Aaron turned to Lorik. “You’re a skilled tracker,” he said. “I need you to pick up his trail.” The three companions gathered their gear and stepped into the dark, foreboding hall.
With only one illumine stone left, the passage was dismally lit. The reddish glow from the small orb offered little light, just enough to see a few paces in front of them as they crept along the ancient passage and listened for any sound of their lost companion. The signs of Garam’s journey down the corridor were obvious. His boot prints clearly marked his passage and was easily seen in the old dust that blanketed the floor.
“It’s my guess that Garam came this way not more than an hour ago. These footprints in this dust are barely touched by the draft that seems to constantly blow through here.” Lorik hesitated for a moment. “I just don’t see any sign that Garam was abducted. There are no other prints in this passage.”
The tunnel turned and twisted through the granite, passing like a serpent through the hard stone so that they could no longer see the glow of their dying campfire behind them. Around a corner the three men spied what appeared to be a distant flicker of light. Cautiously they approached, peering into the darkness before them, their own steps echoing along the cold stone passage. Their anxiety only grew when they discovered that the light ahead of them was merely the reflection of their glowing stone on Garam’s axe. The weapon rested forgotten against the rock wall with small stone fragments scattered about the blade. Above the axe, etched like a scar in the granite wall was a fresh crack where Garam’s axe had hit.
“Well,” Lorik said, “whatever happened didn’t happen without a fight.”
“At least we know we are on the right track,” Braden added.
Aaron, however, was more concerned than ever for the missing dwarf. He couldn’t imagine Garam forgetting his weapon and could only guess that the dwarf was overpowered by the unseen assailant or overcome with fear. “Let’s not linger,” Aaron said. “We don’t know what Garam is facing and we must not waste time.” He turned toward Braden. “Take his axe; we may yet have the opportunity to return it to its rightful owner.” He stepped out quickly with Lorik and Braden fast on his heels.
Around another corner, as the passage continued to twist and turn, they stumbled upon Garam’s helmet and the illumine stone. Braden bent down to pick up the artifacts, “He must be gone,” Braden whispered. “A dwarf would never leave his gear behind.” Braden handed the headpiece to Lorik.
They continued their journey down the corridor, winding through the stony earth. Hours passed when, around another bend, a faint glow began to illuminate the distant tunnel. The shimmering, golden light grew brighter with each step, flooding their eyes with an intensity that they hadn’t seen since they first stepped into the dank underground passage. They approached with extreme caution, unsure what to expect. Lorik and Aaron had their swords drawn; Braden held Garam’s weapon at the ready as they approached the light.
The passage opened into a large, luxurious hall with light seeming to cascade all around. High above, over one-hundred feet, the arched ceiling was decorated with vast scenes of an ancient realm. Mosaics of great castles looked down from above with colorful banners flying high over golden towers. Tall, broad pillars reached up from the floor like massive stone fingers, carved with ancient pictures and wound with golden wreaths spiraling up to the top. On the walls, ornate woven tapestries hung with illustrations of mighty heroes, untouched by time. Around the room, marble statues of mighty men, covered in scintillating armor, kept silent vigil as they held high their mighty swords. Other wall hangings and stonework decorated the massive room with scenes of mighty dwarves wielding great axes standing alongside warrior-men and elves holding longbows. The three companions were amazed at the sight of such a room. It seemed as if time had never touched the exquisite chamber.
Yet, for all the décor and artwork that filled the ancient hall, what drew Aaron’s attention was what he saw in the middle of the room. A large carved basin filled with crystal clear water dominated the center of the chamber. As the three men approached they noticed that they could see to the very bottom of the pool, hundreds of feet deep. The basin was wide and shaped in a perfect circle. Rising up from the water in the exact center of the pool was a tall, stone obelisk carved out of the same grey granite which formed the entire underground network. Emanating from the pinnacle of the stone monument like a fountain was a brilliant shower of light which rose up into the air and spilled its illuminating glow throughout the room. They could see no source for the light, it seemed to the three companions that the light simply was.
“Captain!” exclaimed Lorik. “Have you ever seen such a sight?”
“No, Sergeant, I can’t say that I have.” Aaron was just as astonished as his sergeant, unable to fathom the display.
Braden stood in awed silence, staring up at the spectacle with a look of fear and delight.
Aaron’s strong sense of duty and responsibility brought him back to the matter at hand. He looked at his fellow travelers as they marveled at the pillar, and the light that issued from above it. “Lorik!” he commanded.
The sergeant snapped back to attention and faced the captain. “Sir.”
“We’ve gawked enough at this. Garam is missing and we must discover which way he went. There are tunnels leading out of this room, find the one that he used!”
As Lorik looked around, he counted seven other passages that emptied into the large room. “It might take some time, Captain.”
Aaron thought for a moment, he appreciated his sergeant’s patience as it steadied his own nerves. “Then get to it. In the meantime, Braden and I will take a closer look at this pool.”
The three of them ate a quick lunch, washed down with water from their flasks, and began their tasks. Lorik quickly went to work and began with the first door left of the passage they came through. Groping around the floor and looking at all possible signs of passage, the sergeant was near to a bloodhound when it came to tracking. His keen eyes, trained through years of experience, would not miss a mote of dust out of place or a discarded thread of hair. The large, round room, however proved to be a challenge even to his practiced eye.
As Lorik busily examined the various tunnels that exited the room, Braden and Aaron cautiously stepped around the water’s edge. The rim of the massive basin was smooth as glass, unmarred by any crack or blemish in the stonework and untouched by the decay of time. The water was still, crystal clear, and cold to the touch. No apparent spring fed the pool as it shimmered in the dazzling brightness of the light above it. Aaron gazed in awe upon the construction and pondered what society could have possessed the skills to create such a place.
“What a wonder it is,” Aaron whispered to himself as he circled around the large pool.
“What’s that, Captain?” Braden asked.
He had almost forgotten that the dwarf was still with him. Aaron turned and looked at his companion. “Nothing,” he said, “I’m just amazed at the sight of this room… of all that I’ve seen. I’ve never believed the ancient myths of the Elder Days, but I’ve seen too much to dismiss them any longer.”
“Indeed, Captain,” Braden replied to Aaron, “it is possible that there are mysteries far beyond our knowledge that are nonetheless true.”
“Well,” Aaron responded with mock surprise, “you’re a philosopher as well!” He looked down at his dwarf companion. “Can you also decipher these markings upon the floor?” Aaron pointed to a spot on the granite floor that was marked with several deep inscriptions of gold. The writing was in the same style as that of the plaque which guided them to the large, circular room, but Aaron couldn’t make sense of any of the symbols.
Moving to join the captain, Braden stared long at the markings. “These are ancient,” he said, “but as for their meaning, I don’t know.”
Both Aaron and Braden stopped their investigation when Lorik shouted, “I’ve found something!” His voice echoed in waves against the stone walls of the room. The other two dashed to where the sergeant stood, looking down the length of a long, dark corridor. “Captain!” he exclaimed, “Garam was taken through this tunnel.”
“Taken?” asked Braden.
“Yes,” replied the sergeant, “I don’t think he went willingly. These scratch marks in the dust show that someone was dragged through this area.”
Braden leapt across the fallen timbers, not waiting for the other two. With Garam’s axe clutched in one hand and the glowing stone in the other, the dwarf disappeared down the corridor, leaving his two companions behind. The sound of his boots beat against the stone floor like two hammers, reverberating with synchronous echoes. Aaron and Lorik paused for just a moment before they quickly rushed after their frantic friend.
They turned a corner and were immediately swallowed up in the pitch-black of the hall. The fading light of the chamber behind them no longer aided them. If not for the illumine stone, both men would be lost in the encroaching darkness of the catacombs. Somewhere in the shadowed distance ahead they heard the pounding of Braden’s steps. Aaron held the stone aloft to shed light in the passage as he and Lorik pressed on.
****
“Help me… please!”
Braden heard the hoarse plea of desperation and then what sounded like a splash coming from the darkness before him. He ran forward several more paces when, by the glow of the stone, he saw the reflected shimmer of a large pool with Garam struggling in the midst of it.
Braden rushed into the lake, splashing through the freezing water. Garam fought against an unseen adversary, clutching at his throat as if some mighty hand were trying to choke the life out of the dwarf. “Let go!” Braden shouted, not knowing what was happening to Garam. He grabbed Garam and tried to drag his companion out of the icy lake. To his shock and fear, something unseen was fighting against his efforts.
“He’s… got… me!” Garam rasped, fighting for every gasp of air.
Again Braden tried to haul Garam out of the lake but to no avail… whatever held the dwarf was too powerful for him. He couldn’t see the invisible assailant and didn’t know what to do. Suddenly the sound of pounding feet echoed in the room as if an army were approaching. Braden looked back to see a dim red light bouncing in the darkness, keeping rhythm with the sound. In the dim glow of the illumine stone, Braden easily identified Aaron and Lorik as they ran toward the lake.
“Captain!” Braden shouted as he waived his stone in the air. “Over here!”
****
Running through the dark cavern, they were upon Braden in a moment. Aaron examined the entire scene in an instant: Garam struggling in the water, clutching his throat, Braden next to him, the large lake, and the enormous room. A sudden thought rushed through his mind and he knew, as if by instinct, what he needed to do. “We’ve got to get him back to the light! Lorik, Braden, help Garam… carry him if necessary, but we must get back to that room!”
With Lorik’s help, they were able to drag Garam out of the icy depths, hoisting their comrade onto his feet and half carrying, half dragging the dwarf to the large chamber. With Aaron holding both stones, they began a quick march back the way they came. Faster and faster they moved, until they were almost running with Garam in their arms. His breathing grew shallow, gasping—almost gulping—for every desperate breath of air. He would be gone in moments, Aaron feared, if they couldn’t find their way back in time.
Several minutes later, though it seemed to be hours, they were back in the well lit, circular room, the light filling their eyes. The men brought Garam right to the water’s edge. Suddenly the light above the obelisk flashed blindingly brilliant. In that moment, the other three finally witnessed the shadowy form of a large creature clutching Garam’s throat. The creature, vile and malevolent, writhed in agony at the explosion of light. Then, in a great shriek, shattering the silence, the wraith arched its spiny back and vanished from sight.
Garam began breathing again, gasping and panting as if he had been held underwater too long. Looking at the three others staring down at him, he just shook his head in exhaustion. For some time he couldn’t speak, trying to catch his breath as he sat in the warming light of the room. After a while, he took a deep breath and spoke his tale to the others.
“When we arrived in these tunnels,” Garam began, “I was certain that I had heard whispered voices carrying along the corridors. Even from the stairway, I was sure that there was something aware of us…even watching us.” Garam paused, taking a deep breath as he began to regain his strength. “I thought I could see the shadowed figure of a wraith. We made camp and, when the three of you fell asleep, I began watching for the creature, knowing that it was after us. Before I knew what was happening the creature was upon me. I tried to strike it, but all my efforts were useless,” Garam continued.
“What we saw,” Aaron said, “was some shadowy figure that vanished when the light flashed for a moment.”
“The wraith dragged me to the edge of some underground lake to drown me in the water. When Braden found me, the monster had me clutched in his grip, choking the life out of me,” Garam continued.
Lorik sat amazed at the conversation. “Captain,” he said, “what are we dealing with here?”
Aaron looked carefully at Garam, somehow knowing that the dwarf was holding back. “Garam,” he said, “you need to tell us the whole tale.”
Taking a deep breath, Garam was hesitant as he spoke. “There is more,” he said. “The wraith
is
the guardian. It is said that the guardian is a terror of great evil that guards the secrets of the ancient kingdom… that it dwells in the shadows of the fallen city and can only be defeated by the King.”
“What’s that suppose to mean?” interjected Lorik.
“I don’t know. The ancient texts only speak of a terrible guardian who roams the broken paths of the fallen city… these very ruins.” Garam was reluctant to continue the dialogue and would give no further information.
“That’s it?” Braden offered a questioning glance at the older dwarf.