The Elf Thief

Chapter 31: The Gyresherm

Chapter 31

 The Gyresherm

Sonya’s feet could not move fast enough as she raced down earthen hallways and through doors, following frantic dwarves as they rushed towards the Gyresherm. Something was wrong. The pure terror that was evident on the dwarves’ faces told Sonya that this was not a normal occurrence.

            Soon enough, she arrived at what she assumed to be the Gyresherm. It appeared to be a vast, circular pit filled with water. A stone bridge crossed it, but there were no rails on either side. Pushing her way forward, Sonya’s eyes landed on a small figure far below in the water.

            “Help!” Tiaem screamed, terror filling her voice. “Someone please help before it gets me!” Her tiny arms were flailing in the water and tears were streaming down her face.

            Dwarves were scurrying about, trying to lower a rope down to the little girl, but it always seemed to come up short. Risal was hysterical in the corner, clinging tightly to her father.

            Sonya quickly saw that the dwarves’ efforts were getting them nowhere. Without a second thought, she moved to jump over the edge into the water, but a hand quickly landed on her shoulder, holding her back. Whirling around, Sonya found herself staring into the Seer’s grey blindfold.

            “Do you not know the monster that lurks within the Gyresherm?” he hissed, anger and fear seeping into his voice. “If you leap in after her, you leap to your death.”

            Yanking her arm out of his grasp, she glared at the Seer. “I will face whatever monsters necessary to save an innocent life,” she spat in return.

            Swiftly, Sonya reached into her book and pulled out her knife. The mooonhawk bone handle felt so familiar in her palm, it was like she was back in the Fay’s Forest. Before anyone could stop her, she turned and jumped off the edge.

            She savored the shouts of alarm and panic as she tumbled down the cliff side. A huge splash accompanied the sudden rush of bubbles around her disoriented Sonya for a minute after she crashed into the water. When she finally found which way was up, she broke through the surface with a gasp. As quickly as she could, she swam over to the floundering dwarf girl, who was still panicking.

            “Hey, shhhh,” Sonya soothed. “You’re alright. I’ve got you.” Soon the girl stopped flailing, but sobs still wracked her tiny body.

            “It’s going to eat me,” she wailed. “Risal told me not to play on the bridge but I wanted to so badly. It was going to be a romantic scene with my dolls, but then I dropped on of them! I thought I could catch her in time…b-but then I fell over too! And now I’m going to be eaten!”

            Continuing to sooth Tiaem, Sonya looked around for help. Surprisingly, there was none. The ropes were still too short, and hundreds of pairs of eyes still were fixed on her.

“Nothing’s going to eat…” Sonya started, but then trailed off. The water below them had begun to churn, as if a whirlpool had begun. Screams escaped the dwarves’ mouths above them as they retreated away from the edge. Frantically, Sonya’s green eyes searched for any means of escape, but she still found none.

And then seven heads burst forth from the water.

A short yelp escaped Sonya to quickly for to stop it. But her sound of surprise was lost in Tiaem’s long scream of terror. The beast’s heads seemed like that of a dragon. They writhed and wriggled like seven snakes, and their eyes were molten gold. Before she had time to think, fourteen hypnotizing eyes were focused on Tiaem and herself.