by Jamie Davis
“Please, then, King Roland. Please give me what we need. I must take the girl in my charge to her destiny. We must be able to exit these caverns to the east as quickly as possible.”
“Very well, child, it will be as you ask. Remember your promise to me. Tell the people above of my lost tribe. Tell them of the missing dwarves under the mountain.”
As the voice faded away, so did the shadowy figures moving about the room. Once they had disappeared completely, Cari’s friends began to move again. It was as if no time had passed at all. Cari sat staring straight ahead for almost a minute before Helen broke through her reverie.
Quest completed — discover the final ruler of the city in the cavern
18,000 experience awarded
“Thinking about becoming a queen, yourself?” Helen asked.
Cari pulled her eyes away from where she been staring back out the entrance to the throne room. “What? Oh, I’m sorry. I was thinking about who must’ve lived here and something strange happened.”
“Strange like how?” Helen asked.
“It was like I had a sort of conversation with someone who used to live here. Have you ever heard of dwarves living under the mountains?”
Helen scratched her head. “I’ve heard that word before, but it’s always been associated with old tales of imaginary beings who lived in the underground caves and secret places. Are you saying this is the city of the dwarves?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. I think the people that used to live here were called dwarves. For some reason, they left here long ago, abandoning their city, leaving it to become the ghost-town it is today.”
“Are there ghosts here now?” Jaycee asked, stepping up next to Cari on the throne. “I’m afraid of ghosts, Cari.”
Cari smiled at Jaycee and reached out to grasp her hand. “If there are ghosts here, they are friendly ones. They only want us to remember they existed here once upon a time. Perhaps someday, when you are Empress, you can send scholars here to study this place and learn about the people who lived here. I think that would make the spirits who are still here happy and able to finally rest in peace.”
“It must be awful to be forgotten? I know how that feels. I was forgotten once, then you found me, Cari. No one knew who I was anymore. Even I almost forgot who I was.”
“Sometimes, Jaycee, I think we all feel that way.” Cari stood from where she sat on the throne. As she stood she realized something had changed in her visual field. There was a new sort of overlay in front of her. As she stared, it was almost as if there was a map laid out in front of her.
New skill acquired — Earth Sense
“Everyone should settle down and get some rest,” Cari said as she looked at the map she could now see of the cavern and tunnels around it. We’ll have dinner and get some sleep. I think we’re safe here in this place. The ones who used to live here will watch over us for a time so we may rest. I know how to get out of here now.”
Helen stared at Cari for a few seconds seeming as if she were about to say something then she turned and went back to getting the camp stove set up and preparing to make everyone some more jerky soup.
Cari was glad she made her friends climb up here. She was glad she learned something about the people that used to call this place home. Someday, maybe she could help someone discover what became of them. They deserved that much for helping her and her friends complete their quest. She now knew the way out of the mountains and on to the Crystal City.
Chapter 14
When the party woke the next morning, Cari noticed an extra bounce in everyone’s step. She felt it too. Despite being underground and in a strange place, their rest had been the most peaceful in days and each of them awoke with a feeling of hope they hadn’t had the night before. Just being on this underground path for two days had darkened her soul in a way she hadn’t recognized until that darkness was removed. Cari glanced towards the Dwarven throne smiling and nodded a thank you for the blessing from the long-forgotten king.
Turning back to the task at hand, Cari helped the others pack up their camp. As each of them shouldered their packs and prepared to get on the move again, they looked at Cari waiting for her to tell them which way to go.
Before this point, Cari had just been taking them in what seemed like a random direction, trying to follow a path that seemed to make sense to her limited understanding. She’d made choices based upon a guess rather than the sure knowledge of which way she went.
Now, though, there was no guessing involved. She knew which way they had to go using her Earth Sense ability. She knew the others trusted she would get them out from under the mountain.
“Let’s head back down the steps to the main avenue below. We will top off our water at the next fountain we find. There are several along our route east.”
“How do you know that?” Francesca asked.
“I just know. I don’t know exactly how to explain it to you. I guess the best explanation is the people who lived here shared a piece of their knowledge with me while I slept. I know how to get out of here and the path won’t take us that long. We only have another day’s travel, maybe two, and we will exit the far side of these mountains.”
Francesca stared at her with her one good eye. Cari knew she was dubious of what Cari just said. Heck, she would have been, too, if someone claimed ghosts had told them how to escape this place. She’d just have to show them so they’d believe.
When they reached the bottom of the stairs and stood on the floor of the cavern once again, Cari looked at her map overlay and turned right, leading them down a side street. She followed the course laid out before her that only she could see.
About an hour later they came upon another of the fountains in a small open square off the cross street on which they traveled. Helen operated the pump bringing crystal clear, mountain spring water up from the depths. They all drank up and refilled their canteens.
“See, I told you,” Cari pointed out. “I know the way out.”
“We never doubted you, Captain,” Helen said. “Did we, Francesca?”
“Not me,” the other woman said, turning away, embarrassed at her earlier doubt.
Cari didn’t blame either of them for questioning her announcement that she knew how to get out of here. Finding the spring and the fountain helped prove to them she knew what she was talking about. That was all that mattered.
They rested for ten minutes and then got back on the road. The buildings around them grew progressively smaller again as they left the center of the empty city until they reached the outskirts on the other side from where they started.
Just past the last hut along the cavern wall, a broad tunnel opened to the east. This was the way out. Cari pulled out the chalk and once again marked their position and direction on the cavern and passageway walls.
She wasn’t sure if anyone would become separated from the group, but at least this way they would have a chance of finding their way out if they did. It might also serve to help others who came back in the future to find this wondrous city and discover its mysteries for themselves.
King Roland was correct. The eastern tunnel was much less direct than the western tunnel leading into the city. There were many side passages and, on several occasions, turns that could have led them in a direction she might’ve thought was wrong based only on guesses. Now she knew which were correct. She could see the map right there in front of her.
They rested several times along the way before stopping for the night in what Cari knew used to be a storeroom off the main trail. It was down a short side passage, but she led them to it as if she been there before.
“Cari, you’ve done a lot of strange things in the past and I’ve never questioned how you managed it. Even knowing all you’ve done, this ability to know where things are in a place you’ve never been before is kind of strange. Are you sure we’re heading in the right direction?” Helen asked.
“Helen, I promise you, we’ll be squinting up at the setting su
n this time tomorrow. Like I said, the friendly spirits in that throne room shared their knowledge with me.”
“You talked to a ghost?” Jaycee asked.
“Yes, and he knows we’re on a great quest to return you to the capital. He showed me the way out of here, sharing his own memories with me in a way that would help me find our way. I think maybe he knew you were a fellow royal person and deserved his assistance to return to your capital.”
“That’s nice. What was the king’s name?”
“Roland, his name was King Roland.”
“I shall remember King Roland when I’m Empress someday. It is important for me to remember all those who helped me when I needed it most, even those who are no longer here.”
Cari wondered if Jaycee referred to her parents and her grandfather the former crown prince. They all died in the raider attack that captured her and sunk their ship. The little girl has been through so much. Cari wanted to make sure to protect her from things that might hurt her in the future. She didn’t deserve any more pain in her life.
That thought reminded Cari of something she had yet to tell the young princess. She hadn’t told Jaycee about the death of her great-grandmother. At that moment, Cari realized she couldn’t take the pain away from a person’s life, only help them get through it.
Over the last few days, Cari had wondered about the best time to tell Jaycee about her great-grandmother’s passing. She thought she’d know when it came. Now Cari wondered if she was really protecting herself from the pain of having to tell the little girl, rather than protecting the little girl from the pain of knowing. That thought made up her mind.
Once the party had settled their things in the storeroom, Helen and Francesca helped Percy set up the camp stove. Cari knew this was the best opportunity she’d have.
She took Jaycee by the hand and grabbed their spare lantern. “Let’s go for a little walk, Jaycee. I have something to tell you and I think we should be alone when I tell you what I have to say.”
Helen looked up, concern and worry creasing the lines in her forehead. She must’ve realized what Cari planned to do. Her eyes met Cari’s and she nodded. That meant Helen agreed. It helped ease Cari’s doubts. They had to tell Jaycee about the Empress and this was the time.
Cari and Jaycee walked back towards the main intersection. There were benches carved in the walls around the circular plaza where three passages crossed each other. Cari knew from markings on the map, this had once been a place where caravans would stop and rest before continuing on the journey towards the dwarven city inside the mountain.
Cari set the lantern down and helped Jaycee up onto the bench before sitting down next to her. “There is something we found out after the battle as we ran up the mountain. It was something we discovered on one of the officers in command of the soldiers fighting against us.”
“What did you find out?”
Cari reached into her pouch and pulled out the announcement of the Empress’ death. She looked at it for a moment then at the little girl sitting next to her. “Jaycee, I don’t know how to say this, so I think I’m just going to say it quickly and then answer any questions you have afterward, all right?”
The little girl nodded but didn’t say anything.
“Jaycee, your great-grandmother was very old. Sometimes old people try to hold on and wait for those in their life to come back and visit them, but your great-grandmother could not wait any longer. I’m sorry, honey. She died about a month ago according to this paper.”
Cari reached out and grabbed hold of Jaycee’s hand giving it a gentle squeeze. Jaycee looked up at her, tears welling in her eyes. Cari wondered how much of her great-grandmother the little girl remembered. It had been over a year since the shipwreck. Jaycee couldn’t have been more than four or five years old the last time she saw the Empress.
“Was she sick?”
“I don’t know,” Cari said, shaking her head. “It says here she was 97 years old when she died. That is very old, even where I come from with modern medicine. I know she had a long life full of excitement and adventure, and I think she will be happy even after death knowing you are still alive. I think sometimes that is all we can hope for.”
The two of them sat in the pool of yellow light cast by the lantern. Only a few tears streamed down Jaycee’s cheeks. But she wiped them away as soon as they appeared.
“Does this mean I am the Empress now?”
“Yes, I guess it does. “
“Then I want to do something as Empress. Something important and official.”
Cari looked at the little girl and raised an eyebrow in question. Jaycee squeezed Cari’s hand and nodded. “Cari Dix, kneel before your Empress.”
The little girl’s voice sounded strangely official and old for her age all of a sudden. It was as if she suddenly spoke for all those who’d gone before her, including her great-grandmother. Cari paused for a few seconds, then dropped to one knee in front of the little girl seated on the bench here in this underground cave. Jaycee drew her belt knife and held it before her. “Bow your head, Princess Cari Dix. “
Cari did as she was asked, bowing her head until she stared at the floor of the cave. She felt the light tap of Jaycee’s knife blade on each of her shoulders and then felt the weight as the flat of the blade rested against the top of her head. “Princess Cari Dix, your father served as a protector of the realm and champion of the former Empress. Since he is not here and you are, I choose you as my protector and champion. I bestow upon you all the rights and responsibilities belonging to that role. Do you accept this task?”
Cari nodded as she stared at the floor. “Yes, my Empress, I accept.”
New status achieved — Champion of the Empire
25,000 experience awarded
Cari looked up when she heard the rasp of metal as Jaycee slid her dagger back into its sheath. “Now, Cari, it’s official.”
Jaycee had a huge grin on her face when Cari looked up at her. Before she could react, the little girl threw herself from the bench into Cari’s arms, wrapping her in a huge hug. “Now nothing can go wrong. I have an official protector just like my great-grandmother did.”
“Yes, you do. Shall we head back and see what they’ve cooked up for dinner?”
Jaycee nodded and the two of them held hands as they returned to the storeroom.
When they returned to the other three companions, Helen looked up from where she was stirring something in their pot over the small portable stove. “Everything alright?”
“Everything’s fine. We have a remarkable young lady here in young Jaycee. I think she’s going to make a wonderful Empress.”
Cari went over and sat down with her back against the wall, facing the doorway. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m starving. I don’t care if it’s jerky soup or not. I just want something to eat.”
Percy had a huge grin on his face and nodded in agreement. He was already standing next to Helen with his tin cup in hand ready to receive his portion of dinner. Percy had apparently reached that age boys reached where they seem to grow right before your eyes.
Where once she had seen a young cabin boy, now stood a young man on the edge of becoming a teenager. His shoulders had begun to broaden and the muscles in his arms had become more defined. Cari remembered how he proved himself back in the forest protecting Jaycee. She was glad to have him along as one of their companions.
Helen served up the meal she had concocted with a sort of flatbread griddlecake and jerky stew. What should have been meager camp rations tasted like a feast to Cari. Being down here in these tunnels and being chased through the mountains above had given her a new perspective on what good food was. In the case of what she was eating now, good food was any food you could get.
“I think we can wedge that door closed in such a way that it will be tough to open it. That should allow us to sleep more soundly again tonight. Everybody get comfortable. We’ll be leaving the mountains sometime tomorrow. Then the quest reall
y begins. There are people out there who are not going to want us to reach the capital with the new Empress. We’re going to have to be on our very best guard.” Cari looked around the room, meeting each person’s eyes. Every one of them nodded. They understood the stakes.
Cari settled back and finished her meal, sopping up the last bits of liquid with the griddle cake before eating it to end her supper. “I’ll take first watch, then Helen, then Francesca.”
Cari watched as each of her companions laid out their bedroll and settled down for the night. After they all got situated and ready for sleep, she turned the lamps down low to darken the room.
While they drifted off to sleep, Cari brought up her Earth Sense ability, going over the map once more. She found if she concentrated on a portion of the journey laid out before her, she could sort of zoom in to pick up more detail. Cari focused on the exit from the mountain, trying to determine what lay beyond the exit from the tunnels. It looked like they emerged on a broad plain extending eastward. Her Earth Sense didn’t give her any more information than that. Given what she knew of imperial maps, it had to be somewhere along the eastern caravan route.
That put them well along the road to the city of Hyroth. Hopefully, by the time they reached it, she’ll have figured out a way to contact her other friends so she could meet them and plan out how to get this little girl on the throne before Prince Timron got there.
Cari’s mind continued to ponder the problem throughout her stand at watch. And even after she woke Helen and got into her own bedroll, she found worries about her other friends and even about her parents intruding into her dreams.
Chapter 15
Hal ducked back into the shadows as the Duke of Charon’s curfew patrol walked past the alley in which he hid. He waited until they passed by and continued on their way down the street before backing up a few steps and turning to run back down the alley to where Mona and Stefan hid.