The entrance to the Sunken Citadel swallowed them whole, and darkness closed in on them from all sides until Greg turned on his Lantern of Undying Radiance. The soft golden light pushed the shadows back, showing stone walls that had been there for hundreds of years and were covered in dirt and the faint traces of old magic.
"Stay close," Greg said in a voice that was stronger than usual. "Bork, you're right on with the compass. Seraphine, be careful of magical traps."
"Felix, stay in the back. And Mira, scout ahead, but don't fight anything by yourself."
"Yes, Master-forger-darling!" Mira chirped, but even her usual cheer was dampened by the heavy mood.
The first level was a maze of hallways and rooms meant to confuse and disorient. Greg's compass, on the other hand, never changed. It always pointed to the stairs that went deeper. They saw their first monsters within minutes, which were a group of corrupted goblins that screamed and charged at them with rusty weapons.
