Expansion - Chapter 7

 

7 – Brikel – The Growth Chamber

After Forge‑Breath, as Brikel assembles his equipment, a Legionnaire steps up.

“We are to accompany you as you survey and map the chamber you found. I am Hadrun Slate‑Ward.” He extends his hand.

Brikel shakes it. “I’m happy to have the help. What are you bringing?”

“Each man carries a polished lamp, a hammer, and our usual tools of the trade. Is there anything else you require?”

Brikel shakes his head. “I don’t know yet. I stopped before entering the chamber.”

Hadrun nods. “We heard. My Slate-Leader informed me, which is why this team was assembled.”

“Alright,” Brikel says. “Give me a moment to finish gathering my equipment and we’ll go.”

Hadrun gives a short nod and rejoins his team.

Packing extra barkskins and slates, Brikel walks to the dwelling Yivra is using as the Map Room. She is organizing the notes from yesterday when he enters.

“Did you know about the Legion giving me people for today?” Brikel asks.

She nods and points to the master map. “Where your tunnel ended yesterday looks to be a goblin chamber. If it were one of ours, I’d guess a storage area or maybe a moisture farm, but I’m not good with goblin architecture. I need you to map everything. The Legion only did a quick ‘scan and flush,’ so I wanted them to accompany you with extra lights and security. I’d hate for a ‘silent hunter’ to be hiding and take you hostage — or worse.”

“Is that really a possibility? We haven’t even encountered traps in these recent tunnels.”

“And that’s when they would attack or place new ones,” she says, as if explaining something obvious to a junior draftsman. “Anything else? I have work.”

Brikel shakes his head and returns to the waiting Legionnaires.

 

As they enter the chamber, the wicks of the Legion lamps burn bright. Polished lenses and reflectors throw clean, white light into the deepest corners of the cavern. Brikel lights his grum‑tal, and begins making notes and measurements.

He hands one end of the measuring rope to a Legionnaire at the entrance. Then he moves through the chamber, marking distances in several directions. For every note on his barkskin, he adds a small sketch of the wall, floor, or ceiling surface — the stone’s texture, the angle of a cut, the curve of a trough.

With two guards holding the rope taut, he measures the carved growing troughs, each fed by channels and gutters cut with surprising precision.

Looking upward, Brikel raises his lamp toward a cluster of ventilation holes. He mutters to himself as he jots down notes, while the Legionnaires stand watch, their lamps steady, their posture alert.

“We need a farmer in here,” Brikel says under his breath.

“Why’s that?” Hadrun asks.

“These are fungus‑farm plots. I can map what’s here, but we need someone who knows how these were used — and how we might use them again.”

“In our initial entry, we secured a number of goblin tools,” Hadrun replies. “They’re stored by the Chapel if you need to see them.”

Brikel holds his stylus in his mouth as he lifts his lamp toward a set of stone racks. “Were the tools found here?”

“Some, but not all. Why?”

“There are marks here.” Brikel points to small carved symbols.

“I’m told goblins write. I’ve never seen their script, but I’ve heard it’s made of small symbols instead of letters like ours.” He copies the markings onto his barkskin.

By the time he finishes, he has the full shape of the cavern, most of the growing bins, the moisture troughs, and the vent locations sketched out. The bell sounding Kron‑Midtal echoes faintly from the Chapel.

“Are we breaking for Stone‑Bite?” Hadrun asks.

Brikel looks at the young Legionnaires. “Yes. Leave the measuring rope and the grum‑tal,” he says, blowing out the lamp. “We’ll eat at the dining hall, and I’ll deliver my notes to the map room.”

Hadrun nods and forms the men into a line. Brikel leads them out.