Merryn spat out a chunk of flesh. Yick, so off, and unreal. The monster seemed to have left, maybe it hadn't taken too well to being bitten and need to go soothe its wounds. A shudder ran through her body, she rubbed her wrist, and whimpered as one of many blisters that wrapped around it popped.
It seemed to have dumped me here. What's it doing to Opial? She curled up into a ball, shivering. This was worse than any cave.
A sensation, of being watched, pressed onto her. The room is empty though, still, I should run! No, stay calm. She shivered, trying to squeeze the water out of her sleeves, the heavy waterlogged leather armor was a loss; and starting to crack. Where is this anyway?
Water, it lapped against the catacomb walls—that is, assuming this is still the catacombs. Nauseating and brackish to boot; she breathed through her mouth and wrinkled her nose. This darkness choked against her, it reached out in every direction, far more disquieting than even that tentacled beastie. Water trickled down the back of her neck, from her soaked hair. She crouched up and wrapped her arms around her knees. Time had no place here, every second as long as an hour.
Bits of an unknown bright tattered rotten material caught on the farthest wall moved as the liquid lapped against it.
The bracelet of blisters around her wrist bumped up against the rough, damp stone wall, and she hissed through her teeth, fumbling about her night vision eventually kicked in, helping some. Still must be inside the catacombs as the walks were brick, not solid stone. It was oceanic how it splashed in every direction, she licked her lips; salty. Was it back? She backed up against the wall, pressing her back to it.
"Opial?" She's going to be fine, she's strong. I'll find her.
Unnamed thoughts flooded her mind. There's no one there, you have to keep going! Leave her. You're almost out of time!
Don't say such things, I'll never leave her behind, Merryn thought back.
There was something—a booming pulse, a low throbbing tempo in the air.
It sees you. It hears you. It knows.
What are you on about?
Don't take that monster lightly, luckless-one. it's old. Maybe even older than I.
Before her under the water a dim outline darted past.
It's drawn to what lies below. Tread carefully.
Is that worry I detect? From you?
Don't be ridiculous, I have no more worries about you. You're a natural disaster in flesh.
More? As in, have been?
This is your foot.
Unnamed made her raise it.
It's for walking, use it!
Quit pushing, I'll go, I'll go.
Getting up, she ran her hands over the ground, patted frantically back and forth trying to at least find a wall. Everything was hard or wet, or both. Her breaths came in and out, sharp and harsh.
She slipped and fell into the water, the cold stole her breath away. A moment later she gasped and stood, she continued toward a large floating table and grappled onto it.
She freed a hand, making the motions to cast the Luminous spell.
The tiny ball of light grew in size, it revealed a narrow arched crumbling passageway, the bricks around the opening had fallen partially blocking it. It went on forever, arch after arch into the dark, the only exit. She searched around, scanning everything. Her heart slowed to normal. The walks still seemed like they were too big going on forever, rising into a great void, and...
Get a hold of yourself, right now. Not one more thought on it! Go, move. Half swimming, half wading, she made it to the exit. I wish Opial, Parcival, or even Han were here. There's no room in there; just forward or back. How did I become like this? What if it isn't in here and is in the city? What if it comes back again? She hugged herself and eyed the tunnel. All quiet, except for the soft splashes of the water. No voices, no nothing. "Opial please be alright..."
Out of the bowels of the tunnel, splashing, followed by a light crinkling. Crawling on hands and knees she climbed over the bricks and rubble, she let out a squee from when she bumped the wrist against a brick. After the shaking subsided, she slid down into the tunnel with a soft splash. Cradling her wrist the ache became of fire that dulled into a throb, it felt weak and slow to respond as she opened and closed the right hand. This isn't good, I'm not as skilled with my left.
Water in the tunnel went up to her waist, about as cold as the other room. She tilted her head, not much water came out of that ear, then the same on the side. It wasn't the water causing this thick near silence. The unseen eyes weighed heavily, her neck and scalp tingled. She brushed her fingers over her head, chasing the sensation away. Fumbling for a place of level footing, she had to hop over a few fallen chunks of ceiling. It never wanted to end this tunnel. There wasn't time to rest or complain, Opial could be injured or worse!
Her hand flew over her mouth as an even worse thought overtook her. A fire mage in water was—at least that's what happened to someone back home— that being in a great deal of water weakened them by at least fifty percent. Caliten, a new guard, ended up finding her—Suaoh?— she was alive but limp and unmoving.
Her heart, a symphony of demonic drums overloaded any thoughts. She took off running through the water, making it several feet before sitting on a large chunk of broken bricks, so out of breath her throat burned. She massaged her throat then took off again, though at a more sane pace, through a narrow corridor that lead into a round domed chamber. After about twenty minutes of looking around, the water line against the wall had risen a bit more, at least an inch. It's filling up so fast.
This area featured a ledge at the far end. Above it a faded and cracked mural, she squinted it was aged and cracked, the details hard to make out. In the backdrop, a city, that looked much like... home! A person, an elvin tall and thin with black hair clothed in antiqued embroidered brown robes, held a staff up high.
If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.
Before him a book obscured by a dark halo, a cluster of light specks—maybe age wore off the paint—shadow over head coming from it? No being drawn into it, a faded face on the shadow that was hard to make out. A mass of eleven circled the book knelt on knees in prayers, lines of tears streamed their faces. Peppered in the painted crowd the people wore kimonos. Most scowled at the elvin figures, while others hugged them. In old Elvish underneath carved into the stone it read: The Rejection of Jamel
Behind, the water splashed.
She turned, facing what ever decided to come out now.
And immediately jumped almost fully out of the water as a slick thing touched her leg, the surface of the water rippled and grew into small waves; breaking the view below. After it settled, what was there disappeared. Leaving. I'm leaving now, as soon as I find Opial. This place needs to be obliterated with a brillinta holly bomb, it's beyond defiled...
She ran without break until her lungs were apt to shatter. She hunched over, waiting for her breathing to even out; slow and shallow. Her neck and shoulders tight and sore, she couldn't move them much, she took a minute and worked out the rock like muscles. I really need an ale, and a beer, and two shots of golden crest, as of last week!
"It'll be a simple task, a piddling thing, he said! What a load of behemoth scat!"
The tunnel gradually turned to the right, water dripped through cracks In the ceiling. It doesn't seem to be following me. Water suddenly splashed on her head. She swallowed breaths, trying to stay quiet. She sputtered and wiped her eyes clear, then twisted the water from her hair. She shivered harder; with every step slow and clumsy, and walked down the rest of the tunnel following another turn. She hesitated, the gloom was thicker here, yes a little further ahead. The grayish shape of a thing about a meter away. She shifted both feet. Can't go back, go forward, no it's better to face this head on. There wasn't any point bothering to keep quiet, it probably could feel the water moving. She nodded to herself. If it was vicious, it would have attacked already. Go on, move. Time passed, and cold water continued to take away any warmth left in her body. The globe shrank then fizzled out, the acute semi darkness instantaneous.
Maxwell's right, I should have stayed a priestess, what good am I if I can't even help my friends? The tunnels, much like the caves... I can't. I need help. How weak I am.
Unnamed thoughts came in an unrelenting stream. Yes, so weak and pathetic, I choose poorly. I bet you can't even save your friend, let alone find what you came for! All your people are a hopeless mess, all cowards that can't even be bothered to teach you better. What good are you even? Tell me! You're an idiot who can't find their way through a simple catacomb.
Sad, sad, sad. I bet you'll fail here, defeated by bricks! I know you, it's not the monster that frightens you, it's not being able to see it as well. Poor pampered princess has her sight reduced, such sadness I have for you! While you pee your pants over nothing, your precious friend could be drowning. That shows how much you care, doesn't it? Every word didn't just drip with disdain, it was drenched in it, cutting sharper than any sword.
Her shaking increased, though not from the cold. A wicked fire ate at first her limbs, then overtook the rest of her body and settled on her inflamed face.
A growl passed her lips that sounded through the building. "I am not a coward!" She stormed ahead, and struck at the blackish object. Just a mass of bricks with an old rotted cloth draped over it, how foolish!
"What do you know of me? Of my people? Bane of light! You are wrong!" She kicked it twice for good measure, the second swift blow launched the pile against the wall. She surged forward until the flooring began to incline to a larger area with several different tunnels—the under gods idea if a joke—some crumbled beyond repair. It didn't matter what one, she went into the closest one and went thought it to its end, came back out to the beginning of the multi tunnels and picked the next one. After searching inside the seventh tunnel, that too had a dead end.
Soft constrained sobs floated from the of the tunnel, their direction uncertain. Opial! Please be alright...
At full speed, tearing through the labyrinth of tunnels, her chest and lungs heavy, the breaths short or forgotten entirely.
"Where are you?" Ya, ha, I bet this is a trap. What choice is there? I can't see any other way. "Elaema, protect us both though we may enter the forbidden underworld, may you love us still, and give your grace."
A tinny kneel sent the hairs on her arms at attention. Far off a heavy object dropped, then many mad taps, while a person moaned and much splashing. Being unable to move for a time, she simply blinked, as a hitched breath unwound, and she took several wobbly steps forward.
She sent the light globe down into the water, but it flickered, fizzed before it snuffed out. Stretching her arm out, she willed the light spirits to come back. They came from under the water, little wisps with faint faces swirling together and made another globe. Thank goodness. "Thank you."
The glove wobbled, broke apart, and several of them whimpered as their inner lights faded, and they all vanished. She plunged her hands where they were, searching for them. Almost nothing could make them leave before they were ready! She spun around. Over here? No? Her throat tightened, sharp and hot. No! No!
"Come back. Don't leave." They'd always been there to help gentle, shy, and calming. She sniffed. They're alright, it's just this place. They'll come back later, it's fine, it's good. Get to Opial. If there was more time, I'd keep looking. "I'm sorry."
The cold entered her fingers, hands and traveled up her arms, she made her numbed fingers clutch the tattered cloak tight around her collar, and continued on. Have to find her soon, neither of us will be able to take this much longer. Here and there, a few bones bobbed up out of the water. She cringed and quickly walked around them, giving them a wide berth. There was nothing. Don't look, don't see. Further along the way, full skeletons laid on slabs carved into the walls. Another turn, this time going left, brought her to numerous blocked corridors. A person could become lost down here forever, an eternity in the water among the these souls and ancient abominations, never knowing the sun or a warm touch again. She fisted the cloak; cracking her knuckles. I don't want to be alone anymore. I... need Opial, back and laughing with us again.