by A D Lombardo
The water pounded beside them and threatened to pull them away from the wall. Kai recalled his dream and searched the stone wall for the symbolic groves, three interlocking loops with no end. He had researched the symbol and learned it was called a triquetra. The drawing his uncle had shown him. When his hand felt the three converging lines, he smiled. “This is it. The symbol is here. How do we open a solid stone wall?”
“Allow me.” Liam spread his arms apart. He placed one hand on either side of the triquetra. The ground trembled. Part of the wall receded deep into the surrounding stone. Kai watched in amazement.
Rayna looked deep into the dark passage. “Are we meant to walk through this tunnel?”
Liam held up his finger and shook his head. Placing his hands on either side of the opening. His knuckles turned white with the pressure he applied. Slowly his fingers dented the stone. He rotated his hands and pulled downward. Thundering quakes shook the ground. The rock wall gave way and slid down, out of sight.
They now stood in front of a shallow undercut portico, made from a mixture of white and gray marble. The entrance was astonishing, with twisted columns, arches, and several masterfully cut steps. At the center of the recessed wall, in the spot where one would expect a door, the original stone slab became an archway with the triquetra symbol carved repeatedly around the arch.
Astonished at Liam’s ability, Kai approached the archway. With his hands, Kai touched the jagged white and gray marble. Again, he traced the symbol cut into the stone wall. Pain ached in his trembling hand as he ran his finger over the design. Rayna’s hand touched his hand. His heart felt relief—they had made it.
Liam breathed heavy. Kai could see the task had taken a toll. “Does it look this way for everyone?” Kai asked, impressed.
“It does not. Each Stoneking is free to create and show off his skill. I have a lot to learn. I still have trouble mastering large-scale creations without feeling drained.” Liam offered his hand. “You still have a long way to go, my friend. Good luck, and trust your gut, it got you this far. Alenga’s mountain is a sacred place, you will feel very different inside.”
Liam pressed his hand into the original stone slab, but then a look of frustration knit his brow. His knuckles turned white with the pressure he applied. The slab didn’t budge. “Why did the Stonekings even let me reveal the entrance, only to bar the way?”
Kai stepped back, disappointed. “Ryker said the Stonekings may not let us inside. What now, are we finished?”
“I don’t know.” Liam scratched his head. “This is the way into Alenga’s Mountain. We all go this way, from this side anyway.”
Rayna looked up. “How close are the other Stonekings, do you think? I mean, if they are controlling this opening, they would need to be close. Right?”
“They would. Within a few hundred feet, even our best would need to be close. Within gleaning range to control the stones. What are you thinking?”
She closed her eyes. Kai and Liam watched her. “You are right, they are close. Over there, two hundred feet to our left.”
“Where are you going with this?” Kai asked.
Rayna ran her hand over the stone arch. “If the door is locked, make a window.”
The curve of Liam’s mouth curled up. “Clever. I like her, Kai. You’re a lucky man. Come, I have an idea. I believe I can trick them. Get you in another way. The Guardians were created to protect the Katori way of life. Nobody has the right to judge your soul. Your parentage doesn't make who you are. Legend or not, I have faith in you.”
Liam stepped back to the ledge, knelt and pressed his hands into the stone ground. As quickly as it had fallen, the stone wall rose before them. With the twist of his hand, he pulled to the stone door through the void. No seam revealed Liam had ever changed the wall.
Damp from the water’s spray, Liam directed them away from the falls, they stood behind the towering pine trees. Kai and Rayna found themselves facing a sheer, straight wall. “Stand close to one another—single file behind me. This will take everything I have left. Move fast.”
“Liam, where are you taking us?” Kai asked. “There is nowhere to go.”
“Trust me. Stay close. As I step up, you follow,” Liam commanded. “We won’t have long. Once the Stonekings discover my plan, they will relocate and try to block me. We are going up the falls. Normally you would have climbed up through the cavern to reach the entrance to her tunnels. Instead, I'm going to drop you in from above. You will drop into a pool, which is part of Alenga’s Mountain.”
Before Kai could ask questions, Liam touched the wall and raised his foot. A rumble emanated from the wall. The rock receded. Steep stone steps cut into the wall. “Hurry,” Liam shouted. “We must climb the side of the waterfall.”
Kai and Rayna quickly followed. Each knee-raising step took them deep into a dark, narrow tunnel. The claustrophobic space left little room for Kai’s shoulders. After the first few steps, a crack of light appeared above. As they climbed, the skylight above became more prominent. Kai could feel the sunshine on his face once more. The blue sky made it easier to breathe.
Behind them, the stairwell began to close. Rayna stepped in closer behind Kai, kicking his heels. He lurched forward but caught himself before falling. Rayna called out, “Sorry!”
Liam kept a quick pace. “Hold on to each other and keep climbing,” Liam instructed, his body twisted to the right. He glanced at the ground beneath Kai’s feet. With his right hand behind him, angled outward, he curled his fingers into a fierce claw. Under Kai’s feet, the ground began to shake. Rayna grabbed Kai’s belt. She fell to one knee, pulling Kai down with her. Kai cringed as his knee struck the edge of the stone step. Concerned about the gap between him and Liam, he shouted, “Liam, wait!” Kai reached back and pulled Rayna to her feet.
“Hold on,” Liam shouted over the rumble, still climbing while his arm arched upward over his head.
Kai rushed to catch Liam, dragging Rayna with a firm grip. Her shoulder bumped the sidewall, and she grimaced against the pain. “Slow down,” she screamed.
The ground below their feet shuttered and rose skyward. Liam glanced over his shoulder, and with another twist of his hand, they were thrust forward. They were now moving in two directions at once. Up and forward. Alarmed, Kai put his hand against the wall as it slid backward. He dropped Rayna’s hand, and she shoved him back upright. The walls around them flew past them.
“Thank you,” he shouted to Rayna. “Are you alright?”
Sunshine continued to bloom around them. “I’m fine,” she hollered.
He steadied himself, squatting to touch the next step. With a firm grasp on Rayna’s hand, he took a few steps. His knees wobbled. They continued to move forward and higher. Within moments they were thrust to the surface. Free from the confines of the narrow space, Liam ran upriver and crouched near its rocky edge.
Liam motioned, wide-eyed. “Hurry!” He stepped into the river. “When I open the hole, jump, don't hesitate. I might not be able to keep it open very long. Once you are in, there is nothing they can do.”
Liam dropped to his knees and plunged his fist into the river. The ground unfolded like a flower, forming a cone-shaped sinkhole. The sound of stone grinding against itself startled Rayna, and she grabbed Kai’s wrist. Water gushed in the hole and dumped into a water-filled cavern. Liam shouted “GO!” as the hole began to shrink.
Kai leaned over the edge and glanced at Rayna. She leaped over the edge. Water sloshed around her as she slid down the steep gravel slope. Kai jumped after her. His rump struck the sloping ground harder than he wished. He slid right behind her.
Chapter 7
Conhaspriga
They plunged into the blue-green water below with a tremendous splash. Above them, the hole sealed shut, blocking out the sunlight. They swam to the surface. Waves bounced off the cavern walls, splashing back at them. Once they were sealed inside, Kai surveyed the cave. Liam was gone.
The cavern was not as dark as he had
feared. Tiny multifaceted star-like gems were set into the rock, and these white-and-blue iridescent crystals illuminated the cavern. Each one was cut precisely and brilliantly beautiful. He could see the energy within set aglow. Magic thrummed from the walls, water, and plant life. The power inside the mountain felt energetic yet peaceful. Kai was no longer afraid. This was a safe place, he could feel the tranquility. Thirsty, he drank some of the water from the pool. The freshwater washed down his dry throat.
The room itself was perfectly round. Kai could see the outline of a dome ceiling, once open, now sealed shut. The white and gray marble of the Katori Mountains filled the space. Only the occasional drip down the walls reminded Kai that they were beneath a vast moving river. Various green plants grew in clumps around a shallow rocky beach. Vines grew up the walls.
“Let’s go,” Kai instructed, swimming to the shallow beach area to the open archway.
Kai stood on the pebbly underground beach. He took his time to listen and look around at their new surroundings. The sloshing of the pool echoed across the jagged dome, but the sound of the river above and the waterfall outside was blocked by the thick stone. On the opposite wall, he could see the marble archway and a set of stairs leading down, the place where they would have entered had Liam not opened the ceiling for them.
They climbed up to a dark open doorway. The iridescent crystals randomly placed along the walls gave just enough light to traverse the uneven ground safely. Rayna squeezed Kai’s hand, and he gave her a nod. “Do you feel the magic in the air?”
Rayna wiped the water from her cheek. “For the first time in days, I feel a weight lifted off my soul. There is… almost a presence around us.”
“I feel it, too.”
Deep inside the tunnel, a small pedestal awaited with a single lit torch. Orange and yellow flames gave off a warm glow. Kai took Rayna's hand; her warm fingers interlaced with his. Their first steps echoed off the walls of the cavern. Gem lights twinkled above, and the space began to narrow. Weaving through a slender tunnel, Rayna slid her hand along the smooth glassy surface of the walls.
“I can see my reflection in the stone. I have never seen this type of rock before. It looks like black glass.”
Around the next turn, Kai’s boot sloshed into knee-deep water. In the ceiling, the tiny crystal stars continued to provide a faint blue light. Their torch bounced white and yellow splashes of light around the small space. As they went, the stones became less frequent. Some were placed randomly into the ceiling, walls, and even the floor.
Kai grabbed the torch and waved it around to illuminate the darkness. The way forward split into two small deviating tunnels. Rayna instinctively pointed to the right. “This way, I remember this from my dream.”
Kai shook his head in agreement. “Me too.”
As they walked, the water began to drain away. Relieved to be back out of the water, they squeezed down the narrowing tunnel. Kai continued to lead them through twists and turns. Each decision took them deeper into the tunnel. Their next tunnel led them downward.
After only a few steps, the stone sloped sharply, and Kai slid on his rump down into frigid water. Rayna, a few steps behind, stopped. “Are you alright?” she asked. Slowly she climbed down to his level and eased herself into the water. “Brrr, this water is cold.”
They sloshed through the narrowing passage waist-deep in water, and Kai held Rayna’s hand. As the water got deeper, the ceiling crept downward. He could sense her concern as she tightened her grip. “Kai, this place is exactly like my dream,” she professed.
“Right. What concerns me is how accurately the dream depicted each part of the cave. That means we’ve yet to get to the difficult part.” With very little light from their small torch, he could see scratch marks on the tunnel walls. The sight made him a bit uneasy. Each step brought the water higher and higher until Rayna was neck-deep in water.
“Rayna, you should climb on my back to keep your head above the water.”
Methodically, they moved through the rising water. The jagged ceiling crept ever closer. Rayna clung to Kai’s shoulders. They turned a tight corner and came upon a solid wall. Kai peered beyond the glow of his torch. “I think we’ve reached a dead end.”
Kai took another step. To his surprise, the angle of the ground declined, and they slid under the water, extinguishing their torch.
As the pair resurfaced, they coughed. Kai scrambled back to where he stood earlier while reaching for Rayna in the darkness. Back on solid ground, they let their eyes adjust to the lack of sufficient light. Along the walls, the tiniest of lights illuminated their faces.
“Well, we knew at some point we’d have to swim,” he said. “I had hoped for a little more warning. From here, we should glean our way forward. Are you ready?”
She firmly squeezed his hand, took a deep breath, and released it slowly. “I am,” she responded.
“Together, now,” Kai said. “Slow your breathing, relax your mind.” He spoke softly, yet his words echoed around them.
As he talked her through relaxing, he felt and saw everything come alive around him. The water had a beautiful iridescent glow, and he could now see a luminescent version of Rayna’s face just above the water. Had they wasted their time bringing the torch? Were they meant to take it or trust their sight to find their way? After spending the day unable to glean, he’d not even tried until now.
Gleaning, he looked around the dead end. Along the back wall several feet below the waterline, he saw a small broken archway. “There, on the back of the cave. Do you see the archway? I guess this is the damaged area.”
“I do,” Rayna replied. “It looks rather small. We will have to go through one at a time. No way we can swim together side by side.”
“I should go first, in case there are any problems. The quakes could have loosened rocks, and the path could be blocked. Give me a minute before you follow. Focus on me in your mind. See the path I take so you can follow. In our dreams back in Diu, there was more than one path. In the dream, I was drawn to the left.”
“Same here,” she added. “Although, I…I don’t know about swimming into the narrow hole. On the surface, you are free to come up whenever you wish. Down there, we will be trapped.”
“You can do this,” he insisted. “There is no other way. After hours of walking through dark tunnels, we are near the end. Don’t think about the rocks above you, just keep moving. Relax. Don’t panic. You will be fine.”
After a few relaxing deep breaths together, Kai let go of Rayna’s hand and dove beneath the water. A few star crystals were affixed to the rock, illuminating the water from beneath. As he swam, he stretched his arms out and pulled on the rocks to propel himself through the tunnel. With each kick of his legs, the place where the shaft appeared to be a dead-end came into view.
Kai gleaned the tunnel, and he could sense that Rayna was doing alright behind him. He pulled himself around the sharp angle to the left. His lungs began to beg for air. Again, he thought of Rayna. In his mind, he could see her following several feet behind. She was at the turn. Her hands touched the stones, and she maneuvered herself around the sharp corner. Concerned for his own need for air, he kicked and pulled harder.
Up ahead he could see the mouth of the old hallway expand. Light glimmered on the water’s surface. His lungs begged for air near the end. With one last kick, he broke through the surface. He took in a deep breath, then another.
He swam across the pool to the stone stairs. He was in another round room. Knee-level to the ground, more star crystal illuminated the walls. Above, there was a ceiling with a decoratively carved ring with an open center. It was not completely dark, nor was it lit well enough to see the people he sensed waiting.
It was then that he began to worry about why Rayna had not come through. She should have been right behind him. Kai searched through the tunnel. She was now on the last leg and frantic for air. He desperately wanted to swim down and help her, but he knew she would want to make it on her own.
As she exited the underwater tunnel, she pushed hard for the surface and came up gasping for air. Kai offered her his hand and pulled her to the edge of the pool. “Are you alright?”
She coughed and wiped the water from her face. She clung to Kai’s hands as he pulled her up beside him. “We’re not alone. Do you sense them above us?” She asked.
“I do.”
Together they climbed up. Kai stared up into the dimly lit ceiling. He could sense eight people above them on the round ledge that mirrored their own below. Their energy pushed on his spirit with actual physical strength. On the far side of the cave were two dimly lit tunnels leading out of the cave. He did not know what came next. The dream had ended here. The people above whispered indistinctly amongst themselves.
There were eight people, four men, and four women. And he had a sneaking suspicion who they were… “Are you the four tribal chiefs and the four unie of the Katori people? Have you come here to send us back or welcome us?” He feared their answer.
A man’s voice echoed from above. “We’ve never had two come through together before. This is unusual.”
A woman spoke. “We are indeed your tribal chiefs and your unie. We cannot send you back. Alenga bids us to welcome you. This was once her sanctuary, but it was broken centuries ago when the Katori Mountains were first raised by the Stonekings.”
Another man spoke. “Welcome, Kai, whose name means ocean. Welcome, Rayna, whose name means queen. You’ve passed your tests of spirit. Here within Alenga’s sacred mountain, we greet you. It is her will that you proceed. We do as she commands.”
Something about the voice struck a chord inside Kai. He wondered, could this be his grandfather—Lucca?
A different woman spoke. “Our questions are meant to be answered by one. As such, you will need to answer in unison to avoid influencing each other.”