6-30. Emberstone Keep
Elijah burst through the gate, eliciting an ear-splitting screech as the pivot points were ripped free. The gate itself flew inward, crashing to the ground with a heavy clatter that echoed through the corridor beyond. A second later, the shield associated with Bestial Charge winked out, and Elijah let out a deep but satisfied breath.
After resuming his human form, he turned to the others and said, “Told you I could get through it.”
“Literally no one claimed you couldn’t,” Sadie pointed out. “We just said that you shouldn’t.”
“What’s the difference?” he asked with a grin.
“Bro.”
“Seriously, Elijah,” said Ron.
“I thought it was cool,” Kurik said. “I did use that word right, didn’t I? Cool used to describe somethin’ good doesn’t sound right.”
“Your flawed judgement aside, you used the term correctly,” Sadie said, stepping past Elijah to take her position at the front of their established formation. “Hopefully, we’re not swarmed by hobgoblins that have been alerted to our presence.”
“Oh, c’mon,” Elijah pleaded. “We looked for another way to get them open, but –”
“For less than five minutes,” she pointed out.
Elijah replied, “I was bored.”
“You need to learn some patience, bro. I can teach you some meditative techniques if you want,” Dat offered.
“My daughter was the same way,” Ron added. “But once she found her calling as a Tailor, she settled down. Now, her biggest issue is that she tends to hyperfocus. I have a therapist friend who could help –”
“I don’t have a problem,” Elijah muttered. “Can we just go? I feel like everyone’s ganging up on me.”
“I didn’t say nothin’.”
“Except Kurik. My only true friend.”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” the dwarf said. “I only barely tolerate you, and that’s mostly ‘cause you get me levels and might kill everyone in my city if I offend you.”
“What? I wouldn’t do that!”
“You literally threatened it nine times when you first came to Ironshore,” the dwarf said. Then, he adopted what he probably thought was an approximation of Elijah’s voice, raising his fist as he said, “’Don’t mess with me, or I’ll murder everyone in their sleep. Even the kids.’ That’s basically what you said. Nine times. I counted.”
“I didn’t…you know what? I’m done with this conversation. Let’s just go,” Elijah said before letting out a long-suffering sigh. Then, under his breath, he said, “So unfair.”
Sure, he had threatened the people of Ironshore, but that had been entirely justified at the time. After all, they’d just sent a fifty-person force to kill him and take his grove. Then, that Rogue – Elijah had forgotten the goblin’s name – had tried to ambush him in the tower. By all accounts, his actions had been completely understandable.
“He’s right,” Sadie said. Then, she gave a slight, barely noticeable smirk of her own before adding, “This time.”
Elijah rolled his eyes, but as annoyed he was, he was even more grateful that they were moving on. So, in a combined attempt to establish the nature of his surroundings and ignore the unfair criticism leveled in his direction, he focused on the corridor. The gate led to a fairly simple hall whose defining characteristic was that it was made entirely of polished black stone.
“Is this onyx?” he asked, resting his hand on one of the square pillars carved into the wall. “Or obsidian?”
“What’s the difference?” asked Dat.
“Obsidian is volcanic glass,” Elijah said. “Onyx is a variety of quartz. And saying that, I realize how unnecessary my question was. Given the environment, it’s obviously obsidian. But it’s usually too brittle to use for building material.”
“Magic, bro.”
“Touche.”
The hall itself was mostly unadorned, save for the squared columns. It gave the design aesthetic a brutalist cast that was accentuated by the all-black décor. When Elijah looked up, he gave a slight start upon seeing that the ceiling seemed to have been made of slowly flowing lava. Upon further inspection, he saw that it was all contained by ethera.
“Definitely magic.”
Once they’d wrapped their heads around their surroundings, the group set off down the corridor. After only a few steps, Elijah saw a notification flash before his inner eye:
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