Her comment wasn’t accusatory, but Jacob couldn’t help but feel guilty anyway. He pushed aside the urge to defend himself, picking at some dirt stuck to his palm. “Sorry. I’m not trying to be a jerk. I totally understand what’s driving you.”
“I know I probably seem crazy—to have been obsessed with this for so long.”
“No, just lonely. It’s completely rational.”
She didn’t respond for a minute, and Jacob wondered if he’d said something wrong.
“I just wish my mother hadn’t gotten sick,” Aloren finally said. “She remembered a lot when I was little and told me stories about my father and brother, but as she got sicker, she forgot almost everything. I only vaguely remember the stories now. It’s so frustrating.”
Jacob felt a sudden need to comfort her, though he wasn’t sure why or how. He hoped she wouldn’t start to cry again, and he wished his mom was there. “It really does suck,” he said.
She smiled at him, her dimple showing. “It’s fine, Jacob. I’ve had a lot of time to deal with things.”
Jacob was aware of how dirty his hair and clothes were. Feeling embarrassed, he looked away. His dad used to say something about society needing good women to keep men civilized—now he understood what that meant.
It began drizzling, and Aloren looked up in dismay. The sun wasn’t even covered with clouds yet.
“We have to hurry,” she said. “Akeno, your huts won’t protect us from Lirone. We need to make sure it really is him, and then get to the caves in Dunsany Mountain as quickly as we can.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Dunsany Mountain?” Jacob asked, hoping it wasn’t far.
“Yes. It’s that one.” She pointed at the mountain they’d hiked around. “The caves will provide us with protection. They’re dangerous themselves—if you’re not careful and go too deep into them, you’ll never find your way out—but they’re the only place where we might find safety from Lirone.”
“How do your people survive here?” Akeno asked.
“He very rarely goes anywhere but north and south. He’s been near my city a couple of times, and I’ve only heard of him going west once. The Lorkon got upset with him for doing that, and it hasn’t happened since.”
“How could a Lorkon possibly stand against Lirone?” Akeno said.
“You’d be surprised, actually. The rumor is that the Lorkon brought him to guard their city.” Aloren turned. “You guys keep following the trail. I’m going to climb a little higher through the trees. Maybe I’ll be able to see better from up there.”
Jacob and Akeno continued as if nothing was going on as Aloren dashed through the trees. Jacob did his best not to think about the threat that might be coming their way. He knew he’d have plenty of time to ask questions later.
As they walked, he couldn’t help but notice that weird pockmarks dotted the mountain. It was almost as if a war had occurred there, and he wondered if the holes were from the war with the Lorkon. Hadn’t that happened years ago, though? Shouldn’t the marks have leveled by now—from rain and the passage of time? Or maybe there was some weird animal that roamed the countryside, digging random holes everywhere.
Aloren emerged from the trees high above him, and he waved at her. She was staring up at the clouds, though, and didn’t see him. The tension in the air rose considerably.
Jacob caught a slight movement from the corner of his eye and turned to face south. The waves on the lake were much bigger than they’d been earlier, as if there was a huge windstorm. No wind was blowing past him, though.
The clouds rolled grotesquely—forming weird, twisted shapes—and were a brown, almost gray-green color. Jacob shrieked when bright red lightning shot across the sky, but no sound came out. Surprised, he clamped his jaw shut and then opened it again, trying to talk. He could feel his lips forming words, but he couldn’t hear anything.
Someone grabbed him by the arm and jerked him toward the trees. He ripped his hand out of the person’s grasp before realizing it was Akeno.
Akeno said something to him, but Jacob shrugged, motioning to his ears. Akeno shook his head, apparently exasperated, and grabbed Jacob’s arm. Pulling Jacob with one hand, he motioned to the sky with the other.
Jacob looked up again. His jaw dropped and he stumbled backward. Holy crap! A large section of clouds had rolled into the shape of a face. As it became closer, its eyes opened, glanced around for a moment, then focused on Jacob and Akeno.
The cloud was also forming massive hands and arms that appeared to be gathering something, but Jacob couldn’t look away from its angry gaze.
“Jacob, run!” Aloren screamed. He ripped his eyes from the monster in the sky, surprised he was able to hear her. He hesitated for a split second before the adrenaline kicked in, then he tore up the hill toward Aloren’s voice, Akeno running beside him.
His feet flew out from under him and he was soaring through the air, landing hard on his butt ten feet from where he’d been running.
Dazed, Jacob scrambled up and spotted Akeno about a yard away. He appeared to have been knocked unconscious. Jacob looked down the hill to see what had thrown them forward and was surprised that a hole now smoldered, three feet in diameter, where he and Akeno had just been.
Aloren stood at the edge of the trees, screaming. No sound carried to Jacob, though he wasn’t more than forty feet away. She motioned for them to run. Jacob picked up Akeno and both of their bags and made a beeline for the trees. Another shock wave blew through the air, nearly knocking him over, but this time he didn’t turn around.
He reached Aloren, tossed her the bags, and kept running. They raced up the hill through the trees. Continual shock waves hit them on all sides with explosions and blasts of fire.
Trusting that Aloren knew where they were going, he stayed as close to her as possible, following her far up the side of the mountain and away from the trail. He still couldn’t hear anything, and shock waves rammed into his body, making any kind of movement difficult.
After what felt like an hour of solid running uphill, and with a stitch in his side that made breathing and moving almost impossible, Jacob saw several caves in the rock ahead of them. He followed Aloren into one, and they ran as far as they could until the cave stopped. Aloren mouthed something and darted out of the cave, unable to hear Jacob’s shouts to come back. He wasn’t surprised—he couldn’t hear them either.
She was gone for a couple of seconds before returning. Racing back in, she grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the cave. Confused, he chased after her into the entrance of another cave. They didn’t stop running until they were almost completely enveloped in darkness. Dropping Jacob’s hand, Aloren faced the entrance. The only thing visible was a glimpse of the mountains on the other side of the lake. She put the bag down, slumping by one of the walls.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Jacob stood for a moment, letting his eyes adjust, and then set Akeno down next to Aloren. He ran his hand through his hair, raking out twigs, and leaned up against the wall near the others.
After a moment, he got tired of standing and sat next to Akeno, whose eyes were now wide open. Jacob still couldn’t hear anything, and it occurred to him that his hearing might have been damaged by the shock waves.
It wasn’t long, however, before the faint sound of an explosion reached his ears, making him jump. “Hey! I can hear again!” He turned to Akeno. “Are you okay? You blacked out for a minute there.”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Akeno said, sitting up. “I think I’m doomed to be thrown over your shoulder like a sack of potatoes every time something bad happens.”
“Yeah, sorry about that.” Jacob smiled. “Okay, so now that Lirone knows we’re here, can you tell me about him?”
She nodded. “He’s one of the main reasons why most people don’t make this trip.”
Jacob frowned. “What is he? And why couldn’t I hear anything? I mean, I know that shock waves and loud noises can mess up your hearing, but I wasn’t
able to hear even before the explosions started.”
“It wasn’t because of the explosions. Lirone has the ability to control particles and waves in the air. As soon as he spots someone, he takes away all sound before it reaches their ears or leaves their mouths. It’s part of his way of trapping people before he blows them away.”
Jacob’s mind was reeling. What would’ve happened if Aloren hadn’t been with them? They’d be dead, he was sure of it. “How’d you know about him, Akeno?”
“I’d heard stories and myths,” Akeno said, resting his head against the cave’s stone wall. “My father spoke of a creature big enough to cover the entire sky who existed in the form of clouds and used particles in the air to kill things. His magic is supposedly related to Makalo magic, though I don’t know how.”
Jacob looked at Aloren. “Why could I hear you scream?”
“Because he’d only seen you and Akeno. If he hasn’t seen or heard something yet, it doesn’t exist to him, and he can’t take away its sound.”
“And as soon as you yelled at me, he knew you were there?”
Aloren nodded. “We can hear each other now because he’s given up trying to find us for the time being.”
Jacob thought for a minute. “So, what’s the purpose of doing that? Make it so people can’t call out for help or something?”
Akeno shrugged. “I’d guess it’s a cruel joke he likes to play. There’s no purpose, really—he’s too big and doesn’t have natural predators.”
“Calling out for help can’t save you from Lirone,” Aloren said. “And usually the people who know his tricks won’t stand out in the open.”
Jacob rolled his eyes. “Gee, thanks for letting me know.”
Aloren laughed. “Sorry, I just didn’t want to run the risk by talking about him.”
“I totally understand,” Jacob said. “Aren’t we running that risk now?”
“He can’t reach us, and he gets bored easily if we’re not where he can cause damage or death.”
Jacob shifted to a more comfortable position. “So, next time Lirone comes around, all we’ll need to do is remain hidden, and we’ll be safe?”
“Not quite. He still throws bombs even if he can’t see anyone. If there are living things in the area, throwing the bombs will either kill them or scare them out of their hiding places.”
“Why does he do it?”
“He’s always been a violent creature,” Akeno said. “There are many theories and legends about why he’s that way, but no one really knows for sure.”
Aloren rummaged through her bag, pulling out a hair tie. “The first cave we went into was too shallow, and he’d know we were there. That’s one of the many mistakes people make. They figure if they can’t see his face, he can’t see them. They don’t know the clouds they’re looking at are actually him. If they can see clouds, any part of them, then he can see them.”
Jacob frowned. “So I wasn’t really looking at his face?”
Aloren fastened her hair back with the tie. “Not in a conventional way. He doesn’t have the same shape we do.”
“Why could I see a face, then?”
“He was probably doing it for your benefit. To scare you. I’ve seen him do that before, though today was the first time I’ve seen him form arms.”
“Okay, so he’s made of clouds,” Jacob said, still trying to get a grasp on this creature. He was both fascinated and freaked out by Lirone.
“Not really,” Aloren said. “He looks like clouds, and it’s nearly impossible to distinguish between him and them unless he’s moving a lot. Which he does when he sees someone. When he’s waiting, he rarely moves except to shift a little or follow the wind.”
Jacob grabbed his knapsack, feeling around inside it for the last apple. “All right, I’m tired of it being dark. Akeno, why not light up the place? Aloren, do you think that would be okay?”
Aloren nodded. “Yeah, that shouldn’t be a problem. Besides, I’m starving, and we’ll want to see what we’re eating.”
A second later, the cave filled with Akeno’s bluish light, and Jacob resumed digging inside his bag. He found the apple and handed out some bread and jerky. “Where did Lirone come from?”
“No one knows,” Akeno said. “He didn’t originate here, though.”
“He’s existed for as long as there’s been a history of Eklaron kept by my people,” Aloren said.
Jacob leaned back against the cave wall, munching on his apple. “And how long do you think we’ll need to hide out in this cave?” Too bad they didn’t have a grill. And some steaks. Fresh, barbecued meat sounded really good.
Aloren inspected her bread. “Until the sun is shining again and there aren’t any storm clouds in the sky. He only comes when there’s already a storm.”
“Are you serious?” Jacob felt the familiar panic return as he thought about his dad and sister. “That’s going to take forever.”
“Not necessarily. The weather can change fast, so it might only be an hour. Soon after we see sunlight, we should be fine to leave.”
Jacob chucked his apple core as hard as he could toward the back of the cave. He couldn’t believe it. Would every single thing go wrong?
He glanced toward where he’d thrown the core, then got to his feet. The cave opened into a medium-sized room a couple of feet from where they sat, then tunneled off to the left, out of sight. He stepped forward, wanting to know how far into the mountain the tunnel led. He was surprised to see a pile of junk on the side of the room just before the bend and headed toward it. Most of it was covered with thick, coarse material. Jacob lifted one edge, peeking underneath. He jumped back in surprise.
Chapter Twenty-Six
“Whoa,” Jacob said.
“What?” Akeno asked, leaping to his feet.
“Human bones.” Jacob moved closer and kicked the cover aside, revealing torn and tattered clothing, broken dishes, a fork, and a smashed pocket watch, all of which had been strewn across skeletons.
“Bones?” Aloren asked.
“Yes. Skulls and femurs. And other junk.”
Aloren came over and picked up one of the bigger bones, holding it with a corner of the material. Akeno moved his finger closer so they could see the bone, and Jacob gasped. Weird-looking marks were all along it. Aloren dropped the thing.
The marks had been made by teeth.
She looked at Jacob, then back at the bone, shaking her head with an expression of horror on her face. “No, no, no,” she wailed. “Oh, I forgot. Lirone and Seden and the Eetu fish . . . I can’t believe I forgot.”
“Forgot what?” Jacob asked.
“This is bad, isn’t it?” Akeno said, taking a step back.
“Shhh!” She waved her hand at Akeno’s finger. “Turn off your light.”
Blackness covered them as Akeno’s finger stopped glowing.
Aloren’s moan was barely audible. “I can’t believe—stupid of me!” She grabbed Jacob’s arm, making him jump, and whispered, “Back away as quietly as you can, both of you.”
Jacob followed Aloren, stopping when he felt the wall behind him.
Aloren stood close to him, and Jacob could barely see Akeno’s outline on the other side of her. “Be quiet, and no moving,” she said.
Standing as still as he could, Jacob tried not to concentrate on his awkward position up against the cave wall as it curled into the ceiling. He blinked a couple of times, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the near-complete darkness.
After what felt like forever, long after his mind had wandered and the lighting outside had changed somewhat, he heard a slight shuffling sound coming from the back of the cave, around the bend. Images crossed his mind as he tried to imagine whatever it was that might eat humans and that prowled in dark caves. Wolves, bears, Bigfoot, ogres, and orcs—all from books he’d read and movies he’d watched. He remembered the white monster in the beginning of Star Wars V and wondered if it would have eaten Luke if given the chance.
The sound got louder
and Jacob glanced at Aloren, barely able to see her in the dark. He grabbed her hand.
She gave him a quizzical look. “What?” she whispered.
Jacob put a finger to his lips and nodded toward the back of the cave. An expression of understanding he could barely see crossed her face, quickly replaced by a scowl. She turned to her other side, and Jacob heard Akeno’s small, quick intake of air.
A few moments later, there was another shuffling sound, and a massive body came into view. Jacob pressed back as hard as he could against the stone as he stared at the creature that had entered the room. He was surprised at how much of the monster he was able to see. It was almost as if a light were shining on it, though there was no source.
It wasn’t as big as he’d expected it to be—only about five and a half feet tall—but it made up for its height in mass. The body was familiar, though Jacob wasn’t sure why. Long, heavy arms hung from huge shoulders, and its legs were thick and powerful.
It had large eyes and very pale skin that covered only part of its face. The skin on the beast’s huge chin was interrupted by spikes that curved out and downward from the roots of its teeth. These spikes came to a sharp point about an inch below its chin and turned slightly outward.
Jacob froze, knowing exactly why this thing was familiar. He’d seen two of them dead in his house just a couple of days before. He forced himself to stay calm, not to jump out and strangle something that was obviously much stronger than him. Especially when he didn’t know if there were more just around the bend.
Without lips to hide the teeth, it was easy to see food stuck between the molars. Jacob’s stomach turned as he tried not to think about the human bones he’d found.
Forsaken Prince (Kilenya Chronicles Book 1) Page 10