The Goblin Hunter Prince(ss) {PREVIEW}

Chapter 2

My automatic reaction was to cover my mouth with the collar of my jacket as a foul stench crept its way out the mausoleum's unlocked door. It was sickeningly sweet with an accompanying reek of waste and rotting flesh. The contrasting smells almost made me gag. "What is this? I know a place where they bury bodies above ground is meant to smell of decay, but I never expected the smell to be this foul and wretched." I admitted, taking a few small steps back from the entrance, hoping to cleanse my senses with fresh air, but the outside air held little to no freshness to it.

 The mercenary placed a large hand on the top of the oak door and slipped into the interior of the stone building. "I'm guessing this is your first time being in a Goblin's cave, then." he announced, allowing his deep voice to reflect off the inside walls. His head turned to face me and a wry smile grew on his lips. "Trust me, this is nothing compared to deeper inside."

 His disheartening words did very little to help my composure and a feeling of doubt began to seep into my heart. I tried to swallow the doubt back down and hesitantly followed the mercenary into the mausoleum.

 Once I was inside, I turned around and closed the oak door behind me. The heavy door clanged shut behind us, reverberating in the ground beneath me and causing my heart to make an extra beat.

 "Here." The sound of the mercenary's voice caught my attention and I turned around in time to see him throw something towards me. I grabbed it quickly before it hit me and realized it was the rusted silver key. My perplexed eyes fixed on his. "Lock the door. We can't have any chance of somebody exploring this place out of curiosity..." he turned to face forward into the darkness. "And we definitely don't want anything escaping this place." He added before rummaging through his belt.

 As he did so, I turned and locked the old wooden door behind me. The tumblers turned and created a loud clunk before I withdrew the key from the lock. 

 I paused for a moment as I held the key delicately in my palm. It was heavier than I had originally expected and the carvings in the silver were deeper and far more detailed than I thought. I ran my finger lightly across the shaft with the rose vine carving. Even though some of the metal was rusted and eroded, the key had the indication it had a unique shape to it once.

 My eyes were suddenly drawn to an amber light ahead of me. I noticed the flickering flame dancing on a torch held in the mercenary's hand and clenched the key in my fist. "Is it wise to invite any form of light in this place? I am guessing Goblins are sensitive to it..."

 "Without it, we may as well be blind. It's easier to trip and fall in the dark." he interrupted me, turning his head to catch a glimpse of my expression. "You'll thank me later." 

 With that last comment, I took my attention away from the mercenary and looked around to be  little surprised. I had to turn back to face the door which was directly behind me, just to make sure I was in the same spot. "Wait, stairs from the very entrance? Is this usual for mausoleums?" I asked the man ahead of me as I continued to scan the claustrophobic interior.

 The walls were narrow, almost touching both of my shoulders, and the ceiling was surprisingly low. The mercenary had to slouch somewhat so his head would not reach the stones above us.

 "This mausoleum seems to be especially old. The status of those laid to rest here and the land around the mausoleum are two factors that decide the inner structure of the building." He explained, slowly making his way down the worn stairs. "But, saying that, I have never come across a mausoleum like this..." his voice, even whispered, echoed around me and I could sense a hint of concern in his voice. "You said you knew this mausoleum's family?"

 I paused for a moment and raised a hand to my chin in thought. "Not really. It is more of a hunch."

"Hunch?"