An Enchanting Tale

Chapter 34

Chapter Thirty Four

A long corridor spanned before S'maash and friends. Several, small, gas lamps lit the way; the tiny, green flames did not flicker.

"So much for candle light," Brelyna remarked.

Zolara narrowed his eyes as he began sniffing at the air. The master conjurer eyed him curiously.

"What are you doing," Falion asked with a hint of condescension.

"You don't smell that," Zolara asked.

The group traded glances. "What do you smell," S'maath asked.

"Sulfur? Perhaps, something else as well; it's faint, but present."

"I don't smell anything," Aicantar added.

"Let's press on. Zolara, let us know if something changes," S'maash ordered.

"Aye."

They proceeded through the corridor. The walls differed from the rest of Damlzthur. Instead of hard-looking, gray stone, the walls around them were beige and slightly grainy in appearance. Falion ran his hands across them for only a second as they walked.

There was no end in sight, only persistent darkness very far away. Their boots echoed ever so slightly as they continued their journey. An hour passed. Then, two hours passed. Finally, they had enough.

"Alright, let's take a moment here," Aicantar said, nearly pleading.

They all agreed. While eating, they began to ponder what might be at the end of the eternal hall.

"Has there ever been any indication as to where the center of Mundas is or how to get there," Brelyna pried.

"I've never read anything about it," Falion said.

"I honestly don't have a clue. If the stories are accurate, Kagrenac had not placed the Heart of Lorkhan at the center of Mundas and neither had Dagoth Ur," Aicantar added.

"When the Nerevarine defeated Dagoth Ur, it was beneath RedMountain," S'maash said.

"Yes, and Red Mountain is where the Heart of Lorkhan landed after falling from the Heavens," Falion interjected.

They grew silent again. The sound of eating prevailed.

"Well...Hermaeus Mora sent us here," S'maash said. No one had anything to say, so they rested in silence for moments. "Right," S'maash stood and gathered his possessions. "Let us move."

With a look of determination, he walked onwards, the group fumbled to follow. Painstaking hours of walking dragged by. Finally, they found what they thought was the end, but it was just a sharp turn. Then, the corridor curved off to the left and at a slight decline.

"At least this is something," Zolara snipped.

They all gave a nod or headshake of accordance, stress, or exhaustion. Once an inordinate time passed, Brelyna, who was at the forefront, spotted something golden in the distance. She stopped abruptly before looking at the others behind her.

"What," Aicantar asked.

"Something ahead," she said.

S'maash and S'maath took the lead. "Careful," S'maash said.

"Why," S'maath sounded arrogant.

"Just be careful," S'maash snipped.

They chuckled and moved on. The obstruction in the corridor became obvious. A burst of steam blew from the brass-like piping, which held the dwarven centurion keeper in place; the golden obstruction.