Below the Arena, con't.

[DoS Archive]

From: qnluthien@aol.com (QnLuthien)
Date: 22 Jan 1998 02:16:03 EST

It didn't take long for their eyes to adjust to the light....or the lack of it. The torches would burn slow when they chose to burn them. Turi's will o'the wisps did a better job and without the eye-burning smoke...as long as she could expend the effort, the clean white lights danced their way slightly ahead.

The stagnant air melted around them. The odor, dense and molding, wafted from one direction to the other, Turi and Luthien only exchanged one glance of displeasure and that was enough.

" I swore once I'd seen enough o'the underworld m'friend.." huff'd Luthien as her boot sank knee deep into a black pool of collected....mire. But alas, the spirit of adventure was upon them and they travled deep into the twisting tunnels. Slowly downward into the depths, downward into the forgotten histories of the not so ancient RhyDin past.

Turi chuckled. "Know wha' ye mean. I'd swear if we go much further we'll be visitin' some kin darker than me." The tunnel opened in front of them to yet another cavern, fairly small but with several openings. The will o' the wisps flew wide in the sudden space. With a broad gesture, Turi let Luth pass in first. "I made the las' choice, lass. Which way d'we go now?"

Luthien considered the choices, but before she'd chosen both women caught a sound echoing down another passage, faint, but undeniably voices. Instantly Turi gathered her lights back to herself, dimmed them until the two women could barely see each other. Silently she mouthed to Luth, What now?

"Look like our choice is made for us. Anything that lurks along these paths can be nothing but trouble or worse." again they listened to hear just where the voices came from. Now with the most minimal light, the pair trekked into the tunnel away from the voices. Their pace was quickened in their effort to distance themselves. The route took a series of sharp turns and the jagged edged rocks stuck out from all angles. Maneuvering was precarious
in the dank underground.

They had not gone far enough for comfort when Luthien's breath caught in her throat and her lungs seemed to cave in with a violent COUGH. Turi spun 'round, instinctively clamping a hand over Luthien's mouth in an attempt to hush the noise. Straining to quiet herself, the coughing took over, denying her breath. Luthien was forced to her knees, leaning into Turi who still tried to stifle the noise. So it was true, Luthien was not well.