Necropolis (Book One of Book One) by Penn Fawn (the false prince .TXT) 📕

“You don’t look too excited,” he said. “He’s got to be in one of these caves here. At the very least, now we can begin narrowing down our prospects.”

“I don’t know,” Kifo replied. “Something tells me we won’t have any narrowing down to do. I feel like something has lead us to exactly where we are now.”

Nyeusi looked him in the eye. “You’re superstitious,” he said. “Finding him is never easy, but in any event, I hope you are correct. I have a feeling we’re on the right path as well.”

“Okay,” Kifo replied.

“Let’s go,” Nyeusi said, and they walked around the rocks on their left then up a gradual incline toward the opening.

“We will need light to venture within there,” Nyeusi said.

“We will,” Kifo replied, “so, let’s put him down for a bit and get a fire going.”

He wrapped a bit of cloth around the end of the tree branch he had brought along with him.

“Please help. Prepare one for yourself too,” he said, addressing Nyeusi, who did as he was told.

“Hold them close to catch the fire,” Kifo said, and he passed his branch to him.

The former proceeded to rub two sticks he’d been mindful of bringing with him for precisely that purpose. He did so until he saw smoke and got a fire going. He used it to ignite the cloth they’d wrapped at the end of their poles.

“Good,” he said, looking at the fire. “Now we can go.”

They were a mere couple feet past the cave’s entrance when a sea of stirred creatures poured out of there.

They gasped for breath then ducked.

Theirs was a reflexive action, as was the movement of their arms that weren’t engaged.

They’d instantly released their grip on the lit branches. These fell to the floor but continued to provide light while they held their arms aloft.

Hearts raced, and they all but dropped their captive.

So spooked, focused, and fixated were they on the excited colony that it took a few seconds before acknowledging the blinding sea of darkness above, and in flight over their heads, were bats.

In time they finally exited, and the two looked at each other.

Their captive, now on the floor, slept as soundly as could be with fire blazing at the end of a branch, mere inches from his face.

Nyeusi got hold of it and moved it away from him. Their prize, he mused, is one he almost burned.

Kifo got his branch and they moved no further before noting there was something black lying on the floor on their left nestled against the cave wall.

They drew closer and felt a mixture of emotions when they now clearly saw it was a horse.

“You were right about your hunch,” Nyeusi said.

“So, I see,” Kifo replied, “unless there are other horses here aside from his.”

“There are no others. You know as well as I that it is an animal alien to these parts. He is the sole person who has one.”

“Is it alive?” Kifo asked.

“Looks like it is, but barely,” Nyeusi replied.

Kifo looked at the scrawny animal with scorn.

“Remember what I told you when we get in there when we meet him,” Nyeusi said.

“Right,” Kifo replied.

“Unless you have some desire to perhaps meet an untimely death, don’t dare say a word unless you’re called on to speak,” Nyeusi said.

“Trust me. I won’t. I’m not trying to get into any trouble, especially none of a supernatural or other nature,” Kifo replied.

“Good,” Nyeusi said. “Are you ready?”

“I am,” Kifo replied.

“Good. Let’s go,” Nyeusi said. “Let’s get our bundle and be on our way.”

What he so cavalierly referred to as our bundle was the captive who was still fast asleep. They got hold of the pole onto which he was bound, placed the ends over their shoulder, and Nyeusi led the way into the cave.

“I was hoping this would not be as deep and elaborate as anything that we have back at the Black Mountains,” Kifo whispered.

“You thought wrong,” Nyeusi replied, and Kifo began to feel warier of the weight they carried juxtaposed to encountering the necromancer.

“I’m wondering how much longer this might take now,” he whispered.

“Well, I didn’t think he’d be near the mouth of the entrance,” Nyeusi said as softly as he could. “Nor did I think he’d be at the entrance waiting to welcome us with open arms. What I’m beginning to wonder is if he’s even here or if we should have explored the first fork we saw as opposed to this one.”

“But recall we saw his horse outside,” Kifo whispered.

“That’s right,” Nyeusi whispered. “Where is my mind today?”

Kifo’s face grew long.

“What does it tell you? Do you get any sense of his presence here at all? You said you could feel such things,” Kifo whispered.

“I’m not ashamed to say I’m beginning to question that,” Nyeusi replied.

“Who goes there? Who dares enter here?” a voice echoed through the hallway.

Their hearts raced, and they stood frozen.

They looked about them but could not see from whom the voice came.

“Answer, lest I strike you down where you stand!”

Cold sweat appeared on Nyeusi’s forehead.

“It is Nyeusi. The dark one, sworn to you by the mark of an innocent’s blood. By blood did my father deliver me unto you, and by blood do I seek deliverance.”

An unnerving period of silence followed.

A figure wrapped in a hooded black garment made out of burlap appeared from around a corner and walked slowly toward them.

The garment covered him from head to toe. The length of it dragged on the ground, and his hood was pulled so far in front of his face that neither man could get a glimpse of his features.

There was a double edge battleax in his right hand sharpened to lethal perfection. He held it firmly and close to his side, and it glistened in the light their torches provided.

He stopped when he was a few feet away.

“My time here has been long. My experiences? Too many to commit to memory. How can I be assured I know thee?” he asked.

“If not by name or sight, by