The tunnels were dirty and wet. At times the Beatles were wading through knee-deep water, and it was possible that their trousers and booties would never be the same again. This was, of course, also partly due to the fact that there wasn't a lot of opportunity for changing clothes on a Quest.
And yet, the Beatles felt happy. They were so near to their goal, but not quite near enough that they had to worry about battling a soul-sucking Beast just yet. And each Beatle now had a magical object on his side that was bound to protect him.
Every now and then, though, Paul would pull out the Titanium Pound Coin and stare at the picture of the Beast on the tails side. So his mates knew he was thinking about the battle ahead, maybe worrying a little. But then he'd close his hand around the coin and feel the strength coursing through his arms, and he'd feel better.
At one point, George dropped back to talk to John, letting Paul and Ringo go on ahead. Ringo had developed a taste for leading since finding the Jeweled Crown.
"I've been thinking," George told John quietly. "About what Katharine asked us."
"The nurse we met in Liverpool?" John inquired. "The one what was lookin' after all them soulless folk there?"
George nodded. "Yeah. She asked us if we could get everyone's souls back from the Beast."
John remembered. "I hope we can," he said, unusually serious.
They walked for a few moments in silence.
"D'you think we could find out?" George wondered. "Before we have to face the Beast, I mean."
John shrugged. "You're beginning to sound like Paul," he said with a small smile, "sayin' the legend should've told us more than it did."
George gave a small smile in return, showing his sharp canines and giving him a mischievous look. "Well, it wouldn't have hurt." His smile faded. "When we've got all the objects, we don't even know what to do with them. What if we destroy all them souls along with the Beast?"
"Boys!" Ringo's voice interrupted them from up ahead. He was standing with Paul by a small intersection of tunnels, waving to George and John. The latter two hurried ahead to join them.
"What were you waiting for?" said Ringo as they neared. "We've found something."
Ringo and Paul's discovery had two parts, and both were very helpful. At the intersection, the water on the bottom of the tunnels had all but disappeared, and all that remained was a layer of mud. Mud in which the four lads could clearly see paw prints. Large, sinister-looking paw prints with deep punctures at the tips for claw marks. The prints showed clearly how the Beast had gone off to the left - northwest, John told them - and this was relieving, because it meant that the Beast was following his own agenda and wasn't searching for Beatles. At least, the Beatles hoped that was what it meant.
The tunnel in question sloped downwards, so the water levels were much higher there. But Paul and Ringo's other discovery was a very large, sturdy board that had wound up washing into the tunnels. Floating just near the entrance to the northwest tunnel, it looked big enough and strong enough to hold all four Beatles plus instruments.
Paul used the Titanium Pound Coin to hold the board steady as all his mates climbed on. George then gave Paul a hand up, and John took out his Sword and used it to push their makeshift vessel along into the water. The raft was not only helpful for the water levels, it was a relief, too. They didn't realize it, but they'd been walking for more than three hours.
To pass the time, the Beatles sang songs, sometimes their own, sometimes not. Sometimes they put in their own, water-themed lyrics. Ringo often used lyrics about an octopus. Paul liked singing about submarines, and Ringo seemed to enjoy this idea, too.
The lads sang softly at first, because they were still on a mission to destroy a deadly Beast and they were still in his territory. But as the time went by, they began singing louder, and louder, until their lovely voices echoes throughout the tunnels, but the Beatles didn't care. They were having fun, and George even pulled out his guitar to add riffs to the music.
The Beatles' raft drifted into a tunnel that was deeper than the others had been, and darker. Green water dripped down the walls into the existing current. The Beatles didn't notice. They were having fun.
"What colour should a submarine be?" Paul inquired, in trying to come up with more lyrics about one. "Blue - pink - orange?"
"No, no, Paul," laughed John. "It should be -"
But just as John was about to tell them what colour it should be, there came a great rushing sound from the tunnels behind them. All four Beatles turned to look. Water was cascading towards them at an alarming rate, gushing like a waterfall on its side. The rush of water picked up the Beatles' raft and swept it along the tunnels, the water turning into waves and the level quickly rising, with all four Beatles clinging on for dear life.
And yet, the Beatles felt happy. They were so near to their goal, but not quite near enough that they had to worry about battling a soul-sucking Beast just yet. And each Beatle now had a magical object on his side that was bound to protect him.
Every now and then, though, Paul would pull out the Titanium Pound Coin and stare at the picture of the Beast on the tails side. So his mates knew he was thinking about the battle ahead, maybe worrying a little. But then he'd close his hand around the coin and feel the strength coursing through his arms, and he'd feel better.
At one point, George dropped back to talk to John, letting Paul and Ringo go on ahead. Ringo had developed a taste for leading since finding the Jeweled Crown.
"I've been thinking," George told John quietly. "About what Katharine asked us."
"The nurse we met in Liverpool?" John inquired. "The one what was lookin' after all them soulless folk there?"
George nodded. "Yeah. She asked us if we could get everyone's souls back from the Beast."
John remembered. "I hope we can," he said, unusually serious.
They walked for a few moments in silence.
"D'you think we could find out?" George wondered. "Before we have to face the Beast, I mean."
John shrugged. "You're beginning to sound like Paul," he said with a small smile, "sayin' the legend should've told us more than it did."
George gave a small smile in return, showing his sharp canines and giving him a mischievous look. "Well, it wouldn't have hurt." His smile faded. "When we've got all the objects, we don't even know what to do with them. What if we destroy all them souls along with the Beast?"
"Boys!" Ringo's voice interrupted them from up ahead. He was standing with Paul by a small intersection of tunnels, waving to George and John. The latter two hurried ahead to join them.
"What were you waiting for?" said Ringo as they neared. "We've found something."
Ringo and Paul's discovery had two parts, and both were very helpful. At the intersection, the water on the bottom of the tunnels had all but disappeared, and all that remained was a layer of mud. Mud in which the four lads could clearly see paw prints. Large, sinister-looking paw prints with deep punctures at the tips for claw marks. The prints showed clearly how the Beast had gone off to the left - northwest, John told them - and this was relieving, because it meant that the Beast was following his own agenda and wasn't searching for Beatles. At least, the Beatles hoped that was what it meant.
The tunnel in question sloped downwards, so the water levels were much higher there. But Paul and Ringo's other discovery was a very large, sturdy board that had wound up washing into the tunnels. Floating just near the entrance to the northwest tunnel, it looked big enough and strong enough to hold all four Beatles plus instruments.
Paul used the Titanium Pound Coin to hold the board steady as all his mates climbed on. George then gave Paul a hand up, and John took out his Sword and used it to push their makeshift vessel along into the water. The raft was not only helpful for the water levels, it was a relief, too. They didn't realize it, but they'd been walking for more than three hours.
To pass the time, the Beatles sang songs, sometimes their own, sometimes not. Sometimes they put in their own, water-themed lyrics. Ringo often used lyrics about an octopus. Paul liked singing about submarines, and Ringo seemed to enjoy this idea, too.
The lads sang softly at first, because they were still on a mission to destroy a deadly Beast and they were still in his territory. But as the time went by, they began singing louder, and louder, until their lovely voices echoes throughout the tunnels, but the Beatles didn't care. They were having fun, and George even pulled out his guitar to add riffs to the music.
The Beatles' raft drifted into a tunnel that was deeper than the others had been, and darker. Green water dripped down the walls into the existing current. The Beatles didn't notice. They were having fun.
"What colour should a submarine be?" Paul inquired, in trying to come up with more lyrics about one. "Blue - pink - orange?"
"No, no, Paul," laughed John. "It should be -"
But just as John was about to tell them what colour it should be, there came a great rushing sound from the tunnels behind them. All four Beatles turned to look. Water was cascading towards them at an alarming rate, gushing like a waterfall on its side. The rush of water picked up the Beatles' raft and swept it along the tunnels, the water turning into waves and the level quickly rising, with all four Beatles clinging on for dear life.