Egrariand Chronicles Book 1: The Curse of the Black Stone

Rescue

They were restless. Jack was pacing back and forth, brooding over the best thing they should do next. Two hours had already passed and yet Frekyt was still out there, too preoccupied with his dinner.

"What a useless shit!" hissed Jack.

Is there anything else they could do now? Or does he need to do it by himself? If they didn't act now, Blaine would be dead before noon by tomorrow. They couldn't let that happen, especially if they knew that Lucas was only being manipulated by that guy.

Jack cursed Lord Pierre in his mind. He was using Lucas for his own ambitions.

He sighed. "Okay, I'll do it!" he said after a few more minutes passed. Emily and Jane looked at him in amusement and disbelief. "What?" he raised his brow.

"Nothing," they both said, then shrugged.

He rolled his eyes. Yes, he knew, it was unlikely of him. He didn't know why the hell he should do this for Lucas. He hated him, that was clear, but he hated the situation they're in now even more. And besides, he promised Steve that he would look after them since he was the eldest of the group now, and also Steve saw him at the moment being more logical than Lucas and Emily. No one had ever trusted and believed in him as Steve did, and that was enough for him not to break his trust. He stood up and was about to get out of the room.

"He's really a pain in the ass," he whispered to himself.

Jack took a deep breath and was ready to go, but as soon as he opened the door, Frekyt in a gnome form showed up again and hopped on him.

"Frekyt n't h'ngry 'ny more. Rats were 'ol in mie tummy!" said Frekyt and burped so loud.

Jack narrowed his eyes as he looked at that stupid little creature in his hands.

"You're such a useless--" his eyes opened wide upon seeing what was in the gnome's hand. "You're awesome, Frekyt! You did it!" exclaimed Jack, grinning. He shut the door behind him and showed Emily and Jane the key.

They cheered and kissed and hug Frekyt for a job well done.

Jack pet Frekyt on the ear and head, and then he noticed something round behind his head as if it was carved or embroidered to his skin. He was about to touch it, but Frekyt instantaneously hid it underneath his skin, invisible to the naked eye.

Jack just shrugged, and now, they were on their second step of their plan.

The three of them together with Frekyt sneaked into the dungeon. They walked through a narrow pair of granite doors with gloomy grove marks. Beyond the pair of granite doors laid a narrow, worn passage. It was covered in crawling insects, ash and bat droppings, and lighted with limited torches hanging on the wall.

"This place is scary," said Jane as she tightened her grip on Emily's hand, while Frekyt was cheerfully walking with his two little feet ahead of them.

"Na--nah nah--- nah nah---" he was singing and hopping as if it was a fieldtrip they were going to.

Jack held Frekyt and shushed him, but Frekyt continued humming.

They slowly moved deeper into the dungeon's expanse and passed many different passages, each seemed to go on forever, leading to who-knows-what. After some time, Jack thought of backing out. This place was giving him creeps up to his inner bones. He sometimes trembled as if he was walking to his death. Maybe it was a bad idea after all? He never took risk in his life with just a very minimal chance of survival. Call him a coward, all right, but that was what he was. He clenched his fists with the thought, but if he let his fear get over him, he would regret it so badly, letting Blaine to be killed by Lucas.