*
Gunther’s mood was severe, his face and hair caked with sweat as he bustled through the doorway into his woodland home. Lynn and Erin had watched him striding briskly towards the building, from a small window opening on the upper level. They had been alerted to his impending presence by a sudden restlessness among the Jaghuns.
Hearing the comments of the two women as they saw Gunther emerge from the forest depths, Lee and Ryan had hurried down the stairs to await the woodsman’s entrance. Lee felt impatient and on edge as he waited for the door to open, and the information that he anxiously sought to be delivered.
It was difficult enough for Gunther to move into the room, given that all of the Jaghuns crowded around and pressed their bodies together, close to the thick wood planks of the front door. Gunther barely responded to the greetings of the creatures, looking both distracted and pensive as he set his great bow down.
Lee could tell at once that something was very wrong.
Gunther looked towards Lee and Ryan, not even bothering to give them a greeting. He asked bluntly “Where are the other two?”
Lee pointed upstairs.
“The two of you up there, come down, now!” Gunther yelled upwards, before turning back towards the others.
He waited tensely until the two young women had come down the steps to join them. “No luck is with us. None whatsoever. The Avanorans are coming in force straight towards this dwelling. Far too many to even think about a fight. It is certain that they will find this place, and I am not so naive as 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 facade. 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 stalwart woodsman, there were some clear traits that rose prominently to the surface.
Gunther was not the sort of man to openly exhibit consternation, unless there was truly a very daunting reason. The entire patrol of the bestial warriors on the winged steeds had not rattled him in the slightest. He had been 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. That alone, more than anything else, gave Lee the most cause to be afraid himself as he saw the agitation in Gunther.
“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.
The man was not in the mood for any edgy banter with Erin, preempting any rude responses that she might have had on her lips. For her part, Erin made no caustic reply, keeping her mouth shut.
Gunther moved swiftly, gathering up a couple of leather packs, and opening a pair of 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 by Gunther to get 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 change of clothes.
Packs filled, Gunther strode over to the back of the room, heading towards the barred door, brushing roughly by Ryan in the process. Ryan was almost knocked off his feet by 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 existed in the outer room was immediately sucked up, swallowed by the impenetrable blackness on the other side of the door. Lee reflexively shivered as a strong draft of cold air rushed out.
The cooler air had a clean moistness to it, emerging from the interior of the cave-like atmosphere. Only a tiny speck of dim light in the far depths of the blackness 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 with urgency. “Walk slowly towards 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. He noticed that the ground within the doorway was at a somewhat steep, downward slant, which headed straight towards the distant light.
Putting his hands out, he discovered that they were in a narrow passage, as his hands found the rough-hewn rock on the sides. Methodically, he took his first steps forward, careful to maintain his footing. The surfacing beneath his feet, though not perfectly even, did not have any large projections or dips that threatened to 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 corridor, 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. The creatures passed by Lee and the others in the darkness. Their presence in the passageway was undeniably reassuring to Lee, though it did not quench his sense of apprehension as they moved through the dark towards the unknown.
Lee heard the shutting of the wooden door behind them, followed by a sliding sound and a loud “pop,” undoubtedly a wood plank 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 into the larger part of the passageway, as Gunther hurried down the corridor. Within 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 in an even louder voice to 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 fixed 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 them as they carefully passed through 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 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. Of 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 finally met his eyes.
The light was not generated from any sun or artificial means.
The luminescent glow came from broad, amorphous patches spread high up the sides of a huge rock cavern that the passageway opened into. The blue-hued light was quite ample, revealing what looked to be a rather bizarre type of forest that was spread out far and wide within the gargantuan cavern.
Even at first glance, and in the midst of his great awe, Lee saw that there was some type of order to the strange forest. It was as if it had been cultivated in a highly organized arrangement, with a specific purpose. Lee’s first impression was that it held the quality of a well-tended farm.
The forest was a mixture of soaring vertical growths, some varieties resembling giant mushrooms, continuing on down to much shorter stalks that were barely taller than Lee. The footing underneath was very strange, covered by algae-like growths and spongy loam. Lee could see that it was the substance of the much thicker layers that served as the foundation for the greater forest. The amount of organic material that the towering stalks were rooted in was incredible to consider.
The bright, glowing patches on the walls, and the bathing bluish light that they cast, added considerably to the mystical beauty of the extraordinary place.
Lee had come to a complete halt just a few steps into the cavern. He looked about in wonder, nearly breathless as his eyes adjusted further to the glowing light. The overall effect of the place was simply magical, and unlike anything he had ever experienced.
“I don’t believe this,” Lynn remarked slowly, her eyes drinking in the astonishing sights all around them.
“Unbelievable,” Ryan said, 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 companions could have stood within its circumference.
Lee hardly bothered to notice the Jaghuns grouping swiftly around them, in a protective manner. 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 him in a hushed tone.
“The Unguhur might wonder why I bring companions who can speak their language well… as they know that I possess only a modest number of their words. It is 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 unveil everything about the four of you in time, including your amulets from the Wanderer.”
“Should we take ours off?” Lynn asked him, voicing the obvious question that came to Lee’s mind.
It took no great leap of logic to perceive that the Unguhur would be quite surprised to encounter four people that they had never met speaking their language without error, much more fluently than Gunther.
“They will know you are of another world no matter what you do. I may suggest that you keep your own words few at the beginning. 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. “Then again, at first it may not be deemed wise to reveal that you can speak with them, and understand them. Sometimes it is wisest to hold some things back. It could even be an advantage. They may speak more openly if they do not know you can understand their words.”
Lee, Lynn, and the others nodded in understanding. Lee was relieved to know that they could retain the pendants. Once he had come to understand the nature of the amulet, he had regarded it as invaluable, if not 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 called out loudly into the stillness around them.
His voice carried far and vibrantly, echoing within the enormous space of the cavern. His words brought Lee, Lynn, Ryan, and Erin closer towards him. Lee was taken out of his enraptured state, as he looked around to see who or what Gunther was speaking to. He found himself gripped by nervous anticipation, feeling the sense of expectency coming from the woodsman.
Movement drew Lee’s eyes, as a grayish shape could be seen moving amongst the growths, emerging from a deeper part of the fungus-forest and heading towards them. Several other large shapes issued from the midst of the forest growths just a few moments later.
Lee quickly realized the great size of the approaching beings, which became more apparent with each long stride that they took. Were it not for the relaxed nature of the Jaghuns and the calm disposition of Gunther, Lee and the others would likely have taken flight and run as hard as they could back towards the passage.
The hulking creatures approaching them were indeed humanoid, each one standing well over eight feet in height. They had large, triangular ears that were pressed close against the sides of their broad heads.
Their faces had a distinctive concavity. Were it not for their greatly formidable nature, Lee would have found them to have a naturally melancholic expression. Large, forward-set eyes rested deep in their wide sockets, while their prominent lower jaws jutted forward.
Their thick, bullish necks were connected to immensely muscular bodies, warning any who looked upon them of great physical strength. They were also long-limbed creatures in proportion to their powerful bodies, the considerable lengths of their arms and legs rippling with chiseled muscle.
There was little mystery as to the identity of the oncoming creatures. Lee knew that the beings striding towards them were the Unguhur.
He could see why the creatures had once been called Stone Hides. Their grayish skin did indeed have a stony texture, though up close Lee could see that the creatures had a very light growth of thin, gray hairs along the surface of their bodies.
Most of the creatures wore a type of hide-skirt, similar to a kilt, which was wrapped around their waists 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. These Unguhur looked to be larger and even more muscular than the ones with only the kilt.
Their massive hands exhibited fingers that ended in what looked like small spear blades. The same was true of their 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 tunics were armed with what appeared to be great lances. The lance blades were made of a black stone that had been shaped long and sharp, making the weapon suitable for slashing or for thrusting.
Those with just the hide-skirts 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 behind.
Altogether, sixteen of the creatures had come 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, oriented 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 kind of interest or alarm that the magical amulets might invoke in the brutish-looking beings. He definitely did not want to risk gaining their ire.
It seemed like an age had passed, when five more of the Unguhur finally came forth from 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 individual centered within their midst.
The protected Unguhur, alone among the twenty others of its kind 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 of the armbands exhibited a single line of raised scutes, presumably from the hide of whatever creature had been used to fashion them.
“Hail, Eranthus,” Gunther proclaimed, lowering his head towards the approaching contingent.
“Gunther. You come. Been long. No wood? No trade? You bring others?” the robe-wearing one stated, as the last group of Unguhur finally reached the larger gathering.
Lee listened with the benefit of the amulet, but from the stilted delivery of the Unguhur, he surmised that Gunther was being addressed in the Saxan tongue. The creature spoke in a low, gravely tone of voice that fit well within the atmosphere pervading the strange underground world. It was obvious to Lee, watching the considerable deference given to the creature by its surrounding brethren, that the being held great authority amongst its kind.
It was difficult to read the expression upon the creature’s broad face, but the look in the creature’s eyes conveyed familiarity, and a sense of friendship, towards Gunther. The same eyes shifted to study the four humans with Gunther very closely. The creature’s eyes narrowed, furrowing the skin covering the prominent ridge of its forehead, as it applied scrutiny to the human guests.
“Enemy come?” the being then asked, looking back to Gunther.
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. Too much danger. Come to warn Unguhur. Need home with Unguhur.”
At the mention of the Unifier, Eranthus’ facial muscles tensed into something akin to a snarl. The lips curled back far enough to reveal that the Unguhur had very sizeable teeth, accompanied with a set of extremely prominent, sharp canines. Lee could certainly tell that there was no love lost between the Unifier and the Unguhur, something that made Lee feel much more reassured.
“You safe. In Unguhur lands now. Come now. Who friends?” Eranthus asked, his eyes looking back inquisitively at the four with Gunther.
“Will give story. Maybe prophecy. Friends. Protect from Unifier,” Gunther replied.
“Gunther friends welcome. Gunther beasts welcome. Come. We go to Oranim,” Eranthus said. “Watch tunnel.”
Eranthus turned and spoke in a 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 led to Gunther’s dwelling.
When Eranthus was finished speaking to the warriors, two of the spear-carrying Unguhur cupped their hands to their faces, and bellowed back in the direction of the bizarre forest. In mere moments, a number of other voices were raised from places near and far throughout the great cavern. A trickle of Unguhur appeared shortly, covering the ground in swift, loping strides as they hastened to the summons.
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, for over thirty of the Unguhur 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.
The warriors gathered together, leaving with the ones that Eranthus had instructed and heading 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 moved back into the depths of the towering growths.
Eranthus led them on a path that meandered through the forest-like environment. Walking in silence, Lee took in the sights of the lofty stalks rising around them. They moved through many varieties of unusual growths, before they finally stepped out of the forest and entered 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 fungal 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 at the shoreline where there were a number of crude rafts, fashioned out of even lengths of some kind of thick stalk. Though Lee suspected that the stalks had been culled from something within the fungal forest, he could not tell for sure. The stalks were lashed tightly together, with lengths of hide rope.
Several large stones rested on 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 to an 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 right alongside the landing area.
A cluster of long paddles and some considerably longer poles lay prone upon the stony shore, with even more on the rafts themselves. There were a few Unguhur standing around the rafts, all looking upon the party’s approach with great interest reflected in their deep gazes.
As they neared the edge of the river, Lee and his companions hung back slightly, keeping a little distance between themselves and the flowing waters. Looking 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 that was not far downstream.
It was in that moment that Lynn suddenly flinched, and then aggressively nudged Lee. A startled look was displayed 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. A modest 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 few yards beyond the bobbing 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 within the dark waters. Finally, as realization dawned upon him, his eyes stretched wider with an upsurge of amazement and fear, wholly apprehensive.
Lee did not need to be an expert to judge the great size of the jaws belonging to the floating creature, gauging the span from the eyes to the tip of its elongated, tapering snout. He instinctively shuddered to think of the full size of the body extending beyond those unblinking eyes, easily larger than any crocodile or alligator that he had ever seen before.
“Gunther! What’s that? Tell me that’s not what I think it is,” Erin blurted out with fearful excitement, as she became acutely aware of what had captivated Lee’s and Lynn’s attentions.
The Unguhur, especially Eranthus, whirled towards Erin with looks of utter surprise, even as she exhibited an expression of stunned alarm towards Gunther. It was in that moment that she realized her careless mistake, seeing that the Unguhur had understood her words perfectly.
“Wizard Gift. Will tell story soon,” Gunther quickly added, 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 comprehend, in proximity to the rafts that they were apparently going to board. He could not fault her for being shocked into committing the blunder.
The Unguhur leader nodded to Gunther, although some tension had now been brought between them. Its pensive voice replied to Gunther, “You tell soon. All speak?”
The leader glanced towards Gunther’s companions for emphasis.
Gunther’s face tensed, as he replied, “Yes, all speak.”
Eranthus regarded Erin and the others with confusion apparent in his expression. “You understand my words?”
With a sigh, Gunther looked to his four human companions, and back to Eranthus, whose already large eyes had widened further.
“A Wizard Gift. It lets them speak the Unguhur language well,” Gunther explained in a resigned tone. “I wanted to talk to you about this first, to explain it, so that you would not be alarmed.”
“What Wizard?” Eranthus asked Gunther, with palpable apprehension.
“The Wanderer,” Gunther replied firmly.
Lee could see Eranthus visibly relax at the open mention of the Wanderer.
“That is good,” Eranthus commented, the edge now absent from his voice.
“Nice going, Erin,” Ryan muttered under his breath, with more than a little disgust in his tone.
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 Erin’s outburst, and his eyes glanced back to the creature in the river.
“So what are they, Gunther?” Ryan asked the woodsman uneasily.
“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, much longer than I have.”
“They are so enormous,” Lynn remarked in unfettered awe.
“They are one of 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. But I did not see such when I traveled through those lands. These are not of that breed, but you will likely find nothing to rival them in all of Ave.”
“Doesn’t surprise me,” Ryan retorted.
“How can the Unguhur live so close to things like that?” Erin asked hesitantly.
“They do not have a taste for the Unguhur,” Gunther said. “There is also some interaction between the Unguhur and the gallidils that would bear witness to a rudimentary level of relationship. But all of you should simply use reason. They are creatures of the wild. I will give you one solid piece of reason. 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 a little personal enjoyment from the sight of their collective agitation.
“Stay out of these waters, and you will be fine enough”, Gunther reiterated. “Is that clear enough?”
“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 his kind that had been standing down by the rafts when the party had emerged from the forest. One of the others 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 specimens lying upon the ground, some as long as Lee was tall, near to one of the anchorage boulders.
Lee got a good look at the body of the fish 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 for 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 bulky fish up, the gallidil immediately started drifting towards the shore, as if it was well familiar with the gesture. Lee watched the giant creature gravitate closer, gaining more of a sense 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 glistening spikes visible on the creature’s exterior, lining its upper and lower jaws. The fearsome array of interlocking teeth included a veritable dagger protruding upward from the lower jaw on each side, located towards the end of the snout.
Lee did not even want to think about what it might look like when the creature opened its extensive jaws wide, but he had a feeling that he was about to. Even closed, the jaws and exposed teeth 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 great burst of water as they clamped down upon the offered meal.
Lee quivered at the sheer power and speed exhibited by the massive beast, even as he heard an audible gasp from Lynn, and a curt exclamation escape Ryan’s lips. 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 his face, “Second fish in short time. Now no room for Unguhur. Do you understand?”
“They do not have much humor in them right now,” Gunther said wryly, chuckling. “I will explain it to them later, Eranthus. Do not take offense at their distress.”
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 the Unguhur’s 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, outwardly intimidating appearances was quite a juxtaposition to Lee’s perspective. Admittedly, he expected the creatures to be far more given to other manners of expression, such as sternness, ferocity, and even anger.
The lighthearted reaction and 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 hold up at the direct sight of the gallidil.
As if no longer interested in seeking another meal, the huge gallidil had turned, and was already swimming slowly away 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 bobbed 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 to 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 renewed anxiety. Erin looked as if her nerves were about to swiftly fray, 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 riveted downward, clearly shutting out the intimidating sight of the creature.
“Hah! Now you want extra meal, big one!” 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 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’s comrade snatched up another of the large fish lying upon the shoreline. The fish that was selected was a grander specimen of the same type as the first, one that was easily as big in mass and length as Lee. The Unguhur lugged it over to the shore’s edge, and heaved it deeper into the river.
Swiftly, the gallidil rotated, darting off with surprising dexterity towards the ample offering as the Unguhur on the raft scowled after it. The Unguhur turned back towards the four humans with Gunther, staring quietly at them. To Lee, it seemed that the creature took notice of the great discomfort exhibited upon their faces.
“Gallidil no danger,” the Unguhur pronounced. “We know that old bull, too. Do not worry. The big one is no danger.”
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 edge of the river, before finally grasping Ryan’s hands and gingerly stepping 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.
A second Unguhur followed Erin onto the raft, holding two of the longer poles, and two paddles. It handed one of each of the elongated implements to the other Unguhur.
The small group of Jaghuns was then divided amongst the two rafts. Gunther aided each of the quadrupeds in getting onto the floating surfaces, as they had to be cajoled one at a time.
The beasts were 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 them 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 muscular creature eased itself nervously towards the center of the raft.
The Jaghun eyed the water with great intensity. Its rippling chest muscles were taut, and its broad paws were pressed firmly into the raft, as it stoutly braced itself.
“Can’t blame him at all,” 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 beneath the water’s surface.
“No, I sure can’t either,” 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, 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 in design, were sturdy, providing amply for the larger forms of the Unguhur. For the much smaller humans, they were more than adequate vessels. 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 towards the tunnel opening.
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 more 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 laconically, in a whisper.
“We’ll be fine,” he murmured quietly 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, then he would have, but he was already as far in the middle of it as he could possibly go.
While Erin kept up her watch on 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 closer towards the gaping tunnel entrance.
There was not much activity within sight, but on a few occasions Lee espied a few Unguhur a short distance from shore. They invariably came to a halt in their tasks as the rafts drifted by them, standing quietly and staring at the unusual group of visitors riding upon the vessels.
They left the huge cavern with its mystical forest behind, as the rafts entered the 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 ceiling of the passage was a little low, just barely high enough for the Unguhur to stand upright.
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 walls. The regularity of positioning, and the general uniformity of the size of the patches themselves, gave strong indication that they had been purposely placed and cultivated by the Unguhur, to help with their navigation of the otherwise dark tunnel.
Lee noticed that their large hosts were not extremely talkative, even amongst themselves. 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, though he also shared their hosts’ subdued demeanor in the sustained silence of their travel.
Deep within the rock, at the end of a prolonged stretch of river, the rafts abruptly emerged into a sprawling, gargantuan, underground lake. Like the strange forest, the sight was instantly breathtaking, only on a much greater scale.
Lee’s mouth went agape at the immensity of the cavern. He was speechless as he looked out across the waters of the huge lake. On the far shore, at the end of the enormous cavern, rose up a subterranean metropolis. 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 cavern, casting a considerable amount of ambient light 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 undulating lake surface, reflecting the cerulean light coming from 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, a host of lively shadows paraded across those rock surfaces, emanating from the movements of a substantial number of Unguhur, whose activity was visible all throughout the stone-carved city. 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 expansive underground lake.
Those out upon the water were each attended by two to three Unguhur, whose purpose was immediately clear. Standing rigidly in place, as if statues, they stared intently downward, eyes fixed upon the gleaming surface of the water.
In their huge hands they gripped a type of spear that had been fashioned with a forked end. The Unguhur held the 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, driving the two-pronged shaft down into the water. When the Unguhur retracted the spear, a splashing form had been skewered upon its far end. The Unguhur strained with both arms as it brought the flopping, thrashing body of a large fish aboard the raft.
The fish was of a different kind than the type that had been fed earlier to the gallidils. It 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 its coloration, its pale hue shaded by the light blue ambience radiating from the growths dotting the cavern’s rock surfaces.
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, sending up splashes at the edges.
Several of the Unguhur engaged in fishing, whether distracted, or having already secured a 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. None of them appeared to be alarmed, as they silently regarded the visitors to their subterranean domain. A few finally turned their attentions back towards the task of fishing, while the gazes of others still lingered.
Several more gallidils could be seen resting out of the water, their ample bulks pulled up on the bank in small clusters at a few points along the far shoreline. Still others were traversing the surface of the lake, their extensive masses drifting gracefully through the dark waters. The latter showed little reaction to the two rafts, though a couple of the creatures altered their courses to avoid any chance of colliding with the watercrafts.
Once they were deeper into the cavern, Eranthus’ raft took the lead, edging a little ahead of the second. The Unguhur upon it paddled with strong vigor for the midpoint of the great 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 to the edge of the shoreline to help the arrivals secure the rafts and disembark. The Jaghuns bounded nimbly onto the shore as soon as the rafts had come to a halt, appearing more than pleased to find a solid rock surface underneath their paws. Gunther set Darkmane down, as Skyheart leaped to the solid ground behind him. The woodsman strode away several paces from the rafts, and waited quietly for Lee and the others to join him.
Lee hardly saw the woodsman, as his eyes were wide with an abundance of sheer wonder, as were those of his companions. They all stood dumbfounded, captivated and drinking in the sight of the astonishing underground city from up close.
The great terraces now towered far over them, with evenly demarcated sections running down to the left and right. The sections, to Lee’s best guess, were likely groups of individual dwellings. Each section contained a series of four units, stacked upwards and positioned back within the terraced arrangement. The terrace-sections ran all the way to the ends of the crescent, where the lakeshore culminated in the cavern’s walls.
It was a colossal mass of edifices that could provide for a large number of the huge Unguhur, at least a thousand or more. Lee could not begin to fathom how much effort had gone into the undertaking required to fashion the subterranean city.
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 and unique structure, which exhibited a smooth, curving outer facing. Whatever the rounded-faced structure was, it was set at the center of the entire metropolis, with everything else in the balance of the city’s design.
A couple of the lance-bearing Unguhur wearing the tunics stood attentively to each side of the stone steps at their base. Though they had 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 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 openly gawked at the unusual contents of the rafts.
Lee found the quarry of the hunters to be fascinating, giving him some more clues to 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 the forms of 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 served to bestow a greater understanding upon Lee regarding the underground water’s formidable denizens.
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 moved away from the shore, heading down its edge to the right.
Three 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. It was a creature that was not limited to either water or land, and Lee could only hope that the Unguhur hunters had rid the giant snakes from the immediate vicinity of the metropolis.
The last warrior among the rafts of the hunting party carried another carcass ashore, a creature that had a bulbous, rounded shape. Its long, thin legs were all folded and 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,” Gunther commented to Lee, nodding towards Erin with the hint of a smirk on his face.
Lee chuckled in detached amusement, as Erin proceeded to confirm Gunther’s words. Having taken notice of the great spider, Erin had blanched instantly. Though he found some humor in the reaction, he did not find the idea of a great cave spider altogether appealing.
“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 forty foot length of the serpent, and the massive head at one end.
“I cannot say I disagree,” Gunther replied, also looking upon the substantial creature.
Most ironically, Lee and his companions seemed to be 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 deeply intrigued by the sight of humans. Lee surmised that it was Eranthus’s presence, as an Unguhur of great authority, that prevented them from giving in further to their curiosity.
Lee then noticed that Eranthus had sent forth the two warriors that had escorted them from the cavern-forest, towards the metropolis. The two creatures headed briskly in the direction of the central flight of 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 ascended the steps with quick, fluid strides that looked effortless to Lee’s eye. 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 have been able to tell, several hundred live here, perhaps as many as a thousand.”
“This is… amazing!” Ryan stated, looking thunderstruck as his eyes panned along the sights of the stone metropolis.
“How often have you been here?” Lee asked the woodsman.
“In the forest that you just beheld… many times. To Oranim, only a few times,” Gunther replied. “Wood is highly valued here, far under the ground. I have brought the Unguhur many select batches, over the years… cut and prepared, as I have thinned the area around my dwelling.
“I do not often go beyond that underground forest, though. Eranthus has taken me into Oranim out of kindness and gratitude for our trade and ongoing friendship.”
Gunther paused, regarding Lee with a serious countenance that was reflected in the tone of his voice as he continued.
“Believe me, you have been given a special gift… to set your eyes upon Oranim. It is a sight that very few human eyes have ever gotten to behold. No human who was not a welcome guest of the Unguhur has done so… that I can assure you. Consider it good fortune that you have been bestowed with this chance, even if the reason that drove us down here has nothing to do with good fortune.”
Lee took the words to heart. Looking at the formidable creatures populating the city, he had no doubt that Gunther spoke accurately. He found it inconceivable that a human could reach Oranim without the blessing of the brawny, giant race of beings.
“I still hope I don’t have too much more of this good fortune,” Erin quipped with sarcasm, though her eyes continued to scan the myriad sights around them.
The spectrum of the Unguhur society was in full evidence around them, ranging from smaller offspring on up to very elderly ones of their kind. Lee realized in moments that he had only seen males of the species as of yet, as a group of basket-bearing females passed close by them.
Like the others, the females regarded the newcomers with unabashed curiosity, slowing down to observe Lee and his companions as they talked quietly amongst themselves. Not unlike humans, the females of the Unguhur race exhibited a wider hip structure, and on average were smaller in size and narrower in shoulder than the males. Their faces were a little more slender and rounded than those of their stout male counterparts, taking on a more kindly natural mien.
They wore a lighter hide garment that wrapped around their bodies, covering them down to the knees. Pins made of carved bone held the hide garments in place, and colorful fibers had been worked into the surface of the hide to form sinuous, swirling patterns that flowed from top to bottom.
An energetic commotion soon developed as a small number of young Unguhur emerged from the city. They approached steadily closer to the landing party, talking excitedly among themselves. The shortest one among the cluster of youth was at least a couple of inches taller than Lee, and most were already taller than Gunther.
The young Unguhur were a mixture of males and females, judging by the hide-kilts on the males, and the long, wrap-around garments on the females that mimicked the fashion of the adults of their kind.
They kept a wary distance from the party, mindful of the presence of the adult Unguhur warriors and the elder, Eranthus. The older Unguhur seemed to tolerate the younger ones’ curiosities, paying them little heed.
With both rafts tied up to the shore and unloaded, Eranthus walked purposefully towards Gunther and the others.
“Come, we go to the Great Chamber now. The khan and khanum will want to meet you,” he said, beckoning for the group to follow him.
By then, several more of the warrior Unguhur had appeared, a few having come down the high, broad staircase. Now escorted by several of the spear-carrying warriors, the group accompanied Eranthus towards the steps, proceeding with him upwards without delay.
The humans all had to exert themselves just to keep up with the longer strides of the Unguhur. Erin grimaced with dismay as they took the first steps up, and Lee immediately knew why.
The steps had been cut for the much larger Unguhur, and as such each was a very high step for a human. As the feet of the Unguhur were so much longer than were those of a human, the steps were likewise extremely deep. The height and depth of each step combined for quite a challenge, one that was imbued with awkwardness as Lee and his companions labored up the steep incline.
“It will make you stronger, and more balanced in your step,” Gunther remarked, with an amused look at Erin’s pouting expression.
The Jaghuns bounded up nimbly beside Gunther, and even the smallest of them had little trouble navigating the staircase. Lee envied their dexterity and balance, wishing he had a couple more legs to work with himself.
By the time they had reached the stone platform at the top, only Gunther still breathed steadily among the five humans. First to reach the landing, he looked back towards the other four as they strained to climb up the last few steps. He shook his head slowly, as if disappointed, before turning away and striding forward along the stone face of the upper platform.
Erin scowled at one of the Jaghuns, which was sitting back on its haunches, watching her as she surmounted the final step. She paused for a moment to catch her breath, and glared hotly at the relaxed-looking creature. Lee chuckled quietly at the sight of her extreme annoyance, contrasted so sharply with the utterly mellow posture of the quadruped.
“Give me four legs, and then we can talk about it,” she snapped curtly to the beast. “Until then, you have no room to talk.”
“I’m sure he understood you clearly,” Ryan remarked, drawing a momentary glower from her.
“Okay, I know I am out of condition… No denying it,” Lee commented to Lynn, between large, deep breaths, as he surmounted the final step.
“No disagreement here,” Lynn replied between gasps of her own.
Lee stared towards the massive, rounded edifice that crowned the summit. Its surfacing was filled with what looked to be a great mural of small figures and scenes, ordered into general lines that wrapped around the semi-circular facing. Lee had no doubts that the figures and scenes that had been carved were of great significance to the Unguhur, whether historic, religious, or perhaps both.
The lofty vantage also gave Lee a tremendous view of the terrace-sections to either side of the central structure. Turning his head and looking back over his shoulder, he paused as he beheld an extraordinary overview of the lake.
“Time enough for seeing Oranim’s sights later,” Gunther said gently at Lee’s side, bringing his attention back around.
A broad entryway was set in the middle of the rounded structure. Towards the entrance of the tall chamber, a small cluster of warriors was gathered. The armed warriors parted at the sight of Eranthus, two of them moving swiftly to separate two great hides that were draped over the opening into the chamber.
Gunther commanded the Jaghuns to remain outside. The creatures dutifully grouped together several feet to the right side of the entrance. The warriors that had been escorting them also held back, as only Eranthus and the humans moved forward, continuing on to the beckoning entrance.
“Stay close to me,” Gunther said in a low voice to the four humans, as they passed into the opening behind Eranthus.
Some voluminous patches of the glowing algae-substance lighted the interior of the stone structure, placed at frequent intervals along the inner walls of the capacious chamber. A number of considerably older Unguhur were arrayed upon benches that had been carved out of the stone wall ringing the chamber’s outer edge. They rested upon some manner of mats or padding set underneath them, providing cushioning against the unforgiving stone surface.
From what Lee could tell, most of the Unguhur in the chamber were attired in a manner similar to Eranthus, in extended, robe-like garments. Many likewise had armbands, or necklaces strung with an array of large, sharp teeth, though there were some noticeable variations. Some armbands had a furred outer surface, or shiny scales, while distinctly different types of teeth were present upon some of the other necklaces.
In the very center of the chamber was a large, rectangular block of ebony stone, rising up to a height approximate to the midsection of an average male Unguhur. Arranged such that its longer width faced the entrance to the chamber, it had an unmistakable altar-like appearance.
The opposite side of the chamber, directly across from the entrance, held a raised stone platform, accessed by a short flight of stone steps that extended the width of the platorm. Upon the high dais were two great stone seats carved out of the far wall of the chamber. The seats were copiously draped in hides, some fashioned into a manner of cushioning for the apparent thrones. Two Unguhur, one male, and one female, were seated upon the great stone seats.
The male was clad in a knee-length, light-hued tunic, fashioned of a softened hide that lay loosely upon the contours of his considerable girth. The hide was woven with many delicately rendered designs, worked into the material in an abundance of colors. The remarkable tunic was bound snugly about his waist with a stout belt, the scaly surface of which gave evidence to a reptilian origin.
He wore an unusual type of head covering fashioned from some other type of hide, whose surface was covered in a very fine quality of dark fur. The head covering was almost like a cowl, draped about the male’s wide shoulders.
A singular necklace was hung around his broad neck. Huge, spiky teeth were strung all along its length, save for a pair of very wicked-looking, enormous fangs. The latter were paired together at the bottom and center of the necklace, displayed prominently in the middle of his massive chest.
The female of the pair was garbed in the wrap-around style adopted by the other Unguhur females that Lee had seen. Her garment, like the tunic of her male counterpart, was fashioned from a softened, light-colored hide, and was also filled with resplendently fabricated designs of rich colors.
She wore a series of bracelets on both arms, and multiple necklaces were arrayed in a concentric fashion, as they dropped down in their various lengths between her breasts. The components of both the necklaces and the bracelets appeared to be a combination of shiny scales and glistening teeth. Some were composed entirely of one kind of scale or tooth, and others were crafted of an artfully arranged mixture of various types.
In trappings and posture, the pair of Unguhur on the dais were impressive, and undeniably regal, figures. Their expressions did not change as the newcomers were ushered into the chamber, although their large eyes slightly narrowed as they regarded them.
One of the Unguhur among those seated along the bench-line ringing the wall, a male whose wrinkled skin surface and sunken eyes indicated a very advanced age, slowly arose as the group entered the chamber. He ambled with shuffling, ponderous steps over to Eranthus.
The elder spoke with Eranthus for a few moments in their unique, gutteral language, just loud enough for his voice to reach those that Eranthus had brought with him. Lee, and the others, wearing the pendants, could understand the discourse perfectly well.
Eranthus methodically illuminated the elder Unguhur, to the extent of his knowledge, as to the nature of the four humans, and what had transpired from the moment that Gunther had sought the Unguhur out in the cavern-forest. The elderly Unguhur listened in pensive silence, with a rigid, unreadable expression, until Eranthus had finished. The elder Unguhur slowly nodded, giving no comment before turning to walk slowly down the middle of the chamber. He came to stand at the bottom of the dais, before the two Unguhur positioned above upon the stone platform.
After another short dialogue, the distance of which prevented Lee and the others from deciphering its particulars, the elder Unguhur tediously returned back to the group.
“Bring them forward,” he said to Eranthus, before moving away to take his seat along the inner curve of the wall once again.
Eranthus turned towards the five humans and said, “Come.”
He led them through the center of the chamber, leading them around the rectangular, altar-like stone, and on up towards the base of the stone platform that held the two prominent Unguhur. Lee could readily feel the heavy weight of the gazes bearing down upon them, coming from the studious eyes of the elder Unguhur situated all around the chamber. The feeling in the chamber was like that of a breath held back in the lungs, willfully restrained, and pressing for release in a liberating exhale.
Eranthus halted a couple of strides before the stone platform, exclaiming, “Treas, Great Khan of the Unguhur, and Vuriant, exalted Khanum of the Unguhur. I humbly come before you, with human guests to the Unguhur Realm. A threat has risen in the world above.”
Eranthus then prostrated himself, knees to the ground first and then bending over with his arms spread out wide. Gunther looked over to the other four humans, nodding to them slightly, as he proceeded to emulate the deferential gesture.
Lee signaled to the others, knowing that Gunther wanted them to follow likewise, before mimicking the movement himself. The others cooperated well enough, even Erin.
After the prostration, an action that felt very awkward to Lee, the female Unguhur upon the stone throne above inquired, “A threat, Eranthus? A threat has come to the Unguhur Realm?”
“The Unifier comes,” Eranthus replied in a low tone, which Lee took to be one of respectful deference. “The Hill-Dweller warns us. A great army is coming. They attack the kingdom of humans above us.”
“The kingdom above has never harmed the Unguhur Realm,” the male on the stone seat declared in a very deep, sonorous tone. He paused for a moment, and looked over the four others with Gunther. His face seemed impassive, as he appraised them. “I would like to talk with the new people, and the Hill-Dweller. Speak for them, and speak to them.”
Eranthus nodded, but appeared suddenly hesitant. After a moment, he ventured, “They have a Wizard Gift. It is a gift that lets them speak, and understand our words well.”
A tense silence took hold almost instantly within the great chamber at the revelation.
“How possible?” asked the exalted male, with evident concern. “A Wizard gift? Tell us of this gift.”
Eranthus looked over to Gunther. He nodded to the woodsman. “Tell them, Hill-Dweller.”
After a short pause, Gunther responded to the request with his eyes lowered towards the ground, his voice also very deferential in tone. “Great Khan and Khanum of the Unguhur of Oranim, the gift was from the Wanderer, in the forests above. Given to these four.”
Lee noted an almost immediate relaxation in the posture of the enthroned pair of Unguhur at the open mention of the Wanderer. Gunther continued to relate to the two Unguhur rulers the story of the acquisition of the pendants, at last prompting Lee to tell more concerning their arrival into Ave.
Though Lee was highly nervous, he did his part to explain how they were from another world, had been engulfed in a great mist, and had found themselves lost within an entirely new world. When Lee was finished, at Gunther’s insistence, the group pulled their pendants out for the Unguhur to see.
The lengthy tale ignited some instantaneous excitement among the ranks of the onlooking elders and the two rulers. Whispers and low voices came from all directions, as those seated along the outer wall talked spiritedly amongst themselves. Even the pair upon the dais leaned in towards each other, sharing a few low comments.
“It is a great magic. We know it is good, if it came from the Wanderer. He has always served the Creator,” Khan Treas exclaimed, as he leaned back in his throne, peering with great interest at the amulets held out by Lee and the others. “Let us talk further. What names do you have?”
“I am called Lee,” Lee said, bowing again, though he felt somewhat awkward at the brevity of his name and lack of any lofty title. The formality of the audience with the Unguhur rulers seemed to demand something more fancy.
The other three followed in turn with their own introductions, all sounding hesitant and nervous.
“Welcome, Lee, Lynn, Erin, Ryan… of the humans of the above world,” Treas stated, carefully pronouncing each of their names.
“Welcome to our realm, and to Oranim,” Vuriant added.
The khanum’s voice was decidedly smoother and more melodious than that of the males, and her lips spread apart in a facial gesture that Lee took to be a smile. He could not help but notice the huge canines that were displayed as her lips pulled back, slightly offsetting the warmth in the expression.
Lee and the others bowed, inclining their heads at the extended welcome.
“Thank you, Khan Treas and Khanum Vuriant,” Gunther stated.
“Belief of story is hard. Hard to think of other worlds. But the Creator has great power. Can do more than we can ever think of, Unguhur or human,” Khan Treas said. “It could be as you say.”
The remark by the Unguhur ruler reflected a child-like trust in whatever deity their kind served. While not appearing absolutely convinced of the story, it was clear that the khan was not rooted in inflexibility, and was willing to leave some room for the possible veracity of the tale.
“You are here in Unguhur Realm and world… for a reason,” Vuriant added, further evidencing the simple trust that Lee had perceived. “The Unguhur Realm will protect you.”
She then looked toward her regal companion.
“We must help the surface kingdom,” she said to Khan Treas. “Enemy of the surface kingdom is the Unguhur’s enemy. Is enemy to all.”
The Unguhur Khan remained very quiet for several moments before finally replying. He turned his gaze towards Gunther, with a look that Lee interpreted as grave concern.
“Why does the enemy come to lands above?” the underworld khan asked the surface-dwelling woodsman.
“The above kingdom will not accept the rule of the Unifier,” Gunther answered steadfastly. “The Unifier is trying to conquer the entire world. The Unifier wants every land under His dominion.”
“Unguhur Realm is in this world, as is above kingdom. Both not accept Unifier,” the khanum interjected firmly as she looked to Khan Treas, letting the obvious implications hang in the air.
The khan held her eyes for an extended moment, before looking back to Gunther once again.
“How do they attack?” the khan asked.
“The forces of the Unifier are invading Saxany. A great number attack farther away, at another place within our lands. A smaller army is now approaching the area near to your realm, coming through the land above us. They will surely find my home,” Gunther replied. “We were in great danger, and could not stay there.”
The Unguhur Khan and Khanum remained silent for quite some time, plainly reflecting upon the distressing news given to them by Gunther. Vuriant then raised her right arm, gesturing towards one of the elders seated to her left. As the summoned elder rose to his feet, Lee was amazed by the Unguhur’s immense height.
The soaring Unguhur rose up a full foot or so above the average Unguhur warrior, easily over nine feet tall. Though clearly older in years, he still retained a powerful, bulky muscularity in his physical appearance. This was certainly not a being that had let his body soften over the course of time.
The hulking Unguhur was dressed in the manner of the other warriors, garbed in tunic and kilt. Additionally, he wore a necklace with a pair of long, curving fangs, which were of a slightly lesser size than were the similar ones upon the khan’s necklace.
“Drubrell,” Treas solemnly addressed the gigantic Unguhur warrior. “We must help the surface kingdom. We must protect our realm. We must act. Gather your strongest warriors. Use workers so that you have a force of many. Find the enemy. Fight the enemy if they are here, above us. Let our council know what is found.”
The huge elder-warrior prostrated himself silently, showing that his aged body was still quite supple in its movements as he rose up to his feet again. Drubrell had a steely look about him, and Lee did not want to consider the fate of a human warrior that met this formidable creature under hostile circumstances.
Turning about, Drubrell then strode the length of the chamber and exited it without the slightest pause. While Drubrell was giving his respects and departing, Lee looked over to Gunther in hopes of getting some indication of the woodman’s reaction to what had just transpired.
The woodsman’s face had taken on an expression of great worry. Lee was taken aback at the level of concern evident in Gunther’s face, suddenly becoming highly frustrated, as he could not easily question Gunther at that moment.
“Hill-Dweller, Lee, Ryan, Lynn, and Erin. Rest now. Eat to your fill. We will tell you what Drubrell finds. The Unguhur Realm protects you now. You are safe,” Vuriant stated to the humans, exhibiting the strange manner of smiling that the Unguhur possessed. “You may leave now. Eranthus will see to your quarters.”
The audience before the Ungahur rulers, without any doubt, had come to an end. Gunther looked over to the others with him, as he prostrated himself before the Unguhur Khan and Khanum once more.
The four in Gunther’s care understood his desire well enough, and repeated the respectful gesture. As before, Lee found the act a little awkward to execute, though he managed it capably enough.
Once they were all standing, the group accompanied Eranthus back down the center of the chamber after skirting around the massive altar stone. Once again, Lee felt the weight of the stares coming from the throng of elders surrounding them, a feeling that did not dissipate entirely until he was well outside of the stone hall.
Eranthus and the spear-carrying warrior escorts guided them from the stone structure, and on to their lodgings. Their quarters were located not far from the great chamber, which came as a relief to Lee, as he was not enthused about surmounting another great flight of steps, such as the one that rose up from the shore level to the throne chamber.
The humans’ quarters constituted the third and fourth terraces of one of the common dwelling structures that comprised most of the Unguhur metropolis. Descending a few steps to one side of the landing before the great chamber, they set foot directly onto the roof of the edifice’s third terrace.
A square-sided hole was set in the center of the flat roof of the third terrace. The ends of a wide ladder poked up above the nearest side of the opening, which descended down well over a dozen feet to the flooring of a large, rectangular chamber.
The far end of the roof looked out over another similar terrace just below, as well as affording any onlooker a spectacular view of the cavern and subterranean metropolis.
To the back of the third terrace’s roof, there was a broad entrance, covered by a hide flap, which opened into a chamber that formed the interior body of the fourth terrace. Inside of that chamber was another high ladder that reached to another square opening in the ceiling. Lee noticed that the gaps between ladder rungs were quite wide, fashioned for the reach and size of an Unguhur.
It was not lost on Lee that he and his companions had been subtly placed in a position that would not allow for unobserved escape. To reach the ground, they would have to go back up and pass through the main landing to descend the towering flight of steps all the way to the bottom.
The only other alternative was to go through chambers and roof-holes, passing down through the lower two terraces until they reached the ground level. Lee had no doubts that the lower two terrace-chambers were occupied.
Either way, the Unguhur within the underground city would most certainly witness anyone attempting to depart.
Lynn and Erin quickly claimed the lower of the two chambers, leaving the uppermost one for Lee, Ryan, and Gunther. The two women slowly, and a little awkwardly, went down the ladder to explore the chambers that they had selected, while the males entered the higher chamber through its front entryway.
Once inside a chamber, Lee found the surroundings to be extremely oversized for a human. The height of the ceiling alone made him feel very diminutive.
The chamber with the square roof-holes was the first of two chambers situated on a given terrace level. The entry chamber appeared to be arranged for cooking and other domestic activities, provided with a shallow fire pit that was just offset from the hole in the ceiling. Like the great throne chamber, ledges had been carved into the walls that were more than adequate for sitting space.
The rear chamber was clearly intended to serve as sleeping quarters for a terrace’s occupants. It was accessed by a more narrow opening than was the primary entrance, and was also fully covered with a hide flap.
Light within the two chambers was provided by a couple of flat stones that each contained a copious swathe of the bioluminescent growths on their upper surfaces. The stones were not overly large, and though they were heavy, they could be carried by a human.
As the far chamber was nearly pitch black, Lee lugged one of the stones from the forward chamber to the back to provide some ambience. Following Lee into the rear of the two chambers, Gunther located a substantial pile of softened hides in one corner, upon which the humans could rest, or use to cover themselves like blankets.
As Lee handled the thick hides, he judged that only a few of them would be necessary to make sufficient bedding. In only a few minutes, he and Gunther had sorted the hides into three roughly equivalent piles, for each of the three males to use as they wished.
Ryan moved wearily into the second chamber, and flopped down upon one pile of hides, looking very fatigued. He let out a long sigh, shutting his eyes as his chest heaved with an extended intake of breath. Lee and Gunther did not bother to disturb him, as they made their way back out into the entrance chamber.
Lee then spoke to Gunther in a lowered voice, deciding to venture one question that had been burning ceaselessly on his tongue ever since they had left the throne chamber. “I saw your face when the Unguhur said that they were going to see to the enemy forces above. Why did you look so worried? It appeared to me as if something was really bothering you.”
Gunther paused, a heavy-hearted sheen coming over his eyes before answering. “It is the reason that I myself do not live in human cities. As I have long wished to be simply left alone, to live as I wish, so have the Unguhur as a race. They are not interested in the power struggles and affairs of the kingdoms of this world, or any other folly of humankind.
“In that respect, they are much like me. I want to be free to live my life the way that I choose to live… without anyone delegating my affairs to me, or helping themselves to the fruits of my labor.
“It has always been the cooperation… the assent… of the many that have engorged the greedy appetites of the few, filling their armies and their treasuries from the lives and labors of the greater majority. It is always from the willing assent of the many that the few derive their power. The noble relies on the agreement and continued obedience of the peasant… make no mistake about that.
“Do not misunderstand me, Lee, I do not begrudge any fortune made in an honest manner, but the world has gone far beyond concerns for honor, and honest living. It is now something else entirely, and it has little to do with virtue.
“So, as I prefer to be responsible for my own fate, as I see it, in a way, so do the Unguhur. Now, both of us are being drawn ever deeper into this greater conflict. I find it abhorrent to the core of my heart, and an absolute scourge upon justice, that a benevolent race like the Unguhur is being pulled into this hellish affair spawned by the Unifier, humankind, and whatever other darkness may be behind it all.
“If you knew more about this ancient race of beings, you would know that it is no small matter that they decided so quickly to send a force of warriors to the surface… and likely determined to become part of a war openly on the side of one group of humans. What you witnessed this day was nothing short of monumental, and unprecedented, and I feel a terrible guilt for being a part of it.”
Lee could hear the alternating emotions of anger and sorrow, intertwining within the words and sentiments pouring forth from the woodsman. He could not argue with Gunther, for he had often felt many similar frustrations in his own society. To live under the auspices of one’s own self-determination, and to enjoy fully the fruits of one’s own labor, were worthy desires that Lee could not dispute.
While Lee had never been disposed to becoming an ardent, recalcitrant, hermit, as Gunther seemed to incline towards being, he found that he could relate very well to the obstinate woodsman. Many were the times that Lee had ended a long and arduous week, wholly weary of body and mind, and burdened with many worries and concerns, only to see that he had little to nothing in the way of material rewards, or personal satisfaction, left over for himself.
He had watched the frivolous, bloated waste that was made of the revenues collected through taxes by the rulers of his own age. He knew that in reality he had only one voice among millions to ever challenge those who felt entitled to use the fruits of his labor to support much which he found repugnant, or profligate.
In many ways, he envied the defiant independence that was so manifestly evident in Gunther. Lee knew that he would never have had the strength to break away, and live largely on his own, solitary merits, as Gunther had so obviously done.
The Unguhur were still a great mystery to Lee, but he could see the powerful bond that Gunther felt with the strange race of creatures. Their motivations for remaining isolated from the surface world and human kingdoms might have some considerable differences from Gunther’s own personal situation, but the presence of a desire for self-determination was unmistakable. The Unguhur were content to live out their lives in the relative seclusion of their underground society.
At the same time, Lee knew that it was almost certain that the turmoil and conflict of the upper world would mercilessly engulf both the woodsman and the Unguhur. The powers of the upper world would not hesitate for a moment to impose their will upon them. It was a loathsome truism that was present in every time, in every age, and, apparently, in every world.
Recognizing the sheer determination and strength inherent in the woodsman, and seeing the signs of similar qualities in the Unguhur during his early experience with them, Lee found that he had already grown strong in his sympathies. It was a tragic reality that the world was forcibly dragging the Unguhur, and Gunther, into conflicts not of their choosing or making, not so different from the state of affairs involving Lee and his three companions.
“I want you to know something, Gunther. We still do not know why we are here, and why we were taken away from our own world,” Lee said, after an uncomfortably long span of silence. “Most of it is a complete mystery, but I do know that I did not have a choice in the matter… none at all. But we are in this world now, and we must also face its troubles. Alongside you. Alongside the Unguhur.”
Lee paused for a moment, reflecting, as his eyes looked towards the brooding, somber countenance of Gunther. While undeniably bitter, the woodsman was resolved to the coerced situation facing them all.
“And then there’s the thought that what we are going through together is what we were meant to do,” Lee then continued, before the ponderous silence grew too weighty. “It is difficult for me to think there is no reason for all of this happening. I know that none of us have chosen this path. Certainly not you, not the Unguhur, and not us. Please, understand that, at the least, with what I now say. We will stand with you, do whatever we can to help, and we will share your risks.”
Gunther nodded slowly, his expression remaining dour. “Maybe you will… and you are well-spoken on this. But even in regards to yourself, I would question the All-Father Himself, though some would call that outright blasphemy. I cannot understand why you had to be taken from your world, and put into the middle of the terrible dangers that swarm in this one. Maybe it has some purpose, as you say, though I wish some manner of it would be revealed to both you and me. It has all confused me very much. These are indeed very dark and unpleasant times, maybe the darkest in the entire history of our world.”
“Maybe in my world we were living in very dark times too… though I, like most of the people in my world, refused to admit what was right before my eyes,” Lee responded.
In that very moment, he realized more about himself than he had ever cared to face before. An obscuring haze had suddenly been burned away, before the onset of an emergent dawn, revealing things for what they were in all of their stark reality. Truth, as it was more often than not, was anything but comforting.
Lee recognized that a penetrating chill had slipped into his own world, delving far underneath the shining magnificence of the tools and trades of modernity. It was an empty heart at the center of a body whose marvels of advancement would utterly shock one such as Gunther, or anyone from Ave.
The people of his world in their masses were drifting further and further apart, like great lands being shattered and fragmented into tiny, ever-fracturing islands. They were increasingly following a siren’s song, a call that subtly, and sometimes openly, promised to make them masters and gods of their mortal lives. Like whispers from sylvan tongues, notions drifted into, and resounded throughout, the general consciousness that humanity could unearth all secrets, and control their world and beyond, by turning entirely to the direction of their own will. They were promises that could never, ever be fulfilled.
A nagging emptiness, pressures, and growing anxieties had crept into Lee’s own life. He could see the same things occurring in so many others, the result of an existence with increasingly unstable foundations. Like a furious storm that rapidly expended itself, so would the frenzied lifestyles so predominant in his former world. Under what was touted as the most civilized and advanced age ever was little more than a splendid, ornamented tomb, with the decaying essence of true, living humanity within.
Lee knew the stark revelation was nothing less than the reality, and it was the identity of the evasive, murky frustrations that had so often gripped him. He also saw the parallels to Gunther’s own world, facing a future where enslavement and destruction of the free human spirit loomed, the willpower of a dominating few pounding the great majority in all lands into a compliant submission. The two worlds, despite their enormous differences in cultures and styles, were both going through unrivaled dark ages. It was merely the trappings and forms that differed.
The gruff, large woodsman was not so different from the comparatively diminutive, otherworld refugee standing before him. Interestingly, Lee felt a shared bond and understanding with Gunther. It was one that was forged with the fires of a shared passion, born of a mutual hunger for the desire to be free of those who had the arrogance, or malfeasance, to promise humanity a way to become their own gods.
“Maybe we are more alike than we think,” Lee remarked. “The more I think about it, the more I’m sure this is so.”
“Then there is little that we can do, other than to be true to each moment, as it comes,” Gunther responded.
“I think both of us can say we have no idea what the future will bring. I used to think I had a good idea of the future, but I think that it goes without saying how quickly things can change,” Lee said. “That much is pretty obvious.”
“I used to think that I knew my general future as well,” Gunther said ruefully, as a little sadness mixed into his shadowy expression. “I knew otherwise by the time that I resolved to live my days out in these woodlands. Maybe all of this is a good lesson for both of us. Even this old woodsman should not be too arrogant to think that he cannot learn something new.”
The slightest hint of amusement crept onto Gunther’s face at his words of self-deprecation.
“Then I guess we will learn some new things together, but I hope to learn much from you as well,” Lee responded, mirroring the woodsman’s grin on his own face.
Gunther leaned forward, and placed his hand gently upon Lee’s shoulder. “And perhaps I will learn much from you as well. Perhaps I already have during these recent moments. And we may yet find a way through all of this. We just may.”
“We may… and I’m going to think that we will,” Lee responded, smiling warmly, as he saw the emboldened spirit renewing right before him like a stoked flame within Gunther.
*