by T. S. Graham
When the ensuing light storm burned out, the gateway to the soaring cavern again materialized before her eyes. This time, she knew what she had to do.
“For Eliot,” she whispered. And she stepped through to the other side.
4 THE VALLEY OF TRELLAH
Sophina stumbled down an abrupt drop-off and rolled onto the damp, rough stone of the cave floor. A piercing screech battered her ears as the expected burst of white light flashed behind her, as if thousands of nocturnal creatures had called out at once to protest the harsh disturbance to their darkness.
An overriding odor of decay crept up her nose as she looked back to discover another, identical lead-panel structure rising up from the ground over a small wooden staircase. Behind the doorway the cavern stretched on for fifty yards or more, far beyond where Mrs. Tanner’s basement—or even Sophina’s own house—had been just moments before.
Waves of activity spread through the dark recesses of the cave as Sophina stood, paralyzing her with fear. Her heart thumped as she tried to determine from which direction the first strike would come.
But no assault materialized. Instead, she spied hundreds of tubular creatures flipping end over end up the cave walls like organic Slinky toys, and legless, arrow-headed organisms with slick, white skin slithering away in droves over the stalagmites that bulged up from the cave floor.
But it was the ceiling where the most menacing of the activities took place. There, high in the peaks between the enormous stalactites, a nightmarish collage of blinking red eyes and mashing white fangs kept Sophina’s feet glued to the ground. It was impossible to discern any one animal among the teeming mass, but she had no desire to see what they looked like anyway.
With one eye trained on what was above, Sophina did her best to focus on the distant fissure that allowed the odd-colored sunlight to filter in. With no sign of another way out, she had to assume that Mrs. Tanner had left the cavern through that crevice. Whether that was true or not, one thing about the rift was clear: It was too small to be the only source of light in the cave. At least some of the red glow that surrounded her seemed to radiate from the very stone itself.
The chatter of cave life went silent as Sophina stepped toward the fissure. The silence alone was unnerving, but she knew that her movement had nothing to do with it—a realization that was beyond terrifying. Something had joined her in the cave; something that hadn’t been there until just now.
Before she could draw a breath, an icy hand fell upon her shoulder. She spun around and came face-to-face with a grotesque old man clad in a tattered yellow raincoat. The decayed skin of his face hung loose beneath the old-fashioned sea captain’s cap that covered the crown of his head; his broken teeth peeked through torn, gray lips, and his clouded, sunken eyes glared above whisker-covered cheeks.
“Where’s my daughter?” he demanded with a gravelly voice.
Sophina stumbled back as mangled hands reached for her throat.
“You stole her from me!”
The old sailor lunged as Sophina turned on her heels and sprinted away through the giant stalagmites. She ran faster than she ever dreamed possible toward the fissure, but could still sense him closing in.
“GIVE—HER—BACK!”
Blistering cold fingers raked her back as she dove for the opening. The next moment, Sophina was tumbling head over heels across the hot, stony ground outside the cavern. When she finally came to rest, she rolled onto her back and lashed out in a desperate attempt to ward off her attacker.
But the old sailor wasn’t there. It didn’t take her long to find him, though, clinging upside down on all fours to the cave ceiling, staring at her with his dead eyes.
“I’ll get you,” he hissed. “You’ll suffer for what you did to me.” He then crept backwards into the jagged stalactites and melted into the shadows.
Sophina sat, frozen with horror. That man wasn’t alive—at least, not in a way she understood living to be. His flesh was in ribbons, yet there wasn’t a drop of blood to be seen. And the way he moved! It was as if gravity had no effect on him.
She could’ve stayed there for hours trying to make sense of it all, but something in the upper periphery of her vision stole her attention. A column of auburn stone rose straight up over the fissure, to a height of a thousand feet or more. The sky surrounding the column was reddish-blue, not unlike the sunsets that had graced the sky over Thomasville before the rains came. But what she was looking at was no sunset, for the scorching red sun that now shone upon her head was much too high above the horizon.
Sophina forced herself to stand up and take in the rest of the alien landscape that encircled her. Beyond a meadow filled with flowers of every shape and color imaginable rose a forest of mammoth trees, many as tall as the finger of stone that was now at her back. It wasn’t the first time she had seen these trees, of course, but to stand before them in broad daylight was beyond awe-inspiring. She once saw a photograph of a car parked within a tunnel that had been bored through the trunk of a California redwood, but the twisting stalks of these giants could accommodate six cars at once—with room to spare!
A mouse-sized insect with a shimmering green carapace glided past Sophina and landed on a pink boulder at the edge of the meadow. She was sure it was some sort of strange beetle until it extended its accordion-like neck and stared at her with red, mammalian-type eyes. It cocked its furry head and blinked, as if it was as perplexed to see her as she was to see it.
Just then, a human voice drifted from the forest on a breeze. Sophina crept along the edge of the meadow toward the trees, trying to stay hidden among the lofty flowers as scores of small, odd-shaped creatures scurried for cover in the undergrowth.
She soon arrived at the cusp of the woods, where gargantuan roots intertwined to form an impenetrable wall of lumpy bark. She scanned the vine-draped barrier, searching for the path of least resistance
as Mrs. Tanner’s voice echoed through the canyons on the other side.
“This changes everything,” Mrs. Tanner said with conviction. “It was sheer luck that I wasn’t exposed. I’ll be watched closely from now on, so I can’t risk more crossings. We have to get the Elders’ blessing today. There’s no time to waste.”
“The Elders will not rush their decision,” replied a deep-voiced man. “And they will be even more cautious when they learn that a necrah is guarding the drahtuah. Sending young Trellians to slaughter is never taken lightly.”
As the man spoke, Sophina grasped the deep grooves in the bark and scaled the root wall with little effort. She peeked over the crest to discover three cloaked figures standing in an earthen basin, surrounded by more mountainous roots. Two of them held ivory staffs at their sides, and were larger than the third. Sophina reasoned that the smaller figure was Mrs. Tanner.
“But that’s not the choice I’ll ask them to make,” countered Mrs. Tanner. “I’ll face the necrah alone. All I need is for you and Jantu to guide me up Mount Vahkar to the vrahkoles’ lair.”
The largest cloaked figure shifted enough for Sophina to see a part of his face. His piercing eyes glowed red in the spotty shade provided by the forest canopy; his jaw and cheeks were pronounced and muscular, and the left side of his neck was adorned with an elaborate, black-ink tattoo that spiraled out across his olive skin. His appearance struck fear in Sophina, despite the fact that she had never seen a more beautiful man in her life.
“Your strength is of no use against a necrah,” the man said in the gravest of tones. “If you step in the shadows with the dead, you will be taken to the next life.”
“Yes, I know,” Mrs. Tanner replied. “That’s a risk I’m willing to—”
“—Graw!—”
A blur of red eyes and pointed teeth rushed at Sophina from below. She jumped back and hit the ground with a resounding thud, then lashed out, convinced that she was about to be overwhelmed by a monster of mythic proportions.
But the creature that growled at her from its perch on the root wall was no bigger than a toy dog. The
fur on its sleek body was tan, mottled with flecks of iridescent green. The hair on its head was black as night, making its eyes all the more stark.
“Graw!” the hostile beast yelped again as two cloaked figures vaulted onto the root beside it. One was the man Sophina had already seen. The other bore a strong resemblance to the first, but was much younger. From below she could see their entire faces within the cloak hoods, and despite being stiff with fright, she zeroed in on a most peculiar feature: Above each eyebrow, a vertical fin of skin-covered bone flared outward toward their temples. These men weren’t quite human.
“Dakrah!” shouted the older man as he dropped to the ground, the sharp end of his staff pointed square at Sophina’s face. “Dakrah roshah!”
The young man followed close behind, circling her stealthily to cut off any potential escape route. Just when the men seemed poised to rush forth and impale her, Mrs. Tanner dropped straight down out of the sky and landed heavily at Sophina’s feet.
“No!” she yelled at the men. “I’ll deal with her.”
Sophina lay frozen in place as Mrs. Tanner glared down at her with eyes that looked more animal than human.
“What have you done, Sophina?” she scolded. “You have no business being here!”
“Where’s Eliot?” Sophina rasped. “I know you helped that monster take him.”
Both men took a step back as Mrs. Tanner stepped closer. “I told you I had nothing to do with Eliot’s kidnapping.”
“I don’t believe you!” Sophina kicked out, stopping Mrs. Tanner in her tracks as the beast that had been so aggressive clambered in fright up the young man’s body. “He’s here—I know he is!”
“Yes, Eliot is here,” admitted Mrs. Tanner, “along with Wendy and Seth. But I didn’t come to harm them—I came to save them.”
“Save them?” Sophina scoffed as she rose to her feet, completely uninjured by the fall. “Why should I trust you, when you’ve done nothing but lie to me?”
Mrs. Tanner hesitated. Sophina’s words had struck a chord.
“You’re right,” she said, “I did lie to you. But you must understand that I had no choice. No one from our world can learn of this place. If they do, the inhabitants of this dimension would be in the gravest of danger.”
Sophina had known she was no longer in Maine the instant she’d stepped into the cavern. Still, hearing someone say it aloud was almost too much to take.
“But if you didn’t take the children, who did?”
“The children were taken by the vrahkoles,” Mrs. Tanner explained, “a vile race of creatures who have been at war with the people of this valley for thousands of years. Until now, it was thought that vrahkoles lacked the intelligence to carry out such a complex act; brute force has always been their tactic of choice. They wear the cloaks of their slain enemies, which is why you recognized mine when you saw it.”
Sophina’s head felt like it was going to explode. Vrahkoles? Another dimension? And the older man had said something about a necrah. Whatever that was, it didn’t sound good. Still, she forced her mind to focus.
“But why did the vrahkoles take them?”
“We don’t know yet,” Mrs. Tanner answered. “But we have every reason to believe the children are still alive.”
“But you said the vrahkoles are violent animals. If that’s true, why would they let them live?”
“Because,” Mrs. Tanner said with a raised brow, “the vrahkoles are more likely to be hurt by the children than the other way around.”
Her answer took Sophina by surprise. She had seen a vrahkole up close and personal, and it was the scariest thing to ever stand on two legs. The mere thought that a child could pose a threat to it was preposterous.
Before she could ask the obvious question, a bloodcurdling scream resonated through the forest. The utterance had undeniable human qualities, yet was multi-toned in a way that no single person could ever produce. The effect was disturbing to say the least.
“Was that . . . a person?”
“There’s no time to explain,” Mrs. Tanner replied. “I must get you home before the sun gets any lower. There are dangers here that you couldn’t begin to comprehend. Come with me, and I promise that I’ll do everything in my power to bring Eliot home.”
Mrs. Tanner tried to take Sophina’s hand, but she pulled away.
“You’re taking me back to the cavern, aren’t you?”
“It’s the only place safe enough to bring you home.”
“But something in there tried to kill me!”
“What was it?”
“An old man,” Sophina said. “He spoke to me, but he wasn’t alive . . . He said that I stole his daughter, but I would never do something like that.”
Hearing this, the color drained from Mrs. Tanner’s face. “This isn’t good,” she said with quiet intensity. “You have a watcher, and it has followed you to this world.”
“A watcher?” repeated Sophina, her pulse pounding in her temples.
“The less you know, the better,” said Mrs. Tanner. “For now, it’s safe to say that we need to find another place from which to take you home.” She turned to the older man, who had yet to take his strange eyes off Sophina. “We have no choice but to bring her to Trellah for the night,” she told him. “Tomorrow I’ll return her to her family. You have my word that she’ll pose no threat to your people. She released a vial of solid drahtuah to come here, which proves that her tolerance to its radiation is high.”
The man studied Sophina. His eyes looked like they could burn holes straight through her.
“Perhaps she is here for a reason,” he said pensively.
“No,” said Mrs. Tanner. “I won’t be responsible for putting another child in danger. She leaves tomorrow; it’s not up for discussion.”
“But she is stronger than twenty of our men,” the man added. “The Elders may view your request with more favor if two from your world were to be at our side.”
Stronger than twenty men! Sophina recalled the uncanny speed at which she’d run through the cavern, and how powerfully she had leapt to escape the old sailor. She had also scaled the root wall with much less effort than it should’ve taken. Still, she must have misheard the man.
“She’s a child,” Mrs. Tanner pointed out. “There are things in this world that her strength cannot defend against.”
“With guidance, these things can be avoided.”
“She’s not staying, and that’s final,” Mrs. Tanner said with conviction. “I don’t care if you think fate brought her here.” She glanced up at the stone column, much of which was still visible through the trees. “The cliff shadow will reach the forest soon. We have to leave now if you’re to have time to retrieve a cloak for her before nightfall.”
The man nodded. Then, he used his ivory staff to vault himself back onto the peak of the root wall. The younger man followed with the peculiar animal clinging tightly to his shoulder. Mrs. Tanner stepped toward them, but Sophina wasn’t finished with her. Not by a long shot.
“You didn’t ask me what I want to do,” she called after her.
“That’s because I know what you need to do,” replied Mrs. Tanner with authority. “What you want is irrelevant.”
“I’m not going home tomorrow! I can help you get the children back.”
Mrs. Tanner turned around, her expression softer than expected. “Think about your mother. Before long she’ll realize you’re missing. It wouldn’t be right to put her through that kind of emotional pain for any longer than necessary.”
“I am thinking about her,” Sophina informed her “She’s already in pain; what’s a little more if it means I can help you find my brother? Imagine how she’d feel then.”
“I appreciate your bravery, so I’ll explain this so it’s perfectly clear: You were lucky to escape that cavern with your life. And what you saw there is nothing compared to the horrors you’ll face if you choose to pursue this stubborn urge to be a hero.”
“Then . . . I do h
ave a choice.”
Mrs. Tanner looked away, upset that her choice of words had left room for interpretation. “I’ll bring Eliot home, or I’ll die trying,” the older woman stated. She then strode up to the root face—and leapt to the top of it with shocking ease.
Sophina couldn’t believe her eyes: a woman old enough to be her grandmother had just jumped ten feet into the air and landed on her feet! She wanted to ask her—How?—but all she could do was stand and stare.
“I suggest that you come along,” Mrs. Tanner called down. She then stepped off her perch and disappeared into the basin on the other side. The young man followed her, but the older one hesitated.
“You had best do what she says,” he suggested in his intimidating voice, “unless you wish to face the uncertainties of the next life.” Then he too dropped from sight.
Sophina had no choice but to follow them. But how would she keep up when they moved with such grace over terrain that was ill suited for any creature incapable of flight? Was it true that she had the strength of twenty men? And, more importantly, could she control it in a way that would keep her from smacking face-first into a tree? She supposed there was only one way to find out.
Sophina bent at the knees and leapt toward the apex of the wall. Her hair blew back as she exploded upward—but her aim was low. Her feet clipped the ridge, spinning her head over heels into the basin where she landed on her back in a soft bed of detritus.
“There’s a learning curve,” explained Mrs. Tanner as she helped Sophina to her feet. “But you’ll catch on soon enough.”
Sophina was as breathless as a hippo that had just run a marathon. “How can I jump like that? Or fall and not get hurt?”
“I’ll explain in good time,” answered Mrs. Tanner. “Now try again. And pick up your feet this time.”
“But—”
“Stay close,” Mrs. Tanner interrupted. “And if you develop an urge to wander off, fight it. Your life depends on it.” She then leapt completely over an adjacent wall of roots and fell from sight.
