Achilles wondered when they would meet up with someone or something when movement ahead in the corridor made him freeze and shoot a hand out to Matiya. They both froze in place and then melted into the shadows. Each of them took refuge in one of the dark doorways and flattened themselves out just as much as they could.
Two humanoid forms were coming in their direction. Unsure of what they were, Matiya looked at Achilles and nodded. Down here, it was probably better to attack quickly and quietly and ask questions later. The encounter with the bizarre gathering of Soulless in the forest was still fresh on their minds. The figures sounded like they were wearing soft-soled shoes and not boots or any type of armor. They didn't appear to be guards or soldiers.
The voices of the figures finally reached them, low tones at first, hard to catch but audible enough.
"They may be here. The Lord says they may come this way and we need to watch for them." The first figure whispered.
"They got separated in the gardens. One of them fell down into the pit where the Yorgs dwell." The other figure said in a raspy, slithery voice.
Matiya almost gasped out loud. Yorgs! The flesh-eating fiends! Was there any hope for Malachai if he encountered those dirty things? What were Yorgs doing here though? Since when did this realm house creatures like Yorgs? Eridus was attracting all the detritus of this realm, and maybe several others too by this point.
The first figure laughed then, "The Yorgs have been contained until there are enough of their number to release. They've become accustomed to the tunnels, so they'll move through to that Vargeld fellow's operation without a problem once the way is opened. The Yorgs are hungry, even if the intruder somehow made his way through to an outer door he would need a key to get out and there's little chance of him having one of those." He sniffed importantly as he made this last statement.
"Hush fool! We are not to speak of the Lord's plans outside of his presence!" The second figure admonished. Their footsteps began again. "The one in the pit is as good as dead. We are to concentrate on finding the other two. They are very dangerous."
"Yes!" The first figure hissed, "One has the White Sword. She cannot be allowed to get through." Their footsteps were very close to the alcoves that Matiya and Achilles concealed themselves in at this point. "The Lord will not be bothered with her again."
"The Lord would have her comrade on his side though. The one with the golden shield. Once the Champions of the realm can be turned...but again, I must not speak of the Lord's plans further."
The shuffling footsteps stopped right before the alcoves. "The upper realms will soon join us here." Matiya could almost hear the smile in it's voice. "Soon!"
The revelations of the two figures angered her so much that she stepped out from the alcove and beheaded the closest figure with her sword, and swung on the second before it could even realize what was happening. Both the bodies fell in heaps, the heads rolling away.
Achilles frowned at her, "You may have alerted them to our location! Must you act so rashly?"
"The shit they were saying pissed me off. Besides, they know we're around. Let them tremble in their damn boots." Matiya answered calmly, wiping off her sword blade with the robes of one of the headless beings. "You hear, that Lee? What's up with Yorgs? Down here? Really?"
Achilles ran a hand through his hair helplessly, "I do not know. We need to find our companion as soon as possible. How can Malachai fend off a Yorg attack? He's just a boy, this was a terrible decision to bring him here!" He took a step forward and then stopped and turned around as if he didn't know which way to turn. "I feel as though I have let him down, as I did..."
"Don't say it!" Matiya exclaimed. "Don't even fucking go there." She pointed a long finger at him, "This place can get to you. Make you doubt what's in your head. Don't let it get in there, Lee. Stay on track, man." She gave his shoulder a backhanded swipe, "You with me?"
Achilles nodded. "Let us continue." he said after taking a deep breath.
They walked on, much more careful this time, sticking close to the walls and shadows. Achilles tried to listen at some of the doors, trying to hear something, anything that might give him a clue as to where Malachai might be, and what could be happening with him. He heard nothing. Either the doors were too thick, or there was simply nothing there.
Their veer-off point came, and Matiya followed along it. "Dammit, none of these will open, and we still haven't heard shit from Mal. I'd be willing to bet one of those doors would lead us right to him."
"It may, but which one? This realm is massive. This is only one part of it. Those tunnels and caves could lead anywhere, and it sounds like Eridus is trying to tunnel it out even deeper."
"Yeah, but this is the HEART of it." Matiya growled. "The core of the rotting apple." She kicked one of the doors. It didn't budge in the least. "Time to make this black heart stop beating."
Matiya and Achilles were losing hope for their companion. They tried so many doors their hands were tiring of pulling on latches, and none would budge. They knew it was slowing their progress, and since they'd veered off to the right, the doors had dramatically decreased in frequency. They felt desperate and distracted, undoubtedly something else Eridus intended. Matiya kept turning over what the one hooded figure alluded to. Breeding Yorgs to unleash them. Underground? Why would Eridus want Yorgs running wild in his realm? Who was Vargeld and what and where was 'his operation'? This was a new one on her. She didn't like the sound of it.
"Dammit, we're getting close to shit or get off the pot time." Matiya whispered, annoyed. The path widened and tilted downward. We're getting there, and so far only encountered those two assholes. I know there's more down here. This is too easy, I'm not liking it." She stopped and went for a smoke before remembering where she was. "Damn. I'll be glad to get outta here and get a good smoke and some Ale."
"I took want a good, full pipe, the light of Sol, and a large feast at the Bloodstone." Achilles said wistfully.
"Black bean stew, man. Bangers and mash. Fucking Whitefowl pie and strudel. Damn." She squatted down for a moment to catch a breath, and Achilles sat down next to her. "Nothing like goin' without to appreciate what you got."
"And what you fight for and defend." Achilles added.
"Yeah. Can you imagine if none of this were here? If what he wants to do comes to pass?" Matiya spit at the wall across from her.
"Not while I draw breath."
"Damn straight, Lee. I mean, look at this place! Last time I was here, that forest out there was so green and lush you wouldn't even know you were underground. The dome at the top of that cavern was so full of light it was almost like daytime. Even the light rocks in the walls were brighter. Now they look...sick. This place is rotting."
"Tis true, I would not mark this place as a place of healing or solace. Not anymore." Achilles pressed his hand against the smooth rock wall. "At one time, this place was probably beautiful. The making of it undoubtedly gave joy to it's creator, whoever that was, for it existed even before Eridus' reign."
"Last time, these doors were locked too though. I wonder what's behind them? Yorgs? Tunnels?" Matiya shook her head.
A second or two later, Achilles drew back from the wall quickly. "I felt something! It felt like a subtle vibration from somewhere back behind this wall."
Matiya stood quickly and pressed her ear to the wall. Achilles put his hand back to it. "Must have been some heavy shit just happened somewhere in those tunnels." She said.
"I hope it did not bode ill for Malachai."
"Speaking of, let's get a move on. Remember that Room of Illusions I told you about? We're almost up to that. Weird shit comes at you from every direction you're not paying attention to. Not sure what's there now, but we gotta watch every step! After that, the path starts going up and we'll be at home base. The forge."
"And then?"
"And then we go by the seat of our pants, and hope to hell we can find Malachai. Follow my lead though, I know exactly what I need to do when we get there." They began walking again. "When I get to the forge, you'll need to keep shit off my back. I'll have to put all my attention on the sword."
"So exactly how will this work?" Achilles shifted his shield around on his back.
"We find the chamber with the two big, blue rocks on either side, like I said. There's a forge with iridescent fire in the center that can only forge magic metals. The forge is the only thing capable of burning off Eridus' taint. Then, I have to re-temper in the water running behind it. Only problem there is a big, white 'gator-like critter that lives there. It's mouth is big enough to take a horse in. It's blind as a bat, but can find anything that disturbs the water."
Achilles gave a tired sigh. "Is there anything else I need to know about that you haven't mentioned already?" He said irritably.
"Eridus might be hanging around, because he's gotta know I'll come again eventually. Shit's gonna get real, no matter what."
"I guess that particular idiom means we are in for the battle of a lifetime."
Matiya held a hand up suddenly, "OK now, this is where you have to watch out." Matiya whispered. They had come upon a very large, wide, circular cavern. The ceiling was dark and obscured in shadow, no light rocks shone in it.
"Follow me through, just keep your eyes on my back. If anything comes down from the ceiling do NOT let it touch you. If anything talks to you from the wall, do NOT answer it, no matter what it looks or sounds like. It'll try to trick you, and it's good at it. Got me?"
"What am I looking for?" Achilles asked, glancing upwards towards the darkened ceiling of that chamber.
"Long, weird tendrils. There's something really big and freaky up there. Not sure when it took up residence down here, but it blocks all the light that might come down from the light rocks. Probably feeds off it. It's the thing that creates all the illusions, so it can get in your head. A special guest of Eridus I imagine, just like the fucking Yorgs."
Achilles did not like how nervous Matiya seemed. He was used to her confident bluster. He nodded, and said, "I am ready."
"Then let's get it over with, quick. Stay with me Lee!" She dashed off into the chamber. Achilles focused on her, the well-wrapped White Sword bumping on her back, the sword she currently used drawn and at the ready. His sword and shield were also out and ready. He ran as if he were attacking an approaching army.
As they passed about the quarter way mark, a long, purplish, jellyfish-like tendril extended from the ceiling towards Matiya. She darted around it, and called back. "'Ware!" Achilles easily dodged it, and continued. He now became aware of a screaming man in the wall. He tried to ignore it, but it bore an air of familiarity to him. More tendrils depended from the ceiling, larger and fatter this time. He avoided them, but was close enough to one to see vicious barbs that lined its sickening pink underside.
The screaming man started up again, and then a familiar voice shouted. "Cousin! Help me!"
Achilles stopped in his tracks. Matiya, now almost to the other side, cursed and turned around. "NO! Achilles, that's not who you think it is! That thing in the ceiling can read you! It's tricking you!" She hacked away at several more tendrils. "Come on man, don't stop!"
Her companion couldn't seen to move though. A strange light glowed from the place the voice was coming from, and illuminated a figure in the rock. Matiya saw a tall, vaguely human-shaped thing there. It was covered in tentacles waving out towards Achilles, but Achilles saw...
"Patroclus! This is as I feared! When I lost sight of you on the island..."
"I lost my way, and ended up here." The illusion of Patroclus said. "I have been calling out for you, and you have not answered. Come to me and comfort me. I am in great pain!"
Horrified, Achilles stepped towards the vision of his kinsman, when he felt a hard knock against his helmet. He violently turned, sword swinging around, only to find it clang against the sword Matiya held. "Don't fall for this!" she hissed.
"He is here! As I feared all along! I can take him from this place now!" Achilles cried.
"Yes! Come to me and release me from my bonds!"
Achilles stepped towards the vision that looked so real to him. This was his fondest wish, his heart's desire. To be reunited with his kinsman, to not fail again.
He heard Matiya's sword cut through the air over his head. "Goddamn it! That one almost gotcha!" She appeared in his field of view, her face inches from his. "Lee! That is NOT your kin, that is not anything even resembling a human."
"Help me!" The voice across the room called.
Achilles shoved Matiya backwards. "Fucking shit, Lee!" He moved, wild-eyed towards the vision of Patroclus. She hacked several more tendrils away from him, barely avoiding one herself. She felt something bare inches away from her face and recoiled quickly. "Snap out of this!" she demanded, hacking at the tendrils that were dropping progressively faster and thicker from the ceiling.
Achilles now reached out towards his kinsman, and saw Patroclus secured to the wall with dozens of the barbed tendrils coursing over his body, sinking into his flesh, causing indescribable pain. Achilles cried out in horror.
"I'm real sorry about this, man." Matiya said, and threw her sword overhand at the thing in the wall that Achilles saw as his long-lost and much beloved kinsman. When the sword struck the thing, it burst into a disgusting explosion of ooze.
Achilles first saw the sword pierce his kinsman and almost drove his sword into Matiya in blinding rage, but then Patroclus turned into a thing that looked like it was made of goo and tendrils. It shrieked in an unearthly voice and deflated into a drooping bag of ruined flesh.
"SHIELD!" Matiya exclaimed. Achilles threw it up over his head in an instant and he and Matiya took refuge as several of the tendrils glanced off it.
"We're not gonna get out of here now, they got it blocked, and my last usable sword is gone." Matiya said. Achilles deflected several of the tendrils and hacked away at others as Matiya deftly avoided anything coming her way.
"If it's got any juice left, shine that motherfucker up there, Lee! Only chance we got!"
As he had done in Killingham, Achilles spun the shield, calling the last vestiges of the light of Sol stored within it, and pointed it straight up, roaring wordlessly up at the ceiling. In the seconds she had to see what was up there before she had to look away or be blinded Matiya saw a gigantic thing taking up the entirety of the cavern's ceiling. It had a huge beak-like structure at it's center and milky-blue eyes ringing around the beak. She saw it open and snap shut. The eyes began to pop and sizzle as the light hit them and then she was running, dragging Achilles behind her.
"Gonna fall!" She screamed, and tore for the opening on the opposite side. Dead and dying tendrils now fell all around them, no longer reaching, but dangling like limp spaghetti. There was a massive, wet suctioning sound and the sensation of the ceiling coming down. Both of them poured on the steam and leaped for the opening as hard as they could. Once they landed, Matiya scuttled around the doorway, pulling Achilles with her and getting up against the wall.
"Shield up!" she called, and they barely had time to take shelter against the wall and behind the shield before the ceiling creature hit the ground and burst into a river of stinking sludge that poured out the door forcefully for almost a minute before it let up.
"Son of a BITCH!" Matiya exclaimed when the oozing goo finally subsided. "Damn thing smells like a sewer!" She gagged and almost lost her gorge.
"By the Gods..." Achilles said, staring at the mess in the corridor.
"Now we gotta walk through that. This is all your fault Lee, you asshole! You're gonna owe me a new pair of boots!"
"It was not him." Achilles said, leaning his head against the wall behind him, as Matiya stood.
She turned abruptly back towards him and angrily said, "No, it wasn't! Next time you gonna listen to me? I told you there was serious shit in that chamber. It was after YOU, man! Played right to you. See why it's so hard to get through it?"
Achilles nodded, and looked back at the room, winced and looked away. "What did it show you the first time you came through?"
Matiya frowned at him, hands on her hips. "Not a damn thing that was real. Now come on!"
"There is truly no one you've ever loved?" Achilles asked, as they picked their way through the muck.
"I didn't see shit." Matiya said, tight-lipped.
"How did you know the light would..." Achilles began, but Matiya cut him off.
"Forget that thing, man. We got work to do. Malachai needs us. One more distraction like that and we're not going to make it through and that's the end of the ride. If that happens I'll bust your ass so fucking hard..."
Achilles had to grin a bit at her consternation, even though the circumstances didn't lend much mirth to their current situation.
"That forge is going to be a nightmare, and then we still have to find Slim. IF he's still even alive. If he's not, I'm going to kill every piece of shit in this place."
Achilles fell in step next to her. "The White Sword will undoubtedly aid us."
"Yeah, IF. If, if, if...sick of that word. In fact, fuck that word."
"I concur."
"All right, Lee. At least we agree on that."
They traipsed through the slimy floor as Malachai wandered through a labyrinth of tunnels, and Toddhelm and Hodge grew close to the settlement in the south. Their tasks were more entwined than any of them understood.