As Dayn stared into Alicine’s tearing eyes, it occurred to him that she was not a demon, so how could he even consider taking her into the cave with him? The creatures might be willing to accept him, but what of her? “You have to go back,” he said.
“No. If you’re not coming with me, then I’m going with you,” she said.
“It’s too dangerous. I don’t know what I’m going to find in there and I won’t risk you getting hurt. You don’t belong in there.”
“Well, you don’t belong in there either, Dayn.”
“Yes, I do—”
“No,” she interrupted, “you don’t. Regardless, I’ll be going with you.” She placed her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes into tiny slits. Dayn knew only too well what that meant.
“Listen,” she continued, “you can go on in there by yourself if you want to, but I’ll just follow you.”
And Dayn knew she would, too. As much as he didn’t want his sister going into the cave with him, or back alone, he wanted to return home with her even less. It occurred to him that in the past Alicine had always come to his defense, but never he to hers. Maybe it was time he became the man he had always wanted to be. Maybe with his own kind he wouldn’t be so afraid anymore. He clenched his jaw. If she insisted on coming, so be it. And if the demons dared threaten her, he would make them sorry they’d ever been born.
“Come on then,” he said, yanking the reins from her hand. “But the horse stays.”
They took the water pouch and food bag and released the horse to graze. They didn’t know how long they would be gone and did not expect the animal to be there when they returned. But there was no sense in taking a horse into a cave, and if they weren’t able to make it back, it wouldn’t have been right to tether it.
They headed across the clearing, then through the brambles and down the hill toward the cave. As they drew nearer, moss-covered stones could be seen slanting toward the cave in a semi-circular pattern. Dayn and Alicine wound their way down and in between them, and after a time reached the base of the hill. There they stopped and quietly surveyed the area that stretched across the mouth of the cavern. As Dayn recalled the stony benches at their backs, it occurred to him that the place was an amphitheater of old. There was one similar to it in the hills of Kirador, mostly used for religious purposes. Who could have constructed this one? Surely not the Kiradyns who dared not venture to this place. But then again, evidence of them was all around. There were chimes everywhere, clinging to the surrounding trees and shrubs. They were old, many lying on the ground, broken and scattered, others barely clinging to the branches, but the chimes were obviously Kiradyn.
Dayn stared into the cave’s mouth, the musty stench of it assailing his nostrils. He shivered; even his coat could not protect him from its chill. It was hard to believe he had come from such a place, but he would never know for sure if he didn’t venture in. He took a bold step toward it.
“Dayn, wait. It’s too dark to go in there without some kind of light,” Alicine said.
“Oh, I didn’t think—”
“Think what? That we would need some light? What do you think demons do, glow in the dark? I don’t recall you ever keeping me up at night with your radiance.”
Dayn’s face went hot. “Well, I don’t know exactly what demons do, now do I!” he said. “It’s not as if I was raised by them.” But then he wondered if a demon would steal a baby from its mother and not tell it the truth its whole life.
Alicine stood quietly for a moment, then her face lit with a flash of inspiration. “I think there’s something in the bag with the food.” She grabbed the bag, then set it on the ground and rummaged through it. Pulling out an amber bottle, she stretched her mouth into a victorious grin.
“Look. Herbal oil. For the bread,” she said.
At first Dayn thought his sister had lost her good sense, but then he realized the oil could be used for fuel. He scrambled about, looking for some firestone, bits of kindling, and a branch sturdy enough to fashion a torch. He eyed Alicine’s skirt regretfully.
“We’ll need some cloth,” he said.
Alicine nodded and lifted the hem of her skirt, then ripped strips from her petticoat. “Fine,” she said, “but not the dress.” She handed him the cloth.
Dayn wound the ruffle around the stick, tucked bits of grass and twig between it, and poured on some of the oil. Then he set about starting a fire.
“What about your feet?” Alicine asked.
“What about them? Drat!” He scowled, both at the reminder of his feet and the stones he was striking together with little success.
Alicine glanced toward the path that led down into the cavern. “It looks rocky in there and—”
“Ah-hah!” Dayn exclaimed as a tiny flame leaped from the kindling. He lit the petticoat wick and held the torch up, grinning.
“You’re going to have to put your boots back on, you know. Where are your socks?” Alicine asked.
“Soaked, and tucked in my equally soaked boots.”
“Here.” Alicine reached down and pulled more strips from her petticoat. “Sit. Let’s see what we can do about wrapping your feet.”
Dayn sat down on a boulder, wriggling to get comfortable, and stretched his long legs in front of him. Alicine frowned at his feet and wiped them with a strip of the material, then went about wrapping them with the remainder.
“Well, it’s not as good as warm, dry socks, but at least you should be able to put your boots back on,” she said.
“Let’s not use up that petticoat too soon. We’ll need to save it for the torch later. I’d sure hate to have to start using that dress of yours.”
“Oh, no, the dress is off limits. Maybe we’ll just have to start using some of that coat of yours instead.”
Dayn clutched the coat with his free hand and shook his head. “I’m never taking this coat off again.” He laughed and pulled the boots from around his neck.
The area that led into the cavern was rocky and slick with the excrement of birds or some such creature, but improved the further in they went. They picked their way down a spiraling path until they stopped before a bend that would take them from the light altogether.
Dayn held the torch out in front of him with a shaky hand and looked longingly at the sunlight that was disappearing at their backs. He hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath. Grabbing Alicine’s hand, he squeezed it tight and pulled her into the darkness.
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Chapter 10: Faces in the Dark
Dayn and Alicine approached yet another bend and cautiously slowed their pace. The path descending into the cavern had thus far led them to many sharp turns, and with each one it had been difficult to tell what lay beyond. Dayn held out the torch and peered around the next corner. Other than that which was illuminated by torchlight, he could make out little else in the darkness. He held his breath and listened for any sign of movement, but all he could hear was the melancholy drip of water nearby and a strange droning noise somewhere in the distance. He took a hesitant step, motioning for Alicine to follow.
They continued on, startled by the occasional sound of a wayward pebble, jumping at shadows that seemed to lung out of nowhere. The droning grew louder and louder, until at last the sound of it became almost deafening. Dayn kept the torch extended, his eyes trained on the farthest reaches of the light. The pathway before them was narrow and slick with moisture, but appeared to widen further up.
They stepped gingerly along until at last they found themselves standing before a large chamber. They had come across many prior to this one, but the sameness of the rooms had become almost predictable. This space, however, held more than the usual milky pools and spiraling rocks; a rush of gray-green water could be seen plunging down an embankment on the far side of it. As they walked toward the falls, a gentle mist settled on their faces, but the power of the water itself seemed to vibrate through their bones.
“Why, it’s an underground river,” Dayn
said loud enough to be heard over the roar. He reached a hand into the water, then snatched it back. “It’s freezing; probably melted snow from the mountaintop.” He smiled and turned his gaze to Alicine, but she didn’t look particularly impressed.
“It probably connects with the river back home,” Dayn said. “You know, like a lifeline.”
Alicine’s expression brightened. “So if we follow it, it will take us back to Kirador?”
“Yes. Well, maybe.” Dayn ran his eyes along the shoreline in both directions. If they followed the river to the left, it would lead them upward, but if they followed it to the right, the direction the water was flowing, they would end up facing a wall of rock where it plunged into an opening beneath.
“We’ll have to go this way,” Dayn said, nodding to the left.
Alicine sighed, clearly disappointed that they would not be following the river out.
They trudged up the shoreline, occasionally slipping on the steep wet trail. After some time, the ground became more level and the path easier to traverse. The river skipped in and out of the rocks, then eventually disappeared altogether. They continued in the same direction, but the course of the trek seemed monotonous without the river to guide them. Their surroundings were brown and dull, and there were few landmarks to mark the way back.
“How do we know we’re going in the right direction?” Alicine asked. “And what is it we’re looking for exactly?”
Dayn glanced at her and felt his insides squirm. Alicine had always been afraid of the dark, even to the point of climbing into bed with him when she was little and bad dreams invaded her sleep. Now here she was stumbling around with him in the bowels of a cave.
“I don’t think it will be much further,” he said, trying to sound optimistic. But in reality he was worried they might never find their way out.
“Let’s go back,” Alicine said. “What if we keep going and don’t find anything? What if we get lost and never find our way home? What if we end up in here forever?” She grabbed his sleeve and attempted to tug him in the other direction. “What about food and light? Dayn, please. This torch won’t last.”
“It can’t be much further. It can’t. Listen, if we don’t come across something soon, we’ll go back. I promise.” But he hated making her that promise. To go back would mean returning to a life of lies and loneliness. He felt a renewed determination to press forward. What he saw next validated it.
He rushed to a nearby wall and ran his fingers along it. “Look,” he cried. “Runes!”
Alicine stared at the spot where Dayn had moved the torch. They glanced at each other in surprise. The runes were clearly Kiradyn.
“What does it say? Can you read it?” Alicine asked. She raised up on tiptoes and craned her neck for a better look.
“Rejoice,” Dayn said. “It says ‘rejoice’.”
“What is there to rejoice about in this place?”
Dayn frowned. Surely if he were from this place there was something to rejoice about.
As they continued on, Dayn was pleased to find more runes, no doubt written to mark the way. But the path didn’t need marking as there wasn’t much choice in the matter. The few times there appeared to be an alternate path, they quickly found themselves blocked. More runes appeared, and Dayn felt certain they were headed in the right direction. The messages always put them back on course. So far the runes had said “rejoice”, “heart”, and “spirit.” Dayn continued his search. He was anxious to complete the message that would surely lead them to their destination. But he soon found himself disappointed.
A wall of jumbled rocks towered before them. Dayn pushed a hand against it, but it did not budge. “Now what are we going to do?” he grumbled. He handed Alicine the torch and pushed again, both hands this time, desperately and with great effort. Hope of finding any evidence of demons or of his real mother became fleeting. He pushed again and again, grunting and kicking, but it was no use.
Alicine watched mutely, then spoke in a hesitant voice. “Maybe we should go back.”
“There has to be another way,” Dayn said, inspecting the wall again. “Maybe we just missed it.”
“Maybe,” Alicine said, “but—”
Dayn didn’t wait for any more opinions from his sister. He turned and brushed past her, taking the torch from her as he passed. Making his way back toward the last rune they had seen, he muttered to himself. Perhaps there had been a turn in the path somewhere, he reasoned. It had been a while since they had located the last message, and the two before that had been spaced fairly close together. That was it. They’d missed the turn. They had gone too far.
Dayn retraced the corridor carefully, searching for a missed rune or even the tiniest crack in the rocks which could lead them down another path. Then he sprinted forward. “Look, Alicine! Another message—here! We must’ve missed it!” He raised the torch closer to the spot on the wall where another rune could be seen etched into the rock. “Dag—Dag—Daghadar?”
“Rejoice, heart, spirit, Daghadar?” Alicine said. “What does it mean?”
“I don’t know, but look—a passage! We missed it. I knew it. We missed it.”
Dayn wormed into the narrow space between the rocks. Alicine followed. Once through, the path widened and the grade began to descend more steeply. Before long their feet were moving one in front of the other without any effort at all.
The foul stench of sulfur hit their nostrils. They each raised a hand to cover their noses. The air, noticeably warmer, wrapped them in a sticky mist that beaded against their skin. Everything was wet and slick; even the path oozed with slime. Dayn stopped, throwing out an arm to block Alicine’s advance, and swept his eyes over the room. The chamber where they stood was large and dank. Hissing coils of putrid steam rose from gaping pits in the ground.
Dayn lowered the torch and waved it back and forth at his feet.
“What are those?” Alicine asked, pointing at the pools that bubbled around them like cauldrons.
Dayn did not respond, horrified by the realization that they must be near the place where the demons lived. He shivered, what little nerve he had dissolving. Taking Alicine by the shoulders, he spun her to face the corridor from which they had come.
“We’re going back,” he said.
They took a step toward the exit, but a sudden rumble brought Alicine to her knees. She screamed and grabbed Dayn’s coat. He reached for her, but a strange noise diverted his attention to the ceiling. A dark shape could be seen rippling along it, rising and falling like a great black canopy blowing in an underground wind. Dayn blinked and wondered whether his eyes were deceiving him. But before he could ponder it further, or deny its existence altogether, the canopy took sudden flight and descended upon them in a screeching, swirling vortex of wings and claws.
Alicine screamed and covered her head with her arms. Dayn yanked her up and waved the torch over his head. He half-pushed, half-threw her forward, but the creatures that whirled and shrieked around them had blocked the way. Spinning his sister in the other direction, Dayn pushed her again. He knew it would be a further retreat this way, but there was a dark crevice up ahead; maybe it could offer a hiding place until the fury subsided. He risked a glance behind them, then took a misstep and slipped. The torch dropped into the wetness. Its flame hissed and sputtered, but managed to stay lit. Dayn retrieved it and pushed himself up, then grabbed hold of Alicine, who was twirling, waving, and screaming. They fled past the belching fumes and headed for the space between the rocks. It was barely visible in the distance, but it at least held the hope of sanctuary, if they could just get past the living nightmare that filled the room.
The corridor beyond the crack was narrow, and at first Dayn feared he might not fit into it. He pushed Alicine in and twisted his body behind her, sucking in his stomach and lifting his arms. The flames of the torch crackled and cast distorted shadows in the passageway. Dayn and Alicine made their way through as quickly as they were able, stopping only when they were confident t
he creatures had abandoned their pursuit.
Dayn leaned against the wall of the tunnel, his rapid breathing echoing that of his sister. “Keep going,” he said, his voice trembling almost as much as his hand.
“But Dayn, it’s too narrow.” Alicine glanced between her brother and the walls that seemed to converge upon him.
“Keep going,” he commanded.
They made their way laboriously along, Alicine now with torch in hand, leading the way. Dayn scooted along behind her, his body at times forced to turn sideways. The corridor narrowed and widened, then narrowed again. The walls continued to test him, forcing him to squeeze in his gut as his chest and back scraped along. At times he felt panic squeeze his heart as if a cruel hand had reached inside of him. Then he would become nauseated and his body would break into a cold sweat. But he never spoke a word of it.
A surprisingly cool breeze wafted through the passageway, teasing Dayn’s hair as well as his spirits. Alicine turned and smiled, an expression of relief replacing her once frightened visage. She increased her pace, her tiny frame able to move between the walls with ease. Dayn struggled behind her, grumbling about the decreasing light from the torch now moving away in the hand of his sister.
He reached the end of the corridor and found himself beside Alicine, standing atop a rocky outcrop that overlooked a massive chamber. But this chamber was unlike any they had seen before. The span of the place was so vast it could have almost housed all of Kiradyn.
“Is this it?” Alicine whispered.
“I don’t know,” Dayn said, but in his heart he knew it must be. There could be no grander place than this.
The great chamber was illuminated in a gold-green light, as though lit by a thousand tiny candles encased in emerald glass. The strange lichen and shiny mosses that coated the walls radiated a brightness all their own, and the glow of a hauntingly green pool added to the mysterious aura of the place. Across the distance, a thundering waterfall plummeted down a towering wall of stone and plunged into the pool. The pool spilled over its banks at either end and tumbled through a maze of boulders as it rushed out opposite sides of the chamber. The waters, it seemed, had not abandoned them.
Souls of Aredyrah 1 - The Fire and the Light Page 12
