Chapter 11: Discoveries

  Julien

  It didn’t take them long to slip into the robes, which despite how they looked were actually quite soft. After he had secured his new garments with a thin golden string woven into the material at his waist he joined Altaya and Katrina in the corridor beyond.

  In the crystal supplied light they finally all got a good look at each other. It was harder to see with the guys or maybe he was looking more when it came to Altaya but he did see slight differences in their new shared features. While they all now shared golden hair and eyes, he could see that Altaya’s hair was a shade darker than the gold his hair had been. At least from what he could tell from the brief glimpse of his own hair he had seen.

  Katrina was much the same, short, petite but now there was a grace to her steps that she had lacked before. There were wooden doors leading off the hall to presumably other rooms all of them made of a thick pale wood. One was knocked inward however its metal hinges bent at an odd angle.

  He watched as Carlouse crouched beside the hinge looking it over like he was inspecting it for mold.

  “This looks like it happened recently,” he stated looking back at Julien. He didn’t even have time to process that before Katrina spoke up a smile on her face despite the situation.

  “Oh that was all Altaya.” Julian’s eyes locked on to Altaya who was nervously tucking a golden strand of hair behind her ear.

  “It’s at least two inches thick there’s no way,” Carlouse stated. Julien shook his head but he didn’t see any joke in Altaya’s eyes. Embarrassment, yes but not anything like the twinkle she got in her eyes when she’s teasing him. Her eyes wouldn’t meet his and he could see her hands shaking.

  “You’re serious,” Julien said aloud he tried to suppress the nervousness in his voice when he said it. Altaya simply nodded.

  Carlouse pushed past him his eyes also on Altaya. “I’ll say again that door is nearly two inches thick. No human could have broken it down.”

  “But, I did,” the fierceness was back as she all but snarled the words at him.

  “How?” he demanded.

  “I just kicked it!” She yelled back at him. “We were trying to find some clothes but all the doors were locked. So I thought, maybe if the doors are old; they may be brittle, perhaps I could knock one down. I didn’t mean to nearly shatter it.”

  “Thats impossible you can’t just-“

  “Enough!” Julien shouted. He grabbed Carlouse’s shoulder and pulled him back putting himself between them. Carlouse eyes were wide a wild look in them.

  “Both of you stop!” He continued. “I understand being afraid Carlouse. Something has clearly changed inside us and it isn’t just our body’s. Something or more likely someone has done something to us.” He stopped himself, realizing his own voice had been rising. His heart beat wildly but he took a deep breath. This was His team; whatever had happened to them they were only there because of him.

  “However we all need to keep calm or we’ll never figure this out, much less a way out of here.”

  A loud bang sounded in the corridor followed be a scraping sound of metal on metal. All three of them spun around to see Katrina standing in front of another wooden door her foot still raised. The door’s wood was cracked and splinted along its length and now had a melon sized whole in it. The metal bands that had apparently reinforced the other side had been dented. Slowly Katrina lowered her foot her skin a lighter shade than normal.

  W… what happened to us?” The question had come unbidden to his lips and although he hadn’t meant to ask it aloud it slipped out. Aramin was in the other side of Katrina his eyes wide staring unblinkingly at the door.

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  Suprisingly it was Carlouse who recovered first.

  “It’s safe to assume we all have at least enhanced strength,” Julien looked back at him but the look in his eyes had changed. He was staring at the door but more in contemplation than fear.

  “I wonder what else that liquid did to us. It had to reinforce our bones structures, our nervous system, everything. Other wise…”

  “We need to find out what else this place has. What kind of enemies or traps we are up against,” Aramin spoke up eyes darting around to the other doors.

  “Are you mad?” Altaya spat, though she didn’t seem as angry as she had been. “We don’t have any weapons or armor, no any back up. We should try to link up with Captain Eryk.” The arguing was starting to grate on Julien’s nerves.

  “Look, the arguing with each other doesn’t solve anything.” He forced himself to take a deep breath trying to put the options they had in a organized list in his mind.

  “What we need is a plan.” He paused making eyes contact with each of them.

  “I don’t think exploring this Gods forsaken place right now is in our best interest.” He rushed on trying to head off the argument he could almost see forming on Aramin’s lips.

  “Neither do I think the guards are still waiting for us. If anyone knew what had happened to us they would’ve been attempting to smash their way into get us. So It’s likely we have been presumed dead.” Aramin’s mouth clamped shut.

  “Then what should we do? We can’t stay here,” Katrina said. She had leaned against the wall and was inspecting the bottom of her foot for injury. There was none.

  “We need to get back to town.” This time it was Carlouse who spoke up. He too was leaning against the wall and he was studying his hands and arms like they were foreign objects.

  “We don’t have the faintest idea what has happened to us. If that door is any indication, finding some help should be our first mission.”

  “Can we just smash our way out?” Aramin straightening himself. “If we all have that type of strength?” The others especially Katrina began to nod in understanding but Julien shook his head.

  “The hole we fell in from is gone. I’m pretty sure the stone repairs itself somehow.” Carlouse and Altaya shared a nervous look. The more he thought about it the more it made sense to him. This place had definitely been made with some type of magic. The problem was they didn’t know whose magic it was. Or even what magic it was.

  “I do think those two massive doors in the room we woke up in are our best bet as an entrance or exit.” Beside him Carlouse nodded in agreement.

  “I agree. Though how we are going to open those massive slabs of stone. I have no idea.” Another thought crossed his mind and he tried and failed to hide his smile.

  “What?” Altaya asked. She had come up on his other side completing their impromptu meeting circle. He looked over and met her gaze. She was staring at him intently.

  “You have an idea don’t you?” He only sighed.

  “I still want to know how you do that.”

  Altaya just smiled her new flawless teeth nearly blinding in the light of the crystals. His mind kept flashing back to the voice he had heard right after he had woken up, and a certain term it had used.

  Authority. He wasn’t sure if that word meant the same thing in this instance as the weight his father was always talking about carrying. In fact he was sure it was different than some philosophical concept. But, it was only a hunch. Without waiting for the other he walked back to the doors leading to the pool room as he had mentally dubbed it.

  Inside he began to really appreciate just how big the room was. It must’ve been bigger than the inner Bailey of the palace. The two massive stone doors stood as tall and foreboding as the walls of the capitol.

  “They have to be at least forty spans tall,” Carlouse marveled from behind him. “I fear only dwarves could build such a structure.” He had to agree. He had met few dwarves but the ones he had met had fascinated him with their skill with metal and stone.

  He walked up to the massive walls and placed a hand on them. They were as smooth as any tile, and cool to the touch. He put his eye to the seam but couldn’t see a gap. The skill needed to build such a thing blew him away.

  He set his feet and began to push. He had been expecting resistance, he was not expecting the doors to swing open with a dull boom. They moved as if they were weightless and almost silently.

  “Well that’s ominous,” Aramin said “I don’t think. Ow!” He was abruptly cut off as Altaya cuffed him on the back of the head. “What was that for?” Julien stilted a laugh before turning to the open passageway that had been revealed. It was long and dark but Julien could see all the way through to the other side. His heart quickened as he recognized the cool darkness of night. The difference was startling. His new eyes pierced the darkness like it was a weak fog.

  He turned to the others with a smile and gestured with a mock bow.

  “After you.”