Arcane Tethers

Chapter 1: The Sleeping Magician

Crack

Crack

Crack

A faint cracking sound can be heard echoing throughout the dark, empty cave. The limestone wall it came from starts to break away, something wants to come in uninvited. As the cracking continues, light pours in as a hole emerges. The sound of falling rubble reverberating throughout its interior. Another crack. Then another. Suddenly, an avalanche of rubble falls as the broken wall gives way to the light, blinding the cave's would-be inhabitants. But of course, the cave is empty, it hadn't seen any signs of life for what must have been a few millennia. At least that's what Doctor Valentina Menendez thinks.

"Huh... Would you look at that, I was right," The young researcher chimes. There's nothing quite like an unexplored cave system, especially one like this. "I don't think this cave was formed naturally."

"Can we save that for later miss," A large, muscular man holding a pickaxe leans against the opening he made. "I've got a lotta things to do and this road trip of yours ain't paying much." He gives a mean scowl. The young doctor only hired him to dig a hole, not to listen to a science lecture.

Valentina sighs, "Fine, but keep your phone close by, I might need your help later."

The man scoffs, "Yeah, whatever you say, miss." He leaves through the opening and turns to a young man waiting on the other side, "Your turn to babysit."

The young man chuckles, "See you around, Trevor." He enters the cave and looks around to witness its lacklustre interior. "This is by far the most boring cave you've dragged me into." He brushes the dust off of his short, slicked hair and gives a mocking smile to Valentina, "You'd think Trevor would put a restraining order on you by now. You've probably asked for his help twelve times this month!"

She ignores the man, instead her focus is directed at the cave's featureless walls. "Look at this place, not a single sign of water, no sign of erosion anywhere!" She faces him with wide eyes, "How was this place made? It doesn't look manmade, but it definitely isn't natural either," She turns back and inspects the walls further. "This is it Alfie, I can feel it."

"Yeah, ok..." His shoulder slump when he gets no reaction. His jokes go over her head when she's like this so there wouldn't be any point in trying. He looks around the massive interior of the cave, "Are you sure this isn't a goblin cave or anything? I don't exactly have the muscle to fight back the goat-eyed ones."

Valentina looks back, "Oh don't worry, mountain goblins live far higher up, and green goblins live further down." She looks back at the cave, "Besides, this cave doesn't look like its built by goblins."

"Forgive me for not being reassured." He tightens fidgets with the strap on his sling bag, "So, does that mean that this is the place or what?" He looks around but nothing stands out to him, "Doesn't look like much." Alfonso isn't the type that understands what his sister thinks, yet he can't help the feeling of curiosity that wells up whenever she drags him to one of her expeditions. Plus, if what she says is true, then the article he'll be writing would definitely be bringing in a nice amount of attention. "The sarcophagus of an ancient king... If it really is here then the guy must've been a cruddy king, I would've expected something with a bit more pizzaz, know what I mean?"

"We'll see once we actually find it," Valentina adjusts her glasses and takes a flashlight out from her sling bag and points it further down the cave. The cave curves to one side, blocking the siblings' vision, meaning in order to find what they're looking for, they must do some spelunking. "Come, brother. Adventure awaits." She points towards the unknown.

Alfonso chuckles as he puts on a mining helmet hanging from his own sling bag, "And hopefully some buried treasure along the way." He pulls out a video camera out of his bag as well and starts recording. If the glorified grave really was in the cave, he needs to document every second of it. If it isn't, then at least he has something to torment his sister with.