When we got off the airship, we thanked the captain and his crew for one last time and waved goodbye as we watch them disembark until they were out of sight from the skies.
"So what's the plan?" Eriol looks at me, everybody else did.
"We need to first locate this cave and confirm if it's really a shallow one" I replied.
"And if it's not, I assume we will have to explore?" Aerra supplied.
I shook my head, "Levi is right, we can't underestimate them. Let's simply assume they left traps on both the vicinity where the cave is and more so inside the cave to alert them of intruders. Also there might be look outs. In that case, we just smoke them out and have the fighting outside. I think it's far better than fighting inside such a confined space especially with their numbers, be it a shallow cave or not." I explained.
Eriol raises his hand, "I'll go aerial and watch your backs." He says, pointing up at the tree branches.
I nodded.
Eriol abruptly jumps up, pushing at the ground with his feet as he boosted up and lands to one of the tree branches above us. He gave me one salute with two fingers, sealing it with a wink and his usual trademark smile that seems like a condescending sneer.
"Okay, Let's go!" Aerra says.
"Right! Let's wrap this up before sundown!" I stated, opening the map and began to lead the way.
••▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅••
We went further and deeper to the woods, towards the marked area on the map.
While trying my best to stay vigilant, I can't help but wonder about this cave miss Hysmin speak off. My thoughts waver off from focus as we get closer and closer.
If this proves to be a deep cave then finding resources here might not be impossible! After all, when was the last scout sent to survey our lands for caves? Surely the books about our terrains are outdated, right? This might actually be a ground breaking discovery for our Dukedom. A game changer for all of us!
Or...
They really intended to omit and hold the information about caves.
If so, then all the books about our terrains are mendacious.
And just as if Levi read me, he whispered, "The books about the Greenrun terrains are provided by your uncle, you know that right?"
"What are you insinuating?" I asked him, turning to look back at his eyes that seems as if he's amused I even asked him that.
"Nothing really. Just reminding you about our conversation earlier this morning..." he shrugs.
Rings a bell.
I suddenly remembered that we were indeed talking about published books earlier this morning when we were at the Greenrun castle.
"Screened distribution of books from Grantzæl... That's what we were talking about earlier." I rolled my eyes, "Uncle has nothing to hide. Especially not to his own family! I mean why would he restrict us to use our own resources if there is a cave here in Greenrun?"
"Who knows. Better hurry up and see for ourselves, yes?" He says this with this sinister spark in his eyes.
"Seriously, Levi. Are you against the High King?" I blurted out
Levi curves his lips in a crooked smile, "And why would you even ask such? Is there a reason for me to be against him at all?" The tone sounds like a challenge rather than a question.
"What are you two whispering about?" Aerra halts and turns to face us with both her hands on her hips.
"N-nothing!" I answered in a giddy panic. I marched faster and walked pass her. Returning to focus at the map on my hands.
"What was that about?" I can hear her say from behind me.
"Aeron's just asking me things regarding this cave." Levi replied. "What's the matter? Anything you want to ask me as well?"
I can't tell Aerra about these predicaments now.
Not until I proved something.
Anything.
••▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅••
"The map says it's around here" I stated as I looked around.
There aren't any cave entrance visible however. I can almost see the view of the lake from the slits of the column of trees from ahead.
"No traps around, not even any look outs," says Eriol, leaping down to join us from one of the tree branches from above us.
"Guys!" Aerra hollers, we all look at her as she sat on her heels to an area that faces the lake from the distance. "There's a hole here"
We walked towards her and found a dug out hole on the ground.
"This isn't a cave..." I uttered in confusion.
Eriol squats down and throws a stone. "Sounds like a twenty foot drop. What now?"
I tapped at my chin.
I suppose we should explore a bit.
I can't keep counting on Eriol though...
"I'll go check it out" I answered.
"I'm coming with you!" says Aerra almost immediately.
"No need. I'll just check" I murmured.
She frowns. "I can handle myself"
"That's not even the issue here!"
But then again, I know it actually is.
I jumped down the hole and was about to summon a ball of lightning to provide light but then I realized there were several torches already lit from ahead with a tunnel that seems to stretch farther and deeper with walls closing in a square shaped passage.
Wait. If this passage keeps going, it will eventually reach the lake.
If it goes on far beyond expected, then does this mean it's an underground lake cave?
But this doesn't seem like a cave though...
Suddenly, I hear a sound of thud from behind me, as if something dropped. I turned around and saw Aerra already walking towards me. "Woah. A tunnel!" she gasps looking left to right. "The torches are only lit by that part, huh?" she points at the path ahead of us.
I looked at the path behind us and realized it was pitch black.
She's right.
Only the path ahead is lit.
I walk back to where the hole we came from is located and studied it. I can see Eriol peering from above.
The entire tunnel is bricked with slabs of stone except the hole that seemed to be forced open from the ceiling. There are fragment of such stones around actually, as if they were carried aside.
"..."
"Aerra, I don't think these bandits came here by chance." I stated. "They deliberately came here for a reason. And as obvious as it looks, this tunnel is no way a cave."
She looks surprise for a moment. Then spoke, "What do you think is down here?"
"I don't know but... I'm guessing there's something apt to treasure that made those bandits dig a way in this place."
"Hey! What's going on down there?" Eriol hollers.
"Go ahead and jump down! You need to see this!" I answered.
Eriol and Levi soon joined us.
"What do you think?" I asked them.
Levi's eyes just kept scanning around in awe. I don't think he heard me.
Eriol on the other hand crosses his arms then shrugs briefly, "I think we need to decide now if we will go deeper and find those bandits ourselves or wait outside because smoking them out doesn't seem applicable anymore"
I'm more bothered by the idea that this doesn't seem to surprise him one bit.
"Yeah. That as well but... I'm asking what do you think this place is?" I insisted. "This tunnel looks similar to a castle dungeon and it seems to lead towards the direction of the lake too!"
"Is this a ruin?" Aerra adds
Levi shook his head, "This isn't a ruin."
"And how could you be so sure?" Eriol murmurs,
Levi sighs in exasperation.
He raise his right arm at our eye level as he chanted in an almost gibberish sound.
Suddenly runic circles appears out rotating around his wrist in a clockwork motion as ancient inscriptions crawls out from the skin of his arm, glowing in a golden hue and pulsating like a heartbeat. He then spoke to us, "I would sense a ruin if I'm inside one." He pivots his arm around as he went on elaborating, "Like a magnetic field, these inscriptions right now would have reacted to a much larger scale of power source if we are inside a ruin... but as you can see, it's not particularly acting adversely." He explains, closing his hand into a fist, the symbols vanished at the same time.
How curious.
A dungeon.
"Whatever it is in here, those bandits came all the way out here for it. No wonder they didn't extended their terrorism from the village to the main city of our Dukedom. They just needed a stable food source near by to supply them enough that they can keep exploring for months..." I stated, thinking out loud as I looked at the passage ahead of us as the lit torches seem to go on and on as it stretches deeper; like looking in a vexed reflection from two mirrors facing each other.
I tapped at my chin, "The village head said the predicament with the bandits started two months ago and yet the bandits demanded a supply just yesterday, right? Then that means this tunnel must really be a part a huge... no, not just huge perhaps a colossal underground structure that exist under the lake! And with fresh food supplies, they won't be going out just yet. Those bandits are inside, too far perhaps to even hear us even if we make noise here now."
I gasped and chuckled almost at the same time at such realization.
My eyes grew wide open
I can feel my heart starting to race,
I remembered what Levi and I talked about...
Such a thing exists inside our domain yet no books had ever mentioned!
"We must explore this place!" I said in apparent fervent enthusiasm that I can't feign interest.
"Umm— how would we find the bandits if you think the structure ahead is ginormous? We do have a banquet tonight, remember?" Aerra says in a frown
"We're bound to bump into one of them sooner or later. It'll be easier to have them alarm the others until all of them pops out in the open!" I replied, starting to walk away to follow the length of the passage where torches are lit.
"Aeron, wait!" Aerra hollered as I can hear her hurried footsteps behind me, she soon matches my pace and walks beside me. "What's gotten into you? Suddenly charging head on like this... This is so unlike you."
I shook my head, "Aren't you curious? —Something like this exist so close to home!"
"I am but... it feels like you're diverting away from our real objective here"
"Of course not! We'll apprehend those bandits and then explore some other day!" I beamed at her, "Do you think Papa has any idea about this place?" I asked her, to set aside the anxiety in her eyes.
"I don't know." she replied briefly,
I turned my head over my shoulder and saw Eriol and Levi just following along as we continuously walked.
••▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅••
After walking tediously, we soon reach a staircase that seems to lead downwards. Torches were still pinned on the walls as the climb stretched further down below.
No point in going back now, I thought as I went and took the first step and began to climb down the stairs that seemed to be made up of the same slabs of stones.
However,
the stairs itself is too steep, one wrong step and you'd be sliding your way down to oblivion.
"Seems like we're going to climb down forever." Aerra complains behind me.
"It's not as if we have a choice though" I supplied. I took another one step down, the steps can't even accommodate the entire length of my foot. It's too narrow as they were deep.
"Welp. We'll just go tumbling down anyway, so let's do this!" Says Eriol in a cheerful almost in singsong.
I turned to him and saw him rolling his sleeves, preparing as he took a deep breath.
"!?!" Wait will he seriously...
"NO!! DON'T YOU DARE—!"
Obviously playing deaf, Eriol just winks at me then off ye blows wind out from his mouth. The strong gusting wind shoves as all off, effortless. I watch my feet departed from the safety of the grounds then hovers in midair briefly before finally everything went moving fast and downwards.
I wanted to curse Eriol so bad but it escaped as a scream instead.
But as fast as we were pushed down, we reached the end of the stairs just as quickly without severing any limbs nor breaking any bones.
I skidded and barrel-rolled across the floor the moment we reached the bottom of the stairs until finally coming into a halt. I cursed under my breath as I lifted myself up with my elbows against the ground, coughing out dust and tiny pebbles that seems to have found shelter inside my mouth.
I saw Aerra slowly hovering down until her feet touches the ground in a soft thud. Eriol drops in a snap but manages to land on his feet. Levi slides with both his feet, pushing at his heels such that he swivels into a halt, still maintaining that composed aura around him. He then stood up straight as he dusted himself.
The heck? I was the only one who got thrown down like a trash!
I grumbled as I marched towards Eriol. "YOU!" I stepped close to him, looking up at him as I grind my teeth in frustration. I want to butt head with him but—
Darn it! he's too tall! I can't even reach his face even on tip toe. 💢
"Relax, kiddo! At least we're here!" He snickered, patting my head.
Aerra giggled but walks up to me and then took her handkerchief to wipe my face clean, "Look sharp, brother. You'd still have to lead us through these tunnels." She beams at me warmly.
"Ahem. O-of course!" I cleared my throat. My face began to feel hot so I veered my eyes away. I saw Levi glaring at me. "What?" I grumbled. He just crossed his arms and turned away. What a weird guy.
I scanned the place. There were two passages ahead of us now. Both passages have lit torches pinned on the walls. I took a step closer, rubbing my chin with a hand. Both passage looks alike, it stretches further and deeper. Which one to take, I wonder.
"The more I look at this place, the more it resembles a dungeon to me." I turned about face and looked at Levi, "A dungeon eh?" I pondered, "No wonder it wasn't counted as a cave. I guess we really have no caves here in Greenrun huh?"
"Still rather looks suspicious to me." Levi concludes. I just eyed him tentatively as he did so as well, then he closes his eyes shut.
What is he trying to insinuate?
Eriol spoke, "A dungeon underneath the lake... Hmm... We did entered through hole which I bet those bandits dug. If we explore the other end of the tunnel from where we came from and see where it leads us, it might offer us a bit of enlightenment. You know, the other end that had no lit torches. We might find where the entrance actually is."
"Let's explore that end of the tunnel next time!" I grinned at him. He nods back.
"I really wonder if Papa knows about this..." Aerra utters almost inaudible, her eyes scouting around.
Now that she mentioned it, I really do wonder if my parents knows anything about this at all. They just migrated here to the far south when my sister and I were born....
The books telling us that we have no caves in Greenrun at all were all justified with this but...
What if they just said so in order to hide the truth about this dungeon's existence... or whatever the heck this place is...
Levi walks closer and stood beside me, "To doubt is to believe, no matter how small it is. It's a seed." He says low then took a side long glance at me with his usual sharp cold eyes.
What the blazes is he talking about?
"Say what?" He didn't reply. He just stood there. Is he trying to rattle me by just standing there or what?
Seriously!?—Argh!
I tousled my hair vigorously.
But... what if Levi is right? What if uncle is trying to hide something from us?
This dungeon's existence is one of them maybe? I don't know.
I don't really want to doubt my own uncle...
I clench my fist on both my sides.
Somehow my heart began to drum fast.
I wonder what this dungeon was made for?
It emphasized and reiterated with all the books uncle provided us, that there are no caves in our land at all but...
If he wants to hide something then why allow us to live here in Greenrun in the first place?
"Hey—" I began. Somehow, having Levi just standing there beside me in silence like this has an effect on me.
Suddenly, he pats my shoulder, I quivered in surprise as he did. "Relax, I'm just waiting for you to decide which tunnel we'll be taking" he says, calmly.
I turned to where he was looking at— the two passages before us.
Ah.
Oh...
I hauled a sigh.
I'm wasting too much time. I really shouldn't let Levi get in my head too much.
Seriously this guy....
"Should we split up?" Eriol crosses his arms behind his head as he stood in a relaxed stance.
"That's unnecessary. Let's just all go right. It would be hard if we all get lost and separated too much."
"Right! Let's go then!" Eriol marches ahead, Aerra strode across the room and followed after him.
Levi finally removes his hand from my shoulder and began to walk after them.
"Levi" I called out. He halts and looks at me, "I'm..." I paused and dropped my gaze down. I gotta say it, no need to be so hard headed about these now. "I'm not saying you're right but— I'll try to be open for possibilities. What I'm trying to say is... about uncle and all the books and informations that he might be holding back... to us here in Greenrun or for all the Seven Kingdoms even... so if—!"
I looked up and saw Levi just eyeing me coolly.
"If you're right... I'll r-reconsider believing!"
There was a brief pause.
Unexpectedly, Levi chuckles,
"You already have."
And with that he turns around and went off walking to follow Eriol and Aerra.
To doubt is to believe,
no matter how small it is.
It's a seed.
No matter how much I look at it,
There's really no point in turning against Levi, given that this dungeon under the great lake exist. Something so close to home...
If it shows up today, you mustn't be scared. Just listen and comprehend. If you can do that, I might just tell you my secret— tomorrow.
Nor should I deny anything since it's already in my face; the fact that I'm far ignorant than I imagined. Even Eriol knows something but he hesitated to tell me, I wonder why?
They know something I don't.
A secret far bigger than my own little world here in Greenrun. I guess our parents really cooped us up in safety far too much.
I wonder if Aerra knows somethings too....
But she wouldn't hide it from me if it concerns about the Dukedom or even the entire continent, right?
I sighed and began to walk to catch up with them who already had walked a distance.
Who am I doubting now, really?