"What happened, Lord?"
Hex met Bashar and the twins as he exited the partially collapsed tunnel. Dollaire and Rublena looked at him with mild interest. Hex suspected they came to keep up the facade. Bashar, on the other hand, looked worried.
’With the third one gone and the second one a dead end, he knows I must continue through the first. And he doesn’t want that.’
"Spiders. Quite a few. The battle went out of control, resulting in the collapse. Don’t worry. I will explain it to your Lord." His short explanation and irritated look gave the impression that he didn’t wish to continue with that topic.
No matter how unwilling they were to accept such a vague reply, they couldn’t protest.
"In that case, please let us continue with the first tunnel, Lord," Bashar proposed with a wide grin.
"You guys proceed. I will take a short rest. The battle expanded a lot of my energy."
The female Knights raised their brows, questioning his decision, whereas Bashar seemed delighted. His broad grin with drooped shoulder turned into a short smile and a straight pose.
"Please rest, Lord. We will call if we need help."
Hex watched them enter the first tunnel. One of the female Knights, Dollaire he believed, turned toward him with a stare. But when she noticed Hex relax, she went in.
After a few minutes, when he didn’t sense them near, Hex jumped to his feet. His injuries weren’t dire enough to warrant a rest. He didn’t join them so he could continue to explore on his own.
The third tunnel collapsed in a way that further exploration required an excavating team. He could do it, alone, if he had the time and needed resources. And if the space element circle didn’t glow with a silver luster on the back of his hand.
The circle didn’t glow when he walked out of the third tunnel. Neither did it glow in the so-called entrance area. It glowed when he stood close to the second tunnel. The one he was told was a dead end.
’Did they not sense it? Or are they hiding something in there?’
Whatever the case, he had to explore. It didn’t mean he wouldn’t explore the first one too. He had to. Letting things continue in blind self-belief or because of caution resulted in situations more terrible than imagined. He learned so during his time in the ruin.
He stepped into the second tunnel and observed the change in the circle. It was minute but he sensed a small spike in the intensity of the glow. That was enough to know he was right. The space pocket lay in this tunnel.
He continued forward and inspected the tunnel. Like the third tunnel was clad in darkness. Several tiny roots poked out of the walls and ceiling along the length. His senses didn’t pick up any energy fluctuations as he proceeded.
After a short walk, he reached the end of the tunnel. It was still wide enough to let him stand straight but a wall stood before him. He uncovered his hand and saw the silver light glow bright. He could sense the space pocket, faint as it might be, deeper in the tunnel.
"Is there a hidden room in there or is the pocked inside the sand?" Space pockets could be as small as a grain of sand or so the scroll said. Hex had to decide. He could leave it as it was or he could continue.
The issue wasn’t entering, it was leaving. Hex’s circle enabled him to sense the space around him, even allowing him to use it. To a certain extent, though. Without space elements, he couldn’t use the circle actively. Creating space pockets, traversing through space, and even executing Blink Step were out of the question.
It took Hex a second to make his mind up. It didn’t matter what lay on the other side. He would deal with it. Silver light flashed before his eyes and then he lost connection with everything in and out of him. Again.
The first to return was his vision. He watched the tall pillars and wide space around him. The place rivaled the sandcastle in size. He even suspected it to be for a second. But it wasn’t. He could after looking around. There weren’t any buildings. Nothing that resembled a room or so in this space.
Except for the pillars, everything else was open. Hex walked a bit around. His other senses returned one by one.
His olfactory senses were the second to return. He took a deep breath and smiled. The fresh air indicated an opening to allow ventilation. He could survive, even if he didn’t manage to return.
The third to return was his hearing. He heard his heartbeat, his breath...and a soft trickle.
’Is there a stream here?’
Right then, his sense of feeling returned. He could feel the air. And it was humid. Extremely so.
His leg went a bit in the sand. Below his feet, a small puddle appeared. Hex squatted and touched the sand. It was wet. As he looked around, he noticed something. Not only was the entire floor wet, but so were the walls and pillars. He found traces of moisture along the walls. He even could tell how high the water had been, as traces of some growth, moss, and a change in the color.
As he hurried his steps toward the sound of the stream, several questions raced through his mind.
The large space was uneven and few large craters. It didn’t obstruct Hex though. He followed the sound and found the stream. It was narrow and it seemed to flow toward the lowest point in this wide grotto-like place. It seemed to be the source where it sprang from. It was also where it drained to. And the reason was evident – the old man resembling a skin-covered skeleton.
He started saying but stopped. The old man didn’t seem conscious. And the old man wasn’t alone.
Hex turned slowly. In his haste to find the water, he didn’t detect the faint trace of energy coming from a bit further down.
A small fire crackled as Gronke munched on his snacks. Hex noticed his eyes fixed on him but the large man didn’t move or attempt to attack him.
"Do we have to fight?" Hex asked, trying to extract a reaction from the Warlord. Even if they were both Refined Knights, he knew there had to be a gap between them.
"I am employed to defend him," Gronke said without stopping to stuff his mouth with snacks. "To do that, someone has to attack. So if you don’t attack, I don’t defend. And we don’t battle. Or else, we battle. So, you decide."
Such a reply made Hex nearly burst into a laugh. He held it in though. Seeing no movement from the old man, he went up and sat before Gronke.
"A hundred gold coins per question. Can you pay?"
"With what? You use Sterling’s resources. So, why not ask him?"
Hex gave Gronke a blank stare.
"I can guess. The old man uses the Water element. They placed him here so he could recover. But how did you guys find this place? And is that all you guys are after?"
"Two hundred gold coins."
"I don’t have it. Can I have a bite?"
"A thousand gold coins."
"For you, fifty gold coins."
Hex stared at the man. Gronke munched but his eyes twinkled. He was amused. Hex wasn’t.
"I will check with Sterling."
It was late and the other team would arrive. Sterling too. With a last glance at the old man, Hex stood up.
"How does Sterling exit this place?"
Gronke eyed him for a second but then answered.
"Use the first pillar in that direction. They placed a small spatial jump there, connecting the second tunnel with this."
It was easy to find. Hex even took a little of the space element contained in the tool. It didn’t charge his circle but he had enough to use in case of emergencies.
Right as he exited the second tunnel, he saw Sterling enter. Their eyes met and Sterling’s smile faltered.