by M H Ryan
“We have used this in the past for guests or tourists wanting a tour of the lava rooms,” Bowsette said.
Soto followed suit and did the same. Barkly helped cover him with it and soon they were both dripping in the frost liquid. She stood back, looking at them dripping with the white cream. Their hair was matted against their heads and they had steam coming off their bodies that kind of made them look like ghosts.
“This is fucking cold,” Soto said, his teeth chattering.
“It’s not that bad, you big baby,” Barkly said as he shivered.
“You got some fat on you. I’m skin and bones,” Soto said.
“It will keep you cool enough to get near the lava but don’t touch it,” Bowsette said. “That kind of heat will go right through the protectant.”
“What about you?” Barkly asked.
“Dude, she’s fireproof,” Soto said.
“Badass,” Barkly said.
“Not exactly fireproof so I have to be careful, like you, lava can hurt me if I’m in it for long enough.” She had memories of someone dying in lava once. Not something she ever wanted to deal with again.
Barkly wiped some of the cream from his face and smiled at her. “Maybe we can rub some of this on you, you know for extra protection.”
“Hey, I like the way you think, Barkly,” Soto said. “I get the front.”
“I’ll gladly take the back.”
Bowsette laughed and then said. “If we don’t hurry, the entire kingdom could be destroyed.”
“It’s not that nice of a kingdom,” Barkly said, eyeing her chest.
“No,” she said with a smile and pushed them out the door and into the hall.
They jogged down the corridor and then past a few more tunnels. The shape of the tunnels changed from a finely cut, square hall with hard-surfaced floors to a tunnel that was more of a cave than part of a house. The walls and ceilings were rounded and the tool marks from whoever carved it out were still there. The space wouldn’t allow for more than single file and orb lights lit the way as they jogged ahead.
Bowsette felt the heat increasing significantly as they reached the end of the tunnel and she looked back to make sure the boys were okay. They would have probably passed out by now from the heat, but they seemed somewhat comfortable and smiled as she looked back.
“Doing okay?” she asked.
“Awesome,” Barkly said. “We’re right behind you.”
They were up to something, but she didn’t have time to figure out why they were both smiling like little boys at a candy store.
“Pop,” Bowsette said, slowing down as she entered the large chamber.
Pop Master stood near the great lava flow.
“It’s breached the secondary levy already,” he said, the orange glow of the lave reflecting off his metallic armor.
Before her was the main viewing chamber for the lava flow and a place where they would take the tourists and the occasional delegates. Even a few Grand Kingdom citizens had been here not too long ago. She always charged them double though. The chamber itself was tall enough and long enough to fit an average house inside, but the floor leading to the river sloped up into a smooth berm about four feet tall, keeping the lava in most circumstances from overflowing. On the left side of the room, the river emerged from a cave that would typically have more space than not open above the lava. It was ordinarily dark but the lava was high enough that the ceiling of the cave danced with an orange light. She thought she might have been able to see all the way back to her uncle’s massive castle if she stared long enough.
Now, only the top of the cave hadn’t filled with the melted rocks. On the far right side of the river flow was a massive pipe stuck against a wall, channeling the lava back into the earth, save but for a few small pipes that led around the kingdom, allowing for heat, cooking, a foundry, and various other things.
The river flowed slowly and it only took a moment to see the problem. A boulder had fallen into the river, blocking most of the pop. No, fallen wasn’t the right term. Whoever set the explosion had done it well but not perfect. A black mark above the pipe marked the spot of the explosion and the massive boulder blocking most of the pipe was the result. Some of the lava flowed around it, giving her the time to do something. If it had been successful in completely blocking the pipe, the lava would be filling the rooms of her castle by then.
Bits of stone floated on the lava, mostly moving around the large rock and then into the large pipe but as she watched, some of the rocks floating on the lava were getting wedged in the spaces between the boulder and the pipe. It wouldn’t be long before it became utterly clogged and submerged under the lava flow. Once that happened there would be nothing they could do to stop it from filling much of the Trench.
“What do you think, Pop?” Bowsette asked.
“I’m going to swim over there and dislodge the rock,” Pop said, trying to get over the edge of the levy, and failing.
“Pop, no,” Bowsette said.
“I’ll go,” Soto said.
“Dude,” Barkly said. “That will turn you into a crispy nugget before you got near the boulder. I, on the other hand, have a plan. I can jump on those floating rocks and hop, skip, right over to that boulder and break it loose.”
“Those won’t hold you,” Soto said.
“You don’t know that,” Barkly said.
Bowsette ignored the argument and climbed on top of the levy. She felt the heat a hundred times more, standing over it. It radiated out in waves from the orange river and was almost unbearable. One thing she got from the boys was the idea of riding on the rocks. This seemed a lot better than the idea of swimming there.
A large rock emerged from the cave on the left and she watched it pass by. She jumped and heard the protests from the boys as she did. She sailed through the air and eyed the brown stone, hitting it with her two feet.
Soto had been right though. It wasn’t going to hold her weight as it started sinking into the lava. She stayed on it as it sank and floated down the river toward the large boulder. The lava begun to edge over the surface and right before it touched her feet, she jumped again to another smaller rock further down the lava.
When she landed on this one, it dipped into the lava immediately. Her feet submerged into the molten rock and she jumped again, feeling chunks of lava clinging to her feet. She shook the pieces off as she planned her landing on the side wall. She hit the wall with her feet and jumped off it, aiming for her final destination, the boulder blocking the lava.
She struck the boulder with her chest and body, grabbing the surface with her hands and trying to find a spot to grab onto. She slid down a few feet before finding a cleft in the stone and then pulled herself onto the top of the rock.
Looking back up the river, she spotted Barkly, Pop, and Soto watching her. She gave them a thumbs up and looked at the rock under her. Either she got this rock broken free, or her whole kingdom was going to be buried in molten rock, including her family etching near the gate. They would essentially be wiped from history. No pressure, Bowsette.
She stomped her feet on it at first and then started jumping and stomping her feet onto it with great force, but the thing didn’t budge. Not that she thought it would. It was more of a test to see how stable it was and it was in there tight. It was going to take a massive collision with it to break it into manageable pieces. She hoped the lava had already started eating away at it, but she couldn’t take a chance. She had to hit it hard as she could.
She pointed at the ledge on the wall and then the height of the ceiling. Well, no way to know for sure until you try.
Eyeing a ledge on the far wall, she crouched low and jumped as high as she could, landed on the ledge and then jumped again, flying all the way to the ceiling. She impacted the ceiling with her feet and launched herself downward, toward the boulder while doing a spin. She brought her knees tight against her chest and made sure she fell, shell down.
The impact felt as strong as when she jump
ed from the window with Barkly. The shock of it traveled all the way through her. The air blew out from inside her, spitting up fire into the air. The boulder under her shattered into pieces with a series of loud cracks. She tried to get to her feet, but the boulder was already falling into the large tube, carried by the molten river. Her body slid with the broken rock into the tube and the darkness from which she knew she would never return.
She used what strength she had left, grabbed the top of the pipe and held on. The lava heaved up and over the boulder and her legs dipped into the inferno. She screamed out in pain and yanked them free, kicking the cooling rock off her legs. With another good grip, she pulled herself onto the top of the pipe and sat on the edge, breathing hard. The heat radiated over the flow, making each breath more difficult than the last. The very sweat on her steamed off in seconds, creating a mist around her.
The lava under her churned through the broken boulder and started flowing much faster. Great, one disaster averted, now she just needed to navigate a flowing river, upstream, no big deal. The boys and Pop looked farther away than ever. They were yelling to her, but from the crunching sound of rock and lava, she couldn’t hear what they were saying.
Taking a deep breath, she stood up and spotted a floating rock just coming out of the cave beyond. It might be her last chance. She did the calculations in her head, timing the jumps it would take.
She jumped, hit the wall and bounced again, and then landing on another ledge, jumped again. Flying through the air with her arms and legs flinging around, she hit the floating stone hard. Too hard. It sank into the lava, but she jumped off of it and landed on the edge of the levy. The river pulled her and her hands were slipping on the smooth surface.
Barkly and Soto grabbed her hands and pulled her free from the lava. She slid onto the ground, breathing hard and wiping the lava from her legs.
“That was crazy!” Barkly yelled.
“Are you okay?” Soto asked, offering a hand to help her up.
Dang, they looked goofy covered in that cream. She took his cold hand and got to her feet. They both were grinning at her and giving each other high fives. She looked over herself and then down to her legs. Her pants were burned a bit and her legs were red and tender to the touch.
“Just a little burn. Nothing some healing salve won’t fix.”
“Me,” Barkly said, raising his hand.
“You get left leg, I get right,” Soto said.
“I want the right leg,” Barkly said.
“Fine, I wanted the left leg the whole time anyways.”
“You two are idiots,” she said and then hugged them. “But you’re my idiots.”
“Princess, look,” Pop said.
She let go of the boys and looked at Pop as he held his pole out into the lava.
“Is that a chest?” Barkly asked.
It was. She moved closer to the lava and from the cave, a chest floated on the surface. Pop reached out and stabbed through the hook on the top and pulled it closer to shore. He struggled with it so Bowsette jumped in and they both lifted the chest from the lava. It dripped the red goo as they swung it around and set it on the floor. It steamed and she could feel the heat radiating it from it.
“It must have gotten knocked loose with the rise in the lava,” Soto said.
She kneeled down next to it and rubbed her hand over her family crest. It had other markings she wasn’t familiar with and looked back to Pop. He stared at it with an unblinking gaze.
“Do you know this chest?” she asked.
“I haven’t seen that chest in a long time and what it contains, I can’t discuss in front of these two,” Pop said.
“Come on, they’ve proven themselves,” Bowsette said.
“They are idiots and have proven nothing until they fulfill the oath of fealty to you. I won’t allow them any knowledge of this chest and if they refuse the oath, they will be cast into the lava as an offering.”
“Wow, Pop Master, just when I thought we were starting to become friends,” Barkly said.
“I will take the oath,” Soto said.
“We both will,” Barkly said. “And then we get to see what’s in the chest, right?”
Chapter Fourteen
Bowsette sat on one of her favorite chairs as Soto and Barkly stood in front of Pop. They both looked nervous but determined. She didn’t really like all this old-fashioned stuff, but she knew Pops wasn’t going to let it go.
“On your knees,” Pop said, holding the sword he took from the mantle.
“Well, I don’t really swing that way Pop Master,” Barkly said. “Not that I have—”
“Shut up,” Pop said. “No questions.”
Soto and Barkly kneeled before Pop. Soto gave her a glance and then kept his attention ahead. On the ground was a black plate that was made the day she was born, infused with parts of her umbilical cord.
“Before you are two plates fealty, magically bound to Princess Bowsette at the moment of her birth. They require the oath to be spoken while your blood and hand are on the plate.”
“What’s the oath?” Barkly asked.
“If you weren’t also a suitor for her, I would have stuck this sword through your left eyeball.”
“Okay,” Barkly said. “Jeesh. Just be talking about blood and hands and stuff.”
“Barkly, extend your hand,” Pop said.
Bowsette leaned forward and while she knew the basics of a fealty ceremony, she’d actually never seen one performed. Something the old ones stuck to, but she was rather impressed by the boys in their commitment to her. She’d had suitors in the past, but they were dead now and she had been alone for over a year after the war. She wasn’t sure if she was going to find men to stand by her side but there were two, ready to take the oath.
Barkly extended his hand and in a quick motion, Pop ran the sword over his palm. A line of red blood appeared and Barkly winced but held his hand open and firm.
“Place your hand on the plate and then repeat my words.”
Barkly placed his hand on the black plate with her name written across the bottom. She hadn’t seen that plate since she was a small child. Had Pop been holding onto it for that long?
“I pledge fealty to Princess Bowsette as a suitor and as a guardian,” Pop said.
“I pledge fealty to Princess Bowsette as a suitor and as a guardian,” Barkly repeated and then waited a few seconds before leaning forward with eyebrows raised. “Is that it?”
“And I will lick the Pop Master’s balls on command,” Pop Master said.
“And I will,” Barkly began to say. “Wait a fucking second.”
Pop laughed and pulled Barkly to his feet. “See, I can fuck around as well you little shits. Welcome to the family.”
Pop hugged him tightly and Barkly seemed to be in complete shock with his arms dangling at his sides. Pop let him go and held him by the shoulders.
“I’m glad you made this decision,” Pop said.
“Well, yeah, no biggie,” Barkly said.
“You have no clue what you just did, do you?” Pop said and then pushed Barkly back. “Okay, Soto, you’re up next.”
“Um, sure.” He held out his hand.
Pop ran the blade over his palm and then Soto said the same words as Barkly.
“Get up, you,” Pop said, giving Soto a hand.
Pop hugged him tightly and welcomed him to the family.
He then took out a bandage and wrapped their hands.
“Can we get some of that healing salve?” Barkly asked. “This really stings.”
“No,” Pop said. “The natural healing of it is part of the process and will leave a scar as a reminder of this day for both of you.”
“Okay, Pop, are you done cutting my boyfriends?” Bowsette asked.
“Yes.”
“Good, then let’s open this chest!” Bowsette said.
The chest sat in the middle of the room and Bowsette kneeled next to it, looking at the scroll work on the edge of the box. It lo
oked like words—nothing she understood, but it also had spikes all along the edges. A style straight from her families’ décor. Plus, her family crest right on the center of it made it distinctly hers. It was such a beautiful chest.
“Is there a combo on it or something?” Barkly said, holding his hand and staring at the chest.
“No, it’s a blood lock,” Bowsette said.
She put her finger in her mouth and pushed it against a sharp tooth until it punctured it. She tasted the blood in her mouth and then smeared her finger over the metal lock. It was still hot enough to make her blood steam and sizzle.
The latch clicked up and the lid cracked open, letting out more steam as if it had a final, ghostly breath.
She opened the lid and saw another box inside. She laughed when she saw what it was. A fire lock. Whoever set this up wanted to make sure only one of the decedents of the flames was able to open it.
She took in a breath and held the box near her mouth and blew a stream of flames onto the latch. It clicked open and she set it on top of the chest. She opened the lid and saw what sat in the bed of red velvet. The book of the Credezza.
She gasped and stepped back from it.
“Is that really…?” she asked.
Pop moved closer, looking into the box. “Yes, my princess and it looks as if their attack has brought us a great fortune. This was assumed lost after the Great War. I’m rather…” his voice cracked with emotion. “I’m rather shocked to see the book of the Credezza. I’m glad you two took the oath because I would have had to kill you both if you hadn’t.”
“Comforting,” Barkly said, staring at the book.
“What is it?” Soto asked.
“The easier question is what it isn’t,” Bowsette said. “It’s everything. It’s all our knowledge, the history, the items… oh my goodness, this will know where they are.”
“Where what are?” Soto asked.
“The Trench Kingdom kept knowledge of important events and items in this book. It logged where we placed the amazing objects throughout the kingdom to help each land. Many have disappeared over the centuries and thought by many to be just myths or old fiction tales, but this can show us real from made up. We can use this to find the items that will help us take this kingdom back. We can use this to understand this world and its history. This book is everything.”
