Aetherios System: Whirlwind

Chapter 57: Infiltration

Alex moved with a sense of purpose, boots pressing against the packed dirt as he followed the slope downward into the valley. The canopy above filtered the sunlight into shifting golds and greens, and the silence of the forest stretched out ahead of him.

“We’re getting close. I’m picking up traces.” He pointed forward, down the rocky slope toward a cluster of moss-covered boulders. “I’m seeing aether. Faint, but distinct enough to show up. ”

With his [Aether Sight] ability, Alex was able to see any of the Kobold’s magic traps or wards from a fair distance away. It wasn’t perfect, as he could still miss them if he wasn’t paying attention, and it didn’t give him any warning against non-magical traps, of which there were also plenty lying in wait. So far he hadn’t missed anything, he hoped.

The boulders in front of him had the tell-tale azure aura of aether energy clinging to their surface, so he was certain there was at least something going on there. He stepped closer cautiously.

“Kobold tunnel entrance, ” Obby confirmed. “Camouflaged and probably guarded. I would probably expect posted guards and extra surprises. ”

Alex narrowed his eyes. “I’ll handle it.”

As it turned out, the rocks weren’t just hiding a tunnel, they were the tunnel. When Alex reached the first boulder, he knelt and ran a hand along the moss. Subtle lines caught his attention, scratches where claws had pried open the stone, and a section shifted slightly when he pressed on it.

With a deep breath, he concentrated further on his aether sight. The world shifted again and the illusion faded instantly. Thin strands of runic magic covered the entrance like a curtain of smoke, the enchantment was clever but not clever enough to stop Alex. With Obby’s lessons, [Glyphcraft] had taught him to handle enchantments like these ones.

“There,” he muttered. “Glyph anchor at the base. If I disable it—”

“No,” Obby warned. “It’s alarmed. You’d trigger a feedback cascade. Instead, reinforce the illusion with your own glyph. Mirror the pattern and cloak yourself. ”

Alex grinned. “You really are a smart little pebble aren’t you? Using their own system against them, I like it.”

“I’m not a pebble. Stop calling me that. And I’m not ‘Obby’, my name is Obsidian. Say the whole thing! ” The rock was mentally pouting in his head. “ Wait! No… my name should truly encompass my many mysterious layers of knowledge and expertise. I will now be known as... Cypher. ”

“What ever you say Obby.”

He ignored the pebble’s resulting grumblings and pulled out his stylus tool, etching a quick counter-sigil along with some connecting lines on the boulders in front of him. Afterward, all it took was a small trickle of aether to bring them humming to life. Once activated, the kobold’s veil shimmered slightly and then faded into the background once more like a bothersome fog picked up by a breeze.