For Hooves the Bell Tolls - Chapter Eight

Imperial Pursuit Quthbert, Thorzan, Marinus, Malbrix, & A.G.R. 653 Post Maelstrom

Quthbert experiences a strange dream of himself standing in the ruins where he fell asleep. As he stands there the building around him reforges into a beautiful temple in the old style of the sun god from centuries ago. The floor hosts a large golden sun etched in to the carved stone and filled with polished, glittering gold. Before Quthberts eyes a key floats into the center of the sun and twists into place. The floor begins sliding downward revealing a spiral staircase. A faint golden glow shines from below and Quthbert feels drawn to it. He steps onto the first step and the vision shatters.
Quthbert wakes to a night old fish taco on his bedside table. He does not eat it for he is wise. He confusedly looks around his room for a while adjusting to his new surroundings. Eventually he gets up to go look for the others unsure what to do with this newfound information.
Malbrix wakes early. Boded she tries to read from her stolen book again. She learns that there is a way to transcribe the runes on their dagger, but the magic is finicky and old. After trying, unsuccessfully, to translate the runes for a while the blood red text fades back into the black of the blade. Seeing Marinus awake the couple embrace for a morning session of love making whilst they still have a real bed to sleep on.
Thorzan awakes and steps out into the hallway of the inn. He steps out at the same moment and the two talk for a moment while watching out the hall window at the sunrise. Thorzan goes to greet everyone as they awake. He apparently almost walked in on Marinus and Malbrix, but thankfully heard what was going on before barging in. While this is going on Quthbert continues to stare out the window, and with dread, realizes that their imperial tail has finally arrived in Gil.
AGR finally comes out of his room and the three walk downstairs for some coffee and breakfast. The elven hostess tries flirting with Quthbert, but Q has too much on his mind and doesn't even notice. After a while Marinus and Malbrix come downstairs to join them and Quthbert finally reveals that he saw the imperials.
The party decides that they have to leave town, but Quthbert, reluctantly, informs them that he needs to return to the ruin where he fell into a magical coma. The party does their best to sneak to the stables across town to pick-up their mounts from the stablemaster of Silver Hoof - Stables. The dude is slow. Maddeningly slow. Marinus communicates telepathically to Sal to "fuck some shit up" to distract the stable master. In a cloud of steam the party rushes past the confused man and quickly ready their mounts.
The party nearing the ruins hears someone in the near distance. Its a frogman and his kid. They are surrounded by a pack of Dremus Bear. The party fights of the bears. Its a tough battle, but ultimately the party is able to rescue both the man and his son. They tell the party to come find them in town, but his desperate haste to get his son to safety he forgets to tell the party he is Katernin Distantsun and the Mayor of Gil.
The party gets to the ruin they stayed at the night before last. The same that Quthbert saw in a dream, and the same that left him in magical slumber for a day and a night. Quthbert searches the ruins where he saw the key come from and finds a silver dagger. Brushing away dirt and mud Quthbert finds the tiny keyhole in the now long faded gold. He twists the dagger and the stone stair case opens the same as in his dream.
The party begins their descent into the ancient ruins...