by Brandon Mull
Rachel, Galloran communicated, the word full of despair. The emotion behind it made her feel lost. The king looked defeated.
I wanted to help, Rachel tried. We seemed to be at a dead end.
“It’s really quiet,” Ferrin said. He was edging away from the lurker facing him. “Are we in the midst of a silent negotiation? I take it they want Rachel?”
“She is willing to go,” Galloran pronounced. “You don’t need to do this, Rachel. We’ll stand with you.”
“Don’t kid yourself, Rachel,” Ferrin said. “He’ll ruin you. Don’t go because of us. Don’t worry about me.” He charged his lurker.
“No!” Rachel cried.
The lurker only defended itself with one weapon. Blades blurred and chimed. Ferrin’s attack was so intense that for the first couple of moments they almost looked evenly matched. Then Ferrin was dodging away, entirely on the defensive. Then the lurker chopped him in half at the waist.
Ferrin kept swinging, forcing the lurker to crouch and continue defending itself. Ferrin’s legs slid the lower half of his body toward the upper half. Within another few swings, the lurker decapitated Ferrin. The headless torso kept fighting. Pressing the attack, the lurker hacked off Ferrin’s sword arm.
“Stop!” Rachel screamed with her mouth and mind. “Stop and I’ll come! Don’t hurt him! Don’t kill them or I stay!”
Still holding two swords, the torivor backed away from Ferrin.
“No, Rachel,” Ferrin said, pulling his head back into place. “Take it back.” He reached for his arm.
“I’ll come,” Rachel repeated in a small voice, her gaze shifting to the nearest lurker. It was the only way to protect Galloran and the others. “Leave them alone and I’ll come.”
The torivor that had slain Io stepped forward. Tark moved to block it. “I vowed to protect you.”
“I made my choice, Tark,” Rachel said, her voice hard. “This is over. Protect Galloran. Serve him well.”
The lurker stepped around Tark and hefted Rachel effortlessly over its shoulder. It radiated cold. She tried not to let her hands touch it.
Be strong, Galloran thought to her with the fierce urgency of a final message. Do not let him own you.
The lurkers scattered, heading for the high windows. Rachel’s lurker leaped and then climbed the wall like a spider. Her weight seemed to cause it no trouble. I’ll do my best, Rachel answered. I’m sorry. I didn’t know they would come like this. Win!
The lurker carried Rachel out the window and down the wall, and crossed the yard at inhuman speed. Startled faces blurred by. Her lurker jumped halfway up a staircase, then onto a roof, and then sprang to the outer wall, nimbly climbing what remained. Once beyond the wall the lurker went from feeling like her own private roller coaster to her own personal race car. Wind gushed over her as they sped to the lake. She felt only mildly surprised when the water failed to slow them.
CHAPTER 26
THE NARROW WAY
It was well into the afternoon before superheated water spewed from the mouth of the Scalding Caverns. At first Jason heard a wet hissing, followed by a sloshing that reminded him of Jugard’s cave by the sea. Then foamy water began to drool from the irregular gap along the juncture where the rocky slope straightened into a cliff. The flow of sizzling slaver increased, first gushing, then raging, gusting out in a sideways geyser.
After maybe ten minutes the steamy torrent began to slacken, calming until white froth ceased to bubble from the dark opening. As more minutes passed, the hissing and gurgling diminished until the cave became still. All that remained of the impressive eruption was the moisture glistening on the stony slope, the wetness rather narrow at the cave mouth, then widening until the slope ended at the shore of a sizable lake.
“We’re going in there?” Nia asked incredulously.
“Now is the safest moment,” Farfalee said. “The instructions specified that the best time to enter is immediately following an eruption.”
They had awaited the event for hours. Farfalee and Jasher had already explained that they had to move through the Scalding Caverns quickly. The directions detailed every twist and turn of their route and emphasized that there were several points along the way where additional eruptions could occur. The timing of when scalding water would flood the caverns was inconstant, so the suggested strategy was to make no wrong turns and keep a brisk pace.
The entrance to the caverns was tucked up against an intimidating wall of cliffs that impeded access to the rugged mountains beyond. If they made it through to the far side of the caverns, they would supposedly exit into a tall, narrow ravine that would lead them to Darian.
They had awaited the eruption off to the side of the opening, so it did not take them long to reach the cave mouth. Jasher led the way, followed by his wife. Del and Heg brought up the rear. Jasher carried glowing seaweed, as did Nia, Jason, and Heg.
The beginning of the cave was steep, snug, and relatively straight. Beads of moisture clung to the warm walls, and the heavy reek of sulfur made Jason wrinkle his nose. As they progressed down the long, winding slope, Jason noticed that, unlike in other caves he had entered, the air was getting warmer the farther they went.
They shuffled forward as hurriedly as the moist slope would permit. In many places Jason had to duck or turn sideways. Where possible he braced his hands against the damp walls to keep from sliding. He could not shake the thought that if the cave erupted anytime soon, they would end up like ants exploring a fire hose.
After what seemed like an endless descent, the cave leveled out a little. Unfortunately, the way forward became more cramped. Before long they were crawling on hands and knees, the walls close on either side. Eventually the confining passage opened into a low room with a few branching tunnels, all of them smaller than Jason would have preferred.
After a moment of hasty deliberation, Jasher and Farfalee fell flat and slithered into the smallest opening. Jason ended up behind Corinne, watching the soles of her shoes as he scooted forward. He tried not to picture people getting stuck ahead and behind him, trapping him there until the next boiling eruption washed through. He tried not to speculate whether the heat or the lack of air would kill him first.
Jason hated when the low passage twisted. More than once, contorting his body to scoot around a corner left him panicked that he would get stuck. He felt tempted to shed his gear and leave it behind, but knew he would want it once he reached the far side. He kept worming forward, the muggy air smelling so richly of minerals that he could almost taste the grit between his teeth.
After some time they were able to crawl on hands and knees again; then at last they could walk. The way sloped down some more, twisting enough to leave Jason completely disoriented. The cave remained confining, and they often had to advance by turning sideways. If Aram had been big, Jason doubted whether he would have managed to squeeze through some of the tighter spaces.
The air kept getting hotter. It felt like hiking through an earthy sauna. They passed a misshapen cavity that steadily vented scorching steam. The way dipped lower. From down a steeply branching tunnel Jason could hear water hissing and churning. Everyone else seemed to notice the splashing as well, and by silent agreement they started advancing faster.
After a few more twists, turns, and branching corridors, the odor of sulfur became so oppressive that Jason started to gag. The air grew steamier. Even when he clamped a hand over his mouth, the pungent vapor coated his throat with silty flavors.
Abruptly the way opened into a tremendous cavern. A ledge wrapped around one side of the room. The wide chamber had no floor. Instead, down below, a thick, dark pool churned ominously, belching fat bubbles and noxious fumes.
“A true cavern at last,” Heg remarked. “I was beginning to question whether these puny tunnels should be renamed the Scalding Rabbit Holes.”
“This chamber is evidence that we’re moving in the right direction,” Farfalee called back. “Stay with us.”
Jason inched out
onto the ledge after Corinne. The blistering air stung his eyes, and steam fogged his vision. He tried to breathe through the material of his sleeve to help strain the smothering fumes. The narrow ledge was slick with oily dampness, which made every step risky. He edged forward cautiously, sliding his feet rather than lifting them. To fall would mean certain death.
At the far side of the ledge Jason followed Corinne into a crack in the wall. Bracing against the sides of the fissure, he had to chimney up for twenty feet before reaching where the tunnel continued.
Once the hellish cavern was behind them, they increased their pace again. Jason was relieved to find the air growing a bit fresher. “I can breathe a little,” he said.
“What a treat,” Corinne replied without turning.
“If the air had gotten any thicker, it would have become solid.”
That earned a chuckle.
Their path was trending up more than down now, and they had a little more space to maneuver. From up ahead they heard loud gurgling and sloshing. Jasher started to jog, and the others matched his pace. Drenched in greasy sweat, Jason panted shallowly. His head started to pound.
They reached an intersection where the corridor forked. The sound of heaving water noisily emanated from the left passage. Jasher headed right.
From behind, the sloshing increased to a blustery roar.
“Faster!” Del called.
Their pace increased to a sprint. The cave was growing narrow, so Jason jostled against the sides as he ran, scraping his shoulders. He pulled against the knobby walls where possible to keep his momentum. The muscles in his legs burned, and a sharp pain corkscrewed into his side. The watery roar behind him increased in ferocity. A moist, sweltering gale swept over him. He expected a searing tide to overcome him at any moment.
The tight cave broadened into a roomy cavern. Leg muscles protesting, Jason dashed across the cavern, a couple of paces behind Corinne. He followed her up a slope at the far side of the room and into another cramped tunnel. A jagged stone protuberance slashed the outside of his upper arm as he blundered against it. He hardly felt the pain. Behind him he heard water hissing and surging.
“Duck,” Corinne called back to him.
He relayed the message back to Aram and crouched low. Soon he was hurriedly crawling, his knees and elbows suffering because of his haste. His heart hammered rapidly. He felt like a participant in a nightmare marathon designed to drive claustrophobics insane.
“We might be clear,” Heg called from behind. “The cavern behind us had many offshoots. I think it absorbed the eruption.”
The way sloped more dramatically upward. The air kept feeling less suffocating. They no longer tried to crawl at a sprint, but they continued to hurry. After falling flat to wriggle through a low gap, they could stand again.
Steam vents and threatening gurgles became less frequent. The air cooled and freshened. Jason felt less edgy. The steepness tired his legs, but the evidence that they were on their way out of the subterranean maze boosted his spirits.
At last, drenched and panting, caked with grime, they emerged from an aperture near the bottom of a deep chasm. Vertical walls of rock loomed at either hand, leading to an unreachable strip of sky high above. Water flowed from wall to wall along the floor of the gorge, before slurping underground twenty feet below the gap they had exited.
“The river helps feed the caverns,” Farfalee noted. “This is the Narrow Way. We must proceed until we reach the falls.”
“Where’s the trail?” Nia asked.
“The river is the trail,” Jasher replied. “We walk upstream.”
Fortunately, the river was not raging. The current was steady, but it slowed where the gorge widened. At some points islands or ledges poked out of the water. Most of the time they slogged upriver with the water level somewhere between their knees and waists.
Unlike in the Scalding Caverns, this water was cool. Almost too cool, though not unbearable. Jasher tried to choose the easiest route, avoiding deep pools and leading them onto ledges and islands wherever possible. On one long island they paused to eat and refresh themselves.
Corinne looked skyward. “Stars are coming out. Why is Aram still small?”
“Could be that the deep gorge is creating a premature twilight,” Farfalee said.
“Aye,” Aram confirmed. “The way my condition works, standing in a shadowy canyon does not count as sundown. I won’t change until the sun drops below the horizon we would see from up top. I’ve developed a sense for it over the years. Feels like it will be another couple of hours yet.”
After the break they plodded onward. In some places they had to wade up to their chests or even swim a little. The gorge grew gloomier with every passing minute. Jason was glad for his seaweed.
While they forced their way forward against a waist-deep current, Jason noticed Corinne shivering. She hugged her elbows close, and her neck was pebbled with gooseflesh.
“Corinne is freezing,” Jason announced.
“I’ll be fine,” she replied hastily, unable to prevent her teeth from chattering. “The evening is warm.”
“Water saps heat faster than air,” Aram said. “I’m feeling it too.”
“We’ll pause to recover on the little island up ahead,” Farfalee said. She held up a hand. “Wait a moment. Stop and listen.” Everyone came to a halt.
“The falls,” Nia said.
Jason heard them too. “We’ve got to be close.”
Upon reaching the island, they could find no materials for a fire, but Jasher produced a dry blanket for Corinne to use after she had wrung out her clothes. Nia tirelessly rubbed Corinne’s arms, shoulders, back, and legs to help warm her.
Heg stood on the far side of the island beside Farfalee, gazing toward the unseen falls. “Do you suppose we’ll reach the falls tonight?” Heg asked.
“I expect so,” Farfalee said. “I think we should press on until we get there. The sooner we learn what the seer has to offer, the sooner Galloran can benefit from the information.”
“Aram, when will you grow?” Heg called.
“Not much longer.”
In a single quick movement Heg drew his dagger and stabbed Farfalee in the chest. Cupping his hand against the back of her neck, he caught her seed as it came free. As her body collapsed, Heg held the bloodstained dagger point to her amar.
“No!” Jasher cried, face contorting with shock and rage as he drew his sword.
Jason had been removing some dried meat from his pack. He remained in a crouch, petrified with astonishment.
“Everyone keep still!” Heg demanded. “It would be tragic to see such a long and illustrious life obliterated.”
Jasher restrained himself and gestured for the others to stand down. “What is the meaning of this?”
“We needed to have this conversation at some point before reaching the falls. Now seemed the opportune moment.”
“You’re not Heg,” Del accused. “You can’t be. What’s going on?”
“Correct,” Heg said with a smile. “I have been known by many names. Heg is the most recent. The drinling fought valiantly, by the way, but perished back at Gulba alongside his brethren.” Heg’s face suddenly transformed, and with it his voice. It was suddenly the face of Groddic. “In recent years I have most frequently been known as Groddic.”
Jason could hardly believe his eyes. He stood upright, his hand near his sword. He glanced at the others, trying to gauge how they wanted to deal with this.
“The Wanderer,” Jasher growled. “You’re Zokar’s shape-shifter!”
“I have been known by those names as well,” the Wanderer admitted. “None who associate those names with me ever live to tell the tale.”
“Groddic was the Wanderer all along?” Aram asked.
“Maldor was the only man alive to know my true identity,” the Wanderer said. “We became partners long ago. Out of necessity I get no credit, but I was instrumental in his rise to power. He brings me in to fix his messiest pr
oblems. Like this one.”
“We killed you,” Nia said weakly.
The Wanderer shook his head. “Hard to slay a shape-shifter. I can heal my wounds too quickly, rearrange my insides. I pretended to succumb to my injuries back at Gulba. The decision could have gone either way. I knew I could probably take you. I stayed down because you had horses. Had I revealed myself, some of you might have escaped and spoiled my secret. I suspected a better opportunity would come. And here we are.”
“You captured the eagle,” Corinne accused, her teeth no longer chattering.
The Wanderer grinned. “I became a jungle condor, a bird much larger than any eagle. I can reshape myself into any living thing I have touched. I have lived a long time, sampled many life-forms. Including Heg.”
Jason thought about his orantium sphere. He couldn’t throw it while the Wanderer held Farfalee’s seed. He pulled out his sword. Whatever happened, he needed to be ready.
“Why are we talking?” Jasher asked. “Have you an offer?”
“That depends what the amar of your wife is worth,” the Wanderer said casually. Keeping the knifepoint near the seed, he examined it speculatively. “I have never disposed of a sitting member of the Conclave.”
“If you harm her amar, you will face the eternal wrath of my people,” Jasher threatened.
“I have destroyed more than twenty amars,” the Wanderer bragged. “There can be no vengeance against secret deeds.”
“I cannot guess what terms you could possibly offer,” Jasher said.
“Her seed is the only concession I can grant,” the Wanderer said. “All Farfalee knew before she was cut off from her senses was that Heg stabbed her. She does not know it was the Wanderer. She did not know that Heg had any connection to Groddic. If you volunteer your amar to me, Jasher, I swear to safely plant her seed.”
“What about the others?” Jasher asked.
“The others know my identity. They must die. But your wife could live. If you fight me, she dies along with the rest of you. Make your choice.”