THE REALM

Chapter Twenty Six

  The stench coming up from the hole in the floor was awful. Hands pushed and I felt myself launched forward into the dark abyss. I screamed as I fell through darkness to only moments later land hard with an 'umphhh' as the air was knocked from me.

  Hacking on stirred up dust, I tried to recover my breath while at the same time I tried to grapple with my dark surroundings and perhaps the need to defend myself.

  I had heard stories of these dungeons. It was said that those thrown into them were often consumed whole by the other residents of the darkness that had been driven mad by hunger deprivation.

  I heard the skitter of feet towards me from behind and I reacted by kicking out with both of my feet. My boots connected hard with something and one dungeon resident went wailing backward from me, but there was the sound of more feet coming.

  I got to my feet and did my best to take stock of the situation in a hurry. In the dim glow of light given off from the lantern at the top of the dungeon enclosure I could make out at least 20 or more individuals closing in on me.

  It was possible that I could fend them all off given their weakened state, but could I stay awake forever in order to avoid being jumped? Would I not become like these crazed creatures if I was to be left down here?

  No, I preferred death now, if that was the future I could expect down here.

  I ran toward the dungeon wall away from the mob and began to climb. There wasn't much to grab hold of and from the polished condition of the stones I could tell that the attempt to climb out of this pit of Sheol was an often repeated practice over the years.

  Despair filled me at the impossibility of my escape. I'd made it 10 or more feet up from the dungeon floor, but now it was hard to find a purchase by which to climb further.

  I could hear those gathered below, who wished to feed on me, cackle with glee. I glanced down only to see that they were making no attempt to follow. And why should they, as no doubt this scenario was an often repeated event, with a likely often repeated outcome.

  I clutched onto the slippery rocks with desperation. If I jumped off and fought I might be victorious in the short term, but not in the long run. The longer I spent in this pit the weaker and more delusional I would become.

  No, as impossible as it was I had to keep climbing. I rested my head against the cold rocks for a moment and said, "El Elyon…… Kuri…… You told me that you would be here for me! I need you!"

  "Do what I taught you."

  "What?" I asked in disbelief.

  "You heard me."

  I thought for a moment and then I realized something. Kuri had made me scale far worse cliffs than this, but somehow, in the darkness and the pressure inspired by the hungry watchers below, I had forgotten how well I had been trained for such a challenge as this.

  Through force of will and remembered experience I forced my breathing to calm down. My fingers unglued and I began to climb upward again. Growls broke out from below and from the sounds of it a few of them had begun to climb. I didn't overly care.

  My hands were finding rocks not so polished now and with that came more confidence. Every once in a while I allowed myself to look up to the open portal from which the only source of light came. I was getting close, but I'd have to be a spider in order to walk across the ceiling to get to the opening in the floor above.

  In the span of a few more minutes I was faced with that very problem. I'd reached the top and I hung there, completely drenched in sweat, as I debated about what to do next.

  There was only one thing I could do. I'd have to jump for it.

  Slowly I began to turn from hugging the rocky side of the dungeon wall to facing the portal that lay in the floor above. It was at least 8 feet away. If I missed, I'd go plummeting back into the depths and the murderous throng would be on me in seconds, but I was out of options. There was only one path and that was forward.

  My leg muscles bunched tight and I sprang outward over the abyss as I let all my nerved up tension loose. One hand slipped off the frame of the trapdoor, but my other caught the side lip of the dungeon portal.

  I lifted up at the elbow and got my other hand on the portal ledge and then, to the tune of a collective groan from below, I pulled myself up and out of the dungeon. I lay gasping for air on the floor, grateful that there were no guards present. I could hear voices though.

  I'd gotten this far, now what?

  I needed a distraction if I was to get out of the palace. With a grin I kicked my foot out and a pile of rope laying near the portal fell into the darkness of the dungeon.

  There were exclamations from those below and then the rope grew taunt as the dungeon dwellers began to climb free of their prison.

  I got shakily to my feet and looked for a suitable place to hide. As I went along the corridor I couldn't but debate with myself as to what the difference was between that of a Lion Man and that of the cannibalistic dungeon dwellers coming up the rope behind me. They were both the creation of dark actions.

  Just who were the good guys anymore?
I ducked into a room and closed the door and barred it. The single lantern within the room revealed that I had struck it rich. I was in an armory.

  Quickly I went to the sword racks. Although the swords were roughly made and without much beauty or finesse they were nevertheless fully functional. I grabbed one up, but then put it aside as another idea took hold.

  I stripped off my torn clothes and donned the clothes and leather armor of a soldier, complete with helmet. I sorted through some knives and took a few. A war ax struck my fancy and I slipped it into my belt along with some knives. I took up my sword and then grabbed another.

  From the sounds of it, all pandemonium was breaking loose outside. I opened the door and began pushing my way through the press of soldiers as if I was one of them.