Page 66

Xilya bowed her head to him. "Do you think it wise to go near there before we know what we are dealing with?"

Ryziel left the console and started for the opposite side of the chamber, where a metal shelf sat. "We won't be going in yet, obviously," he called back to her. He took up a green orb from the shelf and returned to where the vrisha female stood. "We will use a nighteye." He held it out to her, and she took it carefully. "We will get close then send it in and have a look around."

Xilya turned the orb in her hand. "Not a bad plan." She offered it back to him, and he took it. "When do we leave?"

"Right now," Ryziel said, turning away again to place the nighteye in his pack.

***

They stayed down below for several hours, half the time traveling then sneaking their way over to the passage leading to the hidden chamber, the other time waiting as the nighteye took a full image of the room. When it was finished, they didn't stick around long to wait for anything to return. They quickly made their way back to the lair before half the night was through.

As soon as they returned, they uploaded the image feed to the console. As it played, they watched carefully, their faces twisting more and more into hard-set frowns.

"That's a lot of holes," Nar said flatly. "Tight ones."

Xilya slapped him lightly across the head. "Don't be crude."

Nar rubbed the back of his head, giving her a venomous look. "I wasn't," he snapped.

They watched as the nighteye circled around the chamber, showing an elevated view of a room punctured with small holes similar to those in the cave system where they had originally been harvesting. Only, these holes were even smaller and set in what were clearly rows, confirming that something had made them.

"Every single one is filled with minerals, all the way to the back," Ryziel said. He rubbed at his face. "Made to be hard to get into."

"What could this thing need with all these minerals anyway?" Xilya asked, glaring at the image. "It can't possibly use or need them for anything."

"Your guess is as good as mine," Nar said as he tapped at the console and brought up the urken archives on a separate screen. "But I've found a few possible culprits." He tapped the console again and brought up about five or so entries. "I've ruled out a couple, since they are more of the 'swimmer only' variety, as this thing clearly walks as well as swims. That leaves these few, and I'll tell you right now—none of them are nice and fluffy. I'll read deeper into each and see if one fits with what we are dealing with. "

"Good. I will start organizing supplies for each of us." Ryziel backed away from the console and started to head for the supply cabinets.

"Hold, Nihl Ryziel. I think we should discuss a plan of attack first." Xilya spoke as she gestured toward the screen. "After all, it could very well be trapped."

Ryziel paused to think on this. "Very well," he said. "Tell me what you have in mind."

Xilya left Nar to read over the entries, moving to Ryziel's side. "Firstly, I think if we are dealing with something extremely advanced and just as equally nasty it would probably be good to at least have a backup plan, rather than just sneaking inside and hoping for the best."

"Sound theory," Ryziel said.

"So, we should prepare both for a distraction for the best case scenario and to arm ourselves for the worst."

"Arm ourselves?" Ryziel tilted his head. "I didn't think you were one for the use of weapons. If we had any..."

Xilya shook her head. "It is not so much weapons but more something that could really do a great deal of damage to a creature without us having to necessarily fight it. Because I think both you and I can agree that we don't need another incident like what happened with the nyghi—"

Ryziel looked away as his face twisted, trying not to think about it.

"And I cannot say I could necessarily fight it on my own." Xilya bowed her head, moving a little closer to him. "So, we use something that not only could keep it away but could also get us out in case it trapped us."

Ryziel’s eyes flicked back to her, his mind working as he stared at her. "You want to use bombs?"

He guessed correctly as she nodded her head once. "Like the very ones used to break into this chamber."

Ryziel cast his eyes back to the area of supplies, where he knew a few bombs still sat, left over from when they had been breaking through chunks of cave wall to find the ship. "It would be loud...it could draw others."

"It could, but I don't think it will," Xilya stated. "Did you see any hint of life or sense movement as we neared that hidden den?"

Ryziel shook his head. "None."

"Because the things below know not to go near. They know something lurks there that would keep them far away. They will not come." Her eyes narrowed at him. "The bombs could be our protection and distraction."