Forever In The Underworld Ch 01

"Be careful, boy. There are things in this forest that would scare any man out of his wits. I would not wish for you to experience the things I have been through. They may have happened over a century ago, but the creatures of the forest do not fade like humans. And neither does their hatred towards the daywalkers."

"You want to know what happened to me? I will tell you. But only if you promise to leave as soon as day breaks and not come back to this place until I call for you. And I trust you will never talk to anyone about me or what you have witnessed?"

He rests his hand on my left breast and carefully pinches the crimson nipple between his thumb and index finger. I can still feel aftershocks between my legs from where he has recently withdrawn. I offer him a soft kiss on the lips and enjoy his caresses with closed eyes and deep breaths, savouring the moment. He speaks softly, in a loving whisper.

"Of course, my beautiful. But I dare not say I will never come here again. I know already now that my memories of you will bring me back at any time. But if my mind may never leave, my body shall stay away, longing for the day your sweet voice harkens me again. I will dream of you forever and keep the memories of you in my heart. Please share your tale with me, my love. Your voice soothes my mind and soul more than any sunset could. And your words are safe with me. I would rather die than endanger you by sharing your secret with the outside world. My world."

His soft words and unmistakable affection moves me. I already regret my harsh words.

"It all happened a long, long time ago. Long before your great grandparents were born. I was a different person back then. You may not believe it, but I was much like you. A young boy looking for adventure and escape from the trivial life and hardships of ordinary people. Infected by the same stories you have heard. Stories of horrible and beautiful creatures inhabiting halls which have never seen the sun. Walking silently amongst long shadows cast by the silvery moon."

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I grew up close to the woods and was fascinated with the folklore of elves, fairies and trolls. Despite the vicar's persistent teachings, I believed everything my grandparents told me. I knew they existed and wanted to find them. To prove to myself that I was right, and the priest was wrong. To bring back something that would show everyone that we were not alone in the wilderness.

For weeks at a time, I would search the deep forests, lakes, cliffs, mountains, valleys and rivers without finding what I sought. I lifted rocks, squeezed through small burrows and spent hours listening to the wind until one day, to my surprise, I reached the place of my desires. Learning secrets I never truly believed I could find.

I was on my way home, struggling past a rocky ravine when my peripheral vision caught a tiny gleam amongst the endless grey. It was a small green gem wedged deep down between huge boulders. As I scrambled down to pick it up, I saw a passage leading further into the darkness below. I hastily pocketed the stone, and with hopes that there might be more like it I crawled on, feeling my way with both hands under the slowly fading sunlight.

As the bright, yellow sun disappeared behind me, I feared that I might not reach the end of my quest without an artificial source of light. Moments later, only a faint, greenish sheen illuminated my view, but still I crawled on, determined to explore as much as I could before even this glow vanished. Besides, this single passage would be navigable even in complete darkness.

I did not find anything in the sense of riches, but there was a staggering amount of bones and tufts of fur lying about. I reckoned this had to be a fox' or badger's burrow. A wolf or a bear would never fit through this narrow passage.

It was not until the greenish glow grew brighter that I realized it should have been pitch black by now. In fact, I could hardly see any shadows around me. Everything was either dirt brown or green. There was no single source of light from above. It came from all directions. The walls surrounding me were glowing. Whether from some unknown mineral or plant, I did not know. As my eyes adjusted to the conditions, I found I could see almost as clearly as I would outside on a moonlit night.

The passage seemed to stretch on for some distance before ending in a larger cave. I knew that turning around now would be difficult due to the constricting tunnel, and I kept thinking I was mere metres away from my great discovery. Maybe the underfolk were there? Maybe the gem's siblings? My curiosity got the better of me, and with a grunt I squeezed through the end of the tunnel and fell to the floor of a wide passageway.

Finally, I could stand upright. My limbs ached, and I felt compelled to begin moving, so I started exploring along the passage. There was a faint draft through the tunnel, and a strong, earthy and rotten smell reached my nostrils from somewhere beyond a bend. Confident that I could easily slip back through the small passage if anything unexpected should happen, I continued, careful and soundless. As I peeped around the next corner, I was greeted with a horrible sight. A huge, ugly face was looking in my direction, with a round, heavy nose vibrating steadily as if catching some vile scent.

My heart skipped several beats as I became aware that the creature was not just looking my way. It was staring at me. Before I could turn to run, a huge fist with astounding speed closed around my neck and lifted me off the ground. The hideous face turned around and uttered something in a deep, growling voice, and I realized there were more than one of them. Their language was crude and ancient, but I could fathom a fair amount of it.

"Look at this! A human. What's it doing down here?!"

"Shan't we eetit?" A different looking, but equally hideous creature trudged up the tunnel towards us.

"Fool!" The larger creature, the one that was holding me and easily resisting my attempts at escape, punched the other in the head with a blow that would have reduced me to pulp. "We must give'im to the King. He handles such things."

"Yes Burr. You boss."

With the short but terrifying conversation repeating itself inside my head, I was carried down the passage towards a faint sound like a chorus of voices, sometimes interrupted by a deep sound like an avalanche or thunder. Fear surged through me and transformed my breath into rapid, gasping pulses, making me dizzy and disoriented. With a strange mixture of panic and resignation I knew that I had failed horribly in memorizing our path.

After what seemed like hours, and a confusing array of tunnels, caves and hallways, we finally entered the source of the decreasingly distant sounds. A large gathering of creatures was present in the huge hall. Towering, broad trolls were standing amidst small, delicate fairies and stumped dwarves. Grotesque, frightening, ugly and some incredibly beautiful faces turned towards us and stared in wonder.

Towering above them all was a creature so large that he dwarfed even the biggest of the remaining trolls. He was sitting on an elevated dais, wearing a crown of massive gold, inlaid with hundreds of gems, some larger than my fist. Through the mist of terror and despair, I somehow noticed a tiny hole in the crown where a small stone was missing. The troll-king's face was wrinkled and weatherbeaten, but something about him made him less frightening than his kin. His eyes were crystal clear, revealing centuries of wisdom and intelligence.

"What is the meaning of this, Burr? Why do you bring a human down here."

"I didn't take him, Lord. He found his way into the River Passage. I bring him to you, King, so you can say who gets him."

"Then I am grateful. You have discovered a threat to our secrecy. For this, I give him to you. Cook him any way you wish."

His words made me mad with fear. I kicked and screamed, fighting like a maniac to free myself from the impending doom. In my frenzy, the gem I found at the entrance dropped from my pocket and fell to the floor with a sound like a tiny, silver bell.

The silence that followed was just as terrifying as the earlier commotion.

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"The night is near ending. You must go now, boy. I will call for you, and you will meet me here."

"Nothing can stop me. I already ache with longing for your blossom's warm embrace. And lying here in your lap, listening to your sweet voice. Perhaps then you will tell me the rest of your tale?"

"That I will. Go now."

He gives me one long, wonderful kiss on my lips before we part. He stands up, and I study his naked body, shining in the silvery moonlight. His frame is more pronounced than before. I continue to lie in the soft, green moss and smile as he slowly makes his way down amongst the trees. Tears drip from my chin and quickly vanish on the soft ground.