The shadows were a cloak one would hide in. But in the Shadow God's castle, they were his observant eyes.
Riley veiled them all and slipped out through the entrance. Two guards accidentally trimmed a few of his hairs with their blades.
They shuffled slowly against the walls, bodies pressed flush into the obsidian surface. When they reached the corner a small yelp followed Yara's vanishing.
Dari nearly screamed out to her, but Lucy shut his mouth.
"Shhh. You wanna die?"
He shook his head violently.
"Good."
Riley patted the wall until his hand slipped through the darkness. Then his head followed and it revealed a tunnel carved into the stone.
"Come in. Quick."
They followed their leader and all now stood in the darkness.
A small flicker of light bathed the tunnel. Riley's lantern had proven useful in combat situations, but it shone brightest in the exploration department.
It was a tight space. No more than two shoulder lengths, but they managed.
Slowly, soft blue light began glowing from deeper into the tunnel. Riley rubbed his eyes with the goal to make sure he wasn't hallucinating it.
'This cannot be good. But it might not be too bad either.'
The distance shortly closed and the cohort found themselves in a large cavern with blue moss pulsing. Long strips of it were embedded into the cracks lining the walls.
Holes, perfectly cylindrical in shape, were scattered across the walls. Every opening leaked a small stream of water.
Riley turned his head now to the centre of the cavern just up ahead. Where all the streams converged to fall off the edge.
"An underground lake?"
Riley circled the cliffside overlooking the giant glowing water. It was an ethereal blue that radiated a feeling of calm.
'This isn't right…'
The rest of them were exploring on their own. Lucy had found a hole where no water seeped through, it was just a hollow tube that ran upward.
Yara poked at the moss and it wriggled slightly. Like grass being swayed by a soft breeze, still, it creeped her out. It felt like small tentacles brushing against her palm.
Dari was picking up mushrooms that had grown from the walls. Their colour was also blue, and they gave off an umami smell. Despite his hesitation, he decided not to bite into it.
Riley finally looked over the edge where the massive lake peacefully sat at the bottom. There was one more ledge that circumvented the water, only several metres above the surface.
And deep in its depth, Riley could feel its presence. Something ancient and powerful.
"Let's regroup. The sooner we leave, the better."
The three met up near the cavern's entrance and exchanged their findings. Not that there was anything of particular importance coming from the rest.
"Actually, the walls of the lower ledge are filled with obsidian disks."
Lucy could faintly see them during her brief exploration. But what ticked her off was how perfectly symmetrical they were.
Dwelling on it only made Riley's mind bogged down further. Right now, they have gotten two interesting leads. And getting home was the only thing he wanted to focus on.
"Let's head back. I'll use my veil to make sure no one sees us."
===
It hadn't taken long for them to arrive back at their camp. No one had spotted them, and they all headed their separate ways to cool off.
Riley brushed the flaps of the tent to the side and spotted Lydia reading a book on the bed. He instinctively flinched, knowing the possibility of the concubine leaping in his arms was huge.
But she remained reading.
Riley shot her a puzzled look. And she just smiled warmly at him.
Placing the book down, she walked over slowly and filled a cup with piping hot tea.
"Here my dear, you must be tired. Lay with me."
She patted the bed beside her. And he followed, like a puppy.
"How was your mission? Tell me all of the details."
She leaned back against the wooden headboard and flashed an even softer smile. Riley's brain went haywire, and his chest tightened.
"It went fine. I'd like to rest, could we?"
Lydia put the book away entirely with a cocked eyebrow.
"We? As in together?"
She rubbed her chin, mumbling to herself something about poison.
Even then, she was the first to lay down, beckoning him to assume his position too. And he did, cuddled up in her embrace. Riley ran his fingers through her hair.
He couldn't quite understand why his body naturally welcomed her. Why was her presence so comforting and calming to him?
The very thought that she was someone dear to him was baffling. Lydia had done nothing but creep him out, but that was all in his head.
"You like my hair?"
"Yes."
"I like your touch. It's…calm."
She nuzzled into his shoulder.
"Something is on your mind?"
"How'd you know?"
"How could I not?"
He looked into her face, past her face, and tried probing her sole. Was she truly docile? That couldn't be, otherwise she wouldn't have appeared in the portraits of the war room.
"Who are you?"
She looked back, slightly confused, but it quickly melted into a familiar smile.
"Your concubine, your lover, your best friend."
"Liar."
Lydia's eyes snapped open.
"What? You are joking right?"
Riley was taken aback by her look of surprise. It was either she was telling the truth, or she was a generational actor.
"Forgive me, it's just, what we saw there has made me slightly stressed."
She allowed herself to relax, looping her arms around him and pulling him closer.
"Take your time, if you are not ready to tell me, that's fine. Just remember, I will always be here by your side."
"T-Thank you."
Riley couldn't help but blush. For once, he didn't pull away from her touch. He leaned into it.