147 Mystery Road (2/2)

\”Then the message I sent Edo should come in handy,\” I chuckled.

\”You do think of everything, don't you,\” she laughed.

\”I try to,\” I answered.

With that bit of levity done, my instructions were quickly relayed to the rank and file and our exodus out of the city began to proceed.

Our first step was to return to the Merchants Guild and reclaim our caravan, and after bribing the gnome official with an extra twenty gold for quick processing, we were on our way through the packed city streets full of slaves and fairy oglers.

Of course, we were being followed by at least four groups of scouts, which I assumed were under orders from Ardeen Spellweaver, Lord Rah, Chancellor Kairon, and the Lord of Stars.

Yup, we were a popular bunch.

Halfway through the main thorough fare and our plan to split from the caravan ensued.

The lead wagon stopped as if there was a problem with one of its wheels. At the same time, the wagon we were stashed positioned itself right next to a narrow alleyway that led to the catacombs.

Quick as you please, my chosen party members jumped out of our wagon and dashed into the alleyway. We made sure we were undetected before we proceeded on to the grate at the end of this alleyway which was the entrance to the catacombs below.

Shanks pulled open the grate with brute strength, and then one by one and with a torch in hand, we filed into the passageway beyond.

Down at the catacombs, we made our way swiftly through the many turns with much more ease than the other night's visit. Mostly because Zephyra had taken the lead, and it was all we could do to follow her as she zipped through one corridor into the next like a ghost in the wind.

Eventually, we found ourselves taking an inclining path that ended in an opening that led to what was most definitely the side of the cliff similar to the one we'd used to escape the Wailing House.

Along the cliff's edge was a steep and narrow path. It was the kind of goat trail that skirted the mountainside.

\”I'm kind of wishing we brought a few more drow with us,\” I said as I gazed down at the darkness below me.

\”Don't worry, Dean,\” Qwipps said, patting my back unnecessarily hard like he was making me lose my balance. \”I'll catch you if you fall.\”

\”Wow… I feel so reassured,\” I whined.

We continued to take this path in a single file with Shanks at the rear as he had the most difficult time navigating the very narrow path.

It was a half hour later when we found ourselves standing at the opposite end of a stone bridge that led across the deep chasm below and into the other side of the cavern wall. At the far end, we could see narrow steps that led up into the cavern's ceiling.

There was one problem. This stone bridge had no railings nor did the foot space seem wide enough for anything less than a single person crossing one at a time. It reminded me so much of that Bridge of Kazad Dum where Gandalf faced off against the Balrog that I was imagining a scene where one of us, if not all of us, would fall down into the depths below.

Luckily, we were way more fortunate than the cast of the Lord of the Rings as we all made it safely through to the other side of the bridge.

\”So… that wasn't nerve-wracking at all,\” Ty said in obvious jest as the dude was sweating buckets.

An equally anxious Luca glanced over to him and said, \”You get used to it… I think.\”

\”Man, I don't ever think I'll get used to that,\” Ty responded after a quick glance back at the bridge behind us.

\”Let's keep moving,\” I said.

I shoved my torch forward to bring light into the passageway beyond the hole carved into the cavern wall.

\”My visere senses are tingling,\” I whispered as I felt the hairs on the back of my arms stand on end.

\”You and me both, Commander,\” Varda agreed.

\”Don't worry,\” Aura said.

She raised her Hearthwood staff high so that the glowing orange orb at the top of it shed golden light in front of us.

\”I'll light the way,\” she said confidently.

Then she stepped into the opening.

Strangely enough, her show of power didn't do anything to ease my apprehension.

\”Yeah, I've got a bad feeling about this,\” I said right as I walked into the breach after her.