by Nolan Fury
“I’m 96.23% sure this plant is non-toxic,” Tyler said.
I scowled at him, playfully. “And the other 3.77%?”
“It could be a hederacus mortiferius. They look similar. Death results moments after ingestion. I guess we’ll find out shortly, won’t we?”
33
The mere suggestion that it could be a poisonous plant made my stomach rumble. But after five minutes, I was still alive, and I figured it was safe. I hacked off another few leaves and handed one to Quinn. We both squeezed every last drop of water from the plant. We stayed there drinking leaves until we felt hydrated enough to continue. With the midday sun upon us, we were going to need all the water we could find.
Marching downhill was a hell of a lot easier than marching uphill, and by the evening, we had reached the outpost.
I felt bad for the tribal people, even though they had tried to kill us. They were getting fucked over by the corporations, and I had plundered a sacred burial ground. I vowed that once I rescued Ruby, I would return the dagger to where it belonged.
By the time we reached the Warbird, I was tired, hungry, and in desperate need of a shower.
I crawled into the cockpit and powered up the ship. Before long, we rocketed into the upper atmosphere and left the planet behind.
Tyler programed jump coordinates for Draconis Major 6. It would take six hours for us to reach our destination. Hopefully, our rigged quantum oscillator would continue to function. Once we had made the jump to quantum space, I staggered to my rack and passed out.
I had crazy dreams that took the elements of the last few days and blended them into a nonsensical hodgepodge of random events.
Hours later, the quantum distortion that passed through the ship as we exited jump space woke me up. The bulkheads breathed for a moment, and objects warbled. It wasn’t the most pleasant way to wake up. I thought I was going to hurl, and the acidic taste crept into the back of my throat again. But after a moment, my stomach settled.
Quinn yawned and stretched and rolled over in the bunk below me. I let her keep sleeping and made my way to the cockpit.
Tyler had put us in a low orbit around Draconis Minor. It was a desolate rock at the ass end of nowhere. The planet was fractured and cracked with glowing rivers of molten magma. The primordial atmosphere was rather inhospitable, though still breathable.
The Warbird rumbled as we plunged into the atmosphere, swooping below the gray clouds that blanketed the planet. Tyler programmed a course for the Rodel Mountains.
A Tarvin monastery was nestled among the jagged peaks. The steep slopes prevented landing anywhere except the base of the mountains. I wasn’t about to attempt to climb another rugged slope. I flew the craft over the monastery and had Tyler take over control of the Warbird.
“What are you going to do?” He asked.
“I’m going to fast-rope down.” I grabbed a comm link and stuffed it in my ear canal. “I’ll contact you when I need to exfiltrate.”
“Roger that,” Tyler said. “What about Quinn?”
“She’s staying here. I’ve put her through enough already.”
Tyler had a concerned look on his face. “Be careful. This is going to be your most challenging quest yet.”
“I hope not. The last one was difficult enough.”
I tapped my earbud to make sure the comm system worked. “Tyler, do you copy?”
“Affirmative.”
“Stay on comms.”
“That’s a solid copy, sir.” He gave me a mock salute.
I rolled my eyes and climbed out of the pilot’s seat. I made my way aft to the passenger compartment. I pressed a button on the bulkhead and the hatch in the deck opened. The hot, ashen air of the planet rushed into the compartment.
I grabbed a big black rope, attached to a winch, and lowered myself out of the craft. I didn’t have gloves to protect my hands, so I didn’t exactly fast-rope. It was more of a slow descent.
My boots hit the ground just outside of the Tarvin Temple. I let go of the rope and tapped my earbud again. “I’m on the ground. Retract the rope.”
“Aye-aye, sir.”
The black rope retracted into the craft and the hatch shut behind it. The Warbird flew away and Tyler kept the ship in a circular holding pattern high above the mountains.
I marched toward the tall temple gates, and they parted before I reached them. What I saw on the inside made me stop in my tracks. I wasn’t sure I wanted to continue.
The ancient structure reminded me of a Buddhist temple you’d find high in the Himalayas. It was made of dark obsidian stone. It had a sharp, ominous quality to it. And the monks were something entirely frightening.
Black, hooded robes covered them, shrouding their faces. A gray craggy hand with sharp black nails beckoned me to enter. I felt like the Grim Reaper was inviting me in. And perhaps, he was.
34
My heart pounded, and my body vibrated with nervous energy. With great trepidation, I marched into the temple.
A monk bid me to follow him as the heavy stone gates closed behind me.
He didn’t say a word.
The tall alien monk was at least a foot taller than I was. I followed him across the courtyard, through a colonnade, and into the main temple. He led me through a series of dark passageways to a chamber with a high priest on a throne.
The monk left me and slipped quietly back into the hallway. There was an ornate font in the center of the room. The bowl was filled with water.
“I’ve been expecting you,” the priest said. Cloaked in the same dark garb, his face hid behind the shadows of the hood.
I was quite sure he didn’t actually speak. But I heard his words echoing in my mind. I wondered how he knew I was coming. He answered before I could verbalize my thoughts.
“I see all that is and all that could be. You seek to acquire the stone of Elavia, do you not?”
“Yes,” I said out loud, even though I probably didn’t need to.
I tried to pull up his stat screen, but I couldn’t. I got the distinct impression that I wasn’t in the Ultraverse anymore.
“You have overcome a great many trials already. But I’m afraid you will not be successful in your current endeavor.”
Not exactly the news I wanted to hear.
“I implore you to reconsider.”
“Sorry. That’s not possible.”
“I understand. You have a brave and compassionate heart. And your quest is not without merit. It pains me to inform you that you will fail.”
His negative attitude was starting to piss me off.
“I am only trying to dissuade you out of concern for your well-being,” he said. “Even if you acquire the stone, you will not be able to defeat your nemesis. These are the facts.”
“Maybe you’ve got your facts wrong.”
He shrugged. “All things are possible.”
He stood from the throne and walked to the font. He waved his hand over the water, sending ripples through it. The liquid illuminated, and a vision appeared on the surface of the water. “Do you want to see for yourself?”
I gazed into the shimmering surface and saw images of my recent past. The meeting with the Oracle. The casino. The potion. The Dragon Lord.
Then I saw an unappealing vision of the future.
I was dangling from a narrow ledge on the side of the mountain. I gripped the rocky surface, white knuckled, fingers slipping. The rock gave way, and I plummeted to the chasm below.
I looked away before I saw myself splatter. “I’ve seen enough.”
With another wave of his hand, the images disappeared from the water.
“What’s your angle in this?”
“I have no angle. I am merely a casual observer, offering guidance.” He paused a moment. “I can see that despite what you have been shown, you remain steadfast in your quest.”
I nodded.
“From here you can follow the path that leads up the mountain. Enter the caverns at your own peril. Inside, y
ou will find what you seek. In the Chamber of Souls you will find several green vervicite crystals. These are the Stones of Elavia, enchanted with powerful magic. You will know them by their luminous glow. Keep the stone about you, and you will become as powerful as any super in your presence.” He paused. “May the great god Luvak be with you on your journey.”
“Thank you,” I mumbled.
I had no idea who the hell Luvak was. And I didn’t really care. The priest was kind enough to tell me where I could find the stone and I was appreciative.
I left the temple and climbed a narrow path up the mountain. The jagged terrain of the black mountainside looked ominous. Craggy peaks stabbed into the sky as far as the eye could see. It reminded me of the alternate dimension that Lady Vanya was from.
The air was thin and filled with ash and soot. My lungs burned, and I hacked and coughed like a six pack a day smoker. After an hour of hiking, I was spitting up black tarry phlegm.
Greasy sweat covered my body. My legs felt like rubber, worn out from the past few days of hiking and climbing and running from Dragon Lords.
The farther I ascended up the mountainside, the narrower the path became. Soon I was traversing a ledge that was barely wider than my feet. It was the same section of ledge that I had seen in the vision. My stomach fluttered with nerves.
I flattened my back against the cliff and inched sideways across the ledge. It was so narrow, my toes extended beyond the edge. I tried not to look down, but the endless chasm drew my eyes. It was a least a thousand feet down to the next shelf. I had no desire to end up as a blob of goo down there.
I took another step sideways, and I heard the stone crack beneath my feet. I froze in my tracks. My heart hammered. Adrenaline shot through my veins.
I carefully lifted my foot and took another step away from the weak point in the rock. It seemed solid and secure. I shifted all of my weight on my left foot. The instant I did, the ledge crumbled away, and I plummeted toward the ground, my stomach in my throat.
35
The vision the priest had shown me was wrong in a few ways. For one, I had a much better grip in the vision. In reality, my fingertips barely had anything to grasp onto. My hands ached and my fingers felt like they were going to snap. Two, the vision showed nothing about the strange creatures that attacked me.
The small fragment of rock that I clung to broke away. I managed to grab hold of another section of the ledge before I plummeted to my death.
I swung my free hand up and secured my grip. It wasn’t long after that when I heard the flap of wings. Small creatures that reminded me of pterodactyls landed on the ledge and began pecking at my fingers with their pointy beaks. They squawked and stabbed at my digits. I don’t know what the hell I did to piss them off, but they weren’t happy I was there. Their beaks felt like ice picks stabbing into my fingertips. I had to keep readjusting my grip. Every time I shifted, my position became more precarious.
I tried to shoo them away, but that only put me off balance. They’d fly up for a moment, then land again and start pecking.
I reached down and grabbed the dagger from its scabbard. Dangling by one hand, I stabbed a winged beast, skewering it. Piercing shrieks billowed from its beak as blood flowed down the blade. I flung the damn thing aside. It slid from the end of the blade, tumbling into the abyss.
The other pests flapped into the air and soared into the gray clouds. The death of their comrade was enough to finally scare them off.
I sheathed the dagger and grabbed the ledge. I inched sideways until the ledge was wide enough to get traction. I managed to swing my leg up and get a foothold. Then I pulled myself up and rolled onto the ledge.
I breathed a sigh of relief, then continued on my journey. There was no way back down the mountain from this point. I would have to find another path—if one existed.
I continued up the treacherous route until I came to the mouth of a cave. I drew the dagger and ventured into the darkness. I flicked on a tactical flashlight that I had taken from the ship. The beam carved the darkness as I advanced deeper into the cave. A few twists and turns, and the sunlight spilling into the cavern disappeared. Stalactites and stalagmites protruded from the floor and ceiling. The walls of the caverns sparkled with various crystals. Water droplets echoed through the passageways.
The tunnel opened into a cavernous space with a shimmering pool of water in the center. The clear blue water looked almost inviting.
Almost.
I scoured the chamber, looking for a passageway to continue my journey. But it was a dead end. I searched the cavern, but found no green luminous crystals. Everything else that Lady Vanya had said panned out. But I was beginning to think this was a wild goose chase.
I stood at the edge of the glasslike pool of water, staring down into the well. My reflection gazed back at me. The beam of my flashlight dissipated in the dark depths of the water. I had the unsettling suspicion that an underground passageway connected this chamber with another section of the cave.
There was no telling how deep this well was, or what was in the water. I considered myself a good swimmer, but I knew the dangers of cave diving. I grew up not far from a swimming hole that was a popular destination on the weekends with teenagers and bikini-clad hotties. You could count on music, light beer, and cliff jumping. The well was about 50 feet deep. At the bottom, a narrow shaft led to several caves. At least once every few years an adventurous scuba diver would get himself lost in the labyrinth of passageways and run out of oxygen.
A flashlight is often the most dangerous thing for a cave diver. It will prompt you to go into dark places where you shouldn’t. Clearwater can quickly become a murky coffin when sediment is disturbed. With visibility at zero, it becomes impossible to navigate the maze of underwater passageways.
All of those things ran through my mind as I dove into the water and pulled myself towards the depths.
I had filled my lungs to capacity. But I wasn’t a world-class free diver by any stretch of the imagination. I considered this an exploratory dive. I just wanted to see how deep the well was, and if there was a passageway to another chamber. I gripped my flashlight between my teeth and pulled my way into the depths.
The water pressure squeezed my ears.
About 30 feet down, I spotted a tunnel. I shone my flashlight into it, but the beam evaporated into the darkness after 15 or 20 feet.
I swam back to the surface and gasped for breath as I broke through the water. No doubt this was going to be a risky proposition. But what the hell else was I going to do?
I didn’t have extensive water training, but I had some. As an amphibian fighting force, Marines needed to be comfortable around water. We didn’t get near the training the SEALS got, but I had been through Advanced Aquatic Combat Training and Marine Corps Water Survival Training. I had experience with underwater breath holds and swimming the combat side stroke. But even that couldn’t have prepared me for this adventure.
I took in several deep breaths, then finally filled my lungs to capacity and plunged underwater. I pulled my way down to the passage and was careful not to disturb any sediment as I glided through the narrow tunnel. I twisted through the darkness and found myself wanting to take a breath sooner than I had anticipated. My lungs were starting to burn. I figured I was at my halfway point in regards to oxygen. I contemplated turning around but something inside of me refused to quit. Sometimes my stubbornness gets the best of me. I kept holding out hope that I was swimming in the right direction, that I would find air to breathe on the other side soon.
But something interrupted my plans.
A tentacle lurched out of a crevice and wrapped around my ankle, stopping me mid stroke. The purple appendage pulled me toward a large black crevice in the cave wall. Then another tentacle shot out and wrapped around my other leg. I had no desire to see the thing that owned the tentacles—much less to be its next meal.
36
I flailed, struggling against the tentacles. Bubbles from my mouth w
obbled their way to the roof of the cave, pooling in the crevices. The beam of my flashlight raked across the monster’s grotesque face. I caught a glimpse of its sharp, serrated teeth. Its black eyes of death.
My hand gripped the hilt of the dagger and drew the blade. I hacked the tentacles, slicing them in half. Purple, inky blood filled the water. Disturbed sediment turned the once clear water into a milky soup.
Two more tentacles shot out of the darkness and wrapped around me, pulling me toward the creature’s gruesome mouth.
The monster’s wide jaws opened, intent on devouring me. I jammed the dagger into its ugly forehead. The creature flailed, erratically. The tentacles went slack, and more purple blood spewed into the water.
In the commotion, my flashlight fell from my mouth. I wriggled free of the dying beast and fumbled for the light, kicking up more sediment from the cave floor as I patted the ground.
My hand found the flashlight and scooped it up. At this point I was so disoriented, I didn’t know which way was which. My lungs were afire. I needed to get oxygen, fast.
I kept swimming. I didn’t care where I was going. I just needed to get somewhere.
Small pockets of air shimmered like mirrors on the roof of the passageway. I swam up to one, puckered my lips and took a breath. It wasn’t much, but it was enough. I kept going like this until I reached the end of the passageway, then swam for the surface.
My arms and legs felt like mush. My lungs still burned. I felt like I was going to pass out. The corners of my vision began to fade, and I felt lightheaded. I pulled and pulled for the surface, finally breaking through the water. My chest heaved for breath.
I swam for the shore and pulled myself from the well. I rolled onto the ground and lay on my back, catching my breath.
After a moment, I staggered to my feet and shone the flashlight beam across the chamber. More conical stalactites hung from the ceiling. The beam found three passageways that led deeper into the mountain.