Dream of Legends fie-2

by Stephen Zimmer

  Some voluminous patches of the glowing algae-substance lighted the interior of the stone structure, placed at frequent intervals along the inner walls of the capacious chamber. A number of considerably older Unguhur were arrayed upon benches that had been carved out of the stone wall ringing the chamber’s outer edge. They rested upon some manner of mats or padding set underneath them, providing cushioning against the unforgiving stone surface.

  From what Lee could tell, most of the Unguhur in the chamber were attired in a manner similar to Eranthus, in extended, robe-like garments. Many likewise had armbands, or necklaces strung with an array of large, sharp teeth, though there were some noticeable variations. Some armbands had a furred outer surface, or shiny scales, while distinctly different types of teeth were present upon some of the other necklaces.

  In the very center of the chamber was a large, rectangular block of ebony stone, rising up to a height approximate to the midsection of an average male Unguhur. Arranged such that its longer width faced the entrance to the chamber, it had an unmistakable altar-like appearance.

  The opposite side of the chamber, directly across from the entrance, held a raised stone platform, accessed by a short flight of stone steps that extended the width of the platorm. Upon the high dais were two great stone seats carved out of the far wall of the chamber. The seats were copiously draped in hides, some fashioned into a manner of cushioning for the apparent thrones. Two Unguhur, one male, and one female, were seated upon the great stone seats.

  The male was clad in a knee-length, light-hued tunic, fashioned of a softened hide that lay loosely upon the contours of his considerable girth. The hide was woven with many delicately rendered designs, worked into the material in an abundance of colors. The remarkable tunic was bound snugly about his waist with a stout belt, the scaly surface of which gave evidence to a reptilian origin.

  He wore an unusual type of head covering fashioned from some other type of hide, whose surface was covered in a very fine quality of dark fur. The head covering was almost like a cowl, draped about the male’s wide shoulders.

  A singular necklace was hung around his broad neck. Huge, spiky teeth were strung all along its length, save for a pair of very wicked-looking, enormous fangs. The latter were paired together at the bottom and center of the necklace, displayed prominently in the middle of his massive chest.

  The female of the pair was garbed in the wrap-around style adopted by the other Unguhur females that Lee had seen. Her garment, like the tunic of her male counterpart, was fashioned from a softened, light-colored hide, and was also filled with resplendently fabricated designs of rich colors.

  She wore a series of bracelets on both arms, and multiple necklaces were arrayed in a concentric fashion, as they dropped down in their various lengths between her breasts. The components of both the necklaces and the bracelets appeared to be a combination of shiny scales and glistening teeth. Some were composed entirely of one kind of scale or tooth, and others were crafted of an artfully arranged mixture of various types.

  In trappings and posture, the pair of Unguhur on the dais were impressive, and undeniably regal, figures. Their expressions did not change as the newcomers were ushered into the chamber, although their large eyes slightly narrowed as they regarded them.

  One of the Unguhur among those seated along the bench-line ringing the wall, a male whose wrinkled skin surface and sunken eyes indicated a very advanced age, slowly arose as the group entered the chamber. He ambled with shuffling, ponderous steps over to Eranthus.

  The elder spoke with Eranthus for a few moments in their unique, gutteral language, just loud enough for his voice to reach those that Eranthus had brought with him. Lee, and the others, wearing the pendants, could understand the discourse perfectly well.

  Eranthus methodically illuminated the elder Unguhur, to the extent of his knowledge, as to the nature of the four humans, and what had transpired from the moment that Gunther had sought the Unguhur out in the cavern-forest. The elderly Unguhur listened in pensive silence, with a rigid, unreadable expression, until Eranthus had finished. The elder Unguhur slowly nodded, giving no comment before turning to walk slowly down the middle of the chamber. He came to stand at the bottom of the dais, before the two Unguhur positioned above upon the stone platform.

  After another short dialogue, the distance of which prevented Lee and the others from deciphering its particulars, the elder Unguhur tediously returned back to the group.

  “Bring them forward,” he said to Eranthus, before moving away to take his seat along the inner curve of the wall once again.

  Eranthus turned towards the five humans and said, “Come.”

  He led them through the center of the chamber, leading them around the rectangular, altar-like stone, and on up towards the base of the stone platform that held the two prominent Unguhur. Lee could readily feel the heavy weight of the gazes bearing down upon them, coming from the studious eyes of the elder Unguhur situated all around the chamber. The feeling in the chamber was like that of a breath held back in the lungs, willfully restrained, and pressing for release in a liberating exhale.

  Eranthus halted a couple of strides before the stone platform, exclaiming, “Treas, Great Khan of the Unguhur, and Vuriant, exalted Khanum of the Unguhur. I humbly come before you, with human guests to the Unguhur Realm. A threat has risen in the world above.”

  Eranthus then prostrated himself, knees to the ground first and then bending over with his arms spread out wide. Gunther looked over to the other four humans, nodding to them slightly, as he proceeded to emulate the deferential gesture.

  Lee signaled to the others, knowing that Gunther wanted them to follow likewise, before mimicking the movement himself. The others cooperated well enough, even Erin.

  After the prostration, an action that felt very awkward to Lee, the female Unguhur upon the stone throne above inquired, “A threat, Eranthus? A threat has come to the Unguhur Realm?”

  “The Unifier comes,” Eranthus replied in a low tone, which Lee took to be one of respectful deference. “The Hill-Dweller warns us. A great army is coming. They attack the kingdom of humans above us.”

  “The kingdom above has never harmed the Unguhur Realm,” the male on the stone seat declared in a very deep, sonorous tone. He paused for a moment, and looked over the four others with Gunther. His face seemed impassive, as he appraised them. “I would like to talk with the new people, and the Hill-Dweller. Speak for them, and speak to them.”

  Eranthus nodded, but appeared suddenly hesitant. After a moment, he ventured, “They have a Wizard Gift. It is a gift that lets them speak, and understand our words well.”

  A tense silence took hold almost instantly within the great chamber at the revelation.

  “How possible?” asked the exalted male, with evident concern. “A Wizard gift? Tell us of this gift.”

  Eranthus looked over to Gunther. He nodded to the woodsman. “Tell them, Hill-Dweller.”

  After a short pause, Gunther responded to the request with his eyes lowered towards the ground, his voice also very deferential in tone. “Great Khan and Khanum of the Unguhur of Oranim, the gift was from the Wanderer, in the forests above. Given to these four.”

  Lee noted an almost immediate relaxation in the posture of the enthroned pair of Unguhur at the open mention of the Wanderer. Gunther continued to relate to the two Unguhur rulers the story of the acquisition of the pendants, at last prompting Lee to tell more concerning their arrival into Ave.

  Though Lee was highly nervous, he did his part to explain how they were from another world, had been engulfed in a great mist, and had found themselves lost within an entirely new world. When Lee was finished, at Gunther’s insistence, the group pulled their pendants out for the Unguhur to see.

  The lengthy tale ignited some instantaneous excitement among the ranks of the onlooking elders and the two rulers. Whispers and low voices came from all directions, as those seated along the outer wall talked spiritedly amongst themselves. E
ven the pair upon the dais leaned in towards each other, sharing a few low comments.

  “It is a great magic. We know it is good, if it came from the Wanderer. He has always served the Creator,” Khan Treas exclaimed, as he leaned back in his throne, peering with great interest at the amulets held out by Lee and the others. “Let us talk further. What names do you have?”

  “I am called Lee,” Lee said, bowing again, though he felt somewhat awkward at the brevity of his name and lack of any lofty title. The formality of the audience with the Unguhur rulers seemed to demand something more fancy.

  The other three followed in turn with their own introductions, all sounding hesitant and nervous.

  “Welcome, Lee, Lynn, Erin, Ryan… of the humans of the above world,” Treas stated, carefully pronouncing each of their names.

  “Welcome to our realm, and to Oranim,” Vuriant added.

  The khanum’s voice was decidedly smoother and more melodious than that of the males, and her lips spread apart in a facial gesture that Lee took to be a smile. He could not help but notice the huge canines that were displayed as her lips pulled back, slightly offsetting the warmth in the expression.

  Lee and the others bowed, inclining their heads at the extended welcome.

  “Thank you, Khan Treas and Khanum Vuriant,” Gunther stated.

  “Belief of story is hard. Hard to think of other worlds. But the Creator has great power. Can do more than we can ever think of, Unguhur or human,” Khan Treas said. “It could be as you say.”

  The remark by the Unguhur ruler reflected a child-like trust in whatever deity their kind served. While not appearing absolutely convinced of the story, it was clear that the khan was not rooted in inflexibility, and was willing to leave some room for the possible veracity of the tale.

  “You are here in Unguhur Realm and world… for a reason,” Vuriant added, further evidencing the simple trust that Lee had perceived. “The Unguhur Realm will protect you.”

  She then looked toward her regal companion.

  “We must help the surface kingdom,” she said to Khan Treas. “Enemy of the surface kingdom is the Unguhur’s enemy. Is enemy to all.”

  The Unguhur Khan remained very quiet for several moments before finally replying. He turned his gaze towards Gunther, with a look that Lee interpreted as grave concern.

  “Why does the enemy come to lands above?” the underworld khan asked the surface-dwelling woodsman.

  “The above kingdom will not accept the rule of the Unifier,” Gunther answered steadfastly. “The Unifier is trying to conquer the entire world. The Unifier wants every land under His dominion.”

  “Unguhur Realm is in this world, as is above kingdom. Both not accept Unifier,” the khanum interjected firmly as she looked to Khan Treas, letting the obvious implications hang in the air.

  The khan held her eyes for an extended moment, before looking back to Gunther once again.

  “How do they attack?” the khan asked.

  “The forces of the Unifier are invading Saxany. A great number attack farther away, at another place within our lands. A smaller army is now approaching the area near to your realm, coming through the land above us. They will surely find my home,” Gunther replied. “We were in great danger, and could not stay there.”

  The Unguhur Khan and Khanum remained silent for quite some time, plainly reflecting upon the distressing news given to them by Gunther. Vuriant then raised her right arm, gesturing towards one of the elders seated to her left. As the summoned elder rose to his feet, Lee was amazed by the Unguhur’s immense height.

  The soaring Unguhur rose up a full foot or so above the average Unguhur warrior, easily over nine feet tall. Though clearly older in years, he still retained a powerful, bulky muscularity in his physical appearance. This was certainly not a being that had let his body soften over the course of time.

  The hulking Unguhur was dressed in the manner of the other warriors, garbed in tunic and kilt. Additionally, he wore a necklace with a pair of long, curving fangs, which were of a slightly lesser size than were the similar ones upon the khan’s necklace.

  “Drubrell,” Treas solemnly addressed the gigantic Unguhur warrior. “We must help the surface kingdom. We must protect our realm. We must act. Gather your strongest warriors. Use workers so that you have a force of many. Find the enemy. Fight the enemy if they are here, above us. Let our council know what is found.”

  The huge elder-warrior prostrated himself silently, showing that his aged body was still quite supple in its movements as he rose up to his feet again. Drubrell had a steely look about him, and Lee did not want to consider the fate of a human warrior that met this formidable creature under hostile circumstances.

  Turning about, Drubrell then strode the length of the chamber and exited it without the slightest pause. While Drubrell was giving his respects and departing, Lee looked over to Gunther in hopes of getting some indication of the woodman’s reaction to what had just transpired.

  The woodsman’s face had taken on an expression of great worry. Lee was taken aback at the level of concern evident in Gunther’s face, suddenly becoming highly frustrated, as he could not easily question Gunther at that moment.

  “Hill-Dweller, Lee, Ryan, Lynn, and Erin. Rest now. Eat to your fill. We will tell you what Drubrell finds. The Unguhur Realm protects you now. You are safe,” Vuriant stated to the humans, exhibiting the strange manner of smiling that the Unguhur possessed. “You may leave now. Eranthus will see to your quarters.”

  The audience before the Ungahur rulers, without any doubt, had come to an end. Gunther looked over to the others with him, as he prostrated himself before the Unguhur Khan and Khanum once more.

  The four in Gunther’s care understood his desire well enough, and repeated the respectful gesture. As before, Lee found the act a little awkward to execute, though he managed it capably enough.

  Once they were all standing, the group accompanied Eranthus back down the center of the chamber after skirting around the massive altar stone. Once again, Lee felt the weight of the stares coming from the throng of elders surrounding them, a feeling that did not dissipate entirely until he was well outside of the stone hall.

  Eranthus and the spear-carrying warrior escorts guided them from the stone structure, and on to their lodgings. Their quarters were located not far from the great chamber, which came as a relief to Lee, as he was not enthused about surmounting another great flight of steps, such as the one that rose up from the shore level to the throne chamber.

  The humans’ quarters constituted the third and fourth terraces of one of the common dwelling structures that comprised most of the Unguhur metropolis. Descending a few steps to one side of the landing before the great chamber, they set foot directly onto the roof of the edifice’s third terrace.

  A square-sided hole was set in the center of the flat roof of the third terrace. The ends of a wide ladder poked up above the nearest side of the opening, which descended down well over a dozen feet to the flooring of a large, rectangular chamber.

  The far end of the roof looked out over another similar terrace just below, as well as affording any onlooker a spectacular view of the cavern and subterranean metropolis.

  To the back of the third terrace’s roof, there was a broad entrance, covered by a hide flap, which opened into a chamber that formed the interior body of the fourth terrace. Inside of that chamber was another high ladder that reached to another square opening in the ceiling. Lee noticed that the gaps between ladder rungs were quite wide, fashioned for the reach and size of an Unguhur.

  It was not lost on Lee that he and his companions had been subtly placed in a position that would not allow for unobserved escape. To reach the ground, they would have to go back up and pass through the main landing to descend the towering flight of steps all the way to the bottom.

  The only other alternative was to go through chambers and roof-holes, passing down through the lower two terraces until they reached the ground level. Lee had no doub
ts that the lower two terrace-chambers were occupied.

  Either way, the Unguhur within the underground city would most certainly witness anyone attempting to depart.

  Lynn and Erin quickly claimed the lower of the two chambers, leaving the uppermost one for Lee, Ryan, and Gunther. The two women slowly, and a little awkwardly, went down the ladder to explore the chambers that they had selected, while the males entered the higher chamber through its front entryway.

  Once inside a chamber, Lee found the surroundings to be extremely oversized for a human. The height of the ceiling alone made him feel very diminutive.

  The chamber with the square roof-holes was the first of two chambers situated on a given terrace level. The entry chamber appeared to be arranged for cooking and other domestic activities, provided with a shallow fire pit that was just offset from the hole in the ceiling. Like the great throne chamber, ledges had been carved into the walls that were more than adequate for sitting space.

  The rear chamber was clearly intended to serve as sleeping quarters for a terrace’s occupants. It was accessed by a more narrow opening than was the primary entrance, and was also fully covered with a hide flap.

  Light within the two chambers was provided by a couple of flat stones that each contained a copious swathe of the bioluminescent growths on their upper surfaces. The stones were not overly large, and though they were heavy, they could be carried by a human.

  As the far chamber was nearly pitch black, Lee lugged one of the stones from the forward chamber to the back to provide some ambience. Following Lee into the rear of the two chambers, Gunther located a substantial pile of softened hides in one corner, upon which the humans could rest, or use to cover themselves like blankets.

  As Lee handled the thick hides, he judged that only a few of them would be necessary to make sufficient bedding. In only a few minutes, he and Gunther had sorted the hides into three roughly equivalent piles, for each of the three males to use as they wished.