After a few ours we shivered our way into my home, fully dressed again, and Rant laughed at us. "Stayed too long?" he laughed at us and I tried to say something but my teeth only chattered so i nodded instead. "You two go get in bed and cover up. I'll bring another blanket or two." We went back to my room and laid down, still fully dressed, and covered up with the cloth blanket. A few moments later, my father came in and threw out two more blankets over us. "Thank you." Cassa said between shivers and Rant smiled at her. "You're welcome, my dear." Then he left and closed the door behind him. As our body heat slowly returned and the shivering all but stopped, we fell asleep in each others arms.
....
When we woke up, we had separated in the bed and the covers were on the floor. I stretched and yawned and Cassa shifted near my legs. She crawled up to me and shifted out of her cloak, then threw it to the floor. "Hi" She said then kissed my lips and i did the same to her. "My Princess." Cassa sort of smiled and frowned at the same time when I said that.
We got up and went out to the main room and saw Alzi and my Father setting at the table. "Ah. Good morning you two." Rant smiled as we sat down. "Morning" was all i said because i was wore out from 'swimming' with Cassa and she yawned in response, showing her teeth. "I have an extra pick ax and a shovel ready at the cave-in sight when we are ready to get started." Cassa nodded to him and i yawned again, "Let us wake up first, please."
After a few more yawns and some food, Me and Cassa were ready to start digging with my father and Alzi. It took us a few hours of intense labor but we managed to uncover then adjoining tunnel. We were immidiatly assaulted with the smells of what i thought was rancid meat and other things that i did not want to know about. Cassa smiled at the sight of small torches lining the narrow tunnel. "I suggest Fire and Spectral Light spells in there." And he handed me the needed crystals.
"Please be carefull, Son. And you two as well." Cassa smiled at Rant and nodded to him before climbing over the pile of dirt that still separated the tunnels and i followed as close to her as possible. "Please fill this area in with a thin covering and post a few guards just in case." Alzi stated and father nodded to him. "I will. Good luck down there."
We slowly crept down the narrow tunnel as Cassa sniffed the air at intervals then indicated the directions for us to follow. Ali figured it would be to cramped down here to use my bow so he suggested that i wont need it. I would have to rely on only my spells if things went bad for us. It was as if Cassa became part of the surroundings as i lost sight of her a few times in the dark places between the sparsely placed torches.
She motioned for us to stop and crouch down as we came to a massively open chamber. There were torches all over the walls, marking a different tunnel entrance. The chamber was deep enough to support tunnels that stacked three or four high in some places. Down at the floor, at the far end, was an oddly decorated chair that had various animal bones and bird feathers surrounding it. Behind the throne was a large opening. "Fathers room." She whispered when she pointed to largest tunnel.
"We will see him if we have to, but right now we need the books." I whispered behind her. Alzi clawed at the side wall of the tunnel to mark it. "We may have to run at some point so this will help identify the 'exit' if we need it." We nodded to him then silently crept out of the tunnel and staye close to the wall. Were at the top layer of tunnels and Cassa pointed towards a tunnel on the farthest end a few rows down. "Storage chamber. Books should be there."
We made our way, very slowly, around the chamber and neared the ledge above the needed tunnel. I had climbed down first and Cassa jumped down beside me as did Alzi. I moved closer to the tunnel entrance and slipped on the ledge, knocking the torch down and it rolled of the edge and fell all the way to the ground floor. We all flattened to the wall as a few Goblins came out of near by tunnels and inspected the torch.
They looked up towards the higher walls and saw where the torch came from. They started yelling when they noticed us, and i swore in my head for being stupid. With in a few seconds scores of Goblins poured out of the lower tunnels and i readied my fire spell as Cassa pulled her dagger. Alzi held his clawed hands out and i saw his pointed nails grow outward from his fingers. The Goblins started to climb the earthen walls in between the tunnel openings and i let a fire ball fly out over them to blast a small crater in the ground floor.
This made most of them run away in fear, screaming as loud as they could. The ones that stayed just formed to the wall to avoid the spell. Then started climbing again towards us. Alzi sucked in a breath, looked at the Goblins then opened his mouth and exhaled a string of flames towards them. They either lost there grip on the wall or let go, but either way, they fell down to the ground and ran for cover. "That was awesome!" I exclaimed. Alzi coughed after his display, "Been a while. Cant do that too often."
The Goblins started yelling again but this time they stayed inside the lower tunnels. A few seconds went by and another Goblin came out the larger tunnel. This one wore a bear skull on his head and the fur pelt flowed out behind him with a few leather stripped covering his lower half. His ears shinned and sparkled in the torch light as he walked past them.
Cassa saw this Goblin and started growling loudly and tensed up ready to jump. I had to grab her and hold her still. "Let me go! I will kill my Father and claim what is rightfully mine"