‘Aw,’ he groaned, deep in the pit of his stomach. He shook it off as if it were insignificant. They’d have to walk now, that was all.
‘Is everyone all right?’ he rasped; his voice was hoarse as he struggled to create spit inside his mouth. He could hear movement from the others. Surprisingly, they were left in twilight. There was a haze that shone through the dust. The five of them got to their feet and rubbed off the excess dirt from the mine.
‘Where’s that light coming from?’ Caleb asked sharply, and shielded his eyes. He realised he could see the others. He looked up and there was a small fissure in the roof of the cave, which let in much needed light. The rail stretched on through to the depths of the mine. The cloud of dust eventually settled like baking powder on a cake.
‘No broken bones?’ Rebus said as he looked around. ‘Well that’s lucky.’
‘You okay, Alba?’ Red’s voice seared through from the shadow.
‘Yep, I’m fine, young man,’ Alba reported.
‘What about you, Red? Are you hurt?’ he asked.
‘Nope, I’m all right too. Bit sore, I suppose, but okay,’ he answered.
‘Is that tram still in working order, do you think?’ Caleb stood and peered at the upturned cart.
‘I’m afraid not.’ Rhidian stooped down to examine it more closely. ‘The wheels are buckled and one has come off completely,’ he said. ‘The wood frame is shot, too,’ he said.
‘Well, we’re on foot from here on in,’ Caleb expressed, not relishing the walk ahead.
‘Aw, that was fun,’ Red chuckled. Rebus rolled his eyes.
‘Anyone want a drink? I’ve some water here,’ Rhidian offered, after he’d found his shoulder bag.
‘I think we’re fine,’ Red said as he looked at the others.
‘Is the lamp working?’ Alba added sensibly.
‘Nah, that’s gone too,’ Caleb said, when he found the broken glass and a pool of oil.
‘We’ll have to follow the track, I suppose.’ Rebus looked into the distance, scratching his head. ‘We were making up so much ground too. Dammit!’ He grimaced through gritted teeth.
‘It couldn’t be helped, old man,’ Rhidian said.
‘I know,’ Rebus relented, a little perplexed, but was soon upbeat again. He smiled when he discovered another lamp on a post next to him. Probing further, he could see a metal container next to it. Rebus flipped open the old tobacco tin and, to his delight, found dry matches. ‘The miners who originally worked the mine must have kept lamps hanging in various places throughout the mine,’ he mumbled. So, he grabbed the metal box and put it in his rucksack. He also unhooked the oil lamp and let is hang by his side.
‘Come on then, we’ve a wizard to find,’ Red piped up positively. He then started to make his way down the slope. The others followed without a word. Rhidian grinned to himself; the boy was becoming more responsible.
No one spoke for a while as the small band of men descended into the depths of the mine. The light paled as the passageway narrowed and it was back to darkness again. Rebus diligently lit the lamp and stepped up to the front to lead again. The sound of heavy footprints and panting breath filled the cavern, only to be added by the drip-drip-drip of water streaming down the walls.
‘Everything looks the same,’ Rebus grumbled as he pushed through the gloomy veil. He had to stop suddenly and was almost trampled by the others.
‘What’s going on?’ Rhidian spoke from the back.
‘Yeah, why’ve we stopped?’ Red piped up.
‘There’s a fork,’ Rebus spoke up.
‘Great, I’m starving. What’s for dinner?’ Red said cheerfully.
‘Not that kind of fork, stupid boy,’ Rebus muttered. Alba and the rest giggled in the background. Rebus turned and everyone stopped like scolded school children.
‘Which way do we take?’ Alba enquired. Both ways looked very similar.
‘Rebus, give me the lamp,’ Caleb gestured with his hands. ‘I’ll walk down the left one and see if there’s any clues as to where it leads.’
Rebus reluctantly handed him the light. He disappeared into the left side and was gone for a couple of minutes. His footsteps faded as quickly as the glowing lamp. He soon reappeared and said nothing. He then made his way down the right corridor, leaving the others in darkness once again. In roughly about the same amount of time, he returned with a blank look on his face and handed the lamp back to Rebus.
‘There doesn’t seem to be much difference in the two,’ Caleb said.
‘What do we do then?’ Red hissed impatiently. ‘We can’t just hang around here.’
‘I say we try the two,’ Alba said after much quietness.
‘What? Split up?’ Rhidian confirmed.
‘Well that way we get to cover the two directions. Maybe if one finds the right one, they can go back and get the other team,’ Alba reasoned.
‘Hold on, what about the lamp? We only have one,’ Rebus reminded them. ‘One team can’t go around stumbling in the dark.’
‘Not true,’ Caleb retorted with a look of smugness, and he lifted his left hand, revealing another lamp.
‘Fantastic. Where did you get that?’ Rebus said with a look of shock.
‘I just saw it on the ground, inside the left tunnel,’ he revealed.
‘Who is going with who then?’ Red cut in.
‘Who is going with whom?’ Rebus corrected, and Red countered with a wrinkle of his nose.
‘Whatever,’ he grunted. Rhidian knew they hadn’t clicked as friends from the beginning, so did Caleb.
‘What if I take Red with me down this one?’ Caleb said, and pointed to the left fork. He wanted to keep the peace between the two. ‘And you, Rhidian and Alba can take that one?’ Caleb concluded, and hoped Rebus would agree.
‘Sounds good to me,’ Red chipped in quickly, frowning at Rebus in the process.
‘Yes, all right, we’ll do it that way.’ Rebus was as happy to rid himself of the boy as Red was eager to rid himself of Rebus.
Caleb lit his lamp from the flame of the other and they were ready to depart.
‘Let’s do this!’ Red shrieked with excitement.
‘Don’t seem so eager, young man. You don’t know what’s down there,’ Rebus added smartly and added, ‘take care, the both of you.’ Caleb nudged Red in the back, and when he looked at Caleb, nodded to reciprocate.
‘Yeah,’ the boy replied, ‘you take care, too.’ He looked at Rhidian, Alba and, finally, Rebus. There was a respectful nod from both sides and Red turned away.
‘If any of us find something, we’ll meet back at this point,’ Caleb instructed. There was a general understanding of the agreement from both parties and, with that, they all set off on their separate ways. Soon they couldn’t hear each other any more, and the quest to find Obsidian continued.
Chapter 24
Underground River
Caleb lifted the lamp up high, just as Rebus had been doing. The tunnel was as damp and dismal as the one they’d left behind. The uneven walls glistened yellow from the glow of the flame. The ground was tricky to walk on, with rocks and diverts obstructing the way. As they moved along, all they could hear were their grinding, echoed footsteps and the sound of water everywhere.
‘Yuk,’ Red exclaimed.
‘What’s the matter?’ Caleb asked.
‘Some water dripped down my neck,’ Red said with a shiver. Caleb laughed.
‘Tell me, what is it with you and Rebus, anyway?’ Caleb questioned.
‘That old guy always rubs me up the wrong way. I can’t do anything right when he’s around,’ Red complained.
‘Old guy. Now I know why you’re always banging heads,’ Caleb grinned. ‘No one likes being called old.’ Red looked nonplussed as he followed behind.
‘What happens when we find Obsidian?’ Red asked.
‘Now, that’s going to be one of the toughest questions to answer. I don’t know Obsidian, but he may not want to go back to Valusha,’ Caleb admit
ted.
‘But it’s his home,’ Red reminded him, and stumbled over a particularly awkward patch of ground.
‘I know that and so do you, but with Jenta-Lor to confront, maybe he won’t relish the challenge,’ Caleb responded. ‘Perhaps he’s even happy where he is.’
‘Wow, didn’t even think of that. You may be right. But all I want to do is get my life back to normal on Valusha,’ Red said with a puff. ‘I certainly don’t want to go back to that prison.’
‘Red, you won’t, don’t worry about that,’ Caleb assured him. Caleb didn’t speak much after that and continued on in silence through the mountain. The ground fell into a long declining corridor. The walls were closing in on them, too.
‘Why would anyone want to live down here?’ Red grimaced. It was getting so tight; he had to twist his body in order to get through the gap.
‘This is probably the reason someone is living down here, Red… did you think of that?’ Caleb retorted.
‘What do you mean?’ the boy said, as they finally slid through to a bigger space.
‘Well, if it deterred people from coming down here, then if Obsidian is in hiding he wouldn’t have to worry too much about someone finding him, would he?’ Caleb said sensibly. Red didn’t answer; he just looked thoughtful and nodded in compliance. Just then, Caleb stopped walking. He could feel a strange sensation in his stomach. There was something wrong. Red stopped too when he saw Caleb standing there.
‘What’s the matter, Caleb? What’s wrong?’ Red asked; there was concern in his voice and a knot tightened in the pit of his belly.
‘Shhh.’ Caleb put his finger to his lips. ‘I don’t know,’ he said. ‘But it’s not good – get down,’ he added urgently. Red immediately did as he was asked and the two of them crouched on the ground beneath a large rock.
Caleb edged up to the top of the boulder so that he could see more clearly. They were in an open cave on a small ledge. Not even the lamp could penetrate the full darkness in here. They could hear loose rocks roll freely down the cliff face. The old wizard lifted the lamp, but not too high so that they’d get noticed in their hiding place. He peered down to the ground. There was an open expanse and, beyond that, nothing. Caleb scratched at his cheek.
‘What’s happening?’ Red hissed.
‘It’s a dead end,’ Caleb answered, and sounded downbeat. It was as if he were searching for a solution. He looked again at the wall of rock opposite. It looked solid enough from what he could make out. Red sensed that Caleb was tense; he didn’t know how, but he could feel his companion’s turmoil.
‘There’s something going on, isn’t there?’ Red spoke more calmly, not more than a whisper. Caleb said nothing, but had spotted something – a ripple of heat, maybe. Heat, down here? No, it was… it was definitely… ah, a trickle of magic! He looked again, now sure on where it emanated – there it was again. It could be a spell cast down there, or some kind of illusion – he was certain of it now.
‘What have you found?’ Red was so close that Caleb could feel his breath against his cheek.
‘It’ll be a trap to stop mortals getting through. Or even strong enough to stop wizards, too,’ Caleb guessed.
‘What do we do, Caleb?’ Red asked. ‘We can’t go back.’
‘We’ll have to go down there first, and then face it head on,’ Caleb said, his tone casual.
‘But it’s only an illusion, right?’ It can’t hurt us… can it?’ Red sounded scared – after all, he was mortal.
‘All magic is dangerous, Red – even a mask of magic,’ Caleb said knowingly. ‘We just have to counter it and break through. The tricky part is getting down there.’ He pointed to the perilous slope before them. ‘I’m also going to have to put out the lamp!’
‘B-but how are we going to see where we’re going?’ Red stammered.
‘I’ll relight it at the bottom. I can’t risk whatever that is, seeing us coming,’ Caleb admitted. Red swallowed hard. ‘Are we ready?’ Caleb asked, as a smile lifted his old features.
‘Why are you smiling?’ Red questioned.
‘I’d rather die with a smile on my face,’ he said cheerily. Red looked at him and arched his eyebrow in confusion. But he didn’t have time to say any more. Caleb dowsed the flame and disappeared over the top. Red had no choice but to quickly follow.
The first part wasn’t too bad and felt quite solid. They had to navigate their way down by sitting on their backsides, using their heels as a kind of brake. Red couldn’t see Caleb and assumed he was just ahead of him. He also had to use his hands, palm-down to steady his descent.
The ground soon became tricky as the loose shale broke the tension of the surface. Once that happened, there was no amount of heel braking that could stop Red from sliding. He lost complete control and found himself torpedoing down the cliff face. Rocks tumbled from all angles and the boy, not wanting to, twisted sideways, eventually ending upside-down.
‘Ca-leb, I’m fal-ling,’ he rattled, as he picked up momentum and tumbled uncontrollably down the mountainside. It was dark as soot and his head was spinning so much that he didn’t know what was happening. All he could hear was the echoed cracking of rocks and the heavy flow of shale. He felt small stones bang against his body and one cracked the side of his skull. He was lightheaded and felt sick… and finally blacked out.
*****
‘Are you okay?’ Rhidian asked.
‘I’m fine, honestly,’ Alba assured him. ‘In fact, I’m feeling a lot stronger now that I’ve eaten and had some exercise.’ Rebus turned and looked at his friend, the light from the lantern illuminating their faces.
‘That’s good,’ Rebus added. ‘You were cramped up in that filthy cage for a while. I’ll make sure that never happens again.’ He seemed resolute.
The air smelled stale and damp for a while, but they soon tasted fresh and pure air.
‘Where is that coming from?’ Rhidian had noticed the difference right away.
‘There’s got to be a fissure above us somewhere letting in clean air, I imagine.’ Alba greedily sucked in the clean oxygen. It felt good after the stale air they’d been used too. Soon after, they all heard the gush of water. It got a lot louder as they approached a small underground river.
‘Hold up,’ Rebus said urgently.
‘What’s the matter?’ Rhidian chirped up.
‘We’ve a problem!’ Rebus announced.
‘Oh, my,’ Alba said, when he and Rhidian stepped shoulder-to-shoulder. It was a major problem. The river cut through the rocks and was flowing at a rate of knots. It was about four metres wide and looked impossible to cross.
‘What are we going to do?’ Alba squeaked.
‘We have to go back,’ Rhidian said.
‘That’ll add God knows how much time to our journey,’ Rebus rasped.
‘We could meet up with the others in the other tunnel and get past this that way,’ Alba added.
‘Who’s to say that they’re not already following us? Their tunnel could be a dead-end too, and we’d be right back where we started,’ Rebus continued, but sounded angry.
‘We’re going to vote on it,’ Rhidian said adamantly.
‘We’re not. We have to…’ Rebus stopped talking.
‘What’s that?’ Alba strained his ears and tried to make out a background noise. The rush of the river was so loud that it was hard to hear anything.
‘It sounds like a rock fall!’ Rhidian shouted.
‘Is that – the boy?’ Rebus’ voice echoed.
‘Yes, Red and Caleb are in trouble,’ Rhidian bellowed. ‘We have to help them. They’re ahead of us.’
‘How? We can’t get past this river,’ Alba reminded them.
‘We haven’t got a rope, or anything to bridge the gap.’ Rhidian stood helpless.
‘But we do have two wizards,’ Alba cut in.
‘Magic?’ Rhidian said and looked at Rebus and Alba.
‘It’s going to take everything we have,’ Rebus added, and peered at Alba. �
�You up to it, old man?’
‘There’s only one way to find out.’ Alba actually looked as though he was going to enjoy the experience.
‘A transfer, I think,’ Rebus announced and Alba nodded. Rhidian looked at the two of them, bewilderment in his eyes.
‘Come sit, Rhidian. We must all hold hands.’ Rebus outstretched his hand in a gesture for him to join them.
‘Wh-at? I’m involved too? Cool,’ Rhidian grinned.
‘Yep,’ Alba chirped.
‘So, what do I do?’ The engineer was suddenly filled with a childish excitement.
‘Actually, nothing! You just have to hold on,’ Alba said.
They sat crossed-legged with the lamp in the centre. The next thing to happen was for them to hold hands. Rhidian couldn’t believe what he was doing and felt like a little kid in the playground in kindergarten.
‘Close your eyes, Rhidian. We haven’t much time,’ Rebus said. He did as asked and held onto the two wizards. He closed his eyes, but still felt silly. He sat for a moment and then couldn’t keep quiet any longer.
‘What now, Rebus?’ he asked, but realised that he wasn’t holding anyone’s hand any more.
‘Rhidian, help me.’ Rhidian heard Alba’s voice next to him. He opened his eyes and could see the lamp still in front of him, but he wasn’t on the same patch of ground. In fact, the two sorcerers weren’t there, either. Alba was outstretched along the cave floor and Rhidian could see why. Rebus was in the water, being pulled along by the current of the river. The engineer quickly gripped his left arm; Alba already had hold of his right.
‘Pull him in!’ Alba shouted, but his voice was laboured. ‘I’m losing my grip,’ he strained. Rhidian only had the sleeve of Rebus’ shirt. The river’s power was too much and Alba had to let go. Rhidian kept hold of the material of Rebus’ cuff and tried to grip his shoulder with his right hand. There was the sound of ripping material and the next thing… Rebus was gone! Rhidian was left holding his sleeve.
‘No, no!’ Rhidian screamed.
‘It’s no use, my boy. He’s gone!’ Alba said; the look of utter loss engulfed his whole face.
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