11 Chapter 11- Stagmites (1/2)
As Ivan opened the hatch to the surface, the three heard a loud voice call out from down the stairwell.
”Ivan, you're heartless! How could you leave me behind?”
Dubs looked back to see Clark panting and sweating as he stumbled his way up the stairs.
Ivan rolled his eyes and sarcastically replied,
”If you don't wanna be left behind then why don't you keep track of time and stop spending all your time eating?”
Lilith let out a giggle, and the mood lightened.
Clark laughed and looked forward, ready to press on.
”Were moving out, be on your guard at all times. Newbies, stay behind me if we encounter an enemy. Don't be eager to fight, your time will come.”
Dubs and Lilith acknowledged Ivan and the four of them stepped outside. The dusty trapdoor closed with a squeal followed by a click as it automatically locked.
The sun glared in Dubs eyes, and he squinted and hid his eyes with his hand. This was the first time he had seen daylight, and this was not a common sight among even the citizens of the empire. Only mercenaries ever went outside, so the existence of the sun wasn't common knowledge.
Lilith spoke out astounded, ”What is that?! It must be a fire spell, right? How could there exist a person powerful enough to cast something so huge?”
Ivan and Clark burst out in laughter, and wiping tears from his eyes, Clark spoke.
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”That's no magic. That is the sun, which is a giant ball of fire that exists millions of miles from us. Its a natural object.”
Lilith became even more surprised, hearing that it was something natural. ”I suppose the surface is indeed a strange world. And look at the surroundings! I've never seen anything so green and luscious before!”
Looking around, Dubs noticed that they were in the middle of a plain, that spanned as far as the eye could see. Grass spread out like a blanket in all directions, and aside from a few small hills, the area was flat.
There were no roads to be seen, but Ivan seemed to know what he was doing, so Dubs didn't fret over it.
The trapdoor became transparent, and eventually vanished from Dubs' eyes.
”Is this some sort of concealment magic?” Dubs asked.
”Yes, that's right. Our HQ needs to remain hidden from the empire, and so we've taken as many precautions as possible to avoid our exposure, Including disconnecting the base from the city tunnels, and having the only entrance be from the surface.” Ivan replied
Ivan began to walk, glancing to the right and then to the left every few seconds. He was being very cautious, as if enemies could appear at any moment, however after a minute of scanning he picked up the pace and started lightly speed walking.
Clark took the read guard, and held his crossbow in his right hand, loaded and ready to fire.
The group's footsteps seemed to echo across the plains, as they treaded silently. Dubs began to feel anxious, and remained silent so Ivan could concentrate.
An hour of silent walking passed, and the scenery had remained more or less the same. A marshland appeared in the vast distance, and Ivan held out his hand to signal a halt.
”In that marshland, a contact of the resistance resides. We will stop by there when we arrive to restock our supplies and rest for the night, however around the transition to the marshland there are typically creatures waiting to prey on travelers like us.”