World of Night

Underground Treasure


Shuddering he buried his hands deeper in his pockets and glared into the darkened tunnel. The train, of course, was late again. He hated subways. The dark always made him feel uneasy. A sardonic smile played across Dominic’s lips but never reached his eyes. For years he had been afraid of the darkness, always feeling, sensing, that something dark and dangerous lurked in there.

Quickly he glanced around, his brows furrowing as he noticed the strange stillness. The subway station was unusually deserted, no more than five or six other people stood waiting on the single platform, all of them wearing dark coats and hats, all of them standing alone, only now and then shuffling their feet. Why were they here, Dom wondered. It was already past 9 p.m. and the subway stations were normally crowded at this time. A real madhouse.

Suddenly the man in the far corner turned, looking directly at Dominic, who flinched guiltily as he noticed that he had been staring. A soft growl echoed through the station, causing Dom to shudder once more. He could not make out where the noise had come from, though. Something was wrong. Goosebumps were quickly crawling up his arms and down his spine and he could barely keep himself from trembling. Something was very wrong. He just could not put his finger to it.
Something was wrong with the man he had been staring at. Somehow he did not – feel – right. He was of average height and there was nothing unusual about him as far as Dominic could see but he seemed too tall, too broad-shouldered to be human. He just did not feel human.

Dom turned as he heard steps on the stairs to the station, freezing in shock as he saw the black-clad armed men. All of them were wearing Kevlar-vests and carrying automatic guns. Dom’s breath hitched and for a moment time seemed to stop as he stared at the soldiers, for that was what they seemed to be, and then the world erupted into chaos.

Shots howled through the air and clashed into the walls and pillars of the station, causing small cascades of debris to rain to the floor. Dominic screamed without even noticing it as his knees gave in and he hit solid ground, instinctively crawling into a corner where he pressed himself against the cold stone wall.

His eyes almost bulged out of their sockets as the men who had been waiting for him took up fighting positions and drew out guns, answering the solders’ fire. One of the men jumped into the safety of a pillar, losing his hat and scarf in the process as he rolled onto his knees again, gun ready to fire. Dom screamed again. The creature was no man at all.

Slanted yellow eyes glared out from under on-existent brows, surrounded by deep lines and open pustules in a sickly greenish face. Dom had been more than right when he had thought that this creature did not feel right. It was a bit smaller than the average man but its broad well-muscled shoulders and arms were totally out of proportion. Only now did Dom notice that the creature had three-fingered claws instead of hands. Claws that looked as if they could tear him into halves with no effort whatsoever.

Dominic wrapped his arms around his knees, slowly rocking back and forth on the cold dirty tiles as the fight around him continued, blurring into a broken series of images and impressions: the shots tearing the air apart, their echoes like thunder in the small station, small stones and concrete raining down from the walls where the bullets of the automatics had hit them, one of the green creatures stumbling backwards, a surprised expression in his eyes as their light broke and one of his claws grasped for its slashed open throat, a fountain of bright red pooling and drying on the ground, the head of one of the soldiers rolling into his direction, staring at him with accusing blue eyes, after one of the creatures had ripped it off and the screams of the wounded and dying.

With wide eyes Dominic stared at the puckered trail of half-dry blood and then at the misty eyes of the body-less head, which were still staring directly at him. Only for a second did he wonder where the panicked scream came from, before he noticed that it was his own and the world around him drowned in blackness.

~***~

He groaned as he squinted up into the darkness around him. Strange faces appeared in his line of view, only to disappear again a few seconds later. He heard voices, or what he thought to be voices, though he could not make out the language they were talking in. More and more faces drifted in and out of the blackness, which became increasingly grey.

“I think he’s waking up. Step back,” a warm voice ordered. Dom thought that it belonged to the face with the brown eyes and the brown hair which he had been seeing for quite some time now. He frowned, not recalling seeing such a face ever before. There was something unusual about it, though he could not say what. This was definitely one of the weirdest dreams he had ever had.
“Hey you!” the voice continued, brown eyes still searching his face, “Can you hear me, man? Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Numbly Dominic shook his head, his muscles still almost too paralysed by fear to obey his commands.

“Hey, I’m talking to you, cutie!” the voice persisted, forcing Dom to continue his journey towards consciousness. Slowly his eyes came to rest on the stranger’s face as the last remnants of grey faded away and he mustered it thoroughly.

The warm brown eyes were exactly like they had been in his dreams, the mop of brown hair was a little bit more unruly and the boyish grin was definitely new. Had it been a dream at all? High chiselled cheekbones in a rather round face completed the looks of a man who could still look like an impish youth if he wanted to.

“Better now, boy?” the stranger asked, offering Dominic his hand. Dom took the proffered hand and, sitting up, took a first look at his surroundings. They were alone in a small dimly lit room with wooden walls surrounding them. A door hung dangerously crooked on its hinges in the wall to his left and the stone roof only made the gloom even more depressing.

“What’s your name, boy?” the stranger asked, sitting down cross-legged in front of the still dumb-struck Dominic. Sighing the stranger shook his head.

“What’s the matter with you mate? Lost your tongue?”

Again Dom shook his head, dazedly noticing that a slight accent had crept into the stranger’s voice, a low melodic lilt and a slight drawl, that was too soft to be American. Dominic opened and closed his mouth a few times before he managed to produce a sound.

“I.. I’m Dominic… Dom…,” he gulped finally.

“Dom, good.” the stranger grinned again, his eyes lighting to a war, hazel. “I was afraid you were still too deep in shock to wake up.”

“I think I might be,” Dom tried to joke weakly without even thinking about it, “I certainly feel like it. What’s your name?” Unconsciously he held his breath as he waited for an answer.

“You were brought here after seeing some of us,” the stranger said thoughtfully, “So I suppose I can’t make it worse by telling you my name. I’m Karl.”

“Karl,” Dom repeated, smiling as he released his breath. “Why did you bring me here? An where are we?”

“Underground,” Karl said, closely observing Dom’s reaction. “This is one of the side caves. We separated it into rooms and corridors with these walls.” Karl pointed at the wooden walls around them.

“Cave?” Dominic repeated, staring at the roughly hewn roof. “You mean we are in some side room of the subway station?”

“No,” Karl sighed, smiling as he noticed the confusion in Dom’s stormy grey eyes. “We’re far deeper than that. This is a system of tunnels and caves which those humans who live on the surface know nothing about.”

“Surface?” Dominic parroted, eyes almost as wide as saucers as he stared at Karl.

“Yes, surface.” Karl said, pointing at the roof. “The only ones up there who know about these tunnels are our agents. Thos who fight for our cause. I hope.” He added after a moment, grinning sheepishly.

“But what is your cause?” Dom frowned, still not understanding a word Karl said. “And what are those green.. things… creatures I saw?”

“Ghouls.”

“Ghouls?!?”

“Yes, ghouls,” Karl was very serious all of a sudden.

“Ghouls don’t exist.” Dominic insisted.

“Then what did you see in the subway station?”

“I don’t know,” Dom admitted, “But it can’t have been ghouls.”

“Why?”

“Why?” Dom stared incredulously at Karl. “Because ghouls don’t exist, that’s why!”

With a resigned sigh Karl shook his head. “Whatever,” he said, “Do you want to see the city in the main cave? Maybe you’ll be able to understand better then.”

Dominic nodded, glad to be offered a chance to get out of the small room. He was beginning to feel claustrophobic.

“Okay,” said Karl, already getting up, “Let’s get going then.” Still too confused to do anything else Dominic climbed to his feet and followed Karl outside.

~***~

“I can’t believe this.” Dom shook his head, “I just can’t believe this. It’s too…too… I mean… Why would anyone build such an underground city? It must have taken years!”

“Centuries, to be exact.” Karl replied, leaning against the fence that secured the terrace they were standing on, looking down over the main cave of the city. “There are underground cities all over the planet,” Karl continued, gesturing down at the busy city beneath them, “This world had always existed. Most humans don’t know about it, that’s all.”

“But there are some who do?” Dominic turned to look at Karl, shock still written all over his face.

“Yeah,” Karl mumbled, a shadow settling over his features, “Unfortunately there are some who do.”

Dom shook his head once more, longing to ask another question but decided against it. Karl obviously did not like the subject. Dominic looked around again, taking in the view. A soft red-golden light filled the cave, which was so big that he could not see the other side. In the cave he had woken in the roof had been low, no more than two metres, but here it was almost ten metres from ground to roof. Even more in some places. The stones that had been broken from the walls to make the cave even bigger had been used to build small huts and cottages and even a river ran through the cave, along the outskirts of the town, vanished into a black hole in the wall somewhere to their left. A broad stone bridge connected the two riverbanks and Dom was sure that he could hear a waterfall somewhere. The streets of the city reminded Dom of a tangled cob-web and were filled with people and other creatures going about their daily business. Whatever that might be.

The difference to the cities Dom knew, however, was that people stopped to talk to each other, clustering in small groups before separating again. Somehow it made him uneasy.

“Seen enough?” Karl suddenly asked, drawing Dominic out of hid thoughts.

“Yeah,” Dom nodded, staring at Karl in wonder. “But there is one thing I don’t understand.”

Karl just raised an eyebrow, waiting for Dominic to continue.
“Where does the light come from?”

“Oh, that.” Karl said, grinning suddenly. “That’s easy. Do you believe in magic?”

Dom stared aghast.

“No,” Karl sighed, “Obviously you don’t. Come on, we have to go.”

“Go?” Dominic asked, “But where to?”

“The city hall, of course.” Karl was already descending the uneven steps that led from the terrace to the city. “The council of elders wants to see you.”

“See me?” Quickly Dominic stumbled after Karl, almost falling down the steps in his hurry to keep up with Karl. “But why do they want to see me?”

“They have to decide what to do with you. No,” Karl said, holding up a hand to command Dom to silence. “Don’t ask. Please. We could not let you go in that subway station and we cannot let you go now. You have seen us. You have seen too much.”

“I could take an oath never to betray your existence.” Dominic offered desperately, “I would keep it.”

“I know it’s difficult to accept.” Karl sighed, “But the elders have to decide what’s the best for all of us and even if they wanted to they could not let you go. The risk would be too great.”

“Risk?” Dom asked, unable to comprehend anything. “Which risk? I could be sworn to secrecy and…”

“No.” Karl hesitated briefly, “There are very few who would not talk about what they’ve seen when being tortured.” He finished eventually.

“Tortured?” Dom gasped, freezing on the spot. “But why should anyone want to torture me?”

“Come on,” was all Karl said. “You will get your answers. For now I can only say that all will be revealed to you in time.”
Still shocked Dominic complied.

~***~

“… and so we have decided that you are to stay with us. If you wish to escape this fate with your honour intact by taking your life then you are welcome to do so and will be given every help you ask for.”

Incredulously Dominic stared at the old man who presided over the council of elders, unable to comprehend what he had heard.
“But…” he tried to protest, trailing off as he noticed Karl shaking his head and mouthing ‘no'.

“No buts,” the elder decreed. “Our decision is made. You will stay or die, it’s up to you. Karl will help you to get settled in and make a home here.” Swiftly the man gathered his robes and left, closely followed by another human, three creatures Dominic did not want to take a closer look at – mainly because they were green – and another creature that could have been human if it had not been for the sickly pale skin, the flashing emerald-green eyes and the pointed ears.

Dazedly Dominic stared at the six now-empty elaborately decorated chairs. He could not believe that the had left without giving him a chance to speak. Unsteadily his gaze sought out Karl’s, who was the only one left in the room with him.

“Why are they doing this?” he croaked.

“Because they have to.” Karl said, staring at his feet, studiously avoiding Dominic’s gaze.

“But… but…,” stammered Dom, “They can’t do that! I mean.. I’ve got family! They’ll report me missing!”

“Not here, later.” Karl shook his head as Dominic tried to speak again and motioned for the blond to follow him as he already walked out of the room. “This is not the right place to discuss such a thing.” Quietly Dom followed him through the strange crowds in the streets, unwilling but without a choice.

~***~

“Are you alright, Dom?” Karl asked once they were in what Karl had proudly called his house on the edge of the main cave city.

“Alright? Alright?” Dominic yelled, pivoting on his heel, fist on his hips and storm-grey eyes glaring at Karl. “And why for fuck’s sake should I be alright? I witnessed some fight over God-only-knows-what, was abducted into some sort of cave-system and have been condemned to stay here for the rest of my life by a bunch of maniacs who still believe in magic! No, I’m fucking not alright!”

”Please stay calm.” Karl held up his hands defensively. “You know I can’t do anything about that.”

”And is that supposed to make me feel better?” Dominic retorted, tears stinging his eyes.

“No.” sighing Karl settled down on a fur in front of the fireplace. “Please try to stay calm,” he repeated. “I will help you to get settled down here. It’s not as bad as you think. You’ll find a job, you’ll see and…”

“In bloody fucking don’t want a blasted job in this fucked-up cave world!” Dom screamed, “I want to go home!”

“But you can’t.” Karl said flatly, “This has to be your home now.”

“I don’t want this to be my home!” Dom yelled, his voice breaking with the last few words, dying to a whisper. “I don’t belong here.”

“You can live with me until you’ve settled in,” Karl offered, “For as long as you want.”

“No,” Dominic shook his head, “Somehow you weirdos manage to get to the surface,” he thought aloud, cold rage boiling within him, “I’ll find the way.”

“No, you won’t.” Karl sighed again, “The ways up to the surface are protected by very strong spells and runes. You won’t find a way up.”

“Spells? Runes? Oh, please!” Dom snorted, “No more of your whacko-stuff any more!”

“But…” Karl tried to protest but it was already too late. Dominic had just stormed out of the room, throwing the door shut behind him.

“Dominic!” Karl stared after the blond in surprise. “Wait!” he jumped up, stormed out of the room and ran after Dominic.

“Fuck!” he yelled, hitting the doorframe as he looked up and down the streets. Dominic had somehow managed to vanish into the crowd. There was absolutely no trace of him. “Fuck,” Karl grumbled again, at a loss for anything else to say. How in devil’s name was he supposed Dominic in a cave system that housed thousands?

~***~


Hours later Dominic sank down on one of the many stones that stood next to the road, wearily glancing around. He was more than just tired. He was sitting next to the tunnel which led to the cave with the fields, if he remembered correctly, though how anything could grow down here was beyond him. The yellow light had still not changed, making it impossible for him to take a guess at how late it was.

“Fucking light.” He grumbled, pushing some wayward strands of hair out of his face. Somehow he had managed not to draw any attention to himself. To his utter surprise there were no guards in the caves. Slowly Dom got up and walked through the tunnel, stopping dead in his tracks as he noticed a hole in the wall to his left which had not been there the last time he had walked through this tunnel. The gloomy yellow light was just as strong in there as it was everywhere else in the caves and he still wondered that he could not see any light bulbs or something similar.

Cautiously he looked into the new-found tunnel, a sigh escaping his lips. The stairs led downwards. Just like all other stairs and tunnels he had seen. But maybe that was the trick. Making it look as though stairs leading to the surface did not exist. Decided that a tunnel which led down into the earth had to lead back to the surface at some point, he entered the almost two metre wide tunnel, climbing down the winding uneven steps, all sense of time already lost to him. For hours and hours he walked wearily on, totally unaware of the danger he was walking into.