Chapter 22

They're Gone

The woodworks that Lyra had found was actually the remnants of a large stash of lumber from the surface. It would make sense that so many miles beneath the world, trees would be hard to find. They put together a decent supply of torches, the spares placed in a satchel that Molgoby obligingly carried on his back. Then they trudged on, following the slow decent of the tunnel.

Something had begun to bother Stefan. He knew Iyana had seen it too when she leaned close and whispered in his ear.

"Stefan...do you see?"

"Yes," he replied.

"Are those--"

"Corpses? Yes."

There were dozens littering the floor, the dead carasses of multi-legged Nerubians. Soon, everyone else had saw them, and Mae had to give Geraldros a reassuring pat on the shoulder. Fineus only got more agitated, twirling a short-sword in his hand like a baton. Haydric watched the trick with wide-eyed intensity. A wrong twist might lop off a finger.

Stefan felt a chill run up his spine. He thought nothing of it, until a moment later, a wind picked up, moaning through the darkness like a slumbering beast. In the blink of an eye, the torches were doused. Terror gripped Stefan's heart as he stopped in his tracks, letting the torch drop to the floor and replacing it with his maces. He felt one of Iyana's hands hold onto his arm, and no doubt her other hand was gripping a dagger.

"Stick together," said Stefan, quietly. "Geraldros? A light if you please."

A moment later and the Engineer's light sparked into life once again. There was a moment of tense silence when everyone looked around at the others, then a great sigh of relief as everyone was present.

"Thank the ancients!"

"Elune bless us!"

"Damn, that had me going."

Stefan and Iyana embraced in a tender moment. Then Stefan felt a tap on his shoulder, and smiled when he saw Lyra.

"Yes, my talented scout?"

She wasn't smiling. "Stefan. The corpses."

He spun around. She was right. They were gone. He felt his heart thumping heavily in his chest.

"Everyone! Gather 'round Geraldros!"

They stared at him quizzically.

"JUST DO IT!"

The sound of his voice so loud and desperate spurred them into action. In the next few seconds they had formed a tight circle, weapons outstretched. Rigid silence ensued, where no one moved. Geraldros' teeth chattered.

"What's wrong?" whispered Mae.

"The bodies..." started Molgoby.

"They weren't bodies," said Haydric.

The crypt fiends slunk into view, just outside the glow of Geraldros' device. Hundreds of glowing eyes surrounded the group like a bull ring. Hisses and wicked cackles emerged from the once-live mouths of the ancient Nerubians, now servants of the Lich King. Stefan's maces had begun to emit their own dull glow, the Elementium reacting to the presence of the unholy.

"Undead," said Stefan.