Chapter 5- Mara

Chapter 5- from Mara Starag's view

“You’re going to need a bigger room, Markus,” said Ver as he worked on closing the door to the room which contained three humanoids, a bed, a desk, a stub of a burning candle, and a pile of clothes. Markus sat on the desk as Ver clicked the door shut and turned around to lean on it.

           Mara sat on the bed, arms around her knees, willing herself not to cry. With her mother dead, the only people who she might be able to trust were squashed in this room with her.

           “Don’t lean on the door too hard,” Markus said. “We have enough people on the list to go after us, and we don’t need to add the family of a slummer to mix after you squash them with the door.”

           “This wooden thing?” Ver asked. “Breaking off its hinges and falling? That would never happen. But really, you need a bigger room.”

           Markus shrugged, “I’ll get one when we reach our destination.”

           Mara couldn’t help it. She put her head down on her knees and started crying.

           “Sorry,” Markus apologized. “Trying to lighten the mood.” He turned to Ver. “So where exactly are we going?”

           “Are you sure about this?” asked a voice behind Mara. Not daring to turn around in the darkness, she identified it as Markus.

           “Absolutely,” came the reply from Ver somewhere in front of her. “Just keep your hands on the wall and keep walking forward.”

           Slowly taking a step forward, something crunched beneath her foot. “Where are we?”

           “In the underground passage beneath the city wall,” responded Ver. “Not many people know about this place. It was built centuries ago during the Ub and Clute war.”

           “Then what crunched?”

           “It’s probably just a bone, long forgotten. I can barely see down here.”

           Taking another step forward, Mara collided with something big and furry. Quickly taking a step back, she hit another object which caught her.

           “Are you okay, Mara?” Markus’s voice asked. She could feel his voice vibrate in his ribcage.

           “No,” Mara said. “Ahead. I ran into something. Are you sure I can’t light a flame?”

           “Ver?” Markus called out.

           “I’m fine. I think she ran into me. She’s probably really confused right now. Can you light a flame?”

           Snapping her left hand, a small ball of flame sputtered into life, illuminating the small stone passage they were in. On the floor of the passage was what Ver had predicted: bones. They lined the edge of the passage and were crushed in the walkway.

           Looking up, Mara saw a humanoid tiger towering above her, bending its neck forward so it didn’t hit the ceiling. It wore Ver’s once loose clothing, now stretched tight across its body. The eyes were the same black as Ver’s.

           “It’s Ver,” stated Markus from behind Mara. “He’s a weretiger. Last of his line.”

           The humanoid tiger nodded. “You’ll be fine if you follow me and put out the light. I know what I’m doing, since this form gives me advantages with my senses. Oh, and try to stay off of bones. It really messes with the soundwaves in here.”

           Mara only stood frozen where she was, her mouth slightly open as she took in Ver’s form. She turned and looked at Markus, who’s response was telling her to put out the light.

           Snapping her left hand again, the three humanoids were plunged back into darkness. Mara felt Markus’s hands on her shoulders point her in what she assumed was forward.

           Placing her hands back on the wall, she took a step forward. When she heard another crunch sound from beneath her feet, she blacked out.

Author's Note

Let me know what you think of this and if you need any explaining.