Return to Jorgaldur Volume II: the druid archer

Chase in the tunnels (I)

"BOOOOOM!! BOOM!! BOOOOOOOM!!"

Although distant, the sounds of heavy impact reached them, as they echoed through the tunnel. It wasn't reassuring at all. Their worst fears were confirmed shortly after.

"They've found another hole, they're going down it. There're two, the arachne and a beast-woman," reported the goshawk.

She couldn't see her sisters, but could feel them. She could feel how they walked, how their presence moved away down the tunnel, in the same way that they could sense the bird.

From the explanations of her winged sister, it was clear that what they had heard was the sound of large fragments of the dome falling into the hole. They had being broken by the two bounty hunters, to open a different route and be able to chase them.

The elf and the lynx had descended with the root, and then Floated to the stairs. The path was illuminated by Sun at first, and then by Goldmi's lamp. The elf had slipped a couple of times, as they were going down in a hurry, but she relied on of Backup Wind or Float to regain her balance. Her sister didn't have that problem. Although she could slip, she had three other legs, as well as great agility and balance.

They moved fast through the tunnel, as the elf was riding on her sister, and using Sun to illuminate, since the lamp wasn't fast enough. At her current level, her mana recovery capacity was enough to offset the expense of the spell.

They hoped to be faster than their pursuers, but didn't know what they would find forward, if there would be a way out or uncertain dangers. Nonetheless, they didn't have time to Detect them, so they were only trying to scout the terrain in advance with Light Arrows. Although there seemed to be nothing in those forgotten tunnels.

However, that didn't mean there wasn't. Most of those which could dig this far were insects hiding from predators on the surface, and now from those visitors whom no one had invited. That was the case with a bluish-haired rodent, which saw passing the swift feline, while hiding in its burrow. There was also a solitary type of bee that had its nest there.

There used to be no predators hunting in this area, as there weren't many accessible preys. If there were, their preys would be able to defend themselves and hide, or they would soon be hunted, and there would be no more preys. The exception was those which used the area for something else.

A level 60 snake, which was barely half a meter long but highly poisonous, was tempted to follow them as they ran past her, but gave up when it saw them go away too fast. They would have been very welcome nutrients, as it was caring for its nest and couldn't go hunting.

Nonetheless, without being able to use Life Detection, without time to stop, it was impossible for them to be aware of the dangers they left behind.

It wasn't until they came across an earthworm several meters long that they encountered the first living being. That worm was already disappearing, as it had noticed the vibrations of the ground.

It was shortly afterwards that, behind a Light Arrow's wake, they discovered some humanoid silhouettes next to the wall. However, when they reached them, they only found a kind of large metal door firmly closed.

"Hello? Is there someone there?" the elf called.

It was certainly a risk, as they could be dangerous. Although, the fact that they were hiding suggested that they weren't aggressive, and perhaps they could help them. However, there was no response from the other side, and Detect Life was unable to determine their presence. In fact, Goldmi could feel how that door blocked the power of the spell.

They examined it for a moment, but there seemed no way to open it from there, or anything that resembled a lock, plus it was extremely thick and solid.

"Hello? Can you help us? We want to get out of here," she kept asking, but got only silence in response.

So, after a few more tries, they decided to leave. They couldn't afford to waste more time there.

The mole-guardians had detected a strong vibration on the other side of the gate leading to long-abandoned tunnels, but which they were monitoring. Sometimes, they went hunting there, but most of all, they wanted to make sure nothing threatened them. If necessary, they were ordered to seal both gates.

So, after hearing the roar, they decided to go out and have a look. Nothing seemed to have changed, but everyone was alert, as they knew that the possibility of encountering dangers in tunnels could never be ruled out. As always, the first gate had been closed, and it would only open once the second was closed, and only if there was certainty that nothing had entered. The safety of the community was above that of the individual, and everyone knew it.

One of them put his ear to the ground, to detect the sounds that the doors and the separation between the tunnels made impossible to perceive, unless it was something as strong as the fall of tons of stone.

"Something is coming very fast!" he warned almost immediately

An instant later, a Light Arrow passed in front of them. It surprised and frightened them, so they hurried back and closed the door. From there, they heard footsteps on the other side, followed by someone who stopped and spoke to them.

"Maybe we should answer her? Let's see what she wants?" one of them suggested in a whisper.

"We can't get involved with foreigners. It's quite certain that they come from the surface," another denied.

It is true that most of them were curious, and the opportunity to contact other species was extremely rare. However, the legends and tales of ancient times were told to everyone when they were children. There, the beings from the surface were always violent, greedy, and dangerous.

Furthermore, the laws were clear. So, despite their curiosity, no one answered. They continued to hear what could be perceived from the other side of the door, even when the sounds indicated that they had left.

After several hours, they heard again that something else was passing by. It wasn't until a day later that they reopened the gate and investigated. They discovered, with part of relief and part of disappointment, that there was no one else around. At least, there were no beings that caused what in the silent underworld could be described as a commotion.