The Dragon's Descent

by Laurice Elehwany Molinari

  Vero nodded. He turned off his headlight, as did Clover. Bowing to peer pressure, Kane huffed then also turned his off. Tack held his palms over the terrain and began to walk. No longer having any light to see with, the others followed closely behind him. Clover held on to the back of Tack’s shirt, and Vero and Kane held on to Clover so as not to become separated. Vero watched as Tack closed his eyes, allowing himself to be guided solely by his hands. He walked a few feet to his left then stepped over an old tree stump that housed growing fungi. Vero, Kane, and Clover stayed right on his tail, holding on. Vero could feel his thighs working hard; he knew they were walking up a steep slope. Tack walked up even higher, when Vero felt hard rock underneath his feet. They had reached some sort of plateau. They walked a few feet ahead on the flat surface, and Vero heard Clover scream.

  Soon everyone began to scream. They had walked straight off the plateau . . . sinking into . . . something really mushy and thick. Vero began to flap his arms around, but only felt himself getting stuck further. A light shone on him. He looked over. Kane had managed to turn on his headlight.

  “What is this?” Clover yelled.

  Vero’s heart sunk. Looking out over the terrain, he knew exactly what it was.

  “It’s dry quicksand,” he said, with dread in his voice.

  As Kane turned his head around, Vero saw Clover and Tack up to their waists in the quicksand.

  “Thanks, Tack, now we’re really stuck,” Kane said.

  Panicked, Clover began to thrash around in the dry, loose sand. “I have to get out of here!”

  “Clover, you’re making it worse!” Vero shouted. “You’ll only sink faster that way!”

  Clover stopped moving, but she was now covered up to her chest. She took labored breaths of air.

  “Guys, I’m having a hard time breathing,” she said.

  “Take slow breaths,” Vero said. “Stay calm.”

  Clover closed her eyes and began to breathe more normally.

  “How are we going to get out of this?” Kane asked. “There’s no one to pull us out!”

  “Guys, this is the way in,” Tack said, looking down at the fluffy sand below him.

  And then Vero remembered. He had once slid through a similar sinkhole with the fledglings when they had been looking for Kane during an early training exercise in the Ether.

  “Forget what I said! Fight! Fight as hard as you can,” Vero shouted. “It will speed up the inevitable.”

  Kane’s head whipped around toward Vero. “Are you crazy?”

  “Tack’s right. We’re supposed to be here. This is the way through the rock,” Vero said, feeling the sand tighten around his chest. “When you were in the pit of acid, and we were looking for you, we had to jump through a sinkhole just like this sand. We slid right through it and landed safely in a tunnel beneath.”

  “But that was the Ether! This is earth. Big difference!” Kane shouted nastily.

  “Dude, you can argue all you want, but it’s not gonna change a thing,” Tack said. “You’re going down whether you like it or not.”

  “You’re nothing but a fake!” Kane shouted at Tack. “We put our trust in you!”

  “And I’m right.” Tack glared at Kane.

  “Tack, are you sure?” Clover asked, her eyes trusting.

  “One hundred percent.”

  “Tack’s right,” Vero said to Clover, the sand up to his neck. “You said it yourself—why else would your panther have led us here?”

  Clover nodded.

  “Just hold your breath when the moment arrives,” Tack said, as he sunk farther down into the fluffy, porous sand. He was disappearing like a little kid in a bounce house filled with plastic balls.

  “This is insane,” Kane shouted. “Vero, you can’t be serious!”

  Kane looked over to Vero, but he could only see a sliver of his friend as Vero allowed the sand to cover his eyes, and soon his hairline. Seconds later, he was gone.

  21

  BENAIAH’S CAVE

  Vero landed in a frigid pool of water, accompanied by some of the dry quicksand, which rained down all around him from above. His headlamp revealed he was in a subterranean pond in an ovoid cavern. Tack was the next to fall through the ceiling, and landed belly-first into the pool, spraying Vero with an icy wave. Clover then fell through the dry quicksand and into the water. Her head quickly broke through the surface, and she sucked a huge breath of air into her lungs.

  “Told you.” Tack smiled. “Looks like Tack the Magnificent is on a roll today!”

  “We’re never going to hear the end of this.” Clover rolled her eyes.

  “Any sign of Kane?” Tack asked.

  “Not yet,” Vero answered. “He’s probably still trying to resist.”

  “This water is freezing,” Clover said. “Can we get out of here?”

  She swam with her backpack still strapped around her shoulders over to a ledge of rock jutting out into the lake. Tack and Vero followed. When Clover reached the ledge, she placed her palms onto the rock’s surface and pushed the rest of her body out of the water. Tack and Vero climbed up next to her. The three sat for a moment, taking in the sight.

  “Thank goodness Mom bought waterproof flashlights,” Clover said. “Or else we’d miss this.” Her voice was full of wonder.

  The water was a beautiful emerald-green color. Ornate stalactites and stalagmites grew out of the sheer rock, decorating the cavern. They looked magical, but Clover knew from her science classes they were the result of thousands of years of dripping water. Yet it was the deep silence of the cavern that Clover found most intriguing. It felt almost sacred.

  “It is beautiful in here,” Clover said, looking around. “Nature’s art.”

  “Yeah,” Vero added.

  “Where is Kane?” Tack asked.

  “Give him a few minutes,” Vero said. “It’s not like he’s going anywhere else.”

  “I don’t know what you see in that guy,” Tack said.

  “He can be kind of intense,” Vero said. “But overall he’s a good guy. And trust me, it’s not an accident that I happened to run into him here in Sri Lanka—remember, he is the one who got us to Sri Pada. There are bigger forces at play here.”

  “Guys, I’m still freezing,” Clover said, her teeth chattering.

  “Did you bring any extra clothes in your backpack?” Vero asked.

  “No—but if I did, they’d be soaking wet as well!”

  Vero reached around and touched his backpack.

  “Mine’s wet too,” he said.

  “Good thing Ding Dongs are waterproof,” Tack announced as he opened his pack and pulled out a Ding Dong. He tore open the plastic wrapper and shoved the cake into his mouth. “Want one? They’re still good.”

  Both Clover and Vero shook their heads. Clover unzipped her backpack and pulled out two power bars and handed one to Vero. As they ate their bars, Kane fell into the water without warning, splashing them. He swam to the surface then toward the rock ledge. Vero stood, extending his hand to Kane and pulling him up on the ledge.

  “That’s okay,” Tack said as Kane looked in his direction. “I don’t need an apology. I’m not the type of guy who says I told you so.”

  “Sorry,” Kane said. “I just lost it. But you’ve got to cut me some slack. It’s not every day I get trapped in quicksand.”

  Tack considered for a moment. “We’re cool,” Tack said.

  “Cool? Freezing is more like it,” Clover said as she stood. “Can we go find somewhere warm?”

  “Any idea?” Kane asked Tack.

  “We need to follow the ledge that way . . .” Tack pointed directly ahead of him.

  “Be careful,” Vero said. “The rock is slippery.”

&
nbsp; Tack stood, staring at the jewel-toned water beside them. “This isn’t a lake. There is a current running through it—watch.” With that, Tack took the plastic wrapper from his Ding Dong and turned the bottom edge inside out so the packaging stood upright in his hand. He placed it on the water’s surface, and it started to move with the small current.

  “That’s weird,” Vero said with a curious grin. “I didn’t feel any current when I was swimming.”

  “Well, it’s there. This isn’t a stagnant pond,” Tack said. “It’s a pool that’s fed by an underground river. I think we should follow the current and see where it takes us.”

  They set off in the direction Tack’s makeshift boat had set sail. It was a vast cavern, and after only a few minutes Vero counted at least five separate pools. He knew Tack was doing his best, but he was growing impatient. Where would they wind up? And how could they find a single stone in the massive, complex cavern? What if—

  “Hold up.” Tack raised his hand.

  Vero looked out over the ledge. They stood before another pool in the subterranean river. It was the same sparkling green color as the others.

  “This pool,” Tack said. “I’m feeling it in this pool.”

  “Don’t even think about it. I was just starting to feel dry again,” Clover said.

  “You think it’s in the water?” Vero asked.

  “Yeah.” One side of Tack’s mouth edged up in pride.

  “Not in the walls or ceiling?” Vero said, eyeballing the stalactites hanging down from the ceiling.

  “Nope.”

  “Okay,” Vero said, taking off his sneakers and socks.

  “I’ll go look for it,” Kane said, also taking off his shoes. “I was being kind of a jerk, so I guess I have it coming to me.”

  “No,” Vero said. “I need to do it.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Kane insisted. “I don’t want you down there alone.”

  Vero considered his fellow fledgling. “Okay, but let’s see how deep it is.” Vero picked up a rock and dropped it into the water. He leaned over the ledge to see if he could see or hear it hit bottom. The rock never made a sound.

  “Guess it’s pretty deep,” Vero said.

  Kane nodded. “Let’s do it,” he said, removing his backpack.

  Kane sat down on the ledge, about to slide in, when Vero grabbed his arm, stopping him.

  “You’re gonna need this . . .”

  Vero handed Kane a waterproof flashlight as Clover grabbed his backpack. Vero then adjusted his headband flashlight.

  “Thanks,” Kane said before pushing off the ledge into the pool.

  Vero followed Kane into the water. After they’d swum down a few feet, Vero opened his eyes. He was surprised how well he could see. The water was completely clear. Swimming away from Kane, Vero began to explore. He noted that there wasn’t a single plant growing in the lake. When he couldn’t hold his breath any longer, Vero headed to the surface and broke through. Seconds later, Kane’s head surfaced as well.

  “See anything?” Tack yelled.

  “No,” Vero answered, then nodded to Kane. “You?”

  “Nothing,” Kane said.

  “I think we need to go down deeper,” Vero said. “I wish I could hold my breath longer.”

  “Push yourself,” Kane said.

  Kane ducked back into the water and swam straight down. Vero sucked in a deep breath then kicked his feet up and shot down like a missile, deeper into the water. He swam down much farther than last time and was rewarded with a beautiful sight for his efforts.

  Underwater stalagmites grew up from the floor and provided a breathtaking display. Each column was different from the other and all were stunning. Vero felt as if he was in a forest of tall rocks—so many that they seemed to form a maze. He twisted his body around them for closer inspection. Their beauty enchanted him to the point that he forgot that he couldn’t hold his breath any longer. Silence began to fill his ears. He felt as if he would drift off into sleep.

  Whack! Vero felt a punch to his arm. He whipped his head around to see Kane motioning with his thumb to swim up to the surface. He suddenly became very aware that his body was running out of oxygen. Panic set in, and Vero kicked his legs so hard and fast that he lost sight of Kane. He needed air and quick! Just . . . a . . . little . . . higher . . .

  He felt life pour back into his lungs. He spotted Tack and Clover on the ledge, and knew he had made it back. He panted, taking in big gulps of air; stale air, but it would do. Kane popped up beside him.

  “You all right?” Kane asked.

  “Yeah,” Vero said. “Thanks.”

  “What happened down there?” Clover asked.

  “There is the most amazing group of stalagmites growing up from the floor,” Vero said, treading water.

  “And Vero got a little too distracted by them,” Kane chimed in.

  “Really?” Tack asked.

  “Dude, couldn’t you tell you were drowning?” Kane asked.

  Vero shook his head, but then his face lit up as he put two and two together. “Maybe I was close to the book!” Vero said. “Maybe that’s why I lost track of time, and didn’t notice I needed to breathe?”

  “You think the stalagmites are there to stop people from finding the book?” Clover asked.

  “Maybe,” Vero said. “Or maybe proximity to the book causes an overwhelming sense of peace. Whatever, but nearly falling asleep on the bed of a freezing subterranean river isn’t normal, so I think we’re close.”

  “You think it could be hidden in one of the pillars?” Kane asked, also treading water.

  “Could be, but which one? There are dozens of them down there,” Vero said. “Tack, you need to get in the water with us. Maybe you’ll feel something.”

  Tack nodded and began to take off his shoes and socks. He handed his backpack to Clover.

  “Don’t eat all of my Ding Dongs,” he warned.

  “Don’t you want a flashlight?” Clover asked.

  “Not for this,” Tack answered as he jumped feetfirst into the pool and swam over to Vero.

  “Does it feel any different being in the water this time?” Vero asked.

  “No, it’s just as freezing!” Tack shouted, teeth chattering.

  “You get used to it,” Kane said.

  “Just let me concentrate,” Tack said.

  Tack closed his eyes and spread his hands out over the surface of the water. Vero watched as Tack began to swim toward the middle of the pool. When he appeared to be dead center, Tack stopped swimming and opened his eyes.

  “It’s right under this spot,” Tack said.

  “Let’s go diving,” Kane said as he swam to the center then dove down under the surface.

  Tack turned to kick down into the water, but Vero grabbed his shoulder before he could descend.

  “You should go back by Clover,” Vero said.

  Tack nodded. He looked grateful to be getting out of the frigid water. As Tack swam back to Clover, Vero kicked his feet and dove below. Within several feet, the stalagmites came into view. Vero willed his mind to ignore their bewitching beauty and focused solely on finding the Book of Raziel. He swam to a pillar, which he imagined to be the exact center. Examining it up close, he saw nothing blue on the pillar—no sign of any sapphire. He began to feel out of breath, so he kicked his feet from off the bottom of the water’s floor and bulleted up to the surface.

  As Vero bobbed up out of the water, he saw Kane, who had also come up for air.

  “You see anything?” Kane asked Vero.

  “Not yet,” Vero said. “But keep looking. We gotta be close.”

  Vero and Kane kept searching the bottom for any sign of a sapphire or other gemstones. It seem
ed like finding a needle in a haystack, but neither knew what else they could do. During one attempt, Vero touched the base of a pillar. His hand accidentally scraped the lake’s floor. It felt warm, and when he looked at his hand, he could feel the current in the water—it was stronger down here at the bed. He got an idea. He swam back up to the surface, took a huge breath of air, and swam back below. But this time, instead of heading to the center of the pool, Vero dove down to the bottom and swam his way across it. His hands swept against the floor as he let the current take him, allowing him to crawl across the bottom. He did this for about ten yards, until water suddenly shot up his nose. Vero’s head unexpectedly tucked into his chest as he was pulled forward off what he had thought was the bottom. As he somersaulted off a ledge, Vero realized he was caught in a powerful current that was drawing him toward an opening in the sidewall of the cavern.

  Vero struggled to fight the current, trying to go back to the ledge he had fallen off of. It wasn’t easy, but he was making headway and putting some distance between himself and the hole in the wall. As he swam back toward the ledge, he noticed there was an underside to it, and it seemed as if there might be an air pocket there! Vero kicked with everything he had and made it to the underside of the ledge.

  Suddenly, air came back into his lungs. Vero realized his head was no longer under the water; he had indeed found an air pocket under the ledge. He looked up and saw light above him, and it wasn’t from his flashlight. He was under a dome-shaped ceiling. After he caught his breath, he understood that what he and Kane had thought was the floor of the cavern was actually a massive, curved dome of rock beneath the surface.

  As Vero surveyed the inside of the air pocket, he noticed a flat outcrop of rock in the middle. Vero climbed up out of the water underneath the dome of rock. When he stood, his head nearly grazed the ceiling. But when he tilted his head back and looked up, he saw nothing but blue, and it wasn’t sky.

  22

  BOOK OF THE ANGEL RAZIEL

  Kane’s head broke through the water. A panicked Clover and Tack leaned over the rock ledge.

  “Did you see him?” Clover shouted, her eyes full of fear.