The Ashes of Allmau: The Orfolk of Allmau

Chapter 14

With a huff and a puff, she climbed on up. The ground levelled at a plain doorway hidden between the rocks of the mesa. It seemed so innocuous and ordinary for such a grand structure, then again it was meant to be a secret entrance. While catching her breath, Ahna took a moment to admire the distance they'd scaled. While she stood watching the waves ripple across the bay, the balloon bounced about impatiently.

"Hold on, hold on," she heaved, hoarse, "You didn't just climb those steps."

Kydd leapt from her shoulder and made his way to the threshold of the empty doorway. He poked his head inside to inspect what was next on their gauntlet. A small, dank room, acting as a junction adjoined a corridor the length of the keep, and a large, rusted iron door that appeared carved into the bare rock of the mesa. Other than these two options, there was nothing. No pomp, pageantry nor prestige were needed for a postern gate. Though this room seemed so small and plain, Kydd was arrested with caution. The same anxiety that stopped him on the bank of Red Bed to check the skies, now compelled him to take things one step at a time in this alien environment.

His foot touched the cold stone paving. With no warning, everything about him seemed to grey and darken. Curious shades that lived amongst the shadows, melted into the mortar that bound the masonry, where they hid and watched. This place was either haunted, cursed, or both. And the impact curdled the aether in wicked ways that made Kydd meek.

Blissfully unaware of this, Ahna strode across the threshold into the room. She shuddered for a moment, thinking it only to be a draft. Otherwise, her expression only sank when she noticed how uninspired this little alcove was. She was expecting some grand hall, storeys tall. This little room was about the size of Tizeal's kitchen.

Kydd, stepped back outside briefly, noticing how the colours of the world came back when he left the room. When he crossed the threshold, it all seemed to leach away again, even the bright blue sky of Allmau seemed to lose its lustre when viewed from within the tower. A loud screech brought his attention to Ahna, who stood at the iron door, trying to pry it open.

"Nope, it won't move." She huffed, "I guess down here?" she said, looking along the corridor.

"Can you feel that?" said Kydd, "There's something off about this place."

Ahna looked about, then shrugged. Kydd slowly crawled towards the corridor, looking over his shoulder as he did so. A long narrow walkway that skirted along the keep. Narrow windows stared out to see and let in some daylight. He cautiously stepped forwards, and as soon as he crossed into the corridor, his whiskers twitched, his ears stood to point and he stopped.

"Are you okay?" Ahna asked.

This corridor was far too innocent, it was hiding something "Wait here."

Kydd went along, sniffing over the stones that made up the path and eyeing them carefully. His whiskers flickered and ears turned as he scouted the path with acute senses. In the blink of an eye, another shade slid across the floor and disappeared into the cracks around one particular stone in the path. It was slightly raised above the others, so very slightly that any human would easily overlook it, but to an orfolk it stood out like a step. He approached it slowly, looked about the corridor, then back at Ahna. She was confused.

He pushed down on the stone, but it didn't budge. He climbed on top and started jumping on the stone, it dropped an inch and as it did so, several blades shot out from the wall. The lowest of them, just between his pointed ears. Ahna's jaw hung freely as she stared at the blades.

Kydd leapt off the stone, the blades retracted slowly, then paused and stuttered. A loud clatter and bang sounded from behind the wall, which began to crumble as the trap choked on its own rusted mechanics.