"Alright, everyone. We don't know what these ruins are full of, so we need to be careful."
Artuck took a step towards the entrance to the ruins, and looked around at the building. A crude wall of stone, the walls remained sturdy, even though weather and age had taken their tolls on them. Some of the weaker walls began to crumble, but the main building stood strong. The doors were made of iron, that much was clear to Artuck. On them was an image of a bloody battle, and death was a prominent feature on the doors.
"Are we sure this is safe, Artuck?"
Flim's voice wavered as he followed behind Artuck, using him as a shield.
His cowardice might actually be a good thing. I don't have a good feeling about this, either.
"I'm positive. Now c'mon, we've got these ruins to explore."
Mitrax sounded confident as he passed Artuck, laying a large, scaly hand on his shoulder. He walked up to the door, respectfully setting aside the skeletons resting upon the doors, and went to grab the handle to open the doors. As his hand made contact with the door, a loud cracking noise could be heard before Mitrax jolted his hand away from the doors.
"Shit! That fucking hurt…"
Mitrax nursed his hand as Artuck approached the doors, and just as he was about to grab the handle himself, he saw a plaque with an older language on it. He brushed the dust off of it and remembered how Haldore had taught him to read ancient languages, such as this one. Pushing aside the memory, Artuck translated and read the text aloud to the group so that they understood its words.
"Many lives were lost that day, and their memories lost. Their bodies, here, do decay, the evidence of their cost. Haldore comes, and he may stay, but this place will remain, a fortress of frost."
Artuck turned around to look at the group. Cruu looked at Artuck with a blank expression, while sheer confusion rested on Flim's. Mitrax, hand still nursed, appeared lost in thought. The birds in the trees chirped, the bug's wings buzzing loudly, and the gentle blow of the wind filled the silence that followed, as all four were lost in thought.
"What… does it mean?"
Cruu finally asked, the moment of silence cut.
"Maybe it's talking about Haldore?"
Mitrax offered. Artuck shrugged and read the text to himself a couple times, and aloud a few more.
"Wait!"
Flim's voice sounded excited.
Had he really pieced it together that quickly? That's… impressive.
"So, clearly there's bodies here, right?"
Flim pointed to the littered skeletons before continuing.
"So obviously that's the cost. Their lives. I think the plaque was pretty clear as to who killed them. Our favorite guy, Haldore."
Flim chuckled at his obvious sarcasm. No one else laughed. Nervously, Flim stopped chuckling, cleared his throat, and went on.
"When someone dies, their memory obviously goes with them. And I assume the reason why Mitrax here hurt himself has to do with that last line there: this place will remain a fortress of frost or something."
Mitrax looked down at his hand.
"Now that you mention it, the pain did feel cold." Artuck walked over to Mitrax and lay his hand on Mitrax's. Artuck recited the line he knew so well, and Mitrax's hand was good as new again.
"Thanks," Mitrax said quietly.
"You're welcome," Artuck whispered in response.
"So, how do we open the door?"
Cruu interjected as Flim was about to start speaking.
Artuck took out a spare piece of clothing and wrapped his hand in it.
"Uh, I don't think that's gonna work, Artuck," Flim said warily. Artuck simply shushed him by waving his non-wrapped hand at him.
Artuck walked up to the door and grabbed it, and he closed his eyes, waiting for something to happen. Mitrax crouched down behind a rock, waiting for the worst. He peeked his head over a rock as he watched. Flim dropped down to his knees behind Cruu, peering out from behind him. And Cruu simply stood there.
As moments passed, nothing seemed to be happening, and Artuck simply opened the door. As he opened the door, however, an extremely cold gust of wind came to greet him, and Artuck shivered for a second before the cold passed.
"Okay. It's safe… I think."
Artuck opened the door the rest of the way before he stepped inside. It took his eyes a moment to adjust but as they adjusted he saw the ruins for what they were. Cold, smooth stones lined the floor, and the walls the same, though the stone were colored a cool blue-ish gray color. On the walls were bookshelves upon bookshelves full of dusty, worn books. As Artuck approached the books, he could make out words on some of them, and they all appeared to be mementos of some kind, as all the spines of the books had names on them. Some of them faded, others clear as day, Artuck soon began to realize that their 'forgotten memories' were these books.
"Hey, Artuck, you might wanna see this," Flim called from the other side of the room, his voice echoing in the small chamber. Artuck left the books and walked over to Flim, who was looking at a circular structure jutting out of the ground. As Artuck approached, he saw that he was looking at a small well, completely frozen over.
"Well, I hope no one's thirsty."
Flim chuckled at his own joke, and Mitrax chuckled from the opposite corner from Flim, and Flim smiled at his success. Artuck took out a copper coin from his bag and dropped it on the well, and he watched it go through the ice and into the well itself before being lodged about an inch under the surface.
"You think something's in there, Artuck?"
Flim asked as he pulled out a quill and dropped it into the ice, freezing before it even fell below the surface.
Artuck looked at the frozen water and thought for a moment.
"Probably. We'll never know unless you're willing to jump in there."
Artuck nudged Flim with his elbow as he finished, to which Flim returned with a flat, sarcastic look of disappointment before erupting in laughter, and it filled the chamber with tumultuous noise.
Cruu and Mitrax both turned towards Flim and Artuck, and as Flim laughed, the chamber shook. Artuck grabbed onto the lip of the frozen well as the room began to tremble.
In the center of the room, the floor began to open, revealing a staircase that led down, into the ground. Torches illuminated the walls as the room's vibrations began to end.
Artuck let go of the well and walked to the staircase, peering down the deep shaft. It appeared to go as far as he could see, and ushered the others to him.
"Who wants to explore?"
Artuck looked around after he asked them, to which all but Flim started down the stairs, whispering to each other in various hushed tones. Artuck started down the stairs before Flim's voice made him stop.
"C-can I stay up here, Artuck? I have a bad feeling about going down there."
Flim took a couple steps back away from the opening and Artuck looked at him.
"Alright. See what you can find out about that well, then."
Flim nodded sheepishly before turning and walking back to the well.
Artuck cautiously walked down the stairs, careful as to not place a foot wrong. After what felt like a millennium, his feet made contact with the bottom of the shaft. Standing there, huddled around a torch, stood the rest of them. Mitrax, who simply watched Artuck, was holding Cruu, who held a book in his hands. And standing there, at the flame, was a third, cloaked figure. They did not speak, nor did they move when Artuck looked at them. Instead, they simply looked over to the other two.
"Who are you?"
Artuck asked, nervous. The figure turned towards Artuck, and in the faint torchlight, Artuck could make out her features.
Two small, elven eyes sat in her head. Long, flowing locks of dirt brown hair rested on her shoulders, a scar trailing across her face, over her nose and ended by her left ear. Her soft smile seemed almost wicked, twisted by a faint sense of pride.
"Hello there," she said with a soft smirk. Her voice caught Artuck by surprise, as her voice was much softer than her appearance let on. She stuck out a small hand in greeting towards Artuck.
"I'm Meila. I'm from Willspore."