A Bored Lich

"This mine was built for Dwarves. If you're surprised by this much then, by all means, go back now," Kilot said. He pulled the lever back, and runic engravings lit up on the front of the platform, growing brighter and brighter until a bolt of electricity arced to the closest chain. The crackling energy raced into the depths, and the runic light faded.

Then there was silence.

Just as Doevm began to doubt Kilot, the four closest chains jingled and shifted, pulling taut. He glanced down and, although it was too dark to see, he could hear something; a rhythmic clicking, steadily growing louder and closer.

Emerging from the dark was a stone platform, which slowed to a stop as it leveled out with the terrace, the clicking sound halting with it. The platform itself was essentially a square slab with railings and a gate at the front. Doevm guessed that the clicking sounds came from underneath. Regretfully, he couldn't get a good look.

The platform's gate descended like a drawbridge onto the terrace, forming a path between them. A Dwarf attendant then revealed himself and beckoned the group to join him on the platform. "Come on, I ain't got all day."

Strangely, Kilot was the last one to get onto the platform, even coming behind Frey. He seemed much more interested in figuring out how the device worked. It was as if, even though he acted familiar with it, he had never seen it before that day. Eventually, he boarded with the rest of the group.

Once they were all on, the attendant explained the basic procedures with a tired voice: "No stupid shit, ok? No swinging, no peering over the railing, no spitting, no climbing the chains, and no jumping. Got it?"

The group nodded, so the attendant pulled up the gate before grabbing a lever at the platform's center. Doevm looked him up and down while he was turned away, finding a symbol of a minecart on the sleeve of his beige uniform. 'I don't remember any noble clans like that,' he thought.

The attendant turned towards the group, his hand still fastened to the center lever: "What level?"

"Level one," Kilot said.

The attendant slowly pulled the lever until two of the nine runes at its base came alight, then pushed it inwards. The platform lurched downwards and Doevm felt his stomach drop with it. He held tight to the railing. It was unnecessary because the platform leveled out as it made its way down the chains, again with strange clicking sounds.

The light from Doevm's light crystal followed him down until he could only see the endless pipes and chains immediately around him. He was calm, much calmer than the others. After all, he was familiar with the route. He had taken it many times in centuries past, albeit on elevators, not these priceless chains.

"How does this device function?" Doevm finally asked. He had a rough guess, but, as someone who studied magic for centuries, he couldn't help his curiosity. Kilot subtly leaned closer.

The attendant let out an exasperated sigh: "These are called lifts. Gears below each corner turn the chains with clockwork precision. If another lift was in motion I'd show you the underside, but not many are operating at this time of day...Things have slowed down since the Fracture."

"A lift. Simple and to the point," Doevm said. He looked out at all the other chains, imagining dozens of lifts traversing each level.

"I bet it was a pain in the ass to replace those elevators," Kilot said.

The attendant nodded. "It was mister, but the city folks financed the entire thing. We increased our exports by double, and I got this job out of it. It's not all bad."

"How much is per ride?" Thomas asked, taking out some gold.

"Nothing, though tips are also appreciated," the attendant said.

"All this for free?" Thomas gasped. He put his gold back into his spatial ring, much to the attendant's dismay.

"Yeah it's free. Got a problem with that? No? Good. Just enjoy the ride." the attendant said. He put on some dark glasses. "Shut your eyes."

A white flash blinded the group, and Doevm cursed. 'I forgot about this part,' he thought as he peeked through his fingers.

An enormous, bustling cavern broke the monotony of pipes. The flash had come from an array of light crystals embedded in the top of the cavern, glimmering like a box of diamonds.

Just as numerous were the humble abodes carved out of the cavern's sides. Although they were designed to cover up the pipes, they also made room for a wide street, dotted with street lamps, and with two sets of rails down the center.

Life flourished within the organized chaos. Dwarves, Humans, Elves, and all walks of life strolled freely within the dim underglow. Bioluminescent moss and algae splurged out of unkempt corners and cracks. Guards weaved through crowds as friends, casually sipping ale.

At first glance the Polyglint Mines seemed like a lesser version of Draken Capital, but if Doevm had to compare them, the latter's greatness came from an era centuries past while the former's greatness came from the present. It slapped the group with the realization that the kingdom they had spent their life within was far behind them. It was a new beginning, a place to forge a path to their future, the Polyglint Mines.

The lift slowed to a stop, and the attendant pushed the gate onto the nearest platform: "Level one. This is your stop, mister. Good luck to you."

The group thanked the attendant and stepped onto the street.

Frey waved his hand in front of Thomas's and Olpi's awestruck faces. "Get it together. We'll just stand out if we gawk at everything."

"It's fine," Doevm assured him. "Look at this place. We blend right into the crowd. We won't have to worry about being hunted down here. Now then, let's get started, shall we?"