The ominous airship rose before them, dark and malevolent against the pale morning sky. Its propellers still fanning slowly in the wind, it seemed to the group to be the last, faint sign of civilization. Though they had traveled before, Gracia had become the familiar to them, and just as it had been difficult for each to leave their home, it was painful to leave the final sign of the city they had spent months fighting for.
“Come on, everyone. The sooner we leave, the sooner we’ll be back.” Malice said, being the first to turn away from the ship and walk toward the caverns; his steps were slightly shaky for he was unused to the unmoving ground. Obediently, the others followed, none of them saying a word.
Amidst an eerie silence, they marked their way through the dampened grass, nervously anticipating whatever darkness lurked within the cave ahead.
“We’re going in there?” Titania asked, after some time.
Malice nodded, “That’s the only way into the forest.”
“Forest?” Magus questioned “You mean, the cave’s not all we have to get through?”
“Right.”
“Then what makes you think we’ll be back in a day?”
“Nothing.” Malice answered “It’s just I think that Osirus, Belial and Brain will do better in a group with each other, rather than with us.”
No one argued with him, and soon all that could be heard was the swishing of armour and the gentle pat of footsteps. When at last they came to the entrance of the cave, Malice stopped and turned to his friends.
“There’s no turning back after this.” He said “If anyone wants to stay on the airship, say so now.”
As was expected, there were no protests.
Taking a deep breath, Malice began to enter the cave.
“Wait!” cried Titania.
Thinking she wanted to quit, Malice stepped outside once more and turned to look at her.
“…there’s something written on that rock there…” she said, pointing to the side of the cave.
Taking the initiative, Magus moved toward the inscription and looked hard at it.
“…it’s no use. I can’t read it.” He said “Glenn, do you want to try?”
The knight obliged, but found the same results as Magus- it was illegible.
“Titania?” he asked. She shook her head.
Giving up on the others, Malice moved toward the inscription and began to speak aloud, recognizing that the language was Theiran.
“Beware traveller
For evil lies beyond what you may perceive”
He stared at the others, realizing the weight of the text.
“Though fog may veil a stealthy warrior
In the end it only can deceive
And those who know
Of where the noble truth doth lie
Will find illusion is their light and woe
And so, gentle warrior, look not unto thy side
For there is nought a rusted blade what can defeat this foe”
“…what the croak dost thine poem mean?” Glenn asked after some time.
“I’d think out of all of us, you’d be the one to understand it the most.” Titania muttered, plainly.
“So no one understands it?” Malice inquired, and was met with no response.
“Whose bright idea was it to write a warning in verse in the first place?” Magus said, after pondering.
“One who fears that their instructions will be understood by the unworthy.” Glenn guessed.
“Or maybe someone who thinks any clear warning will be erased…” Malice added.
“This doesn’t sound like a friendly place.” Titania spoke up “Are you sure it will be alright for us to go inside?”
“You can always turn back.” Magus stated.
She shook her head “I’m not scared.” She argued, defensively “I’m just not sure if you’re all alright with it.”
“Come on.” Said Malice “Whatever’s in there can’t be worse than what we had to fight in Gracia.”
The others nodded in agreement, and then slowly followed their leader into the darkness of the caves. No sooner had they entered did the air turn stale and cold, and the smell of rotting flesh infect them.
When they had been traveling for some time and the doorway moved out of sight, they realized the first of their troubles: the cave was blindingly dark.
“I wonder if this is how it feels to be dead.” Magus said “To have your eyes open and not know what lies in front of you.”
“Stop it. This place is creepy enough.” Titania muttered.
“She’s right.” Malice said “Do you think it would be possible to get any light in here?” He would have turned to the others, but didn’t know where they were.
“I could start a fire, but I’ve got nothing to hold it. I’d be wasting all my power here if I had to keep the thing going for so long.”
“It’s too bad Belial isn’t here.” Someone said, but it was unclear whom.
“…Oh great!” Titania interrupted, coughing “I think there’s some kind of fog here.”
“How can you tell? You can’t see a thing.”
“I can feel it when I breathe. Can’t you guys?”
There was no answer.
“…is that a no?”
Silence.
“…hello?”
Arms outstretched, she felt around to see where the others were, but was met with nothing.
*
“Malice, come over this way!” said either Glenn or Magus.
“No.” the leader answered “The ground is sloping up in the direction I’m going. I think this is the way out.”
“It’s not.” Came the argument “Follow my voice, I’m pretty sure the exit is this way.”
Sighing, Malice followed “You’d better be damn sure of yourself. If we get lost, there’s no way we’ll find our way out.” Finding that he could no longer distinguish the direction that the others were going in, he called out “Say something!”
The only answer was his echo.
*
Along the corridors and tunnels of the caves, the four wandered separately, each having followed the sound of their friends and each having ended up alone.
“Ow!” came an effeminate exclamation “Who just bumped into me?”
“Titania, is that you?”
“Yes. Who’s that?”
“Glenn.”
“Glenn? Where’s Malice and Magus?”
“I regret to admit that I don’t know.”
“Why did you all leave me alone?”
“I assure you I did not. It was you and the others who exited
my presence.”
“…I guess we must have all just wandered off.”
“Yes, that does sound quite possible…” he agreed “Do you think you would be able to produce any kind of illumination?”
“I could try.” She said, and felt along the floor for something that could be set aflame. Finding a long object, she picked it up and after a few attempts managed a spell. Slowly, the cave flickered with an eerie light before revealing the images of Glenn, Titania, and a bouncing white flame- a bouncing white flame that was lit on an aging bone.
“Ack!” the mage cried and nearly dropped the thing “…Glenn…do you want to take it?”
He nodded and seized the object, his gauntlets clinking as he did so.
“It’s amazing how quickly we got lost.” Titania said, wiping her hand on her apron.
“Indeed.” Glenn agreed “It seemed we were speaking only a few moments before.
Before she could answer, there came a voice from around the corner. It was Magus.
“Hey, is that light I see?” he asked.
Slowly he approached the others, and then stared at the flame “Interesting torch.”
“Magus- is Malice with you?” Titania asked, ignoring his comment.
“No. I thought he was with all of you.”
The two shook their heads.
“Malice?” Titania yelled, and was met with no answer but her own echo.
“He can’t have gotten far.” Magus muttered “We were just speaking to each other...”
*
“Glenn? Magus? Titania?” Malice yelled, hearing his name being called, but not knowing where it was coming from.
“We’re right here.” A masculine voice commented.
Once again, Malice’s name was called from somewhere far away. He could tell whose it was.
“…is Titania here?”
“I’m right here.”
His name was called again.
Not liking what was going on, Malice tensed up “Where are you?”
“Beside you.”
“Give me your hand.”
“Pardon?”
“There’s a gap in the ground up ahead. I’ll need to lead you all one by one. Give me your hand.”
There was no answer, and as was expected, his palm was left empty.
“Malice!” his name bounced off the walls again.
“I’m coming!” he yelled back, and began following the voices of the others.
After some time, he saw ahead of him a white light.
“Is that you guys?”
“Indeed.” Answered Glenn.
“…that’s funny…because you were all just over there.” He pointed back to where he’d come from.
“No. We’ve been here for the last ten minutes. Maybe you heard us talking” Magus said.
“Maybe…” Malice said “But I really felt like I was walking with you guys.”
Titania shrugged “Like Magus said. Maybe you just heard us talking.”
Malice nodded, conceding to what seemed obvious “Alright. Well…let’s stick together from now on. I think it’s easy to get lost in here.”
“Not only that, I’m not getting a good feeling from this place.” Magus added "There's an evil here which I think is aware of our prescence. Malice, are you sure your route is the only way out?"
"This is my first time here, too."
Magus shook his head "Since that bone was lit, the evil has died down a little, but I can still feel it close by." He turned to his Theiran companion "You show us the way out, but I'll walk with you- we should try to avoid the areas where the feeling is very strong."
"I could feel something before, too. Maybe that means it's very powerful." Titania said "I'm pretty sure I can't do what Magus can."
"Perhaps it was simply the cave that caused thy fear." Glenn mused.
"I wasn't scared." She said "I only felt like something wasn't right."
"I know what you mean." Malice agreed "...come on. I think I know which direction is the way out.”
That said, Magus joined the front and the two began to lead the way through the cave.