Soren was the first too leave the room, moving to a position just a few steps away from the room. It wasn’t possible for him to move too far away, at least as long as he wished to be able to see. Jonas was out of the room shortly after him and together they set off down the passage, which was starting to feel as if it would continue on forever. As they went forward the echo of their footsteps grew louder, a sign that they were finally nearing the end of the corridor. When Jonas came to a complete stop he did as well, and turned to face him curiously. “You may be right,” Soren thoughtfully replied, rubbing at the edge of his eyes with his right hand. “as far as anything that might have heard us goes… well, we’ll have to take care not to separate from one another.” Soren said before they started off once more. They continued on for a time then, until at last the corridor opened into a large chamber. Soren whistled at the size of it, the sound carrying on for a time as it echoed. The air here was clean by comparison to the musty smell of the corridor, though he couldn’t be sure why. From here the passage split in two, and Jonas prompted him for which path they should take. Soren let out a sigh and scratched the back of his head, giving it some thought. Neither path offered any insight into what might lie ahead, leaving him to rely on gut instinct. “Let’s head right.”
Jonas nodded at Soren's suggestion that they should search the right first, though he himself had hoped his friend would suggest the climb the gothic stairs to the second level. Following the crimson red and gold sewn rug Jonas started walking, his footsteps silenced by the soft fabric under his feet. The silence in the room was eerie, it had a different atmosphere than the passage that had led them to it, Jonas was equally perplexed by this. As Jonas walked he kept alert, watching the sphere of light move through the long corridor which was bare aside from the rug. ” Wait, the rug turns here. ” Jonas said as the edge of their path became visible and took a turn to the left, now facing the same wall the stairway was located on some twenty meters behind them. ” There's another door. ” Jonas continued as he reached the wall, a door much like the one Soren had opened earlier present, it's dark aged wood a stark contrast the the hewn granite stone that seemed to make up the walls of this place. ” I'll open this one. ” Jonas spoke up, it being his turn. The brass ring was cool to the touch as Jonas clasped it in his hand, his other hand still holding the lantern. With a tug the door opened letting out an awful jarring noise that echoed through the tall chamber as it came ajar. Dust from centuries of build up blew like a cloud, the mustiness of the place returning for a few moments before it settled. The room was longer than the last, as the light from the lantern did not reach the back wall as Jonas entered. Along each side of the wall were the remains of wooden bunk beds, each two high. He could count two on each side before darkness claimed the others. At the foot of each bed was a trunk made of wood with iron ribs, they looked fragile.
Soren started off toward the passage on the right, with Jonas only a step or two ahead of him as the lantern illuminated their path. As they moved along the crimson and gold rug the eerie silence became apparent, their footsteps silenced by the soft fabric underfoot. It made him uneasy, and along with the change in the atmosphere he found it difficult to assuage his own concerns. Despite all of it the ruins were still fascinating, and he wouldn’t turn away no matter what. Suddenly the rug made a sharp turn, and as the upcoming wall became visible they came to a stop. On their left was a door exactly like the one they had found on the way here. Just like the previous one it stood in stark contrast to the surrounding area. When they reached the door Jonas offered to open it, and Soren was more than happy to oblige him the chance. As it came upon a loud, jarring noise echoed throughout the surrounding area causing him to tense up slightly. If that weren’t enough a wave of dust emerged from the room like a cloud, a clear indicator that the room hadn’t been used in centuries. Soren lifted his right hand and covered his mouth while coughing into it repeatedly, until at last the cloud and the musty smell faded away with it. As the dust settled he chanced a glimpse into the room, and immediately noticed that this one was much longer than the last. In fact the lantern didn’t seem to be enough to reach the far wall even, which hinted that the room might be much larger than they thought. Soren stepped into the room just after Jonas, taking in the details of the place. On either side there were the remains of what had once been bunk beds, proceeding in rows for as far as the light went and fading into the darkness. If there was anything of interest in here it had long since been worn away by the passage of time. “It would appear we’ve found the sleeping quarters,” Soren said with a sigh, his posture becoming more relaxed. “should we head back and take the stairway?”
Jonas nodded, Soren was indeed right they had stumbled into the main sleeping quarters for the dungeon. He walked deeper into the room, finding that it ended up going nearly thirty feet until the back wall came out from the veil of darkness. Counting, Jonas came to the twenty six beds, a total of thirteen bunks, six along each long wall and one on the back wall. In the very center of the room Jonas moved around a long central table and chairs, most overturned and some rotting. ” Yeah we probably should try the stairs, though look how well the chests held up, maybe we should check a few of them out first. ” Jonas replied, noting that each check, one per set of bunks, seemed in good order. Walking towards a tattered bunk Jonas knelt at one of the thirteen checks, placing the lantern on the ground beside him causing the shadows in the room to shift. He placed his hands along the wood, it was old but it was oak and they had survived well. Iron strips solidified and bound the chests, though none of them appeared to have a lock. Feeling the groves Jonas lifted the top of the chest releasing a small cloud of dust, he ignored it. Reaching for the lantern he leaned in, pulling the light close. The interior of the check was mostly empty, though a stack of dark ochre robes lined one side. Jonas was surprised how well they were kept, the fabric was fine, well made, and though he could see a hole in the top robe it was mostly intact.
Soren casually trailed behind Jonas as they ventured deeper into the chamber, taking care not to fall too far behind for fear of tripping over something in the darkness. They went in quite a ways before the far wall finally came into sight. In the center of the room there was a long table, with rows of chairs. Soren moved along the opposite side of the table from Jonas, stepping over the rotted remains of one chair and pushing one that was overturned out of the way with his foot. “If we’re lucky perhaps we might something of historical value,” Soren said offhandedly as he moved toward a nearby bunk, opposite of the room from Jonas. Soren came to a halt in front of the trunk and bent down, inspecting the old chest for a moment. An iron frame held the oak chest together, and had done so impressively despite the passage of time. Soren put a hand on the top and swiped it across, clearing away the layer of dust that coated it before trying to open the chest. For a moment he thought it would open easily, until the hinges on the back jammed and it became stuck open halfway. With a deep sigh he made another gentle effort to open it, and when that failed he put all his strength into it. It gave way with a loud bang, which echoed throughout the chamber. A thick cloud of dust exploded from the chest as it opened, making Soren cough until it finally cleared. “It was stuck, sorry.” Soren called out with a faint chuckle before proceeding to inspect the contents of the chest. While it appeared to only contain a stack of dark robes, he half-hoped to find something else as he rummaged through the pile of clothing.
Jonas jerked his head around as a roaring crash echoed through the somewhat vaulted chamber. Behind him a cloud of dust danced through the dim light between himself and Soren who wore a comedic expression as he explained himself. Waving off his new found friend Jonas turned back to the chest, digging deeper below the stack of robes but finding nothing else. Grasping a robe as he rose with the lantern he turned back to Soren, moving to the edge of the long table as he attempted to look into the second trunk. ” Just more of the ochre robes eh? We might as well take some with us, as proof that we found this place. ” Jonas said upon gazing upon the contents of the second chest from a distance, mostly wanting a robe as a memento of this adventure. As he spoke Jonas sat the lantern safely on the long table and with both hands places the folded robe inside his satchel. ” Let's head back to stairs, unless you want to check out the rest of the trunks. ” Jonas said as he retrieved the lantern and moved back towards the door, making sure to stop after a few steps to allow Soren to keep in the light, figuring that like he Soren was content that the content of all the chests would likely be the same.
Soren rummaged through the container, but in the end there was nothing to be found within the old chest save for the ancient robes. For a brief moment he just sat there, staring absentmindedly at the ochre cloth in his hands. When his new friend moved over to the edge of the long table his senses returned to him, and he rose to his feet with the vestments still in hand. “Sadly, yes.” He replied dismally while heading toward the table. Once he was there he carefully folded the robes and placed them in the satchel on his right hip. “I suppose we have a memento at least.” Soren said half-heartedly while considering if it would be worthwhile to search the rest of the wooden trunks. “I’d would like to search them, if only to be sure, but it’s probably best we move on.” Soren started for the exit, just a few steps ahead of Jonas. As they walked he reached up with his left hand and desperately began trying to clear the dust from his face; if there was anything he didn’t find enjoyable about exploring these forlorn ruins it was the dust. “I feel that I’m becoming more dust than man,” Soren said with a faint laugh, hoping he had been successful in removing most of the dust from his face at least.
Jonas let out a small chuckle as Soren spoke, moving though the doorway just behind him. He looked down mentally noting the layout of the ruin, following the ornate crimson rug once again back towards the central staircase they had passed moments before. He noted the echo, trying to guess the height of the chamber, but realized he would have no way to check his estimates and let the thought slip away. Ahead the staircase came into view once again, emerging from the darkness. ” I'm surprised they went through so much effort to decorate this place. ” Jonas commented as he started up the equally ornate stairway, following it's lavish curve towards the upper level. ” But I guess if I was stuck in a dark hole like this for years I'd at least want it to be comfortable. ” He added, speculating on it's detail. The upper landing was smaller than he had assumed it would be. The light from the lantern still failed to reach the lofty height of the chamber. Jonas wondered how deep the sloped corridor had lead them into the earth. The rippling glitter of veins reflected from the dark granite wall ahead of them, another wooden door cut into the stone. ” I better go first, with the light and all. ” Jonas rationalized, secretly just wanting to be the first one into the unknown. Stepping ahead of Soren he clasped the cool bronze door handle and with a tug freed the wooden entry from centuries of stuck. A plume of dust erupted around them, Jonas simply ignored it and moved into the room. The clamber was large, the ceilings twelve feet high, cut in an arch. On either side of the door stretching twenty five feet in were lines of benches. Directly ahead near the back of the chamber a lone alter stood, atop it a stout bound book.
They followed the ornate crimson rug back to the main chamber; once they returned they immediately made their way over to the central staircase. As they started up the stairway his friend made an attempt to strike up a conversation, which Soren was quite grateful for–if only to break the eerie silence. “It is rather extravagant isn’t it?” Soren replied as he walked along the stairway beside Jonas. “I wonder if it was so dark in their time though—I can’t imagine them just stumbling about as they wandered through these dark corridors.” As they arrived upon the upper landing Soren found he was mildly disappointed. It wasn’t nearly as large as the main chamber, though there was no way to know how high it truly went. “I didn’t realize how far underground the sloped passage had taken us.” Soren noted as he looked around the chamber. Much like the rest of the dungeon the walls were dark granite and across the room, just like every other they had come across in this place, was a wooden door cut into the stone. “By all means,” Soren declared with a soft smile, staying just at the edge of the lantern’s light as his friend moved to open the door. As the door came open a massive plume of dust came forth, just as he had expected. Jonas continued through the doorway undaunted though, and Soren was quick to follow suit. Once inside it was quite obvious that this room was different from the rest. It almost felt as if this were a place of worship, and not dungeon it truly was. “This is different.” Soren said calmly as he gestured toward the book on the far end. “I’m curious about that, but I doubt I’m afraid to disturb it—there’s no way it could hold to the test of time as well as the rest of this place.”
Jonas moved down the aisle as he walked between the two rows of benches. He noted how simple this place was compared to the rest of the chamber and wondered exactly what it had been used for. He stopped as he reached the alter ahead, the stone podium the only structure of importance near the back wall. ” I've seen older books myself, and this place seems to be pretty cut off from any elements ” Jonas commented on the likelihood of the massive tome simply turning to dust if either attempted to touch it. ” The wood in this place on the other hand… ” he trailed off as he reached the alter an laid his eyes on the cover of the book. The tome appeared to be bound in some kind of animal skin, Jonas preferred to think of it as leather though he knew that it could very well be something less comforting just as easily. Burnt into the binding was a single symbol—a circle with a cross though it— a symbol Jonas instantly recognized as one from the ancient Kingdom of Zeal. ” You're not going to believe this. ” Jonas muttered as he brought the lantern up higher, towards his eye level, illuminating the tome.
Soren trailed after Jonas, walking between the two rows of benches and down the aisle. This place was rather different compared to the rest of the ruins, notably that the design of the chamber was far simpler. It went beyond mere appearances though; there was something about this place that reminded Soren of a chapel. At the end of the aisle was a stone altar, which only gave further credence to the comparison. It was the only thing that seemed truly important, completely at odds with the rest of chamber. “I hope so,” Soren replied as they moved further into the chamber. As they passed by one he took a closer look at the benches, worn away by the ages. From the look of them the benches wouldn’t support the weight of a child any longer, let alone a full grown adult. “You’re not wrong about the wood, at least.” Soren stated as they finally arrived at their destination. Jonas was the first to move in and get a closer look, and after a moment declared that Soren wouldn’t believe what they had come across. “What won’t I believe?” Soren questioned as he stepped closer, the lantern raised up to eye level to grant him a better view of the tome. It was bound in what appeared to be leather, though he wasn’t sure he wanted to know what it had come from. Into the binding there was a symbol burnt into the leather: a circle with a cross through it. It was a symbol he recognized immediately, that of the ancient kingdom of Zeal. “You’re right. If I hadn’t seen this for myself I wouldn’t believe it….”
Jonas stepped up to the alter as Soren neared, his eyes shifting from his friend back to the tome as he moved. Blowing the centuries of dust build up from the alter Jonas sat his small lantern down carefully, a safe distance from the tome. He reached out his hands, tensing his fingers as he wrapped them around the book. Lifting he felt the weight of the object, it was heavier than he thought it would be— and he assumed it would be pretty heavy. ” This is the most amazing thing I've ever seen. Seriously. ” He spoke, his voice full of excitement as he balanced the book on his open palms. ” We have to open it. I mean we have to. ” He continued to speak as he started to spread the weight evenly before placing the book back on the alter. Jonas waited for a moment, allowing Soren to accompany him in the light of the small lantern, he did not want to hog the biggest mystery of their young lives. Pulling the cover open Jonas flipped past several blank pages before coming to the first illustration. It was abstract but the meaning clear, a grotesque scene of innocents burning, their screams seemingly jumping from the page. He turned the page again meeting a wall of text of which the characters he could not read. Jonas looked to Soren, bewildered and amazed.
Soren raised his right hand up to shield his face as Jonas blew centuries of dust off of the book, and set the lantern down safely away from the mysterious tome. As he retrieved the ancient book from the stone altar he tensed up for a moment as his fingers wrapped around it before lifting it up. It was clearly a heavy tome, and from the look of things it had been even heavier than Jonas had expected. Soren eyed the book curiously for a moment, silence hanging in the air, until Jonas started to speak. “It’s quite the find,” Soren declared with a wide grin while Jonas held the ancient tome in his open palms. “I agree wholeheartedly.” Once it was placed back onto the stone altar Jonas picked up the small lantern once more, and made sure there was room for them both to observe its contents. Soren didn’t say anything, but flashed a grateful smile as he stepped closer to the podium to get a better view. As his friend started to open the book he inhaled on reflex, only to be greeted by a blank page. After several blank pages they finally came across the first illustration in the tome: an abstract work of art that depicted the burning of innocents. For a brief moment he could have sworn he could hear their screams, but he was quick to banish the thought. Soren couldn’t help but feel disgusted at the image before them, but that wasn’t enough to deter him from further examining the contents of the book. Once the page was turned they were faced with a massive wall of text, in a language completely foreign to him. “I can’t imagine that it says anything pleasant.” Soren joked awkwardly, finding his arms and taking a deep breath. “I have to wonder if this tome is flesh-bound now.” Soren mused, visibly disturbed at the contents of the tome. “Either way that’s a question best saved for later. We should be on our way.”
A lingering chill ran down Jonas' spine as the thought of the book being bound in flesh was raised. He didn't want to think about it, but considering the contents and where they had found it he could not rule it out. ” Yes, it's likely getting dark by now. ” Jonas replied as he closed the book, shivered at the sight of it's cover and them heaved the weight from the alter. ” Perhaps we can find someone who can read it's contents. ” He mused as he tucked the heavy tome under one arm and grabbed the lantern with the other, follow Soren towards the exit.
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