The stairway was cramped as nine bodies tried to fit in the narrow corridor.
Charon, Emerius, and the priest went down first, followed by two more rows of three men each.
Minutes passed in tense silence, the bottom looking no closer than it had when they began.
Glancing at Emerius with confusion, the man returned his look with a smirk, gesturing to the priest beside them.
The robed figure, in response, spoke.
"We are nearing the bottom. This fortress was made with the intent of holding the staircase as a last resort."
His voice was a deep baritone, and smooth, every word properly enunciated.
'He is probably nobility of some sort. Only a linguistics tutor could raise someone to speak that well.'
Another thing Charon noticed was how the priest seemed to know about this fortress, which didn't make much sense considering they were the ones attacking it.
'Should I ask him about it? That could be considered rude, but I'm almost done with the trial anyway. I won't be around long enough to be punished, I hope.'
The coiling whisps of dark energy lashed off the priest's arms, snapping at the air. It was unnerving to witness, and Charon was glad Emerius was standing between them.
"How do you know about this place?"
The priest turned his head to Charon, a faint smile on his lips.
"When the Blood Monger stole our artifact, he did not dare displace it, the magic it contained far too powerful to be touched by the hands of one devoted to a different god. He instead took over the fortress that protected it, before moving to a different goal."
Charon's eyebrows furrowed in uncertainty.
"Why would he go through the trouble of taking it only to go elsewhere? Wouldn't it be better to try and convert it to his god?"
He didn't know exactly how artifacts worked, but surely there had to be a way to make use of it, even if it was dedicated to the God of Death.
The priest's smile vanished, replaced with a deep frown.
"This artifact is far too powerful for even the Blood Monger to attempt such a ritual."
The robed man shook his head disdainfully.
"No, he took it not to keep it, but as an insult to us. To remove it from our grasp for only a few weeks to prove we are not invincible."
Emerius then joined the conversation, his voice low and full of hatred.
"The bastard will pay for his crimes. After this campaign, I will volunteer to join the main army group and push deep into this cretins territory. If Death wills it, I shall cleave his head from his neck and offer his soul as proof of my loyalty."
Every word was spat with a loathing so profound, Charon wouldn't have been surprised to learn that the Blood Monger had wronged Emerius personally.
'I don't know what this war has cost him. It's possible his family or loved ones have been hurt, or worse. Maybe that's why he is so devoted to the Death Realms?'
It would certainly answer some of the other questions he had, but he didn't have enough information to be sure.
'It's probably best not to pry.'
Hoping to steer the topic somewhere else, and learn a bit more, he dared a second question to the priest.
"What can you tell me about Sigils and magic?"
Although he had heard stories about such things throughout his life, he never had a real chance to research what magic was, or how it worked.
All he knew was that it came from the gods, was granted during the ceremony, and manifested as part of one of the ten elements. He also knew that there were multiple types of abilities, with each one having different purposes.
"Such a simple question, yet not one I am often asked. What raises your curiosity in the mystic arts?"
Surprised by the focus being turned back to him, Charon took a moment to ponder it over.
"I guess it's just not something I ever expected to have access to, and now I want to learn everything I can about it. It feels unreal, and yet I can feel it at all times now."
With his first Sigil, he had unlocked the ability to sense those around him, making it impossible to ignore magic anymore.
The priest chuckled at his explanation, the sound strangely foreboding.
"Very well, Charon, I shall answer your query."
The man extended his hand, the coils of energy moving from his arm onto his palm.
"It is said that when the gods first fought each other, their blood fell to the land as mana, a strange and powerful energy that was absorbed into all living creatures, and even some items. When their war ended, and they saw that mana had become part of their creation, but they held no means to harness it."
The black energy jumped from the priest's palm to the other.
"Inspired by the prospect of spreading magic, they decided to bless a lucky few with markings that would allow them to focus this mana and unlock abilities hidden inside them. The lowest of these were Sigils, and the greatest were known as the Arcane Marks. Each human blessed with these powers devoted themselves to their god, and the first of the clergy were chosen."
Charon's eyes went wide, and before he knew it, he spoke, interrupting the priest.
"I thought abilities were granted by the gods?"
Emerius shot him a dirty look, but the priest just continued smiling.
"That is a common misconception. While the gods grant the vast majority of abilities, humans have been known to unlock them through other means, meaning that mana is not exclusively a divine element. It is believed that the gods are merely masters of these elements, while we humans are novices, bumbling around and hoping to chance upon inspiration."
Every word was news to Charon.
He had grown up thinking magic was something directly connected to the gods, but according to the priest, every human had magic inside them as well.
'Would it be possible to master magic without any godly intervention? Surely not, there must be something else at play!'
Finally seeing the bottom of the staircase, however, forced him to consider asking something a bit more important for the time being.
Thinking back to other uncertainties he had regarding magic, he remembered a word Emerius had mentioned a few times.
"Can you tell me what aspects are?"
The priest nodded once before continuing.
"Aspects can be considered sub-elements, a branch off one of the ten main ones. Each one connects to a specific trait of a god, for example, the aspect of shadow, stemming from our Dark God. Each mage is usually limited to one aspect, but it is not unheard of for two or even three to manifest in those exceptionally talented."
The energy in his hands vanished before manifesting again.
"I was lucky to be blessed with just that aspect, shadow. It has helped me see worlds I could never fathom."
His tone held nothing but admiration and respect, a strange thing to direct at an ability, but Charon decided it was understandable.
'I'd also be pretty excited to have something as cool as shadow magic. I bet he can do all kinds of crazy things with it, not just know where people are! I deserve a refund!'
Charon chewed his inner cheek as he thought about how weak his ability was in comparison.
'Still, it's better than most others. I can always unlock more abilities as I grow stronger and earn more Sigils, or if I earn an evolution.'
Although in this world, magic was harnessed through Sigils, back home it was known as evolutions, where your implant was directly blessed by a god whenever you were deemed worthy.
Finally reaching the bottom of the staircase, Charon paused his current train of thought and put his full attention on the present.
'It's time I finished this trial!'
Looking around, he saw that they were in a stone hallway connecting to a wide open room, with strange markings covering all the walls.
The priest raised his hand to pause them.
"Before we enter, be aware that the priority is the artifact. I feel much uncertainty regarding the defenses, but I am certain that they will be fierce. Ignore everything else and acquire the item at all costs."
'Well, isn't that inspiring. Everyone here was just told that they are supposed to leave me to die if it means getting the artifact.'
With that foreboding warning, their group began slowly moving towards the doorway.
Before they passed under it, Charon sensed another person inside the room, standing just off to the side.
Unlike everyone else he had sensed, this one felt different. Their energy was primal, untamed, and wild. It roiled like a sea with a hunger, eagerly waiting for its next prey.
The most disconcerting part of it was that he could easily guess what that hunger was waiting for.
Blood.