“Oh, I hoped you’d say that... You should also know I overheard what I believe is your council having the final vote on what is finally to be done with the prisoners in the mountain.”
Flynn’s demeanor darkened and he wondered how often they had had meetings behind his back. “And?”
“They chose to relinquish them to the cannibals... this evening, I believe.”
Flynn paled as his stomach twisted, as if he might purge its contents. “If Iviana had not come...” he muttered as he took in the realization. He turned to Chamaeleo then, saying, “I must go.” With that, he seemed to grow into his old self, with the addition of a little life experience, and started in the direction of the dragon’s lair.
17
Iviana
The sight of the cannibal island as Iviana and the others soared over made her ill. She detested what was inside it, what secrets it held and, mostly, she hated its namesake... the fact that people who consumed their own kind dwelt within its landscape, with the permission of the council, no less. It had been an unkindness to allow the cannibals to live in their sickness. Even so, they would be her enemy should they discover her. Their charge was to guard the secret and they would do so by any means necessary. She prayed by some miracle they would get the innocent people away without anyone getting hurt.
At last, they landed upon the sparkling white coastline. Iviana couldn’t help noticing the steam that rose from its granules. Placing her hand to them, they were hot to the touch. This had not been the case previously. It was as if the rays of the sun were magnified here and she contemplated why this would be. It was almost as if the sun had cast its eye upon this place in particular.
Once Era had wriggled down from Tragor’s back, Iviana stole the moment to embrace him, to absorb whatever courage he could give her. She was suddenly fearful, certain she could not do this. But her dragon had guarded over the island in her absence and she would not let him or the Great One down, so she entreated them both for strength.
When Tragor drew back from her, he looked into her face, attempting to convey some message. Though she had, as of late, begun to read him keenly, she could not seem to understand him in that moment. There was too much else in her mind. Still, she knew he meant to leave her. For what purpose, she could not fathom.
“But I need you here,” she told him, nearly sobbing, but checking herself that the others would not hear.
The great dragon shook his head about, not unlike a horse shaking flies from its mane. He then sent her a final, almost desperate look, trying doubly hard to assure her, but still she could not read it. All she knew was that she wanted him there with her. Even so, he lifted into the air and disappeared into the clouds.
Iviana felt terribly lost without him. But suddenly a hand was placed upon her back and she turned to find Era at her side. Somehow, though she hardly knew the girl, this comforted her. Era was a deeply kindred spirit and was offering her support.
Darist approached impatiently with, “Lets do this.” It was obvious the shock of it all was pushing him forward. He could not stand by another moment with such knowledge.
Iviana wondered what he thought of her having lived with it so long.
Great One. Iviana closed her eyes and focused on the Creator of the world. I need you now. I do not see a clear path. Come to me.
Immediately, she felt herself enveloped by warmth that did not lessen as the seconds passed. Instead, it grew inside her, and she knew it would remain—knew, somehow, it had been there for some time before it had made itself known. It was all she needed now.
Her eyes fluttered open at a sort of pecking on her shoulder and there was the white spirit-dove. I am with you... always, the spirit of the Anointed One whispered. Those had been the first words he had ever spoken to her when she had been dangling from a chain over a great abyss. She had not known then from Whom the words had come, but she knew it now and knew them to be true. With that, the dove flew toward the glaring sun.
“Are you ready?” Marquen asked gently.
Iviana nodded. “Now, I am.”
Leading them onto the path to the mountain’s entrance, Iviana found the boulder that covered the entryway solidly tucked in place. She wracked her brain for a plan until Darist strutted over. He lifted the boulder as if it was a pebble and heartily tossed it over the edge of the cliff where it crumbled to pieces. His job done, Darist returned to them with eyebrows cockily raised, much like the Darist Iviana had known when first she had met him.
“Beautifully done, friend,” she admitted with a grin.
Eyes sparkling with humor, he muttered, “Now, that’s done...” and entered the cavern, but immediately took notice of their next problem.
They would need light.
“Oh, dear,” Iviana muttered under her breath, searching her mind for a way to light their way. She had not brought the needed supplies to light a torch.
“Oh, you need light,” said Marquen. With that, he snapped his fingers where a flame immediately sparked, balancing on his pointer finger.
“I suppose you’re going to be telling us that’s a Great Gift too?” Iviana asked, astonished.
“No, just a trick for company.”
Iviana’s brows raised. “Truly?”
He laughed. “Of course not. It is a gift, I expect, though I don’t know any more about it.”
“Light-bringer… Light-bearer?” Era suggested.
“Fancy,” Darist commented.
“Well, what else can you do with it?” Iviana asked.
“I really couldn’t say. I found it by accident. Haven’t had the chance to use it often.”
Iviana studied the flame, purple in hue, not unlike the color the light her healing power created. “We should definitely look into that,” she said as they entered the tunnels.
When Iviana found the tunnel system too complicated for her memory, she resorted to her Seeker’s fire. It was not long after that she noticed Era seemed to know the way and asked if she’d memorized it when she’d followed her in her dream.
“Oh, no, I’m terrible with directions,” she admitted. “I’m a Seeker.”
Iviana halted and turned to her. “Truly? I thought I was the only one?”
Era nodded. “I know. When it came time for the new Realm Leader to be found, they thought they would have to send me above, but then you turned up.”
“So... you can move through time and you’re one of two Seeker’s in the realm?”
“I guess I’m a Dream-walker, too, so Chamaeleo says.”
Iviana smiled in astonishment. “Glad to have you along.”
“She almost makes you and Marquen seem normal,” Darist added.
“Almost?” Iviana queried with a raised brow.
Marquen cleared his throat. “Not to rush things, but I believe we have a serious mission to complete. If you could find it possible to walk and talk at the same time...?”
With that, the Seekers started forward until whispers sounded up ahead, followed by moans and coughing.
“It’s them, isn’t it?” Era asked.
Iviana noted her face was pale, as if frightened to face the tragedy ahead, but she took hold of Era’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “We’re here to rescue them. They aren’t going to be here much longer.”
Era nodded and her face gained color, but the sadness in her eyes did not diminish.
At last, they came to the opening in the large cavern where hundreds of the Greater Archipelagos’ people were stowed away. How have they lived all this time? Iviana wondered. By eating from the scraps the cannibals provided... scraps to feed hundreds? They had to be starving, not to mention sickly. Yet, they lived. Iviana could only hope none had perished in this wretched place... that they would live to see the light of day.
The sound of their footfalls drew the attention of the prisoners and, after some mumbling and shoving about, Waymith and his daughter Jaela were produced, along with Shynn and her husband Japha.
“Oh, I am so gla
d to see you alive and well,” called Shynn as Iviana approached. “We have been so afraid you might have put yourself in danger.”
“But what are you doing here, child?” Waymith asked. “Why have you returned and endangered the lives of those who accompany you?”
“Hush, now,” Iviana comforted. “We’re here to free you.”
“The council agreed to let us go?” Waymith asked hopefully. “How did you do it?”
“No... I’m afraid it’s just us—us and the Great One.” When his face dropped, she asked the small group, “Will you trust me? Trust Him?”
The four looked to one another, then turned to those who had been listening nearby.
Eventually, Jaela came back with, “We will trust the Great One and the one He has chosen. What is your plan?”
That was a very good question.
Iviana’s hands fell on the bars and she shook them, testing their strength. They were rock solid. She then approached the nearest door and found it was made of the same material as the bars, but this would be the most vulnerable place, if any.
“Darist,” she called.
“Right here,” he said from behind her. “Waiting… patiently.”
Iviana smiled and stepped aside.
Darist approached then, took hold of the handle and turned, planning to force it open, but quickly pulled his hand away. “That’s odd.”
“What is it?” Iviana asked nervously.
He proceeded to shake at the door and then at the bars, but nothing would budge under his anointed strength.
“Ivi, I don’t understand it. I’ve never encountered anything like this before. Unless...” He suddenly lifted Iviana as if she were a feather. “Never-mind. I still have my gift.”
One of the prisoners spoke up. “We believe they were created to withstand the Great Gifts.”
“That Inventor sounds familiar,” Era said bitterly.
“You know him?” asked Iviana
“Not personally, but I’ll bet you this Inventor is the one who creates Kurnin’s Elixir.” Then she added with a whisper, “The one that removes people’s gifts.”
Iviana nodded. “We’ll do our best to see that never happens.”
“Well, what do we do now?” Darist asked. It was obvious he was angered by his lack of aid.
Iviana turned to Marquen. “What do you think?”
Marquen had a ready answer. “I think we should pray.”
Iviana returned to where Waymith and the others were. “We’ve hit a snag. Can you rally everyone to intercede for an answer?”
Jaela’s eyes dimmed, as if she had already begun to lose hope, but she turned to shout to the prisoners, “Pray for a way, my brothers and sisters. If ever we are to be freed from this mountain, this is the day.”
“If only they knew how many times we’ve done this,” shouted a man from somewhere among them.
“They think they know what they’re doing because they’re not in here,” someone said bitterly. “Just wait until they’re caught. They’ll understand we’re not a bunch of fools.”
“Please,” Iviana called. “The Great One has sent us here Himself. He has done much to see that we followed through on His plans. He has a way. We have only to find it.”
With that, the complaining ceased and the desperate murmuring of intercession filled the room.
Iviana turned from them and attempted to join, but found the glorious warmth that the Great One had stirred within her distracting. It was still growing in strength and, at times, felt as if it was sparking beneath her skin. These little pricks caught her off guard.
She closed her arms around herself in an attempt to block it out and cried to the Great One for an answer. But as she did so, the warmth lost its electric heat and transformed into something else entirely. Iviana could not say just what, but it was certainly a peculiar feeling, like heavy water poured out over and over, so much so her head physically moved in time. Those with her began to send her wondering glances, but she would not reject whatever was happening. Likely, it had its purpose.
“Your sword!” Era shouted.
Iviana looked down at it, but it appeared as it always did. “What of it?”
“It is said your blade cut through the bars that imprisoned our Realm Leader when you defeated Aradia,” she explained.
Iviana stared down at it again. She had always wondered how it had done so... supposed she would never know. Even so, could it work in the same way again? This seemed her only answer. Pulling it from its sheath, she moved toward the bars and asked the prisoners to stay back. They looked her over skeptically, but did as she asked.
Gripping the weapon like a club, she swung it toward the bars and watched in amazement as the steel sliced through them like butter. Iviana stood back and glared at her blade. Twice, it had done the impossible and she wished she knew from where her mentor had obtained it.
Iviana turned to Era and embraced her tightly. “You’re a genius!” she cried.
Pulling away, she saw that Era’s eyes sparkled with a wide grin she could not quite conceal.
“Did any of you see that?” Iviana asked the prisoners.
A number of them nodded.
“Then you know the Great One has prepared your escape this day. Will you trust me from here on out?”
As news of what the sword had managed to do spread through their numbers, there were shouts of exaltation to the Great One. All at once, the people began stampeding to where the bars had been sliced, either to attempt escape or to see the miracle for themselves, but Iviana feared they would harm one another and called for them to cease, promising she would get them all out safely if they would be patient and follow her direction.
Iviana and those who had come with her worked to configure the best plan to get every person out safely. From there, Iviana reported to the crowd what they were to do and everyone took their positions. Era and Darist were at the mouth of the cavern, awaiting the first group they would lead out of the tunnel system. Luckily, the torches on the walls of the chamber were available to light their path. Era’s Seeker’s fire would direct them and Darist’s strength would be their best protection should they meet with danger.
To avoid this, the people were asked to move as silently as possible to keep from being heard in the passages. Iviana almost hoped for the cannibals’ sake they would not be discovered, for they would surely find themselves stampeded by a great number of angry ex-prisoners.
Iviana cut away several of the other bars to create a larger exit that one to two people could pass through safely at a time. She made it no bigger, avoiding the chaos of hundreds of prisoners who were desperate to be free. Then, she and Marquen stood on either side of the exit to make certain things were kept in order. At last, they allowed the people to pass through one group at a time in order to avoid greater noise within the echoing chambers.
As each person passed, many stopped to embrace Iviana and Marquen and others cried their thanks as tears streamed down their faces. The two received this good-naturedly, but reminded them time was of the essence. The people did not have to be told twice.
18
Iviana
When at last only a couple groups remained, awaiting Era and Darist’s return, Iviana heard footsteps draw near and told the next group to be ready. However, when the person whom she had heard entered the room, her breath was stolen from her by the realization of who it was that raced toward her.
“Flynn!” she cried. “What are you doing here? You’re not going to stop us―”
“No, no, please. I hate that you must think that. Chamaeleo informed me of what you were doing. I came as fast as I could. I’m here to help in any way I can. I will never be able to tell you how much I regret―”
Iviana cut him off to send the next group through when Darist and Era arrived, so Flynn was forced to wait. While he waited, he studied the pale, sunken, sickly faces of those who passed by, those who had been imprisoned by his council, those he himself had forsaken. Ivian
a watched as he slowly sank to his knees and begged the Great One’s forgiveness, penitent tears streaming down his face.
Iviana lifted him to his feet, if only to keep him from being trampled by the next group—the last.
“Iviana, can you ever forgive me?” he asked. “Will they ever be able to―”
“Flynn. I cannot convey how utterly elated I am you are here, ready and willing to do what is right, but right now, we must see this through. Then, we can talk.”
Flynn nodded and his demeanor transformed from anguish to formidable determination. “What can I do?”
Iviana opened her mouth to give him a task, some place in their rescue, but could offer none. “I’m afraid we have it under control. This is the last group.”
Without warning, Era ran into the cavern and screamed to Iviana that those outside had been spotted and the cannibals would be on their way.
“All right, everyone,” she said to those left, namely Jaela, Waymith, Shynn and Japha. “Never mind what noise you make, follow me!”
With that, they sprinted through the tunnels and down the mountain until they had met the others. Iviana knew their strength would be in numbers if it came to battle, but she also discerned the people were weak from starvation. Her mind raced for a better option.
“I will try speaking with them...” Iviana insisted as she faced Darist, Era and Marquen, “…try talking them down. But if they will not relent...”
“We may be half-starved,” said Japha, having overheard, “but we have fury enough. We will crush these cannibals under our feet.”
A number of the freed heard this as well and cheered their agreement. But Iviana could not stand the thought of bloodshed. The cannibals not only had health and experience, but they possessed actual weapons. Her blade would not go far, even if she wished to use it.
But the cannibals were drawing closer.
Iviana watched as their numbers raced toward the defenseless lot they had been abusing for years. How could they do such a thing? Then again, why would they not? They ate the flesh of their brothers. Imprisoning people had been nothing to them and killing would mean no more.
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