Doug stopped momentarily at one and commented bitterly, “This is where the bodies of the dead are sent. Once they enter, they never leave again. Philbert says this is because the bodies meet with the spirits in the afterlife,” and then quickly moved on.
They stopped at a door wider than those previous. Another distinguishing feature of this door is that it was mostly open and shattered. A Barricade had been erected, and some of the guard stood watch to repel invaders.
“This is the door that leads deeper into this world,” Doug said as he gestured towards the large door. “Normally no one is permitted to leave. However, since there may be artifacts which you can use, I’ve gotten permission from Chief Bill to allow us to explore with an escort for a time.”
Doug walked away and whispered something into one of the four guards ears. The guard nodded, and told his fellow guardsmen to allow them to pass. Two more guards showed up and addressed Doug.
“We’ve been told that we are to escort you while outside of the village. I am Carl, and this is Cameron,” the burly guard said. Other than those few words, the guards remained silent and vigilant.
Past the barricade and far from the village, they came to a large tunnel with many doors and smaller tunnels connecting with the large tunnel at right angles.
“From what I can tell, this was once one of the main roads centuries ago,” Doug said. “Shall we take a look past some of those doors on the right?” He pointed at the ones which he was referring to. Mark and Max agreed, and they walked, accompanied by the guards, to the set of three doors close together.
“These doors were once able to open on their own power,” Doug remarked. “Now we have to manually force them open.” He motioned to Carl and Cameron, who pushed heavily on the door and forced it to slide into the wall and allow passage.
The room they found themselves in was illuminated by glowing ceiling panels close overhead. A desk and some chairs were neatly against one wall, while a strange dark box occupied the opposite wall. A door with a handle connected this room to another smaller room with a bed and clothing strewn about the floor. Nothing of use was found in this abandoned home.
The guards waited outside the door, listening and watching for signs of someone approaching. This freed Doug, Max and Mark to search for useful artifacts, as well as to talk quietly among themselves.
“So you’re Philbert’s son? Why then did you visit us last night with ideas of doubt about these House Gods?” Mark asked Doug.