Part 10
The group, guided by Brok, moved cautiously through the dark tunnels, the light of their torches casting long shadows. The rhythmic sounds of the ghouls grew louder as they approached the depths of the mine.
Brok consulted his map, his finger tracing the route to the next elevator shaft. The group knew they were getting closer to the heart of the ghoul activity. Alucard, always on edge, scanned the surroundings with his sharp eyes.
As they advanced, the tunnel widened into a cavernous space. The torchlight revealed a sprawling underground chamber, the walls lined with jagged rock formations. The rhythmic sounds echoed louder here, bouncing off the walls and creating an eerie symphony.
Brok signalled for everyone to halt, his eyes narrowed. "We're close to the elevator shaft. But something's not right," he whispered “What is it?" replied Markus as he slowly moved to the front of the group.
“I don't know, but this place just makes me feel uneasy, it feels as if it's getting colder.” It was indeed getting much colder the further down they went, as if a powerful chill was making its way up from the bottom of the shaft. Alucard moved to the head of the group taking point. He gestured to the rest of the group to hold their position. Two of the guards turned and watched the way they came.
As Alucard led the way, the rhythmic echoes of the ghouls intensified, reverberating through the cavern. The coldness grew more pronounced, creating a bone-chilling atmosphere that sent shivers down the spines of the group. The torchlight flickered with an unnatural cadence.
Brok surveyed the surroundings, his eyes narrowing in the dim light. "We need to be cautious." he warned, his voice barely audible.
As the group stood in uneasy silence, the cavern seemed to come alive with movement. Shadows danced on the rocky walls, creating grotesque shapes that played tricks on the eyes. Alucard, his senses heightened, felt a subtle shift in the air.
Markus tightened his grip on his sword, his eyes scanning the cavern. "What are we dealing with here?"
Alucard's gaze remained fixed on the darkness ahead. "I'm not sure, but we're about to find out."
Without warning, a low growl echoed through the cavern, sending a shiver down the spines of the group. The ghouls, once mere echoes in the distance, emerged from the shadows. However, these ghouls were different — their eyes glowed with an unsettling blue light.
The group readied their weapons, the torchlight casting an eerie glow on the impending battle. The symphony of echoes and growls filled the cavern as the confrontation with the mysterious ghouls loomed.
Alucard scanned and saw only a handful of them 5 at the most, Alucard threw his torch at the group, and grabbed his whip from his belt, the loud sound of the crack it made as it sliced threw the air echowing. The group took that as the signal to charge at once, and the battle had begun.
The torch Alucard threw burst into flames as it landed among the ghouls, momentarily disorienting them. In that split second, the group charged forward with weapons drawn. Alucard's whip lashed out, striking one of the ghouls and sending it staggering backward.
Markus and his guards engaged the ghouls in close combat, their swords clashing against the gnashing teeth and sharp claws of the undead creatures. Brok swung his massive hammer, crushing the skulls of two ghouls with each powerful blow. The cavern echoed with the sounds of battle — the clash of steel, the guttural growls of the ghouls, and the occasional yells of the guards.
As the fight raged on, Alucard moved with calculated precision. His whip cracked through the air, wrapping around the limbs of the ghouls, tripping them and creating openings for the guards to strike. Despite their eerie blue eyes, these ghouls seemed more organised and aggressive than any Alucard had encountered before.
However, the group's combat prowess was undeniable. With each swing and thrust, the guards pushed the ghouls back. Yet, the cavern seemed to amplify the chaos of battle, the echoes distorting the sense of direction. They couldn't afford to let their guard down.
In the midst of combat just as they were gaining the upper hand, Alucard heard a song, for a moment he froze, he did not understand just as he heard it, it faded away it was so quick it is as if the sound was never made, it was all within his head. Alucard releasing he is still in danger let it slip his mind and struck the last ghoul down with great force cutting the head clean off.
As the last ghoul fell, silence enveloped the cavern once more. The echoes of battle gradually faded, leaving only the heavy breathing of the group and the crackling of the torches. Alucard couldn't shake off the strange sensation of the haunting song he briefly heard. He glanced around, studying his surroundings, but there was no sign of the mysterious melody's origin.
Brok, wiping the sweat off his forehead, approached Alucard. “I never heard of any ghouls with blue eyes, what were those things?” Alucard did not answer Brok; he scanned the other pathways in search of the song and where it came from. “Lad you ok?” Alucard turned to Brok.
“Did you hear a song before?” Brok looked confused. “A song lad? No, I heard nothing. Too busy trying to stay alive.” Alucard turned to everyone else asking the same question but no one within the group heard any sound nor a song.
Markus turned to Brok and in a huss tone. “Brok is everything ok with Alucard? he's been acting strangely ever since you split from us before?”
Brok exchanged a worried glance with Markus. "He's been like this since the beginning. A man of few words, but when he speaks, it's worth listening." Brok patted Alucard on the back. "He's just got his demons, like the rest of us. We're all in this together."
Markus nodded his head in understatement and walked over to check the body’s of the ghouls. As Brok moved to Alucard and asked in a low whisper “you ok lad? This song, is it something to do with those eyes before?”
The memory of the horrific day flooded back to Alucard, he blocked it out as much as he could hearing the screams coming from all around him and a silent song playing so calmly in the distance. Alucard was back in the mine, he gave Brok a look and Brok understood now to ask more questions. “Ok lad, but what’s up with those ghouls? Why did they have blue eyes?” ask Brok as he has never heard nor seen any ghoul of this type before. Not even back in his hometown, The watch parties and groups went out and never spoke of any ghouls with blue eyes before.
“I am not sure.” replied Alucard as he was more forced on what he may or may not have heard, Alucard did not find anything of the ghouls body’s to indicate the reasoning before the blue eyes, he grabbed the head of the ghoul he killed and opened its mouth. The smell of death and all sorts of smells that could not be identified flooded Alucard's keen sense of smell, overpowering it, he turned his head in disgust, after looking back he could make out a light blue tone colour within the ghouls gums. Alucard was not sure what it was but perhaps it had eaten something and over time it's caused this mutation but he could not be certain without more information.
Alucard checked the remaining ghouls for the same mutation colouring within the gums, and just like the one he saw, they all had the same colouring. “Interesting.” Alucard whispered in a low voice. The ghouls themself were nothing special; they had the same speed and strength of the ones they fought before, the only difference was the eyes.
As the group continued through the mine, the air grew colder, and the rhythmic sounds became a haunting melody in the background. Alucard remained vigilant, his senses on high alert. They reached the elevator shaft, and the group gathered around. Brok peered into the darkness below. "We're heading into the belly of the beast. Prepare yourselves."
Luckily the second lift leading to the main section of the lower levels was a much larger one and could support everyone going at once. It was used to move the heavy minecart’s around the lower to mid levels.
The descent into the mine's depths was slow and tense. The cold air seemed to seep into their bones, and the echoes of their footsteps added to the eerie symphony of the mine. As the elevator reached the lower levels, the group steeled themselves for the challenges that awaited below.
The room was large, many tunnels half dug with tools still stuck within them just laid there as time itself had stopped within this very room. Alucard saw a few large metal bowls on the floor around a foot tall. Inside there was oil. Alucard lowered one of the torches and it lit right up to bring light to the dark room. The rest of the group followed by lighting its bowl and soon the whole room was lit. Every corner could be seen.
Markus examined the abandoned tools scattered across the floor. "It seems like the miners left in a hurry.
Brok, looking at the bowls of oil, had a grim expression. "These are braziers. They are used in rituals. I've seen similar setups in old mines where miners believed in ancient spirits protecting the depths. But those were just superstitions."
Alucard looked around and saw what seemed to be a name etched into the floor, in an old language he was not familiar with. “It's not a ritual site.”
“What? If it's not a ritual site then what is it?” “It's a memorial Site” replied Alucard.
As the revelation sank in, the group exchanged glances, the weight of the revelation hanging in the air. A memorial in the heart of a mine, an unexpected and sombre discovery.
Alucard approached the name etched on the floor. Brok, Markus, and the others observed Alucard's intense scrutiny of the name. Brok, breaking the silence, asked, "Do you know what it says, Alucard?"
Alucard shook his head. "No, it's an ancient language. I can't even decipher it. But this... it's a memorial"
Markus scanned the cavern, torchlight flickering off the rough walls. "This changes everything. This isn't just a mine; it's a crypt, a place of remembrance."
Brok looking around the room making sure they were not being watched from the shadows. “What on earth could process a person to make a memorial site in an abandoned mine? And how on earth could they make it all the way down here without the ghouls killing them?”
“That is something I would much like to know Brok.” replied Alucard as he got to his feet and looked around the room for anything that may have been left behind.
Alucard's eyes fell upon a partially collapsed tunnel, revealing a passage that seemed to lead deeper into the mine's heart. He gestured towards it. "This might be the way. Whatever happened here, whoever carved that name, they could be further down."
The group looked at the partially collapsed tunnel and Alcuard realised that the tunnel itself was not that deep, but infected there had been something that dug up from the ground itself. Alucard guested to Brok to see if he could make heads or tails of what they could be looking at.
“This hole was not dug by miners... something dug its way upwards. Into the mine.” Brok turned to Alucard and then to his bag, and pulled out one of the old maps of the area. “Here, if this map is corrected then the mine was on top of an old abandoned deep road path.”
“If we are right on top of a deep road path? Won't that mean this mine would have to be abandoned for good then? If not, would they dig right into the road?” asked Markus as he considered this mine was the source of income for a lot of the people who live within the town. If they were told they could not be reopened after all this, it could mean the end of the town as a whole.
Brok scratched his beard, deep in thought. "If there's a deep road path underneath, it explains why something might have tunnelled up. But it doesn't necessarily mean the mine is done for. We need to explore further and understand what's happening here. If there's something beneath, it might be tied to those spectral beings we saw before."
“How so Brok?” asked one of the guards.
“When the deep roads were built long ago, the dwarfs understood, they could not build it too close to the curfest, because of unexpecting cave-ins or collapses. Think about it, if they build this large underground road system due to heavy rainfall or an earthquake. it could not just collapse the tunnel and the rounds but also sink half the ground into the earth. Large spans of feels and roads top side gone just like that especially if they were built under a town or a city. Because of this, the roads were built miles down. Most likey this part of the deep roads that is located under this mine, is still a lot further down then you may think, most likely you would never even know it was there in the first place.
Alucard nodded, acknowledging Brok's insight. "If these tunnels connect to the deep roads, it would explain the unusual activities. The ghouls could have dug upwards from the roads into the mines, and over time made it their home.”
Brok, always pragmatic, said, "We've come this far. We can't turn back now. Let's proceed cautiously and see what we can uncover. But stay alert. We don't know what’s down there.” Alucard held out his hand stopping everyone from going down the tunnel. “What is it lad?” asked Brok as he wondered why Alcuard had stopped him from going down.
The tunnel that is dug is not that wide, it's best for only one at a time to go down, but we don't know if it's large enough for everyone to fit though, I will go down there alone, Brok give me the bag explosives, I will go down and collapse the tunnels.”
“You will not, you are not going down there alone! We have all come this far as a team and we will finish this as a team.”
Alucard acknowledged Brok's concern but insisted, "If something goes wrong down there, and we all go down together, there will be no one to tell Iron Harbor what happened. I need to go alone. I'll move quickly and make sure the path is safe for everyone."
Brok hesitated but handed over the bag of explosives. "Be careful down there, lad. And if things go south, don't try to be a hero. Get back here as fast as you can."
Alucard nodded, appreciating Brok's concern. “Don't worry Brok,” Said Markus, cutting into the conversation. “We still have ghouls down here. We need to make sure the path back up is safe so we defend this location with everything we got, sounds like he has the easy job." Everyone let out laughter together and ready themselves for the fight of their lives. “As soon as they hear the explosives they will run at us with everything they got.”
He lowered himself into the narrow tunnel, carrying the bag of explosives with him. As he descended deeper into the hole the darkness consumed him, he could see nothing ahead of him, the tunnel too cramped and narrow for torches. He made sure to take his time so as not to slip, who knows how far he could fall. The only source of light was the fate hit of the light coming from atop the hole from Brok’s and Markus torches.
Alucard's descent felt like a journey into the abyss, resonating through the confined space. The tunnel twisted and turned, an underground maze that seemed to defy logic.
After what felt like an eternity, Alucard's feet touched solid ground. He found himself deep underground, he was unsure how far he had gone, but what he could see in front of him was an amazing site. There what lay before him was the deep roads, one of the many pathways the ancient dwarfs built long ago. The wall was covered with old dwarven runic writing, most likely the old dwarf language or something else entirely.
its vastness echoing with the distant sounds of the underground river. Perhaps an old fresh water system that somehow made its way deep underground and is still untouched to this very day. Alucard looked around and saw large glowing stones all around the path. The Old dwarfs used this to not just light the way forward, but also keep heat within the tunnels, they let off no smell just a warm sensation.
Alucard turned around back the way he came, and could see the small tunnel the ghouls or something else dug their way up from, “It must have taken a long time” he thought to himself.
Some of the old Stones that were used to light the way, had been broken the further down he looked in both directions, the tunnel lit with both light and dark paths. Suddenly there was a sound of falling rocks starting to rubble behind him. He turned back around to the tunnel, he could see small rocks falling down and a noise coming closer, faster and faster.
Alucard could not help but wonder did the ghouls follow him down? Did they get past Markus and the rest, he worried for his friends, Alucard dropped the bag and pulled his sword and his whip, he was ready to face whatever was coming his way.
Suddenly there was a loud screen, as if someone was falling and then suddenly a large stump of a body came tumbling out of the hole followed by lots of small rocks and dust being kicked around.
Alucard, still ready, waited for the smoke to clear, but before he could, there was a noise “OH, I think I broke my ass.” Alucard looked closer and he saw a dwarf stand up and started to dust himself off. Of Course it was Brok, he followed him down.
"Brok, you daft old fool," Alucard exclaimed, half-relieved and half-annoyed. "What in the Abyss are you doing here?"
"Figured I'd come down and lend a hand. Didn't want you having all the fun," Brok grinned, patting Alucard on the shoulder. "Besides, I couldn't let you have all the glory if you found something interesting down here."
Alucard shook his head, a small smile breaking through his stern expression. "You always find a way to surprise me, old friend. But let's not get too comfortable. There's more to this place than meets the eye."
As the dust settled, Alucard and Brok took in the surroundings. The glowing stones, remnants of an ancient system designed by the dwarfs, created an otherworldly ambiance. The path ahead split into two directions—one leading further into the depths of the mine, the other ascending to an unknown destination.
The rhythmic sounds of the underground river accompanied their every step, as if guiding them through the mysteries hidden within the earth. Alucard picked up the bag of explosives, and the two companions set forth, deeper into the heart of the mine.
“So Markus and the others did not mind you coming down here?” asked Alucard to help past the time, they had seen no sign of ang ghouls or broken off paths where they could have come from. “Of course not lad, it was Markus' idea for me to come down here after you, again who better to have with you in the deep roads than a dwarf.”
Alucard nodded in agreement. "Fair point, Brok. It seems we're not the first to tread these paths, though." He pointed to the carvings on the cavern walls. "These markings tell a tale, a history of this place."
Brok squinted at the carvings. "Dwarven runes, no doubt. But it's been so long since anyone has ventured this deep. I can barely make sense of it. Who knows how far these roads go, so many were abandoned over the years, this could be one such place.”
They did not want to venture too far into the deep roads, over the years many creatures came deep below the earth, who knows what type of horrors could be lurking close by. After a few minutes still making sure to check behind them so they could see the hole they climbed down from, they came across an old broken stone door on the right side of the wall. “What's that?” Pointed Brok as he stepped closer to examine it.
Alucard moved closer, studying the stone door. It was covered in layers of dust and dirt, giving it an ancient and abandoned appearance. The door had dwarven runes engraved on its surface, marking it as something significant.
"I've seen doors like this before," Brok remarked. "Typically, they lead to chambers or storage rooms. Dwarves use them to secure valuables or hide important items."
Alucard, curious, tried to decipher the runes. "It might hold some clues about the blue-eyed friend’s we saw before."
Together, they carefully pushed the door open, revealing a dark chamber beyond. Alucard held his whip at the ready, and Brok gripped the handle of his war hammer. As the door creaked open, a large room appeared in front of them, it was dusty, the room filled with old wooden shelves stacked with old broken pots and rotten food that was nothing more than black spots stained into the wood. The crystal stones on the walls started to let out a small warm glow and the room lit up.
As the light from the glowing stones revealed the contents of the room, Alucard and Brok could see that it was indeed a storage chamber, but unlike any they had encountered before. The air was thick with the musty scent of ancient artefacts, and the shelves held peculiar items that hinted at the room's unique purpose.
On one of the shelves, there were rows of small vials, each containing a luminescent liquid that shimmered with a faint, mystical glow. Alucard picked one up and examined it. "This is Viper.” said Alucard as this was not the first time he had seen this type of liquid before.
“What the hell is Viper?” asked Brok as he had never heard or seen any type of liquid that gave off a light blue glow before.
“It’s a drug,” Alucard explained. “This type of drug is commonly made back by common thugs or gangs. They sell it on the streets or black market dealings. This drug normally makes the user feel more alive. It can enhance your strength for a short time, but that all dependence on the maker, the ingredients to make this type of drug has been passed around and changed so many times, the effects are different each time depending on which group is selling it. This would also explain the blue-eyed ghouls we came across before, if they got into some of this stuff one of the effects could have changed their eyes, and stained their gums blue.”
“How would this kind of stuff find itself all the way down here?” Was some sort of gang using an old deep road as their base of operation?”
“Maybe, I'm not sure. They clearly found an old way into this part of the deep roads and they thought that this type of place would be the best place to hide their stash, no one would ever find it here.”
“If that is true, what happened to them? Why haven't they come back for their stash? This place is completely filled with dust, no one has been here for a good few years.”
“I don't know. Come let's keep going, we may find something.”
Alucard and Brok started to explore more of the very large storage room, going down a path leading into another room. The crystal stones on the walls further down were not walking properly, only a small hit of a glow came from them and they flicker every so often. Suddenly there was a cracking sound from beneath their feet, every step they took more crashing as if something was breaking under the wait of their boots.
“Oh Marker, what is the dreadful smell?” said Brok as he covered his nose with his hand. “Smells like the ass end of an Ogre down here.” The slide remake from Brok made Alucard let out small laughter and a grin to follow. After a few more feet the lights around the wall started to glow with a low light, they were still working but not at full power and suddenly Alucard and Brok halted, exchanging wary glances. “Oh fuck me.” said Brok in a low voice. “I guess we know what happened to the bandits that called this place home.”
They had entered a larger room, filled with old corpses half rotten and the rest eaten. They could hear the sound of something sleeping, as the light shined a bit brighter they saw the room filled with sleeping ghouls, and they stood in the sea of old bones.
Alucard and Brok held their breath, their eyes widening at the grotesque sight before them. The ghouls, seemingly in a state of rest, lay scattered across the room amid the remains of the bandits who once called this place their hideout.
"By the Maker," Brok muttered, his voice barely audible. "This explains why the bandits never came back. They became a feast for these bloody ghouls."
Alucard scanned the room for any other way in or out of the room, and saw nothing, this gave Aluard an idea. “Brok, slowly to go back the way we came, that door we used is the only way in or out of this place, we can set the explosives and seal them all in here.”
“You sure this will work lad?”
“No, but I got nothing else. We need to move quietly. If one of them wakes up, we'll have the whole horde on our heels." Brok faces turned pale, just the thought of all those ghouls running at them full speed is terrifying.
They started to backtrack, their movements meticulous and quiet. Every step felt like an eternity, their eyes fixed on the slumbering ghouls sprawled across the floor. The stench of death hung heavy in the air as they made their way back towards the entrance.
As they reached the concealed door, Alucard carefully set the bag of explosives on the ground. "This is our best chance," he whispered to Brok, his eyes never leaving the ghouls behind them. "We'll set a trap, seal that room, and then we proceed back down the path to the hole we came down in, and seal that off too.”
Brok nodded, his grip tightening around his war hammer. Alucard began to carefully set up the explosives, ensuring that they would collapse the entrance without causing a cave-in that could trap them as well.
Just as Alucard was about to complete the setup, one of the ghouls stirred. Its red eyes flickered open, and a low growl escaped its throat. The other ghouls began to wake, their movements slow and disoriented.
"Move!" Alucard hissed, grabbing the bag. They rushed down the passage, the distant echoes of the ghouls screams and roared. The unsettling sounds of waking ghouls was terrifying. Brok was oh ready at the door, becanking Alucard too run faster. Alucard ran as fast as he could, the sound of heavy running not far behind him the sound of crushing bones echoes behind him from the horde.
Just as Alucard made it to the door, he jumped past Brok. The explosion echoed behind them, sealing the room of the sleeping undead. The blast was so powerful it echoed all over the deep roads for miles.
“Markus... Did you hear that?” asked one of the guardsmen.
“Looks like they found the nest and sealed it.” everyone started to cheer and celebate, this could be the turning point for the town, with the mine open once more money can start flowing once again. But the celebrations were cut short, as loud screams and roars could be heard all over the mine. Everyone looked terrified by the sounds.
“Heads up guys, looks like we made them angry” said Markus as he prepared his sword. “Men... No matter what comes though those tunnels, you will stand your ground, DO NOT LET A SINGLE ONE IN!”
The group stood ready, their weapons drawn, faces etched with determination. The echoes of the ghouls' furious roars reverberated through the tunnels, creating an ominous symphony that drowned out the distant underground river.
The first ghoul emerged, its grotesque figure illuminated by the blows of fire. Markus and the guards struck with precision, each swing of their weapons met with a deadly purpose. The battle was fierce, the narrow tunnels amplifying the clash of steel against decaying flesh.
Back at the sealed room, Alucard and Brok caught their breath. The explosion had knocked them far away. Dust and smoke filled part of the deep roads.
“I think I may have used a little too much there, Alucard, sorry about that, almost blew us up with the ghouls.” Alucard cost with the amount of dust and smoke in the air, it filled his lungs, but he still managed to speak.
“Don't worry Brok, you used just the right amount.” as they both got to their feet and dusted the rubble off them, they hurted a noise coming from the smoke. Suddenly Ghouls jumped at them, half scared with burnt marks, still smelling like burnt flesh.
“Shit, a few got past.” Alucard grabbed his whip, lashing out with deadly precision. Brok, wielding his war hammer, swung with a powerful force that crushed the chest of one of the ghouls.
The skirmish was intense in the confined space, the smoke and dust creating a chaotic battleground. Alucard's whip danced through the air, each crack sending shivers down the spines of the approaching undead. Brok fought with the strength of a seasoned warrior, his hammer smashing through brittle bones.
As the last ghoul fell, silence settled once more. The room was now a mixture of rubble, ash, and the stench of burnt flesh. Alucard and Brok, both weary, exchanged glances. The path ahead was now clear.
“We can't linger here,” Alucard said, his voice hoarse. “We must make it back to Markus and the others, that explosion echoed far and wide, who knows what else it could attract. We need to get back to the tunnel, climb out and seal it behind us, who knows what else may come.”
“You don't have to tell me twitch lad, let's move.”
The duo retraced their steps through the tunnels of the deep roads. And made it back to the drugged tunnel that leads up, it was a tight fit but they must make it back. They could hear the distant clash of weapons and the guttural cries of ghouls. The acrid smell of burnt flesh lingered in the air.
“Ok Brok you first, i'll be right behind you.”
“Ok lad, be careful with the rest of the explosives, make sure to place them half way up, that way we can seal this whole place up again.” Alucard nodded, understanding the task at hand. As he started to help Brok back up the small tunnel. As Brok was just getting a foothold on the rocks a large and unearthly scream echoed from deep within the deep roads.
Brok froze, his eyes widening in alarm. The unearthly scream reverberated through the tunnels, sending shivers down their spines.
“Maker's breath, what in blazes was that?” Brok muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.
Alucard, still holding the bag of explosives, looked at Brok with a mix of concern and determination. “I don't know, but we can't afford to wait around and find out. Let's get up there and seal this tunnel.”
The two climbed with renewed urgency. As they neared the tunnel's exit, the sounds of the battle above grew louder. The clash of weapons, the roars of ghouls, and the shouts of the defending soldiers painted a chaotic scene awaiting them.
Emerging back into the mine, they found themselves amidst a frenzied battle. Markus and the others fought valiantly, but the relentless onslaught of ghouls pushed them back.
“Hold the line!” Markus bellowed, rallying his men. He spotted Alucard and Brok emerging from the tunnel. “We need to seal this entrance now! There's something else down there, and I don't want to know what.” yelled Brok as he grabbed his hammer and charged the coming ghouls.
Alucard nodded in agreement. He moved swiftly, he tost the remaining explosives down the hole. “No time to be gentle, and light the fuse. The sound of clatter could be heard as they fell further and further down the hole, and suddenly there was a loud explosion that shook the mine and the small tunnel collapsed within itself, sealing the tunnel completely.
With no time to rest both Alucard sprang into action, stumberling to his feet and charging the remaining ghouls, pouring into the chamber.
The remaining ghouls, now frenzied by the explosion and the collapse of their path, surged forward, their red eyes glowing with an unholy rage. Alucard, brandishing his sword and whip, moved with a fluidity that belied his exhaustion. Beside him, Brok swung his massive hammer with a determined force.
The clash between the living and the undead echoed through the chamber. Alucard's whip lashed out, its tip cracking against the skulls of ghouls, while his sword sliced through the air, severing limbs with deadly precision. Brok's hammer crushed bones and sent ghouls sprawling.
The battle was fierce, and the smell of death and decay hung heavy in the air. The guardsmen fought valiantly, following Markus's lead as they held their ground against the relentless onslaught. Each swing of a weapon, each desperate dodge, was a step toward survival.
As the last of the ghouls fell, the chamber fell into an eerie silence, broken only by the heavy breathing of the exhausted defenders. The mine, once a place of livelihood, had become a graveyard filled with the stench of death.
Markus, wiping sweat from his brow, approached Alucard and Brok. “cutting it kinda close don’t you think. If you had come any later, I think you would have been picking up bodies.”
“That should be the last of them. The tunnel is sealed, no more should be able to make their way back into the mine.” acknowledge Alucard as he checked himself over, Alucard had suffered from a few bite marks and cuts from the ghoul attack, nothing too bad but always a painful reminder of the life he lives.
Markus nodded, his eyes scanning the chamber. "Good work, both of you. We'll need to fortify this entrance further, just to be safe.”
“I agree but for now, I think we have spent too much time down here as it is, let's make our way back to the top side. But be on your guard we may still have some stragglers down here.”
As they ascended through the tunnels, the air became less oppressive. Alucard couldn't shake the feeling that something more profound lurked in the shadows of the mine. Not all questions were answered down there and even more questions surfest that worried him so much.
After what felt like hours there, the long trip back up the mine was a quiet one. No one spoke much, everyone was exhausted beyond imagination, if they were to be attacked once more by a large pack of ghouls, it was feared that no one would servire, even Alucard was starting to show his fatigue.
Emerging into the pale light of day, the group found themselves amidst the entrance they had started their adventure at. Alucard's belongings were right where he left them, no one had been by and stolen anything which was a relief.
Moments later Eugene and a few members of Markus city watch members were making their way up the path towards the entrance. Everyone was shocked at the sight of everyone, they did not expect anyone would be waiting for them. Markus quickly made his way towards Eugine and his men. Eugene looked as if he had seen soldiers returning back from war, they were all covered from head to toe in black dust and blood, the smell coming from them was unearthly.
Eugene, squinting in the sunlight, approached Markus with a mix of concern and curiosity. "Captain Markus, what happened down there? Is everyone alright? You all were gone for a few days so we thought we would send a search party down there to pull you out."
Markus, covered in dust and weariness etched on his face, met Eugene’s gaze. "We faced more than just a few ghouls down there. It was a whole entire nest.
Eugene was shocked he did not expect the gravity of how bad and dangerous the mine’s would become and so close to the town itself. If the ghouls' numbers had grown any larger, who knows what they could have done, they could have even assaulted the very town itself, killing everyone within. A very dangerous and scary thought.
Brok filled Eugene in and everything that had transpired the last few days, about their journey into the mines and what they saw and came across, and even the facet that the mine was located not too far from an old deep road location.
Eugene stood there in complete shock, he did not know where to even begin or how to explain everything to the Lord. but something still puzzled him. “I'm still at a bit of a loss. I understand the ghouls originally came from the deep roads, but from my understanding the deep roads are located miles far below the surface, how did they crawl their way into the mine itself?”
“I can answer that.” Said Alucard as he was checking on his gear, pulling away damaged parts. “There was a banded group that found an old dwarven storage room that they converted into a makeshift hideout for the illegal drug operation, the room was used as their sleeping area and storage. A pack of ghouls must have come across it one time and killed everyone inside, some of the drugs we found was one called Viper, it is a common drug used. Some make the user feel stronger and invisible. Some of the ghouls ingested some of it and as a result turned their eyes a shade of blue and they must have gone a bit mad or crazy and started to dig upwards towards the mine, most likely they never even knew the mine was there, they just dug up.”
Eugene absorbed the information, the pieces of the puzzle falling into place. "So, the ghouls, driven mad by these drugs, inadvertently tunnelled their way up into the mine. Maker's breath, this is a disaster. If the townsfolk knew about this, it would cause a panic."
Markus nodded in agreement. "That's why we need to handle this carefully. We've sealed the entrance for now, but I would like to keep a small part of the men down there making sure we left no ghouls still alive down there. I will personally lead the operation.”
“No need for the Captain, I trust you and your men. I want you to put a few of your best men on the job, I need to to keep watch within the town itself, I don’t trust Father Maxwell will not cause us or the Lord any more trouble so I need you to keep an eye on him.”
“Understood.” Said Markus “I will write up a full report about everything.” After some time the day had started to pass by late afternoon, the sun hung in the sky beautiful as ever, Markus and his men worked pulling the rest of the ghouls body’s from the mine itself. Alucard stayed close by just in case but mostly he needed to rest.
Alucard started to check the ghouls one by one, checking their teeth marks and talons to see if he could find anything of interest. Markus notes this of Alucard and walks over to him. “Everything alright Alucard?”
Alcuard pulled Markus to one side, he was troubled and a worried look spread across his face. “Is everyone ok?” Asked Markus as for the last few days Markus could tell Alucard was not his normal self. The confident man he normally portrays.
“I went into those mines to see if the young lord's death really was linked to a ghoul attack, and to clear it out anyway.”
Markus looked at the many ghoul body’s they had oh ready pulled out of the mine, they still have a long way before every last one of them is retrieved. “So? Was it the ghouls that killed the young lord?” Markus said in a low hushed tone as to let no els overhear the conversation.
“The markings and lacerations on the body did identify that of a Ghoul attack, but I found something. Something I left outside of the report. I was not entirely sure about it until now.”
Markus was confused; he had not read or seen anything to do with the young lord's report, he was completely in the dark about whatever Alucard was talking about. “What do you mean?”
“I have checked all the different talons and teeth, from the ghouls we have pulled out of the mine so far, including the blue eyed ones, just in case they showed any signs of mutation that could be the identifying marks.”
“What did you find?” Markus walked closer to Alucard to speak more in a huss tone. Alucard looked around to see if anyone was within ear shot.
“All the ghouls have the same talons and teeth. Nothing shows any signs of any mutation, that is forsure. But I found under the ghouls' lacerations, hidden very well, a different claw markings.”
Markus was silent, understanding how to process this information he had just heard. “What do you mean, different claw marks?”
“I believe whatever killed the young lord, left his body up here and they somehow made the ghouls rip the body apart to cover up their own attack.”
Markus's brows furrowed in a mixture of confusion and concern. "Are you saying the ghouls didn't kill the young lord? That someone or something used them to hide the real cause of death?"
Alucard nodded. "Exactly. The wounds caused by the ghouls are consistent, but underneath, I found precise claw marks, different from those of the ghouls. It was a deliberate attempt to mislead, to make it look like a ghoul attack."
Markus glanced around, ensuring no one was eavesdropping on their conversation. "This complicates things. If it wasn't the ghouls, then who or what are we dealing with? And why use the ghouls to cover it up?"
“That's what worries me the most... I don't know what could scare the ghouls so much it gets them to do their own bidding.”
Alucard's eyes flickered with a mix of determination and concern. "I've dealt with many supernatural entities in my time, but this feels different. But also not, I feel like I have seen this before.
Markus nodded in agreement. "Agreed. Let's keep this between us for now. We don't want to cause a panic. But we need answers, Alucard. This town is on the brink, and reopening the mine back up would give the people hope once more, but if this creature is the same one that made that memorial, then it terrifies me to my very
core. Alucard if you think the mine still may not be safe because of that, I will tell Lord Davos that we still have packs of ghouls within the mine, my men and I will keep watch, that will give you what time you need.
Alucard nodded in agreement. As both men walked over to the pile of ghoul corpses they was still being pulled out form within the mine, Alucard could see Brok chatting away with some of the locials telling them all about there adventure and what had transpired down there and how also they found themself in one of the old deep road tunnels.
As Alucard stood atop the hill side starting out at the Town, the sun hanging low in the sky, the cool wind on his face, the sky turning a beautiful shade of orange glow casting though the clouds. Alucard Turned his attention to the small group of people walking up the pathway, there was around four of them making there way towards them all dressed in red robes, Alucard could only guess that they were priests from the church the eternal flame, but why were they coming all the way up here he wondered? Hopefully not to cause any trouble but maybe they came to see the mine and the ghouls with their own eyes.
Alucard was not the only one who saw them coming Markus and Brok had oh ready started to walk over to meet them. “Why the hell are they coming here?” bellowed brok as he grabbed his hammer.
Noticing their arrival, Markus and Brok had already started walking towards them. "Why the hell are they coming here?" Brok bellowed, gripping his hammer.
"No need for that, Brok," said Markus, walking beside him. "We don’t want any violence here. I don’t need Father Maxwell complaining to me or the lord anymore."
"Let them complain; they are all a bunch of arrogant assholes," replied Brok.
The priests approached with an air of solemnity, their red robes flowing in the breeze. Markus, with a nod, signalled to Alucard and Brok to maintain composure.
As the priests approached, Markus and Brok stood firm, watching them closely. The priest's expressions were serious. Alucard, sensing something unusual, joined Markus and Brok.
"Good day," the lead priest greeted. "Are you Alucard? We come on behalf of Father Maxwell. He wishes to speak with you at the Church of the Eternal Flame."
Alucard raised an eyebrow. "Father Maxwell? What does he want with me?"
The priest nodded. "He did not disclose the details, but he insists that it is a matter of great importance. He awaits you at the Church."
Markus and Brok exchanged glances, their suspicion evident. Alucard, curious and cautious, nodded. "Lead the way."
The priests turned, and Alucard followed them down the hill toward the town, leaving Markus and Brok with a sense of unease.
Part 11 of Luke's story is now available to read. Click here to enjoy the next installment.
