The Blade Witch: Songs of Eldrin, Book 0.5

Chapter Twenty - The Catacombs

The trail beneath the ruined prison seemed to go on forever, swirling downward into the earth further than any would believe if only viewed it from the outside. The dark corridors were lit only by the occasional red flames of mage lamps, casting a suggestively sinister red glow over the three figures walking these forgotten paths. The only sound that followed their footsteps was the rhythmic splashing of blood drops falling from their armor, most of it from the corrupted, some of it their own.

They walked in an anxious daze, having gone a surprising while without meeting any monsters, yet never being allowed the peace of mind to let their guard down. Strangely enough, as the going became easier for them, Estra's sense of trepidation only escalated. There was a silent vibration humming from the walls, piquing her senses to a razor's edge. She could sense that things were coming to a head and turned a corner to find that she was correct.

A pair of looming double doors yawned at the end of the passageway, sucking in all the warmth of the place and breathing out an ominous red glow that suggested only the darkest things. Estra stepped towards the gateway, intent on facing her long-awaited destiny head-on, only to stop at the sound of something approaching from within.

The creature in the shadows sprang forward and Estra raised her sword high to cut it down, nearly choking on the breath she'd inhaled when it proved to be nothing more than a fattened rat. She watched the animal fade into the blackness once more, wondering how much of the corruption had already set into her. Measuring how far she'd strayed from her sanity in this place. Even after the rodent left behind nothing but darkness, Estra's eyes traced its path, watching as it wound its way between Elmont's feet and swerved to avoid Brennan's. She had the distant thought of following it back the way she'd come. The idea of retreat was a comforting one to have and she almost tricked herself into thinking it was something she was capable of before turning to take another step into the prison that was slowly crushing her soul.

As her footfall echoed down the halls, another noise came back to greet it. Estra paused, straining her ears for a moment. A melodious singing carried from the space beyond the doorway. Not the ominous chant of a cult at prayer to their dark gods like she might have expected, but the kind of soothing lull that a mother might hum for her child at bedtime.

There was a disarming familiarity to it. Like something once heard it in a past life. The sound pulled her forward, beckoning her towards the ruby glow. As Estra grew reached the threshold she was afforded a proper view of the cavernous chamber.

The source of the red light was a near blinding glare erupting from the slit of an even more impressive pair of ornately carved doors set into the far wall of the room. Even if the glyphs etched into it hadn't made things clear, Estra would have known from sight alone that this was a place touched by the hands of the ancients. But that magnificent sight wasn't what held her attention.

At the center of the room, bathed in the crimson light, a figure stood before a stone slab. A distant numbness crawling its way through Estra's body as she took in every aspect of the woman. Her slender figure, the bleach-white hair, dark veins webbing their way down the back of her neck; she felt as if she were suddenly standing in the past, trapped in another of her recurring nightmares.

Estra took a step forward, the clap of her boot heel falling against hard stone cutting off the song as her arrival was announced. The moment she crossed the threshold, the Defiler's magic overtook her. It felt as if she'd strode headlong into a river of mud, her steps slowing to a crawl, every movement requiring ten-times the effort, and she could see the same effect taking hold on her companions.

Helena turned to face them slowly, her glossy red eyes pausing on Brennan, and locking themselves with Estra's. After all this time, she'd come face to face with the woman who'd tormented her for so long.