Raven's Game

by Kerry Adrienne

  Rupe did say midnight. But Mena could be making up the details of the story to distract them. If there were dragons in the cave, they’d have to be careful not to wake them. If there weren’t, well, being quiet wasn’t going to hurt them. Not much else they could do. Either way, they would find the bones and be done.

  “We’ll be careful,” Ben said. “Thank you for the warning.”

  “You’re welcome. I’m going to go find the bone now. Good luck.” Mena took off down the corridor at a pace Raven and Ben couldn’t keep up with unless Ben was shifted. They didn’t even have the chance to wish her well.

  “I don’t know whether to trust her.” Raven slipped her hand into her pocket and rubbed the silver coin between her finger and thumb.

  “We’ll be quiet. Find our bones. I don’t want to deal with another dragon.”

  “Me either. Let’s go.”

  Ben grabbed her hand and headed down the tunnel. The lights in the area were dimmer, and more blue than yellow, even a greenish tint in darker parts of the cave. In a few places, fungi grew from stone walls wet with seeping water. The fungi took on grotesque forms of shriveled leathery collars and twisted branch-like extensions.

  They maneuvered around a rock that jutted from the wall and took up much of the passageway. Mena must’ve had to crawl over it, though trolls were used to being in caves so it couldn’t have been an issue for her.

  They hadn’t seen Stova since they climbed into the doorway of the mountain, so he must have raced past Mena at some point.

  Mouth dry, Raven wished they’d brought canteens. They’d expected the game activities to be in town where things were available, so they’d brought some solari and that was about it. Rupe hadn’t warned them they’d be out in the cold or away from comforts.

  Ben tromped down the tunnel, his footfalls louder than Raven liked, given the circumstances. If there was a dragon in the cave, it would hear them if it was awake. If there was more than one dragon, they wouldn’t stand a chance. She had to have faith that Rupe wanted the task to be difficult, not impossible.

  As Mena said, the tunnels began to branch out into twos or threes or more. At first, it was easy to tell which tunnel was the main one and which were smaller, but soon, there were so many options, it was like a maze. They didn’t know if they were supposed to stay in the main tunnel or look for the bones in the smaller ones. It was becoming clear that it was going to take an element of luck to locate the bones. There were too many tunnels to search by midnight.

  “I’m sure we passed that rock before.” Raven pointed.

  “All the rocks look the same.”

  “But I think we passed that one.”

  “We might have. I’m completely lost.”

  They continued, picking tunnels randomly, or taking turns picking which way to go, wending deeper into the mountain. They’d walked a long time since they’d seen Mena.

  No signs of dragons, and no signs of Rupe, Stova, or Mena either. Nothing but rock and more rock and an occasional bat or spider or weird fungus.

  The ceiling grew higher and soon the tunnel opened into a long passageway room that held a small creek on one side and trail of water down one wall. The watery echoes bounced off the stone, breaking the mostly silent cave atmosphere.

  “Do you think that water is safe to drink?” Raven neared the wall, splashing at the water trickling down it. She sniffed the water, noting no weird smell at all. She wanted to lick it directly from the cave wall, but she licked her lips instead.

  “It should be. Spring water in caves is usually some of the safest water to drink. The mountain purifies the water as it seeps through the rock, and since it’s running, it’s not stagnant.”

  “Good. I’m so thirsty.” She didn’t need any more permission than Ben’s explanation.

  She took a long drink of the water, savoring it. Mineral rich and cool, it energized her from the moment she touched it. Maybe it was also spelled, hopefully not with anything negative. She pushed the thought away.

  After washing her face and hands, she stretched, happy to be free of the dust from walking so long in the caverns. The caves were warm, but not hot, but even the damp parts seemed to dry her out. The water break rejuvenated her. She stepped back to wait on Ben to finish drinking and watched the water trickle down its path into one of the cave tunnels. A huge footprint marred the soft mud beside the little stream.

  “Ben, look!”

  She pointed to the large print, and then saw another behind it. And another.

  “Dragons.” Ben wiped his mouth. “Mena wasn’t lying.”

  “They’ve been here recently. Those are fresh prints.” Raven followed the line of prints as it disappeared into one of the branched tunnels. “Okay, we don’t go that way. That might lead us straight to them.”

  “Or maybe the dragons are guarding the bones.”

  Fear washed over her, chilling her from the inside out. “Let’s hope not. I say we assume that’s a last resort. Let’s keep checking tunnels now and hope the dragons don’t have the bones.”

  “It sounds like something Rupe would do. Hide them with the dragons.”

  “I’m not thinking about it. I’m staying positive.”

  “I would expect nothing different.” Ben took another drink of water. “Are you ready to go?”

  “Yeah. Let’s find the bones.”

  She pointed to a tunnel and they started walking.

  “We could get lost in here forever,” Ben whispered.

  “We’ll find what we’re looking for. I feel it.”

  “I’m glad someone does.”

  After many more tunnels and much more walking, Raven wasn’t so sure anymore that their randomness in searching was going to help them find the bones. They hadn’t seen another soul, not Rupe, or Mena, or Stova. No dragons, either, though she supposed that was a great thing. Even the spiders had disappeared. The cave light had changed to red and her head hurt from the darkness and stuffy air.

  On top of all that, she was hungry. With no way of knowing the time, they didn’t have any idea how much longer they had to find the bones. She leaned against the cave wall, grateful for the second cave spring they’d come across. The water kept her going even though her feet hurt, and she wished she could fly a while to get off them. The tunnels simply weren’t conducive to that.

  “Can we stop and rest a few minutes?” she asked. “I’m so tired.”

  “Do we have the time?”

  “Yeah, I think so.”

  Ben glanced in both directions. “This tunnel seems safe. It’s small. Maybe too small for a dragon to sneak up on us.”

  “Then let’s rest.” She sat on the cool floor. “At least for a few minutes.” She leaned her head on the rock and closed her eyes. Her head pounded and she tried to relax her shoulders. The tension of the day was taking its toll.

  “You rest. I’ll stay awake.”

  She peeked and saw Ben sitting on the ground in front of her. She was so glad he’d come with her. The farther they got in the game, the more she realized how much she needed him at her side. “Thanks for guarding me.”

  He laughed. “And thank you for guarding me when I need it.”

  “Ummhmm.” She closed her eyes again and absently reached for her necklace, tugging the pendant along the chain.

  Back and forth. Back and forth.

  Raven focused on her breathing as she relaxed. No time for a long nap. Just a few minutes of relaxation. She pushed back the stressful images that tried to invade her quiet moments. Tried to keep her mind clear.

  Blank.

  Don’t trust Rupe.

  Huh? Her mind was instantly alert, but she kept her eyes closed.

  He’s not to be trusted.

  Why are you telling me this now?

  You need to know. And I need you to win the dagger. I don’t care about the gold.

  Why would a mountain need a dagger? And can you help me find your bones? Time is getting short and we’ve not had any luck so far.
We are wandering in circles.

  An old man with a long, gray beard and a longer grey tunic appeared before her. She fought the urge to open her eyes and see if he was really there or only in her imagination.

  I’m not really the mountain. I didn’t want you to panic so I chose that to hide my identity at first.

  What made you think I would be okay with a mountain talking to me as opposed to an old man.

  I am old. He smiled. Speaking to you takes a lot of energy, so listen. Trust that I’m here to help you, as I’ve already shown. I’m worried now. Rupe wants something from you and I don’t know what it is. I only know that he wants it badly.

  You want something too, apparently.

  I do. But what I want isn’t just for my own benefit. I need your help in saving Oriste.

  Me? I’m a broken fairy, if you haven’t noticed. I can’t do anything right. Why would you need my help? And saving Oriste? As if I could help do that.

  It’s complicated, and in due time I will tell you everything. For now, I wanted to warn you to be careful of Rupe. And don’t trust the troll either.

  I want answers. And we’ve already figured out that Mena can’t be trusted. Do you know where the bones of the mountain are?

  Yes, I do. And you need to get to them quickly.

  Why didn’t you tell me earlier?

  I wasn’t able to reach you as easily while you are so deep inside the mountain.

  Where are the bones?

  You are close. To get to the Cave of Bones, take the rightmost tunnel at the next four forks. Always the rightmost. The dragon is close, so be quiet and don’t make a mistake. You can’t defeat him. He is strong.

  The old man began fading and wavering.

  Get the bones.

  “Wait! Come back.” Raven jerked upright, eyes wide.

  “I’m right here.” Ben moved to her side and hugged her.

  “I saw him.” She looked at Ben. Either he’d believe her, or he wouldn’t. And even if he didn’t, he’d help her. Good boyfriends put up with crazy.

  “Who?”

  “The mountain. Well, he said he wasn’t the mountain. But the man who told me he’s the mountain. I saw him.”

  “You were dreaming.” Ben brushed her hair from her face.

  “No. I saw him. He told me not to trust Rupe.”

  “We know that.”

  “Or the troll.” Raven stood and dusted off her pants.

  “We kind of knew that too.” Ben got up from the ground.

  “You don’t have to believe me.”

  “It’s not that I don’t believe you. I believe you were dreaming.”

  “Maybe. We can test that theory out. He told me how to get to the Cave of Bones.”

  Ben’s eyes widened. “Now that’s useful information. How do we get there?”

  “Continue on our path and take the rightmost tunnel at the next four forks.”

  “That’s easy enough. What’s the harm in trying? Let’s go.”

  “Okay, but if we find the bones while following his directions, we know he’s real.”

  “Yeah. I hope he is. We need someone on our team that we can trust.”

  They headed down the corridor, Raven leading the way, the red light dimming more as they walked, until it was barely enough light to guide them.

  “One more thing.” Raven paused and leaned on her hand against the cave wall.

  “What?” Ben kissed her on the forehead.

  “He said there was a dragon nearby and that we should be quiet, and not make a wrong turn.”

  “Then we’d better be quiet and move quickly. I wonder how much time we have left.”

  Raven took off down the corridor. “I don’t know but we’d better hurry.”

  She replayed the conversation in her mind. If the mountain, or whoever he really was, didn’t trust Rupe, why was he getting involved in the game? And what reason did she have to trust the man? He obviously had magic, so why didn’t he take care of Rupe himself? And why would he think she would be useful in fighting the dragons and saving Oriste?

  She trudged ahead. It might be a long time until her questions were answered. Or maybe they’d never be answered.

  Her thighs ached from all the walking and her stomach growled. The game hadn’t turned out to be the glitzy gamble she’d expected. Yesterday had played out with an audience, today, if something killed all of them, no one would know.

  And yet the winnings were more than she had imagined. She’d expected some money, but not the pile of solari Rupe offered. The chance to win a magical item hadn’t even crossed her mind. Who gave up magical items, especially these days?

  With the dragons taking magic from Oriste, everyone held tightly to anything remotely magic. She grasped her necklace, feeling the familiar buzz of energy tingle in her fingers. Her family might not have many magical things, but they weren’t giving away what they had.

  Definitely not to the dragons.

  But Rupe offered a magical prize for the contest. Why? He either had enough magical items that he could afford to give one away, or he had another agenda. Either was a possibility.

  She took the passageway that forked to the right. Ben kept up, almost on her heels.

  “How many times have we changed tunnels?” She slowed.

  “That should’ve been the last one. The fourth tunnel.”

  “The Cave of Bones should be up ahead then.” Raven sped her pace. “We should be really close.”

  She’d never imagined a mountain having bones. But there were a lot of things in Wildhold that she’d never imagined. Hopefully the bones wouldn’t be too big to carry, though Rupe said he’d be there when they located them.

  The red lighting had brightened again, and fresh air blew through the cavern tunnel like a jolting winter breeze. She took a deep breath. The dusty cave air they’d breathed all day had felt heavy and thick and the fresh breeze was light and crisp.

  It must be coming from a shorter tunnel to the surface. That, or there was a cave entrance up ahead.

  A loud cracking echoed, and she stopped. Ben crashed into her from behind.

  Her elbow hit the cave wall as Ben bumped against her. “Ouch.”

  Ben held her arm. “Sorry. My momentum carried me.”

  “Shh!” She put her finger to her lips.

  “What is it?” Ben’s whisper trailed off as sounds traveled down the corridor.

  Something was making noise up ahead.

  “I don’t know. Hopefully not the dragon.” She crept down the tunnel, careful not to make a sound.

  Ben followed without speaking. Whatever was making the noise was directly up ahead. If it was the dragon already awake, they’d have multiple problems. Ben pulled his knife from his boot and held it in front of him as they crept forward.

  The light changed to a deep purple hue, and the rocks looked like crushed velvet, wrinkled and soft. The tunnel began opening up, the ceilings higher and the path wider. Veins of crystal and sparkling rock ran along the walls in a wavy pattern with swirls of other minerals. Any other time, Raven would have stopped to examine the pretty rocks, but the anxious twinge in her gut kept her moving.

  Either they were about to find the bones of the mountain, or they were about to become bones. The rush that usually accompanied high stakes was gone and a bit of fear crept in. Had she made the right choice to participate in the game, or had Ben been right all along?

  They tiptoed around a bend in the tunnel and a huge cavern opened in front of them. Lights of all colors bounced off the walls of the large room and stalactites dripped from the ceiling like wax formations from a giant, colorful candle. Stalagmites rose to meet them, forming an eerie structure that looked like the teeth of a monster.

  And they were in the middle of it.

  Near the center of the room, Mena and Rupe talked. She glanced at them and smiled. Rupe waved his hand, said a few words, and she disappeared.

  “She found a bone.” Raven turned to Ben. “She found one.”
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  “Looks like it.” Ben straightened and peered around the room. “This is amazing.”

  Raven walked toward Rupe. What was he doing there? And how had he gotten there before they did? She sighed. She and Ben had likely gone in circles at least some while they randomly looked for the cave. Maybe he’d come in through another entrance.

  “I guess he is real. My imaginary old man.” Raven kept her voice low so Rupe wouldn’t hear her.

  “I guess so. We still don’t have a bone, though.”

  Rupe folded his arms. “Time is almost up. I hope you have what I asked for. The dragon will awaken in mere moments and you really don’t want to be left here to deal with him.”

  Raven gulped. Could it already be time for the dragon to wake up? She’d lost all sense of time in the caves.

  “Where are the bones?” Ben climbed around the stalagmites and rocks.

  Raven looked around her feet. “I don’t see any.” She pushed a small rock aside.

  Nothing.

  “This has to be The Cave of Bones. They have to be here somewhere.” Ben scanned the room. “They must be hidden.”

  Raven climbed over a large boulder and peered behind it. No bones.

  A loud and long roar sounded, and the echo sent shivers down her spine. She froze.

  “What was that?” Raven asked.

  “The dragon is waking up. You’re running out of time.” Rupe’s voice carried.

  “Split up.” Ben pointed. “I’ll scan the perimeter and you check out those rocks near Rupe. The bones are here, probably in front of our faces.”

  “Okay.” Raven headed toward the center of the room, checking the ground for bones, but all she saw was rocks and more rocks. A few crystals poked out from the larger rocks and lots of small gravel covered the ground, but there were no bones.

  She mused over Rupe’s request. The bones of the mountain. The mountain. Cave of Bones. Where could the bones be hiding?

  She was within paces of Rupe when the dragon roared again—something that was somewhere between a yawn and a shriek. She covered her ears and waited on it to stop.