by B. T. Narro
He knew it to be true, but he still wished they had more time to discuss this. Knowing he was going into that portal no matter what, he didn’t see the reason to delay any longer.
Desil jumped in.
He tried to see where he was landing, but everything spun around him so violently it became a blur. He felt as if he was rolling, yet he couldn’t feel anything against his body.
Rock finally struck him. Desil tried to grab hold of it to stop himself, but his momentum was too strong.
He rolled across jagged stone. Unsure which way was up, all he could do was suffer through the tenderizing of his body until he finally came to a stop.
The dizziness didn’t abate. He found the ground with his hands and knees and got ready to hurl, but he managed to keep it down as his spinning surroundings slowly stopped moving. Through his pain, he noticed intense heat on his back. He looked over his shoulder as he hurried to remove his cloak. It really was a sea of lava that filled this enormous cavern behind him. He couldn’t see the end of it as the tall ceiling faded to black.
“Everyone all right?” asked Basen, the last one to rise.
Desil’s head throbbed, his elbow felt like a rock had penetrated skin, but he would be fine. No one voiced a complaint, and neither would he, especially considering just how much this task would require of his body. The ladder indicated they’d come here to mine akorell metal, but Desil no longer trusted how easy something might seem until it was done.
Leida approached him. She’d removed all her outer clothing in this heat, like the rest of them, and wore only a sleeveless tunic. Her sleek hair was the same molten red as the lava. Her eyes were emeralds. The sight of her shapely figure inflamed him from within.
Her eyebrows tilted as she came close. “You seem different. Are you sure you’re all right?”
He nodded, but it didn’t seem to convince her.
She leaned into him as she embraced him. It felt protective, dissolving his worry.
“I know you’re coming into this fast,” she said, her breath against his cheek. “It was hard for me at first as well. But this will be nothing compared to what we had to do in Kanoan.”
He didn’t know how to respond and soon lost his chance to hold her as she leaned away.
“I’ll be myself soon.” It was all he could say, no matter the truth, for he couldn’t bear to see the worry in her eyes.
Adriya left the ladder on the ground to join Desil and Leida. She put out her hand for him to shake. “I’m glad you’re here.”
It was a surprise to hear her say it after all the blame she’d placed on him on their way to Kanoan.
At his reticence, Adriya turned to Leida. “What’s with him?”
“Still getting used to this,” Leida answered.
“Thank you, Adriya,” Desil finally said. He wanted to tell them he was glad to be here, but he decided not to lie.
Adriya looked over her shoulder as if to make sure Basen was too far away to hear. “It was hard for me at first, too, because I know Leida’s father isn’t going to stop or even slow down until this is over.”
Leida nodded. “That’s how he is about most things,” she informed Desil.
“What happened after we separated at the Academy?” he asked them, hoping to shift the subject from himself.
“We gathered some supplies as my father figured out a plan,” Leida said. “He made a portal for the Elf to return to Merejic, then he took us into Kyrro City for more supplies as he finalized what to do next.”
“We finally bathed and ate a real meal, though it didn’t compare to your mother’s cooking, Desil.” Adriya’s smile, although a tiny one, was making him uncomfortable. Perhaps she was a different woman than the one he was used to now that she’d rested and eaten.
“We’ll go back to her tavern as soon as this is done,” Desil said.
Leida nodded. “Agreed.”
Desil looked around and eventually above him as he noticed the dim glow of akorell. It stuck to the ceiling, which was at least three times higher than the ladder could reach.
“How are we supposed to get that?” he asked the two women.
Basen dragged the ladder behind him as he came over to answer Desil. “We’re not. There’s more farther in, as well as more lava, so it’s best to let me lead.”
He handed the top of the ladder to Desil. Adriya grabbed the other end and Leida took the middle.
So this was it, then. There was no going back to a simple life at the tavern. Desil’s palms began to sweat.
“Where are we?” he asked Basen.
“The Dajrik Mountains.”
Desil didn’t mean to stop. It’s just that his legs wouldn’t keep going. The ladder shoved him one last step as Adriya bumped into the other end and groaned.
“We should’ve told you earlier,” Leida said. “But it should be safe.”
“Only ‘should be’?”
Beatrix and Kirnich came up on Basen’s sides. “You took us here?” asked the princess.
“There’s no better place to get akorell metal.” Basen didn’t stop walking.
Adriya nudged Desil with a push to the ladder. “Come on,” she muttered.
He followed the headmaster once more. Perhaps what he’d heard about this place wasn’t true. It was the only explanation for the lack of fear on Basen’s part.
The enormous cavern was shaped like a funnel, giving them only one route. They made their way into a smaller cave as heat bit at Desil’s eyes. A smooth stream of lava fell from the ceiling and formed a tiny lake that bubbled along the right wall. The ceiling, covered in sharp rocks the shape of icicles, was just taller than the ladder. Desil hoped they would stop here for akorell metal, for he couldn’t see how far the tortuous path between pillars went, or what might be sleeping ahead. He sensed life somewhere in this deep and forgotten world.
Legends told stories of dajriks, giants seemingly made from stone, who roamed here searching for sanity, never to find it.
The hot air felt somehow sticky against Desil’s face as they passed another stream of lava, this one running down the side of the wall from a hole about as wide as Desil’s smallest finger. Another leaking hole farther down made the wall seem as if it were bleeding.
A distant cry halted Desil. The wail held equal power and anguish, as if a giant had lost something precious. His mind.
“That’s far from here,” Basen assured them as he walked on.
No one followed.
“This is madness,” Beatrix insisted.
“Really, it’s fine.” Basen swung his arm petulantly. “Come on. It’s not much farther.”
With a sigh, Beatrix followed with Kirnich far behind her. Desil trailed even farther behind with the top of the ladder. As soon as Beatrix noticed, she slowed to create even more distance between everyone and Basen. He looked back, then gave a dry chuckle.
“I first came here by accident when I was about Leida’s age,” he announced without fear of being heard. “I was with a party less capable than we are, and yet we made it all the way out without trouble.”
“Less capable?” Adriya asked. “Wasn’t my father with you?”
“Yes.”
“Then your group was more capable than this one.”
“We have Kirnich in Cleve’s place—”
“He’s got holes through his arms,” Adriya interrupted.
“We have a stronger psychic now than Annah was at the time,” Basen continued, “and a battle mage, and Desil, and my daughter. We’ll be fine.” He almost sang the last words. Was it possible the headmaster actually enjoyed this danger? It seemed more likely that he was amused by their fear.
Desil asked Leida softly, “How did your father get here accidentally?”
“He tried to make a portal to the Academy but ended up here. He was still getting used to his ability.”
Desil tried to trust Basen and relax. Before Desil accompanied Leida and Adriya to Kanoan, Effie told him he would be safer in Basen’s comp
any than if he went alone. She’d wanted him to find the headmaster as soon as possible. It was time either to start wholeheartedly believing her or figuring out how to get back to the tavern, which Desil refused to do unless it became clear that Basen and the others didn’t need him.
They reached the first fork in the pathway. The glow from the lava behind them was faint here, the darkness ahead calling for one of the mages to make light. Basen took responsibility, aiming a beam from his wand down the wide entrance to his left. It hardly did much to reveal the shadowed walls and ceiling, until the headmaster inhaled and stiffened his arm. His wand glowed brighter than any lamp, coloring the walls gray as the darkness cleared. He took out his sword and slapped it against the wall twice.
“What are you doing?” Beatrix asked.
“Wait and listen.”
Desil heard nothing. Leida’s father swung his sword harder this time. A roar immediately followed, deep within the cave. The ladder jerked in Desil’s arms. He saw Leida trying to regain a good hold after jumping at the sound.
Basen shuffled over to the other path and brightened his wand again. There was nothing but rock in this narrow cave, a sharp turn precluding a farther view.
“I believe there used to be light here,” Basen said. “Without it, I can’t remember which way we went to the akorell metal, but I do remember it was close.” He swung his sword against this wall and waited. No sound followed.
Basen took them down the second path. They had to shift the ladder upright to get it around the sharp turn as the headmaster continued to make light. Questions about the dajriks kept surfacing out of Desil’s worries, but it seemed safer to stay quiet than to risk a giant hearing them.
It wasn’t far to the end of the cave. They squeezed into an alcove as Basen aimed his light above them and sighed at the sight. There seemed to be a large chunk of rock missing from the ceiling.
“Akorell metal used to be here,” Basen said. “Someone got to it before us, but I don’t see how that’s possible.” He let down his head as if in thought. “Damn,” he muttered.
“What about that Elf you took to Kanoan?” Beatrix asked.
“I just took him back to Merejic yesterday. There’s no way his leader could’ve sent someone here in that short time, unless…” Basen stopped. “Could it be possible…?”
Leida helped Desil set the ladder against one of the walls, then moved to stand beneath the hole in the ceiling, squinting up at it. “Are you thinking one of the Elves can make a portal?”
“Possibly,” Basen said. “I don’t want to have to figure out what that would mean for us, but it would be foolish not to at least consider the possibility.” At that, he put his hand to his chin, rubbing it, and fell silent for a long while.
Everyone but Kirnich had moved into the center and looked up as if to find clues. Desil didn’t want to disturb their pondering, so he walked to the edge of the alcove to ask his questions to the warrior. As Desil approached, Kirnich was trying to sneak a look at his bloodied bandage without anyone noticing. He moved his sleeve back over it when he looked up and met Desil’s gaze.
It couldn’t be ignored. “Did they give you caregelow at the Academy?” Desil asked. The substance was supposed to heal any wound, but fortunately he’d never needed to test that rumor. Not only did drinking caregelow cause a feeling of extreme drunkenness for a day, a vial of it cost more than Desil’s mother made in a week.
“I drank caregelow, yes,” Kirnich grumbled. “Among other potions I know nothing about. Leida’s mother told me I would’ve died without them, but I needed to continue the treatment for a few more days to fully heal, and we didn’t have that luxury.” Kirnich took a vial out of his pocket. “Make some light.”
Desil did, revealing the argent substance he’d seen before in a memory Basen shared while they were in Kanoan. It looked like melted metal, as if it shouldn’t be consumed.
“Caregelow?” Desil assumed.
“Yes, but there’s been no time to take it.”
“So it’s true that it makes you act like a fool?”
Kirnich put the vial back in his pocket. “More like a child insistent on touching, eating, and finding the solution to every little curiosity. It can be dangerous, especially for the injured.”
“Even you?” Kirnich was a tree that angered at the wind. It was hard to imagine him otherwise.
“Even me,” Kirnich confirmed. “Beatrix had to put me asleep with psyche, for no one else could stop me as I tried to walk out of the Academy with intentions on going to the castle. Her father needed to know about Micklin, and I couldn’t see any reason to wait.” The warrior put his hand over his pocket. “I’m not sure when we’ll be in a position that I can finish the treatment, but I’m sure we’ll find a way to resolve this mess eventually.”
There was another roar in the distance that turned everyone toward their only exit. Basen checked on the akorell stones on his wrists. One had a glow barely brighter than the embers of a dying fire. The other looked like a simple rock.
“Come on,” Basen said as he walked by everyone to get back to the front. “There’s one other place in here where I saw akorell metal.”
Their party fell silent again, Desil unable to ask about the dajriks as he’d hoped. He was glad to have found out more about Kirnich’s predicament, though, even if it only made Desil worry more.
As Basen took them down the other path—toward what sounded to be a giant in agony—Desil struggled to keep his feet moving. No one else was slowing, so he didn’t, either.
CHAPTER FIVE
As they progressed through the cavern without hearing a sound, Desil began to wonder who else might have taken the akorell metal besides the Elves. After Micklin had attempted to kill Beatrix, he’d floated into Basen’s portal before anyone else and disappeared by the time Desil had gotten through. Annah, the psychic who came to the tavern, had confirmed that Micklin told Beatrix’s brother how Marros produced the explosions by dropping eppil vines past a wall of akorell metal. The eppil vines sucked out the tremendous amount of bastial energy from the akorell and started to glow until they eventually exploded. Could someone have been sent here in the two days Desil was eating, sleeping, and enjoying his mother’s company at the tavern? It didn’t seem likely, as the Dajrik Mountains were all the way on the eastern side of the continent, almost on the northern edge.
The only other possibility was that someone had ventured into these mountains to mine out the valuable akorell metal at some point before this war began. But everyone knew not to go into these vast caverns, as there were too many tales of people never showing their faces again. So even that possibility seemed unlikely. It probably was the Elves.
The walls of the cavern opened farther in, as if this place was preparing to swallow Desil’s party. Absolutely no light made it to these depths. With all the lumps of rock coming out of the ground here, it was impossible to see if he and the others were headed into an opening or a wall until they reached it. Often they had to turn back and search for another opening, or the opening was too small to fit through. Eventually Basen admitted something that terrified Desil.
“I have no idea where we are anymore.”
“Then we have to go back until you recognize the route,” Desil said, his fear getting the better of him.
Fortunately Basen agreed with a nod in the shadows. “My same thought, except there’s one thing you’re leaving out. We should’ve seen the other akorell metal by now. I believe we passed it, and that’s why I don’t recognize this area. But the only way we could’ve passed it is if we took a wrong turn, or someone took the metal already, and therefore it no longer made light for us to see. Pay more attention to the ceilings this time. We should find a gap like in the alcove.”
They transferred the ladder to Beatrix and Kirnich so everyone able to manipulate bastial energy could gather it to make light. It was slow going back the way they’d come, especially when they slowed for a few debates about which opening they’d take
n the first time.
Eventually they made it back into an area they all recognized by the rope-thin pillars that couldn’t possibly be strong enough to keep the ceiling from falling. There had to be other means of support elsewhere.
“I think this is the place where I last saw akorell,” Basen said.
They roamed around the craggy ground, heads up to search the ceiling. Eventually the headmaster gave a loud sigh. “Here,” he announced. “It’s gone like the other.”
Another chunk of rock had been mined out of the ceiling, the crater so large it must’ve taken at least three people to carry it out of here. But even if it and the other akorell metal had been here, Basen would still need more to match the amount used by the Marros in their explosions. The headmaster must have another place in mind.
“So now what?” Desil asked.
“Well,” Basen said, “I planned for us to take the day to mine out the akorell metal and bring it back to where our headquarters will be. Then, if we felt it was safe to leave the akorell there, we could continue searching in these mountains for more. I had assumed no one comes here, so it would be the most likely place to find the metal, but now I’m not so sure.” His hands went to his hips as he looked up again at where the akorell metal should’ve been. “At least I can make a portal to and from this spot now. The akorell gathered enough energy over the years to create an entrance and exit. We can wait until one of my stones is charged and then venture deep into the caverns to look for more. If we encounter a dajrik we can’t handle, we’ll retreat and teleport out.”
“If that’s the case, I’m going to rest while we wait.” Kirnich sat against one of the thin pillars and squirmed as he tried to make himself comfortable.
Desil wasn’t sure he could sleep here, but everyone else was settling down. The dense air in the cavern was warm, making Desil think lava must be somewhere nearby. He was the only one still on his feet as he walked around, putting his hand or his ear against various walls to see what he might be able to figure out about this place.
Most were warm while some were cold. The air seemed alive, as if something large somewhere was moving. When he found himself in the far corner, away from his group, he heard footsteps coming his way. Light footsteps. He recognized Leida’s voice in the dark.