The road he walked was heading due south through the richer houses and up ahead it appeared to stop abruptly but where it seemed to stop was in fact stairs, which came down one flight, turned a right angle and came down another flight onto the eastern end of the white square. Stood looking at the square it would not be apparent where the name originated, since the stone slabs that paved it were dull grey. This was however the square where the city guards paraded for all their ceremonies. When the square is full of guardsmen, all wearing their white cloaks, the origin of the name is entirely obvious. Nathaniel walked straight down the middle to the far side where the steps to the hall of remembrance were. The hall shared a similar architecture to the older buildings, with its colonnades, arches and grand statues of early guards and heroes of the city.
Inside it was cold and quite eerie. Nathaniel's steps echoed around him as he strode down the length of the gallery. On the walls were carved the name of every man in the guard who had died, most during service. Although it was considered the most noble and honourable post in the city, the lifespan of a guard seemed shorter than most. Ollorath had seen quite a few wars in its history and the guard was always at the forefront of defending the city or leading the armies to battle. At the far end of the gallery was a small wooden door, much shorter than an average man. It was quite tight to open and squeaked horrendously sending the sound echoing off the walls all around. It was finally open though and Nathaniel stooped down and peered in. It was pitch black and there was no torch to light the way.
Once he had acquired a torch he held it out in front of him as he descended the tight spiral stairs that descended into the crypts below. There were several layers of crypts and the stairs seemed to descend into the bowels of the world. The higher levels were the oldest, having been built first, and so it was not far that he had to venture downward to find the level he believed his decomposing tower captains would be found. The royal crypts were also under the hall and there were passages underground to connect them, but after the fall of the kingdom, no one had ever really gone to the royal crypts.
It was colder down there in the depths of the crypts and it grew colder and damper each level he descended. On perhaps the eighth level down, he was not sure as he had not counted, he entered the long ominous crypt. The light from his torch did very little to illuminate his surroundings, but he could see the first sarcophagus looming ahead of him in the shadows. It held a carved statue of its holder lying on top, as did the sarcophagus placed on the opposite side of the room. He knew that he could be in the right place since the whole room would bear the same carvings. The room was filled gradually clockwise on each level so if both the first and last sarcophagus had the carving he could be sure that they all would. He went down a level to conduct the same test, knowing that if the captain's did have a carving then they would have been one of the last few that did.
He descended a further floor, where he found carvings on the sarcophagus on his left but not on his right. This was the level he needed, so he walked the room clockwise, shining his torch over each one as he passed. He walked the length of the room and began back on the other side. At what felt like a little under halfway the statues stopped. Nathaniel took his torch close to the stone coffin, examining it to find the inscription. The words had faded a little over the years but the date seemed to be about right. The exact date the republic was formed, Nathaniel was unsure of, but he knew the approximate figure. He then looked around the neck to see if it bore the key on the carving. To his disappointment there was nothing to be found on that one or the one next to it. Nathaniel retraced the whole room and none of them bore any markings of the key.
He had lost track of how long he had been down in the dark and gloom of the crypts, but it must have been a good long while since his torch was nearly burnt out. It was clearly time for him to leave, else he would be stuck in the dark trying to find his way out blind, a prospect which did not excite him whatsoever. As he climbed the steps to the surface, feeling nothing but disappointment a sudden realisation came across him. The towers had been connected to each other only accessible with the tower captain's key, but there was the final passage, connecting to the palace. That meant that there would also have to be a key to access the tunnels from the palace. While he still had a diminishing light on his torch he turned and ran down the next passage to the royal crypts. Perhaps the last king had been buried with his and would have it carved onto his sarcophagus statuette as well.
His feet echoed loud around him as he sped through the tight passageway and onto the steps delving deeper underground to find the final level of the royal crypts, where the last king was buried. The walls came flashing past him as he ran on and found the ornately carved tomb. He went straight to the neck, looking and feeling for a key to be carved around it. There was nothing and his torch was about to die so he had to make another quick rush to the stairs. He had climbed only a few stairs when the torch guttered out leaving him in darkness with a glare in his eyes from where the torchlight had been. He was feeling his way back up now but at least he was on the stairs and could find his way up fairly easily.
The steps seemed endless in the dark but abruptly stopped at the top where Nathaniel was expecting a final step and was shocked when his foot crashed down onto the top step. He let out a sigh of relief as his hands felt the wall for the door. He found the wood and followed the frame down to find the handle. The large metal ring was cold and solid in his hands but it meant his way out of the darkness. He gripped it tight and turned it slowly, the metal parts scraping on each other as he did so. Then he pushed and found the door would not move. He pushed harder but it was solid. The door had probably been unused for many years now and would take more force to open. Nathaniel tried pushing with his whole body against the door but still it would not budge. In a final effort he threw his weight against the door and as his body struck it he heard another, definite clink of metal. It was not just stiff from disuse; it was actually locked.
Nathaniel dropped to the floor and sat with his head in his hands. He was completely alone in this dark place and it had a weird reminder of the forest to him. There was nothing else he could do but work his way back down and find a passage to the guard's crypts. He stood up and slowly and carefully walked back down the tight spiral stair feeling his hands along the walls as he descended. When he reached the first level down he felt around blindly for the archway of the passage. He found one archway and entered feeling blindly at his surroundings. The room was too large and must have been a crypt level. He found his way back out of the room and to the next archway, which could only be the passage.
This time he did not run but walked along carefully, running his hands along the wall all the while. Once he reached the end of the passage he felt around carefully for the stairs. He shuffled slowly forward of the passage, but in the blinding dark his path was not straight and he veered sideways to the downward steps. In a moment his body dropped and he was tumbling downward, flinging his arms wildly to try and stop himself. He landed in a pile on the next floor down, battered and bruised from his tumble. Having slowly and stiffly stood back up he began to climb the stairs feeling new pains in his legs and sides where his body had beaten against the steps.
When he had finally reached the top and opened the door he was very glad to be rid of that place. Outside the hall the sun was already low in the sky and night was fast rolling in. He needed to rest now as the fall had made his recovery from the forest regress a little and he was feeling tired and weak. The walk across the city and the climb back up the guard tower to his room was exhausting and although he had decided whilst walking the streets that he should visit the infirmary, he decided on the stairs that he would not make it there and would go instead in the morning. He was sure that he had broken some of his ribs in that fall but he had no energy left and collapsed into his bed as soon as he reached his room, not even having time to remove his clothes first.
Nathaniel slept late into the next morning but felt far better for it. He left his room and climbed the tower toward the infirmary. The medicus seemed busy with someone when he arrived and so he sat on a wooden bench at the side and waited. It was not long until he was seen and the medicus began examining him. As Nathaniel explained what had happened in the crypts the medicus prodded and poked him all over with a curious face. "Well you are very lucky, nothing broken, nothing bruised," he said at last. Nathaniel looked down and it was true. There was no sign of any injury on his body whatsoever. He did not even feel any pain from the prodding he received from the medicus. He smiled to himself. He knew that it was his medallion that had healed him and that his long sleep was the recovery time that it needed to completely heal.
Nathaniel stood up to leave when he saw Martyn stood in the doorway with a gloat spread on his face. "Even off duty you manage to harm yourself. What happened this time?" he asked, sounding smug.
"I took a tumble in the crypts," replied Nathaniel,
"The academy and now the crypts, what were you doing down there?" Martyn questioned further. "Paying my respects," he replied, knowing that Martyn would not understand, followed promptly by "Have you been spying on me?"
"You should be more careful. The commander asked me to keep an eye on you. Out of concern I assure you." Answered Martyn. Nathaniel was not so sure that the commander felt any concern other than for his sanity. He needed to speak with Ogwyn again but did not want to raise any concerns with his friend or the commander. He needed to get a message to him privately and arrange a meeting somewhere less conspicuous.
Back in his room he got a pen and paper and began to write a note to Ogwyn. He would send it using one of the guard messengers to ensure its safe arrival. He thought of the details on the spot so they were a little hazy but would at least keep Martyn off his case. Maybe he had gone mad in the forest and everything was appearing to him falsely. It was easier for everyone else to believe that than the truth. At least Ogwyn understood. It gave him an ally inside the city to help him and now he needed his help. His hand scribbled away furiously as he wrote the note, pausing now and again when he struggled with the details.
He needed to set a place to meet Ogwyn that would not seem suspicious. Martyn would likely be watching his moves. He seemed to know about the visit to the crypt even if he did not let on. Nathaniel knew Martyn was only concerned for his friend, but he was probably reporting back to the commander. With the note finally finished Nathaniel blew on the ink to dry it and then held the letter up and read it back to himself.
Ogwyn, I have further questions but cannot risk coming up the hill to see you. If you can meet me at the Drunken Giant tavern, tomorrow at dusk, send back a book with this messenger. Any will do, but something ordinary and small. My commander has worries about my sanity and is watching my moves. I do not wish to raise his suspicions. Please destroy this note after reading it,
Nathaniel.
He knew that he could easily explain the tavern and the book to Martyn without arousing any suspicions. As he searched for a messenger he began to think that the way he had to go about covering his tracks like that, from his friend, would look mad from an outside perspective, but it was unfortunately necessary. With the letter now in the hands of the messenger all he could do was to bide his time and wait for Ogwyn to send a book in reply.