Unity

Chapter 8 - The Bell Tower

April's POV

I clasped my injured arm in attempt to staunch the blood flow. Those creatures had been brutal; their fangs and claws ripped deep gashes into our flesh. No one had come out unscathed, not even the fearsome dragon Nari. I'd definitely come out worse for wear. The others turned their attention towards my injured form, but I brushed off their concerns. Injuries were the least of our problems right now.

"We need to find an exit," I gasped, fighting a wave of nausea.

"You need to be careful, April," Trist placed a heavy hand on my shoulder.

"I'm fine!" I snapped, stumbling as I tried to walk.

Whatever poisons those monsters possessed, it was making its way quickly through my body. Anyone could tell that I really wasn't fine, but there was nothing we could do about it. Fighting the urge to vomit, I led the way down the dim corridor.

Candles had been lit at even intervals, providing just enough light to keep monsters at bay. This place was creepy. Why had so much work been put in to hide a few gizmos and gadgets? A squeal sounded behind me, shortly followed by a dull thud. Okay, maybe there wasn't enough light down here to deter monsters. I lit a weak flame and continued ahead in silence.

"April, don't," Trist warned, "we don't need the extra light. Save your energy."

With a sigh I snuffed the flame, body trembling with over-exertion. These tunnels seemed endless, every turn revealed the same image as the previous. We were absolutely and completely lost, or so I thought...

"Turn left here," Trist murmured, gesturing to a tapestry towards the end of the corridor.

"There's nothing there, just a flat wall," Darkblood complained.

"Trust me on this," Trist replied, smirking. His hand drifted towards his belt.

We followed his suggestion and turned left, expecting to collide with solid stone. I placed a palm flat against the wall, startled when it fell through. The rough stone was merely a projection, a trick of the light and a pretty convincing one at that. We pushed through the image and emerged in front of an elegant staircase.

The stairs seemed to climb forever, the gilded marble stretching beyond our sight. The balustrade was formed from wrought iron, twisted and bent into intricate patterns. A golden motif adorned the stairs and a mysterious light reflected off the polished marble surfaces. Why was there such an impressive piece of architecture hidden this far underground? My stomach flipped at the idea of tackling this intimidating obstacle.

I began to climb, forcing my body up the stairs. The others easily overtook me when I stopped to catch my breath. The trembling was getting worse the longer I fought against it. Clutching the banister, I paused to spit over the edge. My mouth filled with a metallic taste; a symptom of the venom coursing through my veins.

Forcing my leaden limbs to move I steadily scaled the stairs. This simple action shouldn't be so hard! What had come over me? Defeated by a flight of stairs? Pathetic. My inner monologue assisted me to stubbornly keep moving.

I collapsed when we reached the top, breath coming in short bursts. My muscles ached and fresh blood oozed from my cuts. We'd emerged inside a large, grassy courtyard. The sunlight burned after our time spent underground.

"The bell tower is located over there," Degranté gestured to a building in the centre of the yard.

The stained-glass windows glinted in the sunlight. The worn stone glowed brightly and the spire stretched up to oblivion. A small chapel nestled at the bottom. It was truly a sight to behold.