Adventure in Hell : Silithius

Pregnant with dread, the silence of the hive hung heavy. A sudden echo of distant chittering set the young dwarven woman on edge. Rhona pressed her back firmly into the sticky violet-black wall and held her breath, repositioning the light of the long torch behind her as if to shield it from view. The arrows in her quiver and the contents of her pack shifted. As she forcefully shut her eyes in fear, the blue tattoo of small triangles running horizontally across the bridge of her nose wrinkled. The scuttling sounds subsided and stillness returned. She opened one small brilliant aqua eye and fought to survey her surroundings though a grimace still occupied her face. Shadows danced sickly around the pitted tunnel. Sweat rolled down her forehead causing her honey-golden hair to tangle up like ribbons against her ruddy skin. It had been this way for an eternity, it seemed. Tunnel after tunnel seemed to only lead her back to where she began. The longer she walked, the less frequent the interjections of audible activity became. Sighing, she wondered if it was a sign that she was nearing the exit to this horrible place or if maybe her mind was just playing tricks on her.

Rhona widened her eyes in desperation as the light source she held began to flutter and then dim. The putrid air had suddenly shifted, leaving the haphazardly crafted illumination to struggle weakly. Ten seconds more, she thought to herself. Just ten seconds! Frantically, she slung the heavy leather sack on her back around to the front side of her body so that she could reach into the tiny pocket where the prepared scrap linens were stored. The flame suffered as she moved. Thick fingers fumbled with the impossibly small silver clasp and the bow in her hand. Suddenly she was swallowed by blackness. Dark Iron be damned! They can have all the blasted underground spaces! She threw the oversized bone she had been using as a torch to the ground and it failed to make much noise due to being cushioned by droppings. Even though the action hadn't paid off with a satisfying sound to feed her fury, she was grateful for the stealth.

Gaining her composure, she stilled herself and welcomed a break from the heat of the torch. It was oddly cool beneath the surface. The peace was quickly interrupted by the smell of hot embers of the discarded torch scorching the waste below. It rose into the air and filled the cavern with an even sicklier smell. She had been here for hours, hoping to find quality Silithid chitin to sell to the merchants in Cenarion Hold. Instead, all she had come across was a pile of perfectly cleaned ancient bones and a set of rusty bracers. It had been a while since she had slain small burrowers with her bow. Due to their size they were only good for taking their miniscule brains for use in tanning leather. She momentarily considered going back the way she came in order to confront some of the larger creatures for quality chitin, but then she scolded herself. She had to be careful or she'd end up like her beloved Grumbaki. Grumbaki. Attaching her bow to her quiver, she sighed. She missed the trees and rolling hills of her home.

From the large compartment of her knapsack she pulled out a well worn waterskin and popped the stopper out with her thumb. The cool clean water was a gift from the gods. It ran from the corners of her mouth as she drank hastily. As she moved her hand to put the empty water skin back in her bag she grazed something smooth and glossy. Rhona's blood turned cold and her heart lept to her throat, beating unmusically. Run! Rhona dropped the water skin and rolled to the left just as a giant pincher slammed into the wall. In the absence of light she could hardly adjust to the ground. Every few steps her legs flailed, awkwardly trying to compensate for the terrain. She had no choice but to drop her belongings as the roar of a giant Silithid reaver seemed to rattle her soul. Rhona rammed facefirst into a wall, bloodying her nose, and then readjusted her path. Is this it? Am I fixing to lose my life over a couple of coppers? In a stupid desert? As if things couldn't by any means get worse, a thousand lesser voices cried out from behind the huge monstrosity. And then ahead, a faint blue light appeared.

Picture Modfied by AbbyKane original by Sammy Hancock

+++++ udpate Thanks for the up votes . The Wife and I are really happy to post this part of the story.