A bright light had flown high into the air in the distance just before the Royal Palace of Eldergate, it’s dreadful presence atop the mighty pillar of rock a constant reminder of their former lives within the bustling capitol – a former life they both suspected they would probably never enjoy again. They watched as the light rose ever higher into the sky before finally bursting in a dazzling explosion, leaving trails of flames plummeting in smoky streaks towards the tops of the trees.
A large dark mass started to seep out of the tree line in the far distance where the Great Road entered the Outer Woods and led to Eldergate.
They shared a silent look of confusion before the realization hit them and they immediately picked up their hammers and started banging incessantly on the warning bells, sending the soldiers below into a frenzy.
The time they were dreading had finally arrived - the demon army was coming.
Chapter VII
Reingard and Holzer led David, Erin, and Tyrius for miles through the eternal darkness of the Southern Tunnels. They would stop occasionally to check the map when passing an unexpected fork in the tunnel or when coming across fallen debris that they would have to clear, but for the most part their journey was unceasing and grueling, leaving the company in horrible spirits.
They had already passed the rock formation that looked like a horse hours prior and had expected to come to the salt mines already, but there had been no indication that they had arrived. The walls were still moist and comprised of what appeared to be some type of limestone, all covered in the same endless chisel mark pattern that they had become familiar with over the past two days.
“Holzer, are you absolutely certain we are headed in the right direction?” asked Tyrius, beginning to get concerned.
“Yes, yes…the map said to take the first right after the Horse Head formation, and that is what we did!” said Holzer adamantly.
“Wait, I thought we took a left?” asked Reingard, alarmed.
“No, it was most certainly a right!” said Holzer, annoyed. “According to the map, we should be reaching the salt mines any moment now!” he reassured them.
“But what about the rubble we had to clear away a while back?” asked David, “Are you sure that didn’t open up an alternate path you weren’t aware of?” he asked.
“Of course, I’m sure!” replied Holzer angrily, “If this passage wasn’t the original one, we wouldn’t be seeing these chisel marks all over the walls still!” he said, pointing to the chips in the walls and ceiling.
“Yes…that is, unless they had made multiple tunnels for some reason.” interjected Tyrius.
“Why would they do that? And why wouldn’t they have a fork in the path showing they made another tunnel?” asked Holzer, looking over the map once again in case he missed anything.
“Look, I’m sure we’re heading in the right direction. Nothing on the map indicates distance, remember? It’s possible that we just expected the mines to be closer to the formation than they really were.” said Erin, tired of hearing the constant bickering between the men.
“She’s right. Let’s just press on. I’m sure we will reach the mines shortly.” said Tyrius, catching the hint.
They continued walking on in silence, knowing that the first one to speak would risk inciting another round of arguments and none of them currently had the patience to deal with that right now. For the time being, all they could think about was getting out of this endless tunnel and into the outer world once again.
David silently wondered how Dwarves would ever be so at home in such a place as beneath the ground. The air was stuffy and damp, the silence deafening, and the smell…well…it kind of smells like…
“The ocean?” asked David aloud.
“What was that?” asked Erin, startled by the seemingly random outburst.
“The ocean! It smells like the ocean!” said David, suddenly catching on to his train of thought.
“Yes! I can smell it too, we must be close to the salt mines!” said Erin, suddenly excited.
David licked his finger and ran it along the walls before sticking it back in his mouth – it tasted of salt!
“I think we are in the salt mines!” said David, encouraging the others to do the same.
They all quickly complied and each of them immediately licked their fingers and acknowledged they were in fact in the mines, giving them a much-needed reassurance that they were in fact still headed in the right direction, and would soon be coming to the end of their long, dark road.
It wasn’t long before the rocky walls began to show signs of where sconces once held torches along the walls, their rusty iron brackets still protruding intermittently along the tunnel.
The darkness started to become less thick, and the companions could feel the dank, moist air slowly give way to a more fresh, gentle breeze for the first time in what felt like eternity.
As they pressed on, a small light began to shine at the end of the tunnel, indicating they had finally arrived on the other side. The companions rejoiced, knowing they were finally through the mountain and would soon be breathing fresh mountain air and feeling the warmth of the sun on their skin, something they had missed more than anything else.
It didn’t take them long before they reached the outer parts of the tunnel and the darkness gave way to the blinding light of the surface world. They each had to shield their eyes to give them time to adjust slowly, but once they did, they were awestruck at the sight before them.
They were high up the side of the mountains and could see miles and miles of winding paths and rolling hills leading up to a vast desert plain. A long snaking river cut through the landscape leading from the mountains to their right and down through the rolling hills and valley floor below, leaving lush vegetation on its borders as far as the eye could see. Far off in the distance, David thought he could almost see the mouth of the river meeting the sparkling blue waters of a vast ocean, with little white sails dotting the horizon.
“That’s amazing!” he said out loud, looking out across the landscape.
“It sure is. I’ve never seen anything like it.” said Erin, equally awestruck.
After looking briefly at his map to verify they were in the right location, Holzer pointed off in the distance down the mountain towards a small village, indicating that was Ashmire and their next destination.
They immediately set off down the path, eager to get to a warm bed and a hot bath before the sun found its way across the sky and into the horizon, leaving them once again in darkness.
They reached the outskirts of the village just as the sun was about to set, casting the sky in a pinkish-purple hue. The village had its streets lined with high timbers that held hanging lanterns on their tops, providing ample light throughout the streets for their villagers to safely walk – only, the streets appeared to be empty, despite the lanterns having all been lit.
“That’s odd…” said David, looking at the empty streets.
“Yeah, where are all of the people?” asked Erin, catching on to his comment.
“Who cares?” chimed in Reingard, “I’m starving! Let’s find the Inn, and chances are, we’ll find all of the people!” he said, pushing through the others and heading down the main street towards the center of town.
Tyrius noticed out of the corner of his eyes some of the shutters of the buildings bordering the streets quickly shut by someone unseen from within.
“Keep your eyes sharp, something doesn’t seem right.” said Tyrius, scanning the streets for any signs of danger.
The others quickly followed behind Reingard, keeping their eyes peeled for any suspicious movement in the shadows beyond the buildings.
They reached what appeared to be the Inn a little while later. The only alarming moment being little more than a scared animal scattering at the sound of their arrival, knocking over a few small crates and causing a ruckus that they feared would wake the entire village. Prior to the racket, the air had been eerily silent for such a decent sized vil
lage.
Reingard eagerly pushed open the door, exposing a well-lit dining hall and a bright fire in the hearth across the room. The room was filled with several wooden tables and chairs placed throughout the space, clearly used as a communal dining area for the visitors of the inn. A room that was capable of holding dozens of guests and a lively atmosphere otherwise stood empty and silent.
He walked right in and stood at the main counter by the door, knocking impatiently on the wooden counter to get the innkeeper’s attention.
After a few moments of incessant banging, an old man finally appeared from a room behind the counter looking extremely flustered and irritated.
“What is it? What do you want?” he asked with a scowl.
“Isn’t it obvious?” replied Reingard, holding his arms out towards his companions. “We are travelers, and we are weary and in need of room and board!” he said bluntly. “Do you have a few rooms and a hot meal to spare?” he added hopefully, feeling his empty stomach rumbling unhappily beneath his shirt.
The old keeper looked the travelers up and down before finally responding, “Yes, yes…but be quick about it. You were out past curfew. That only brings trouble, and I don’t want no trouble!” he said, walking back into the room before coming out with a series of small keys.
“Here, these are for a few of the rooms up the stairs and to the hallway on the left. Come back down in a few minutes and I’ll have some hot stew and bread for each of you. It’s all I can manage with such short notice.” he said, before rushing back into the room to heat up their meals.
Reingard turned and looked at his companions, who each shrugged, before heading up the stairs and passing out the keys, one by one.
They each took a key and found their respective rooms before setting down their belongings and preparing for the night.
David’s room was furthest down the hall and was small but cozy. It had a soft bed nestled in the corner by a window that overlooked the main street. The sheets were soft and folded neatly and smelled fresh and clean.
Along the wall sat a long, dark walnut dresser with a few small books and a quill and paper stacked on top. It was lined with dust as if it hadn’t been wiped clean in weeks. The drawers were all empty, except for one with a change of sheets and an extra blanket in case he got cold.
In the far corner by the window, opposite the bed, sat a rocking chair with a small pillow cushion. David took a seat in it and rocked for a moment, testing its integrity. It held fast and rocked smoothly with barely a noticeable creak – the craftsmanship was excellent, despite the simple design.
After he had taken some time to inspect the rest of the room, including the few paintings on the walls that depicted the town in its bustling prime, a time David assumed had long since passed, David decided it was time to head back down the stairs and into the dining hall to await his hot meal.
When he exited his room, he saw Erin had already made her way halfway down the hallway and was about to head down the stairs. He quickly caught up and followed her down as they made their way to join the others.
They found Tyrius, Reingard, and Holzer already halfway through their bowls of stew, which appeared to consist of chunky beef and vegetables in a thick broth. They had taken a seat close to the fireplace, taking comfort in the warmth that it provided along with the relaxing ambience of the cracking logs.
Shortly after they sat down, the keeper brought out their bowls and mugs before quickly retreating back to his alcove.
“Does anyone else find his behavior…strange?” asked Erin, catching the expression on everyone else’s faces.
“Remarkably.” replied Tyrius, now finished with his meal and setting down his freshly emptied mug.
“It seems like he’s afraid of something. Did you hear what he said about the curfew?” she asked.
David looked back towards the counter to make sure they were alone before answering, “Yeah, he said that we broke the curfew, and that only brings trouble. Trouble from what, or who?” he asked.
Almost as if in response to his question, the door slung open and slammed hard against the wall, nearly knocking it off its hinges.
A group of six rough looking men came barging through the doorway, looking around the room until they found what they were looking for and started walking directly towards David and the others.
They stopped a few feet before their table and just stared silently before the one in the middle, apparently the leader of the bunch, grabbed a nearby chair and pulled it to their table before sitting down on it backwards.
The man had a large, round black hat on his head with a rim that extended far beyond the crown and had shown signs of weathering from years of use. He wore a long, dark leather coat that fell to his calves and matching leather boots with metal bottoms that clinked loudly as he tapped his feet slowly on the wooden floor.
“You must not be from around these parts.” he said, spitting a large chunk of brown saliva on the ground at their feet before continuing. “So, I’ll tell you just this once. We have a curfew in place, no one goes out after dark. Got it?” he said glaringly.
“A curfew?” asked Tyrius, staring blankly at the man, not at all threatened by his posse. “What on earth for?” he asked calmly.
“It ain’t your place to ask what our curfew is for,” said the man, “It’s only your place to adhere to it. If you don’t, you and your little friends here will suffer the consequences.”
“And what might those be?” asked Tyrius again.
“Imprisonment, the first time. And if you don’t learn from your mistakes and do it again, well…” he said, striking grins and chuckles from his posse before he continued, “let’s just say, you won’t get to make that mistake twice.” he finished, driving home the point by running his finger across his neck.
“I see…” said Tyrius, sharing a look with the others that showed his absolute annoyance with such an obvious bully.
It was clear to him that this goon and his followers were used to people cowering away in fear and getting exactly what they wanted. Tyrius was not one to be taken lightly, and certainly wasn’t going to be pushed around by some nobody.
“How about this.” said the man, looking around at the companions seated at the table. “I’ll let you off with a warning this time since you’re new and all. But if we find you roaming about these parts again after nightfall, we won’t be too nice about it.”
With that, the man stood up and kicked the chair over before walking over to the counter and banging until the old innkeeper came rushing out of his alcove.
It was clear he was even more of a nervous wreck than before.
“Yes, gentlemen. What ca-can I get for you, to-tonight?” he stammered, wringing his hands together nervously.
“You can start with speaking correctly, you ignorant buffoon!” shouted the ringleader, slapping the keeper on the side of his head and sending him falling over onto the counter.
Reingard and Holzer nearly jumped up from their seats in anger, ready to rush the man and his posse, but Tyrius quickly urged them against it, telling them to sit still and be quiet.
They both shared a look so hot it would melt iron, clearly unhappy with being held back from teaching these men a much-needed lesson.
“Then, you can get me and my boys some drinks, on the house.” continued the ringleader with a threatening glare.
The old innkeeper stumbled as he quickly rushed to the back to comply as ordered and the man and his posse slowly walked to a nearby table and sat down, waiting on their drinks.
David and the others watched from their table, wondering why on earth anyone would be treating that old man in such a way and how men like these had got along in these parts without being sent to prison for their behavior.
Reingard and Holzer’s knuckles were white they were gripping their mugs so hard, trying to contain their rage.
“What do you think their deal is?” asked Erin, looking at the men over her shoulder, trying to distract the
m.
“Beats me,” said David, catching the hint, “But if he smacks that old man again, I’m going to have to have a word with that one.” he said, anger rising in his chest too. Erin quickly kicked him in his shin beneath the table as if to say, “you’re not helping the situation any”, and sent a scathing look his way.
“David, as much as we would all like to knock some sense into that man, I’m afraid I have to advise you against it.” said Tyrius. “We don’t know anything about these men, or these parts, especially how many they may have in their ranks. We are in no position to confront them.” he said, looking sternly at David to make sure his point was clear.
“You’re right…it just really hits a nerve with me” said David, reminded of how Tony and Johnny would pick on him and the other orphans on their way home from school.
The old innkeeper came rushing out of his little room carrying a tray of several mugs for the posse, handing them out to each of them before rushing quickly back to his post.
The six men each grabbed their mugs and clashed them together before tilting them back and draining them in full. These men clearly had nothing better to do than sit around and drink while badgering anyone they came in contact with to get them to do their bidding.
Eventually, David and the others grew tired from their long journey and decided to call it a night. Tyrius made sure to remind them each to lock their doors when they got to the rooms, as the men were still downstairs and were getting drunker by the hour. He didn’t know what sort of behavior to expect from them and thought it best to prepare for the worst.
When they each made their way to their separate rooms, David lay down in his bed and tried his best to get some sleep over the bantering and laughter that resonated from the group of men downstairs. They were drunk and boisterous, and David suspected they had only just gotten started.
After an excruciating time, exhaustion finally took over and David drifted off to sleep.
David Bishop and the Mystic of Creation Page 5