"Why does it look like that?"

Milou snapped their fingers, conjuring a flame on their fingertips. They leaned into the forge to light it, and replied, "After the war, there came the fires. And the fires, they brought famine and more death. There was a different royal family then. And they allowed us to starve and burn."

Liya watched as the fire spread along the spellwork in the forge--there was no coal or wood visible, only the etched-in faintly glowing spell, which nonetheless caught. As the fire built, she couldn't help but recall a different fire, against a different backdrop.

"So there was a revolt. Escala and his siblings led it, so we call them the founders of modern Aetheri. The old royal family, however..." Milou wasn't looking at Liya, but the firelight limned their face and sharp teeth as they grimaced. "It is said they were massacred in that throne room. The people of Aetheri set fire to the room, and they barred the doors. You might be the first to see the inside of that room in thousands of years, do you know?" they added.

Liya fully shuddered, coming out of her thoughts a bit. "Creepy," she muttered.

"Anyway," Milou continued, turning towards her, "the tunnels under the Palace and city are endless and un-mapped. You should have caution. You could end up anywhere at all."

"Wait, so," Liya said, "isn't there a throne room for the Cynn now?"