Into the Cavern

The taste of sulfur had become a comfort for Lord Lucian, as further into his dark descent a more potent scent struck the nostrils. Clasping one gauntlet to the mouth, the knight pressed forward with a torch in hand trying to repress a foul and forboding stench that sought to turn him away. Such a motion did not cross his mind, for too many had died and suffered to bring him to this point. For beyond the depths of this cavern a creature lurked that would quell the Lord's greatest and only fear.

A rope was tied to Lucian's waist. Every so often it would tighten and fall slack again. His only link to the world above, where his last surviving troops stood prepared to hoist him back to the surface on his command.

"Show thyself!" Lucian screamed at the top of his lungs. Frustration had come to a boiling point, the strides forward became longer and evermore rapid. He could see the creature's shadow. Its silhouette danced along the rocky walls which flickered through the man's torchlight. He could see its sticky and hunched frame scuttering away and the fragile limps it carried made the footsteps that sounded similar to the clashing of ivory to stone.

The tunnel ahead appeared to come to a dead end, however, before him a steep drop presented itself. Leaning in with the torch, the flames offered no visual aid. For beneath his metal boots lurked darkness impenetrable by fire. Before his courage could afford another motion, the earth began to shake violently. He heard muffled screams stemming from further up the passageways, followed by the sound of collapsing rocks.

Lucian knew he was trapped. The rope around his waist gripped him tightly sliding up towards the chest and traveling along the curvature of his armour, almost to the point of pressing the air out of his sternum. He'd pressed too far that the rope was stretched and would not allow any reprieve, as it was trapped under tonnes of rubble towards the surface above. To escape; he quickly dropped the torch and then drew his trustee's long blade to cut himself free.

As the rope broke away, Lucian let out a large gulp of oxygen, which ran in short supply, and became overwhelmed by the foul smell. He collapsed to his knees and vomited. To recover, he began taking shallower breaths. Before he could regain his composure a noise suddenly caught his attention, the sound of scratching. He saw the torch ahead of him and a skeletal claw reaching out of the pit to grasp at it. Lucian lunged with the sword at the ready to strike but it withdrew into the pit before the contact was made.

After the knight crashed to the floor his shallow breathing recommenced. The scratching soon returned, yet he couldn't see the claw. A piercing pain struck him at the top of his head in five places. Blood started to trickle down into the man's vision. He saw a collage of red and orange, specs of his lifeforce on the fiery backdrop illuminated by torchlight. The claws he knew were sunk into him and there wasn't any way out of it but to press ahead, and so Lucian leaped into the abyss head first while bellowing a final battle cry.

To Lucian's surprise, he heard a screech from the creature while falling and hit a rockslide to the bottom of a chamber. A strange blue aura shined by an altar at the far end, it showed the layout of the chamber. Despite the petrifying fall he felt bruised all over yet no limbs were broken nor torn. Behind a stalactite at the center, a death rattle emanated. The creature stood a few meters ahead and he quickly glanced around to spot his sword. It was nowhere in sight. Resorting to another idea he slowly crouched to retrieve a dagger fastened with a leather holster to his greaves.

As the small blade slid out of its pouch, Lucian mistakenly slid it along the metal of his legs and caused the creature to give a deafening shriek and charge behind the altar. He chased after it with the dagger at the ready. "Accept your fate!".

With the creature closer to the shining blue aura the man looked at its face. It had no skin, no eyes, and resembled merely the frame of a man covered in a robe. One of its claws extended towards him as if for him to wait or plead mercy. "I am not your enemy!", groaned the creature under its death rattle.

"You speak with a similar tongue, so tell me beast, tell me why I shouldn't vanquish you!"

"I have been amongst man since the dawn of time. I've heard all of the human tongue. For I, I am death, I know all".

This declaration by Death did not deter Lucian, he clutched his dagger with both hands preparing himself to deliver a killing blow. "Once you're slain there shall be no suffering!".

Death grasped at the dagger's blade with both claws. "You fool! I am not suffering, I am the end of suffering!".

Back and forth the two struggled against one another for control over the weapon, with Lucian kicking Death in the chest to regain possession of it. "No matter what glory I find in this life, you're always there, preying over us. I shall relish in my accomplishments for an eternity, I shall not bid farewell to my beloved or our children. I shall no longer fear you!"

Lucian attacked again with the dagger, aiming to pierce the stomach of Death.

Death did not resist and did not fall as the blade sunk in.

"Lord Lucian of the Krulean Isle" Death began, "Son to a blacksmith and a maiden of foreign blood, brother to Joseph. Husband to Lady Ophelea, father of Nile and Petunia. Your army has defeated men countless men and I in turn granted them their peace. On this day, on the seventh full moon of Winter, you're mine to claim."

"No..." Lucian dropped the dagger to the floor and started retreating back.

"Come to me" yearned death, "Come to me".

"No! No! This cannot be! I've hunted you all this time. You lead me over mountains, across oceans, and to here, to your home! I've slain you!"

"Death, I am, I've already touched you, child..." it groaned.

A look of horror dawned on Lucian's face. "On the surface...".

Death nodded in response.

"No longer from this day" continued Lucian who collapsed to the ground cradling his knees to his chest "No longer will I hear the trickling of a stream, the smell of fine ale, or look upon the beauty of those I love... no longer shall I feel anything."

Approaching slowly, Death wandered towards the distraught mortal that slumped before it. "Do not fear me. An infant does not fear birth, and neither shall a man fear peace. Come to me, child. Come to me..."

With an extended claw, Death reached for Lucian's hand. Following the wiping of a final tear, Lucian grasped at it and his peace was finally granted unto him.