bend into the side of the cavern, away from the gap, Alex caught his first actual glimpse of their guide.
The Koru’qai looked drastically different from the forest variants they’d seen before. They were shorter, closer to normal human height, with no hair that he could see. Their shoulders were hunched with what looked to be no neck at all.
It was from here that they could begin to hear sounds and see signs of more life in the area. Alex tensed at the sounds of active work, and the plink of tal on stone echoed around them.
His eyes darted around, unable to pinpoint how far or in what direction the sounds were coming from. Luis must have noticed his change in deanor, because he simply said, “Calm.”
Alerted to the situation, Aisha looked at him. “They are far away. Probably four branches deep if I had to guess. Shael’quir will guide us better than even we could get through here.”
Robert made a clicking sound that had both Aisha and Luis paying close attention and returning to silence.
Alex looked to his left and right as the entire atmosphere started to change. A crude tunnel with an uneven floor slowly transford into a more uniform four-walled tunnel. The bulb-like lights changed to flickering torches that he was more used to, providing more light.
He squinted against it before noticing another Koru’qai waiting for them on the side of the tunnel. Seeing another of the race, Alex noticed more differences between these ‘under-kin’ and those in the jungle.
Both of them were light, earthy tones, with small patches that looked like boulders near joints or dense muscles. Their skull shape was similar to the others, though their eyes were further apart and larger.
The thing that stood out to him the most, however, was their lack of ears or hair.
“Holy shit. They look like deadlier versions of those Gorons from that video ga, rember?” Mage said, obviously sharing the sa mory.
The na sparked sothing in Alex’s mind, and he rembered one of his brother’s favorite gas. He’d played it on their earliest console before Jake thought he was too cool for such hobbies. The old sort, where blowing into the bottom of the ga had a high chance to actually fix what was wrong with it.
The similarity between the Koru'qai and the fantasy video ga race was startling. Alex observed as the two interacted, exchanging clipped, multi-syllable words. Despite their bulky appearance, they moved with a smooth grace that seed at odds with their size, their bodies more lean than he had initially thought.
“Hmmm, put these over yourselves.” The new Koru’qai said, handing a sack over to Robert. Its voice was significantly deeper than the first’s.
Robert thumped his fist against his chest in response, earning another low hum from the creature. He then pulled out tattered cloaks and passed them around to each of the six.
Alex removed his hat, holding it in his hand as he pulled the cloth over his shoulders. He noted several holes and tears in the fabric. It was baggy enough to cover his size and head with ease, effectively concealing their identities.
Just a bit further up the sloping tunnel, they stopped again and were told to wait. Within minutes, the larger Koru’qai returned and handed them each a pickaxe. Alex gripped the smooth, well-worn wood and couldn’t ignore the bloodstains he saw along its handle.
His heart rate began to pick up as he looked at the backs of Robert’s team.
“Mmm, we move. Face down. Dorq’shan will speak,” the first Koru’qai, Shael’quir, said.
He clenched his jaw as the corridor, now smooth and chiseled as if a modern building, ca to an intersection, and he saw three n standing and talking idly.
Two leaned against the wall and spoke casually with the third. All of them wore black clothes trimd in deep red, supplented with the odd leather piece of armor.
Weapons hung from each of their belts, and if that weren’t definitive enough, the look that they gave the group as they approached was all the introduction Alex needed.
“Fuck! Perfect timing, egg-head! Co here, show Timmy one of your songs.” The farthest guard was a handso man with brown hair and an eager look on his face. He waved eagerly to Droq’shan. It wasn’t until he looked past him at the group of miners that he turned a questioning gaze on them. “What are you doing down here, egg-head? You guys don’t want to go watch the fight?”
“Hmm, we are going there now, Overseer. These few were short on their quota and had to finish.”
Alex saw sothing glint in the man’s eyes at the deference shown and noted how the other two subtly positioned themselves to his side or behind him. The youngest of the trio looked uncomfortable and had a flush in his face.
“All right, all right. Sing Timmy one of your tunes and make it good enough to rattle to hall a bit. Then you can get these ones up to the bout.”
There wasn’t a verbal response that Alex could understand, only sothing whispered. The hushed tone transford into a humming whistle that rose in pitch before cutting off abruptly, replaced by a deep hum.
Instantly, Alex could tell there was magic at play as the ambient energy in the surrounding air stirred.
The younger man, Timmy, took a step back and looked up and at the top of the corridor. The lead man just smiled wider and clapped him on the back. “Ha! Yes,” he said, raising his voice as the song grew louder.
Alex found himself entranced. There was sothing familiar about the tune and the beat. It felt grounded, solid, unshakable. So firm and confident in its perseverance that not even the ground they stood on stood a chance of falling out from under them.
He looked up at the ceiling as it shook, before quickly looking down and tugging the makeshift hood further over his face.
“Okay, enough!”
The tune continued, and the shaking in the tunnel grew stronger. Even with the tint of blue over his left eye, Alex could see the building of mana like he’d only seen a few tis before.
“I said enough!” Spittle flew from the Overseer’s mouth as he took a half step forward and placed his hand on his weapon.
Timmy looked pale and had taken another step back while looking for an exit, unsure of which direction would be safe.
Droq’shan brought the lody to a close, naturally making it seem as if that was where it was ant to end all along. It didn’t feel rushed or cut off at the man’s outburst.
“You think that’s funny, egg?” He took another step forward and drew his blade. In a swift movent, clearly perford in the past, he struck out with the poml of the sword. The Koru’qai made no effort to move and took a blow to the side of the head.
While he hunched, and a bit of red blood trickled from the front of his face, Alex could see no attempt to move or retaliate from the powerful creature.
He clenched his fist and debated scanning the group gathered, including the Koru’qai, but decided against it. There was no way to know what skills or items Kinley’s n had, and if the other Koru’qai in the forest were any indication, then these would also be within E Rank, even if it seed like they were powerful.
“Ah, hey. Jas, we should probably let this one go. He did like ya asked, and you got in a lick. Let’s let ‘em get to the ticket before anything else happens.” The second man spoke up for the first ti, seeming like the voice of reason as he gave the leader a pointed look.
“Tsch. Yeah, okay. Get outta here. Don’t get a big head, Droq. I don’t care what your position is. Push so shit like that again, and I’ll get you set up to see the dicus. Got it?”
“Hmmm, yes. I understand much,” Droq’shan said.
It wasn’t until the trio walked away and Alex turned back to head in their original direction that he noticed how tense Robert was. The man stood straight like a board, Aisha’s hand leaving his arm.
“Co. Move now,” Shael’quir said as the others moved past and led the group once more.
They took two more turns and walked down a long hallway with several branching doors. At the end of the hall were two wooden doors, pushed open to reveal an expansive open space beyond.
“Holy shit,” Warrior said.
“Fuck ,” Mage said.
“Fuuuuuck,” Alex said, unable to keep his jaw from hanging open. Even with the cloth pulled over his head, providing shade, he still had to raise his hand against the drastic change in light. Walking from the hall, they erged onto a platform that wrapped to their left and right.
The area beyond couldn’t be described any other way than as a mind-bogglingly large bowl. There was no roof; the widest part of the space was open to the sky overhead, leaving very little shade in the area within.
The space was white, with specks of black that peppered the side, giving it a natural look that didn’t match what he was seeing closer up.
On either side, there were stairs and platforms creating a tiered system that lent to the gradual curve at the base of the bowl. The walls overhead were spotted with smaller sets of stairs and platforms.
At a certain height, he saw wooden huts built onto the side of the wall, leading into deeper alcoves or tunnels beyond.
“A city?”
“So huge,” Mage agreed.
There were clusters of humans in the area, but there were hundreds of the Koru’qai, and Alex imdiately found himself wanting to ask questions.
He was interrupted by the deep rumble of their guide ushering them on. They were taken to the right and then descended around their entry platform toward the bottom of the “bowl” as he’d begun to think of it.
With the balcony of the platform no longer blocking their vision, Alex saw it for the first ti.
An arena nearly the size of a football field was at the very bottom, built of mana-imbued stone, depressed into the ground a dozen ters. There were bleachers or seats surrounding it, with people standing, cheering, and chanting.
From their current distance, it was hard for him to tell exactly what was happening in the arena, but a single humanoid stood against at least three canine-like monsters, working as a pack to encircle him.
They made their way down the many platforms, weaving through the Koru'qai. Navigating the foreign space proved difficult as Alex found it hard to tear his eyes away from a single, elaborate alcove that stood off to the side of the arena. An exceptionally large platform with only a few rows of stands beneath it and a half-dozen people seated in oversized chairs in its shade.
He didn’t even need to ask, as Robert nearly spat the na from his mouth.
“Kinley.”
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