by B. W. Catt
"I understand. I− I just don't know what to say."
"Then say nothing. Your actions will speak to his heart more than any word could."
"I understand."
Woldiniar walked ahead, leaving Sebial to her thoughts.
Her mind continued to play out the events they had just went through. She placed her hand on the pommel of her sword.
Maybe I am not strong enough? I used everything I had within, yet I still failed to keep Sanu alive. He didn't care for me, but he continued to fight beside me, and that was more than enough. If only I could go back.
Shaken back to reality by the realization the ground was no longer glowing, she quickly turned around. Sebial attempted to find a way back to the others. Placing a hand against the cold, wet stone of the cave for direction. Slowly following its bends and curves, looking around, but it made no difference in the darkness.
I should have just stayed closer to the others.
As she continued to walk, she could feel the ground begin to descend. The setting changed from hard stone to soft rocks in the mud. Sebial slipped, catching herself on the wall before falling further.
I need to go back the other way. The ground did not slope like this before.
She turned around. Reaching her hand to the wall to head back. Her hand didn't hit anything.
This cannot be. I only moved my hand away for a moment.
She placed her hands out on either side and began walking straight with hopes of finding a new wall to lean on.
Woldiniar said these mountains are cursed with traps. I will be stuck here if I don't try something.
Her foot slipped, causing her to fall. The ground was covered in hot slime. She tried to stand up but slipped again.
"What is this!?"
She began to crawl slowly, attempting to get out of the slime.
Where did this come from? I know I turned around. Wait. This smell, I know this smell.
Crawling forward, her hands ran against something hard. She grabbed onto it, pulling it from the slime, she ran her other hand along the object.
This is hard yet has soft grooves, like bone. Why am I holding a bone? Wait, this smell...it is similar to that cabin...It's rotting flesh. I am in...
Sebial let out a blood curdling scream. She scrambled to get out of the slime, gagging as she went.
I am covered in dead bodies... I need, I need to find the others.
Rushing through the darkness, she hit her head on something hard. She grabbed her head. She felt warmth pour over her face.
Just great, not only am I covered in decomposing bodies but now blood as well.
She rubbed her head, wincing from the pain. She placed her other hand out in front of her to feel what she hit.
Cold, rough, dry. This feels like stone. I can use this.
She let out a sigh of relief. Grabbing tightly onto the stone, she attempted to pull herself out of the slime, her feet slipping, causing her to fall. She tried again; her feet glided along the ground, causing the bones below to clink together. She stepped firmly between the bones to brace her leg. Resting her head against the wall, she took in a deep breath and stood up once more.
Why is this here? What type of burial ground is this?
The slime began to rise as she continued forward. She stopped to gain her bearings. Taking deep breaths, Sebial calmed herself. She looked around, trying to find any light in the darkness.
There.
Ahead of her was an opening. She continued moving through the thick pool of decay. Her knuckles turned white from gripping the rock even tighter as she began to go deeper.
I can't swim in this; it is too thick.
She placed her foot along the wall, trying to find a place she could stand on. The rocks moved as she stepped.
This is a trap. These little steps keep moving. I can't see which one is where. That's fine, I will find a way out. I do not need to rest my arms. Ridiculous cave.
Determined to leave the cave, she moved forward. Sudden pain from a sharp rock slamming into her palm caused Sebial to slip. She clawed at the wall, trying to find a piece to grab as she sank into the pool.
Panicking, Sebial raised her hands above the slime, trying again to grab onto the rock, her hands slid right off.
Now what!? My hands are covered. I cannot grip anything.
She slammed her hand down, hitting the slime. It didn't move. Slowly she sank. Tilting her head back, she took in one breath before dropping below the surface.
Holding her breath, she waited to feel the ground so she could kick up to the surface.
I cannot die here. I will not die here.
Further, she fell.
"Do you wish to live?" a voice beckoned out to her.
Sebial opened her eyes but could see nothing. She closed them from the burning sensation caused by the decay. She continued to descend into the deep.
The voice spoke again. "If you wish to live, then let go of the air within your lungs."
Jumping from the voice's words, she gasped, letting out some air. Sebial quickly covered her mouth to keep what little air she had left.
"Let it all go, and I will save you. This place will continue to pull you down."
I must be losing my mind. But if I do as the voice tells, I might be able to live. Either way, I am doomed. I have fallen too far now.
Sebial moved her hands away from her face. With a slight nod, she breathed out. She could feel the bubbles rolling slowly against her face.
Her thoughts became foggy as she sought to remember why she was there. Doing her best to concentrate, she passed out.
Seven
"Sebial, what do you plan to do when we enter the kingdom? I know we won't be there for long, but a princess should have some time away from the adventure. Elin smiled as he looked back at Sebial. He didn't see her behind the others. "Sebial?" His voice cracked.
The others looked back.
"She was just with us," Woldiniar spoke calmly as he began to walk back the way they came.
"In a place like this, she couldn't have gone far," Denias stated. "There are only a few areas where the cave diverted off."
Elin raced past them and began to run down the path. "SEBIAL!"
The others quickly ran after him.
"You shouldn't yell or run in a cave like this, Elin," Denias called out to him.
Denias' words went unheard as Elin continued to yell her name.
"We should walk just in case. If he causes the cave to collapse, then we should be further back so we may be of use to both of them." Denias said to Woldiniar.
Woldiniar slowed down to look back at Denias. "I suppose you are right. But if he goes down a separate path from Sebial, then we will be searching for days to find both of them."
Denias rubbed his hand against his chin and stared at the path. "That is a good point. But I only noticed three areas where the cave split off. One was at the entrance, another not too far from that, and the last was a few steps by moonlight from which we just came. Since we just spoke to Sebial not long ago, I would assume she would be in that one."
"I see. We will start with the closest one." Woldiniar continued to walk.
Elin's voice could be heard echoing through the cave. "We will follow his voice for now. Knowing my student, she stopped somewhere to think since she was upset."
"SEBIAL! Where are you!?" Elin continued to call out to her with no luck. His voice shaky.
"This way," a voice called out to him from a small opening just big enough to fit through.
Elin stopped and looked around.
"Who goes there?!" Elin called out to the voice.
"She is this way. You must hurry."
"Who are you?"
"I am no one." As the voice trailed away, it spoke once more. "Come this way."
Elin could hear the voice fading away into the small entrance. He unsheathed his sword and followed the voice. In his panic, he walked through the darkness forgetting to light his way. Through the tunnel,
he quickly maneuvered, bumping into jagged rocks and slipping on the wet, uneven ground.
"Sebial! Are you there?!"
"Do not speak, or they will wake," the voice called out to him.
Elin stopped. "Who will wake?"
"The Forgotten will wake."
"Forgotten? What are those?"
"Souls left behind by the wars. If they awake, she will perish quickly. She is in their final resting place."
"In their final resting place?"
"Yes, those who died with regrets were brought here. Their souls are filled with vengeance. If the Keeper of the Forgotten awakes, you might become trapped."
Elin continued to walk. He could feel the ground getting softer. He began to rest on the walls as he continued.
"She is lying with the Forgotten. You will have to give up your breath in order to reach her. Once you have her, swim down. There is no coming up once you are under."
"That is impossible. How will we survive?" Elin's voice began to fill with anger. "You just want more to eat then."
"I do not eat others. Now hurry. She has already released her last breath. Swim to her."
"WHAT?! She is dying?!" Elin ran ahead. Gagging from the smell as he went deeper into the decay. He calmed himself. "I will save you, Sebial."
He exhaled and jumped into the pool. Quickly swimming further down, the voice began to speak.
"She is behind you. Turn around and grab her."
Elin trusted the voice and did his best to turn around in the thick sludge. Feeling into the darkness, he felt a hand. He grabbed the hand and pulled it close. Moving his other hand along the body he was holding, he reached around and pulled her close. He shuddered. He couldn't feel her heartbeat against him.
"Swim now. Swim down as fast as you can before you succumb as well."
Holding onto Sebial tightly, he swam as hard as he could. He winced from the burn in his legs, but he continued to push forward.
"Do not stop now. You are almost to the bottom," the voice called out again.
Almost to the bottom? This sounds like the beginning of my death. I cannot falter here. I need to live, I need her to live.
He kicked a few more times. Fatigue began to set in.
I will not falter. I will not falter.
He continued to repeat those words as he swam.
"Welcome," the voice called out to him.
Elin opened his eyes. Everything was bright. He tried to look around, but the light was blinding.
"Breath in."
He took a deep breath. He could feel the water entering his body. It tasted sweet on his tongue.
Water? I have failed her. I shouldn't have listened to this voice.
He breathed out and suddenly began to fall faster. He used one hand to cover Sebial's head, and the other stayed tightly against her back. Looking into the direction they were falling; he saw a dark wall of purple.
Bracing for impact as they got closer, he could feel his body suddenly turning in the air. Their descent slowed as his feet now approached the purple ground.
What is going on?
Elin looked down at Sebial, her body limp in his arms. Brown slime covered their skin. He moved his hand off her head and wiped her face. Trying to remove the slime.
His feet slammed onto the ground, causing him to fall and lose grip of Sebial. He looked over to Sebial's lifeless body. Elin scrambled over to her, rolling her onto her back. Placing his hands on her chest, he began to speak in an unknown tongue.
His hands began to glow a light blue as a white mist moved from him, wrapping itself around her. Her body began to glow white as he continued using his magic.
Her body has no magic left within. Can I save her?
He shook his head, trying to clear the thought as he poured more of his magic into her. Her body began to tremble from the increase in magic. He pulled his hands back from her chest and began to speak slower; the white mist slowly turned into strings weaving into different spots of her body. Closing his eyes, he followed the strings into her body, repairing the gaps in her soul with the strings as he went.
He could feel his magic weakening as he went, but he knew he had to save her. His body began to go numb as he followed the strings to the center of her body. Holding his hands firm, he gazed into her heart and began to weave the white strings to reattach her separating soul.
Sebial, please return to the land of the living.
With the last string placed, Elin went unconscious.
Eight
Three hours after Sebial's disappearance
"Woldiniar, we need to go find Elin and Sebial. I do not wish to live in this cave."
Denias looked over at him.
"It will not be easy. I lost track of Sebial's magic some time ago. Yet, I am not concerned. These caves are filled with different traps and enchantments. All meant to separate and destroy." Woldiniar placed his hand on the wall. "I believe it's separating us right now. These walls are imbued with blocking magic."
Denias balled his fists. "That is more than enough reason. I am heading back."
Woldiniar chuckled. "Headed back where? I have felt the ground move more than once. The paths continuously change."
He looked around. "I will just follow the stones Elin enchanted."
Woldiniar grabbed his stomach and began laughing hysterically. "You think Elin's magic is stronger than the one who created this maze, elf?! That is incredible. Who knew Elin was stronger than Nalenero? Surely not I?"
"Enough, Woldiniar. Our time is wearing thin. Elin could be fighting orcs somewhere in this place. Do you not care about your student?"
Woldiniar held up a finger. "First, you stated 'somewhere' more of a reason I do not care to go back. I am too old to search this 'somewhere' you speak of." He lifted a second finger. "I released the binds restricting Sebial's magic. Once she regains her strength from fighting, she will be fine. She might even go berserk," he smirked.
"How can you be calm about her going berserk. Why is her power bound?"
Denias stood there, glaring at Woldiniar.
Woldiniar tapped his chin. "I think she was about ten when her power fully erupted. She was a very strong-willed child. Pasuria fell when she was only seven. Her power was stronger than most young adults. The night we escaped, I had to knock her out more than once. Her body regenerated at incredible speeds. Her emotions caused her magic to escape, causing at least a ten-foot white aura to appear. She was going to get us killed." He shook his head. "Back to when she was ten. I took her hunting. Just in case I had to leave her. I needed her to be able to feed herself. She was beyond nervous about missing. After gathering her courage, she conjured up a powerful blue orb. It had swirls of wind and blue flames, perfectly sealed in what looked like a globe. I was highly impressed. However, when she released the orb, it hit its target, a yellow hog."
"That's impressive; those are massive. A mere ten-year-old princess killed what eight elves struggle to subdue."
Woldiniar smiled. "Indeed, my student is incredible. My story is not over. The orb erupted. Causing everything to be sucked in. Not only did she kill the hog, but half of the forest went with it. A massive crater was left in its place. Her magic was terrifying. She controlled it beyond expectations. I didn't even notice how much magic she put into that small orb until it opened. Her blue flames removed even the roots of the great trees, leaving holes in the dirt. After that, I decided to take away almost all of her magic. I matched her magic to those just above her age since she needs more than most in order to maintain her life force."
"Woldiniar, a person like Sebial should not be allowed to wander. They must be confined."
His eyes flickered black. His magic leaked from his body in a haze, quickly enveloping Denias. "Do not speak of my student that way. I will not hesitate to kill you. She was safe... until she ran away. She was safe when she was young as well, yet her parents"-Woldiniar pulled his magic back in-"they allowed the queen's sister and her entourage into the palace after centur
ies of following traditions. Their mother had passed, the queen already had me place a spell on Sebial, hiding her gender so none would know she took after her grandmother. Yet, after their mother died, the queen's sister knew something was off when neither of them inherited the bracelet cursed by The Flame. She began to watch Sebial questioning if the curse picked a boy."
Woldiniar stopped talking. The glowing stones from Elin's magic had disappeared.
"We must find him." Denias ran down the dark path.
Woldiniar let out a short whistle, binding Denias where he stood. He let out a second whistle; the walls began to glow in different spots. "We will do this my way Denias. I do not follow elves."
Woldiniar snapped his fingers, releasing Denias. He fell to the ground. "I understand but let us hurry. Elin is all I have left."
"And I, Sebial."
Nine
"What a pitiful sight to see," a woman's voice spoke as it came closer to them. She was sitting on a bubble filled with fish swimming within. She slowly came down from above, her elbow resting on her crossed legs. She pushed back her long curly black hair, revealing dark crimson eyes.
The bubble landed next to Sebial and Elin. She slowly got off. Turning around she popped the bubble causing the fish to swim off into the sky.
She tucked her hair behind her ear before leaning over them. Smiling, she blew them a kiss. Red mist left her mouth and entered theirs. Elin and Sebial began to cough and gasp.
The woman started to laugh as she watched the two of them choke.
Elin quickly got off of Sebial. He smiled down at Sebial, watching her breathe. He carefully wiped some of the slime from her face.
"Ahem-"
Elin jumped, startled by the sound of a female’s voice. He went to grab the heel of his sword.
The woman let out a laugh. "You cannot use such a tool. It's unbefitting for immortal who rule down here half-elf."
Elin glared at her. He stood up, standing between her and Sebial.
His voice enraged. "WHO ARE YOU?!"
The woman smirked at them. Playing with her hair, she gazed at the brown sky. "You made it here, thanks to me. Without me, you wouldn't be."