Chapter 83: The New Ally Named Tommy

Thrain, Samantha, and Joan stood in the dimly lit underground chamber, the air thick with dust and the scent of earth. The room was cold, with jagged stone walls that seemed to close in on them, and the silence was oppressive. Samantha's long, dark brown hair was tied back, her face a mixture of determination and worry. She was dressed in her usual battle attire, a mix of leather and chainmail, which now bore scratches and dirt from their fall.

Thrain, with his long white beard and piercing blue eyes, scanned the room, his weathered hands glowing faintly with the remnants of a protective spell. He wore his typical wizard's robes, deep green and gold, though they were now dirt-streaked and torn. Joan, still a child in their eyes but strong beyond his years, clung to his mother's side, his small frame trembling. He wore a simple tunic and trousers, a far cry from the armor his father donned, and his face was etched with concern.