10 Minute Tales

Jan 4 - Adventurers

They were ready at last. Where once stood nothing but a plain hillside and an unspoilt view, now stood a monolith to discovery, an arcane tower that stretched so high the clouds caressed its centre, and the top was beyond sight. The adventurers that had discovered it so long ago were back again, finally ready to scale its intimidating heights. The knight went first, pushing at the ancient doors. They moved with barely a whisper, a testament to the marvel of magic that had formed it. The thief raised his torch, shining a dim light into the darkness that cloaked the entrance hall. It was a grand room in itself, worthy of being in any castle, with looming arches sweeping elegantly towards a grand staircase, carved from marble. The druid tutted.

"Too much stone." She huffed. "Not enough natural forms."

"We are not here to comment on the architecture." The knight reminded her. "What we seek may lie at the top. Let us see." And so he marched in, shield in one hand and a lantern in the other. The thief followed, quickly pursued by the druid and the ranger. The druid glanced at the ranger; as beautiful as the ranger was, she had not said a single word since she joined their adventuring party last week. It was clear she was capable of speech, so why did she refrain? The knight reached the stairs, but hesitated. "Do you spot anything unusual?"

"Nothin'." The thief replied, bending down to carefully examine the stairs. "If there is a trap here, it's doing a damn good job of hiding it."

"Very well. Behind me, I shall be the vanguard." The thief nodded and stepped aside, letting the knight slowly climb the stairs. The druid was next, followed by the ranger and the thief. The stairs echoed majestically with the sounds of their steps; even the knight's rattling mail somehow sounded like a wonderful percussion, rattling to the tune of the life that had formed around the outside of this tower... until an odd click interrupted the percussion, bringing the echoes to a screeching halt.

"Who dares?" Boomed a powerful voice from seemingly nowhere, the accusation echoing as far as the ear could hear. The hunter covered her ears, frowning a little, but everybody else simply took their guard.