Kre’s searching hand finally found the latch and, by feel, he slowly worked out how the mechanism worked. “Okay,” he called back to Kitalia, “I’m going to open the door now.”
He eased his thumb onto the latch release and pressed firmly, but it didn’t budge. He pressed it again with the same result. He moved his hand and pressed his palm on the latch but still had no success in pushing the trigger down. “I think it’s locked,” he said defeatedly.
‘Try again.’
“Kit,” he replied, “I don’t think we’re getting in this way. The whole thing is probably rusted out by now.”
‘Try again…’
The voice was more insistent this time and a chill ran down Kre’s neck when he realized that it wasn’t Kitalia’s voice he heard.
“Did you hear that Kit?” he whispered.
He felt a tremor run through her body and into their joined hands. “Kre… these things that… live in the dark… don’t let them separate us…”
Kre nodded again, resolving himself that he wouldn’t let her down. Especially not after everything she had done for him so far.
‘Again! Now!’
That voice, most insistent this time. Even though it wasn’t Kitalia’s voice, it still had a familiarity to it. Still, it wasn’t asking him to separate from Kitalia and that was the big fear right now. The voice even made him feel oddly calm about the situation they were in. A pleasant, warm feeling despite all of the possible horrors rolling around in his mind.
He pressed his thumb to the latch again and pressed firmly, this time feeling it shift easily under the push. The door opened inward, and he promptly took a confident step over the threshold, pulling Kitalia along behind him.
Kre took a few tentative steps in, testing the space in front of him with both probing foot and waving arm. He heard a sigh and started to turn and ask Kitalia what was wrong when the door behind them suddenly slammed shut.
“What the…” he managed to blurt out even as he heard some more mechanisms turning and clanking, seemingly locking and barring the door in place. Though he already had no ability to see in the darkness, it seemed to grow ever darker knowing that their way back out was blocked. He continued back forward, or whatever direction it was that they were headed in.
The sound of metal scraping on metal echoed from behind them. Light, at first, like someone just casually running a metal blade along the edge of another blade. Then, more intense, as if there was anger behind an inability to intentionally pierce, puncture, or otherwise mar the surface.
“We have to hurry,” Kitalia gasped. “I can’t keep this up…”
Kre thought that she meant powering through her paralyzing fear and the pressure of facing unknown horrors amongst the ruins. He had no idea that she was actually invoking a charm of protection for the two of them.
“I think we’re in a tunnel,” Kre replied, trying to ignore the scraping sounds coming from behind them.
“The city wall,” she said, almost out of breath. “Must be…”
Kre squeezed her hand, appreciative of how brave she was being despite what he believed to be her being terrified beyond all belief. He sped their way through the tunnel, appreciating the flatness of the stone path, seemingly well-maintained even after all these years. After maybe thirty feet, they reached another metal door.
‘Wait…’