There was an area at the shoreline where there were a number of crude rafts, fashioned out of even lengths of some kind of thick stalk. Though Lee suspected that the stalks had been culled from something within the fungal forest, he could not tell for sure. The stalks were lashed tightly together, with lengths of hide rope.
Several large stones rested on the edge of the river’s shore. The end of a long rope of hide was looped and secured around each stone, the other tied to an end of a raft. There were two such anchoring points for each individual raft, arranged so that the length of a particular raft could be tethered right alongside the landing area.
A cluster of long paddles and some considerably longer poles lay prone upon the stony shore, with even more on the rafts themselves. There were a few Unguhur standing around the rafts, all looking upon the party’s approach with great interest reflected in their deep gazes.
As they neared the edge of the river, Lee and his companions hung back slightly, keeping a little distance between themselves and the flowing waters. Looking down the river, Lee could see that it traveled along the outer edge of the forest, curving out of sight into the depths of a tunnel that was not far downstream.
It was in that moment that Lynn suddenly flinched, and then aggressively nudged Lee. A startled look was displayed upon her face, and Lee followed the line of her sight to see what had suddenly unnerved her.
A distinct pair of impassive eyes was poking above the water’s surface, set into two rising protrusions. The creature’s pale eyes reflected the glowing light within the cavern. A modest distance in front of the eyes was what looked to be a very pale, light tan bump that broke through the surface of the water. The creature was hovering just a short few yards beyond the bobbing rafts, staring intently towards the group of newcomers and the Unguhur alike.
At first, Lee could make out very little of the organism’s full form, concealed as it was within the dark waters. Finally, as realization dawned upon him, his eyes stretched wider with an upsurge of amazement and fear, wholly apprehensive.
Lee did not need to be an expert to judge the great size of the jaws belonging to the floating creature, gauging the span from the eyes to the tip of its elongated, tapering snout. He instinctively shuddered to think of the full size of the body extending beyond those unblinking eyes, easily larger than any crocodile or alligator that he had ever seen before.
“Gunther! What’s that? Tell me that’s not what I think it is,” Erin blurted out with fearful excitement, as she became acutely aware of what had captivated Lee’s and Lynn’s attentions.
The Unguhur, especially Eranthus, whirled towards Erin with looks of utter surprise, even as she exhibited an expression of stunned alarm towards Gunther. It was in that moment that she realized her careless mistake, seeing that the Unguhur had understood her words perfectly.
“Wizard Gift. Will tell story soon,” Gunther quickly added, while shooting Erin a highly annoyed glance.
Lee could not entirely blame Erin for the inadvisable lapse in discipline this time. The massive creature in the water was absolutely terrifying to comprehend, in proximity to the rafts that they were apparently going to board. He could not fault her for being shocked into committing the blunder.
The Unguhur leader nodded to Gunther, although some tension had now been brought between them. Its pensive voice replied to Gunther, “You tell soon. All speak?”
The leader glanced towards Gunther’s companions for emphasis.
Gunther’s face tensed, as he replied, “Yes, all speak.”
Eranthus regarded Erin and the others with confusion apparent in his expression. “You understand my words?”
With a sigh, Gunther looked to his four human companions, and back to Eranthus, whose already large eyes had widened further.
“A Wizard Gift. It lets them speak the Unguhur language well,” Gunther explained in a resigned tone. “I wanted to talk to you about this first, to explain it, so that you would not be alarmed.”
“What Wizard?” Eranthus asked Gunther, with palpable apprehension.
“The Wanderer,” Gunther replied firmly.
Lee could see Eranthus visibly relax at the open mention of the Wanderer.
“That is good,” Eranthus commented, the edge now absent from his voice.
“Nice going, Erin,” Ryan muttered under his breath, with more than a little disgust in his tone.
Lee did not reprimand the young man, as there was no use in hiding their capability anymore. Ryan had also taken notice of the cause for Erin’s outburst, and his eyes glanced back to the creature in the river.
“So what are they, Gunther?” Ryan asked the woodsman uneasily.
“Those are gallidils,” Gunther calmly informed Ryan and the others. “Do not be afraid of them, but be cautious. They have lived alongside the Unguhur race for much, much longer than I have.”
“They are so enormous,” Lynn remarked in unfettered awe.
“They are one of the greatest of their kind,” Gunther replied. “There is some talk in the world above of an even larger surface kin, living somewhere within the Shadowlands. But I did not see such when I traveled through those lands. These are not of that breed, but you will likely find nothing to rival them in all of Ave.”
“Doesn’t surprise me,” Ryan retorted.
“How can the Unguhur live so close to things like that?” Erin asked hesitantly.
“They do not have a taste for the Unguhur,” Gunther said. “There is also some interaction between the Unguhur and the gallidils that would bear witness to a rudimentary level of relationship. But all of you should simply use reason. They are creatures of the wild. I will give you one solid piece of reason. Do not swim in the waters and tempt the gallidils.”
Gunther grinned with a humorous sparkle to his eye, albeit brief, as he looked upon the faces of the four otherworlders. The woodsman was undeniably deriving a little personal enjoyment from the sight of their collective agitation.
“Stay out of these waters, and you will be fine enough”, Gunther reiterated. “Is that clear enough?”
“That one stays by rafts often. It is a young bull of their kind. We feed him plenty enough,” Eranthus remarked.
The Unguhur leader then gestured towards the cluster of his kind that had been standing down by the rafts when the party had emerged from the forest. One of the others turned, took a couple of steps to the side, and bent down to pick up the prone body of a large fish. The fish was one of a row of several rather sizeable specimens lying upon the ground, some as long as Lee was tall, near to one of the anchorage boulders.
Lee got a good look at the body of the fish as the Unghur lifted it up. The pale-hued fish was highly unusual in appearance. It had an extended dorsal fin, with a similar fin running along its underside, adding to a general form that for Lee brought to mind an eel.
Yet he knew without question that it was certainly no eel. If anything, it was something like a catfish, judging by the long, whisker-like barbs protruding from the rounded end of its rectangular head. In proportion to its body, the fish had very tiny eyes. For a creature that lived in the dark of underground waterways, the existence of a diminutive set of eyes was not a surprise to Lee.
As the Unguhur raised the bulky fish up, the gallidil immediately started drifting towards the shore, as if it was well familiar with the gesture. Lee watched the giant creature gravitate closer, gaining more of a sense of the reptilian beast’s substantial girth and length. It was truly a monster, and the fact that it apparently had some sort of routine encounters with the Unguhur was of little comfort.
As the water parted and coursed around the contours of its tapering snout, Lee received some glimpses of the glistening spikes visible on the creature’s exterior, lining its upper and lower jaws. The fearsome array of interlocking teeth included a veritable dagger protruding upward from the lower jaw on each side, located towards the end of the snout.
Lee did not even want to think about what it might look l
ike when the creature opened its extensive jaws wide, but he had a feeling that he was about to. Even closed, the jaws and exposed teeth were incredibly intimidating to behold.
With a great heave, the Unguhur slung the fish carcass out towards the incoming gallidil. The creature’s great jaws exploded out of the water, flashing amidst a great burst of water as they clamped down upon the offered meal.
Lee quivered at the sheer power and speed exhibited by the massive beast, even as he heard an audible gasp from Lynn, and a curt exclamation escape Ryan’s lips. Erin was left in a state of near paralysis, a faint trembling having come over her body.
“Keep him eating. Keep belly full. No room for Unguhur then,” Eranthus commented with a throaty rumble that Lee took to be laughter. Eranthus saw the dumbfounded expressions on the faces of the four with Gunther, and a mild look of irritation came across his face, “Second fish in short time. Now no room for Unguhur. Do you understand?”
“They do not have much humor in them right now,” Gunther said wryly, chuckling. “I will explain it to them later, Eranthus. Do not take offense at their distress.”
Gunther’s reply caused Eranthus to suddenly break into loud laughter, accompanied by several of the other Unguhur. Thinking that they had just inadvertently caused some offense, Lee was very relieved to see the Unguhur’s open mirth.
Gunther winked at his four guests, and turned back to Eranthus. “Many thanks, for keeping the gallidils full. I am not sure whether or not I would like to find out if they like the taste of humans.”
The Unguhur within earshot rumbled merrily for a few more moments. The display of joviality in creatures with such robust, outwardly intimidating appearances was quite a juxtaposition to Lee’s perspective. Admittedly, he expected the creatures to be far more given to other manners of expression, such as sternness, ferocity, and even anger.
The lighthearted reaction and few snippets of explanations did much to allay the fears in Lee. He could see the others with him starting to relax as well. Lee looked from Gunther back out towards the river, to see if his calming nerves would hold up at the direct sight of the gallidil.
As if no longer interested in seeking another meal, the huge gallidil had turned, and was already swimming slowly away from the raft area. The sight of the gallidil distancing itself was admittedly more reassuring than anything that Gunther or the Unguhur could say.
A couple of the Unguhur then stepped out onto the broad rafts. The rafts bobbed a little as they took the creatures’ full weight, but the great size and mass of the rafts kept them fairly stable upon the water’s surface.
At a gesture from one of the Unguhur upon the raft, Gunther guided his four human wards forward to the edge of the natural quay. His Jaghuns followed in a loose cluster closely behind him.
The Unguhur appeared fully relaxed, despite the fact that another gallidil manifested itself in the wake of the one that had just been fed. Lee’s breath caught in his throat as he took notice of the new creature, which was significantly larger than the former one.
The tremendous creature was hovering uncomfortably close to the edge of the raft that Lee was being guided onto. It slowly crept inward, as Lee took his first step upon the lashed stalks of the raft.
The ease with which the Unguhur went about preparing the raft only marginally lessened his renewed anxiety. Erin looked as if her nerves were about to swiftly fray, as she hung back a few paces. Ryan’s face held little conviction as he tried to gently coax her forward. Lynn had managed to board the raft, but her eyes were riveted downward, clearly shutting out the intimidating sight of the creature.
“Hah! Now you want extra meal, big one!” one of the Unguhur on the raft shouted to the gallidil, while slowly shaking its head.
The Unguhur’s attitude showed its high annoyance, and also its familiarity, with the beast. It looked back to one of the others on the shore, continuing to shake its great head in apparent resignation. “Give him one, too.”
The Unguhur’s comrade snatched up another of the large fish lying upon the shoreline. The fish that was selected was a grander specimen of the same type as the first, one that was easily as big in mass and length as Lee. The Unguhur lugged it over to the shore’s edge, and heaved it deeper into the river.
Swiftly, the gallidil rotated, darting off with surprising dexterity towards the ample offering as the Unguhur on the raft scowled after it. The Unguhur turned back towards the four humans with Gunther, staring quietly at them. To Lee, it seemed that the creature took notice of the great discomfort exhibited upon their faces.
“Gallidil no danger,” the Unguhur pronounced. “We know that old bull, too. Do not worry. The big one is no danger.”
Eranthus then gently implored them, “Go. Get on the raft. The gallidil will be no trouble.”
Ryan stepped onto the raft, and turned around to help Erin. He held out his hands to her, to offer her some assistance.
Erin paused for a few more moments, right at the edge of the river, before finally grasping Ryan’s hands and gingerly stepping onto the raft. A look of panic remained etched across her face, as she kept looking past Ryan towards the water. Once on the raft, she swiftly moved to join her companions towards the middle.
A second Unguhur followed Erin onto the raft, holding two of the longer poles, and two paddles. It handed one of each of the elongated implements to the other Unguhur.
The small group of Jaghuns was then divided amongst the two rafts. Gunther aided each of the quadrupeds in getting onto the floating surfaces, as they had to be cajoled one at a time.
The beasts were agitated and fidgety around the water, especially the youngest amongst them, Skyheart and Darkmane. Gunther’s presence aided the younger creatures’ willpower, and he kept them with him on the raft that he was to ride upon.
“Come now Fang, you are the most fearless! And yet you are little better than the pups!” Gunther commented gruffly to the greatest of his Jaghuns, as the muscular creature eased itself nervously towards the center of the raft.
The Jaghun eyed the water with great intensity. Its rippling chest muscles were taut, and its broad paws were pressed firmly into the raft, as it stoutly braced itself.
“Can’t blame him at all,” Lee remarked, staring out at the dark, flowing waters. It was a sight that was understandably unnerving for any terrestrial creature, especially with the knowledge of what lurked beneath the water’s surface.
“No, I sure can’t either,” Lynn agreed at his side.
“Fang’s been here before, he should know better by now,” Gunther replied curtly, with a dismissive air.
The more that Lee stared, the more his mind began to conjure up visions of exaggerated depths and hidden leviathans. He pulled his attention away from the murky river to watch the rest of the group boarding, knowing that the sight of the river was doing him little good.
In a few moments, all of the passengers were finally settled aboard. The Unguhur raft pilots untied the pair of rafts from the anchoring rocks upon the shore. With a shove, and a few dips of the paddles to orient the rafts, the party was heading down the river.
The rafts, though rather simple in design, were sturdy, providing amply for the larger forms of the Unguhur. For the much smaller humans, they were more than adequate vessels. The rafts were easily able to accommodate all of the humans and Jaghuns, with plenty of space to spare. Ably handled by the Unguhur piloting them, the floating platforms remained amazingly steady within the waters, as they traveled along the slow currents towards the tunnel opening.
Lee’s nerves were given little respite, however, as he was quick to notice that the rafts were accompanied by their own set of waterborne escorts. A couple more gallidils were keeping pace effortlessly, swimming in the wake of the rafts.
“We don’t have any fish on this raft to give them,” Erin commented to Lee laconically, in a whisper.
“We’ll be fine,” he murmured quietly back to her, though the sight of the pursuing giants was quite unsett
ling. If he could have edged any further towards the center of raft, then he would have, but he was already as far in the middle of it as he could possibly go.
While Erin kept up her watch on the gallidils, Lee relaxed his guard enough to start noticing the other aspects of their travel. They passed by the teeming stalks of the underground forest to the left, as they made their way closer towards the gaping tunnel entrance.
There was not much activity within sight, but on a few occasions Lee espied a few Unguhur a short distance from shore. They invariably came to a halt in their tasks as the rafts drifted by them, standing quietly and staring at the unusual group of visitors riding upon the vessels.
They left the huge cavern with its mystical forest behind, as the rafts entered the wide tunnel that had been burrowed out by the river. The continuous passage of water had rendered the surfaces of the tunnel walls fairly smooth. The ceiling of the passage was a little low, just barely high enough for the Unguhur to stand upright.
Patches of the glowing, algae-like substance that lit the great cavern grew at periodic places within the tunnel, swathes of it clinging to the damp walls. The regularity of positioning, and the general uniformity of the size of the patches themselves, gave strong indication that they had been purposely placed and cultivated by the Unguhur, to help with their navigation of the otherwise dark tunnel.
Lee noticed that their large hosts were not extremely talkative, even amongst themselves. He looked over to the woodsman, who was cradling Skyheart and Darkmane close to him. While the two Jaghun cubs whimpered and whined, Gunther appeared to be completely at ease, though he also shared their hosts’ subdued demeanor in the sustained silence of their travel.
Deep within the rock, at the end of a prolonged stretch of river, the rafts abruptly emerged into a sprawling, gargantuan, underground lake. Like the strange forest, the sight was instantly breathtaking, only on a much greater scale.
Lee’s mouth went agape at the immensity of the cavern. He was speechless as he looked out across the waters of the huge lake. On the far shore, at the end of the enormous cavern, rose up a subterranean metropolis. Even more spectacular, the mass of edifices looked to have been carved out of the very rock of the cavern itself.
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