[Mkguild] Echoes of the Dead Wood Part 6

[Stealth]

Part 6

   An hour's trek through the basilica had taken back into the forest.
After hours in the dark building the gloomy forest was a welcome
sight. they moved quickly through the forest shrouded ruins but Edmund
loosened the lion’s proverbial leash when they found fresh corpses in
a side alley. It was clear that the Shadow had gotten to them. The
fallen thieves were well equipped with digging implements; Nest
convinced his cheetah guide to ‘requisition’ their tools for if and
when the need would arise before continuing. It didn’t help that one
skeletal hand needed encouragement to part from his pick axe. When
Stealth picked up the pickaxe it remained firmly in the skeletal hand.
He had to pull several times before the dead man let go.

   It was after several more minutes walking that Nestorius stopped in
the middle of the road. A line of low grass ran off to their left and
right indicating the presence of a street running perpendicular to
their own. The lion pointed to the ground. "There should be access to
the city drainage tunnels here."

   A few moments of scraping with a shovel brought the pavement into
view. They expanded the cleared area until they came upon a stone with
holes cut through it in the shape of a flower. "That's the cover!"
Nestorius exclaimed.

   Edmund carefully inserted his fingers into the holes and pulled.
The stone came up with surprising ease revealing a square dark hole.
Below them they could see the water filling the old drain almost
halfway up.  It was thankfully not moving very fast but there was a
distinct current running from left to right.

   "All that rain," Stealth commented.

   "Makes sense," Edmund said. "Storm drain is full of storm water!"

   Stealth slowly stepped down into the water and let out a moan. It
was cold. The cold wetness racing right through his body and chilling
him down to the bone. "This is freezing!"

   "It's run off from the winter snow," Nest answered as they walked
down the tunnel. "And only slightly above freezing."

   "Only?" Stealth asked as they walked along.

   "At least there is nothing trying to eat us in this water," Edmund said,

   Stealth shook his head. "Don't say that!"

   The trio turned a corner and came to a halt. The tunnel in front of
them is filled with rubble and debris.

   "Is there a way around it?" Edmund asked as he examined the blockage.

   "This is a labyrinth and bound to have more than one route." Nest
said and pointed down the passage, "This way, I'm sure there's another
path."

   After another 45 minutes of walking through the sewers the tunnel
became smaller and smaller until they were crouched before a duct
barely 2 feet wide.

   All stealth say was two pairs of boots and a tail flailing around
in the darkness. He heard several muffled curses coming from deep in
the duct. "I am stuck!"

   "Can you... see anything in there?" Stealth asked with a grin as
Edmund tried to fish him out.

   "Grab one of his legs Stealth it will take both of us to get him
out." Edmund ordered.

   "Fine..."

   It took several pulls before the lion finally popped out of the
tube and dropped to the floor.

   "Well what did you see? Is it blocked off or not?" Edmund asked.

   Nest chook his head the dirt and filth on it dropping off. "No it
is not blocked off. It continues onward."

   "Wonderful!" The feline exclaimed and tossed his shirt on the
lion's head, "Now where's a rope?"

   "Rope?" Nest asked.

   Stealth dropped his pants too and shifted.

   "Chirp!"

   "Chirp? Oh that’s a helpful answer."

   Stealth picked up the end of the rope in his teeth and the feline
quickly scurried thru the small tunnel.

   For five minutes scratching sounds echoed through the sewers until
a voice called out, "Okay, I found the end, now someone else come
through."

   "How long is it?" Edmund asked. "Not too long I hope."

   "I got disoriented in there so I don't know, just hurry up, and
bring my clothes!"

   Edmund removed his garments and bound the straps of all his gear as
well as Stealth’s onto his legs. Moments later in full animal form he
was slowly scrambling thru the small tube.

   "Now how do I get thru?" Nestorius asked.

   "Chirp!" Stealth answered with a giggle.

   Nest shook his head. "You have never sounded more intelligent Stealth."

   "Why thank you, you're surely close to my level, I mean you must
have seen the rope I left there for you..."

   "I see. So you two intend to pull me thru?" he asks.

   "Yes!" Edmund answered. "You place a cloth or blanket in the tub
and lay won on it. We'll pull you thru."

   Nest carefully placed all his equipment in the tube except for a
thick wool blanket that he laid in the tube and tied the rope to it.
He then climbed into the tube, laying down on the blanket.

   "I'm ready!" he called out.

   "You HAD to be lion!" Stealth complained. "A large, heavy lion. Not
a slim and light cheetah."

   "I'll have you know I'm the reason you're both alive to be pulling
me; would you hasten to know the cavity you're in is about to
collapse?"

   "You're just full of all sorts of good news," Stealth grumbled.

   "I will maintain its structural integrity, cramped as I am in here."

   "We'll pull faster," Edmund commented. "We’d best not to linger in
any of these old tunnels."

   The two pull faster and they heard the sound of cloth ripping and
Nestorius cursing. "That is a new shirt. Keep pulling! Faster!"

   In a moment the lion popped out of the hole and into the chamber.
He tumbled to the floor.

   "That was unpleasant," Nestorius said as he stood up.

   "Let’s be gone from here before the ceiling collapses." the lion
said and pointed down the tunnel. A few stones fell from above
striking the floor around them and urging the trio out of the room. In
moments they were again in another tunnel.
   "Why am I always wading thru sewage on missions like this?" Edmund
muttered as they walked through waist high muck in the one thousand
year old sewer.

   Nest nodded in agreement."Last time I was in a sewer like this I
left it stark naked and my fur was jet black."

   Stealth stopped walking for a moment and looked at the mage with
his head cocked to one side. "Naked? The sewage made your fur black
and ate your clothes?" He asked.

   "No it was the mage I was duelling," the lion morph explained. "But
he was hiding in a cistern filled with stagnant water."

   "All villains seem to have their lairs in some dank underground
place filled with vile smelling liquids," Edmund commented calmly.

   "What is it with nobles?" Stealth groaned, "It's just mud, deal with it!"

   "Stealth," Edmund answered."We are in a SEWER. I wish it was just mud!"

   "Ed, no one took a shit here in seven hundred years. Just pretend
we're archaeologists, you'll live."

   "All right so it is 600 year old shit we're walking through,"
Edmund countered.

   "It's broken down and become earth! Everything returns to the
earth, mayhap your breakfast this morning used to be shit."

   "Could we not carry on with that line of discussion," Nest asked.
"Before I lose my lunch."

   "Nobles..." Stealth muttered and shook his head.

   "At least the smell is not bad," the paladin commented.

   Stealth shook his head, "It's a sewer. It is not supposed to smell good."

   "I was trying not to consider that idea," Nest said slowly. "At
least this muck is not attacking us!"

   "I don't want to think about meeting any of Herbert's relatives,"
Edmund commented.

  "Who is Herbert?" the lion asked.

   "Herbert is . . . Edmund stuttered.

   "A very rare and fascinating creature." Stealth answered. "To meet
him is an experience."

   "And having the plague was an experience too," Edmund muttered.

   Stealth elbowed Edmund in the ribs.

   Nest looked at the two and shook his head. "You are both crazy."


--------------------


   Their travels through the sewer were unpleasant but thankfully
peaceful and brief. After a few minutes Nestorius stopped and looked
at the small metal egg in his right hand. Then he turned to the left
and examined the wall. "The entrance should be here."

   Edmund looked at the wall and noted that it was made entirely of
massive blocks carefully fitted and mortared together. Then he noticed
a small block, one no larger than his hand just over eye level. It was
the only small stone in a wall filled with massive blocks. He touched
the stone and it sank into the wall a few inches then stopped with an
ominous click.

   With a deep rumble one of the massive blocks that made up the
tunnel way moved out from the wall. A blast of warm fetid air rushed
outward causing them all to step backward. The block moved slowly
outward into the tunnel until a small doorway had opened up.

   The paladin waited a moment then peered into the doorway as he
slowly waved his lantern about. The light revealed a small tunnel that
seemingly had no end in sight.

   The felines did not traverse the entire length of the tunnel,
instead stopping where the small egg-shaped puzzle told them to.

   “There should be a staircase here, or an opening or something.”
Nest said slightly irate at the little puzzle in his palm.

   “You’re standing on it.” Edmund said calmly. “I can see a door down
there but it’s mostly been buried.”

   “I am not digging through that.” Stealth said, gingerly prodding at
the top soil with a pick.

   “You said it’s just broken down earth.” The lion mage countered.

   “Precisely.” He said and tossed the pick-axe to the noble.

   Nestorius glared at him for a moment.

   “You have the stamina and the physical strength to clear that
passage," Stealth said. "I’ll supervise.”

   The lion gently scraped at the soil as if he were afraid of
damaging the buried stones. “You realise I’m not a labourer.”

   “The work will do you good, being pent up in that fortress has been
detrimental to your health I’d imagine.” Edmund commented, though he
began to remove soil with his pick axe.

   “Perhaps...” Nest mumbled as more stones came into view, “But I did
have the stamina to journey here on foot.”

   Eventually enough dirt was cleared from the steps that they could
descend them and force open the door.

	The light revealed a small tunnel running off into the darkness for a
short distance before ending in a large pile of debris. "Are you sure
it's this way?" Edmund asked as he looked at the massive pile of dirt
and stone in front of him. It completely blocked the passage.

   Nestorius examined the small item in his hand again. "It is steady
and firm. There is a large chamber some thirty feet down this passage.
At least what used to be a passage."

   Edmund patted one of the stones in the wall of rubble. It was at
least four feet long and two feet high. There was no telling just how
deep or how heavy it was. "This is too heavy to shift by hand. We'll
need a block and tackle or magic."

   The lion mage studied the block and the rubble around it for a
moment. "There is no way around it. There is a block below it that's
even larger. I can remove it."

   "Won't the rest of the ceiling come down?" Edmund asked.

   Nestorius shook his head. "The loose material has already fallen
down. It should be safe so long as we do not remove too much of the
raining rubble."

   "Should?" Stealth asked.

   The lion spoke a long string of words as he moved his hands along
the stones. After a moment the block slowly started to shift and move
towards them. With a loud grinding and rumbling of stone on stone the
massive block moved forward inch by inch till it pulled clear of the
debris. Then it slowly descended to the floor.

   "Good! There should only be a few stones between us and the other
side." Edmund grabbed a stone and pulled on it. The rock came free
with surprising ease and the rock wall in from of him fell apart
revealing a large hole. A blast of cold and vile smelling air roared
past sending the paladin tumbling backwards.

   "Don't breath that air!" the lion warned. "It is old and stale. No
doubt it has many poisons in it." All three stepped away from the
stream of foul air coming from the breach.

   It was several minutes before the air has cleared enough for Edmund
to climb the debris back up to the breech. Edmund took the light stone
and pushed it through the hole. Then he stuck his head into the
darkness. It took a few moments for his eyes to adjust. Slowly he made
out a large room whose sides were long in the gloom. The he began to
see skeletons everywhere. Some sprawled on the floor, others leaning
against floors and even one stretched out on a large stone block.

   "What do you see?" Nestorius asked.

   "I see the dead," was the paladins answer as he made the sign of
the cross and spoke a short prayer.

   Edmund slowly made his way down the mound of rubble. the rock and
dirt was loose and he had to move slowly, placing each step carefully.
Finally his paws touched solid, paving stones and he could step more
easily. He walked slowly stepping around a pair of skeletons and over
a third.

   "Where are we?" Stealth asked.

   Nestorius looked at his map for a moment. "The room has no name but
it could have been a wine cellar or cold storage. I do not think it
had any magical use."

   Stealth knelt down next to a pair of skeletons that were resting
against a large rock. "What killed them?" he asked.

   "Probably a lack of fresh air," Nestorius answered. The feline was
walking along amidst the remains looking at each in turn. "With so
many people in such a small area the air would eventually turn bad. It
is supposed to be painless. They just drift off to sleep."

   It was not his hearing or his sight that first alerted him but a
more primal instinct that made the fur along his spine and set every
nerve in his body alight.

   Then came the voices in the darkness.

   "It's blocked!" came a voice off to his left. Instinctively he
turned in that direction but all he saw was darkness.

   "It can't be blocked," a woman's voice said from another direction.

   "It is blocked," this time the voice had a tinge of panic.

   "Can you clear a path?"

   "No. The stones are too big to move."

   His fear starting building higher and higher and the paladin
struggled to contain it. He realized that this was no ordinary fright
but a deep seated, primal terror that came from the animal in him. It
was the fear that made horses bolt, cats hiss and dogs whimper and run
in panic. His whole body shook and he had to fight to keep from
running away in a blind panic.

  Next to him Edmund could see Stealth standing there, calmly
listening to the voices in the darkness. How could Edmund be so afraid
and yet Stealth so calm and curious? Someone who had such little
control of his emotions didn't show the slightest shiver yet the
paladin was ready to bolt from the chamber.

   "Relax," Edmund told himself. "Why am I afraid? I've seen spirits
before. And the Great One is with me." He remembered the prayers he
had learned and slowly recited them. That relaxed him and he brought
his fears under control. They did not go away but they were under his
firm control.

   "Relax and do not move," Edmund ordered. "But stay on guard."

   The darkened room suddenly became lit by score of lanterns hanging
from the wall revealing scores of people moving about the room. The
hole in the rubble they had crawled in was now gone, replaced by
rubble and debris. All of which seemed to be the centre of attention
of a dozen men. These men like all the others in the chamber were
dressed in the robes and toga's of the long gone Seuilman Empire. "It
looks as if the entire tunnel has collapsed," one of men said calmly
as he looked at the pile. "I see large stones that can only have come
from the ceiling."

   He looked about the chamber and saw as more people scattered about.
He saw a family resting against one wall. The mother was trying to
comfort two small children while her husband looked at the crowd
working on the rubble. "There has to be a way out!"

   "Someone will come for us!" the mother said softly. "Someone will
come for us."


   Edmund watched the unfolding events calmly trying to keep his mind
on the fact that this was all just a memory and that there was nothing
he could do to help these people.

   One man dressed in expensive silks and wearing considerable
jewellery looked upward at the stone ceiling. "I wonder if anyone is
left up there."

   "They cannot all be dead," Another man answered.

   "She can see us!" Stealth said in a whisper. "She can see us!"

   "They can't," Edmund countered. "These spirits are locked in past
events and cannot see us. . ."

   Stealth didn't speak but simply pointed to down to the floor.

   Edmund looked in the direction Stealth had pointed. There huddled
in a corner by their feet was a young woman cradling a little girl of
no more than four or five years old. The little girl had a head full
of brown curls and bows and her bright face was looking straight up at
them. She smiled at them and her eyes seemed to bore through Edmund
and straight down to his soul. Without thinking he waved to the little
girl and she smiled and waved back. "She can see us!"

   "She reminds me of my own daughter," Nestorius said softly.

   Edmund made the sign of the cross and said a prayer. He looked down
at the little girl and had to bite back the tears.

   Suddenly and thankfully the room went dark and the voices and
people were gone. All that remained was the three keepers standing in
a darkened, ruined chamber lit only by torch light.

   Edmund found himself looking at two skeletons who were still
huddled in the corner.

   "I thought the ghosts could never see us."Stealth stuttered.

   "Usually they do not," Edmund answered. "It is very rare for them
to break through the barrier between the dead and the living. It bodes
well."

   "What do we do now?" Nest asked.

   "We bury them," Edmund said calmly.


Echoes of the Dead Wood
Copyright (c) 2009-2010 Christian O’Kane & Michael Nastov



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