Tales From The Void

Gabriela moved slowly down the stairway taking note of the pictograph carvings. Some are of what looks to be stories of hunters tracking down dragons and wyverns. Until coming to the end, there she sees a large Blue dragon that kills the hunters. As she stops to look closer its eyes shimmered, two sharp protrusions shoot out from the wall one of them grazing her left cheek. Falling backward against the wall behind her she begins to tumble down the stairs.

After rolling for a minute or two she stretches out her legs and arms wedging her body in place. She can feel the skin where it has been scraped and bruised blood is dripping from her right elbow. Her heart beats like a drum and her lungs burn like she’s been running for a long distance. Gabriela strains as she swings herself around to sit up. Reaching into her satchel she pulls a small vile filled with a thick purple liquid. Popping the cork, she drinks it down. Scrapes, bruises, and cuts all begin to heal.

“Well, that was close. Now let’s get moving Gaby,” She says to herself. Taking few minutes to pull her cloths and gear back into place she continues her trek down. After thirty minutes the stairs come to a domed landing with four other pathways. Searching the landing she finds more paintings though severely faded. Each doorway has its own painting next to it. The one on the furthest right has what looks to be a tangled ball of ropes or vines. The one next to it has something that looks like flowers but is so faded she can’t be sure. The third one is so far gone she can only see that it used to be a very deep red.

The last one is Farley well preserved in comparison to the others, it’s picture of a river. “This must be the way. The old woman said to tell the man in the river to stay out of the mushroom patch.”

Just before she could step into the new pathway, she heard a soft. “sssss,” From behind her. Turning to see where it had come from two red eyes appeared in the darkness from the tunnel marked with tangled ropes. Then two more, then more and more until there where five sets of red eyes staring at her from the darkness.

“Tell usss, who are you and what isss your business here?” Voice made her stomach feel like it was twisted in knots, she wanted to run but her feet would not obey her. It felt as if her body had been anchored to the ground.

“I am Gabriela I was just having a look around. I didn’t know anyone else was down here.”

“We have been here for a very long time, itss our home let’sss us hide from the world of light. We do not like the light, it hurtssss usss.”

“Come closer so we can ssee you better.”

Gabriela’s feet begin to mover her closer to whatever is hiding in the tunnel, she tries to resist but the eyes compel her. As she is brought closer the tunnel is illuminated by the amulet she is wearing. Giving her just enough light to see standing, or maybe slithering a large serpent. Its scales are black like the night sky with five heads, it has arms and shoulders like person.

The light also revels a slew of bodies that lay broken their flesh Long sense been removed. Many of the bones have scape marks though it seems really, they’re more likely bite marks. Suddenly though she comes to a stop only a few feet away from the entrance. The creature shifts uncomfortably at the light.

“Turn of the light so we can get closer.”

Gabriela fights the command struggling to do the opposite. Her mind raced thinking of the other bodies and how she didn’t want to be among them. Thoughts of finding her mother and going on adventures. She begins to sweat heavily from the effort until once again having control of her body again. Focusing on the light she instead of dulling it makes it brighter. The creature screams in pain as blisters begin forming on it’s skin. Getting more angry now and frustrated it lashes out trying to grab the amulet from around her neck. Reacting to this she pulls her crossbow and shoots it striking just above the clavicle where all the necks meet.

One of its heads spits out a green spray onto the ground then becomes limp no longer moving. The attacks become more desperate and frenzied now clawing at her face and arms. Unable to reload her crossbow she pulls her dagger and starts stabbing at the necks where they meet. One of heads manages to bite down on her forearm and it begins to burn almost like it had been lit on fire. She slices that head off which causes the creature to go more berserk. It grabs her lifting her into the air then throws her down into the pile of bodies.

It lunges once more, but she pulls a rusted longsword from the pile and impales the creature through the chest. It writhes in vain to get away crawling only ten feet before succumbing to its injuries.

Finding herself winded once more Gabriela looks at the wound on her arm. There is now a spiderweb like look to her skin around it. reaching into her bag she pulls a flask with lime green liquid and soaks a bandage. Placing the bandage on the wound it begins to bun once more. But now the bandage begins to turn black from the ichor that had been pumped into her from the bite.

Once out of her completely she felt much better. Without the anti-venom she would absolutely have been a goner. Not wanting to miss a good opportunity for some gold or long-lost antique. She looks through the pile of bodies first finding a handful coins some gold, silver, and coper. Just as she’s about to move on to the creatures body she sees a glint under a knight whose arm has is being clutched by his other hand. As she rolls the body over it reveals an arming sword with a very intricately carved handle made from ivory. There are scenes of battle inscribed on each side.

The blade is still in its scabbard which is made of metal wrapped in leather. The leather is mostly rotted away leaving the just the metal, but it is glowing a dull turquoise. Pulling the sword from its sheath it emanates electricity but its focused, like it was designed not to hit the wielder. She turns her attention to the creature. Now that she isn’t being beset by mouths trying to bite her face off, she can see it has many necklaces hanging on its body. most of them made of gold and jewels. Next to it she finds a crudely made sack filled with trinkets of all kinds.

“Might as well take it all you have no further use for these my many headed friend.” Now toting a small fortune Gabriela begins her descent to toward the river.

THE END

UNTIL NEXT TIME