A Ray Of Hope

Chapter 5-A Ray of Hope

As the group headed deeper into the caves of Orshire, they slowly began to lose hope, almost as quickly as the light diminished around them. As they walked, they noticed the ground began to get soft and wet. Turushkna slowly knelt down and placed his hand on the ground, there was shallow, dirty water. He felt around and felt something slither across his hand.

"Filgid...what is this water we have encountered, it cannot be Orshire Spring, for it's waters do not bend down this cavern,"Turushkna said as he stood up, and looked around the ground.

"Turushkna my boy, if I had the answers to all your questions, we would not be here in the first place,"Filgid answered slowly,"I suppose we shall find this out together."

As the party traveled further the water was no longer shallow, but slowly creeping up, until it was almost knee deep.

"Oh no,"Jay yelled,"I'm sinking, this stuff is like quicksand."

"Well quit moving around so,"Dongo said and he and Yujin began pulling Jay from the muck.

"I wish I could, but there is something squirming around my feet, something is living down here,"Jay answered almost panicking.

Turushkna went to help pull Jay out but something caught his eye, a few feet from where he stood the mud began to rise, and he could hear a faint, muffled sound. The mud continued to rise, and everything around it was raised up as well, suddenly a long snakelike creature burst from the muck and slithered towards Turushkna. Filgid watched and called to Turushkna.

"Turushkna, do not kill it!"

But it was too late, he had already brought his foot down upon it's head, cracking it's neck.

"You fool, don't you see what you have done?" Filgid said as he walked towards Turushkna.

"All I have simply done is get rid of a pest, nothing more,"he answered.

"You do not know that for sure...that may be what you think you have done, but you have done far worse..."Filgid whispered,"do not underestimate the trickery of these caves."

A faint rumbling could be heard, and the ground trembled slightly. Nearby Dongo and the others finally got Jay free of the muck, but suddenly stopped and listened, still in a heap on the cave floor. Turushkna's eyes filled with worry as the rumbling grew louder and the earth tremored, nearly knocking Filgid down, but he quickly grabbed his staff for support.

Suddenly a stalactite dropped to the floor of the cave, and the passage from which the party entered burst open, a giant snake like crature, much like the one killed by Turushkna, slithered in to greet them.

"Turushkna! You know that thing you killed?"Yujin asked.

"Yes, what about it?"Turushkna answered.

"I think that is it's mother."

Yujin drew his sword as did Turushkna and the two stared at the large creature, not knowing what form of attack to take. Then, without warning, the creature leaped toward them. Turushkna and Yujin jumped in opposite directions away from the monster's mouth and it collided with the cave wall, letting out a hideous screech.

Dongo loaded his bow with several arrows at once and began to shoot them at the creature as quickly as possible.

"Jay!"Goodwill yelled,"I think this is a good time to use stones!"

Jay and Goodwill rushed forward yeilding the biggest rocks they could carry. They began pummeling the titan's head with them as he tried to wiggle free from the wall. When he did, his focus was on Goodwill. He threw the rock in his hand at the beast, but it simply grabbed it with it's teeth and chomped it down. Goodwill gulped and began to run. The creature followed, but Turushkna cut it off at a corner and drove his sword into it's neck multiple times. The monster stumbled but did not fall.

"Filgid!"Turushkna yelled as he slipped out of the monster's grasp,"Filgid, use a spell, this thing is much too strong!"

Filgid nodded and raised his staff above his head and began to recite a spell in a strange tongue. As he did the creature began to grow weak. There was a fire in his eyes, and it slowly faded, until the fire was out, and the creature was slain.

Once this happened Filgid collapsed to the cavern floor, very tired and weary.

"Filgid!"Yujin called,"Filgid, are you alright?"

"Yes my boy, I am fine. It is just that we wizards cannot cast spells as easily in old age, I must rest now,"Filgid answered sighing deeply.

"That must wait,"Turushkna said,"I am sorry to keep you from your slumber but that thing over there has weakened the entire structure of these caves, we must get out now or risk getting stuck here forever."

Filgid agreed and slowly got to his feet. The entire group stumbled upward towards the single ray of sunshine that was glimmering through the exit of the caves.

Sure enough this exit did lead them to the bridge of Keeldor, and what they found was astonishing to those who had never gazed upon it. There was an entire village upon one giant bridge. Small wooden huts, the dwellers were wise old dwarves, friendly to all who passed through their city.

"Behold, the bridge of Keeldor,"Turushkna said as they headed down the hill to the village.

They were greeted by a guide, who led them to Wargen's home, for he was the king of Keeldor. The group laughed and talked of their journeys for quite a while, but as the day wore on, many of the weary travelers headed for a place to rest. Soon it was only Wargen and Turushkna who remained in the small hut.

"So you say Tahl has taken the Blade of Tigre and headed off to Graznor himself?"Wargen asked, his eyes still glittering in amazment of the tale.

"Yes, and I fear that he will beat us there, for we are not sure of the way to Graznor, only in an organized manner, we have not planned on any setbacks of obstacles we may run into,"Turushkna answered, disheartened.

"Well there is one thing Tahl needs that he may not still have, and that is the Scroll of Tigre."

"The scroll of Tigre? That I have not heard talk of, what is this scroll?"

"It is the only true way to harness the blade's power without being totally corrupted, and leading yourself to a death, if not by yourself, then by others."

"Much like what happened to Delioc?"

"Their situations would be one and the same."

Turushkna's eyes lit up, at the news of a ray of hope that still remained in their journeys. But then another look of confusion came across his face.

"But I do not know where to find the scroll,"he said softly.

"You do not, but I do,"Wargen answered,"it is in a nearby tower, long since abandoned, or so I hope. I can take you there as soon as tonight, but it will take at least two days to reach it."

"But what of the others? I cannot leave them behind."

"They know the way to Graznor, they will be fine."

Wargen smiled slightly and he left the hut, Turushkna stayed behind and was faced with a decision.

As morning came Filgid crept into Wargen's hut in search of Turushkna, but found nothing...nothing but a lone note on the table. Filgid shuffled towards it and read it to himself.

"By god,"he whispered,"he's gone."

"A Fork In The Road"