Crawling

In my opinion the darkness in this dungeon is unnatural. The shadows cling to the walls like soot, and disperse around you like a fog. If I was a real alchemist I’d have a bottle of liquid sun dangling around my neck. I steady we have to do the torch thing. Though I’m not sure it’s needed. Along the length of the cave are veins of purple glowing ores that light the way, best as they can.

We carefully inch forward through the fog. We leave the worrying to Cyrus and his sensitive ears. “Nothing.” He says as we shuffle down the incline.

It’s cold in here, and smells wet. Not rotten, or like mildew, just wet. We come across the first chamber of the dungeon, and it’s already been cleared.

“Statues.” Elizabeth holds her torch up to inspect large depictions of a woman. She’s naked but her form is tantalizingly shrouded by darkness. Quite tasteful.

“What a figure!” I say admiring the smooth lines and artistry at hand. Not to mention some naughty tummy.

“Seriously? For a statue?”

“I admire all things that bring arousal.” I study the statue and a few more like it. They’re pillars holding up a ceiling. Only the ceiling is all cave rocks, and that purple glowing stone. “It’s a god.” I say eventually.

“Which one?” Elizabeth asks.

“Not sure.” I say. Then close my eyes in prayer. “Unnamed goddess of shadows, bring us insight. Who are you and how mate we traverse your domain safely?” I wait a moment but get nothing.

Elizabeth snorts. “Praying to a god you don’t even believe in. I’ve never even seen the gods I do know answer people’s prayers.”

“We’re in a godless land Elizabeth.” I say sadly. “She was probably one of dozens lost when the kingdom took over. Maybe there’s a cult hiding out in a hole like this that remembers her name, her prayers.”

“Is that’s where you’re from?” I look over to see her eyes boring into me, hungry to know more.”

“Maybe this is the hole.” Cyrus interrupts.

“Maybe.” The chamber had been looted already. My friends had been this way and had cleared it out for us. “Let’s move up.”

We enter a new section which is empty as the first. A row of pillars line a reflection pool filled with inky black liquid. It looks like the type of place that should be under a sky, but again there's just the cave roof. I walk to the pillars while Elizabeth keeps a cautious eye on the inky water. Cyrus scrambles to a few empty containers, to dig around.

"Shae'hamora." I say to myself as I inspect the pillars. They have depictions of people, and creatures as well as text running along the top and bottom. Maybe's it's the tale of a ruler, or maybe the depiction of a sacred right, one involving this pool.

"Eh?" Elizabeth cocks her head over her shoulder.

"That's her name." I say refering to the statues. That word appears several times on these texts."

"You can read that?" She almost sounds impressed.

"No, I don't recognize this language. But I know a prayer when I see one. I think this place is supposed to be a temple."

"Maybe she's trying to make a come back." Elizabeth jokes, and kicks a rock into the water.

"Maybe, I nod. Maybe that's what dungeons are. Old gods trying to fight their way back into an unbelieving world."

"You can make anything sound boring." She then snorts and spits in the pool before looking over at Cyrus. "Goblin, find anything?"

He snaps to attention. "Nothing! This chamber's been looted too."

"I guess my friends figured out the secret of that pool." I smile and nod towards the the next doorway. "Onward."

Onward we go, through the door way and down a rocky incline, small and narrow. It’s long and one has the sense of delving into the depths of this world as we skitter down its length.

“Shhhhh shhh sh sh!” Cyrus hisses and grabs me by the sash. “I hear something.”

Elizabeth lifts her blade and subtly moves in front of me. Even if she did have an attitude the simple fact she is protecting me now is all I need to know of the transformation within her.

“There’s a lot of them.” Cyrus warns.

“We should go back.” Elizabeth breaths.

“They might be weak.” I say.

“YOU are weak.” She says.

“They’re coming.” Cyrus grips his mace.

I’ve really chewed through my allowance of materials and potions. I have two healing potions and al alchemist’s flare left. Not a lot.

I’m out of money and now have three mouths to feed. Not to mention the prisoners I have tied up out there.

No.

I’m not retreating because the simple fact is, I have nowhere else to run.

The fact is, there’s just not a world where this dungeon and I can exist at the same time.

“Hold.” I say, and hold up my daggers.

Even in the shadows I can see her roll her eyes, and grip her sword.

The shadows clear.

Coming up from the depths are five shadowy creatures. Three in the shape of dogs, and two wearing familiar looking armor and swords. These are the same arms that left me behind to delve the dungeon.

“It looks like we found where the last group fell.”