Pantaleon - In Secret

I crept silently through the streets of D'ni.  It was darker now; the glow of the lake was soft.  I climbed the Great Stair and found the perpetual gathering in the  Takotah Plaza.  None recognized me.  Must have been visitors or commuters from the surface.

In Takotah alley my linking would not draw attention.  I walked to the nexus terminal and quietly linked to my relto with my other hand.  From there I linked to the cleft.  My KI read D'ni-riltagamin.  Anywhere on the surface would be 'unknown.'  I placed my KI in the cleft, climbed the caldera and began my descent.

It had been sometime since the first and last time I walked this path.  My first journey to D'ni begun along this path and yet, I had never returned.  I remembered the sense of wonder I felt the first time I passed through these tunnels and realized that now I felt only worry.

I came to the Great Shaft fully realizing what a monument it was to D'ni - its accomplishments and failures.  I walked the path entered an Eder Tomahn about halfway down.   This us where I spent my first night in D'ni.  This is where I would take my next step.  An empty nexus pedestal made for a convenient place for the Triple Shell book.

This was the moment.   I would link and take the journey.   I would find my friends.  I opened the book.  An odd glow came from the linking panel.  Some structure - difficult to make out.  I reached for the panel.   I was stopped.  Laroon had grabbed my wrist before I could link.  Despite my efforts to throw him off my trail, he had found me.

He was furious.   I was mortified.   Our argument was halted by a most peculiar sensation.  We were linked.  We looked around.   A Bahro cave glowed green around us.  The walls were covered in glyphs I had never seen before. And then I heard a voice.  Two, no three voices.   I turned my head. Could not believe what I saw.   Esto was standing beside several Bahro along with Adelia and Dean.  Laroon could not believe his eyes. My words failed.