Cave Of Forlorn

by R. C. Rutter

  The hour passed by quickly.

  * * *

  “It is time. Follow me” was all Cerberus said and he began walking. He crossed over the river bridge and vanished into the darkness. Shabb followed quietly. The mood was somber. All knew the danger that was ahead and nobody was in a hurry.

  Cerberus entered the cave and lit lamps against the wall so everyone could make their way easily. He passed by the warning sign and changed the letters. It now read “Give up hope all who enter.”

  Eric, without hesitation, immediately changed the sign to “Give hope to all who enter.”

  Cerberus walked over to the water and put his hand in. The water started swirling around his hand and he yelled. Pulling out his hand, Eric could see a crab had latched onto it. Cerberus threw the crab across the river mumbling as he did so and stuck his hand back in. The water turned violent and began rising. He took some powder out of his pocket and sprinkled it on the water. Calmness returned and the waves subsided. “Okay, it is safe now. The monsters are sleeping.” He looked up at Eric, “If you would be so kind.”

  “Allow me” said the voice behind Eric. Erica lifted her hand and a water bridge appeared over the river. It was ornate with chandeliers every six feet or so. Animal figures were on the handrails with their mouths open as water flowed from the mouths back to the river.

  “Show off” said Eric as he winked.

  Across the bridge and into the next cavern wandered the group. This was the cavern that had flooded earlier and the floor was still muddy and slippery. A great chasm had opened in the middle where the water had broken through. Cerberus approached wearily and made it around with no trouble. Shabb went next and started slipping. With the soft pads on his paws he could not get a solid grip. Robald reached to grab him and lost his footing as well. Within seconds both were sliding towards the large gaping hole. Thorgon was throwing his arms out trying to grab anything to hold onto but all he got was more mud. He took out a small knife and plunged it into the mud. Luckily it held and he stopped moving. Shabb and Robald went over the edge of the chasm and were falling fast.

  Cerberus turned when he heard the yelling and started to throw a spell but Robald and Shabb had disappeared from view. Eric tossed a flare to illuminate the area. Robald and Shabb were hanging about sixty feet down supported by a tree root. Robald had grabbed the tree root and was holding on with one hand. In the other hand he was holding Shabb by the tail.

  Eric made a rope and threw it over the side. “Grab on, we shall pull you up.”

  Robald swung Shabb back and forth trying to lift him up. The tree root was groaning under the strain. Shabb’s eyes were glazing over as he started to feel queasy. With a final thrust, Robald pulled up Shabb and slung the wolf over his shoulder. With his free hand he grabbed the rope. “OKAY” he yelled, “I HAVE THE ROPE. PULL!”

  Eric spread the rope out and commanded everyone to grab on. They pulled and pulled and slowly made progress. The weight was unbearable. They could hear small pops as the tree root and strands of the rope gave way, fraying under the strain. For every foot they moved higher, Robald guessed they were losing two inches as the rope unraveled. The tree root snapped and disappeared into the darkness leaving them hanging only by the rope. At this rate, they would never make it. He knew what had to be done.

  Robald tied the loose end of the rope around the wolf.

  “Lydia. LYDIA!” Robald was yelling now.

  Lydia got down on her stomach and crawled over to the edge of the opening.

  “What? I can hear you. Hold on. It won’t be long now. We are pulling you out.”

  “No, the rope is breaking. There is too much weight. I have to tell you something. LYDIA, I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED YOU!”

  “ROBALD” Lydia was screeching now. “HOLD ON”

  “IF THE WOLF DIES, YOU DIE. I CAN’T LET THAT HAPPEN. THE ROPE IS BREAKING WITH ALL OF MY WEIGHT. LYDIA, PLEASE FORGIVE ME.”

  Tears were flowing from Lydia so hard that she could not see. “ROBALD, I LOVE YOU TOO. HOLD ON!”

  The weight on the rope was suddenly released as Robald let go. He disappeared into the darkness as he looked up at Lydia with his arms outstretched. “I love you” could be heard very faintly. The rope was being pulled out now at an alarming rate and the wolf was soon over the edge.

  They stood there in stunned silence as they realized the sacrifice that Robald made. This was true love. The only sound was the sobbing from Lydia. The flare extinguished overhead leaving them in total darkness.

  Shabb howled.

  * * *

  Chapter 12

  The King arched his back and straightened to his full height of six feet. He could feel a surge of energy coursing through his body. He pulled against his chains as he flexed his body. If these were ordinary chains, he could have snapped them a long time ago but the demons had black magic. Relaxing his body he looked over to see the guard staring at him.

  “Your name is Antonio, is it not? I remember you. You were one of my guards.” Antonio nodded in response. The King sighed. “There have been many changes since the demons came, has there not?”

  “Yes” said Antonio. “Life was better before they came, stirring unrest, promising a better life for everyone. All we had to do was to support them and do away with the monarchy. Fools we are for we believed them, now we pay the price.”

  “It is not too late, no, it is not too late at all” whispered the King. “You must choose, Antonio. Once you describe my behavior to the demons, they will know my power is returning.” Antonio looked astonished. “You must choose. Follow me or the demons.”

  Antonio looked at his own chains then back at the King. “I can’t say that the demons have treated me well. I see no sense in hanging around here.” He laughed out loud. “Your Majesty, I am at your service.”

  “Excellent.” The King closed his eyes and his fists as he began pulling on his chains. No amount of physical force was going to break those chains. The King began muttering under his breath and a blue aura encircled him. It grew brighter and brighter until the chains began glowing red, then melted.

  “Ah, five years in those chains is enough. I must be sure to thank…” The King looked over at Antonio and decided that it would be prudent not to say anything more about whom to thank.

  “Here, freedom it is.” The King raised his hand and Antonio’s chains fell to the floor. “Come, you will need to help me walk, five years have left my legs weak. Help me walk over to the small window.” The King pointed to a stained-glass window. In it was a picture of a woman with piercing blue eyes.

  “She is beautiful!” said Antonio. “Who is she?”

  “Ah, that was many years ago. She was the Queen. MY Queen until she was taken from me. She always hated the dungeon, didn’t believe in the treatment that went on here. Little do the demons know that looking at her every day kept me going, filled me with love, and gave me hope. She was and is still such a blessing.”

  They walked over to the wall and the King reached out and tapped one of the bricks, three times, followed by two times, followed by three times. The wall opened up revealing a passageway. “Come, no time to waste.”

  “The demons will surely discover us missing soon. How can we escape them? You can’t walk and they can follow your trail of magic.”

  “I will regain the strength in my legs. You will help me. The door is not magic, it is mechanical. My father designed this castle and had the forethought to realize that magic might not always be here so he built a series of passageways for protection. There is food stored, barrels of water, and should even be a sword or two. We shall be safe here.”

  They walked through the opening and it closed behind them leaving not a mark.

  * * *

  Eric walked over to Cerberus. “Any chance he could have survived?”

  Cerberus shook his head.

  Gweneviere held Lydia for several minutes. It was so hard with the loss of Robald. As pressing as time was, they decided to have a short me
morial service in remembrance of the lost warrior.

  Erica gathered everyone in a circle and they joined hands. Shabb changed to human form so he could join them. Lydia stood supported by Gweneviere and Seth. Tears were still flowing from her eyes.

  Erica spoke.

  “Our hearts are truly sad,

  For we have lost a brave friend,

  You have touched all of our lives,

  Sacrificing until the end.

  We shall sing songs of you,

  Of your courage and love,

  You will not be forgotten, dear Robald,

  You are now free as a dove.”

  The silence was permeated by the quiet sobs of Lydia and Gweneviere.

  “Let us go” whispered Eric. “We must honor Robald by completing our mission. He would have wanted us to. Single file, please. Thorgon, take the lead behind Cerberus. Shabb, if you would be so kind, your senses are heightened when you take the animal form.

  The group made their way across the cavern floor. Each making sure their footing was secure. They traveled in silence until they reached the other end where they found two openings in the wall. Eric looked at Cerberus who was pointing to the opening on the right. Cerberus stepped through the opening and it closed tight behind him.

  “Remind me, someone, that the next time we meet Cerberus to kill him. I thought we had an understanding” said Eric aloud to no one in particular. “Well then, this opening looks as good as any.

  Thorgon started walking to the other opening and began coughing. The stench was unbearable. “No, this is not an option. It has the smell of death.”

  “Let me see if we can open this other door.” Eric held his staff aloft and Erica took out her knitting needles. They cast spell after spell but nothing worked. The spells just bounced off the wall and shot into the air. After a few minutes of this, the rest of the group started sitting down to rest. Malcolm was standing near an outcropping of rock and leaned against it to rest. He was beginning to get comfortable when the rocks shifted and he fell.

  Gweneviere had been looking around for Malcolm and spotted him at the rocks. She had promised to keep a close eye on him ever since the water attack. When she looked back, he was gone. She looked around her left and right and he was nowhere to be seen. “Surely he just didn’t disappear.”

  Eric heard her say this and grew alarmed. “What did you say?”

  “Malcolm was just standing by those rocks and now he is gone, vanished!”

  “Malcolm?” Eric’s voice was exasperated. “Malcolm? Anyone know where Malcolm is?”

  He was nowhere to be found. Eric forgot about the doorway and approached the rocks. He hit several of them with his staff and they sounded like rocks. He kept this up until he found a hollow one. He tapped on it harder and harder but it was doing no good.

  “Here, let me try!” Erica walked over and stuck her knitting needle into the rock. The rock hissed and air came pouring out until the rock completely vanished. A gaping hole was left.

  “What do you think?” Erica asked as she leaned over to look into the hole. Eric lit a flare and threw it down. It fell and was met by a “thunk” followed by “Ouch, hey what did you do that for?” It was Malcolm’s voice.

  * * *

  A dark tunnel surrounded Malcolm. He could feel the breeze going past his face, it smelled of fish and water. Malcolm looked up but could see nothing. He felt around for a tree root of some kind but came up empty handed. There was nothing to do but sit and wait for help.

  The footsteps were coming towards him. Malcolm held his breath for fear of being discovered. The torch got brighter as the figure approached. Soon it would be upon him and he had no place to hide. He decided to fight. Standing up, he hit his head and the thump echoed through the tunnel. The figure stopped and listened. “Who is there? Show yourself or I shall kill you now.”

  Malcolm stepped into the area of light with his sword drawn.

  “YOU? How did YOU get here? IMPOSSIBLE! I have been walking for twenty minutes. There is no way you passed me. You could NOT have known about these tunnels. What kind of magic do you possess?” When he said that, the creature backed up as the thought hit him that Malcolm might possess old magic. It would make him dangerous indeed. Wisely, Malcolm said nothing.

  He was standing there waiting to see what the creature would do when he was hit in the head. The flare bounced off and landed next to him. “Ouch, hey, what did you do that for?” cried Malcolm as he looked up to see where the flare had come from. It was too dark but he heard Eric apologize followed by the sound of someone sliding.

  Malcolm quickly stepped aside as Eric landed next to him. “You gave us quite a surprise there, you know?”

  “Speaking of surprises, I would like you meet a friend of mine.” Malcolm pointed to the space behind Eric. As Eric turned around, he saw the eyes of Cerberus looking directly at him. “Well, well now, I keep on giving you the benefit of the doubt by trusting you. Sad to say, I think my trust is misplaced.” Cerberus lifted his arms but Eric was faster. The hands of the creature slammed against the top of his head and were stuck there.

  “Just in case you decide to cast a spell, it will come from your hands and probably give you a rather large headache if you manage to not blow your head off.”

  The creature sneered at Eric. “You can’t do that, you don’t have the power.”

  “Gee, let me think about that. Let’s see, if I don’t have the power, then your hands are free to move about. Are they?” Eric laughed as Cerberus struggled to free his hands.

  “You forgot to take into account that the more of us there are, the stronger we all become. Care to wager?”

  Eric turned to Malcolm. “Call the others down the hole. I think we have found our path. I shall tend to our friend here.” Eric walked over to the creature. “I believe you need some incentive to help us.” Eric twirled his staff and a large rope wrapped itself around Cerberus.

  “Ha! You think a rope will hold me? Loser!”

  “No, I don’t think that at all. I just need you to be still for a few minutes.” Eric reached into his sack and withdrew a small bottle. He placed it on the ground in front of Cerberus and stood back.

  Cerberus looked really worried. His eyes began darting around as if he was trying to figure out what to do but could not think of anything. “You can’t do this, you don’t have the power.”

  “You keep on saying that and I keep on proving you wrong.” Eric picked up his staff and pointed it at Cerberus. Erica had come down the hole and was now standing beside her brother. “Shall we?”

  The arc from the staff and needle hit Cerberus right in the chest. It went through him and circled around to the front then straight into the bottle. Cerberus screamed.

  It two minutes, the bottle was full. Eric and Erica released Cerberus who was now sobbing.

  “Fear not, I did not take all of your power. You will still be able to do a few basic things but you are no longer a threat to anyone. Make no mistake about it; I now have your power in this bottle. Put any of us at risk and I shall destroy it. Am I understood?”

  Cerberus nodded its head.

  “You will show us the path out of this Mountain of Forlorn. Once you do, I shall return you to your shack and give you your power back. You have my word.”

  Cerberus had no choice but to agree to the terms.

  Erica got really close to Eric and whispered in his ear “You know, once he gets back to his shack, the demons will most likely kill him. Are you comfortable with that?”

  “Not really but in every situation there are always choices. I cannot be held responsible for the results of his choices and actions. He chose to attack us, he chose to leave us, and he chose his friends and enemies. He will pay for his actions, no doubt.”

  By this time everyone had made it through the hole except Thorgon. “Hey!” he yelled down the hole. “This hole was made for little people.” Several snickers were heard. “Not for someone as robust as I am. Got any other ideas?
I would hate to get stuck.”

  Seth turned to Gweneviere. “It probably would not hurt for him to lay off some of those fried dumplings.” They both laughed.

  “I heard that, Seth. Remind me to pound on your head a little bit the next time I see you. Wait a minute. I have an idea.”

  A few minutes later, a river of the slippery mud from above was sliding down the hole. This was followed by a loud thump as Thorgon’s feet made contact with the tunnel floor. His feet were on the ground but his head was still in the hole. “Hey Eric, don’t suppose you can do anything about the height of the tunnel? Maybe an extra foot or two?”