Chapter 1: Of stone and fire
" Get that lantern down here, I think we found ourselves something!" Phil yelled up to Elenna, his wife and partner on this expedition. Elenna cautiosly made her way down the dark and dangerous ledge to her husband and held the lantern over the edge. Although the light was dim it caught on many objects and reflected, illuminating the entire expanse of darkness below them. There was a drop, a cylinder almost, that went straight down for a terrible distance and ended at a point where it became terribly dark abruptly. However what they could see was rock, and embedded in the rock were many stones, some appeared to be purple and others dark. There were some lesser gems such as ruby and sapphire in small quantity about aswell.
"Phil... That's... That's Onyx! And so much of it!" Elenna yelled, her voice echoing into the void below her.
"Yes.. and dragonstone," Phil said quietly, beside himself in awe.
Elenna hastily edged closer to the edge and groped at a large onyx. She drew out her chisel and struck the rocks about it to break it loose, each time it struck the stone a loud echoing clang ran through the vast drop below, and the pieces of stone that were broke off fell down, clinking against other stones on it's way down. After several strikes the onyx came loose and Elenna rose.
" Look Phil... It is... I can't believe it!" She yelled, holding the black stone in her slender hands. She continued gazing at it for moments then went to get more stones. Phil remained standing, silent, for he had noticed something on the far wall, of the cavern. There was three shadows, or what appeared to be shadows, imprinted on the wall, in a posture suggesting that they were cowering, and one seemed to be fleeing. He eyes them wearily, knowing well they could not be shadows of someone else in the cavern, for they were unmoving and the light would not have been sufficient to create such vivid shadows. He lowered his head and glanced at his wife who had gathered three more stones. He casually edged towards her.
" Elenna, it will be quite dark in a few hours, I think it would be best if we, took our leave and resumed our work tommorow morning,"
" Are you mad?" Elenna exclaimed prying off another onyx," Each of these is enough to feed us for years, and each one upon that is enough to lead a care free life! For all we know tommorow these will be gone!"
" You know they will be here tommorow as well as I do," Phil gave her a skeptical look.
"Fine, atleast let me get one more though," She said, and turned to wrench out a massive onyx.
She made three strikes, on the third the stone broke free and fell, she reached out her hand to catch it and fell after it, screaming. Phil swiftly lunged after her and grabbed her around the waist with his right arm, and grabbed ahold of a rock to hold onto with his left. The onyx fell into the dark and there were many echoing crashes. Elenna screamed as she swayed back and forth. Phil slowly hoisted her up, but even as he did he heard something. A slight shift in stones far below them, a grunt of sorts followed and then what sounded like the crash of many rocks against rock, headed closer and closer. A red light appeared far below them, and it's source followed. Phil was so horrified, so utterly shocked and afraid of this that without hesitation he released Elenna, the woman he had loved since he was young, she whom he had children with and spent every day for twenty six years with. She fell towards the light and let out a final, bitter cry of anguish.
Phil stumbled away from the pit, running towards the tunnel he had come from with winged speed. Yet behind him he felt the malice approaching, from the depths of the gem encrusted cylinder. He climbed up through the tunnel madly, saliva involuntarily pouring from his mouth, sweat coating his skin. Blinded by the sweat in his mouth and choking on his own saliva he tripped over a jagged stone and landed on it, tearing out a fair section of his calf. He let out a howl, like a beast and clawed his way onward, cutting his fingers and cracking some of his nails upward. Hearing the clash of stones behind him, Phil forced himself onto his left leg and began limping away, grasping at the wall for balance with his bleeding hands. However now he came to the portion of the tunnel which was most treacherous, rocky, jagged walls. In a mad adrenaline fueled dash Phil sprinted forth, with all of his will, his pinky was severed on the cruel rock walls, a trail of blood on the wall where his hand had been travelling. However even as it seemed he would collapse, he saw an opening in the tunnel, which led to a cavern with many tunnels branching out. He fell out of the tunnel and looked around desperately, looking for the closest tunnel. He selected one to his right and stumbled forth, but fell striking his face against the hard ground. Blood came forth from his shattered nose and he spat out three teeth which had been knocked out. Yet still, although his vision was blinded by blood and sweat he forced himself onward. He had almost reached the tunnel when a force blew out the tunnel he had just exited. The same light from the tunnel flooded the room. Phil crawled on, grinding his elbows against the ground to push himself onward. His left elbow's skin peeled away and the bone grinded against stone causing intense pain. Phil fell and rolled onto his back. He saw once more that which he had seen in the casm. His eyes bulged in horror, his mouth opened to scream but no scream came forth, just a faint wimper. His flesh peeled as it drew closer. With each booming step he charred more and more, and at last he was no more, just a shadow of what he once was, an imprint of his shape on the ground, etched out in ashes.