The tunnels beneath Kharith twisted and turned like the veins of some great, ancient beast, leading the group deeper into the heart of the city. After destroying the second core, they had expected to find more clues, some sign of where the remaining two cores might be hidden. But after hours of searching, they had found nothing no trace of the dark energy that had led them to the first two cores, no indication of where to go next.
The sense of frustration weighed heavily on them all. Haru, usually calm and composed, was growing tense with each passing moment. Lirael kept her bow at the ready, her sharp eyes scanning every shadow, every crack in the walls, for signs of danger. Seraphine's face was pale, her fingers constantly brushing the ring on her hand, as if to remind herself that she was still in control. And Borgak, ever the warrior, muttered curses under his breath as he hefted his greatsword, clearly eager for another fight.
Naome, however, couldn't shake the feeling that they were missing something important. Her intuition had guided them this far, but now it felt as though the path ahead had been blocked. The city itself seemed to be working against them, its ancient magic shifting and warping the tunnels to lead them in circles.
"We've been down this passage before," Haru said, his voice tight with frustration as they came to yet another dead end. "We're going in circles."
Lirael, standing beside him, nodded grimly. "We need to find another way. If the cores are hidden, they're not going to be easy to locate."
Naome closed her eyes, trying to focus. The air felt thick with magic, but it wasn't the same dark energy they had sensed before. This was something different—older, perhaps even older than Baldu Ra's corruption. She concentrated, feeling the faint tremors of power beneath the surface, and then her eyes snapped open.
"There's something here," she said quietly. "I can feel it."
Without waiting for an explanation, Naome led them down another side passage. This one was narrower, the walls crumbling in places, as though they hadn't been touched in centuries. The magic pulsed faintly in the air, guiding her steps until they reached a small, nondescript doorway, half-hidden by the shadows.
"This is it," Naome said, her hand resting on the stone frame. "There's something inside."
Haru and Borgak exchanged a glance, their weapons already at the ready. "Let's see what we've got," Borgak grunted, stepping forward to push the door open.
The door creaked on its ancient hinges, revealing a small chamber beyond. It wasn't large just a simple room carved from stone, with a single altar in the center. But what caught their attention was what lay scattered around the room: weapons. Dozens of them. Swords, daggers, bows, and shields, were all crafted from materials that shimmered faintly with magical energy. Some were encrusted with gemstones, others inscribed with runes, their power evident even from a distance.
For a moment, the group stood in stunned silence, taking in the sight of the hidden armoury.
"This… this is incredible," Lirael breathed, her eyes wide as she stepped into the room.
Haru and Borgak were the first to move, their instincts driving them toward the weapons. Haru's gaze immediately landed on something that seemed to call to him from the back of the room: a small, deadly-looking shuriken embedded with red ruby gemstones. It was sleek, with sharp, triangular blades, and as Haru reached out to touch it, he felt a surge of power course through him.
The shuriken was unlike anything he had ever seen. Each of its tips emitted a faint blue fire, the flames dancing along the edges without consuming the weapon. As Haru held it, he could feel the magic within it, a power that allowed the weapon to multiply, launching multiple copies at once to strike down enemies before returning to its wielder like a boomerang.
"This… is perfect," Haru muttered, a small, satisfied smile playing on his lips as he gripped the weapon.
Borgak, on the other hand, frowned as he moved through the room, examining the weapons one by one. Swords and daggers were well and good, but nothing seemed to suit his fighting style. He was a brute-force fighter, relying on strength and power rather than speed and precision. And while the weapons here were clearly powerful, they weren't what he needed.
"Nothing here for me," Borgak muttered, a note of frustration in his voice as he glanced over the collection. "These are too delicate."
Naome, who had been watching the two men, gave him a sympathetic smile. "We'll find something for you, Borgak," she said gently. "There's more to this city than just this chamber."
Haru, still marvelling at his new weapon, stepped away from the altar and nodded. "Naome's right. This is just the beginning. If we found this, there's more hidden beneath Kharith."
Seraphine, who had been standing silently by the door, finally spoke. "We need to keep searching for the cores," she said, her voice soft but steady. "Baldu Ra's power is still out there, and we're running out of time."
The group nodded in agreement. The discovery of the armoury had given them a brief respite, but the true task still lay ahead. There were two more cores hidden somewhere in the decaying city, and each one they destroyed brought them closer to freeing Kharith from Baldu Ra's influence once and for all.
As they left the chamber behind, Haru's new shuriken glowing faintly in his hand, they couldn't help but wonder what other secrets the city held. The weapons they had found were powerful, but Naome's gut told her that there was more to this place, more hidden chambers, more ancient relics, and more danger.
The path ahead was uncertain, but they had no choice but to press on. They were closer than ever to unravelling the mysteries of Kharith, but with each step forward, the stakes grew higher, and the shadow of Baldu Ra loomed ever larger.
The group's search for the remaining cores had led them to a hidden armoury, where Haru discovered a powerful new weapon in the form of a shuriken embedded with red gemstones. But the search for the cores continued, and Borgak, still without a suitable weapon, grew more determined to find something that would aid him in the coming battle. As they ventured deeper into the city, the promise of more hidden chambers and ancient magic fueled their resolve, but so did the growing sense of danger that surrounded them.