The Road's End

by Daniel Kirk

  A crack split the pockmarked ceiling and a shower of dust fell on them. “Get back!” Tuava-Li cried, and she and Matt turned and ran.

  Chunks of rock dropped from above. In a deafening crash the roof of the tunnel collapsed, sealing the passage behind them. Matt and Tuava-Li were left on one side of the wall of rubble, in complete and total darkness. Matt’s ears were ringing, drowning out his ragged breath. “Tuava-Li,” he cried, “are you there?”

  “I’m here,” she said, coughing. “I’m right here.”

  Matt began to feel panic in his veins once again; his lungs were full of dust, and he coughed and coughed until he thought he’d pass out. When he was finally able to breathe again, he said, “Where are you? Can you come closer?”

  Tuava-Li put her hand out before her and moved it back and forth in the darkness until she felt Matt’s shirt. Matt reached up and took her hand in his. He held it tightly, and then he began to cry. He drew the Elf close to him and took her in his arms, rocking her back and forth. Tuava-Li was almost too stunned to know how to respond; Matt’s tears wet her hair and fell on her bare arms. In the darkness she felt her body so close to his that she reacted with instinctive panic. An Elf and a Human were not meant to be friends, after all. This alliance between the two of them had been born of necessity. A part of her wanted to pull away from Matt. But another part of her felt his warmth, and the beating of his Human heart, and she was strangely consoled by it.

  Tuava-Li knew that they would die here, in the darkness. Even if the hideous snake monsters didn’t attack them, she was certain they’d never find their way out of here. Not without a Fire Sprite to light the way. Tomtar was gone, and Jardaine had the Seed. It had all been for nothing. She knew she’d been wrong to think that she could lure Matt to his death, at the center of the world, for the sake of the Adri. Even if the Goddess seemed to have called her to fulfill the quest of the Ancients, it was wrong to have misled the boy. It was wrong to have lied to him, to have made him think he had a chance. “I brought you down here to die,” she choked.

  “It’s not your fault,” Matt said, and squeezed her close. “You couldn’t have known about this. You just wanted to do the right thing. You were trying, that’s all anybody can ever do.” Matt ran his hand over Tuava-Li’s shoulder and realized it was sticky and wet. Then he felt the puncture wounds and pulled away. “You’re hurt! The thing bit you! Are you okay?”

  “I—I don’t know,” she answered, and touched her own shoulder. There were deep wounds in her flesh and a stab of pain went through her. She got up from Matt’s lap and stood in the darkness, moving her arm cautiously. “I’m bleeding, and it hurts, but nothing’s broken. I can still move my arm!”

  “You might get an infection,” Matt said, “like I got in my foot, when I stepped on that wedding shoe that belonged to the Princess. It’s the whole different species thing, you know?”

  When Matt thought of the shoe he could hardly believe how little time had actually elapsed since this whole fiasco began; his world had been completely turned upside down since then. “You must have medicine for that, right? In your pack? I know they put a lot of first-aid stuff in there.”

  Tuava-Li wanted to tell Matt that it didn’t matter now if she had an infection. She was certain neither of them would live long enough to see the consequences of the snake creature’s bite. But instead she said, “I lost my pack when the monsters attacked!”

  “I lost mine, too,” Matt confided. “Well, I didn’t really lose it. I just threw it off because it was in my way when I was fighting those things. Now I know what the tattoo was all about, with the three portals, and the green streak. It was saying that you’d be injured, maybe killed, if we went down that third passage. It was a warning, and I didn’t get it.”

  “I had my suspicions,” Tuava-Li said, “and I tried to be cautious, because of it. ’Tis our job to listen more closely to the signs, but this environment doesn’t encourage quiet reflection. Sometimes one must go through danger, to come out safely on the other side.”

  “What are those things?” Matt asked.

  “I fear they may be the remnants of the lost Clan of Ouroborus.”

  The two of them sat in silence for a long moment. Then Tuava-Li heard the sound of ripping fabric. Matt had pulled off his shirt and was tearing long strips from it. “Come here,” he said. “I’ll try to wrap up your wound so at least it won’t get dirty.”

  “Your shirt is probably the dirtiest thing in the Underworld!”

  Matt let out a chuckle. The Elf had a sense of humor after all, and he was pleased when Tuava-Li came closer. He could smell her strange Elfin scent, an odor of fresh-picked herbs, mixed with sweat and dust. As best he could in the darkness he wrapped her shoulder and tied the ends of the fabric in a knot. He was glad that he didn’t have to actually see her injuries; he could imagine how bad the bites really were. He’d seen the monster’s teeth; he’d felt them. He knew at the very least that Tuava-Li would bear the scars of those wounds for the rest of her life.

  “Thank you,” Tuava-Li said, when Matt was finished bandaging her.

  “Thank you,” replied Matt. “You saved my life again.”

  “And you saved mine, too. Many times.”

  Feeling awkward and vulnerable, Matt didn’t know what to say. So he sat in silence, feeling his skin tingle as his tattoos rearranged themselves once again, and listened to his belly’s faint rumble. “The tattoos are up to something,” he said finally. “But we can’t see a thing. Worse than that, I’m starved. I wish I still had some of the food that was in my backpack. Even if it was elf food. I’m kind of getting used to the taste of it.”

  “You’re really hungry?”

  “Of course! Aren’t you?”

  “I’d be too tense to eat, even if we hadn’t lost our packs.”

  “Looks like we’re running low on luck,” Matt said. “No food, no light, no weapons. We’re still alive, though, and you’ve still got your magick! Things aren’t completely hopeless, are they?”

  “If changing into a hawk would help us, I’d be glad to do it. But I’m afraid there’s not much my magick can do for us anymore, Matt.”

  Matt shook his head. “You killed those monsters, all right! And you brought down the roof on them, too!”

  “Matt—” Tuava-Li started.

  “What, don’t tell me the roof collapse was an accident?”

  Tuava-Li was about to say, “There are no accidents.” But she wasn’t quite sure she still believed in fate. The entire enterprise now seemed to have been scarred with botched, hapless accidents.

  “Well?”

  “The bursts of mental energy that killed the monsters wouldn’t have been enough to bring down tons of rock. At least, not unless it was already weakened. I’d be more inclined to guess that it was going to happen anyway. With all those holes the monsters clawed away, the rock might have been very unstable.”

  “It was very unstable,” Matt said. “But how about if you try again, just to see? If you shot some more of your magick beams at the rock, maybe we could at least get our packs and find our fire sprites. That’s assuming they’re still on the other side of the wall and not completely crushed.”

  “Aye, and it’s assuming the snake creatures are all dead,” she replied. “I pray that they are. But if I were to succeed at moving the rock, it might make it worse. More of the ceiling could collapse on top of us.”

  “I’m not ready to lie down and die, Tuava-Li,” Matt said. “You’ve got to do something! If you’re gonna pray that the snakes are dead, how about you pray to your goddess for guidance, or help, or whatever, and see if that does anything? Pray that we find a fire sprite, pray that we find the Cord again.”

  “Pray?” she said. “Don’t you remember, you told me we’re supposed to figure things out for ourselves. You said the Goddess doesn’t even exist!”

  Matt sighed. “I don’t know what exists and what doesn’t exist anymore, Tuava-Li. I’ve given up trying to figure
it all out. What you believe seems to be about as good as what I believe. So go ahead and pray. Who knows, maybe it’ll help. We’ve got to do something, anyway. My sister’s life’s still at stake, not just ours.”

  Tuava-Li reached out in the darkness and found the boy’s arm. “You know, Matthew, I have to tell you, you’ve risked your life many times on this journey, you’ve taken many chances, you’ve been brave in a way I didn’t know Humans could be. But I haven’t been brave, or honest. There’s something I haven’t had the courage to tell you. What would you think of me, Matthew, if I told you that—that you wouldn’t survive this adventure?”

  “Survive?” Matt scoffed. “Nobody survives the adventure. That’s the rule of the game. Everybody dies, sometime! I know the score, Tuava-Li.”

  “Noooo, that’s not what I meant. ’Tis said that the Human who first journeyed to the center of the earth, King Volsung, didn’t—”

  “Shhhhh!” Matt interrupted. He tried to focus on the faint sound that was growing ever louder, echoing down the black corridor. I hear something, he said in thoughtspeak. Is it more of those snake monsters?

  No, answered Tuava-Li. Someone’s coming toward us, someone with a Fire Sprite.

  The glow grew brighter. Soon they could recognize voices—a male and a female. They’re Elves, Tuava-Li said. It’s not Jardaine. But I think …

  Matt didn’t recognize either of the figures when they came into view. But Tuava-Li gasped when she saw the pair in the flickering light of their Kolli. A small Goblin tromped behind them and growled when Tuava-Li stepped into the corridor. “In the name of the Mother and her Cord,” she said, “what are you two doing here?”

  Princess Asra’s mouth dropped open in amazement. “Tuava-Li, it’s you!”

  Macta bent to pick up the Goblin, then stepped up from behind the Princess and smirked. “One never knows where one might bump into an old friend!”

  “Indeed,” said Tuava-Li. “What’s going on, Asra? You’re supposed to be in Ljosalfar! And why are you with this … this Elf?”

  “He’s all right,” Asra said, stepping over rubble to greet Tuava-Li. “He’s promised to help me save Becky from Jardaine. We’re the last to arrive in Hunaland, but we were the first to reach the center of the world. We’ve been following the passageways out of there, hoping to find you or Becky. She’s traveling with that witch Jardaine and a Troll named Nick.” She looked Matt up and down. “Is this Becky’s brother?”

  “You bet I am,” Matt exclaimed. “What do you know about Becky?”

  “Oh,” Tuava-Li said, “Matthew, this is Princess Asra of Alfheim and Prince Macta of Helfratheim.”

  Macta smiled drily. “No longer just a Prince, my young monk. They made me King, upon my return home.” Then he turned to Matt. “And I know who the Human is. I know very well. My father died in an unfortunate accident where his Arvada was shot down by a weapon fired from the floor of a burning forest. I believe you know something about that, Matthew?”

  Asra said, “And my father died in an unfortunate accident as well, Macta. I believe the time has come to put all that behind us and continue with our search for Becky.”

  “Tell me what you know,” Matt said impatiently. “Why is Becky with Jardaine? And Macta, you’re the King of Helfratheim, that’s supposed to be where Jardaine took my parents and baby sister. What do you know about that?”

  “Absolutely nothing. But I make it a habit to avoid speaking with those who do not show proper deference to my position. You must address me as Your Highness.”

  “All right, Your Highness,” Matt said scornfully, “tell me if my parents are all right.”

  Macta smiled. “You’ll just have to ask Jardaine about your family members when we see her in person. It will undoubtedly be any time now.”

  “We believe Jardaine has our Troll friend Tomtar with her,” Tuava-Li said, “as well as Becky and Nick. She worked some kind of magick, and brought down a wall of boulders to split our group apart. She nearly killed us all.”

  “Why would she do that?”

  “We have no idea. But we have so much to talk about, Asra, so many questions! How is it that you know Matt’s sister? How did you find your way here? And do you have any idea what Jardaine is planning?”

  “We came down the Cord through the Gate of Hujr, just like you,” Asra said, “though when we found the passage blocked by a mass of roots, Macta got us past the barrier. Tuava-Li, we’ll have plenty of time for talk, now that we’re together. We can wend our way back toward the amphitheater and wait for Jardaine to arrive. She has the Seed of the Adri, we’ve been told! I think that’s what this is all about.”

  “Aye,” said Tuava-Li. “She stole the Seed from the tree, at the cost of many lives. Are we close to the center of the earth now?”

  Asra nodded. “Macta and I came out of the Cord there, and then ventured into the labyrinth to look for you, not more than an hour ago.”

  “And the Princess knows a thing or two about mazes,” Macta said.

  “The Queen of Hunaland told us to stay out of the maze,” Matt said. “We got trapped here, anyway.”

  “Tuava-Li,” Asra said, “’tis exactly like the one I used to run through when we lived in Ljosalfar. That’s why I know the twists and turns so well! It consists of a series of concentric circles, arranged around a central core.”

  “Do we have any reason to believe Jardaine’s close?” Tuava-Li asked.

  “She left Hunaland before any of the rest of us. She should be here already. Unless the snakes ate her, or she got out of the Cord too early and got lost in this maze!”

  “Well, which is it?” Matt asked, stricken at the thought that his sister might not have survived the journey.

  Macta took a step toward Matt and held the Fire Sprite high, to get a better look at the boy’s face. “Do not question the Princess, Human. Know your place!”

  “This is stupid,” Matt said to Tuava-Li. “This guy, I don’t care who he is—why do we have to listen to him?”

  “Macta’s our friend,” Asra said again, “as much as it surprises me to say it. He’s saved my life more times that I can count, and he’s going to help me get to Becky. Listen—I know the way back. There’s a chasm that’s opened up along one of the paths we’ll have to take. I think the roots of the Adri have been pulling themselves out of the stone and leaving places where the floors collapse. It’s a bit of a challenge, creeping along the edge, but with some caution it can be done. We did it on the way here, didn’t we, Macta?”

  Macta nodded. “Of course we did. I also made some scratches along the top of each passage where we turned, so there’d be no chance of us losing our way!”

  Tuava-Li turned to see if Matt was prepared to leave. He stood shirtless in the flickering light, and Tuava-Li’s jaw dropped at the sight of him. “What now?” she cried.

  Matt glanced down at his chest and saw—bare skin. His shoulders, too, were bare. The tattoos had begun moving over his body like worms crossing a sidewalk, and the black lines and blurs of color were all headed for his right wrist. Even as he watched they seemed to be in motion, and the sensation filled him with revulsion. “This is just great,” he said. “What’s happening to me now?”

  “I’m not certain,” Tuava-Li said. “I must meditate on it.”

  “Perhaps it’s like rats deserting a sinking ship,” Macta volunteered. “If the tattoos have a mind of their own, they’re probably planning to escape before the Human’s life is sacrificed!”

  Suddenly all eyes were riveted on Macta. Realizing what he’d said, he attempted to rephrase his remark. “That’s just a little joke, you understand, I’m referring to …”

  “Sacrificed?” Matt said, as Blood pulsed in his temples. “Sacrificed? What do you mean by that?”

  Tuava-Li was horrified that Macta had revealed the secret before she’d had the chance to do it herself. She drew close to him and looked pleadingly into his eyes. “Matthew, that’s what I’ve been trying to tell you!
In the legend, the Human King Volsung sacrificed his life so that the Seed could grow. That’s why I’ve decided to abandon our mission. Our quest is finished. I finally realized, I won’t have you give your life for the sake of the Seed, or the tree, or all of Elf Realm. ’Tis wrong for the Goddess to ask us to make that sacrifice!”

  “Us?” Matt said, backing away. “What do you mean, us? I’m supposed to get sacrificed, and you say it isn’t right for us? What was supposed to happen, anyway? Were you planning on killing me when we got to the middle of the maze? Rip my heart out, or drink my blood, like the Aztecs did when they made human sacrifices to the sun?”

  “Nooo,” said Tuava-Li. “It isn’t like that. There’s a world of difference between someone sacrificing his life and someone being sacrificed. You risked death rescuing me half a dozen times, Matthew, and you would have given your life gladly! The legend of Fada doesn’t tell us how Volsung died. It only says that his Blood nourished the Seed. Perhaps you’d have given your life voluntarily, trying to help someone, doing what you’ve already done, again and again. But it all means nothing, now, because we’re not going through with it. The quest is finished. I’ve decided!”

  Matt was so furious that he could barely find the words to speak. “Well, I’m glad you’ve decided, Tuava-Li. I’m glad because it would be my choice, not yours, if I wanted to give my life for your cause. I can’t believe you knew this and didn’t tell me. I guess you realized what I’d say about it, so you just decided to rope me into this adventure and have me be the pawn in your little game. What were you thinking? And what about my mom and dad, and my sister? Were you really planning on going on to Helfratheim to rescue them after I was dead?”

  “I—I just—”

  Matt stomped away from Tuava-Li. As he passed Asra, he reached out and grabbed the Kolli from her hand. He said nothing, just stalked down the corridor and out of sight. “The only thing bigger than my mouth,” Macta said with a shrug, “is my regret for speaking out of line. I believe I must be harboring a bit of resentment toward the lad for murdering my father.” He hoped that his loose talk hadn’t changed Asra’s opinion of him for the worse, but if it had, it was too late to do anything about it. “I don’t suppose it matters what’s been said, Tuava-Li, if you weren’t planning to go through with the sacrifice after all!”