Chapter 41: It was Pity Killed the Beast
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Chapter 41: It was Pity Killed the Beast
It was Pity Killed the Beast
Since they had arrived one day early, the small band had to spend a day waiting for the convergence. Master Fenrick kept them busy with various exercises as demanded by their teachers back at the Lyceum. In between, they gathered firewood and filled their waterskins, and they explored the ruins further. The latter did not yield any results as such; anything of value had long since been removed. Only the subterranean chambers remained.
"What do you think is behind?" The question came from Maximilian. He stood in the moon chamber with Martel and Eleanor, all three of them staring at the stone door.
"Probably just the wine cellar." Eleanor giggled at her own jest.
"There could be all sorts of magical artefacts," Maximilian speculated.
"If so, don't you think all that would have been looted long ago?" Martel asked.
"Maybe they saved a little enchanted sword for me," the mageknight suggested, wiggling his eyebrows.
"I would admire your optimism except for how delusional it is," Eleanor retorted.
"Imagine if any books remained," Martel considered with a dreaming voice. "Think of all the knowledge we might gain."
"I am pretty sure the rats would long since have devoured any paper or parchment," Maximilian told him.
"What rats? Haven't you noticed, there aren't any animals around," Martel pointed out.
"I would not be too sure about that. I heard something scuffle around yesterday when Master Fenrick first showed us the room."
"You think you could hear rats scurrying about from the other side of that?" Eleanor threw her head towards the heavy stone door. Her voice carried a heavy tone of scepticism.
"I will have you know, my hearing is exquisite," Maximilian defended himself.
"Well, so is my sense of smell, and I can smell that lunch is ready." Martel, never one to miss a meal, left the moon chamber as the first; the other two followed after.
~
For the rest of the day, the students found it difficult to focus on their exercises; as night-time approached, their anticipation slowly rose. Still, they had to wait until the sun had set and the sky darkened. Only then did Master Fenrick gather them to take them all into the star chamber.
"Spread out," he commanded them. "Surround the stone and keep your eyes on it."
The youths murmured their assent. Fetching a bronze sickle, their teacher disappeared into the dark night.
The students glanced at each other. "So, what do you think is down there?" Maximilian asked.
"Maybe a dragon, sleeping on a hoard of gold and jewels." Alain, the third boy among the mageknights besides Cheval, sat with a dreaming expression. As the son of a minor noble, his family could barely afford to pay for tuition at the Lyceum, yet they were too proud to have the Empire pay for his education.
"There could be a whole library," Martel reiterated, still imagining the same thing as this morning.
"I doubt it is books that kill everyone who enters, except from boredom," Maximilian snorted.
"I am not afraid to enter," Cheval declared with an arrogant voice. "Master Fenrick just told us that to frighten us like little children. I bet there is absolutely nothing left beyond that door."
"Easy boast to make when we can't leave the camp," Martel pointed out.
"I will show you," the mageknight declared. "We can go there now. Open the door and I will go through."
"We are not allowed to leave camp," Martel mumbled.
"Now who is afraid?" Cheval asked with contempt.
"Master Fenrick made it very clear we should not cross that threshold." Elaine crossed her arms.
"We do not have to cross it, but are you not tempted to get a better look? The symbols on the door keep us safe while we are inside the chamber. We just need some better light to look down the corridor," argued Maximilian. "Martel is good at creating light. He can send a flame down to illuminate the place while we all watch from a safe distance."
"We shouldn't leave camp," Martel reiterated.
"Master Fenrick will not know. He is gone for a whole bell. It will take us ten minutes to the door and ten minutes back," Maximilian claimed. "Come on, Martel, we need you to open the door."
"You are wasting your time. Who ever heard of a scarecrow with courage?" Cheval smiled.
"Nothing wrong with being sensible," Eleanor chimed in.
Martel looked at the other students. Some regarded him with condescension, some with expectation, and one with pity. The last hit him the most, coming from someone he wanted to impress.
"Let's go."
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Chapter 41: It was Pity Killed the Beast
It was Pity Killed the Beast
Since they had arrived one day early, the small band had to spend a day waiting for the convergence. Master Fenrick kept them busy with various exercises as demanded by their teachers back at the Lyceum. In between, they gathered firewood and filled their waterskins, and they explored the ruins further. The latter did not yield any results as such; anything of value had long since been removed. Only the subterranean chambers remained.
"What do you think is behind?" The question came from Maximilian. He stood in the moon chamber with Martel and Eleanor, all three of them staring at the stone door.
"Probably just the wine cellar." Eleanor giggled at her own jest.
"There could be all sorts of magical artefacts," Maximilian speculated.
"If so, don't you think all that would have been looted long ago?" Martel asked.
"Maybe they saved a little enchanted sword for me," the mageknight suggested, wiggling his eyebrows.
"I would admire your optimism except for how delusional it is," Eleanor retorted.
"Imagine if any books remained," Martel considered with a dreaming voice. "Think of all the knowledge we might gain."
"I am pretty sure the rats would long since have devoured any paper or parchment," Maximilian told him.
"What rats? Haven't you noticed, there aren't any animals around," Martel pointed out.
"I would not be too sure about that. I heard something scuffle around yesterday when Master Fenrick first showed us the room."
"You think you could hear rats scurrying about from the other side of that?" Eleanor threw her head towards the heavy stone door. Her voice carried a heavy tone of scepticism.
"I will have you know, my hearing is exquisite," Maximilian defended himself.
"Well, so is my sense of smell, and I can smell that lunch is ready." Martel, never one to miss a meal, left the moon chamber as the first; the other two followed after.
~
For the rest of the day, the students found it difficult to focus on their exercises; as night-time approached, their anticipation slowly rose. Still, they had to wait until the sun had set and the sky darkened. Only then did Master Fenrick gather them to take them all into the star chamber.
"Spread out," he commanded them. "Surround the stone and keep your eyes on it."
The youths murmured their assent. Fetching a bronze sickle, their teacher disappeared into the dark night.
The students glanced at each other. "So, what do you think is down there?" Maximilian asked.
"Maybe a dragon, sleeping on a hoard of gold and jewels." Alain, the third boy among the mageknights besides Cheval, sat with a dreaming expression. As the son of a minor noble, his family could barely afford to pay for tuition at the Lyceum, yet they were too proud to have the Empire pay for his education.
"There could be a whole library," Martel reiterated, still imagining the same thing as this morning.
"I doubt it is books that kill everyone who enters, except from boredom," Maximilian snorted.
"I am not afraid to enter," Cheval declared with an arrogant voice. "Master Fenrick just told us that to frighten us like little children. I bet there is absolutely nothing left beyond that door."
"Easy boast to make when we can't leave the camp," Martel pointed out.
"I will show you," the mageknight declared. "We can go there now. Open the door and I will go through."
"We are not allowed to leave camp," Martel mumbled.
"Now who is afraid?" Cheval asked with contempt.
"Master Fenrick made it very clear we should not cross that threshold." Elaine crossed her arms.
"We do not have to cross it, but are you not tempted to get a better look? The symbols on the door keep us safe while we are inside the chamber. We just need some better light to look down the corridor," argued Maximilian. "Martel is good at creating light. He can send a flame down to illuminate the place while we all watch from a safe distance."
"We shouldn't leave camp," Martel reiterated.
"Master Fenrick will not know. He is gone for a whole bell. It will take us ten minutes to the door and ten minutes back," Maximilian claimed. "Come on, Martel, we need you to open the door."
"You are wasting your time. Who ever heard of a scarecrow with courage?" Cheval smiled.
"Nothing wrong with being sensible," Eleanor chimed in.
Martel looked at the other students. Some regarded him with condescension, some with expectation, and one with pity. The last hit him the most, coming from someone he wanted to impress.
"Let's go."
Chapter 41: It was Pity Killed the BeastIt was Pity Killed the BeastSince they had arrived one day early, the small band had to spend a day waiting for the convergence. Master Fenrick kept them busy with various exercises as demanded by their teachers back at the Lyceum. In between, they gathered firewood and filled their waterskins, and they explored the ruins further. The latter did not yield any results as such; anything of value had long since been removed. Only the subterranean chambers remained."What do you think is behind?" The question came from Maximilian. He stood in the moon chamber with Martel and Eleanor, all three of them staring at the stone door."Probably just the wine cellar." Eleanor giggled at her own jest."There could be all sorts of magical artefacts," Maximilian speculated."If so, don't you think all that would have been looted long ago?" Martel asked."Maybe they saved a little enchanted sword for me," the mageknight suggested, wiggling his eyebrows."I would admire your optimism except for how delusional it is," Eleanor retorted."Imagine if any books remained," Martel considered with a dreaming voice. "Think of all the knowledge we might gain.""I am pretty sure the rats would long since have devoured any paper or parchment," Maximilian told him."What rats? Haven't you noticed, there aren't any animals around," Martel pointed out."I would not be too sure about that. I heard something scuffle around yesterday when Master Fenrick first showed us the room.""You think you could hear rats scurrying about from the other side of that?" Eleanor threw her head towards the heavy stone door. Her voice carried a heavy tone of scepticism."I will have you know, my hearing is exquisite," Maximilian defended himself."Well, so is my sense of smell, and I can smell that lunch is ready." Martel, never one to miss a meal, left the moon chamber as the first; the other two followed after.~For the rest of the day, the students found it difficult to focus on their exercises; as night-time approached, their anticipation slowly rose. Still, they had to wait until the sun had set and the sky darkened. Only then did Master Fenrick gather them to take them all into the star chamber."Spread out," he commanded them. "Surround the stone and keep your eyes on it."The youths murmured their assent. Fetching a bronze sickle, their teacher disappeared into the dark night.The students glanced at each other. "So, what do you think is down there?" Maximilian asked."Maybe a dragon, sleeping on a hoard of gold and jewels." Alain, the third boy among the mageknights besides Cheval, sat with a dreaming expression. As the son of a minor noble, his family could barely afford to pay for tuition at the Lyceum, yet they were too proud to have the Empire pay for his education."There could be a whole library," Martel reiterated, still imagining the same thing as this morning."I doubt it is books that kill everyone who enters, except from boredom," Maximilian snorted."I am not afraid to enter," Cheval declared with an arrogant voice. "Master Fenrick just told us that to frighten us like little children. I bet there is absolutely nothing left beyond that door.""Easy boast to make when we can't leave the camp," Martel pointed out."I will show you," the mageknight declared. "We can go there now. Open the door and I will go through.""We are not allowed to leave camp," Martel mumbled."Now who is afraid?" Cheval asked with contempt."Master Fenrick made it very clear we should not cross that threshold." Elaine crossed her arms."We do not have to cross it, but are you not tempted to get a better look? The symbols on the door keep us safe while we are inside the chamber. We just need some better light to look down the corridor," argued Maximilian. "Martel is good at creating light. He can send a flame down to illuminate the place while we all watch from a safe distance.""We shouldn't leave camp," Martel reiterated."Master Fenrick will not know. He is gone for a whole bell. It will take us ten minutes to the door and ten minutes back," Maximilian claimed. "Come on, Martel, we need you to open the door.""You are wasting your time. Who ever heard of a scarecrow with courage?" Cheval smiled."Nothing wrong with being sensible," Eleanor chimed in.Martel looked at the other students. Some regarded him with condescension, some with expectation, and one with pity. The last hit him the most, coming from someone he wanted to impress."Let's go."
