by Don P. Bick
Chapter 8
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It was early in the afternoon and the sky was clear, the air warm. The ship Camran and his companions had arranged passage on was nearing the village of Echo Creek. Actually they were nearing the dock area that served the village, according to one of the crew members. The main part of the village was located several miles inland.
During the voyage Bran and Twil both took turns coaching Camran on how to use the sword and crossbow. It was no surprise that he discovered he was much better at using the crossbow than he was the sword. Twil had rigged a background of leaf material behind a painted target on the middle deck so Camran could retrieve the arrows he used for practice.
Echo Creek was a small village whose main activity was logging. Not the logging that Camran was used to. The trees were too large and the tools too inadequate to cut down the ones that were full grown. Instead, with wooden and stone saws and axes small young trees were cut, as well as the limbs of some of the larger ones. Some of these smaller trees and branches rivaled some of the largest trees Camran had ever seen on Earth.
The creek that ran through the town to the sea was used to float the logs down to the dock area. There, they were loaded and shipped to OceanBay. The trees that grew in this area were known for their color and hardness. The craftsmen in OceanBay made furniture and a variety of bowls and other cooking and kitchen utensils from these hardwoods.
Echo Creek was far from a creek to Camran. In fact, by his standards it wasn't even a small river but a large one. It averaged a hundred yards wide and was quite deep in most places; however, there were a couple of shallow areas which made it impossible to navigate the ships all the way up the creek to the village.
At the dock the trio left the ship, their backpacks filled with the provisions they had put together before leaving OceanBay. They began to walk up the creek on the well trodden pathway that would take them to the village a few miles away.
The Echo Creek area was the primary settlement of the people from the planet Jupiter. They were a happy, hard working and logical thinking people. The blue cast to their skin and blue hair made them easy to recognize among the other inhabitants.
Their walk to the heart of the village was enjoyable by all three companions. Not having had much exercise in the previous days it felt good to get out and stretch their legs. The walk itself was mostly level and easy. The forest was beautiful and consisted of many trees with bright shades of red and purple in their bark. The bark from these trees was another product of the logging operations and was made into the dyes that were used in clothing and paints. The wood from these trees went into making the beautiful bowls and pieces of furniture Camran had seen in the market in OceanBay. At the time he thought the wood had been stained. Now, looking at the trees themselves, he knew the wood grew naturally in the colors he had seen. It made him appreciate the quality of the workmanship even more.
Echo Creek was small and spread out among the trees. The center of the village was located in a clearing overlooking the creek. The creek split the village into two sections. The sections were joined by a picturesque bridge arching over a narrow part of the waterway. The main area of the small settlement was on the side of the creek served by the road going to the docks. They were directed to the only inn the village had to offer, which was on the far side of the village, the same side of the creek they had been walking along. Traveling to the inn gave them an opportunity to see much of the settlement as they passed through.
The inn keeper was a tall friendly woman. She showed them upstairs to their rooms and a few minutes later brought them a hot pitcher of tea, telling them it was made from the leaves of one of the local trees. It was strong but Camran thought very tasty, reminiscent of the taste of oranges but pink in color.
They left their packs in the rooms and decided to get a bite to eat. Camran still wasn't used to all the meals he needed to eat during the longer days since he arrived. His sleeping habits were gradually changing. He didn't need to nap as many times each day as he had those first couple of days.
As they came down the stairs they were greeted by a tall woman with lighter blue hair than the other people they had seen from Jupiter. Her name was Gena. She explained that the mayor was out at a logging site and was unable to greet them personally, so had sent her instead. She had arrived in Echo Creek about four months previously. Word that she may be needed to help the trio had come to the mayor of the village the day before, from the Ruler of the Waters, himself. And any request from the Ruler was not taken lightly.
She explained, according to the mayor, the decision as to whether she would be of help to them, or not, would depend upon the outcome of the flooding at the Gateway to the Stones. The three questioned her on what that meant. She apparently had no idea, but reassured them that they would meet with the mayor for dinner and could ask for further information then. In the meantime she would be happy to be their guide for the rest of the day.
Gena was over six feet tall and had an infectious smile. Her obvious intelligence was perhaps her greatest asset. The three companions spent a leisurely afternoon in her company. She took them through one of the logging mills, showing them what the majority of the people in the village spent most of their time doing. The process for preparing bark to use as dye and paint was one of the highlights of the tour, as far as Camran was concerned. Some of these colors he had never seen before. It was strange to think there were only so many different colors and then see entirely new ones.
During the afternoon's conversation Gena explained how she came to this world. On Jupiter it wasn't unusual to have "orbit wobbles" as they called them. It was like a giant shudder, similar to an extremely large earthquake. These wobbles were generally not a problem. In fact, there was usually a small tremor prior to the shudder which allowed everyone a few seconds of preparation. The greatest danger wasn't the movement of the planet but the building construction. Construction had reached a very sophisticated level on the planet and it was rare to have a structural failure during one of these events. Some of these wobbles were very powerful, yet the buildings survived. Gena was caught in an extremely powerful wobble in a newly constructed high rise, triangular in shape. The new design was proven to be faulty when the building collapsed during the opening ceremony on her and the rest of the celebrating officials. She laughed as she added; she didn't like the builder anyway.
The afternoon was entertaining and informative to all four. Gena's company was very enjoyable. The time passed much too quickly and soon the afternoon was gone and it was time to go to the mayor's house for dinner.
The mayor was a tall thin man with a good sense of humor. He greeted them warmly at the door and invited them inside. He lived in a large home just south of the village on a small lake. The view from the dining room was very picturesque with the large trees of different colors lining the lake, reflecting their bright colors in the clear still waters.
Gena was also invited to join them all for dinner. Although not all of the members of this quest for the bridge had been decided, the mayor felt certain Gena would also be accompanying them. He believed it a necessity to have a logical person, capable of sound reasoning on the quest. And the people of Jupiter were known for their sound reasoning and logical thought.
"How can this quest be successful without a representative from Jupiter?" the mayor asked the question of no one in particular, after stating his reason for inviting Gena to dinner.
The dinner consisted of a fish dish as the main course, several vegetable dishes and homemade bread. The whole meal was delicious, especially the bread and fish. The lakes and rivers ran full of fish, the mayor explained. Each area throughout the Isle had different varieties of fish in their lakes and streams, along with some that were similar all over the island. The fish they were eating for dinner came from the lake behind the house. Camran thought it tasted similar to salmon, although the main difference between the fish he was familiar with and the fish here was their size. Some
of the smaller fish in this world weighed fifty to one hundred pounds and would feed many people. Camran had seen at least one too many of these big fish up close.
With the dinner the mayor served a locally fermented wine. It was made with a combination of a variety of some of the fruits grown in the area. The result was remarkable. It had a taste entirely its own, not too sweet and not too tart. Camran's taste buds were awakening to all the new flavors he had encountered thus far since his arrival. This wine was a new taste, very much unlike any wine he had ever tried before. And yet if he had encountered it on Earth he believed it would have become one of his favorites.
Without giving all the details, the mayor said they would leave at first light for the Gateway to the Stones, which lay some twenty miles to the north. They would camp the night there and make preparations for the following morning. The opening of the gate can only be made at first light. Whenever one of the three tried to get more information about the Gateway to the Stones the mayor put them off, saying it would all make more sense when they were there.
The next morning the trio, Gena, the mayor and four guards set off at daybreak. They crossed the bridge in the village to the west side and then continued north along the creek. The roadway was wide, the going easy. This route was often used by some of the loggers working the jobs they had to the north.
After walking a few hours, they stopped to have something to eat and rest a while. The countryside was wild and beautiful. The trees and other plants were alive with color. The one thing that did seem to be missing was animals. The mayor assured them there were animals, but for the most part they stayed away from the villages and people.
One of the mayor's guards was handing Camran something to snack on. As he reached up to take the food the guard reeled back clutching his throat. Between his fingers protruded the shaft of an arrow, which had been fired from a crossbow. As the guard fell to the ground, obviously dead, another arrow barely missed Camran's head, lodging in the tree behind him.
Bran had already pulled out his crossbow. At the same time he grabbed Camran by the arm and yanked him down behind a large exposed root. Camran too had pulled the crossbow off his back, although he was uncertain he could use it to kill anyone. He also wasn’t yet confident he could hit anything he was aiming at either.
Twil was nowhere to be seen. The mayor and Gena had scrambled behind a nearby tree as the guards shielded them from any potential harm. It was becoming clear that the target had been Camran.
They were all scanning the area they suspected the arrow had come from, looking for the person responsible, when there was a cry from high in a tree about fifty yards ahead. A man wearing a cap fell out of the tree and landed on his back on the forest floor. An arrow was sticking out of his chest. Twill stepped out from behind a nearby root, holding his crossbow in his hands. Apparently he had determined this was a lone assassin and they were no longer in danger. Just to make sure the mayor's guards quickly spread out and began checking the surrounding area.
A crackle in the air signified the return of the dark cloaked men to retrieve the bodies. Two Plutonians appeared, picked up the dead men and quickly vanished. No one knew what happened to the bodies after the Plutonians picked them up, however, it was believed by most people that the individual left the body upon death, just as they all had done when they came into this world.
The mayor's guards returned and reported they hadn't found anything or anyone else. The enemy had known they would come through here on their way to the "Creek that replies to all who speak." Now it was even more imperative the group reach their destination quickly so they would be somewhat more secure. Two of the guards scouted on ahead while Twil stayed a ways to the rear. One of the guards stayed with the mayor, and of course the Martian warrior stayed close to Camran.
The strain of the attack made the rest of the trip seem to last much longer than it might have otherwise. Camran lost interest in the beauty around him as he kept a watchful eye ahead and above, wondering why these people wanted to kill him.
The level ground gave way to rolling foothills shortly after the attack. Without any further incident they arrived at a wide canyon with a creek running down the middle. The mayor said at the end of the canyon was a cave, this cave was their destination. Even though they had barely entered the canyon words were coming back to them, echoed off the canyon walls. The surprising thing was the words were not theirs. At first Camran and the others thought someone else was there ahead of them, yelling down to them from the cliffs above. The mayor, amused by their reaction, assured them that was not the case. Through some mysterious act of nature or of magic, as the mayor believed, the canyon echoed back words that were spoken days or even years in the past. One could come and sit here for days and not hear a thing, even in answer to their calls, or one could be here for minutes and hear dialogue spoken many years ago. That was what they were hearing as they walked up the canyon, words spoken at some time in the past.
A short while later they reached the end of the canyon where a beautiful waterfall cascaded down the rocky cliff. Most of the way through the canyon they listened to the echoes of a couple of prospectors conversing about the possibility of metal ore being discovered in that region. One believed the prospects good, the other didn't. Camran thought it was strange and kept his conversation to a minimum, concerned about who might hear it in the future.
When they reached the end of canyon they saw it. The opening of the cave stood just to the right of the waterfall, at the end of a narrow pathway. Bran and Twil went ahead to investigate while the others waited.
It wasn’t long before they signaled all was safe. The rest of the party hurriedly made their way up to the cave entrance. The mayor explained they would make camp just inside the mouth of the cave and prepare for the morning opening of the gate. When Camran again asked for more details on the procedure, the mayor said after they made camp he would explain.
When camp had been set up and wood gathered for the fire the mayor picked up two torches and took Camran farther inside the cave. The cave was formed into two separate chambers. The first was the one in which they had set up camp. The second was reached through a small opening at the very back of the first. The second cavern was huge. The light from the torches didn't pierce the darkness to reach the opposite wall, or even up to the ceiling of the large room. There were a series of torches along the wall which the mayor lit. He explained it was his duty to maintain this place so it would be ready for use in any year. A crew from the village came up every couple of months to check on everything and make sure all was in order. In fact, he himself had been here only about a month ago.
Gradually the cavern began to light up as one by one the torches were lit. They could see the high ceiling was shaped in the form of a dome. The floor was sunken, in some places more than others. Large boulders were strewn across the floor. On one side of the cavern wall was a wooden wheel. The wheel was enmeshed into a large wooden gear that connected to some ropes and pulleys. The ropes were attached to a slab of stone which served as the gate, and held back the water.
"Welcome to the Gateway to the Stones," said the mayor.
When the wheel was turned it rotated the gear which pulled on the ropes, lifting the slab and allowing water to rush in, flooding the cavern floor. Camran hadn't noticed, but the mayor pointed out the boulders on the cavern floor each represented one of the planets in the solar system. They were arrayed as the planets were, around a boulder representing the sun, in concentric circles the same shape as the solar system. As the water filled the cavern floor, some, but not all of the boulders would become completely surrounded by water. Camran took note that the boulders were also set at various heights, while the sunken parts of the floor were actually troughs for the water to follow and then fill. The troughs varied in depth, also.
The boulder representing Earth was in the path of the initial onslaught of water, and was set the lowest. It would always be surrounded with water, as was the case with the bou
lders representing Mercury and Mars. There would always be a representative from those two planets to accompany the one from Earth, whenever there was a quest. Presumably there had been other quests for this bridge, and would be others in the future. Wouldn't there be new arrivals into this world even if the bridge was revealed and the present inhabitants left? These and other questions nagged at Camran's mind. There was so much information to absorb Camran hadn't had time to think it all through. There were too many other things to think about, his safety especially.
Other than those three, the rest of the boulders representing planets may or may not become surrounded with water when the gate was opened. There was no way to predict. Of course the boulder representing Pluto was sitting high and dry, as Camran would have suspected. It could not be reached by the water. They were occupied with their own business, the collecting of the dead, and would not have a representative on the quest. The collecting of the dead was obviously for some purpose, although that purpose was unknown to the people of this world. Camran felt overwhelmed at the ingeniousness yet simplicity of the procedure that would occur on the floor of that cave.
As simple as the process was, Camran couldn't believe the elaborate setup just to determine which four additional planets would be represented on their mission, out of the remaining five. The Neptunians already had important work in the same manner as the Plutonians, so Camran couldn't understand the reasoning behind including them. If they weren't included there would be no need to determine who the additional members were. Camran conceded to the wisdom of the higher power that was obviously instrumental in the magic of this world, but had to wonder at whose hand this had been devised.
The other boulders were surrounded by water depending upon how a series of traps activated. There were three small boulders sitting between troughs which Camran had at first thought represented moons. After studying them he noticed how the water level and speed of passage through the troughs would dislodge them. Each boulder would fall one of two different ways, blocking off a trench, thereby directing the water to encircle only those boulders in the pathway of the unobstructed trench.
Camran commented to the mayor that the whole idea of choosing members of the quest in this method of happen chance didn't make much sense. Why not pick the participants based on something they would add to the group or better yet on their willingness to participate?
The mayor patiently explained that although it may appear the members are arrived at by chance, that was far from the truth. There was magic in this land. The bridge was activated by some mysterious force, once certain conditions have been met. The water flowing into this cavern comes from some underground source. The amount of water varies, as does the pressure, not to mention the shaking of the ground which plays on the boulders that block and direct the water. "No," said the mayor. "Not by chance at all."
With each opening of the gate the water amount varies. When the allotted amount for this opening has come in through the gate, the flow mysteriously stops. The cavern and the whole process will come alive, as they would see in the morning. This the mayor promised with a wave of his hand.
Only Camran, Bran and Twil would be allowed inside the cavern during the time of the opening. In that way only the three of them would know who will be joining them. The warrior would turn the wheel while the little man from Mercury would guard the entrance.
One last thing the mayor explained. The water only stays in the cavern for a very short time once the flow stops. Then it quickly and mysteriously drains, although there are no drainage holes that can be seen. Now, even knowing how the process would work, Camran still felt his mind brimming with questions. And that was becoming a common feeling in this world.
After going through the procedure in its entirety with Camran, the two joined the others in the outer cavern. A fire had been built and the mayor's guards were cooking the evening meal. Darkness was descending on the canyon. Twil was out having a look around while Bran stood guard at the entrance to the cave. He took up a position where he could see down the narrow path that would have to be negotiated in order to get to where he sat.
Everyone ate and sat around the fire quietly that evening, each of them thinking over the attack earlier in the day. Amidst their thoughts they were serenaded by the two prospectors who apparently had set up camp near the waterfall and were partaking in an overindulgence of wine. Some of the language turned Gena's ears bright blue. During the breaks in the drunken song all wondered what developments the morning would bring.
They turned in early to get a fresh start in the morning. They wanted to be prepared to open the gate at first light, as well as make sure the area was secure from any danger of disruption from their enemy. Just before they fell asleep a loud belch reverberated off the canyon walls. One of the prospectors was still awake.
It was still dark as Camran rolled out of his sleeping bag, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He hadn't slept well, his dreams filled with nightmares of assassins hiding in the trees. The fire had died down during the night and Twil was putting more wood on the hot embers to stoke it back up.
It was a little cool as Camran walked down to the water’s edge to wash his face. The water was cold and refreshing. He quickly awoke and became alert when he splashed the cold liquid on his face. It would still be a while yet till it could be called first light.
Once breakfast was finished the mayor went over the procedure one more time with Camran so he and the other two would have no problems once they were inside the cavern. Camran would instruct Bran and Twil when they were ready. The rest of their party would wait in the outer cavern, standing guard while they awaited the outcome.
With dawn near, the trio entered the second cavern. Bran and Twil went around and lit the torches. The light cast dancing shadows on the walls and ceiling, making the cavern an eerie sight to the three as they prepared to open the gate and flood the cavern floor.
Camran went over the other's assignments. The two nodded and went to do their respective parts without question. When they were ready and in position he gave the go ahead and Bran started to turn the wheel.
The instant the wheel moved a loud groan issued forth from the floor of the cavern. It was as though a giant was awakening from a very long sleep. The walls seemed to blur in front of Camran's eyes, the floor rolled. The cavern had indeed come alive.
The stone began to rise as the wheel squeaked with each turn. A small amount of water began to enter the cavern, accompanied by an escaping hiss. There seemed to be a great deal of pressure behind the slab of stone. Bran's muscles strained as he forced the wheel to turn, drawing on the ropes attached to the stone.
The wheel turned a little more and all of a sudden a wall of water gushed out through the opening in the rock. The gate was fully opened. The wheel stayed in position with the slab of rock stuck at its highest point by some unseen force. Bran had to move back from the wheel in order to prevent himself from being swept into the center of the boulder strewn floor, to swirl around the large rocks.
The cavern heaved and groaned as the rushing waters began to fill the trenches and troughs crisscrossing the cavern floor. The first of the small boulders dropped into one of the trenches, blocking off one of the avenues of the water. And then the second and third fell. The floor twisted and lifted up on one side, running the water up an impossible slope and surrounding the boulder that was the representative of the planet Uranus, signifying the representative from that planet would be joining them.
Camran was knocked to his knees by the force of the upheaval of the cavern floor. Too dumbfounded to do anything else he stayed in that position, watching in awe at the movement and way the cavern had come alive once the gate had been opened.
The water stopped coming through the wall with a hiss that sounded as though a gas pipe had erupted. Moments later there was nothing but silence. The cavern floor was still and the water balanced out among the boulders.
The three companions regained their feet, looking in stunn
ed silence at what had just happened. There was no logical explanation for all that had taken place. No, it hadn't been chance at work here. The magic of the gateway reinforced the trio's commitment to seek the bridge. What Camran was supposed to do exactly, and why he was brought here in the first place, he couldn't answer. He only knew he felt the power and goodness deep within himself. It was a feeling he couldn't deny; a calling to destiny that was beyond his comprehension and which he was powerless to change or ignore.
Quickly the three took a survey of which boulders were encircled with water before the water drained away. There was Venus, Jupiter, Uranus, and Saturn not to mention the Earth, Mercury, and Mars. Neptune and Pluto were high and dry. The boulder representing the Sun was completely submersed, although that boulder wasn't the lowest one on the cavern floor when they started. The mayor hadn't said anything about the Sun and of course there wouldn't be any life on the Sun anyway, would there?
They had the names of the seven they were to have on the quest, with the sun playing some unknown role, Camran suspected. He felt certain there was some significance to the boulder representing the sun being under water, perhaps a secret role of some sort. The process of selection he now believed was not just by chance, as he had earlier thought. The boulder being under water instead of surrounded by it most certainly meant something, although he had no idea what.
True to the mayor's word the water drained very rapidly a few minutes after the flooding had stopped. In short order the cavern was empty, was even dry. There was no trace of water or wetness anywhere. The three were amazed at how quickly this was accomplished.
Bran lowered the stone back into place and the three met at the entry into the first cavern. Without saying a word, they exchanged a knowing glance of what they were called upon to do. The experience in those last moments cemented their relationship even deeper than it already had been. They were one with each other, each willing to give their own life to protect the others. There was no doubt something great was at work here, they had all felt and experienced it deep within themselves.
When they emerged from the cavern Bran quickly went to Gena and put his arm around her shoulders. With a nod and a look from the other two she knew she was to play a part in this quest as well. The four quietly got prepared to depart the canyon.
When all was ready the mayor gave the foursome a map of the known and explored areas of the Isle. Near each village was the name of the planetary people who populated it. The mayor asked no questions as to what the outcome had been. He knew he would receive no answer from the three. He saw the calm determined and confident look on their faces as they exited the cavern. It pleased him to see unity among them.
They said goodbye to the mayor and thanked him for his help, declining his offer to come back to the village with him and set out the following day. They all walked together to the entrance of the canyon, there they separated, each group going its own way. Behind them the prospectors were arguing over who finished the last of the wine the night before and why the other hadn't thought to bring more.