“The torch seems to be shrinking. Do we have anything to replace it with?”
“Nay, we will have to find something in the tunnels. Do keep your eyes open for anything useful. Without light the old man’s prediction may come true.”
Landon kept a continuous eye on the floor as they maneuvered though the tight corridors. At each turn Gavin carved a small arrow on the wall to indicate the way out. After a while, Landon lost track of how many turns and twists they had taken. A number of times the paths led them to dead ends, and the two were forced to retrace their steps. This became increasingly difficult due to the fading light from the torch. Finally, the light became so faint that Landon began to lose hope of any real excitement at all. He decided that this was the death Mavin warned against: to get lost in the tunnels and starve to death.
“We have been down here for hours and so far not a sound has been heard. Maybe we should return to our beds before the light dies out.” Just then Gavin turned and flashed a monstrous look at Landon. The long hours underground had obviously worn on him. He seemed determined to find something in the darkness.
“I will not turn back. I am going to find whatever is down here!” But with his last word, a great gust of wind swept through the cavern extinguishing the flame and leaving the two in utter silence and darkness. Immediate panic swept over Landon. In one moment, he was an adventurous explorer, the next he was lost underground in a cavern with a terror certain to be his doom. He was about to cry out in desperation when a thought occurred to him.
“There is no wind underground. Where did that draft come from?”
Gavin, who was sitting on the ground a few feet away, answered, “That is a grand question indeed. We should continue.”
“But how, we have no light.”
“Aye, that we do,” he said and sparked up a flame in his hand. Beneath the light was a stick covered in slime and cobwebs. Looking at it closer Landon realized what kind of stick Gavin held. It was the filthiest leg bone Landon had ever seen. In fact, it was the only human leg bone he had ever seen.
“Nice,” Landon quipped. “Where did you find it?”
“When the light went out, I fell to the floor. Luckily, I landed on this bone in the corner.”
“Knowing there is a human leg bone rotting down here, doesn’t exactly encourage me,” Landon said. Gavin remained quiet.
They rose to their feet and continued along the wall in the direction the gust came from until it ran into a giant stairway leading up. They decided to take the stairs hoping for answers. When they reached the top, the answer they received was their biggest surprise yet. They had to stop abruptly because the stairs led into a massive cavern as big as their eyes could see. Landon looked up and could see no roof, only black. He looked down with the same result. Across the giant chasm he made out small islands of rock spotted about randomly with bases extending into nothingness.
“This must be where the wind came from,” Landon muttered.
Gavin ignored him and found a large stone. He rolled it off of the edge. The two men listened for the sounds of the stone hitting the bottom. It never came. They looked about in vain for a way to go forward. There was what looked like a narrow ledge to their right, but half way across it had collapsed. Another option was to scale the cliff into the void, but that did not seem a promising prospect. Thus they could not find a way forward and decided to return to the tunnels. But a noise from deep below made them stop. At first the noise began as a low hum, barely noticeable except for the immense silence permeating the structure. Then it began to build into a much more distinct clamor. Landon stopped to turn his ear toward the chasm in an effort to determine from where and whom the sound emanated. Gavin strode back to the edge and peered down below to see something, anything, moving.
Suddenly, a tall island in the distance began to wobble as though it had lost its balance. Then, at the sound of a terrible crack, it toppled over disappearing into the black. Minutes later the entire floor shook from the force of its impact. Landon and Gavin looked at each other with excitement and fear, neither intent on staying but both determined to find an answer. Then another island toppled to the sound of a great crack. This one was nearer to them.
“Whatever this thing is, it’s getting closer,” Gavin said from the edge of the cliff with fear and a hint of insanity.
Then, unexpectedly, something flew out of the blackness beyond and struck Gavin in the back of the head causing him to lose consciousness instantly. Landon saw that unless he did something, Gavin would be lost to the chasm forever. He may not have loved the guy, but he certainly wasn’t sure he could continue without his assistance. Lithely he sprung from his position towards Gavin whose eyes rolled back into his head. Landon sprinted as fast as his legs would carry him determined to reach Gavin before it was too late. He raised his eyes to Gavin at the edge of the precipice and saw that it was a matter of seconds before Gavin and the light would be lost and he would be stranded. With his last bit of strength in his legs, Landon leapt forward reaching his hands out. At the last possible second he grasped Gavin as he fell over the edge. His entire body swung down with the weight of Gavin’s pulling him over the edge as well.
Landon dug his knees into the ground using them as a break to stop his advance over the cliff with Gavin. The scraping of his skin against the rock tore his flesh causing an intense pain radiating through his lower torso, but his actions were effective. He saved himself and Gavin from plummeting to their demise. He held on to Gavin’s leg with both hands as he slowly reeled himself back onto the ledge. Once Landon was securely on the ground, he began the slow, steady work of pulling his companion back on safe ground as well. The fact that Gavin was limp and unconscious as well as the searing pain in his legs made the job even harder. Inch by inch the two of them made their way from the black of the chasm onto sure footing. Finally, with one final surge of strength Landon pulled Gavin back scuttling away from the ledge as quickly as possible.
He laid Gavin against the steps and saw something that made him grimace. The back of Gavin’s head had a small cut that was bleeding and his hair was burned. Landon looked back toward the chasm. Whatever had struck Gavin and caused his fall had also caused the torch to be lost in the void when consciousness had slipped from him. Landon saved his escort, but failed to save the light that could lead him to safety. He tried to rouse Gavin, but it was no use. Landon sat down next to him, staring into the expanse, unsure of what to do next. Then, all of a sudden, the humming noise vanished and all was still. Landon sat quietly listening to the sound of his heart beating. He knew that if there was a light he was sure he wouldn’t want to see the damage to his knees. He leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes.
The next moment a ghastly bellow exuded from deep below. The voice sounded larger and more evil than anything Landon had ever heard. The voice grew louder and louder until it pierced his ears causing him to cover them and double over from the horrifying sound. Landon look about to see what was making the noise but still all he could see was black. Then slowly, almost indescribably at first, the blackness began to change.
Landon watched as the noise continued to grow louder and the black changed into a different color. Eventually he could see hues of red and orange intermixing with the black as the large room began to become brighter and brighter.
Unsure of what was happening all he could do was cover his ears and try to melt into the rock face. Minutes passed as the room began to glow and a warmth passed over Landon’s body. Suddenly, from over the edge of the cliff visible tongues of fire leapt into the air. They continued upward reaching into the ceiling high above as the heat in the room intensified. A being of immense heat and flame was rising to meet Landon and give him his death.
All Landon could do was crouch there, bent over in pain hoping the end would be swift. He watched the being rise higher and higher, and Landon wondered if its body ever had an end. He could feel the room grow hotter and hotter yet he never seemed to sweat. He tu
rned back toward Gavin and saw that in his sleep, Gavin began to sweat profusely. Confusion and dread poured over Landon.
The noise grew louder and louder until all at once the screech ended. Silence engulfed the room. But it was only brief for almost immediately it was followed by a horrendous voice. Landon wasn’t positive but it appeared to come from the flame creature floating in the chasm before him.
“You have breathed your last,” It hissed at him. “Death’s cold embrace shall wash over you.” Landon thought about the bandit he had killed and remembered how the man had shivered before his final breath. He imagined how cold death must feel and began to shiver himself. He wanted to stand before the creature but he was too afraid to. He sat back into the wall curled in a ball and closed his eyes. He imagined he was not in this dark place but rather back on his farm tending to his animals.
As the heat and light intensified, the being cast an explosion of fire at Landon. Landon could feel the flames all around him, burning his skin, melting his flesh. He could feel the intense pressure from the fire burning all of the oxygen from his lungs. He wanted to cry out in pain and anguish but he couldn’t. He pulled his legs tighter into himself, and prepared for the torment to end and the death that awaited him.
He could hear the creature continue to taunt him, but tried his best to ignore it. Eventually he lost the battle and the creature’s voice grew louder in his ears until all he could think about and see were images of death. He cried out in his mind, stop! But the demon creature continued to embattle him. He cried out again in his mind, stop it, please! But still the torment continued until finally he yelled in a loud voice, “Stop!” Immediately, the voice was silenced. Landon opened his eyes and saw that he was free from the conflagration. The flames spouting from the creature weren’t as big as they had been only a minute before. He also noticed that his skin and clothes were fine. There was no trace of the fire that had been consuming him. The creature looked confused.
Landon looked at the fire and said again, but calmly this time,” Stop.” The tongues of fire folded back into the demon. Landon stood with more confidence. “Go back to where you came!” he commanded, and obediently the evil entity lowered itself down into the darkness. Feeling ever so confident and beginning to understand that he held some authority over whatever this creature was he followed with, “Return never again to this place.” The creature let out a sad squeal then disappeared rapidly into the void. Landon stood in the darkness unsure of what had transpired. He tried to understand, but nothing made sense.
Then, he heard a noise coming from Gavin’s direction. He turned to see then remembered it was too dark. He called out, “Gavin, are you alright.” No response. He called out again, “Gavin.” This time he was answered. But instead of Gavin’s voice, he was greeted by a wild eyed man holding a torch running up the steps to his location. It was Mavin. Landon recoiled not sure what the man was going to do. Mavin stopped in front of him and looked Landon square in the eye. He stood there for a long minute before saying, “Food, Life, Water, Death.”
Landon was bewildered. This man had just uttered the words on his ring. Landon stood before him confused and angered. He remembered the strange incident in the chamber when Mavin seemed to be examining him. He wondered how he had seen the inscription. Then it occurred to him. Everything he had experienced until this day flashed through his mind. The fire at the farm, the fire at Adela’s on the edge of the forest, and now his command over this fire creature from the deep. It all fell into place. All three of these events had one thing in common.
“Fire,” Landon returned. That’s the answer to the riddle is it not?”
“We must away,” Mavin said. “We have many things to discuss.” Agreeing, Landon walked over to Gavin and hoisted him onto his shoulders. Mavin took the lead as they dashed back to the shelter.
Chapter Fourteen
Unmasked Conspiracies
Back in the chamber Landon laid Gavin on his bed and shut the door so he and Mavin could speak privately. Mavin moved over to his chair in the center of the room and motioned for Landon to sit opposite him. For a few moments they sat in awkward silence waiting for the other to speak first. As Mavin sat silently, he watched Landon intently. His eyes were unflinching. Landon felt his cold stare burn into him. Feeling guilty, he broke the silence.
“We should not have entered the tunnels as you forbade. I apologize.” Mavin sat stone-faced continuing his hard gaze. Landon sat in his chair uneasily. He decided to try again. “What was that creature anyway?” Landon asked slowly. Still he received no response except from those piercing gray eyes. Feeling defeated, and as though he were about to be sent to his room, he looked down at the ring on his hand; his father’s ring engraved with a riddle. The answer to the riddle was fire. But now there was a plethora of new questions. Why fire? Does that have significance? Is it a clue to some other truth? These questions and others made Landon wish desperately that Godfrey with all of his knowledge was here guiding him. He needed someone familiar right now. Instead he was stuck with a crazy coot and an unconscious egomaniac. He spun the ring around on his finger while entertaining these thoughts.
“Food, life, water, Death,” Mavin said calmly. “It is inscribed in your ring is it not?”
“How could you possibly know that?” Landon said with curiosity and indignation.
“I am a keeper of knowledge of many things. And I know exactly what lies upon your finger. You see, tonight was a test. I knew full well that if you were who I thought you were, you would never have stayed away from the tunnels. The Son of Jediael could never let that opportunity slip away; he could never ignore the curiosity.”
“Excuse me, sir! I find it quite unreasonable for you to sit there in mystery expanding on truths about me when I know not who you are.”
“I have lived alone for these many years thus I have gotten used to mystery and have forgotten my manners. Earlier I mentioned my name was Mavin. Forgive me, but that was a lie. In truth, it is Aldous.”
“Aldous? Aldous the Wise from Ellington?!”
“Aye, that is me.”
“Then, in truth, you are the man I have been seeking!” Landon said excitedly.
“Indeed, I used to be an important figure in Ellington atop the mountain. However, my . . . er . . . hobbies, have run into conflict with the present authorities, and I am now forced to live underground.”
“By ‘hobbies’ you mean your study of science?”
“Your skills of observation rival your father’s. Correct, I am a scientist, and the Sovereign does not take lightly to that. In fact, can you recall the last time you ever met a scientist?”
“You would be the first,” Landon said after stopping to think.
“As is expected. Many years ago we were forced to cease our inquiries or face the gallows. Many of us chose the former, but I refused. At first, the authorities were afraid to arrest me because of my high standing in the city and the many lives I had saved, but eventually Elton came to power. He wanted a way to establish his legacy as well as look great before the other Lords, so he ordered my arrest. However, I had many people in the city who were loyal to me and alerted me of the danger. I packed what I could and left town. There was a shack at the base of the mountain that a peasant family lived in ages ago. I rebuilt it and lived in it, changing my name so none could find me. I practiced my science in secret but knew that one day I would be found. So, I built these tunnels and caverns.”
“Wait, you built all of this by yourself?”
“Science, my dear boy, it can do wonders.”
“And, yet, it is forbidden.”
“That is a story for another time. Suffice it to say, it is an unknown, and people fear the unknown.”
“How did Gavin know you lived here?” Landon asked.
“I aided him long ago. One day, a young man appeared at the shack requesting assistance. He had been pierced through the arm with a sword and he was slowly bleeding to death. I was above ground gathering supp
lies when I found him staggering about. As I reached him, he fainted in my arms, and I pulled him underground with me. I healed his injuries, and after a few weeks, he went on about his way. I left a secret mark for him in the door of the shack and told him that if he ever needed my aid again, to retrieve it.”
“You must know that Gavin now works for Lord Malchus. If he knew who you really were, your life would be in grave danger.”
“I am aware of that fact,” Aldous said coolly. Landon paused to remember why Gavin was sent with him in the first place.
“Malchus said he wanted me to discover the ring’s power, but I have always suspected an ulterior motive. Malchus knew I was searching for answers and forced me to ride with Gavin to find you. He must have wanted Gavin to bring you back with us to be hanged. We cannot linger. We must away!”
“And where would we go? All of my life is here. I have spent enough of my life running and hiding just to do it all over again. Gavin is lying in the next room unconscious, and as far as he knows my name is Mavin. Besides, down here is the best place to refine your skill. There will be others, and we must be ready for them.”
“Others?” Landon asked confused.
“Aye, other enemies who we, or you, must stand against. You must be prepared.”
Settling down Landon agreed to keep the secret between them, but he still had more questions. “You still have not answered my first question, then. What was that creature in the cavern?”
“The easiest answer is that it is a demon from ages past whose name is unpronounceable. Long did it inhabit the mountain bringing destruction and death upon the village of Ellington. After the successful completion of the cap, the demon unleashed its full fury upon the villagers, but the ingenious creation stifled the blow resulting in only destruction of the mountain itself.”
The Awakening (The Stones of Revenge) Page 14
