Crown of Vengeance Stephen Zimmer

Preview of Book II

in the

Fires in Eden

series

Lee

“The two of you up there, come down, now!” Gunther yelled up to the loft, before turning back towards the others.

He waited with a worrisome expression on his face, until the two young women had come down the steps to join the others. “No luck is with us. None whatsoever. The Avanorans are coming straight towards this dwelling, in great strength. Far too many to even think about a fight. It is certain that they will find this place, and I am not so naïve to think that they will respect a man’s dwelling. We must go!”

“How far away are they?” Erin asked.

Erin, like the others, presented anything but a calm façade. Wide-eyed panic was written all over her face as she looked to Gunther.

Lee’s greatest anxieties were spawned by the deep worry etched across Gunther’s face. In the short time that he had known the woodsman, there were a few traits in the stalwart man that rose prominently to the surface.

Of his more noticeable characteristics, it was obvious that Gunther was not the sort of man to openly exhibit trepidation, unless there truly was a daunting reason. The entire patrol of the bestial warriors on the winged steeds had not rattled him in the slightest. He had seemed wholly unflappable in the aftermath of that conflict, except for the trauma at the loss of his Jaghun. Lee knew without a doubt that fear did not come lightly to the tall, brawny woodsman.

“They are close enough. Unless you prefer to die gloriously, and take a few of them with you, and hope that some gleeman sings of you one day, I would suggest that we all get moving now. As for myself, I am not seeking glory in a senseless fight, so I am leaving now. You may stay if you like, though,” Gunther replied tersely, clearly in no mood for any edgy banter with Erin, sharply preempting any rude responses that she might have entertained.

For her part, Erin made no caustic reply.

Gunther moved swiftly, gathering up a couple leather packs and opening a couple of the wooden chests on the ground. He rummaged through the chests quickly, withdrawing some items of clothing and other incidentals that he packed into the hide pouches.

Lee and the others were sternly exhorted to gather up their weapons, along with any other things that they wished to take with them. There was not much in that regard, as Lee and the others did not have so much as a single change of clothes.

Packs filled, Gunther strode over to the back of the room, heading towards the barred door. He brushed roughly by Ryan in the process, almost knocking the young man off his feet with the brusque impact.

Lee knew that the contact was not intentional, simply a result of Gunther’s mind being far away from the woodland abode. Gunther paused to glance back towards Ryan, as if in afterthought, and apparently recognized the confusion upon the younger man’s face.

“There is no time, we must go without delay,” he said more gently, as he lifted the wooden plank from the great door and swung it open.

What little light there was in the outer room was immediately sucked up inside the door, absorbed into the impenetrable blackness on the other side. Lee reflexively shivered as a robust draft of cold air rushed out of the darkness. Just beyond the door, the sides framing the blackness were revealed to be rough hewn stone

The cooler air emerging from the interior of the cave-like atmosphere had a clean moistness to it, imbued with a damp, musty scent. Only a tiny speck of dim light in the far distance signified anything that he could orient upon with his eyes.

The four awaited Gunther hesitantly, looking between the entrance and the woodsman.

“The door is open for you, to go through, now!” Gunther barked at them. “Walk slowly, and keep your eyes upon the light. The ground underfoot is even enough. You can feel your way along the sides if you wish, but keep your balance.”

Lee started through the doorway first, giving some confidence to the others as they followed behind him. The ground a few paces inside the doorway was at a downward slant. Fortunately, it was not terribly steep, and he noticed that it headed straight towards the distant light.

Putting his hands out, he discovered that the passage framed by the entrance remained narrow, as he felt along the rough-hewn rock to the sides. Methodically, he took his first steps forward, careful to maintain his footing. The surfacing beneath his feet, though far from even, did not have any larger projections or dips that threatened make him stumble or fall.

After about twenty paces in the narrow corridor, his hands could no longer touch both sides at once. He could also sense the enlargement of space in the widening passageway, yawning open above and around them. He adjusted over to the side, to move forward along the wall to the right.

Within the surrounding blackness, he could hear the sounds of the Jaghuns padding up from behind, shortly passing by Lee and the others. The presence of the creatures in the passageway was reassuring, though it did not entirely quench his sense of apprehension as they made their way through the darkness, towards the unknown.

Lee heard the shutting of the wooden door behind them, followed by a sliding sound and a loud “pop”, as if a wood plank was being shoved into place from the inside.

It came as no surprise to Lee that Gunther had taken both sides of the door into consideration when he had built his dwelling. Heavy, swift footsteps then echoed along the passage, as Gunther hurried down the corridor. Within a few moments, he drew up alongside Lee.

“The enemy will find my home, but there will be no easy path for them to take, to come against us down here. Remember, we are calling upon friends, in a time of need,” Gunther said to Lee, loud enough for the others to hear. He then spoke louder, addressing the quartet. “Now keep going towards that distant light.”

Gunther’s voice trailed off as he started forward, taking the lead. Lee and his three companions fixated their eyes upon the distant glow, still far ahead and below.

Moving slowly through the deep gloom, the rest of the descent seemed to take an eternity to complete. The light before them was a welcoming beacon, reassuring and calling to the party as they carefully navigated the engulfing darkness of the downward pathway.

Gradually, the speck of light grew to become a definable circle, which in turn became an oval-shaped portal, one that was easily big enough for the group to walk through. The light gradually illuminated the ground and sides around them, though it revealed little other than rock.

Off all the strange things that Lee had seen in his life within two worlds, what awaited the group at the end of the passageway was perhaps the strangest yet. He had expected something unusual, but found that he was completely unprepared for the sight that greeted his eyes.

The light was not generated from any sun or artificial means.

The luminescent glow came from many broad, amorphous patches, spread high up the sides of a huge rock cavern that the passageway opened upon and revealing what looked to be a rather bizarre forest that stretched out far and wide in the vast cavern. Even at first glance, in the midst of an entranced awe, Lee saw that there was a definite order to the strange forest. It was as if the growths had been cultivated according to a well-organized arrangement, evincing a specific purpose for the forest. Lee’s initial impression was that the forest was similar to an agricultural farm.

The forest was a mixture of soaring vertical growths, some varieties resembling giant mushrooms. The growths continued on down in size to much shorter stalks, the smallest of which were barely taller than Lee.

The footing underneath was very strange, as algae-like growths and a spongy loam covered the ground. Lee could see that it was the substance of the thick layers that served as the foundation for the greater forest. The path that they were walking on was like a channel cutting through the deep organic material. The amount of loam that the towering stalks were rooted in throughout the cavern was incredible to consider.

Lee drew to a complete halt just a few steps into the cavern, gazing all around. The bright, glowing patches on the walls, bathing the great expanse with bluish light, added considerably to the mystical beauty of the extraordinary place. He looked about in a state of wonder, nearly breathless as his eyes adjusted further to the glowing light. The overall effect of the place was simply magical, unlike anything he had ever seen.

“I don’t think I believe this,” Lynn remarked slowly, her eyes drinking in the astonishing sights surrounding them.

“Unbelievable,” Ryan added, craning his neck back to look up at the underbelly of one of the tall mushroom caps. Had the cap been upon the ground, all four of the exiles could have stood comfortably within its circumference.

Lee hardly bothered to notice the Jaghuns grouping swiftly around them. Just ahead, Gunther had come to a stop himself, though it was not out of awe for the sights around them. His eyes darted among the growths, as if searching for some sort of sign, or presence.

Gunther slowly stepped back to where Lee was.

“What is it?” Lee asked in hushed tone.

“The Unguhur might wonder why I bring companions who can speak their language well … as they know that I possess only a small number of their words. Best not to give rise to suspicions where we are needing friends,” Gunther said, keeping his attention riveted upon their surroundings. “I will have to meet everything about the four of you in time, including your amulets from the Wanderer.”

“Should we take ours off?” Lynn asked him, voicing the first question that came to Lee’s mind.

“They will know you are of another world, no matter what you do. The instant that they see you will tell them enough. I may suggest that you simply keep your own words few at the beginning, if speaking any at all. But keep your amulets on you. At least it will help you understand what they say. We have little other choice,” Gunther replied evenly. He then paused, as if thinking further on the matter. “It may also be wise not to reveal that you can speak with them, and understand them. They may speak more openly, if they do not know you can understand their words.”

The four exiles nodded. Lee was relieved to know that they could retain the pendants. Once he had come to understand the nature of his amulet, he had regarded it as indispensable. In a world where he knew not one of the languages spoken upon its surface, the amulet was a lifeline.

The group remained silent, as Gunther continued to look out into the wondrous forest around them.

“As a friend I come, Gunther, of the upper world,” Gunther called out loudly into the stillness about them. His voice carried far and vibrantly, echoing within the enormous space of the cavern.

His shouted words brought Lee, Lynn, Ryan, and Erin closer in towards him. Lee was now fully out of his enraptured state, thoughts of the forest retreating as he looked to see who, or what, Gunther was speaking to. He found himself gripped by a nervous anticipation.

Movement drew his eyes, as a grayish shape could be seen moving amongst the growths, emerging from a deeper part of the fungus-forest and striding towards them. The figure was not alone, as several other large shapes came out from the forest growths all around the party just a few moments later.

The great size of the approaching beings became increasingly apparent with each long stride that they took. Were it not for the relaxed nature of the Jaghuns, and the placid, entirely unruffled demeanor of Gunther, Lee would likely have sought to take flight, and run as fast as he could back towards the passage.

The hulking creatures approaching them were humanoid, each one standing well over eight feet in height. They had large, triangular ears that were pressed close against the sides of their wide heads.

The shape of their faces had a distinctive concavity, lending them all a naturally melancholic expression. Large, forward-set eyes rested deep within their wide sockets, beneath pronounced brow-ridges, while their prominent lower jaws jutted forward.

Their thick, bullish necks were connected to immensely muscular bodies, warning any who looked upon them of an inherently tremendous physical strength. They were also long-limbed creatures in proportion to their powerful bodies, the considerable lengths of their arms and legs rippling with corded muscle.

There was little mystery as to the identity of the creatures. Lee knew that the beings coming towards them were the Unguhur.

Lee could see why the creatures had once been called Stone Hides. Their grayish skin did indeed have a stony texture, though at close proximity Lee could see that the creatures possessed a very light growth of thin, gray hairs covering their outer skin.

Most of the creatures wore a type of hide-skirt, similar to a kilt, which was wrapped around their waist and hung down to just above their thick knees. A select few wore plain hide tunics along with the kilt, both items appearing to be fashioned of a thicker, different kind of leather hide. The Unguhur wearing tunics also looked to be larger and more muscular than the rest.

The massive hands of the Unguhur exhibited fingers that ended in what looked like of small spear blades. The same was true of their rather long feet. Lee could not help but conjecture that the creatures could readily tunnel through hard-packed ground without the need for any tools.

The ones wearing the tunics were armed with great lances. The lance blades were crafted out of a black stone that had been shaped long and sharp, making the weapon propitious for slashing or for thrust.

Those with the hide-skirts alone carried much shorter weapons, club-sized for the scale of the beasts. The crude, mace-like weapons held a large, obsidian stone lashed tightly to the end of their thick shafts.

The creatures bearing the lances moved to the forefront of the bare-chested ones, the latter clustering into a loose throng behind them. Altogether, sixteen of the creatures came to stand before Gunther’s party. The huge beings made no hostile moves, though they kept some distance between the two parties. The ones in the front retained a firm grip upon their huge spears, though the sharpened points were tilted upwards, towards the cavern ceiling.

Gunther turned to Lee and the others, and spoke in a lowered voice. “We must wait for one of the Unguhur leaders, versed in our language. One will come. These were the closest to us, warriors and laborers attending to this cavern.”

Lee nodded wordlessly to Gunther. He was not about to divulge the nature of their amulets to these creatures, for there was no telling what interest or alarm the brutish-looking beings might harbor for the magical devices.

After what seemed like an age had passed, five more of the Unguhur walked into view out of the forest. Like those in the forefront of the group before Gunther, four were wearing the tunic-kilt combination, and bore great spears. The four warriors walked in escort around the fifth member of their group, keeping the distinctive being centered in their midst.

The protected Unguhur, alone among the twenty others in sight, was unarmed. Clad in a full-length tunic of softer material, flowing almost like a robe, the creature wore a necklace made up of an array of very long, sharp teeth. Tan-hued hide armbands were wound snugly about each of its upper arms. Each exhibited a single line of raised scutes, gleaned from the hide of whatever creature had been used to fashion the armbands.

“Hail, Eranthus,” Gunther greeted the guarded Unguhur, lowering his head towards the approaching contingent.

“Gunther. You come. Been long. No wood? No trade? You bring others?” the robe-wearing one stated, when the last group of Unguhur had finally reached the larger gathering.

Lee listened with the benefit of the amulet, knowing by the stilted, hesitant words that the Unguhur was speaking in the Saxan tongue to Gunther. The creature spoke in a low, gravely tone of voice that fit well within the atmosphere pervading the strange world of deep, underground rock. It was obvious to Lee, from the great deference given to the creature by its surrounding brethren, that the being held great authority amongst their kind.

“No trade. We seek refuge here. A danger comes to us above,” Gunther replied.

It was difficult to read the expression upon the creature’s broad face, but the look in the large being’s eyes seemed to convey familiarity, and even a sense of affinity, towards Gunther. The same eyes shifted to study the four humans with the woodsman very closely. The creature’s eyes narrowed, bringing furrows to the prominent, broad ridge of its forehead, applying great scrutiny to the clearly unexpected human guests.

“Enemy come?” Eranthus asked.

unghur2.tif

Gunther nodded, and as he spoke he used physical gestures to illustrate and emphasize his words. “Bad times come in world above. Work of Unifier. Big army comes. There are many enemy. Had to leave home. Could not stay above. Come to warn Unguhur. Need home with Unguhur.”

At the mention of the Unifier, the Unguhur leader Eranthus’ facial muscles tensed into something that looked much like a snarl. The lips curled back enough to reveal that the Unguhur had large teeth, along with a set of extremely prominent, and very sharp canines. Lee could tell that there was no love lost between the Unifier and the Unguhur, something that made Lee feel much more reassured about their prospects with the intimidating creatures.

“You safe. In Unguhur lands now. Come now. Who friends?” Eranthus asked, his eyes looking back inquisitively towards the four exiles.

“Will give story. Maybe prophecy. Friends. Protect from Unifier,” Gunther replied.

“Gunther friends welcome. Gunther beasts welcome. Come. We go to Oranim,” Eranthus stated. “We watch tunnel to above world.”

Eranthus turned and spoke in an even lower tone to the warriors that had escorted him. Lee picked out several words, listening as the Unguhur leader instructed the warriors to summon others, ordering them to watch over the long tunnel that lead up to Gunther’s dwelling.

When Eranthus was finished speaking to the warriors, two of the spear-carrying Unguhur had cupped their hands to their faces, and bellowed back in the direction of the forest.

In mere moments, a number of other voices were raised from places near and far within the forest. There were evidently several more Unguhur in the cavern, as a trickle of Unguhur appeared shortly into view, covering the ground in swift, loping strides.

Gunther did not have to explain to Lee that each of the giant creatures was worth several human warriors, if combat were to ensue. Lee found himself intensely grateful for the fact that Gunther was regarded as a friend by the creatures, as over thirty of the creatures now surrounded them. If the Unguhur had decided to become hostile, there was nothing that Gunther and all of his Jaghuns combined could have done to protect Lee and his companions.

Most of the warriors gathered together, leaving with the ones that Eranthus had instructed towards the lower tunnel entrance. Eranthus then motioned for the humans to follow, adding the invocation, “Warriors there. Now, come.”

Only a couple of the warriors had remained behind, and these now escorted Eranthus, as the club-wielding Unguhur dispersed and headed back into the bizarre forest.

Eranthus led them a path that meandered through the forest-like environment, the loam on each side sloping up to the base of the lofty growths flanking the pathway. Walking in silence, Lee took in the sights of the forest around them. They moved through many varieties of unusual growths before finally stepping out of the forest and entering a broad clearing. His feet stepped once again onto a hardened surface, the ground no longer covered with the organic material that saturated the area underneath the tall growths.

A short distance ahead of them, at the end of a gentle, downward slope, an underground river flowed. The dark waters of the river coursed with a slow current, patient and confident within the channel that it had carved out of the rock over long ages.

There was an area along the shoreline where there were a number of broad, crude rafts. They were fashioned from even lengths of some kind of thick stalk, though whether the stalks were from something in the fungal forest, or a kind of tree, Lee could not yet tell. The stalks were lashed tightly together with hide rope, and the rafts looked sturdy enough.

Several large stones rested at the edge of the river’s shore. The end of a long rope of hide was looped and secured around each stone, the other tied at the end of a raft. There were two such anchoring points for each individual raft, arranged so that the length of a particular raft could be tethered securely, right alongside the landing area.

A cluster of long paddles, and some considerably lengthier poles, lay prone upon the stony shore. There were a few Unguhur standing around the bobbing rafts, all looking upon the party’s approach with great interest reflected in their deep-seated gazes.

As they all neared the edge the river, Lee and his companions stayed back a little, keeping some distance between themselves and the flowing waters. The rock surface near the edge looked dangerously slick.

Peering down the river, Lee could see that it traveled along the outer edge of the forest, curving out of sight into the depths of a tunnel whose mouth was not far downstream. Off to the right, he saw that the river emerged from a similar tunnel at the other end of the cavern.

It was in that moment that Lynn suddenly flinched, bumping into Lee and then aggressively nudging him. A startled, fearful look was splayed upon her face, and Lee followed the line of her sight to see what had suddenly unnerved her.

A distinct pair of impassive eyes was poking above the water’s surface, set into two rising protrusions. The creature’s pale eyes reflected the glowing light within the cavern, giving them the appearance of lustrous gems. A little distance in front of the eyes was what looked to be a very pale, light tan bump that broke through the surface of the water. The creature was hovering just a short distance beyond the rafts, staring intently towards the group of newcomers and the Unguhur alike.

At first, Lee could make out very little of the organism’s full form, concealed as it was by the dark waters. Finally, as realization dawned upon him, his eyes stretched wider with an upsurge of astonishment and fear.

Lee did not need to be an expert to judge the great size of the jaws belonging to the floating creature, from its eyes to the tip of its elongated, tapering snout. He instinctively shuddered to think of the enormous size of the body extending beyond those unblinking eyes, easily larger than any crocodile or alligator that he had ever heard about.

“Gunther! What’s that? Tell me that’s not what I think it is,” Erin blurted out excitedly, as she became acutely aware of what Lee and Lynn had been staring at.

The Unguhur, most especially Eranthus, looked upon Erin with a look of stunned surprise, even as Erin cast a look of alarm towards Gunther. Lee tore his gaze away from the creature in the water, and looked towards Erin, seeing immediately that she had just realized her mistake.

“Wizard Gift. Will tell story soon,” Gunther quickly said to the Unguhur, while shooting Erin a highly annoyed glance.

Lee could not entirely blame Erin for the inadvisable lapse in discipline this time. The massive creature in the water was absolutely terrifying to even comprehend, and he could not fault her for being shocked into committing the blunder. Nonetheless, he froze as he awaited the response of the Unguhur.

The Unguhur leader nodded to Gunther, although some tension had clearly manifested between them. Eranthus replied to Gunther with a pensive voice, “You tell soon. What this is. All new ones speak?”

The leader glanced towards Gunther’s four human companions in the way of emphasis.

Gunther’s face tensed, as he replied, “Yes, all new ones speak.”

Eranthus regarded Erin and the others with confusion apparent in his expression. “You understand my words?”

Erin nodded silently, looking reluctant to reply.

With a sigh, Gunther held his hand out towards Erin, indicating the amulet with his gaze. She took it off slowly, and handed it over to the woodsman, who placed it around his neck. Eranthus’s already large eyes widened further, as Gunther opened his mouth and spoke again.

“A Wizard’s gift. It enables us to speak your language, perfectly,” Gunther explained in a resigned tone. “I wanted to talk to you about this first, to explain it carefully, so that you would not be alarmed. I do not much like the things of magic myself.”

“What Wizard?” Eranthus asked Gunther, with palpable apprehension.

“The Wanderer,” Gunther replied. “In the forests above. He sees something of importance in these four.”

Lee could see Eranthus visibly relax at the open mention of the Wanderer. He was grateful for the Wizard’s apparently widespread reputation.

“That is a good tiding,” Eranthus commented, the edge now absent from its voice.

“Nice going, Erin,” Ryan muttered under his breath, with more than a little disgust in his voice.

Lee did not reprimand the young man, as there was no use in hiding their capability anymore.

Ryan had also taken notice of the cause for Lynn and Lee’s surprise, and he glanced back towards the creature in the river. “So what are they, Gunther?” Ryan asked the woodsman uneasily. “I can’t say I’m thrilled to see those things either.”

“Those are Gallidils,” Gunther calmly informed Ryan and the others. “Do not be afraid of them, but be cautious. They have lived alongside the Unguhur race for much longer than I have.”

“They are so enormous,” Lynn remarked, in clear awe.

“The ones dwelling in these caverns and tunnels are among the greatest of their kind,” Gunther replied. “There is some talk in the world above of an even larger surface kin, living somewhere within the Shadowlands. Thankfully, I did not encounter such monstrosities when I traveled in those lands. These are not of that breed, but you will likely find nothing to rival them anywhere else in Ave.”

“Doesn’t surprise me,” Ryan retorted.

“How can the Unguhur live so close to something like that?” Erin asked fearfully.

“They do not have a taste for the Unguhur,” Gunther said. “There is also some interaction between the Unguhur and the Gallidils, which shows a rudimentary level of relationship. But all of you should just use reason. I will give you one simple piece of reason. Stay on the shore or the rafts. Do not swim in the waters and tempt the Gallidils.”

Gunther grinned with a humorous sparkle to his eye, albeit brief, as he looked upon the faces of the four otherworlders. The woodsman was undeniably deriving more than a little enjoyment from the sight of their collective agitation.

“Stay out of these waters, and you will be fine enough,” Gunther reiterated, shaking his head and chuckling. “Is that clear enough? Difficult to understand?”

“That one stays by rafts often. It is a young bull of their kind. We feed him plenty enough,” Eranthus remarked.

The Unguhur leader then gestured towards the cluster of its own kind, the ones that had been standing down by the rafts when the party had emerged from the forest.

One of them turned, took a couple of steps to the side, and bent down to pick up the prone body of a large fish. The fish was one of a row of several rather sizeable fish lying upon the ground, near to one of the anchorage boulders.

Lee got a good look at it as the Unghur lifted it up. The pale-hued fish was highly unusual in appearance. It had an extended dorsal fin, with a similar fin running along its underside, adding to a general form that to Lee brought to mind an eel.

Yet he knew without question that it was certainly no eel. If anything, it was something like a catfish, judging by the long, whisker-like barbs protruding from the rounded end of its rectangular head. In proportion to its body, the fish had very tiny eyes. For a creature that lived in the dark of underground waterways, the existence of a diminutive set of eyes was not a surprise to Lee.

As the Unguhur raised the fish up, the Gallidil immediately started drifting towards the shore, as if it were well familiar with the gesture. Lee watched the giant creature gravitate closer, gaining a better perspective of the reptilian beast’s substantial girth and length. It was truly a monster, and the fact that it apparently had some sort of routine encounters with the Unguhur was of little comfort.

As the water parted and coursed around the contours of its tapering snout, Lee received some glimpses of the short spikes visible on the creature’s exterior, lining its upper and lower jaws. The fearsome array of interlocking teeth included veritable daggers protruding up from the lower jaws, towards the end of the snout, one on each side.

Lee did not even want to think about what it might look like when the creature opened its extensive jaws wide. Even closed, they were incredibly intimidating to behold.

With a great heave, the Unguhur slung the fish carcass out towards the incoming Gallidil. The creature’s great jaws exploded out of the water, flashing amidst a burst of water as they clamped down upon the tossed meal.

Lee quivered slightly at the sheer power and speed exhibited by the leviathan, even as he heard an audible gasp from Lynn and a curt exclamation from Ryan. Erin was left in a state of near paralysis, a faint trembling having come over her body.

“Keep him eating. Keep belly full. No room for Unguhur then,” Eranthus commented with a throaty rumble that Lee took to be laughter. Eranthus saw the dumbfounded expressions on the faces of the four with Gunther, and a mild look of irritation came across its face, “Second fish in short time. That one has eaten much. Now no room for Unguhur. Do you understand?”

“They do not have much humor in them right now,” Gunther quipped wryly, chuckling again. “I will explain it to them later, Eranthus … if they can remember to stay out of the water.”

Gunther’s reply caused Eranthus to suddenly break into loud laughter, accompanied by several of the other Unguhur. Thinking that they had just inadvertently caused some offense, Lee was very relieved to see their open mirth.

Gunther winked at his four guests, and turned back to Eranthus. “Many thanks, for keeping the Gallidils full. I am not sure whether or not I would like to find out if they like the taste of humans.”

The Unguhur within earshot rumbled merrily for a few more moments. The display of joviality in creatures with such robust and outwardly intimidating appearances was quite a juxtaposition, at least to Lee’s perspective. Admittedly, he expected the creatures to be far more given to far less friendly manners of expression.

The lighthearted reaction, and a few snippets of explanations, did much to allay the fears in Lee. He could see the others with him starting to relax as well. Lee looked from Gunther back out towards the river, to see if his calming nerves would still hold up at the direct sight of the Gallidil.

As if no longer interested in seeking another meal, the huge Gallidil had turned away, and was already swimming slowly from the raft area. The sight of the Gallidil distancing itself was admittedly more reassuring than anything that Gunther or the Unguhur could say.

A couple of the Unguhur then stepped out onto the broad rafts. The rafts jostled a little as they took the creatures’ full weight, but the great size and mass of the rafts kept them fairly stable upon the water’s surface.

At a gesture from one of the Unguhur upon the raft, Gunther guided his four human wards forward, towards the edge of the natural quay. His Jaghuns followed in a loose cluster closely behind him.

The Unguhur appeared fully relaxed, despite the fact that another Gallidil manifested itself in the wake of the one that had just been fed. Lee’s breath caught in his throat as he took notice of the new creature, which was significantly larger than the former one.

The tremendous creature was hovering uncomfortably close to the edge of the raft that Lee was being guided onto. It slowly crept inward, as Lee took his first step upon the lashed stalks of the raft.

The ease with which the Unguhur went about preparing the raft only marginally lessened his suddenly renewed anxiety. Erin looked as if her nerves were about to swiftly fray apart as she hung back a few paces. Ryan’s face held little conviction as he tried to gently coax her forward. Lynn had managed to board the raft, but her eyes were fixated downward, clearly laboring to shut out any sight of the creature.

“Hah! Now you want extra meal!” one of the Unguhur on the raft shouted to the Gallidil, while slowly shaking its head.

The Unguhur’s attitude showed its high annoyance, and also its familiarity, with the evidently freeloading beast. It looked back to one of the others on the shore, continuing to shake its great head in apparent resignation. “Give him one too.”

The Unguhur that the one on the raft had just addressed snatched up another one of the large fish lying upon the shoreline. The fish that was selected was a grander specimen of the same type as the first. The Unguhur lugged it over to the shore’s edge, and heaved it deeper into the river.

Swiftly, the Gallidil rotated about, darting off with surprising dexterity towards the ample offering as the Unguhur on the raft scowled after it. The carcass was snapped up in an instant, spraying water all about in the violence of the water-born hulk’s movements.

The Unguhur turned back to the four humans with Gunther, staring quietly at them. To Lee, it seemed that the creature took notice of the great discomfort exhibited on the faces of the four exiles with the woodsman.

“Gallidil no danger,” the Unguhur said. “We know that old bull too. Do not worry.”

Eranthus then gently implored them, “Go. Get on the raft. The Gallidil will be no trouble.”

Ryan stepped onto the raft, and turned around to help Erin. He held out his hands to her, to offer her some assistance.

Erin paused for a few more moments right at the cusp of the river, shivering in fright, before finally grasping Ryan’s hands and taking a ginger step onto the raft. A look of panic remained etched across her face, as she kept looking past Ryan towards the water. Once on the raft, she swiftly moved to join her companions towards the middle of its surface.

A second Unguhur followed Erin onto on the raft, holding two of the longer poles and two paddles. It handed one of each of the elongated implements over to the other Unguhur.

The small group of Jaghuns was then divided amongst the two rafts. Gunther aided each of them in getting onto the watercraft, as they showed little enthusiasm towards the endeavor and had to be cajoled one at a time.

The beasts were clearly agitated and fidgety around the water, especially the youngest amongst them, Skyheart and Darkmane. Gunther’s presence aided the younger creatures’ willpower, and he kept the younger Jaghuns with him on the raft that he was to ride upon.

“Come now Fang, you are the most fearless! And yet you are little better than the pups!” Gunther commented gruffly to the greatest of his Jaghuns, as the creature eased itself nervously towards the center of the raft.

The Jaghun eyed the water with great intensity. Its rippling chest was taut, and its broad paws were pressed firmly into the raft as it stoutly braced itself.

“Can’t blame them,” Lee remarked, staring out at the dark, flowing waters. It was a sight that was understandably unnerving for any terrestrial creature, especially with the knowledge of what lurked within the river’s depths.

“No, I sure can’t,” Lynn agreed at his side.

“Fang’s been here before, he should know better by now” Gunther replied curtly, with a dismissive air.

The more that Lee stared, the more his mind began to conjure up visions of exaggerated depths, and hidden leviathans. He pulled his attention away from the murky river to watch the rest of the group boarding, knowing that the sight of the river was doing him little good.

In a few moments more, all of the passengers were finally settled aboard. The Unguhur raft pilots untied the pair of rafts from the anchoring rocks upon the shore. With a shove, and a few dips of the paddles to orient the rafts, the party was heading down the river.

The rafts, though rather simple, were sturdy, and provided amply for the larger forms of the Unguhur. For the much smaller humans, they were more than adequate watercrafts. The rafts were easily able to accommodate all of the humans and Jaghuns, with plenty of space to spare. Ably handled by the Unguhur piloting them, the floating platforms remained amazingly steady within the waters as they traveled along the slow currents.

Lee’s nerves were given little respite, however, as he was quick to notice that the rafts were accompanied by their own set of waterborne escorts. A couple of very sizeable Gallidils were keeping pace effortlessly, swimming in the wake of the rafts.

“We don’t have any fish on this raft to give them,” Erin commented to Lee tersely, in a whisper.

“We’ll be fine,” he whispered back to her, though the sight of the pursuing giants was quite unsettling. If he could have edged any further towards the center of raft, he would have, but he was already as far as he could go.

While Erin pressed in closer to him and kept watching the Gallidils, Lee relaxed his guard enough to start noticing the other aspects of their travel. They passed by the teeming stalks of the underground forest to the left, as they made their way towards the gaping tunnel entrance ahead.

There was not much activity within sight, but on a few occasions Lee espied Unguhur a short distance from the shore. They invariably came to a halt in their tasks and stood quietly, staring at the unusual group of visitors riding upon the rafts.

They left the huge cavern with its mystical forest behind as the rafts entered a wide tunnel that had been burrowed out by the river. The continuous passage of water had rendered the surfaces of the tunnel walls fairly smooth. The rocky ceiling hung a little low, just barely high enough for the Unguhur to stand up straight on the rafts.

Patches of the glowing, algae-like substance that lit the great cavern grew at periodic places within the tunnel, swathes of it clinging to the damp passage’s walls. The regularity of positioning, and the general uniformity of the size of the patches themselves, gave a strong indication that they had been willfully placed and cultivated by the Unguhur. The ambience generated by the patches was more than enough to help with their navigation of the long, dark tunnel.

Their large hosts were not extremely talkative, even amongst each other. He looked over to the woodsman, who was cradling Skyheart and Darkmane close to him. While the two Jaghun cubs whimpered and whined, Gunther appeared to be completely at ease, even though he shared their hosts’ subdued demeanor in the sustained silence of the travel.

Deep within the rock, at the end of a prolonged, curving stretch of river, the rafts abruptly emerged out into a sprawling, gargantuan, underground lake. Like the strange forest, the sight was instantly breathtaking.

Lee’s mouth went agape at the immensity of the lake-cavern, as he looked out across the huge body of water. On the far shore, at the end of the enormous cavern, a subterranean metropolis arose. Even more spectacular, the mass of edifices looked to have been carved out of the very rock of the cavern itself.

Stretching from one side of the cavern all the way to the opposite end, the semi-circular city was recessed back into the rock, rising in distinctive terraces. The glowing, algae-like substance used in the forest and tunnels was applied in great quantity within the vast cavern, casting a considerable ambience over the city and around the lake.

A gossamer shimmering was spread like a thin, dynamic membrane, all across the rock facing of the great cavern. Its glimmering nature flowed from the rippling and undulating lake surface, reflecting the cerulean light of the widespread swathes of luminous growths from water to rock. The effect was at once ephemeral and dazzling, holding Lee spellbound for many moments as he gazed upon the majestic entirety of the spectacle.

Most of the luminance within the city emitted from among the ascending terraced structures. A sprawling cascade of shadows was cast along the jagged cavern walls that bordered the city on three of its sides, as well as the rock ceiling above it.

Moving, merging, and separating, the host of shadows paraded across the rock surfaces, likely emanating from the movements of a substantial number of Unguhur, whose activity was visible all throughout the city of stone. A considerable number of rafts of various sizes, were tethered along the far shoreline, and many others were floating out upon the surface of the great underground lake.

Those out upon the water were each attended by two to three Unguhur, whose purpose was very evident. Standing rigidly in place, as if statues, they stared intently downward at the gleaming surface of the water.

In their huge hands they gripped forked spears, poised and motionless above the water, with their powerful arms drawn back on the verge of a downward thrust. Tensed and ready, they were patiently awaiting a very specific moment.

As Lee looked on, one of them abruptly lashed out with blinding speed and force, thrusting the spear down into the water. When the Unguhur retracted the spear, a splashing form had been skewered upon its far end. The Unguhur strained as it brought the flopping, thrashing body of a large fish aboard the raft.

It was a different type of fish than the kind that had been fed earlier to the Gallidils. The fish had a flatter head shape, provided with a lower jaw that jutted out noticeably farther than the upper. Its back and underside fins were set further back along its body.

Like the other type of fish that Lee had witnessed, this fish was also very light in coloration, its pale hue shaded by the light blue ambience radiating from the growths on the walls.

Though the raft was very large, the throes of the fish, and movements of the Unguhur, as it pulled the catch towards the center, caused the raft to rock significantly.

Some of the Unguhur that were engaged in fishing, either distracted, or having already secured a recent catch, paused to look up at the newcomers on the incoming rafts. They hesitated for a moment, and Lee could see a few of them getting the attention of their companions.

He knew that they had taken note of the human and Jaghun occupants of the rafts, apparently not a very common sight within their subterranean domain. They stared quietly at the rafts, but did not seem to be alarmed as they eyes took in the presence of Eranthus and the two warriors. A few finally turned their attentions back to the task of fishing, while the gazes of others still lingered.

Several more of the great Gallidils could be seen resting out of the water, their ample bulk pulled up on the bank in little clusters along the far shoreline. Still others were traversing the surface of the lake, their extensive mass drifting gracefully through the dark waters.

The ones in the waters did not react to the two rafts, though a couple of the creatures altered their courses so as to avoid any chance of colliding with the watercraft.

Once in the colossal cavern, Eranthus’ raft took the lead, pulling a little ahead of the second and keeping its quicker pace. The Unguhur upon it paddled with strong vigor, heading for the midpoint of the vast crescent that formed the far shoreline.

One Unguhur on each raft then shifted to the longer poles as they drew closer, having reached much shallower waters. The Unguhur used the poles to aid in their final approach, as they deftly positioned the rafts, and brought them towards an area on the shoreline where several large anchorage-rocks were set down by the water’s edge.

A few Unguhur, of the type wearing only the hide-kilts, hurried down to the edge of the shoreline, to help the arrivals secure the rafts and disembark.

The Jaghuns bounded nimbly onto the shore, appearing more than pleased to find a solid rock surface underneath their paws again. Gunther set Darkmane down, as Skyheart leaped to the solid ground behind him. The woodsman strode away several paces from the rafts, waiting quietly for Lee and the others to join him.

Lee hardly saw the woodsman, as his eyes were bombarded with an abundance of sheer wonder, as were those of his companions. They all stood nearly dumbfounded as they drank in the full sight of the astonishing city from up close.

The great terraces now towered far over them, with evenly demarcated sections of them running down to either side. The sections, to Lee’s best guess, were likely groups of individual dwellings.

Each section contained a series of four units, stacked upwards and back in the terraced arrangement. The terrace-sections ran all the way to the very ends where the lakeshore culminated in the cavern’s walls.

It was a colossal and breathtaking mass of edifices, which could provide for a large number of the huge Unguhur, maybe a thousand or more. Lee could not begin to fathom how much effort had gone into the incomprehensible undertaking to initially fashion the subterranean city. It was now abundantly clear that the terraces had been carved out of the very rock of the cavern.

Not far ahead from where they were standing was the base of a very broad set of stone-carved steps. The steps led far upwards, towards a massive, unique structure that exhibited a smooth, curving outer facing. Whatever the rounded-faced structure was, it was set within the deliberate center of the entire metropolis, with everything else arrayed in the balance.

A couple of the lance-bearing Unguhur wearing the tunics stood attentively to each side of the stone steps, down at their base. Though they undoubtedly observed the arrival of the human and Jaghun newcomers, the expressionless Unguhur warriors made no move to come forward from their positions.

Another set of rafts was disembarking just a short distance down from where Lee’s group had landed. Several of the warrior-Unguhur were busy offloading the bounty of a recent hunt. Erin wrinkled her nose in distaste, as Lynn gawked at the unusual contents of the rafts.

Lee found the quarry of the hunters to be fascinating, giving him some more clues regarding the nature of the underground world that he and his companions now found themselves within. The evidence indicated a world as strange as it was daunting, and not one to be approached with a trivial attitude.

Great woven baskets rested idly on the shore, containing several huge crayfish. The great crayfish were, on average, longer than the distance from Lee’s elbow to his fingertips. Lee did not want to imagine the pain that their sizable pincers could inflict.

A warrior lugged the bodies of two substantial eels to the shore, dragging the ends of their over ten foot long bodies to scrape along the stony surface. The bodies of the eels were greater around in circumference than Lee’s upper leg, and the sight of them and the crayfish instantly brought a greater understanding to Lee of the underground water’s formidable denizens.

Yet it was not only water-bound creatures that had been obtained in the hunt.

Two other warriors picked up a long pole, along which were strung the bodies of several very large bats, a couple of which had wingspans of well over two feet. One bearing up each end, the warriors conveyed the pole high off the ground as they made their way away from the shore. They headed down the shore to the right, lugging their leathery-winged quarry.

Three other warriors labored with the massive coils of a great constrictor. Its immense bulk and length made Lee shudder, as he realized with certainty that the giant serpent was large enough to swallow a human being.

Even more troubling, the serpent was a creature that was not limited to just water or land, but could hunt in both environments. He could only hope that such creatures had been ridded from the immediate vicinity of the metropolis and cavern that he and his companions were now standing within.

The last warrior among the rafts of the hunting party carried another carcass ashore, which had a bulbous, rounded body. Its long, thin legs were all folded, pulled in tightly against its lifeless body.

“A great cave spider. A delicacy among the Unguhur, and one that your friend probably would not appreciate very much,” Gunther commented, nodding towards Erin with the hint of a smirk on his face.

Lee chuckled in slightly detached amusement, as Erin proceeded to confirm Gunther’s words. Having taken notice of the great spider, Erin had immediately blanched.

Though he found some humor in the reaction, he did not find the idea of a great cave spider altogether appetizing.

“All that is down here? In these caves?” Lee asked Gunther, as the implications of the hunters’ quarry continued to dawn upon him.

“It is an enormous cave system, and this hunting party has likely been out for quite some time. It is a dangerous undertaking for them, but the Unguhur do not want to eat fish constantly,” Gunther stated, another grin escaping him, as he eyed Erin’s continuing discomfort. “And, like all of us, they like to test themselves, though I admit that they do indeed choose difficult tests.”

“Nothing I would like to test myself with, anytime soon, or even remotely encounter,” Lee said, glancing back to the nearly forty foot length of the serpent, and the massive head at one end.

“I cannot say I disagree,” Gunther said, also looking upon the dead snake.

Most ironically, Lee got the impression that he and his companions were every bit as exotic to the Unguhur as the warriors’ underworld catch was to the newcomers. Lee caught the successful hunters more than once stealing curious glances towards his own party.

Though they continued in their labors, there was no mistaking that the hunters were greatly intrigued by the sight of the humans. Lee surmised that it was Eranthus’ presence as an Unguhur of great authority that prevented them from giving in further to their manifest curiosity.

Lee then noticed that Eranthus had just sent the two warriors, who had escorted them from the cavern-forest, on towards the metropolis. The two creatures headed briskly in the direction of the steep flight of stone steps. The two lance-bearing sentries made no move to hinder them as they drew up to the base of the climb.

The two Unguhur then quickly ascended the steps in fluid strides, their movements looking effortless to Lee’s eyes. The warriors finally reached some manner of stone platform or landing at the end of the long staircase, disappearing from view as they proceeded towards the massive, circular structure looming at the summit.

“Welcome to Oranim, the great city of the Unguhur,” Gunther informed Lee and the others. “There are other underground forests, such as the one that you have seen, but this is the only city for this population of Unguhur. From what I can tell, several hundred live here, perhaps as many as a thousand, a population that has dwelled beneath Saxany for many, many years.”

“This is just amazing. …” Ryan stated, his voice trailing off. He looked around thunderstruck, his eyes panning along the sights of the stone metropolis.

Lee could add nothing to his young friend’s assessment, content to stand in place, and quietly take it all in.

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