Story a Week 13 - Propheteering, Part 2

This week's story is a continuation from last week. I could see this one going on as a serial for quite a while, but I'll come to a good stopping point after next week and see what happens after that if I want to continue this storyline or find something new. If you guys have a genre you'd like to see me write in, please let me know and I'll make an attempt. This project is mostly about trying to expand my horizons and get some writing practice. Going outside of your comfort zone should be a part of that too.

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The four companions stood around for a few moments staring at each other. Finally, Rixi got bored of it and started examining the walls more closely. After a few minutes of examination, she spied an almost imperceptible seam running vertically along one wall. She checked further along the wall and saw another seam there too. "I've found a door," she said.

The other three crowded around her and she began to feel claustrophobic. "Back off," she growled. "One at a time, you're squishing me."

Melbrid looked first. After a moment he shrugged and said, "I don't see anything."

Meentha looked and shrugged as well. Cuddlington approached the wall and stared for a moment. He ran his hand along the wall. "Ah, I don't see it, but I can feel it."

The sorcerer and ranger stared at the two of them in disbelief. The dwarf said, "Just 'cause ye can't see somethin', don't mean it don't exist."

Melbrid shrugged and asked, "Well, how do we open it?"

Cuddlington reached into his pack and pulled out a small pick. Melbrid and Rixi laughed. Rixi asked, "You always carry that thing around with you?"

The dwarf replied, "Yes, ye never know when ye'll need something like this. Sure comin' in handy now, ain't it?"

He swung hard at where the door was. The pick and the dwarf's hand went right through the door as if it wasn't there. Cuddlington started to lose his balance when Rixi caught him. He quickly pulled his arm back and said, "Thanks, lass."

Rixi nodded. Since she was eager to get to the other side, she cautiously put her hand on the door and it went right through. She pulled it out and took a look. "It doesn't feel like anything and it doesn't hurt," she reported.

Melbrid was visually apprehensive. He approached the door, took a long look at it and reached his hand out. It didn't go through the door. "I don't know how you two are doing that, but I can't seem to do it too."

Meentha let out a low growl. Everyone looked in her direction. "I don't like enclosed spaces," she said and strode forward and walked right through the closed door.

Rixi and Cuddlington shrugged at each other and followed. The room they entered was about as large as the dining room far above them was, except that it was empty. Rixi looked back at the door. "Melbrid still hasn't..."

Just as Rixi was speaking, Melbrid stumbled through the door. Sheepishly, he said, "I think the door was checking for our desire to begin whatever test Yif has in store for us. I had to get a little riled up in there before the door would let me through."

As Melbrid finished speaking four orcs appeared out of nowhere on the opposite side of the room from the friends. The two groups stared at each other in disbelief for a moment. Then, the orcs all growled in unison and drew weapons. Cuddlington grabbed his war axe from his back and charged at the orcs with a fierce war cry. Meentha unslung her bow, fitted an arrow, drew back and fired. Melbrid began waving

his hands about mystically and chanting.

Rixi, startled and scared, slunk to the back of the group. She drew her two short swords. After a moment, she saw that the combat could

turn in the orcs favor; she gathered enough courage to sneak around and flank the four orcs that were concentrating on trying to take down Cuddlington. She successfully snuck around behind them and stabbed one of them in the back. The orc screamed out and fell to the ground.

Another one of the orcs turned on Rixi. The rogue slowly backed up to the wall behind her. The orc was about to swing at her with his crude long sword when an arrow struck him in the head. The orc died with a surprised look on its face.

Rixi looked back at Cuddlington just in time to see him finish off the last orc. The dwarf had a couple of small wounds on his arms, but wasn't fairing too badly. Everyone else was unharmed.

As Rixi approached the rest of the group, Cuddlington beamed at her. "That was a good move, lass!" the dwarf exclaimed.

Rixi blushed and sheepishly said, "I had to do something and I can't fight direct like you. Sneaking around is what I do best."

Meentha pointed at the wall behind Rixi. "A doorr has appearred since we defeated the orrcs," she said.

Rixi turned and saw that this door was just a normal door with a handle. She shrugged and started towards it when Cuddlington stopped her. "Just a moment, lass," he said. "We should check the orcs for anything useful they might have."

The four adventurers each began going through the belongings of an orc. Rixi found a couple of silver coins, but nothing of particular

use. All the same, she put the coins into a belt pouch. She looked up when Cuddlington let out a whoop of joy. As she walked over to him, she asked, "What did you find?"

The dwarf looked up; he had been looting the body of the biggest orc. "I found two healing potions. I hadn't brought any along and it looks like we might need them sooner or later. Who knows what that Yif character has planned for us." He handed one potion to Rixi and

the other to Melbrid. Rixi tried to refuse him, but he said, "You two are the squishiest of the four of us. Chances are you'll need them more than Meentha and I." The pantheron nodded her agreement.

Cuddlington strode over to the door and opened it up. He let out a slow whistle. Rixi trotted over to see what was up. As soon as she saw, she said, "Wow."

The door opened up into a chamber so large that none of the group could see any of the other walls. The ceiling was also out of sight.

Across from the doorway were three entrances into an elaborate looking labyrinth. Melbrid walked over and saw what the others were seeing. "Oh, crap," he muttered.

The four of them walked through the door and it closed behind them. "Which one do we choose?" Rixi asked.

Melbrid and Meentha shrugged. Cuddlington glanced at the others, then strode confidently towards the entrance on the right. Rixi glanced at the other two and smiled as she turned to follow the dwarf.