Mercury. He vanished inside only steps ahead of Mercury who was quick to follow.
The warehouse was completely empty. The floor was solid concrete, the walls corrugated metal except where the garage doors broke up the monotony. Mercury could see a half-dozen cameras along the roof, but there was no other sign that the warehouse was in use. The air smelled stale as if no one had been inside for a long time.
"This is the right place," Nickel insisted as he walked further into the room. His voice echoed in the empty space. Dane's magic ruffled Mercury's hair almost playfully as it swept through the room. It bounced back just as easily as Nickel's voice. A little too easily, considering how strong Dane was. Mercury called on his own magic, but instead of letting it sweep the room, he let it creep along the walls and across the floor.
The walls were plain metal, but the floor wasn't uniform. His magic rolled over cement everywhere except for the far left corner where it felt like wood. Mercury hurried over and bent down to feel with his hands what his magic was telling him.
"There's a trap door," he explained to Dane and Nickel who had followed him across the warehouse. The door was colored the same gray as the concrete and Mercury didn't feel any hinges or a handle. Either there was an electronic hinge underneath that they didn't have the switch for, or someone with magic knew how to remove the door.
"Let me," Dane said as he kneeled next to Mercury on the floor. His hands brushed over Mercury's against the door for a brief moment, sending a shiver down Mercury's spine that was completely inappropriate for the time and place, before they flattened against the surface. He pulled upwards, but kept his hands pressed flat with a touch of magic. The door came free with a screech of metal grating against metal. Dane tossed it aside so they could all look down. A stepladder was set up below them, leading down into a dark hole of indeterminate length. It wasn't wet despite its depth and the proximity to the bay, but a little bit of searching told Mercury that the construction crew had had a witch on staff when the concrete was poured. The spell was an old one; it might predate the enemy taking control of the warehouse, but there was no way for Mercury to be certain. "I guess we have to go down," Dane sighed. He was staring into the dark hole with a look of disgust. "Nickel, we need you to stay here and guard our retreat."
Nickel grimaced, but he didn't argue. He wasn't being shuttled off on a chump job. Mercury knew that and Nickel was also smart enough to know how important guarding their exit was, especially when they didn't know who else might be coming to deal with any air dragons hidden below. A rear guard was necessary. Nickel didn't have to like being left behind—Mercury could tell he didn't like it at all—but he would do it and do it well. Nickel backed away from the trapdoor, putting his back against the wall so he could see the main door, the garage doors, and the trapdoor without being ambushed form behind.
Dane stepped onto the ladder and began to descend. His magic flared and light appeared below his feet.
"Stay safe," Mercury admonished as he waited for Dane to clear the ladder.
Nickel grimaced and flexed his fingers, water magic swirling around him. "Let them try me," he growled. Mercury grinned at him and then stepped onto the ladder to follow Dane down into the depths of the warehouse.
The ladder was seventeen feet high, about one story, and Mercury was on the ground beside Dane quickly. Dane held a small ball of light in one hand, which revealed that they were in the terminating end of a long white hallway. The space was unadorned and otherwise unremarkable. They followed the hallway slowly, watching for any potential traps. It led underneath an adjacent warehouse, which made Mercury wonder just how large the facility might be, and eventually opened up into a pleasant sitting area. The walls were still a
The warehouse was completely empty. The floor was solid concrete, the walls corrugated metal except where the garage doors broke up the monotony. Mercury could see a half-dozen cameras along the roof, but there was no other sign that the warehouse was in use. The air smelled stale as if no one had been inside for a long time.
"This is the right place," Nickel insisted as he walked further into the room. His voice echoed in the empty space. Dane's magic ruffled Mercury's hair almost playfully as it swept through the room. It bounced back just as easily as Nickel's voice. A little too easily, considering how strong Dane was. Mercury called on his own magic, but instead of letting it sweep the room, he let it creep along the walls and across the floor.
The walls were plain metal, but the floor wasn't uniform. His magic rolled over cement everywhere except for the far left corner where it felt like wood. Mercury hurried over and bent down to feel with his hands what his magic was telling him.
"There's a trap door," he explained to Dane and Nickel who had followed him across the warehouse. The door was colored the same gray as the concrete and Mercury didn't feel any hinges or a handle. Either there was an electronic hinge underneath that they didn't have the switch for, or someone with magic knew how to remove the door.
"Let me," Dane said as he kneeled next to Mercury on the floor. His hands brushed over Mercury's against the door for a brief moment, sending a shiver down Mercury's spine that was completely inappropriate for the time and place, before they flattened against the surface. He pulled upwards, but kept his hands pressed flat with a touch of magic. The door came free with a screech of metal grating against metal. Dane tossed it aside so they could all look down. A stepladder was set up below them, leading down into a dark hole of indeterminate length. It wasn't wet despite its depth and the proximity to the bay, but a little bit of searching told Mercury that the construction crew had had a witch on staff when the concrete was poured. The spell was an old one; it might predate the enemy taking control of the warehouse, but there was no way for Mercury to be certain. "I guess we have to go down," Dane sighed. He was staring into the dark hole with a look of disgust. "Nickel, we need you to stay here and guard our retreat."
Nickel grimaced, but he didn't argue. He wasn't being shuttled off on a chump job. Mercury knew that and Nickel was also smart enough to know how important guarding their exit was, especially when they didn't know who else might be coming to deal with any air dragons hidden below. A rear guard was necessary. Nickel didn't have to like being left behind—Mercury could tell he didn't like it at all—but he would do it and do it well. Nickel backed away from the trapdoor, putting his back against the wall so he could see the main door, the garage doors, and the trapdoor without being ambushed form behind.
Dane stepped onto the ladder and began to descend. His magic flared and light appeared below his feet.
"Stay safe," Mercury admonished as he waited for Dane to clear the ladder.
Nickel grimaced and flexed his fingers, water magic swirling around him. "Let them try me," he growled. Mercury grinned at him and then stepped onto the ladder to follow Dane down into the depths of the warehouse.
The ladder was seventeen feet high, about one story, and Mercury was on the ground beside Dane quickly. Dane held a small ball of light in one hand, which revealed that they were in the terminating end of a long white hallway. The space was unadorned and otherwise unremarkable. They followed the hallway slowly, watching for any potential traps. It led underneath an adjacent warehouse, which made Mercury wonder just how large the facility might be, and eventually opened up into a pleasant sitting area. The walls were still a
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