Volcrian's Hunt (The Cat's Eye Chronicles)

by Shreffler, T. L.

  Sora released Laina's hand. “Of course I will,” she said, inwardly relieved. Laina's own explanation was ironically close to the truth. She tousled the girl's short hair. “Let's find a way out of these caves, shall we? I'm starting to miss fresh air.”

  Burn nodded. “Agreed. Do we know the way out?”

  She caught his look and touched her necklace, asking for a direction. She waited. The stone seemed preoccupied, buzzing about in excitement, chattering against her thoughts. She forced herself to concentrate. Finally, she pointed to their left, across the cavern to its opposite side. “There,” she said.

  They started in that direction. Sora walked in front, Laina beside her, with Crash and Burn bringing up the rear.

  As they walked, she noticed Laina's eyes lingering on the Cat's-Eye stones. The girl finally let out a low whistle. “I bet these gems are worth a fortune,” she muttered. “I wonder if we can pry a few out.”

  “Don't,” Sora replied, and caught Laina's hand as she went to touch the stones. “They'll bond to you.”

  Laina looked at her quizzically, then brightened. “Cat's Eye!” she exclaimed. She looked back at the veins of rock. “I didn't recognize them at first. Why not take one for myself? Then I'd have a necklace like yours. We'd both have protection.” She reached out her hand again.

  Sora kept a firm grip on the girl's wrist. Honestly, she didn't know what to say. “The stones are dangerous,” she tried to explain. “They'll bond to your mind. If you touch one, you can't reverse it...Trust me. Keep your hands down.”

  Laina had a stubborn look on her face that meant trouble. Sora hoped the girl would listen. She released her wrist, but kept a close eye on her.

  They continued to walk and Sora's thoughts traveled forward to what might happen once they left the caves. They would arrive at the Lost Isles—and Harpy territory. With any luck, Volcrian would arrive within a few weeks' time, having followed them across the ocean. She was certain he would come. He had already devastated the mainland with his hunt for vengeance; he wouldn't let an overseas voyage get in his way. Then there was the matter of the Harpy's sacred stone circle. How would they pin him down to the rocks? How powerful had his magic become? And what if, somehow, her Cat's Eye was destroyed in the fight?

  Her eyes roved around the cave again. What if...what if she took one of the stones with her? There was no rule saying she had to use her own. Up to this point it had been her only option, but what if she could remove one of the stones without touching it? Wrap it in a cloth, tuck it into her pocket until the time was right. It would be a risky affair...but worth it, if it kept her from having to sacrifice her own necklace...and possibly her life.

  They continued to walk for a while longer until Laina finally groaned. “My feet ache,” she said. “Can we rest for a bit?”

  “Just five minutes,” Sora said, glancing around the cavern. They were next to an unusually large mound of Cat's Eye; an ideal opportunity. She stopped the group and made a show of stretching her arms and neck. Burn set down his bag and Crash knelt on his heels, resting.

  The pillar of Cat's Eye jutted above their heads. Bright orange stones protruded from it at odd angles, like overripe berries waiting to burst. Sora wandered to its opposite side until she was almost out of sight. Then she bent close to the ground.

  She quietly took out one of her daggers. She carefully wedged the blade underneath a small stone, putting force against the hilt, prying it outward. She held her breath. It was a risky thing to do—she already bore a Cat's Eye, and didn't want to mix energies. She had to avoid direct contact.

  Yet no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't quite dislodge it. She needed more leverage—more strength.

  “What are you doing?” Crash asked from above her.

  She looked up, not having heard his approach. Then she glanced around for Laina. The girl was standing several paces away, her back turned. “Quickly,” she said. “Help me pry this off!”

  Crash studied her for a moment, then the stone. She saw his thoughts pass behind his eyes. It didn't take long for him to understand her reasoning. He simply nodded, then knelt down and took the dagger from her hand. With a short, firm thrust, he dug the knife under the stone and pulled outward, forcing it from the rock.

  After a long moment, the stone came loose with an audible pop! It fell to the floor, a speck of bright orange against the white sand. Crash quickly tore a strip of cloth from the bottom of his pant leg and picked up the stone, folding it into a square. He handed her the small bundle. “Be careful,” he said, and searched her eyes briefly.

  She smiled. “That's the idea. This little stone might just save our lives.” Then she tucked it into her pocket and climbed back to her feet.

  At that moment, Burn poked his head around the corner. “Are you two quite finished?” he asked, glancing back and forth between them. A strange grin lingered on his face. “We should continue.”

  Sora quickly stepped away from Crash, wondering at Burn's look. She scowled at the Wolfy and sheathed her daggers. “Of course,” she said.

  Burn continued to grin, but she walked away from him up the path. She would wait to tell him about the Cat's Eye—at least until they were out of the caves. She didn't want Laina overhearing, then trying to take one of her own.

  They traveled for a while longer. After about twenty minutes, Burn came to a halt. He turned, staring behind them, his ears flicking distractedly. Sora stopped as well and tried to see what he was looking at, but the shelves of stone were too high.

  Finally he said, “The wall of the cave is moving.”

  Sora's hands grew clammy. “What do you mean?” she asked.

  “Strange,” he murmured. “It looks like a reflection of some kind....” Then his voice dropped a notch. “Something's coming through the wall of the cave.”

  “Something?” Sora asked. A chill ran across her skin. She knew immediately what it was, but she didn't want to believe it. “What does it look like?”

  “Like...like a big white beast,” Burn replied.

  “A beast?” Laina asked skeptically.

  Then Sora heard it—a long, wailing howl that started low in the chest, like a rumbling avalanche, and ended in a shriek. Her muscles locked. She was terror-struck.

  Suddenly Crash was behind her, shoving her forward, drawing his sword. “Go!” he said, and pointed toward the far end of the cavern. They were halfway across—still a long way to run. “Find another tunnel. Get out of here!”

  Sora tripped forward. She pulled out her daggers, whirling to face him, digging in her feet. “No!” she exclaimed. “If you're going to fight, then I'm standing with you!”

  “Take Laina,” Burn ordered. “Make sure she's safe.”

  That changed things. With a resigned breath, Sora sheathed her daggers and grabbed Laina's hand. “Come on!” she yelled, and they took off running. Crash and Burn followed them at a slower pace, their weapons held at ready.

  Sora tried to listen through the howls, wondering how close the beast was, but the noise echoed forcefully from the walls, turning one voice into a hundred. It was deafening. She put on a renewed burst of speed, Laina sprinting beside her.

  After a minute, she could make out a tunnel in the wall ahead of them. Its darkness caught her eye, carved from solid rock, not the bright sunstone of the caverns; possibly an exit. She had a feeling that the monster wouldn't be able to follow them through it. The beast seemed tied to the sunstone—imprisoned by it, perhaps, to keep trespassers out.

  She dragged Laina down a side path, through a narrow strip of Cat's-Eye shelves. They were inches away from brushing up against the stones, and had to turn sideways to pass, raising their arms. Crash and Burn paused behind them, looking through the gap.

  “We can't fit,” Burn said. “Come on, this way.” The Wolfy turned in a quick circle, peering over the rocks for an alternative route. Then he nodded. The men ran in another direction, taking the path forward.

  Sora and Laina cleared the n
arrow stretch, just as a long howl issued from behind them, shockingly close. The sound sucked away her breath. Sora glanced over her shoulder, horrified, to see a white glow hurling through the cavern. The beast wasn't chasing after the men. No, it was coming after her and Laina. Goddess!

  Only one possibility presented itself. She shoved Laina forward, pointing at the mouth of the darkened cave. “Go!” she yelled. “Keep running!”

  “What are you going to do?” Laina demanded, stumbling in front of her.

  “I'm going to lead it away. Just stay inside that tunnel!” And Sora ducked down an opposite path, running away from the exit. What are you doing? her thoughts screamed at her. This is a very bad idea! It went against every bone in her body, but she had to draw the beast away from Laina. She had to protect her. The creature was made of magic—she didn't think it could be killed, which meant her Cat's Eye would be their only defense. Again. She cursed the necklace silently, wishing that she had never worn it—that it didn't have to be such a terrible burden.

  She darted down another corridor of stone, weaving among the mounds of Cat's Eye. The howls picked up; she could hear the thrum of giant paws, its massive weight hitting the ground. The beast kept to the narrow path between the Cat's-Eye stones, which slowed it down. That gave Sora a sense of hope. Perhaps it wasn't immune to the stone's power. Perhaps she had a chance.

  Then the monster leapt over a ridge of stone and landed directly in front of her, blocking her way forward. Sora screamed and fell, sliding across the slick floor, sand flying up in her wake. A massive paw swiped just inches above her head. She narrowly missed the bristling quills of the beast's mane.

  Then suddenly she was on the opposite side of it, stumbling to her feet, still running. She found a path that seemed to circle back to the granite tunnel. She couldn't be certain, but she dodged down it anyway, the garrolithe only a few meters behind. The narrow rock shelves kept the creature at bay. It couldn't leap over them and couldn't push through them, so kept to the rear.

  Then, suddenly, a dead end.

  Sora's jaw dropped. She came to a skidding halt. A ledge of sunstone stood before her, the wall of the cavern, tall and impenetrable. There wasn't enough time to climb it. She drew her staff and whirled around, bracing herself. A second later, the garrolithe appeared. Its breath rose in clouds of mist. It barreled toward her, charging between the Cat's-Eye shelves. There was nothing she could do. The beast lunged, flying at her, its mouth wide enough to swallow her whole.

  Sora screamed, falling back, the sound ripping from her throat. “No!” she yelled in panic and grabbed her Cat's-Eye necklace, forgetting her staff.

  Flash!

  Instantly, a brilliant green light blasted outward, different from what she had expected. Usually the necklace encased her in a dome of protection, but this time it was on the assault. The energy spread out in a wave. The beast roared, a sound that shook the caverns, billowing up sand from the floor. Sora was stunned by the sound, as though she had been struck by a battering ram. She fell back against the sunstone wall, paralyzed.

  A rope of green energy wrapped around the beast like a noose, dragging it forward, into the necklace. The garrolithe screamed again, enough to make her bones ache. In seconds it would slam into her, knocking her into the wall, perhaps killing her from the force. She braced herself, panic-stricken, waiting to be crushed.

  The green light flashed again. The garrolithe's jaws were inches away....

  And then, suddenly...it was gone.

  A gale-force wind struck Sora's body. She slammed back against the wall. Something heavy and solid impacted her chest, a phantom of the beast's energy. Then a great weight bore down on her Cat's Eye, making her neck ache. She remained pinned against the wall, unable to move, but the garrolithe had disappeared. All that remained was gusting sand and the echo of its horrible howl.

  Had the Cat's Eye...taken it? Absorbed it? What happened?

  After a long moment, the caves were reclaimed by silence. Sora slid to the ground, panting, still unable to move. She closed her eyes and held her necklace tightly, her heart thudding in her chest, the air wheezing in her lungs. She forced herself to breathe.

  Suddenly, she heard the pounding of feet. Crash and Burn rounded the stone corridor, dashing toward her, their weapons drawn. They looked ready for battle, their lips firm and eyes hard.

  Shock registered on their faces when they saw her. Burn skidded to a stop, quickly assessing their position, then whirled around. “Where is it?” he demanded. He swung his greatsword in an easy arc, whirling it through the air. “Where is the beast?”

  Crash ran to her side, kneeling down, touching her wrist. “Are you injured?”

  Sora wasn't sure how to respond to that. Physically? No, she was fine. And yet her Cat's Eye kept spinning through her mind, monopolizing her thoughts, bucking and rolling, as though somewhere deep inside it was still battling the monster. She felt sick and dizzy, overwhelmed. She could only shake her head, the words stuck in her throat.

  Crash frowned. Then he grabbed her arms and pulled her to her feet. Sora staggered forward and almost vomited; her stomach churned, her throat retched, but there was nothing to throw up. She coughed instead, struggling to control her lungs.

  “What happened?” Crash asked. He kept a firm hold on her arm, her balance unstable, as though she stood aboard a ship at sea.

  “My necklace,” she finally gasped. “I think...the beast is gone.”

  “Let's not take any chances,” Burn said immediately, still searching the caverns with a keen eye. He turned and grabbed Sora with one arm, lifting her off her feet and slinging her easily over his shoulder. Then he started back down the path they had followed, setting a fast pace. His greatsword remained in his left hand, ready for a fight.

  Sora didn't blame them for being cautious. Although the monster had been taken by the Cat's Eye, she didn't feel that it was truly gone. The beast's power still clung to the caves, resonating from the stones. She felt sickened.

  A minute later, they reached the granite tunnel where Laina awaited, curled up on the ground, her knees tucked to her chest. She was visibly shaking. When she saw Sora, she stood up, wide-eyed and wordless. Crash passed by her brusquely, barely sparing her a glance. Burn paused next to her and lowered Sora to her feet. He searched the caverns one last time, then slowly sheathed his sword.

  “This looks like an exit,” Crash said, drawing their attention. “Let's get out of here.”

  Sora couldn't agree more.

  Shaken and hesitant, the four started up the long, rocky tunnel. It was pitch black, carved through hard granite. The path turned to the left, then sloped upward, cutting through the rocks. As they walked, the glow of the sunstone was soon lost behind them.

  “Sora,” Crash said suddenly. “Give me your staff.”

  She slung the weapon from her shoulder and held it out to him, unsure of what he intended. Then she heard the end of the staff knocking against the ground; Crash was testing the floor of the shaft for weaknesses. They continued forward, Crash checking the path, searching for crevices or holes. Sora took Laina's hand, then Burn's, not wanting to lose them in the darkness.

  In this fashion, they continued steadily upward, moving as swiftly as possible. The caves grew cold and moist; the chill of the deep earth. The energy of the sunstones drained out of her, reminding her that she hadn't eaten in days, hadn't drunk any water, hadn't slept. She began to stumble over unseen rocks, unexpected dips in the ground. Her body grew heavier and heavier as they walked. It became difficult to keep up with the men; Laina was dragging her down, similarly affected.

  No one spoke. As time stretched on, Sora found herself growing nervous. She couldn't guess at the path ahead—what if it narrowed down to a small tunnel and they had to crawl their way through? What if animals lived here, hidden in the blackness? Bats or underground snakes? It seemed that all of her senses were heightened. She heard every shift of stone, each crunch of a footstep, every tap, tap, tap
of her staff against the ground.

  Then, suddenly, Sora heard water. She stopped in her tracks, causing Laina and Burn to stop too. The sound was still distant, but it wasn't like a mere trickle or stream. No, it was like the rushing currents of a mighty river.

  “Crash?” she asked hesitantly.

  “This way,” his voice answered from the darkness. “We're not far now.” She realized, suddenly, that he could probably see quite well, and the staff was really for their own benefit. Some of the tension loosened from her shoulders.

  The thought of seeing true daylight again lent fuel to her steps. Her skin prickled in anticipation. The water increased in volume until it echoed from the walls of the cave, encasing them in a rush of sound.

  Finally, she saw a dot of light on the horizon. She blinked against its brightness, hardly able to believe her eyes. Light. Real, natural daylight. She resisted the urge to run forward, to chase after the sun until she caught it.

  Moss grew on the rocks around them, clinging to the damp walls. Moisture made the air heavy, sweet and refreshingly cool. As they neared the mouth of the cave, Sora realized that she was staring at the back of a waterfall.

  They paused before it. The rocky floor became smooth and slippery. Their clothes were dampened by a fine mist cast off by the water. The current fell hard and fast over the cave's mouth, occasionally splitting to one side like a parted curtain. She caught a glimpse of thick green foliage and a blue sky. They appeared to be high up on the wall of a cliff, looking over a long river basin of thick wilderness.

  Crash walked forward to investigate. He moved agilely on the wet stone, crossing under the waterfall, exploring the cliff on the other side. When he returned, he was completely drenched, his hair plastered to his head, droplets running down his face. He handed Sora back her staff.

  “There's a ledge and a path to the left,” he told them. “The rocks are slick. Watch your step.”

  Burn nodded and took Laina's hand, leading the girl to the side of the cave's mouth. He picked her up and passed through the falling water, climbing along the stone cliff. Sora watched until they disappeared, then she approached the thundering water. She couldn't wait to clean herself off.