Hilda - Lycadea

by Paul Kater

that, Kerna. You have me and the two cats to protect you." She put an arm around Kerna's shoulders. "Look, it's just you and me and these two here on this mountain."

  "Maybe there is more here, things we don't know about."

  "So what? If it comes then-" Hilda fell silent. Then what? She had no idea how to fight off even the smallest animal if it were to charge at her now. The cats would have to do most of the fighting. If they knew what that was. "Maybe we should return to the others."

  Kerna nodded, barely visible in the now quickly fading light.

  They turned around.

  "It's that way. I think." Kerna nodded somewhat in a direction.

  "Are you sure? I think we came from there." Hilda pointed. "Oh, wait. Maybe the cats know." She bent down and set Grimalkin at her feet.

  Kerna put Obsidian next to his sister. Two pairs of yellow eyes stared up at the two women who stared down at them.

  "Go, find the way to William," Hilda tried to encourage the two cats who did not feel inclined to move anywhere, fast or otherwise.

  The cats looked at each other for a moment, nuzzled each other and then looked at the witch again.

  "I think they don't know either, Hilda," Kerna said.

  "Crappedy crap," Hilda muttered, picking up Grimalkin again. Somehow the feel of a cat in her arms made her feel better.

  Kerna quickly took care of Obsidian.

  "We're going that way," Hilda decided, pointing in the direction which she hoped was the same as she'd done before.

  Kerna did not object, so together they walked ahead. Until the make-belief path ended in several of the blue-coloured, viciously-thorned plants.

  "Suck an elf," Hilda growled, "what idiot put those there? They weren't here when we came this way."

  Kerna remained silent as they went back where they came from. As they more or less arrived there, she tugged Hilda's sleeve. Usually that was unforgivable, but this was not the time for Hilda to argue over it. "Hilda. I think we should go there. I see some light."

  Hilda peered to where she expected Kerna to point. Darkness made that rather complicated. Still, Kerna was right, there was light ahead. "See, I told you we are on the right track. Come, William is probably out of his mind for worry by now." She did not know how right she was.

  The two walked and stumbled towards the light, in vain trying to avoid rubble on the path.

  "Strange though, the light is very red. I don't remember that the fires that William made being so red."

  Hilda agreed in silence, but kept going. Light was light, and light meant people. Well, usually. They'd just have to be careful at first. The notion hit her like a brick. Perhaps she should let Kerna go first. Hilda was not very proficient in this careful stuff.

  There only were a few trees between the women and the red light. Hilda held Kerna back as the young woman started to walk faster. "Let's first try and see what's there."

  "Why? It is good there, Hilda. Come."

  Hilda now held Kerna back with more force. "Are you kicked in the head by a baby dragon? Who knows what's there?" Maybe she wasn't doing to bad in the careful arena after all.

  "It is what we are looking for!" Kerna pulled herself free and ran away, towards the red shimmers.

  "Suck an elf. Now what." Hilda looked at Grim in the reddish shine. "Come, we have to rescue your sibling."

  -=-=-

  Hilda crashed through the remarkably dry undergrowth and saw Kerna disappear into an opening in the mountain. From inside the rock formation the red glow leaked out, setting the area in a very strange glow, as if everything was glowing or burning from the inside. Smaller rocks and boulders that lay everywhere cast long black shadows.

  The witch felt the urge to call out Kerna's name, but thought again. That would inform anyone inside that cave that she was out there, and that in turn would take away her element of surprise, one of the few things she still had. A moment she felt entirely helpless without her magic. Then she stomped her foot on the ground.

  "I can do this. If that kid can go in, I can too. She hasn't screamed so far."

  Hilda set her jaw and walked to the opening. Before actually stepping inside, she inspected what was there. Not much, except that the rock itself seemed to emit the red light. And a few feet into the rock, the corridor that was there, already turned to the left, so there was not much to see.

  "Right. Here we go," she told Grimalkin. At that moment she heard a scream. From Kerna. "Crappedy crap!"

  Throwing all caution into the wind, Hilda ran into the corridor, finding that it had to be designed by a drunk spider. It kept winding in tight turns. The experience was so bizarre that it felt as if she was only turning around something and not moving forward at all.

  "Kerna! Hold on! I'm coming!"

  "Hilda! Hurry!"

  The voice from Kerna did not sound scared at all, Hilda noticed. That encouraged her to turn and twist even faster, as she was curious now to see what was going on. And where.

  "How long does this twisting corridor go on?" Hilda yelled.

  "I don't know!" Kerna called back. "I wish it would end, I am getting dizzy - Oh, I'm out now!"

  Hilda kept pushing forward, wondering when the stupid slalom she was doing would finally come to an end. The rocky path however did not seem to give up, there was more and more and more.

  "Kerna, can you still hear me?"

  "I can! What's keeping you?"

  "I'll suck an- uhm... I don't know. I just keep seeing more walls and turns!"

  "Try saying that it ends and then walk on!"

  Hilda stopped her walking. Surely Kerna could not be serious. "Kerna, dear, are you well?"

  "I am! Just say it!"

  Hilda shook her head. "This stupid tunnel ends now. I'm beyond sick of it, and dizzy as well." Nothing happened. "So much for good intentions and all that." She walked around the next bend and was out of the tunnel.

  "Dragon balls, how did you know that?" Hilda asked Kerna who stood there, grinning. "And wipe that grin before I help you. No laughing at the witch."

  "I didn't know, really," said Kerna. "I just said it as I was despairing and the tunnel stopped. It worked for you didn't it?"

  "True," Hilda nodded as she looked around.

  They were in a cave. It wasn't very high, but quite wide, and it looked as if it went on forever from where they were standing. The red glow was everywhere, steady in some places, pulsating brightly in others.

  "Funny smell here," Hilda noticed, twitching her nose.

  "Do you have any idea what this place is?" Hilda looked around, to discover that the opening to the tunnel had disappeared. "Or how to get out?"

  Kerna shook her head. "No."

  "So am I right in assuming we're lost?"

  Kerna bit her lip. "Yes."

  Two cats struggled themselves free of the arms that held them and at their leisure wandered off. Hilda and Kerna stayed put and watched where the two black animals went.

  Grim and Obsi seemed to know something, as they both walked along the same line. Until they disappeared.

  "Crappedy crap!" two voices exclaimed.

  Hilda looked at Kerna. "Fast learner. I like you."

  "Where did they go?" Kerna asked, her eyes big.

  "I am not sure, but I am going after them. I want my cat back." Hilda started walking to where she had seen the two animals vanish.

  "Wait for me!" Kerna said, and rushed after the witch.

  Together they walked on and then they saw the cats again.

  "Suck an elf," Hilda commented.

  Kerna grinned.

  The witch turned and didn't see anything out of the ordinary. That was to say: she saw where they had come from. Reaching out, she tried to find some kind of magical wall they might have crossed without noticing, but she sensed nothing.

  "This is… strange," Hilda declared, which for her was quite a statement. She picked up Grimalkin. "And you, running off like that."

  "Meow," Grimalkin commented, as if that explained eve
rything.

  "Uhm, Hilda, is it just me or is it getting warm in here?" Kerna asked, picking up Obsi.

  Hilda stood still, sampling the air. "If it is just you then it is also just me. It is getting warm in here. Maybe this is a good moment to see how we can get out of this place."

  Together the women started walking towards the wall they were nearest too. That was as good a place to start as any. After careful examination of said wall, they decided that the red glowing rock was as good as any, except for the colour and the heat that came from it.

  "I want a cooler place," Kerna said.

  The wall seemed to radiate more warmth than it had done before.

  "Me too. It is getting too hot here."

  Hilda's words had just left her lips when a blue-white light shone from behind them. They turned and stared at a column of blue light that stood in the middle of the large cave.

  "That was not there before. I am sure of that." Hilda rubbed her nose. "What is this place? I would almost think there is magic going around here." The idea made her heart jump.

  The women walked towards the column, which emitted not only a cold light, but also physical cold.

  Hilda and Kerna walked back and forth a bit, but it was impossible to find a spot in the cave where the temperature was pleasant.

  "This is insane," Hilda muttered, "I feel like something is making a fool of us." Out of habit she flipped her hand, the way she used to do to make her wand appear. "I want a door, right there, and when we go through it we are back with William and Rebel and that silly captain of hers."

  "Uhhh…" was all that Kerna could say as the door appeared where Hilda wanted it.

  The thing just stood there, and they could walk around it to admire both sides.

  "Suck an elf," Kerna said as she touched the door. "It is made of