Page 51 of Virelai's Hoard
The shuffling grew louder, and a warm breeze set her hair on end at the back of her neck. It felt like a breath, humid and viscous. Just her imagination. It had to be. She slid her blade out anyway.
“Grab it or leave it, but do it fast or we’re leaving without you,” Thorian said, glued to her side.
Sable turned to head back to the rope, and that was when she saw it.
The darkness. It moved–compacted, folded in on itself. She stumbled back as the torches suddenly shone brighter, revealing a bony hand reaching out. Too long and too thin to be human. Somewhere high above, two empty sockets, darker than the darkest darkness, stared directly down at Sable. She stumbled back, throat closing up against a startled shout.
She didn’t wait for the rest of the body to come into view. She grabbed Thorian’s arm and made for the rope.
“Holy shit, what the-”
“Shut up! Move!” Sable glanced back–Ignatius grabbed Venn by the base of his neck and shoved him forward. “Now!”
The shadow took a staggering step toward them.
“You go first,” Sable told Thorian, squaring her feet and her shoulders as she pointed her blade at the advancing shadow. The other two men rushed to their side, and Ignatius took his pistol out. Could this thing be cut? Shot? Killed? Sable prayed they didn’t have to find out. “Venn, you go-”
She did a double-take when she saw Thorian still by her side and Venn halfway up the rope already. She scoffed. “Thorian, you gosecond. Don’t fucking argue with me or we’re all gonna die here. Move the fuck up!”
Thorian opened his mouth, said something. A shot going off by her left ear muted the words. Sable covered it with a curse, flinching, her ears ringing with the power of the blast. The bullet went straight through the monstrosity, putting a hole in its chest. It stopped advancing, looking down at itself. The hole filled back up, and the shadow lurched toward them. Faster. Angrier. Ignatius’ hands trembled as he recharged.
“Pup, if you make me die here, I swear I’ll come back and haunt your arse. Climb the fucking rope!” Ignatius snarled.
Another shot went off. The shadow didn’t even stumble this time. The bullet got swallowed up into its belly. It was so close now Sable only needed to take a step forward to slash at it. Her blade cut through its limb as if through air, and its hand exploded into a cloud of darkness. In a blink, it was back. Looking solid. Sable didn’t want to know what would happen if it grabbed her.
“Sable! You next! Now!”
Two quick shots. A swirl of smoke filled her lungs, and Sable didn’t hesitate. She followed after Thorian, dropping the torch to the ground as she gripped the thick length of rope. Hauling herself up, her heart beat in her throat as she dragged her body toward the blue rectangle of light above her head. She ignored the shots, and the metal clatter of a gun being dropped to the ground, and the chill coming from below. A rush of relief shot through her as she felt the lurch and sway in the rope below–Ignatius was following. Cursing. Alive. Then the rope swayed too much. Tendrils of darkness pulled at it, like fingers on a harp. She climbed faster. Her foot stuck, and she glanced below to see one tendril wrapped around her boot.
“Fuck! Fucking–”
With a grunt, Ignatius swiped his dagger at it, and Sable freed herself with a lurch.
The edge was right there. She reached for it. Hands shot down to grab her and pull her the rest of the way. As soon as she was through, she dropped to her stomach and gripped Ignatius’ coat at his shoulder. She pulled, gritting her teeth, but he wasn’t budging. Something pulledback. Her other hand shot out to grab him, and she nearly slipped back into the sinkhole.
“Someone fucking–”
A shot rang out.
The darkness gave way. They pulled Ignatius out.
“-shoot it,” Sable finished in a huff of breath. “Fuck.”
They were through. Everyone was safe. Sable rolled on her back and saw Venn standing above her, a smoking pistol gripped in his hand. He looked pale as death, but he laughed, reached down with his free hand. Sable clasped it and drew herself to her feet. A few deep breaths later, she peered back down into the sinkhole. The creature was gone, the darkness below thick as ink once more. Thorian and Ignatius were both shaken, but unharmed. Alive.
A stony scraping sound rang out. The floor closed in on the sinkhole. Sable shuddered.
Venn stared at what was now solid, stony pavement. “If we hadn’t made it in time…”
“Yeah.” Ignatius clapped him on the back. “But we did.”
“Did you get it?” Thorian asked, looking at Venn.
The younger pirate blinked at him, then his face cleared. He nodded hastily and reached into his coat. “Here.”
He held a piece–a half?–of a stone tablet, with writing and symbols on it.
And Sable finally remembered. The treasure. They were supposed to be looking for clues. How had she forgotten?
