What Lurks Below

by Michael Soldat

  Prologue

  In the distance, a golden sun with tinges of red dropped over the hills to the west of Thogt, the most important port city on the continent. Waves of grass danced slowly in the slight breeze as far as the eye could see. Tonight, two guards stood in front of the city's western gate, settling in for what was expected to be another calm night.

  One, Jensen, a family man from just inside the walls nearby, turned his back on the world outside the city to look up. On top of the wall, a story and a half tall, he saw another guard making their rounds. Jensen waved. The other guard waved back before continuing their duty.

  “Hey, Arlen! I'm gonna lose some water, mind keeping an eye out?” Jensen yelled to the other guard.

  Nearly three wagon lengths away, the other guard laughed.

  “Not sure if I can handle it! A stray cat might get me, so go quick!” Arlen answered.

  Jensen chuckled and put his spear down. As he walked along the wall to the north, a figure caught his attention in the distance. Normally, small creatures wouldn't raise any alarm. Strays got out into the fields surrounding Thogt all the time, and were usually recaptured within a few days by their owners. However, this creature here, this thing wasn't small. It stood far enough away that he could just make it out. From what Jensen could tell, he was looking at a beast that most guards never saw more than once a year.

  Jensen saw a grog.

  He waved frantically back at Arlen, trying not to alert the creature with any noise while his back was turned. Without his spear, the young man knew he stood no chance at all if the beast noticed him and attacked. Within moments, the second guard joined him, armed with a sword and shield and carrying Jensen's spear.

  “Look, right there. A bunch of wagons out, but are you seeing what I'm seeing?”

  “Yes I am, Jensen. Yes I am. Well, I think I am.”

  “What do you mean 'you think'?”

  “Well, look at it. The sun's going down, so we might be a little mixed up. I'm pretty sure those are huge claws.”

  “And, it's the color of dirt, or rocks, or whatever. C'mon, that was the easy hint.”

  “Yeah, OK, I get it. Seems obvious. But, look closer and tell me if my eyes are lying. You're younger than me, so maybe my sight is going, but look at its gut.”

  “Its gut?”

  “Yeah. Look at it. Bit big, don't you think?”

  “It's definitely a grog, Arlen. I mean, look at that face!”

  In the distance, the creature perked up. It stared directly at the two guards, then turned away from them and started off towards the mountains. After it disappeared behind a hill, the two guards retreated back to the gate. Jensen peered inside. If anyone or anything snuck through while he wasn't paying attention, they went fast enough to blend in with the crowd some distance away. People milled around down the road, mainly heading towards numerous bars and inns for the evening, but those were all a decent distance away. Jensen turned back to Arlen as they stood on opposite sides of the gate.

  “We've gotta report this.”

  “It's just a grog, Jensen. If we report it, we'll be here tomorrow night until the sun comes up again.”

  “I know what I saw, OK? I saw a fat grog. I'm not going to leave that out just because we have to do some extra work. We get paid extra for more time anyways. Isn't that what you want?”

  Arlen sighed and nodded.

  “Alright then.”

  Jensen took out his scrap of parchment and stub of lead, and started writing.

  1

  Robert Knowl stood by a large open window in his office. People swarmed in the street below, going about their business for the day. He recognized many of them from encounters both personal and public, mostly good experiences. Directly below, a blacksmith that frequently supplied him with new weapons for soldiers carried some iron from one horse-drawn cart to another. Robert figured the man was probably scrambling to get this new order back to his forge, eager to turn it into whatever the buyer wanted. Robert also spotted a woman driving a cart nearby who ran a small inn on the outskirts of the city where he took his wife for their last anniversary.

  These people, Thogt’s people, gave Robert a reason to do his job, to leave his wife and the safety of the walled city for unseen dangers in the northern mountains. Today, he would plan out the most important work in those depths that he’d done in years. Robert would advise Thogt’s king on the fate of this small branch of the army. Then, after preparing, ideally, one last time, he would lead them into the earth.

  Robert led what was formally known as Thogt's investigation unit. Officially, he put his nose into any trouble that could affect the city’s business on a large scale from outside the walls. Bandits, rogues, and whomever decided to relieve merchants of their wares illegally were his problem. Unofficially, they were a small part of the problem. More importantly, Robert and his soldiers kept things that went bump in the night from harming Thogt's citizens, inside of the walls or out. Such beasts lived in the mountains that reached from thousands of cart lengths away to the north wall of the city. Even his wife, Cecille, didn’t know how dangerous the caves so close to their home could be. Robert only wished he could return safely each time from his journeys, able to see her once more.

  While he stared out the window at the hubbub below, Robert fell into a daydream. He asked himself questions that hadn’t mattered for years. Why did his ancestors build Thogt here? Why it was so vital to trade? If any of these questions had different answers, Robert would be out of a job. Unless his assistant barged in the door to snap him back to reality, he could spend hours thinking about how his life would be different if only the world formed differently. Today, that very assistant, Lara, happened to stop in.

  “I’ve been looking all over for you! I got this intel that you were looking for from the gate guard,” she said.

  Standing a few heads over a cow, she wore a fabric shirt and breeches, clothes her leather armor would fit over easily. Despite jogging in the room, Lara didn't seem out of breath at all, a quality of youth that Robert missed. After a moment, he saw a large stack of papers in her arms that would have forced several soldiers from the past to struggle under their weight. Robert motioned for her to set them down on the desk.

  “You don’t have to do this, you know. I'll get down there and talk to them myself. It's taking me a little more time today, is all.”

  “Yeah, I get it, but you need my help, considering all the paperwork you have to do to get a job going.”

  Robert smiled. Ever since he hired Lara about seven years ago, she caught on fast. Other people came and went in his unit, but she was always on top of things, ready for the next job. Her youth kept him going some days, when all he wanted was a nap.

  “I’ve had enough help for a few years now. It always leads to too much paperwork!” he said, tapping the stack of papers and smiling.

  “Hey, if you let me handle more, I might even do some of the reading for you!”

  Robert laughed, rolled up his sleeves, and started flipping through the papers. The gate guards' reports consisted of anything that could possibly be out of order during their watch. Usually, these were simple mistakes. Once in a while, a bear from the western forest would wander near the city. On occasion, a stray cat would startle a guard patrolling the highways. About once a month, someone would see something worth Robert’s time. When this happened, bureaucracy transformed the single page report into the stack that sat in front of him.

  “Where’d you get these from, anyway? Usually Jensen doesn’t like delivering his report to anyone but me.”

  “You’re exactly right,” Lara said. “Found that out from him myself, among other things. He’s quite the talker, once you get some ale in him.”

  “Ah
a! Trying to get away from the office into some kind of recon job, are you?”

  “Not at all! You know that sort of thing would bore me to death. No, it’s just… people are finally getting used to me being here. I figured since I’ve been working here so long, you’d be fine with letting me handle some of your work. I swear, I was going to say-”

  Robert interrupted her with his hand, palm forward.

  “No, no, you don’t need to explain. You’re right, I appreciate your help. I’m not getting any younger, and having someone to do the running around makes my life much easier. Thank you, Lara. I appreciate it.”

  Lara beamed, her eyes lit up practically as bright as the sun shining in from the window.

  “But, what you’re doing won’t be acceptable in the long run. Tell you what. I’ve got to meet with the King later today about this trip we’ll be taking tomorrow. Why don’t you join me?”

  “Join you? The king? I mean, I guess… I’ve never spoken with him before.”

  “Ha! He’s certainly spoken to you. Felas is a normal human like you and I, only difference is he runs the place. Plus, you’ll have to get used to speaking to him if I’m to suggest you as my official successor.”

  “What?!” Lara said, stumbling back into a chair.

  “What do you mean, 'what'? You’re already doing a quarter of the work I do. It's not fair that you're making a pittance. I bet the only thing stopping you from working harder is not being in on important discussions. I mean, remember when we camped up north for a week to drive off mountain lions?”

  “Yeah, they were attacking some of the wagons once they got far enough away from the city. What about it?”

  “That was three years ago. How many of the people on that trip have you seen more than once around this office?”

  “Uh…”

  “Exactly. You’ve wormed into the position, which surprised me. Not many people want to see the mountains more than once. I like to think I notice every little thing, but you improve this place in ways I wouldn't think of. I appreciate you, and I think it’s time Thogt gave you a little pat on the back too.”

  “I don’t know what to say, Robert. I mean, I’m only helping to keep the city safe…”

  “No need to be modest. You’re doing an important job, you’re doing it well, and you deserve the proper attention for it. Be back here at seven, and we’ll see what Felas says. No, half past six. We’re going to have to talk about some things, first.”

  Lara could only smile and nod vigorously before she flew out the door. Robert figured she had to bury herself in work for a bit to get over the jitters he caused. Alone again, he sighed. He loved what Lara did under his guidance, but it was more and more apparent that she didn’t need it as much these days. Robert would be a fool to say she couldn't handle the job once he retired. It wasn’t that he tired of coming to work, but it often kept him away from Cecille for longer than necessary. Robert and his wife were getting on in years, and retirement meant he could spend all the time in the world with her. No bump in the night would separate them after the next few days. After this job, Robert aimed to move home.

  For now, though, these reports needed his immediate attention. Robert sat at his solid oak desk a few feet away from the window, and began sorting through them. Some reports he expected: small animals in the dark that people believed were bigger or more dangerous. About thirty pages in, Robert found what he was looking for. It happened right outside the western gate. A guard sighted a small, dangerous creature, and it made a very distinct sound.

  Grog. Two arms, two legs, too many claws.

  These vile creatures lurked inside of the mountains to the north, hunting whatever their feeble minds could capture. Unfortunately, simple brains held sway over nimble bodies, ones that could leap great distances. Two sharp, lengthy claws erupted from the end of each limb. They curved out of what a human would call a hand, while they shot straight out of the foot analog. With solid mountain rock below them, these claws enabled grog to be quick and dangerous predators. They rarely made it down to Thogt and its surroundings however. Once away from the mountains, the claws sank into dirt and mud, making maneuver difficult. Often, the beasts would stumble around clumsily, even starving their skinny bodies to death because they couldn't catch anything or make it back home. Many a time, Robert lost sleep because he had to clean up the corpse of such foolish things.

  This report was different, though. Usually, if a grog ventured this far south, it couldn’t catch any food in the mountains. Usually, they would attack on sight anything they could find. When a soldier found this grog, though, it only watched. It waited, as if observing. Then, it fled. The report also mentioned something incredibly peculiar: it wasn’t as thin as a typical grog. Odd, but he would look into it after getting permission from the king.

  Putting the reports aside, Robert opened up one of the drawers of his desk and removed a book. He thumbed through, reading names and summaries of soldiers that had served under him in the past. On a separate piece of paper, he wrote some of the names down. These would be the people Robert picked to go into the mountains. Due to King Felas’ generosity, Robert could use of the crown’s couriers to gather whomever he needed. Later, he would hand Felas the list of names, along with any equipment needed. Assuming the king approved, Robert's cohort would assemble by the time they were to leave the next day.

  For several minutes after he finished, Robert turned to watch the people outside. Carts led by donkeys or cattle rolled towards the market. Merchants from the southern continent on top of the animals yelled out wares and deals to the crowds. Few, if any of these people, knew what lurked in the mountains. If he succeeded on his next trip north, that would never change.

  -----

  Robert’s head jolted up; he didn’t even realize he was asleep. The first thing that came to mind was the report about a fat grog. Then, Robert remembered leaning his old chair against the stone wall. Next, he rested his eyes. That must have done the trick. There was no time to think any longer on the subject, as someone was knocking on his door. Robert turned to the window and saw the sun setting, reminding him that Lara most likely woke him.

  “Ah! Come in!”

  “I’m ready!” Lara said as she opened the door. “I tidied up as best I could. I wouldn’t want to make a bad first impression on the king as someone of stature.”

  She was wearing a clean white long sleeved shirt along with a pair of proper pants that Robert could only see minor stains on.

  “Well, at the very least, Felas will know you work hard. He's seen you before. I don't think you need to fit in with high society just yet.”

  “What? These are the nicest clothes I have right now!”

  “I know, I know, I’m kidding. I’ve been to see him with fresh grog blood all over my armor. You’ll be fine. I don't really fit in with the fancy ones either, and you know how long I've been here.

  Before we go, though, I wanted to talk to you about tomorrow. Did you read the reports you left on my desk before you gave them to me?”

  “I thumbed through them, why?”

  “Did anything strike you as unusual?”

  “Seemed like another grog sighting. Worrisome, but nothing we can’t take care of. I do hate all that paperwork, though.”

  “Lara, I wouldn’t be asking you if I didn’t think there was something there.”

  She sighed, found the report, and thumbed through it. Robert waited for a minute as she read.

  “It must be dying. Grog are never calm enough to stand still like that.”

  Robert motioned to keep going.

  “Uh… It looked around and didn't attack? I’m not sure what else there is.”

  “That doesn’t bother you? This beast was calm enough to see the guards and not attack, and it had quite the gut on it. Have you ever seen a fat grog?”

  Lara shook her head.

  “This is what I’ve been looking for, Lara. Well, the learned types in the library have. They never figured out
where these things come from, and grog have never been fat, so if this one’s fat, it must be pregnant.”

  “Pregnant?! Really? You went straight for that?”

  “Lara, I’ve been working with these things for as long as you’ve been alive. I’ve never seen a fat grog in decades. You go out and you find everyone I’ve ever worked with that’s come back alive, and you ask them if they’ve ever seen a fat grog. They’ll say no. I don’t think after thirty years they’re suddenly going to be well fed. Every time we’ve found them in the mountains, there’s nothing there but rock. I would gamble that they don’t grow on walls, nor have we ever found eggshells anywhere. I honestly doubt they come from eggs anyway, so along with this, what does that leave?”

  “Live birth. I get it, Robert, it’s just… strange. There’s nowhere on a grog frame to carry that much bulk.”

  “That’s what we all thought, but this is our proof. There’s something there, and I’m going after it. You’re in, right?”

  Lara nodded. Robert smiled, and led her out of his office.

  “Think your parents will mind you going this time? I know you’re usually first up for the dangerous work, but this might be worse than before. If I’m right, there’s no telling what will be guarding a grog queen.”

  “They’re queens, now?” Lara said, an eyebrow raised.

  “Well, they swarm like ants if you give them the chance. Seemed fitting, but that’s besides the point.”

  Lara looked away.

  “Haven’t talked to them in some time.”

  “Oh. Still mad at them?”

  “Robert! You know how I feel. Give it a rest.”

  “Sorry, sorry.”

  For the rest of the walk to the king’s chamber, neither soldier spoke. Robert did glance at Lara on occasion to see if she was mad at him. Thankfully for him, Lara must have forgotten or forgiven his error, as he noticed her admiring the wall tapestries as they turned down the king’s hall. Robert knew the beautifully woven rugs would save him. Lara told him countless times that she wished she could create something half as beautiful as these. Woven images of triumphs past covered both walls, looking nearly as bright and colorful as they day they were finished. Robert saw time and time again that, while she liked those, she loved the inside of the chamber even more.