Tales of the Pearly Kingdom (Pearly Tales Vol. 2)

162. The Gauntlet's Depths

"This is the Gauntlet." Cal announced and his voice echoed through the large hallways. "At one point it was the training ground for the light clan, and now it is a death trap. A dungeon unlike any other."

"A dungeon?" Seamus asked as he looked around.

There were three layers of plain caverns directly underneath the city separating it from the Gauntlet, but now he was underneath the city and it felt like it could be a whole new world. the stone walls had a finished appearance as if it had been built up instead of excavated. The ceiling was rounded and braced with large pillars. The hallway stretched forth both ways into darkness that he felt instinctual fear towards.

"Yes, Seamus. I'm going to teach you the long-lost art of dungeon raiding." Cal grinned, as he cracked his knuckles and held up a card which equipped the Dread Pirate Captain Scourge equipment set. With a long flowing naval coat over his new outfit. He adjusted his swords on either side of his hips and on his back. His eyepatch was traded for a red feather earing and a red Jolly Roger wrapped around his waist.

"Now, listen up. If I told you to get us to the surface and back to the guild in twenty minutes, what's the first thing you do?" Cal asked quickly as if giving him an order.

Seamus looked back and forth and then up at the hole that had sealed them in. "Since you gave me a map, I should plan a route."

"Close." Cal pulled a sword out and threw it at something just passed Seamus.

Just behind Seamus was a Lizardman assassin. The sword in its heart dispelled its camouflage and ended its life. The thud from the lifeless body was enough to display its swift end.

"Lesson number one. Always be on your guard." Cal's eyes glowed red. Black tendrils shot out from every surface and they snatched dozens of camouflaged lizardmen who were wrapped up and had the life squeezed out of them with one swift snap as the bones in their bodies all cracked under the strength of his magic. Even the downed lizard man from before was caught playing possum as it let out a death throe when a tendril spike impaled his chest lifting it off the ground.

"Lesson two: Always be on the hunt." Cal said. "Check your map really quick."

Seamus did and noticed that the he was near the lower half of the map and red dots began lighting up rippling from the point where they stood.

"Lesson three: Your eyes will betray you. Trust your map." Cal instructed as he retrieved his sword. "Concentrate on the space where your icon is, then imagine it grow larger as if you are flying closer to it. Then find the third hallway."

Seamus focused and his dot grew until it was like he was staring down at a toy-sized dark blue shape of himself inside a perfect light blue outline of the infrastructure. Sure enough, the map showed that they were not in a hall, they were at the end of a 'T'. There was a wall where a hallway should be. However, inside the walls on his map were a bunch of orange markings on the walls.

"There." Seamus pointed at the wall the hid the third passageway.

"Good, now- "Cal was about to say something else. The ground beneath their feet began to shake signifying that something very big was coming their way very fast. "Right on time. Rule number two, you are up cabin boy."

Cal leaned against the wall and crossed his arms.

Seamus checked his map and down the hallway a very large red bull charged down the hallway on the map. The problem was that the bull was twice Seamus's full height and all muscle. Seamus looked down the hallway and saw a glimmer fast approaching them.