The deeper Ash ventured into the mine, the thicker the darkness became. The air grew heavy, choked with a dusty haze that scratched his throat.
An unsettling silence hung in the air, broken only by the erratic thump of his own heart. It was a silence filled with whispers – fleeting, indistinct murmurs that seemed to emanate from the very walls themselves.
He swore he could hear faint hissing, like the exhalation of some unseen beast.
The flickering light from his torch danced a macabre ballet across the rough-hewn stone walls, casting grotesque shadows that writhed and twisted like tortured souls.
With each step, a sense of dread gnawed at him, a chilling premonition that he was not alone.
Suddenly, a cavernous chamber opened before him. Timber beams, once sturdy supports, lay broken and rotting across the dusty floor.
In the center, a makeshift barricade had been hastily constructed from overturned tables and chairs, a desperate attempt at defense that spoke volumes about the terror that had gripped the miners before their abandonment.
A wave of nausea washed over Ash as his torchlight swept across the gruesome scene beyond the barricade. Mutilated bodies lay strewn across the floor, their flesh torn and mangled, the ragged edges blackened and glistening with an unnatural sheen. His stomach lurched, and a metallic tang filled his mouth.
Then, he saw it. Nestled in the shadows at the far end of the chamber, a monstrosity stirred. It was a grotesque amalgamation of flesh, a patchwork horror stitched together from the body parts of the fallen miners.
'Not again... ' his body shivered as he kept on looking.
Limbs of varying sizes sprouted from its twisted torso, some human, some disturbingly animalistic. Its head, a mangled mess of stitched-together faces, seemed to writhe with a life of its own, each mouth agape in a silent scream.
'Are cultists trying to make a comeback? Have they forgotten the horrors of the past, or is this something entirely new, unseen by ordinary people?.' He simply didn't know.
A low growl rumbled from its throat, a sound that sent shivers down Ash's spine. The creature lumbered towards him, its mismatched legs churning up dust as it moved.
Bile rose in his throat.
This was no ordinary beast; it was the embodiment of the mine's dark secret, a horrifying testament to the fate that befell those who came before him.
Ash drew his sword, his grip tightening on the hilt. This wasn't about glory or reputation anymore; it was about survival. With a battle cry, he charged, adrenaline coursing through his veins.
The creature met his attack head-on. A clawed hand, inhumanly large, lashed out, narrowly missing Ash's shoulder. He rolled away, the stench of decay filling his nostrils.
The beast lunged again, its mismatched jaws snapping at him. Ash sidestepped the attack, his boot connecting with the creature's deformed shin with a sickening crack.
The monstrosity roared in pain, momentarily stunned. Ash seized the opportunity, lunging forward and aiming a powerful slash at its exposed side.
The blade met flesh with a sickening squelch, the creature becomes enraged due to blinding pain. It lashed out with a whip-like tentacle that emerged from the shoulder of one of the body it had swallowed before, knocking the sword from Ash's grasp.
Disarmed, Ash scrambled backwards, his heart hammering against his ribs. Fear threatened to overwhelm him, but the mangled as well as painful faces of the fallen miners staring up at him fueled his resolve.
He wouldn't become another victim in this macabre display.
Spotting a loose piece of timber lying nearby, Ash launched himself towards it. Grasping the plank in both hands, he swung it with all his might, connecting with the monstrosity's head in a bone-jarring blow. The creature staggered back, its grotesque head swaying precariously.
Ash knew this was his chance. He lunged for his fallen sword, adrenaline masking dread in his heart and searing pain in his arm as he scooped it up. The monstrosity roared, its mismatched eyes fixing on him with a primal hatred.
It charged.
This time, Ash was ready. He sidestepped the lumbering attack, using the momentum to propel himself forward. As the creature passed him, he delivered a powerful upward thrust with his sword.
The blade plunged deep into its exposed back, slicing through flesh and bone. The monstrosity shrieked, a horrifying sound that echoed through the chamber.
With a final, shuddering gasp, the creature collapsed, its stitched-together body dissolving into a pile of lifeless limbs. The silence that followed was deafening.
Ash stood there, panting, his body shaking with the aftereffects of the fight. He looked down at his bloodstained sword, then back at the gruesome tableau, a wave of nausea washing over him.
He had survived, but the victory tasted like ash in his mouth. The mine held secrets far darker than he had ever imagined, and he knew his journey was far from over.
-----
Exhaustion weighed heavily on Ash's limbs as he retreated from the chamber of horrors. The stench of decay clung to him like a shroud, and the image of the stitched monstrosity haunted his dreams. Yet, a sense of grim satisfaction simmered beneath the fatigue. He had faced his fear and emerged victorious. He had killed a monstrosity.
Time goes by as Ash nursed his wounds. The silence of the mine, once oppressive, now felt almost comforting. The rest afforded him a space to think, to piece together the fragments of his experience.
Armed with his newfound knowledge, Ash set out to explore the deeper reaches of the mine. He navigated treacherous passages, his senses on high alert for any sign of danger.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the tunnel opened into a cavern unlike any he had seen before. This one was vast, its ceiling lost in darkness. In the distance, a dim, sickly green light emanated from a fissure in the rock wall. As Ash approached, the air grew thick with a strange, metallic tang.
His heart hammered in his chest as he reached the fissure. Peering inside, he saw a horrifying scene. The body of a miner lay sprawled on the ground, perfectly intact except for a gaping hole carved into his abdomen. But the most unsettling aspect was the man himself. His skin, once a healthy tan, was now an eerie white, almost translucent, as if all colour had been drained from him.
A cold dread washed over Ash. This wasn't just some brutal murder. Something unnatural was at play.
He carefully picked a small, white pebble that were arranged in a particular pattern with strange symbols all around the dead miner. It pulsed with a faint green light, an echo of the sickly glow emanating from the fissure.
With a newfound urgency, Ash retraced his steps. He understood now. The whispers, the monstrosity, the bleached bodies – it was all connected. This mine was no longer just a place of decay; it had become a conduit for something dark and sinister.
Emerging from the mine, Ash made his way back to the town. The sight of sunlight of late afternoon and fresh air brought tears to his eyes. He reported his findings to the local authorities, his voice hoarse but resolute.
He described the monstrosity, the miner's body, and the strange white pebbles along with strange symbols surrounding the miner's body as though a ritual of sinister cause was performed.
The town officials, initially skeptical, were shaken by the evidence Ash presented. They realised the threat extended beyond a simple mining accident. They need to inform city officials immediately.
Not to cause chaos in the town, town officials decided to withhold information about cultist and their rituals, if that is what it is, from the general public.
On the other hand, unaware of reality, relief and gratitude washed over the townsfolk as news of Ash's discovery spread. They had been living in fear of the unknown, and now, thanks to Ash's courage, they finally had answers.
After accepting heartfelt thanks from the townsfolk, Ash returned to the city. He reported his findings to the Nerva Guild, presenting the white pebble as proof.
"That's… concerning," she finally admitted, her voice solemn. "This sounds like something beyond our usual scope. And yes, do not talk about these findings to anyone. Do you understand?"
"Yes, i understand." Ash replied a bit anxiously.
After this short but uneasy conversation, Ash received his two gold coin as a reward to complete the mission.
'It's too early for me to caught in this mess.' Ash thought as he headed for the inn.
Of course he had not forgotten the pain and misery caused by cultists. And he will make them pay dearly but first he had to be strong enough. Until then he will see the cultists drama from the sidelines.
Patreon
