We left the boundaries of Ironclad, heading east around the mountains that surrounded the city, from Mom's notes there were two ruins located in Maris Clan territory one being disguised as an old abandoned mineshaft built into a mountain with the other one being located deep in Torleche Forest within the impenetrable wall of thorns called Ironbriar Hedge, a fitting name for it surrounding the ruin, that have not been penetrated well at least one person having going beyond the wall of thorns. It had been morning when we left, and now it was almost midday. I had decided to head to the one closer to Ironclad to start our exploration. The path began as a simple dirt trail, starting from one of the many exits built into the walls of Ironclad, with this one being closed to Calbourne Hold. The path travelled east, away from the city, towards the mineshaft. After I left the city's limits, the path began to change; it became a trail of loose small rocks up hills, with me even climbing up large boulders Astrid used for training, it bordered along cliffs where the main roads of Maris territory sat, connecting the major cities to the greater Isles. The terrain was rough, even for experienced warriors to traverse. I was lucky to be a wing mage known for being light on my feet, and I had a spell called Skystep that let me propel myself into the air and glide by creating a wind glyph under me that lifted me. I hadn't mastered the spell, but I have a basic grasp that allows me to propel myself up a dozen feet in the air and last only around seven seconds. For most of the leg, I read through Mom's journal about this ruin and how nobody thought to explore it. She reasoned that there were multiple paths in the mineshaft, with only one leading to the ruin. Most folk didn't take the effort to research, which wasn't their concern, seeing as it was mined out by Maris Clan members decades ago, they couldn't care less about old ruins in the mountain and focused on resources to create new weapons of war. Mom had found the ruin listening to the wind, whatever that meant, which guided her to the old mineshaft, and through process and error, she found the entrance and had left instructions in following the right path for herself, as she was a big clutz and a bit of an airhead, which Astrid and Father also described me as being.
I stopped dead in my tracks, looked at the map, then at my surroundings, and cross-referenced them with Mom's notes and noticed something.
I frowned.
"What's wrong, Lori?" Runa asked, perched on my shoulder, nudging me with her paw.
"We are lost." I simply told her
Perhaps Astrid and Father were right. I was a bit of an airhead, I got distracted reading Mom's notes, and looked where that got me. Lost.
I sighed in disbelief.
"I am not sure where we are right now, Runa, but I know we are lost."
"Lori made a uh-oh," she said
I lowered my shoulders in defeat, my face heating up with embarrassment over getting lost. "Yep, Lori made a uh-oh," I echoed her words.
I didn't know how I was going to find Mom if I didn't follow the simple guidance in Mom's notes, but here I am, lost. I looked over at Runa, hoping this tiny little fox had any ideas.
"Any ideas, Runa? I asked
She brought one of her paws up ot her chin, thinking, and then said "Nope", throwing up her front paws in the air.
I sighed again. But then the wind changed.
I couldn't describe the feeling the wind gave me, but I felt my anima pulsate with mana as it glowed a light blue at my belt as I looked down. Is this what Mom meant by listening to the wind?
I had a weird feeling boiling inside at the change in the wind, a mix of curiosity about what was happening and the understanding that I somehow knew what the wind meant. I closed my eyes and channeled mana to them, granting me Mana Vision, which allowed me to see mana in the air. I opened them and saw a trail of mana that the wind was creating for me, guiding me to somewhere. The reasonable answer would have been not to follow it, as I didn't know where this trial would take me. For all I know, it would take me to the cyclops lair, where I would have made a pretty good snack for the monster, but against my better judgment, I began following the trail. The path that the wind laid for me was the easiest and least dangerous path to take, which was nice of the wind. I followed the path for around half an hour until I saw what I was looking for.
I gasped in shock as I saw the old mineshaft in the distance, tucked away by two giant rock formations. I
"Thank you, Ananiel," I said quietly, looking towards the sky
"Who's Ananiel?" Runa asked
I looked at the spirit and smiled. "She is one of the Seven Lords of Isles, the Lord of Wind; they are chosen guardians of the Isles, handpicked by Alaya herself, to protect the Isles from harm," I explained.
"Oh, are they like gods?" she asked.
I thought for a moment, the Seven Lords held divine power far greater than any mage in the Isles, surpassing even Aurion Archmages, yet they have been described as not fully divine, yet not mortal either.
They are semi-divine beings, not fully deities like Alaya, more like uh-"
"Spirits?" Runa said
"Yeah, like Spirits, Divine Spirits of Alaya"
"They seem to like you, Lori."
I rubbed the back of my neck in embarrassment, "I guess, but Ananiel is known for helping lost travellers all the time by using the wind to guide them where they want to be."
"Okay, but we should thank her for the help, right?"
I nodded, "Mhm, of course, Runa, she did help us."
"Thank you, Ananiel," we both said in unison, which got a giggle out of both of us, with the blowing a certain way seeming to accept our gratitude.
I looked up and smiled at the wind before I headed toward the mineshaft. The mineshaft had been tucked away in between two giant rock formations, almost completely hidden if you didn't know what to look for, and is simple in design., the entrance was made up of wooden beams that formed a triangular or frame around the opening that had been exposed to the elements far too long with the wood being cracked, and covered in moss. I reached the entrance and felt a cold breeze blow from the shaft that crawled up the hem of my shorts. I tried covering my legs with my cloak, but it was far too short to reach my ankles.
"I should have warned you about something more fitting for exploring ancient ruins," I muttered under my breath.
Truth was, there were really no regular clothes for a boy on my side, as it was expected of me to wear armor with pants far too large and meant to be used in tandem with armor for my petite frame, or some jerk rudely described me as Delicate and dainty, which should be used to describe girls, not boys. Still, these shorts fit me better than regular clothes sold in Ironclad. Still, seeing how much of a failure of a warrior I was I had to make due with want traders brought in as no seamstress looked my way due to my status as a mage, which resulted in shorts that barley reached my mid thigh, I looked cute which I use to my advantage with most people underestimating which was how I passed the clan trials ot earn my braid, because the elders underestimated me big time, it also made people think I was girl much to my embarrassment.
But my thoughts turned to how strange the breeze felt coming from the mineshaft. Another gust brushed against my exposed thighs, climbing up the hem of my shorts once again, making my skin crawl and causing goosebumps across my entire body. The mana that was carried by the breeze felt strange and different from the ambient mana that had I guided me to the mineshaft. The mana felt heavy, cold, and overwhelming, making my Resonant Core twist and tingle with disgust, a feeling I had never felt before when talking about mana. The Resonant Core is a metaphysical organ that contains mana within a mana wielder and attuned mana to the element that a mage is attuned with when they awaken.
"Do you feel the mana, Runa?" I asked
"Yeah, it feels old and powerful," she said
I looked at her still perched on my shoulder, "Old and Powerful," I echoed
She nodded, "Yep, whatever is down there is emitting old and powerful mana," she explained.
I looked back into the dark abyss of the mineshaft, my nerves on edge. What did you find down there, Mom? I thought. I was unsure of my quest to find Mom. I wasn't strong enough to deal with this thing emitting this mana, and I wasn't sure Mom was as well. But I quietly prayed to Alaya and the Seven Lords for strength and safety-for me, Run, and Mom. I turned back to Runa with a worried expression on my face as I couldn't control how scared I felt.
"Are you ready, Runa?" I asked, my voice quite
She nodded, "Don't worry, Lori, I will protect you," she said confidently
With her confidence, I picked up an old lantern sitting on a barrel and turned it on with a flicker of mana, as a pale yellow light emitted from it as we descended into the unknown. There was no other light source but the lantern I held in my hand, and Runa's antlers seemed to be emitting a pale blue light. The tunnel was about three mals wide, with wooden support beams dotting the ceiling and every pole about five mals apart. We followed the mana, as it was the best way to find the ruin Mom wrote about in her notes. Maris warriors could not sense mana like mages, but they could feel and sense the pressure that mana emitted, and due to their hatred of all things magic, they must have ignored the pressure coming from the mineshaft and focused on their task of mining.
"Something smells nasty, Lori," Runa said, her nose scrunching up
I didn't smell it at first, but then it hit me. I pulled up my cloak, covering my nose as the smell was unbearable.
"It smells like monsters," she said
Great, I thought. On top of mysterious old magic, I had to deal with monsters living somewhere down here, just my luck if I had any to begin with, that was.
I gulped.
"Thanks, Runa, be on the lookout for those monsters, alright," I told her
She gave a cute little salute with her paw and began focusing on any signs of danger.
I smiled. I was glad she came with me; it felt a little less scary if I had gone by myself, but I feared that I could get her hurt, as she wasn't my familiar, just a spirit that I decided to take care of and had agreed to come with me.
Soon, the mine split into two paths, left and right. I closed my eyes and felt for the mana emitting from the ruins, creating a mental image of the path that we needed to take. The mana began guiding me towards the right side of the tunnel. I opened my eyes and began walking towards the right. Runa whined in my ear.
"What's up, Runa?" I asked her, looking into her eyes.
"Monsters are that way," she said, voice shaking.
I gulped in fear. My hands started to shake, but I clutched them, trying to contain my fear, but it was pointless, and I continued. The tunnel grew darker, swallowing the light of the lantern with only Runa's antlers emitting a faint light. Luckily, my eyes had adjusted to the dark, but it wasn't enough as I tripped on some rock, falling face-first. Runa managed to jump from my shoulder and landed in front of me. I lifted my head and looked at Runa, whose face was covered in concern.
"Ow," I said weakly, rubbing my face.
"Are you okay, Lori?" Runa asked, nudging my head.
"Yeah, thanks, Runa," I said with a smile.
I pushed myself and began standing back up, with Runa jumping back on my shoulder as I dusted off my shorts.
"After that embarrassing moment, shall we continue?" I asked Runa
"Yep"
I gave her a light smile and continued. As we did, the mana and smell grew much stronger to the point that it became overwhelming for me to continue, but I continued on until the tunnel began to change into stone bricks that had been exposed to the elements.
"Whoa, we found the ruins," Runa exclaimed.
I merely nodded. We had found one of these that was older than the Everlasting Isles themselves, an ancient civilization that existed before the Alaya had lifted them. I slowed my pace and began taking everything in. I felt excited as I wandered around the ruins. I was a scholar at heart, like Mom, and I felt at ease despite the early unease from the smell of monsters, which I am still worried about, and the odd mana emitting from this place. The mana no longer felt heavy; it stabilized and formed an atmosphere throughout the ruins. It was strange that the mana here was acting strangely, something I haven't read about or felt. Whoever called these ruins home was a powerful mage capable of manipulating mana in a way that no one has ever seen before. Soon, I faced multiple paths, one of them led down, a staircase being visible to me,
"Well, Runa, which way should we go?" I asked
She sniffed the air, using her unique spirit physiology to determine our following path, "Uh, downstairs," she said
I nodded and I carefully started to traverse down the stairs, fearing a missing step or falling through the floor, something that I had only read in adventure novels, but it could happen in real life. The lantern still barely illuminated the area, which I still felt irritated about, as I didn't want to trip and hit my face again. But then I was a light at the end of the staircase, the light of a fire being burned. Rats, I thought. Someone or something was down with us in these ruins. The monsters, the only creatures capable of creating fires, were goblins. Goblins were a race of demihuman creatures once vile, ugly, and evil, but later reformed under the guidance of the Lords. Now, they were starting to form tribes and civilizations and were much less ugly, with smooth, green skin of various shades, big, round noses, and small, pointy ears. They were also capable of using magic and, in groups, could overwhelm small groups of warriors and even mages if they outnumbered them three to one.
"Goblins live here," I whispered to Runa, stopping several steps before we reached the bottom.
"They smell," Runa whispered back, putting a paw to her nose.
If we had discovered a goblin tribe, the chances of Runa and me avoiding capture by them were less than slim due to the close quarters of the ruins. The goblins had closed this avenue of exploration off for Runa and me
."What do we do, Lori?" Runa asked me. "The mana is that way," she added
Truthfully, I had no plan other than trying to convince them with words. Some goblin tribes often mingled with their other races, such as humans, elves, and dwarves, engaging in trade and other activities. I hoped this tribe was one of those.
I attempted to climb back up the stairs slowly and as quietly as I could, but then I slipped on a cracked step. I began tumbling down the remaining flight of stairs before landing on the stone cold floor face-first, my body sprawled out. My entire body ached with pain, I felt my exposed knees burn with scuff marks, but worse than that was pride.
"Ow," I said, lifting my head.
I was greeted by a mix of stone spears, knives, swords, and even a wooden spoon. I looked up and saw half a dozen goblins pointing their weapons at me. Up close, the goblins looked exactly like the illustrations in my old monsterology books—just… cuter. Smooth green skin, big round noses, ears that twitched like restless leaves. Their clothes were patched leathers and old linen shirts, all in dull browns and greys. Not a proper tribe, more like a handful of scavengers playing at being a warband.
"A human." One said,
"Grab him before he casts a spell on us."
One of them slipped behind me and yanked my arms back. Rope wrapped around my wrists.
I yelped. "Hey, let go, I come in peac—— mmph!"
A strip of cloth was shoved over my mouth and tied behind my head, turning my protest into a very undignified squeak. The goblin who'd gagged me—an older one with a torn bandana around her forehead—peered at my face.
"No spellcasting for you," she said
They failed to take my Anima that was attached to my belt, but I wasn't skilled enough to use my mana to cast a spell while my hands were bound and my mouth gagged. I was helpless at this moment.
"Mmffh…" I said, which was supposed to be What bad things? But apparently translated as I am harmless and pathetic, because a few goblins relaxed.
The one with the dented shield—taller than the others, with cropped greyish hair and a jagged scar across her nose—stepped forward. Her clothes were practical and worn: a sleeveless black tunic with uneven stitching, leather straps for armor, and a frayed cloak that had seen far better days.
"Bring him to the fire," she ordered. "We talk where we can see his face."
So, not killed on sight. That was… comforting. Slightly.
They marched me down the last of the stairs into a chamber that must once have been a storage hall. Now it was a goblin camp: a ring of crates and broken statues, a low fire in the center, bedrolls made from stitched-together sacks. The air smelled like smoke, damp stone, and boiled roots.
They sat me on a crate and looped more rope around my chest and ankles for good measure. The bandana goblin tugged the gag once, checking the knot, my face turning scarlet from shame and embarrassment.
"Good and tight," she said, satisfied.
Runa was nowhere to be seen. I told myself that was good. If they hadn't noticed her, she could sneak off and… do something. Get help? Untie me? I tried very hard not to think about me being left here while she did that.
The tall goblin planted the shield in front of her like a makeshift desk.
"Right," she said. "What do we do with him?"
"Sell him," suggested the one I had fallen on. "Humans fetch a good price."
"We're not slavers, Urt," bandana goblin snapped.
"Eat him?" another offered uncertainly.
Everyone stared at him, while my face went pale from fear.
He shrank. "Joking. Just joking…"
I made a very pointed, muffled noise that meant Do not eat me or sell me, which would be extremely rude.
The leader glanced at me. Up close, her eyes were surprisingly… sharp. Curious, not cruel.
"We could let him go," muttered one more goblin. "He's small. He fell. That's very un-warriorlike."
"If there is one human, there may be more humans," the leader said. "Scavengers. Adventurers. Priests. The noisy kind. We can't just let him wander around and bring trouble."
She paced back and forth, bare feet slapping quietly on the stone.
"We ask questions," she decided. "If he lies, we'll know."
"Uh, boss?" Bandana goblin raised a hand. "He's gagged."
"Right." The leader hesitated. "If I take it off, he screams."
"We can put it back on," Urt said helpfully.
This was a good moment to demonstrate my trustworthiness. I forced myself to sit very still, wide-eyed, and gave the leader my best. I am extremely reasonable and will absolutely not scream Look.
She squinted at me. "You have honest eyes," she murmured. "And stupid hair."
Rude, but accurate.
She strode over. "I am Gremma," she announced, as if that should mean something to me. "Leader of This-Place-Is-Mine-and-Also-Theirs."
A few goblins cheered weakly at the group name.
"Mmffh," I replied, which was supposed to be Hello, Gremma, nice to meet you.
Gremma sighed. "Fine. We vote. Who says we take off the cloth?"
Half the hands went up.
"Who says we leave it on until we know if he explodes or something?"
The rest went up, plus Urt twice.
Runa chose that moment to make her move.
I felt a tiny tug at the ropes near my wrists. My heart skipped. I kept my face very carefully blank as claws worked at the knots behind me—quick and nimble. A faint tickle of fur brushed my fingers.
"Do not wriggle," Gremma warned me, misinterpreting my sudden stiffness. "Suspicious wriggling means extra rope."
I froze. Runa paused, then started again even more carefully.
The goblins' debate went on.
"Maybe he's a scout," one said.
"Scouts don't fall down stairs," another replied.
"Unless they're very sneaky," Urt argued. "You never expect the stupid ones."
I tried to speak up—this was getting ridiculous. "Mmmh-hmmf!"
"Silence!" Gremma snapped, pointing a finger at me. "We're deciding your fate."
I sank back against the crate, grumbling wordlessly into the gag my blush deepening from the humiliation of the situation I found myself in. Somewhere behind my back, the rope suddenly loosened. Runa had done it. My wrists were free, though I kept them in place so it wouldn't be obvious.
A moment later, I felt her climb lightly up onto the crate behind me, pressing against my back, hidden by my cloak. Her tiny teeth worked at the knot of the gag.
"Don't move," she breathed, so quietly I almost thought I imagined it.
The gag slipped from my mouth and fell to my shoulders, now dangling like a lopsided scarf.
"—and anyway," Urt was saying, "maybe we should eat hi—"
"Please don't eat me," I squeaked, tears in my eyes.
Every goblin froze.
Gremma's eyes narrowed. "You got that off fast."
"Uh." I kept my hands very innocently behind my back. "It… slipped?"
There was a long, suspicious pause.
Then Gremma sighed and waved a hand. "Fine. We were going to talk to you anyway. If you scream, Urt will hit you on the head with his shield."
Urt nodded solemnly and raised the battered round shield like a club.
I nodded very quickly back. "No screaming. Promise."
Gremma planted her hands on her hips. "Why is a human boy sneaking around our stairway?"
"I wasn't sneaking," I said. "I was… exploring. And falling. Mostly falling."
"Exploring what?"
"The ruins," I said. "I'm following my Mom's trail."
The word came out before I could stop it, warm and painful all at once. The goblins exchanged looks.
"Your… what?" Gremma asked.
"Mom," I repeated, softer. "She's an adventurer. Or she was. Some time ago she came here, to this ruin. She never came back." I swallowed. "I'm trying to find out why. I found her old notes about these ruins. I thought—if I investigated them, maybe I'd find something that would help me bring her home."
For a moment, the only sound was the crackle of the fire.
I went on, because if I stopped, I wasn't sure I'd be able to start again. "I didn't know anyone lived down here. I wasn't trying to invade your home. I just wanted to see what she saw. That's all."
Bandana goblin shifted uneasily. "Boss…"
"Quiet," Gremma murmured.
Her gaze had gone distant. She tapped her fingers against her shield.
"You're a little small for all that," she said at last. "No warriors? No mages with you?"
I almost glanced toward where I felt Runa hiding, but caught myself. "Just me," I said.
"And, um. A friend."
"Asking gods for trouble," muttered Urt.
Gremma ignored him. "Your Mom. She had hair like yours?"
"Yes," I said, surprised. "You've seen her?"
"Maybe. Many humans pass through the forest," she said cautiously. "Some come here. Most go away again." Her eyes softened just a fraction. "But there was one woman. Some time ago. With maps." She drew a vague rectangle in the air. "Smelled like ink and rain."
That sounded… exactly like Mom.
My heart leapt. "Do you know where she went?"
Gremma's mouth pressed into a thin line. "No. But I know where she didn't go. Because we don't go there either."
She turned and jabbed a thumb toward a dark archway at the back of the hall, half-blocked by stacked crates and rubble. I hadn't noticed it before; even now, the lantern light seemed reluctant to reach it.
"That part of the ruin is forbidden," she said. "Old magic sleeps there. Bad magic. We hear it sometimes. Whispers in stone. Lights with no fire. We stay away."
"Then how do you know my Mom didn't go there?" I asked.
Gremma looked at me like I was especially dense. "Because we're still alive. And she didn't come back through our hall."
Fair point.
"So…" I said slowly, "you're going to… let me go?"
The other goblins immediately started talking over each other.
"We can't just—"
"What if more—"
"He'll tell people!"
Gremma raised her hand. The noise died.
"We're few," she said. "We eat roots and mushrooms and sometimes stolen bread. We hide." She jabbed a finger at me. "If we hurt you, humans will come with steel and fire. If we keep you, more humans will come looking. Either way, trouble. Better to show you a little truth and send you away."
"A little truth?" I echoed.
She met my eyes. "I will show you the forbidden door. You will see it, and you will feel the wrongness. Then you will choose to leave."
That didn't sound as reassuringly one-sided as she seemed to think. But it was something.
My wrists were already free; Gremma apparently hadn't noticed. She first cut the ropes around my ankles and then moved behind me, slicing the rope around my chest with a small, chipped knife.
"Stand," she ordered.
I did, stretching my arms with a wince. The gag-turned-scarf still hung around my neck; I left it there. Somehow, it felt like a lucky charm now.
Runa slid down my back, landing quietly at my heels. One of the younger goblins squeaked.
"What is that?"
"She's with me," I said quickly, scooping Runa up. "Her name is Runa. She doesn't bite unless you're very, very bread-shaped."
Runa peered over my arm and gave them her sweetest smile, tail flicking.
Gremma rubbed her temples. "Why is every human I meet so strange?" she muttered. Then, louder: "Fine. Pet thing comes too. But if she pees on our cooking pot, I'll throw you both in a hole."
Runa huffed, deeply offended.
Gremma grabbed a torch from the fire and jerked her chin toward the blocked archway.
"Come," she said. "See what even goblins are smart enough not to bother."
The other goblins scrambled to move the crates aside, revealing more of the arch. Old, weathered stone emerged, carved with faintly glowing lines—sigils I recognized from Mom's notes, though I couldn't quite remember their names. The air beyond was cold, the kind of cold that didn't come from drafts, but from something older and heavier.
I hugged Runa a little closer.
"Mom went deeper than this," I whispered, mostly to myself. "If she didn't come back…"
Then this was where I needed to go.
Gremma must have heard. She glanced back at me, her expression strangely gentle.
"Look," she said quietly. "Understand. But remember something, human boy."
"What?"
"Sometimes," she said, turning toward the darkness, "the bravest thing is not going where your Mom went."
The torchlight trembled as if in agreement, painting long shadows over the forbidden passage as we stepped closer to find Mom.