She was told never to go into that cave. That was the realm of the dead, of the dark. No matter what ill fate would throw at someone, it was not worth making the deal with the lord of that region.
Easy for most of them. They live in fancy houses, and dine on fine foods. My brother and I were not so lucky. Why fear the price when you had nothing to lose? Janae eyed the gapping mouth of the cave and steadied herself. Whatever price she was asked, she would happily pay.
With a quick pace she pushed forward, slowly allowing the darkness the to swallow her. Only a few flickers of flame hugged the deep, gray walls, barely giving a glow of soft greenish light. The cave smelled as if dozens of furry animals had scurried in out of a storm. Damp, and dank, and dingy. As she walked she imagined the brush of tangled moist fur brushing her legs. An occasional high pitched screech filled her ears.
Janae licked her lips and turned to a flame on the wall, and approached it. Some kind of alcoholic smell filled her nose now, and she wondered what these torches had been dipped into. Especially considering the color. Her hand moved slowly, and lifted it off the wall. Her heart jumped and she pulled away. Instead of touching wood and tanned wrap it felt like human flesh and bone. An icy feeling rolled from her head to her toes, like a current of water escaping a dam. She didn't know how long it was until she reached forward again, but when she did, the torch seemed normal, wood and tanned wrapping. Though the fire stayed as green as ever.
"Perhaps it's just my nerves?" she asked.
Or I am going insane.
Her eyes widened. It was her voice, but it had not come from either her mouth nor even from her mind. She swallowed and turned towards where mouth of the cave. Though it was night when it was entered, and numerous clouds blocked the moon, still it was brighter than it was in here. And there was another problem with that voice. Though it had sounded like her own, it still held a hint of someone else's. Like a dark mimic.
Her chest rose and fell in a rhythm of slow breath. Tightening her grip on the torch, and narrowing her eyes, Janae pressed forward into the growing darkness. There were less and less torches on the walls as she went, and the air seemed to be alive as she walked. Beneath her feet she heard stone stumble as she kicked it, smelled the dust of eons plumb up towards her nostrils. She swore she could smell ancient blood, and even the clang of metal against metal.
But she would see this through. The young woman would not allow her brother to die. With her free hand, she brushed aside rogue strands of dark red hair from her eyes and reached a crack in the furthest wall. She thought at first she made a wrong turn, that there had to be more than just a mere crack, but remembered something. There had been no offshoot paths. It had been only a single direct line going this way. And turning around she also noticed that the walls seemed to have pushed in on her.
"I did not come this far to fail now."
"You failed the minute you left my side." The voice was strong and harsh, and full of vile. It was also very familiar.
"Aron?" Janae spun, her eyes thrashing back and forth. But there was only blackness. She blew out a gust of air, and shook her head. "No, that's not possibly, girl." Her brother lay on a cot, in the village. Half a day's travel from where she was now.
"You should not have come," came his voice again. Once again from behind her. Janae turned again, and once more found nothing.
"Its this blasted cave," she growled. "The air is poisoned. It is messing with my mind." she closed her eyes, her body stiffening in a hard defiance. "I will save my brother." With no other option but forward she tried to push herself through the crack. She wasn't the most fit woman, but neither the largest either. It was an uncomfortable effort, but one with doing.
Nearly out, she felt a tug on her leg. It felt as an invisible hand had clamped down on her ankle and pinned her in place. She hissed and growled, and pulled forward. The harder she pulled, the harder the grip. Now it felt like cold metal, a vice three times too small for her ankle, one that pierced and crushed her leg and bone. And if that was not bad enough, the crack she had left appeared to be closing in on her.
Her pulse raced yet again as she frantically pulled and tried to wedge herself free. She'd nearly been killed years ago by a bigtooth furlon as a child, and still remembered how its maw had felt around her waist. This was the same, minus the teeth. Yet in the glow of the green flame, she swore she saw a glimmer of teeth. And a growl mixed with a hiss.
"You left me to die to the same beast that tried to claim you all those years ago," Aron's angry voice cried out.
"No," she cried, pulling harder. She flung the torch, hoping to burn the beast or scare it with the light. In doing so, she saw what held her ankle, and screamed. Her brother's half rotten corpse glared into. He was laying on the ground, lips black and nearly fallen. Worms crawled in his gray green skin.
"You left me, even though I begged ye to stay," he belched out. His free hand, which was only bone pointed at her with such rage a finger nearly broke off. "You left me, just as father left us."
"It's not true!" she screamed. Sweat flowed from her body, and she dropped on her rear, kicking the closing wall. "Its not. You are everything to me, Aron. I swear it!"
"He did too," the rotten corpse croaked. "And yet he left us both to die. Left us to the cruel world for just spare change, for his drinking."
"I am not father," she spat. Anger began to build as she waved the flame harder. "I did not abandon you, and I'll not leave you to die while others simply ignore!"
"You left me to die when you choose to be a hero, for adventure! You failed me. You lied to me!" The corpse seemed to melt, whatever blood or spit allowed it to speak foaming in bubbles in the dissolving jaw until it all that was left was a glowing face of ethereal bone. Green in light with eyes dead red. "Accept your failure, accept your treason!" The skull rushed towards her, as if someone had tossed it with all their strength.
"I will save Aron," she screamed. She shut her eyes, and reached for anything to use as a weapon. Her hand reached a cold stone. "You are not my brother. You are not Aron. I will meet with Karak Nul, and I will save my brother's life!" She swung the rock, which struck the stony wall. A flash of light, true pure red and yellow light flashed. and the screeching green skull howled in what seemed like fear itself and vanished.
Janae opened her eyes panting. Her muscles ached but as she braced herself she notice she was on the other side of the wall. Her ankle felt fine, as if nothing had happened at all. She took her torch, shocked to see that the fire had turned a comforting orange, and peered into the crack. There was no sign of the spirit. She wasn't sure if it was the cave, or its master, but she didn't care.
"I will save my brother. No matter what the cost."
They all say no matter the cost. They all fall. You are no different.
She stared into the dark, and frowned. "No matter the cost." She straightened herself and pushed forward.