Fantasy Character Castle Chronicles n.1
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Isaac stood in the dark. The dream again. Every time he went berserk, he faded into the dream. And they would appear. Those he had lost. Those he had saved. All had been hurt. All frowned when he appeared. He had gotten use to them. They reminded him of how he could do better.
His father appeared first. The white lab coat swayed as he walked forward. With a smile.
“You’ve almost grown up son.”
And he vanished. Something was different this time. The woman appeared next. Isaac had left her mortally wounded to try to save her. He had been a fool. The time machine not only went back in time, it crossed into parallel worlds. Isaac had left her to die.
“You’re almost there.”
“Where?”
She smiled.
“Where you were always trying to go.”
She vanished. Where was he trying to go? He was close to ending World War 2 but Isaac felt that she was not talking about that. Teletha appeared next. The young girl who died in that cursed house. He had been to late too save her.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
She smiled and spoke sweetly.
“For leading you to fall.”
“I didn’t save you in time. You suffered so much. You and your family.”
“I forgive you.”
The others appeared.
“We forgive you.”
“I couldn’t save any of you.” Said Isaac.
“You saved us.”
It was the twins. The two he saved along with others from the Warsaw Ghetto.
“You helped us escape.” said the boy.
“We would have died in Auschwitz if not for you.” said the girl. “Now we can see mom again.”
They were smiling, all smiling. What had happened? What made them all happy?
“You have returned.” It was his father. “You never fully believed in God when you were with me.”
“You gave up in Him when you saw me.” said Teletha.
“And you found Him again when you saved us.” said the twins.
“You are almost there son. To take God’s hand, you must give up your old ways. Come, it’s time to wake up.”
The darkness cleared. Isaac returned to himself. He had never broken out of his berserk state before. Two wolves jumped at him. He shot both of them. He understood now. He no longer needed to be The Fenrir. No longer did he need to be a man who killed for sport and revenge. He would complete his mission with precision. He would eliminate only those he must. Death and judgement was not his to met out as he felt. He would let those better than he decide that. He must only arrange for the meeting and gather those that hid. He would survive and continue his life as Isaac the spy. After the war he would catch those criminals that escaped the dragnets. They would pay for their crimes but he would not be judge, jury and executioner anymore.
The Devil saw me with my head down and got excited. Then I said Amen
Dogs moved. Franz shot dead two more. Teagen got another. Suddenly the blazing sword reappeared and the cloaked man cut down more dogs.
Teagen growled again, sounding like a stranded Comanche as he shot another wolf.
The five remaining hounds were scattered between the three men. The lit sword cut through the one aiming for the blade’s master. Franz shot one more, barely turning round in time to shoot his last leaping assailant.
The last fell with a wet moan at Teagen’s feet.
It was over. Done. Teagen’s chest heaved as he tried to catch his breath. Sweat plastered his curly dark hair to his forehead and neck. But his eyes were on Franz. His leader.
Franz was also breathing hard, but was in control of himself. His profile, instead of taut, looked peaceful as it had been in the garden. Perhaps moreso.
How could Franz be at peace? There was no room for such facades as ‘false peace’ here. Teagen’s chest ached, and he stared with a guarded expression that slowly softened. The man’s calm somehow caused Teagen’s face to relax.
But that was short-lived as Franz turned to face the demon. Teagen stepped over a carcass, then several more until he stood behind Franz’s right shoulder. Waiting, hand still clutching his weapon.
Jominkreesa
'Forth now! And fear no darkness!'
As Vrahe was continuing to battle, a change suddenly penetrated his concentration.
That berserker! He just lost his aura! I didn’t know that was possible! These are some very strange people. I’m going to have to watch my back around them.
Soon, the fight ended with the complete annihilation of the hostile wolf pack. Willing the flames licking up Eldur to extinguish them, Vrahe waited for the two strangers to make the first move. The berserker stayed where he was in the middle of the carnage, keeping his weapon drawn and ready for use. As the berserker waited, his companion cautiously advanced to stand by his side.
P’raps I judged that one too hastily. Vrahe thought. He is obviously terrified, and yet he wills himself to confront his fears. It would not be wise to dismiss this one too readily. Anyone with that kind of courage could be surprisingly dangerous.
With a show of obviously forced bravado, the fearful stranger challenged Vrahe. “What are your intentions demon? Are you the master of this castle? Are you the one that has kidnapped us? Or are you also a prisoner?”
“What do you mean did I kidnap you? I’m the one that was kidnapped! Why do you call me a demon? What is going on here? Why are both of you using antique weapons? Where did the wolves come from? Do you know where we are? Who even are you people?”
“If you aren’t a demon, then what are you?” asked the fearful stranger, “How did you cause your weapon to set on fire like that? Wait! Before I go any farther, I can see that you won’t answer any of our questions until you get some answers yourself. My name is Teagan and my companion is Franz. We don’t know where we are. We were just going about our business when we were somehow transported to this castle.
“Shh Teagan, we don’t know if we can trust him!” the berserker exclaimed, “He came in with the wolves. How do we know this isn’t all a ploy to make us think he is on our side?
“Now wait one moment! I fought to save you two from the wolves! It looked like you were having a pretty rough time of it until I got here! Alright, Teagan. You have trusted me enough to introduce yourself, I may as well return the favor I am Ermordung.”
It is too dangerous to tell them my true name. I might as well use my rival’s.
"When injustice becomes law, rebellion becomes duty."
-VBut that was short-lived as Franz turned to face the demon. Teagen stepped over a carcass, forehead wrinkling, then several more until he stood behind Franz’s right shoulder. Waiting, hand still clutching his weapon.
As the stranger’s gaze glanced over Teagen, the twenty-five-year-old’s ire went up. The short calm vanished without a trace and all that was left from the fear morphed to unbridled anger. For he’d never been taught to control it.
He took another step forward, chin lifting. “What are your intentions demon?” Though name-calling had never worked before unless trying to start a fight, Teagen’s mind didn’t process well when angry. “Are you the master of this castle? Are you the one that has kidnapped us? Or are you also a prisoner?”
The victim looked offended, and he then scoffed. “What do you mean did I kidnap you? I’m the one that was kidnapped!And why do you call me a demon?”
Teagen just glared back into the man’s eyes, spitting hatred, but no answers.
“What is going on here?” He then looked to Franz, “Why are both of you using antique weapons? Where did the wolves come from? Do you know where we are? Who even are you people?”
Teagen’s put his shoulders back, eyes narrowing on the newcomer, then he spoke on, the rage beginning to change to something else as he cocked his head, “If you aren’t a demon, then what are you? How did you cause your weapon to set on fire like that? Wait!” He held up a hand and shook his head, dark brows jumping up and down a second. The humor of the situation was so wry!? They had just fought togethor, for the same purpose. And they were to kill each other just minutes later… The ironic smile that crossed Teagen’s face and twinkled in his eyes calmed his rage some. Then it died, It wasn’t that funny in hindsight,..actually. Then he smirked, shaking his head in disbelief.
The man clearly didn’t see anything funny.
So Teagen spoke, “Before I go any farther, I can see that you won’t answer any of our questions until you get some answers yourself. My name is Teagan and my friend here is Franz something. We don’t know where we are. We were just going about our business, me sleeping (not very restfully mind), when we were somehow transported to this castle.”
“Shh Teagan, we don’t know if we can trust him!” Franz’s eyes cut like bullets. Teagen’s jaw set, but before a treasonous thought could cross his mind the man continued and his logic won the impudent boy over. “He came in with the wolves. How do we know this isn’t all a ploy to make us think he is on our side?”
“Now wait one moment!” The demon took a step forward and sliced his hand through the air, “I fought to save you two from the wolves! It looked like you were having a pretty rough time of it until I got here!” He looked from Franz, to Teagen, then spoke to the latter, “Alright, Teagan. You have trusted me enough to introduce yourself, I may as well return the favor. I am Ermordung.”
Teagen blinked a few times, then nodded with a closed lipped smile, “Cool…What’s an Ermordung?”
Jominkreesa
'Forth now! And fear no darkness!'
Isaac blinked. Ermordung. His name was Murder? What kind of joke was that?
“Cool…What’s an Ermordung?”
“It means murder.” said Isaac.
Counter him. See how he reacts to it. Ermordung seemed to be thinking over his response. In that time Isaac looked him over. The sword was new. He didn’t remember seeing any like them when he was younger. It didn’t feel like a magic sword. There was also a gun in a shoulder holster. Ermordung was far better at hiding its presence and weight. A pro like himself. Isaac stood still. This was not good. The best way to kill a sniper is with another sniper. The same could be said for spies and assassins. Ticking this guy off would be a bad move.
The Devil saw me with my head down and got excited. Then I said Amen
The stairs led to a hallway, which in turn led to a massive cavern. Majestic stalagmites reached for the floor with stony fingers, falling short twenty feet. Rocks bordered the dark walls, and behind many of them Lytt could see passageways leading off to who knew where. She shivered. How could she and Dharin keep an eye on all of them at once?
A crack seemed to open up before her feet. It was not large enough for her to fall in whole, but she could easily break a bone tripping in there. She quickly skipped away, flaring her wings to keep her balance. The tip of her boot hit a rock, and it bounded into the hole as if eager. Echoes of its crashes resonated throughout the room.
Lytt closed her eyes. She’d just alerted everyone and everything that they were there. “Sorry,” she murmured to Dharin.
“It’s alright.” Dharin replied. “Better a stone than your foot.”
She supposed that was true.
Dharin started scanning the room, his sharp eyes alert. Lytt joined him, seeing the menacing shapes the instant he did.
Wolves.
On instinct, they stood back to back. Lytt drew one of her knives from her quiver, adrenaline racing through every fiber of her body. Dharin paused, then asked out of the corner of his mouth, “Can you fly?”
“What?” She heard him clearly, but was confused as to why he asked.
“Can. You. Fly?” Dharin repeated, enunciating each word clearly.
“Yes, I can fly.” Lytt slid her other knife from its sheath. She extinguished the snowflake hovering above her left hand, and tossed the other into the air, hoping it wouldn’t melt too fast.
“Then fly!” Dharin exclaimed as the wolves emerged from their hiding places behind the rocks. “You have a bow.”
Now she understood. Although the room had a ceiling, she thought that it was high enough for her to soar. The only problem was that she’d have to keep her wings beating constantly to stay afloat, which meant that she’d tire out. She wasn’t sure her powers were going to be an option.
“Light the torch.” She encouraged Dharin as she leapt into the air.
Flying in the cavern was not easy. For one, her vision became more and more obscured as the light of her snowflake diminished and Dharin battled wolves by the flickering light of his torch. Shadows danced on the walls.
All the same, wings beating hard to keep her aloft, Lytt nocked an arrow and drew the bowstring taunt, muscles quivering from the effort. She aimed for a mere fraction of a second, and managed to fell a wolf that was about to pounce on Dharin from behind. He dispatched his at the same moment, and whirled to face another. She’d like to see him pitted against Rebere. That would be a duel.
Dharin felled another wolf as Lytt swerved to avoid a leaping one, nearly colliding with a large stalagmite. She drew another arrow, held the string to her ear, and released, hearing the melodic buzz and snap as it whizzed past her cheek.
She dodged her last wolf, but suddenly found herself back-to-back with a cold stalagmite. Another appeared out of thin air beside her, and another narrowly missed slicing her wing from her back. What in the world? Was this crazy cavern against them as much as the castle had seemed to be?
A startled cry escaped her throat as another stalagmite appeared, efficiently ensnaring her wing in a tight cage. Her wing began to throb as she tried to beat against the stones. How could she fly with only one wing?
To make matters worse, now her wolf was directly beneath her, snapping at her dangling feet. Lytt tried to wrench her wing free, but that only served to intensify the pain. She stopped resisting, not wanting to break the delicate bones. The only way out of the stalagmite prison was down, and a wolf’s jaws waited there.
A blade, then another, flashed, bight steel reflecting in Dharin’s fiery eyes. The wolf fell lifeless to the floor.
Lytt let her other wing droop, and dropped feet first into Dharin’s waiting arms. He set her on the ground, concern clear in the half of his face the torchlight lit. Her snowflake had gone out.
Lytt massaged her wing, wincing as each movement brought fresh pain. Dharin bent over her, probably hoping to asses the damage, but Lytt spied a black shape slinking up from behind him. Cowardly beasts.
“Look out!” She cried in warning. Dharin would be too late. It was already springing, jaws open, teeth glinting hungrily…
Instinct took over. She kicked Dharin as hard as she could in the gut with both feet, sending him flying away. He crashed into the ground, doubled over for breath. The wolf, robbed of its prey, landed a few feet short of Lytt. They stood eye to eye for a moment, the bird-girl and wild dog, before Lytt brought her hand up.
There was a radiant white flash, and the dog was dead, cold ice protruding from its chest. Lytt rubbed her palms; they were hot from the flying ice.
Dharin had stood by now, looking at the wolf with an emotion Lytt didn’t want to know. Behind him, a door slowly appeared. It was open.
“Look.” Lytt pointed behind Dharin. He turned, and his brows furrowed in confusion.
“What’s going on here?”
Lytt stood, her wing aching but not broken. “I think I know. This place is testing us.”
Teagen blinked a few times, then nodded with a closed lipped smile, “Cool…What’s an Ermordung?”
“It means murder.” Franz’s voice was stern, face taut.
Teagen’s eyes widened a bit, lowering his chin he looked Ermordung over, Okay… A chuckle died in Teagen’s chest, and his smile, though perplexed and wary now, stayed in tact.
What to do? What to say? Teagen glanced around a bit. Meat. Suddenly latched on to his mind as his eyes caught once more on the carcasses. When had he last ate? Suddenly the dogs looked like roast beef…
Then Er-something-dung spoke, eyes focusing on Franz while at the same time keeping Teagen in his periphery. “Everyone is a murderer in their own way.”
Teagen’s head snapped up to look at Er.. What?
But now the man was looking solely into Franz’s eyes. “We may work together, or we may fight. Tis your choice. But, since you all have been here longer, mayhap you can give me some valuable information first.”
Jominkreesa
'Forth now! And fear no darkness!'
Isaac looked at the man. While the danger was far greater, this assassin was in the same boat as all of them. In a quick motion, he holstered his gun. Fighting would be useless now. They might as well compare notes.
“We all came here by unknown means. There are 10 of us at least. We all meet a few hours ago and have been trying to figure out this place. I don’t know were the others are currently. Some kind of defense system was activated and we got separated.”
Teagan looked at the ground mournfully.
“If it is possible, we would like to rejoin our friends before they are killed. Do you know where they are?”
“No. It would seem I am the latest arrival.” replied the assassin.
“I see. Come Teagan. We must be going.”
“Why?”
“We all have had some luck so far. The girl most likely ended up with one of the other fighters and she has my stiletto. Have faith. She is still alive.”
Isaac meant it. Teagan might be a little headstrong but his morals were good. The will to succeed often could push a man to be better than he would before. Isaac had found his reason to continue. He now had to show Teagan his.
The Devil saw me with my head down and got excited. Then I said Amen
Teagen’s brows nearly shot to the ceiling when Franz holstered his weapon. Okay cowboy, don’t count on me doing that…
“We all came here by unknown means. There are 10 of us at least. We all met a few hours ago and have been trying to figure out this place. I don’t know were the others are currently. Some kind of defense system was activated and we got separated.”
“Separated?” Teagan looked down, nose curling reproachfully, his nose twitched, Nah, it wasn’t like that at all. You left her. You chose to leave that /child/ alone in a room with a throng of people you didn’t trust. You’re nothing but scum.
And he knew it. You fancied that no one could reach you? That you would never let someone in? All it took was one innocent child and you’ve unwound in hours.
Teagen grit his teeth, heart quickening as he looked up. The other two had been talking and somehow his ears had muted their conversation.
“Come Teagan. We must be going.”
“Why?” His dark eyes narrowed, his lips barely holding back a sneer… meant for himself.
“We all have had some luck so far. The girl most likely ended up with one of the other fighters and she has my stiletto. Have faith. She is still alive.”
How did Franz do that? Was it that obvious? Shucks, Teagen’s mind raced with frustration, but he nodded. “Fine.” Because it was just the thing to do. Then, lip curling sardonically again he looked at the wolves. Food? Then his eye went back to the door Er-something-dung had come through. Escape.
Teagen cocked his head, pointing to the opening while turning and taking a step toward it. “What’s in there?”
Jominkreesa
'Forth now! And fear no darkness!'
“Nothing. It’s a bare stone cube.” Er. answered, and Teagen’s lips puckered.
Sure, and monkeys lived on Mars.
Er.’s eyes narrowed on Teagen’s. You don’t believe me? They challenged.
For some reason Teagen chose not to fight it. “Fine.” His eyes lingered on the dogs once more, before moving on and landing on the tiny hole the survivors had fled through. “What about that?”
Jominkreesa
'Forth now! And fear no darkness!'
Lytt stood, her wing aching but not broken. “I think I know. This place is testing us.”
Dharin looked… something. Not skeptical, but not totally believing either. Wary, cautious, yet kind of excited. Odd.
Lytt exchanged a glance with him as they faced the open door. She noticed the way he rested his hand on the hilt of his sword, and appreciated his readiness. No, Lytt. You’re being ridiculous, she told herself. It’s just a silly idea that you really need to get over.
Dharin glanced around, as if trying to figure out which way they should go. The open door was appealing, but also menacing. It seemed like a fat worm dangled on a line just before a fish’s nose – a worm attached to a hook. It seemed like bait. And yet, it was more inviting than the cramped, dark holes the wolves had entered from. Lytt shook her wings, trying to shake the claustrophobic feeling that crept up on her. If Dharin decided to go into those things, he’d have to go alone. If she didn’t have wings, she might fit. But her wings were too big, and she knew that she’d panic, probably seriously hurting herself and maybe Dharin too in her desperation to escape.
“Which way?” Lytt asked him, using the same question he’d posed her. The question that had led them to the wolf ambush. Hopefully this place intended to test them in a friendly way, not a fatal one.
Dharin stood beside Lytt, catching his breath after the fight with the wolves. She just… just produced an icicle from her hands and killed the last one. He supposed, though, that anyone who could make glowing snowflakes could make icicles. It was just rather shocking.
They were faced with yet another decision: An inviting, open door? Or the crevices from which the wolves came?
Dharin looked sideways at Lytt. She had given him the decision, yet he sensed her unease in small places. He wasn’t going to make her follow him into her fear; he could protect her far better against physical things. He nodded at the new door.
“That way.” His torch had gone out when Lytt kicked him away from the wolf. They would have to make do without light unless she could make another snowflake.
Lytt did make another, but its glow was less bright. As they passed the body of one of the wolves, Lytt reached down and pulled out one of her arrows from its side. She inspected the shaft. It was too bent to be of much use, but she put the arrow in her quiver anyway.
They reached the door, and Dharin pulled his sword back out. Lytt’s snowflake lit about eight or ten feet in front of them; no more. There was a hallway beyond, with no doors that Dharin could see. The hallway was relatively square. About eight feet high, and eight feet across, with perfect right angles where the floor and ceiling met the walls. It was too perfect. He shook his head and stepped through the doorway, Lytt following.
Nothing happened.
They continued down it, until the hall ended at another room. It was also perfectly square, perhaps thirty feet in all directions. There were torches along the walls, offering plenty of light. The floor had the same grooves as the walls of the hall had, spaced about three feet apart and making a checkerboard pattern. It was too deliberate.
Dharin threw an arm out as Lytt started to step out into the room.
“Don’t. Give me one of your arrows.”
Lytt complied, and Dharin tossed it out into the room. Every other square in the floor fell away, leaving holes that led to who knew where. Lytt took a step back, shocked.
“I would have been standing on that one…” She pointed to the hole closest to her feet. Her face was pale.
She looked so scared and horrified that Dharin wanted to hug her. But they needed to move. He poked at a square with his sword. It didn’t go anywhere. He stepped onto it, offering Lytt his arm.
“Shall we?”
“Enough! Be quiet! I can’t hear myself think! I can’t hear my teeth chatter!"
Alright, I am back. Let us see what happens with Vrahe, Teagan, and Isaac.
Having just revealed the name that he would be operating under, Vrahe waited to see what his new companions’ reactions would be. What would his brother’s alias mean to them?
“Cool!….What’s an Ermordung?” the less dangerous one, Teagan, asked with genuine confusion in his voice.
“It means murder.” The berserker replied, his body language registering obvious shock and fear, but also disgust and confusion. It was obvious the name meant nothing to him, other than it’s translation from Old German.
Do these people really not know of Chiv? (This is the real name of Vrahe’s brother.) Have I been transported to somewhere else. Is this another planet, dimension, or time? Or all three?! Is this how the government is choosing to contain and punish me?
Vrahe saw Teagan stiffen as Franz translated the name’s meaning. He did an admirable job of hiding his newfound discomfort though. Perhaps this boy has more experience than I first thought. He will bear watching.
“Everyone is a murderer in their own way.” Vrahe replied, borrowing a quote that his master had drilled into him whenever he questioned the morality of his actions.
Teagan had begun to search the cavern, but his head shot up at Vrahe’s words. These words mean something to him. What could his story be? I must guard closely against his hidden depths!
“Look you two, we can work together or we can duke it out here and now. It’s up to y’all, but if it’s a fight you want, it’s a fight you’ll get. Y’all might get me, but neither one of you would make it out alive. Personally, I don’t want to take the risk of death that a fight brings with it! Now, since you all have been here longer than me, could y’all give me any sort of info?”
It’ll be important for them to believe that I’m only dangerous physically. I can’t let them know that I’m smarter than them as well. It’ll make them feel threatened!
Holstering his weapon, Franz made it obvious what his choice would be. “Alright, let’s compare notes. We all came here by unknown means. There are 10 of us at least. We all meet a few hours ago and have been trying to figure out this place. I don’t know were the others are currently. Some kind of defense system was activated and we got separated. That sums up what happened before you showed up. Now what can you share with us?”
As Franz spoke, Vrahe analyzed him more closely. He naturally compensates to conceal his weapon when it is holstered. He is obviously very used to having the gun with him, and needing to hide it. Even when seemingly relaxed, he is ready to spring into either defense or attack in a moment’s notice. He seems to have extensive training. Possibly a high-level assassin’s apprentice, or a novice assassin. If he goes berserker, he might be as dangerous as me. The plot thickens! A berserker should not be this well trained.
“If it is possible, we would like to rejoin our friends before they are killed. Do you know where they are?” Teagan butted in with a mixture of hope and trepidation in his voice.
There is obviously someone he cares for in at least one of the other groups. I must watch to make sure that I don’t threaten the one he loves. He seems one who could be dangerous when protecting.
“Nope! I just got here. I got no idea what’s goin’ down.”
Teagan and Franz retreated, and carried on a quick, whispered conversation.
Abruptly, Teagan stepped away from Franz and demanded, “What’s in there?” while pointing towards where Vrahe had come from.
“Nothing. It’s a bare stone cube.” Vrahe replied offhandedly. Teagan obviously didn’t believe him though. His brow puckered, and he seemed about to question Vrahe.
Leave it kid. It isn’t worth calling me a liar. This isn’t a hill you want to die on.
Vrahe simply stared at the kid, using his “You question me and I’ll make you plead for death.” alpha male look.
Intimidated, Teagan turned away and began inspecting the hole that the last wolf had disappeared through in its effort to escape from Franz and Vrahe’s relentless assault. “What do you think might be in here?” he asked curiously.
Alright, let’s test whether they want to get rid of me.
Vrahe stepped over to the hole and deliberately put his back to them, practically daring them to attack him. Pulling a penlight from his pack and holding Eldur in his other hand, Vrahe peered into the hole. While only around 15 inches in diameter at the opening, it appeared to quickly open into another room.
Willing Eldur’s flames to kindle, he stoked them higher with memories of his sister. Plunging his blade into the rock, Vrahe allowed the flames to burn the rock away in front of him, heat radiating around him. The more Vrahe remembered, the more his grief and rage returned, causing the heat to increase to an almost unbearable level, even for him. Quickly, he finished carving a man sized door through the solid stone and into the next room.
Perda, I’m sorry I didn’t do more. I didn’t mean to break my promise. I couldn’t find you. The slavers were too far when I realized what happened. I tried to hunt you down, but none would disclose your location. They payed for their crimes, but I just want you back. No, I must fight against the grief. I can not show weakness. My enemies must not know.
Pushing back his grief with a great effort, Vrahe stepped into the room he had just opened.
Alright, here is the most recent installment for Vrahe. Sorry about the representation of the emotion. I didn’t have much time, so I wasn’t able to make it very realistic. Also, the thoughts about being smarter and more dangerous than your characters are basically Vrahe’s underlying arrogance showing through. Often, he believes himself to be the most capable and skilled person in the room. I truly hope that Isaac is, in fact, more dangerous than Vrahe because that is a dynamic I haven’t explored much yet.
"When injustice becomes law, rebellion becomes duty."
-VLytt was shocked, scared, and ready to get out from underground. Thank Adanyi, Dharin had chosen the door over the cramped wolf holes. But now this… she’d have to keep a lookout from now on. Nothing was safe.
Except Dharin. The thought came unbidden. Lytt clenched her teeth and shook her head. No, she told herself. I won’t succumb to emotions. Not right now.
Dharin poked one of the squares with his rapier. It held firm, and he stepped onto it. He turned to Lytt, offering a hand of assistance, and asked, “Shall we?”
Lytt paused, wondering if she could fly, but remembered the way the underground chamber had trapped her, decided it was best to play the castle’s game. She took Dharin’s hand with a smile, and he led her towards the exit.
Every square was tested with the rapier. At first, it went in a pretty normal pattern: every other block was sturdy, and the ones in between vanished. Dharin grew confident enough that he picked up speed.
Suddenly, though, a square that should have been firm was not, and Dharin paused just in time to save himself from falling in. “Guess we’d better take things slow.” He said, and grinned at Lytt.
She found herself smiling back, and once again chided herself at her childlike silliness.
After several leaps (a few which Lytt had to use her wings to help, as her legs weren’t as long as Dharin’s), they made it safely to a firm ledge. An open door awaited them there, and they hesitated at the opening. Lytt, hoping she’d have enough strength to last her through the rest of this trying ordeal, created a bolt of ice which clattered into the room beyond. After listening for a tense moment, she and Dharin exchanged glances.
Something at the other end caught Dharin’s attention, and he jerked his head back from where they’d come [that was worded terribly, but oh well]. The door they’d entered through was gone, and the wall was rapidly closing in.
“I think we’re going to have to go in there.” Lytt said, dread in her voice. Surely this place would kill them sooner or later if it didn’t allow caution!
The room beyond was different than the others. Lytt tried to enlarge her snowflake to give more light, but it only let them see three or four feet more.
Wolf carcasses littered the ground, and the smell of smoke lingered in the air. Dharin bent and fingered a wolf.
“It’s the others,” he said confidently. “They carried strange weapons, and only those weapons could make tiny, precise marks like these.”
“Did one of them carry a torch?” Lytt wondered, sniffing the air.
“No, but they could have gotten one.” Dharin continued examining the wolf. “It’s still warm. They were here, and now they’re gone. If we hurry, we may be able to catch up.”
“But how did they get away?” Lytt wondered. “We didn’t meet them through that last trap.”
Dharin stood. “Let’s examine this room more thoroughly.”
This they did, and towards the end of their search, discovered an arch, burnt into the stone by some unseen force.
“Rebere or one of the others must have been here.” Lytt murmured, tracing the marks with a wary hand. She didn’t want to get burned. “I think we should go through here.”
“I agree.” Dharin replied, holding his sword at the ready. “Hopefully we’ll find someone.”
He led the way, but Lytt noticed that her snowflake held very little light. They were running out of time.
@anne_the_noob or somebody else. 🙂
“Fine.” Teagen’s eyes lingered once more on the dogs. Then he forced his gaze on, his navy eyes catching on the tiny hole the surviving hounds had fled through. “What about that?” His callused finger pointed.
Er. seemed intrigued by the idea. He sauntered over to the opening as if he owned the place. Then bent over with his back to Teagen and Franz. Daring them to try something.
Teagen’s nose curled. He had the urge to do something. He didn’t do well when jabbed or disrespected. If he had a knife, the *#*#*# would…
Franz gave his chin the slightest jerk, eyes cool, staring at Er..
Teagen’s breath came harder. His pupils narrowed on Er.’s back. Teeth grinding.
Wo! Teagen stumbled back a step.
Er.’s sword was flaming, cutting through rock. Teagen striaghtened, eyes wide, he glanced to Franz. What?
Like the man beside him had answers?
Angry sparks flew up. The rock turned red about the blade.
Er.’s hands trembled and turned pink from the heat going through the hilt and pummel. Then, the rock collapsed. A man-sized opening yawned at them.
Er. didn’t even glance back or take the time to breath before rising, and stepping into his hole.
Teagen’s right fingers clutched his gun, knuckles turning white. To step through? and get killed by the maniac with a flaming sword? Geez *#**# ? What to do? Step through? *##**# why?
Why me? Why not the professor? Or Lucky? Why my miserable life?
Then with a soft growl, Teagen shoved past Franz and through. Not noticing that Franz had opened his mouth to say something.
Jominkreesa
'Forth now! And fear no darkness!'
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