I emerged from the tunnel to see an enormous, large, mysterious cave stretch out before me. My eyes adjusted to the even deeper darkness. Ahead of me, in its eerie depths, I saw skeletons. Endless skeletons. Big skeletons. Small skeletons. Too many skeletons. Strewn everywhere. The sight of them chilled my bones and made my spine tingle and my quills ripple.
Again I had to climb something. I was already tired from when I had climbed the giant skeleton. I looked down the cliff. It looked like there were many places to put my hands and feet, but they were all extremely small. I reached down and took off my shoes and dropped them down the cliff. Then I did the same with my gloves. Then I began to climb down the dust-coated cliff. Everywhere I felt pain, but I had to ignore it. I had to find a way out of this place.
I soon reached the bottom and leapt to the ground. The coldest of rock floors met my feet. I grabbed my shoes and put them on, and then did the same with my gloves. Then I continued.
I passed many pillars of jagged rock and even more haunting skeletons. Some of them were covered with blood, while others shone an eerie alabaster. There seemed to be a path through them, as if someone had pushed them out of the way so it was easier to travel.
As I walked, my ribs ached, and I had to wrap my arms around them. My body was still trembling, and it felt like any second I might fall because my legs were so weak, but I did not stop. I had to keep going.
Occasionally I thought I heard a shuffle or a soft flapping or dancing whispers from the shadows, but I thought it was possibly the eerie wind that blew across the cave. The cold wind sent quivers down my spine, but still, it felt as if unseen eyes were watching my every move. The combination of quiet and echoes filled the air, amplifying the haunting feeling that this bone-filled land gave me, telling me that life was fragile, and this very day - or night, I did not know - it would be my life's turn to break.
Then I saw something ahead of me. It was a scaly green creature, and it appeared to be struggling to breathe. I picked up my pace, even though my body protested. I knelt beside this toling creature.
His scales were dull and rough. His somber blue eyes stared up sadly at me. There were spines on the back of his head. He was sprawled beside a large rib that had been separated from the rest of its skeleton, and his long claws were flexed with agony.
I didn't know how I expected to help this creature, but it seemed wrong to just walk past it. I just knelt there, watching it, and it watched me. We stayed there for a long time.
Then I heard a shuffle behind me. I looked back. I'm sure that something moved there.
''The vichres,'' said a raspy voice. It had come from the scaly creature. ''They're waiting for me to die.''
I looked back at him, surprised that he had spoken.
''Why do they want you to die?'' I said.
''They want to eat me,'' said the scaly creature. ''Just like they've eaten everyone else.''
I looked at the bones around us. So that was how they all died!
I wished I could do something to help this creature, but I knew I couldn't. I sighed sadly. I would have to worry about myself then.
''Do you know if there's a way out of here?'' I said.
It took a while for the creature to respond.
''If I knew of one, I wouldn't be here anymore,'' he said. ''Still, you should leave this place. After they eat me, you'll be next.''
''Wait, but why do they want to eat me?'' I said fearfully. ''I'm not dying.''
''You're weakened,'' said the scaly creature. ''That's close enough to dying for them. They'll kill if you don't leave. Go now!''
I stood and looked around. I didn't see any other creatures. I started down the path. Then suddenly, a creature dropped down in front of me.
It had a strikingly dreadful and frightening appearance. It had sleek black fur, low-set ears, and a crest of feathers was on its head. Its piercing red eyes glinted in the darkness. It stood on four legs, and it had wings. It also had a long, feathery tail.
''So,'' said the creature. ''It looks like we have two meals here.''
''No,'' I said. ''You're not gonna kill me.''
The creature laughed as if what I had said was very funny.
''Oh, that's cute,'' she said, laughter still in her eyes.. ''But there's nothing you can do, youngster. There's nowhere you can go. You might as well die along with your little friend.'' she glanced at the green scaly creature.
''How can you be so sure that you can kill me?''
''Hm, someone has some spunk.'' the creature smirked. ''I like that. It's been a while since we've had a young creature here.'' the creature circled me. I stood perfectly still, not knowing what the creature would do if I moved. ''Hm, you're a little skinny, though,'' the creature commented.
I looked around frantically, searching for any way to escape. There were many ways I could go, but I was sure I was too weak to escape.
''Oh, I'm sorry, but there's no way to escape. Don't you know? There's no way to get out of this place. You might as well just die now. Trust me, starving to death is much more painful.'' the creature looked at the scaly creature again.
''You mean. . there's really no way to get out?''
''Nope. There's no way.'' suddenly,, without any warning, the creature began to sing,
''This is a land of endless dark.
There is no way out.
Death lurks in every corner,
But first, I'll tell you what this is about.
There are great creatures here
That are always searching for a meal
That's great enough for their kind.
They all rule this place
But we're the foes that you face
Because we are the ones that survive.
Oh, welcome to the land of doom
Where kontos roam.
Their roars are thunderous booms
In this great dome.
We'lll make sure you'll die today
In the place many bones lay
On and in the ground.
This is a place
That you won't escape.
So why just keep living on?
We'll make sure your done
And we'll have all the fun.
That's just the way that this land works.
Welcome to the land of doom
Where kontos roam.
It's full of deathly fumes
That we learn to know.
We'lll make sure you'll die today
In the place many bones lay
On and in the ground.''
As she kept singing, suddenly, two enormous, fearsome creatures with very large teeth rose out of the shadows, roaring ominously. They disappeared as quickly as they'd appeared.
''Welcome to the land of doom
Where kontos roam.
This place is full of gloom
As you already know.
So come on, do not fight
And don't even try flight
Don't worry, It'll be quick.''
The creature continued singing as more creatures came out of the darkness. These creatures were muscular and had freaky proportions. Their fur was green and stood out brightly from their surroundings. Their piercing eyes evinced a sense of hungriness, terrible hungriness and greediness. They had slender snouts. They were adorned with pairs of pointed ears that were all angled towards me. All of them, along with the singing creature, circled me, their eyes gleaming hungrily. I gasped with fear, not knowing what to do. The creatures circled closer and closer, and then suddenly, the creature who had been singing laughed wickedly and leapt into the air. A moment later, the creature landed on top of me and tried to bite my neck. The creature screeched and dropped off my back. She writhed on the ground, screeching, ''spines! Why does it always have to have spines?!''
Then all the other creatures, who must have been vichres, backed away, fear showing in their eyes. Then, one by one, they began to run away. The creature who had gotten a face full of spines was the last to leave. She stood and looked at me with an expression of pure hate and bolted away, disappearing into the darkness.
I stood there for a while, unable to believe that I was still alive. Then I continued on, tired and more scared than when I had first entered the cave.
I traveled the cave for a long time, but it seemed to have no end. I could feel myself growing steadily weaker, I didn't know how long I would be able to go on.