Desires of the Crown

38 - The Monster Inside

          Demetri

"So what happens if we die here?" Gabriel asked me as we stared at the cave entrance. It was a tiny grove were two large boulders had collided and merged together. They called it the Gods hand because it looks like a clenched fist. Over time, dirt and grass that had grown over the top so that it looked like a small hill – easily over looked unless you knew where it was.

"We'll probably be eaten and our bones never found." I shrugged off the question and pulled out my long sword and checked my dagger count. One in a hidden pocket on my pants where my calf was. One under the shoulder blade, covering my left shoulder. Two hidden in the straps across my back and another two in my boots.

Gabriel shook his arms and legs out and bounced on the spot. He had two battle axes, heavy and slightly dual. "Stay close." I warned him.

Gabriel rose his eye brows. "How about you stay close to me." He demonstrated his skill cutting the air with a bowl of his axe. "I can take care of myself."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever you say."

We walked towards the small opening, hesitating a little before walking in. I ducked my head and turned on my side, doing a side shuffle through the gap until the cave opened up fully. It was dark here. Incredibly dark.

Gabriel shuffled in behind me and bumped into my back, unable to see what's in front of him. "Watch it." I whispered to him.

"Sorry." He kept his voice low and deep.

"Know how to fight in the dark?"

I heard a shaky, shallow breath behind me and I knew his answer was a no. We were both shaking, from cold or fear, I didn't know anymore.

I took a deep breath and cleared my throat. "By the order of King Jonathan of house Hale, we have come to claim your prisoner."

There was a small echo. "What's the code?" A rough, wrangled voice echoed, bouncing off the walls making it difficult to tell where the sound was coming from. This was going to be harder than I thought.

"Code?" Gabriel whispered behind me. "What code?"

I had no idea what code? I suppose it made sense. Jonathan gave him prisoners, but had a code in place in case he ever wanted to collect the poor mangled soul.

"Griffin?" I decided to say his house sigil hoping it would work.

There was a deep chuckle. "Wrong answer."

Shit.

Feeling for the wall, I shuffled along hoping Gabriel would follow my lead. We moved along slowly in what felt like a small corridor. A small soft glow of a torch appeared and the small corridor opened up into a small room. There was a table in the middle of the room, pieces of metal tools and objects littered the edges while a body laid on the table. The body was in the middle stages of decaying and the stench that filled the air made me want to gag. Its hands were clamped down to the table with metal cuffs spotted with rust while its chest cavity was being peered open and held there. At first glance I could already see its innards were missing. I looked around the room but found the torch didn't illuminate anything other than the table, not even the walls.

I pressed my lips together. I didn't like a fight that was not on my terms.

I closed my eyes trying to pin point where the criminal was. There was no sound coming from the cave. It was dead silent. I was convinced that the cave was bigger than it looked for the sounds not too echo off the walls, when I heard a little shuffle. It was only a little sound, but I heard it – coming from behind us.