The sheer scale of the place was breathtaking, a natural wonder that was illuminated by a pale bluish light, giving it an otherworldly feel. The light in this cavern wasn’t being created by some insect this time, it was coming straight out of the rock and some areas were a lot brighter than others. This light looked to be associated with a particular type of rock and an exceptionally rich vein arced across the ceiling of the cavern, hundreds of metres above them. Against the otherwise dark surroundings, this scattering of light could have been mistaken for the Milky Way on a moonless night.
It took them about half an hour to reach the underground river and while Robin searched for further clues, they stood, taking in the cavern’s splendour.
“It’s really beautiful,” said Sie, looking up at the ceiling of the cavern.
As impressive as it was, Shou attention was being drawn to another phenomenon.
“What are those points of light moving about over there? Are they fireflies or something?”
“Fireflies?” repeated Robin. “Where?”
“Oh yes, I see them too and there are a fair few of them,” said Sie.
Robin’s hand closed around the light crystal.
“That’s better, you must be able to see them now?” said Sie.
“I can see them all right and we need to move,” said Robin.
“Robin’s right,” said Mica. “We’re in grave danger. Those points of light are the glowing eyes of Squalvolvans’ and we have to hope they haven’t seen us.”
Following the course of the river, they made their way to a stone bridge and were halfway across when they heard a whooshing sound. Descending towards them at speed, from out of the shadows, was a Balacoback and its sudden appearance and unearthly sound left them rooted to the spot.
The Balacoback passed over them and continued on its way, its haunting call echoing in the vastness of this cavernous space.
“What in the world was that?” asked Sie.
“That was a Balacoback,” said Mica.
One of the largest flying animals on Shalasing. Seldom seen flying out in the open, its preference was to search for prey and live out its existence in large underground caverns. Once believed to be confined to the southern globe, it was discovered that they had always migrated north to breed and over time some settled here permanently.
They made it to the other side of the river and looked around for a place to hide and seeing what little cover there was, they had no choice, but to go deeper into the cavern.
“Are we safe?” asked Shou.
“That’s not a word I would use to describe our situation at the moment,” said Robin, looking around nervously.
They might have been able to defend themselves against one Squalvolvan, but a group would tear them apart. Had they done enough? Robin looked back towards the bridge and there was nothing following them, so perhaps they had.
Robin needed to focus for possible clues to David’s whereabouts and they weren’t hard to find. There was evidence here to suggest that both David and Boroc had passed this way not so long ago, but to have caught up with them by such a significant amount, came as a surprise.
Just ahead of them, Robin noticed a fault in the rock, which channelled water from the river into a natural basin and they took the opportunity to replenish their water. They drank deeply while keeping vigilant for any signs of danger and brimmed the water container before continuing.
They heard the Balacoback again and Shou wondered if it was coming back.
“I don’t think we need worry about them. Despite their size they mostly skim the underground lakes and rivers for food,” said Mica.
They were approaching an area with lots of natural stone columns and some looked as if they’d been painted with yellow paint. Robin warned them not to get too close to these because the yellow coating on the rocks was fungi.
“The slightest vibration will cause the fungi to release its spores and like a cloud fine dust, once airborne, it will be hard to escape,” said Robin.
The spores were designed to render a victim unconscious and in some cases induce a coma. The victim’s body could then be slowly consumed by the fungi.
“Nice,” said Shou.
Directly ahead of them stood a rock with a couple of very clear yellow handprints stamped onto it, but this was not the work of a local graffiti artist.
David had obviously fallen foul to the fungi and there were marks on the floor, suggesting he’d been dragged briefly and then possibly carried off. Another brush with death thought Robin. How many lives did this human have?
“Is he still with the Shamozolt?” asked Shou.
“I hope so,” said Robin, as he looked over the evidence.
The more he discovered the more doubtful he became, as it appeared they had had a run-in with a Squalvolvan. They would have to hope that the Shamozolt came out on top, but Robin couldn’t say one way or the other.
This particular part of the cavern was like a maze, so many twists and turns and it was dark too, only Robin was reluctant to light up a crystal, for fear of being seen. After weaving around numerous stone columns, they came upon an area that reeked of death. Only the eyes of the Ammarla could distinguish the bloody mess in the bad light, but nothing could hide the smell.
There had been a massacre, but apart from an excessive amount of blood, there were no bodies. Disturbing though it was, there was no real explanation and Robin announced that he could no longer find any evidence of David.
He was still trying to piece together the puzzle when they suddenly felt a vibration under their feet.
“What was that?” whispered Sie.
“Tons of rock being displaced,” said Robin.
“Should we check it out?” asked Mica.
Robin nodded, but he was a little fearful of what they might find, knowing that they only had a couple of sticks to defend themselves. He knew that Mica wouldn’t be best pleased to hear him describe her makeshift Jimbo, as a stick and her skill would surely more than compensate.
They were moving quickly again, in the direction of the disturbance and Robin could tell that it had come from outside the main cavern and although he couldn’t see through solid rock, his other senses were helping to guide them.
His next clue came with a change in air flow and if they could have visually seen this, it would have looked like a smaller river merging with a larger one. This told them that they were approaching a passage and a current of air led them to a natural fault in the rock, which had been enlarged at some point in the past.
Had the air flow not been exaggerated by a displacement of rock, they could have easily walked right by the passage, but like a signpost, it confirmed they were heading in the right direction.
Robin dared to light up a crystal and peered into the passage and there on the ground was more yellow dust, which showed up very well against the dark rock. It looked like they were back on David’s trail, but who had him now, the Squalvolvans or Boroc? It was hard to tell, as there were signs that both Squalvolvan and Shamozolt had passed this way very recently.
Robin couldn’t believe that he was actually hoping that David was still under Boroc’s protection, but without it he wouldn’t have stood a chance.
There was the sound of loose material being disturbed somewhere behind them and Robin immediately killed the light and they stood there hoping it was nothing. Robin couldn’t detect a heartbeat, which would have been an effective way to determine what it might have been, but there was definitely something. Unable to identify what it was, they slipped silently into the dark passage.
The Ammarla could move along the passage in the dark without too much trouble, but the darkness was a barrier for the humans, so they all linked hands.
They heard another sound in the darkness and Sie gripped Mica’s hand a little tighter. Robin hadn’t let on to what he thought was behind them because he imagined they could probably guess. The air displacement told him its size and mass and that was all he needed to kno
w. Even so, he could not understand why he was still unable to detect a heartbeat.
They eventually spilled out into another cavern, which was smaller and a little darker than the one they had just left and since Robin knew something was following them, he wasn’t slowing down to look for clues.
The cavern floor was a maze of channels, carved by water that must have once flowed through here and Robin was under pressure to get them safely through, without leading them down a dead end.
It felt like they were doing okay until they heard an unearthly sound, which echoed through the cavern.
Clambering up over some large boulders, they eased themselves through a narrow section and were now on a ledge looking out over the cavern. The cavern fell away sharply and from their elevated position, they could see the river cascading down into its lower parts and spanning the turbulent water, appeared to be another stone bridge.
The way ahead looked a little precarious, a crooked path barely distinguishable through a jumble of rock, but a path all the same.
After negotiating the first section of the path, they eventually got a good view of the bridge. Then came the bad news, part of it is missing. Knowing they were being followed, it wasn’t like they could double back. Fully committed, they headed down into the lower reaches of the cavern, descending as fast as they dared, while searching for another possible route. Although it was looking more and more likely that the bridge was their only way out.
The full extent of the damage was soon clear to see and it would take more than a running jump to get across to the other side. One slip and there would be no escape from the churning river below, so unless they were going to fly across, they were stuck on this side.
Robin looked around nervously and knew he had to come up with a solution and fast.
The damage to the bridge had happened very recently, as there was loose material still scattered across it. The bridge had not fallen naturally and it would have taken a lot of energy to cause this sort of damage. Destroying the bridge would have been one way to stop the Squalvolvans from following, so were they looking at Boroc’s handiwork? Robin couldn’t share his thoughts and regardless of who actually caused the damage, they still needed to find a way across and everyone was looking at him.
“We have no option. We’ll have to fly across.”
“Sorry, for a moment there I thought you said we are going to fly across,” said Shou.
“That’s what I said. Come on, there’s no time to lose,” said Robin, looking over his shoulder.
“How does this work?” asked Sie.
“Leave the details to me,” said Robin and he sat down and prompted Sie to do the same.
“Close your eyes, relax and let it happen.”
Let it happen! Thought Sie and her mind struggled to fathom how Robin was going to pull this off. With her eyes closed, the sound of the river seemed louder and she felt the rock vibrating beneath her, as it thundered past. This vibration coursed through her body and she was mildly aware of a tingling sensation and then a feeling of being lighter than a feather. Shou gasped as he watched them float up off the bridge and drift out over the river. It was an incredible sight and Sie was soon safely on the other side, grinning broadly, having clearly enjoyed the experience. Shou was nervous, but Sie had made it look easy and now it was his turn.
Shou had his eyes closed, but he wasn’t letting go, he was too tense and it took a bit longer before he was ready. Like Sie, he felt a sudden lightness and then droplets of water on his arms, which told him they must have been directly over the gap in the bridge. At one point, Shou was tempted to open his eyes, but he didn’t and then it was over and Robin’s voice came into his mind, saying they had made it.
There must have been a bit of a delay, because when Shou opened his eyes, Robin was already floating out across the river, returning for Mica. And that’s when they saw them.
“Oh my god, the Squalvolvans, they’ve found us,” said Shou.
Sie and Shou looked on helplessly as they watched a group of Squalvolvans descend the crooked path into the cavern, their glowing eyes making them look even more menacing. How many of them, it was difficult to say, but they were closing in and Robin had only just touched down on the bridge. Mica and Robin remained focused and were soon airborne and moving out over the river.
The first of the Squalvolvans were on the bridge and they had the look of sheer craziness about them. Like rabid animals, desperate to release their anger and frustration. These beasts moved with speed and agility and now the gap between them didn’t look all that great anymore.
The Squalvolvans were going wild and it felt like they were burning holes into them with their strange glowing eyes and Sie could barely watch. The Squalvolvans fed off their fear and unable to contain themselves any longer, they began their attempts at leaping across the river. Thankfully the gap proved too great and every Squalvolvan fool enough to try plummeted into churning water and was carried away.
Robin and Mica finally touched down and the remaining Squalvolvans suddenly stopped throwing themselves from the bridge and congregated together. This change of behaviour coincided with the appearance of a Squalvolvan that stood out from all the others, a leader of sorts. Mica had never seen anything like this before and with this sort of intelligence leading them, it would only be a matter of time before one or more of them made it across or found an alternative route.
They’d seen enough and Robin led them away from the river, only to be met with another obstacle. Their way out of the cavern was blocked by tons of rock and this must have been the disturbance they’d felt earlier and like the bridge, it had been a deliberate act. There wasn’t time to start moving individual rocks in the hope of uncovering the exit, but Robin could project enough energy to create a disturbance of his own.
They stood well back and let Robin go to work. He picked one of the larger boulders near the bottom of the pile and then focused all his energy on it. The movement wasn’t huge, in fact, the boulder barely moved and yet a lot of material above it was affected. They waited for the rocks to settle, but there still wasn’t any visible way through. Robin was ready to try again and this time it had to count because one of the Squalvolvans had made it across.
No one had seen Mica leave the group, so when a lone Ammarla turned up to confront the beast; they initially wondered who the stranger was. Mica knew she was more than capable of taking down a single Squalvolvan and it was better that she act now than wait for more to join it.
The piece of wood that she had put so much effort into was now a lethal weapon and she was quick to administer a devastating blow before the Squalvolvan had a chance to catch its breath. The Squalvolvan recovered quickly, rearing up defiantly and it was as well that Robin’s focus was elsewhere.
Mica was quick and she needed to be, this Squalvolvan was three times her size and a strike from one of its muscular arms would kill her outright. The Squalvolvan even tried stomping on her at one point, but Mica was having none of it and she executed a sweeping blow, which hit the Squalvolvan’s right knee. Mica quickly realised that if she was to stand any chance of putting the beast away permanently, she would first have to cripple it.
The blow had certainly slowed it down and Mica was taking full advantage of this and then did something which looked like suicide, stepping forward just as the Squalvolvan made a lunge for her.
Shou and Sie could barely watch, but incredibly, she moved out of range at the last moment. Now Mica had the advantage and with the Jimbo in a two-handed grip, she spun around and struck the Squalvolvan’s right temple. The impact made Sie wince and the Squalvolvan stumbled, giving Mica a chance to land a second blow, which was enough to topple the beast and it plummeted into the river.
There were other Squalvolvans still trying their luck, but so far none of them had made it across, which was just as well, since Mica was still recovering from the fight.
Back at the rockslide, Robin was growing tired and he projected another concentratio
n of energy at the blockage and hoped he’d done enough. Shou scrambled up, dislodging loose material as he went and confirmed that there was indeed a gap they could squeeze through.
Mica was running back towards them and together they followed Shou up, over the boulders, then hastily eased themselves through the gap and into the tunnel beyond.
The work of the Shamozolts was easily distinguishable, a roughly excavated tunnel that descended at a steep angle. It wasn’t difficult to imagine them here, hacking away with little regard to the impact they might be having.
Robin was still recovering from the exertion of mentally shifting the boulders and Mica was also a little out of breath from her fight. Fatigued they may have been, but they had to keep moving because once the Squalvolvans made it across the bridge, they would be through the gap in no time.
Mica was visibly charged from her fight with the Squalvolvan and she was working hard to slow her heart rate and conserve her energy. She had a feeling she was going to need it.
Moving quickly for fear of what was behind them, they eventually stepped into another tunnel, the likes of which they had not come across before. There was nothing rough about its excavation. Every surface reflected light like a mirror and that wasn’t all. The tunnel glowed with a pale blue light, the same light they had seen in the main cavern. Up close they could see there was no trickery, the light was coming from inside the rock, so what was going on here?
The light was a result of a particular mineral and ore combination and traditional mining methods had caused the light to diminish. The difference here was that the tunnel had been created using sound, which had melted the rock and left the exposed ore glowing even brighter.
So who was responsible for the creation of these tunnels?
The Hidden Ones and it was these very tunnels that the Shamozolts came across while hunting for the humans. The light drew their attention to this ore rich area and once discovered, mining began in earnest. A lucky accident, but more likely a deliberate act by the Hidden Ones in a bid to keep the humans safe.
Alliance Page 27