Daring Do and the Cask of Undeath

by PaddedCell

Chapter Twelve: The Eye of the Timber Wolf, and the Opening of the Underworld

“Here we are.. Eye of the Timber Wolf.” Daring murmured as the group trundled to a stop, leaving the forest behind and stepping out into a huge clearing which enclosed the lake. Dust let out a gasp upon laying eyes on the place. Twisted, gnarled roots spilled forth from the forest, coiling viciously across rocks and soil to vie for a place near the water’s edge. The lake itself was relatively small in comparison to other bodies of water, but it was large enough. Opaque, inky water sat still and stagnant in the pool, the sky reflected on its unmoving surface. In the centre of the lake lay the pupil to the Eye; the torn and age-weathered remains of a stone obelisk of some kind, straddled by moss, weeds and one lone tree whose roots crept down the sides of the stone pillar and into the murky depths of the pool. No creatures moved about the lake, but beneath the surface, one could sense some indistinct, discordant movement.

The changelings and their officers had become agitated, some flying circles around the small island of sorts in the middle of the lake. Grim mutterings between the changeling troops prompted the changeling Commander to order the adventurers to get to work. Flipping open her mother’s journal, Dust leafed through the dry old pages and eventually reached the pages concerning the Eye of the Timber Wolf, as copied and researched from Sir Finstream’s manuscript.

“The manuscript says.. ‘To unlock the Lower Way, approach the water’s spire and brandish the Key-blade. Then, with the Key-blade, unlock the mechanisms of the Gateway to proceed below. Beware the Guardians of the lake.’ Guardians..?” She queried, raising an eyebrow and staring toward the inky surface of the lake.

“Sounds like danger. Well, that ain’t surprising.” Cistern grumbled, sitting down on a stubby little boulder next to a changeling. The insectoid trooper looked at her quizzically as Fuse stepped forward. He picked up a stone.

“Only one way to find out.” He shrugged. The Captain went to stop him, but he chucked the rock into the water. There was a burbling, guttural groan from somewhere beneath the liquid. Before anyone had time to react, something broke the surface. Bony, near-skinless and blind, some undead mockery of a pony slid silently out of the water. It peered around with sightless, glowing blue pinprick eyes, and then sank back beneath the dark waters. The smell of bloated rot drifted around, causing all present to gag.

“Well, that answers that question.” Captain Rhododendron uttered, looking quite shaken. The changeling troopers cocked their guns, ready to take on any more of these undead Guardians.

After some convincing and compromise, Dust was allowed to catch a lift on the back of one changeling troop. The black creature crouched low as she yanked the pith helmet low on her head, straightened her bow-tie, and clambered on-board. Cautiously, the changeling hovered quietly over the dark water below and came to a halt in mid-air just above the island. Dust dropped down, hooves sliding immediately on the moss and slime coating the half-submerged tower. But as she clambered to its summit and reached a small podium into which was cut a slit for the Key, the Guardians awoke. The changeling whom had escorted her across to the island was horrified as one broken-bodied, pale mass of bones and bloated flesh leapt with the grace of an athlete from the water, slamming into it and enwrapping it in pallid limbs. The changeling screeched in agony as the undead thing began to devour it. Luckily, the grisly spectacle only lasted a moment before the thing and its prey dove back under the lake’s surface with a splash of inky water. In a few moments, the liquid darkened considerably and took on a grim, hazy claret colour. A moment more, and the Guardians began to rise. It began with a nearly silent gurgling, and the discordant rattling of bones and ruptured lungs. The ugly things pulled themselves from the deep waters of the lake one after the other, proceeding inward and beginning to climb the stone tower toward Dust. The firing began. Changelings zoomed around the spire, firing off round after round of bullets at the undead horde which continued climbing unless their heads or limbs were exploded completely.

Dust herself was in a full panic.

Surveying her mother’s notes was no easy feat. Luckily, Daring had made a detailed diagram of the opening mechanism based on Sir Finstream’s manuscript, which made the job much easier. She read aloud as she worked.

“Insert the Key’s blade, and turn clockwise 90 degrees.. Slide the first section inward.. The ring around the section will unlock.” She tested the ring, turning the Key. The circular section of stone around the podium turned in unison, driven by some ancient stone gears within. “Turn the ring around three times, counter-clockwise.. So that the symbols are aligned, and the top section of the lock lifts away.” She did so, turning the ring until all of the inscriptions on the stone mechanism matched. There was a click from within, and Dust found that the top of the podium lifted off. She tossed the stone section aside, slamming it into the nearest undead creature who climbed up to catch her. As another reached the tower’s summit, Dust viciously swiped at it with the Key. The blade’s unearthly power slashed the rotten thing clean in half; battered skin and bones splashing back into the lake below. Reinserting the Key, she continued the unlocking. Unbeknownst to the undead and the adventurers and changelings above, Dust’s unlocking of the Underworld’s entrance was fast approaching. The turns and slides of the mechanism at the summit of the tower above likewise turned colossal gears and slid huge stone pistons aside below. As Dust made the final turn of the mechanism and took back the Key, the podium slid down into the tower. The unlocking mechanism ground into its final stage. Gears below-ground began turning with a horrific screeching, the bones of decomposed animals and piles of centuries-old detritus being pushed aside as long-forgotten machines moved once again. Six huge stone hatches were slid away at the base of the submerged section of the tower, opening drains for the lake. The inky water began to lower quickly, draining away into some ancient reservoir beneath ground. The Guardians of the lake dove back into the waters, scuttling away and escaping down the old drainage chambers below. Soon, all that was left was the stinking pit which had been the lake, in the centre of which stood the tower – now revealed in its grimy fullness.

“Huh.. Wonder how long it would take to clean off all that slime.” Cistern commented. Dust giggled as Daring flew up to the top of the tower, lifting her daughter down to safety in the dried-up lake.

The group proceeded down into the dry lake, finding another slit made to receive the Key. Inserting the blade again, Dust turned once. The tower shuddered, and then began to descend slowly with the grinding sound of stone against stone. The group clambered onto this ancient elevator, riding it down into the depths, and into the Underworld.

Comments

[FluttaShift]

epic! creatures were a nice addition to the action. dust is such a well thought oc and a loveable character at that. key blade? kingdom hearts reference? love the chapter. good work as usual. cant wait till next update

[PaddedCell]

3445426
I did notice the accidental reference once I was done..

[FluttaShift]

3453454 it hit me instantly. still a nice reference even if it wasnt intentional. i look forward to reading the next chapter.