Chapter 19: Crawling Dungeon

Chapter 19: Crawling Dungeon

In the dimly lit cell, Ty, with his skeletal form marked with blackened patches, stood on the dark granulated ground.

Thankfully, the bars of the cell were spaced wide apart enough to allow him to slide through which wouldn't have been possible for any typical flesh-and-blood human. By dislocating his shoulder bones, Ty wiggled and maneuvered his way out of the dungeon's main hall.

As Ty traversed the corridors, his thoughts raced, "From a quaint village to this ominous dungeon – why and how did this happen?"

His eyes darted around, trying to discern any possible detail that might be able to hint at his location. The eerie silence was broken by the echoes of his footsteps on the stone as he ventured further down the corridor. Lining along the pathway, the cells seemed to be stretching endlessly in both directions. Each held its own horror story. While some were filled with the grim sight of countless skeletal remains, others were far more grisly, showcasing shredded flesh and lingering body parts—bone-chilling testaments to the severe punishments inflicted by King Yami.

A tremble passed through Ty's skeletal frame as he mumbled, "If I still had flesh and a stomach, the contents would surely be lying on the floor by now."

His bony fingers were wrapped tightly around the hilt of his tanto blade, its cold metal somehow giving a comforting feeling amidst the unsettling surroundings. Ahead, a sturdy metal door loomed, with a small window of bars revealing glimpses of the outside. There sat a solitary, abandoned wooden chair — just as the goblin had described.

Suddenly, a seed of doubt sprouted in Ty's mind regarding the goblin's intentions, "Did he plan to join forces with me, or did he conveniently vanish in order to dodge blame for my escape? After all, I had offered to ally with him," Ty reflected, weighing his options.

Taking a deep, albeit unnecessary, Ty pushed against the door.

SCRRREEEE

BOOONGGGG

Its rusty hinges let out a jarring screech as it swung open far more easily than what its hefty look suggested followed by the resounding bang of the door hitting the stone walls echoing like a gong, reverberating down the hallways.

During the chilling silence that followed for a few moments, a distant crash sounded, soon accompanied by the unmistakable thud of footsteps which seemed to be growing louder.

As if adrenaline was surging within him, Ty swiftly sought refuge, pressing himself into a dim corner, shielded by the wavering light of a nearby candle.

The damp air grew tense as the sound of heavy footsteps echoed closer.

Out of the shadows emerged a creature, its stature reminding Ty of the previous guard. However, this one had a distinct scar under his right eye and numerous other marks on its rough skin.

Pausing for a moment, it took a look at its surroundings, before moving forward towards the door with purpose.

Ty could hear it grumble in a deep, commanding voice, as it griped about someone's incompetence.

Ty pressed himself tightly into the corner of the dimly lit room, every bone in his body begging for the creature not to notice him.

In a desperate, flailing attempt, it swung a powerful fist at Ty. The force of the fist sent Ty's skeletal form hurtling, crashing into a nearby stone wall. The goblin, clutching its grievous wound, spat out a mouthful of blood and glared at Ty with its eyes filled with malice and seemed to be promising revenge.

TICK TUKK CLICK

Gathering his wits, Ty managed to pull himself upright, his bones making clicking sounds as they got back into their places. Looking directly at the goblin, he retorted, "I wonder if those humans you feasted upon screamed the same way as you?"

The goblin's eyes narrowed, its voice dripping with disdain, "Why would you care about some leftovers? To me, you're nothing more than a pile of bones."

The creature spat out the words, emphasizing its contempt. Its meaty, green hands moved in a frenetic dance, each of its gestures filled with purpose and hideous intent. It overlapped its hands pressing the left one onto the right. After he did that, both of his hands began to glow, casting a dark green hue that filled the entire space between the two.

Without warning, the creature lunged towards Ty, its movement almost a blur.

Ty, however, felt a jolt of intuition, similar to the primal alertness he had experienced before. He swiftly disassembled, letting the goblin's attack pass harmlessly through his scattered bones. Then, with the same newfound agility, Ty swiftly reassembled himself, and without hesitation, retaliated by thrusting the tanto blade into the goblin's side, not once, but several times.

Each of his strikes was followed by a taunt, "Perhaps it's high time you felt some pain for your heinous deeds."

Amidst the chaos, clarity dawned on Ty. He knew that he needed to act fast. The creature was dangerous, and every moment wasted was a moment closer to potential defeat. As the goblin swung again, its footing betrayed it, causing wobble while the pool of blood formed from the blood leaking from its wounds made the ground slick, causing it to lose balance and crash to the floor.

Seizing the moment, Ty stood right above the creature, his form casting an imposing silhouette against the dim light.

With a final, resolute motion, Ty plunged the tanto deep into the goblin's neck. In response, the creature's power to fight back began to ebb away, while its life force was being drawn out before culminating in a small, pulsating orb that detached and hurtled towards Ty.

The force of the orb's impact threw Ty off balance, sending him sprawling on the ground.

As he lay there, Ty felt a distinct chill as the flames on his back seemed to have dimmed. Slowly lifting his hands, he saw the sight of the goblin's blood smeared all over them.

The gravity of what he had done, and the life he had taken, weighed heavily on him as he stared at the lifeless body that was still gushing out trails of blood.

However, he was quickly alerted as footsteps echoed nearby, followed by a familiar voice. "Hey, skeleton buddy! I thought the boss stepped out. So, if you need..."

The voice trailed off as the goblin guard looked around the corner and noticed the lifeless form of their boss lying on the ground.

He then turned to look at Ty's body, his green face filled with a mix of surprise and unease.

Trying to keep his voice as steady as he could, he asked, "Were you planning on doing that to me too?"