It was slow going compared to our normal pace, but that was to be expected with two of our members injured. Once we reached the top of the stairs, we headed into the corridor that led off from the landing. It was only a short corridor but there were several doors that led off from it, then at the end of the corridor was a double doorway.

“From the looks of things, we should start at the end and work back down the corridor. Something tells me that room is important.” Lillia said pointing to the doorway as we all walked up the corridor.

“Well, it looks as good a place to start as any. Hold up, I’ll check it before we head in.” Altria said letting go of Siofra and heading up front with Lillia.

The master of this place might be dead already, but it made perfect sense to still be checking for traps. Altria quickly checked over the doorway, before opening it and cautiously stepping inside.

“It’s safe, you can come in.” She said popping her head back out.

After Altria’s reassurance the rest of us made our way into the room, Lillia helping Siofra inside. The room looked to be a study or something. There was a comfortable looking armchair in the centre of the room. There was a writing desk on the far wall and the rest of the walls were lined with bookshelves. I walked Serin to the armchair.

“Thanks Theo, but I can help search.” Serin said when she realised why I’d walked us there.

“Come on, just sit and rest for now. It isn’t a large room the three of us can look.” I answered her.

“He’s right, you two should just sit and save your strength. We’ve still got the long walk back to town once we get out of here.” Agreed Lillia, who was in the process of walking Siofra to the chair by the desk.

“Fine, I’ll sit.” Serin could see that she wasn’t going to be able to argue.

With our two injured sat in the chairs it was time to search the room for any clues or possible mechanisms that might be our way out of this dungeon. I wondered if this was even necessary, perhaps even Lillia alone would be enough to blast through that steel door. Well, we would probably have to spend at least another night down here before she had recovered enough to do something like that. The same was even more apparent for Serin and Siofra.

Lillia was busy rummaging through the contents on the desk, while Altria was checking every corner of the room for a possible mechanism. This left the bookshelves for me. I started idly pulling books from the shelves and flicking though them, just on the off chance there may be some clues held within them.

There were all kinds of books down here, from histories of the alliance to gardening. I had to wonder what interest a demon that lived at the bottom of a dungeon had with gardening. I pulled out one book and read out the title as I flicked through.

“The Gods of Lithsea, hmm…”

“That’s a history of the gods of our world.” Serin mentioned after overhearing me.

“So that’s what it is.”

It was the first time I had heard the name of this world. I continued to flick through the pages of the book taking in pieces of information here and there. According to the creation myth of this world, the gods used to walk amongst the other races while the world was young. That was until they ascended to the heavens. I wondered if any of that was true… I mean they do have magic in this world.

I had spent too long just looking through one book, so placed it back on the shelf and continued to work my way along the bookshelves.

“Hey Theo, we can’t find anything here. You carry on looking through the shelves and look after those two. We’ll make a start on the other rooms.” Lillia said as she went to leave the room with Altria in tow.

“Sure.”

“Hey, we don’t need looking after!” Objected Siofra.

“I know, it was just a figure of speech. Stay there and rest up.” Laughed Lilla before leaving.

“Huh, as if we need to be looked after. We’re ranking adventurer’s right Serin?” Asked Siofra.

“Yes, we are, no doubt about it. Then again we are in a state and Theo did damage the demon that did this to us.” Answered Serin.

“I suppose that is true…”

I kept working my way along the bookshelves as they spoke. I didn’t really expect to find anything of use here. Perhaps if we were somehow able to bring back all the books with us, they might show some insight to the woman that lived here. I definitely didn’t have the time now to go through them that thoroughly. I was starting to wonder if I would be better off joining the others and searching with them.

As I’d already made my way halfway through, I decided to continue. The bookshelf I was currently looking through was at the very end of the room, as I now mechanically pulled the books off the shelves and flicked through them, I came across one that didn’t want to be pulled from the shelf.

“It couldn’t be…” I murmured.

As I pulled the book harder it leant forward as if it was on a hinge, there was a loud click and the bookshelf slowly and loudly started to move to the side. It seemed such an obvious trigger that I had almost given up looking for something like this.

“A hidden passage!” Serin said with surprise as she got up from the chair to see what the noise was.

“Yeah, looks like it.” I agreed.

After hearing the noise from down the corridor Lillia and Altria came running back into the room, just in time to see the bookshelf completely move from the hidden passage.

“How did you find that?” Asked Altria.

“The trigger was a book.” I replied.

“Anyway, we should go and check this out, perhaps there is another way out. Back there.” Lillia said peeking down the passage.

“I’ll go first.” Altria said, quickly checking for traps before stepping inside.

After her went Lillia helping Siofra along, then Serin and I took up the rear. The passage was cramped, but it only led on for a short way until we reached another door. The door looked solid and was closed with a strong and heavy looking metal bar locking it from our side. It seemed that it was there to prevent entry from the other side, not to keep us in.

“Theo, give me a hand with this.” Asked Altria.

I left Serin and squeezed my way to the front of the group and grabbed the iron bar with Altria.

“On three.” She said.

“Okay.”

“One, two, three.”

We both heaved at the bar and slowly lifted it out of place, before hastily placing it on the floor at the side of the passage.

“Stand back.” Altria instructed.

She checked the door then opened it. There was just a small space on the inside and as Altria shone the light from lantern, a spiral staircase that looked as if it was cut into the rocks became visible. Altria stepped on the first step and lifted the lantern above her head. The steps went on for further than I could see.

“Steps, they go up for a long way.” She said turning back to the rest of the group.

“Do you think they lead all the way to the surface?” Asked Lillia.

“I can’t tell, but they go on for a long way and that door was definitely there to keep things that came from the stairs, out of the passage.”

“It seems like our best bet out of here. We should head up. Although, it’s going to be difficult with Serin and Siofra.”

“We’ll be fine Lillia and anyway there’s no rush, we still have supplies for a couple of days. We can take as long as we need.” Siofra pointed out.

“True.” Agreed Lillia. “Still, we should stop for food and rest here for a little while before we head up. It’s going to be awkward to stop once we’re on those stairs. There doesn't appear to be much room.”