"Sebastian, tell me we're going to be okay," Sara whispered.
"I'm sorry, Sara," was all he could say.
As if in response to their growing concern, a steady blue light appeared, moving toward them from the depths of the dark eastern tunnel. The silhouette of a person came into focus. It wore a hooded green cloak and stood on a reed-and-bamboo raft similar to the one the children ridden. The individual pushed the raft with a long staff that extended down into the water. A blue, glowing crystal hung from the top of the staff by a few inches of twine.
The raft approached the rocks and stopped. The stranger whispered a few words and the crystal dimmed. A moment later the staff creaked like an old door and shrank from a long pole into a five-foot walking stick. The stranger stepped from the raft onto the rocks and lifted the hood to reveal a handsome, childlike male face, long brown hair, and pointed ears.
"Hello, young ones," he said in a clear, strong voice. "My name is Capri. I have come to discover what happened to Meridian."
Chapter Four
Capri
For long moments, Sara and Sebastian stared at the stranger with the funny staff and funnier ears.
"You act as if you had never seen an elf ere this day."
Sara was the first to speak up. "Then, uh, the stories were true about the tree and the faerie prince?"
"Yes, they were true. But alas, I have come to lament for my lost friend, Meridian."
Suddenly a splash echoed from the dark tunnel. Capri raised his staff, and the crystal came to life, casting a light as intense as a thousand candles. He pointed it down into the darkness, but only a few ripples remained on the water's surface. The heads of a few merpeople rose, their eyes above the water, but their noses and mouths remained below the surface.
Nia popped up next to Capri's raft. "My Lord Capri, has it been seven seasons since we saw you last?"
"It has, and I wish my trip were for merrymaking and song," he said, "but a great shadow has befallen the land above."
"Do you know what happened?"
"I heard Meridian cry out in my dreams when she was uprooted and destroyed. With the tree gone, the protection she once provided is now fading. This grotto is no longer safe, Nia. You must take your people and flee to the east."
"Where will we find safety?"
"Go back to the sunken island near Thira. Fifty seasons ago, I planted an olive tree on the northern end of the island, which will provide you with protection for a time, but I fear that no place on this plane of existence will be safe much longer from the Kylo. Something has happened, and they are growing stronger."
"Is it this creature Ragnarok we have heard whispers of?" the mermaid asked.
"I do not know," the elf said. "Right now you must flee."
Nia dropped underwater. Splashes repeated throughout the cavern. The glowing crystals in the walls and ceiling were fading. The breeze coming from the dark tunnel started to chill. It was as if the cold New England autumn weather was finally breaking through and reaching down into the grotto.
Capri turned to Sara and Sebastian. "There should have been enough remnant power left in this grotto to protect us a while longer. I sense it is gone."
Sara picked up Sebastian's backpack and handed it to him. "We need to get out of here."
Capri squinted in the fading light. "She is correct. You two must flee tonight."
"Mr. Capri," Sebastian said, "that's just it. We can't leave. The tunnel collapsed and almost buried us."
Nia resurfaced. "We are leaving, Capri. Miramar has the pod together, and they are fleeing through the south tunnels." She followed the beam of light from Capri's staff down the dark tunnel. "What is it?"
"I am unsure," Capri said. "Meridian was a strong oak who should have survived for untold centuries. Something has gone horribly wrong. I wish you and your pod well, Nia. We may yet meet again."
Nia turned to Sebastian and Sara. "Follow Capri. He will take you safely to your homes."
Sebastian reached out his hand, and Sara instinctively grasped it. "Yes, Nia," was all he could say.
The mermaid turned to Capri then back to the frightened children. "I will stay with you until the last of my pod is ready to leave."
Suddenly, the water level in the cavern dropped a few feet, and rumbles emanated from the depths of the dark tunnel. The crystals in the walls above and below the water's surface flickered and then went out. Sebastian and Sara clutched each other as Capri's staff started to glow brighter.
Miramar broke the surface near Nia. "We must leave now!"
Nia paused and looked into the darkness. Sebastian noticed she whispered to herself and finally shook her head as if to resolve some inner struggle. She turned to Capri. "I will tell the pod to go on without me, and I will stay with you and the young ones."
"I will protect them as long as there is breath in me," the elf said, "but I cannot protect all of you. Please, Nia, you must depart at once."
"Then farewell," Nia said. "You will be in my thoughts." With that, the mermaid dipped below the surface, followed by Miramar.
The elf pointed to the children and yelled, "Get down behind the rocks. Stay hidden no matter what happens!"
Sebastian grabbed Sara's hand and pulled her down next to him. "Keep your head down."
Sebastian's curiosity kept him from heeding his own words. He rose up just enough to watch the water rush back in from the darkness and explode into the cavern with a loud crash. Cries like wild animals, but yelling in human voices followed. A few of the voices called out for Capri. The wave hurtled itself onto the rocks Capri stood upon, but he remained unmoved by the onrush of water.
There was a moment of silence before strange shadowy creatures swept in from the depths of the tunnel into the open cavern. They swirled around the rocky ceiling, illuminating it with dark scarlet lightning that flashed from their eyeless sockets. The shadows were pitch black with bald heads and pointed ears. Some had shapeless torsos that faded into nothing, while others transformed into grotesque, clawed creatures and ran along the rough cave ceiling.
Sara tried to pull Sebastian back down. "Will you for once do as you're told? Get down."
"Leave me alone," he said. "I need to see what's happening."
"Please."
Sebastian continued to watch as Capri whispered to his staff, "Oscail." He seemed to inhale when he said this. Capri pulled on the glowing crystal, and the string holding it lengthened. He drew the gemstone down to the bottom of the staff. The staff itself started to bend. He buried the crystal in a small hole in the bottom and pulled on the string.
A blue arrow of light appeared on the cord of the newly-formed bow. He released the arrow and destroyed a shadow creature in an explosion of red and blue sparks. He pulled back on the string. Another glowing arrow appeared, notched and ready to fire. Two more shadow creatures attacked from hiding spots behind two stalactites. Capri destroyed them with a cry.
The creatures backed off into the shadows, leaving only echoes of their attack ricocheting off the cavern walls. Capri's pace quickened as another wave of creatures attacked. He ducked and tumbled out of the way while firing off azure arrows. For a moment gravity seemed to loosen its hold upon the wiry elf.
A beast flew at the elf with raised claws only to have its arm blown off by a flaming arrow. The creature dashed into the rock Sebastian stood behind. It reached its remaining arm toward Sebastian, who stood frozen. Syrup-like saliva dripped from its mouth, which opened and closed like a fish's out of water. The creature stopped moving.
Sebastian slowly reached out to the creature's lifeless hand. Suddenly it came alive and grasped onto Sebastian's arm, pulling itself closer. It moved its vice-like grip onto his neck.
Sebastian's vision narrowed as he lost his breath. A few agonizing seconds passed, and the creature loosened its hold. A fresh wound glowed where its other arm had once been. A moment later the creature melted. Its flesh ran like warm candle wax down Sebastian's neck, stinking of sulfur.
>
As Sebastian frantically wiped off the sludge, he noticed Capri had driven off the remaining creatures. Only a pulsing echo remained.
Capri removed the crystal from the bottom of his bow and exhaled, "Du'n." The bow straightened back into a staff. "Children, you may come out now."
Sara crawled out from behind the rocks and looked around the dimly-lit cave. "What just happened?" she cried. "Were those Kylo?"
Capri turned to answer her, his face pale. "Aye, child. I see that Nia has introduced you to our terrible past, but we can talk more later. For now we must leave this place because of the danger."
"I thought you destroyed them all?"
"Nay, young one. More are sure to come. I must get you to your homes. Where is your friend?"
Sebastian crawled out from behind the rock, rubbing his neck. Something on the back of his neck burned. He seemed to be moving in slow motion as he tried to stand. Then he fell. Something had happened to him, and panic caused his heart to race. Sara rushed over to his side. "Are you all right?"
"Everything's so dark." He coughed.
Capri ran over to Sebastian. He grabbed the boy's chin and looked into his eyes. For a brief moment, Sebastian saw fear on the elf's face, which only compounded his own worry.
****
"The child must have been seen and touched by a Kylo." With that, Capri turned Sebastian's head, and Sara could see a black spot on the back of his neck.
"What do you mean?" Sara demanded.
"I cannot talk now. We must leave."
Capri helped Sebastian onto the bamboo raft. With a few whispered words, his staff creaked and extended down into the water. He began to push the raft through the tunnel. The light from the staff's crystal lit only a few feet in front of them. Blue-gray shadows ran about over the rock walls. Every gloomy movement convinced Sara the Kylo had returned.
She was defenseless and vulnerable sitting on the open raft, and wanted to jump off and swim into the nothingness of the cavern rather than wait for her doom. She forced herself to focus on Sebastian and helped him to sit up. Even in the dim light, she could see his face was pale. He smiled and rested his head on her shoulder.
They approached a jagged rock wall, and Capri slowed the raft to a stop. With a wave of his staff, a section of the wall scraped and rumbled before it slowly dropped into the water. They now looked out on the open sea. A path of moonlight shone down upon the water as if to welcome them into the cool night air.
Capri pushed the raft out of the cavern and around a rocky bend. The elf helped both children onto some rocks along the base of a cliff. Sara knew they were somewhere near the outskirts of town but couldn't place exactly where. She could hear the faint sound of traffic somewhere in the distance just beyond the cliff's side. It reminded her of the routine, ordinary world and the safety it held. She longed to be in her classroom, or doing homework… anywhere, as long as it was a familiar and safe place.
Ocean waves breaking on the rocks washed out the memory of a normal world and brought her back to the terrifying situation. After all three were safe on the rocks, Capri pushed the raft back down into the depths of the tunnel and waved his staff. In the next instant, Sara felt the rocks shift under her feet. The reverberation grew as the tunnel caved in upon itself.
"That grotto has been marked by the Kylo," Capri said. "They will patrol it evermore. It may never be used by the merfolk again."
"What are we going to do now?" Sara said, reaching down to feel Sebastian's forehead. "Sebastian doesn't look so good, and he's warm. We need to get him to a doctor."
"I'm fine," Sebastian responded as he leaned on Sara for support.
Capri bent down to look into Sebastian's eyes. "Nay, child. No human medicine can fix what is wrong with your friend. I may be able to help. If not, then I must find the shaman of my tribe."
Sebastian spoke through shivering lips. "If you are the faerie prince from the stories, then you don't know where your tribe is. You're lost."
"I am he, and you are correct. I do not know my tribe's location. I have searched for them for many seasons to no avail, but if they yet live, then they will be up north for the five-hundredth-season feast. They will be there regardless of any battle. I will explain more after we have set sail. For now, we must depart." With that, Capri stood and called, "Burber!" Then he knelt down on the rocks and closed his eyes.
Sara lightly tapped Capri on the shoulder. She backed away toward Sebastian as soon as the elf turned to face her. "What did you mean when you said that Sebastian's been seen?" she asked.
"The Kylo cannot normally see humans, like humans cannot normally see the elves and merfolk. This is because we live on a different plane of existence from you. But once you entered the tunnel under Meridian, you left your world and entered ours. Now that the Kylo have seen your kind and have your scent, they may come after you."
Sara felt as if some murderer was stalking her, and there was nowhere she could hide. In desperation, she pried for a sliver of hope. "I thought the Kylo were created to clear the lands for humans?"
Capri paused. "No one truly knows. The Kylo know only death."
Sara fell to her knees in utter misery.
In response, the elf said, "Forgive me, child. I have not been around company in many years, let alone children, and realize I have said too much."
"No. I need to know what is going on," she demanded. "Who is Ragnarok?"
"Ragnarok is a folktale told amongst our kin. It's a myth, nothing more."
"You're a folktale amongst our kin," Sebastian whispered, "and here you are."
Capri smiled. "Quite right, child. Ragnarok is the name of a legendary dragon that assumed control of the Kylo many seasons ago. No one has ever seen him, and his legend faded away like most myths…until recently. Growing rumors of his existence amongst the Fair Folk have arisen due to the Kylo's growing numbers, strength, and organization. I still doubt this rumor since there has not been sight of a dragon in millennia."
"You mean to say dragons actually exist?" Sara asked.
Before Capri could answer, he was interrupted by a loud splash. Sara turned and saw a gray shape break the surface of the water nearby. It swam up and down in rhythmic motions. Every so often it came to the surface and clicked, mooed, or squeaked. When it swam into the moonlight, she saw a twelve-foot-long white creature with a pronounced forehead.
"What is it?" Sara gasped. "Is that thing a dragon?"
"I think it's a beluga whale," Sebastian whispered. "I've seen pictures of them at the aquarium."
The whale held a long trail of rope in its mouth. The rope was tethered to a forty-foot-long wooden ship a short distance away. Sara thought it looked like an old Spanish galleon she had seen in a history book. The ship had two black masts with blood-red sails rolled up at the bottom of each boom.
Capri turned to the smiling whale. "How did everything go, Burber?"
The whale made a few clicking noises and shook his head up and down, releasing the rope. "Okay then," Capri said. "I will meet you up north at the place we agreed upon. Be swift, my friend. I have these two young ones to care for."
The whale made a few squeaks and dropped below the surface. Capri took the rope and pulled the ship in close to the rocks. One by one, he helped the children up and onto the deck. Then he pushed the boat away from the rocks and, in one motion, jumped the ten or so feet from the cliff base onto the deck.
"Welcome aboard Telestar," he said after he landed.
Suddenly, Sebastian dropped to his knees and fell back over the side, into the water. Sara screamed and climbed the rail to jump in after him.
Capri rushed over and pulled her down. "Burber!" he called.
After a long silence, Sara heard a whoosh of air from the other side of the boat. They rushed over to find the whale had pushed Sebastian to the surface. The elf jumped over the side, holding onto the rail with one hand while reaching down to pick up Sebastian with the other. Within seconds Sebastian was kneeling back on the deck
and coughing up the seawater he had swallowed.
Capri grasped the boy's face and looked into his eyes. "You are safe." He turned to the whale. "Thank you, my friend," The elf said to the whale. It clicked a response and departed for a second time. He turned to Sara. "Both of you should go below deck. I will set our course and be down in a moment."
Capri opened the crimson sails, and the ship started off. There was no wind that night, but the ship glided across the water as if the moonlight powered the sails.
Chapter Five
The Journey Begins
Capri joined the children below deck. A square carpet made out of soft grass lay in the middle of the large cabin. Three dark wooden barrels lined the opposite wall. Capri walked over to the first barrel and opened the top. He withdrew a linen pouch and two small red and blue crystals, similar in size and color to the one on his staff. Next, he removed a clay pitcher and matching bowl. He scooped water from the second barrel and poured it into the bowl and added the crystals, which dissolved with a fizzing noise.
Sebastian knew from Sara's injury in the grotto what he had to do, and drank from the bowl without being told. The taste was sweet with a scent of berries. He shook his head and coughed as Sara held his hand. His grogginess faded and his vision sharpened.
"The spot is fading on his neck," Sara said, exhaling.
Capri slowly turned Sebastian's head to look. "'Tis as I feared," Capri said.
"What do you mean?" Sara gasped.
"Look at his neck," said the elf, gently tilting Sebastian's head.
Sebastian shouted, "Will one of you tell me what's going on?"
"The spot has come back," Sara whispered.
Before Sebastian could panic Capri said, "Nay, although the spot has returned, it is a light shade of grey, child."
"What does that mean?" Sebastian asked.
The Grotto Under the Tree Page 3