The Ashes of Allmau: The Orfolk of Allmau

Chapter 12

With a huff and a puff, she made her way up. The ground levelled at a plain doorway hidden between the rocks of the mesa. It seemed so innocuous and ordinary for such a grand structure, then again it was meant to be a secret entrance. While catching her breath, Ahna took a moment to admire the distance they'd scaled. She watched the waves ripple across the bay, the balloon impatiently tugging her onwards.

"Hold on, hold on," she heaved, hoarse, "You didn't just climb a cliff."

Kydd leapt from her shoulder and made his way to the threshold of the empty doorway. He poked his head inside to inspect what was to come. A small, dank room acting as a junction adjoined a corridor the length of the keep, and a large, rusted iron door that appeared carved into the bare rock of the mesa. Other than these two options, there was nothing. No pomp, pageantry nor prestige were needed for a postern gate. Kydd was arrested with same anxiety that stopped him on the bank of Red Bed.

He crossed the threshold. With no warning, everything about him seemed to grey and darken. Curious shades melted into the mortar from which they watched. This place was either haunted, cursed, or both. And the impact curdled the aether in wicked ways. Blissfully unaware of this, Ahna strode into the room. She shuddered for a moment, thinking it only to be a draft. Her expression only sank when she noticed how uninspired this little alcove was. She was expecting some grand hall, storeys tall. This little room was about the size of Tizeal's kitchen.

Kydd, stepped back outside briefly, noticing how the colours of the world came back when he left the room. When he re-entered, it all seemed to leach away, even the azure skies of Allmau lost their lustre when viewed from within the tower. A loud screech brought his attention to Ahna, who stood at the iron door, trying to pry it open.

"It won't move." She sighed, "I guess down here?" she looked down the corridor.

"Can you feel that?" said Kydd, "There's something off about this place."

Ahna looked about, then shrugged. Kydd slowly crawled towards the corridor, looking over his shoulder as he did so. Narrow windows let in some daylight, but it was otherwise featureless. He cautiously stepped forwards, his whiskers twitched, his ears pointed, and he stopped.

"What is it?" Ahna asked.

This corridor was far too innocent, it was hiding something, "Wait here."

He went along, sniffing over the stones that made up the path and eyeing them carefully. His whiskers flickered and ears turned as he scouted the path with acute senses. In the blink of an eye, a shade slid across the floor and disappeared into the cracks around one specific stone in the path. It was slightly raised above the others, so slight it took the eyes of an orfolk to see. He approached it slowly, looked about the corridor, then back at Ahna. She was confused.

He pushed down on the stone, but it didn't budge. He stepped on top and jumped, it dropped an inch and as it did so, several blades screeched out of the wall. The lowest of them, just above his ears. Ahna's jaw hung freely as she stared at the blades. Kydd stepped off the stone, the blades retracted slowly, then paused and stuttered. A loud clatter and bang sounded from behind the wall, which began to crumble as the trap choked on its own rusted mechanics.

"Cool!" cried Ahna.

"We need to be careful down here." Said Kydd.

"Lead the way!"

They continued with caution, Kydd scouted ahead and disarmed traps where he could while, Ahna brought up the rear.

"Who built this place?" he asked, conscious of the shades that poked out from time to time.