As the rat struggled to free itself, the boys had made their way deeper into the cave. Jord lit his torch with a flint spark. It illuminated their faces in the darkness, casting long shadows across the walls. Soon, they came upon the flailing rodent.
“Hey, that little one’s trapped.” Alix grabbed the torch from his brother’s hand and knelt down beside the creature. The rat screeched and recoiled, but found itself too tightly entangled to escape. “Should we help it?”
“Those things bite! Do you want to get bone rot?”
“But I think it’s scared.” Alix reached out to the vine constricting the tiny rat.
Jord grabbed him by the shoulders and forcibly yanked him backwards. “Don’t be an idiot!”
Alix narrowed his eyes at his brother and stood, clenching his fists. “Don’t call me an idiot, idiot! You take that back!”
“You’re always being stupid! No wonder you fell from the top of the barn last week! And had to be rescued from the river last year!”
“I said take…it…back!”
The boys lunged for one another, knocking each other to the floor. Alix dropped the torch and the tiny rodent screeched. Punches flew, feet kicked, and before long the brothers had pummeled each other savagely over a simple calling of names. Jord, trying to subdue his sibling, wrapped his arms around Alix’ chest and biceps, holding the younger boy firmly in his strong grip. Alix tried to wriggle free, his feet flailing wildly beneath him.
The torch rolled away from the warring siblings and the flames began to dim as the burning end became coated in dust. In the throes of thrashing, Alix’ shoe collided with the cave wall, punching through the brittle stone. Stale, dusty air rushed out of the opening, extinguishing the torch. The sudden darkness stopped the boys’ fracas. They lay there, panting in each other’s arms, staring at the hole. Letting go of his younger brother, Jord scrambled toward the opening, pushing his body flat to the floor in order to peer inside.
“What do you see?” Alix’ voice was a hushed whisper.
The older boy squinted. There seemed to be a dim light source emanating from somewhere inside.
“Something’s in here…” He sniffed, his nose wrinkling. “Smells old.”
Alix’ voice quivered. “W-we shouldn’t be messing…”
Jord pushed himself up, sitting cross-legged in front of the opening. He started to remove loose rocks and wall chunks, and after a few minutes, had excavated a hole big enough for both boys to wiggle through. He lay on his belly and motioned for his brother to do the same. “Let’s go.”
“I’m not goin’ in there!”
“You’re always complaining that nothing fun or exciting ever happens in our village—what do you think this is?”
“I don’t know…” Alix scowled and nervously wrung his hands together. “Pops said if we got caught snoopin’ around again, he’d whip us good.”
“I don’t see Pops anywhere around here, do you?” Jord huffed and snaked his body into the hole, grunting as he pulled himself along. He barely made it through without getting stuck. When he was on the other side, he thrust his hand through the opening and beckoned for Alix with a crooked finger.
The younger boy reluctantly followed, not too happy about going into a strange chamber—but not willing to stay out in the darkness by himself. When he emerged, he found himself bathed in a soft purple light. In contrast to the dark cavern they had left behind, the haunting illumination exposed a completely new environment. No longer were the walls lined with cracks and moss, the floor littered with years of dirt and debris.
No, this room was man-made, meticulously carved from the actual bedrock of the mountain. The walls were smooth and polished, the floor shined to a mirror finish, accumulating only a light coating of dust. Unlit wall sconces hung dark around the perimeter. Jord inspected the lights, hopeful he could ignite any leftover fuel to illuminate their surroundings. He was surprised to find the bowls contained hunks of crystal, with no way he could discern to “turn them on.” Never in his life had he seen such lamps.
Centuries had passed since the footfalls of man had last graced the room’s interior, but traces of the human creators still remained. Books and potion bottles resided on shelves. Dozens of weapons hung on racks—everything from maces and daggers to intricately carved bows and pole arms. They all appeared to be made of a crystalline material, shimmering in the soft purple glow coming from across the chamber.
“What is this place?” Alix’ voice was a hushed, awed whisper. He instinctively reached for his older brother’s hand for comfort, even though they had been fighting mere moments before.
“Come on, let’s look around.” Jord accepted Alix’ hand and held it tightly. He knew his little brother was nervous. Alix hesitated for a moment, his brother gently tugging him to finally encourage him forward.
Having no need for a torch in the eerie light, the boys circled the chamber. They stopped at a bookshelf, Jord removing one of the volumes from storage. Leafing through it briefly, he and his brother looked in wonder at the incredible hand-drawn pictures of warriors, mythical beasts, and fantastical weapons. The language was one they did not recognize, so the stories told within were lost on them.
“Those pages are sparkling, Jord! That’s not like any book I’ve ever seen.” Alix stared intently at one of the pages, taking the corner in-between his fingers, feeling the smooth texture of the vellum-like paper. “It’s so soft! Can we take it with us?”
“Better not. We’d get whooped for sure if Pops found it.” Jord set the tome back in its place, trailing his fingers across the spines of the other books as he walked down the length of the shelf.
Feeling braver, Alix moved ahead on his own, before halting in front of a grand rack of weapons. His eyes widened in awe as he gingerly reached a hand out to touch a shimmering war axe, its leather-wrapped hilt embedded with iridescent flecks of minerals. His brother did the same, marveling at the flawless crystal blade. “I’ve never seen anything like this in my life. Pops sure can’t make swords like these.”
Jord approached and immediately attempted to pluck the axe from the stand, only to have it crash to the floor. He had obviously underestimated how heavy the piece actually was. His younger brother shrieked and clapped his hands over his ears at the hideous racket.
“You’ll break it! Put it back before we get in trouble!”
“Who’s gonna tell on us?” The teen scoffed as he strained to pick the axe up and replace it. He struggled to hoist it back into its slot. When it was safely back on its perch, he noticed a small knick in the blade edge. Scowling, he turned the weapon to the side, hoping the missing chunk would go unnoticed by—whomever—looked at it next.
Jord perused the selection once more, this time choosing a smaller hand-axe. Removing it from the rack, he gripped the handle firmly before giving it a test swing. The lighter weight allowed for the young man to whip it around with ease, his brother backing away quickly.
“Now this is more like it!” Taking a fighting stance, Jord motioned for his brother to grab the axe’s twin.
Alix shook his head. “You’re gonna cut your hand off.”
“C’mon! It’s just like your woodcutting axe back home—only way neater. You have to try at least once.” He swung the weapon over his head before letting it come to rest on his shoulder. The boys were no strangers to hand weapons, their father being the town weapon smith.
Alix took the other axe from the stand. The weight was more substantial than his handy wood-axe back home, and the crystal blade seemed to sing as it cut through the air. The boy marveled. “I wonder who made these things?”
“Dunno, but they’re old.” Jord gave the hand axe one last swing before depositing it back on the rack. Alix followed suit, sad to let the weapon go. Making sure they were both secure, Jord ran his hand over the smooth blade surface one more time.
Venturing near an ornate glass case, Alix peered inside. A grand crystal helmet sat perched on a silver pedestal, the eyes
vacant, the material shimmering. He jiggled the delicate handle on the cabinet, only to find it locked tight. Content to just look, he took a moment to admire the glittering accessory. He wondered who might have worn it, or what it signified. Maybe it was a brave warrior—or perhaps an evil one? The face was definitely fearsome and likely scared anyone facing it in battle.
Jord stood in front of a shelf containing dozens of colored glass bottles, labeled in a language they did not understand. He picked one up, watching the liquid slosh within. Alix joined him at his side, reaching for a bottle of his own.
“What do you think’s in there?” He tried wiggling the stopper, scowling when it wouldn’t budge.
“Perfume, maybe? Or potions?” Jord successfully pried the cap from the vial in his hands and slowly brought it to his nose. Inhaling gingerly, his lips soon curled into a smile. “Smells like mom!” He held the bottle out to his brother, who agreed with his observation. Intrigued, he replaced the cap and set the container back on the shelf before grabbing another. That bottle was dark brown in color, the liquid inside not nearly as thin as the other had been. It stuck to the sides as he tipped the vial. Removing the cork, he sniffed again—and immediately gagged. The contents had obviously spoiled—or perhaps were meant to be horrid-smelling. Either way, he wasn’t about to sample it again. Offering it to his brother with a mischievous smirk, the younger boy pushed his hands away with an offended scoff before plugging his nostrils.
“Put the stopper back in! It’s stinkin’ up the whole room!” Alix coughed with a grimace.
The older boy replaced the cork and set the bottle back in its original place. He waved his hand in front of his face to dissipate the smell.
“You think it was rotten?”
“Maybe. Or it might have been poison. There’s an awful lot of weapons in here.” Jord pointed to a quiver of crystal arrows. “You could dip the point of one of those in it, or coat the blade of a short sword and that would end your enemy’s day real quick.”
Alix shivered at the thought. “Why do you think this place is here? I don’t recognize any of this stuff.”
Jord shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. Looks like an armory, maybe?”
“Just think about how much money Pops could make if he could forge this type of weaponry! We’d be rolling in gamm!”
“Got that right.” Jord looked back at the weapons racks longingly. “But I’ve never seen this material—ever. Pops has never mentioned anything like it. It’s like…”
“…it’s forgotten.” Alix peered over to the other side of the room and pointed, his voice suddenly nervous. “Jord? Look…”
A low hum permeated the chamber, quiet and unassuming, pulsing like a heartbeat. An object: opaque, crystalline, and man-sized, sat on the floor, producing the purple light that had first illuminated them upon entry. It was draped with flowers, long since dried out. The colors of the petals faded over time, their once powerful scent no longer distinguishable from the stench of stale cavern air.
Jord approached hesitantly. Leaning over, he peered inside. “What is this?”
Through the glass cover, he could barely make out the shape of a person. Sucking in a surprised breath, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He wiped away the thin layer of dust at the head of the container, exposing the interior through the glass lid.
A woman, clad in crystalline armor, laid peacefully, a crystal bow clutched across her breast. Golden hair splayed out from her head onto a satin pillow. Jord couldn’t tell if she was dead or alive, but if she were deceased, it was the most impressive example of embalming he’d ever seen. Alix moved next to him and immediately gasped.
“It’s a lady!”
Still completely in awe, all the older boy could muster was, “Yeah…” He plucked a dried petal from one of the rose chains lying across the top of the sarcophagus. It disintegrated on his fingertips and he let the resulting flecks fall to the floor.
“Is she dead?”
“I…I don’t know.” He was captivated by the woman. From her attire, he surmised that she had to be a warrior. The weapon she held resembled the pieces hanging on the surrounding racks. They seemed to be struck from the same material, shimmering in the low light. Her plate mail was crystal and iridescent, glittering from inside the sarcophagus. It matched the style of the helmet perfectly. He wondered how long she had been here—and who had placed her in this situation. He slowly moved from the head of the box to the foot, his fingers ghosting across the smooth lid.
Rounding the front of the coffin, Jord found himself looking down at a series of glowing, inlaid gems. Five in all, they were flush with the glass box in which they were set. He felt compelled to touch them, but stopped short. He figured they were the release mechanism for the lid, or perhaps, if the mysterious woman wasn’t dead, the controls that kept her asleep. Whatever they did, he knew better than to disturb them.
“Who do you think she is?” Alix’ voice was awestruck.
“Someone important. Whoever did this wouldn’t have gone to all this trouble if she wasn’t special.” Jord suddenly felt very uneasy. Who was this woman? What if this whole room was supposed to stay sealed forever—and they had just undone everything by exposing her? Nervous butterflies fluttered in his stomach. “I don’t think we were meant to find her—I don’t think anyone was. We should go.”
Jord tugged on his brother’s sleeve, the young boy reluctantly following his sibling. They backed away from the sarcophagus with reverence. They knew nothing about this crystalline-clad warrior, and whether or not she was deserving of such honor. But, something about her appearance, the room, its contents—told them that she commanded respect, both in her life before, and her existence now.
Quickly worming their way back through the hole in the wall, Jord searched for the discarded torch. He lit the end with his flint. When they had sufficient light to see, the boys carefully piled the rocks back up as best they could to conceal the opening. For extra defense, Jord scattered dried foliage across the stones, draping hanging moss over the craggy surfaces. Inspecting the disguised entrance to the secret room, the teen rearranged the leaves once more before deciding he was satisfied with placement. He grabbed Alix by the arm and led him back through the cavern. They briefly stopped in front of the rotting oinox, leaving quickly as the stench overpowered them.
Once they were out of the cave and back in the fresh mountain air, the boys sat on a boulder, quietly taking in the scenery. A bird swooped high overhead, screeching into the afternoon air. They remained there for several long moments, neither one discussing what they had just experienced. Alix reached into his pocket and pulled out two strips of fruit leather, handing one to his brother. “Jord, we’re not going to tell anyone about this, right?”
“Hell no.” The older boy tore off a piece of the thick treat with his front teeth.
The young boy spit in the palm of his hand and extended it to his brother. “Swear on it?”
Jord laughed and mirrored his sibling, depositing a giant glob of saliva in his own palm before pressing it against that of his brother. “Swear. We’ll keep her safe. Besides, it’s not like we’ll never see her again. That oinox is a treasure trove, and it’s going to take us months to scavenge all the bones.”
“What if people get suspicious about where we’re finding all this stuff?”
“Then we tell them it’s from somewhere else. If they go looking, it’s their own problem. We can always sell the stuff to traders coming from the Crossroads Market, so we don’t raise suspicions in town.”
Alix nodded in agreement as he finished his snack. “We better get home. Those teeth in my pouch are starting to stink.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
6 fluid ounces Base fluid, 2 Midnight Beetle carapaces (pulverized), 1 heaping Imperial scoop crystallized bat skin, 2 drops bat blood. Boil carapaces in base fluid for ten minutes. Let cool to room temp. Add other ingredients and shake vigorously before bottling. Sediment will dissolve.
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-Recipe for simple healing potion, Maxxald Bren
Keld in the morning was a sight to behold.
The sunlight glinted off the rooftops, glittering stonework reflecting the new days’ brightness. The city was already bustling with early-morning deliveries and people heading to work. Children waved goodbye to parents as the school wagons whisked them off to their classes, shop owners readied their storefronts for the business day ahead.
Prince Roann took a sip of his coffee and sighed contentedly. His day had started wonderfully and without incident. He had awoken feeling serene after a good night’s sleep, blissfully aware that he didn’t have any meetings with cranky ministers or persistent deans. The schedule for the day was light and enjoyable—and he was very much looking forward to setting foot in the city proper. Deciding to take his morning meal on his grand balcony, he watched the city surge beneath him. He daydreamed as the wind whipped through his hair, birds above screeching their morning calls. It wasn’t until his assistant’s voice snapped him from his thoughts that he returned to the real world.
“Your Highness? The carriage is waiting.”
Roann turned to acknowledge the woman. “Thank you, Casmit. I’ll be right down.”
“Don’t dawdle…” She eyed him knowingly and backed away from the doors.
Draining his cup of coffee in one last gulp, Roann wrapped a small biscuit in a napkin for later and stood. Straightening his doublet, he took one last look at his city before making his way to his waiting stagecoach.
~~~
“You’ll be making three stops today, Your Highness. The new alchemist, Ryris Bren, has been open for a week now. His shop is already doing quite well, and I’ve scheduled a visit so you can officially welcome him. He’s come all the way from Blackthorne.”
The Alchemist: Dawn of Destiny Page 10