The Tahri Blades: The Sword of Kortazel

Chapter Two: Into the Mines

Old Jack and Myelecor Fireson gathered the supplies on the horse packs. Jack said the best way to get out undetected was to take a path through the mines under the cabin.

Myelecor frowned. He was a warrior. Not a spelunker.

Jack said that he would grab a map of the mines and then they would begin the journey into the unknown.

The young mercenary began watching the crystal sword again. The magic weapon was pulsing again in the different colors, and now he recognized a slight hum that had not been heard before.

Jack returned with the map of the mines, and declared it time to head underground.

"I don't like this," said Myelecor. "It sounds perfect for an ambush or trap or something."

Jack straightened a kink out of his back. "You worry too much. Those mines are as safe as a Sunday picnic."

"I haven't been at a safe Sunday picnic my whole life." Myelecor mumbled under his breath.

Jack shrugged and led the horses into the dark tunnel into the mines.

"I can't see a thing! Are you sure about this, Jack? Tunnels tend to collapse, you know."

"Oh come off it! Yer nervous as a long-tailed cat in a--"

Jack was interrupted by a clatter of rocks deeper in the dark.

"See!" squealed Myelecor.

"No, I don't." Jack quipped.

The two walked in silence for a minute. Or maybe it was an hour. It could not have been a day, not yet. Grumbling, Jack began to grope at the side of the tunnel walls. Before Myelecor Fireson could ask what he was doing, he heard something spark and the tunnel flashed with light, making his eyes sting. When he adjusted to the light, he saw rows upon rows of tunnels and shafts. The mine was immense!

"Hey Jack, how much gold has been mined from this tunnel?"

Old Jack pointed to a row of mine carts on a rail nearby. They were overflowing in chunks and nuggets of gold!

Myelecor stood in awe at the riches. If that was just from one tunnel, who knows how many kingly hoards lay beneath the rock?

One other thing perplexed him. "How did you light the whole tunnel?"

Jack shrugged. "I didn't make it. I just use it."

Myelecor did not ask further questions. Old Jack walked along silently. Before they could speak again, the short tunnel abruptly became a massive cavern, stretching below the illumination of lights into depths unknown. Mine tracks stretched methodically across wooden bridges. Myelecor froze when he saw the immense size of the cavern.

Jack chuckled good-heartedly. "Nothing to fear, my boy. I am old, but I still am sprite. This will be no problem at all. Just follow me."

Myelecor leaned over the edge and kicked a stone and watched it until it fell into darkness. After what seemed an eternity later, he heard a faint clatter as the stone hit the unseen bottom. "Nothing to fear?"

At this Jack roared with laughter. "Don't tell me you're scared! The big, bad mercenary is scared of a little ledge!" Jack's laughter was loud enough to echo throughout the mines, creating ominous echoes that seemed to never die out.

That's when they heard it: far back in the tunnel, they heard a whiney. Jack and Myelecor stopped cold.

"They're in the tunnel!" hissed Myelecor.