Chapter Fourteen—The Sound of Footsteps

Shiro lead the way, holding his torch high for the best light. “These don’t provide very much light.”

“It’s too bad we’re so poor, or we could afford some glow stones.”

They would buy some later, if they were successful in raiding this dungeon. The door lead to a double corridor leading in both directions. Shiro took the left.

“Wait,” Ali said. “Why are you going that way?”

Shiro cocked his head. “Is the other way better?”

“I don’t know.”

“Do you want to go the other way?”

Ali stare at him and after a moment Shiro rolled his eyes.

“No!” Ali said, “Nonono! It doesn’t matter.”

“What is wrong with you?”

“Nothing.”

Shaking his head, Shiro continued down the left corridor. After about twenty paces of putting new sandal prints on the floor, the corridor turned and lead them in another direction.

Eventually the two men came out on the other side where the corridor leading right met at a descending flight of stone steps. This room was much larger. So large in fact, the light of their torches would not let them see the walls on the other side, or even very far into the door.

“We go down,” Ali said, taking the lead.

Shiro followed. “The air is colder down here.”

“I noticed this.”

“How far do these steps go?”

“I don’t know, but we need to be careful not to let our torches gutter out.”

“I have flint and dried moss in my pack,” Shiro said. If their torched did go out, they could rekindle them. But it was always safest to take a glow rock. After leaving it in the sun, it would put off magically induced light for hours.

Some of the expensive rocks would cast bright light for days, even.

When they reached the bottom of the steps, Shiro turned a full circle, to see if he could get a glimpse of anything. So far all they had to guide them was the dust-covered tiles.

Shiro reached into his pack, took one of the smooth river stones and dropped it on the floor. Just in case they got lost.

“Here’s something,” Ali said, moving forward.

“What is it?” Shiro whispered.

Both men kept their voices low. There was no telling what might be in the dungeon lying in wait for them. Fortunately they were both quite good with blades, otherwise this would be practically suicide.

As it was, it was extremely dangerous, even for the two men. They didn’t have a sufficient party, no mages present.

Shiro came up to Ali’s side and the men inspected the ornamental urns that looked to be depictions of people, some human, some not. Their heads were cut at the temple, providing lids.

Shiro lifted one, tried to peer inside, but whatever had been there was long turned to dust. Perhaps it had been food, or water. Or the remains of people.

“It does seem like a tomb.”

“Yes,” Ali said.

“We really need a larger party for this size of dungeon.”

“What,” Ali asked, “and share the loot with more people? Sharing it with you is bad enough.”

Shiro gave him a withering look, but Ali didn’t much care. “There’s nothing here. “Let’s keep going.”

Ali nodded.

The only sound in the space was that of their voices, which didn’t echo off of any walls, meaning the chamber was large.

“Look,” Shiro said, raising his torch. “More stairs?”

“No,” Ali said. “There’s only a few. But look there.” He pointed.

“It was a large square block that disappeared into the dim light above. It was an obelisk pillar, carved with horizontal flutes and other ornamental bevels. Like the black stone tiles, the pillar was also black.

“And another,” Shiro said, spotting another pillar now ten paces away.

“What is this chamber?”

“I don’t know, but let’s explore it,” Shiro said.