Spellbound Chronicles – Blood Line

by Suzanne Maguire

  Pulling her now stiff dressing-gown together and refastening the belt, Larna stood up and looked round. There was enough light to see that there were tunnels in the rock face and she wondered what lurked down those pitch-black corridors. This time a shiver of terror ran through her body. She realised she would have to explore these tunnels. She could not climb up the way she’d come in, so they were the only way out. Trying to be brave and make light of her desperate situation, she chanted, “Eeny meeny miney mo… that one!” and pointed to the nearest. A dozen strides took her there and she gave a loud sigh. “Wish me luck!” Her echo repeated and repeated. It felt good to hear another voice, even if it was only her own returning to her.

  It was dark inside, so Larna put out a hand to feel the way, touching damp walls as she moved. They began to glow where she’d touched. Jumping back, she pulled her hand away and yelled in surprise. Immediately, the light dimmed and went out again.

  “Wow! That’s so cool!” Hand over hand, she went deeper into the tunnel lighting her way as she went. It took her nowhere. Emerging from the other end, she found herself back in the cavern again. “Never mind,” she said out loud. “Seven more to go.”

  By the fourth she was getting a bit fed-up. The fifth passage seemed to go on forever until the final bend, when she found herself once again back where she’d started in the massive cave. Frustrated, she called out, “ARRGH… ” and heard it echo round the walls like the cries of a hundred dying men. This time she sat by the water’s edge and began to worry. What if she couldn’t find a way out? What if she was stuck here without food or anything forever? Apart from Aron, nobody knew where she was. What if she was never..? She shuddered and chose to cut this last thought short. Frightening herself was becoming a full-time hobby.

  “Come on, Larna,” she said to herself, “think positive. Get up and do something. Try another tunnel. Keep at it until you find a way out. Come on, get moving!”

  Instead of heading for the sixth, she thought she’d explore the eighth and work in reverse order if that proved to be another dead end. Once again trudging across the grey sand and entering the pitch black hole, she felt her way along the tunnel wall. As before, the rock face lit her way then dimmed as she moved on. Progress was slow, but after a while she stopped and cocked an ear. She thought she’d heard a noise ahead. No, just silence. A bit further on she stopped and listened again. This time she was positive. It sounded like a soft moan, muffled and far away.

  “Aron!” she called excitedly. “Is that you?”

  Hand-over-hand on the wall she made her way down the tunnel as fast as she could. The voice she’d heard sounded racked with pain and this urged her on. She fell and hurt her knees but hardly felt a thing, getting up and carrying on. The poor light and the uneven floor slowed her down to almost a snail’s pace. She didn’t seem to be getting anywhere, no matter how fast she tried to run. Calling words of encouragement to the distant voice didn’t bring a response other than the cries of pain getting louder. Hearing them, Larna really began to panic.

  She came to a dead stop. Keeping both hands pressed hard against the wall lit an area big enough for her to see that the roof had caved in. Large stones blocked the way and rumbles sounding down the passage made her fear for her brother’s life.

  “I’m here, Aron! Hold on!” she shouted. Somehow she found enough strength to heave some rocks out of the way, but with her hands off the wall, she was forced to work in darkness. The moans became less frequent and Larna began to worry she might be too late after all.

  “Stay with me, do you hear? Don’t you dare die on me!”

  With renewed energy she heaved a massive boulder away leaving a gap big enough for her to see inside. But it was too dark. Shoving her right arm into the hole and with her cheek squashed against the stones, she felt around and grabbed hold of something. It felt very cold, very clammy and was very still. Now with her adrenalin working to the max, Larna continued to move the rocks at a faster pace. She made an opening big enough to crawl into. There wasn’t a sound from inside now, so she forced herself through the entrance, putting her arms out in front like a blind man and feeling for the sides. Nothing but cold stone. Then something moved, running lightly over her face, head and upper body.

  “Is that you, Aron?” she gasped.

  No answer from the hunched figure in front of her.

  “It’s not you, is it?” She was speaking her thoughts out loud. “If you were my brother, you’d know me. So who are you?”

  Still no answer from the darkness. Then a whispery voice said, “Help me,”

  Before Larna could say anything else, there was a crack and rumbling further down the tunnel. “We’ve got to get out of here before there’s another cave-in.” she said, trying not to sound too anxious. “Come on, help me get you out.” Moving backwards on all fours was slow and painful. It must have been several minutes before she squeezed out of the prison. Leaning in again she took hold of the stranger’s ankles and gave a gentle tug. There was very little movement and Larna realised she would have to pull much harder.

  “Come on,” she urged. “We’ve got to hurry. I think the roof’s about to cave in.” Larna was frightened they wouldn’t make it out of the tunnel in time, and heaved with all the strength she had left. The trapped creature shot out like a bullet, knocking Larna over onto her back and landing on top of her. They automatically embraced and she found herself staring into the eyes of a handsome young man. They lay there for a few seconds until there was another loud crack and dust filtered through the rocks.

  “We’ve got to move now!” yelled Larna.

  Scrambling to her feet and hoisting his dead weight up in a fireman’s lift, she ran as fast as she could away from the noise. Dust tickled the back of her throat and she began to cough. “Touch the wall, then I’ll be able to see where we’re going.” she shouted above the deafening sound of collapsing rocks. It took a few seconds for her meaning to register before a slender outstretched hand began to light the way. It was enough for Larna to dodge the obstacles she’d tripped over on the way in. A quick glance over her other shoulder prompted another burst of energy. The roof was giving way, falling faster than she’d anticipated and catching up with them.

  Larna ran for her life. She felt unreal, as if she was in a film or having one of her strange dreams again. But the danger behind her was very real and she pushed herself to the limit, the burden on her shoulders seeming to get heavier and heavier with every step. Eventually, she could run no further and sank to her knees, lowering her companion gently to the ground in the darkness.

  “Can’t take any more!” she wheezed, although another menacing rumble made it clear there was no time to rest.

  “Go,” the disembodied voice whispered.

  “What?” she gasped.

  “You… GO!” insisted the breathy voice.

  “No. Not without you,” insisted Larna. Another fall of rock behind them made her jump to her feet. “Come on. There’s no time to lose!” Taking hold of an arm and a leg, she slung the mysterious being over her shoulder for the second time and headed off down the tunnel again. She was just in time to save them both from a massive roof cave-in which dropped exactly where they’d been sitting a moment before. There was nothing left of the tunnel behind and Larna feared that if they didn’t get a move on, it would happen on top or in front of them as well.

  Larna coaxed and cajoled, encouraging her injured companion to help as much as possible. Then the entrance to the tunnel came in sight with the underground lake beyond. “Not far now,” she called, sensing the body on her shoulders weakening even further. “Come on, keep going. We’re nearly there!” Hearing a clicking sound above their heads, Larna looked up. The roof cracked open, the walls shook and huge pieces of rock began to fall. It was pure instinct that made Larna fling her burden out of the tunnel and dive head-first after him.

  For a few seconds after the cave-in was complete, Larna felt nothing as she watched the shadowy figure she’d
rescued roll towards the water’s edge and crawl in. The dust was choking. She covered her mouth and half closed her eyes in an attempt to breathe and see. The dim silhouette went under the water. Larna waited and waited, but never saw him resurface. She tried to crawl toward the lake as well but found she couldn’t move. That was when she realised her legs were trapped under a mountain of rocks. That was also when she experienced the worst pain of her life… and fainted.

  Sometime later, she felt something being put to her lips and heard a voice telling her to drink. Whatever it was, was sweet and tasted of herbs. After that… nothing.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  It was the pain that finally woke her. She opened her eyes to somebody wiping her forehead. They put their other hand on her shoulder and said slowly, “Not move, please.” The voice was soft and gentle.

  “What’s going on?” asked Larna. She was stretched out on the water’s edge, her head on a cushion. From behind, cool hands held either side of her head.

  “You have accident… we put you back together,” the gentle voice said haltingly.

  “Where’s Aron?”

  “Aron?”

  “My brother. I was looking for him.”

  “No Aron. Only you and me.”

  “Who are you?”

  “My name is Cai. You rescued me.”

  “Am I dreaming this?”

  “No, this is real. You badly injured. Need looking after.”

  Alarm bells started ringing in her head and she struggled to see who was talking. Firm hands held her still. Her legs felt hot and a powerful stinging sensation worked its way from her toes upwards. Looking down she was shocked to see some form of splint on her left leg. The other seemed bent. Struggling to sit up, Larna turned to get a glimpse of her softly-spoken companion. He was a boy of about her own age, slightly shorter than her. He had long golden brown wavy hair tied back from a broad forehead. His eyes were of the deepest blue with eyebrows that tipped up a little at the outer edges. His nose was straight and shapely with a firm-looking mouth underneath. He wore a figure-hugging dark green outfit that looked like a diver’s wet-suit and no shoes. Most striking of all, however, was his dazzling smile. It lit up his pale green, slightly luminous skin like the sun. Larna felt an electric shock arc between the two of them and nearly jumped out of her skin. Their eyes met. He was smiling. He had a beautiful smile.

  “You save Cai… now Cai save you,” he said simply, pointing across at the caved-in tunnel.

  Larna’s memory suddenly returned and she shuddered to think what nearly happened to them. She wanted to thank the young man but needed to be face-to-face to do it. Turning slightly she realised her head had been cradled in his lap, not on a cushion.

  “Where’s my brother?”

  “No brother. Only me.”

  “You couldn’t have moved those rocks, Cai, unless you had some help.”

  “My father called his… what you say… workers? Soldiers? They free you just in time.”

  Cai helped to push from behind as Larna manoeuvred herself upright. Having a leg in splints was not only uncomfortable but every movement was awkward. Larna realised the pain she’d felt before had faded away and made a mental note to ask what Cai had done when she was unconscious. It must have been a powerful drug with miraculous healing powers.

  The water in the lake looked inviting. Larna was desperate to have a good wash. She felt dirty and dishevelled after their ordeal and thinking of water reminded her, she was desperate for a drink. She was just scooping some of the cool water into her mouth when a breathy twittering sounded from across the lake. Cai answered in the same way.

  “What was that?” Larna asked anxiously.

  “My father want to know if you well enough for a visit. Told him yes and he will come to us now.” He noted Larna’s look of surprise. “It only right that he come and… and give you his thanks.”

  “For what?”

  “My life. Said before – you gave me back my life.”

  Cai helped Larna to sit on a flat rock close to the lake. Then he fetched her some water in a large shell and held it while she splashed her hands and face. She felt better after that.

  “My father is here.”

  “Where?” Larna couldn’t see or hear him.

  “He not come with any fuss.”

  “Pardon?”

  Suddenly, millions of little dots of light lit the cavern and twinkled like static stars attached to the roof. Cai noticed Larna’s look of amazement and smiled. “They are harmless little creatures that live up there. They are our friends and give us light when we need it.”

  “Wow!” She was gobsmacked again. “What are they called?”

  “Lumins.” He moved closer to Larna. “Now watch the water,” he whispered.

  There was a silence for a few seconds until an elderly green man rose from the water in a stately manner. Head held high, steely grey long hair, he walked in a straight-backed manner on his long legs. His unusual robe was of royal blue with gold trim. And his vivid blue eyes startled Larna, as if they looked deep into her head and knew what she was thinking. Not knowing what to do or say, Larna left first contact to Cai. The young man stood silently in front of his father and bowed his head. They talked fast until the old man looked over the boy’s shoulder at Larna.

  “So, you are the one who saved my son,” he stated. “As you cannot come to me, I will come to you. Do not worry about your legs, they will mend very quickly. Cai and his mother, Darla, have repaired you as much as they are able. They gave you one of their special healing potions. It also takes away the pain and discomfort.”

  Cai led his father from the water’s edge. Both stood in front of Larna, took her hands and gently pulled her to her feet. Looking down at her legs, she was surprised not to feel any discomfort at all. “We not able to straighten your leg, but you not be harmed walking on it. When you return to your own kind, they mend it for you. You never know that it and other one was damaged.”

  Head on one side, the King studied Larna, came to a decision and said. “Your name is Larner? Not daring to correct his pronunciation, Larna nodded dumbly. “At great risk to yourself, you saved the life of my dear and only son, earning my deepest gratitude. So I will grant you one favour, Larner. Choose wisely and choose now.”

  There was no hesitation in Larna’s mind. She knew just what she wanted.

  “Thank you, sir,” she said. “Err, what is your name, by the way?”

  “Drisco,” answered Cai’s father. “King Drisco, lord of this domain, ruler of my people, the Undines.”

  “Thank you, King Drisco,” repeated Larna. “I’ve made my decision and would very much like to find my brother, Aron, and also save Yaya, my grandmother.”

  The King went quiet on hearing this. Drawing Cai close he said, “That is very commendable of you, Larner. The favour I grant. You wish it for others who are dear to you. That affects me deeply.” He turned his head away and Larna thought she spotted tears in his eyes.

  Cai took over from his father. “My grandmother, Drisco’s mother, she was taken by the Dryads,” he explained. “They found a way down here and… er… took away some of us. A few of my father’s people were among the taken and not seen again. She cannot return. She will be no more.”

  “What are Dryads?” asked Larna.

  “Tree people in your world. Dryads hide and become as one with the trees. We only go up to search for them during the darkness. We die in the light. It dries our skin and we just… ” he couldn’t finish.

  Drisco gave a good imitation of a cough and said, “Come on, my son, Larner needs our help.” He clapped his hands and the lake began to boil. Larna jumped back in astonishment. Out of the water marched about a dozen people. Women as well as men. All good looking, all green, and dressed entirely in green. Like Drisco, no shoes. They stood in a semicircle round Cai and his father. They were waiting for orders.

  “These are my people. You saved my only child and heir. They saved you and have as
ked to help you find your way to the world above. My son,” he gazed fondly at Cai, “wishes to go with you as far as he can.” He paused. “And I have given my permission. Don’t worry about your legs, Larner. Do not look down at them, they will not hurt you now.”

  “I… I… ” Larna was lost for words.

  “There is no need to say more.” He reached out and shook Larna’s hand. They both knew this wasn’t going to be their last meeting. Then King Drisco turned, walked back into the water and disappeared below the surface.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Aron crawled to the stumpy tree only to find that the hole had closed. He had not fallen like Larna thought he had. He began to dig frantically with his bare hands.

  “LARNA. L-A-A-A-RNA… ” he screamed.

  After a while he realised the faster he dug down, the quicker the hole filled up. So he was forced to give up through sheer exhaustion.

  Lying with his tear-streaked cheek on the damp soil, he knew he had to make the biggest decision of his life. Continue digging in the hope of getting somewhere or leave Larna to her fate and fetch help? With one last ditch-effort he resumed digging for a while, but his fingers were so sore and bloody that he was forced to stop. In the end he decided to retrace their steps following the scraps of paper which continued to curl at the edges then burst into flames when he passed. As he ran branches scraped his face, tore at his dressing gown and his pyjama bottoms, but he didn’t feel a thing. Then, to his horror, the remaining papers burst into flames and the ashes blew high into the night sky and dispersed, falling as sooty deposits. This stopped him in his tracks. Without the glow from the papers blazing a trail, he didn’t know which way to go, which path to take.

  Making his choice he ran on until the trees seemed to close ranks and become so dense he couldn’t go any further. Nettles stung him and hawthorn cut through the thin nightwear, tearing the material to shreds. Somewhere along the way he’d lost the belt, then the dressing gown, and finally some of the buttons had been yanked off the pyjama jacket. Disorientated, he turned round looking for a path, but there wasn’t one.