A Tale Of Dragons And Sorcery

After I finished drying off and changing, I turned to the ominous shadowy path that Tyvelia had told me to follow. If I didn't say I was apprehensive about going deeper into the caves I would be lying. However there was literally nowhere else to go. Unless her telling to follow her was some sadistic joke that ended in my death, the best option would be to do as she says.

I then knelt down and picked up my helmet off the cold floor, before hearing an odd noise. It sounded like the clack of heels on tile.

"Another woman?"

A dim orange glow pierced the darkness as its bearer skittered towards me. A massive centipede the length of a car arrived within the room, raising its stone grey body off the floor and exposing its black underbelly. It's body was about the width a man, while it's eyes were a deep abyssal black. Its mandibles chittered and clacked as two beady black eyes peered at me, its front legs slowly undulating though they had nothing to grasp. Its two foremost limbs were long and spear-like, tipped with black serrated barbs. However one of said limbs held a steel lamp containing a flickering candle.

We stared at each other from opposite ends of the pool, with me being unsure of how to react to anything anymore.

The creature then shook its head violently before looking straight at me, rubbing its mandibles together. It then began to turn and leave, waving for me to follow it with one of it's massive forelimbs.

It seemed this thing was my escort.

And so, I tentatively followed the centipede out of the room, and into the maze of caves.

…

The creature marched slowly in front of me, its legs moving in tandem so smoothly, it appeared as though the centipede was gliding across the floor. As we marched, the greys of the cave walls slowly darkened, showing the depths we were beginning to reach.

The candle within the lamp started to waver slightly as the cave began to widen. We then came out into a massive open cavern which contained a deep chasm. As we walked over to the edge, I kicked some pebbles off the side.

*CLACK, clack, …*

"How far down does that even go?"

Though I had really been asking it to myself, much to my surprise, the centipede shrugged. Though I was fairly shocked, I quickly recovered. It seems the ridiculousness of the situation had begun to become some twisted new form of normal.

"So where to now?"

The centipede then pointed off to a thin ledge that seemed to go the length of the cavern. It was just wide enough for a single person to walk normally.

Seeing that I had nothing else to say, the massive creature simply turned and skittered off, the lamp swinging slightly on one bladed forelimb.

I never really thought about this earlier, but the centipede didn't seem very creepy considering it was a massive version of everyone's worst nightmare.

Looking down the chasm one last time, I turned and followed the giant insect.

…

I felt as though we had been walking for hours. The chasm ledge seemed to extend forever, and with only the single lantern to light our path, we could only move at this hyper-slow pace.

No matter how tired I felt though, every time I looked over the side of the ledge into the chasm below I felt my exhaustion disappear.

Falling here meant certain death.

Then I noticed the path began to widen. We were closing in on the end. The wall on the alternate side of the chasm was beginning to become clearer and clearer as the the divide between us and it shrunk.

Finally, the ledge began to widen, covering over the chasm until it met with the other wall.

We had made it to the other side.

Looking forwards, a single vast opening stood before us.

Before I could complain about the endless walking, the centipede stopped and pointed the forelimb with the lamp at me.

It was handing me the lantern.

I tentatively reached out and took it. The moment I touched the creature's rough stone-like carapace, it shivered, its beady eyes attempting to peer deep into my soul.

The moment it saw the lantern was fully in my hand, it disappeared into the darkness with a swiftness uncharacteristic of a creature that size.

I was once again reminded of how lucky I was to still be alive. I had met only two living things so far and yet I am pretty sure either could kill me with minimal difficulties.

Looking back towards the cave, I held up the steel lamp, and gazed down into what seemed to be an empty abyss.

Now without the clicking of chitin on stone, the world was completely silent.

Taking in a deep breath, I shoved away all the dark thoughts collecting in my mind and started off into the new depths.

…

The earth here was ancient, almost completely devoid of color.

It was as though I had stepped foot in a place no living thing belonged. The stone was completely black, showing I had likely reached the deepest part of this place.

Then, up ahead, I saw a faint glimmer.

I immediately picked up the pace, a smile on my face as I realized this may be the end of this lengthy labyrinth.

The faint light became brighter and brighter as I approached, glinting in the darkness as I began to move faster and faster.

Finally I had broken into a full blown sprint as I ran into the new room.

I had arrived.

And though moments earlier I had been panting like a dog, all my breath left my body when I saw where I was, my eyes widened in complete shock.

The entire cave was littered with silver.

Goblets, swords, shields, even a chariot or two.

They were all silver.

However the most numerous things were the coins. They were piled into high mountains, twice as tall as a man.

It was an utter fortune. A wealth no man could ever hope to own.

If I had worked a thousand years at Byron's every day, I couldn't even hope to be able to buy this much silver.

"My hoard interests you?"

I whipped around to see Tyvelia standing behind me, her soft voice nearly making me jump out of my skin. I quickly composed myself to not show she had managed to sneak up on me before answering her.

"I-it's certainly impressive."

She gave me a sly smile, making it obvious she had realized what had happened.

"I trust Scola led you here properly?"

She slowly walked towards me slowly, every step carefully placed.

"Uh yeah, they did a good job."

So the centipede was named Scola. I filed the name away as I focused on the situation at hand. Taking in a deep breath, I looked to the woman in front of me and focused my gaze on her blindfold.

"So why have I been called here. I assume you were the one who attempted to kill me in the forest."

Tyvelia smiled, showing a row of sharp white teeth.

"Its simple. You will become one of my possessions."