by Sophia Sharp
Rocks surrounded all sides of the path, from the ceiling to the walls to the floor. The path was cut straight through the rock, and Nora was reminded slightly of exploring the mine outside Nakusp.
The air, however, felt different. As they progressed further into the tunnel, it became more dank – more stifling. Nora didn’t remember noticing it last time, but back then she didn’t have her increased sense of smell.
On and on they walked, forward into the tunnel. After what seemed like hours, Nora saw the light up ahead that signaled the entrance to the first cavern.
“We’re getting close,” she whispered back, and felt Hunter’s hand on her shoulder.
“Let me go ahead of you,” he said, pulling her to one side as her overstepped her. “Just in case we encounter anything…unpleasant.”
Nora didn’t expect anything of the sort up ahead. Gray had been here, after all, and had relayed to her what he had seen. Besides, if she were the one everyone else – Alexander especially – expected to be their leader, to be the destined one, she couldn’t go about shying away every time there was the risk of a threat. Except by the time that thought had fully formed, Hunter was already a good twenty paces ahead.
She sighed grumpily, ran up to him, and heard Madison and Alexander keep pace behind her. He was already at the end of the tunnel, looking out over the cavern.
Nora stepped beside him and shared the view. Down below, she saw exactly the same thing Gray had shown her, the exact same cavern she remembered from her first journey here. The only difference, of course, was the better perception her improved vision now afforded her.
The cavern was as large as she remembered it. The tunnel they had just walked along exited onto a narrow edge, which was connected to a series of stairs cut from the rock leading down. Below her, as before, ran the little creek that pooled into a small pond by the side. And beside the pond were those same crystals that graced the ceiling of the marble chamber where the dream world and the human world intersected. It was a wonder they hadn’t been destroyed.
The cracks in the ceiling aided her vision last time they were there, but this time, with night outside, they did not provide much light. It made for a more ominous atmosphere, seeing the cavern this way.
The pile of rubble she had dropped on top of the hunter had all been pushed aside. It looked as if a great deal of effort had gone into clearing out the entrance, and she didn’t doubt the time it took. She shivered as she remembered glancing back that one time, still on the run, and seeing the horde of Vassiz fifty-something deep running after her. That was as terrifying a sight as she had ever seen.
“So this is Rafael’s home,” Alexander mused. Nora jumped – she hadn’t noticed him come up right behind her.
“Yes,” she said after a moment. “This is where we found him.”
“And these piles of rocks,” Hunter said, proudly motioning around him, “are the result of Nora’s bravery when she was first here. A bounty hunter came in after us, and he stood…” Hunter took a few steps forward, better positioning himself, “…right about here. Above,” Hunter pointed up, “was another ledge, which had become weak over time. Nora crawled up there – still as a human! – and in the dark, found the weak spot in the ledge that caused it to come crashing down. The elders’ puppet didn’t stand a chance.”
Nora shrugged it off, feeling a little uncomfortable. “It was nothing,” she told them shyly.
“No,” Hunter said, walking up to her to grasp her shoulders. “It was something. It showed me how strong you were then, that you were unafraid.” He gazed deeply in her eyes. “It showed me how lucky I was to have found you,” he whispered.
Madison cleared her throat, jerking Nora’s attention away. She smiled apologetically, then spoke. “Come then. I would like to see for myself these engravings on the wall that you spoke of, and we should waste no time after journeying farther inside. We will not find Rafael if we stand idly by.” She pushed through Hunter and Nora and started down the steps. Alexander hurried after her. Hunter slipped his hand into Nora’s, and they both followed them.
When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Nora’s eyes shot to the wall underneath the entrance ledge. The one where she expected to find the symbols on the glowing wall. But now, the river that ran along the wall’s edge rushed over smashed pieces of rock. And the wall that had stood so smooth once before was broken to bits. It was as if large hammers had been taken to it. No trace of the writing that was once there remained.
“Well then,” Alexander said slowly, following Nora’s eyes. “I take it this was the wall you spoke of?”
“It looks like they’ve taken it upon themselves to destroy any memory of the other tongue,” Hunter said slowly. “What else would explain leaving the first tower whole but not the second? And now this?”
“But…why?” Nora asked, feeling both a sense of despair and confusion.
“To extinguish it from memory. And to make sure the elders are never troubled by it again.”
“They take it very seriously,” Nora said.
“They must,” Alexander offered. “If they know even a tenth of the prophecy Gabrielle spoke of they would be fools not to. And we cannot take our enemies for fools.”
“That,” a voice from far away announced, “would be as stupid a mistake as you could make.”
Nora’s head whipped toward the voice. It came from far away, where the cavern led into the deeper tunnels toward the maze. There, a trick of the shadows from the cracks above hid the speaker in darkness. But Nora recognized that cracked, ancient voice immediately. Rafael!
Before she knew what she was doing, Nora found herself running toward him. His shape formed before her, and she threw her arms around his neck. She was so relieved to see him! Rafael stood still, then reciprocated somewhat awkwardly.
“I can’t believe you’re alive!” she exclaimed.
“Yes, well, I’m not so easy to kill,” he told her. She heard footsteps behind her and looked back to see Hunter coming up to them. He extended his hand toward Rafael.
“It is good to see you well.”
Rafael sneered in return. “Of course.” But his act was betrayed when he took Hunter’s hand and shook it.
“Madison. Alexander.” Rafael pushed Nora and Hunter aside once he recognized them. “It is good to see you.”
“Good to see you too, brother.” Alexander clasped his hand in a powerful handshake.
Madison came up to place a kiss on either of Rafael’s cheeks. “I knew you were well,” she said.
“I trust you have found the archive, then, if you have traveled back here with these two.” Rafael motioned to Hunter and Nora.
“More,” Alexander replied. “Much more than we could have ever imagined. There is much we need to discuss.”
“I expect we will,” Rafael said. “It is not often I get visitors here, but these past few weeks have been uncharacteristically busy.”
“What about the other Vassiz?” Nora said suddenly. “The ones who chased after us through these tunnels? What happened to them?”
Rafael laughed a cruel laugh. “As I told you then, I had more tricks up my sleeve than you may have believed. The ones who came after you…” he motioned idly with his hand, “…are now lost forever in the deeper maze.”
“Lost… forever?”
“Some may stumble on the way out, eventually, but the maze was designed to keep hostage the unlucky ones who came upon it for generations.” He laughed unkindly. “Their fate was sealed when they came in after you.”
“And…you?” Nora asked. “How did you escape them?”
“Girl, the tunnels have many secrets, ancient and forgotten. They aided me when I needed it most. But that is neither here nor now. Tell me, you found the archive?”
“Yes,” Alexander nodded. “Although it is not what we thought.”
“What do you mean?”
“A long story,” Madison interjected. “We’d best go somewhere we can sit down.”
Chapter Ten
~Plans~
Rafael listened, mostly in silence, as everybody took turns relaying to him the previous weeks’ events. Everybody but Nora, that is. Whenever she tried to speak, she was hushed down as the others all up-played her role in events – so much so as to make her uncomfortable. And every time she tried to correct something that Alexander, or Hunter, or even Madison exaggerated, she got quickly cut off as someone else jumped in.
As it were, living through some of those memories proved unfamiliarly jarring for Nora. She shivered as she remembered. Fighting against the demonic creature. Caring for Alexander when he got ill. Not knowing if he would survive and feeling wholly responsible for it. Having Hunter leave her.
But they were only memories, now. Knowing how everything turned out so far was reassuring. It was the future that was really unnerving to her, the uncertainty of it all. How would they go about finding the elders, and how would they fight them? Would they even be successful? At least it wasn’t like the future of the entire world lay on her shoulders. But the future of her world definitely did.
Only when the others were done speaking, finishing off with what Gabrielle said to them, did Rafael lean back and exhale.
“What you need to do… will not be easy,” he began. “The fight against the elders will take all the resources you have. More, even. They are well protected and keep their location hidden from all. Their entire existence is shrouded in mystery and deceit.”
“But you must know something about them?” Nora asked.
Rafael nodded. “I do. But believe me when I say they are formidable foes, and you need to take them as such.”
“Of course we know that!” Nora exclaimed. “But going against them is what we must do.”
“A strong sense of duty for someone so young,” Rafael said cryptically. “I hope your spirit does not waver as you get closer to the fight. As it is, I…I will help where I can.”
“You will?” Nora had been hoping to hear those words. She wasn’t taken by surprise, exactly, but it was still…reassuring…to have someone both Madison and Alexander spoke so reverently of support them and their mission. “Thank you!”
Rafael nodded gruffly. “Don’t thank me yet. We haven’t accomplished a thing, and there’s much to do. Besides, the elders are the ones who have made the first move.” He motioned toward the desecrated wall. “They are destroying all relics of the past, trying their best to hide anything that could even hint at a time before their rule. The hieroglyphs here and the broken tower outside prove as much.”
“That’s why we need to take the fight to them,” Nora pressed. “If we can break their rule, all the other Vassiz will become free. And they’ll stop chasing us…we hope.”
“A simplistic explanation,” Rafael said slowly, “but one that might prove more true than you can imagine. It is a blessing, to have such innocence.”
Innocence? Was he insulting her? But something about the way his eyes remained on her, dark and heavy, reassured her he was not. He was weighing her, she decided, trying to get a gauge on what she was really like. And, she realized, he hadn’t mentioned anything about her part in the prophecy yet.
“So what do you know about them?” Nora asked. “The elders, that is. Do you know how we can find them?”
Rafael barked a sharp laugh. “Find them? Why, you’d have more luck escaping from the underground maze in here with your eyes shut. No, I’m afraid you will not be able to find them.”
“But then…what do we do?” Nora asked, feeling suddenly lost. If we aren’t able to even find the elders—”
“You let them find you, Nora.”
Nora cut off with a choking sound. “What do you mean?”
“What I mean is, your party of four,” he motioned around to include everyone, “has access to a most unique tactical advantage when it comes to fighting the elders. Were it anyone else who told me they were searching for the elders, I would laugh them out of here before they could blink. But your advantage comes from the fact that the elders are coming after you. They want to find you – nay, they need to find you – and won’t stop at anything until they do. You can use that knowledge against them, to expose their location. That is the only way you can find them.”
“No.” Hunter stood up and stared down at Rafael. “I will not risk her life that way.”
Nora blinked, surprised at the vehemence in Hunter’s voice and a bit taken aback by his reaction. “Hunter,” she hissed, “sit down! We’ve not agreed to anything yet!”
He looked at her, and fire blazed in his eyes. “I will not risk you for anything, Nora. Anything. To me, your life stands above all else.” Again, she was taken aback by the unexpected intensity of his words. “To suggest we use you as a…a…a mere pawn – it is unacceptable. It cannot be done. I will not allow it. You are not…bait.”
“Hunter.” Nora’s voice was smoother this time, and she stepped across to him. “Nobody is suggesting that right now.” She took his hands and looked up into his eyes. “Rafael was simply explaining a way which we could use to find the elders. Right? And if we do decide to use it, I’m sure we’ll find a way to make it safe. Or, at least, as safe as possible. Besides, we can’t spend our entire lives on the run, can we?” He blinked, and shook his head. “And that’s why we have to take the fight to the elders. You know this.”
Hunter abruptly stepped away from her, and a dazed expression formed on his face. He looked momentarily confused, as if he didn’t quite recognize what was going on. His eyes regained their regular form, and he came back to himself.
“I’m sorry,” he said softly, his voice much lower than before. “I…don’t know what came over me. I understand we haven’t decided anything yet.” He eased himself back down to the rock he was sitting on before.
Nora sat beside him. She hadn’t the slightest clue what had caused the outburst, but she felt the need to be close to him right now.
“Young love,” Madison whispered, as Nora sat down, “is a powerful thing.” She winked surreptitiously in Nora’s direction.
“Ahem.” Rafael cleared his throat brusquely, turning everyone’s attention back to him. “If we are quite done…?” At a curt nod from Hunter, he continued. “Anyway, as I was saying, the elders will be difficult to track. And I’m afraid my proposed method of doing so has ruffled some feathers. Still, it is the only way I see anything you want to accomplish being possible.”
“What about the angels?” Nora asked him. “They’re free now. That must give us some advantage, right? Having them on our side?”
“It does,” Rafael replied, “but only if you take the fight to the elders in the dream realm.” Nora nodded. That had been the plan all along. “But you must have understood this before you came to me. The angels present another tactical advantage. The dream world is fully their domain, and they are the masters of it. No matter how advanced the elders’ dream walkers may be, the angels will, undoubtedly, know more.”
“Wait a minute,” Nora broke through, a sudden thought occurring to her. The way Rafael spoke of the angels did not show any uncertainty or hesitation. It was as if he knew of them already. “Does that mean you knew of the angels, Rafael? Before we told you?”
Rafael nodded. “Yes. I have heard of them. It was all very uncertain, mere whispers told in the back of dark places, but it was enough to piece together the truth of their existence. I did not know that any survived to this day, so your revelation was unexpected, to say the least. But I knew the history between the Vassiz and the angels, of the so-called brotherhood that existed between our races. A growing suspicion entered my thoughts long ago that this sanctuary was not built merely through the powers granted to the Vassiz. I always thought there was something more to it, and what you have told me confirms it.”
“Confirms what?” Alexander asked.
“The sanctuary was built in collaboration with the angels, when they and the Vassiz worked together in great prosperity.”
&n
bsp; “They worked together?” Nora asked, sounding surprised. “But…how? The angels can’t leave the dream realm, and this sanctuary is…well, here.”
“I’ll show you. But first – I think I would like to meet with these angels of yours.”
“Of course,” Alexander said. “That can be arranged. Tonight, we can come upon them in the dream.”
“Good. We have time before then, though. What we can do in the interim – what we must do – is plan your assault against the elders.”
“Right.” At mention of the elders, Nora perked up, excited to finally be going on the offensive. She was tired of running, tired of hiding, and it was time to take the fight to the ones who had been chasing her. “Where do we start?” Before Alexander could interject, she held up a hand toward him. “And I know fully well that it is my choice, except that I would like to hear what Rafael has to say on the matter.”
“We start with what you know. Do you know your enemy’s numbers?”
“Uhh…” Nora looked to Hunter, then across to Alexander and Madison. She felt ashamed she did not know the answer to such a basic question.
“There are eight,” Alexander said. “At least, that’s what I have heard. You might know the truth of this, Rafael.”
Rafael nodded. “Eight there are. You are correct. Anything else?”
“Unfortunately,” Alexander admitted, “that is the limit of my knowledge. As you said, they cloud themselves in secrecy and deceit, and it is exceedingly difficult to procure even the smallest amount of information about their existence.”
“That is why we came to you,” Madison offered. “We trust you know more than others about this matter.”
Rafael nodded again. “That I do, although I do not relish the fact. But there is not much more I can add to your knowledge repertoire. Although I can tell you this, because I believe it to be true, the elders stay spread out throughout the world. That is what makes tracking their location so difficult. It is why I suggested earlier that you use their desire to find Nora against them and get them to reveal themselves.”
