by C. J. Aaron
“Remember, Nielix, it was your choice to join this expedition, not mine,” he whispered. “Next time you go for a swim, you’ll do it alone.”
Nielix puffed up his chest, his face inches from Ryl’s. His nostrils flared as he glared into his eyes.
“That’s enough. Both of you,” Andr hissed. “Nielix, get yourself to the front, Ryl you take the rear. We move, now. We’ve already made enough noise to wake the dead.”
Nielix let out a low guttural growl as Andr dragged him to the front of the line. Ryl shrugged his shoulders as he made his way to the rear. As he sidled past Kaep, she placed her hand gently on his shoulder—he felt the sudden hint of electricity in her touch. The bemused smile on her face lit the darkness. The anger and animosity that had coursed through his veins moments earlier faded away. He resisted the urge to laugh.
He focused, sending a small wave of gratitude over the phrenic as he took his place at the rear.
Back in formation, the group made the slow, cold slog over the water-covered path. The steady and solid metallic tap of Ramm’s hammer on the stone pathway beat the cadence for their careful forward progress. It was with joy that they again reached the dry path. The rock walkway on which they travelled rose above the water to its side for nearly a meter. The pathway felt considerably more claustrophobic as the ceiling loomed closer, its rough stone points angled nearer to their heads.
The noise of the squishing of their feet in their waterlogged shoes became a constant companion throughout the day. It was hours again before the pathway sunk back toward the level of the water before opening to a small cavern in the rock wall. The ground here was dry and a small fire was soon crackling away, feasting hungrily on the wood of a spent torch. They’d removed their shoes and changed out of their wet apparel, letting them dry by the fire as they ate their carefully portioned rations.
“It’s been a long day,” Andr said, breaking the heavy silence that had fallen over the group. “Let’s camp here tonight. We’ll start out fresh again after some rest. Ceado, you have first watch.”
There were no complaints from the others at the thoughts of rest. Ryl made his way to the rock wall furthest from the water, leaning his back against the cold stone. By all accounts, they should be halfway through the blackness of the journey. He longed for the light of day.
Thanks to his weary body, rest came quickly. The rhythmic sounds of his companions breathing helped lull him into a light sleep.
Ryl awoke with a start. His heart raced in his chest. The feeling was reminiscent of the agony that followed being awakened from a nightmare. He surveyed the group. All but one still slumbered. Ceado paced quietly along the water’s edge.
He knew that sleep would not soon find him again. Grudgingly, he retrieved his warmed, dried shoes from alongside the coals of the dying fire before moving to relieve the Vigil from his watch.
Ceado had moved slightly off to the left of the opening of the cave they now rested in, back in the direction they’d come. He greeted Ryl with a smile and a yawn.
“I’ll take over from here,” Ryl offered politely.
“Thank you,” Ceado acknowledged, happily handing over the lantern. “It’s been quiet. I could use a rest.”
The guard shuffled back toward the camp as Ryl scanned the area with his mindsight, followed by the light of the lantern. All was still.
Several paces from him, Ryl heard Ceado’s footsteps stop abruptly. He spun around, shining the light toward the Vigil. The man was standing close to the water's edge, leaning forward, eyes intent on something under the water’s surface.
“What is that?” the Vigil whispered, pointing his hand out toward the black water.
From below, a tiny pinpoint of light was growing in intensity as it rose to the surface. Ceado leaned closer to get a better look. The light from Ryl’s lantern penetrated the water. Its beams reflected off something glistening below the unexplainable light. The shimmering moved of its own accord, the light tracking the outline of a massive object from the deep.
“Get back from the water,” Ryl screamed.
The confused Vigil jumped at the sound, turning to face Ryl instead of backing away. The unexplainable glowing ball of light stopped at the water’s surface before flickering out.
Water exploded out from around the vanished light as a massive form surged from the depths. Its head was huge, black and circular, stretching easily two meters across. Its mouth spread open, rows of jagged teeth glistened in the light. A deep gurgling sound shook the tunnel as it rose from within the beast.
Ceado fell backward, his feet sliding across the wet stones as he frantically struggled to flee. His efforts were in vain; the vicious jaws clamped shut on the upper half of his body, hoisting him in the air with a spray of blood. The guard’s frenzied wail was silenced instantly.
Ryl dropped the lantern as he wrenched the Leaves from their holster. The blades burst to life instantly, illuminating the tunnel with their shimmering green light. The rest of the party—alerted by his warning screams—were steadily gaining their feet. He could see the fire growing in Vox’s hand.
All had occurred in a matter of seconds. Ryl’s anger surged at the death of his companion; the speed flowed forth unbeckoned. He had been so intent on warning the doomed Vigil that his focus had strayed from the water along his side. Time had yet to slow as he made to take his first step. An unseen tail whipped from the water, slamming into his back, tossing his body into the air.
Ryl’s body slammed into the cavern wall near where his companions rose from their slumber. He struck the wall with a bone jarring force, robbing the breath from his lungs, and the side of his head ricocheted off the stone, sending a lancing jolt of pain through his body. The Leaves went dormant as they slipped from his hands, clattering as they bounced off the rock floor below. Ryl watched in slow motion as the weapons rebounded upward before falling again. The sound that accompanied their impact was thunderous.
Ryl’s vision blurred as he reflexively sprang back to his feet. His footing was tenuous, his legs felt frail and hobbled, and he fought to retain his consciousness as the world around him spun. As he stumbled across the damp stone a fireball screamed over his head.
A solid thump echoed through the cavern of the underground river and the room flared with light as the fireball exploded on its mark. Ryl could feel the wave of heat from the blast as he staggered to collect his weapons. The hiss of fire extinguishing and the sizzle of burning flesh were followed by a roar that shook the cavern. Small streams of loose dirt and stone fell from the walls and ceiling.
He heard Kaep call his name as she quickly glanced back at him between launching her arrows. Her voice resonated in his ears, but the words were garbled and distorted. He stumbled, falling to a knee as he reached to snatch the Leaves from the ground near his feet.
Ramm streamed through the smoke that had formed from the detonation of Vox’s attack. His war-hammer was hefted at the ready behind his shoulders—an involuntary grunt rumbled from his throat as he swung the massive weapon at the side of the beast’s serpentine face. The creature thrashed in pain, swinging its head from side to side. Ceado’s lifeless legs slapped against its skin, still wedged among the teeth in the creature’s lower jaw.
An unexpected recoil of its writhing form caught Ramm unprepared. The side of its gargantuan head slammed into the phrenic, sending his body careening back toward his companions. The giant of a man was impossible for Vox to avoid. They both went down in a heap, taking with them Andr and Dav, who had valiantly surged forward to attack, albeit without the speed of the phrenic.
The creature’s head reared upward, its large wide-set eyes seemingly focusing on the writhing bodies of the phrenics and Vigil. Ryl gritted his teeth as the frustration mounted. His body failed to respond to his commands as his head still reeled from the impact against the wall. With a growl, he retrieved the weapons that had skipped out of his frantic reach. The shimmering blades flared to life; the gout of green fire burned along their edges. The
creature opened its mouth as it moved in for a strike. A protective lid blinked over its eye. Kaep’s arrow shattered in a rain of splinters as it failed to penetrate the scaly skin.
This had all taken place in a matter of a few short moments. The curse of the phrenics speed left time to analyze and doubt the actions of the past as time ticked by. The monster from the deep moved with a frightening speed. Even with his boost of speed, it was relatively quick in comparison. Ryl had the sinking fear that the battle would be over soon; that his friends wouldn’t live to see the outcome.
From the left side of the beast, a shadow slipped from the darkened edges of the wall. There was a flash of green as the fire burning from the Leaves in his hands reflected off the naked steel of a blade. Deyalou darted under the belly of the creature, slashing his outstretched blade across the scales. He carried an object in his opposite hand, though Ryl couldn’t focus to solidify the details. A thin crease opened where his blade had passed, immediately oozing a stream of red blood. There was a second thunderous roar from the creature as it slammed its body down on the ground intent on crushing the offending phrenic underneath. Still wobbling on his feet, Ryl was pitched to the ground again as the cavern shook from the impact.
Deyalou was unfazed by the jolt. He spun his body around as he passed, pitching the object in his off hand back at the beast. The identity of the projectile became clear as it smashed on the ground before the creature. The lantern, recently held by Ceado, sprayed shrapnel and oil across the ground, the beast and the churning water of the river.
“Vox. Fire!” Deyalou screamed as he backpedaled from the creature as it snapped its jaws closed with a clack that echoed through the cavern.
Though he was still working his way back to his feet, the elementalist responded immediately. Still on his knees, he released a small ball of fire that went screaming from his hand. The detonation as the flame hit the ground before the creature was minor, but the effect was dramatic. The oil from the lantern caught immediately. A brilliant fire blossomed to life, stretching high into the air, illuminating the river in near daylight. The creature hissed as it withdrew, the fire filling in the space cleared by its passage. The blaze spread outward across the surface of the water as the beast plunged back into the depths from whence it came.
Chapter 45
The fire that had spread across the chamber and water faded quickly as it greedily consumed the oil that sustained its life. Soon, only small pockets of flame floated across the calming waters where the beast had emerged. Ryl, the Leaves burning in his hands, staggered through the group toward where the phrenics now stood. As his concentration and focus resolved, the light from the blades increased. The scene they illuminated was chaos.
The four phrenics formed a rough line in front of the remaining Vigil, weapons drawn and ready. A ball of fire burned in Vox’s hand. Behind them, Andr was holding back Nielix, the man’s obscenity laced tirade echoed through the tunnel.
“Gather your things,” Ramm boomed. “We need to move now. There’s no telling if that thing will come back.”
Andr pushed Nielix back to their closely grouped belongings. The fuming guard glared at Ryl with hatred burning in his eyes, and he spat as he past.
“Ryl, are you hurt?” Andr asked, turning his attention from the heated Nielix.
“I’m fine,” Ryl stammered. He could feel the blood running down the side of his head. “What was that thing?”
“I haven’t a clue, nor the time to care,” Andr said. “It’s too dangerous to linger.”
Ryl nodded in agreement before moving to take his place among the line of phrenics.
“Whatever that was, it doesn’t like fire,” Vox added. “I don’t care to know what else waits below the water’s surface.”
“We need to make haste,” the calm voice of Deyalou cut through the dark.
There was no time to mourn their fallen comrade.
With eyes trained on the water, the group collected what was left of their belongings, Ramm shouldering the pack that Ceado had carried. They continued on in their closely packed single file line. Their usual cautious pace had been quickened to a hurried retreat.
Hour after hour, they continued along the narrow path at breakneck speed. The last remaining ripples that had disturbed the surface of the black water had long since stilled, yet their eyes remained vigilant, weapons in their hands at the ready.
Fear drove them to push their bodies to the brink. They paused briefly and rested for only hours at a time. None had any desire to linger in the darkness of the river’s tunnel.
Days passed without sign of the beast from the depths. Did the snakelike creature return from whence it came, or did it stalk them from the beneath the concealment of the water? What other horrors remained undiscovered in the hidden subterranean waters?
Adding to their alarm, food was running short as was the fuel to keep their lanterns lit. They’d traveled for four days since the attack with only a few hushed words shared between them. The overriding fear of the unknown silenced them as they raced along the path, yet anticipation that the tunnel must soon reach its end spurred them faster.
They had witnessed scattered ripples from the water, heard the popping of bubbles from beneath, yet thankfully nothing had emerged.
Ryl had taken the lead as the group staggered to a start at the beginning of the fifth morning since the attack. They’d been underground now for nine days.
Nine days since they’d seen the light of the sun.
Nine days since they’d breathed the fresh mountain air.
The noise of the water ahead had been growing steadily over the last day of travel. The distant roar of rapids was amplified as it carried through the cramped confines of the tunnel. Ryl slowed as the path came to an abrupt stop several meters ahead of him. The sound of rushing water was now nearly deafening.
Ryl shuffled forward along the path to its end, peering his head around the corner. He let out an audible gasp, loud enough to be heard over the din of the water.
“Ryl, what is it?” Deyalou asked, placing his hand on his shoulder.
The vision around the corner was spectacular. A wide lake stretched out before him.
To the left, the opposite end of the lake was lost into darkness. In front of him, the water along the wall bubbled with the fury of sudden and dramatic rapids.
The pathway they’ve been traveling narrowed to a step wide as it made a sharp corner to the right. From there it continued along the edge of the wall. In the distance, however, was the vision that had taken his breath away.
A narrow, yet solid beam of light pierced the darkness from the wall of the chamber high above. The ray, reflecting off the particles in the air appeared to undulate with movement.
Ryl turned back to his companions.
“There’s light ahead,” he beamed.
The cheer that escaped their lips was uncontrollable, yet quickly stifled.
“Then what are you waiting for?” Ramm pondered. “I’m eager to be free from this tomb.”
After navigating the tight corner, the path opened wider, allowing distance between themselves and the black waters. A narrow sandy beach spread out along the edge of the path. With renewed energy, they hastened toward the edge of the chamber. The pathway again ceased without warning as it ran into the sheer face of the wall. A small pile of rubble collected at the foot of the rock in front of him. Ryl swung the lantern to the right, shining it toward the rocks at their side. The light illuminated a narrow, crudely carved staircase dug into the stone.
The steps of the stairs were steep. Crude markings from the rough tools used to dig out the staircase left thick scars across the faces of the steps. They ascended for several meters before stopping on a flat, natural landing. From there, they pivoted sharply back to the left before reaching a second landing.
Ryl felt the presence of the door. He'd accompanied Kaep, Vox, Deyalou and Ramm on several scouting missions outside the city walls; the door to the city would open
on command. Ryl turned back toward his companions gathered on the steps behind him. There was no attempt to hide the anticipation on their faces.
“Shield your eyes, it will take some time to get accustomed to the light again,” he advised. “Be wary, we know not what lies on the other side.”
Turning back to face the concealed doorway, he closed his eyes taking a deep, steadying breath. In his mind he pictured the stone of the mountain vanishing before his eyes. He projected the image outward as he touched the wall with an outstretched finger. The stone rippled with his contact, and the waves bounced when they hit the corners of the door, reflecting back inward. Within moments the entire surface had been disturbed, seething at the hands of the overlapping waves before becoming translucent.
The light that poured through the open doorway was overpowering. The newly risen sun cast its blinding rays directly into the opening. Ryl blinked the tears from his eyes as he stepped back into the darkened tunnel.
The decision was made to progress slowly, although the urge to flee the interior of the mountain was intense. On either side of the blinding doorway and on the landing before the stairs turned there was ample room for all to rest. They leaned against the rough, stone walls, willing their eyes to accept the addition of the powerful, natural light. The process was sluggish. The phrenic’s eyes were the first to adjust to the point where they were comfortable exiting the concealed door.
Surrounding the hidden doorway was a terrain both beautiful and terrifying. They had reached The Crags.
An interlocking maze of jagged vertical pillars and mazelike avenues stretched out in all directions from the near vertical face of the cliff. A slender, natural pathway led down several meters from where the door exited leading between two of the fractured pillars.
The monochromatic landscape of the The Crags reminded Ryl of his fateful journey across the Outlands. The Crags were a mix of tans and yellows. The stone, weathered by the winds that raced through its narrow corridors, looked brittle, though there was little debris strewn across the sandy ground. To the east, many miles in the distance, the sunlight sparkled off the waters of the Sister Lakes. South of the water a long green forest stretched outward across the horizon. His mind immediately thought of the Erlyn, though he knew the boughs of her trees lay many long miles further south.