Chapter Ten: The River
"Dais, where are you taking me?" I picked up Sada, racing out of the room, trying to escape before Talpa realized my disobedience. Pain seared across my temples, blinding me, but I knew these halls. I breathed hard, jerking myself around a corner. "Dais!"
"I can't see!" I screamed as my skull fell under pressure from Nether Spirits. I choked, feeling my legs slow up. "Sada!" She chanted quietly under her breath, but the stiffness in my limbs ceased, and I continued racing down the halls, finding the first set of stairs. When I raced towards the second set, I could see remotely well. Sada's chanting never ceased, actually becoming more incessant.
"Dais," she breathed quickly, staring up the chant again. I landed on the ground floor of the palace, fighting my way through some soldiers to get to the spiral stairs that led underground.
"We're going deep under the palace. Talpa built this place across a special river that connects the mortal and nether realms, hoping to use it as an easy access, but it didn't quite work out because the river contains exceptionally good magic." Sada nodded as I descended past the lower chambers, coming to the dungeons. I raced across the dungeon halls, heading deeper than I've ever been in the Dynasty.
The black abyss loomed below, an endless pit where bodies of Talpa's prisoners lay. The dead, shortly to be deceased and all whose fate was to die a slow, agonizing death got dumped down into the void, the lowest point of the castle. The door lay at the bottom, covered in hundreds of years of decaying flesh and bone. I walked to the edge, Sada's chanting becoming shaky with probable thoughts of what lay below.
"Walking out on me," Cale growled. "I think Talpa wants a word with you."
"I'm making my exit."
"Exactly. You'll go down to hell, and I'll make sure your little babe joins you."
"See you there," struck out at Cale. Weapon to weapon, we clashed in unfair combat, me with Sada in my arms. I kicked out Cale's legs, throwing Sada over the side, facing Cale one last time. He stood, striking me in the thigh, the sword piercing my armor, blood flowing freely from the wound. I countered, throwing myself over the edge.
The bones and rotting flesh dampened my fall. I heard Sada's frantic breathing. I scuttled over to her. I gather my strength and piggybacked Sada, standing on both legs. Grimacing in pain, I powered all my strength through the mass of flesh and bone. The decay lay thicker than I thought, and it took a couple more attacks before I jumped down to blood stained dirt. I saw nothing, squinting over the earth, hopping to see anywhere that might be a door.
"What are we looking for?" Sada's raspy voice called me.
"A door. Some kind of seal leading below here," I ran my armored hands over the floor, searching for a raised seal or indented lines of a door, and anything that felt different.
"Dais," Sada called. "There's some raising over here, and it doesn't feel as dirty." I crawled over to her voice, as my thigh wound seeping more blood on the ground. I ran my hand over the smooth curves carved up out of the earth. I followed them, clearing some bone piles as I went, feeling my way to an indented crater. I crawled down inside the small indent. I groped out in the darkness, finding Sada, and piggybacked her. I thrust my weapons at the earth, feeling them rebounded by impenetrable spells. The complexity of the spells stunned me so I couldn't even decipher their basic make-up.
"We're trapped," I sunk down into the bottom of the crater. Strange flashes of light came across my vision, and my head felt light and detached from my shoulders. Shaking made me dizzier, but then, real light stung my retinas. I peered down at the crater began to open. Sada whispered quiet prayers, lying on where the opening formed. I stumbled over, grabbing her by the waist, jumping downwards into uncharted territory.
I landed wrong, falling on the damp earth. I cried out, pains firing up my leg. I must have shattered my kneecap, even through the armor. All the power I once possessed felt drained out of my being. I lay there, listening for a moment.
My heart beat in my chest, pulsing its rhythm through my ears and unbroken limbs. A faint sound of swishing reach my ears, calming me, making me lay still upon the group. My vision blurred, but I couldn't see much to begin with.
"Dais!" Sada's voice reached me. She was so close.
"Looks like I'll be the one to die this time." And with whatever little right I had left to pray, safe passing to the next life.
Thanks for the reviews. Anything else I need to know? Review if time permits. Anything you do not like, please tell. Thanks, MorganRay.
"Dais, where are you taking me?" I picked up Sada, racing out of the room, trying to escape before Talpa realized my disobedience. Pain seared across my temples, blinding me, but I knew these halls. I breathed hard, jerking myself around a corner. "Dais!"
"I can't see!" I screamed as my skull fell under pressure from Nether Spirits. I choked, feeling my legs slow up. "Sada!" She chanted quietly under her breath, but the stiffness in my limbs ceased, and I continued racing down the halls, finding the first set of stairs. When I raced towards the second set, I could see remotely well. Sada's chanting never ceased, actually becoming more incessant.
"Dais," she breathed quickly, staring up the chant again. I landed on the ground floor of the palace, fighting my way through some soldiers to get to the spiral stairs that led underground.
"We're going deep under the palace. Talpa built this place across a special river that connects the mortal and nether realms, hoping to use it as an easy access, but it didn't quite work out because the river contains exceptionally good magic." Sada nodded as I descended past the lower chambers, coming to the dungeons. I raced across the dungeon halls, heading deeper than I've ever been in the Dynasty.
The black abyss loomed below, an endless pit where bodies of Talpa's prisoners lay. The dead, shortly to be deceased and all whose fate was to die a slow, agonizing death got dumped down into the void, the lowest point of the castle. The door lay at the bottom, covered in hundreds of years of decaying flesh and bone. I walked to the edge, Sada's chanting becoming shaky with probable thoughts of what lay below.
"Walking out on me," Cale growled. "I think Talpa wants a word with you."
"I'm making my exit."
"Exactly. You'll go down to hell, and I'll make sure your little babe joins you."
"See you there," struck out at Cale. Weapon to weapon, we clashed in unfair combat, me with Sada in my arms. I kicked out Cale's legs, throwing Sada over the side, facing Cale one last time. He stood, striking me in the thigh, the sword piercing my armor, blood flowing freely from the wound. I countered, throwing myself over the edge.
The bones and rotting flesh dampened my fall. I heard Sada's frantic breathing. I scuttled over to her. I gather my strength and piggybacked Sada, standing on both legs. Grimacing in pain, I powered all my strength through the mass of flesh and bone. The decay lay thicker than I thought, and it took a couple more attacks before I jumped down to blood stained dirt. I saw nothing, squinting over the earth, hopping to see anywhere that might be a door.
"What are we looking for?" Sada's raspy voice called me.
"A door. Some kind of seal leading below here," I ran my armored hands over the floor, searching for a raised seal or indented lines of a door, and anything that felt different.
"Dais," Sada called. "There's some raising over here, and it doesn't feel as dirty." I crawled over to her voice, as my thigh wound seeping more blood on the ground. I ran my hand over the smooth curves carved up out of the earth. I followed them, clearing some bone piles as I went, feeling my way to an indented crater. I crawled down inside the small indent. I groped out in the darkness, finding Sada, and piggybacked her. I thrust my weapons at the earth, feeling them rebounded by impenetrable spells. The complexity of the spells stunned me so I couldn't even decipher their basic make-up.
"We're trapped," I sunk down into the bottom of the crater. Strange flashes of light came across my vision, and my head felt light and detached from my shoulders. Shaking made me dizzier, but then, real light stung my retinas. I peered down at the crater began to open. Sada whispered quiet prayers, lying on where the opening formed. I stumbled over, grabbing her by the waist, jumping downwards into uncharted territory.
I landed wrong, falling on the damp earth. I cried out, pains firing up my leg. I must have shattered my kneecap, even through the armor. All the power I once possessed felt drained out of my being. I lay there, listening for a moment.
My heart beat in my chest, pulsing its rhythm through my ears and unbroken limbs. A faint sound of swishing reach my ears, calming me, making me lay still upon the group. My vision blurred, but I couldn't see much to begin with.
"Dais!" Sada's voice reached me. She was so close.
"Looks like I'll be the one to die this time." And with whatever little right I had left to pray, safe passing to the next life.
Thanks for the reviews. Anything else I need to know? Review if time permits. Anything you do not like, please tell. Thanks, MorganRay.