The little guy was actually invisible beneath the tops of the nettle plants.
“Head to the nearest wall, master and turn right. You should walk along it until you come to an outcropping.”
Simon growled as he pushed his way through the clinging plants, little tearing sounds following his every move.
Once at the steep wall of the gorge, he turned and walked beside it. The plants had thinned out here and he was able to avoid most of them.
Kronk had been right, as usual. Part of the wall seemed to have collapsed ahead, but as Simon moved out and around it, he found a narrow crack that led into darkness.
“It's the entrance, all right,” he said to the elementals. “Kronk, could you go ahead please? You know the underground better than either Aeris or me.”
“It would be my pleasure, master. I will check for immediate dangers. Please wait a moment.”
The little guy slipped by Simon and hopped into the opening, disappearing from sight.
Aeris flew closer and hovered by the wizard's shoulder.
“Looks like a tight fit,” he said as he examined the crack in the rock.
“Yeah. For a change, I'm happy that I'm so skinny. And that I don't get claustrophobic.”
The elemental looked at him speculatively.
“You know, I just realized something interesting about you.”
Simon raised an eyebrow.
“Oh really? Do tell.”
Aeris snickered at the obvious sarcasm.
“No, but seriously; you have no phobias that I know of. None at all. Very strange for the average human being, as I recall.”
“Sure I do,” Simon replied. “I'm afraid of the undead, dragons scare the crap out of me, witches...”
With an exaggerated eye roll, Aeris cut him off.
“No, no. I meant normal fears, not dark magic stuff. I mean, you don't fear heights, darkness, small spaces; that sort of thing.”
Simon paused and thought about it.
“You might have a point. Well, I'm not a fan of spiders, if I'm being honest. It's not a phobia, really, I just don't like the way they move sometimes. You know, slowly, one leg at a time. It's like they're thinking about their next step. Ugh.”
“I suppose so.”
“Master?”
Simon jumped back and looked down at Kronk, who had popped out of the crack in the stone wall.
“Oh, forgive me, master; I didn't mean to scare you.”
“That's okay; you didn't.”
Aeris was watching him with barely-concealed amusement and Simon wiped his sleeve across his forehead.
“Warm, isn't it?”
“Boiling,” Aeris agreed with a snort of laughter.
“I suppose so, master,” Kronk said, puzzled. “The cave is clear ahead. The initial passage is narrow and you will have to crouch down for a dozen yards or so, but it widens after that and slopes downward.”
“Thanks, Kronk. Go on ahead and we'll follow you.”
The earthen nodded and re-entered the opening.
“Well,” Simon said to Aeris. “Here we go again.”
Chapter 11
The crack was barely passable. Simon had to push, pull and force his way through. He ripped his robe several times and tore a thin strip of skin off of his left palm. His cursing vocabulary got a good workout.
When he'd finally made his way into the wider section of the passageway, he sat down on the sandy floor to catch his breath.
“Whew. That wasn't fun,” he wheezed as he breathed heavily.
“I am sorry, master,” Kronk said contritely. “I underestimated the size of that tunnel.”
Simon summoned a magical light and let it rise up almost to the roof.
“Not your fault,” the wizard replied.
He dabbed his bleeding hand on the hem of his robe and used his staff to slowly get to his feet.
“We have to go this way regardless, my friend. And this section of the tunnel looks a lot easier to get through. So no worries. Could you lead on, please?”
“Yes master. The slope is gentle ahead, but there is loose sand on the stone ground, so please watch your step.”
The little guy pattered off and Simon followed, his light globe keeping pace above him. Aeris brought up the rear, his body shining in the gloom.
Kronk was right. The passage was wider but it sloped just enough to make his footing slick on the sandy floor. He almost fell several times, but his staff helped to keep him on his feet and he was grateful to have it with him.
After a steady, if cautious, hour of traveling through a series of galleries and small caves, they eventually reached an area that obviously wasn't crafted by nature.
“Stairs, master,” the earthen's voice echoed out of the darkness ahead.
“Stairs?”
Simon looked back at Aeris, who looked startled.
“There are stairs down here?” the elemental wondered out loud.
“Guess so. Let's take a look.”
The wizard sent the globe of light ahead of them to illuminate the ground. This section of the crooked tunnel twisted and turned so much that they had lost sight of Kronk and could only guess how far away he was.
A last turn and they were standing in a round chamber. The walls were about seven feet high and perfectly smooth. There was no sand on the ground, just plain gray stone. In the center of the room was a hole and Kronk was waiting beside it.
“Here, master,” he said and pointed at the dark opening. “Steps leading down. I believe that a dwarven tunnel is below us.”
Simon nodded and sent his light to hover above the opening. He walked over and cautiously looked down into it.
Kronk was right. Steps had been carved into the stone and circled downward in a clockwise direction. They were steep but looked solid.
“Cool. I hope you're right. Do you want to go down first?”
“Yes master, that would be the safest choice. Allow me a moment to get ahead and then you can both follow me.”
“Go on then. I'll count to ten and start down.”
The earthen hopped down the steps. The sound of stone on stone echoed up as they quickly lost sight of him.
Simon counted slowly to ten and then began to descend, Aeris closely behind him. Between the light of the globe and the glow that the air elemental emitted, the wizard had no problem seeing his footing.
“How old could these stairs be?” he asked Aeris as they descended. “They have a lot of cracks and they're dusty. Hundreds of years?”
“Thousands, my dear wizard. Thousands. The dwarves have had not contact with your kind or the surface world since the gods, both good and evil, retreated from this universe.”
“But why build something like this in the first place? Were the ancient peoples of the Earth, humans and dwarves, so close that they felt the need to make these connections between the underground and the surface?”
“Perhaps so. I have no real knowledge of the dealings of the two races with each other. Maybe you should ask Shandon Ironhand when you see him?”
“Yeah, maybe I will.”
The sounds of Kronk hopping down the steps had faded and Simon wondered if he had finally reached the bottom.
They continued downward, turning and turning. The dust on the steps became thicker and Simon coughed violently several times to get the heavy stuff out of his lungs.
“Damn, how much further?” he wondered wearily. “Good shape or not, my legs are turning to jelly.”
“It can't be much deeper, my dear wizard,” Aeris said from behind him. “I've counted six hundred and seventy-two steps so far, which means that we are very deep inside the world now.”
Simon stopped abruptly and looked over his shoulder at the elemental, who was hovered a few feet behind him.
“Hang on; you're actually counting each step?”
“Certainly.”
“Why, for God's sake?”
Aeris shrugged.
“Gives me something to do, I
suppose. This whole thing is rather tedious, don't you think? I needed some diversion.”
Simon coughed to clear his throat and began walking again.
“You really are a child at heart, do you know that?” he said. “Or you have a bad case of OCD. That's possible, I suppose.”
“Excuse me?”
The wizard was saved from answering by a call from below.
“I have reached the bottom, master.”
“Thank God for that,” Simon said with heavy relief. “I really need to sit down for a few minutes and have some water.”
They found Kronk waiting at the bottom of the stairs. The room that they emerged into was a duplicate of the one at the top, except that there was a square doorway sealed with a heavy iron door.
“The exit, I assume?” Simon asked and nodded at it.
“Yes master. I wanted to wait until you got here before opening it.”
“Can we open it?” Aeris wondered.
He floated across to the large, imposing door and grabbed the thick handle that protruded from it.
Simon watched, amused, as the glowing elemental heaved and tugged at the door. Nothing happened.
“Well, that's it then,” Aeris said in disgust. “We'll have to go back. A shame to have come all this way for nothing, but that's life sometimes.”
Kronk snorted and crossed the floor. He slipped his stubby little fingers in the crack where the door met the frame and pulled steadily.
“Why are you wasting your time?” Aeris asked him. He flew down and landed next to Kronk. “If I can't open it, then...”
With an ear-splitting screech of rusted hinges, the iron door began to open, inch by stubborn inch.
Aeris looked flabbergasted.
“How?” he stuttered.
“Instead of asking how, maybe you could give him a hand?” Simon said pointedly.
“What? Oh, yes. Right. I'll do that.”
With both elementals working together, the heavy door finally seemed to give up the fight and opened wide with a last, weak squeak.
“Good work, guys,” the wizard told them with a smile. “I'm assuming the door hasn't been opened in a very long time.”
“I agree, master.”
Kronk moved into the doorway and stared out at the darkness beyond.
“A hallway, master. Perhaps fifty feet long. I can sense the underground highway beyond it. If you can wait until we reach it, I think it would be a more comfortable place to rest instead of this dusty room.”
“Thanks, Kronk. I'm sure you're right. Let's go.”
The tunnel was straight as an arrow and the air was stale and dry, smelling only of dust.
Simon shivered suddenly. It felt like they were entering a long lost tomb.
He sent the light globe ahead of them and it illuminated Kronk as the little guy skittered along, obviously oblivious to any fear of the underworld around them.
Lucky guy, Simon thought.
“The exit, master,” the earthen called out. “We have arrived at the dwarven trade roads.”
“About time,” Aeris said irritably. “Let's hope your magic isn't so impeded by all of this blasted rock that you can't Gate us home when we're done down here.”
“Don't be so impatient,” Simon replied. “We may be underground for quite some time. God only knows how far away Kingstone is.”
“Delightful thought.”
They emerged from the passageway into the massive tunnel system of the dwarves. Simon directed his light upward and it brightened as it ascended, lighting up the entire area for fifty feet in all directions.
The tunnel soared twenty feet over their heads and every ten or fifteen yards, a sturdy arch helped to reinforce the walls and ceiling, keeping them from collapsing from the weight of the rock around them.
There were deep grooves worn into the surface of the road, proof that at one time a lot of traffic and commerce traveled the highway from city to city.
“Any signs of recent activity?” Simon asked Kronk as he took off his pack and sat down with a weary sigh.
The little guy walked along the road examining the ground. He was mumbling to himself, something that Simon couldn't remember Kronk ever doing before, and he watched him curiously.
A few minutes later, the earthen came back and sat down a few feet in front of the wizard with a quiet thump.
“No signs, master. The gravel and rock dust that has fallen from the ceiling over time has not been disturbed. At a guess, I would say that no one had used this section of the tunnel in many, many years.”
Simon nodded. He dug out his flask and drank some water. Then he opened up a packet of dried peaches and ate a few.
“Which way do we go to reach the capital?” Aeris asked as he bobbed up and down over their heads.
He was turning in a slow circle with his head cocked to the side, apparently listening intently.
Kronk pointed to their right. The tunnel descended in that direction, gently heading deeper into the bowels of the earth.
“It is that way. But the trip will be a long one. It is many, many miles away.”
Simon drank some more water and rolled his shoulders, working out the kinks.
“Ah well, it's not like it's a surprise; we figured it would be quite the hike. Aeris, do you feel like doing some scouting? Now that we're on the main highway, Kronk doesn't have to lead anymore. Besides, no offense to our friend here, but you do move a lot faster than either of us.”
“No offense taken, master,” Kronk assured him. “You are correct. Aeris is a very good scout.”
“Why, thank you,” the air elemental said with a smile. “It's nice to be recognized for one's talents. And yes, I would be happy to scout up ahead. There are many more dangers wandering the world now than there were the last time we traveled these roads.”
“Thanks Aeris. If you see anything dangerous, get back here immediately.” Simon shook a finger at him. “No heroics.”
Aeris rolled his eyes, gave them a wave and flew off; his glowing body looking like a comet as it disappeared into the darkness.
Simon watched him go and then put his flask and the rest of his food back in his pack. He stood up, picked up his staff and settle the pack over his shoulder.
“Shall we?” he asked Kronk.
“Yes master, let us follow Aeris. There is a long road ahead.”
They walked for hours along the deep road. Aeris would return every hour or so to report in, but it remained uneventful. And just when Simon had decided to stop for the day, the air elemental came back to tell them that there was a way station up ahead.
“Way station?” Simon asked wearily.
“Yes. Remember we found one once before? There is a well with good water, I checked to make sure, and the room it is in has been used by travelers before. At least, it looks that way. I think it would be a good place for you to spend the night.”
“How far?”
“Another half-hour's walk, I'd say.”
Simon adjusted his pack again and nodded.
“Okay, I think I have that much energy left in me. Let's go.”
The way station, or whatever the dwarves called those little rooms that they had built in the distant past, was a good place to camp for the night. It had a well with clean water, an even floor where Simon could unroll his sleeping bag and lay down comfortably and stone benches carved into the walls to sit on. It was practically a hostel.
“Good find, Aeris,” Simon said when they arrived and explored the area. “And just in case something nasty comes stalking out of the darkness, this doorway is narrow enough to defend easily.”
“Yes, I thought so too. And that little alcove off to the left there will be useful as well.”
“Why? What is it?”
The wizard poked his head into the small room, which wasn't much bigger than an old-style phone booth, and looked around.
“Wow. It's a latrine. Yikes, I wonder how deep this hole is?”
Aeris flew by him
with a chuckle and looked down into the darkness.
“As long as it is separate from the well, which I'm sure it is, it doesn't matter. Do try not to fall in, won't you?”
“I'll do my best,” Simon told him dryly.
He got settled in, hauling up some fresh water to use for washing and drinking. He missed having a fire to heat the water for tea. And the liquid was extremely cold, so his clean-up was a quick effort. But all things considered, it was an excellent place to stop.
He was sitting on one of the benches, chewing on a bar of dried berries and thinking random thoughts, when Aeris floated into the room. Simon's eyes were getting heavy and he was ready to get some sleep. Kronk was sitting next to the low rim of the well.
“Well, I'm off,” Aeris said abruptly.
His comment was so sudden that Simon jumped a bit and almost fell off the bench.
“Cripes, Aeris, don't do that. Where are you off to?”
“I'm going to scout ahead a few miles, then return and patrol the tunnel around the camp for the night. Can't be too careful down here.”
“Are you not being just a little bit paranoid?” Kronk rumbled. “We have seen and heard nothing down here except ourselves. And I feel nothing through the stone that could be threatening to us.”
Aeris shrugged and flew back to the doorway.
“It never hurts to keep an eye open, right? I'll check in when I get back. Sleep well, my dear wizard.”
And he was gone.
“He's bored, master,” Kronk said with a shake of his head.
“I know. But he's right too. Better safe than sorry.”
“I suppose that is true, master. I will go out and keep watch in the tunnel. Call me if you need me. Good night.”
“Night, Kronk.”
It was impossible to tell what time it was when you are underground. Simon slept when he was tired, ate when he was hungry, and just continued walking toward the capital city in between.
The deep road seemed unending. It undulated, rising and falling, twisting to the left and right seemingly at random. At times, it felt to Simon like he was traveling in the belly of some monstrous snake.
When he asked Kronk why the road took some many turns and dips, the earthen tried to explain that various densities in the rock had forced the ancient tunnelers to detour around certain spots rather than force their way through them. Aeris commented that it was the most boring conversation that he'd ever had the misfortune to overhear.
The Dragons of Bone and Dust (Tales from the New Earth Book 7) Page 13
