A human skull stood out to him among the symbols. Probably not good. Moving his head back and forth as if reading the symbols, he caught the movement of a big, hairy spider in the corner of his eye.

The sword in his right hand only slightly twitched. But his left hand pressed the shield below the torch into the spider to crush it quickly and completely. Well, if spiders were comfortable enough to come out and move around, it was a safe bet a torch probably wouldn't get you killed at least not by them.

A very well-organized pack made quick work of getting a new torch secured in the holder. He slowly turned around to check if the tunnel was actually getting more and more narrow. Sure enough, it was. That was probably why you could hear everything on the other side more and more clearly, he thought. The sound of the running water though neither increased nor decreased.

Eventually, there it was the end of the tunnel. Stepping back in a little, the torch was ground into the angle of where the wall met the floor. Then, he pushed plenty of soil over it with his hoof.

Sword and torch carefully placed into his shield, straps left loose so it could all be shifted onto his back, facing out. Then, noiselessly lowering himself down, belly and armor pressed flat against the damp stone floor, Gamleon pulled himself and his gear along with powerful, hairy forearms, little by little. Sniffing hard at the air while staying silent, he took in every sensory detail available.

At once, he estimated that right at the very end of the tunnel, he should be able to reach out his arm and just touch the sides with his fingertips. He was pretty close to being right.

Something stirred the air somewhere, and in the silent stillness his ears and nostrils filled with information. The next torch had burnt down a good amount and it would need replacing soon. Time—he didn't really know how much time he had or how much time it would take. Something must be done not only for those that he depended on but for so many others. Solitude could be handled easily enough. The always being alone was almost standard now but sometimes,... just sometimes his mind allowed itself to wondered how often the others thought of him. Would they do the same ? Many of them couldn’t ,or would just get them selves killed if they wanted to or tried.

Having just flipped the flap back on his pack he heard the sound of movement in or down the longest of the openings. Instinct kicked in, his sword and shield went immediately to hand, back against the stone wall in the blink of an eye. Whatever it was, it was picking up speed. Unfortunately, the next few sounds were all too familiar: a crunch of pain, some thrashing about, a thud, then some wet slapping kind of sounds.

Almost certainly not cave bears. They usually vocalize a loud series of threats and warnings before they maul something and rip it apart. The grunting seemed sort of human-like. The thing that bothered him was that he was most certainly going to have to find out what it really was. Standing totally still and putting his focus on breathing created a needed moment for gear checks. Most of it was in order considering. It often helped to stay very quiet and just listen. That gave him clarity to decide to use a torch or not when making his way down the tunnel before him.

Deciding instead to bundle several of the pieces of straw from the broom together seemed wise. This would make a smaller, less obvious light source. It would certainly be easier to snuff out quickly. Sitting on the biggest flattest of the rocks he went about the task as smoothly as possible. Knowing for sure now that nothing was alone down here. The question was: did whatever that was, know he was here too and alone?

Moving back to the wall, he lit the small bundle of straw carefully and peered into the tunnel. With the smell of fresh blood now certain. He lowered himself back on his belly and crawled along again. When the time was right he reached back painfully and freed his shield. Having to wiggle a little to allow it to slide sideways off his back uncomfortably. You’ve got to be quieter than that dammit his inner voice pleaded.

Gamleon adjusted all the packs, pouches and wine skin ,everything, took sword and shield in hand, and scooted out. Gently rising and spinning in one smooth movement. Blindly and cautiously, he reached out slowly with his sword, prodding into the total, absolute darkness. The tip of his sword did actually touch something for a fraction of a heart beat.

Then “something” caught him right at the bend in his legs. Something almost gentle, but very powerful. It lifted him instantly a great distance into the air and flung him hard and fast. As he maneuvered in the air in the total darkness his mind raced to try and figure out how far he was from the ground or from the spiky ceiling of rock. Something brushed against him a texture he knew too well. Even in the dark. The wine flask, his favorite was flung loose by sheer velocity.

He pretty much landed upright. Skidding to a halt , but his hoof came down hard on the flask. He quickly adjusted himself with his sword towards the center of his chest, expecting the follow up attack to be a pouncing one . If it was, the assailant would surely impale itself, at least somewhat in its attempt to brutally maul him.

He took a silent breath and waited, listening. Standing very still and hearing only his breath, he could feel the somewhat cool wine and water mix leaking out. Frustration and disappointment came and went. His whiskers twitched as he tried to relax his muzzle. His brow furrowed , now he would have to find the source of that running water sound, and build a fire. Very risky at this point and time consuming. His beloved wine however he could not replace at least not for a long while.

As for the next attack, he was sure it was coming any time . He hoped he would hear or smell or maybe even notice something, anything in the pitch-black darkness. He did not.

He waited, nothing happened, nothing came. After too much time passed without the second part of the attack, Gamleon relaxed a little. He reached down slowly and picked up the skin. It had lost quite a bit from a small leak. He thought about the backup he had with just water.

He turned around and around in ever widening circles, extending the sword further and further. He expected the same result as last time, if not worse. He did eventually make contact with something. As soon as he felt it, he took a large springing step back as far as he could. Lowering his center of gravity naturally with the momentum of the practiced move. He settled into the deepest possible crouch . Trying to regulate his breathing as always. He checked his grip.

He wondered about his silent attacker. If it was a man, he was ridiculously strong. Stronger than any he had ever encountered . Also, he should make some kind of sound, breathing, walking, gear clanking, something. Gamleon knew his nose to be much more sensitive than many other beings, but all he could smell was the cave, the smell of water both fresh and not so . The moist rocks dripping into the soil and the faintest smell of blood and feces.

Time must have been passing very fast. He tried to clear his racing mind and concentrate on the only thing he could control, his breathing. Trying to remain as calm as he could, all things considered. He noticed his muscles burning and aching from the strain on his posture. He slowly stood back up.

Gamleon's life had been a series of bold decisions, some slightly more calculated than others. He decided that if this thing was going to be "the" thing that killed him, he would at least like to know what it was.

Resolute he acted , he would at least know. He crawled back over to a wall and carefully set up things all around him to light his torch yet again. One of the many things he noticed was a set of oars, big long wide ones. Not what he expected to see in a cave but there they were, oars sticking out of what could easily be described as some sort of sled or bulky wooden box type container. It was turned on its side. The deep scrape marks and grooves led from the tunnel straight to this strange wheel- less cart thing. This thing had obviously not just sprung to life and attacked him. Feeling overexposed he quickly slid towards the cover that this contraption would provide. Again, he crouched low and scanned the vicinity. His small dark eyes and hairy little ears jumped and jerked around, alert for threats. He found none. He stayed ready expecting an attack at anytime from anywhere. The torch allowed him to see some, but not all. Unfortunately he knew it also made him stand out to anyone or any thing from a great distance too . It was unsettling to look up into the total darkness. His brain just kept expecting stars or something, and his mind ached momentarily trying to take it all in. Questions and answers begin to form and form quickly. Even though he was not in any obvious immediate danger, the situation was not at all a good one. He looked around and saw three more brooms and more cheap old bags of the same dirt. The pieces started to fall together. By the tracks and signs he now suspected at least three humans, probably four. They were using the dirt to cover the tracks they might be leaving, and the brooms to keep things looking more smooth and even. Basically a fill in the holes and smooth it out as you go operation. A sudden realization made the torch seem even hotter as he began to sweat . A lot of effort not to be found, tracked or identified. Who does this and why? The short list ; bandits, common thieves, murderers, wanted men, or those trying to hide something very valuable. Any would be armed and very dangerous. The amount of thought ,planning and effort suggested either something, or someone of great value or importance. A secret meeting of powerful leaders ? Nah . That usually has more stuff and better stuff and requires less strenuous effort to get to it. Just then the little clay tablet jumped back into his mind's eye. Now he had once seen an ancient accord like this, but just that one occasion. He later learned that it simply bound one house to another in debt. What seem liked a very long time ago a kind human man and his woman had patiently taught him to read. It was second nature to them. As they spent years of their lives decoding tablets and other such old things. Sebaziun the smith and his sweat wonderful wife had been good to him knowing he was a former slave and all . They had insisted, that most old tablets were just boring records of who owed what to whom. Most weren’t exciting tails as you might want, instead just numbers and receipts . He just couldn’t believe as he took out and looked at the tablet that someone would carry around or hide an old debt list that looked like this. Thoughts and images of the treasures he had dreamt of since boyhood filled his mind.

He picked up one of the oars and smelled the handle first. Then, he flipped it around and squeezed the business end hard. He could actually feel a little moisture soaked deep into the old, spongy wood. It had been used very recently. Caves don't have wind or sun to dry things out. There was still a small amount of water in the corner of the sled boat/raft thing.

Looking at it, it seemed to him that it was used for all of these purposes. It was very well constructed with thick, dense woods, multiple bindings, and sealants. Whoever built it knew what they were doing. Looking it over this closely, he couldn't help but wonder, how did it get down here? And why was it here? It had to be very, very heavy. So what was dragging it all around and how? Who or what were they hauling in it anyway ?

He looked down again at all the tracks on the ground. A very clear and obvious human footprint stood out to him. Not too big or small, it was sunk deeply into the dirt compared to the boot prints. He saw so many signs of struggle: circling prints and slides, a fighter's stance, dried blood, drag marks.

He made his way around what he was deciding to refer to now as a boat what with the oars and all. He noticed a long scraping claw mark and a very bloody hand print. Some other bumps, scuffs, and scrapes had probably, but maybe not, come from living things.

A very strange trail and print in the sandy ground now caught his sharp eyes. He couldn't think of a foot or anything else that would leave that kind of track. It was very strange. No recognizable claws or toes, but it could stand and it could do something like walk.

If this thing was attacking these men, it did not do so in droves like an infestation. If he had to deal with an infestation, then this whole idea just wouldn't be worth it. He had to stop thinking about the fact that he still had no idea what had picked him up and tossed him like a rag across the cave. He ruled out cave bear, human, and all creatures smaller than that. He was almost uncharacteristically itching for a fight now . He was tired of waiting for this thing to come and try to finish him off. He hadn't seen what was left of whoever or whatever had just been killed, and that was fine.

Gore didn't bother him, but he didn't enjoy it either. Having seen plenty of senseless violence, most of the time it wasn't what it seemed. Most violence wasn't spur-of-the-moment or on a whim. Experience had taught him that things usually built up, dragged on far too long. He believed that if it fell to him to take a life, then he should do it quickly and efficiently. That's the way.

The torch was used to help see into the much larger part of the surroundings. As far as it could be told, it was mostly just normal cave stuff, except for the crystal. He adjusted the wine skin with his sword hand and forearm repeatedly, trying to keep as much of the precious liquid inside. Long, needed chug taken from the small flask, replaced with the wine-water mix from the leaking but bigger one. Every drop mattered.

He wasn't panicking by any means, but the sounds of running water were just too strong to resist. Effortless movements, smooth and confident, away from the overturned boat, staying within arm's reach of the closest stalagmite wall towards the still-dark area of the chamber.

Looking forward, the wall seemed to become unusually dark as he got nearer. Then all of the sudden it wasn't just darkness but actually a large opening. Not only that, but the tracks from the sled boat were there too.

The Xiphos, like any well-made tool, had to be cleaned throughout again, and the shield needed inspection. Unstrapping the shield, everything was hastily leaned against the stone.

If anyone were on the other side of that opening and had seen the moving torchlight, they’d be getting ready. His mind raced with all the things he didn’t know, but focusing on that wasn’t an option. The focus had to be on what was known and what could be done.

If you're the guy waiting down the alley, your eyes should be scanning the walls for any small thing – anything. A movement that didn't match the straight up-and-down line. Like someone peeking around the corner. Generally, you don't want to be the guy peeking around the corner. He'd been around long enough to know that without a decoy, what you needed to do was back up in a precise straight line with the corner, very slowly. If a guy had a bow or a sling, he'd have to step into the center to fire at you, giving you a chance to see who, what, and possibly how many.

Gamleon had learned the value of preparation after years of sometimes painful trial and error. He'd slept as well as possible the night before and was up as usual at first sunlight. He was thinking again about time, specifically how much time was left before the light filtering in from somewhere above stopped filling this part of the chamber. So many thoughts filled his mind. It was hard to focus on exactly what to do next.

Filling the flask with the fresh, clean, cold water was always a good idea. The loss of water from the larger skin was far too much for him to make it all the way back home. He was going to have to stop and refill on the way out too. Gamleon made his way over to the stream. He stood at the edge and looked hard at the water. It was normal looking. He bent down and scooped some up in his hand and smelled it.

He picked up his sword a well made Xiphos, looked at it, turned it, then leaning out plunged it into the water slowly. He expected it to touch the bottom, but it didn't. He got down and stuck his whole arm in. He moved it around. He didn't feel anything but steady flowing cold water. He quickly withdrew and wiped all the water from the trusty sword, very thoroughly.

He ran over and picked up the oar, which was much, much longer. He stuck the oar into the water as well and walked along the edge of the river. He bent as close as he could arm outstretched, oar held tightly. Still no bottom that he could feel. He pulled out the oar and set it down as he was reaching out for his sword and shield.

Just then the a large cave bear began its charge. Gamleon grabbed for the shield first, knowing that it would serve him better in the attack. The first blow hit the shield just as his fingers wrapped around the handle of the sword. The large, heavy bear had him off his feet and pinned flat on his back with one swipe. The shield dug into the muscles of his chest, even though his light armor was there.

He lashed out with the sword in his right hand, aiming precisely at the toes of the bear's left hind leg. As the sword severed off the bear's big toe, it let out a roar of pain. The blow stunned the beast long enough to allow Gamleon to get up. Getting back up was crucial. Being flat on your back denies you of all your power and any of your maneuverability.

The big, angry bear swung hard and fast. Gamleon came up and blocked the oncoming paw with his sword. He could feel the blade hit bone. The other paw was right behind it, striking the sturdy ram horns that grew from his triangular head. The blow hit him so hard his thick muscular neck tilted so quickly that the black tunnel was all he could see. He was out cold before he hit the ground.

When his eyes opened again, he saw the strangest thing he had ever seen. So strange that he thought he might still be dreaming. Filling his vision was the most unusual creature. The only thing he could compare this to was honey. If honey could come to life and move. It was something and it was coming up out of the water, slightly formless but soon taking a roughly human shape.

It wasn't gold and brownish like honey, though. It was clear mostly kind of bluish green and there were what looked like sand and little rocks or something floating all around in it. If it had a face, he couldn't see it or tell what it was like. Arm-like things kept growing longer off of each of its sides.

The bear was trying to get to the food inside Gamleon’s pack by licking and biting at the flaps. Even though food was crucial he couldn't take his eyes off of this thing. The bear becoming more frustrated and being hurt reared back and started to come down hard in another blow aimed at his chest. It was then that the mysterious creature finally reached out and touched the bear.

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A part of its arm-like thing wrapped around the bear's injured paw. The bear continued downward, but at the last moment suddenly came to a complete stop. Its body frozen in a very awkward pose. Its bright eyes continued to move curiously. The bear's body simply could not be rigid in that position and remain upright.

The giant bear toppled forward only partially striking Gamleon on the way down before it hit the ground. The creature withdrew its tentacle-like arm back at the right time . It was then that Gamleon could see that the whole top third of this thing's head looked like one giant eye facing upward.

Gamleon hadn't survived this long by being ignorant or slow.

Using only the very limited amount he thought he knew about this thing. He guessed it wasn't capable of sudden burst of speed. It was however obviously the cause of the bear laying still next to him. The bear was dry, meaning it probably wasn't the same one he had seen earlier on the other side of this narrow river

Just breathe he thought . The longer Gamleon could lay still and breathe without being attacked the better. His eyes had taken it all in and his brain had created several different scenarios. However, the one that played out next he never could have imagined. The honey creature had been expanding its base the whole time, slowly working its way out of his sight under the body of the stiff and still frozen bear, until it was too late. It came around and under the bottom side of his hoof and it wrapped around his ankle and lifted him into the air before he could even react. Instinct for most, would be to curl up in a ball and hack at the thing that was lifting you upside down by the ankle. Gamleon knew his armor well enough to know this was a bad idea for a lot of reasons. Looking down from this angle, his whole plan had to change and change fast. From here he could see how much blood the bear was losing from its foot and paw. The pools were still pretty small, so he hadn't been out for that long. What he saw when looking at the creature was again unbelievable. The creature had apparently left behind a kind of shell of itself to distract him while it emptied itself out to move towards him. More, than intelligent . Sneaky! The muscles in his legs were numb all the way up to his tail already. His mind, though, that was on fire. Thoughts and feelings washed over him and through him bringing back memories from years ago, never before had he experienced memory so clean and so real. He thought he could feel the fire, smell the smoke, hear the cries.

His heart broke all over again at the senselessness of it all, the tragedy, the loss. He was just a boy, but he saved everyone that he could. Time leapt forward to his days as a slave to the Gorgons. He knew this day well. He felt his rage and agony. He watched himself kill as many of the sisters as he could. No remorse, no regret. Self preservation and justice. Sebaziun and his wife also suffered from the Gorgons. They taught Gamleon to care, and to be cared for. Dreema , Sebaziuns’ Second wife taught him to read in her spare time. He taught them to fight. He could feel his memories being shuffled and looked through like a deck of cards. He felt confused, angry and used. He forced himself to open his eyes and look around. He saw himself extend his shield arm out straight even though he didn't want to. Then slowly and gently, he put his sword against his chest, then crossed his shield over it firmly. Wanting to rub his eyes because he couldn't believe what he was seeing, but he couldn't move.

The creature reached out again with its other side and pressed in to the bear partially on the muzzle, touching the nose and mouth, then stopping. After a few seconds, the bear stood up, extended his huge fur covered arms, paws upward, then Gamleon still dangling upside down by his ankle was lowered helplessly, slowly and gently into the waiting arms of the bear. Like a big baby .

The bear then slowly lumbered over to the sled boat and set Gamleon down on his back. Gamleon could only look around a little despite straining to do more. Nothing else would respond, and he could not feel anything at all. He could hear them putting things in the boat. Figuring correctly that since he was the only one among them with things that it was his stuff. A small sigh of relief . From the corner of his eyes, he saw the boat being turned upright. Concluding by the bits and pieces, sights and sounds that somehow the creature had made the bear work with it to turn the heavy boat upright and put him and his pack and the oars inside. Just lying there with only his eyes under his control was the most bizarre thing he had experienced in a long, long time. Not even able to control his nose to sniff at the air only increased the urge to do so to an undeniable degree. Wanting that so badly and having to settle for trying to make sense of what there was to see, smell and hear would have to suffice. What choice was there and more importantly why and how was this happening?

Time passed, then a tentacle-like arm reached over the very high side of the boat and tucked the little piece of clay tablet with the strange writing into his left armpit near his shield. This caused his mind to race even more. He thought either this thing was watching him the whole time, or it could pick his brain and read thoughts and memories. If that was the case, then this thing was more capable than many of the beings currently revered and worshiped throughout the lands as gods.

Seeing as he couldn't do anything other than blink and breathe. He decided to close his eyes. After all, if the creature wanted him dead, he figured he would be.

So how the craft was eventually launched into the water he didn’t know . He felt the movement of the sled on the water and felt the movement of the bear as it creeped across the boards. Everything would have been nice and relaxing. What with the general rocking of the boat, but the smell of the bear was just too strong.

There are certain sounds you hear in life that you should never forget. Unfortunately, this was one of those sounds. The thunk of an arrow burying itself in wood is not a good sound. It means someone is trying to kill you. If Gamleon could speak or, well... do anything, he would try to say something like “look out” or “duck”. He struggled so hard to look around but couldn't see what he wanted. The lack of light and the angle were impossible obstacles. Another of the arrows just about took the ear of the bear as it nicked along the left side of his skull, blood flew out and bounced off Gamleons’ shield, landing on his neck. The bear groaned in pain.

He could tell the bear was now squatting down. It made several small shuffling adjustments as if to make it absolutely certain that he could see. The creature he had come to refer to in his head as honey, moved over to the head of the bear. Honey began to wiggle, then slowly a small part of it separated from the main part and started to slip and slide its way to the bears’ face. Then just like that, it poured itself into the mouth and nose of the bear and was gone. Within only a small amount of time passing the bleeding from all the bears wounds totally stopped. However, the sporadic arrow fire had not stopped. As far as he could tell the arrows couldn't punch through the thick, thick wood at their current range.

This would be a day of an unexpected events and first in a lifetime occurrences. The following being no exception. The strange creature again made a small puddle of itself, but this time it was coming towards his muzzle. He felt the change in him. He had control of his head and part of his chest again. The small blob came gently and slowly up to his mouth and began to try to get in . Instinctively he began to spit and choke but , the creature tried one more time, then seemingly ,respectfully, it stopped.

Gamleon thought he could feel the fire, smell the smoke, hear the cries. His heart broke all over again at the senselessness of it all – the tragedy, the loss. He was just a boy.

He felt confused, angry, and used as his memories were cherry picked and looked through again. He forced himself to open his eyes and looked around.

He then started convulsing and spasming uncontrollably. Gamleon sat up very quickly and coughed up a fair amount of thick salty liquid almost like spit. As this was happening intense memories of fighting and violence flooded his mind and memory. His heart raced hard in his chest but at least he could feel it again. A small amount of the pool he had just coughed up separated from the rest and lurched forward to rejoin the honey creature.

He felt impossibly great. Not at all tired or hurt. He felt ten years younger and stronger than ever. He had to wonder what this creature would do in a fight. Could it even be cut or stabbed or killed? How many are out there in this huge maze like cave? Are they all human or something much worse? Regardless, he had to beat this crap before the incoming arrows became any more serious of a threat.

He pulled his shield over his head and shuffled to the rear of the boat. He picked up his oar and stuck it in the water. The current was slow, steady, and powerful, but eventually, the sled hit land.

Boots, and cheap badly made arrows sat discarded. There were no close-quarters weapons in play, but it did tell you a little about who you might be fighting and who might be firing them. Generally, archers don't wear a lot of armor, especially not visored helmets or heavy gloves. You see they have to possess at least somewhat human-like hands. Centaurs and Gorgons being the best among them, but they generally can't stand humans. But it wasn't impossible. The thing is he didn't want to die. Most creatures don't. Most of the time if you hack on the first tough guy that comes at you, the others will be much more likely to start talking or just run . A cave changes everything though, and all the work they did not to be found. This wasn’t going to be a good thing.

Even if the honey creature and the bear rushed out at the enemy fully-armed berserker style. That wouldn't change Gamleon's strategy one bit, he quickly grabbed up all his gear and went over the port side of the little sled boat. He then sat down, dropped his pack and everything but his sword, and rested trying to wrap his head around everything that had just transpired. He then put his back against the craft and just sat down, not caring if the creature and the bear stayed in the boat or not. Both had its advantages.

If they stayed low, they would be fine. The thick , sturdy craft would stop the arrows from punching all the way through. Maybe a handful might eventually make it through. He thought they were headed roughly West, a little Southward in the boat. The enemy was all to the East and had to come West to get them, the boat and the bear, at least create some great obstacles for a distraction. The big pointy rocks at the top of the cave meant an arrow couldn't be fired in a big arc that could hit them. It would hit the top of the cave first.

If the traveling companions did get out of this, he would turn the boat on its side with the bottom facing the oncoming opponents. Only after a short while, the bear rolled over, the back half part of the boat and stayed on all fours. Then came honey. The creature looked like it melted into a puddle, then slid its way along until it disappeared back into the river.

Gamleon , he felt angry, used, betrayed, and confused. He quickly looked to the bear to see what it would do. It did nothing. Just breathing, hot gross fish-heavy, smelly, snot-slobber breath. Gamleon pushed a rock he picked up. He had chosen it for its height and flattish top. He wiggled towards the sled boat. He then got one of the long oars and stuck it under the boat. After some effort, he managed to turn the boat over on its side like he wanted. It touched the bear's whiskers as it came down, the bear blinked, but did not move. He scooted into the much better cover the craft offered him.

When he peered around the corner, he saw something he never liked seeing. A gorgon warrior priestess. One can tell everything about her status and where she was from by her body paint and trinkets. They were both very far from home. He wanted to back away and forget the whole thing, and stay and kill her. All at the same time in a raging fury. Gamleon had mastered close-quarter skills after months spent in gorgon chains. He probably would have survived without his natural weapons but he would never deny that they always helped. When conflict is imminent. There's a certain sharpening of the senses that a survivor learns to take advantage of. Normally these senses didn't reach into his memories and emotions as the events of this day had and now seeing the Gorgon was almost too much. The next sound he heard was an unmistakable clatter made when an armed and armored man crashes into the ground , hard. Then almost right on top of that another, then another. Three armed combatants all hitting the ground in less than a heartbeat of one another. Gamleon dropped to his chest and looked around the corner of his cover. He saw three human-looking men. Indeed they had just hit the ground. The dust still hung in the air . At least one was still conscious. He was trying to reach up and adjust his strange helmet with a long sword and buckler still in his hands. Thankfully, he was the farthest away. Another one lay face down, motionless. The third was kinda on his side.

Gamleon could clearly see what looked to him like ropes made of water. These “ ropes” were sliding back at about the same rate, steadily back toward the river. They were all connected to a main spine like a comb. Seeing all this, he knew it had to be honey. It must have caught these guys running full on and tripped them up.

A man with a spear and a large slotted shield was still closing in, attempting to flank him. Gamleon popped up, checked his grip, and stepped back into the corner of the boat. The spear tip flashed forward as Gamleon predicted it would . Gamleon sidestepped it and brought his sword down with all his weight on the spear shaft. The spear was very well-made but didn't stand the weight and power of his assault.

He then thrust hard with his shoulder into the slotted shield, knocking the man off his feet. Bringing his right leg up as high as he could, he slammed his sharp hoof down hard and fast on the man's exposed ankle. The young human man screamed out curses in rage and pain. Gamleon stepped back – unless this guy could fight on one leg, or both knees, he was no longer a real threat. He'd probably pass out from the pain and blood loss soon, and was surely going in to shock. Seeing as his ankle was almost completely severed.

Gamleon then pivoted off his left leg and spun back into the cover of the boat. He peeked out again to see what was happening. The big guy with the long buckler was on his feet, attempting to attend to the man closest to the boat. There was no help for this guy. He had fallen at full speed on some type of mace with long, very sharp pointed spikes. His whole chest was covered in thick, dark oozing blood.

"Why do they always shake?" he thought as he watched them. Shaking the person doesn't help unless they're asleep.

The big man lowered his helmet, his face hidden. He looked at his friend who was laying on his back, then walked over to the other man and nudged him with his booted foot. The man groaned and spat. The big man began to yell something, likely a threat, but it was all too easily drowned out by an unbelievably loud roar from the cave bear.

The bear was being hoisted up from under its armpits by honey. Honey tossed the now angry bear at the center of the two men. This highly unorthodox move caught them completely off guard. The bear landed squarely in the middle of the two men. The downed man, still obviously stunned, tried vainly to put up his hands. Jaws full of dirty bear teeth wrapped around his throat before he even knew what was happening. The big man expertly rolled forward, landing on his feet with his sword raised. He charged directly at Gamleon, jabbing his weapon towards him again and again. Before Gamleon could react, the big man feinted, ending up perfectly positioned to catch him off balance. He was now so close that Gamleon couldn't swing his sword with any power for his next move. Smart.

He quickly changed the angle of his shield to block Gamleon's line of sight. Gamleon assessed the situation. He concluded this was a man who had a lot of experience in real combat situations.

Gamleon dropped into a practiced crouch, keeping his shield at the same level. He took a large step back just as the two shields should have collided. The man had to plant his left foot to stop his momentum, but couldn't retract it fast enough. So, Gamleon flicked his sword out with just his wrist, nicking the man deep in the shin bone. The man barely flinched.

Gamleon lunged forward in a furious attempt to get under the big man's shield. The big guy was surprisingly fast. He blocked the thrust with a quick adjustment and brought his own sword down. That attack should have severed Gamleon's arm at the bicep.

Gamleon reacted by blocking with his shield and moving, but the tip of the sword still caught the side of his arm. The shield, as it should be, was right behind it. The blow would have knocked most humans unconscious, but it simply bounced off Gamleon's relatively large, thick horns.

Gamleon seized the momentary advantage by driving himself full speed into the shield. He then spun off his left leg and slammed his elbow into the center of the man's spine. The man's armor prevented any serious damage. Gamleon tried pressing the advantage driving himself full speed into the shield. He then spun off his left leg in a practiced pivot.

The hulking man was obviously an Absynian as Gamleon could finally make out in the light of this new angle . The bedraggled mercenary grunted as he sprang into another of those forward sword-tucking rolls he excelled at. He came up out of range, weapon raised, and resumed circling like a pro.

With each movement and feint. He realized the muscular Absynian was trying to maneuver him back towards the river, forcing him to fight with his back to it. A clever tactic.

Gamleon's senses were sharp. He noticed honey oozing between the rocks towards them. The large, now angry man carefully masked his surprise; a small, flexible tendril emerged from the honey, reaching towards him.

With practiced ease, the Absynian mercenary sliced through the extended tendril with a swift motion of his long sword. The severed appendage thudded onto the ground with a splash like sound, oozing its “honey” out a little as it wriggled back towards the main part of its body.

Gamleon countered his next jab perfectly with a thrust, but the big man easily blocked and returned the blow. They both took large steps back.

His voice echoed in the surrounding cavern. "Gamleon!"

The circling man, ever alert, spoke. "There's nothing left for you here," he said. He cleared his throat and spat. "Just turn around and walk away. There's nothing here for you….. but death."

Gamleon's mind raced with questions. Who was this guy? Why did he seem so familiar ?

Gamleon took a deep breath. He wondered if everyone here knew who he was and that he was coming. He felt a flicker of relief at the thought that his enemies would soon be greatly reduced.

"Mel, are you alright?" the mercenary said .

The other man, clearly named Mel, said nothing and continued moving with a terrifying focus.

The man Mel who had fallen on his own weapon slowly rose, his entire front slick with blood in the dim light. He shambled towards the tall man, who darted his eyes around nervously.

"Mel, are you alright?" The hulking Absynian said in a low husky voice.

Mel, said nothing but continued moving . Gamleon's mind raced with questions. Who was that guy?

His opponent continued. "Look, I'd rather not kill you today. So just pack up this freak show and leave before you make any more enemies here."

Gamleon took a deep breath. He wondered .

The bear, unseen until now, let out a deafening roar. The Absynian man turned his head for a hearts beat to check the bears new location. In that fleeting moment, Mel, his mace dripping his own blood, slammed it into the back of his one time friends’ skull. The silent blow was hard and right at the base.

Then another strange thing happened. They both crumpled to the ground together. Gamleon looked around himself. He saw no immediate threats, and nothing was moving now. He took a small drink and checked his arm . Eventually he walked over to the boat and wiggled loose one of the arrows sticking out of it. He rolled it in his fingers and examined the fletchings. Slave-made, of course.

The strange creature had obviously saved his life. It just stood there now and did nothing, literally nothing. Gamleon looked at it very closely. In a low, almost hesitant voice, he said, "Can you talk to me? He circled around examining it . “ Do you know what's going on down here?"

The creature's top part moved, some of it formed into a more head-like shape. The head then slowly nodded, and bobbed once in the affirmative. It then formed a more hand-like structure on its arm like area, this hand-like appendage reached out very slowly towards Gamleon's ear.

He took a very slow careful step away from the honey creature. Honey, made a frustrated looking series of gestures. Then, a come here type gesture with the hand. Gamleon did not move.

Honey then slinked away. The movements were decidedly feminine Gamleon reluctantly concluded . It swayed and glided towards the man whose ankle Gamleon had obliterated. Gamleon knew this man had gone into shock. He watched Honey as she went over and put a portion of herself into the man's mouth and nose. The man tried to choke and cough a little then his eyes popped opened. Eventually the man's hand made bad fumbling attempts to loosen or take off his light armor. Gamleon thought about trying to help but did not.

The silent injured spear man eventually poked around in one of his pockets and pulled out a very thin animal skin. The old parchment had been crumpled and folded. It began to unfold a little in the man's grubby open palm. Gamleon could see some small symbols on one of the corners that resembled the symbols on the small clay tablet and the cave walls. He went over and picked it up, unfolded it completely, and looked at it in the rapidly dimming light. It was a map. The map was written in an unknown language with strange symbols, some marked with Xs. He couldn't identify the animal the skin came from. In the center, a temple or building was prominently drawn. Apparently, following the river and entering the fourth large opening on the left or south side, he would find a staircase, a huge one, leading to this place. The temple drawing was far more detailed than the rest of the map.

He turned it over. On the back was another remarkably detailed drawing, this one of a creature somewhat like the one he now called Honey. The slime like creature stood atop a large block covered in archaic symbols, its tentacle-like arms raised towards the sky. At its base were silhouettes of dozens of people. Gamleon held out the map, pointing clearly at the drawing, then at Honey. "Is this you?" Honey remained motionless. Gamleon pointed at himself and said, "I am Gamleon." Then he pointed back at the drawing and said, "Do you know who this is?" Still no response.

Frustrated , Gamleon returned to the boat, using the dying torch to light another from his pack. He secured it in the nifty little torch holder on his shield. He approached the helmeted mercenary and removed his helm. The Absynian vaguely resembled a younger mercenary Gamleon had fought alongside years ago in a swift, bitter conflict in Hezgeroth proper. He searched the hairy body thoroughly, finding only a small pouch sewn into the common mercenary guild tunic. Inside were fifteen gold coins from a long-extinct empire - Gorgon pay, no doubt. He pocketed the coins. If he survived, at least it wouldn't be a complete loss.

He had to assess the situation. He concluded the Gorgon was out of arrows or she would still be firing. It should not have taken her this long to get help. Maybe moving against the river current was slowing them down he speculated briefly . Gorgon strategy is to attack in overwhelming non-stop numbers. If one sees you all the others that can wield a weapon must close on you. Until there is no more threat. Gorgons are driven to collect and gather all things made of metal or that even look like metal. They are trained from childhood to gather all things, nails, doorknobs, swords ,helmets. It didn't matter. Therefore they had in their swarms some very good gear. The best that could be scavenged in fact. The Gorgon he’d just seen dominated his thoughts. Gamleon made his way in an exact straight line from the boat to the river. He took out a small waterskin and used the torch handles to make a fire. He boiled some water and looked at his surroundings. He cleaned his gear and his wounds. He ate a little and tried to loosen up. Gamleon knew that life or death combat situations were absolutely draining. Keeping the adrenaline in check was key. Staying calm and controlling your breathing is not easy, especially if you're hurt. The last thing you want is for your adrenaline to run out when you need it most.