Academy of Secrets Chapter 2

Davey crawled through the door, his eyes unable to adjust in the dark passage. The passage was so narrow, he had to crawl on his hands and knees, but he didn't care, he just anted out of that dark and dusty room, trapped by that eerie centaur-like ghost.

He suppressed a fearful shiver, his emerald leaf earring swung back and forth, hitting his cheek occasionally, as if to remind him it was still there, and that he was still alive.

The cold, cement ground cut his soft hands, which were probably now rubbed red and raw, as he crawled, determination chiseled into his slim features as he went, trying to find the exit.

It had to be here soon! This tunnel had to have a purpose!

On and on he went, his hands leaving red marks from being cut by tiny stones, pinpricks in his palms, until, he could make out a tiny light in the distance.

An exit?

Wait, exits didn't move.... or did they? The darkness was playing tricks on Davey's poor frightened mind, but then it all became clear as the strange light flew straight at his face.

“No freaking way...”

Davey's jaw dropped, he couldn't believe what he was looking at. It looked like some kind of...well...fairy... with dragonfly wings that glowed yellow, and big buggy eyes that stared at him mischievously as it let out an impish laugh.

It flew backwards, waving her arms slowly in a “come here” motion, her eyes winking teasingly in the dark tunnel air, already stiff from Davey's frantic breathing.

Davey blinked, pointing to himself.
“Me? You want me to follow you?” He asked, his voice raspy from his thirsty throat.

The fairy grinned wide, wider than what the Cheshire cat could have grinned, then nodded slowly as it continued its backward flight.

Davey's eyes widened as the tiny figure was quickly disappearing in the gloomy, sticky air of the tunnel, he quickly hurried after it, not caring how torn his hands were getting.

“Wait! Come back! Please! Don't leave me alone!” He cried, trying to get the fay to slow down.

He was catching up, he was getting closer to the fairy!

Closer, closer, closer!! Davey could practically reach out and touch the edges of those shimmery wings as they moved in a yellow blur, as if painted with ground fireflies.

Closer, closer!

Then the ground suddenly fell out from underneath him! Which way was up? Which way was Davey falling?

The only thing he saw in the black darkness, was a glimpse of that yellow fairy.

As it grinned with sharp teeth, waving goodbye to the boy it had lead so far down the wrong tunnel.

Down and down he tumbled, bumping against rough hard rock sides of the tunnel he had so foolishly been lead down. Cuts lined his arms and legs no doubt, what with how sharp some of the jagged edgings of the stony walls.

Then, Davey's head slammed painfully against the wall with a crack!

Then everything faded to black.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

When Davey awoke, he couldn't move! He blinked his eyes, but he saw nothing! Was he blind? Where was he? Had it all been a terrible dream?

Davey tried to wiggle into a sitting position, he could only guess that he was lying on his side painfully, as if tossed.

The heavy smell of thick hickory smoke filled his nostrils from a nearby campfire, accompanied by several piggish squeals and snorts, all in somewhat rhythmic patterns, as if whatever was making those noises were communicating.

Then, a deep grunting noise silenced the others, and Davey could feel strong, grubby hands yank him off the ground onto his feet, which screamed in protest as flashes of red pain ran up his legs.

Grinding his teeth both from fear and the pain, he barely stifled a scream when the cloth was stripped from his face.

In front of him stood some of the ugliest creatures he'd ever seen.

They were grubby creatures, their green and yellow skins oily and taut over muscular arms that reached the ground. Thick piggish snouts were smashed up against their faces, their beady black eyes crusty with  green and yellow rheum. Their four fingered hands were grubby at best, with black finger nails on their pudgy fingers, almost as thick as sausages. Each creature stood around four feet tall,  the tallest almost reaching six. The stench that surrounded each one brought tears to Davey's eyes, it was like rotting flesh and spoiled foods.

Davey swallowed, he had a fairly guess as to what these were.  

Hobgoblins.

That, or tiny ogres....

Either way, good chance he wasn't getting out of here alive and uneaten.

The tallest hobgoblin, the one with the deep grunting voice, pointed at Davey with a deep-throat ed squeal and a smirk that displayed his blackened teeth, tiny bits of meat still stuck from its last meal.

The two hobgoblins that were holding Davey whooped with squeals and grunts as they yanked him towards the large bonfire, a large spit empty and ready for meat to be cooked upon it.  

“H-hey! L-let me go! Help! Someone! I don't taste good!” He yelled, his blue eyes clamped shut, as if he could force this terrible scene away, and wake up in that miserable and stuffy dorm room in the school, anywhere but here.

Just as they finished the last knot on the rope, Davey was now suspended above the ground, the scalding hot flames licking at his fingertips.

Closing his eyes, Davey tried to hold in his tears.

This is it! This is how it will all end! In some oily swine's belly, cooked like a pig on a spit!

But no sooner had he thought that had his salvation come, in quite an unlikely form however, but his savior no less.

Davey heard high pitched squeals before several thuds as the hobgoblins hit the ground, if not unconscious then dead.

Footsteps got closer and closer, but he dared not open his eyes. What if some other monster had come to steal a meal from those hobgoblins??

Someone or some thing had untied the ropes, and Davey was tossed to the ground once more.

Groaning, he sat up, holding his head.

Ugh...he was going to need a lot of ice once this was all over... he could feel two goose knots already forming on his head.

A small hand gripped his shoulder with surprising strength, forcing Davey to look at its owner.

And instantly, his heart melted.

It was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. She had long hair, braided with thin strips of ivy and leaves, and her eyes were deep and large, like a doe's.

Then he saw the rest of her.

She had the body of a fawn, complete with spots and hooves and everything.

An almost complete copy of the one armed ghost who'd trapped him in that dark room.

“Ek, t'ajeiy?”  She asked him.

“Eh-excuse me?” Davey stammered, he didn't know whether to back up or scream or keep staring into those big eyes.

“Ek...t'ajeiy..?” she said slowly, her eyes narrowed as if she had thought he was stupid.

Davey probably did look pretty stupid, a huge grin mixed with a fearful expression was spread across his face as if a three year old had slapped it on with a handful of paste.

After a few moments of him just sitting there with his mouth hanging open, she finally rolls her eyes and yanks him to his feet, all but dragging her with her as she trudged around the groaning hobgoblins.

“Wh-where are we going?” Davey stuttered out, as he looked at her with confused eyes.

“K'alak 'a theh...” she muttered, pushing a stray lock of green hair out of her eyes.

Whatever that meant...he had a feeling it wasn't an answer... what had he gotten himself into now?