Irwin backed up further into the bushes as the Galubs moved closer. Daubutim was staring at him, then waved him further in. All of his confidence seemed to leave him at once as he saw the taller boy turn and vanish into the alleyway. Before he had the time to contemplate running back, the voices of Galubs reached him.
"Why do you keep asking? Big fat said it. We need to guard the entrances," a dull voice grumbled.
Two heavy slaps were followed by an outcry.
"Sorry, Ulrop! Me get hit in head at party… keep forgetting things," a whiny voice replied.
The group of four Galubs stomped past the bushes Irwin was hiding behind, and he felt his skin crawl. As dense as the bushes were, he could still see through some of the holes, and he felt exposed. The lead Galub was slightly bigger and had two horns, its eyes gleaming.
"You told me that already," the two-horn growled.
With a quick glance, the two-horn backhanded the Galub to his left, causing it to stumble back and rub its face. A hateful glare surfaced then the struck Galub shook its head and ran after the other three.
"There's people going missing," the two-horn said. "Big-fat says there's carded somewhere."
"But there be no portal," the Galub responded, still rubbing its face.
"Who can say," the two-horn grunted. "This blasted city has more hidey-holes than a Glendagon anthill. It's more than possible for there to be one somewhere."
He is way smarter than the other ones, Irwin thought, focusing on keeping his breathing as calm and quiet as possible. If they could capture this one, they could get so much more information!
The Galubs continued walking further away, and Irwin looked back at the alleyway where Daubutim had disappeared. They weren't paying attention! If he angled away from the opening, he could run back now! He began to sneak back when the door swung open, slamming into the wall.
"There you are, Ulrop," a voice eerily similar to Ulrop's came from the door at the end of the worn-down park.
Irwin froze and moved back to the bushes, peeking through another hole. A second two-horn, almost a duplicate of the one called Ulrop, was walking through the door, closing it behind him.
Too close, he thought as he swallowed. If he had run just now, that one would have spotted him!
"Lardur. Go back and warn Blendir not to be late again!"
"You don't order me around," the two-horn growled, stopping a foot from the other one.
For a moment, Irwin thought they were going to fight, then they growled, and each took a step to the side before they walked past each other. The Galubs that had been sitting at the door followed Lardur, and Irwin held his breath as they passed him.
"You stay here and call me if you see any carded!" Ulrop said.
"Yes, Ulrop," two of the Galubs responded, but the two-horned was already through the door, slamming it shut behind him.
Irwin waited until Lardur's group left, and the other Galubs sat back down. Right, now go back to sleep so I can leave, he thought, staring at them.
He waited long minutes, but the Galubs were just standing there looking around. Daubutim was still not back, and he was starting to get worried. He tried to distract himself by thinking about what he had just heard.
So there are two stronger Galubs: the Big Fat guy and Doomblade Hardswing. They also know we are here, but they haven't found the portal.
He frowned as he wondered if they had been spotted or if the Galubs simply assumed they were here based on their missing people.
People, Irwin thought with a frown. Those two two-horned had spoken far better than the others he had seen so far. They did almost seem like people. He shivered as he wondered if they had families.
It took almost an hour before the lazy Galubs abided by his wishes, and by then, Irwin's legs were cramped. Taking a deep sigh, he looked up and was incredibly relieved to see Daubutim back in the alley. The other boy waved, then motioned for him to stay when Irwin got up. To Irwin's surprise, Daubutim ran towards him before quietly sitting down as if he'd not just done something dangerous.
"I'm-" Irwin began, wanting to say he was glad the other was alright, but Daubutim raised a hand to quiet him.
"Let's check the windows," Daubutim whispered.
Irwin nodded, and they snuck towards the nearest shuttered window. From a distance, it looked like a sturdy piece of wood, but as they closed in, Irwin saw dark mold and dust caked on the dark stone below. With a frown, he slowly poked his finger at the wood and then through. A hole appeared, the edges crumbling down.
Daubutim just shrugged, so he carefully created a hole large enough to see through. Beyond the hole was a wall, no cries of outrage or anything.
If we open this, they will see, Irwin suddenly thought, pulling his hand back. He misjudged his angle, making the hole even larger. Bigger than his head now, he wanted to curse.
"They will see," he whispered.
Daubutim was looking at the hole, a confused and worried look on his face, and Irwin gritted his teeth. By Gelwin's beard. As soon as something happened that he hadn't practiced, Daubutim just couldn't cope!
Taking a deep sigh, he looked at the bushes, but there was no sign of movement. The snoring was all the indication he had that the Galubs were still there.
He hesitated for only a moment, then opened a larger hole. As quietly as he could, he pulled himself up and looked through. A corridor paved with neat stone tiles, and a dull plastered wall ran left and right. Left seemed to end with a corner. The right way had a few openings, hallways or doors, and there was a door at the far end.
Ten seconds later, he and Daubutim stood inside, a large hole in the window behind them. The torchlight from outside leaked in through the window, and the outside sounds were slightly muffled.
"Let's get out of here before someone notices and comes to check," Irwin whispered. "We should scout around a bit."
Daubutim's eyes almost seemed to light up, and he nodded, shoulders straight. He suddenly reminded Irwin of a hound commanded to be at attention. He shoved the idea away, berating himself for it. Daubutim wasn't a hound!
The other motioned him to go ahead, and Irwin focused fully on the task of watching and listening for Galubs. It reminded him of when they had just reached this shard world. They moved to the first hallway, which proved a foot deep with a door at the end. To Irwin's suprise, this one had an actual keyhole. Putting his hand on the door lever, he hesitated, then slowly pushed. Silent and smooth the lever went down and the door opened with a tiny click. Daubutim nodded, raising his sword, and Irwin tightened his grip on his own as he pushed open the door, ready to rush in if needed.
A slightly disordered but otherwise normal-looking room lay beyond. Seeing no movement, Irwin jumped inside. There was a bed, a table, chairs, and- It looks just like the ones outside... do they only have one type of room? The bed linen was crumpled, and though he saw dust in places, most of the room seemed remarkably clear.
"Empty," he whispered belatedly.
Daubutim followed him in, and they searched the room, finding three mostly filled water bags.
"This room seems… used," Irwin whispered as he looked around. "Do you think it belongs to one of those two-horns?"
"Perhaps," Daubutim responded.
After a careful check in the hallway, they left the room and moved to the next door. Another similar room and two new water bags. Slowly getting emboldened, Irwin continued checking the rooms. All of them were empty, and they didn't find any food, but Irwin wasn't unhappy. He gulped down two partially filled water bags. They had no room for them, and he was still thirsty. He ignored Daubutims look as he put the second down.
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"I wonder what's behind the final door," he muttered as they got ready to go through.
Daubutim didn't respond, and Irwin shrugged as he checked, then headed back into the empty hallway. The final door had no lock and a larger handle. Just as he put his hand on it, he froze. Dull voices came from behind. He spun around, but the hallway was still empty.
Are they coming from outside… or... better not risk it.
He focused on the door, quickly but carefully pulling it open. A large hallway sat behind it, dark wooden staircases at the back leading to other floors. A shove in his back caused him to stumble into the room, and his heart rate surged as he turned just in time to see Daubutim pull the door close.
Before he could ask, Daubutim turned his eyes wide as he looked around, squinting. "We need to hide."
His tone caused Irwin to shiver. What did he see? He didn't bother asking but looked around for the nearest door. Not too far was a small one with a lock, and he almost ran there, his feet tapping too loudly on the stone tiles for his liking. As he put his hand on the handle, he heard a soft sound from inside the room, and he yanked his hand back as if bitten.
Left was another door, and he ran there. A quick listen showed nothing, and he had his hand on the door when the one they had just come in through swung open. In a single move, he opened the door and jumped inside, sword raised. Daubutim was behind him, closing the door.
Around him was a huge kitchen with tables covered with shattered pots and pans and ransacked cupboards. Ovens lined the left wall, and two narrow passages sat opposite them, leading away.
Dull shouts came from behind.
They found us, Irwin thought as he spun to Daubutim. The noble boy's eyes were sharp, but his face pale as a sheet as he looked around. Behind the door, they heard someone yank open doors and shout inside, causing more shouting to respond.
Irwin made a decision and rushed to one of the two hallways leading out of the kitchen. "This way," he whispered. There was a gasp, then Daubutim followed.
The narrow passage curved ahead, and after only ten paces, they reached a four-way intersection.
"Always left," Daubutim whispered. "Back will always be right then."
Irwin blinked, wondering why that didn't make sense, then turned left, running faster. Behind them he heard a door open and shouting.
They're in the kitchen!
A hundred feet, another intersection, again left. Then a short flight of stairs. They ran up and reached another intersection. Then another. The sounds behind them slowly died out.
Irwin kept running until he didn't hear anything from behind, then he slowed to a walk. How many lefts had they taken? How could anyone ever find their way here? It was pitch dark, and even his darkvision couldn't make out more than a ruddy red outlining. At the next intersection, he stopped, looking left, then right, then ahead.
"What now?" he whispered anxiously.
"We took seventeen turns left and moved up nine flights of stairs," Daubutim replied softly.
Irwin turned to gaze at the boy, noticing him looking around with fear in his eyes. His eyes kept wandering around, searching for something. Probably light.
Should I summon my flame? Irwin thought for a moment. After a moment, he decided against it. He thought about asking Daubutim where to go, then stopped. The boy wouldn't know…. but perhaps.
"What are the benefits of going up versus going down?" he asked.
Daubutim blinked, then frowned. "Down will return us to the ground floor, meaning an easy way to flee into the city if we can find an exit. Up will bring us closer to the top of the building. Based on what we heard, that should be where Doomblade is. And the cards."
There is no use going back now, Irwin thought. They might not get back inside, and even if they did, it wouldn't be safer than now. Still… it might be a good idea to find a place to hide for a day. Let the tumult behind them die down.
"Let's go up and find a quiet place to hide," he whispered.
"Quieter than this?" Daubutim hissed.
"One where I can summon my flame without drawing attention," Irwin replied. "Can you memorize where we are going even if we don't go left?"
Daubutim grunted. "Yes, but if we get split up, you won't find your way back."
Irwin hesitated, then sighed. "Then let's not get split up," he replied, walking forward.
They continued forward, this time taking each path that led to a flight of stairs. Ten minutes of walking in the dark later they heard dull noises coming from the passage to the right. After a whispered conversation, they slowly continued forward.
A hundred feet later, a flickering glow came from the end of the corridor. They snuck forward and reached a large, low-ceilinged room with corridors leading away on all sides. A set of chains hung down from the ceiling, moving through a hole in the center of the room. A low wooden fence sat around it, barely knee-high. A chatter of voices rose from below.
Irwin crept forward and, holding his breath, took a quick look over the edge.
A large chandelier hung a foot below him, blocking a large part of the view but not all of it.
A throne room? Irwin thought as he gazed at the long purple and golden carpet that led up to a white throne that stood almost against the back wall. Scarlet and azure gemstones sat in the sides, and a long-limbed Galub sat atop. Two smaller horns sat on each side of its head, with a larger one next to the left one, gleaming dangerously. Red hair grew from the back of his head, pulled back in a tight ponytail that clashed harshly with the green of his skin. Leaning against the throne was a slab of iron roughly shaped like a sword or paddle.
A dozen two-horned Galubs stood before the throne, talking rapidly, and Irwin noticed a scowl forming on the seated Galub's face.
"- find any carded, Doomblade," a two-horn shouted over the others.
"Shut up!" the three-horn roared.
The group of Galubs took a step back as Doomblade rose.
"You will find those carded and bring them here! I can barely remember the screams of the last group, and I grow bored! You will find them, or I'll grab a few of you to feed the Bablibon!"
The Galubs froze, then turned and spirited away, leaving the three-horned Doomblade alone before the throne. It gritted its teeth, and then when they were gone it snarled, turning to the sword. It whispered something, and Irwin's eyes widened in surprise.
Just a little bit more before… what? he thought. Below him, Doomblade walked around the throne, disappearing from view.
A tap on his shoulder almost made Irwin jump in fright. Daubutim sat beside him, hand raised and squinting down. He beckoned, and Irwin followed him back to the corridor.
"What happened?"
"Doomblade is a three-horn," Irwin whispered.
Daubutim's face fell. "Then we can't fight him until we get more cards," he whispered. "We should try and steal them without him finding us."
Irwin agreed, and he looked around. "Let's see where these paths lead us," he whispered.
"Alright, but we need a place to rest," Daubutim whispered. He frowned, then shook his head. "And we need to find more food if we are to stay here."
Irwin thought back to the kitchen. He hadn't seen any food, only broken shelves, and cupboards.
They circled the chandelier hole, moving through the corridor ahead of them. It quickly ended in another room with boxes around the sides. A quick inspection showed they were full of candles or something that looked a lot like them. At the back of the room was a rectangular hole with the ends of a ladder poking out. From what Irwin could see, it led to the floor below and into a tiny room.
"Let's check the other corridors first," he whispered. Daubutim merely grunted in response.
Ten minutes later, they were back in the box-filled room. The other corridors had led to dead-ends, most with ladders that led down to the floor below. As this room led to the one behind the throne room, they decided to scout it first. Doomblade had to keep the cards somewhere.
"I'll go first," Irwin whispered, steeling himself.
The ladder didn't as much as creak when he climbed down, and when he reached the floor, he saw a small room with a single door and more boxes. A few hesitant moments later, he beckoned Daubutim. There was no reaction. Can't see me, he thought as he ticked the ladder. A soft rustle from above indicated that Daubutim was moving down.
"What if that three-horn is there?" Irwin whispered as he held the door handle and licked his lips.
"Do you hear anything?"
Irwin put his head against the door, but there was no sound from behind.
"No."
"If there's something there, close the door, and we go back up. We know the way, and it didn't seem like anyone else was up there."
Heart rate spiking, Irwin slowly opened the door. A soft flicker of torches came from around a set of boxes blocking his view. Pulling the door fully open, he saw that there was a narrow path left. Then he froze as he heard a soft sound.
Is that breathing?
He swallowed as a grinding sound came from behind the boxes as if something massive had moved. It was followed by a dull rattling sound, and the boxes shook slightly. Then it was quiet again, and the breathing resumed. Very quietly, he pulled the door closed again, and when it was shut, he drew a shuddering breath.
"Up," he whispered.
When they were back in the room above, Irwin sat down. He had a cold sweat on his forehead.
What was that?
"What did you see?" Daubutim whispered.
"Nothing, but I think there's something big in that room," Irwin replied. "I heard breathing... it sounded like a smith's bellows!"
Daubutim didn't respond immediately, then he sighed. "Let's go to one of the other ladders and see if we can find food. If we can't, we will have to find a way outside again."
Irwin nodded but remained seated for a few more moments. When he finally felt the shaking of his hands stop, he rose.
I hope there's only one of these things, he thought.
--
Irwin lost any sense of time as they explored the large castle. Most of it was empty, with any room not occupied seemingly having been looted. Hungry and tired, they continued on until they stood before a wider corridor. There was a set of double doors at the end with metallic handles. Deep gauges in the wood and splinters on the ground showed someone had attempted to open it, probably unsuccessfully.
"If there's nothing here, we go back," Daubutim said.
Irwin didn't respond, knowing Daubutim couldn't see the door. Let's just check, he thought, wondering if Daubutim could even find the way back. Taking a deep breath, he snuck forward, noting the lack of dust on the path. At the door, he put his head against it and, when there was no sound, put his hand on the handle.
Tiny blue bolts of lightning sparked from the handle, running across his hand as all of his muscles spasmed.
"What the-" Ambraz grunted from his pocket as the lightning rippled towards that spot, moving unnaturally across his clothing. A deep gong sound came from the door, drumming through the walls and outside, so loud Irwin covered his ears in shock. Then the door opened, a crisp blue light streaming out.
Irwin heard Daubutim's startled shout as he saw a massive room expand before him. In the center hovered a bluish flame surrounded by a circle of nine large anvils.
Distant shouts distracted him, and he took a quick look behind. There was nobody there, but he wondered how long that would-
"Get in there!' Ambraz hissed as the tiny Anvil flew out of his pocket, dropping on his shoulder. "Hurry!"
Irwin hesitated for a second, then stepped into the room. A tingling sensation ran through him as more lighting rippled across his clothing, moving towards and into Ambraz.
Behind him, he heard a surprised shout, and he spun to see Daubutim rebound from what looked like a sheet of blue glass that blocked the door.
"Ah, dammit, right," Ambraz muttered, and Irwin felt his weight disappear as the Anvil flew back through the door. The sheet of blue, glowing glass didn't stop him at all, and he dropped onto Daubutim's shoulder.
"Get through before those things reach us," Ambraz snapped.
Daubutim reacted instantly, pushing himself up and jumping inside in a single move. This time he made it through as the lightning moved to Ambraz.
"Close the door," Ambraz ordered, and Daubutim yanked it closed while Irwin stared at the Anvil.
"What is this place?" Irwin asked, his whispered voice echoing hollowly throughout the otherwise empty room.
"It's a place of worship," Ambraz said as he flew forward. "I don't know who built this city, but whoever they were, they had good taste. That's an altar dedicated to the Anvils of the Gods."
"Anvils?" Irwin muttered as he carefully moved towards the flame.
There was no heat coming from it though he saw the heat waves around it.
"Yes, yes. I told you before, there are more of us," Ambraz said as he flew towards the Anvils. "This place is ancient! There have been eleven Anvils for over a thousand years by now!"
Something crashed into the door behind them, followed by a roar of anger. "Open that thing! If they can get in, so can we!"
Irwin shivered as he heard Doomblade's voice. More strikes rebounded on the door, muted and dull.
"There is no other way out," Daubutim said.
Irwin spun in a circle, noticing that Daubutim was right. Beyond the flame and the anvils, there was nothing else here.
"We are trapped," he whispered, his fear growing.
"Of course not!" Ambraz said, turning to them, his lips curved in a wide grin. "From here, we can go anywhere in this city."