Arcadia's Ignoble Knight: The Sorceress of Ashtown

The Heathcliffs

The engine thrummed in Caspian's ears, a low sound that most people would have never been able to pick up. Caspian wasn't well-versed in mechanics, but he understood that the noise made by a MAFT's engine could barely be perceived, as the sound waves vibrated on a spectrum too high for most humans to hear.

Caspian ignored the noise and stared out the window as the MAFT they rode traveled along a rocky path. There honestly wasn't much to see, just the large faces of craggy cliffs shadowing them on either side. Yet, in spite of this, he still pressed his face against the glass, eagerly taking in the new scenery.

"Excited, are we?" Erica asked. The amusement tinging her voice made him turn to look at her. When he saw the way her lips were curled and noticed the sensual smugness exuding from her single visible eye, Caspian realized he'd been acting the fool.

"N-no." He moved away from the window and sat with his back straight and his hands in his lap, as if he could refute her words by pretending that he hadn't been staring out the window like a child staring into the front display a candy store.

"Hmm," Erica hummed as Caspian clenched his dark pants, refusing to make eye contact. After several moments of silent staring, the femme shrugged. "If you say so."

Caspian relaxed, his pants sighing in relief as he released his iron grip on them. "I do say so."

Stifling a chuckle, Erica shifted in her seat, crossing her right leg over her left one, the tight shorts she wore creaking slightly and showcasing her supple thighs. Caspian tried to gulp, but his throat had gone dry. The chuckling grew louder when she saw Caspian looking, which caused him to swiftly turn his head.

"This is your first time visiting a mine, if I am not mistaken," Erica tried to make conversation.

"Um." Caspian nodded almost demurely, trying to contain his enthusiasm. If he let her see how excited he was, then Erica would no doubt tease him for the rest of the day. "I've read a lot about the mines, but I've never actually seen one."

Mines had originally been home to the dwarves, underworlders who preferred dwelling within the bedrock as opposed to living on the surface. It was they who mined the Spirit Crystals and many other precious metals and gems. They were also master craftsmen. It was said that something forged by a dwarf cost more than a minor noble's mansion. Caspian knew from reading textbooks on modern history that several dwarves worked with Karen Hildegarde, helping the famous Sorceress in the creation of Magical Technology—some of the latest and greatest inventions had been crafted by dwarven hands.

Dwarves were also a very violent race who, up until the point where humanity had deigned to enlighten them, had been in a state of constant warfare. From the many tomes Caspian had scoured through during his long hours of isolation at the academy, he had learned of the many wars dwarves had over the centuries—civil wars and wars with their mortal enemy, the goblins. Fortunately, the goblins had been eradicated by humanity, when they had come to enlighten the dwarven race and bring civilization to them.

Now, the dwarves worked the mines for humans. Being a sturdy race well-suited to dark, enclosed passages, they were far better at mining than humanity was.

Darkness encroached upon the MAFT, startling Caspian, who moved back to stare out the window. Erica giggled at him, but he ignored her in favor of watching the outside. They were in a tunnel now, sparsely lit by a few Spirit Crystals embedded into the walls, which glowed with an otherworldly light. Shadows carved strange patterns into the bedrock, their forms flickering almost as if they were alive.

Before too long, the MAFT came to a stop near what appeared to be an entryway of some kind. A large archway carved from the very rock of the cavern loomed over them. Intricate designs had been engraved into the gray stone—symbols, runes, an ancient language that belonged to a race long dead. Caspian recognized a few of the symbols, but quite a few looked like older variations that he possessed no knowledge of.