After they got back to the shop and said their goodbyes, they left for Callan's house. It was surprisingly easier to find their way out of the city's maze then into it, and once they got to Callan's house they knocked on the door - a move most of the people saw as brazen - but were allowed in by her butler.
"Lady Callan has yet to return," he said. "She should be here soon, however."
And sure enough, within half an hour, Callan stumbled into the house, clearly exhausted from the day, but she perked up as soon as she saw she had guests.
"Ah, there you all are!" She said, "is the bridge alright?"
"Yes, ma'am!" Kile said. "Ready for use by tomorrow. Ogrim and Connol wanted to run a few more tests on it to make sure it'd stand all the stress it'll be under.
"Perfect!" Her excited voice lowered in tone as she said the next thing, "so, about that place I was going."
"What is it?" Kile asked.
"Well...like I said, it's hard to explain. The Iron Clan has a bit of a secret, though. Long ago, our family discovered a place we call The Bunker. It's some sort of Architect Safe House. We think it's where they tried to sit out the Great Cataclysm."
"Oh wow! Too bad it didn't take." Kile said.
"Indeed. But it also seems like it's got a lot of information the Architects wanted to preserve, and it's all in fairly good condition. And, I've traced some intriguing information there. I think whatever the Architects did to control Wild Magic broke."
"What?! That's impossible! Isn't the technology for that sort of thing designed to be eternally self-sustaining? That's like, the first thing we learn about the Spires."
"And that's true," Callan said. "A lot of it was built that way, but with Wild Magic coming back, it's obviously not working anymore, right? Something is eroding away at the machines that repair the technology. This probably means the Spires are in danger too."
"What?!" Alora shouted.
Lija said nothing, but her eyes went wide and her face went pale.
"Oh no..." Kile spurted.
"Either way, the Bunker seems to have something to do with all that preservation technology. If we go there, we can find out how the Architects sealed Wild Magic away and maybe take it away from you for good." Callan said.
"Or control it," Alora added, looking at Kile.
Kile got the intent, but he at this point was willing to take whatever answer worked.
"So, where is this bunker?" Kile asked.
"It's about a day away from here. We'll leave first thing tomorrow morning, we should be there with plenty of time. In the mean time, you four can spend the night in my guest room."
YOU ARE READING
Kile of Zumada
Science FictionYoung Kile is just a humble farm boy of the Djezzi Tribe, trying to make ends meet - until he suddenly finds himself with mysterious magical powers that very few people in the world even knew existed. He is quested with finding out to control these...
