by David Ekrut
A chill went down his spine, and Elwin shivered.
“You are right,” Elwin said. “I would rather face a giant. How could the king allow giants and delvers and such to remain in his lands?”
“The delvers rarely come above ground,” Daki said, “and no wise king would venture into the depths where they reside. As for the giants, most of the tribes do not have a taste for humans. We are at the edge of the Jojindun territory, and they are the smallest of the tribes. The mountains are vast, and the other tribes war with each other over territory. Their battles rarely make it this far west. The Jojindun live as close to humans as we allow them.”
Elwin shook his head. “Okay. I’ve heard enough. We need to get out of here.”
He removed the pack from Feffer’s back and eased his friend to the cavern floor. A realization came to him. Had the pack not been there to soften the blow, Feffer might not have survived. No. He didn’t want to think about that. Feffer was alive. Taego and Daki were alive. Now, they needed to find a way out.
Elwin shifted the pack into one of the shafts of light and dug through the contents. He pulled the cloak at the top out and placed it under Feffer’s head. Pieces of glass crumbled to the cavern floor as he examined the broken wood that had been the spyglass. The small lens was intact, but the large lens had shattered. He rummaged through the remaining supplies and gave Daki a report.
“The spy glass is broken, and both of the wineskins are busted. But, by the Lifebringer, the lantern is still in tact. The oil flask was in a side pouch or would likely be ruined as well. And the rope is soggy, but it is still usable.”
“That is good. We will need the light to explore the depths.” Daki turned to look into the darkness behind them, and Elwin followed his gaze.
The rays of light pierced the dark for several paces and vanished. No matter how hard he tried, his eye could not penetrate beyond the edge of the light. It could have gone on forever.
“We don’t even know if this leads out,” Elwin said. “What if it only leads down?”
“That is a good observation. I do not know, Elwin.”
“Do you at least know how far we are from Goldspire?” Elwin felt a stab of guilt at his tone. Daki would not be in this predicament if he had not offered to help. This wasn’t Daki’s fault.
Daki answered as if he had not taken offense. “If we can find a path that leads up and out of here, then we can make it within a day. Two at most, but first, we must find a path.”
They didn’t have enough oil for a search, so once they moved away from the entrance, they may have a few hours before the oil ran dry. Elwin sighed.
He saw little other choice. Elwin would have to search a path from the shadow realm. And, he would have to face the unseen eyes to do it. Then, a thought occurred to him.
“Daki, do you know how the shadow realm works?”
He nodded. “It is where you replenish your essence.”
“You have to go somewhere to replenish your … Do you call yours an essence as well?”
Daki looked away, his face looked tired.
“Anyway. My thought is that we can both search out a path while we sleep. It will allow—”
“Her realm does not work like the Realm of Shadows,” he said in a tight voice. “I cannot do what you ask.”
“But I saw you in the grove. How is it not the same?”
Daki grimaced.
Again, Elwin felt anger rise up, and the words poured out of him. “What is it with you? We need to get out of here. If we don’t, we won’t survive. If I am your Pat-whatever, will it honor you if I die?”
For the first time since meeting the Chai Tu Naruo, Daki flinched.
The guilt was immediate. “I’m sorry. I’m just so … frustrated. I can find a path. I just need some sleep.”
“The Grove is where Her realm merges with this world and the Realm of Shadows. When I sleep, I do enter her Realm, but I must guard the Grove. I cannot help in your search.”
Guard the Grove from what? he wanted to ask. Instead, he nodded and said, “Okay. Thank you for explaining.”
Daki turned away from him.
Elwin arranged the pack to serve as a pillow and laid against it. Falling asleep had become a simple mental exercise. He made his breath calm and cleared his mind. Sleep soon took him.
Elwin opened his eyes and welcomed the familiar light of the shadow realm. He stood from his body and took a good look at the cavern.
He and his companions rested at the mouth of a wide cave.
Feffer slept soundly a few paces from Daki and Taego. Daki leaned against the bear with his eyes closed. His own body stretched out closest to the entrance. If the giants found a way through, they would reach him first. That thought brought him to his first order of business.
Elwin willed himself just outside the crevice. Rocks and boulders had fallen around the entrance, and the surface had large cracks running up the side of the mountain.
As a boy, he had thought of Faron as a giant. Even he would have looked like an infant in the arms of a real giant. Not more than a dozen paces away, one of the giants stood poised over the entrance.
It looked almost like a man with the common garb of a merchant or well-off farmer. How many sheep had it taken to make such a large shirt? Or did they have giant sheep? Elwin couldn’t discount the notion. At this point, anything felt possible.
Elwin willed himself into the air and looked around for other giants, but they were nowhere to be seen. Maybe Daki had been right. Perhaps, the other giants went to get tools. He turned around to inspect the cracks in the entrance. Bare fists had fissured the rock. What could the giants do with a giant-sized shovel?
No time to think about that. Elwin returned to the cave and looked into the depths.
Several paces behind his companions, the cave widened and dropped off. Below was a large pool of water that dripped into another pool somewhere deeper into the cave. But he didn’t want to go down. Maybe there was a way to use Earth to burrow a hole above.
He looked up and felt a moment of hope.
Above the pool, an opening led upward. If it led out, the others could reach the opening by climbing up the eastern wall. He could leave no room for chance. Following it up, he could see some spots would be tight for Taego, but not impassable.
As he ascended, Elwin felt the sanctuary of his body grow more distant, but he continued to follow the tunnel. He could not be sure how much time passed, but he knew the moment the eyes were upon him.
He stopped and watched for the slightest movement. If a shadow appeared or if the fog turned dark or even twitched, he would return to his body the same instant. Being still made him more aware of the rise and fall of his chest a thousand paces below. His heart beat out a steady rhythm. He counted to five hundred and nothing happened.
Slowly, he began to rise, looking for any reason to return to his sanctuary. It was difficult to look in every direction at once, but Elwin did his best to do just that. He spun in slow circles and glanced up and down as he made his way up the tunnel.
After a moment he saw the waning crescent nestled in a sea of bright stars. Elwin emerged from the crevice and surveyed the mountain. Few trees grew from the wide plateau, but some of the red sucrais berries grew not far from the entrance.
“The Lifebringer be praised,” Elwin said.
“Hello, young one,” a man’s voice said below him.“Do not be alarmed. I only wish to talk.”
Elwin stopped his ascent and looked below to see a man in fine, blue silks leaning against a boulder below. Even his shoes were silk. Elwin recognized the face from his first venture into the shadow realm.
“Abaddon,” Elwin breathed.
Elwin almost fled to his body the instant he recognized the man, but something made him hesitate. The man did not seem as ominous as before. In fact, he looked … not old
exactly. Weary?
“You do not need fear me, child.” His voice had a calming tone.
“I do not fear you,” Elwin lied. Of course he feared him. Even fools and halfwits feared him. He was the thumping Seeker. In fact, what was he doing? He should be back at his body.
“That is good.” His smile was warm. “Do you like the mountains? I find them peaceful at night this time of year. I used to come here when I was a boy. My first time, I was not much younger than you.”
Did he like the thumping mountains? No. He didn’t. Cursed giants trying to eat him and delvers waiting to torture him for years. The mountains could go to the abyss. But that was beside the point. Why was Abaddon asking him about the thumping mountains?
“I prefer the view on my farm,” Elwin said. “The one you took from me.”
He made a face as if pained. “I did not take that from you. She did, when she tried to steal you from your destiny.”
The words erupted from Elwin before he could think to stop them. “Prophecies and Destinies. To the abyss with you all. Have you ever considered what I want? I don’t want any of this.”
Abaddon’s eyes widened as if offended, and his voice held not even a hint of mockery. “Such language. Let us speak civilly.”
Elwin’s anger faded to incredulity. The Seeker of Souls, creator of the Death Element, and bringer of destruction had chastised him on his foul tongue? Despite himself, Elwin laughed. The sound was more bitter than mirthful.
Almost quicker than he could follow, Abaddon’s eyes flickered to Elwin’s chest. Elwin looked down. The green stone radiated with a pale light.
“Interesting artifact,” Abaddon said with a smile. “It is the only one of its kind. I know. I made it.”
Elwin felt a moment of horror as he looked at the pendant. He knew the inscription on the back without looking.
Stay safe, my darling Elwin.
It had been a gift from his mother. His birth mother.
“You’re lying.”
“There was a time when all could travel the Realm of Shadows. Only, it wasn’t called that in my time. We called it the Realm of Spirits, and anyone could meander where they chose. When I declared war on the Rose House, I needed to be able to hide from the others. It took me a month to make the pendant.”
“I know you’re lying. It was a gift from my mother.”
“True. She did give it to you to prevent others from tracking you to Justice. The artifact even shields you from me. Or it did for a time.” Abaddon smiled.
Elwin swallowed. Rather, his body far beneath his feet swallowed. He prepared himself to flee, to will himself back to his sanctuary, but Abaddon spoke before he manifested his will to be away.
“But I digress. When I Transcended, I had no need of it. All of my wondrous artifacts remained behind, untouched for centuries. She found the pendant in my castle, your father’s home.”
“He is NOT my father.”
Bain smirked, but his eyes narrowed. “Your defiance will become your greatest strength in the end. The Old Man is not the only one to gaze into the future, and I see a world made in my image. With or without you, they will Awaken. With your help, fewer deaths will be necessary. Without …,” he shrugged. “Who knows?”
Elwin blinked. Old Man? The Lifebringer? Elwin shook his head. Jasmine had called Abaddon the father of all falsehoods. He should have been gone long before now. Lies had kept him here.
“Before you go,” Abaddon said as if reading Elwin’s thoughts. “Let me make you an offer.”
“I don’t want anything from you.” As he willed himself back to his body, Abaddon’s final words echoed in his thoughts.
“Not yet. But someday you will ask for my gift. I have seen it.”
The cave came into existence around him as if he had only taken a step. His companions appeared as if none had stirred a hair’s width in his absence.
Elwin stared at them a moment, trying to process his conversation. Abaddon was lying. He had to be. Nothing could make him take Abaddon’s “gift.” He shook his head and pushed it from his thoughts, then went out the crevice to check on the giants.
He jumped back as a massive hammerhead slammed into the opening. The sound of breaking stone echoed into the cavern and rung in his ears. A large chunk fell away from the opening.
He all but jumped back into his body.
Chapter 28
The Hunger of giants
Elwin awoke with his ears still ringing from the first blast. Another thunderclap cracked into the opening and sent his head spinning. He sat up to wake the others, but Daki was already on his feet. Feffer’s eyes opened, and he looked around groggily.
The next crash made him sit up straight grabbing at his ears. “What in the abyss? Where are we? I can’t see! Why can’t I see?”
“Have you found our path?” Daki said in a calm voice.
“Yes. But I need to light this lantern.”
“Elwin? Is that you? Why can’t I see?”
“I’m working on it.”
Elwin had slept with it next to him along with the flint and steel just in case the giants returned in the night. Between the hammer blows sending vibrations into his arms and his trembling hands, it took him three tries with the flint and steel to get the lantern to light.
He stood as another crash rocked the cave. The quake sent him tumbling into Daki, who did not appear to be phased at all by the quaking earth or the giants trying to get into their cave.
Feffer bounded to his feet and looked to the crevice. Elwin followed his gaze. The same massive eye as the day before peered in at them. It was at least half-a-dozen paces closer. Elwin could see the grin in its eye, and the light reflected off a few large teeth. The eye vanished, and the pounding resumed.
“This way!” Elwin shouted, and he ran toward the back of the cave.
He didn’t have to look to know the others followed, but he did. Despite himself, Elwin smiled. A part of him was overjoyed to see Feffer on his feet. Instead of fear, Feffer had a look of undeterred determination on his face.
The quakes lessened as they moved away from the entrance. When he reached the drop, Elwin held up a hand for the others to stop.
“Down there?” Feffer said, looking over Elwin’s shoulder.
“There,” Elwin pointed to the opening above.
“Me first,” Feffer said and pushed past the bear to the eastern wall. The layered rocks made the climbing look easy, but Feffer grunted with effort.
“Now you,” Elwin said to Daki.
“Then you,” he answered. “Taego is a clumsy climber. He will knock rocks on your head.”
Taego turned his muzzle to the side and arched an eyebrow. The human mannerism made Elwin blink.
“Fine,” Elwin said. “Go.”
As Daki lumbered up after Feffer, Elwin felt for the Air around him. He was surprised to find enough to fill his essence. As he tamed flight and rose toward the hole, a gush of wind moved through the cavern, knocking up dust and debris.
“Sorry.”
Feffer coughed and cursed as he reached the tunnel, but he seemed to have little trouble pulling himself up. The space was narrow enough that Feffer did not have to stretch his arms to full length to reach both walls. As Feffer disappeared into the hole, Daki was right behind him in reaching the opening, and Taego had already started his climb.
Elwin spared the front of the cavern a glance before flying into the crevice above.
The tip of the hammerhead had broken through. It came free as if yanked from the other side. A moment later the giant’s hand came into the opening. Its massive forearm caught in the opening, but its fingers still probed around in the dark. Only a few paces of empty space stood between him and those thick fingers.
Elwin flew into the chute, and the flow of Air became impossible to tame when the wall of Earth
smothered it. He almost dropped his lantern as he scrambled for a hand hold, and he panted for breath in the confines of the tunnel. Why hadn’t Jasmine warned him of this? Then he laughed. As if she could have anticipated he would be hunted by giants through a cavern.
“Elwin?” It was Daki’s voice. “Are you well?”
“Perfect,” he said as he scrambled higher to make room for Taego behind him. “Never been better.”
“Hand me the lantern,” Daki said in a low voice, “you will need both hands.”
Elwin handed it upward, glad to get a better hand hold.
“How far to the peak?” he asked.
“Maybe two thousand paces. It flattens out a bit and angles north.”
“Six thousand feet?” Feffer called from above him.
“Shhh,” Daki whispered. “Go higher.”
Feffer mumbled curses, but he climbed higher. After about ten minutes of climbing, light vibrations began to move through the mountain, but after a moment, Elwin realized he sensed this through his essence, not his body.
“They are still digging,” Elwin said.
“Good,” Daki said. “They will continue to do so until they can hollow out the entrance. If fate favors us, it will take them half the day or so to find the chute. Then they will attempt to track us above. But, if the Lady smiles upon us, they may dig out the way to the depths to see if we are hiding in a dead end.”
“How long do you think it will take us to reach the top?”
Daki was silent for a moment before responding. “Taego and I could make the climb in five to six hours, but we have been on many climbs. I do not know how long for you and Feffer, but I would guess most of the day.”
Feffer’s voice echoed from above. “How long will it take the giants to scale the mountain?”
“It will take them a third that time.”
Feffer’s curses became more audible, but the scrapes of his boots on stone increased. Daki picked his pace up as well, and Elwin followed, letting the bouncing light be his guide.
After a time, the climbing became routine, but Elwin had to work hard to keep up. He had trained with swords once a tenday and taming all day wore on him, but his muscles had never been conditioned for this. He tried not to think about the burning in his thighs and arms, even though he had to focus on moving his thighs and arms.