The Clockwork Heart

by T Ariyanna

  “So a Droll could bring the dead back to life? Could you?” Kaitlyn asked enthusiastically, grabbing the Droll's arm.

  The Droll looked at her curiously for a long moment, much longer than Kaitlyn felt comfortable, its gaze boring into her in the dim lighting. She shifted under their stare and pulled away, but its eyes never left her.

  “I don't know,” it said finally. “If it is possible, the Court will know. You would have to bring your questions to them.”

  “Can you take us there, or is this conversation pointless?” Cy asked bitterly.

  The Droll smiled mischievously. “I could. But you would have to swim, and you can't. You'll simply drown, and after all the trouble I went to get you out. To be completely honest, I don’t really know why I did save you in the first place. Must be habit, I guess.” The Droll squirmed noisily. It was already replacing its farce, but it was clear there was something worthy of being hidden now.

  “Is there any way to get him there? Anything you can do? Please. . .um, we still don't know your name. . .”

  Kaitlyn trailed off. She inspected the Droll's body again as her mind became clearer, trying again to find any hint at its identity. Are they a he, or a she? I can't tell, and I don't want to be rude.

  The Droll gave Kaitlyn a crooked smile, and patted its hand on its chest. “I'm Gil.”

  “Gil? Really? Quite original, if I must say,” Cy said bitterly, obviously examining the Droll as well.

  So much for the name telling me. Maybe Cy will be able to figure it out, Kaitlyn thought. She shook her head, reminding herself that it wasn't her business, and even if it was, it didn't really matter. From the way Gil was taunting Cy, and the strength with which it had saved them both, Kaitlyn took a guess that the Droll was male, but would wait to address him as such aloud until she knew for sure.

  “So can you help us, Gil? Please?” Kaitlyn clapped her hands together and widened her eyes as she stared at the Droll.

  Gil rubbed the back of its head, looking away from her. “If I bring in outsiders, it could turn out really bad. But the Court has been saying something about getting more involved in the world, so maybe this could be the first step. At any rate, they could just as easily kill you once there, I doubt the two of you have much power between you.”

  Gil glanced at Cy and winked at him. Cy sat up quickly, lunging for the Droll, but he missed. Cy was still recovering from his near death encounter, and he doubled over in the pain from exerting himself.

  “There is the matter of getting the demon down there, though. You'd have no problem swimming through the tunnels, Kaitlyn, with a little help and encouragement. That I'm sure, but the other one. I doubt it will be easy to get it to Lorile. If I have to carry it, it could take a while, even if it works at all. Oh, that's right!” The Droll reached behind him, into a small pouch tied around his waist. From it, Gil retrieved a small, white pearl, no bigger than his fingertip.

  “You've got a compartment inside, right? Just put this there, and the water won't harm you. It'll still get inside, but it won't drown you. Here, Kaitlyn, I'll give you one as well, though I doubt you need it. As long as you have it, you’ll survive Lorile.”

  Kaitlyn held her hand out, and Gil dropped another pearl into her palm. It was surprisingly cool to the touch, and she could feel the power within it. It hummed a low tone that resonated within her, calming her very core. She rolled it around her palm, and it left a glowing trail behind it along her skin. It faded quickly, dissolved into her skin to leave her feeling exhilarated.

  She had only ever been a witness to magic, never a wielder, and a great deal of possibilities flooded into her mind. Her imagination got away from her at the thought of having her own magic, of being on a level equal with Arion and Cy. Her reveries were making her drunk with fantasies, and she clenched her fist around the pearl to ground herself back to reality. Magic was clearly just as much of a burden as it was a blessing, something she had never considered before it was her own fate that was entangled in the dealings of the world unknown to her.

  She pulled her ribbon from her hair and wrapped it around the pearl multiple times to ensure it was completely encased. She then tied the loose ends around a loop on her pants and stuffed the makeshift pouch into her pocket.

  “That's all fine and dandy, but what about our supplies? Mine are already soaked and ruined, but how are we to keep the rest dry if we take them with us?”

  “Easy. You don’t have to worry about them because they’ve already been left behind. The currents in the underground rivers can be pretty fierce. When I found you, I brought you to the nearest exit, but this one doesn’t show any signs of you having been here before. It doesn’t matter, though. As long as you're accepted in Lorile, everything will be provided for you. You can restock before leaving again, and take special waterproof packs with you. Either that, or sacrifice the rest of your stuff just so you don't have to leave it behind. Take your pick, but make it fast. The wind outside is starting to dry me out, and I need to get back.”

  “Cy, we have to go. We have no idea how many people Theresa was able to gather. If they can help us, we have to take the chance.”

  “How are we supposed to know if we can trust this guy?” Cy said slowly, watching Gil. Kaitlyn caught the question in his voice, and dared a glance at Gil as well. The Droll's eyes narrowed a miniscule amount in response, but showed no other signs that it had even been paying attention. Disappointed, Kaitlyn focused on convincing Cy.

  “What if no one else can do it? What if they have a secret, and this is our only chance? If we try to come back, we'll just drown. Gil won't be here to save us again.”

  “Did you just gloss over the part where he said they could kill us? I'm pretty sure I heard you say something about it being too soon to die, right? How do we know we'll make it back out of this?”

  “We don't know we'll make it past any of the others we have to go to, either. Did Theresa ever tell you it would be as simple as saying, ‘Hi, we're here to pick up someone that can resurrect a Mage. Any takers?’ Someone is bound to be suspicious of us. We have to go through such hardships just to get to them before we even know if they want to help. That doesn’t seem like a sign of good faith to me. Did you think of that?”

  Cy turned away from her, pouting. His eyes darted back and forth, and the resolve fell from his face. “Fine. But if you try anything against us, buddy, I'll kill you.”

  “Yeah, yeah, sure. You might be a demon, and I don't trust you for that, I guess, but you aren't all that scary. Especially after I just saved your ass.”

  Gil stood and returned to the edge of the pool. Kaitlyn and Cy followed suit, Cy hurriedly locking the pearl away inside of his heart. They stepped up beside Gil, and the Droll grabbed onto their arms. Kaitlyn tensed at his grasp, her terror creeping up on her again.

  If I go back in there, I’ll die. I’ll drown, or burn to death. Doesn’t he know that? Can’t he tell I can’t go back in? I can’t swim. A pearl can’t make me able to swim just like that. I’m going to die. I’m dead, I’m dead! She thought in a panic. Her breathing was labored and thin, her head felt lighter than air. She had never known she was afraid of the water, and now it was too late to make a difference. There was nothing else to do but to trust Gil.

  “No going back now,” Gil whispered, and he shoved Cy and Kaitlyn into the burning pools of Lorile.

  Cyllorian

  Cyllorian fought to keep his balance as Gil shoved him and Kaitlyn into the pool. He whirled to slash at the Droll, but he was already sinking into the water. He reached out and caught Kaitlyn's arm. With the help of his magic, he lit up the depths of the pool, and saw that Kaitlyn was struggling.

  She held onto her neck, her head swinging back and forth wildly. Her face was twisted up in terror, though she was holding her breath fine. She flinched away when Cy grabbed her, then relaxed momentarily. But Cy was dragging her to the bottom because of his metal, and he couldn’t risk Kaitlyn’s life on Gil’s word. He released her
and continued to sink, and she reached out to him. He had to let himself fall to the bottom alone, or Kaitlyn would drown.

  Gil dove into the water between them and snatched Cy's arm. With strain clear on the Droll’s face, it kept Cy from sinking, and Cy didn't resist. They swam back up to meet Kaitlyn, who was headed to the surface.

  Gil grabbed her leg with its free hand, and yanked her back down to them. She clutched at her throat, saying she was out of air. Gil ignored her, and simply motioned for her to breath. Cy opened his mouth to scream at the Droll, but he couldn't make a sound underwater.

  Kaitlyn shook her head, looking back up to the surface. “The pearl. You have the pearl, you'll be fine. I know you’re scared, but you won’t die here.” Gil's voice came through clearly, though a bit muddled in the water.

  Kaitlyn pulled back in shock, her lips parted. “Droll have adapted to being most efficient in the water, so of course we would need to communicate as well. You, though, will not be able to speak.”

  Kaitlyn shut her mouth, then closed her eyes. She parted her lips to breathe slowly, but instantly began coughing. Gil reached out to her, wrapping its hand around her neck. Cy pulled on its arm, but he was swatted away. The Droll continued caressing Kaitlyn's neck while she ran short on air, until her expression turned to surprise and her chest expanded and deflated as she breathed.

  Gil let go of her, and waited. She ran her own fingers over her neck, tracing an outline of gills. They opened and closed with each breath, her eyes wide with realization.

  She turned to Gil, looking for an answer, but the Droll merely smiled at her. Without a word, Gil was swimming toward a large opening near the bottom of the pool, pulling Cy along.

  Cy went to grab Kaitlyn's hand, fearing she would be left behind, but she was gone. He scanned the waters behind them frantically, but there was no sign of her. Gil tugged on his arm, urging him to help swim for himself. Cy whirled to yell at the Droll, to attack, but was stunned.

  Kaitlyn was swimming circles around them, a smile clear on her face. She waved to Cy as she passed in front of them, and bubbles escaped her mouth as she laughed. Her hands had gained webbing between her fingers, and she moved with a natural grace through the water. Cy turned to Gil, who had an annoyed expression, though still smug.

  Cy resolved to interrogate the Droll as soon as they came to land, and did his best to swim.

  They swam through a series of winding tunnels that eventually connected to one large tunnel where the current was stronger. Kaitlyn lost track of where she was going, still swimming ahead of Gil and Cy, and was swept up into the current.

  Gil let go of Cy and went ahead to help her as she spun through the water uncontrollably. Cy sunk to the floor of the tunnel and walked through the heavy water as fast as he could. Even still he could only watch as she was thrown around by the vicious current, limp as a doll

  Gil caught her and steadied her in the water. She shook in the Droll's grip, staring at Cy. He could tell by the look in her eyes that her fear of the water had returned. Gil returned her to Cy's side, and she clutched onto his arm.

  Cy looked at Kaitlyn, but she didn't seem to be harmed. She was shaken up and her clothes disheveled. The ribbon that she had tied the pearl into was hanging out of her pocket, but still attached to her pants. Cy pointed it out to her and she hurriedly stuffed it back into place.

  “From here, we'll go as one unit. It will be safer,” Gil said, bubbles wriggling from its mouth.

  Kaitlyn and Cy nodded. Cy grabbed the Droll's hand, and Kaitlyn held onto Cy's arm as they swam. The strong current in the tunnel helped them a great deal, leading them to their destination without much work from the three.

  The tunnel ended in a shallow pool illuminated from above. The three surfaced, Kaitlyn gasping for breath, though she had been able to breathe underwater. She closed her eyes in relief, still clinging to Cy.

  Gil pulled himself from the two of them, wrenching their attention to the world they had entered. They were in a large cave system, the ceiling domed and copious amounts of the glowing crystals hanging from above. They lit the entire room perfectly, like Lorile’s own sun, and their water world gleamed beautifully.

  The buildings were placed in the center of the room, and walkways shot out to the outer walls of the cave. The cave beneath was at least as large as the mountain itself, as they couldn't see the other end of it. Most of it was flooded, with grand buildings resting half in and half out of the water, nearly reaching to the ceiling. Every building came to a point at the top, clearly made from hollowed out stalagmites. Glowing vines sprouted from the center of the ceiling and sprung out to crawl down the walls. They covered the tops of the buildings as well, lighting the whole place comfortably, though it was dim.

  The structures were all crafted from dark stone and opaque crystals that reflected the simple light they had for themselves. It bounced between the buildings, and the center of the room was alight brilliantly. Though they were all jagged in shape, Cy felt no threat from this peaceful world hidden under the mountain. It was calming, the sounds of the water lapping against the natural city. It looked completely untouched by the outside world, holding a magic that was unique in its simplicity.

  Droll filled the space around them, populating the vast colony under the mountain. They could all be seen swimming gracefully within the clear waters, mingling with each other atop the rough walkways. The scales that covered them complimented the shining crystals, almost absorbing the light to make themselves luminous. They were all dressed similar to Gil, wearing skin tight leather created specifically for their life underwater. Eyes like rare gemstones cast them suspicious glances, but they quickly avoided them as they spotted Gil.

  “This is beautiful,” Kaitlyn whispered, her eyes alight in the majesty of it all. Cy glanced at her from the corner of his eye, enjoying the wonder in her eyes.

  “Yes, but if you're done gawking, I have to take you to the Court now. This way,” Gil said from a walkway. The two of them waded through the shallow waters and climbed onto the solid land. He walked forward a few steps, then halted abruptly and turned to them.

  “Pearls,” he chirped, holding his hand out. Cy glanced around them, then quickly retrieved the pearl he had locked away in his heart. Kaitlyn pulled the wad of soaked ribbon stuffed into her pocket. It had loosened when she was thrown about in the current, but she still found it difficult to untie.

  The pearl was gone. Her knots had appeared to have held during her struggle underwater. “I don’t have it,” she whispered in shock.

  “You don’t?” Gil asked, though its voice lacked surprise.

  Kaitlyn shook her head slowly. She shoved her fingers back into her pocket and stretched them into every corner. It was nowhere to be found. Her breathing turned shallow. Cy could see her mind turning, working through the information.

  “If I lost it in the water, how was I able to keep breathing? Her hand shot up to her neck, but the gills were already gone. Her fingers traced faint creases in her skin where they had been, scars that proved it had all been real.

  She looked between Cy and Gil, looking for answers. They shared a glance, a hint of a smile on Gil’s face. His eyes never leaving the Droll, Cy said, “We were lucky the after effect lasted long enough.”

  Kaitlyn nodded her head. She looked worried regardless of her response. Cy had to be careful of this Droll. Gil played dumb and careless, but he was far more dangerous than Cy had originally given him credit for.

  “Will we get in trouble for losing one? Will they know?” she asked nervously.

  “No,” Gil replied calmly. “They’re everywhere on the floor in the waters. We don’t keep a record of them. They’ll just go get more if we need it.”

  With that, Gil tucked the single pearl into his pack, and spun on his heels.

  Gil led them through the great city of Lorile at a fast pace, giving them no time to stop and process anything. They ended at a small building that looked like a human cathedral Kaitlyn had
seen depicted in her books from the past with its grandiose nature, but it seemed so much more than that. It had a dome roof with three large spikes jutting toward the ceiling. The vines hung low and wrapped around the points as though they were holding the building up. The walls were made of a light blue crystal, though it couldn't be seen through.

  “You two wait here, and don't move a muscle. I'll go talk to the council,” Gil said, pointing at the ground.

  “We should go with you, so we can explain our story,” Kaitlyn offered.

  “No, you stay here. I have to go alone.”

  “And why is that? So you can plot how to kill us?”

  “No, because it's underwater! If they find out that I willingly gave you the pearls in the first place, let alone if I give them back so you can get in here, they'll have my head. I'll tell them what I know, and if they decide they want to know more, they'll send someone back with me to find out the details. If it goes that bad, I can always say you snuck in, and save my own skin. Just don't. Go. Anywhere. I mean it.”

  With that, Gil crept into the Court building, closing the door quietly.

  “Do we just wait?” Kaitlyn asked sheepishly.

  “That sounds terrible. I say we investigate this place. I'm sure it's got its share of juicy secrets.” Cy's smile was full of mischief, and he glanced over his surroundings hungrily.

  “We should stay here. If we're caught anywhere else, we'll probably get in trouble. Gil already said they might want to kill us, so let's not give them a reason to,” Kaitlyn pleaded.

  Cy rolled his eyes with a groan, and leaned back against the building. “Fine,” he mumbled, irritated. He tapped a claw against the glass to the beat of his old lullaby, scanning over Lorile.

  It was amazing that this whole place was underneath a mountain. It made him wonder what other secrets could easily be hidden in this world. What else might they find on their journey?