Taking a deep breath, he stepped across the threshold, waiting a minute, but nothing happened. Turning to look behind him, he found that the wall had reappeared, but on this side, it wasn’t rock at all. It was metal. He should’ve been freaking out, but he wasn’t. This is where I’m supposed to be. This is why I found the cave. Looking back down the hallway, he knew where he had to go—forward. There was help in this tunnel. He could feel it.
Ethan walked cautiously through the corridor, looking for anything that would enlighten him to this place’s purpose. Apart from the lights, the walls were smooth and bare, and the floor looked meticulously polished. There was no dust or dirt to be found. “However long this place has been here, it was certainly sealed well,” he whispered. Why he was whispering, he didn’t know—it just seemed like the right thing to do. Near the end of the hallway stood a second doorway, not disguised like the other but shimmering with a semitransparent white barrier.
He could make out a little of the room on the other side. It was large by cave-dwelling standards, but not overly huge. There looked to be waist-high pedestals clustered in groups around the perimeter of the room. Through the barrier, they almost looked like beds. In the center was a slim podium with a polished top that rose slightly toward one side. In the far corner of the room, on the very last pedestal, he could barely make out the form of a person.
Heart pounding, Ethan frantically looked for a way to open the door. Nothing. No buttons, no indicator lights, nothing. He paced in front of the barrier but couldn’t think of any way to open it. Finally, a little nervous, he reached out to place his hand on the barrier. As his palm touched the shimmering white light, it sank into the energy. He stood paralyzed with shock. The barrier would simply let him pass. He almost couldn’t believe it. He pulled his hand out of the energy and inspected it; there wasn’t any pain, and his hand looked normal.
“Here goes nothing.” He slowly walked toward the barrier, feeling warm as he passed through the surface and the energy washed over his body. Everything took on the white hue of the barrier, then returned to normal once he was on the other side.
Without the barrier obscuring his vision, he took a look around the room again. It was plain with metallic walls and ceiling just like the hallway, lit by a single half-globe light protruding from the center of the ceiling. The beds, which were clustered around the room, were simple, sporting the same sleek metallic look as the rest of the room, except for a white, backlit lining that ran along their surface. Above each was a single character written in a language he didn’t recognize. “Must be a numbering system,” he whispered. The whole place looked like it’d been built without much regard for decor.
He walked over to the occupied bed in the far corner and nearly gasped out loud. Lying peacefully on top of the surface was the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen. Maybe seventeen or eighteen years old, he guessed, with flowing golden blonde hair, a light complexion, and ears that came to a slight point at the top. She was wearing a dark green, skintight body suit lined with ornately decorated silver seams. Unlike the rest of the room, her outfit was bursting of craftsmanship, perfectly tailored to fit her. It shimmered in the room’s light, but somehow still had the appearance of armor.
Ethan’s mind began racing.
Who is she?
Why is she here?
Is she why I found this place?
She looks like she popped out of a fairy tale.
Is she alive?
He closed his eyes, trying to reign in his thoughts. “The podium,” he said, his head clearing a bit. “There was a podium.”
He turned around and walked to the narrow pedestal rising from the floor in the center of the room. As he approached, he saw a red light flashing from the surface. That wasn’t there before.
The surface had sprung to life with some form of writing scrolling across the top. Gauges, dials, and graphs displaying all kinds of data were positioned in various places, and the entire screen’s background was violently flashing red.
Ethan had no idea what he should do. He closed his eyes, trying to search for the feelings inside himself that had guided him here, but found nothing. Looking at the console again, hoping to gain even a hint of understanding of how it worked, he stared at the charts and tried to make sense of the graphs but failed.
“Eltheway?” he heard a soft gentle voice call from across the room.
His head shot up from the console. The girl was slowly trying to sit up. Ethan ran to her and kneeled beside the bed, placing one arm behind her as he gently grasped her shoulder with his other hand, helping her sit up.
“Are you all right?” he said.
She looked dazed but radiated a strength he’d never felt before. Then she slowly turned her head and for the first time looked straight at Ethan. Her eyes were a soft jade green and appeared as though wisps of light danced inside them. They were breathtaking. Looking down at her feet, she slid her legs over the edge of the bed, and gently placed her feet on the floor. She glanced back up at Ethan and cocked her head ever so slightly, as if she were studying him.
“I’m Ethan. Are you all right?”
The girl slowly lifted her hands and placed one on either side of his head, gently pulling him forward until their foreheads were touching. He stared into her eyes and felt as though he might get lost in them. Then a soothing sensation washed over his thoughts. Ethan had no idea what was happening, but he felt at peace looking into her perfect eyes. After a couple minutes, she slowly moved her head away from his and brought her hands down to her side.
“Who are you?” Ethan asked quietly, mesmerized by this mysterious girl he’d found in the depths of a cave.
She smiled lightly. “My name is Aleena.” She spoke in perfect English. “Who are you?”
Ethan was taken aback. He was certain she’d spoken a different language a few minutes before. “I-I’m Ethan”, he stuttered. “Are you all right?”
“I’m tired but fine. Thank you, Ethan.”
Ethan stared at her blankly for a minute, still trying to process what was happening. “How did you get here? Where are you from?”
“I thought that should be obvious,” Aleena said. “I climbed into this cave and activated the stasis chamber to hide from the Guard. As for where I’m from, I’m from here. I am Earthborn.”
Ethan was confused—very, very confused. “I don’t know where to start. Nothing you’re saying makes any sense.” He waved his arms, indicating the room. “This is a stasis chamber?”
“Yes,” she responded succinctly. Her voice was smooth and light.
“And you’re from here—from Earth, that is?”
Aleena was starting to get a bad feeling about how long she’d been in the chamber, although part of her was just happy she had woken up at all. “I’m from Earth, and a city not that far from here, Avenfall.” She thought this was a strange line of questioning.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” Ethan asked again. This was getting really weird. “Your ears are pointed. Why are your ears pointed?”
Aleena squinted at him as if this was a question she’d never been asked before. Now she was the one who looked confused. “All Elves’ ears rise to a slight tip. Have you not met an Elf before?”
“No, of course not. There aren’t Elves on Earth. Elves aren’t even real.” Ethan looked at her, concern filling his eyes. “I think we need to get you to a doctor.”
Aleena stood up from the bed, trembling. “You’re from Earth, and yet you haven’t met an Elf?”
“Yes,” Ethan said slowly. “Look, I think you need to sit back down.”
Aleena looked over toward the control console for the first time since waking and saw it flashing red. “Oh no,” she said with deep trepidation.
Sidestepping Ethan, she ran to the console, almost falling a couple times on the way as her legs were still a bit weak. Her fingers moved across the surface with ferocity, switching from one table or graph to the next. Suddenly, she looked up, her face d
rained of all color. She slowly backed away from the controls until her back touched the chamber wall. Then she slid down it to sit on the floor and pulled her knees tight to her chest.
She had slept too long. She had slept far too long.
Chapter 14
“Aleena?” Ethan asked cautiously, walking over and sitting down beside her on the floor. The Elf didn’t answer, just sat quietly staring at the console. “Aleena?” He was starting to get worried. The whole thing seemed completely absurd. After all, he’d just found some sort of futuristic sleeping chamber buried deep in a mountain that contained a single beautiful occupant who claimed to be an Elf.
Her ears are pointed. He was still trying to convince himself that she wasn’t crazy. Maybe it’s true?
Aleena slowly let her knees fall from her chest and stretched out her legs. “I’ve been in this cave over ten thousand years.”
Ethan stared at her, unsure of what to say next.
“I can’t be certain exactly how long,” Aleena continued. “There was some sort of failure. It seems to have affected a number of the chamber’s systems, including the chronometer.” She waved her hand and the console shut down, all of its lights vanishing immediately.
“How’d you do that?”
“Magic,” Aleena said matter-of-factly.
“Magic?” Ethan’s curiosity far exceeded the oddness of this entire ordeal, but barely. “You’re telling me that Elves and magic are real, and that you’ve been in this cave sleeping for over ten thousand years. How am I supposed to believe all this and not just think you’re crazy?”
Aleena looked at him with that puzzled face again. “Only those who have the ability to do magic and a connection to the Elven race can pass through the entry barrier to this chamber. Anyone else who tried would have an unpleasant experience, and beyond that, the entry was disguised and required magic to open.” Her eyes narrowed, inspecting him again. Aleena got to her feet and moved away from Ethan without turning her back to him. “You’re not Elven, and yet you’re here. How did you find this chamber, and who are you?”
Ethan watched as she backed away, noticing her eyes change from sweet to ominous. She lifted her arms slightly and threads of blue-white energy ran down them, becoming small spheres that hovered above her palms. He was terrified.
“When I entered this chamber,” Aleena said, “a war raged between a race of people called the Urlowens and the Elves. Some of these Urlowens were skilled in magic and deception. They were known as the Council Guard. Have I been in this cave as long as the computer indicates, or is this a setup? Are you a member of the Guard?” All tiredness in her demeanor had vanished, and her eyes blazed like a seasoned warrior prepared to strike.
“No, no, no! It’s not like that!” Ethan responded with fast, almost muddled words. He wasn’t sure what would happen if the strange glowing spheres hit him, but he was certain it wouldn’t be good. “I’m no friend of the Urlowens!”
Aleena watched him as he spoke, noting the fear in his eyes and the slight tremble that ran through his hands, even as his knuckles turned white from gripping his knees. No, he’s certainly no Guard. She allowed the weapons in her hands to dissipate. “I believe you,” she said, her voice returning to warm, friendlier tones. “Please forgive my manners, but I had to be certain.”
“And that’s it? No offense, but how does a denial from me give you certainty?” Ethan knew he shouldn’t be trying to put doubts in her mind. After all, he had the feeling she was ready to kill him only seconds before, but sometimes he blurted out questions before thinking much about it. “How do you know I’m not lying? I mean, I’m certainly not lying, but how do you know?”
Aleena smiled and held her hand out to help him to his feet. “The Guard are ruthless, fearless hunters who kill with no remorse or sense of morality. You, Ethan, are most definitely not a Guard.”
Ethan wasn’t sure if she’d just insinuated that he was weak, but he also didn’t think these Guard characters sounded like someone he wanted to be either. “Thank you… I think.” He took her hand and stood.
“I’m thirsty, hungry, and I need to get out of this place,” Aleena said, starting to walk toward the door.
“Wait.” Ethan jumped in front of her. “I’m not so sure that’s the best idea just now. You see, there’s still a war, only this time it’s between the Humans—that’s my people—and the Urlowens. A bunch of us—Humans, that is—have hidden in this cave, and I’m not so sure they’re going to understand where you came from just yet. If you go through the cave and they see you, I don’t know what they’ll do, but I know it won’t be good.”
“I can take care of myself, Ethan.”
“Oh, I believe you. I’m actually a lot more concerned about them if they decide to attack you. Besides, we all need to be friends.”
Ethan paused, hoping Aleena would listen to him. He knew he couldn’t stop her if she didn’t.
“Look,” he said in as serious a voice as he could muster, “We’re losing this war. The Urlowens are taking city after city, and we need help. I had a strange feeling this morning that today was the day help would arrive, and I found you. This may sound crazy, but I think I was supposed to find you.”
It does sound crazy, Aleena thought. She was only seventeen, and he looked at her as though she were a savior. She hesitated, having to admit that he’d found and entered the chamber, awakening her from a certain, albeit very slow death. “We lost our war with the Urlowens,” Aleena told him. “What makes you think you’ll do better?”
“Honestly, I’m not so sure we are doing better at the moment,” Ethan admitted. “But I’ve never seen the Urlowens use magic. Maybe something is different this time. Maybe you’ll give us an advantage, and even if you don’t, we can’t give up. We won’t go quietly into the night.”
“That’s a strange comment. What does going quietly into the night have to do with war?”
Ethan laughed, the tension breaking just a little. “Right, Elf from a different culture and a different time. It’s a saying. It just means we won’t let them kill us.”
“Ah,” Aleena said, “strange. All right, I’ll try to help you. I suspect there’s nothing else left for me anyway after all this time. But I am thirsty and very hungry. I’ve been in here a long time, and I need to walk.”
“I can get you something to eat and drink and bring it back here. Then we can sneak you out of the cave tonight when people are asleep,” Ethan offered.
“No, I need out of here now,” Aleena countered. “What if your people didn’t know that I’m an Elf? Would they allow me to move through the cave?”
“Yeah, I suppose I could try to pass you off as a newcomer. Maybe I found you in the woods, and you’re trying to hide or something. But you’ll kind of stick out—a lot.”
Aleena walked over to the nearest bed and sat on the edge. “I can take care of that.” She cupped her hands over her ears and closed her eyes, concentrating.
When she removed her hands, the points were gone.
Aleena ran her fingers through her hair. As her hands moved from the top of her head to the bottom, the golden blonde strands slowly turned jet-black. She got up from the bed. “What do you think?”
“I think this might work,” Ethan said slowly. He was staring at her like a deer in headlights. “Clothes. You’ll need clothes.”
“I’m not taking off my armor,” Aleena said firmly. She was beginning to trust Ethan, but she wasn’t about to stake her life on him. As far as she was concerned, as long as there were Urlowens on the planet, the body armor would stay on.
Ethan nodded. “That’s fine. I think I can get some that will go over the top of your armor. It’s pretty tight, so I don’t think anyone will notice it under the clothes anyway. Wait here please, just a few more minutes. I’ll get the clothes, and then we’ll go get you some food.”
Aleena reluctantly agreed to wait. Not giving her a chance to change her mind, Ethan ran back through the shimmering barrier, down th
e hallway, and toward the hidden entrance of the chamber. He was relieved when the door leading back into the cave slid open of its own accord. He stepped out of the hallway and back into his little alcove. Back to reality.
He turned and looked at the rematerialized rock wall. She’s been here the whole time. Every night I slept here, she was just a few feet away. He was amazed at the coincidence of it all. No, not coincidence, it was something else. Magic… or fate? He wasn’t sure and didn’t think it mattered. He had found her. That was what mattered.
He climbed into the narrow tunnel and headed toward the others.
Running through the cave as fast as he could, he hoped Aleena wouldn’t decide to take a little stroll on her own. When he got to an opening that led to another small alcove, he stopped. A blanket had been secured to the rock near the top of the entrance to serve as a door. Quite a step back from Aleena’s room. He couldn’t stop thinking about the chamber.
“Allison?” Ethan called quietly. “Allison, are you in there?” There was no response. I don’t have time to go find her. He drew back the curtain and entered.
He felt terrible for invading Allison’s space like this, and their relationship was going so well. He hoped that it might even be more than a friendship, but they hadn’t discussed it yet. Honestly, he was afraid to bring it up. They were together most of the time in the cave, but they still slept in their own rooms.
Allison had a stack of neatly folded clothes on a small rock ledge that jutted out from the wall in the corner of the room. On his last run into the city, Ethan had managed to steal a few sets of clothes for her. He grabbed a pair of khakis that were a little loose on Allison and a billowing long-sleeved shirt. These should fit over her armor.
Ethan moved back to the door and listened for any sign of movement. It was quiet. Everyone must be getting dinner or hanging out in the common room. He drew back the curtain and made his way back to the chamber. Part of him was afraid it had all been a dream, or that he really was going crazy. But when he placed his hands on the wall in his room, the rock disappeared, and the chamber was still there.
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