by Sophia Sharp
“And what’s that?”
“Remember how unsettled Algar and his brother were becoming about staying watch at the mill? None of the Vassiz tend to enjoy staying in one place for an extended period of time, especially when they do not see the need for it. So, while all that came here on order of the elders are likely still here, they are growing restless and sloppy. If they are guarding the entrance to the caves, we may still be able to slip past them undetected.”
“It does complicate things,” Madison offered, “but I do not think we have any choice but to press on. Nora?”
Nora thought for a second, then nodded. “We’ll have to be more careful. But we need to get in those caves to see if Rafael survived.”
“It is agreed, then,” Alexander said. “We keep on as before.”
“I do wonder,” Nora said, “why anyone would see the need to destroy this tower. It couldn’t possibly have had anything to do with us, could it?”
“Yes and no…” Alexander began slowly. “Didn’t you say earlier there were markings on this tower as well, of a different kind?”
“That’s right,” Hunter answered. “They were written in the ancient Vassiz language. I was able to read a small part of it before, but the rest, well, it is a forgotten tongue.”
“What I suspect, then,” Alexander said, “is that the markings may have said something the elders did not want others to know.”
“Obstructing the past,” Madison said carefully, “is something the elders have been known to do.”
“But if it is all but a forgotten tongue,” Nora wondered, “why would the elders worry about it? There are not many that could read it, are there?”
“I think not,” Hunter said. “I lucked out in that I came across an ancient book in a long-forgotten place that contained some elementary transliterations of it. And even I couldn’t decipher much; but most would not even recognize it.
“Then again, why take the trouble to destroy something like this?” Nora asked. “Especially if it were made of allurvai?”
“Allurvai?” Madison seemed shocked. “Is that what you think the towers were constructed of?”
Alexander smiled at her kindly. “You missed my explanation of it before. But I believe that is the only way these towers could have withstood the power of the elements for all these years and still look as if they were only erected yesterday.”
“That is a sacred material,” Madison said slowly. “And to destroy it – well, I have not heard of such a thing!”
“Precisely why we need to be careful moving forward,” Alexander said. “The elders undoubtedly hold bits of ancient knowledge that has long been forgotten – or perhaps expunged from the collective conscious of our race. And it will make them formidable enemies. That they knew of a way to destroy allurvai…well, it is likely only one such example.
“As for why, Nora – perhaps the markings spoke of a time without their rule, or made some mention of the past. Perhaps it was simply because of what the tower represented, a relic of a time gone by, dressed in a language that has long since faded from memory. The elders have a firm grip on power and have held it since the very first memories of any currently living Vassiz. Their only desire is to ensure their rule continues, and they hold reign over our race.”
“Things have been destroyed for less,” Madison offered.
“That’s right,” Alexander nodded. “Their rule is absolute, and they move fast to crush any threat to their power. Although…there is one more reason why they could have done it.”
“Which is?” Nora asked.
“A warning,” Alexander said ominously. “A warning for us, and any others, to keep out of the sanctuary. For if something so precious could have been so easily reduced to dust…” he kicked at the pile of rubble, sending a piece of black allurvai tumbling down, “what’s to stop anything else from facing the same fate?”
Chapter Eight
~A Deliberate Entrance~
The sun had started to fall by the time Nora and the rest came upon the entrance to the sanctuary. It was just as she had remembered from before. The forest stopped in a straight edge, and about twenty feet away, a large ivy-covered rock cliff stood. Shrubs and vines grew out from there, but they did not reach the forest. Along the face of the cliff was a single dark opening. The vines that had once covered it had been ripped away.
“There it is,” Hunter said, pointing. “The entrance to the sanctuary.”
“Through there?” Alexander asked.
“Yes,” Hunter confirmed. “It’s a long path that leads down before it finally opens up to a large cavern.”
“A single path?” Madison asked. “A narrow, single path? That means that there will be no avoiding anyone else should the sanctuary be guarded.”
“We can keep watch tonight,” Nora offered. “See if anybody goes in or comes out.”
Hunter coughed. “Although,” he interrupted, “we do not even know if the entrance is open or not.”
“What do you mean?” Nora asked. “The Vassiz chasing us broke through after we came in, remember?”
“Right,” Hunter said, “but that doesn’t mean they didn’t bar the way after.”
“You think they would have?”
“If the elders went through the trouble of ordering the tower destroyed, I do not see why they would stop at that. Maybe they wanted all signs of the sanctuary hidden. Making it inaccessible would be a good way of doing so. You remember those other markings right below the entrance to the cavern?” Nora nodded. “For all we know, the elders may have taken just as harsh an opinion of them. And it would be easier to simply block access to the sanctuary than destroy the entire wall.
“Plus, we don’t even know if the Vassiz who were chasing after us ever got out of the maze,” Hunter continued. “Rafael made it sound as if the twisting corridors went on forever – as if it were possible to wander the stone halls for generations and still not come close to getting out.”
“So you think some of them are still in there…lost?” Nora shuddered – but not because of fear. Despite herself, and despite knowing who her pursuers were, she couldn’t wish that fate on anyone. “All fifty of them?”
“They could very well be,” Hunter said. “And that is before accounting for any other Vassiz the elders sent after we escaped.”
“So between all that,” Madison said, “where we have to go is essentially a beehive swarming full of hostile Vassiz.”
Nora shot her a crude smile. “Could it get any worse?”
“Yes,” Alexander said gravely, causing everyone’s attention to shift to him. “It could also very easily be a trap. Madison was right. A single, narrow path to the entrance marks a great spot for an ambush. There were others guarding the mill, after all.”
“The question is,” Hunter said, “what are our options now?”
“Well, the only reason we’re going there is to see if we can find Rafael, right?” Nora thought out loud. “And if he’s alive – as both Madison and Alexander assume he is – I’m sure he would have steered the Vassiz who came in after us into another corner. A perpetual loop, maybe, down in the mazes. He seemed to know the entire layout of the sanctuary, didn’t he? Remember how he picked up on our coming through?” Hunter nodded in affirmation. “So our hope rests on two variables. One, if Rafael is alive, and two, if the Vassiz who are after us are still down there.”
“Poor odds for such a big risk,” Hunter commented.
“But it’s something we have to do,” Nora countered. “There’s no way for us to move forward unless we find out more about the elders. Besides, Rafael risked his life to help us escape. How can we leave here without finding out if he survived?”
Everyone was silent for a couple of minutes, contemplating their situation.
“Wait a minute,” Madison said, thinking, “I know they were chasing after you, but, they haven’t actually seen you, have they?”
“They’ve seen me,” Nora said, confused about Madison’s qu
estion. “They know what I look like – the elders showed them in the dream.”
“Yes,” Madison said, “but not since your transformation. And definitely not after your first feeding. You’ve changed since then.”
“Do I look that different?”
“I could hardly recognize you when we found you in the chamber,” Madison offered. “The visual changes that occur following a Vassiz’s first feeding are typically most noticeable. Yours, however, were completely profound.”
“Really?” Nora brought a hand up to her cheek, feeling her face. It felt the same, but then again, she remembered that one time she had been able to glance at herself in a mirror, back in that abandoned barn. She did look different then, more perfect than she ever remembered herself being. And if the changes had continued on since then…
“You look the same to me,” Hunter said, surprising her when he kissed her forehead lightly, “but maybe you have changed enough to get away without being noticed by others.”
“Besides,” Madison continued, “you and Hunter are the only ones the other Vassiz are after. For now. Alexander and I should be able to walk right through a pack of Vassiz without raising any questions.”
“Are you suggesting…?” Nora began.
“That we go first?” Madison finished her question. “Yes. And while I know how much you dislike us splitting up, it may be a necessity here.”
“Wait a second,” Nora said, finally thinking straight. “What if Gray were to go down the tunnel? He could tell me if the way is blocked or not. It would be a natural spot for him – bears hibernate in winter, after all, and live in caves like that. And the advantage is that none of the Vassiz would even notice him. Besides,” she said, glancing back at him, “he has proven he can take care of himself.”
“Send Gray in our place?” Alexander mused. “That’s not something I would have suggested myself, but since you bring it up…it may actually be a good idea.”
“You can get him to do that?” Hunter asked.
“Sure,” Nora said. “It seems like the safest option for all of us.”
“Alright then,” Hunter shrugged. “If you can do it, we may as well try. When can he go?”
“Right now,” Nora said, and whistled through her teeth. Gray sauntered over. She placed her hand on his back, feeling the warmth of his great body. The connection between her and the bear snapped into being, and their minds linked as one.
Nora looked over at the entrance to the sanctuary and made Gray see through her eyes. Then she imagined what she remembered the inside of the cave being like – the little she could see last time – and finally the entrance to the cavern, where a source of light shone down through a gap in the ceiling. She gave him a sense of distance, too, to let him know how far the opening was once you got through the long tunnel. Finally, she thought of what the cavern itself looked like, with its round walls and great opening. But she made that last thought waver, as if she were uncertain whether it would still be like that. She had used the method before to get Gray to understand when he needed to investigate something.
Quickly, she felt affirmation come back to her. She smiled, and as a way of saying “thank you,” let him feel appreciation back from her. A sense of contentment came back in reply, and then Gray set off.
Alexander whistled through his teeth. “That’s all it takes? I’ve never actually seen you do that before.”
“How does it work?” Madison asked. “That is, if you don’t mind answering.”
“Sure,” Nora said. “When I make physical contact with him, a sort of link forms between our minds. It was difficult to secure when I first discovered it, but has gotten much easier since then. Through that link, I’m able to sense his thoughts and send him my own. I think he has some control over it, too, and knows that he can be selective in what he lets me see.”
“But he can’t speak with you, can he? I mean, he doesn’t have a language?” Madison asked.
“No,” Nora replied, “but we understand one another nonetheless. It’s more based on…emotions, really. Emotions that have universal meaning. He knows what I tell him, and I can see whatever he wants to show me through his eyes.”
“Fascinating,” Madison breathed. “Truly impressive. I don’t know if I’ve ever encountered another Vassiz with a similar ability.”
“I thought most don’t share their abilities with one another?” Nora asked.
“They don’t, but if you spend enough time with a person…well, you get hints from their behavior about what it might be. More of a guess, really, but with time and experience you tend to get it right.”
Nora watched as Gray disappeared from view and went into the tunnel. “Shall we go somewhere else?” Nora asked. “There’s no point in waiting here, and I’m sure Gray will be able to find us when he comes out no matter where we go. We need to find a place to camp for the night either way.”
“I was thinking it might be more prudent to make camp inside the sanctuary,” Hunter said, smiling at Nora. Something about his overly-diplomatic tone of voice said there would be no arguing his point. “That is, of course, assuming there is nobody there.”
“That’s a good idea,” Madison offered. “If we get inside tonight, Rafael could find us faster.”
If he’s still alive, Nora thought to herself glumly. But to the others, she said, “So just wait here, then?”
“Wait and watch,” Madison replied. “Although it would help to know if anybody has been out here recently.” And before Nora knew what was happening, Madison bolted to the side of the cliff. She pressed her body tightly up against the overgrown rock. Slowly, she started edging herself toward the entrance, crouching low to examine the ground carefully. She got as close as a few feet away, still crouched and still careful, before she visibly relaxed and stood up.
“Nobody’s been here for a while,” she announced. “I don’t know about the inside of the cave, but there’s no signs anybody’s been out here.”
“She can track?” Nora asked Alexander, impressed by Madison’s showing.
“One of the best,” Alexander said fondly. “Even before she was transformed. Back then, you needed to be able to track if you were to survive any length of time outside an urban area.”
Madison jogged up to rejoin the rest of them. “Well, that eases a lot of my worries about being discovered.” She winked at Nora. “I don’t think Gray should have any problems in there, either.”
Nora agreed, and her shoulders relaxed. She didn’t even realize she was tense – worried about Gray – before. “So, now we wait.”
Chapter Nine
~An Old Acquaintance~
Sometime later, once the sun had fully set, Nora heard Gray approaching them. She knew it was him from the distinct way his paws rustled through the undergrowth. He had a sort of eloquence she wouldn’t expect from a creature so large, but he appeared to have mastered his weight well.
In fact, she picked up the noise before anyone else had and was already standing by the time the others first tilted their heads toward it. Sure enough, only a few seconds later, Gray came into view. The moonlight reflected dazzlingly off his silver mane, giving the impression of a near-perfect halo.
He came straight to her and put his head down for her hand. She reached out and created the connection. The end of the tunnel flashed into her mind and the entire cavern below. It was nearly the same as she remembered, except that bits of rubble partially blocked the entrance. But as far as she could tell from what Gray was showing here, there was nobody there. None of those uncertain, slippery shapes that were representations of Vassiz in Gray’s mind.
“It’s safe,” she announced to the group. “Gray didn’t find anyone there.”
“Great,” Hunter said, standing up. “I was getting tired of sitting around here doing nothing.”
“Just because the first cavern is empty,” Alexander warned, “does not mean we should let our guard down. For all we know, there might be other Vassiz farther down.”
“But we can get down there, finally, in either case,” Hunter said, “and see whether Rafael survived the horde.”
“He did,” Madison said strongly.
“Fine,” Hunter answered. “The two of you,” he motioned to Madison and Alexander, “know him better than I. I do not doubt his capabilities, I’m just anxious to finally make some progress toward our objective.”
“As am I,” Nora echoed. “And since Gray didn’t see anyone down there, it means we can go right now. Shall we?”
Without waiting for an answer, she set out toward the entrance to the sanctuary. She stopped by Gray momentarily. “Wait here,” she told him, “we’ll come out the same way.” Briefly, she formed the connection between their minds again to ensure he understood. When she was satisfied he did, she continued forward, trailed by Alexander, Madison and Hunter.
When they finally reached the entrance, the four of them stood in a semi-circle just in front.
“Remember last time we were here?” Hunter asked, smiling.
“Of course,” Nora said. “You left me outside for what seemed like hours, making me question whether you would ever come back.”
“It made you stronger,” Hunter said flirtatiously. “And you’re a better person for it.”
“Thanks for the help,” Nora said dryly.
“If you two are finished jostling,” Alexander said, with a wide grin on his face, “now would be a great time to actually go inside.”
“After you,” Hunter said, motioning to Nora. “This time, you can have the honor of taking the lead.”
Nora shot him a stiff frown, but ducked inside. Hunter came in after her and then Madison. Alexander took up the spot at the rear.
They went forward, quickly moving deeper than the reach of moonlight. A feeling of déjà vu greeted Nora in that split second it took her eyes to adjust to the dark, and she felt like she was walking blindly forward…like the first time. Then her eyesight came into place, and she could see the tunnel for the first time.
