Chapter 91 – Unsettling Revelations (4)

The caverns under Bareon had become familiar at this point. He didn’t feel the same unease as he did before as he descended there for the third time, with two enforcers in tow.

While the presence of Lord Aulorn did make this whole ordeal a lot more unpleasant than it could have been, Cait coming along with them more than made up for it. The young woman had returned to her cheerful self.

They didn’t spend too much time in the first cavern, as there was nothing of interest there save for the focal point they mistook for an altar at some point. Afterwards, they reached the narrow tunnels beneath it, where Lord Aulorn paused often, inspecting every nook and cranny he could find.

Cait mostly remained by Midhir’s side, though the deeper they went, the more serious her expression and demeanour became. After spending some time in the tunnels, checking every dead end, Lord Aulorn finally requested Midhir take them to the temple.

“By the daughter and the sun…” Lord Aulorn exhaled as they stepped out of the tunnels, into the gigantic cavern housing the temple and the lake.

“Incredible,” Cait muttered as she hopped down some rocks and reached the bridge. “I thought your reports were at least somewhat exaggerated – instead they were underselling the size of this place.” She paused, looked up and scowled. “Bareon is indeed built upon a hollow hill. This will never cease being a danger to the city.”

She wasn’t wrong, even if all the otherworldly threats were eliminated, these caverns’ mere existence was a danger to the city. A powerful earthquake could bring the whole city down – the death toll would be unimaginable.

“Indeed.” Lord Aulorn also made his way down to the bridge, then paused and waited for Midhir to follow them before he continued. “The structural integrity of the city and the crust of earth its built upon must be investigated thoroughly. If it’s too weak, Bareon may very well face evacuation.”

The thought alone was disturbing enough to send a cold shiver down his spine. Bareon was one of the oldest cities of Eldoria, with a rich and terrible past. It was a trade hub, and home to many powerful lineages. He couldn’t imagine the fallout of such a decision.

“In any case, that is not for us to determine,” Lord Aulorn sighed as his gaze scoured their surroundings. “Cait, what do you see?”

The young woman seemed hesitant. “Give me a moment.” She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. Her eyelids lifted to reveal her crimson eyes.

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She slowly looked around, her gaze scouring their surroundings, occasionally lingering on things unseen to them. Her lips formed a thin line, and her brows furrowed as she slowly walked towards the temple.

“Cait?” Lord Aulorn asked with a scowl.

A lump settled in his throat. “The serpentine creature that attacked me was there,” he pointed inside the temple. “The larger one we fought along with Alistair and Lonan was below the lake.”

“This place,” Cait’s voice echoed in the cavern. “The veil is thin here. Too thin. It could tear apart at the slightest disturbance.” Her steps took her inside, with Midhir and Lord Aulorn in tow. She looked around them, and the destroyed statues and the shattered tiles on the floor of the round chamber. “Even worse here,” she whispered, pausing only for a split second to glance at them. “And the worst is there, around that pool.”

“You went down through there, haven’t you?” Lord Aulorn asked a moment later.

Midhir nodded. “Twice, for me. I went through there while looking for a way out of here on the night of the attack.”

He saw the momentary stiffness on Lord Aulorn’s face before he nodded.

“Then let us go. Lead the way.”

They walked up to the edge of the pool. “I don’t have any water gems.” Midhir pointed at the still surface of the water.

“No matter, straight down right?” Lord Aulorn asked.

Midhir nodded again.

The enforcer extended his arm, his palm facing ahead. The air in front of his palm twisted and shifted, and his sword appeared out of thin air. He snatched it before it fell, and as soon as he did, two gems embedded into the blade started glowing brightly – one blue, and one green.

As winds enveloped them, his power pushed the water away.

Midhir gasped as the winds pulled him over the pool. They descended rapidly. Seconds passed that felt like hours. He could hear the water whirling just a few meters away from them as they descended. Doubts began to occur in his mind – did this place even have a bottom?

Then, white sands entered his field of view just as a dull, barely noticeable pain struck his left eye. His feet soon touched the ground, and the powerful winds carrying him dissipated. The enforcers landed only moments after he did.

“You can stop the water resonance as well,” he pointed at the wall of water whirling around them. “It’s safe here.”

Lord Aulorn shot him an odd glance. He clearly doubted his words, his distrust was palpable. He hesitated for a few moments before finally ceasing the resonance.

Water fell upwards, into the inverted lake. A few meters above them, the surface of the lake rippled with waves before it settled into a mirror-like smooth surface.

“By the daughter and the sun…” Lord Aulorn’s voice was but a whisper as he watched the inverted lake in awe and terror. His fingers clenched around the hilt of his blade, and his lips formed a thin line. “This is not right.”

“It’s not.” Cait’s voice echoed in the darkness. “But the veil... I can’t see it here. Either it’s not damaged at all, or it’s not… here.”

Midhir rubbed his left eye. The pain was steadily growing stronger. “We killed the large serpent somewhere over there,” he pointed at the glass covering the white sands. “And found the altar quite a ways away.” His gaze lingered on the darkness stretching seemingly forever. “It’s there.” He pointed. “About half an hour of walk away.”

Lord Aulorn furrowed his brows. “How are you so sure?”

“I can sense it, because of the barrier. I know exactly where it is.”