RJM Corbet
Deus Pascus Corvus
This is an excerpt from my book ERLOS -- from Book Four 'Angel Brother' ...
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The jungle was starting to darken as they began to descend into what appeared to be a natural amphitheatre, a crater. It was getting dark and they had no choice but to go on. Kym Myaan had recovered strongly from his dreadful wound and a trust had developed. It was dark when they reached the bottom of the crater. Kym Myaan led them to the entrance of a cave, deep in the lubyar jungle. Little wonder no man had ever found the home of the legendary Kradok or, thought Tyl, with a chill, that none had lived to tell.
Kym Myaan had led them to a narrow gap between two rocks. From deep within the fissure there shone a faint blue light. Sorac went first, squeezing down between the boulders and into the cave. At the end of a short, steep climb, a flat, slippery platform of grey water smooth limestone led more gradually down to where a silent pool seemed to be lit from within by the strange blue light. He could not make out where the colour came from. The water appeared to glow.
"There is a pool here," he called up: "A beautiful blue pool."
The others followed him down and they all gazed at the lovely pool. Smooth limestone cliffs rose from the still water to huge heights. All was lit with the strange blue radiance. For some reason Sorac thought of the Urinarda stone around his waist, and when he took the stone out of the pouch, it was glowing with the same light that came from the pool, but much brighter.
"It will light the way," said Tyl.
Somehow, she was not afraid.
There were a great many dark tunnel entrances in the limestone walls around them.
"Kym will show the way," Toache said.
Now the kradok led them into labyrinthine darkness. But by the light of the Urinarda Stone they walked like dreamers through huge cathedrals glittering with crystals, and upon narrow ledges falling to infinite depths.
They passed colossal and contorted natural stone formations and walked carefully for hours beside a huge underground lake, black and still as a mirror, whose silent waters Kym Myaan warned them not to disturb, lest they arouse leviathan who dwelt within its depths. As Kym Myaan led them further into the deep of the earth, water dripped from ancient underground cliffs where the fall of a pebble created resounding echoes. They were no longer weary or hungry but were instead filled with a sense of wonder, though watchful and aware in every sense. In the womb of the earth they had no fear, while the light of the Urinarda Stone surrounded them.
From time to time, within the dark and twisting tunnels, they encountered other kradoks, but the kradoks would not enter within the aura of the stone. Kym Myaan warned them off with what started as a deep rumble in his guts and then became a terrifying sound that bellowed outward from his lungs and shook the walls, dislodging loose stalactites from the roof to fall tinkling around them, before echoing away to final silence in the depths of the caverns, and the other kradoks vanished back into the darkness allowing the party to go on their way unmolested.
The four travellers were tiny beneath magnificent archways and pillars and delicately folded lace curtains of limestone, where priceless gems shone in the walls amidst fantastic natural sculptures that reared and twisted high and huge around them into the darkness above.
Now they began to feel themselves surrounded by dark entities – grey shifting forms with glowing red eyes. The creatures chattered and growled all around them outside the light of the Urinarda Stone. The noisy little creatures became more numerous until at last one of them came forward from the others and, communicating through Kym Myaan, asked them to follow.
"No, we will not go with you."
More chattering and growling ensued, until eventually the creature said: "We have seen your light, from the world above, and we wish you no harm. Our king, who is called Baalt, of the Urda, asks that you come to him, for the child of our king is dying and he begs you to use your light to heal his child."
So they followed the Urda down into the very bowels of the earth, along narrow ledges around dark sulphurous pits and above fast flowing rivers of white hot molten rock that sparked and flamed, casting their own shadows as grotesque dancing forms high above them. For hours they walked, until they came out into a great hall where, amidst strange, sombre monoliths engraved with ancient runes and surrounded by dark towering statues of men with horns and tails, clad in spiky armour and armed with jagged weapons, they came at last before the little king of the Urda upon his enormous black throne.
The crowd of Urda fell upon their faces before their king but the party remained standing, the blue light of the Urinarda stone casting a protective aura around them. Now the strange little king came down from his dark throne and prostrated himself before the four travellers through his realm.
"Rise," said Sorac: "I will allow no being to bow before me."
The king rose to stand before the shepherd.
"I am Baalt," he said: "I see your light, and beg your name."
"I am Sorac of Aazyr. My companions are Tyl, Toache and Kym Myaan," Sorac replied.
"Within these halls of the Urda are jewels and gold more than the greatest kingdom upon your world above has ever known," said the Urda King: "And I will give it all to you, if you will but heal my son with your light from above."
"Then keep your treasure, Baalt, and take us to the child," Sorac replied.
The king took them to the dying child, and when the child saw the light of the Urinarda Stone he was at once well. But when Baalt again threw himself at Sorac’s feet, sobbing and crying his gratitude, Sorac said: "Rise, Baalt, and stand tall amongst your people, for it is your own faith that has healed the child, and I have truly met a King today."
Now if this story were to tell of everything they encountered in the netherworld, of all the wonders and the terrors there, and from which legends were to grow, then it would never end, but eventually they emerged from the caves, blinking in the unaccustomed light, upon the mountains which were the natural border of Llozd ...
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... Phew! Now I'm scared ...
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The jungle was starting to darken as they began to descend into what appeared to be a natural amphitheatre, a crater. It was getting dark and they had no choice but to go on. Kym Myaan had recovered strongly from his dreadful wound and a trust had developed. It was dark when they reached the bottom of the crater. Kym Myaan led them to the entrance of a cave, deep in the lubyar jungle. Little wonder no man had ever found the home of the legendary Kradok or, thought Tyl, with a chill, that none had lived to tell.
Kym Myaan had led them to a narrow gap between two rocks. From deep within the fissure there shone a faint blue light. Sorac went first, squeezing down between the boulders and into the cave. At the end of a short, steep climb, a flat, slippery platform of grey water smooth limestone led more gradually down to where a silent pool seemed to be lit from within by the strange blue light. He could not make out where the colour came from. The water appeared to glow.
"There is a pool here," he called up: "A beautiful blue pool."
The others followed him down and they all gazed at the lovely pool. Smooth limestone cliffs rose from the still water to huge heights. All was lit with the strange blue radiance. For some reason Sorac thought of the Urinarda stone around his waist, and when he took the stone out of the pouch, it was glowing with the same light that came from the pool, but much brighter.
"It will light the way," said Tyl.
Somehow, she was not afraid.
There were a great many dark tunnel entrances in the limestone walls around them.
"Kym will show the way," Toache said.
Now the kradok led them into labyrinthine darkness. But by the light of the Urinarda Stone they walked like dreamers through huge cathedrals glittering with crystals, and upon narrow ledges falling to infinite depths.
They passed colossal and contorted natural stone formations and walked carefully for hours beside a huge underground lake, black and still as a mirror, whose silent waters Kym Myaan warned them not to disturb, lest they arouse leviathan who dwelt within its depths. As Kym Myaan led them further into the deep of the earth, water dripped from ancient underground cliffs where the fall of a pebble created resounding echoes. They were no longer weary or hungry but were instead filled with a sense of wonder, though watchful and aware in every sense. In the womb of the earth they had no fear, while the light of the Urinarda Stone surrounded them.
From time to time, within the dark and twisting tunnels, they encountered other kradoks, but the kradoks would not enter within the aura of the stone. Kym Myaan warned them off with what started as a deep rumble in his guts and then became a terrifying sound that bellowed outward from his lungs and shook the walls, dislodging loose stalactites from the roof to fall tinkling around them, before echoing away to final silence in the depths of the caverns, and the other kradoks vanished back into the darkness allowing the party to go on their way unmolested.
The four travellers were tiny beneath magnificent archways and pillars and delicately folded lace curtains of limestone, where priceless gems shone in the walls amidst fantastic natural sculptures that reared and twisted high and huge around them into the darkness above.
Now they began to feel themselves surrounded by dark entities – grey shifting forms with glowing red eyes. The creatures chattered and growled all around them outside the light of the Urinarda Stone. The noisy little creatures became more numerous until at last one of them came forward from the others and, communicating through Kym Myaan, asked them to follow.
"No, we will not go with you."
More chattering and growling ensued, until eventually the creature said: "We have seen your light, from the world above, and we wish you no harm. Our king, who is called Baalt, of the Urda, asks that you come to him, for the child of our king is dying and he begs you to use your light to heal his child."
So they followed the Urda down into the very bowels of the earth, along narrow ledges around dark sulphurous pits and above fast flowing rivers of white hot molten rock that sparked and flamed, casting their own shadows as grotesque dancing forms high above them. For hours they walked, until they came out into a great hall where, amidst strange, sombre monoliths engraved with ancient runes and surrounded by dark towering statues of men with horns and tails, clad in spiky armour and armed with jagged weapons, they came at last before the little king of the Urda upon his enormous black throne.
The crowd of Urda fell upon their faces before their king but the party remained standing, the blue light of the Urinarda stone casting a protective aura around them. Now the strange little king came down from his dark throne and prostrated himself before the four travellers through his realm.
"Rise," said Sorac: "I will allow no being to bow before me."
The king rose to stand before the shepherd.
"I am Baalt," he said: "I see your light, and beg your name."
"I am Sorac of Aazyr. My companions are Tyl, Toache and Kym Myaan," Sorac replied.
"Within these halls of the Urda are jewels and gold more than the greatest kingdom upon your world above has ever known," said the Urda King: "And I will give it all to you, if you will but heal my son with your light from above."
"Then keep your treasure, Baalt, and take us to the child," Sorac replied.
The king took them to the dying child, and when the child saw the light of the Urinarda Stone he was at once well. But when Baalt again threw himself at Sorac’s feet, sobbing and crying his gratitude, Sorac said: "Rise, Baalt, and stand tall amongst your people, for it is your own faith that has healed the child, and I have truly met a King today."
Now if this story were to tell of everything they encountered in the netherworld, of all the wonders and the terrors there, and from which legends were to grow, then it would never end, but eventually they emerged from the caves, blinking in the unaccustomed light, upon the mountains which were the natural border of Llozd ...
******************************************************
... Phew! Now I'm scared ...
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