Chapter 38

Having marked the probable location of the tower on the map they were compiling, the team then farstrode back to the encampment. The sun was low on the horizon when they reached the campsite, and they found that Mirion had prepared a meal from their supplies, which they gratefully ate.

“Not too bored?” Darras asked.

“No, Hallis is helping me study the local fungi and ascertaining if there are medical possibilities within it,” Mirion replied with a smile.

“Long way to come if it does,” Darras smiled.

“I’ll bring back spore samples of any that do,” Mirion nodded. “But only if Hallis says it’s safe.”

“Ah, yes, we don’t want anything dangerous escaping,” Darras chuckled.

“No, we don’t,” Mirion agreed.

Other than discussing their plans for the following day, little of note happened, and the team settled in for the night. The morning was bitterly cold, with a layer of frost upon the ground, though Demala warmed up the inside of the screen with her magic as the team took care of their ablutions and breakfast. They then, other than Mirion, farstrode to where they’d concluded the previous day and began their explorations again, making their way towards the tower via the road. By midday, they reached the tower, finding it to have been carved from a single giant shard of obsidian, presumably by magic, though the surface was now pitted due to erosion from the fine dust that abounded in the area. The team noted the entrance, though chose to explore the surrounding area, finding a series of caves formed by lava tubes which were marked for later exploration. They then returned to the camp, intending to investigate the tower the following day.

Demala confirmed that when the team returned, magic abounded in the tower structure and was securing the entrance against anyone who didn’t know the key. Fortunately, it was a type of First One magic that was vulnerable to Darras’s touch, and the various wards temporarily collapsed when he approached, allowing them entry. The team were then able to pull the doors open and enter the ground level of the tower.

“Impressive,” Darras murmured at the pristine surroundings of the lower level, which, despite the lack of windows, was as bright as the outside.

“Clever use of mirrors,” Demala explained.

“Not magic?”

“No. Not yet, I suspect there is a mechanism for nighttime, though.”

“We won’t be here,” Darras nodded. “I might interfere with it anyway.”

“Possibly,” Demala agreed. “The magic used is of a type I’m unfamiliar with, and you did bring down the version of it on the doors.”

The rest of the team were examining the images carved into the walls, showing scenes of strangely built cities and creatures flying upon silvery disks.

“Similar to an Ubaid,” Tinara finally said. “Only the skin tones are very different.”

“Erren said they were the servant class, not as powerful magically as a First One,” Darras replied.

“Their civilisation looked powerful,” Traskis commented.

“It was,” Darras nodded. “It spanned the world after they’d conquered and exterminated all in their path until, at the end, with no enemies left, they created their own by turning upon themselves.”

“It appears to be a historical document of a sort,” Firios observed. “It shows the rise of their race.”

“Pretty sure the university will be out here, eventually,” Demala smiled.

“Probably,” Darras agreed. “But not until we are sure there’s no dragon about.”

“Ah, yes,” Demala smiled.

Unlike the Last Tower of Darkness that Darras had explored, this tower was far larger and used ramps to scale its heights. The team, led by Firios, soon reached the next level and stopped to gaze at a map inlaid into the floor, which was both familiar yet different from the current known world.

“A lot has changed in a million years,” Traskis finally said. “No Deadlands in Golsten for one.”

“It has,” Darras agreed. “Erren says the land floats upon the molten core of the planet like plates, and the mountains are formed by two plates smashing together ... very slowly.”

“Intriguing,” Demala nodded. “Yet here we have proof.”

“Apparently, there’s something similar in the necropolis,” Firios added. “Only it’s the modern world and likely created by magic.”

“Oh, the room with the big throne?” Tinara asked.

“Yes.”

“I wish I could have seen it,” Klea sighed.

“We did not wish to endanger you, friend Klea,” Firios replied. “Though perhaps we can arrange a viewing for you when we return, as you coped well, being around others at the base encampment.”

“I ... I would appreciate that, friend Firios,” Klea replied, acknowledging the bond that had grown within the team.

“Wonder what the tower was used for?” Darras mused. “There’s not much in the way of furniture, just stone benches around the walls.”

“There may be clues the higher up we go,” Traskis replied. “Or not.”

“True, let’s go,” Darras chuckled.

The next floor was inlaid with a representation of Gresh and Asulnarath. However, it contained representations of cities that no longer existed, including markings that Erren confirmed were the symbols of the first letters forming the names of the cities. Demala wrote these down after a quick consultation with Erren via Darras, finding that the First ones wrote their language in reverse, contrary to the Elven way adopted by most nations currently in existence.

“I’m beginning to suspect this tower was a representation of all they controlled,” Firios opined.

Perhaps,” Demala replied. “Though there are more floors to see.”

The next floor presented a representation of Gresh itself, though without the current fungi infestations. There were cities, stylised representations of forests and farmlands, as well as what Erren described as hunting preserves for the elites of First One society.

“What did they hunt?” Darras asked, hearing a tone of hesitancy in Erren’s explanation.

‘Anything they disliked, other species, criminals, rivals they had captured and their families, even their own family members, anyone and anything, often at random, ’ Erren replied, with Darras passing the information on to the Elves.