The Lowly Gate's Guard

Ch. 4: Trapped on a Gate. (3)

Dean and Crescent arrived at a fork in their path, the tunnel branched into three paths.

The one on the left shrunk down to a confining hole, just enough to fit the two.

The one in the middle just the same as the tunnel they have been walking through. It continued down a winding path.

The one on the right was blocked by a huge, steel door. The door big and thick, the edges engraved in a mystical language.

"Please don't make us go into the hole." Dean's begged. His eyes were wide, his breath wild and sporadic.

Dean's never been a fan of closed-in spaces, not after being locked in a cupboard for an hour by the neighbour's daughters during a play date when he was five.

It would be pushing it to crawl through the hole.

"Don't worry, don't worry. Deep breaths. We're going through here."

Crescent leaned her back against the large steel door. She banged onto it with the back of her hand, a loud metallic drum echoed back.

"How are we going to open that?" Dean questioned, his face a little relieved that he doesn't have to squeeze into the tight hole.

"Not we, you. Do you see how small I am? I could barely lift that axe that you've been carrying like nothing."

Crescent gestured at the axe in his hand.

"Oh yeah, sorry."

Dean placed the axe on the floor, leaving it leaned against the crystal wall.

He pulled up his sleeves, he approached the door. Dean stretched like an amateur.

"God. Wait! Let me get out of the way, you bloody stink!"

Crescent pinched her nose tight enough to make her eyes water, she quickly moved away from Dean and the putrid smell.

He rolled his eyes. For someone who's actually older than him, she sure did act like a child sometimes.

Dean placed his body parallel to the door, his legs were firmly planted on the ground. He put his hands against the large steel door and pushed with all the force he could muster. His face turned red from holding his breath, as if it would help increase his strength.

The large steel door clicked, slowly giving in to his force. It opened just enough to let them both in.

"Atta boy!" Crescent's face lit up, but she kept her distance.

Dean caught his breath; Dean gave her a thumbs up. Sweat dripped down his forehead.

He grabbed the axe that was left leaning against the floor. "Haaa haaaa... should we continue?"

Crescent nodded and gestured for Dean to go first. Not wasting any time, he stepped through the door. Crescent soon followed suit.

An opaque window popped up for the both of them.

[Safezone: Crystal Bathhouse entered]

"Wow, it's a bathhouse!"

Dean shouted, marvelling at the baths built into the crystal walls. The black stone floor also built up to form more baths.

A big horse head built out of the crystal walls; hot water seeped out from it's mouth. Steam rose from the hot water as it collected into the bath below.

"Oh good, it's a safe room. We would have been dead if it was a monster house."

"What do you mean it could have been a monster house?" His eyes went wide as his jaw dropped.