Eliona's War 1: Hesitant Healer

Chapter 29

They stood in a large courtyard surrounded by gray stone walls. These walls had to be at least twelve feet high, and were constructed out of massive stone blocks that fit flawlessly together. The ground beneath Severance's feet wasn't content to be ordinary either, since it wove varying stones together into an intricate pattern.

Severance was no craftsman, but he could tell a lot of skill and effort had gone into building this place. He turned to see what the walls protected and was not disappointed.

The Veiled House was a rustic work of fortified art. It was built out of the same gray blocks as the outer walls and rose two stories high. Narrow slits formed windows on both floors. A set of heavy wooden doors marked the entrance, above which a strange seven-pointed symbol had been carved deeply into the stone.

This place, he realized, could only be the impressive manor he'd seen in the forest. It wasn't as big as he'd thought it would be for a hidden fortress, but compared to houses in modern days, it would be considered fairly large.

"This is your house?" He turned to look for Agadhi, but almost had a heart attack when he found the man standing right beside him. Agadhi hadn't been that close two seconds ago.

"This is our clan House," Agadhi corrected. He watched as Severance inched away from him, his expression unreadable. "As a member of our clan, you are permitted to make use of it as you will. You will also be able to teleport here from anywhere in the world."

"Really?" Severance immediately quit moving, caught by a tendril of excitement. "I can teleport too?"

That would make things so much easier! He wouldn't have to spend so much time wandering around on foot, and, if he ever got lost in the forest again, it'd be a lifesaver.

Agadhi folded his hands behind his back. "Indeed, but you'll need an item to do so. There's another limitation as well. You can only travel to a teleport base. Each town has one, and I imagine you'll be familiar with the one in Ascendance. That's where Outsiders Revive if their bodies are destroyed."

"Oh, yeah. That makes sense!" It was also where he logged in, too. Now he understood why it was always the same location every time.

"Come, I'll show you the House next."

Going over to the house, Agadhi grasped the latch of one door and pulled it open. There wasn't even a whisper of sound as the wooden door moved. The revealed interior was dark, and once inside, it took Severance a moment to adjust to the dimly lit interior.

The first thing he noticed was how quiet it was. There was no one else in sight.

"How many people are in the clan?" he asked. When Agadhi had said small, surely he didn't mean something like four or five people, right?

"Twenty-eight, including you," Agadhi answered. He moved past Severance and gestured around them. "This is the main Hall."

When Severance took it in, he was left in awe. The place looked like a fancy castle. Doors led into rooms on either side, while on the far wall a set of stone stairs rose into the second floor.

A massive metal chandelier hung from the ceiling, illuminating both floors. It gave off a pale blue light generated by dozens of familiar blue crystals. This, along with the natural light streaming from the narrow windows, was the only source of light.

Severance admired the chandelier. "Are those Amaurite crystals?"

They looked like much larger versions of the ones that had been found in the dungeon.

"Yes," Agadhi came to stand beside him once again. "Those come from a time when Amaurite was plentiful."

"The ones from the dungeon didn't glow like that," Severance pointed out.