Not anticipating any major threats, Dreu only brought Brornun and Dar for support. The former would serve as a danger detector if something unexpected crossed their path while the latter could heal any injuries Balgzr suffered from being trapped. The four bats were quite confident they wouldn’t encounter any resistance, especially with the snakes forcing the bats to allocate all their numbers to address the threat elsewhere. The young man had the bats take the lead while he used his staff to light the way for him, Brornun and Dar. The group covered plenty of the ground as they went deeper underground.

  I hope we can continue avoiding conflict until we reach the surface. With a smaller group, we aren’t as suited for combat.

  Zog and the others weren’t too pleased with not being present for this stage of the spelunking but Dreu wanted a small group. They couldn’t afford to be noticed if they didn’t want to be discovered underground. From what he learned from the bats, the snakes could sense others through heat and, despite his companions being his summons, they still exhibited traits same as what they had before they joined him. The more he brought with him, the easier for the snakes to lock in on them. Then, they stopped inside a cavern that looked just like any over cavern he stepped in earlier.

  What’s wrong, Azurys? Did we make a wrong turn?

  The lesser demon bat went from passage entrance to passage entrance, trying to figure out which way was right. When Dreu asked, she said that the tunnels had changed since she last played in the vicinity. After a minute of checking every passage entrance, the bat turned to Dreu.

  Might be due to the tunnel collapse. Please give me more time to map the place out.

  Not wanting to rush the bat, Dreu sat down nearby with his back against the wall. He gestured to Brornun and Dar to join him as he waited. As an added precaution, he spoke with Zog, Aggich and Ilveroz. The three of them were unsummoned so, if anything did happen, he could recall them to deal with the problem. Meanwhile, the other bats joined Azurys in the search for the forbidden tunnels. They ventured deeper into the passageway but they always returned shortly afterwards to discuss what they found. Then, Brornun stood up with his ears back and hackles raised while he faced one of the passage entrances.

  There’s something sinister….and strong down here. Something….we don’t want to face.

  Brornun’s remark startled Dreu. When the young man asked the wolf if they should fall back, Brornun simply said that they might be fine. The sinister presence wasn’t close to them and they couldn’t approach it unless they traveled much deeper into the mountain.

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  This thing isn’t moving either. It feels dormant and dangerous at the same time. I’ll let you know if I sense it moving towards us.

  From their discussion with the bats, it was clear they didn’t need to reach the deeper parts of the mountain. They only needed to reach the entrance to the forbidden tunnels. Once there, they could figure out a way to clear the rubble blocking the way. When asked, the bats claimed that the rubble was only impossible to clear due to the bats lacking the means to do so. Even Balgzr with his strength wouldn’t be able to clear a path through his strength alone. However, they stated that a human like Dreu should have no issue. The young man questioned their statement but he kept his opinion to himself.

  We’re almost there! These tunnels appear familiar.

  With permission, Azurys ventured deeper down the tunnel that got Brornu riled up to investigate on her own. Dreu decided that, if the bat was defeated, they would fall back and regroup. Thankfully, that wasn’t necessary when the bat returned with news of the passage being correct. The group proceeded forward until they came across the blockage. During this last bit of spelunking, the young man learned that, by limiting the intensity of his illumination staff, he could create a situation where there was enough light for him, Brornun and Dar to see while it also allowed the bats to navigate without being completely blinded.

  Now, how do we clear this blockage? If my squadmates were here...

  While the bats were correct about him possessing more means of removing the rubble like more physical strength and fingers, Dreu couldn’t tell how much rubble and debris was in the way. His days as a laborer had made him accustomed to such work but, like everything else, there was a limit before he had to stop to rest. The young man planned out a trip for a single day as they weren't equipped to stay underground for multiple days.

  If Bayard and the others were here, they could do this easily with their limitless stamina.

  Dreu turned to the bats and asked if they could figure out how big the blockage was. The four bats went to work but they could only map out a section of the blockage. With the information, the young man figured out where the debris wasn’t the densest so he put his energy into clearing that section. After repeating the process, they eventually cleared a path to the other side. As soon he stepped into the other side, Dreu stopped in his tracks.

  Why? Why are there lit torches here? What is going on here?

  While Dreu tried to make sense of everything, the four bats flew slightly deeper into the passage, careful in not getting too close to the torches. The young man turned to Brornu who stated he couldn’t sense any danger close by.

  You four! Scout ahead but fall back as soon as you spot something. I don’t know what individual or thing could be responsible for these torches.

  Once the bats set off, Dreu returned to the dark tunnels and increased the illumination of his staff. To his shock, there were sconces along the wall that stretched for the rest of the passage.

  What will happen if all the torches are lit? Is this a ritual of some sort?