Amethyst shivered in anticipation as her friends started their descent. Her feet were rooted, her muscles unresponsive. She stared into that void just as she had stared down into the Aqueducts, into the Sewers. With fear that she would be swallowed up, never to be free again.

Bodies, mosquitos, the blood stained walls closing in, crushing her like a grape. She could hear the screams of tortured prisoners. Those who lived in such agony just before their demise. The souls of senseless murder wailed in Amethyst's head. They were down there too and she knew it.

It would be like a maze, she imagined. There would be tunnels wrapping and winding like the snake. That evil symbol devouring itself, a clue like those before. Bringing only cruelty and horror with it. Marking the passage, while marring the temple's light, leading them right to a new layer of Hell.

Tenya was standing next to Amethyst, hand in hand. Tenya squeezed and Amethyst snapped out of her dreaming to look up at her. She couldn't make out the emotion on her face, but found comfort in her presence. The warmth of their hands inspired the desire to continue, but Amethyst's legs still refused to move.

"You don't have to go." Tenya remarked at Amethyst's reluctance. "We can go back and let them take care of it."

Amethyst remained frozen. She wanted to go back but yearned to press forward too. She wanted to crawl into bed, hide under the covers and wait. She wanted her memories, imagination, and fear to flee from her and to have the strength to step down the path. She couldn't do it alone.

"Pull me in." Amethyst stammered.

"What?" Tenya stepped in front of Amethyst and faced her. She let her hands reach up to Amethyst's fearful face. "We really don't have to, we can just go back. Are you sure you want to go forward?"

Amethyst hesitated then nodded. Tenya turned around, then took a deep breath before stepping into the black, her hand clasped tightly in Amethyst's. The other's hadn't gone far, Nuru was waiting a few steps below with Wa Chini and Garba only a bit further down. Only Stochastís and Exousía were out of sight at that moment.

Amethyst resisted her first step as Tenya pulled her down. Each step gained momentum until Amethyst was no longer being pulled, but walking on her own steady terms. Amethysts couldn't see much of anything except the noses of each step.

There had already grown to be a stale and somewhat foul scent wafting through the air. Amethyst's mind flashed with images of the decayed blobs of corpses that had guided her entrance into Uongo's chambers. Amethyst tried to push the images out of her mind, but was unable to resist them with so many similarities.

The stairs gave way to a sloped tunnel. There was a thin, slightly blue trail which led deeper into the earth's throat. Amethyst could hear the echoing of footsteps around her. The strange sense that someone was watching her and that same someone was just behind her persisted in the forefront of her twitchy brain. The shadows around her were primed to jump.

Though no shadow did come to steal her away. Each slow step further, kept her on her toes. She had her free hand wrapped around her dagger's hilt. She had stopped keeping it wrapped and sheathed with the intent of it being useful upon immediate need.

Tenya kept looking back at Amethyst, which served as a minor panacea for her paranoia as the darkness deepened like a mist entrapping them. Amethyst's panic was subsiding as her fear turned to focus. A small tremble of anticipation kept her shaking ever so slightly. Amethyst's resolve hardened into stone like the walls encompassing her, with only minor cracks.

Her eye's had finally adjusted to the dim conditions. She couldn't make out anything in fine detail, but she could see the outlines of her comrades ahead as they blazed this new path. The ceiling was tall enough to allow them to walk normally and wide enough for their arms to be stretched out wide and just barely brush the porous surface.

Amethyst had a small jolt when Garba turned to look behind him. She saw his glowing yellow eye. He had moved to the front of the group and was leading their way forward. He would occasionally stop and sniff the air, listen, then continue forward. Stochastís impatiently kept trying to keep him moving forward faster.

After several bends, twists, and turns, they came to a cavern that was wide and open. The luminescent paint continued through the chamber and into another tunnel. It was not the only tunnel, however. From this cavern there were at least four others of varying sizes. The paint entered into a tunnel that wasn't nearly as large as the one that had led them into this cavern.

It was just large enough for almost everyone to go through, except for Exousía, whose horns were far too wide and tall. The group remained still for a while as they spoke back and forth as to what to do next. Amethyst was sitting in the center of the cavern. She wasn't alone, Garba was sitting near to her. His gaze was turned to Wa Chini, who was trying to fit Exousía's horn into the tunnel.

Wa Chini rubbed the top of her horn and yanked hard. Exousía let out a yip as Wa Chini managed to cram one of her horns in between a couple rocks. Exousía's normally calm demeanor grew hot as she started cursing at the cat. It looked like the attempt took her by surprise.

"He is so weird." Amethyst said while shaking her head slightly.

"He is stupid." Garba retorted. "Always has been."

"Silly maybe, but I would not say stupid."

"Maybe not, but he is slow either way."

"His heart is in the right place, and I have always seen him be clever."

"Clever? Yes, Yes. Always been clever in some areas, but not in problem solving."

Amethyst sighed and laid back to look up at the cave roof. "I don't know, he thinks in ways others do not."

"I agree that he is out of his element if nothing else." Garba's eye turned away from Wa Chini and to Amethyst. The bright yellow sphere shined brilliantly in the dark. The opalescent of his Iris was almost hypnotic. "Thank you for taking care of the... silly cat."

Amethyst's gaze went between Garba and the ceiling as she let the words linger in her mind. It always felt like she was the one being taken care of. Her injuries and weaknesses were glaring to her at that moment. She measured her shortcomings against the strengths of everyone else.

"He would not have made it this far, if you had not built this family for him." Garba's eye closed for a moment, then opened and was cast slightly downwards. "He is easily fooled, it is one of the flaws that allows him to forgive so much easier than he should."

"I do not think that makes him gullible." Amethyst comforted. "Just means he has a big heart."

"It means he is naïve, like a child."

"Or, he is optimistic."

"Eh."

Garba laid back as Amethyst had. She could see the side of his eye as he looked up above him. The group had continued their planning as Exousía walked over and plopped down with her arms folded.

"Going well?" Garba snickered.

"There has been a decision to leave me behind."

"You cannot fit with that big head and--." Garba retorted.

"Watch it cat!" Exousía interrupted.

Garba laughed and sat up a little. "My words were harsh." He chuckled. "But true all the same eh?"

"Shut up." Exousía's annoyed tone had less hostility than her initial comment.

"Sorry Exousía, I know it is important that you help Stochastís." Amethyst comforted.

"I will live." Exousía retorted.

Amethyst sat up and watched the group. Stochastís started to crawl up and into the tunnel. He hadn't confirmed the plan or even taken the time to call attention to his moves. Amethyst watched as he started to disappear into the darkness.

"Stochastís!" Amethyst shouted after him.

She felt herself flush with frustration at his hastiness. This wasn't like him at all. But before she could speak any more, the luminescent line started to glow much brighter. Amethyst felt a shock ripple through the floor and through herself. Then she felt... Air.

She was falling. Garba's gleaming eye and the brief reflection of Exousía's vibrant white hair were in line with Amethyst. It felt like slow motion as the air started to rush past her. Amethyst's thoughts raced as her instinct kicked into action. Her hands moved reflexively as the heat of energy flowed throughout her body.

She held the weight of Garba and Exousía as though they were standing on her shoulders. The heat burned into her as the rocks of what used to be the floor weighed on her too. Her stomach strained as the magic engaged. A strong burst of air shot downwards. It was as though she had stepped onto the ledge and below her was firm ground before her organs migrated back up into her chest. Again she was falling.

Amethyst was growing weak as all that weight pressed down on her again. Her stomach was on fire as her magic engaged once more. The burst of air was much shorter this time, only slowing the fall, but not stopping it completely. The weight disappeared as she resumed free fall.

Amethyst crashed down onto the floor. Small rocks fell all around her as she covered her head with her arms. The echoes of the crashing rocks that had just barely preceded her stop, rang back down to her.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

The three groaned while muffled, incoherent shouts came from above. Amethyst's head whirled as she tried to regain her senses. She pushed herself up and looked around. She coughed at the thick dust which had spewed around them. She couldn't find a stable foothold to stand so crawled slowly to one edge of the pit.

§

Trapped.

The floor above was completely gone. In the darkness, it was impossible to know a safe way up or down. Amethyst was slouched silently with her back against the wall while Exousía was shouting up to Stochastís.

Stochastís, Tenya, Nuru and Wa Chini were all above. They couldn't go back the way they came. Their decision was to continue forward. Tenya had stayed behind, shouting reassurances before she too departed.

Silence.

Amethyst could see Garba's yellow eye as he worked his way around the room, then his eye disappeared. Exousía had made her way to Amethyst, checking her for any injuries. Once she determined Amethyst was in no immediate danger, she let herself rest alongside her.

Amethyst's head hurt fiercely. She wanted to throw up, but just couldn't bring herself to do so. Her limbs felt prickly, like they were coming back from a long nap. Her hands were shaky and she was hungry despite feeling like she couldn't hold anything down. Her tongue was gritty from all the dirt that had fallen with them.

Garba's eye reappeared. "There is a tunnel, It is large enough for you to get through, Exousía. But if you cannot continue, you will have to stay behind."

Her laugh split the silence. "Like hell I will! I will cut these damn things off before being left alone." She finished her laugh with a deep rumbling cough.

Amethyst subconsciously touched her horn stubs. The gentle song of distant birds played in her ears before the silence encompassed her again.

"Come." Garba insisted. "We will not leave you behind in that case."

Exousía's hands found Amethyst's and the pair were up on their feet a moment later. They slowly stepped forward, passing over rocks and boulders, making sure that each step was secured before trusting the hold. They crawled as needed as they traversed the ruined floor. All they had to guide them was Garba's glowing yellow eye. As they approached, his eye disappeared, then returned.

Garba took the lead through the lightless tunnels. He held Exousía's hand while she held Amethyst's. The wordless travel was slow. The jagged rocks at their feet with the sharp face of the wall left both Exousía and Amethyst scraped.

Ahead, Amethyst noticed a light green glow. It grew in brightness until she could see the walls around her. protruding from the wall itself were crystals of varying shapes and sizes. They hummed slightly and were bright enough to even see the ceiling high above. The crevasse narrowed until the group had to walk sideways to squeeze through. Along the floor were fist sized glowing crystals which had broken off of the main source. Garba grabbed a few and handed them back to Exousía.

"Are these safe to hold?" Exousía asked warily.

"Perhaps not, but as a child, my friends and I would visit a cave, and there were crystals of this nature in a large variety of colors, including hues similar to this one." Garba assured.

"But you are missing an eye and claws on the hand you are holding them with." Exousía held the glowing rocks away from her.

In a deep growling voice, Garba responded through his teeth. "My injuries are unrelated."

"Alright, grumpy Garba." Exousía took the crystals and handed one back to Amethyst.

The crystal was vibrating, the feeling made Amethyst nervous, but the light it offered was greater than that of a lantern. Her hand itched slightly from the vibration, so too did the rune in her mouth, but she pressed forward regardless. The tunnels were alight with the small green stones that were along the walls and floor. They reminded Amethyst of the stones that had adorned the walls in the Aqueducts.

The tunnel came to a dead end. The wall was not unhewn like the rest of the crevasse. The end looked to be bricked and mortared. The mortar, however, was thin and badly crumbled. Garba gave it a solid push and the wall collapsed forward.

Dust scattered all around, causing everyone to cough and sneeze. Once everything settled down, Amethyst could see that a passageway had opened up. It was a short tunnel which had a slight grade that trended upwards. The remnants of a second wall was partially collapsed at the opposite end. The only light left to guide them was what they held in their hands.

Garba stopped the party at the entrance to the room and started sniffing at the air. "There is something foul roaming about."

"Oh gods." Amethyst mumbled. She felt annoyed at the information. She already knew something was down there. it was just a matter of when they would find it.

"Foul?" Exousía asked over Amethyst's mumbling

"Mhm." Garba hummed, Nodding his head slightly.

Exousía stepped into the room. The whole space was bathed in the soft green light. She drew her sword. The polished steel reflected the light shining as brilliantly as her hair. Amethyst felt she looked like a battle hardened warrior. Her narrowed features made amethyst feel just a little safer.

Garba took the rear as the party was led by Exousía. She took her time moving forward. Stopping at each doorway and peeking in before committing to step through. The pathway was clear to follow.

They worked through the building. They had to be in some remnants of the Old City. The ancient designs and murals still had so much color and detail. They were just like the works she had seen in that older crumbly temple. Remnants of stoneware and furniture of similar material still remained.

Parts of the ceiling and walls had crumbled in, covering over the last surviving antiquities and artifacts that remained. The doors had long vanished and in their place were left rusted iron and thick piles of dust.

The rooms were simple, mostly square and uniform. Each room had varying designs and murals. But there was no trace of life there. No rats scurrying about, nor insects crawling. The building was dusty and dead.

The building was not a dead end, however. A doorway, much like any other, led out of the well crafted and purposeful building, into a rough and uneven tunnel. Her hands fingered the groves that were along the edges of the tunnel, they were short and smooth. The tunnel ended and a new building started, then a new tunnel and so on.

Amethyst and Exousía could smell the foul stink as they continued. The kind of odor you would find from the bottom of an outhouse mixed with spoiled milk and cheese. The sour of it burned Amethyst's nose, but it wasn't nearly as bad as The Aqueducts had been, even as it grew worse.

Clack! Clack Clack!

The rapid succession froze everyone in place. They waited.

Clack! Clack! Clack!

The rhythmic clacking noise was unnerving. Amethyst felt herself become a bit lighter as adrenaline poured into her system. She watched Exousía tiptoe quietly towards the noise. Just as she reached the doorway, a figure burst from the shadows and pounced onto Exousía. Her sword was thrown from her hand and the clacking became frantic.

Amethyst could hardly take the time to observe as her body dashed into action, Garba just by her side. The two grabbed the figure as Exousía was kicking it off. Amethyst held firm to the figure's arm. She tore the creature up and off with Garba's help. As the creature was pulled off, Amethyst stumbled backwards. The creature remained upright and fought with Garba, even as she held one of the monster's feathery arms tightly in her grasp.

Exousía was covered in a matte liquid which didn't reflect any of the soft green light. Garba had the creature against the wall. He bit into its neck and threw down the body. He then promptly vomited.

Amethyst and Exousía followed Garba's lead an instant later. Amethyst had thought that The Aqueducts were worse, but they were just different. She might have been able to hold back her expulsion had Garba not started his first. Had she not been already covered in the thick substance.

Amethyst's belly churned and she became dizzy as she took in the grizzly scene. Exousía had crawled backwards and pushed herself into a corner on the opposite side of the room, her crystal left by the attack site. She was sobbing, her narrowed features didn't look like a tough exterior anymore. She held her hands in front of her and tried to wipe the sticky goo like substance away, but was unable too.

She looked more like a child to amethyst. A child that had just fallen into a cow-pie. Her eyes were squeezed tightly and she cried quietly with little gasps escaping. Amethyst couldn't help herself, she started to cry too. Her pent up fear and frustration boiling at something that somehow met and exceeded her expectations of this hellish place.

Garba was trying to use rocks to clean his tongue from the foul ooze. His fur was sticky and matted as he had been completely covered in blood. He was coughing and trying to use water to rinse his mouth out. He looked more angry than scared as he started to rub against the walls.

In Amethyst's clenched hand, the arm remained wriggling slightly. She dropped it with a little scream and slid back away from it as it started to inch around before going still. She inspected herself to find that the blood that had covered her was already drying to her skin, and burned slightly. She tried to rub it away, but that only served to spread it around.

Eventually, everyone gave up on cleaning themselves and pulled together to continue. They remained quiet while slowly inspecting every detail along the way.

Further along they could hear the short, rhythmic clacks of another creature. All went silent.

Silence...

Then, from the shadows, another creature sprinted out of the darkness. Amethyst didn't hesitate as she pulled her dagger out. She gathered energy in her hand as she threw the dagger towards the creature.

The burst of air, along with the dagger eviscerated the creature. It fell apart as though it had not been fully held together in the first place. The dagger was stuck in the wall behind the creature's remains. Amethyst was pleased with her efforts, and more pleased that the creature was dead. She felt bile rising in her as the stench exploded around her.

More clacking as another creature burst through the door, followed by two more. Exousía ran forward, her sword decapitating one of the creatures while Garba locked onto one of the others. The third tried to jump onto Exousía, launching over the falling creature she had already felled.

Amethyst dashed over, holding her hand up, palm facing the creature's head. She built up her magic and released it. She closed her eyes tightly as her magic made a popping sound. or perhaps the head did. Amethyst didn't want to know as she felt the lukewarm liquid splatter onto her. She heard the body crumple to the ground.

Garba had only been locked in combat for a moment as he threw the creature into the wall and smashed his foot into the cavity that was its chest. Amethyst was relieved the goo hadn't hit her in the face.

Everyone was heaving, each of them covered in the gore of their kills. The rancid juices dried quickly onto their skin. Their noses screaming out in agony. They held in their gags and hurried out of the room. The clacking creatures came out of the shadows, hurling themselves at the group. Some of them rushed straight towards the raging Exousía as she swung her sword wildly. Others simply pushed against their own, like a fleshy avalanche.

Their large owl-like heads featured massive gray eyes that didn't look anywhere. They were hunched at their backs and their clawed fingers had a few feathers remaining. from their wrists , or perhaps elbows, They had another length of arm which ended in feathers. They had clawed feet, which looked like ground down talons. They were light and gaunt but their clawed hands looked sharp. The creatures bounded out of dark hallways, flooding the three as they fought back. Amethyst's collected daggers had run out, forcing her to use the air magic she had alone. Each use became weaker as she grew faint.

She let the energy charge up longer before releasing it against the larger group. She didn't count them, but guessed they had come with at least eight in this attack. Exousía and Garba cut and sliced through the owl-like monsters. The floor had grown sticky, making it harder for the groups to maneuver.

Once Amethyst had charged her magic to its limit, she released a powerful gust across the creatures, sending them flying, their extremities ripping away from their bodies like paper. Some of them popped like giant tomatoes, their guts exploding almost comically against the walls.

Amethyst dropped to her knees, the darkness of the cavern closing in on her. She knew at that moment she would die. Her breath was heavy and her limbs were weak. She felt her insides tingling as she let herself lay down on the floor. A bright light like the gates of heaven came for her, and she let go of all her fear. But the end didn't come. The white faded and she was still in the room, laying on the floor with not even a moment passed as her vision returned and her strength slowly started to recover.

Her breathing calmed and her body was exhausted. She had been awake for a long time before their venture into the Old City and she had not eaten for a long time. The last bit of her water was nearly depleted.

Garba and Exousía were next to Amethyst when she forced herself to sit forward. Amethyst let her head rest in her hands as she took in the bloodbath they had just survived. She let her head roll to the side to look at Garba, then to the other side to look at Exousía

"Maybe we died in the fall?" Amethyst mumbled. Her head pounded with each word.

Garba scoffed as he stood up.

Exousía put her hand on Amethyst's back. "We will get through this. We just have to keep moving."

Amethyst struggled to her feet. She drank the last of her water as Garba and Exousía started to walk on into the dark. Hesitantly Amethyst stumbled forward after them, her fists clenched in anger.