Ancient Pasts - Tbate

The Council

Cathan Leywin Pov

My eyes stayed fixed on the iron staircase aged with dents and rust until the roar of mana beasts below shook me from my daze. Peering down from the sky, I could faintly make out the subtle movements of a few mana beasts that were shrouded in the dense cluster of trees.

"Looks like some of the more keen mana beasts have sensed the castle. We should hurry if we don't want any unnecessary trouble," Olfred voiced out to no one in particular.

"Mm," replied Varay, neither agreeing nor disagreeing but simply accepting his point.

"We dwarves always carry a bit of dirt with us wherever we go," Olfred stated.

I turned around just in time to see the stone knight carrying Arthur, gently putting him down then transforming into a cape. The door closed behind us, a moss-like substance covering the walls began glowing with a soft, blue light.

Arthur and Varay took the lead while Olfred followed closely behind us. We must've trudged on for at least an hour up the seemingly endless flight of stairs when Arthur voiced out the frustration building with the two of us.

"Is there no faster way to go up than climbing this absurd amount of stairs?" Arthur sighed.

"We cannot use magic at all of the entrances," Varay answered immediately, a hint of impatience in her already cold voice.

"Oof," Arthur let out a surprised grunt as he bumped into Varay. Arthur's arms were in front of him rather than behind him, and they had hit someplace a bit more intimate.

Varay reacted in a way I would not have expected. She let out an effeminate little squeal as she jumped forward. Whipping around to face Arthur, I could see her face flush in embarrassment and surprise before immediately contorting into a fearsome glare that could drench someone in a cold sweat.

"I'm telling Tess," I smirked at Arthur.

"Shut it!" He snapped.

Varay and Olfred raised a brow in amusement as Varay turned back around and placed her hand at the end of the stairwell before muttering softly, "We are here."

A glaring light seeped through the crevice of the wall that had split apart. As my eyes adjusted, I could finally make out what was ahead. A brightly lit corridor with an arched ceiling stretched from where we were, walls covered with mysterious designs carved onto every visible facet and corner.

The engraved runes made the corridor seem more like a memorial etched with names of the deceased than a luxurious decoration; each engraving and design seemed to hold a purpose and meaning.

There were simple chandeliers hung from the ceiling every few meters apart, but the hall was well lit. The white light gave off a cold, emotionless feel, reminding me of the hospitals back in my old world.

"Now that we're inside the actual castle itself, it is best not to converse with us or any of the lances," Olfred whispered with an unusual chill to his voice as we entered through the rather crudely-made door.

We walked in silence, with only the echoes of our footsteps filling the hall. There were a few doors on either side of the hallway. Some of the doors didn't match the metallic corridor; there were doors of different colors and materials, all quite distinct from one another. The hallway didn't seem to have an end, but luckily, Varay stopped us at a seemingly random door to our left along the way. She knocked on the entrance without pause until it swung inward, revealing an armored bear of a man.

"My Lords," the guard immediately knelt with his head bowed.

"Rise," Varay replied cooly. The guard stood back up but did not make eye contact with either of the two lances. Instead, his gaze was on Arthur and me as he regarded us both curiously and cautiously.