Matthew opens his nostrils & breathes in the smell of the place as he reaches the bottom step.
'Home' he thinks to himself with an inward smile as his eyes adjust to the dim and his ears fill with the crunching sound of dead plantlife at his feet that cover the stone floor as he makes his way from the foyer, towards the entryway that leads to Murphy Central.
He stops halfway there, pausing at the first bonewarming firepit, joining a small group of three already huddled over it.
"Evening Gentlemen" Matthew says as he warms his hands over the flames
"What time you got old man?" one of them asks.
He pulls out an old ancient-style gold plated pocketwatch & politely states "8:32"
"Tell you what" begins the younger man as he pulls out a blade, "Why don't you give that over to me so I don't have to ask you again!"
Matt just shakes his head & ignores the demand & replies: "Put that thing away kid, before you hurt yourself."
The other two pull out blades of their own & flank the older Gaian as the first one says, "I don't think you heard me!"
"Oh, I heard you just fine." he retorts dismissively as he continues to ingnore the threat.
The one on the right lunges his blade towards Matt's ribs, but is stonwalled as the older man dodges with a spin, catching the wrist of his attacker & breaking it with a sickening crack & slamming his face into the flaming pit as he completes his fluid circle.
The screams of pain echo off the rocky walls while the smell of burning flesh stink up the corridor as the other two take to running away.
Matthew pulls the would-be robber out of the flames by his hair, red hot embers sticking into the kids melting skin, & whispers into his ear with menace:
"Next time, don't s*** where you eat, or else you might piss me off"
Matthew gets to his feet & heads into the central cavern, disgusted, & wondering to himself what the hell this place has turned into while he's been gone.