“What’s that?” Kyrah asked.
All of us stared at an illustration that I couldn’t quite understand. It showed the side view of a ravine with a line connected at either end, similar to the rope that was strung up so near my head. The figure of a man held onto the rope, and a mysterious stone was at his feet while he appeared to be floating through the air.
Bardrick handed the journal to Kyrah, looking deep in thought. He squinted at the floor’s dark gray mineral deposits and did something strange. He held out his backpack in front of him. When he did it lifted on its own, toward the stone wall ten feet away. He mumbled, “I thought I felt it pulling when I came through.”
When he said that, I glanced down at my necklace and noticed it lifting toward the wall too. Beside me Bardrick walked forward, following the pull until a metal mallet flew out of his bag and connected with the rock, holding itself there. He set his bag down to trace his hands across the wall along its angular planes. “More lodestone. It’s been worked—quarried.”
“Look at these,” Pepper said, kicking the side of a stone block, shaped like a large, thick tile. It was set beside two others on the ground. From the quarried section in the wall, there were similar sized chunks missing.
I could tell that Bardrick wasn’t the only one starting to get excited, which only worried me. Especially if it had anything to do with going across the immense gap in the cave floor.
Bardrick joined Pepper at the piece of stone. He tried lifting it up, but from the strain on his face, it must have been heavy. Instead, he shoved it along the ground until he reached the edge of the ledge. He kept pushing until more than half of it was hanging over, without tipping off. He stopped to reach for the rope above our heads, then he stepped onto the stone. It shook free from the ground and floated forward into the air, carrying Bardrick with it. There he stood, gripping onto the rope with a stone tile pressed to his feet.
“You couldn’t imagine what this feels like,” he said with his eyes wide. “I’m not hanging really, it’s holding my weight. There must be solid lodestone at the bottom of the ravine. It has to be pushing against this block.”
I assumed it worked like two magnets repelling each other, only on a greater scale. Something that I questioned whether or not would work back at home. It looked pretty impressive. But, no matter how cool Bardrick appeared levitating over the drop-off, I knew I was no superhero. I couldn’t see how long the ravine was, but it was far and dark, I knew that much. It might have been scarier if I could have seen across, although my active imagination filled in the possibilities. In the gloom my mind came up with all kinds of scary ways this adventure would end. None of which were good.
My heartbeat rattled away in my ears so that I couldn’t hear anything more than my greatest fears and swish, swish, swish. Then, I had a thought. “There’s only three—we can’t all go across.”
Bardrick tilted the lodestone tile back onto the ground so it was no longer floating and swung himself closer to let go of the rope. On solid rock again, he brushed past me to the quarried section of lodestone. He emptied the tools from his bag onto the ground. A long chisel started sliding toward the ribbons of gray minerals in the wall. Bardrick snatched it up before it could go any farther, then used what appeared to be most of his own bodyweight to remove the horizontal mallet, which hadn’t moved an inch from the stone.
Loud clanging echoed through the space, making me cringe every time. I couldn’t imagine Bardrick would be able to carve out another tile the size of the others any time soon. At least, I hoped he wouldn’t. Going around was preferable. I couldn’t believe the others hadn’t said anything about going a different route. Based on the excited looks in their eyes, they were already imagining themselves levitating off the ground.
No more than ten minutes passed before Bardrick stopped banging on his chisel. “I need help with this. There was already a seam through this section, so all I had to do was break through it, but it’s heavy.”
His breathing was labored, and the veins in his neck were sticking out. Kyrah, Pepper and I rushed to his side to help him lower the oddly shaped section to the ground. It wasn’t anything like the other three tiles. It was significantly smaller, uneven and triangular.
I couldn’t help but raise my eyebrow at it and Bardrick, who stood proudly over it. “Is that going to work? It’s smaller, and do you know if either side will react to the loadstone below?”
The girls watched Bardrick study the grain of the minerals that ran through the rock. He then looked over the tiles. “You’re right that it is smaller and isn’t shaped in the same way, which could mean it was cut from a different part of the stone. As long as it’s positioned in the right direction, then it should repel against the lodestone below. But if I don’t get that right, it’ll fall.”
Bardrick moved the stone to the edge of the rocky ground and turned to say, “Get the other pieces ready to follow me if this works.”
Wait. Was this really happening? Bardrick, clumsy Bardrick, was going to lead us across the rope into complete darkness with only levitating rocks? This plan made me worry if I’d see the inside of Aunt Holly’s house ever again.
Bardrick reached up for the rope, then slid his uneven stone out with his feet. It bobbed in the air with the teenager perched on top. It didn’t seem as powerful as the first tile, but it didn’t fall. Bardrick called out, “Come on.”
While he moved himself forward on the rope, hand over hand, Kyrah and Pepper shoved the other three tiles close to the launch point. Pepper went next, her pale fingers wrapped around the thick twine as she tipped her lodestone rock off the ledge. Kyrah motioned for me to go next, but I couldn’t speak. My throat had gone dry. Instead, I shook my head and waved her on.
I watched her go after Pepper, all of them moving at a steady pace, although Bardrick was wobbling in the lead. Maybe it would be wise to allow them to get to the other side before I went, I suggested to myself.
Pepper’s voice hissed through the gloom, “Nim, come on. It’s fun!”
I swallowed and bent down to push my tile into place. Then, I told myself that I’d always wanted to ride on a real hover board—it was just like a ride at a theme park. My senses argued back that it was nothing like a ride, because there were no safety measures in place, only a questionable drop to our deaths.
When I reached up, the metal ring handle of the lantern got in the way. I’d forgotten about the lantern. The thought of blowing out the only source of light in this black cavern made me anxious, so I slipped my hand through the handle and let the lamp dangle from my wrist. It was uncomfortable, but it wasn’t as bad as it would have been if I had to do this in the dark. My hands grasped the prickly rope. I nudged my tile over the ledge with the tip of my shoe, half expecting it to fall away, but it glided a few inches forward, holding most of my weight.
A nervous laugh came from between my lips which turned into a giant sigh of relief. I pulled myself forward with the rope and experienced the sensation of flying. Or weightlessness. With every few feet I went, my breath seemed to catch in my throat. It might have been the most amazing experience I’ve ever had, but I just wanted to feel solid ground again.
The lantern bobbed around from my movement, its shaft of light dancing through the air. It combed from side to side, hitting the distant surface of stone. The beam reflected back bright, glassy orbs. The unmistakable gleam of eyes.
“Guys—” I said, feeling my heart stop in my chest. “Wait, I saw something.”
“What?” I heard Pepper breathe out somewhere ahead of me, clearly frightened.
The bobbing rope stilled, and I could tell everyone ahead of me had stopped.
“I think I saw a pair of eyes,” I answered, trying to slow my rapid breathing. “I’ll use the lamp.”
You know what it’s like when you hear something go bump in your room, and you search out of fear, hoping to see nothing? This was just like that, and let me tell you, I did not want to be dangling in the dark any lo
nger.
I combed the beam of light across the space. When it drifted past everyone’s hands gripping the rope ahead of me, I heard Bardrick scream. A flurry of movement stirred the air, along with high pitched screeching. Black leathery wings flapped and large beady eyes stared, unblinking—too many to count.
It was then I heard Pepper wail. “Bats! I hate bats! Hurry up, Bardrick.”
The rope began to bob and wiggle. The back of Kyrah’s head moved forward, and I followed. Through the flapping wings and painful cries echoing in the chamber, we were able to get another ten feet before Pepper screamed again. “One’s caught in my hair!”
“Keep going—it won’t hurt you.” I encouraged her, hoping I was right. This was, after all, a fantasy world where anything could happen.
“Don’t worry, it got free,” Kyrah said after a minute.
Bardrick shouted, “I think I see the other side! Just a little farther.”
I tried to tune out everything around me and only focus on the rope. My hands kept moving, carrying me forward. It could have been the rush of adrenaline, but I felt unstoppable. I would get to solid ground, and if I survived this adventure, never go exploring in a cave again. It was a promise I made with myself.
Pale blue light shone through an opening in the rock cavern ahead of us. The doorway grew closer until it was no more than twenty feet away. Looking past Kyrah I made out a pathway. It wasn’t far now.
Bardrick panted and groaned. “I’m there guys—you can do it!”
I picked up the pace, moving close to Kyrah. She slowed down, forcing me to wait. I realized they were trying to sweep the tiles up onto the rocky floor before letting go of the rope. When Kyrah was on solid ground, she turned around to wave me on. I held her stare as I attempted to do the same. The only problem was, my rectangle of lodestone got caught on the lip, and my feet stumbled off of the tile. As soon as I wasn’t weighing it down any longer, it flipped in the air and dropped into darkness. A few seconds later, a crash sounded below me.
The tips of my shoes gripped the ledge, and the rope dug into my hands as I held on for dear life. Kyrah grabbed the rope with one hand and my sweatshirt with the other. Behind her Bardrick and Pepper held onto Kyrah, trying to pull her back. We moved as a unit. They yanked me past the edge of the ground to safety.
We all stood in a tight cluster, panting with fright. It was clear to me that I definitely should have stayed home today. Hunkering down to clean my room and talk about my feelings would have been so much better than this.
“Thanks,” I wheezed, relieved to be back on solid ground.
The commotion throughout the gloomy cavern had begun to settle. I could still hear flapping and softened screeching, but the frenzy was clearly over. And the best part of all—they didn’t seem to be hungry for human flesh. Always a bonus.
Bardrick swung around to move toward the light-filled doorway when he stumbled and fell down with a groan. Pepper and Kyrah hurried around him and held their hands out to help him up. As soon as his feet were under him again, he raised his right leg. “Ah! I twisted my ankle tripping over a rock.”
“Do you think you can walk?” Kyrah asked, her brows furrowed with concern. “Let’s get out of here, so I can take a look at it in the light.”
Pepper and Kyrah lead him forward. He hopped on one foot all the way to the opening. I followed behind, eager to leave the bat cave, feeling their beady eyes watching my every step. The murky dark fell away as I walked into an illuminated grotto. I blew out the candle and shoved the lantern into my backpack.
Bardrick sat down on a chair-sized rock while Kyrah reached for his ankle. Pepper stood looking out onto the underground lake with a distant look in her eye. A high domed ceiling filled with large stalactites dripped with water. Rings of glowing moss and lichen covered the hanging cones. Crystals decorated them like beautiful chandeliers, similar to the Hall of Records.
The circular room was ringed with clear liquid and, like the underground stream, it was obvious it wasn’t at full capacity. Pale lines marked the walls over five feet above the current water level. The path ahead of us continued to the left of the reservoir, although another cave-in covered it with boulder-sized rocks.
“Is it the source?” Bardrick asked hopefully, his face wincing in pain. Kyrah looked over her shoulder at the sight of the lake, her eyes wide.
“I’ll look,” I offered. To my right I heard moving water and followed my ears. Through a series of stalagmites, I walked until I got close enough to see a groove cut into the walls, creating a channel the water flowed through. I called over to them, “This must be where the stream starts.”
I started back, and Pepper met me halfway. Her eyes were still focused on the basin of water. “If that’s where the stream starts, then where does the water come from? How was it cut off?”
“I don’t know. We’ll have to work our way around to see.”
We walked back to Kyrah and Bardrick. I could tell he was doing his best not to show the pain he was in, but it was obvious he wouldn’t be able to shake it off just yet. Kyrah stood up and put her hands on her hips. “It’s swollen. I don’t think it’s broken, but he should stay off of it.”
“I’ll be fine,” he insisted. “I trip all the time. Just need a minute to feel better.”
Kyrah gave him a sympathetic nod, then scanned the open cavern. “Did I hear you say the stream starts over there?”
“I think so,” I said. “But that doesn’t explain where all of this water comes from. We need to look around.”
Bardrick grimaced, and I could tell he was unhappy he’d hurt himself. I would have traded places with him, but at this point, I wanted to survive the day and get us back safely. Or at least, without further injury.
“We’ll be back after we look around,” Kyrah promised Bardrick before continuing along the trail.
We didn’t get far before we got to the mountain of rocks stacked nearly to the ceiling, blocking the pathway. To our right the ground gently sloped to the basin. Kyrah walked down the smoothed rock surface toward the water’s edge. From there she continued around the lake with Pepper and I close behind.
I noticed ghostly shapes moving in the water and remembered the iridescent fish swimming downstream. I wished I had crumbs to toss in the water, so I could get a closer look again, but knew I wasn’t visiting a koi pond.
Kyrah waded across a shallow section to an embankment, then pointed. “Look.”
Across from us at the far end of the lake, a large rectangular opening was cut into the rock. A solid wall of stone, or an inset door, filled the area. It was obvious it had been put there by design. Although, through the clear pool of water that covered its lower half, I could see a pile of stones at its base. If you were observant, you could see ripples on the surface of the water cast away from the door.
Pepper said, “Looks like your earthshakes caused a cave-in. Those rocks could be blocking the opening.”
“It seems like the water’s definitely flowing from there—see the ripples?” I asked.
Kyrah bit her lip and looked around. “I think you’re both right, but I think that spillway door is closed more than it should be. Maybe it shut with the movement of the earthshake. But, I don’t see how to open it.”
My eyes combed across the area. I turned and noticed the blocked pathway that we’d detoured around led up the outside of the cavern to a doorway above the recessed floodgate. I gestured toward it. “That leads somewhere important, I’m guessing.”
The only problem was, there wasn’t any way to get back up to the trail without climbing a nearly vertical surface. It was looking as if we’d tortured ourselves without reason. We’d located the problem, but it was beyond our ability to fix it. The sudden thought of going back the way we’d come gave me chills. I did not want to levitate through the bat chamber of nightmares.
Just as I was considering our options, Pepper interrupted me. “I used to be on swim team. I was the division champion two years ago in f
reestyle. I can swim down to take a closer look.”
Kyrah stared up the rock face that led to the path and said, “I can climb that. It’s no steeper than the cliffs below the gardens.”
Judging by their determined expressions, I knew I wouldn’t be able to persuade them otherwise. That bad feeling settled in my stomach again, and I prepared myself for the worst.
The Path of Least Resistance
Bardrick appeared to share my concern over the girls’ plan when they told him about it. He stood up and tried to put his full weight on his bad foot. He attempted covering the wince with a smile, but none of us bought it. He muttered, “You make it sound like no big deal. Nim, you saw the pool and rock face—are they dangerous? Should we let them do it?”
“Let us do it?” Kyrah asked, raising her eyebrow at Pepper. “The way I see it is, you’re hurt. We made it to the source. If we go back now, it would all be for nothing. People are leaving Crystal Springs and their rightful homes as we speak. It’s my duty to help them.”
I felt for Bardrick. He’d only said what I was thinking and afraid to voice. Was it against the law to worry about your friends’ safety?
Bardrick shook his head and gripped the strap to his backpack. He looked at Pepper, avoiding Kyrah’s glare. “Well, I’m not giving you my lodestone until I see this pool for myself. You might want to move these rocks away from the door, but they could tumble and fall, pinning you to the bottom.”
Great. Something new to worry about. I hadn’t even thought of that.
Pepper’s brilliant idea had come from the entrance door to the caverns. She wanted to see if the rocks that were piled up at the bottom of the pool, blocking the waterway, could be temporarily magnetized so she could move them with little effort from the recessed door.
Pepper answered defiantly, “Well, Kyrah might not be able to open the floodgate if there’s too many rocks in the way.”
The girls began to walk off, so I offered my shoulder to Bardrick who used me as a crutch. We wobbled along behind them, silent. I had no idea if their plan would work, but I found myself thinking about Pepper’s drawing again. The waterfall illustration at the end of Grandpa’s story was my insurance policy against anything horrible happening. If I were to put faith in it, I would have to hold out that luck would be on our side.
The Stone Key (The Novel Adventures of Nimrod Vale Book 2) Page 11