The Golden Year and the Sorceress

by Isabella Hardiman

  Cam nodded. "So where are we going?" I looked around. Where did he think we were going? There was not anything but this cave for miles. He is not the brightest orb of light, is he?

  "Nowhere. She is going straight home and I have the right mind to lock you up," Leonardo spat. I looked up at him defiantly. I did not come this far to go back and I was not going to be bossed around either.

  "Leonardo, we both know that you aren't going to win this argument." I rolled my eyes. "This is your only hope to save your kingdom, our home." I pointed out. "I have given far too much to give up now." I glared at him. "So you can go back if you wish but I will not."

  "Why do you always have to do the exact opposite I say?" He sighed in frustration. "I can't ask you to do this." He knew there was no other option.

  "Maybe, but you can't stop me either." I responded stubbornly. Leonardo let out a frustrated groan. He hated it when I stood up to him.

  "Do I get a say?" Cam jumped in.

  "NO." We both shouted at him.

  "LEILA." Leonardo was losing his patience and so was I.

  "LEONARDO." I responded.

  "Cam." Cam joined in by saying his own name for fun. Did he not realize that we were arguing? There was a long silence.

  Leonardo let out an annoyed sound. He had given in. "So, where are we going?" Cam asked curiously.

  "In there." I pointed to the black stoned cave in front of us. I had to admit it was a little creepy: human skulls were hanging outside and a dragon skull hung in the middle as a centrepiece at the top between the carvings inked with blood.

  Cam gulped. "In there?" he asked. I nodded. He visibly paled. "Oh, I think I am coming down with something." He coughed several times. He was lying. I never realised until now that Cam was genuinely a coward.

  I sighed, looking around. This was dragon territory, did he think it was better being alone out here than there? "Okay, if you aren't feeling well, you can stay here and watch out for dragons."

  He made a smug grin but I could tell he had not listened to the entire sentence. "Okay, I will stay here and... What?!" he shouted. "Dragons!" Cam raced inside the cave and I almost burst out laughing. Leonardo clearly was not happy. He gave me a serious look.

  "Please Leila, don't leave my side. I don't know what will be waiting there for us-I," he was stricken with concern and I couldn't help but feel touched with his concern for my welfare.

  "Leonardo, don't worry I will protect you from all the monsters." I joked about not being able to survive another minute of his intense gaze.

  "Leila, I am serious." His eyes were swimming with worry. "I thought I lost you back there." I noticed the hurt in his eyes and my heart skipped a beat.

  "I am afraid not... you are stuck with me, Princey." I smirked. I needed to lighten up the mood a bit more. I needed to escape from the look Leonardo kept giving me. I could not breathe when I was next to him.

  "If we go to the Tomb of the goddesses." I needed to push every thought of the tattooed boy and my parents out of my mind. This was life and death. Who knows if we might come out alive?

  Chapter Eighteen- The tomb of the goddess

  "This is bad, this is so very bad." Cam had been a nervous wreck the entire time. The caves were colder than I had expected. The rugged and worn down walls surrounded me. They seemed so tough yet so beaten from the force of the whipping wind, chilly air and thrashing rain. Cold air filled every corner and warmth seemed to have never tried to creep its way in here. Darkness engulfed everything and seemed to make reservations come into my mind of something unseen. I had helplessly stumbled on the jagged rocks beneath me a few times now. Every time I prepare to hit the ground, Leonardo catches me just before the moist dirt hits my face and sharp rocks pierce my skin.

  "Either you put a cork in it or I will make you be quiet one way or the other." Cam was really getting on Leonardo's nerves. Cam immediately went quiet before whimpering for the hundredth time. He was going to give us away. Who knows what creatures lurked in here? Something cracked beneath my foot...

  "What was that?!" Cam snivelled.

  "Come on Cam. Don't be such a spineless wimp," I whispered, almost tripping over my own feet.

  "What is this? Pick on Cam day?" Cam muttered.

  "You know, you whine like a little girl," I retorted. Leonardo made an amused sound. I could sense his presence beside me.

  "That's what he reminded me of! Spot on, Leila." Leonardo laughed.

  "NO, I DON'T!" Cam immediately fought back. His voice echoed down the hallway, announcing our presence to one and all. I was going to kill him for that!

  I heard a thud as Leonardo smacked straight into Cam trying to keep him quiet. The cave joined onto several tunnels that wormed their way through the mountains.

  "Right. I can't stand this," Cam finally sighed after walking straight into a cave wall. He clicked his fingers and a flicker of a flame appeared.

  "You could have lighted the way the entire time and you didn't think to tell us?" Leonardo let out a frustrated groan. I could not even believe Cam's incompetence.

  Cam gave us both a cheesy grin and picked up the nearest abandoned log. "Well, I only just thought about it." He said whilst setting the log a light.

  For the first time I could properly see inside the cave. The walls were wet from a combination of nearby running water and humidity. Skulls, logs, bones, and rocks lay sparsely around us.

  "So whilst we all walked blindly into things...it never occurred to you to light a torch?" I questioned whilst grabbing another log and placed it in the flames of the first torch.

  "No. I was too busy trying not to get eaten." He shrugged. Leonardo was already striding ahead. I went after him and Cam followed.

  Leonardo was staring deeply into the deep red markings that covered the cave walls. There was not a doubt in my mind that symbols were painted in blood. "Are those sacrifice markings?" Cam gulped. Yes.

  I saw something flicker among the shadows in front of us. It was like a small little orb of sparkling light that dazzled my eyes. It zoomed away rapidly. "There! I see something." I raced forward determined to find whatever had been watching us. Was it a pixie?

  "Leila wait!" Leonardo was hot on my tail. I began racing down the narrow tunnels chasing the fast movements of a shadow. I finally stopped once I reached a large opening. I was about to turn the corner when Leonardo pulled me back and out of sight. He threw my torch in the remains of a puddle, taking the light out in one swift movement. He clamped a hand on my mouth before I had a chance to call out.

  There was a large thud as a bulky creature with tough rock like skin stomped past us. Its brown rags barely covered its humongous stomach. Its pointed ears and shabby hair was unlike anything I had ever seen. The creature clung to a large club that it held in one hand and scratched its grotesque stomach with the other. The revolting smell filled the air.

  I remembered reading very little about these creatures as a child. I only knew three things: 1-Trolls had a very unusual diet, as they will eat anything including metal, bone, wood, and rocks. 2-They were nocturnal. And 3- They turned to stone in sunlight.

  I peeked around the corner. Giant trolls sat in the circular room. Warts, facial hair, and moss like growth all over their faces. They were arguing among them. Their shouts were so loud it could deafen you. Most of them sat around a fire together but a few wanderers were keeping to themselves, sleeping, in the corners.

  The moon would be up soon and they would all be up. If they did not go outside they would walk through the cave passages. How could we avoid running into these giants?

  I turned back before the creatures had a chance to see me. My back was pressed against the cold stone wall, yet I felt like I was burning. Our bodies were far too close and he kept looking at me with those large eyes of his and I could not breathe.

  Leonardo slipped his hand into mine and began to lead me away. A sense of ease filled me when he did this simple gesture. I could not help but notice that our hands fitted one anoth
er perfectly. We dissolved back into the shadows again and into a smaller hidden passageway where Cam was waiting. He did not speak until we were out of sight.

  "That was too close." He took a heavy breath. I felt so senseless. I could have just got us all killed. "Are you okay?" he asked. I had paled and all colour had vanished from my cheeks.

  I nodded. "We should keep moving but STICK TOGETHER." Leonardo gave me a look. I closely looked at Leonardo. He was handsome in his own kind of way. He was not anything like Theo, though. His brown caramel hair with blond streaks was cut short and neatly done and his eyes shone like sapphires under Cam's torch's glow. He was like summertime. He sent a breath of fresh air through you every time you looked at him. Which I guess is attractive to some people.

  I attempted to move further through a dark cave, I could feel the humidity in the air. I stride ahead, listening out for anything suspicious. My hands are clammy, possibly because of my nerves or my uncertainty. In the darkness ahead, my hands can feel moisture seeping through rocks to my side. I want to return to the light, however, the light hurts, and the darkness beyond my senses is intriguing. I must continue deeper into this darkness. I could feel Leonardo's eyes on me the entire time. He was watching my every move.

  The goddess's tomb was a labyrinth of cave-like tunnels that wove into the mountain. How were we ever going to find the burial site of the first goddess?

  "What are we looking for exactly?" Cam asked, trailing behind me.

  "We are looking for a corpse of a woman called Vorgana..." I could hear Cam make a stunned sound just at the sound of her name.

  "...to awaken the spirit so she can tell us the location of a jewel." Leonardo finished my sentences.

  "CRAZY, WICKED, VOODOO LADY!" Cam gasped. Leonardo and I both exchanged looks before nodding.

  "Yes, that lady." Leonardo confirmed. We came to the end of the tunnel to find it split in two.

  "We should split up. We will be able to cover more ground," I suggested. Leonardo frowned and I knew this would not be easy convincing him.

  "Absolutely not." He shook his head.

  "We don't have another choice. Think about it. Concentrate. We need to cover more ground and quickly." I explained.

  "So? You think sending you unprotected into unknown danger is a good plan?" He looked at me annoyed.

  "I wouldn't be unprotected, I would be with Cam." I argued.

  "Great and who's going to protect him? That oaf does not know the first thing about combat. " Leonardo gestured to Cam.

  "Hey! This oaf has feelings." Cam called. Leonardo rolled his eyes.

  "Why do you always have to be so-so arrogant?!" I looked at Leonardo furious.

  "Arrogant?" He looked at me stunned.

  "Yes. Arrogant!" I screamed. What made him think I was just going to bow my head and do exactly what he wanted? "You just expect me to do exactly what you say!" I paused. I was not one of his puppets.

  Leonardo and I suddenly got into a heated discussion. Meanwhile Cam was fiddling around with the cave walls and stones.

  "I am not Josephine! I refuse to do what you say when I know it is the wrong decision." I continued to dispute. I was fuming.

  "You are the most stubborn, reckless, ill-mannered, hasty, impulsive girl I have ever met! And another thing..." Leonardo never got to finish his sentence.

  Out of nowhere the floor beneath me and Cam vanished. "LEILA!" Leonardo shouted but it was too late the trap door had already shut. I fell hard onto some curved wooden structure. I glided fast down the twisting wooden slide, Cam followed.

  That was, until we reached a damp, mucky floor. "What just happened?" Cam sounded completely disoriented. He had lost the torch but it was not as dark in here as it was up there. The walls were grey instead of black.

  "You must have touched something and it triggered a trap door." I looked around. It was not what I was going for but not bad. At least we could cover more ground now.

  "How did they get in here?" I overheard somebody whisper.

  "They must have found the secret passage way," I heard what sounded like a little boy. I scanned the room. I began to creep closer to where I heard the voices.

  "We better tell king Melorion." It sounded like a little girl. Then I saw behind the shelter of a rock, a glowing of three colours. One pink, one blue and one green.

  "No silly! You know we aren't supposed to be here," I heard a third voice say. "Do you want to get us all in trouble?" I saw three small pixies.

  They were no bigger than my index finger. Their little crystal wings sparkled and almost looked like they had a layer of frost over them. They all wore oversized, colourful, cotton clothing. The two boys wore a pair of simple shorts, small pointy hats, and baggy tops. The girl wore large pink flowers in her hair, a pink dress and she carried a small little satchel. Their shoes were shaped like thick socks that loosely covered their feet. Their chubby, freckled cheeks made them resemble young children.

  "Hello there." Cam looked down at the three pixie children. They turned to see him, horrified. Their little lights vanished as they ducked among the rocks.

  "We are not going to hurt you. We just need to know how to get to the burial site of the goddess Vorgana," I pleaded. The little, female pixie popped her head from around the rock and the others followed her.

  "Why would a pretty lady like you want to go there?" she questioned in a childlike voice.

  "To save the lives of a lot of people." I paused. "Do you know where it is? Can you take us there?" I asked. She nodded.

  The pixies began zooming down the tunnel and we followed them. "This way!"

  Cam cocked an eyebrow and said loudly, "We are trusting our lives to them?" One of the young male pixies overheard and confronted Cam.

  "And what is wrong with us?" The boy pixie narrowed his eyes and flew close to Cams nose. He was clearly offended.

  "Nothing. Nothing." Cam sighed, backing off. Cam waited until they were far out of listening range. "Let's just follow the pixies, down the haunted hallways of a troll infested cave." Cam muttered under his breath.

  "Have you got any better ideas?" I was annoyed.

  "That's what worries me. If this is our best option then what is the worst?" he interrogated.

  I could not help but worry about Leonardo. He was up there all alone but I knew he would be okay. If there was one thing Leonardo was good at, it was surviving. He was Leonardo.

  The pixies stopped in their tracks. In front of us was a grand, spectacular building. The building had been formed into the rock and used it as a mould. Whoever had built this had taken great care in detail. The rock looked like it had been deformed over the years, mist hovered around the palace. "In there. We cannot go any further. It is far too dangerous. There is a lethal monster in there. They say it kills people with just its stare." The little pixie boy whispered.

  I hesitated for a minute before stepping inside. "Come on Cam." He looked at me then at the haunted palace carved out of rock.

  "No thanks. I choose life." He turned on his heel to walk back from where we had come from but I yanked him by his collar and pulled him inside.

  The fumes of the dead are in the air like a poison. The inside was made entirely of melted gold. The room glittered and glistened as the torch light kissed it. The sacrificial marking covered every inch of the room. From the ceiling to the floors. Remains of bodies hung about. What could have done this? "There it is!"

  Just above a series of rock formed steps, in-between a pair of solid gold, Corinthian pillars was spotless, white, marble coffin. Around it were hovering candles.

  I began to read the writing on the side of the coffin. It was in words I did not understand. I read it aloud and as I did the letters began to rearrange and change. "Evigilare faciatis deae calamitatem."

  The new words on the coffin read: Awaken, Goddess of Destruction.

  The earth began to shake and tremble. The candle lights went out one by one. A wind whipped through the cave. The ground began to crack and
split. "This is either really good or really bad." Cam said at the same time as he pulled me out of the way from a falling statue that I had not even noticed until now. In fact there were lots of them sitting on floating pedestals above the coffin.

  The statues shattered to pieces one by one. "Who dares disturb the slumber of Virginia?" a voice thundered.

  Chapter Nineteen- Expect the unexpected

  "Leila of Bourdet." I announced my presence to the red eyed ghost that hung above the coffin. Summoning the dead was a risky business. "I have come to ask for the location of the magic mobile."

  The ghost cackled. "The magic mobile? And what business does the Chosen One have with objects of dark magic?" The ghost interrogated. Her pale face was surrounded by clouds of silver-blue smoke.