It was only a few moments before Kihra emerged on the other side of the rubble, the light from the chamber behind her barely lighting her surroundings. Rising to her feet with some help from Meenka, she conjured a small flame in her hand, immediately brightening her surroundings. In the light of the flame, she could see that the hall ahead of her wasn’t in much better shape than where she had come from, with some side chambers appearing to have caved in ages ago.

“We should keep movin’” said Meenka, gesturing further down the hall into the dark, “Should be somethin’ valuable further in.”

The two of them proceeded down the passage in silence, their footfalls and the occasional shifting of rubble the only sound. While many of the crystal torches that lined the wall had long gone out, a few still remained active, giving off dim, sporadic patches of light along the hall. Glancing into what few chambers weren’t completely blocked off, neither of them could see anything of value to bring back.

“What do you think’s going to happen?” Kihra quietly asked once she was sure they were far enough away from the entrance.

“I don’t know,” Meenka answered after a moment of silence. In the time that she had known her, Kihra couldn’t ever remember seeing her looking so concerned.

“I’m sorry,” Kihra apologised, turning her gaze to the ground, “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen, if I’d just stayed behind-”

“Hey,” Meenka spoke up directly ahead of Kihra, a reassuring hand on her shoulder stopping her in her tracks, “This isn’t on you, alright? There wasn’t any way you could’ve known this would’ve happened.”

Kihra gave a small smile. She knew Meenka was right, but still, she couldn’t help feeling some guilt over the current situation.

“Now let’s get going,” said Meenka, turning back to continue down the path, “The sooner we find something to bring back, the sooner the three of us can get back to our lives.”

“What do you think Talsath’s hoping to find here?” Kihra asked, following close behind.

“Not a clue,” Meenka replied, “Like I said, this is the first I’ve ever seen of him in person since I started working with this crew. Not even sure if any of the others’ve met him before today.”

“So none of the others know what they’re looking for here?” Kihra questioned further.

“Not as far as I can tell,” Meenka answered, “But whatever it is, he seems awfully desperate to get his hands on it, and I’m not gonna lie, it’s got me worried.”

That makes two of us, Kihra thought. She didn’t completely understand the significance of this place, or the people who might have first built it, but from how Mar and Talsath spoke about it, it was clear they were expecting to find more than just some old relics. And given the lengths Talsath was willing to go to in pursuit of it, she knew he had much worse intentions than scholarly curiosity.

“But hey, I’m, uh…I’m sure Mar’ll figure something out,” said Meenka, a twinge of uncertainty in her voice despite her attempt at reassurance, “I mean, he’s probably got some kinda fancy magic trick to get outta those shackles, right?”

“I don’t know,” Kihra replied, “He probably could, but when they put them on him, something about them felt…wrong.”

“Oh, yeah, I guess they would’ve planned for something like that, wouldn’t they have?” said Meenka, her confident facade falling away.

“But, even so,” said Kihra, “we can’t just let them take whatever it is they’re here for, can we? What if it’s something dangerous, or-”

“Look,” Meenka interrupted, turning to face Kihra, “I’ll be honest with you, I don’t like this situation any more than you do, but I’m not seein’ any other options here. All we can do for now is just play along with their demands and hope things don’t get worse than they already are. And the way this whole thing’s going, that’s starting to look more and more likely.”

Kihra shook her head, “There has to be a way out of this,” she said, “I’m sure there is.” Though even as she spoke, she already felt her own confidence wavering.

Meenka shrugged, “If there is, I don’t see it,” she said, “Best we can hope for now’s that we don’t come back empty-”

Meenka stopped short as the two of them came to a large pile of rubble blocking the path ahead, appearing to fill in a large entryway. A cursory glance at their surroundings revealed no further chambers or passages; They had hit a dead end.

“Well, Svrak,” Meenka sighed in exasperation, her posture turning into a defeated slouch as her ears drooped, “This complicates things. Hey, mind giving me some more light here, see if we can find a way through.”

Kihra complied, increasing the flame in her hand slightly and raising it higher. As Meenka scanned the rubble before them, something near the top of the pile caught Kihra’s attention. Focusing on a spot near the ceiling, she spotted what seemed to be a gap in the debris not unlike the one she and Meenka had crawled through to get here.

“I think I see something!” Kihra called out to Meenka, who turned to follow her gaze.

“Well, that looks promising,” said Meenka somewhat optimistically.

“Do you think it goes all the way to the other side?” Kihra asked,craning her neck and standing on her toes as she tried to get a better view of the opening.

“Dunno,” Meenka replied with a shrug as she approached the rubble, “but there’s only one way to find out.” As she reached the foot of the pile, Kihras clawed hand on her shoulder prompted her to stop and face her.

“Maybe I should go first this time,” Kihra suggested, “I’m a better climber, I can find a path for you to follow up.”

“You sure?” Meenka asked with some concern, “Looks kinda dodgy, wouldn’t want you losing your footing up there.”

Kihra gave a quick nod, “I’ll be alright, I’ve got this.”

Meenka gave a small shrug, “Alright, I’ll be right behind you. Just be careful, alright?”

With that, Kihra made her way to the pile, extinguishing the flame in her hand as she did so. Slowly, carefully, she began to climb, carefully testing each hand and foothold she could reach as she went.

Soon, Kihra had reached the gap near the ceiling. Much to her relief, it seemed like the opening did, in fact, reach the other side of the heap, the area beyond shrouded in darkness. Carefully pulling herself up and into the gap, she craned her neck to get a better look.

“How’s it lookin’ up there?” Meenka called up after her, “See anything?”

“I think so,” Kihra called back, leaning slightly further into the gap for a better look. She could spot a single working lantern on one of the walls, its dim glow barely illuminating the nearby section of the chamber. “I think I can climb down to the other side, I just need to-”

Kihra lurched forward as one of the stones under her hand gave way, sending her tumbling down the slope of the other side of the rubble with a startled cry. She hit the ground rolling, coming to a stop a few feet away with a slightly pained groan.

“Kihra!” she heard Meenka call out through the gap, “You okay in there?”

“Yeah,” Kihra called back, shaking herself off as she pulled herself back up to her feet, “I’m fine, don’t worry.” Summoning another small flame in her hand, she scanned her surroundings.

From what she could see in the light from her flame and the flickering lantern, she was standing in a large chamber. Like the hall she left behind, this part of the ruins didn’t seem to have been spared from the passage of time. Many of the walls were cracked and splitting, and some parts of the ceiling appeared to have fallen in, leaving small piles of debris around the circular chamber, and burying many of the pedestals lining the walls. No other passages aside from the one she’d come in through could be seen.

“See anything in there?” Meenka called out as Kihra picked through the detritus.

“No,” Kihra replied, “not yet.” As far as she could tell from her search, not a single item of worth remained within the chamber, and what possible relics she could see appeared to have been broken beyond repair by whatever force had struck this place. She couldn’t help but feel disheartened, all this effort and practically nothing to show for it.

With a defeated sigh, Kihra turned back towards the entrance, wondering what to do about their situation. As she started back, however, a glint among one of debris piles caught her eye. Curious, she approached the site and began to dig through the debris.

“Wait, I think I found something!” Kihra called out excitedly as she pulled her find from the rubble. 

Clutched in her hand was a silver bracer about the length of her forearm, its two halves hanging loosely on their hinge. A smooth, emerald-like gem was embedded in the center of one of the halves, and a flowing, almost serpentine pattern radiated outward from it, wrapping around the full circumference of the bracer. Beyond just its ornate appearance, what struck Kihra most was just how immaculate the artifact was, with not a single scratch or blemish to be found on its surface, despite having lain here for perhaps a thousand years or more.

Stranger still, as she continued to examine the artifact, Kihra could feel a strange sensation emanating from the embedded stone, not unlike what she felt with the manacles earlier. However, unlike the unpleasant, icy sensation she felt then, this felt warm and invigorating. In fact, the more she looked at it, the more she felt like like she was being drawn in-

“Well, that’s a relief to hear,” Meenka’s voice rang out, snapping Kihra out of her thoughts, “See anything else in there?”

Kihra gave one last glance around the chamber, but couldn’t find anything else of value. Satisfied, Kihra turned and headed back towards the caved-in entrance. She still wasn’t sure what Talsath may have been hoping to find here, but she hoped an antique like this would satisfy them.

“No, I think that’s everything here,” she called back, “I’m coming back.”

Reaching the base of the rubble, Kihra moved to stow the bracer in her pack to free her hands in preparation for the climb-

As her hand grasped at empty air, a realization came to her: her pack had fallen with her at the entrance to the ruins, but in all the confusion that had followed, she’d forgotten to bring it in with her.

Seeing no other option, Kihra slipped the bracer onto her arm, the two halves seamlessly fitting together with a quiet click. Almost immediately, she felt a surge of warmth rush through her before settling in her core, a sensation not unlike what she’d felt from her use of spellcasting. She didn’t know what to make of this, but as she briefly paused to marvel at the bracer, she knew one thing for certain; There’s more to this relic than there seems.

Soon enough, Kihra was back on the other side of the rubble. Climbing back down the slope, Meenka moved forward to steady her.

“Good to see you’re still in one piece, things might actually start looking up,” said Meenka, her tone more optimistic, “So, find anything good in there?”

Kihra smiled and gave an enthusiastic nod, proudly presenting the braver on her arm. “Yep,” she replied, feeling rather proud of her accomplishment, “not bad for my first treasure delve, huh?”

“I’ll say,” Meenka replied as she looked over her find, “Looks like this thing could go for a small fortune at market!”

“Not just that,” Kihra added, “Something felt strange about this artifact when I found it. I feel like there’s magic in it.”

“Really?” Meenka replied, voice tinged with curiosity as she continued examining the artifact, “Weird, I don’t feel anything. Was it like the feeling you said you got from those manacles?”

“Sort of,” Kihra replied, “but this was different. This felt more…right, I guess.”

Meenka gave a small shrug. “Well, I guess you’d know more about this stuff than me,” she said, “Maybe Mar or Talsath would have some idea what this thing’s actually worth, too.”

In all her excitement, Kihra had almost forgotten about the dire predicament they were in.

“Do you still think there’s no other way out of this?” she asked, moving to remove the bracer from her arm, “I don’t know what kind of magic’s in this thing, or what he’d want with it.”

“Hey, don’t get me wrong, I’m still worried about that too,” said Meenka, “but look, a little thing like that’s probably only good for some fancy party trick or the like. And if that’s all there was to find down here, I’d say we’ve got nothin’ to worry about.”

Kihra gave a small nod of agreement. “Yeah,” she replied, continuing to fiddle with the latch of the bracer as she spoke, “I guess so.” While her anxiety over their situation remained, she still appreciated her attempt at encouragement (even if she seemed to have her own doubts).

As she continued to work at the bracer, a confused frown crossed her face.

“Everything alright?” Meenka asked.

“I can’t get the lock open,” Kihra replied, “I think it’s stuck.”

“Here, let me get a look at it,” offered Meenka, stepping in for a closer look. Her expression was focused as she worked at the latch, though it quickly turned to confusion and worry as she, too, found herself making no progress in her efforts.

“You, uh…you weren’t kiddin’,” said Meenka after a moment, “Guess this thing hasn’t stood the test of time as well as we’d thought, the latch must be broken.”

At this point, Kihra began to feel a growing sense of dread well up in her. “You don’t think this thing’s cursed, do you?” She asked, ears pulled back in apprehension. The sensation she experienced from the artifact didn’t feel sinister, but what if it was some sort of trick? Or maybe she did something wrong when she put it on?

“No, no,” Meenka replied perhaps a bit too hastily, “I-I’m sure it’s nothin’ to worry about, like I said, thing’s probably just showin’ its age.” Despite her attempt at keeping Kihra calm, she couldn’t entirely hide her own worry. 

“And anyway, we should get goin’,” she continued, turning back the way they’d come, “Shouldn’t keep everybody waitin’, and maybe they’d know how to fix this.”

“R…right,” replied Kihra, hurrying to keep up.

Eventually, Kihra and Meenka emerged back into the main passage. The rest of the group, having waited almost exactly where they’d left them, gazed at them expectantly, Mar with some apprehension, the rest with impatience.

“Told you we’d be alright,” Meenka greeted Mar with a confident smile. Mar seemed to relax at this.

“‘Bout time,” the white furred Murae interrupted, “So, find anythin’ worth trekin’ out here for in there? Yer lookin’ rather empty-handed there.”

Kihra glanced nervously over to Meenka, still clutching at her arm. Meeting her gaze, Meenka nodded towards her arm, trying to give her a reassuring smile. Taking a breath to steady her nerves, she pulled back her sleeve, revealing the bracer.

“What, that’s it?” asked one of the humans incredulously, “We came all this way just for some jewelry? Couldn’t find anything more impressive back there?”

“Hey, cut us some slack here!” Meenka shot back, “The rest of this place is a mess, whatever else might’ve been back there must've been smashed to bits when this place sank.”

“No matter," Talsath finally spoke up, “this should more than suffice. Now then,” he continued, holding out his hand as he fixed his gaze on the bracer, “if you would be so kind, I believe that should fulfill our agreement.”

At this, Kihra nervously glanced down at her arm. The gem fixed into the bracer seemed to catch the light of the surrounding lanterns in a strange way here, its colour appearing to swim slightly before her eyes.

“Is there a problem?” Talsath asked, an edge of impatience creeping into his tone.

“No, I just…I can’t take this off,” Kihra replied, avoiding meeting his gaze, “I put it on so I wouldn’t lose it, and now it won’t come off. I think whatever magic’s in this is holding it closed.”

“Yeah, we were kinda hoping one of you guys might know how to fix this,” added Meenka, glancing between Talsath and Mar, “So, uh…any ideas?”

At this, Mar stepped forward to take a closer look, wrists still bound and under the watchful eye of one of the dark furred Murae. “Unfortunately, I cannot say for certain,” he said as he looked over the artifact, “There is certainly magic tied to this item, and while it seems benign in nature, it is still unfamiliar to me. Without further study, I’m afraid I cannot determine its exact nature.”

Kihra’s earlier feelings of uneasiness worsened at the news, verging on dread. Mar was one of the most knowledgeable people on the subject of magic she knew, and yet this small artifact was beyond even his understanding. Worse than that, however, was Talsath's reaction to these developments. While he may not know the exact nature of the artifact in her possession as far as she could tell, he clearly expected to find something of value here, and if something as innocuous as this would catch his attention-

“That is of no issue,” said Talsath, snapping Kihra out of her thoughts, “there should be time enough to properly study it.” With that, he turned to address the rest of the group. “There’s been a slight change of plans,” he said, “our guests will be joining us for the foreseeable future.”

“This is outrageous!” Exclaimed Mar, taking a step forward, “we had an agreement!”

“Yes, we did,” Talsath replied, turning to face Mar, “However, that agreement was contingent upon us obtaining something of worth from here, and seeing as your apprentice is unable to part with this artifact, I’m afraid there’s simply no other way to resolve this.”

At that moment, a dreadful realization came over Kihra, something that had been lingering in the back of her mind since they’d first found themselves in this situation. She’d hoped she was wrong, that it was only her anxiety over the situation getting the better of her, but now, the truth was undeniable.

“You were never going to let us go,” she said, “were you?”

Talsath turned to her, his expression neutral. “I told you before, have I not?” he calmly replied, “The work we are doing here is far too important to risk outside interference. It’s better this way for everyone.”

As he spoke , Kihra saw the white furred Murae approaching, another pair of manacles in hand.

“The hell it is!” Meenka spoke up, stepping defensively between Kihra and the others, “I don’t know what kind of ‘work’ you’re on about, but they’ve got nothing to do with it. Just do something to get that thing off of her and let them go!”

“On the contrary,” replied Talsath, “they have been involved with this from the moment they chose to participate in this excursion, yourself included. We are at too crucial a stage now  to tolerate any further disruptions, much less insolence, and seeing as we have you to thank for bringing in our uninvited guest into this, I suggest you think very carefully about your decision.”

“Well, I hate to disappoint then, but I’m not about to let you do this,” Meenka replied defiantly, though Kihra could sense a nervousness behind her demeanor, “Whatever the others were hoping to get outta this, it ain’t worth stooping to this!”

How had this all gone so wrong? All Kihra had wanted was to prove she could handle herself, that she no longer needed to be left behind, and despite her initial worries, she’d never have imagined things would spiral out of control like this.

She made to step forward, wanting to do something, anything, to diffuse the situation, but almost immediately stopped in her tracks. Something felt wrong, not just from her growing fear, but a physical sensation in the air itself. Following the sensation, she turned her gaze towards Talsath. His expression had become one of annoyance, and while he barely moved, she could feel the sensation radiating from him growing more intense. It was at this moment she realized with a sinking feeling how familiar this feeling was underneath the tension.

She’d felt it herself every time she’d drawn on her own spellcasting.

Talsath finally let out an exasperated sigh. “Very well,” he said simply, moving to raise his hand as he spoke.

Without thinking, Kihra stepped before Meenka with a panicked “NO!” as Talsath loosed a bolt of arcane energy from his hand. Thrusting her own hands out and squeezing her eyes shut, she desperately tried to conjure a barrier around herself, vaguely aware of Meenka and Mar’s panicked voices calling out as time seemed to slow.

What was she thinking? She had barely been able to form a stable barrier ward while training, and she’d never tested how well it could hold under circumstances like this. That spell’s going to smash right through her pitiful defence and that will be the end of it. Bracing herself for the inevitable, she could only hope Mar and Meenka would be able to get away.

Kihra could feel the bolt striking her barrier with an electric crackle. A moment later, a noise like crashing thunder filled the chamber, and she could see a bright flash even through her closed eyes, as she felt her back strike the rubble behind her.

For a while, all she was aware of was the ringing in her ears, and a dull ache throughout her body. It took her a moment to realise she wasn’t dead, much to her surprise. Opening her eyes and unsteadily pulling herself up to her feet, she saw that the hall had become much darker, with many of the lanterns on the nearby walls extinguished, and through the darkness, she could faintly see the rest of the group appeared to be similarly dazed.

Before she could process what had happened, she felt someone grab hold of her and begin pulling her down the hall.

“C’mon!” she heard Meenka call out, “This way!”

“W-wait, what happened? What‘s going on?” Kihra called back.

“No time, I’ll explain when we’re out of here!” Meenka replied urgently.

“Wait, Mar’s still back there,” Kihra turned back down the hall, hearing the rest of the group rousing themselves, “we have to help-!”

“Can’t help him if we get caught too,” Meenka interrupted, insistently pulling her along, “We need to go, now!”

As much as she wanted to protest, Meenka was right. From down the hall, she could hear shouting from behind as the others fully recovered. Whatever stroke of good fortune had given them this chance to escape, she couldn’t let it go to waste getting captured again. All they could hope to do now is get to safety, and hope they can find help.

Please be safe, Kihra silently pleaded as she turned to follow Meenka, I’ll come back with help, I promise.

Everything passed by in a blur. All Kihra was aware of was the pounding of her heart, and the sound of approaching footfalls behind her as she pushed to keep pace with Meenka. Soon enough, the entrance came into view, the light of the cave beyond illuminating the threshold. If they could just get out of here, they might be able to lose Talsath and the others in the tunnels.

Up ahead, Kihra could make out two figures approaching the entrance. She had no idea who they could be, but with their pursuers closing in behind them, it didn’t seem like they had much choice but to face them.

She only hoped they weren’t heading towards something worse.