The stench in the sewers was horrible. Matthew knew that it was bad from the few times he passed near a street runoff after a storm, but being in the tunnels themselves was far worse. He could just barely make out large rats that scurried away as the torch light neared them, their black bead-like eyes seeming to curse the foreigners before they disappeared further into the tunnels.
“This is grotesque,” Jaron commented as he watched something float down the waterway to their right.
Matthew laughed, but cut it short to limit the amount of foul air he took in, “Is it as great as the adventures you dreamed you would have?”
Jaron shot Matthew a look, but held his tongue. Matthew could hear Alexander chuckling from in front of the two. He had taken the lead, and Jaron and Matthew did not argue. For Matthew, it had little to do with whether the older man held the torch or not, but Alexander knew how to handle himself. Matthew could tell from his stride, and the way his right hand stayed on his sword, ready to draw at a moments notice.
The three stayed quite for most of the trip, none wanting to speak as they went deeper and the stench of the sewers got worse. Eventually they came to a set of stairs that went deeper, breaking off from the waterway. Alexander said nothing as he turned and started down the stairs. Matthew assumed that the man’s instructions had covered getting to where ever it was they were going, as his did not.
“Do you know where you are going?” Jaron asked, his voice echoing through the small stairwell and down the tunnel behind them.
Alexander did not turn to look at them as he spoke, “I am just following the instructions I was given. If they are correct, then at the bottom of these stairs we should find a door with a unique locking mechanism.”
Matthew and Jaron gave each other a curious look, but kept quiet. The stairs seemed to travel down forever. The stone of the walls began to change, looking older and less worked. The stairs changed too. They went from the steep, shallow stairs that were part of the sewers, to wide stairs that were almost platforms.
What made Matthew feel the most uncomfortable was that darkness before them. Usually Matthew felt comfortable in darkness, but this darkness was different. He was use to the shadows of the city. A city he was familiar with. This was different, unfamiliar, and he could not shake the feeling that something was not right.
Alexander stopped, his torch illuminating what seemed to be a door with no knob. Alexander crouched to examine the door, but finally stood, shaking his head.
“Let me look at it,” Matthew said, stepping forward, “Just keep the torch light on it.”
He inspected the door closely, running his hands along the the frame, if it could be called that, and along the area where the knob or handle would normally be. He felt nothing strange, and saw even less. When he turned to look back, something caught his eye near the bottom of the wall to the right of the door. Taking the torch from Alexander he thrust it towards what he had seen. Near the bottom, almost completely covered by waste left by the overflow from the waterways above, was a small hole.
Matthew pushed some of the mess away from the hole with his boot and crouched down to examine the hole more closely. It began at the floor and was only just large enough for a hand to be put into it. He carefully slid his hand and arm in, moving slowly in case it was trapped in some way. Feeling around, he felt a level. He moved it slightly to find how it worked before finally pushing it away.
There was a loud thunk that came from the direction of the door. Alexander pushed on it, but there did not seem to be any difference. Matthew took the torch and began examining the walls to each side of the platform. He soon found and identical hole, exactly opposite from the first he had found. He cleared away the area and found the level inside, pushing it away from him. There was another noise, identical to the first, but again nothing happened.
Matthew thought for a moment before looking to his companions, “Maybe both levers have to be used at the same time. One of you use the other lever, pushing it away from you at the same time I use this one.”
Jaron moved to the other wall, kneeling down with a disgusted frown at the mess on the floor, “Ready?” He asked, looking back at Matthew who nodded back to him, “Now.”
Matthew pushed his lever and a loud crash came from the door. A moment after the noise the door slid down into the floor. Stale air blew past them. From the air, it was obvious that the door had not been opened for ages. Alexander took back the torch and thrust it through the door. The light from the small torch barely touched the darkness of whatever was beyond. Matthew estimate that the cavern had to be massive.
Alexander stepped through the now open door. Matthew had hoped at first that the stale air would be a welcome difference from the sewage tainted air they had been breathing, but though the doorway was little better. The smell of sewage was weaker, but a different scent filled the area they now stood.
The torch moved through the space they stood, Alexander trying to see what the darkness hid. Finally the light reflected off something. Matthew at first thought it was water, but when the torch neared it, it ignited. A trail of flame traveled the across the wall, heading down. It lit a stairway that seemed to be carved from the stone of the wall.
Matthew watched as the flame traveled along the wall, racing across the liquid contained in the trough. The size of the cavern soon became clear to him. It was enormous. Matthew was certain that all the keeps of all the lord in Garlin would not fill the empty space. The flame finally curved around to where it was hidden by the platform the three men stood on.
“What is this place?” Jaron spoke, even the whisper seemed to echo throughout the room.
Alexander was the next to speak, just as quiet as Jaron had been, “I have no idea, but to think that this is hidden underneath Garlin. Who knew of this place?”
Matthew remained silent, awe holding his tongue. Alexander was the first to move, beginning down the stairs. The other two quickly followed, not wanting to be left behind. As Alexander put his weight down on the fourth step, there was a click from behind them. They all turned just in time to see that stone door slide back up into place, trapping them.
Jaron rushed back to the door, searching, but Matthew’s eyes saw what his glanced over. On this side of the door, where the handle and keyhole would normally be, was an indentation in the stone. Matthew walked over, placing a hand on Jaron’s shoulder to calm him and pointed at the indentation.
The indentation was a smooth, half-circle carved into the solid stone. Even spaced apart in the half-circle was a hole, not even large enough for Matthew to place his little finger in.
“Looks like we’ll need a key,” Matthew said, turning to look away and into the empty space of the cavern, “I just hope it is in here somewhere.”
Alexander started down the steps again, Matthew and Jaron close behind. The steps followed the wall of the cavern, a slow curve due to the size of the underground chamber. Alexander had extinguished the torch, no longer needed due to the oil fed flames that lit the expanse.
After nearly ten minutes of following the stairs, Matthew could finally make out where they ended. Using the distance they had already travelled as a judge, Matthew estimated that it would take them nearly half an hour to reach the bottom of the cavern. Jaron groaned and Matthew assumed that he had made the same judgement, but the group continued on.
Matthew took the time to examine what waited for the three at the bottom of the chamber. He could not really make out any details, but the general idea of the area seemed clear to him. About fifty paces from the ending of the stairs was a cube, Matthew assumed of stone. It looked small from that distance, but he used the stairs to approximate the size and guessed it to be roughly one hundred paces square. He could not estimate the height, but he guessed it would be at least that tall.
He continued to examine the area. As they grew nearer the bottom, and moved around so that what Matthew had marked as the front of the cube was in view, he noticed something else. In front of the cube stood two gargoyles. Matthew had seen such carved guardians on the walls of the keeps in Garlin. Most of them were ghoulish creatures, though some nobles preferred less horrific statues to mark their home.
These were something completely different. While the statues were usually basically human, though they may have claws or wings, occasionally they were sculpted with fangs or gaping maws. The statues outside the cube looked like sleek dogs. They had to be at least two times are large as any dog Matthew had ever seen in the city, but that was the only real difference.
The massive dogs looked to be carved from stone colored black as night. The sat on raised platforms to either side of the path that led from the stairs to the cube. They looked like noble beasts; like a loyal guard hound, well bred and kept. They sat back on their hind legs, heads held high, mouths closed.
When they finally reached the bottom of the stairs, Jaron commented, “Such magnificent statues. I wonder would carved them, and how old they are, to be down here?”
The trough of oil and fire travelled along both sides of the path. A section of the trough somewhere must have split off and traveled inside the wall of the cavern, as the second trough to the right of the path seemed to flow straight out of the wall, though it was completely aflame.
The three moved forward, moving towards the massive raised statues. The hair on the back of Matthew’s neck stood straight. Something felt wrong. That is when he saw something on the other side of the flames from them, off to the left. It was an arm, or at least it had been an arm. All that remained was the bone.
“Alexander,” he said, pointing at the bones.
The others turned to look, “It looks like others have tried to come down here before,” the older man commented.
A snarl came from further down the path. The three spun to see one of the statues jump down from its platform. The other stretched where it was before hopping down to join its twin. The eyes of the massive creatures seemed to reflect the fires to either side of them. Jaron’s eyes were wide and his mouth hung open, and Matthew was sure his face was a mirror to the other man’s. Alexander showed a glimpse of surprise, but it disappeared as his sword flew from its sheathe.
Seeing Alexander draw his sword seemed to spark something in Jaron who did the same. The statues never flinched as the ring of steel filled the empty area. Alexander stood strong, feet firmly planted, stance deliberate. Jaron looked to be doing his best to imitate that man, but his apprehension was clear as his eyes darted around and his sword shook in his hand.
Matthew slowly moved backwards, increasing the distance between him and the hounds as he drew the black daggers from their sheathes. He watched the animals, he believed them to be living creatures now, not just moving statues. The idea of moving statues seemed absurd, but so did the idea of the two massive creatures that now stood before him.
One of the large hounds barked, the cry echoing throughout the cavern. As the jaws of the creature opened it revealed flames. Matthew then realized what he had believed to be reflections in the beasts eyes were not, it was as if someone had taken a fire and wrapped the pelt of a dog around it.
The two groups stood watching each other, the dogs pacing back and forth, keeping any from getting past them to the stone wall with two large doors. Matthew had not noticed the doors before, but now saw that the massive stone cube was actually a building of sorts. His curiosity grew, wondering what it was inside the building.
Before he could figure out what secrets were held in the building, they would have to get by the creatures that blocked their path. The beasts watched, never flinching, not making any noise since the first bark. Matthew’s eyes darted to Alexander and Jaron, both stood still. Matthew realized he two had stopped moving backwards, probably when the hound had barked.
Suddenly Alexander darted towards one of the massive dogs. Neither creature wasted any time. The one Alexander threatened leapt back, jaws snapping. The other ran past the older man and darted towards Jaron. The other young man leapt to one side, the large jaws of the creature just missing his leg. Jaron hit the floor hard but managed to roll into a crouching position.
Matthew was shocked to see the noble rush back in at the beast. He swung his sword with practiced control, but the hound easily dodged the strike. The two stared each other down, the hound now unsure of his prey, and Jaron now committed to the fight.
Matthew was frozen in place, unable to move. His instincts told him to run, get away, leave the others to fend for themselves. Something else told him he was bound to these men now, and if they died, there was little chance he would outlive them for long.
Alexander was almost twenty paces away now, sword flashing at the beast. The beast’s fangs and claws struck out, hoping to catch Alexander, but the man was too fast, too agile. Matthew still stood frozen. His mind raced going over every possibility and every one seemed to end in their lying dead on the floor, food for these creatures.
It was the cry of one of the hounds that broke his thinking. Alexander had managed to strike flesh with one of his blows and his hound now limped on its right front leg. The wound seemed to embolden the older man, who wasted no time striking out again. The hound leapt back again and collapsed on his wounded leg, allowing Alexander to make contact again, another strike across the chest of the beast. Dark red, almost black blood oozed from the wounds.
Jaron’s eyes moved to see what was going on. As he looked away the second hound leapt at him. Matthew moved without thinking. He rushed at the creature, gripping the daggers tightly. Any thought of running away vanished as Matthew charged.
The hound’s head turned to see the oncoming threat. His front paws hit the ground, barely a single pace from Jaron for the massive beast. The hound pivoted, his next leap towards Matthew. Another leap and the jaws opened, ready to tear Matthew’s throat. Matthew threw himself to the ground, sliding underneath that black beast. He struck out with one of his daggers and felt the blade pierce flesh.
The beast howled as the blade ripped through muscle. Jaron stopped sliding as he heard the large dog land hard on the path behind him. As Matthew rose to his feet, Jaron blew past him at a full run. The hound turned just in time for Jaron to drive his sword into its flank.
The hound cried out again, snapping at Jaron. He jumped back, the sword still sticking out of the shoulder of the beast. Matthew took the opportunity to charge again. The beast was having trouble standing. Matthew’s cut had been along the beast’s abdomen and blood poured from the wound. Between the grievous injury and Jaron’s sword in its shoulder, the beast stumbled.
Matthew leapt into the air, landing on the beasts back. Before the animal could react, Matthew drove twin blades into the hound’s neck, just behind its ears. The beast howled again and flames flew from its mouth as if whatever held them inside the beast was gone. Matthew withdrew his blades and jumped off the creature, creating distance between himself and the beast. Jaron dashed in, grabbing his sword and pulling it from the hound’s shoulder before running to join Matthew.
The beast continued to howl, fire streaming from its mouth as it did so. Then, as if the flames could no longer be contained, the entire creature ignited. The flames were only a flash, but the beast was completely burned away. All that remained was a scorched area on the path to signify that something had burned there.
There was another howl and sudden flash of heat from behind Matthew. He spun to see Alexander lowering his arm from his eyes, a similar scorch mark on the ground a few paces from the older man. The cavern grew silent as the echoes of the howl died away. The only noise was the dull roar of the oil fed flames.
The three men came together, each one breathing heavily, though Alexander seemed to be breathing less hard that Jaron and Matthew. They looked each other for a moment before each one scanned the room around them for signs of any other danger to their lives.
“What were those things?” Jaron asked, looking to Alexander for an answer.
The other man rolled his shoulders as he took a cloth from his belt and wiped the blood from his sword, “I can’t be sure, but they seemed to match the description of a Fire Hound a little too well for my tastes.”
Matthew took the cloth, offered to him by Alexander and wiped his own blades clean before offering it to Jaron as the other man began to speak, “Fire Hounds? I thought there were none left. I was taught that they were hunted to extinction thousands of years ago, being too violent and unpredictable to be allowed to ravage that lands any longer.”
“That is what I learned too, but, dogs the size of a small horse that seem to contain fire within them and are engulfed by those flames when they die? Sounds like what we just experienced doesn’t it?” Alexander said plainly.
Jaron began to wipe his sword, “I suppose, but still, to imagine they could survive down here for so long.”
“I would imagine they managed to survive in some sort of hibernation, only waking when someone approached them. They seemed to be the guardians of whatever is down here.” Alexander theorized, taking the cloth from Jaron and throwing it into one of the nearby troughs of fire.
Matthew shook his head before speaking, “I could really care less what they were. They are dead now and we still have to get whatever it is we are down here to get.”
“Agreed,” Alexander said, turning to look at the large doors of the building beyond, “Let’s go.”
Neither Jaron nor Matthew protested as the man led them down the path. Matthew’s eyes continually looked over the room. He still held his daggers, not wanting to sheathe them should a new threat present itself. When they reached the doors, it was apparent that they two were made of stone, though they were carved to resemble iron bound, wooden doors.
Alexander began to push on one of the doors and it ground heavily against the floor, moving barely a fingers with before Alexander stopped, releasing a breath. He motioned for Jaron and Matthew to help him. The three of them began to push and the door moved. Slowly at first, but it was not long before they had it open far enough for them to move into the room beyond, one at a time. As Matthew stepped through the door he was engulfed by a bright light, blinding light.
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