dream 3/16
they were going to rob the place, that was the plan. they were a rough group the lot of them but they could do it. easy as pie thats what it would be. they were a big group so it shouldn't be to hard they had lots to be lookouts. they scoped the place out. it was a bath house mostly. on that weekend there wouldn't be but a few people there. they decided to do it knowing the risks would be minimal. they went in acting like a bunch just come in from the trail. in truth they had just come in from the trail but they weren't passing through they were here for a purpose. leaving a few out in the forests surrounding the place they went in. if a larger group of men came back from the mines they would have ample warning from the scouts left outside. thats usually the sort to visit a place like this was men from the mines from the surrounding hills. men who worked for the same scoundrel who owned the baths. the owner was a collector of sorts. thats why we were here he had something we wanted something valuable to others. we were here for some rare books that only this man had, books that should belong to everyone not just one man. books of maps. maps of the territories. this mission was a tricky one they had to do it right the information was to important.
the group of us grabbed our things and went in. the building was 2 stories and we were headed for the second story. as we entered there were a few men who looked up noticing us nodding there heads as we entered. we headed for the second floor leaving a man at the top of the stairs to watch and wait for anyone coming up. the second story was roomy with showers and a sweat room. there was a boxing arena off to one side. an area for weight lifting and door further down the length of the room. the door led to the room we were looking for. we split up acting normal and doing the things offered to us. a couple of us headed straight for the door. it was of coarse locked but that was easily remedied. the few of us entering the room were cautious not knowing what to expect. there was a desk in the corner packed with knick nacks all of value but that wasn't why we were here. there was a huge tub off to one side of the room filled with steaming water. we could feel the heat off the water from where we stood in the center of the room. besides the desk and the tub the room was filled with books. more books than any of us had ever seen in one spot. we didn't expect to be walking in to a library but thats what we felt like. every wall was covered with bookshelves filled to the rim. even around the base of the tub were book cases. the room was a site to be sure. the thought crossed my mind that no one man should have all these books. hell no one man could read all these books in a life time. well they could but they sure wouldn't be doing anything else but reading. we spread out to look for our prize. I called out in to the main room for a couple more guys to help us look. that made a total of 6 of us in the room looking through the shelves trying to find our map book. one by one they called out that they weren't finding it. I was looking around the tub hoping the book we were looking for would be in plane sight. having to find a hidden compartment would take more time than we had for this operation.
so here I am down on my knees swearing we were going to fail when I notice one of the books slightly out of place from the others. I lean in to put it back on the shelves correctly when I hear a click as it slides into place. the shelf I'm in front of unhinges slightly and I pull it open. in the hole behind the false door there are more books but this time its the books we are looking for. I pull them out there are a total of 4 of them. I hold them up and lean in the tub to lever myself up out of my kneeling position. the others see I have the prize and come to inspect them. they are as good as as we were told they would be. complete maps of the territories. everything rivers ranges the whole lot all on paper. there would be no more guessing where you were with these baby's. one of the other guys pulls more books out of the space behind the false shelf asking if we want to take them too. I say no we have what we need lets be getting out of there. as he closes the door we here another click and see a false panel in the floor pull back to reveal some stairs leading down. I look around at the other guys and see that its unanimous. down we go to see whats at the other end of the stairs. the stairs are really narrow and its more than a little bit uncomfortable to go down them. only 5 of us go down the last man stays up top to tell the others whats going on and to close and lock the library door. see we figure the stairs lead to another way out, a bolt hole of sorts. we have our books so we are confident that we are in the clear.
the stairs go down further than we expect them too. well past the bottom of the building and in to a shaft that still keeps taking us downward. after about a mile or so of going down the shaft splits. to our left we see a faint green glow coming from further down the shaft. we see nothing but blackness from the shaft to the right. being in the dark is starting to get on all our nerves so we split off to the left toward the faint green light. it takes us a bit but we see that the light in the tunnel is coming from fosflorescence in the rock. its pleasant and gives us more than enough light to see by. we travel for what seems like forever until we come to a cavern in the caves we have worked ourselves into. the cavern isn't really that large just big enough for us to all break out of our single file line and spread out to relax for a wile. as we are sitting here I take a poll on if we should turn back or keep going. everybody figures we have come this far we might as well keep going. we have rashons in our packs so we eat and start back on further into the tunnels. by now they are no longer man made like they were in the beginning. we are well into a cave system thats as old as the mountains themselves. we travel for a long time taking time to sleep when we are tired. we have no idea how much time has past because there is no light here but the ever present green glow coming from the rocks around us. when we come to splits in the path we always take the path with a stronger light source. finally after an undetermined time wandering from tunnel to small cave to tunnel again we come to a great cavern. the cavern is huge and there is a path in the rock leading up. after all the paths leading us steadily downward there is a path up. we follow the path up an it takes us to a brightly lit hall with tables in its center. we see butterflies flying around small flowers near the walls. the butterflies are strange looking and when they take off from a flower petals fall to the floor. there are petals all over the floor. I put my hand out to see if one of the butterflies will land on my hand. from the far end of the hall I hear 'I wouldn't do that if I were you' we all turn toward the voice. there are 4 men standing there. 'the butterflies will cut you to ribbons'. 'oh' I say and pull my hand in. the 4 men are dressed in floor length tunics with pants underneath. they are dressed like Indians but all of them aren't Indians. one of them is black one white and 2 are most defenetly Indians. 'come we will show you in' says one of of the Indians. I confer with my men and well one woman. the 5 of us decide things cant get any odder so we follow the 4 from the great hall into another cavern.
as we turn the corner into the next cavern we see vegetation everywhere. we are awed by the amount of plants and animal life around us. the cavern we are in is huge, massive, to large to be able to cross in a day. well if we even could tell what a day was down here. everything is off though none of the plants or animals are things we have ever seen before. 'where are we' demands one of my crew. 'you'll know soon enough' replies the white man. we continue to follow them down a winding path through the vegetation. we walk past trees with wholes in them making them look like swiss cheese. bushes with more of the butterflies on them. getting a closer look at the butterflies I see that there wings are like razor blades cutting the bushes leaves as they fly around. there are birds every where in more colors and shapes than I thought possible. we walk past a pond a lake really with a waterfall falling into it. around the base of the falls are small goat like animals there fur a mottling of a rainbow of hues. as they moved in and around the falls they seem to almost disappear in the mists surrounding the falls. there fur the perfect coloring to meld in with the rainbows in the mists caused by the falls. we finally slow when we come to a town just after the falls. the town looks like any other, people busily going here and there going on about there daily tasks. 'its going to be dark soon. we will show you to the inn so you can get some rooms' said on of our tour guides. we head off down the street to the inn. there are people in carts on the road. there carts are being pulled by big lizard looking things with manes of brightly colored hair. the light in the caves was starting to dim. we went in to the inn and got a few rooms. everything in the inn seemed to be normal the only thing out of place were the large 5 petaled flowers in the vase by the main counter. 'sleep and all your questions will be answered in the morning' said the lady behind the counter.
in the morning we are woken by the sounds of chickens and noises coming from from the rest of the building. I get out of bed and head down to the main room where breakfast is being served. the rest of my group is already up and seated at the table. a couple of men from the town join us to tell us what is going on and where we are. they start there story from the beginning of a family of collectors who have been smuggling rear objects and things down the caves to this very spot. the people who live in the town are the very people used to bring things down from above. they have been here for generations. there are a lot of things now in the caves that cannot be found up above in the current world. many of the species of animal and plant that are in the caves was eather the last of its kind or were things that developed after years of being in the caves. the light in the caves always has been there. it runs in a typical cycle just like the rising and setting of the sun. the rocks themselves put out the green light that makes it possible to live by even grow crops. the feed down below is a bit different than that up top but it is filling and tastes good. the man tells us of the town and its people made up of a melting pot of people and there families. he says that the green light takes a bit of getting used to but we are welcome to stay down with them and live out our lives with them. we are told we can have a few days to look around and to rest. some of my men decide right away to stay and make them selves useful in the peaceful town under the mountain. the only female in our party is apprehensive but has a weaving skill that is wanted and needed in the town so she decides to stay as well. me I'm up in the air still. the books we stole are needed in the world up above. the town father says that the books can go back up the next time they go up top for the things they cant get down below. I can have them sent any were I like.
I spend a month or more in the caverns learning the way of things and the people. the town is much like any other town you would find 'up top' as the people down below would say. life is simple there is no money or crime really. the people live simply and get along with there surroundings. I'm not quite sure if I'm going to stay but until the next trek back up the caves to get supplies I'm stuck here living in this place of green light and strange creatures. life for the moment isn't really so bad maybe I wont go back up after all.
the group of us grabbed our things and went in. the building was 2 stories and we were headed for the second story. as we entered there were a few men who looked up noticing us nodding there heads as we entered. we headed for the second floor leaving a man at the top of the stairs to watch and wait for anyone coming up. the second story was roomy with showers and a sweat room. there was a boxing arena off to one side. an area for weight lifting and door further down the length of the room. the door led to the room we were looking for. we split up acting normal and doing the things offered to us. a couple of us headed straight for the door. it was of coarse locked but that was easily remedied. the few of us entering the room were cautious not knowing what to expect. there was a desk in the corner packed with knick nacks all of value but that wasn't why we were here. there was a huge tub off to one side of the room filled with steaming water. we could feel the heat off the water from where we stood in the center of the room. besides the desk and the tub the room was filled with books. more books than any of us had ever seen in one spot. we didn't expect to be walking in to a library but thats what we felt like. every wall was covered with bookshelves filled to the rim. even around the base of the tub were book cases. the room was a site to be sure. the thought crossed my mind that no one man should have all these books. hell no one man could read all these books in a life time. well they could but they sure wouldn't be doing anything else but reading. we spread out to look for our prize. I called out in to the main room for a couple more guys to help us look. that made a total of 6 of us in the room looking through the shelves trying to find our map book. one by one they called out that they weren't finding it. I was looking around the tub hoping the book we were looking for would be in plane sight. having to find a hidden compartment would take more time than we had for this operation.
so here I am down on my knees swearing we were going to fail when I notice one of the books slightly out of place from the others. I lean in to put it back on the shelves correctly when I hear a click as it slides into place. the shelf I'm in front of unhinges slightly and I pull it open. in the hole behind the false door there are more books but this time its the books we are looking for. I pull them out there are a total of 4 of them. I hold them up and lean in the tub to lever myself up out of my kneeling position. the others see I have the prize and come to inspect them. they are as good as as we were told they would be. complete maps of the territories. everything rivers ranges the whole lot all on paper. there would be no more guessing where you were with these baby's. one of the other guys pulls more books out of the space behind the false shelf asking if we want to take them too. I say no we have what we need lets be getting out of there. as he closes the door we here another click and see a false panel in the floor pull back to reveal some stairs leading down. I look around at the other guys and see that its unanimous. down we go to see whats at the other end of the stairs. the stairs are really narrow and its more than a little bit uncomfortable to go down them. only 5 of us go down the last man stays up top to tell the others whats going on and to close and lock the library door. see we figure the stairs lead to another way out, a bolt hole of sorts. we have our books so we are confident that we are in the clear.
the stairs go down further than we expect them too. well past the bottom of the building and in to a shaft that still keeps taking us downward. after about a mile or so of going down the shaft splits. to our left we see a faint green glow coming from further down the shaft. we see nothing but blackness from the shaft to the right. being in the dark is starting to get on all our nerves so we split off to the left toward the faint green light. it takes us a bit but we see that the light in the tunnel is coming from fosflorescence in the rock. its pleasant and gives us more than enough light to see by. we travel for what seems like forever until we come to a cavern in the caves we have worked ourselves into. the cavern isn't really that large just big enough for us to all break out of our single file line and spread out to relax for a wile. as we are sitting here I take a poll on if we should turn back or keep going. everybody figures we have come this far we might as well keep going. we have rashons in our packs so we eat and start back on further into the tunnels. by now they are no longer man made like they were in the beginning. we are well into a cave system thats as old as the mountains themselves. we travel for a long time taking time to sleep when we are tired. we have no idea how much time has past because there is no light here but the ever present green glow coming from the rocks around us. when we come to splits in the path we always take the path with a stronger light source. finally after an undetermined time wandering from tunnel to small cave to tunnel again we come to a great cavern. the cavern is huge and there is a path in the rock leading up. after all the paths leading us steadily downward there is a path up. we follow the path up an it takes us to a brightly lit hall with tables in its center. we see butterflies flying around small flowers near the walls. the butterflies are strange looking and when they take off from a flower petals fall to the floor. there are petals all over the floor. I put my hand out to see if one of the butterflies will land on my hand. from the far end of the hall I hear 'I wouldn't do that if I were you' we all turn toward the voice. there are 4 men standing there. 'the butterflies will cut you to ribbons'. 'oh' I say and pull my hand in. the 4 men are dressed in floor length tunics with pants underneath. they are dressed like Indians but all of them aren't Indians. one of them is black one white and 2 are most defenetly Indians. 'come we will show you in' says one of of the Indians. I confer with my men and well one woman. the 5 of us decide things cant get any odder so we follow the 4 from the great hall into another cavern.
as we turn the corner into the next cavern we see vegetation everywhere. we are awed by the amount of plants and animal life around us. the cavern we are in is huge, massive, to large to be able to cross in a day. well if we even could tell what a day was down here. everything is off though none of the plants or animals are things we have ever seen before. 'where are we' demands one of my crew. 'you'll know soon enough' replies the white man. we continue to follow them down a winding path through the vegetation. we walk past trees with wholes in them making them look like swiss cheese. bushes with more of the butterflies on them. getting a closer look at the butterflies I see that there wings are like razor blades cutting the bushes leaves as they fly around. there are birds every where in more colors and shapes than I thought possible. we walk past a pond a lake really with a waterfall falling into it. around the base of the falls are small goat like animals there fur a mottling of a rainbow of hues. as they moved in and around the falls they seem to almost disappear in the mists surrounding the falls. there fur the perfect coloring to meld in with the rainbows in the mists caused by the falls. we finally slow when we come to a town just after the falls. the town looks like any other, people busily going here and there going on about there daily tasks. 'its going to be dark soon. we will show you to the inn so you can get some rooms' said on of our tour guides. we head off down the street to the inn. there are people in carts on the road. there carts are being pulled by big lizard looking things with manes of brightly colored hair. the light in the caves was starting to dim. we went in to the inn and got a few rooms. everything in the inn seemed to be normal the only thing out of place were the large 5 petaled flowers in the vase by the main counter. 'sleep and all your questions will be answered in the morning' said the lady behind the counter.
in the morning we are woken by the sounds of chickens and noises coming from from the rest of the building. I get out of bed and head down to the main room where breakfast is being served. the rest of my group is already up and seated at the table. a couple of men from the town join us to tell us what is going on and where we are. they start there story from the beginning of a family of collectors who have been smuggling rear objects and things down the caves to this very spot. the people who live in the town are the very people used to bring things down from above. they have been here for generations. there are a lot of things now in the caves that cannot be found up above in the current world. many of the species of animal and plant that are in the caves was eather the last of its kind or were things that developed after years of being in the caves. the light in the caves always has been there. it runs in a typical cycle just like the rising and setting of the sun. the rocks themselves put out the green light that makes it possible to live by even grow crops. the feed down below is a bit different than that up top but it is filling and tastes good. the man tells us of the town and its people made up of a melting pot of people and there families. he says that the green light takes a bit of getting used to but we are welcome to stay down with them and live out our lives with them. we are told we can have a few days to look around and to rest. some of my men decide right away to stay and make them selves useful in the peaceful town under the mountain. the only female in our party is apprehensive but has a weaving skill that is wanted and needed in the town so she decides to stay as well. me I'm up in the air still. the books we stole are needed in the world up above. the town father says that the books can go back up the next time they go up top for the things they cant get down below. I can have them sent any were I like.
I spend a month or more in the caverns learning the way of things and the people. the town is much like any other town you would find 'up top' as the people down below would say. life is simple there is no money or crime really. the people live simply and get along with there surroundings. I'm not quite sure if I'm going to stay but until the next trek back up the caves to get supplies I'm stuck here living in this place of green light and strange creatures. life for the moment isn't really so bad maybe I wont go back up after all.
posted by graeye at 10:27 PM
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