An Enchanting Tale

Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Freya stepped before Barbas. She walked lithely up the steps to the square, white, stone door. Gorgeous arches stood partially covered by earth, moss, and insects. Small pieces of rubble were strewn over the area above the door, where the rest of them stood waiting for Freya.

"Let's head in then," she announced.

S'maash casted a candle light spell. As the undulating sphere created awkward shadows of the party, he was amazed by the difference of architecture between the ayleids and the dwemer. While dwemer ruins were sharp and angular with their stonework, the ayleids had a softer touch to the eye. Smooth, white walls lined the interior hall. It was very short and winding with an odd, scintillating, green glow hanging in the air. An unnerving hum emanated from an unseen source.

The view before them was of white pillars. The ground below was down quite a few steps. Those steps were exposed on either side. Boots echoed off the far walls of the massive structure beneath them. Barbas and his crew noticed S'maash pause; he was taking in the sights.

"It's a beautiful piece of architecture," Elohar commented.

"Aye, that it is," S'maash replied.

Freya started walking down a winding hallway. The rest followed suit. A delicate grating of unknown metal lined the hallway on one side. White, stone walls lined the other. Beyond the grating, S'maash saw a chandelier hanging from the ceiling; its subtle, green radiance provided ample luminescence.

A short trek through the hall led to an immediate dead end on the group's right-hand side. On the floor near the wall was a small, hexagonal cask. Elohar smiled as he pried it open. A tiny cloud of dust wafted away. Inside was nothing; whoever had traveled through prior to their arrival had already pilfered its contents.

"What a shame," he commented.

The noise drew the attention of a handful of giant rats. The squeaky beasts whined as they thundered over—ringed tails flicking. S'maash allowed the warriors to work for their money.

Barbas did not even move. Elohar fired three arrows quicker than S'maash had ever witnessed. Three of the rats perished immediately. The fourth and final reached Freya's feet. She kicked it in the face. As it writhed, she chopped its head clean off with her war axe. Battle over.

"You elves eat these, no," Freya asked while looking at Elohar.

S'maash smiled. The bosmer made a face of disgust.

"Wood elves eat a lot of different meats, but it'll be a cold day in Oblivion before this one feasts on vermin," Elohar grumbled.

They turned to S'maash, but he simply shrugged. The left side of the hall rounded a corner to a tombstone shaped gate. Barbas pulled it open then stopped abruptly.

"See this press block? Ayleid ruins are full of these. They're easy enough to spot if you look for the green jewel," he said.

"What do they do," S'maash inquired.

"It's how you open doors, disable traps, and other such things," Elohar answered.

The four continued beyond the gate. Several chambers were visible on their left as they progressed. There was also a set of stairs leading down. The crew continued beyond the chambers into a large room. Gas canisters lined the floor, emitting a strange, noxious cloud. They all paused.

"This is one of the old traps," S'maash asked.

"Aye. Cover your faces with these," Freya ordered as she handed out pieces of cloth.