Demonic

Suddenly, something brushed his boot under the water, and he jerked away.

He wasn’t alone in here.

Drawing his rapier, he backed up to the center of the grotto, rotating from side to side, trying to detect further movement.

There! The water surface broke to his left, six feet away from him.

Robin slashed at the water and at the invisible creature, his breath coming in shallow gasps, fear threatening to engulf him.

“Bunda!” he yelled without looking up. “Pull me out!”

The rope, which had been slack to allow him exploration, began uncoiling in the water as the men above pulled it back.

There it was again. This time, ahead of him. A scaly, slick torso lazily cut through the waters. Whatever it was, it was no fish.

“That thing’s the size of Dorkah,” he muttered. Scanning the water franticly, “Hurry, Bunda!”

He felt the tug of the rope as he was lifted off the floor of the subterranean pool slowly. Far too slowly.

The water rippled again–this time behind him. Robin twisted around, trying to face the creature. His action only served to initiate an undesired spin as he hung from the rope.

“Stop dancing about!” yelled Bunda. From his tone it was clear that dragging him up was more of an effort than lowering him down.

Robin’s boots finally emerged from the surface, showering well water in their wake.

He was nearly three feet in the air, gently spinning above the water, when the creature erupted from the dark pool in a spray of water.

In the light of his magical cap, Robin saw it. Definitely not the size of Dorkah.

A foot wide and over eight feet long, it had a serpentine torso, its neck ending with a triangular head.

It shot out of the water. Its white, milky eyes topped a narrow maw lined with rows of nail-like teeth, which gaped impossibly wide and aimed directly at Robin’s face.

“No need to die here, friends,” said the lead guardsman, a wide, insincere grin split his face. It sent a shiver up Tin’s spine. “We only want the woman. She’s wanted for questioning regarding a murder.”

“You didn’t seem interested in questioning her a moment ago,” growled Tin. Did the man think they were fools?

“You sure you want to run afoul of The Law, dwarf?” asked the earless man.

“Whose law is that, Sands?” asked Robin. “Delona Ravin’s?”

A look of surprise washed over his face. The man named ‘Sands’ narrowed his eyes at the Heartlander. “You know me, boy?”

“From another life,” answered Robin. “And I intend to slit your throat in this one.”

Sands’s smile widened, and he leaned forward. “What’s stopping you?”

Robin made no move to accept the challenge. “One of us is going to die here, so why not tell me—what does Ravin want with the Way Stone?”

Sands seemed confused for a moment, then his eyes narrowed again. He smiled coldly, regarding Robin with respect. “You’re the cunts who slew Dell Hayek and his men.”

Robin said nothing.

“Unfortunately for you, I have no idea why Ravin or Wraith want that trinket. Don’t know and don’t care. I guess you’ll have to ask your makers. Hyah!”

He spurred his horse into a charge, just as Tadok’s bolt let loose.