Chapter Seventeen
Thewornstonepathwoveinandoutoftherocksforalittlewhilelonger,buteventuallytheyarrivedatthecrumblingcitywalls.Therewasnogate,thoughfromtheemptyhingesononeside,itlookedliketheremayhaveoncebeenawoodengatethathadeitherrottedorburnedaway.Floriannoticedthattheheathadlessenedastheywalked,too,asifwhatevermagictheArrowwasemanatingblockedouttheeffectsoftheBlight.Thoughtherewasstillnoplantlifethathecouldsee,theairthrummedwiththepalpablemagic.
“Do you think you still need to keep the shroud up?” he asked Jerah as they passed through the opening in the gate. Part of him still rankled at the way Jerah had talked down to him after the fight, but his curiosity was getting the better of him now, and the walk had helped him cool off as well.
Jerah pursed his lips at the question, seeming to consider it as he looked around for signs of the Blight.
“I'm not sure,” he finally said. “Best not to risk it for now, though.”
Florian nodded, though he was feeling more and more sure that the shroud wouldn't be necessary as long as they were in the town ruins. The temperature felt almost comfortable now; while most of the empty buildings were stone, some had wooden doors or walls that were in various states of disrepair, but had not burned away entirely. From the little he knew about the Blight, it certainly seemed as though its horrible influence was lessened here, if not blocked out entirely.
“I'd bet that the magic will be stronger closer to the Arrow,” Jerah continued, shaking him from his thoughts. “If you feel anything, Florian, let us know. I'll try and pay attention to it as well, though with the shroud it might be harder for me to feel.”
“I'll let you know if I notice anything,” he agreed.
Ahead of them Kade surveyed the village. Florian watched him for a moment as they walked, but he seemed to be completely ignoring their existence. The sound of their footsteps echoed in the utter silence, but he seemed alert as ever, as if he expected more beasts to appear at any moment. He might not have been wrong, Florian thought in irritation, which somehow made it worse.
But from everything he could see so far, the town seemed strangely peaceful. There was no wind, no sound, no evidence of animals or plants or anything alive save for themselves. As they surveyed the town, he wondered what the insides of the buildings might look like; if anything remained that left some indication of its former residents; or if everything within had been lost to time and the elements.
They had a job to do, though, and he pushed the thoughts away for now. Maybe they could check some of the buildings after they'd found the Arrow. They might even camp here for the night, especially if there was no Blight—it would be a welcome change from the cramped tent, especially if Kade were still giving them the silent treatment. Some space would probably be good for all of them.
The path, now more dirt than stone, led them to the center of town, where the remnants of a large fountain stood—though it had long since dried up, the basin full of sandy-looking dirt. Florian ran his fingers through the sand in the fountain, dry enough that his hand came away clean easily. The magic might be keeping the Blight at bay, but it wasn’t enough to let in the rain, or the night.
“There's a mine,” Kade said suddenly ahead of them, pointing. A rocky hill rose up behind some of the buildings further down the path, and where Kade pointed, Florian could see an opening in the stone with a large metal door that was ajar. “Could it be there?”
“Do you feel anything, Florian?” Jerah asked, stepping up next to him. “I don't feel anything.”
Florian closed his eyes, trying to focus on the heavy feeling of magic in the air. If he really concentrated, it did feel a little thicker, like a light fabric hovering just over his skin that tingled with static.
“Maybe,” he said, opening his eyes once more. “I can't really tell. It feels just a little bit stronger, I think.”
“Couldn't hurt to check it out,” Jerah sighed. “And even if it's not, maybe we'll have somewhere cool to rest for a bit. I could use a breather.”
“Sure,” Florian agreed. Kade was already heading toward it, and he hurried to follow.
As they got closer, Florian could see the metal door was propped against the rock face rather than swung open, as if its hinges had rusted away and the door had fallen out of the frame entirely. Kade peered in for a moment, before nodding and gesturing for them to continue. As they stepped fully into the mine, Florian’s eyes struggled to adjust: the stark contrast with the outside made the dim cave seem pitch black, so he pulled his sun goggles off and saw the other two do the same.
The door opened into a large sort of staging area; several old, rusted pieces of equipment were scattered around the ground in crates, and a few minecarts were pushed up against the rock walls as well. A single set of tracks started near the middle of the room and led further into the mine, curving around a corner far up ahead that blocked visibility of the rest of the path. The walls seemed to be an unassuming dark stone, though when Florian looked closely he could see some spots of pale blue glinting in the dim light.
“Veilian moonstone,” Jerah said next to him, the surprise apparent in his voice. “They must have been mining for it. There must be a pretty large vein for it to have reached so far east.”
“I don't hear anything,” Kade said, taking a cautious step toward the minecart tracks. “But we should move slowly.”
“Of course,” Jerah agreed, and quietly they crept forward, walking slowly alongside the tracks. When it turned, Kade pressed close to the wall and peeked around the corner, then gestured for them to follow.
“It's empty,” he said. “Looks like it just goes downhill.”
As they rounded the corner, the static-like feeling of magic in the air seemed to condense around Florian. It felt almost syrupy, as if he could squeeze his hand and pluck a fistful of it right out of the air.
“It feels stronger here,” he blurted, looking to Jerah. “The magic. Do you feel that?”
Jerah shook his head. “No, but I think we're far enough out of the Blight now I can risk dropping the shroud. It seems pretty dark.” Florian's eyes darted back the way they came—it was definitely darker and cooler in the tunnel.
“I think so too,” he said, and with a nod Jerah dropped the shroud. It felt a little warmer as the shadow fell away from them, but still a far cry from the unrelenting heat of the Blight.
“We're safe here,” Jerah said with a nod, then frowned. “I feel it now, too, Florian. We must be getting close. Though I can't imagine how it could have gotten so far underground…”
“Maybe something took it,” Florian suggested as they kept walking. “One of those animals or something.”
