Rayman rode into the small town as most of the occupants peeked through their windows. After seeing who it was and realizing the reason for the soldier’s presence, they became more welcoming.
The mining town of Vori was small and quiet. Several people came out of their homes to watch the soldiers enter the town and stop near the entrance to the mine. The population was small, no more than one hundred and fifty people but the town thrived off of the gold and silver mined. As did all the mining villages in Vulkira.
Occasional ore spots would contain veins of Frostrium Steel, which would greatly boost their wealth. The precious metal was so valuable, one ounce would feed the entire village for years. Unfortunately, the larger veins of the ore were so deep it couldn’t be reached by normal means. Countless lives had been lost in the attempts to mine priceless metal.
However, apart from its value and the danger of mining it, its use for weapons and armor was far more valuable.
Erik’s father Haldon had obtained enough Frostrium to craft a full set of armor and sword, which was now molded to fit Erik himself. The steel was impenetrable and could not be bent or broken without extreme prolonged heating. Only the richest could afford such armor and thus its value increased exponentially yearly. It was coveted by many.
Vori’s main source of income was gold, silver, and iron, however, where they would trade to the ports of Bienrior and Secarro or send down to the capital in Vlakias.
Rayman and his twelve men traveled north from the capital and had just arrived in order to resolve the issue of the Vog. Zepper had rode with them and guided them to Vori, all the while skittish and nervous.
Rayman stopped at the mouth of the enormous cave, staring in wonder. The entrance was beautiful, apart from the large wooden beams supporting the weight. Odd for a mining cave but nevertheless, sharp stones protruded out of the mouth and bright brown colored stone gleamed from the morning sun. He quickly composed himself as a man rode up behind him. He gave a stern look as he glanced over to Kevin stopping next to him.
After Erik asked Rayman to see to the matter that Zepper had reported, he had needed to choose men to accompany him. Kevin, a lieutenant, was his first choice, a close friend to Rayman. Wolkin, Fin, and Billy had volunteered immediately after, not wanting to be left out of any adventure. Eight others offered to join soon after. Gossip had spread quickly, making the soldiers nervous, so in a way, this was to ease their own minds as to confirming the truthfulness to the rumors of demons haunting the mines. Biggest of the concerns was the safety of the people. The temporary shut down had every villager on edge. No one dared enter the cave.
Rayman wasn’t a superstitious man, but the look on each face and the fear in the villager’s eyes spoke volumes. Normally he wouldn’t believe in rumors or demons for that matter, however, the fact that they stopped working from fear told him all he needed to know. Vori wouldn’t just stop production if it wasn’t something serious. Knowing this fact, a light sense of dread crept up his spine, making him uneasy from the tension in the air.
He sent another silent prayer to Hashem for protection.
If the flow of goods stopped, the other kingdoms would become agitated, especially Tykin. When money is involved, people made rash decisions. A gnawing fear that the other kings would insist on intervening if things weren’t resolved swiftly, crept into the back of Rayman’s mind and no doubt Erik’s too. Even one mining village could destabilize trade if it stayed closed for too long.
Tykin had been on their throats for years insisting on more iron and ores. Hashem only knew what they were for but it wasn’t anything good. A simple lack of resources coming in was an unnecessary risk of aggravating a neighboring kingdom that had twice their own strength. The only thing that kept Tykin at bay was the might of Xer and the constant reminder of the once-powerful kingdom of Kligira.
As patient and understanding as king Xerath was, he too frowned upon the halt of trade even if it was tiny in comparison to the rest of the mining production. Queen Cara could only do so much to smooth things over with the two countries. It would be better not to test the strength of the bonds of alliances.
Taking Erik’s advice, Rayman had brought good and loyal men with him. The journey had taken seven days on horseback. It had been chilly but the days were beginning to warm up, though still cold enough to bring snow if the weather wished it. Climbing up mountains wouldn’t help with warming things up either. Rayman felt for the miners who worked through the winters.
Kevin, a tall lean man, sat patiently on his horse, also gazing at the entrance of the cave. His horse snorted and shook its head beside his. He wore warm clothing that covered most of his pale body. A thick wool skin wrapped around his neck kept his chin and lower face warm. Kevin turned his blue gaze to him and grinned. Even though Rayman was not technically enlisted in the army anymore, everyone knew Rayman’s reputation and his loyalty to the king. Rayman had been given diplomatic and military authority during this mission and no one questioned his judgment.
“What are you smiling at?” Rayman asked.
“This whole situation has escalated fairly quickly and I got to thinking, we are about to go into a deep dark cave chasing after monsters. I thought a smile would lighten the mood.” Kevin joked. “I didn’t think the Vog would appreciate one.”
Kevin wasn’t particularly strong or all that good with a sword. What Kevin had that most didn’t was his mind. His strategic ability and wittiness made him a welcome member of his group. He would often handle all the wages and distributions for the castle guard. The men liked Kevin, an honest and trustworthy soldier which is what Rayman needed. Not only that, Kevin always managed to keep the men in good cheer with his jokes.
“Are the rest of the men prepared?” he asked. “I gave them five minutes, it’s been ten.”
“Wolkin and Billy may have been betting on what we will find down there. Men being men, the rest of them chipped in. They all think we’re gonna find a monster in there. Fin and Billy think we aren’t going to find anything.” Kevin answered with a huge grin, obviously enjoying the bets made.
“What did you think?” Rayman asked curiously.
“Me?” he gave a mock evil grin. “Oh, I don’t make bets.” Kevin laughed. “But if I did… which I don’t, I’d think, we’d all be better off finding some gold down there for ourselves. I know it’ll make all our wives happier.”
Rayman chuckled softly then twisted his torso, “Alright men, gather round.” He shouted, then swung his leg off his horse and landed on the cold dusty ground.
A small puff of loose earth settled on his boots as the men shuffled over to him, they clasped their shoulders and hands for extra warmth.
“I’ll see to the horses, sir,” Zepper said kindly. “On behalf of Vori, I thank you for personally coming to our aid.”
“No need to thank me Zepper,” Rayman replied. “We are happy to help in any way we can.”
Zepper bowed his head and waved his hand and several men and boys came to take the reins of the other horses gathered around. They quickly guided the horses toward the stables as Rayman waited for them to leave.
After a few moments, all the men huddled in closer, creating heat for themselves. He stared at them, his eyes falling on each of them. They were good men and all had families but another sinister feeling crept down his spine as he looked up to see every villager was either hiding or tending to their horses. The feeling quickly passed as Kevin patted him on the shoulder and Rayman preferred to ignore the feeling anyway.
“We all know why we are here. King Erik has ordered that Vori be protected. While we are down there, it will be dark and cold. Stay alert and keep your heads clear.” Rayman instructed. “Guard each other’s back and don’t lag behind. I don’t want anyone getting separated down there.”
“What if we don’t find anything down there?” Billy asked.
Billy was the youngest of the bunch. He was headstrong and by far the quickest on his feet but he had much to learn. He was easily scared but had great potential.
“What if Zepper was lying to us the whole time?” Fin asked.
Fin was in his late twenties, their field medic and one of the best on-hand physicians Rayman knew. He was reliable but sometimes overly suspicious.
“If he was lying, he will be punished accordingly, as will the whole village,” Rayman said sternly. “Our job right now is to investigate that cave and deem it safe for continued mining.” He shoved a finger at the entrance. “I trust you all have everything you need and are prepared for emergencies? Extra food and water?” he glanced at Kevin who nodded. “Good.”
“We don’t know what we’ll find down there but keep your eyes peeled for the Vog,” Rayman mentioned. “I’m not expecting anything to happen but it’s better to be cautious. So if you see one, let everyone know so we can deal with it together.”
“The Vog?” Billy jerked his head up. “I thought they were a myth. A bedtime story.”
“You tend to not see things when you live in one place,” Kevin said to Billy. “There is a world outside of Vlakias. I assure you they are real.”
“Have you seen one sir?” Billy addressed Rayman.
“I have.” he sighed. “Once. A long time ago. But you’re too young to remember them when they were more frequent.”
“I hear they are showing up all over the place.” Wolkin chimed in. “Even as far south as Zidyria.”
The group of men started mumbling beneath their breath and Rayman raised a fist into the air, calling for silence.
“It’s true. The Vog have been more active the past few months but…” Rayman paused, making sure everyone was paying attention. “If by chance we do encounter one, under no circumstance are you to show aggression. They mostly keep to themselves and an attack is extremely rare. Our goal is to get them to leave without killing any. Keep that in mind.”
“The Vog can sense our intent,” Kevin added. “Just keep calm and don’t do anything stupid.”
“How do you know that?” Billy asked.
“I read it in a book once.” Kevin shrugged.
“Right then. Enough of that.” Rayman turned to the entrance. “Keep your torches close and remember, don’t get separated.”
He took a deep breath, then made his way into the dark cave. Rayman, himself didn’t believe the rumors of a demon. It was more likely to be a Vog in those caves than a demon. That was the most logical conclusion. Nevertheless, the rumor had grown in the time it took them to get here. Each time he heard it, the one demon became a hundred, lurking in the caves. “Perhaps it was a large bear from the north and made its home here during the winter,” he thought. “Maybe Zepper had just been mistaken. Fear can make men see things they don’t want to see.”
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Regardless of what it was, he and a dozen men with torches carefully made their way down deeper into the vast chasm. He noticed one young boy follow them into the cave, which struck Rayman as a bit odd but ignored the boy for now. Every other man held a torch and each man had a spare. It took far longer to reach the point of descent than Rayman thought. Each time they came upon a lift, the small boy shook his head and pointed further down the dark tunnel. Light still shown from behind them but it was quickly getting darker and far more damp than he realized. After twenty minutes they reached a small lift and hesitated behind Rayman. The village boy nodded and passed the men to catch up to him.
“Well, boys, looks like this is it. Zepper said it was down there, then a straight shot forward. Can’t miss it, so he said.” Rayman’s voice echoed through the dark stone around them.
Billy and a few others were startled by his voice but quickly composed themselves, trying to act like they weren’t scared. They were all afraid, all because of some stupid story.
The young boy that had followed them walked past Rayman and stopped next to the lift. An oversized jacket and gloves made him look adorable but his face betrayed the look of innocence. He set his hand on the lever and shifted his feet back and forth, then tipped his head in a gesture at the elevator, obviously eager to be done with the cave.
“Ah,” Rayman said in realization. The boy had come to activate the lift for them. “Thank you, young man.”
“My pleasure sir.” the boy’s yellow teeth could be seen in the torchlight. He gave them a fake smile and waited impatiently.
Rayman sighed heavily then stepped onto the lift. “I’ll go first, the rest of you follow after me. Don’t try to all fit at once, take turns, four or five at a time.”
He looked over at the boy in confirmation but he didn’t look at him or say anything to counter his order so Rayman looked back to his men. Feeling awkward from the stare the boy gave them, each man hesitated.
No one moved to join him as expected. They were reluctant to step forward, understandably so. Fear shone on all their faces. However, Kevin stepped up after an instant of pause and joined Rayman on the lift.
If the embracing cold and dark cave wasn’t enough to be cautious, the ever nagging uncertainty of descending into the depths of the earth gnawed at the back of all their minds. “What if there really was a demon lurking down there?” Rayman asked himself.
“Thank you, Kevin,” Rayman said, pleased with his lieutenant as he joined him on the lift. “George and Ben, you come with us. Billy, Mark, Steven, and Carl, you’re next. Fin, Zeph, Wolken, Conner, and Lucas, you will be last.” he nodded to the village boy for his patience.
George and Ben joined Rayman and Kevin nervously. The short boy pulled on a lever and the lift shifted slightly then screeched and began to move, slowly descending into a black abyss. The walls seemed to be closing in on them and he shoved down the feeling of claustrophobia.
Thankfully Rayman had foreseen the need for men that were good in a fight and did well in tight spaces. But even the toughest man would be affected by the black cold stone surrounding them. After what seemed like an eternity, the lift gave an eerie squeal then halted. All four grown men rushed off the lift to give themselves space, breathing heavily, Rayman quickly brushed off the feeling. He thought of his wife’s soft and loving smile and his children, which helped him quickly compose himself.
“Put all the torches out but one, we don’t know how long we will be down here so it’s best to conserve when we can,” Rayman ordered his men.
George kept his torch lit as Rayman and Ben put theirs out, Kevin hadn’t lit his in the first place as there was no need yet.
Fifteen minutes went by before all the men arrived at the bottom. Each time all the soldiers rushed off and spread out, breathing heavily. Rayman realized they all had been holding their breath during the descent, he too had done that very thing. The pitch blackness didn’t help them as the air down here was thin and cold as ice. His throat was already dry and he pushed back the urge to gulp down water. Instead, he took two quick sips then looked to his men who were doing the same.
A small voice came down the mine shaft, “I’ll wait here mister! The boy’s voice echoed down to them, his words faint and barely audible. Upon hearing the distant voice, it dawned on them how deep they were. Everyone was already uneasy being in the dark damp cave and this only added to their growing fears. Rayman straightened and gestured to them in the dim torchlight.
“Alright men, that’s the worst behind us. Let’s find this door, investigate what's down here and get out.”
A few mumbles echoed back at him as he walked down the path towards ‘The Eight Edged Door’ as Zepper called it. Most of the cave was naturally hollow, except for a few parts dug out for gold. For the most part, this deep down, the cave was untouched. This mountain was so rich with minerals, they hadn’t even begun to tap into the large deposits of ore this far down.
At this depth, it was possible to find Frostrium Steel, but obviously, the people in Vori hadn’t worked this far down. With all the rumors and fear spreading, there was even less reason to mine this deep.
As they made their way further in, the path narrowed slightly then widened again, over and over. Rayman lost all sense of time and began to wonder how long they had been down here. They must have walked miles, up and down, left then right, all one singular path. He had begun to worry they didn’t bring enough torches when he felt something odd in the air.
Drafts of air blew through the cave, which meant there was an airflow from the opposite end of the mine, but that wasn’t all. It also had begun to heat up which didn’t make sense as far down as they were. “Shouldn’t it be getting colder?” he asked himself. A tingle shot up his spine and his whole body tensed. He bent down to touch the rocky floor, even the stone beneath his feet wasn’t cold anymore and dampness had dried.
“What’s wrong, sir?” asked Kevin. “Do you see something?”
“I’m not entirely sure,” Rayman’s voice rasped in reply. “It’s just the air, it’s not cold. And the stone is slightly warm.”
“What do you mean it’s not co-,” Kevin trailed off in realization. Shock made his eyes go wide. “What does that mean Captain? What is giving off heat this deep underground?”
By this point, the group of men had halted and began to wonder what the hold-up was. Nervousness grew rapidly amongst them. Knowing if Rayman had stopped, there must be something to catch his attention.
“What is it, Cap-in?!” Conner shouted down the line.
“SHHHHH!” everyone hissed at him.
Rayman made a couple of strides forward then stopped, noticing something ahead. It felt like a trick of the eyes but he could swear he saw a dim glow of light.
“Everyone, stay quiet and put your torches out. Now!” he whispered.
Without question, each man holding a torch snuffed theirs out. The last flame flickered out, leaving them in the pitch black. Everyone stood in silence. They could see nothing, not even a hand right in front of them. Their eyes began to adjust to the darkness and they slowly inched closer to each other, making as little noise as possible. For them to see, there must be a light source.
Finally, he saw it, a pulsing light gleamed off the cave walls, on and off. A blue glow came from further down the tunnel. Unable to see clearly, Rayman inched forward, remembering the path in front of him before they had doused the torches.
Their footsteps were quiet but their breathing intensified as they drew closer to the dim light. Still adjusting to the dark, Rayman could faintly see what lay ahead. The cave kept narrowing until the ceiling stood three men tall. At this point, everyone could mostly see and couldn’t wish away the glowing lights around the corner. Fear crept into all their hearts as they rounded the wall. Peeking past the black stone, Rayman saw the door Zepper had spoken of.
Like the size of the cave, the door stood roughly eighteen feet tall and twelve wide. The ground near the giant door was a soft blue metal that Rayman instantly recognized as frostrium steel. The steel floor slid into the ground as if it once was a path but over time the stone, mud, and ore had entombed it. To their left was another path, which trailed off into the darkness. Straight forward the cave widened again into a third path. The door stood to their right.
“What now?” Kevin whispered over Rayman’s shoulder. He, like all of them, looked terrified of this alien structure. “That’s an Ancient ruin?”
Now that they knew Zepper wasn’t totally mad, they all wondered if the rest of his story held true. “Could there actually be a demon through that door?” Rayman wondered. Erik had been right to guess the eight-edged door was the entrance to a ruin.
“Uh, we… check it out.” Rayman tried to sound confident. “Who wants to go first?” he asked jokingly.
Kevin chuckled nervously at his humor, the rest of the men stood tense in fear after seeing the glowing door. Now more than ever he was glad he had brought these men with him. They gave him the courage to push on. Even if they were frightened by the mystery of it.
“I’ll go first,” Rayman whispered. Rounding the corner, he stalked slowly toward the door. As he stepped forward the steel beneath his feet started to glow.
Rayman froze. His heart rate intensified until it felt like it would burst from his chest. Blood pounded in his ears, every inch of his body screamed at him to run away, but nothing happened. After a few moments, everyone relaxed slightly, seeing they were safe for now. Until they all heard it.
Low rumblings came from behind the door. Heavy breathing and a low growl, then something stirred and moved around making the ground shake. Small bits of rock and dirt fell from the ceiling causing the space around them to echo loudly.
Rayman sprinted backward in a panic, making his way to Kevin who stood behind him with his arm out. Rayman flew full tilt straight back to the pathway, grabbing Kevin’s arm he swung around the corner and immediately dashed down the dark tunnel.
The rest of the men were already running ahead of him in a mad rush of panic. Darkness quickly hindered their movements making them slow down. While still half running Fin was the first to trip and fall flat on his face, the rest, tripped over him and they all fell on top of each other into a heap of bodies. Several curses escaped their mouths in frustration and fear. Zeph was the first to his feet and pulled a torch out, ready to light it.
“Wait!” Rayman hissed while trying to get off of Wolkin who he had tripped over.
Zeph froze and looked at him, as did the rest of the soldiers. Rayman could barely see but he could feel their fear and heavy breathing.
“We have to go back,” he said reluctantly. “Our king has given us all a task, and that task is to investigate what that thing is. We cannot abandon our mission now and we can’t abandon the people of Vori who are counting on us. Lives may be at stake. What if that thing comes out and attacks the town? We have to go back.” he repeated.
“We could evacuate Vori and head for Bienrior?” Wolkin offered. “Whatever’s behind that door, sir…” he trailed off. “It-it isn’t good.”
All the rumors and joking had suddenly become real. What lurked behind the glowing door wasn’t some story. It was real and they all had to face it, or run.
“Rayman is right,” Kevin chipped in, pushing himself to his knee. “I am as afraid as the next man but now that we know there is something alive down here, we have to deal with it. Like it or not.”
“You all volunteered for this. I won’t make you. Anyone who wants to leave can do so with my blessing.” Rayman said. “No ramifications.”
They all slumped their heads, the shadows covering their shamed faces, but the glowing tunnel reminded them all of the ever-present door and what lay beyond it. Moments passed and no one moved to leave.
“We are with you, Rayman,” Wolkin said. Several others chimed in after him in agreement.
“Yeah.” Billy jumped to his feet. “I’m with you, sir,” he said a little too loudly.
“Very good,” Rayman said proudly. “Now, I’m going to pretend our fumbling about like panic-crazed fools tripping over each other never happened,” Rayman half laughed at himself. “We are soldiers, not little children running away from glowing doors.”
He couldn’t see their faces but a laugh from Kevin started it. Each man started wheezing in laughter, trying to keep quiet. Rayman couldn’t help himself either, they all started laughing out loud.
If it was any other moment in time, people would think they had all lost their minds but Rayman savored the moment. After a minute of hysterical laughter and trying to compose themselves, they all stood to their feet and turned back down the tunnel. Determined to investigate the mystery creature.
The bout of laughter covered up most of their own fears and gave them the courage to work together again. Rayman led the way once more and they filed behind him again.
Rounding the corner, this time they all stood by Rayman. He walked up, emboldened by his earlier attempt, and touched the door with the palm of his hand.
“We haven’t encountered any Vog.” Kevin pointed out. “You think whatever’s in there scared them off?”
“I hope so,” Rayman mumbled under his breath.
Together, everyone slowly walked up next to him.
“Ben, light a torch and wait for the rest of us. I want a light if we need to make a quick getaway,” Rayman commanded. “Stay alert everyone.”
Ben swiftly did as he was told and lit his torch and took a few steps backward. A few moments passed and nothing happened. Fin began to say something but shut up as a mechanical noise came from the metal door, followed by a hiss. Frozen in fear they watched as the door slid open slowly, shocking them all. Everyone tensed up and drew their weapons.
Soft hissing sounds and puffs of smoke came out of the door as it slowly sunk into the walls, somehow opening itself. They all expected to find someone or something opening it from the other side but as it opened, nothing was there.