Rayman rode into the small town as most of the occupants peeked through their windows. After seeing who it was and realizing the reason for the soldier’s presence, they became more welcoming.

The mining town of Vori was small and quiet. Several people came out of their homes to watch the soldiers enter the town and stop near the entrance to the mine. The population was small, no more than one hundred and fifty people but the town thrived off of the gold and silver mined. As did all the mining villages.

Occasional ore spots would contain veins of Frostrium Steel in which would greatly boost their wealth. The precious metal was so expensive it would feed the entire village for a year per ounce. Unfortunately, the larger veins of the ore were so deep it couldn’t be reached by normal means. Not only was it incredibly valuable, it was also extremely dangerous to mine from those depths.

Vori’s main source of income was gold, silver, and iron, in which they would trade to the ports or send down to the capital in Vlakias.

The main ports and larger cities closest to Vori was, Secarro to the west and Bienrior which lay to the northeast of them. Rayman and his twelve men traveled north from Vlakias and had just arrived in order to resolve the halt in mining. Zepper had ridden with them and guided them to Vori, all the while skittish and nervous.

Rayman stopped at the mouth of the enormous cave, staring in wonder. The entrance was beautiful, apart from the large wooden beams supporting the weight. Odd for a mining cave but nevertheless, sharp stones protruded out of the mouth and bright brown colored stone gleaned from the morning sun. He quickly composed himself as a man rode up behind him. He gave a stern look as he glanced over to Kevin riding up next to him.

After Erik asked Rayman to see to the matter that Zepper had reported, he needed to choose men to accompany him. Kevin, a lieutenant, volunteered first, a close friend to Rayman. Steven, Lucas, and Carl immediately after, not wanting to be left out of any adventure. Eight others offered to join, as they liked Rayman and wished to help him on his mission. Gossip had spread quickly, making the soldiers nervous, so in a way, this was to ease their own minds as to confirming the truthfulness to the rumors of demons haunting the mines. Biggest of the concerns was the safety of the people. The workers had temporarily shut the mine down until king Erik sent someone to deal with the problem, and so, Rayman was coming to ‘Slay the Demon’.

Rayman wasn’t a superstitious man but the look on each face and the fear in the villager’s eyes spoke volumes. Normally he wouldn’t believe in rumors or demons for that matter, however, the fact that they stopped working from fear told him all he wanted to know. Vori wouldn’t just stop production if it wasn’t something serious. Knowing this fact, a light sense of dread crept up his spine, making him uneasy from the tension in the air.

The temporary shut down of this mine created problems. Even one mining village would damage trade if it stayed closed for too long. If trade stopped the other kingdoms would become agitated, especially Tykin. When money is involved, people make rash decisions. A gnawing fear that the other kings would insist on intervening if things weren’t resolved swiftly, crept into the back of Rayman’s mind and no doubt Erik’s too.

Tykin had been on their throats for years insisting on more iron and ores. God only knew what they were for but Rayman knew it wasn’t anything good. A simple lack of resources coming in was an unnecessary risk at aggravating a neighboring kingdom that had twice their own strength.

As patient and understanding as king Xerath was, he too frowned upon the halt of trade even if it was tiny in comparison to the whole country still open for business. Erik’s sister Cara could only do so much to smooth things over with the two countries. It would be better not to test the strength of the bonds of alliances too much.

Taking Erik’s advice, Rayman had brought a dozen men with him. The journey had only been five days on horse. It had been cold but the days were beginning to warm up, though still cold enough to bring snow if the weather wished it. Climbing up mountains wouldn’t help with warming things off either. It was close to freezing up here and Rayman could only imagine the mine beneath the earth would only make it colder for them.

Kevin, a tall lean man, came up next to him, his horse snorting and shaking its head beside his own. He had bright blue eyes and pale skin. He wore warm clothing that covered most of his body. A thick wool skin wrapped around his neck kept his neck and chin warm. Kevin turned his scarred face to him and grinned, he was second in command. Even though Rayman was not technically enlisted in the army, everyone knew Rayman’s reputation and his loyalty to the king. Rayman had been given diplomatic and military authority during this mission and no one questioned Rayman’s judgment.

“What are you smiling at?” Rayman asked his second.

“This whole situation has escalated fairly quickly and I got to thinking, we are about to go into a deep dark cave chasing after monsters. I thought a smile would lighten the mood.” Kevin joked.

Kevin wasn’t particularly strong or all that good with a sword, what Kevin had that most didn’t was his mind. He was a quick thinker, a strategist, and wittiness to add. He handled all the wages and distribution for the castle guard. The men liked Kevin, an honest and trustworthy soldier which is what Rayman needed.

“Are the rest of the men prepared?” he asked. “I gave them five minutes, it’s been ten.”

“Zeph and Connor may have been betting on what we will find down there. Men being men, George, Ben, Mark, and Wolken chipped in. They all think we’re gonna find a monster in there. Fin and Billy think we aren’t going to find anything.” Kevin answered with a huge grin. Obviously enjoying the bets made.

“What did Lucas, Steven, and Carl say?” Rayman asked curiously.

“They are all just hoping to find some gold to take home with them.” Kevin laughed.

Rayman chuckled softly then twisted his torso, “Alright men, gather round.” He shouted, then swung his leg off his horse and landed on the dusty ground.

A small puff of dust settled on his boots as the men shuffled over to him, they clasped their shoulders and hands for extra warmth.

“I’ll see to the horses, sir,” Zepper said kindly. “On behalf of Vori, I thank you for personally coming to our aid.”

“No need to thank me Zepper,” Rayman replied. “We are happy to help in any way we can.”

Zepper bowed his head and waved his hand and several men and women to come take the reins of the other horses gathered around. They quickly guided the horses toward the stables as Rayman waited for them to leave.

After a few moments, all the men huddled in closer, creating more heat. He stared at all of them, his eyes falling on each of them. They were good men and all had families but a sinister feeling crept down his spine as he looked up to see every villager was either hiding or tending to their horses. The feeling quickly passed as Kevin patted him on the shoulder and Rayman preferred to ignore the feeling anyway.

“We all know why we are here. King Erik has ordered that Vori be protected. While we are down there, it will be dark and cold. Stay alert and keep your heads clear.” Rayman said encouragingly.

“What if we don’t find anything down there?” Connor asked.

“What if Zepper was lying to us the whole time?” Mark added.

“If he was lying, he will be punished accordingly, as will the whole village,” Rayman said sternly. “Our job right now is to investigate that cave and deem it safe for continued mining.” he shoved a finger at the entrance. “I trust you all have everything you need and are prepared for emergencies? Extra food and water?” he glanced at Kevin who nodded. “Good.”

He took a deep breath, then made his way into the dark cave. Rayman, himself didn’t believe the stories told. Each time he heard it, the one demon became a hundred, lurking in the caves. The rumor grew bigger and bigger. “Perhaps it was a large bear from the north and made its home here during the winter,” he thought. “Now people think there are hundreds of demons in the mines of Vori.”

Regardless of what it was, he and a dozen men with torches carefully made their way down deeper into the vast chasm. One young boy followed them into the cave, which struck Rayman as a bit odd but ignored the boy for now. Every other man held a torch and each man had a spare. Each time Rayman thought they had come to the correct lift, the small boy shook his head and pointed further down the dark tunnel. Light still shown from behind them but it was quickly getting darker and far more damp than he realized. After twenty minutes they reached a small lift and hesitated behind Rayman. The villager boy nodded and passed the men to catch up to him.

“Well, boys, looks like this is it. Zepper said it was down there, then a straight shot forward. Can’t miss it, so he said.” Rayman’s voice echoed through the dark stone around them.

Billy, the youngest, started at the sound of his voice but quickly composed himself. They were all afraid, all because of some stupid story.

The young boy that had followed them walked past Rayman and stopped next to the lift. An oversized jacket and gloves made him look adorable but his face betrayed the look of innocence. He set his hand on the lever and shifted his feet back and forth, then tipped his head in a gesture to the elevator, obviously eager to be done with the cave.

“Ah,” Rayman said in realization. The boy had come to activate the lift for them. “Thank you, young man.”

“My pleasure sir.” the boy’s yellow teeth could be seen in the torchlight. He gave them a fake smile and waited impatiently.

Rayman sighed heavily then stepped onto the lift. “I’ll go first, the rest of you follow after me. Don’t try to all fit at once, take turns, four or five at a time.”

He looked over at the boy in confirmation but he didn’t look at him or say anything to counter his order so Rayman looked back to his men. Feeling awkward from the stare the boy gave them, each man hesitated.

No one moved to join him as expected. They were reluctant to step forward, understandably so. Fear shone on all their faces. However, Kevin stepped up after an instant of hesitation and joined Rayman on the lift.

If the embracing cold and dark cave wasn’t enough to be cautious of, the reason for descending into the depths of the earth nagged at the back of all their minds. “What if there really was a demon lurking down there?” Rayman asked himself.

“Thank you, Kevin,” Rayman said, pleased with his second as he joined him on the lift. “George and Ben, you come with us. Billy, Mark, Steven, and Carl, you’re next. Fin, Zeph, Wolken, Conner, and Lucas, you will be last. Alright then, let’s go boys.”

George and Ben joined Rayman and Kevin nervously. The short boy pulled on a lever and the lift shifted slightly then screeched and began to move, slowly descending into the depths of the earth. The walls seemed to be closing in on them and he shoved down the feeling of claustrophobia.

Thankfully Rayman had foreseen the need for men that were good in a fight and did well in tight spaces. But even the toughest man would be affected by the black cold stone surrounding them. After what seemed like an eternity, the lift gave an eerie squeal then halted. All four grown men rushed off the lift to give themselves space, breathing heavily, Rayman quickly brushed off the feeling. He thought of his wife and children and was quickly able to calm himself. He thought of Shay’s soft loving smile and composed himself.

“Put all the torches out but one, we don’t know how long we will be down here so it’s best to conserve when we can,” Rayman ordered his men.

George kept his torch lit as Rayman and Ben put theirs out, Kevin hadn’t lit his in the first place as there was no need yet.

Fifteen minutes went by before all the men arrived at the bottom. Each time all the soldiers rushed off and spread out, breathing heavily. Rayman realized they all had been holding their breath during the descent, he too had done that very thing. The pitch blackness didn’t help them as the air down here was thin and cold as ice. His throat was already dry and he pushed back the urge to gulp down water. Instead, he took two quick sips then looked to his men who were doing the same.

A small voice came down the mine shaft, “I’ll wait here mister! The boy’s voice echoed down to them, his words faint and barely audible. Upon hearing the distant voice, it dawned on them as they realized how deep they were. Everyone was already uneasy being in the cold dark cave but Rayman straightened and gestured to them.

“Alright boys, that’s the worst behind us. Let’s find out the miners were scared of a small rabbit, then we all can go home,” Rayman tried to lighten the mood.

A few chuckles echoed back at him as he walked down the path towards ‘The Pentagon Door’ as Zepper called it. Most of the cave was naturally hollow, except for a few parts dug out for gold. For the most part, this deep down, the cave was untouched. This mountain was so rich with minerals, they hadn’t even begun to tap into the large deposits of ore.

The path narrowed slightly then widened again, over and over. Rayman lost all sense of time and began to wonder how long they had been down here. They must have walked miles, up and down, left then right, all one singular path. He had begun to worry they didn’t bring enough torches when he felt something odd in the air.

Drafts of air blew through the cave, which meant there was an airflow from the opposite end of the mine. It also had begun to heat up which didn’t make sense as far down as they were. “Shouldn’t it be getting colder?” he asked himself. A tingle shot up his spine and his whole body tensed. He bent down to touch the rocky floor, even the stone beneath his feet wasn’t cold anymore.

“What’s wrong Captain?” asked Kevin. “Do you see something?”

“I’m not entirely sure,” Rayman’s voice rasped in reply. “It’s just the air, it’s not cold. And the stone is slightly warm.”

“What do you mean it’s not co-,” Kevin trailed off in realization. Shock made his eyes go wide. “What does that mean Captain? What is giving off heat this deep underground?”

By this point, the group of men had halted and began to wonder what the hold up was. Nervousness grew rapidly amongst them. Knowing if Rayman had stopped, there must be something to catch his attention.

“What is it, Cap-in?!” Conner shouted down the line.

“SHHHHH!” everyone hissed at him.

Rayman made a couple of strides forward then stopped, noticing something ahead. It was probably a trick of the eyes but he could swear he saw a dim glow of light.

“Everyone, stay quiet and put your torches out. Now!” he whispered.

Snuffing out the last flame, it suddenly became pitch black. Everyone stood in silence. They could see nothing, not even a hand right in front of them. Their eyes began to adjust to the darkness and they slowly inched closer to each other, trying not to make noise.

Pulsing light gleaned off the cave walls, on and off a blue glow came from further down the tunnel. Unable to see even with the glow, Rayman inched forward, remembering the path in front of him before dousing the torches.

Their footsteps were quiet but their breathing intensified as they drew closer to the dim light. Still adjusting to the dark, Rayman could faintly see what lay ahead. The cave kept narrowing until the ceiling stood three men tall and two wide. At this point, everyone could mostly see and couldn’t wish away the glowing lights around the corner. Fear crept into all their hearts as they rounded the corner. Peeking past the black stone, Rayman saw the door, Zepper had spoken of.

Like the size of the cave, the door stood roughly eighteen feet tall and twelve wide. The ground near the giant door was some sort of metal that Rayman had never seen before. The steel floor slid into the ground as if it once was a path but over time the stone, mud, and ore had entombed it. To their left was another path, which trailed off into the darkness. Straight forward the cave widened again into a third path. The door stood to their right.

“What now?” Kevin whispered over Rayman’s shoulder. He, like all of them, looked terrified of this alien structure. “What do you think is in there?”

Now that they knew Zepper wasn’t totally mad, they all wondered if the rest of his story held true. “Could there be a demon through that door?” Rayman wondered.

“Uh, we… check it out.” Rayman tried to sound confident. “Who wants to go first?” he asked jokingly.

Kevin chuckled nervously at his humor, the rest of the men stood tense in fear after seeing the giant door. Now more than ever he was glad he had brought these men with him. They gave him the courage to push on.

“That was a joke,” he said. “I’ll go first.” Rayman rounded the corner and stalked slowly toward the door. As he stepped forward the steel beneath his feet started to glow.

Rayman froze. His heart rate intensified until it felt like his heart would burst from his chest. Blood pounded in his head, every inch of his body screamed at him to run away, but nothing happened. After a few moments, everyone relaxed slightly, seeing they were safe for now until they all heard it.

Low rumblings came from behind the door. Heavy breathing and a low growl, then something stirred and moved around making the ground shake. Small bits of rock and dirt fell from the ceiling causing the space around them to fill with noise.

Rayman sprinted backward in a panic, making his way to Keven who stood behind him with his arm out. Rayman flew full tilt straight back to the pathway, grabbing Kevin’s arm he swung around the corner and immediately dashed down the dark tunnel.

The rest of the men were already running ahead of him in a mad rush of panic. Darkness quickly hindered their movements making them slow down. While still half running Connor was the first to trip and fall flat on his face, the rest, tripped over him and they all fell on top of each other into a heap of bodies. Several curses escaped their mouths in frustration and fear. Zeph was the first to his feet and pulled a torch out, ready to light it.

“Wait!” Rayman hissed while trying to get off of Wolkin who he had tripped over.

Zeph froze and looked at him, as did the rest of the soldiers. Rayman could barely see but he could feel their fear and heavy breathing.

“We have to go back,” he said reluctantly. “King Erik has given us all a task, and that task is to investigate what that thing is. We can’t just leave after coming all this way. Lives are depending on us. What if that thing comes out and attacks the town?”

“We could evacuate Vori and head for Lideon?” George offered.

“Rayman is right,” Kevin chipped in, pushing himself to his knee. “I am as afraid as the next man but now that we know there IS something alive down here, we have to deal with it. Like it or not.”

“You all volunteered for this. I won’t make you. Anyone who wants to leave can do so with my blessing.” Rayman said. “No ramifications.”

They all slumped their heads to avoid anyone’s gaze but the glowing tunnel reminded them all of the ever-present alien door and what lay beyond it. Moments passed and no one moved to leave.

“We are with you, Rayman,” Wolkin said. Several others chimed in after him with agreement.

“Very good,” Rayman said proudly. “Now, I’m going to pretend our fumbling about like panic crazed fools tripping over each other never happened,” Rayman half laughed at himself. “We are soldiers, not little girls running away from glowing doors.”

He couldn’t see their faces but a laugh from Kevin started it. Each man started wheezing in laughter, trying to keep quiet. Rayman couldn’t help himself either, they all started laughing out loud.

If it was any other moment in time, people would think they had all lost their minds but Rayman savored the memory. After a minute of hysterical laughter and trying to compose themselves, they all stood to their feet and turned back down the tunnel. Determined to investigate the mystery creature.

Rounding the corner again, this time they all stood by Rayman. He walked up, emboldened by his earlier attempt, and touched the door with the palm of his hand.

“Ben, light a torch and wait for the rest of us. I want a light if we need to make a quick getaway,” Rayman commanded.

Ben swiftly did as he was told and lit his torch and took a few steps backward. A few moments passed and nothing happened. George began to say something but shut up as the door slid open slowly, shocking them all. Everyone tensed up and drew their weapons.

Soft hissing sounds and puffs of smoke came out of the door as it opened. Somehow, the door opened itself. They all expected to find someone or something opening it from the other side but as it opened, nothing was there.