They traveled a great distance in silence. The tunnel continued to wind down and down. Occasionally, they came upon an opening where the path cleared and large catacombs grouped together. The spider webs appeared more frequently, as if no one had entered that part of the cave in years. The sweat on Taren’s brow trickled down to his chin.
Then, he turned a corner and found something quite unexpected: the tunnel forked in two directions, while the path before them dropped down into nothingness. Landon halted behind. Without warning, a gust of warm wind blew, extinguishing the light.
Taren snapped his fingers, but his magic wouldn’t ignite the torch.
“Where’s the light?” Katia asked.
“I’m trying.” Taren snapped with no spark.
The suffocating blackness of the cave affected his thoughts. The magic wouldn’t come as it always had. He lost control, the anger building again. Remembering the fork in the path, he backed away from the other two and listened.
“What now?” Katia whispered.
“Good question.” Landon stumbled somewhere in the dark.
“Can you inch over?”
“Which way? I didn’t get a good enough look to be sure where we should go.”
Another gust came, stronger than before, and nearly blew them off their feet. Taren pushed his way into a safe crack. He felt someone crouch down and huddle next to the wall. Someone else stumbled, and the sound of rocks slid down the slope, echoing around the cavern.
“Landon?” Katia asked.
“I’m here.”
“Don’t leave me,” she pleaded.
“I don’t plan on it,” he assured her. “Taren?”
Taren remained silent.
“Taren?”
“He fell,” Katia exhaled. “Oh, no! He fell, didn’t he?”
“Behind you,” Taren called, though he wished he hadn’t said anything.
“Oh, good. Everyone be careful.”
Taren strained to see. Tiny veins of the faintest blue stretched out before them like tree limbs or roaming ivy. His eyes followed them around the walls and down the pathways.
“Do you see that?” Katia asked.
“Follow it,” Landon ordered. “I think it’s coming from the walls. Stay close to the rock.”
“I can’t,” Katia cried. “I’ll fall.”
“Got ya.” Taren pulled her to her feet, feeling Landon’s eyes following. “Hold on to me. I won’t let you fall.”
Taren felt along the wall as they moved ever so slowly down the left side of the cavern, following the blue veins. After a time, it appeared as if the veins became brighter, giving more light to the cave. The lines moved under his feet as they wrapped down through the mountain, leading ever closer to what they hoped would be a safer place. As they worked their way down, the bottom of the cavern came into view, fifty feet from the top of the cliff.
Finally, they reached the bottom. This place didn’t need light; it would only ruin the beauty of the illuminated atmosphere. From there, the chamber fascinated. The blue lines passed in patterned crisscrosses and patchwork clusters, appearing like heavenly stars. Three-dimensional shapes popped up before his eyes.
“Incredible!” Landon exclaimed.
Katia walked away from Taren. “What is this place?”
“No idea.” Taren gazed upward, not realizing that someone was standing before them until he heard a voice from the darkness.
“Are you lost?”
The trio stopped. A man stood before them, transparent as a ghost and broad, purposeful. He wore draped, fine linens, a regal crown sitting prominently atop his head.
Fear raced down Taren’s spine. He took a few steps back.
“You must be lost if you made it all the way down here.” The man’s deep, powerful voice echoed on every side.
“That might be true,” Landon remarked. Katia elbowed him in the side. He winced, but recovered. “I mean, don’t you think you might be the one who is lost and that we actually know exactly where we are?”
The man chuckled. “Yes. That might be true also, my dear boy. So, if I am the lost one, where am I?”
“Standing before me.”
“A smart one, you are.” The man walked closer to them. “I do not have visitors down here. I try to keep it that way. But the three of you amuse me.”
“So you trapped us like mice?” Landon asked.
“Not like mice, no.” He examined them. “More like children, lured in by candy. Just for the company. You made me curious.” The man’s smile was kind and sincere. “I don’t imagine you will be able to get out again without a little help.”
“That would be very kind,” Katia returned.
“And may we ask to whom we are indebted for this kindness?” Landon asked, turning on the charm.
Standing behind the others, Taren knew who the man could be, or possibly who he had been. He feared the worst.
“I am what remains of the man who was Errenhardt Prolius.”
“King Prolius?” An astonished Landon slowly bowed down on one knee, seeming confused at what to do. Katia backed away.
“Please, boy,” the king said, “that was a long time ago, and my remains have long since become dust.”
“But how is it possible?”
“I am but a Stain,” he said. “Those who do not have magic would be unable to sense it. It will fade in time but not for many, many years.”
“Well, why stay here?”
“This is where I am most at peace,” he smiled. “Believe me, I would love to see the sun again, but I think I am more useful down here. You spoke of a girl with a star on her neck?”
Landon and Katia exchanged a look. “Do you know the significance of the star? The same star pattern reflects on the ceiling.”
Prolius stood straighter than before, like a proper king. “It is an elemental marking, the seal of six elements in harmony. It is also a seal of commitment, the branding of a promise.”
“Is it you who I can blame for the magic that lives in my veins?” Taren spoke up, addressing the king.
Both Landon and Katia stared at the boldness of Taren and his question.
The king straightened up, looking larger than a man. “That, I cannot tell you. But the blame resides with me always. I am sorry.” Prolius gestured to Taren with his palms open. “What can I do to help?”
“Help us find our friends, please,” Katia interrupted. “They are missing in this mountain.”
“I will do what I can, but I cannot leave. However, there are others that might be able to help.”
Prolius looked up toward the heavens. Slowly, streams of blue slid down the walls and gathered themselves into a vapor-like, human-shaped matter, much like their beloved king but ten men strong.
Taren stiffened as the forms took shape and a familiar strong jaw of one of the Stains angled toward him. He knew it had been years, but Taren could never mistake the man his father replaced standing near the dead king.
“Help them as much as you can,” Prolius ordered, hailing the familiar Stain to his side. “Cornwallis, a word before you go,”
A strapping ghost stood before the others. “Are you prepared to fight? The Louvings will not give up easily. They are dirty deceivers with a magic of their own. Do not trust them.” Prolius faced them again. “Do not fear. Find your friends and find peace.”
Landon nodded. “Understood.” He turned to Katia. “Right, Kat? Taren?”
Katia also nodded, but Taren stood, white-faced.
“Taren.” The Stain next to the king flinched at the name. “Taren Lockwood.” The name dripped like poison from his tongue.
Before anyone could react, Taren disappeared from sight.
Chapter Twenty
Lost and Found
Morning came, though Naomi couldn’t see outside light through the cracks in the mountain. She hadn’t slept well, either. But she woke with hope that her life could have meaning or purpose—a thread to hang on to.
“So glad to
see you smiling,” a friendly voice called out from the isolated pool. Ferra and Paolo were knee-deep in the crystal blue water, searching for food. “I’d like to get some breakfast into us before we leave. Who knows when we’ll get to eat again?”
Naomi froze, the memory of last night coming back to her. “Right. Your father. He’s . . . alive?”
Ferra smiled again. “No, silly, he’s dead all right. But he made it possible for us to counsel with him if we ever needed to.”
Paolo’s head shot like a flash into the water and came up with a large fish dangling from his teeth.
“Oh, wonderful, Paolo,” Ferra cried in jubilation. She reached up and hugged her bear friend, who growled tenderly. “We will share it.”
She was soon preparing the fish in a small fire. Naomi sat down beside her. “I’m curious. How did your father make it possible to communicate from the grave?”
“I couldn’t tell you.” Ferra moved her hands through the fallen tendrils of her chestnut hair, wrapping them around her fingers as she thought. “Not that I’m bound to secrecy or anything. You’d just have to see.”
Ferra filleted the fish and threw the guts, head, and a good portion of the flesh to Paolo, who wolfed them down like a starving dog. As the fish cooked, she talked about her father and the cave—what it looked like and the many illusions it hid.
With her hunger satisfied, Naomi began to feel more comfortable. “Tell me about your sisters?”
Ferra’s eyes brightened with the question. “Well, let’s see . . . Sera is the oldest. She’s a fiery redhead and tough. With all that we’ve been through, she’s always protected us and understood the most.
“Vespa is probably the sister I’m closest to. She is very serious, though. Sometimes she doesn’t like my jokes. But her stone is closest to mine. My stone protects living creatures——hers protects earth and everything that grows within it. There are many places in this world that have been poisoned by misused magic and it has been very hard for her.
“Then there’s weather; that’s Ymber, and she is a sweetheart, but very quiet . . .” Her voice trailed off in thought.
“. . . and Silexa protects the minerals and has an adventurous spirit, but is a little rebellious at times. She feels the curse of the stone gets in the way of having a family of her own, but I think the stone is amazing. My life is very fulfilling as it is. Why would I need someone to complicate things?”
Ferra’s rambling thoughts tickled Naomi. She sat back against the rock and watched the animated girl continue.
“. . . Fontine is slightly older than me, by a year, and she protects the water elements. I argue with her the most. She can be so self-absorbed. She thinks too much of herself and doesn’t like my attitude sometimes. I think it comes from jealousy, but not all the time. Once in a while, I find it fun just to see how far I can push her to get a reaction. I’m evil that way. And then there’s me.” She smiled big and bright.
They ate in silence after that, each lost in their own thoughts.
Once Ferra finished, she stood up. “Let me go grab some provisions, just in case.” She winked.
Minutes later, they headed down the steep mountain slope on Paolo’s broad back. The heavy clouds lightened, though the sun struggled to penetrate them.
From the mountain peak, they could see across the entire valley, and very far to the south. Naomi looked for the sea but couldn’t see it. Ah, the sea. She prayed in her heart for Zander.
About halfway down the mountain, they stopped. The two girls slid off the back of the furry beast.
“Thank you, Paolo,” Ferra said, hugging him. “Watch for us here.” She turned again and grabbed Naomi’s arm. “How are your eyes?”
“I don’t know—fine, I guess.” She shrugged, not sure where the question led.
“It will be dark once we are in the cave. Can your eyes adjust?”
“I don’t know.”
“Stay close, then.” Ferra turned away from the light and headed toward the darkness.
“Wait.” Naomi turned to Paolo and raised her hand to his head. “Thank you from me, as well.”
The big bear rumbled something and looked into her eyes. She knew he would protect her, too.
“Come on.” Ferra ended the goodbye by dragging Naomi’s arm away from the beast. “Paolo will be fine. He’s survived much worse. Bye, Paoly!” She yelled like a child leaving its mother.
The cavern got dark quickly. A suffocating thick air smothered them with a stagnant smell. Ferra held one arm, while Naomi used the other to feel the walls for reassurance.
~*~
Although Ferra seemed confident, she stumbled on occasion. Bumps popped up, rocks emerged, but still she led on.
Many times the walls around them would disappear and the high-pitched echoes of bats filled their ears—an uncomfortable sensation, knowing thousands of bats could fly at them at any moment. Just thinking of it, Naomi began to crouch out of pure instinct.
“Stop it,” Ferra whispered after a while. “I can’t lead you if you bend down like that.”
“Sorry,” she whispered back.
As Naomi began to stand, a strong wind rushed through the cavern, surprising both of them and sending the bats in their direction, swirling and flapping about their faces and ears.
Naomi squealed, flailing her arms, trying to wave off the flying rodents. She lost her footing and tumbled down the slope. Screaming, she tried to regain her footing. The cry echoed and bounced off the walls. She flailed about, grasping for the least handhold, but her grip failed and she couldn’t see anything around her.
“Help me!” she cried, but her voice blended with the squealing of the bats.
“Reach for me!” Ferra cried out.
“I can’t see. I’m still slipping!”
Somewhere amongst the noise and scattering of the bats, Naomi could see a floating green light, and her eyes fixed on it. The round orb was the color of snow peas, pretty and light. Within seconds, the bats calmed down, disappearing in a spiral up the cavern. Meanwhile, the light moved closer to her.
It illuminated Ferra’s face, guiding her down the slope. She looked beautiful and soft under the dim light, her green eyes reflecting the fire in the stone around her neck. “Grab my hand.” She extended her arm. “Are you okay?”
Naomi struggled back to her feet. “I think so. I’m not hurt.”
“Good!” Ferra rushed on. “Because we’re in danger.”
“Why? What happened?”
“I used my magic. Harrow will sense it and know I’m here. We’ll need to change our course to keep my father’s Stain safe.”
Naomi looked around nervously. She hated the caves so far. “Do you know where to go?”
“We’re close to the Pit. If we move past the falls and down the Grand Hall, we might be safe.”
“What’s the Pit?”
“Oh, it’s a big hole in the ground that has no conceivable end.” Her tone was so calm, it was almost silly. “It was said that the demon Sharrod himself found a way out of the Underworld to the surface through it. Spooky, huh?”
Dumbstruck, Naomi could not comprehend how the girl could talk about something so dangerous as if it were nothing more than a spider crawling up a wall. She must be kidding.
“You took me this way? After you knew what was out here?”
“Yeah, but don’t worry. You’re with me. I live for this kind of rush. Don’t you love it?”
“Are you crazy? I could have fallen to my death.”
“Naomi, you have magic. You need to use it to its potential. No mere hole in the ground can stop that.”
Naomi still didn’t feel very comfortable with her magic. She would rather pretend it didn’t exist. She started to object, but Ferra shushed her.
“No fear.” She looked deep into her eyes, instilling promise and hope back into Naomi’s heart. “Now, come on. The bridge isn’t far.”
Naomi took Ferra’s arm again and moved with her along the cavern walls. Sh
e could see a little bit better than before; prominent outlines of rock cliffs and ledges stood out in the darkness.
She thought she saw a sparkle of something ahead of them and heard a small trickle of water. In some ways, she wished she could see it all. But would she really want to see a giant, bottomless hole? Gnomes, bats, other unsavory creatures—they all lived in caves. She didn’t like the thought of meeting any of them.
No fear, Naomi thought. How would it be to live a life with no fear? She hardly even knew when it all began. While living with Ferrell, she could never remember really being fearful. She had to be strong for Zander.
Malindra had taught her to live as a free spirit, without fear. It must have begun when she realized her life meant something. But even knowing that, she could hardly decide what she feared the most—the fact that others were willing to risk their lives for her, perhaps?
Yes, she feared most of all for them, not herself. She didn’t want anything to happen to the others while they were trying to help her.
How she envied Ferra and her carefree ways. To live a life without fear; to live for the adrenaline and adventure; to use her magic without restraint . . . She wanted that.
“We’re near the bridge,” Ferra whispered. “There’s a way to the Grand Hall behind there. It could be tricky, though. Trollmartins live on the other side and don’t like it when people cross. So, when we get there, we’ll need to run through the waterfall to lose them. They won’t pass the water.”
Naomi liked the thought of getting wet. It sounded nice in the muggy cave. But she didn’t like the thought of trollmartins—little fiendish rodents with horrible, bulging, white eyes. This whole experience was too similar to the Blackwoods, and she never wanted to relive that again.
“The bridge is not very sturdy, and strong gusts can throw you off, so wrap your hands around the rope as you walk.”
This was all starting to feel like a very bad idea. “What rope?”
“It’s a rope bridge,” Ferra answered back. “Don’t worry. It’s old, but it will do.”
“I can’t believe what I’ve gotten myself into.”
“Quiet,” Ferra whispered. “They have excellent hearing. And we’ll be just fine. If I have to, I’ll use my magic again to help calm them down, but let’s avoid that if we can. I don’t want more attention than we’ve already attracted.”
Vivatera (Vivatera Series Book 1) Page 23