Legends Of Zyconia Part 22

They stood in what appeared to be a central street yet there was no sign of life. The entire city, although not decaying, seemed lifeless. Terrek, Hemoth, Perrin, John, and Jason stared in all directions. Finally Terrek broke the silence.

"Where are all the people?" he exclaimed.

The group shook their heads; they were as puzzled as he was. Terrek examined the streets and walked over to look into the dark windows of the buildings.

"Commander. I think I hear low music coming from this building," yelled Hemoth who had wandered down the Street.

They all walked to Hemoth's position and listened. Terrek heard a low drumbeat as well as some strange whistling pipes. He entered the huge structures doorway and looked down a short hallway. He could barely make out the start of a staircase spiraling downwards.

"Did anyone bring a torch?" Terrek asked.

They shook their heads.

"Draw your weapons. Follow close together. Stay alert!" Terrek ordered.

He strode to the stairway and walked down the steps. The room below was even darker but Terrek made out a small door on the opposite side. The music was getting louder the farther they went. Wherever it was coming from couldn't be far off. One by one they went through the doorway. Terrek had great difficulty seeing now. He heard a slam and the room instantly became pitch black.

"What happened?" asked Terrek.

"Door shut behind us," Jason said apprehensively.

Hemoth felt his way to the door and thrust his fist against it. A loud clang echoed as Hemoth drew his hand back in pain.

"Not only that, the door's made of iron," he said.

Terrek walked toward where he thought the opposite wall would be.

"There's got to be another way out." "Wait, did you hear that?" asked Perrin.

"What?" asked John.

"I thought I heard something move," Perrin whispered nervously.

Instantly an eruption of several forceful movements and the sounds of impact caused Terrek to spin around in the dark to where the others were.

"Perrin. what's happening?" yelled Terrek fearfully.

Silence.

"Hemoth, Jas-" Terrek was cut off in mid-sentence by a violent blow to the back of the head.

Falling on his chest he attempted to lift himself from the floor and received another crack to the back the the skull.

Pain filled his head as he lifted himself from the sand. Lifting his head his mind was assaulted by the details of his surroundings. Cheering filled his ears. He was in the center of a large coliseum. He was in a circular pit with walls several times his height. There were two doors in the walls one the size of a man and one fit for a giant. Both were made of unadorned, smooth iron. High above the walls. all the way around the pit sat many cheering men, women and children.

They appeared thinner than most Zyconians, their skin slightly darker. In one area, blocked off from the rest of the crowd, sat twelve very old but identical looking elderly men. They wore jewel adorned robes and their white hair was pulled back, not a strand out of place. They didn't cheer. They examined him with a cold collective stare. He knew that they were important. One of the elders sat in a chair more prominent than the others. Terrek assumed that this was their king. He wore a large amulet around his neck. Terrek looked up and saw that the coliseum had a ceiling. He assumed that he was still inside the structure he'd entered.

Looking around he realized that his comrades were lying on the sandy floor as well. He quickly woke them. They stood and waited to see what would happen next. From above the prominent elder lifted his arm and a large net and a spear were thrown into the pit. Suddenly a great cheer arose from the crowd. Terrek and the others saw the huge metal door rising, to reveal what was behind it.

The door rose completely but there was nothing but darkness. The crowd sat in suspenseful silence. Terrek's stomach churned. Then all at once a sight emerged that horrified them. Before them was a minotaur unlike any of them had ever seen. It was at least double the height of a normal minotaur and had huge twisted horns. The creature held all the familiar characteristics of Is smaller kin except for one difference, it had only one gigantic glowing eye. This strange, cycloptic minotaur ambled forward and caught sight of them.

TO BE CONTINUED...

TO READ FROM THE BEGINNING GO TO: LEGENDS OF ZYCONIA PART 1

TO READ THE PREVIOUS PART GO TO: LEGENDS OF ZYCONIA PART 21

TO READ THE NEXT PART GO TO: LEGENDS OF ZYCONIA PART 23