Silencing everyone, Roocal crept quietly towards the far corner of the crypt. He noticed some old intertwined roots running down the side of the walls and the whole corner had a more ancient feel and smell to it than the rest of the crypt. There was also a silence and reverence to this area that didn’t exist elsewhere. Roocal moved very slowly and quietly, almost holding his breath.
But it wasn’t the roots or even the atmosphere that brought Roocal to a stop, rather it was the series of metal cages propped up against the wall that caused him to pause. They were new, even shiny, and completely out of place with the rest of the crypt.
After waiting silently for a few seconds and satisfied there was no immediate danger, he started to creep closer again. There seemed to be something moving in the last cage, something grey, furry and about the size of a dog.
“Furbie,” Groog said, making Roocal jump.
But Roocal wasn’t looking at the wolf, he was looking at the empty cages.
“What are they for?” he mused, turning his attention towards Scar.
“I notice there are five,” she replied.
That hadn’t escaped Roocal notice either.
Sniffing the air, Roocal thought he could detect a slightly rusty smell. This was odd given the cages were still shiny, but he was sure there was a corrosive or acidic tinge to the air.
Furbie’s cage door was locked as the group arrived beside it but the wolf was pacing out a near perfect circle inside the cage, seemingly unconcerned by the approaching people.
Roocal frowned.
Cherry didn’t seem to share his concerns and even started talking to the wolf, “It’s OK, Furbie. We are here now. We’ll get you out of this horrible cage.”
Roocal watched the wolf continue in circles completely ignoring Cherry’s soothing words. Something about this wolf was bothering him. Something odd. He looked at Scar who perhaps was the only other one who sensed something out of place here.
“The air is thick with magic,” she said, “Magic well beyond...” But she left the sentence hanging there, not quite ready to admit there was magic beyond her own capacity.
Bigs started unrolling his tools and set to work on the cage lock. As he did, Roocal noticed the wolf do another perfect circle, seemingly walking exactly in its own footsteps.
Then one of the wolf’s grey paws suddenly flickered out of view to be replaced by a big thick black paw about three times the size of the grey one, before returning to normal.
Suddenly remembering what Scar had just said, Roocal shouted, “Stop!”
But too late. Bigs had just finished his work and the lock on the cage door clicked open and the door swung inwards.
All eyes were looking at Roocal now.
“Close the door,” he screamed but it definitely was too late. The opening of the door had dispelled the magical illusion in the cage and instead of a little grey wolf, a giant jet black hound stood there growling at them. It had a level of intelligence in its eyes that Roocal thought animals couldn’t possess. And as the shocked group stared in disbelief, the huge hound leapt out through the door, slashing its paw towards Bigs as it passed.
Bigs saw it coming and managed to jump out of the way of the vicious swipe, but didn’t see the coffin behind him and bumped into it with a thump.
The hound was incredible. Its hind legs were as high as Roocal’s head and its muscles rippled with a kind of supernatural strength he didn’t think existed. The group looked petrified and Roocal knew instantly this wasn’t a fight they could win.
YOU ARE READING
Echoes of Before
Fantasy[Completed] Roocal doesn't know where he's from or how he got here but as events unfold around him, he starts to suspect there is more to his being here than meets the eye ...
