Chapter Three

Strakk couldn’t see; he could barely breathe. Of course, he had to be a hundred percent sure… but knew that it probably wouldn’t be good. I deserve it, he thought. This is the last time I'll do something for others. I have a very soft heart. That's my problem. Enough! It's over! I will become a champion of the arena, never to take an escort job again in my life, no matter what I do.

Strakk clenched his fist and struck something hard. Something grabbed his wrist and pulled him out of the rocks. He was relieved when he touched the ground. The dust kicked up by the fall caused him to cough violently. When he looked around, he saw a faint light around the dust, forming a familiar silhouette.

“I’m alive!” Strakk sputtered after a while. “What happened?”

“You really need to ask?” Replied Gresh, his voice laced with fury. “Your fire triggered an avalanche. We all fell down the slope.”

“But I'm alive, right?” Strakk murmured, rising. “If not, I would have gone where good souls go. I’m definitely not there.”

“The avalanche pushed us against the wall of the ravine. Then I saw a small opening in the rock,” Tarduk said. “We went inside, but the entrance was blocked by the rocks.”

“What of the caravan? And the Exsidian?” Strakk said, alarmed. “If Exsidian is lost, I will not receive my payment and the whole expedition will have been a waste of time.”

“The Spikit is a bit battered, but the carriage is fine,” Kirbold said. “I'm glad you asked.”

As Tarduk spoke, Gresh returned to the opening. It was blocked. Pushing with all his strength, he tried to move the rock, but to no avail.

“Even if we do manage to move the rocks from the inside, the other side would be blocked by debris and boulders. I’d prefer not to go out that way.” Tarduk lit a torch, illuminating the dark corridor.

“Is there another option?”

Strakk stepped forward, carefully examining the surface of the walls. The rock was perfectly smooth and polished. He was looking for a second exit. If there was one, it was not located somewhere in the ceiling, so climbing was not an option. He walked around, looking for scratches, cracks or anything that indicated the existence of a door, but due to low amount of light provided by the torch Tarduk had, he couldn’t find anything.

“Where do we go from here?” Strakk asked.

“This is not a natural tunnel,” Gresh said. “Someone created it. But why? And where does it lead?”

“Well,” Tarduk shrugged. “It seems our only choice is to follow the path ... Unless you’d prefer to stay here and die.”

Everyone sighed with relief when they discovered that the corridor was wide enough for the caravan to pass through. According to Kirbold's calculations, the corridor should be running roughly from east to west, almost the same direction of Vulcanus. Of course, if he was wrong, and the tunnel did not lead in that direction, it would undoubtedly cross the Dark Falls and end in the eastern territories. Nobody liked that possibility. Anyone who traveled there, even the Skrall, never returned. Tarduk’s torch was the only source of light in the hallway. They hadn’t yet encountered a sign or anything else that would indicate where they were, or where they were going. Tarduk also wondered why there were no signs of life. No doubt the Sand Bats would have dug holes to gain entry. If there was another way out, it would be closed. For a moment Tarduk wished that Bara Magna's Glatorian could control the elements to which they belonged. If that were the case, the Jungle Tribe could control plant life, and the Ice Tribe would control ice. Strakk could freeze the boulders blocking the exit and break it in half with one blow of his axe. That idea was a nice one, but he knew it was impossible. Nearly a hundred thousand years ago the Glatorian had fought a major war on the planet. Tarduk preferred not to think about what would’ve happened if they’d had the ability to control their elements then.

“Hey, look,” Gresh said. “What’s that?”

Several strange symbols on the wall glowed brightly in the torchlight. A series of circles with lines were turned at various angles, forming strange inscriptions. Tarduk’s mouth curved into a smile.

“I saw something like that once!” he said, rushing to the wall to see the markings more closely. “I found these writings in some ruins!” “Excellent,” Strakk said. “I hope this symbol is: 'Exit.'”

“I don’t know what’s written here. I can’t read them,” Tarduk said. “But based off where I found them, I think...”

“Spit it out!” Strakk grunted.

“...I think it has something to do with the Great Beings...” Tarduk ended in silence.

“That’s... good news,” Gresh said, uncertainly.

“That's wonderful,” a stunned Strakk rubbed his head. “Just great. Things couldn’t get any better. Unless you see lava in here...”

“You know what? I think I left a flaming torch at the entrance,” Kirbold murmured. “I’d like to go back.”

Tarduk perfectly understood what his teammates felt. Even if no one had seen the Great Beings, all knew of them. Many people would forgive them for making Bara Magna a technologically advanced world. However, the vast majority of them blamed them for the catastrophe that had struck the world. Why they disappeared, Tarduk did not know - in time it became a legend. However, there was no doubting one thing: the Great Beings had committed a horrible act. The consequences of their negligence had resulted in a tragic disaster. Since then no one talked about the Great Beings. In the past, Tarduk had made several attempts to find them, but the leader of his tribe forbade him to look, considering his attempts to be a 'waste of time.' But he’s not here now, thought Tarduk. Perhaps now, I’ll finally manage to learn something about them.

“Why would the Great Beings have dug a tunnel in the mountains?” asked Gresh.

“To reach the other side of the mountain?” Strakk guessed with a hopeful tone in his voice.

“Perhaps the Great Beings built this place... and left a guard?” Tarduk suggested. “It may be in here now.”

“After a hundred thousand years? Please!” Strakk scoffed.

Suddenly a sound echoed through the hall — a hollow sound, like something on the ceiling had been loose and dropped down from above. Everyone jumped.

“Someone’s here,” Kirbold whispered.

“Something’s wrong,” said Gresh, his voice a whisper. “Stay here, I’ll investigate.”

Before Strakk could protest, Gresh advanced. A few hundred feet down the path, the floor of the hall seemed a bit different. The smooth surface was replaced by thousands of ancient stones. On the walls were more symbols. As he continued he heard strange noises ahead - sounds of scraping and a quiet hiss of air. Gresh’s nerves were pushed to the limit.

“Gresh!” Tarduk cried. “The ground is moving!”

Gresh looked down. Tarduk was right. The “stones” in the path were actually Scarabax Beetles. The swarm covered the floor of the corridor from wall to wall. When the beetles were small they weren’t much of a threat - they could easily be trampled. But adult Scarabax shells were hard as rock. Gresh quickly stepped back, causing a violent commotion amongst the insects. If he didn’t move quickly, he would not be heard from again. Suddenly he heard a roar in the tunnel, and a Sand Bat burst out of the darkness, heading right for him. Anyone who had been through the desert knew the Sand Bats were something that caused panic and fear. They were large predators with a snakelike body and bat wings. They preyed on creatures by leaping from the sand and quickly dragging their victims into the depths of the desert. Now Gresh had two problems to worry about; the beetles and the Sand Bat. Gresh stumbled and fell back towards the bug infestation. Kirbold and Tarduk hurried to help Gresh. Strakk hesitated for a moment, but immediately ran after them. He knew that if he didn’t succeed in saving his companion, he too would end up as just another meal. The Sand Bat lunged at Gresh. The Glatorian’s memories flashed before his eyes; he remembered his people, the faces of his friends, Kiina and Vastus. He instinctively closed his eyes as the Sand Bat rushed toward him, baring its teeth. For a moment nothing happened, then he heard a furious whisper that suddenly echoed through the cave. The noise drowned all other sounds, all except one… the desperate cry of the Sand Bat.

Fero reined his steed to a stop. He wanted a closer look around this area. He knew there was a mystery to be solved here. Fero belonged to the desert raiders known as Bone Hunters. He was one of the best, but recently a target had managed to evade him. The attack on the village of Vulcanus had ended in failure - a handful of Glatorian had been sent to stop him, and had succeeded. He wasn’t sure how this had happened, but he was humiliated in front of his tribe. Pride wouldn’t allow him to live with such shame. Shortly after the failed raid he’d left his camp, although he had no intent to hunt or plunder the Agori caravans. No, Fero would track juicier prey – the Glatorian who had beaten him days earlier. He had cowed to himself that he would pursue them. His revenge would end when the desert sand consumed them all. Fero followed Strakk's trail since leaving Iconox. He wanted to wait until nightfall, to attack and destroy the Glatorian, leaving his knife embedded in Strakk’s flesh, as a warning to others. However, during his watch he’d found that Strakk was with Gresh, a Glatorian of Tesara. They were both escorting a load of Exsidian. Fate had given him the opportunity to defeat two enemies and gain a substantial reward in one stroke. He needed a plan. Many experienced Bone Hunters wouldn’t have run the risk of facing two strong Glatorian, but Fero was patient. The two Glatorian had gone on a long journey, and Fero would wait for the right moment to attack them by surprise. The Black Spike Mountains had made them an easy target, but the Skrall had interfered with his plan. Furious, he had watched the group of warriors escort their prisoners and their valuable cargo towards the village of Roxtus. Then there was an escape attempt that ended with an avalanche. They left the debris — the purported resting place of the two Glatorian, two Agori and several tons of Exsidian — Fero understood why the Skrall didn't believe anyone could’ve survived the catastrophe. However, something told him that appearances could be deceiving. Perhaps the instinct of Bone Hunters, honed for years in the harsh desert, led him to conclude that Gresh and Strakk were still alive. Of course, he hadn’t gone to confirm this by digging through tons of stones; this type of work was not something Fero would’ve enjoyed doing. In addition, the Skrall could return at any time. This brought Fero to another possibility. The only way to avoid death in an avalanche was to be in a cave. Caves often had a second exit; perhaps the road that the Glatorian were taking would bring them to it. Fero intended to find them and wait for them. He turned his steed and headed off the road. He knew where he would be going. If Strakk and Gresh emerged from the cave, Fero would make sure his defeat in Vulcanus was avenged.

Gresh opened his eyes. The Scarabax swarm had emerged from the ground like a miniature tornado and flung themselves toward the Sand Bat. For a moment, the beast disappeared under a thick black cloud of insects. When the cloud disappeared, Gresh noted that the spot where the Sand Bat had been was now empty. Soon the beetles scattered in all directions, and Gresh, still in shock, stood up.

“What just happened?” Gresh asked hurriedly, while checking to see if any of the beetles remained attached to his armor.

“You ran straight into a Scarabax swarm. That was stupid,” Strakk explained. “Then you fell amid a Scarabax swarm. That was also stupid. The Sand Bat was smarter than you.”

“And that's what I did wrong?” Gresh gritted his teeth, trying hard not to fire back a harsh response. Kirbold intervened, preventing Strakk from making things worse.

“The Scarabax react to sudden movements. When the Sand Bat flapped its wings it caught their attention, so they forgot you and went after it instead.”

“Then why did they flee?”

“Who knows, maybe they went to take a nap after lunch? At least they’re gone,” Tarduk shrugged.

“That’s not even the most interesting part.” Strakk sighed.

“No? What is then? Enlighten me,” a curious Kirbold responded.

“Sand Bats don’t live in the caves,” Strakk voice was riddled with impatience. “They live in the desert, buried in the sand where they hunt things on the surface. In places like this, there’s no food for them. Get it?”

“They came here from abroad, like us,” Gresh guessed. “Except that Sand Bat flew from the other side, and that means...”

“...That means there must be an exit!” Kirbold concluded. “We just have to find it!”

“Well, wise man,” Strakk said. “Can we hurry before those bugs appear again?”

The team continued down the corridor. The passage twisted, it rose and fell, but Tarduk was more interested in the inscriptions on the walls, hoping he’d see more of them. He still had no idea what they might mean. He couldn’t tell if they were symbols or numbers, walking too fast and had no time to see well. “I think I see something,” Kirbold said. “There, up ahead.”

Tarduk stared into the darkness. Kirbold was right — ahead of them shone a dim light. Without thinking, Gresh moved in that direction. Kirbold had the Spikit run faster to keep pace with him.

“What is it?” Strakk cried. “A door? Is it the exit?”

Gresh went down the path. Through a narrow slit in the middle of it was a faint stream of sunlight. Touching the wall with both hands, Gresh tried to find a button or a lever to open it.

“I think so,” he replied. “If only we can find ... Aha!'

The Glatorian pushed a square stone slightly embedded in the wall. After a moment they heard the echo of an old mechanism working. However, it did not open any door. Something completely unexpected happened.

“This doesn’t look good.” Strakk said.

Tarduk jumped from the caravan. Strakk was right; the corridor walls were starting to approach each other. At the rate the walls were moving, they only had a few minutes to live before the walls crushed them. Gresh and Strakk desperately groped the wall in search of something that could stop the walls from closing. However, they found nothing. Kirbold rushed to help, ignoring the growls of the Spikit, which, by nature, were terrified of enclosed spaces. Tarduk kept searching for another button on the wall. However, he was following the signs engraved on the wall. He was sure they hid a suggestion to help them out of this problem. Every one had a circular shape. Many of them had lines in it, others had smaller circles. Some were words, but he could not identify any. They were in a language he didn’t knew. Wait, wait, he thought. This symbol, here... this is possible?

A signal was at a distance of others - a simple circle, with no extra lines or other patterns in the middle. Given first, associated with zero or the letter 'O'.

It couldn’t be that simple, he thought, then hesitated. Could 'O' be 'Open'?

Tarduk jumped and punched the symbol. The stone shook! The rock that was blocking the road slowly moved aside, and the hallway filled with light. The walls continued approaching each other, but finally an escape route had opened.

“Run!” Tarduk screamed.

Kirbold took the reins and urged the Spikit toward the exit. Behind the carriage ran Tarduk, followed closely by Gresh and Strakk. Only moments after they left the tunnel, they heard the sound of the corridor walls colliding behind them.

“Phew!” Strakk let out a breath of relief.

“We’d better look around.” Whispered Gresh.

They were at the foot of the mountains. They could see the mountains gave rise to the desert, and the dark waters of the Skrall River fell with a steady echo. The road through the Black Spike Mountains was over.

“It's a shame that we can’t go back the way we came,” Kirbold said. “Well, unless we all lost a lot of weight.”

Gresh turned, having heard the impact of metal on rock. Seconds later something fell from the rocks above them and landed with a crash at his feet. Before them lay the body of a Bone Hunter. Gresh approached him carefully.

“It’s Fero,” Gresh said in amazement.

“Is he dead?” Strakk asked.

“He’s still alive, but badly wounded. It looks like he’s been in a rough fight.”

“But look at him, he’s a Bone Hunter. Who could have done this to him?” Tarduk asked, surprised.

Soon the reply came, though not in the form of an audible voice. In seconds, the team was surrounded by a group of Vorox. Amid the quiet circle appeared a warrior clad in red armor. Strakk and Gresh recognized him instantly. It was Malum.

“We did this to him,” Malum said. “The only question is whether or not we should do the same to you.”