Fairy tale

The next morning, all members of the expedition were gathered. Radonar stood in the center of the royal hall, wearing combat armor adorned with images of flames along the edges, and a crimson rose embellished the breastplate. A one-and-a-half-handed sword hung at his belt, almost entirely concealed beneath a red cloak. The king didn't particularly like this armor; he preferred the ceremonial one, finding it more beautiful, mainly due to its sky-blue color and the patterns etched upon it. However, in this instance, combat armor was necessary, as they were about to embark on a dangerous journey, and many battles awaited them. The king gave his final instructions to the council, after which the procession moved to the basement, where the entrance to the tunnels was located. "Is everyone ready?" Radonar asked, standing before the fissure in the wall. "Yes!" the assembled group exclaimed in unison. "Almost," someone mumbled belatedly. "Lecon?" the king asked, doubtfully. "I think I forgot the holy water," the blacksmith replied. "Don't worry, I brought some," Nemt said, producing a vial of liquid with a cross drawn on it from his pocket as proof. "I wasn't talking about that water," Lecon said dismissively, looking at the wizard. Radonar, in turn, gave his old friend a similar look. "Shh, I have some," Ayren whispered in her companion's ear, after which he calmed down. When all the last preparations for the journey were completed, and the guards lit the torches, the king gave the command, and Pensehl led the group down the dark corridor. The first knight could see perfectly well in the darkness, so he walked without a torch. Some explain this phenomenon as being due to his special juice diet, while others claim he made a pact with dark forces. Of course, few believe the latter, as such a person would not be hired for royal service. As for the torches, they were mainly carried by the soldiers, who were evenly distributed throughout the line of people. After some time, the group reached the remains of the skeletons that Pensehl had mentioned. After examining them, Nemt became convinced that magic was involved, and their weapons suggested that they had most likely come from the south. After a short rest, the king led his companions further. They walked until they came to a fork in the road. "Well, here are three roads, as I said," Pensehl said. "Matveg, can you determine where the skeletons came from or find other clues that would indicate the correct direction?" "I will try, Your Majesty," the miner replied, taking a strange device from his bag and beginning to examine the floor and walls. "But we still need to split up," Nemt interjected. "What if there is something important or dangerous in the other two corridors that we should know about?" "Yes, of course," Radonar agreed. While Matveg was trying to determine the correct route, the king appointed commanders for the other two groups. The choice, of course, fell on some of the most experienced fighters, who proudly accepted the command. "I found it!" the king's miner exclaimed joyfully. "This way, there is no doubt," he said, pointing to one of the tunnels. "Are you sure?" Pensehl asked. "Ninety-nine and nine-tenths percent sure," Matveg replied. "Good," the king said with satisfaction. "We will go this way, and you go that way," he said to his guards, after which he gave them the command to proceed. After waiting for the other two detachments to leave and the narrow dungeon to become more spacious, Radonar began to gather the main group from their temporary resting place. "Your Majesty..." "Yes?" "I think I should go first." "Why?" "Sir Pensehl is unfamiliar with these corridors, and even his unique vision will not help if a trap awaits us along the way. My knowledge and experience in this matter may protect us from them. I have spent a lot of time underground and know what dangers may lurk in the darkness of the dungeons." The king pondered for a moment, then exchanged glances with the first knight. "Agreed, Matveg, you will lead us." "I won't let you down," the miner replied, after which he tapped the crystal on his shoulder, causing it to glow with a bright light.