The Whispering Woods: The Companions [Book 1]

[14] Lost and Found

Morning came and the sun dissipated the misty fog from Kelvin's Lac. The companions' glory of defeating the water beast came to a melancholy halt. The cold, damp air drove a chill up their spine, reminding them of their quest. As they tracked the kidnappers north into a swampy mire, not even the summoned butterflies brought them joy. Soon, the solid ground turned to dark, brackish water up to Wesley's knees. The smell of decay barraged them once again.

Haygen, who tracked from the front, stopped and looked for a broken branch, or a scrape on a tree, but found no signs.

"Trail's gone cold," said the Barbarian feeling the need to whisper. "In this water, I can't see the tracks, and no tree is damaged. No algae on the swamp's surface for trail. I fear that these dogs knew this and led us astray. Dag!" He threw his tracking spear into a twisted tree trunk nearby. He kicked at the water sending a splash to no one in particular.

Otis, ever the voice of reason, thought for a moment and asked, "Can you find north?"

"Took note of a mountain peak a moon ago," said the Barbarian, "but can't see through these blasted trees, or this blasted fog in this blasted swamp!"  He jerked his spear free from the solid tree and took a few breaths deciding not to snap the shaft over his knee. He took a deep breath, then turned until he felt a cool mountain breeze. He closed his eyes and breathed in the fresh air. Sure that the wind didn't shift,  he blinked his eyes open and held his hand in that direction. He looked for moss on the side of the tree, where he stood and found a heavy coating of a light green lichen clung to one side. Upon inspecting a few more trees, he deduced the direction.

He pointed forward.

"Follow the Slayer," said Kayla still engrossed in her protection spell.

Back on course, the companions kept an eye out for the undead. On they sloshed through the water and the persistent fog of the mire. They trudged for hours.  At midday, they approached an embankment, which they mounted and stood back on damp land. Haygen scoured the firm ground for tracks on his hands and knees.

"Hold," said Kayla in a calm tone stretching the word in wonder.

Haygen lifted his hand for signal, Otis took a knee, and Wess produced his daggers staying to the farthest reach of the protection spell.

"A powerful force calls to me," said the Wizard. She began to walk east. "Though it is no woodland spirit. It is a dark force. I believe we have reached the lost city of Vyssaria, or, rather, it's ancient remains."

"It's getting colder," Wess observed. His boots squished with each step. He lost feeling in his toes. He spun his blades to a reverse grip and scanned the trees.

Kayla wondered what they might find if they dug deep into the land. Perhaps they would excavate old pottery bowls, and tools of the Tenchi, teaching her more about their way of life. But she knew they recorded very little beyond a handful of far-fetched legends passed down by way of oral history.

Otis pointed farther east to a large hill, "There. Do you see?"

They approached an unnatural clearing and in its center lay a large grassy hill with an entryway dug into the side. A hole, really, that someone had clawed at with their bare hands and a stick in frenzy. A well-worn trail exited the hole and wound north.

Haygen assessed the tunneled entryway into the hill. "There was a battle here. I see claw marks and there is dried blood. No bodies, though."

"We are indeed in the lost city of Vyssaria," said the Kayla. "We stand not only on the city ruins, but the safe hold guarding the Skull of Dakadihm." She frowned. "It is all that stands of the long lost place."

Wess said, "We should go inside and see what's in there."

Kayla shook her head. "The dark presence of the skull has cursed this spot. We must leave, Otis. This is a vile place."

Before they turned around twice, Wess had crept past them and was heading down the hole and into the depths of the chamber below.

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Wess put on his magic glasses and scrambled down the crudely dug shaft dodging thin tree roots until he came to a set of makeshift log stairs. The earth smelled of worms and vermin. Various tunnels ran to his left and right, but not far in front of him stood a large, white stone relief carving that drew his attention. A crude black skull carved into the center appeared to be a key hole, or switch. The stonesmiths chiseled ancient runes around the door's outer edges. of the stone that the Faeling could not understand. Have to find the latch, he thought as he ran his fingers along the runes.

Nothing.

Wess assumed if someone took the time to make this door, there would be some form primitive security. He slid a small prybar from his belt and started tapping and prodding the stone. At last, he noticed a gap in the skull. Someone must have dug these tunnels to bypass the door, he thought. I wonder what would happen, though...

The Fae man dug into his tool bag and found his eggbeater drill, then attached a long finger-sized bit. He placed the bit to the right of the black skull and slowly turned the handle of his drill. Around and around his hand went spinning the sharp drill, which easily bored a hole into the stone. The drill finally cut through. He removed the drill, blew off the dust and put away his tool. Just as he peered into the hole, he heard a familiar wailing sound, that Wess that made him flinch.

"Wesley Whiteknuckle!"

Behind him stood Kayla with hands on hips, her mouth pursed and cheeks flushed.  Luckily, the butterflies still floated about and clund to her robes. The red light from her staff flooded the tunnel.

"I'm trying to discover an ancient archeological...discovery," Wess stammered.

Otis, standing behind her said, "You're treasure hunting and now isn't the time."

"There is always time for treasure, Otis," Wess demanded.

"Maybe, amongst the treasure, there are clues to defeat the skull," added Haygen trying to peek past them.

Kayla admired the stonework of the door, then read the inscription. "Hold, for here lies doom to our race. The totem of Dakadihm and the curse it placed." Her finger traced some other broken symbols. "Here it talks about the gods, but I do not understand."

"Right, stand back a bit then," said Wess. He attached a bit of polished mirror on a swivel to his fishing pole and pushed it through the hole he drilled. He gazed through the hole, into the mirror, and looked at the back of the door up and down at all angles until...gotcha. He saw hinges on the left side of the door, but above he found a trap trigger using thin logs and a large stone for the trap's engine. Simple, but deadly, he thought.

"I suggest you duck into the tunnels as I spring this," Wess said.

The companions did as the Faeling instructed. Wess pushed the black skull carving into the door unlocking it with a click sound. He then sprung to the side into the left tunnel. The stone door flung open and sweeping down from the ceiling of the safe hold came a giant stone wedge that would have cleaved any unwary intruder in two. The wedge slammed into the ground with a thud and the companions felt the tremor.

Wess dusted off his hands. "You see? No problem."

Otis moved an ear and gave his head a turn down the tunnel where he stood. "Do you hear that?" The Dwarf asked. "I feel it, I suppose." He put his bare hand to the side of the tunnel. "Yes, in the earth." He drew his hammer.

"Something's coming."

A/N - Thank you, everyone, for reading!  I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.  Hit that star if you enjoyed this!