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Entry /
GnomeMinesby Caddrel The dizziness begins to fade, and my eyes flick open. Tall grass surrounds where I lie, waving silently in some small breeze, completely blocking my vision of anything beyond it while I remain in this position. I sit up, anxious to find out where I am, and gaze bemusedly at the area that I find myself in. Cliffs rise up to either side of me, impossibly high to climb and rocky beyond imagining. Behind where I sit, the grassland continues into the distance, as far as the eye can see, a vast wilderness completely unknown to the common man. Shadows cover the entire area, rock formations blocking out the sun's rays, creating darkness where there should be light. I shiver against the feeling I get when I look at them, but it is the scene in front of me that captures the most interest. Two large stone walls, seemingly carved out of the cliff itself, protect a small enclosure in the cliffs. Large wooden gates rest between them, shutting off any sight of what lies beyond. Despite once being well-made and impressive, they now hang in ruin, hinges rusting and the wood splintering in many places along its surface. Jumping to my feet, I make my way towards the structure, anxious to see what they are doing in a barren landscape such as this. As I draw closer to the walls, I see it is more badly damaged than it first appeared. There are many large holes in the stone, and the gates are so badly decayed they look as if they could be pushed over with just a slight touch. Approaching with more caution now, I slip quietly through one of the gaps in the stonework, pausing quickly to take in my surroundings. What seems to be a small mining village stretches out in front of me. Numerous tents and makeshift huts are dotted around the small enclosure, which on closer inspection seems to have dug out of the rock in the cliffs. Digging tools lie in crates at various places, and large heaps of stone and earth are piled up along the walls of the site. A gust of wind blows through the area, whistling softly on the rocks. There is no movement from anywhere. A small flicker of light catches my eye from the far corner of the village. Winding my way forwards through the tents and other structures, a small opening in the cliff comes into view. Cobwebs shroud the entrance, but the burning of a torch can still be seen amid the darkness. The path leading to the hole looks well-trodden, the earth pressed down by many booted feet. A slightly musty smell comes from within, but doesn't dissuade me as I push my way through the cobwebs into the tunnel beyond. A wide, low-roofed tunnel extends before me, torches mounted along the walls burning with a soft, low light. I start forward, my hand slowly reaching down to my axe. My footsteps echo hollowly as I move along the corridor, everything silent apart from my slow advance deeper into the gloom. The tunnel angles downward as I walk, twisting occasionally, the light becoming less and less certain as I get farther from the entrance. I reach a stone staircase, winding rapidly downwards. The smell of freshly-dug earth drifts up from below, piquing my interest. I begin descending, keeping my axe ready, looking intently for any sign of danger. I reach the bottom of the stairs without incident, but what greets me there takes my breath away. A massive cave has been dug out of the earth here, its ceiling stretching upwards so far it is lost in the shadows. Torches lay scattered around the cavern like leaves, their light barely penetrating the vastness of this place. The reason for the excavation soon becomes apparent. A giant building has been unearthed from the far wall, its delicate architecture seemingly preserved over the centuries by all the rock surrounding it. Twin gates stand at the centre of it all, untouched by age and smooth as glass. I move towards it, fascinated about how it could have been built here. I reach the two large doors quickly. They stand nearly twice as high as a man, towering above me ominously as I move closer to them. I reach out with my hand to touch their surface, and at the slightest contact they begin to swing slowly open, without sound or resistance. I steel myself against the sudden apprehension that grips me, and step cautiously inside. A purplish light shines down from above, giving the entire passage a cold, sinister feel. Massive pillars reach up to the roof on either side of the entrance, marked with strange runes and symbols unfamiliar to me. The smell of burning fills the air, and there is a deep humming sound emanating from all around me. The corridor extends to either side of me, the way to the right ending in gates similar to the ones I just passed. As I turn my head to look down the opposite way, the sight that greets me causes me to gasp in shock. A massive circle of flames, surrounded by runes and glowing fiercely, stands in the middle of a giant chamber at the end of the corridor. Small figures can be seen through the fire, running aimlessly about the ring they are trapped in, their shouts somehow muffled by the magic surrounding the area. As I move myself quickly towards the room, I begin to identify them. Gnomes, dressed in a pale green garb, obviously the miners who discovered this place. They stare at me desperately, words forming on their lips that I cannot hear, pointing to something within the chamber that is outside my vision. As I draw closer, the objects come within view. Two large chests, filled almost to bursting with jewellery and other valuable trinkets, sit open opposite where the miners are imprisoned. I walk slowly towards them, checking the room for any sign of a trap that might have been laid in preparation for my coming. Satisfied, I quicken my pace, covering the distance easily. I stop next to the chests, considering my options, and then slowly reach forward to touch the gold... My hand freezes, inches from the treasure. No. A sixth sense calls from the back of mind, warning me of something not visible, pushing me from it. I step back a few paces, then wheel around and stride back the way I came. I don't have time for this. Passing swiftly through the chamber, I make my way towards the door I originally saw when I first entered the building. Whatever help I could give the gnomes would not be found in that place. I slow as I approach my destination, readying myself for what is to come. Then, thrusting the door wide, I walk quickly through, slamming it shut behind me. The room beyond is a sharp contrast to the rest of the building, the ceiling so low I am forced to stoop to move around easily. The entire floor is covered in dirt, and the smells of mould and decay blot out anything else that might be present. The only light comes from a small brazier in the far corner, its weak shine struggling futilely against that shadows. There seem to be no exits from the chamber, and the entire place stinks of disease and disuse. I turn to leave, shaking my head in disgust, just as something within the room catches my eye. The secret door clicks shut behind me. The corridor ahead is completely black in colour, with torches mounted along its length and a small alcove at the far end. I walk quickly towards it, confident that there will be nothing here that will threaten me. Just as am I almost upon the chamber, a soft, beguiling voice comes into my head, "Well done. You have passed the test. Take your reward and go. " I slow, peering into the opening before me. In front of me, a thin passage, barely wide enough to squeeze through, leads through into a lighted room beyond. To my left there is a large chest, similar to the two I discovered upon first entering the building. Opposite that, a stone staircase leads deeper into the ground. Sensing that the voice's advice was to take the chest and then proceed down the stairs, I breath inwards and begin to edge my way along the narrow passage. Entering the chamber at the far end, I am met with a curious sight. The room is bare apart from four objects; some flowers, a brazier, a decaying head, and a chest. The small area is fully lighted, but there is no obvious source for the illumination. Standing for several moments in confusion, I suddenly realise what is needed. Stepping forward quickly, I lay my hand on the correct object. My vision shimmers, and the building fades from sight. I look around in shock. I am standing in a short tunnel, unlike any that I have seen before. The floor is made of normal stone, but the ceiling and walls seem to made completely of glass. Outside, there is just water, swirling slowly in some unknown current. Sharks drift by slowly, either unaware or merely unconcerned by my presence. There seems to be nothing beyond that but an endless mass of murky fluid. Behind me, there is nothing but a dead-end. The corridor ends in a fork, and I make my way towards it. As soon as I start moving, the yelling begins. Voices, seeming to come from everywhere, force their way into my hearing, words blotted out by each other, struggling to get my attention. The shouts become an endless clamour in my ears, distorting my thinking, forcing out any attempt to make sense of what they are saying. I somehow manage reach the end of the passage, but my heart sinks when I see what awaits me there. Corridors stretch off into the distance, other tunnels branching off at regular intervals along their length. All of them are identical, with the same features, the same dimensions... A maze. The noise intensifies, and I realise that if I am to escape, I must start moving immediately. Choosing the left fork, I stumble onwards into the labyrinth, not knowing what I am searching for, nor how long I have to find it. The passages seem to continue endlessly. My strength diminishes with each step I take, and as it does so the sounds echoing in my head seem to get all the stronger. Countless times I reach a dead-end and am forced to turn back, at others I find myself at locations I thought I had only just left. The corridors twist and turn into each other, doubling back, linking together, ending suddenly when only moments before they seemed to go on for miles. Objects appear in my path as I struggle on, but I shy away from them, warned by some sixth sense that they are not to be tampered with. Then, just as the last of my hope begins to fade, it is over. After what seems like hours of stumbling through endless tracts of corridors, I finally reach what seems to be the end of the maze. A small chamber appears before me, and on its floor lie six objects in an almost perfect semicircle. Approaching slowly, my head still ringing from the voices that have plagued me all through the labyrinth, I realise that I must choose the correct one in order to escape, and that if my choice is wrong it could cost me everything. Kneeling tentatively next to one, I reach slowly forwards and touch its surface... The change is so sudden I am almost unaware that it happens. One moment, I am standing in the maze, the voices whispering quietly in my mind, the next, I am here. The room is small, dimly lit, but the atmosphere that encompasses it is one of safety and warmth. The walls are a soft, grey colour, and the ceiling seems to made of some sort of ebony. Something glitters on the floor below me, and I reach down to pick it up. The object quivers slightly as I touch it, and gives off a heat that is unnatural. Picking it up, and bringing it slowly into the light, I examine it in more detail. It has roughly the same dimensions as a coin, but is larger in size, and glitters as if made of pure gold. There is a small inscription on the centre of the token, and as I bring it closer, it becomes clear in my mind. A small M has been embedded in the centre of the object, but for what purpose is unknown... Greed is a temptation that leads to the downfall of many, both good and evil. The answer to all questions lies in what has been written. --Caddrel |
