Light appeared ahead.
The group edged forward. The massive cavern was shaped like a semi-circle. The ceiling towered above. There were thirteen doors equally spaced along the semicircular wall. Auras of Magick flickered throughout the room.
“There are thirteen doors. I’m not surprised,” Cara said.
“Any ideas?” Nigel asked.
“I don’t think we should open them all at once if we can open them at all,” Roscoe said.
“I would agree with that,” Vanni added. He continued, “We are too far away to detect enemies. Exeter has been perplexed by the Magick we have encountered. It’s hard to define an enemy.”
The ceiling was very high.
(If anyone could have measured it was one hundred and sixty-nine feet above them.)
The floor was solid stone. The radius of the semicircle was one hundred and sixty-nine feet. A brief inspection revealed the doors were identical. They were thirteen hands wide. All had simple door knobs.
“We may as well check them left to right. One of them must either lead to our goal or else show us a way out,” Cara said.
Knarra said, “Go to the first door.”
Erinnia opened the door easily. She found a room with no defined dimensions. There was a blue sky filled with small fluffy clouds. The floor was grassy; there was a small tree with light green fruits. A white bird warbled in the tree.
“OK! This has to be illusory! I know we are deep within the world,” Nigel declared.
Roscoe peered through his prism and reported, “It’s a partridge in a pear tree.”
Cade drew his bow and released an arrow which struck the bird. The bird shrieked and fell out of the tree. Nigel inspected the bird and the tree.
He said, “It was a partridge in a pear tree.”
Eyerthrein picked one of the fruits and said, “They are entirely edible.”
He munched on the juicy pear and was soon joined by the others. Once the bird fell the walls of the circular room appeared. Erinnia inspected the walls. Cade fired another arrow into the air; it soared high and fell harmlessly near the far wall. There did not appear to be a ceiling. Roscoe tried to activate the Fly command of his staff but could not. Levitation did not work either. They futilely searched for another exit; there was only the door through which they had entered.
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