Chapter 07

A couple of minutes later Drake and Rollo found an opening in the wall that was clearly man made. Everything was silent so they peeked inside out of curiosity. 

As it turned out the opening led to a wide room illuminated by something in the corner. Several long boxes were placed around and looking inside the one right beside the entrance Drake realized they were filled with straw.

“Are those… beds?” Rollo whispered.

The wooden boxes were a simple type of furniture. Since so many of them were placed around Drake guessed that room was a shared sleeping quarters for the black cloaks.

The two found several more similar rooms as they continued on. All of them were empty with the residents being away for some reason.

At some point they were no longer engulfed in darkness. Strange moss growing on the tunnel walls provided some illumination, as weak as it was. According to Rollo it’s called Night Moss and it typically grew in humid environments such as this.

The long tunnel continued for a while. Luckily they didn’t run into any cultists so far but that in itself was upping Drake’s stress levels beyond the safe point. 

The cold was starting to have its effect on him and the occasional sharp pebble bothered his bare feet. He didn’t know when but he was sure his patience would run out soon enough. 

“A storage room?” 

Rollo's murmur brought life back to Drake. The two checked another room they came across which, unlike the previous ones they passed, this one was filled with crates stacked on top of each other, some were covered by white sheets. 

Realizing that they have found where the cultists kept their supplies Drake quickly went in and started checking the boxes one after the other. Some were quite heavy and impossible to open.

I would probably need a crowbar…

Thankfully some of the boxes were already open. Those contained some vegetables as well as dried meat and fruits. There were some barrels nearby that smelled like oil and others that had the distinct scent of alcohol. 

Rollo jumped at the chance to get some snacks but then stopped. He stared at something silently for a few seconds before running in its direction. 

“My bag!” He cheerfully exclaimed as he picked something from atop one of the crates.

The white backpack was almost half his size. It had what looks like a sleeping bag rolled and strapped to it as well as a small metallic tea pot, a rope and a bundle of thin branches. 

He had brought along what he’d need to spend a few nights outside however everything was taken away when he got captured.

Rollo checked the contents of the bag and was relieved to find that a small machete was still there.

He used it to open the boxes that previously refused to budge getting surprised by what they contained. Some had swords in them while others had spears. There were a bunch of bows and arrows as well. 

They had enough weapons to equip a small army and it was scary to think what the cultists plan on doing with them.

The two continued opening the boxes and soon enough they found what Drake was searching for. Looking at the clothes Rollo wore and the fact that the tunnels they were in are inside a mountain named Icewyrm he had speculated that the area outside was covered in snow. That’s why he expected the cultists to have some equipment for traveling in such weather and he was right on the spot.

They had everything from wool trousers and socks to leather jackets and boots. Drake quickly put on a few pieces and soon enough he started to feel the warmth.

“The storm you mentioned before…” as he checked another box Drake turned to Rollo with a question. “Don’t tell me it’s a snowstorm?”

“Well yeah…” the read head replied. “It doesn’t rain that often so we only get snow most of the time.”

Once again Drake found the image he had formed of the world outside being shattered. 

Don’t tell me this place is actually somewhere where the snow never melts…

“Hm?” 

Suddenly something in the corner of his eye caught my attention. It was a small box placed on altar like rock at the far end of the storage room. Looking for something to warm himself with kept him from noticing it despite it being  something hard to miss.

The small box was different from the others they checked so far. Its wood itself seemed to be of a different quality. The edges were covered in beautiful golden carvings and the cover had a strange emblem at its center. 

The small keyhole it had made Drake think it was locked, however the faint glow coming from inside told otherwise. 

For reasons he didn’t know his heart started beating faster as he reached for the lid. He faltered for a moment, gulping audibly, then before he could hesitate again he opened it and gazed at what was inside.

“No way…” the moment the content of the strange box came in sight, Rollo leaned in with his eyes wide open and his mouth agape. “Are those Beast Souls?”