Chapter 10
Discovery
Dark clouds clung to the mountain peaks as the snow blew through the gorge. A lone man sat upon a horse at the lead of a long line of creatures that followed him up trails of long ago. Into hidden lands they moved like a snake on a hunt as they made their way through the snow filled passes of the mountains.
The army of ogres marched in undisciplined order and despite the cold each one followed their master like mindless behemoths. The epitome of brute force and ignorance, each one had lived for a very long time but under the leadership of the Duke they have the finally become a well oiled machine
"Hurry up you dolts! You're starting to fall behind"
At the lead of the army of the army of ogres was Sigmund Igthorn, Duke of Drekmore. He pulled his map from out of his satchel and studied the drawings. He was a tall robust man with a thick dark mustache and goatee; attributes he always admired in himself as a reflection of the sinister villain he so desperately tried to portray.
"Bah!' he cried, "we've been here before you would think someone could remember where it was. "TOADWART!" He shouted "get up here"
Like an ice-covered pile of snow, a shivering little ogre walked quickly to his master's side. Todie was the smallest of all the ogres that no one really cared about. He was more of a nuisance to the other ogres but at least he was fun to play with. But that didn't stop the little ogre from performing the undignified work of his masters bidding for Todie had one qualifying attribute of his own that no other ogre had and that was the inexorable ability to grovel at his master feet.
"Oh frozen Todie is here oh cold hearted one."
"Are you sure this was the right trail"
"Todie remember this perfectly right down to this very rock"
"That rock?" Igthorn questioned
"Yes" Toadwart nodded.
Have you got rocks on the brain we passed those same rock hours ago? You've got us walking around in circles you nincompoop, His anger swept across his face as he grabbed the little ogre by the collar. "Despite my best efforts to rebuild it has never been the same. It has taken you clods years to dig up all that stone just to even build it half way and I've grown impatient with you moronic imbeciles always breaking things I'd swear that you lazy bums have been sabotaging the projects at every corner we make.
"But Dukey every time we make something the Gummi bears come in and destroy it"
"But you haven't done anything to stop them. You can't even find where they have been coming from, which tells me that you're helping them. "It was they who took my castle away from me and now I shall take one of theirs from them and it will be they who shall pay for it. I know this Gummi city is up here somewhere. You told me this map that you got would lead us to my ultimate prize now get out there and FIND ME MY CITY" he shouted as he tossed the little ogre down the side of the gorge.
His shout echoed across the land and the ground began to shake. Igthorn looked up in time to see the avalanche falling from overhead. The ogres started to run but it was too late as it swept through the line as they all rode the wave down the gorge.
…
The car zipped along its track as it raced through the darkness. But no matter how fast the car moved her words kept haunting him over and over again.
"It's bad enough the influences that you Glen Gummies have had on us…." Your mistakes…", "Verge of extinction."
Zummi wiped the tear from his eye. "All I've ever tried to do was do the right thing." He thought to himself "But as always I have messed everything up." She is right I should have known better."
Even with the weight of his heart that kept his mind in the past Zummi's eyes noticed the faint light emanating from his Gummi medallion. He shook his head as he snapped out of his trance and brought the car to a stop and looked around
He noticed that he had stopped in front of a long side tunnel that branched off into the darkness. Curiosity got the better of him now as he climbed out of the quick car and made his way over to the entrance of the tunnel. There was old ancient trail that lead into its depths and Zummi noticed that his medallion started too pulsed with magical light the closer he got.
"I don't know what it is," he thought "but I should investigate. After all the medallion only reacts to Gummi magic and whatever it was has to be strong magic to pick up on it from so far away."
…
Igthorn opened his eyes to the dimmed light from above. He looked around and it saw that the avalanche had pushed them into a large cavern and covered his eyes as he looked back at the opening in the ceiling
"Drat, there's no way were going to be able to climb out that way
"It will be ok your dukyness faithful Todie has found doorway" he said pointing to two rather large stone doors. "Maybe it stairway to light above?"
Igthorn walked up to the doors. Each one was ornately carved with Gummi symbols but what was more intriguing was what in the world was it doing way out in the middle of nowhere.
He reached out and touched the door. It felt strange. Not unlike the natural cold of stone but something deeper, colder. It felt as if something was reaching back at him touching his soul, or even… calling for it.
…
The light became stronger as Zummi crept along the cavern floor following the light from his medallion. He started to hear echoes from up ahead and covered his medallion so maybe that whatever it was wouldn't notice him then peaked around the corner and gasped.
It was duke Igthorn and a group of ogres gathered near what looked to a large stone doorway with ancient Gummi writing. But he couldn't see what was written. He had to get a closer look.
Low crawling along side the trail Zummi hid behind a stalagmite. He was astounded by this discovery an ancient Gummi ruin buried under the mountain range let alone how Igthorn found this place. His medallion started to glow brighter and he had to tuck it inside his shirt to keep him from being seen.
Whatever it was behind that door was powerful. Zummi could feel it and he shook with fright. With duke Igthorn being this close to Ursalia was bad enough. Now he's discovered something that he had a bad feeling about, something magical, something evil and he knew he had to do something before Igthorn got his hands on it.
"Looks like an old Gummi burial" said Igthorn "That means there's Gummi treasure on the other side."
"You two", pointing to Gad and Zook "get that door open".
"Okey dokey Dukey!" They said in unison and grabbed a hold of the door. The two of them put all their ogre strength into it but it wouldn't budge. Zook tried to get a better hold by digging his claws into the crack but it was no use the door wouldn't budge. Gad raised a ham sized fist and pounded on it when a flash jolted them from the door and frying the two of them.
Blast, said Igthorn uncaringly," looks like this has been sealed with one of those damned Gummi spells. We'll never be able to break in there like this."
Zummi breathed a sigh of relief "Looks like whatever is inside is well protected" Zummi thought to himself. "I had better get out of here before they see me." He started to make his way back the way he came in when saw a shadow of something on the cavern wall and it made him freeze for a moment but he couldn't see what it was.
"Dukey look what we found," A large ogre voice came from behind Zummi, "A Gummi Bear!"
"Oh my!" Zummi replied. He quickly grabbed his juice bottle and tried to run but the large ogre reached down and grabbed him by his tunic and made him drop his bottle on the stone ground shattering the bottle.
"Bring him here" shouted Igthorn. Well now, what have we here? Why is it that where ever I go you Gummi Bears are always right behind me? Not surprising anymore really, He shrugged. I remember you and isn't this convenient. Now I'm really interested with what's on the other side. Whatever it was drew you here as well. I can feel it he grinned "Now open that door."
"NO," Shouted Zummi defiantly.
"Deny me if you wish bear but I get the feeling that your all alone up here there won't be any rescue this time and I know you're feeling it too. You're just dying to find out what's on the other side of that door. And if you don't open it then death will be the only thing I will deny you."
Zummi shuttered at the thought of what he might do He was right about one thing he was alone and the look on Igthorn's face told him that he would make good upon his threat but took comfort in the fact that no matter what was on the other side of that door, Gummi magic would not harm a Gummi bear and with that Zummi gulped ha she held his medallion up to the lock and with a quick flash of magic, the door swung opened.
"Hold on to him may still be of value" Igthorn ordered as he took Zummi's medallion away from him then walked in.
The room inside was dimly lit by a light that pulsed in rhythm with the medallion. he followed the light as it grew stronger as it lead him down a small hallway where it opened up into a small room and along the back wall stood a statuesque figure of a Gummi bear holding what looked like a small orb that pulsed with a dark magical energy.