“Hey boy. This way.” Maven’s voice brought Davin out of the memory. Davin didn’t see him return but was glad he did. He didn’t want to be trying to explore on his own. Maven slid his sword into its scabbard and took up his short spear which leaned against the wall. “Follow me, and stay quite.” Davin did as he was told.
They moved slow which allowed Davin the time to look at his surroundings. The floor was the same as it always was. Hard gray stone without imperfections. The walls rose on either side and then arched and joined at the apex fifteen feet high. Some corridors were all stone, while others were alloy or glass but all were beautiful. Maven halted causing Davin to stop mid-step. They could make out the faint echo of tapping. Davin’s breath caught in his throat and he could hear his heart pounding. Then the dreadful whisper of death was gone.
The duo resumed their slow and cautious excursion. The corridor split and Maven lead them down the left path. It didn’t run long before it split again. This time they took the right path. The path curved and curled down. It was the first time they had seen a change in elevation. All the corridors Davin had seen were on the same level. As they progressed down the spiraling corridor the temperature dropped dramatically.
Davin found himself chilled and shaking from the cold but it appeared the decrease in temperature had no affect on Maven. The hallway eventually leveled and straitened.
“Here we are. Can you open it?”
Davin didn’t understand why Maven needed him to open the door, he was not as strong as him and he couldn’t afford to ruin his white gloves. Then the small blinking light caught his eye. This room had power. Davin tugged his left glove off and ran his fingers over the surface of the door. He searched for memories, but there were none.
The quick taps came again, louder than a whisper this time but still faint. They were being hunted. Davin pulled off his last glove and dropped the pair to the floor. He slid both hands over the center of the door, the slight crack along the edges but still there was nothing. Then Davin’s forefinger grazed something just above the small blinking light. It was a keypad, but not like the illuminated ones he was used to. This one had actual buttons and squares.
The taps were growing louder. Davin placed his palms over the ancient keypad and felt for the memories.
Harold Stagar slammed into the stone door causing folders to fall to the ground and spill out pages of very neat and cramped writing. He knelt to pick up the files all while looking over his shoulder nervously. He grabbed as many as he could and stood up. While balancing the multitudes of items in his hands he quickly punched in an eight digit code. The stone door opened soundless to allow him entrance.
“Hurry up boy.” Maven was facing the way they had come. The taps had grown much louder. Davin looked toward the spiral walkway. Two small globes of blood violet eyes stared back at them, and then were gone. Davin’s heart beat in his chest and beads of sweat rolled down his brow. “Boy.” The word displayed Maven’s fear but accomplished the task of pulling Davin out of his state of immobility.
Davin turned to the door; 9-7-7-3-1-5-6-5. The door groaned, creaked and shuddered but did not move. Davin charged and put his shoulder to the stone taking care not to touch anything with his exposed hands. The door groaned again, receding into the room an inch and then stopped.
Davin stood to throw his shoulder against the door for a second time when out of the darkness the violet eyes darted toward him. Davin raised his hands to shield himself from death’s stalking creature. Claws ripped through the soft flesh of his arm as the jaws of the beast clamped down on Davin’s shoulder. He screamed from the pain for the split second it took for the darkness to overtake him.
Mile 29 