While Merrek had been completely vague about the mysterious objective, he had indicated they would have the ability to find their allusive goal, if only they believed. Garrick was convinced that was a clue, but the others were unsure. They made their final decision over breakfast; they had no choice but to begin their journey, trusting the details to the All Father, as the ancient saying went.
While it was clear the three of them would need to make the journey, it was not clear whether Warren and Dathan needed to accompany them. Merrek, with his usual ambiguousness, did not answer their inquiry directly. Warren settled the matter by unequivocally stating that he “was going with Garrick”, and that “no one could stop him.”
Dathan was quick to agree, having “nowhere else to bloody go”, and assuring them that he was “ready to see the blasted journey through to the bloody end.”
When they were ready, Merrek indicated they should follow. He led them through a hidden passage in the rock wall, which twisted and turned several times until finally stopping at a bright red door. They exited to discover a short-cropped green lawn with a trimmed hedge, and well-kempt flowerbeds. The beautiful yard stood in stark contrast to a steep craggy rock wall, which completely encircled them. Directly across from the bright red door was a dark split in the stone barrier, which appeared to be more than a simple crack, perhaps the entrance to a cave.
“The cavern will lead you out of the mountains,” their affable host announced. It was the first he had spoken since their departure from the warmth and comfort of the cavernous main room.
“We lost all our bloody supplies,” Dathan noted.
“Not to mention the horses,” Garrick added, with a tinge of regret in his voice.
“How little you think of my hospitality,” Merrek laughed in his friendly, infectious way. “Right. I believe your salvation arrives as we speak.”
They turned to look where he pointed, and for the first time saw the house behind them. From their perspective, all they could see was a small, quaint and homey cottage, as one might expect to find on a modest farm or country estate.
“How is this possible?”
“That huge bloody room could not fit in there!”
Merrek chuckled at their gasps and exclamations. “Looks can be deceiving. For example, a simple traveler might in truth be a prince or a king,” the peculiar old man winked at Garrick. “Right. Here come your supplies.”
Their horses strolled out from somewhere behind the small cottage. They were without escort, but appeared quite healthy and spirited; including the two mounts they had liberated on the road to Erimar. The horses were saddled and bridled, and their packs were fully laden with supplies for the road.
“Our horses!”
“How did you get them here?”
“Did you prefer to walk?” Merrek asked with a laugh. “You might find it difficult carrying all these supplies yourselves.”
While everything seemed in order for the journey, there was one issue that had not been resolved to Aldrick’s satisfaction, and the time for answers had come. “Thank you for the supplies, and for retrieving our horses, Merrek. I don’t understand exactly why you cannot tell us what our objective is, but how in the name of the All Father are we to find this...thing?”
“Your path lies through that cave.”
“I meant after that!”
“I hate caves!” Warren blurted to no one in particular.
“The All Father has given you the means to find it. Use your talents, follow your intuition, and they will serve you well.”
“That’s bloody helpful,” Dathan grimaced.
“It will have to do,” Merrek concluded.
“You worry too much,” Aelianna scolded. “If we must find this thing to save my people, then we find it!”
“I hope you’re right,” Aldrick agreed, and then turned back to Merrek. “Thank you again. I can’t imagine how we could ever repay you.”
Merrek bowed formally. “Completion of your destiny, my friend, will prove to be more than thanks enough.”
Chapter 6
The company waved a final farewell to Merrek, and taking the reins of their horses walked to the entrance of the dark cave which, according to their host, led down out of the mountains. Nearing the aperture, they reached a place where a cleft in the rock-face to their left allowed them to see far off into the distance. They paused to peer through the crack, and were surprised to catch fleeting glimpses of a rocky landscape far below, through the drifting clouds.
“We are above the bloody clouds!” Dathan exclaimed.
“It certainly appears that way,” Aldrick agreed, squinting against the brightness. “I can barely see the ground from here.”
“I’m amazed it isn’t colder,” Garrick mused.
“Everything about this place is amazing,” Aldrick said.
“It will take forever to climb down from here,” Warren grumbled.
“How long should we expect…” Aldrick began, turning back to Merrek. Curiously, but perhaps unsurprisingly, their knowledgeable host had already disappeared. The small, rustic cabin was still there, with its trim green lawns and hedges interspersed with neat rows of flowers in every color of the rainbow. Merrek, however, was nowhere to be seen.
“Where did he bloody go?” Dathan asked.
“Home,” Aldrick surmised.
“He was more than generous with the supplies,” Garrick noted. “I’m sure he knew it would be a long journey down.”
Warren appeared close to panicking. “Will we be in this cave the whole trip?”
“Perhaps,” Garrick replied. “What’s wrong with you?”
“I hate caves! I feel like the ceiling could collapse at any moment.”
“You can stay here,” Garrick said in a light tone, turning back to the cave entrance. “Or perhaps learn how to fly.”
“I’m coming,” Warren grumbled. “But I don’t have to like it.”
They continued down the gentle slope until they reached the dark crack in the natural rock wall, leading into the cavern. Pausing before the entrance, Aldrick retrieved several torches from the pack on his horse, and passed them around. Garrick opened his tinderbox and struck the flint several times until sparks caught on his prepared torch. Once it had fully ignited, the others lit their torches from his.
Warren peered into the dark opening, with a worried expression. Before he could speak, Garrick held up a hand. “Not a word!”
Warren closed his mouth, but could not suppress a shudder as they passed from the light and safety of the sheltered green valley, and into the unknown gloom of the caverns. After the warm bright sunlight, the darkness inside the cave felt oppressive. The heavy gloom was barely held at bay by the flickering light of their torches, and as they walked, they were accompanied by dancing, undulating shadows creeping along the rocky walls beside them.
Once their eyes adjusted, they noticed that the walls of the cave were similar to those inside of the magnificent house. The rounded stone walls of the cavern appeared to have been formed naturally, yet the path was too perfect; leaving the impression it must have been physically hewn from the living rock. The path was easy to follow, winding occasionally but always trending downward and relatively straight.
Aldrick suddenly became aware of a change in the surrounding illumination. “Is it getting brighter in here?”
“I’m not sure,” Garrick said from behind him. “Let me check.”
The procession paused while Garrick extinguished his torch. After a moment, the king called out, “Put out your torches!”
“No!” Warren called out tremulously. “I’m afraid of the dark!”
“Do it,” Garrick retorted. “The torchlight is too bright to see what’s going on.”
Warren continued to grumble protestations, but extinguished his torch with the others, and the tunnel was plunged into darkness. It took a few moments for his eyes to adjust, but then Aldrick began to perceive a most unusual phenomenon.
The w
alls of the cave around them glowed dimly with an odd type of phosphorescence, brightening as their eyes adjusted to the dark, gloomy interior.
“It looks as if the walls are covered with…fireflies,” Warren said in wonder.
“Spennata moss glow like this at night,” Aelianna noted.
“I’ll bet your moss doesn’t bloody move,” Dathan mused.
With his eyes adjusted to the dim illumination, Aldrick was now able to clearly see that the multitude of glowing spots on the walls were indeed in motion. Gorgeous swirling clumps of light flowed and sparkled in shimmering clouds of luminescence. Some of the clusters of light appeared to be closer, directly beneath the surface of the stone wall. Others appeared to be a great distance away, creating the illusion of a great depth behind the translucent wall. The movement of the spiral clouds of shimmering light was slow, but quite noticeable.
“It looks like groups of stars,” Garrick said quietly.
“Yes, it does,” Aldrick agreed. “But as if an entire night’s movement were compressed into a few moments.”
“It’s bloody amazing,” Dathan said, trying to look everywhere at once.
Aelianna ran her hand across the cave wall. “This not feel like rock. What is this?”
The rest moved to touch the surface of the stone. “It feels smooth, and completely rounded,” Garrick observed, running his hand up and down the barrier. “Like a tube.”
They slowly began to move forward, unable to tear their gazes from the churning clusters of winking stars. The horses shambled ahead heedless of the miracle of the night sky around them.
“It look like we walk in night sky,” Aelianna whispered.
The group continued on in wonder, guided by the light of the stars churning behind the walls. They lost track of time as they walked along the starry tunnel, continually marveling at the phenomenon through which they traveled.
After some time, Aldrick, who had taken the lead, abruptly walked through a dark cloudy barrier. Mesmerized as he was by the dim tunnel of twinkling stars, he had not noticed the wall of dark swirling smoke until he had stumbled directly through it. Passing through the smoky barrier, Aldrick was forced to close his eyes when an incredibly bright flash of light momentarily blinded him. He staggered forward with his eyes shut against the abrupt inundation of light, until he was suddenly blasted by a gust of cold air.
The smooth floor of the starry tunnel abruptly became a downward slope, and his startled horse pulled him forward down a short, slippery hill. The rest came stumbling out behind him, cursing the blinding light and the unexpected frigid air.
Aldrick was the first to recover, and blinking against the bright sky, looked about in confusion. “Where are we?”
They found themselves gathered at the base of a small slope of gravel and loose scree. They could just make out a nearly hidden dark crack, the only sign of the starry tunnel, in the immense cliff face behind them. The rocky slope was covered in a light white snow, and the remnants of winter were all around them, as far as they could see. The mountain behind them extended out of sight into the clouds, but ended abruptly at the edge of a vast forest of coniferous trees.
“It looks like we are down out of the mountains,” Garrick marveled, gazing up at the peaks shrouded in mist.
“How can that be?” Warren wondered. “I thought we had a few days journey ahead of us.”
“I thought so too,” Aldrick agreed, gazing out over the immense forest. “Yet the Kalligros Mountains are behind us.”
“What bloody happened?” Dathan blurted, sounding as bewildered as they all felt.
“I don’t know,” Garrick shrugged, “but this looks like the northern border of Melkor.”
“What’s left of it,” Aldrick added.
Warren scratched his head. “What’s in Melkor, besides the forest? Geography isn’t my thing. I don’t remember ever meeting anyone from Melkor.”
“Nor would you,” Aldrick chuckled. “There is nothing in Melkor, aside from forest and ancient ruins. No one has lived here in thousands of Summers.”
“And get this,” Garrick nudged Warren in the arm. “The forest is haunted!” He flashed Aldrick a grin, and a broad wink.
“Haunted!” Warren exclaimed. “We aren’t going through the Haunted forest of Melkor are we?”
Garrick nodded. “I see nothing but forest, so we are unless you can make it back up the tunnel...or wish to remain here.”
“I’ve already been attacked by ghosts once this trip,” Warren groaned.
“I realize you are enjoying yourself Garrick,” Aldrick said, “but I imagine the ghosts of Melkor will turn out to be the same as those in Erimar; men taking advantage of people’s ignorance and fear.”
“But…” Warren began.
“But nothing. Don’t listen to Garrick. He is simply amusing himself.”
“You are ruining my fun!” Garrick said in mock anger.
“What’s this about bloody ghosts?” Dathan said.
“Nothing to worry about,” Aldrick said, brushing off his concern. “Before we arrived in Karkerech, we came across some local ‘ghosts’, who turned out to be nothing more than bandits in white paint stealing from the locals. I’m sure the Haunted forest of Melkor will be no different.”
Garrick became serious. “I’m not so sure. The Haunted forest is well known, and has been here for thousands of Summers.”
“Aldrick say everything not real,” Aelianna teased. “Next he think of reason we not real.”
“I never said that,” Aldrick stammered, as the others laughed.
Dathan scanned the trees. “I hope you’re bloody right. I don’t want to fight any blasted ghosts.”
“My people believe in spirits,” Aelianna said calmly. “Some good, some bad.”
“Don’t worry beautiful,” Garrick boasted. “I will protect you from any ghosts we happen across.”
“Sly desert fox talk big,” Aelianna smirked. “But I think he not as strong as he say. I think I have to protect him.”
Garrick grunted, but said nothing. Warren kept a worried eye on the forest, but tried to sound hopeful. “We don’t even know where we’re going. We might be able to avoid the haunted part altogether!”
“Bloody good point,” Dathan said. “Where are we going?”
“Merrek said we would be able to find the way,” Aldrick replied.
“And the artifact,” Garrick added. “Here, let me see it.”
Aelianna retrieved the golden object, but paused before handing it to the king. “You not run away with it?”
“I’m not going to steal it!” Garrick replied. “Where would I go?”
Aelianna hesitated, and then handed him the pyramidal shaped artifact. Garrick held it out before him, and then shrugged. “I don’t feel anything.” He tossed it casually to Warren and added, “You try.”
Warren squeaked and fumbled the artifact, almost dropping it. With a look of terror on his face, he held it out like it was on fire. “I don’t want it! Take it!”
Aldrick took the artifact from him, holding it out as Garrick had done. “Honestly, I don’t sense anything either.”
Aelianna sighed and snatched the device back. “Stupid men! It is mine. Old man say I get what I want, I want it to show me way.” The warrior closed her eyes and cradled the artifact to her chest, muttering to herself under her breath in her native language.
After several long heartbeats, she opened her eyes and pointed southwest with a slim, tan arm. “This is way,” she announced with confidence, and immediately began to walk in that direction.
“Wait, how do you know?”
“Are you sure?”
Aelianna spun to face them, with a glimmer in her eye. “Merrek say I get what I want! This is way. Come, or not come. I go to save my people.”
They hesitated, but seeing her determination, soon murmured their agreement. No one had a better idea of which direction their destination lay, in any case.
“After you,” Garrick sm
iled, and gave her a princely bow.
Aelianna stared at the king for awhile, perhaps determining whether he was making fun of her or not. Shortly, she nodded and turned back, leading her horse down the rest of the snowy slope.
The others followed in silence, except Warren who was mumbling something about ghosts.
The Key of Creation: Book 03 - The Temple of Kian Page 5