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| Whisper of a Demon's Shadow | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By Richard LeBlanc | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In a land sheltered from sky | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| They shall tread | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The wealth of a fallen era shall surround them | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| As will death... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ...The Prophecy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chapter Seven: peril within the pit | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The journey to the entrance to the mine was relatively uneventful. Tia reassured her companion that all of that was about to change. On a few occasions he asked how they would recognize this mine from any others that might be in the area. She merely smirked and remained silent. On that morning when they arrived - he knew why. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Charming - place," he muttered. All around the carved entrance was a series of shattered skeletons that decorated the unguarded doorway. From the darkness of the mine - shrill voices screeched and howled. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "As charming as it is here - it will pale by comparison to how it is down below," she mockingly reassured. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You aren't helping," he muttered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Our choices are - take the long way through the forest - encountering whatever traps await us from an indefensible area - or - muck around in tunnels that are more confined and easier to control," she spelled out. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Gee - both choices sound ever so inviting," he remarked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Choice is yours hero. Of course - the longer we wait the better the chance that some ambushing party might get the drop on us," she replied seriously. He groaned and looked at the entrance to the mine. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Let's get this over with," he muttered as the vanished into the darkness of the mine. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Within moments - the two were completely submerged within the mines and the labyrinth of tunnels that webbed outward all over the area. Thomas stepped away from Tia and looked at the passages that went seemingly everywhere. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "How - do we know where to go?" he hesitantly asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Well - a few options really. Trial and error is always popular for killing time," she remarked. He scowled. "Or - have a guide lead the way perhaps?" she suggested. He shook his head. "You have a better idea?" she asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Where are we going to find a guide?" he asked. She squatted down close to the floor and drew a circle. Around it she drew several glyphs and marks. Within seconds a fair sized dirty, matter-fur covered rat scurried over to where she was. "That's our guide?" he asked in modest disbelief. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Who would know these tunnels better?" she pointed out. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "That's a rat," he pointed out. She looked at him as though he had grown a second head. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "And that is a bad thing?" she asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "How is that going to guide us though?" he asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "It will be host to a spirit that shall lead us. Will you let me do my job already?" she remarked as she quietly began to chant. Thomas sighed and stepped back - taking in the culture of being in such a place. Only once had he felt this rising sense of nausea - and that was when he had the misfortune of being by the graveyard. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Just bellow when you're ready," he remarked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Is the boy always this impatient?" a surly voice asked. He looked over and saw Tia smiling. She shrugged her shoulders and pointed to the rat. "What? What are you looking at?" the rat demanded. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "A talking rat - now I've seen everything," he muttered. The rat looked down at itself in a mild state of panic. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "A rat? I'm a rat? What have you done to me?" the rat demanded pointing a claw at Tia. Tia sighed and lifted the rat up by the tail. Seeing the distasteful expression in her eyes the rat silenced itself. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I called you here to aid me. Do so and I will free you. Give me trouble - and I will imprison you in a form far less pleasing that that," she warned - dropping the rat. The rat stood up - looked at the dark conjuring circle that was around him and smiled. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Uhm - well - a necromancer. Just my luck. So what exactly do I have to do?" the rat asked hesitantly. Tia looked around and then back at the rat. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Why don't you - hazard a guess?" she remarked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Guide - you need me to guide you through this place," the rat muttered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Good. I also want you to tell me what I can expect down here. How organized are these squabbling goblins?" she commented and asked. The rat scratched its head and scurried around along the wall. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Organized? You must be joking. These creeps are messy, loud, obnoxious - not to mention bad hygiene," the rat rambled on. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "This coming from a rat means?" Tia asked unimpressed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You would go there," the rat muttered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "How many are we dealing with?" she asked seriously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Couldn't tell you the exact number - but I know there are thousands of them down here. Was a series of isolated caves that were to the northeast where the damnable things bred. The miners accidentally punched through one of those walls - they have been flooding in ever since. Miners used to fight them off for a spell - but there was too many of them to fight. After a while - the miners just upped and left - then the goblins took over the place," the rat remarked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "This - could complicate matters," Tia stated. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "So - where exactly do you need to get to?" the rat asked curiously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "We are seeking a jewel that was lost in these mines quite some time ago. The Eye of Light," Tia began - the rat's tail curled up between its legs and began to shiver. "You know something," she remarked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "There - are a bunch of goblins slaving away by the northwest entrance to the mine. Apparently some huge ugly troll is making them dig up the place. Heard that Eye of light thing mentioned more than once or twice," the rat remarked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "How far is it to where that troll is?" Thomas asked. The rat looked over at him. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Has he lost his ever loving mind? You don't go looking for trolls - you seek to avoid them - such is how one lives a long productive life," the rat began. Tia grabbed the rat by the tail and lifted it up so that the rat was looking into her eyes while upside down. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "That troll and his foolish slavering minions - are keeping us from what we need to obtain. So please spare your craven advice - and answer his question," she stated coldly. The rat looked over at Thomas and sighed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "A few days travel give or take if you know where you are going," the rat began. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Which as luck has it - you do," she pointed out. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Oh yeah - lucky me," he muttered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "How long have they been looking there?" she asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Couldn't tell you exact times - but the goblins have been staying clear of that honeycombs by that place for - give or take ten years," the rat stated. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Do you know if anything was discovered in that sector?" she asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Uhm - an old city - one that was swallowed up a long time ago - or something like that," the rat stated. Tia nodded and dropped the rat on its head. "Ow! That hurt!" the rat complained. Tia got up and looked over at her companion. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "We had better hurry - if they have been searching that long - they might get lucky," she stated - ignoring the rat. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "So - we are going to try to find it before they do?" he asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I like the sound of that," the rat remarked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "If we can - fantastic. But I am sure that Rubius told his henchman that we are here and to set up a greeting befitting. Okay little guide - this is where you earn your keep. Lead," she ordered. The rat muttered something and led them down one tunnel. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Along the walls were psoriatic torches that caused the shadows to dance along the uneven surfaces of the tunnel walls. Along the floors were pools of foul smelling liquid. Decayed and partially eaten goblin remains and other pleasant smelling aromas. It was then that the rat stopped. It looked around at the forked path. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Problem?" Tia asked. The rat looked around at the paths before them then back at the way they had come from. Tia listened and knew why the rat had stopped. "Thomas? Remember that trick I told you of - about the Tear?" she remarked. In the distance a chattering could be heard. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I think so," he replied - the chattering grew louder. Whatever was making the sound - was getting closer. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Do it," she ordered. She spun around and a white fog down the path they had come down. Thomas concentrated on the Tear of Darkness - just like she stated - the aura that had surrounded him before began to pulse again. "Whatever you do - do not go into the mist - it is poisonous and will kill you instantly," she warned. The chattering grew even louder as dozens of goblins charged from the other paths. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What am I supposed to do?" Thomas asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Simple - stay alive," she replied. She listened to the fog. She heard the sounds of life fading from once lively goblins hacking and choking. She grinned and she waved her hand at the mist. She looked over and saw Thomas knocking the eager goblins aside. Some burst into flames upon being touched - other just received serious burns. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You going to do something?" the rat asked. It was then that several reanimated goblins began to shamble out from the mist. The rat hugged the wall as the undead creatures shambled by. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Slay any that are brave or foolish enough to stay," she ordered. The zombies nodded and began to attack the other goblins. Within moments - all of the yet living goblins lost their nerve and scampered away. Thomas and their guide watched as the newly slain goblins rose to serve Tia's cause. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What if a wind blew that mist?" Thomas asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "We would have died," she answered flatly. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Oh," he replied calmly. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Now that they have been dispatched and disposed of - onward guide," she stated to the rat. The rat sighed and looked at the two tunnels. It sniffed the air and then picked the right path. Tia and Thomas followed - keeping alert in case more goblins tried to ambush them. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| To be continued... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||