Chapter 71

Lykan

The Cellars of Abberty

There are places and locations that by their very location require additional protections. Abberty village, being at the end of the kingdom of Tython was one such place. Its position, being at the edge of the wilderness, surrounded by countless monsters made it a less than advantageous location to settle.

Most villages would have built a wall, or some type of defense to protect the people and their livestock from monsters of the fields and of the nights. While most farmers did have some measure of fencing around their herds of prized animals, most did not. In fact, the whole idea of needing protective fence was moot, as each house of Abberty was built over top of an escape hatch.

The entire subterranean layer was a mapping of catacombs built by the ancients. There were even fields and pens where the villages decided long ago that in case of emergencies they could go and take their livestock with them. Not that there was much livestock left after the war needs.

The tax collectors came by multiple times. Each time they came they took more and more, until there were but a few heads of each type of animal left throughout the village.

After the first wave of taxes, many farmers pushed to have their livelihoods hidden in the catacombs. An act that was only approved after the third wave of tax collectors came through.

This way when the actual foreign forces came through, the people of the village were prepared. Each quickly made their way to the cellars. A few stayed behind to offer token resistance, while their children, the future of the village had a chance to survive.

With the children safely hidden, the resistance forces went about staging the different houses. Moving furniture to cover escape hatches. Anyone from the village would be able to spot the inconsistencies easily, as everyone had been welcomed to everyone’s house. Everyone knew the make and layout of each building. But the Azani wouldn’t know what to look for. Truthfully it was unknown if they would even care, but the villagers of Abberty hid in the catacombs. Their final candles having burnt out long ago.

A few of the teachers of the village, those who had been assigned to watch over the children and lead them to the future could cast mage lights. This was invaluable as it helped everyone calm down from the tense atmosphere of the catacombs.

Even the livestock that still survived calmed down when in the presence of the mage light. Whether this was due to being innately afraid of the very nature of magic, something that marked one as a potential predator. Or whether this was something entirely different was unknown. What was known however was that the teachers used this time to tell the children stories.

Two teachers and an aide for close to thirty children, huddled in the dark for close to five days. Supplies and rations had been stored down there, enough for the entire population of Abberty to survive for thirty days. That was of course before the first call for conscription, then the second.

Each call for conscription took fifteen percent of the people. In the end lots were drawn, leaving out only the elderly. Thus, how Old man Roberts and his Wife Martha had been selected to be the final two survivors. Their advanced age of over sixty meant they were not to be chosen regardless of circumstances. This suited the two just fine, as they had long ago made peace with the idea that they would be responsible for saving the children and guiding them to a better future.

“Now who can tell me the story of the farmer and the wolf?” Roberts asked.

A few kids looked like they knew, their wiggling giving them away. But ultimately, they were quiet. Even though the catacombs were soundproof everyone felt the need to remain quiet. This was how their days had been, silence.

At first the silence had been a relief. This meant that so long as they didn’t go to the surface everyone, and everything would be fine.

The only problem was no one came. Each day that no one came, the amount that people wanted to talk dwindled. Even the youngest of children realized something was wrong. After the third day no one asked for their parents, this was a relief for the two teachers and their aide Samuel who had been crippled from a horse kick at an early age.

All three had grown tired of shaking their heads and saying they didn’t know. Now everyone sat in silence, waiting for the inevitable day. The day they would either be found out by the invaders. Or the day they would eventually run out of food and must make their way to the surface.

Rustle, rustle.

Off in the distance they heard metal grinding against metal. It was a sound they all knew too well. It was the sound of the seals being removed and lifted. Each exit hatch had a locking mechanism to it, one that had to be opened in a particular pattern. Each child was taught the pattern as a nursery rhyme. Then when they grew up and built a house, or took over their family estate, they found the true meaning of the song.

Left, left, right, make it super tight.

Left, right, left you’ll see the light.

It was a stupid song, one that would easily be discarded by outsiders who overhead the lyrics being chanted.

There were three spins, and the sound was of metal scratching against metal as two pieces were peeled away from each other. The speed with which the seal was opened caused the caretakers to all look at each other.

Hope filled their minds, but then a stern realization filled them. One that was brought about by years of living in a harsh and unforgiving wilderness that would rather devour a small village like Abberty than offer any blessing.

“Where is that?” Roberts asked, mage light cast in a second so the two could see each other.

Of course, this had the added detriment of waking up most of the kids who had finally gone to sleep for the night. Not that the grinding of metal wasn’t enough to wake up most of the kids who had been on full panic mode for days.

“The library?” Martha offered, still trying to figure out the way the sound echoed throughout the catacombs.

“I’ll go check it out.” Samuel offered.

“How, can’t you even cast mage light?” Roberts huffed before he continued. “No, I’ll go. If it is an Azani I’ll try to buy some time.”

Not that Roberts knew how he could buy some time. If these were in fact Azani warriors, let alone a shaman they were done for. Roberts and Martha knew this was the case, but it wouldn’t do any good to have the kids panicking and drawing attention to them. Maybe one child could survive.

“Kids, go to your hiding spots.” Roberts said, looking out over his mage light and directing it towards each of the kids. This was the first thing they had practiced while coming. It was a game, super hider. The kids would all hide, and Roberts and Martha would go about trying to find the kids. The kids that survived the longest without making a sound got a treat.

“Super hider?” One child, Julian asked a note of annoyance in her voice.

“Yes, now go!” Roberts said. While he didn’t raise his voice, he did manage to convey the importance of hiding quietly. Seeing the serious expression in his and Martha’s face a few began leaving.

Even the animals were quiet, whether this was due to their feeling the tension of the moment or if they were asleep Roberts didn’t know. Nor did he care.

Giving a final nod to Martha, Roberts went out to head towards the sound of the disturbance.

Thud.

A loud echoing thud rebounded in the catacombs like thunder. With that sound Robert felt as if a jolt of electricity went right to his heart. He paused; his entire body frozen for a second at the sound. Finally the moment passed, and he managed to continue going forward.

This was it, either he and the people would be free, or… He trailed off from that train of thought, not wanting to take it to its inevitable conclusion. Taking in a few deep breaths for confidence, he marched forward. For a second, he debated whether he should turn out the mage light, but after a second, he realized that at his age such an action would likely be more of a detriment to himself than anyone. He kept the light on, hoping that if he was to die suddenly, the light going out would be enough of a warning to Martha for her to get the kids to safety.

There was a lower floor, but that floor reacted poorly to magic, which was why they decided to stay up on this floor. A few adventurous people said that there was not just one additional floor, but multiple that lay below the surface all laid out in deep hallways that guided people to different destinations. They had spoken about that floor, about how it could be used as a final retreat, but ultimately it was decided that they should stay close to the surface as possible. Especially with a few young ones in tow.

Roberts circled the room to find a monster descending the great metal ladder that went up to the library. His heart froze as he saw the monster descending. Glowing red eyes illuminated its path down. Looking at the monster he thought it had to be a revenant, as the shape was humanoid and was clearly wearing clothes. Clothes that were tattered and torn in places. Then there were the eyes. Glowing red orbs that seemed to light up the entire room. Compared to the golden glow of his mage light, the red light created by the glowing eyes was the difference between a candle and the sun. Both provided light, but one clearly outshone the other.

Roberts stood in fear as the beast went down the final few rungs.

Tink, tonk.

The beast’s feet made little clicking sounds as they struck each rung. That was another thing, this beast had bare feet. Lending even more credence to the idea that this was a revenant, one who had been buried without their shoes.

The revenant was close enough that Roberts could make out the general face and the hair of the creature. It was a male, given the size and proportions, but there was a wild aspect to him. His hair was overgrown and wild, like he had been rotting in a grave for a short time before finally coming to the surface to exact revenge on the living.

Seeing the monster, Roberts froze. An act that would normally help him blend in with his surroundings. This was a survival instinct that had kept him and his kind safe for generations. There was of course one problem with his hiding in such a way, the giant source of light that he had conjured all but drew everything with eyes’ attention towards him.

That’s when it took a step forward. It’s first step on the actual ground.

Vrrr.

As soon as its foot landed deep thrumming sounds could be heard. A vibration shook under Roberts’ feet, as the entire ancient facility seemed to come to life.

In a second lights came on, illuminating the room they were in. The monster who had been focused on Roberts and his tiny ball of light, were suddenly nothing compared to the amplified lights that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere all at once.

There was a moment’s pause as both Robert and the revenant were looking at the lights that seemed to flood to life. From behind him Roberts could tell that the hallway adjacent to the room was still dark, but more and more components came to life as machines deep underground came to life and began to thrum with activity.

All this distracted Roberts for a second, before he remembered the real purpose for being here. The monster before him. He turned, half expecting deep red eyes of a revenant.

He would never be ready for what he saw.

A ghost.

Just when he thought nothing worse could happen. The building that had been woken up began letting out sounds that were distracting.

Then a whirring sound could be heard as part of the wall opened. Roberts was shocked to see a spinning weapon of the ancients come to life. Then horror hit him as he realized the spinning ball of death was coming straight for him. With an act of pure desperation, he threw himself out of the room and rolled into the dimly lit hallway.

Roberts stayed in the hallway for a second, wondering if the spinning cylinder of death would come for him. To his surprise and relief, the ball stayed there, seeming to take in his essence of where he had been. Was it going to track me?

Roberts looked from the spinning cylinder, then up to the ghost and a shudder ran through his body as he made eye contact once more. Realizing he needed to warn Martha he rose to his feet and began hobbling down the darkened hallway, his hip was in pain from his daring escape. Despite the pain he needed to warn the others. A ghost had come to kill them all.