by B. T. Narro
“It’s me, Desil.”
“Is something wrong?”
“I’m just curious as to what you’re doing.”
“Trying to find out more about this place.” They kept their voices low, as the others seemed to be sleeping. “Have you rested recently?”
“Yes, but I haven’t been sleeping well since Kanoan.”
“Memories of the Marros?”
She stepped closer, lowering her voice to a whisper. “Not just them. It’s something else I’ve been wanting to ask you about.”
He swallowed past the lump in his throat. “What is it?”
“Remember after escaping from the settlement in Kanoan, we tried to catch up to my parents but had to rest in a small cave with the tiny tunnels?”
“I do.” Desil’s father had led them there. It was then that Desil had visited the ocean of energy in his mind that he believed to be responsible for his power, where he’d felt an outside presence inside his head for the first time. He’d still learned next to nothing about this place or the foreign presence since then, though he had revisited it many times to explore.
He asked Leida, “Did you feel something in that cave…during your sleep? I don’t know how else to say it.”
“I did! So you did as well?”
“Yes! I’ve been trying to figure out what it is, or who. At first I thought it was you or your father, but whoever it was seemed unfamiliar to me, so I thought perhaps not.”
“Yes, it was the same with me!” She took his hand. “I can’t tell you how glad I am that you felt it, too.” She dropped his hand far too soon. “I don’t know who it is, either, but I’ve felt a stronger presence in the times since then.”
“So have I. It makes me think this person is trying to find out more about me, as I try to do the same with them. Whoever it is has more experience in this plane, or whatever we should call it. I can’t seem to find out anything, and yet I feel more exposed each time. I’m close to deciding not to go back to that place.”
“You have a choice?”
“You don’t?”
She exhaled with a soft “ah” as her head tilted down. “No, it’s been disturbing my sleep. He has been disturbing my sleep.”
“Are you sure it’s a he?”
“I am, and he’s powerful. I can feel it in the same way we can feel the power from a distant dajrik roar. I’ve spoken to my father about this, and his response only worried me more. He’s fallen into other planes himself, even been trapped a few times. My mother has always gotten him out. The only remedy he’s been able to teach me hasn’t worked.”
“You’ve been trapped?”
“Yes.”
“What’s that like?”
“Like being stuck in a nightmare, only everything is clearer.”
He reached out toward her silhouette and touched her arm. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. I think he can only scare me, not hurt me physically.”
“What did your father teach you that hasn’t worked?”
“He says we have to find something to keep us grounded that we can use each time we are pulled away. For him, it’s been my mother. For me, I don’t know yet.”
He wanted to help Leida, but his experience with this other plane was different. “I’ve never felt trapped. In fact, I’ve tried to stay longer but I’m always dragged out as my mind tires.”
“Oh.”
They were silent for a while.
“What does it look like?” he asked. “When you’re there—what do you see?”
“Just energy of bright colors. Some I’m not sure I’ve seen before. There’s always this one vivid cloud in the distance, I think where he is. I want to say it’s white, but that’s not accurate. It’s like looking at glass but there’s nothing behind it, not sky, not darkness, nothing. It reminds me of a doorway. I’ve been too scared to get close. Is this what you see?”
“I’ve never seen this doorway. The other plane, for me, is an ocean of energy. The energy isn’t like water for you?”
“Perhaps in some places. I’ve thought of the ground more like undulating hills. I wonder if we can find each other in this plane. I think I felt you there with me at least one time since Kanoan. I’ve told Adriya and my father about this, but there’s nothing they can do to help. It seems that only we are able to find out more, but I’m not sure if we should.”
Desil’s father might’ve had some idea about this other plane, as he was the only other person Desil knew of who could alter nature like he and Leida could. That skill seemed to be the gateway into this realm, but then again, Leida’s father had some experience there as well. Desil couldn’t be certain about any of this, which made it all the more frustrating.
“I’ve been exhausted for days,” Leida whispered. “I need to rest soundly, but I can’t seem to do it. I want you to try something with me. Are you able to go to this plane whenever you want, or only when you’re falling asleep?”
“Only when I’m falling asleep so far, but I believe I can do it so long as I’m in the right state of mind.”
“It’s the same with me, but we might be able to get there while awake if we work together. Come sit like this.” She took his hand and sat to rest her back against the wall. He did the same beside her. “Focus on our touch to see if we might find each other in the other plane. If it doesn’t work, at least I might be able to get out easier this time. If not, shake me hard. I don’t want to be there a moment longer than I choose to be. All right?”
“I will if it comes to that.”
Leaving the physical realm Desil had known his whole life wasn’t easy, but as he held Leida’s hand, and her arm pressed against his, it was even more difficult to build up the necessary concentration. He wanted to be closer to her, not push his mind farther away.
He closed his eyes anyway and envisioned the ocean of energy in his mind. It felt far away and yet somehow close at the same time, akin to his feelings for Leida. He felt an admission of his feelings climbing up into his throat, ready to pour out of his mouth, and yet he pushed them deep into his heart, as far as they would go.
He entered the other plane without transition. The ocean buzzed with untapped power as Desil floated above it. It was one entity, the entire body of water undulating as a mighty wind played with it. Desil felt almost nothing of his surroundings, not the cold air he assumed to be there, not the breeze across his face. All he could sense was something alive all around him. It reminded him of the first time he learned trees were alive. He’d put his hand against the bark and come to an understanding. Humans shared their world not just with creatures, but with plant life as well. In fact, the trees were more a part of the physical world than he was.
Yet here, in this other plane, the energy was the world. He was a complete outsider.
There she was! He felt the calling of another being like the chime of a bell. She was telling him something from somewhere close, but so faintly. He’d gotten no better at calling out himself, only at listening. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t try to reach Leida with his voice.
He didn’t have his hands to cup around his mouth, or even a mouth at all. He couldn’t shout. He didn’t know what he had in here besides his mind. Trying to understand Leida’s message was like listening to a song in another language and guessing at its meaning. There were tones—feelings. The most prominent was the question of where Desil was at this moment. He’d always been afraid to answer, mostly because he felt this other being delving into his mind and figuring out where he was, whether Desil wanted to let him know or not. Desil tried answering this time, but he made no progress. It was like trying to speak with something other than his mouth. It felt impossible.
Unable to respond to her continuous call, he tried searching for Leida instead. He cast his mind out like a net, only this net could soar all the way to the horizon in a matter of moments. He made it rush back to him, searching for life. Desil got the impression that this seemed to amuse someone else in here besides
the two of them. There was a prick of fear.
His mind weakened the longer he stayed here, a heaviness weighing down on him already. The water sloshed as the wind picked up, gray clouds forming overhead. A racket of sharp yet unfamiliar sounds bombarded him, but still he wouldn’t give up.
He could feel himself getting closer to finding her, like picking up a scent. It was as if she should be in sight, yet she was invisible. Suddenly his net came into contact with something else besides energy. He grasped at the very edges of whatever this was, unable to get a good hold. Suddenly he could feel Leida elsewhere, much closer than this other being. Desil drew back, but his stamina drained instantly. His mind started pulling away.
The other being found him! There was such power holding Desil steady, he didn’t need to put any effort into remaining here. The grip was stronger than the largest Marro’s claws when it had tried to fly away with Desil. He thrashed to no avail, feeling Leida’s panic growing as she too was trapped somewhere near him. The tones of this being’s communication screeched and scratched, then suddenly became clear. A question arose out of the noise.
“Where is the akorell metal?”
Leida’s answer was too faint for Desil to understand.
Desil groaned as he fell back into the physical world. Disoriented and dizzy, he still managed to make light to check on Leida. Her eyes were shut as she grimaced and groaned as if in pain. He shook her shoulders. “Wake up!”
She didn’t respond. He grasped her head and gave it a firm shake. “Leida, wake up!”
“Desil…Desil?” she whispered, her voice sounding farther away than it was.
“Yes, come out of there.”
“He has me. I can’t.”
Desil put his hand on hers. “Squeeze,” he ordered. “Feel that you’re here with me.”
She squeezed lightly.
“Harder,” he demanded.
Her grip became firm. Her eyes popped open as she gasped for breath.
“I’ve never been that close to him. You were there too. I could feel it.”
Desil nodded. “Why did he keep you from leaving?”
“He was trying to find out who I was. I don’t know why. I’m glad I got out before I told him anything.” She pushed herself against Desil and reached around to lock her hands behind him. He held her, stroking her back. “I can feel him trying to learn more about me whenever I go to sleep,” she said. “I just want to rest peacefully.”
“I promise I will do everything I can to help.”
When Leida settled down, they returned to their sleeping group. They took their blankets from their bags as a cushion against the hard ground. Leida lay down close to Adriya and requested Desil be on her other side. When the three of them were near enough to allow no room between their arms, Leida shifted to rest her foot against Desil’s. They shared no words as they fell asleep.
When they awoke hours later, Leida showed him a relieved smile. Desil didn’t believe he’d done anything, but if there was even a chance he’d helped Leida, he was glad for it.
CHAPTER SIX
There were still hours to go until the first of Basen’s two akorell stones would have gathered enough bastial energy for a portal. Basen had brought enough food and water for days, and Desil had as well. They wouldn’t be running out of supplies anytime soon, but that didn’t mean any of them wanted to waste their time waiting if they could find akorell metal in this place. Only Kirnich wanted to stay put after everyone had slept.
“I need to take this caregelow,” he said, struggling to his feet. “Seems best to do it now.”
“But Kirnich,” Beatrix argued, “they might need me in case they encounter a dajrik. I can’t stay here with you.”
“No need. I’ll be fine.”
“You have no idea how you’ll behave this time. People have killed themselves accidentally while on caregelow.”
“You’ve reminded me of that enough already.” He pulled off the cork. “I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
Beatrix put her hand over the top of the vial. “If you drink that, I’m going to stay here with you.”
“Don’t make both of us useless.”
Basen crouched down and tugged back one of Kirnich’s sleeves. He put light from his wand on the bloodied bandage. “This looks bad, but are you really useless until it heals?”
“He’s not,” Beatrix answered. “He can use his arms somewhat.”
“I sure can,” Kirnich agreed sarcastically. “I might be able to get one, maybe two arrows off before I bleed out.”
“Even one arrow could help,” Basen said.
“You already have an archer.” He lifted his chin toward Adriya.
Desil couldn’t decide what was best for everyone. He figured he would leave it up to Kirnich. He motioned for Leida and Adriya to follow him so he could ask them something he needed to know before they went deeper into the cavern. The three of them walked off from the group.
“Are the dajriks really as tall as three grown men, like I’ve heard?”
“Yes, why?” Leida answered.
“With skin like rock?”
“It looks like rock but it’s not as hard.”
“Have you seen one before?”
“No. Again, why?”
“I’m trying to figure out why your father isn’t more afraid.”
Leida looked over at Basen. “He’s terrified. He’s just being brave.”
Desil had hoped to hear the opposite—a reason they shouldn’t be afraid. Instead, he would have to be brave himself as he envisioned combat against one of the giants.
“What do they do in these mountains?” he asked. “What do they eat?”
“No one besides the group that accidentally came here with my father has seen these dajriks and lived to tell about it,” Leida said. “So we don’t know what they eat, but we do know what they’re doing here. Dajriks and Slugari used to live in these mountains together hundreds, maybe thousands of years ago. There is still one dajrik with the Slugari underground somewhere in Ovira, but the Slugari separated themselves from the other dajriks long before humans came here. There was an incident that caused the Slugari to leave; I don’t know what it was. The other dajriks remained here. They don’t seem to die from old age, but their minds deteriorate. They lose the ability to sleep soundly over the years and slowly go mad. The wailing we’ve heard must be because of that agony.”
“So the dajrik with the Slugari has not gone mad?”
Adriya explained, “He wears a necklace made from rujin flowers that have been heated together with bastial energy and hardened into a gem. This necklace allows him to sleep without nightmares, which are what keep the other dajriks awake.”
Leida sighed. “That reminds me of my own problem sleeping. Perhaps I could use one of those necklaces.”
“You can ask the Slugari if we find them,” Adriya said.
“We’re looking?” Desil asked, unable to tell if she was joking.
“Eventually we might be,” Leida said. “They should know where we can find more akorell metal and the eppil vines we need.” Leida’s eyes shifted as if noticing something over Desil’s shoulder. He turned to see the three others approaching.
“Kirnich is coming as well, so we’re all leaving,” Basen explained. “He’s taken a low dosage of the caregelow. We all must be responsible for him.”
“I can be responsible for myself, headmaster.”
Basen showed him a serious look. “I’ve drank it before, Kirnich. It changes everyone, even Adriya’s father, as big and tough as he is. Cleve nearly drank a potion that would’ve killed him, only because he was curious about how it tasted. Don’t take this lightly.”
*****
It wasn’t just caregelow that Kirnich took. He drank another potion as they began to move through the cavern again. Later, he started to remove his bandages without explaining why. Desil started to worry it was the effects of the caregelow on his mind until he noticed Beatrix cleaning her hands with some of t
heir water. By the time Kirnich’s bandages were off, Beatrix was done preparing an ointment by mixing together two substances Desil didn’t recognize, one smelling of alcohol and the other of fire.
“Can I see your arms?” Leida asked the warrior.
“Are you sure you want to?”
“Yes.”
Kirnich held them out. Desil and Adriya came over for a look with Leida. What they saw was grotesque.
Desil had never seen a cut recovering in this way. Instead of gashes, there were pink lumps of swollen skin covering Kirnich’s wounds. The skin looked soft, not strong enough to stop even something blunt from pushing through. It might pop with enough force.
Beatrix gently rubbed an ointment onto one of Kirnich’s arms as he hissed. Blood oozed out from her light touch, though she didn’t seem to mind getting it on her fingers.
“Did Micklin’s swords go through your bones?” Leida asked.
“They didn’t go through the middle of any bones, but they did enough damage to make both arms feel broken. I don’t know what your mother did, because I was unconscious most of the time, but my bones feel better now. You can thank her for me the next time you see her.”
Eventually they made their way into the same place where they’d turned around to look for the missing akorell. There were a few routes, one with a red glow no doubt from lava. They headed toward it without deliberation, Desil unsure why. Perhaps it was the light that attracted them. They couldn’t have been in here for more than a day, and yet the darkness was already starting to bother Desil like a headache. He was certain it must be the same for the others. They traveled through caves barely lit by lava pools, with nothing to indicate they were going toward akorell.
What seemed like an hour had passed when they finally found light ahead of them that wasn’t tinted red but a robust white. Desil’s spirit rose as he rushed toward it with everyone. He’d begun to think there was no akorell metal left in here, only insane dajriks.