In The Eyes of the Beholder

The hot, dank air escaped from the darkness. A wind groaned past the cave entrance and carried the stench to me. I stepped back.
“Not scared, are you?” Estal grinned.
“No,” I lied. “But look at it – it’s like a giant nostril!” Estal laughed. Slime oozed out the entrance of the cave and coated the walls.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m not walking in any monster’s snot!” I continued.
“It’s not any monster; it’s a Beholder,” he sniggered. “And trust me, Kasmick – this is one nose you’ll want to pick!”

The village rumours told of evil and death lurking inside the cave. Everyone stayed away from it. Even Estal and I had never explored the region before. Then the traveller came one night: a wild look glazed his eyes, and his clothes were torn and covered in dirt. Three days after the healer tended to him his catatonia faded and he spoke of a terrible creature in the cave, with thousands of eyes, and treasure – hoards of gems and crystals!
“It is the Beholder,” Istralahn, the village elder said. “We must stay very far from the cave.”

The next day Estal wandered down the path to the forbidden cave.
“Estal, wait!” I called. Some villagers overheard and saw him. He trudged back, glaring at me. I shrugged my shoulders and followed him to our small hide-out on the other side of the village, beneath several ancient trees.
“I want to see it,” he told me. “I want to see the treasure.” I didn’t reply.
“I spoke to the traveller,” he said. “He told me all about it. Rubies cut so perfectly they’re redder than embers. Diamonds the size of his fist.”
“But Elder Istralahn said…”
“Oh please,” Estal snorted. “How dangerous can it be? It’s just a big blob of eyes. What are you scared of – being watched?”
“Diamonds the size of his fist?” I repeated. I thought of the traveller’s vast hands.
“And as many emeralds as there are leaves on trees,” Estal grinned.

After a week of careful watch of the path, the opportunity for us to run to the evil cave appeared. Now the cave exhaled its hot breath on us. I shuddered.
“Come on,” Estal said. “Let’s go get the treasure!”
“This is gross,” I muttered. “Do you really want to go through this muck?”
“Are gems gross?” he responded. “You don’t have to come in if you’re that scared…”
“I’m not scared!” I shouted. A couple of crows darted out of the trees. I stared at them. Took a deep breath. Marched into the cave. Estal lit two torches and entered. I took one from him. No gems coruscated. Only slime. I stepped forward. My foot sunk to the ankle. Luckily we wore knee-high boots.
“This way,” Estal stepped to a tunnel on the left marked with dripping stalactites of gunk.

The air became stuffier, the cavern slimier. We reached a small chamber that glittered in our torchlight. Estal gasped and studied one of the stalagmites.
“Look at this!” I trudged to him. Smothered in slime were gems – topaz and amber. Estal pulled out a dagger and cut into the stalagmite. I dug a topaz out and held it up to the torchlight.
“Once we wash these off, we’ll be kings!” I laughed.
“We’ll go to the cities,” Estal shared my excitement. “I’ve always wanted to see the cities!”
“We’ll travel the world!” I said. “We’ll go everywhere! Estal and Kasmick, world-famous adventurers!” We danced around the stalactite and examined the others. There were hundreds of topazes and ambers, and a few crystals buried in the walls. I dug several out and pocketed them, leaving space for the diamonds. I shone my torch down a tunnel. The floor was steep.
“Maybe this leads to more,” I said. Estal rushed across the room.
“Watch your step,” I led the way down.

Apart from our footsteps and the crackling of our torches, the tunnels were silent.
“Do you think the Beholder’s even still here?” Estal asked.
“I don’t see where it would have gone to,” I shrugged.
“I mean, we already have some of its treasures. Or maybe it doesn’t like topazes so much. I’ll bet it’s got diamonds and all that down here!”
“And those topazes and ambers must be worth millions on their own. Just imagine what we’ll get in diamonds!” I grinned.
“I can’t wait!” Estal shrieked. “When we get out of here, I’m going to – waah!” Estal slipped onto his back and slid down the tunnel.
“Estal!” I shouted. The tunnel fell silent. I stared down into the darkness. I had to help him. I dropped onto my back, holding my torch up. I skimmed down the tunnel. The tunnel ended with a cliff. The stuffy air hissed past me. I clung to my torch. It flew out of my hand. Darkness engulfed me. I slammed against the floor.

Waves crashed around me. My arms throbbed. I opened my eyes. The sun shone. Salty water lapped at my cheek. I picked myself up from the sand. Estal stared at the ocean. I stepped towards him. He gasped and stared at me, then took a deep breath.
“Kasmick, do you see what I see?” he asked.
“The sea?” I asked. “The palm trees?” I had never seen the ocean before, only heard legends of its dangers. I inhaled the thick salty air.
“Ok,” he sighed. “I thought I went mad.”
“Same,” I gazed out to the crashing waves. Just water and crashing waves, all the way until it met the sky at the end of the world. Behind me the palm trees stood tall and proud, waving in the gentle wind.
“How did we get here?” I stared into the sky. “How do we get back?”
“We’ll find our way,” he said. “We just have to find some people. I’ve got all the gems still.” I turned to a palm tree and put a hand in front of my mouth to keep from retching. My stomach still felt as if it was in the Beholder’s lair.
“It’s nice here, innit?” Estal said.
“It’s brilliant,” I looked out to the sea again and dipped my hand. The water was warm.
“I could stay here forever,” Estal dropped onto the sand. The sea receded. I followed it. It retreated. I chased it, fearing it would disappear. It gathered into a vast mountain. Collapsed.
“Estal!” I screamed. “Run!” I dashed away. The water slammed onto me, burying me into the sand. I forced myself to my feet. The water swirled around me. Estal covered his nose and mouth. I did the same. The sea remained on top of us. My lungs burnt for want of air. Estal flailed one hand. I glanced over my shoulder. A huge indigo beast with a giant head swam at me and eight tentacles. It wrapped two tentacles around my neck. I pulled at them. The tentacles wouldn’t budge. More tentacles bound me – four – six – eight. Estal tossed his dagger. It flew into its head. It wailed. The tentacles disappeared. The sea disappeared. The sand disappeared. Everything.

Darkness smothered us. The creature screeched. Estal relit his torch. It flared and glittered through the cave – I saw what the traveller had spoken of. Around us thousands of gems glittered in all colours from diamond to ruby to amethyst to jet.
“Kasmick, run!” Estal screamed. Behind me the Beholder floated in the air. It had changed little from its form in the sea-monster – its giant head was covered in countless eyes. Twenty long, slender tentacles flailed about. It pulled the dagger out and tossed it aside. The eyes at the top of its head glared at Estal.
“Let’s go!” I shouted. We dashed away. The shadow of a tunnel appeared in front of us. Estal yelped. The Beholder’s tentacles stretched out and wrapped around his feet.
“Estal!” I cried out. “Leave him, you monster!” the Beholder stared at me. I stared back. I couldn’t turn my head. My eyes began to dry. I didn’t blink. Couldn’t. My thoughts faded and my mind emptied. The Beholder screeched. Estal jabbed a sharp topaz into its tentacle again. I rubbed my eyes. The Beholder pulled Estal towards it. He screamed.
“Get off of him!” I shouted. I threw a topaz at it. It floated over the gem. I tossed another. The Beholder dodged it again. Wrapped more tentacles around Estal. I threw all my gems. All of them missed. The Beholder opened its mouth. Its teeth glinted in the dimming torchlight. It spat a vast ball of slime. I jumped back. Slipped. The slime smothered me. I shook it off my face. Tried to pull myself out. It refused to let my arms move. The Beholder stared at Estal. The two remained still.
“No!” I screamed. I forced my arms up. Broke through the slime. Pulled myself out. Estal uttered a short cry. The Beholder released him. He dropped to the floor, his eyes blank. The torch died.
“Estal!” I screamed. I forced myself out of the slime. Dashed up the tunnel. Through the topaz chamber. Out the Beholder’s lair.

I haven’t ever left the village since. The nightmares began a few days later – dreams where I’m surrounded by eyes, thousands upon thousands of eyes all around me, staring at me. All the healer's salves and potions have counted for nothing against them. And they don’t only haunt my nights – wherever I go I feel them watching me. In every shadow I see it – the Beholder – until I blink. Estal’s screams echo in my head. Traces of the slime refuse to be washed off my hands. I can bear this no longer. I am returning to the lair of the Beholder – may it make my death quick and painless.