Much to Ari’s surprise, Harris also pulled a black stone. The Hollow Lord let out an audible gasp when he saw the color of the stone in his son’s hands, and Ari watched him struggling to recompose himself as he dumped the urn out and began preparing the correct ratio of stones for the girl’s side of the Choosing.
“So it shall be,” said the Hollow Lord. “If you pulled a black stone, come forth to stand behind me. The rest of you may sit down, while we determine which of our daughters Dormiar has chosen.”
Ari took a seat in one of the chairs in the back of the cavern and slowly exhaled. He felt relieved, but still nervous. He looked over at Kerys, but she was whispering with some of the other girls. Only one of them would be picked, but the favorable odds did little to improve the atmosphere in the cavern.
One by one, the Hollow Lord began calling the girls up, and one by one, each of them pulled a white stone. They’d made it through the first six when the Hollow Lord cleared his throat and announced the next name.
“Kerys Weaver,” he said.
Ari almost stood up from his chair. He felt his heart pounding hard enough to make the insides of his ribs ache as he watched Kerys stepping forward, the shock clear on her face. Ari glanced over at her family, and saw Kerys’ father, along with her three brothers, all active in the process of comforting her mother.
Kerys stumbled a little as she made her way up to the dais, struggling with steps that weren’t carved to accommodate her small stature. She extinguished one of the candles, and then stood up on her tiptoes to reach into the urn and pull forth a stone.
She opened her hand, and revealed a small, black object in its center. Her mother let out a choked sob, and the crowd broke out into whispers.
Ari couldn’t believe it. He double and triple checked the color of her stone, much as he had with his own, still seeing black. Sending Kerys up to the surface was like pitting a puppy against a fully-grown subterranean snake. It was savage, even by the sacrificial standards of the Choosing.
“That… marks the end of the ceremony,” called out the Hollow Lord. “Those chosen, along with their families, should remain in the cavern to discuss what happens next. The rest of you may return to your errands.”
The crowd immediately broke out into hushed murmurs. The Hollow Lord’s stoic disposition seemed to fracture as he made his way over to Harris and his wife and pulled them both into a tight embrace.
Kerys, likewise, was surrounded by worried members of her family. Her mother was hugging her and sobbing uncontrollably. Her father was still sitting in his chair, looking stunned.
More than anything, Ari wanted to go over to her and say something. There was so much he still felt like he needed to tell her, all of it to do with how she made him feel. He felt cheated, as though he’d been on the butt end of destiny’s cruelest joke. He kept his promise to Kerys, and now she was the one who’d been chosen.
Ari gritted his teeth hard enough to hurt. He couldn’t live with himself knowing that Kerys, of all people, was being sent up to the surface to die a pointless death. It was a fact that would rip him apart, piece by piece, his soul contorting and shredding at the tragedy of it.
He knew what he had to do, and it scared him senseless. His stomach was a bundle of knots as he tried to will his feet into carrying him forward. What he was about to do was allowed, though so seldom done that the Hollow Lord didn’t bother mentioning it as a possibility during the actual ceremony.
Ari took slow, shaky breaths as he walked toward Harris and his family. The Hollow Lord frowned at him as he approached, clearly annoyed at the prospect of being interrupted from the final moments he had with his son by the orphan, of all people.
He reached into the pocket of his tunic and took out the white stone. The fact that he’d pulled it in the first place was a greater feat of luck than he’d probably managed in the rest of his life combined. He felt like he was about to throw up, and he had to force the words out in a choked voice as he proffered the stone toward Harris.
“Switch stones with me,” said Ari. “I’ll take your place.”
Harris, his mother, and the Hollow Lord stared at Ari, all three of them stricken dumb in disbelief. Ari couldn’t manage a smile, but his sense of humor still seemed capable of forcing out a bad joke.
“You know, I could still change my mind,” he said. “Better hurry, before I do.”
Harris took him seriously, and immediately snatched the white stone from his hand and replaced it with the black one. His mother pulled him into an even tighter hug, and the Hollow Lord let out a relieved gasp.
“My son…” called out the Hollow Lord. “Aristial Stoneblood has switched places with my son! Harris will remain in the Hollow!”
Several joyous shouts came from what remained of the crowd, along with a short, but enthusiastic round of applause. Ari had to work to keep from feeling personally offended by how much more the community appreciated Harris than they did him. He looked over at Kerys and reminded himself of why he was doing what he was doing.
He found himself wishing that the rules of the Choosing would have allowed him to switch stones with her directly. It would have thrown off the gender balance, of course, and that facet of the tradition was as rigidly and pointlessly enforced as the archaic age requirement and pompous ceremony.
“Thank you,” whispered the Hollow Lord. “I don’t know what possessed you to offer this kindness to my family, Aristial, but we shall never forget it.”
The most respected man in Ari’s community bowed his head low enough to make him feel uncomfortable. He scratched his head and shrugged, trying not to let the fear building on the edge of his awareness overwhelm him.
He didn’t say anything else to Harris and his family, and there really wasn’t much else to be said. He was trembling as he walked away from them, and he had to force his hands into the pockets of his trousers to keep from fidgeting incessantly.
Kerys was watching him from across the room, but she was still in a tight embrace in between her mother and father. Her three brothers, Arnold, Fello, and Tomas, walked over to Ari, looking a little sheepish. They hadn’t exactly been kind to him, but Ari still greeted them with a wave, mostly since it was the last time he’d ever have to speak with them.
“You switched stones because of Kerys,” said Arnold. “Didn’t you?”
Ari gave them a small nod. It felt strange to admit it to them, almost as though he was asking them for their approval to run off with her. Arnold reached his hand out, and Ari shook it.
“Please,” said Arnold. “Protect her. Aristial, my sister will die up there on her own. Do everything in your power to make sure that won’t happen.”
Ari bit back his first response, which was a quip about how they’d probably both die, regardless of anything he did. Instead, he gave them the truth, the words his heart had used to give him the resolve to make the switch in the first place.
“I’m going to put her life before my own,” he said. “I’ll protect her to the very end.”
Arnold squeezed Ari’s hand and nodded, clearing his throat and turning away before the tears in his eyes could drop. Tomas also shook his hand, and Fello, the youngest of the three, pulled Ari into a quick hug.
He looked over at Kerys as her brothers walked away from him. Her face was a mask of conflicting emotions. Relief over the fact that she wouldn’t be heading into the chaos alone. Anger at him for the promise he’d made to her, and then broken. Another emotion, deeper and harder to place.
Ari looked at the black stone in his hand again. He tucked it into his pocket for good luck.
CHAPTER 5
Mistress Geline, the keeper of the Hollow’s stores, took her place on the stone dais. Her helpers had already brought out four bags, each made from the highest quality leather the cavern could produce and packed full of equipment.
“If the chosen would please grant me your attention for a moment, I’d like to read off the list of supplies you will have at your disposal,
” said Geline. “As all resources are naturally limited, I would like to place great emphasis on the significance of the objects we’re entrusting you with.”
Ari resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He’d stuck around for this part of the Choosing ceremony the previous year and was familiar with what each of them would be given. It was a little insulting for Mistress Geline to act as though it was anything more than the strict essentials, a small collection of supplies that might last them a week, at best.
“One waterproof kellowack tent,” said Geline. “One silk stuffed sleeping pad. One wool blanket. One red-iron hunting knife. One full waterskin. One rope. One breath scarf, which I encourage all of you to wear across your face as soon as you’re outside to combat the ‘tainted wind’ our records suggest exists on the surface.”
She took a breath, frowning as she surveyed her audience. Ari was the only one standing alone. Byron and Kerys were still surrounded by their families, and even Jarvis, whose mother had died a few years earlier, stood with Harris and his parents.
“One pound of dried goat jerky,” said Geline. “One pound of smoked cavepig. One pound of fresh sweetroot. One pound of dried mushrooms, and one pound of candied fruit.”
It sounded like a lot of food, and maybe it was, given their circumstances. Ari chewed his lip, wondering if any of them would survive for long enough to eat all of it. He felt as though if they did manage to, they might stand a chance of living significantly longer. And if not… well, he could always eat the candied fruit first and be dead by the time he had to start eating the dried mushrooms.
“One fire kit, containing flint, an iron striking rod, a small amount of tinder, and a waterproof carry box,” said Geline. “Take note of the diagram etched into inside of the box’s lid instructing proper usage of said materials, as I’m sure most of you have never started a fire on your own before.”
Ari had, though it had been part of a petty prank to take revenge on a few of the other boys for stealing his shoes during a duel.
“I wish all of you the best.” Mistress Geline bowed and hurried off the stone dais, clearly eager to be done with her minor role in the Choosing. The Hollow Lord rose to take her place, looking visibly relieved compared to just a few moments earlier.
“I would ask you all to say your final goodbyes,” said the Hollow Lord. “It is best not to belabor your departure, as the conditions on the surface shift due to the motion of the sun and stars.”
Ari had nobody left to stay goodbye to, so he opted to take a look at his pack, instead. The rolled up kellowack tent hung from straps on the bottom, but everything else fit inside neatly. He still felt nervous, but there was another emotion rising from underneath, a liberating sense of anticipation that made him eager, if a tad anxious, to see what awaited them.
Kerys received hugs, kisses, and emotional farewells from her entire family before finally walking over to join Ari by the equipment packs. She was blushing and wouldn’t look directly at him as she bent down to pick up her allotted supplies.
“You switched with Harris,” she said, softly.
“I did?” Ari made a face and pulled the black stone out of his pocket, staring at it in mock surprise and horror. “What in the name of Dormiar? How did that happen?”
“Aristial!” she snapped. “You made me a promise!”
“I believe the exact words of that promise involved me not ‘pulling’ a black stone,” said Ari. “Switching for one later on was never mentioned. You should really be more specific, Kerys.”
He gave her a wink, taking a small amount of pleasure in how it flustered her and dropped them back into their usual rapport. That’s it, he thought to himself. Make jokes. Tease her. Do everything in your power to distract from the death sentence you’ve both been dealt.
“Did… one of my brothers put you up to this?” whispered Kerys.
Ari gave a single shake of his head. They were standing close to each other, and one of his hands brushed against hers.
“I put myself up to this,” said Ari. “I’m a noble lad. It was more than I could stomach to imagine poor little Kerys Weaver out on the surface, all on her lonesome.”
Kerys didn’t look like she’d heard him. She let one of her small hands run across the strap of her equipment pack and took a shallow breath, blinking back tears.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry. It isn’t fair, Ari. For both of us to have to…”
“Quit moping, Kerys,” said Ari. “The surface might not even be so bad. And if it is, well, I guess we’ll face it together.”
He let his eyes linger on hers and felt an odd tension in the air between them. It wasn’t quite enough to push out the fear that had taken up residence in his chest, but it did reaffirm his decision. They would face the surface together, and that singular fact was enough to let him keep up a brave face.
The Hollow Lord and a dozen other men from the community led Ari, Kerys, Jarvis, and Byron out of the main cavern. He heard the families of the other Chosen calling out to them as they left, and he watched Kerys as she waved her last goodbye over one shoulder.
The walk toward the Hollow’s seldom used exit gave Ari a moment to further consider his circumstances. He didn’t really know Byron, and Jarvis was close to the opposite of what he’d call a friend. But even still, he found himself wondering if any of that would matter, once they were on the surface. They’d need every advantage they could get.
Golias Hollow had been slowly dug out over a long period of time, and as such, the caverns closer to the original cave tended to be smaller and formed through natural processes, rather than by the shovels of the digging crews. The exit cavern was now a simple storage chamber, with a massive circular stone door at one end that did little more than collect dust outside of one day of each year.
It took all the strength of the Hollow Lord and the other dozen men he’d brought along with him to so much as budge it. Ari watched them straining at the stone handholds cut into the door, some of them groaning from the exertion. The door barely moved, rotating to the side an inch at a time as it slid past the archway behind it.
They didn’t bother to open it further than what was needed for Ari and the others to squeeze through. There was another door on the other side of it made of wood so old that the cracks between its boards had been filled in and smoothed out by stone dust over the years.
The Hollow Lord worked a small mechanism in the wall, and the second door slowly fell forward. It was a drawbridge, Ari realized. And it would be pulled back into place behind them, cutting them off from even attempting to get back in.
“This is where you make your departure,” said the Hollow Lord. “If you follow the caverns down the cliffs and then up the slope, you’ll reach the surface.”
He didn’t sound entirely sure of his words, and why would he have been? He’d never made the trip before or even gotten any confirmation in over three hundred years that it was still traversable.
“Thank you,” said Kerys in a low voice.
She gave the Hollow Lord a deep bow and then stepped through the stone door and out onto the drawbridge ahead of the others. It was dark on the other side, with at least the first cave lacking the coordinated glowmoss growth that illuminated the Hollow’s inhabited interior.
Jarvis and Byron also bowed to the Hollow Lord. Ari gave him a mocking salute, enjoying the irritation it brought out on the faces of the other men around him. The Hollow Lord didn’t seem to mind. Given what Ari had done for him, he wasn’t all that surprised.
An unpleasant smell wafted up to his nostrils as he made his way across the long, wooden drawbridge. It took him a couple of seconds to realize that there was a deep chasm underneath. Judging from the stains he could see on the rocks on the way down, the pit below had once been used for disposal, just like the one he and Milo had worked.
The drawbridge began to lift back up almost as soon as he’d stepped off it. He made his way over to Kerys and stood close to her, both of them gettin
g their last glimpse of the only home they’d ever known.
“It’ll be okay,” whispered Ari.
“Are you lying to me again, Aristial?” asked Kerys.
“No,” he lied.
CHAPTER 6
Ari stood alongside Kerys and the others, none of them moving as they listened to the last of the grinding noise of the larger stone door being rolled back into place. The silence that followed was vacuous and all-encompassing, unlike anything he’d ever experienced before.
There was always noise in the Hollow. It bounced around, echoing off walls and becoming an ambient hum of talk, work, laughter, and occasionally, sex. But on the other side of the door, there was nothing. The air was stale and dry, and the path ahead of them was dark in both appearance and future promise.
“The Hollow Lord said we have to climb down first,” muttered Byron.
“Then let’s go,” said Ari. “No use waiting around.”
He pulled his equipment pack into place on his shoulders and took the lead. The cavern they were in was large enough for him to think that it had also once been a part of the original hollow, or maybe whatever its precursor had been.
There was a smaller passageway on the far side, narrow enough to force them into walking in a line, rather than side by side. After a few twists and turns, it exited out into another large chamber that was lit with splotchy sections of natural glowmoss, and immediately dropped off into a steep cliff.
“Well,” said Ari. “Here we are.”
He winced at the prospect of climbing down the poorly lit, damp looking cliff face with the heavy equipment pack on his shoulders. There wasn’t enough illumination from the glowmoss for him to even see the bottom, and what he could see of the cliff suggested that the climb would not be an easy one.
“Let’s get on with it,” said Jarvis. It was the first time he’d said anything in audible distance of Ari since the Choosing. “There’s no advantage in going slow.”
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