Kite and Gallows descend into the sinkhole discovered in Uncovered Treasures and find a small girl inside--one who turns out to be a Proximus. They also find a mysterious mage named Ursa who appears to have been imprisoned, and set him free.[1]
Summary
Kite and Gallows managed to lower themselves into the sinkhole without too much difficulty. However, it seems that the Mind effect on the surface was working against them now, and caused the Sleepers to forget what they had done. The hose was retracted, leaving them with no means of escape. Looking around the cave, the two were able to find a little girl who eventually identified herself as Jessie. However, Jessie was clearly not ordinary. She possessed a dog literally made of shadow that she referred to as 'Blackie'...a dog she had 'had for years,' and she was taught how to summon by her uncle. Examining the dog, Gallows was able to piece together that the girl was part of a Proximus line, and the creation of the dog was one of her abilities.
Rather than wanting to get out of the hole, Jessie seems obsessed with finding someone called 'Teddy'--someone who was speaking only to her. Gallows and Kite were unable to find any trace of this 'Teddy,' or hear him themselves, but they did discover Atlantean runes on various places in the sinkhole that seemed to be prolonging the spells that made Sleepers forget about the sinkhole's contents. At least one spell also seemed to prevent cell phone reception.
After examining the wall near the newest set of runes, Kite and Gallows were able to figure out that the runes were creating a Phantasmal wall. Destroying the runes made the wall disappear, revealing an emaciated man imprisoned by both chains and some sort of Life spell in the form of tree roots covering his body. This man revealed himself to be 'Teddy,' though his actual shadow name was Ursa. He was a Mastigos and claimed to have been a Silver Ladder before being imprisoned in the hole by unknown mages in 2006. Having few options but to trust him, Gallows and Kite released him and he created a Portol that took them all to the surface. Their exchange was continued in Return to Sender.
