by Cody Hyde
Chapter 8
Charlie and Rocky were still making their way through the dark and swampy forest.
“We’re almost there,” informed Rocky.
“It’s about time,” responded Charlie in relief.
Everything appeared the same in the area they were in now as it was where they were the last ten minutes.
“So where exactly are we going?” asked Charlie.
“A safe place,” replied Rocky.
“Aren’t there any cool clubs or venues around here?”
“No,” replied Rocky.
“Really? I mean, really, your army of... whatever in the world you guys are called... you’ve all got arms and legs, pretty much built about the same way we humans are. Why not make this a better... place?”
Rocky grew an expression of anger towards
Charlie’s words.
“Oh,” responded Charlie, swallowing his breath.
“The Underground is different than your world,” he told him.
“But it doesn’t have to be this way. It is what you make of it.”
Suddenly Rocky stopped walking.
“Why’d you stop?” questioned Charlie.
“Quiet,” he ordered.
A twig snapped. Then silence.
A small whisper was then heard that sounded like some sort of an evil chuckle.
“What was that?” questioned Charlie out loud.
Just then a furry little creature with red fur and big black eyes stepped out of the woods, its big eyes staring into Charlie. It looked completely harmless.
After a few seconds went by, Charlie took a step toward the creature. “Maybe it’s searching for help?”
All of a sudden, the furry creature grew an evil grin on its face, and saliva began dripping from its face. About a dozen more of them then stepped out of the woods from behind it. They all at once exposed their razor-sharp teeth, looking desperately hungry for something.
Charlie stopped. Rocky looked like he was already looking for something to use as a weapon. He picked up a giant log from the swamp.
“Um, Rocky, I think they want us to leave,” said Charlie.
There was a second of silence, then the creature in front of the rest of them pointed a finger at Charlie. “Get him!!” ordered the furry little monster.
The monsters in red fur then began to chase after Charlie, who quickly stepped out of the swamp, which finally came to ground. Rocky stayed behind with the log.
“Let’s go!” Charlie ordered Rocky.
One of the creatures stopped when it saw Rocky and ordered them all to get him instead of Charlie. “Get the big guy!”
They all climbed up onto Rocky, blinding him from view as he tried to swing at them with the log helplessly.
Charlie had to do something about it. “Yo, little guys, over here!” he ordered.
The little monsters then leaped off of Rocky and began chasing Charlie again, who was running at his full pace through the woods.
Rocky sped up to the monsters with his incredibly fast speed, swinging at them as he caught up to Charlie, grabbing a hold of him. About three or four of the monsters were knocked out from the first swing.
One of them managed to grab a hold of Charlie’s leg.
“This one’s chewing on me!!” he cried, as he tried to throw it off of him.
At that Rocky slid to a stop at the top of a hill and threw the creature off of Charlie. They were a good distance away from the rest of them, but it allowed them to catch up a bit.
A dead tree stood right before Charlie and Rocky. Rocky set Charlie down, whose leg was seriously injured, and pulled the dead tree out of the ground, its roots showing.
He rolled the dead tree down the hill, knocking out the creatures like bowling pins.
The one that grabbed a hold of Charlie’s leg then got back up dizzily, not realizing it had fallen way behind, and ended up running into a tree trunk three feet away, knocking itself back out.
Charlie let out a sigh of relief. “What were those things?” he asked.
“Gremlins,” replied Rocky.
Charlie then examined the spot on his leg where he was bitten. A bite mark the size of a softball was shown.
He also noticed a piece of his shirt sleeve was ripped. He ripped it the rest of the way off and wrapped it around the wound.
“You okay?” asked Rocky.
“I’m fine, don’t worry about it, it’s taken care of,” replied Charlie.
Rocky then discovered a small hut in the distance. “Charlie,” he said, pointing.
“Yes?” He then too saw the hut in the distance. “Is that where you’re taking us?”
“We can ask for help.”
“Well, let’s go,” agreed Charlie, who then began walking towards the hut.
Rocky followed.
The two walked up towards the small hut in front of them. They stepped up to the big wooden door and knocked. Silence...
“Are you sure this is a safe place?” asked Charlie.
Rocky stayed quiet.
There was silence.
Charlie then peaked into one of the windows and saw a fireplace. Above the fireplace was what appeared to be... a sword!
The silver blade of the sword shined as the light touched it from outside. The sword had also a bright blue handle.
Suddenly the door to the hut opened, startling Charlie, and a skinny guy who appeared to be in his early 30’s with dark brown hair stepped out.
“Well, hello,” the guy greeted, rather surprised. “Can I help you--whoa!” He had just noticed Rocky and was rather freaked out by his size.
“We need your help,” replied Charlie. The guy kept a startled look on his face a few seconds longer, then agreed to invite Charlie and Rocky in.
“You can come in,” he said before he looked down and noticed Charlie’s muddy clothes. “But perhaps a change of clothes first.” He then turned to Rocky, whose lower half was dirty as well. “And you’ll probably need some polishing.”
Rocky crossed his arms after that comment, taking offense to it.
“This is the only pair I have with me,” replied Charlie.
“Sorry, but I can’t let you in looking like that,” he told them. “I’ve got some extra clothes inside though that may fit you.”
Charlie was surprised. The guy must know a way back home if he has an extra pair of clothes with him.
“There’s a small pond over there,” said the guy, pointing to the right side of the hut. “Go wash up and come back inside when you’re all dried up. I’ll bring you a pair of clothes as well.”
“Thanks,” replied Charlie.
“Meet you in a few,” said the guy, closing the door to his hut.
Charlie turned to Rocky as they began to walk towards the pond.
“Well, he’s a little on the weird side, huh?”
“Weird?” questioned Rocky.
“Never mind, let’s go clean up,” he said as he saw the clear pond ahead of them.
The two were soon inside the big hut, built of rocks and wood. Inside was a table, a chair, a couch with what appeared to be some sort of animal fur set over it, and a fireplace.
“Have a seat,” said the guy.
Charlie and Rocky sat down on the couch next to the small table.
Charlie was now wearing a plain black shirt of the guy’s that was a size medium, just the right size, and a pair of jeans which were a little loose, but luckily he had a belt to wear with them. His own shoes and clothes were next to the fireplace, drying off.
Rocky was also washed up.
“Now tell me, what are your names?” asked the guy.
“Charlie James,” replied Charlie.
“And this is Rocky. He doesn’t like to talk much.”
“Greetings, I’m Ted Grey,” the guy named Ted replied. “Make yourselves comfortable.” He then walked away to pick up some sort of plant.
“What is he doing?” whispered Charlie to Rocky.
Rocky shrugged his shoulders.
Ted continued to rip apart the strange plant.
“Excuse me, but may I ask what it is you’re doing?” asked Charlie.
“I’ll explain to you in a minute here.”
“But we still need to ask you for our help.”
“Of course, and I will get all the information in a second here, I have some things to share with you as well.”
Charlie was getting nervous. What was this guy planning?
Ted then finished what he was doing and turned around to ask one simple question: “You smoke?”
“Do I?” replied Charlie. “Well it depends. What is it?”
Ted held up the strange reddish plant. “This here is what I call a passion plant. It’s a gift from the gods, fresh from the forest.” He handed Charlie a pipe filled with the stuff. “Go on, try it.”
“No thank you.”
“Trust me, it’s worth it.”
“Maybe later.”
“Alright, what about your friend?”
Rocky was asleep.
“He must be tired,” responded Ted. He then turned back to Charlie and noticed the wound on his leg from the gremlin bite, with his ripped sleeve wrapped around it. “Let me see that. How did this happen?” He went over to Charlie to examine his leg.
“Gremlin bite,” replied Charlie.
“Ouch. Nasty little creatures.” He took another hit from his pipe and said, “I think I may have something better for you.” He walked over to get a First Aid Kit out of what appeared to be a duffel bag.
“How did you get all of this stuff here?” asked Charlie.
“Oh, I’ve been in and out of the Underground for years.”
“You mean you know a way out?”
“Well yes...and no.”
Charlie then turned to the shiny silver sword with the blue handle hanging above the fireplace. Is that the sword I need to get my hands on so I can get out of here? He thought.
Ted noticed Charlie’s eyes were on the sword. “That sword is one of my most valued possessions,” he told Charlie, as he wrapped and secured Charlie’s leg wound, replacing the sleeve. “Wow, this is a pretty nasty bite you’ve got here.”
“Eh, it doesn’t hurt much anymore. So tell me more about that sword.”
“Oh yeah, sorry, zoned out a bit,” responded Ted, taking a hit from his pipe. “Anyway, that sword was a lot of work to get to. It’s recognized to the Underground as the Blue Sword. Every few years they replace the dragon’s lair with a new sword.”
“Dragon’s lair?”
“Oh yes,” replied Ted. “That beast isn’t one to mess with. It’s do or die when it comes to the dragon in the Black Cave.”
“The Black Cave?”
“How long you been here?” he asked, looking puzzled.
“I’m sorry, I’ve only just gotten here.”
Ted coughed as he took another hit from his pipe and set it down. “You’ve only just gotten here?”
Charlie went quiet as Ted raised the tone in his voice, becoming more serious. “Well you’ve got a lot to learn boy,” he told him. “I’m not even sure where to start.” He shook his head in disappointment over the fact that Charlie had no knowledge whatsoever of the Underground. “Go ahead, ask away boy, give me a question, I’ll give you an answer.”
Charlie just remained quiet for a moment, unsure where to begin. Then he thought of it. “Well, first off, how did you get here?”
Ted cleared his throat….
Chapter 9