Chapter 187: To the Elven Sacred Ground (4)
“The trail leads inside.” The elven queen frowned as she gazed at the small, hidden cave in the forest. The interior was pitch dark; she couldn’t see a thing.
“Are they hiding in there? O wind, deliver the knowledge of that place to me,” She whispered softly, invoking the spirits.
The wind gathered and swept into the cave. Ketal watched, intrigued.
“ Is that elemental magic?” he asked.
“That’s right. The power of the wind,” the queen replied.
She was hoping to scout out whatever waited within the cave by using a spirit. However, the wind halted at the cave’s mouth, unable to go any further. No matter how much she tried, it was as if an even stronger wind was blocking her. Clicking her tongue in frustration, the queen withdrew her magic.
“They’ve taken serious precautions against detection. It looks like we’ll have to check with our own eyes,” the queen said.
“There’s no need for that,” Ketal said, staring into the darkness of the cave. “The passage is longer than it seems. There may be traps. I’d estimate about ten dark mages inside, split across three rooms. The elven children appear to be confined in the deepest chamber.”
The queen blinked. “...Did you just figure out the cave’s interior?”
“I did.”
“H-how? With all their safeguards against detection, I thought only someone on my level could break through them.”
“No, I just listened.”