"You are planning on carving sleds for the carriage wheels, correct?"

"Yeah, you guessed it dear husband! Normally making anything out of fresh trees is a dumb idea but we are not going to be using these long, so warping won't be too much of an issue." [Katiana]

One of the combat maids, Lucinda, passed Katiana a cup of hot chocolate.

"My Lady, it is cold outside." [Lucinda]

Katiana poked the white blob floating in her cup and grinned.

"Ohhh! Thanks Lucinda, you are spoiling me! How did you remember I love marshmallows?" [Katiana]

"My Lady should wait in the warmer carriage." [Lucinda]

"I'm fine, I'm fine - you gave me that amazing warming stone and I'm keeping it under the blanket here with me, hehe!" [Katiana]

Lucinda bowed and went about other duties.

A while later the elites had brought over two dozen trees of similar sizes, the branches already stripped off.

"Perfect! So what we want to do is sort of make dugout canoes for each wheel set - we'll need sixteen in total. so make the bottom flat, give the front part a bit of an upward curve, and if you can, carve out a couple of inches where the wheels will be standing in - then we'll lash it all down!" [Katiana]

"You heard our Lady, get moving you mutts! We got this, my Lady, you should go back inside now." [Leandera of the Ice Blade]

At those words the combat maid Lucinda appeared out of the shadows and pulled on Katiana's sleeve.

"You see, my Lady, even the elites are concerned about you - I have warmed up your carriage with fresh heat stones and there are some cookies waiting for you..." [Lucinda]

"Oh Kay! I know when I am beaten! Take care everyone!" [Katiana]

Before returning to my own tent, I gave a command to two fire mages to start building a ramp up to the north side through the piled up snow, so that we could continue our journey in the morning.

---

The next morning the tree-skids were ready and had already been lashed to the wagons and carriages.

The ramp up to the north side was also prepared - the fire mages had carefully melted a gentle slope up to the remainder of the avalanche that filled the mountain pass - we left in a good mood in the fresh cold morning air..

Because the snow made moving quicker we arrived at our next destination shortly after noon.

Katiana stuck her head out of her carriage.

"Nitram dear, do we stop here, or do you think we can make it the next checkpoint?" [Katiana]

"We made good time - we continue."

"Good, I was just having a bad run here playing 'Go Fish' - and I want to win back at least a few of my cookies!" [Katiana]

Ah, she was sharing her carriage again with three of mother's combat maids and playing cards - well, at least that kept her out of trouble.

By early evening we reached our final resting stop before entering unknown territory.

Unwittingly thanks to the avalanche we had saved a whole day travel - which was certainly the opposite of what the second Empress' faction wished for.

We arrived at the ancient ruins of what had once been a large fort that protected a now abandoned mining town located a bit further at the very foot of the mountains.

"There is something very strange about this fort. Look, the east and west walls and several of the towers are still standing." [Katiana]

"They are crumbling quite a bit - a few more decades and they will be gone, too."

"Sure, maybe... but here's what is weird - the middle of the fort is completely missing. It looks like someone took a huge laser beam, and pow, pew, zzzzroom... simply erased it all." [Katiana]

"A what?"

"Lasers are... sort of like a huge fire lance, I guess, just hundreds of times hotter if you can imagine that. Look, you can even see the stones at the edges here - they look a bit melted." [Katiana]

"Hah, yes, I see that now - hm, I can think of a few personages who could have done that, yes... well, it was hundreds of years ago, and the destroyer of this fort is either long gone, or a dragon, in which case we don't have to worry either way."

"How did you come to that...? Oh, right, I almost forgot. Well, looks like dinner is served. Come along!" [Katiana]

She grabbed my hand and pulled me along towards the chow tables - I suspected that even if I had wanted to dig my heels in, I'd be still dragged along - where does this frail flower of maidenhood with such thin arms hide that strength, I wondered?

---

The new elite that I had recently sparred with and who had won a semi-victory approached us after we had eaten.

"Oh, hello Quania! How are you holding up?" [Katiana]

"Good, thank you my Lady!" [Quania]

"Do you happen to know all my elites, dear wife?"

"Dear husband, of course! As the Duchess, the least I can do is know the names of those who are so kind as to put their lives on the line to protect me, no?" [Katiana]

"Indeed, commendable - I take it you have something to report, Quania?"

"My Lord - I think we might encounter undead tomorrow - I smell them in the direction of our goal." [Quania]

"Any chance of attack tonight?"

"No, unlikely, we have setup barriers, and the smell is coming from inside the mines themselves, not from this fort or the ruined mining town." [Quania]

"If I recall, you are particularly talented in turning undead, yes?"

"Correct, my Lord - I would like to take point tomorrow with you, if that is allowed." [Quania]

I scratched my chin a moment - was it a good idea to take a new elite along into unknown dangers?

Well, to even become an elite, one had to be many times more talented than the famously strong Royal Guards, so it probably was acceptable.

"Fine - you better go rest and recharge now - I'll inform the watch commander you are off duty tonight."

"Thank you my Lord. My Lady, good night!" [Quania]

Quania saluted and we all retired to our respective tents - or in Katiana's case her "camper" as she called her modified carriage.

---

The next morning we broke camp, and headed towards the abandoned mines, which we reached around mid morning.

We set up defensive camp here, with the wagons and carriages as a makeshift "fort".

Katiana stood next to me - again without me noticing her approach.

The first sign I had of her closeness was today's perfume - the cleansing smell of lavender in full bloom.

Today she was wearing typical adventure's clothing and light armor - this time Nozomi, Katiana's light swallowing slime companion, was riding on her shoulder.

A short fine tentacle extended from Nozomi's body and it waved at me, it's single eye looking expectantly at me.

Automatically I waved back - this now was a ritual we both seem to act out each time Nozomi sees me.

"Oh... there are so many mine openings - which one is our goal?" [Katiana]

"Good question. Luckily mother prepared a special 'compass' for us. Look - the needle is pointing over to that mine shaft, the largest one by the looks of it."

"What is it reacting to?" [Katiana]

"Apparently the first Empress received a warding stone embedded in a bracelet from my mother as a birthday gift, once. And mother is sure that the Empress would never take it off. So if she is alive, and still has the bracelet, this needle will track down her location."

"A bit a lot of ifs, but if that is all we can go by, better than stumbling around in the dark mines, I suppose..." [Katiana]

"Well, we have to hope the Goddess is on our side a bit, on this one, yes. Are you ready, do you have everything you require?"

"Yep. Got it all here in my item pouches. Are we just going to leave the wagons here?" [Katiana]

"Indeed - that is why I also took five elite squads along - one will join us, the other four will stay here and guard the makeshift fort. Those guarding can also be used as reinforcements if needed - we will stay in constant contact, after all."

"My Lord, my squad and I will be your escort." [Leandera of the Ice Blade]

"Very good Leandera - how did you decide this time?" 

"We asked my Lady to draw from a hat." [Leandera of the Ice Blade]

"Heh, so that is what that was about - I was wondering why you asked me to draw a name..." [Katiana]

"Very fair - you are the perfect paragon of impartiality."

"I... I'll take that as a compliment, thank you. I think." [Katiana]

"Squad, formation 'H'. Head out!" [Leandera of the Ice Blade]

And thus we entered the largest mine in our search for the first Empress and her son, the one who should be crown prince.

---

"How long have we been walking now?" [Katiana]

Not only was Katiana and Leandera's elite squad with us, but all thirteen members of 'Wings of the Goddess', mother's combat maid adventure party, surrounded Katiana.

"A bit over half a day, my Lady. Should we take a rest and a small meal?" [Lucinda]

"Not unless the others need a break - I can still go on for a long time, I'm used to walking a lot." [Katiana]

"In that case, at least please have this apple danish - I stored it in my personal item bag, which stops time, so it is still warm from the oven." [Lucinda]

I leaned over and whispered to Katiana.

"You are indeed loved by the maids, are you not, dear wife?"

"Lucinda always spoils me rotten - I'll have to ask your help with finding out what I can do to make it up to her, once we get home." [Katiana]

"My steward might be a better person to request assistance from."

"Oh, right Stephanus is pretty good at choosing gifts! I'll bug him, then!" [Katiana]

We trudged on further.

---

We had been walking for almost a day now.

Quania had been scouting ahead and returned.

"There is a large open area ahead - might be a good spot to break there, my Lord." [Quania]

I nodded.

The space we entered was a large natural cavern that the miners had broken into - remnants of mine carts, forgotten piles of ore, and heavy mining equipment littered the space.

We setup a temporary camp, with the elite squad setting up a barrier and guards, while the combat maids busied themselves with preparing a simple but warm repast.

 "Smelling any undead around yet, Quania?" [Katiana]

Other than a few bats near the mine entrance, we had up to now not encountered anything living - or dead.

"The smell has been getting stronger all day, my Lady, but..." [Quania]

"But?" [Katiana]

"I'm not sure - I sort of felt a few times that they were very close, but each time we got to where I thought we'd meet an undead - there was nothing." [Quania]

"Maybe they are avoiding us, seeing as we are a large armed party."

"Hm... That would mean they are higher undead - zombies and skeletons would have just thrown themselves at us... or so I've heard, not that I have any practical experience, not at all, nope." [Katiana]

"That's true what you heard, my Lady - normal zombies just attack. But there are also brainless undead that can be controlled by a much more powerful force." [Quania]

"You mean like a Lich? Or a Vampire Lord?" [Katiana]

"Or even a lower Demon, yes." [Quania]

"All three would be a bit of nuisance to deal with - undeads and Demons are sturdy and take a bit of convincing before they are put to rest. But we elites can easily enough deal with them." [Leandera of the Ice Blade]

"We will continue in six hours, so everyone get a good rest - watch flip every two hours, and I will take the last watch myself."

After all, I needed everyone to be fit - no use to arrive at our goal all tired out, especially when we did not know what we would be facing.

---

After our rest, we walked about two hours through the mine tunnel, and reached another cavern - this one did not look natural.

"Ah, I think we found the reason why the mining town was abandoned - look at the far wall over there, the metal double-door in the wall." [Leandera of the Ice Blade]

"What's a dungeon doing here? I've never heard about one in this area?" [Gina, sub-leader of 'Wings of the Goddess']

"Maybe it's not an actual dungeon?" [Katiana]

"Hm... well, might as well open the door and see what is beyond - everyone, to arms!" [Leandera of the Ice Blade]

I walked up to the massive metal doors and looked them up and down - undecipherable runes glowed a soft orange along the doors' surface.

"I'll go point on this - I have the best defense after all, this sort of looks like a trap."

With that I pushed one of the doors - it slid open easily, revealing a marbled corridor lined on each side with over a hundred bronze statues, all armed with swords and shields.

Each statue also was inscribed with the same orange glowing rune.

Katiana poked her head around me.

"Yep, this is a trap, alright. Anyone else know ancient Lich? Cause that is what these runes are in... and they are one mess of curses." [Katiana]

"Oh, you can read that? Any clue to disarm this?"

"Yeah I can read it, but nope. No idea how to avoid this." [Katiana]

"Stay here, everyone."

The moment I put one foot down inside the corridor, the statues all swiveled their heads to look at me. 

I then stepped fully in, and the statues raised their swords and the closest four statues took a step towards me.

From behind I felt air pressure, and one of the closest statues suddenly lost its head as a rusty sword smashed into it.

"So... I wonder if that is enough to stop them, or do we need to crush them completely?" [Katiana]

Sigh...

"Only one way to find out!" [Leandera of the Ice Blade]

Leandera stepped in next to me and fired an explosive arrow at the next closest statue - its head detonated.

The two remaining closest statues that still had their heads took another step towards us - a couple of steps more, and we would be in their swords' range.

"Oh look, the headless one stopped moving - that is promising!" [Katiana]

"Really, you two... fine then, anyone with distance weapons, target the statues' heads - meanwhile..."

I leaped forwards and slashed at the two statues in front of me with Bear-Grim - the star-metal sword cut through the bronze as if it was paper.

"... it looks as if we can also slice them up."

"You hear our Lord! Fire at will!" [Leandera of the Ice Blade]

"Ah - looks like something triggered them all!" [Katiana]

And indeed, all the leftover statues started marching towards us - well, I needed some light exercise.

---