After a few trips around the large stone, Katrina smiled and said, “There it is.”
“There, what is? Rone asked curiously as he made his way over to stand beside Katrina.
“There’s a little-known secret about the badlands Rone. It has all the resources its people need. They just happen to be hidden.” With that, she pressed against a spot on the rock that other than its unique color matched the rest of the stone perfectly. Unless you knew what to look for, one would never have guessed it was a lever.
As soon as Kat had pressed it though, the stone began to slide to its right. As if being pulled or moved by some unknown force.
Rone and the others could hear what sounded like the cranking sounds of gears and pully’s, coming from somewhere under their feet, as the rock slid back to reveal a stone staircase hidden underneath.
Katrina could see the curiosity growing on everyone's face and smiled to herself.
“TerraFae used to mine these lands in exchange for building some of the defenses for the Undervoid cities.
When they did, they built a few secrets into it.
Just in case they needed a quick exit. Now we exiles’ use them to get supplies we need, or sneak into the cities from time to time.”
“Well, that’s mighty nifty of them dwarves isn’t it,” Traijen said, apprehensively staring into the darkness below them.
“Coming?” she asked Rone with a smile as she disappeared below the ground.
The others all turned to each other then quickly followed her down the stairs. Led now as much by their curiosity, as the need for water.
As they descended deeper and deeper underground, they were astonished to find it was actually growing lighter instead of darker, a result of the light that was being emitted by some kind of strange phosphorescent stones. That jutted from the walls and ceiling of the cavern.
These stones not only produced light but seemed to give off moderate amounts of heat as well.
“What are these stones, Kat?” Rone asked, placing his hand next to one to feel its warmth.
“Sol Stones,” she replied. As if it was something Roan should have already known.
“I’ve heard of those,” Trisha said as she touched one for herself.
“Stones that put off their own light, without magic or being charged by the sun.”
“That’s them,” Katrina answered with a grin. She liked the fact that she was showing them something none of them had ever seen before.
“It would be tough to read down here if it was all torches and mage lights now wouldn’t it,” Katrina asked, trying her best to sound serious. Rone barely heard the question, though, as his senses were now mesmerized by something else entirely.
At the bottom of the staircase was a crystal-clear pool of water. Being fed by an equally clear stream that ran along the cavern floor in gentle gurgling waves.
But it wasn’t the creek that drew his gaze; it was the trees. These weren’t the scraggly brush and bushes that littered the badlands. These were full-grown trees.
An entire forest of Birch, Oak, and Maple, spread out before him. Standing tall and beautiful, as if they had never seen the touch of an ax or foresters’ tool.
“You have tree’s down here?” Rone asked as he took another deep breath. Letting the smell of the wood and leaves fill his nostrils.
“There are entire forests down here, Roan. Some controlled by the DokalFae, others by Bark Gnomes.”
Rone had heard stories of these strange gnomes from some of the Thorn Callers. The ones that were much older than himself and had traveled all over Earthera.
Even Max had spoken of them a few times during his lessons, saying they were fierce protectors of their forests and much different than their cousins the swamp gnomes. Or the scrounger gnomes that made their homes in the dark places of the world.
Bark Gnomes were cultivators and growers of nature. They do not scavenge outside their own land, nor do they threaten those who enter them. Unless they feel their forest is in danger. Then they will defend it with their lives.
“I thought Bark Gnomes were a myth, you know like unicorns,” Traijen said, shrugging his shoulders.
“Nope, they hold sway over a few spots yet, though every year Luna’Dwell and the other DokalFae cities try to take more and more of their forests.
Rone had heard stories about vast forests residing underground. But even when Max had sworn, he had seen them, Rone was reluctant to believe it.
His mother had never spoken of the DokalFae cities, nor of the vastness of the caverns of the Undervoid. Only of the Dark elves pension for cruelty and hatred of other races.
Everything he had learned about the DokalFae and their lands, came from teachings all Thorn Callers receive. And the random encounters he had with those that visited the cities he happened to be in.
Still, even with the stories, this was far beyond anything he could have imagined. Maybe it was the DokalFae blood in him. Or perhaps it was just standing so close to real nature again. But something about this place seemed to almost call to him as if a part of him somehow belonged here.
“Don’t get too comfortable, Rone. There are far too many things in the void that would see us dead.”
“The void?” Rone asked, wondering what she meant.
“Sure, it’s what we call the caverns that aren’t widely used. So many things get lost or have been found down here, it’s as if in a void. The rest of the world almost tends to forget its even a thing.”
Rone thought about what she said and found he liked the name. As they finally exited the long staircase and stood beside the pond, Fang bounded off into the tree line.
“Don’t go far, Fang. We can’t stay here long.” The only response he got was a short howl and then silence.
That’s when Rone realized it wasn’t silent. There were birds and the sounds of wildlife moving on dry leaves, all the sounds of any forest he had ever been in. Now resonated throughout the cavern where they stood.
He was so accustomed to those sounds from home he hadn’t noticed they were present here as well. The realization of this made him smile and only served to strengthen that feeling of belonging.
He and the others set about filling their water bags and prepared to eat a small lunch before climbing back to the surface when Traijen sat down beside him.
“I’m not much on the ways of trees and things, but even a rock troll could guess that the roots down here are deep enough for whispering to.” He said with a grin on his face.
Rone was shocked, not because of what he said but because he hadn’t thought of it. He smiled at Traijen and shook his head in agreement.
“Your right, I guess I was so happy to be in an element I understand I didn’t even think about it.” He had barely finished the words when the realization of them took hold.
He could commune here, but did he really want to? So much time had passed since he left home. What if these past few weeks had been too long? What if he didn’t like the answer he received?
He found himself wishing he hadn’t come here, hadn’t seen this beautiful secret. But it was too late, he did, and they had. It didn’t matter what he wanted. It mattered what he needed to know.
Rone finished his meal and stood up to face the others. Whistling for Fang as he did. Within moments the big wolf came bounding out of the tree line as if he knew what was about to happen.
“Traijen, you have seen this before, Trisha, you and Kat have not. I need to find out what’s happening in Agnar. When I commune, I will be unable to defend myself. Nor will I hear what is happening around me.