The identification spell goes to work and you soon know that there’s another spell caster at fault in the cave. The whole area is awash in spells to help prevent anyone from wandering in. Now that you’re looking for it, you can also see traces of a spell that would take control of people and draw them in. You can tell how reduced that particular imprint is and know that it's not active now though.
Squaring your scrawny shoulders, you use the last of the reserves granted by the jerky to ward yourself against the worst of the repulsion magics. As you do so, the disorienting effects fade enough that you can focus again.
You proceed into the cave with quite a bit more care now. It would have been one thing to deal with a wild animal or even a curse of some sort, but tangling with another spell caster poses some extra danger. You make sure to mask your own magical signature, not wanting to alert whoever may lie ahead.
The rough soil and stone walls meanders down and down beneath the ground. Soon the darkness eats the light that leaked in from outside. You frown as you finger the last strip of griffin jerky in your pouch. You really should have been better prepared for such a trip, but Madame Lustria shoved you out the door before you could have stocked up. Not wanting to turn back and risk her thinking you incapable, you pull the strip out and soon gulp it down. Then you cast a simple dark sight charm. Once you are able to see again, you continue onwards.
It feels like you’ve been wandering through the darkness for hours when you turn another corner and see a faint flickering light coming from ahead. As you creep closer, you hear a woman sobbing. Then a voice cuts through the cool air.
“Shush, my dear. You’ve done very well so far, and we are close to being finished.”
You feel a shiver pass down your spine at hearing that voice, though you are not sure why. Despite that, you press on, coming to the last corner and peeking around the edge. Beyond lays a huge chamber carved out of the ground. Candles float throughout the room emitting the flickering light. The glow illuminates a collection of tables covered with many books, as well as magical and alchemical tools. Haphazard piles of more books and items overflow the bookcases standing against the walls of the chamber.
You pay very little attention to all that though. Your gaze focuses much more on who has to be the spell caster that has been causing so much trouble.
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