Looking through the piles of discarded clothing and bric-a-brac he found very little that stood out to him, so he tore some of the cleaner items and bandaged his wounds. He did of course change his clothes for ones less caked in blood, found a common leather cuirass which Alastair helped him slip on, a pouch that looked to be made of some sort of treated hide with a corded drawstring at the top, there was no weight to it but it might come in handy for supplies.

  Picking his way round the room there was a glint of gold under one of the finer looking clothes, he moved aside a silk like shirt stained in blood, picking up the dagger and tried to examine it.

  Identify – Dagger

  Description – ??? (Level too low)

  ‘oh well’ Ash said turning to Alastair, the light danced off the gilded blade and all of a sudden Alastair was right in front of him the blade now in his hand and moving Ash’s hand still holding the light up and down the small knife like a torch.

  His face sullen he tucked the blade into the rear of his belt and made back for the door.

  ‘Wait, what am I supposed to defend myself with? I’ve only got this thing?’ Ash protested showing the iron poker.

  Without even looking round back still turned he reached up to the wall and lifted off a sword, held it by the blade and faced the pommel to Ash.

  ‘Was that there the whole time?’ Ash puzzled

  Ash took it gently, once the handle was in his hand Alastair released the blade, it was heavier than expected.

  He looked sceptically at the weapon

  Rusty Sword – Item Rarity – Common

  ‘I guess it’s better than the poker’ Ash sighed.

  They made their way along the hallways stopping every so often to listen to the pitter patter of little feet which any parent knows has the potential to bring a sense of dread, sometimes joy but in this moment very real dread.

  They happened upon a stray goblin or two as they made their way through the maze of corridors, Alastair taking the lead in taking down the foes. Ash guarded the rear holding his new weapon buy both hands ready for a surprise attack from any and all sides.

  All in all their escape was going rather well, walking past a door the scent of fresh air breezing through the gaps found Ash’s nostrils.

  ‘Alastair’ he whispered ‘Over here’

  They opened the door slowly and the fresh air filled their lungs, it was heaven after breathing nothing but the languid odour that clung to the very walls of the place.

  They made their way into an antechamber the main doors around ten feet high made from thick wood, one lay on the floor covered in leaves and dirt.

  They carefully made their way towards the door wary of any surprises with salvation so close to hand. Walking over the door Alastair reached back and guided Ash into the glorious sunlight, as they breathed a collective sigh of relief.

  Alastair stepped forward when the leaves along the floor shot up in a line directly at the pair and once they reached Alastair’s foot a hidden ropes noose tightened around his ankle pulling his legs from underneath him. His head hit the prone door with a deafening thwack, and he was dragged back into the gloom to screeches and jeers.

  He hung up by one leg in the centre of the chamber dangling as eyes reflected light from the shadows much in the way a cats tend to at night. The howling and shrieking continued Alastair looked up at the door and shouted at Ash, ‘Run you fool’.

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  For a moment Ash hesitated, for just a moment, the fear gripping him by the throat, unable to swallow or even blink. He turned and ran screaming back into the jaws of certain death ‘Away you little green bastards’.

  He stood under his hanging companion circling around, sword held out blade pointing to any face that made the most incremental move forward. Alastair at this point was trying to lift himself up to reach the rope to no avail, ‘Get away’ he yelled at Ash ‘You’ll die’.

  The goblins gaining bravery in their numbers, clawed out from the shadows some had simple wooden stakes with which they probed the escapees with sudden lunges. Ash swung the sword ineffectually to deflect the incoming attacks, merely batting them away when a searing pain radiated from his calf. As he turned the sneaky goblin backed into the crowd with a roar of approval from the crowd.

  The situation looked dire, Alastair wriggling like an escape artist that has just swallowed his hidden key, Ash below gripping his injured leg with one hand and holding the sword outstretched with the other.

  Ash out of nowhere was suddenly struck on the head by a rock, he thought to himself, to be fair if that’s the hardest they can throw a rock it shouldn’t be a problem. He looked down at the projectile and saw the rock refracting the light from outside across the floor in a rainbow prism effect.

  He realised that the item hadn’t been thrown but had simply fallen from a struggling Alastair's pocket. He quickly scooped up the light crystal and held it aloft quickly pushing a stream across from his chest down into his arm and towards the crystal, the light levitated the crystal out of his upheld palm and bloomed to life with an intensity dwarfing the brief flash from the cells below.

  The crystal hummed and exploded in a nova of light as it shattered the cries from the horde was like music to his ears, everywhere they were rubbing their eyes, falling to all fours or dropping their weapons. Ash quickly reached up to push Alastair's back to help him reach his entangled limb, he managed to grab the rope above with one hand the other still dangling loose.

  Ash’s hand brushed against something hard in the man’s back and remembered the dagger from the clothes room, he pulled it out and forced it into Alastair’s flailing free hand.

  With the knife secure and a few quick motions the rope released its cargo, Ash attempted to aid him in his fall but contributed little other than ensuring he didn’t land on his head.

  Lifting each other to their feet Alastair picked up his sword from the floor and pushed Ash towards the light.

  ‘Run’ he yelled as both of them bolted for the door, the goblins now regaining their senses began to howl and screech again, sharpened poles, stones and various items flew past the two men clattering to the ground or bouncing off the walls around them.

  The pair burst out of the building at a run, the sunshine welcome on their dirt covered faces. They didn’t stop until they reached the tree line around thirty metres away, Alastair slumping down against a tree that he put between him and the foul dungeon. Ash lay down on the floor in front of him panting and wheezing, he looked up at Alastair shock taken over as they both contemplated the near-death experience they had just faced. After a minutes silence Ash began to laugh, ‘You are crazy’ said Alastair and unable to control himself, he sniggered, then giggled and then burst forth with laughter booming guffaws.