Kapitel 3: A Small Light in the Darkness
Going down a flight of stairs, I entered the prison, I stopped at the end of the hall with my back against the wall, poking my head out of my cover, and surveyed the area ahead.
I spotted the rusty metal walkways, painted red with the blood of the prisoners, further on I saw the gigantic statues of lizard men adorning the walls, there didn't seem to be any guards, good.
Taking a deep breath, I left my hiding spot and followed the only possible path, I made a point on searching everything I found ahead, pieces of cloth, moldy bread, sticks, and I just need something to light the torch.
My steps echoed through the metallic floor, which made me worried, I could attract a guard by accident, approaching one of the edges of the walkway, I tried to illuminate the abyss that was just below, but I couldn't see the bottom.
It's a long fall, better not risk it, I doubt the rusty bars will endure my weight. I continued walking down the dimly lit corridor, I pointed the light of my cell phone at the cells in search of something useful, and my hands can slip between the bars.
"Hey! You!"
"AAHH..." I immediately covered my mouth, I looked around, searching for guards, when none appeared, I calmed down a little, and I almost fainted with the scare.
"Hey! I'm talking with you!" The voice screamed again.
I put my finger on my lips and let out a hiss.
"SSSSHHHHH!"
The hiss echoed through the dark prison, but it served to silence the voice.
"Sorry. Look over there." The voice came back, only quieter.
Turning towards the general direction of the voice, I saw something moving in the darkness, approaching slowly, with my hand close to the dagger, I took careful steps towards the moving thing.
I crossed part of the catwalk suspended over the abyss, passed an empty cell and had a better view of the source of the voice, it was a man, he was waving at me, his arm passing through the prison bars.
"You have no idea how relieved I am to find another human being. Can you help me?" The man spoke.
I approached the cell, but keeping out of the man's reach, I stopped in front of the cell and pointed my cell phone at the prisoner.
"Hey! What is this thing?" The man exclaimed while shielding his eyes from my cell phone light.
My breath stop and I swallowed hard when I saw the person trapped in the cell, Cahara, the mercenary who entered the dungeon in search of Le'garde due to the generous reward.
"Can you please get that annoying thing off my face?" Cahara exclaimed.
"Oh! Sorry about that!" I put the cell phone in my pocket.
"Thanks. What was that thing anyway?" Cahara asked.
"A magic item that lights my way."
"Hm… Interesting." Cahara muttered, smiling with a hand on his chin.
We barely know each other and he's already thinking about stealing my cell phone, if I get him out of prison, I'll have to hide my stuff first.
"But putting that aside. Could you get me out of here? That bastard of a guard trapped me here... You didn't meet one of them on your way here, did you?" Cahara asked nervously, looking away.
"No." I answered awkwardly, knowing well what had happened to Cahara.
"Perfect, then, how about opening that cell?" Cahara smiled as he leaned against the bars.
"I'm sorry but I can't do that, I really would like to, but I don't have the key and I don't even have a red vial."
Cahara took a deep breath with his hands covering his face "Right! Right! But you're still going to help me, aren't you?"
"Perhaps, but on one condition."
"Speak it."
"First I want you to give me that doll." I pointed to the doll in the corner of the cell.
"Just that?" Cahara asked, picking up the doll and handing it to me shortly after, I put it in my backpack.
"Yeah, you never know when that will come in handy. Thanks for that, but I have to go now. Don't worry, I always keep a promise, if I don't come back it's because I still haven't found a way to free you or because I died." I finished with a laugh.
Cahara stared at me as if I was crazy.
"Haha! You are crazy!" Cahara muttered with a nervous smile.
"Considering the day I've had, it's quite likely."
"I will die here."
"We will all die someday. Don't worry, I'll get you out of there, just don't go anywhere and don't jump into a shit pit."
"Why would I do that?"
"You would be surprised. Toilets are the best places to think about life and philosophize about the universe."
"I was right! You are crazy!" Cahara pointed a shaky finger at me.
"We are all a little crazy here, Cahara." I replied as I grinned from ear to ear.
"I'm going to die here… Wait! I didn't tell you my name!"
"HAHAHA!" I let out my best villain laugh as I took off running, disappearing into the darkness.
"You've been here less than five minutes and you've already lost your mind?" Kitab asked.
"Maybe I've already gone crazy before I entered the dungeon? Or maybe my little gig was nothing more than acting?"
"Suppose you haven't become someone who needs to be placed in one of the padded cells at Arkham, wearing one of those shirts that make you hug yourself. Why did you do that?"
"Because since the game came true. I don't want to be an NPC but a main character. And to be one, I need to stand out."
"Fair. But if you're going to do that, you better talk about me; I want to be famous too."
"Don't worry, soon everyone will know about Kitab, the most powerful spell book of all."
"Yes, keep praising me."
If I remember correctly, there's a guard with a ballista just ahead in a passage on the left. I heard the sound of heavy footsteps echoing through the prison, and there was the guard carrying a ballista like a crossbow.
I realized he was pointing the weapon at me, my heart raced and I broke out in a nervous sweat, corpses and monsters is one thing, but having a siege weapon pointed at you is a completely different story.
"You better start running faster!" Kitab screamed.
Without wasting time, I did what the book said, I accelerated my pace and ran faster, I saw the guard accompanying me with the ballista, in the middle of my run, and he fired. I threw myself to the ground and the ballista arrow flew over me, into a prison cell and piercing a ghoul in the stomach, pinning him against the wall with a crash.
The guard grumbled that he missed and started to reload the ballista, I quickly got to my feet and kept running, I reached the end of the walkway, just in time to escape another shot from the ballista, this one digging into the wall beside me, cracking and dropping the stone.
"You missed!" I yelled at the guard as I walked up the stairs.
The answer I got was a scream of rage and an arrow from the ballista slamming into the wall at the bottom of the stairs. As soon as I finished climbing the stairs, I stopped immediately and struggled not to throw up, the smell was beyond horrible, the smell of something rotten, the smell of death.
As soon as I took a step forward, I felt my foot stepping on something wet and sticky, looking at the ground, I saw something red, blood. Taking a deep breath, I walked forward and finally saw where I was, in the blood pit, walls, floor and ceiling covered with mutilated corpses in different states of decomposition.
Shit! Damn it! Fuck! I know I should expect this, but it's still hard to see, take a deep breath, I immediately regretted it and tried hard not to throw up, thinking better, don't take a deep breath, hold your breath and don't look to the side or down.
"What a waste! Instead of being dumped here, all these mortals could have made a fine sacrifice!" Kitab exclaimed.
"You are not helping." I murmured.
"What? You read the stories. Sacrifices are normal for Old Ones, even if some of them don't even want it."
Lovecraftian curiosity, not all Old Ones wish to be worshiped, but after finding out something about them, some humans go crazy and form cults that try to invoke and contact the Old Ones, even though the Old Ones couldn't care less about humans.
I continued walking down the hall, but something shiny on the floor caught my eye, a red vial, perfect. I took the flask and put it in my backpack, but prepared to run in case I accidentally disturbed a certain floating head, seeing that nothing happened, I went ahead, passing through the hole that led to the caves and up the stairs.
However, I couldn't get rid of the feeling that someone was watching me as I crossed the pit.
I finished climbing the stairs and found myself in the inner hall; I stopped to think for a minute. Should I go back to free Cahara, or keep the vial to free the girl? Hm... Tough choice, considering the guard knows I'm walking around and I'd have to go through the blood pit again...
I think I'll just keep the vial and move on, if I find a key or another red vial I'll come back to save Cahara.
I continued walking through the hall and passed where the secret passage that would lead to the armor of penance was supposed to be, but for that I need Trortur's key and light all the torches in the hall.
I just need something to make a fire, anything!
Down the hall, I heard the sound of footsteps behind me, I turned around in time to get out of the way of a scared man, the man was shaking and sweating, his clothes dirty and torn and a little blood stained his face.
"He is coming!" The man yelled before running past me and hiding in one of the rooms.
He? Wait a minute! That man must be Buckman! So that means the one who's coming is...
"Well! Well! Well! What do we have here?" A squeaky voice came down the hall.
Rounding a corner, a deformed dwarf carrying a knife appeared, Trortur.
"Who the hell are you?" Trortur said with difficulty, his misshapen mouth making speech difficult.
"Nobody important, just a visitor." I replied while drawing my dagger.
"Hm... There's no need for violence, you can be a good boy and surrender, I'm a doctor, you know?" Trortur muttered as he turned the knife in his hand.
"I will have to refuse. How about we go our separate ways before someone gets hurt?"
This seemed to piss off Trortur "Don't underestimate me; I've fought worse than you in the past!" Trortur exclaimed as he ran towards me with his knife raised.
It was a little disappointing, I won't lie, I was scared, but seeing Trortur almost fall to the ground as he ran towards me gave me some courage, I raised the dagger and brought it down on Trortur's shoulder.
"AAAHHH!" The torturer screamed as he dropped the knife and grabbed his wound.
I pointed Kitab at Trortur and casted Cats of Ulthar, the dark ooze came out of the book and formed the same monstrous cats as before.
"Hump! A bunch of cats? That's the best you can do... AAAHHH!" Trortur never ended, as the cats began to devour him.
I looked away from the bloody scene and focused on where Buckman was hiding; I entered the room and found the supposed prince huddled in a corner.
"You can leave; I already took care of the short mutant."
"D-did you kill him?" Buckman stammered.
I glanced at the man who was screaming in agony.
"You can say so." I said nervously.
"Thank you very much! Glad to find another human being in this place! My sense of time has been shattered; I don't know how long I've been here! Days? Months? Years?"
Buckman spoke as he shook my hand vigorously.
"Okay…Okay…You're welcome. Listen, Seymour is looking for you. Last time I saw him, he was resting in the armory in the basement."
Buckman's eyes shined and he gave me a big smile.
"Is Seymour alive? Thank you very much, young man! I'll go after him right away! Thank you again!" Buckman exclaimed as he grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me.
Then Buckman ran down the dungeon corridor.
"Meh! He is not so bad after all. I expected an arrogant prince." I shrugged.
"He is a weak-minded coward." Kitab spoke.
"Do not say that. This dungeon is messing with all of us. "
"Speak for yourself."
I returned to the corridor and found what was left of Trortur, only bones and rags. The blood-covered cats were lying on the floor with their bellies full.
As I approached, the cats got up and rubbed my legs, getting blood on my pants.
I shuddered with disgust.
"Well, the cats like you, it doesn't surprise me how much food you feed them."
"I wonder if they will help me against the strongest monsters."
"Probably not, but they can serve as distraction for you to ran away."
"Didn't you complain about me running away from fights?"
"Yes, but there is no reason to die like a fool."
At least Kitab is reasonable.
I looted Trortur's remains, found the key to the armor, and stowed Trortur's knife in my pack.
Now where to go?
Going right, I continued picking up items, still nothing to light the torch. Looking into a room, I saw yet another of the disturbing things about the dungeon.
The Human Hydra, a mass of human bodies writhing, laughing and moaning in a gigantic marriage of flesh.
"Hey! You there! How about joining us?" A cacophony of different voices spoke, the Hydra's many eyes focused on me.
I ignored Hydra; I wouldn't gain anything from this thing.
"The Old Ones are disappointed with this poorly performed ritual."
"At least the Hydra is enjoying it."
Further, ahead, I found the altar of Alll-Mer with the priests in front of it.
Hm... Best to ignore them, I do not intend to sacrifice anyone.
I walked carefully; preparing myself for what was just ahead, the library where Enki is if you don't choose him as a playable character.
"Hello? Someone here?"
No reply. Walking slowly into the library, I looked around, hiding behind the bookshelves.
I don't want to get a fireball in the face by accident. I poked my head out of a shelf, I didn't find Enki. However, I found something else that caught my eye, a small key.
I smiled when I saw the shiny object on top of a table, I put the key in my pocket and left the hall, I'll throw some coins later. Maybe I can find a necromancy book on the shelves?
I went through the courtyard with the well, I could jump into the well and take the shortcut to the basement, and from there I could go back to Cahara.
Not yet.
I passed through the courtyard and arrived at the dungeon entrance, only to see a ghoul running towards me.
The being was thin and pale, wearing a loincloth and with bloody hands, its white eyes staring at me as it tried to bite me.
I leapt to the left, slamming my back into a table, but dodging the ghoul's bite, and quickly piercing the monster's side with my dagger right after.
With a tearing sound and a small spurt of blood, the shoddy dagger easily sank into the creature's flesh.
The ghoul let out a grunt and tried to attack me again, raising its claws and coming down towards me.
I jumped out of the way, past the Ghoul and deeper into the hall.
The ghoul's blow ripped a chunk off the table with a crack of splintering wood.
I advanced towards the Ghoul again and plunged the dagger into his stomach, for a moment I had a revelation, this is not a game.
I don't need to do one attack at a time! I withdrew my dagger from the Ghoul's stomach and stabbed it repeatedly.
Repetitive sounds of flesh being pierced echoed through the corridor along with the Ghoul's growls.
The Ghoul raised one of its claws and scratched me on the left shoulder.
"Son of a..." I kicked the Ghoul in the chest, causing him to crash into a bookshelf and knock the books on his head.
Wasting no time, I ran towards the bookshelf, grabbed it by the edge and pushed it forward.
The bookshelf fell on top of the ghoul, pinning him to the ground, I heard the sound of bones being broken, but the bookshelf wasn't heavy enough to kill the ghoul.
Even so, the Ghoul kept struggling, letting out screams of rage, but he couldn't get the bookshelf off him.
I crouched down next to the Ghoul and poked the side of his head with my dagger; the Ghoul turned and futilely tried to bite me.
I looked the ghoul in the eyes and said.
"Hey! You're dead."
The Ghoul stopped trying to bite me and went silent as if thinking about what I said. Did he understand my words?
The Ghoul looked me in the eyes, I think it was doubt. Did he doubt what I said?
"I'm telling the truth. Look."
I turned my dagger towards the Ghoul, making him see his own reflection. The Ghoul stared at the confused reflection, but with one last grunt, he stopped moving.
"Well, rest in peace." With the Ghoul dead, I climbed over the bookshelf and kept walking.
"The Old Ones are divided, some approve of your actions, and others wish you had killed the Ghoul."
"Well, they gave me the freedom to do whatever I want."
"They know it and part of them regret it."
If I remember correctly, there's a lot of useful stuff here at the entrance, but there's something more important.
I approached an old, rotting wooden door, kicked the door in the lock area, the door shook, but still stood.
I kept kicking, with each blow the door shook on its hinges, with one final blow, the door gave way.
The door fell into the room with a loud crash, kicking up a cloud of dust. When the dust settled, I found myself in a small room with a table, a bookshelf, flags on a wall, and a large red rug.
Moreover, in the center of the room was a cage and inside the cage, a small shape hiding in a corner.
I pointed my cell phone at the cage, the shape inside the cage hid even further, shielding its eyes from the strong light.
There she was, the girl, future Goddess of Fear and Hunger.
I put my cell phone away and walked over. Kneeling in front of the cage. The girl looked at me scared, trying to look as small as possible.
I lowered my hood and took off my iron mask.
"Hello. Sorry to scare you, but you don't have to be scared, I'm not a monster." I said in a soft voice and smiling at the girl.
The girl didn't answer. Can she understand what I was saying?
"Don't worry; I'll get you out of here."
I unlocked the cage with the small key and opened the door to the side.
I saw doubt and surprise in the girl's eyes. She must think this is too good to be true.
"Come on, I won't hurt you. Let's get out of here and get you something to eat. You must be hungry."
The girl hesitated.
"Hm… You don't trust me, do you? How about I get you a gift? Proof that I am speaking the truth."
I removed the doll from my backpack and held it out to the girl, the girl's eyes widened in surprise, she stared at me, probably looking for any sign that I was lying.
Slowly the girl extended her hand.
END OF CHAPTER
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein