The first thing Sage noticed was the silence.
The underground passages they had explored earlier were filled with distant movements, dripping water, and the occasional cries of dungeon monsters.
Here, however, the silence was so complete that even the sound of their breathing seemed unusually loud.
They stood upon a circular stone platform inside an enormous hall illuminated by ancient golden runes. Towering pillars lined both sides of the chamber, disappearing into shadows near the ceiling.
The walls were covered in intricate carvings depicting warriors battling monstrous creatures, while five enormous gates stood along the opposite wall.
Each gate bore a different symbol.
A crossed sword and shield adorned the first. The second displayed the head of a hunting beast, while the third contained an elaborate arrangement of intersecting circles. The fourth depicted a warrior holding a raised sword, and the fifth bore five symbols arranged around a single crown.
