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Description
Chapter 25

Behind the fall was a tunnel that was far too dark to see in to from our vantage. We stood at the edge of the water looking for all the world like we were waiting for something to happen. For Crisis to suddenly appear coming on his own to us. Wouldn’t that be something, coming all the way out here to find he didn’t need help? But standing there gave me the chills as I thought about my continuous dream. The dream that even seemed to plague me on the strange planet. To get to the tunnel we had to wade through the water until reaching the rocks that jutted out from under the fall.
“What are we waiting for?” I asked. “We don’t need an invitation.”
Ray turned to me. “I’ll go in with him,” -he jerked his thumb at Rods- “you stay here with-”
“Just a moment.” Rods intervened. “We are all going. Her especially.”
Ray stepped in front me like he’d done before. He pulled something from his pocket shoving it in Rods’ face. “Mayla, stay here. That’s a command.”
I wasn’t going to disobey when it was a direct order. Or more to the truth, I wouldn’t go against the look in his eyes. A look that just double dared you to not do what he says.
“I’ll stay with Lance and Chace.” I agreed.
Rods looked at the little bottle Ray had shoved at him. “Let’s go reclaim Crisis and return him to Deiman.” He sighed and waded into the water with Ray following.
“Don’t get wet.” I called after them.
Ray was the only one who laughed.
Chace, Lance and, I sat in almost silence while we waited for Ray and Rods. Almost because our stomachs wouldn’t stop making noise. I watched the stars pop bright into the sky. One by one. It had occurred to me near a half hour ago that the two had forgotten the necklace, though I decided to wait for them to return for it. Lance played in the water like a child in the snow. He scooped up a handful of water and tossed it like a snowball at his brother. Chace in turn hardened a fistful of mud and threw it at Lance. I drifted asleep while the twins played, knowing they’d be alright, having my usual dream of the man and the waterfall. It seemed much move vivid now, too real and detailed compared to the simplicity it used to be. I was awoken by a moan, a high pitched whaling that nearly caused my heart to jump from my chest. The boys stood stalk still, listening. The sound picked up and the three of us jumped. Chace grabbed me as he and Lance sprinted for the cave.
The boys held hands going down the dark tunnel. As brothers, they were drawing strength from each other. Jagged rock loomed from shadowed crevasses and protruded from the curved roof like clawed hands. The tunnel was salivating water. Chace put me on his shoulder so his other had would be free to make a fire, but the dampness would not allow a flame going for more then a few seconds. But soon we started to see light. Actually light would be a lie. It was a blue glow emitting from an open chamber. Ray and Rods were in the far back, standing over an unconscious lump, and arguing quietly. Stalactites covering the roof of the cavern, save a naked gaping hole bright with moonlight, shook whenever one raised their voice too high.
“That rubbish is not going to work.” Rods was saying. “It is too watered down.”
“You really don’t even know if survivor blood will wake him.” Ray hissed. “Don’t waste a life on your stupid king’s hunch. Try the alternative first.”
“If it doesn’t work I’m going back to get Mayla.”
Ray’s body shook, over obvious of his outrage. “Don’t you feel the least bit guilty?” He sounded disgusted, venom dripping off his voice. “Can you really give her life up just like that?”
I felt the twins tense around me and their breath caught. It gave me the strongest impression that my being here wasn’t such a good idea.
Rods’s eyes searched the ground as if his voice was there. “Our first priority is Crisis.” he said calmly. “None of us had a waver in our minds about what needed to be done. She’ll be missed by some one, I‘m sure.”
Ray indicated Rods’s left hand. “Feed him the bottle first.”
Rods turned towards the chamber entrance. “You try it while I go fetch-” Turning away from the king, Rods saw the three of us standing there and bit his tongue.
I shook my head back and fourth as though that could wipe away what I had just heard. Was that the only reason they needed me, the real reason? As much as I had began to trust them. I could feel tears behind my eyes that didn’t want to come out.
Monsters, I thought. all three of them.
“I HATE YOU!” I yelled at Rods. My voice shook the stalactites violently.
“Calm down Mayla.” Rods cooed. “We have an alternative.”
“Shut up. I heard you!” I nearly buried my face in my arms, but thought better then to take my eyes off him. “You’re going to kill me anyway. You’re so sick!”
Rods didn’t say anything. Ray took the bottle from him and popped opened the top. He kneeled down to lift the sleeping lump’s head. I finally took the time to look at the body, and it frightened me. I instantly felt woozy. He looked like an older man, just entering his thirties. Crisis was pale with no shirt to hide his scar. Long silver hair and the mist from the falls had soaked his body. He was the man from my dream. My nightmare. And the waterfall, the rocks and hills surrounding it. But there was something missing.
“I really am wearing his bracelet?” I shuddered.
Three of the kiceko looked at me. Rods was coming, his strides rushed. Behind him Garay took up a large rock, weighing it before stretching back his arm. I still didn’t like the odds. Chace’s hand rose slightly as if to catch me if I tried to run. It was a ridiculous maneuver. Where could I go that they wouldn’t catch me?
“This is his - I saw it in a dream.” I blurted touching the necklace, feeling my face hot with anger and panic. The whole thing was so surreal and twice as horrible as any nightmare. “More than once. Try it first before you kill me-” - Rods flinched at the word and I felt the twins do the same - “-Deiman was positive it’s what he needs.”
Rods paused, then held out his hand, his face not at all believing. “Fine, give it to me.”
“Let me down.” I tried.
Chace hesitated, but placed me on the ground at his feet. I tugged the necklace off throwing it to Rods in a furry. Then scrambled away from the three of them until Lance blocked my way. He untwisted the loop in the chain extending it to its full size, which was just big enough to fit around a giant’s wrist. As infuriated and afraid that it wouldn’t work as I was I stood there barely able to see any of them around me. Only Crisis was visible, the glowing figure in a sea of pitch black. The man that was suppose to cause my death. Could still cause it if the bracelet turned out to be a dud. Ray’s hand gripped the rock as Rods unclasped the piece of jewelry then put it around Crisis’s wrist. The pillars of stone seemed to tremble with anticipation; the light of the Saroon grew brighter as though coming in for a closer look. The entire chamber was holding its breath.
Some seconds passed. Crisis moaned. He slowly sat himself upright holding his head. He opened his colorless eyes gazing dimly round the chamber.
I wasn’t the only one to let out a tremendous sigh of relief.
“What happened?” The man looked around confused.
The twins rushed to Crisis’s side, Lance’s hands cupped to make a bowl for water.
“Drink.” Lance looked to Ray. “Fairen, where are the roaden nuts?”
For a moment Ray looked as if he weren’t going to give them to him, but then tossed the pouch. Lance gave Crisis two of the nuts then forced more water.
“My head.” Crisis wrinkled his noise. “What’s that nasty taste in my mouth?”
“Survivor blood, but watered down.” Chace answered. “We thought it would wake you.”
“I hate the taste of human.” The man tried to push himself to his feet. “And that would not work. Ever.”
“To you watered down should taste better than straight.”
The exchanged between the two shocked me, to say the least. I never thought a kiceko would hate human blood. Then again, I was also glad to know the one could.
Rods moved to the older man’s side. “Rest for a while, friend. Give yourself time to recover.”
“Where is my little brother?” Crisis gazed around again. “Where is Deiman?”
“Not here. Aalexander had something for him to do.”
“Where are we?”
“In the swamp. Under the fall.”
Crisis’s groan rippled off the cavern walls, echoing around us. “Not here. Not the swamp. This place is horrid.”
“We know.” Ray snapped dropping his rock. “We had to travel all the way through it just to get to you. What stupidity were you thinking having traveled here?”
Crisis noticed Ray for the first time since his eyes opened. Now he appraised the young king with a bit of interest. “Who are you?”
“No one for you to concern yourself with.” Ray stepped over to me. “Let us go Mayla, we’ll let them have a few moments to themselves.” He turned back to the other four. “But we will leave you behind if you take too long.”
“You stay right where you are.” Rods demanded.
As upset, enraged, and hurt with him and the twins as I was, I had no intentions of listening. I started moving towards the entrance with Ray close behind.
“You brought a pet?”
I turned on Crisis before I could stop myself. “I am NOBODIES PET!”
“Spunky little thing.” I heard him say as I left the cavern fuming. “Whose is she?”
I didn’t hear the answer; Ray and I were already getting deeper into the tunnel. Once we reached the opening we talked over whether or not to wait for Aalexander’s guards. Ray and I both had something to lose if we did not show up to the castle with them. But I was seething as I thought of what Aalexander had had planned for me. There had been so many hints, and realizing that all the information they had giving was a ruse to make me think it was really important - that I really needed to know any of it. What a con I had fallen for! It took another half hour for the guards to turn up. Crisis looked fine; he walked on his own without any problems. For the moment I would keep my distance from him. Ray helped me across the water, his entire stance warning them not to get close, and the six of us started to head back through the swamp.

Description
Chapter 25

Behind the fall was a tunnel that was far too dark to see in to from our vantage. We stood at the edge of the water looking for all the world like we were waiting for something to happen. For Crisis to suddenly appear coming on his own to us. Wouldn’t that be something, coming all the way out here to find he didn’t need help? But standing there gave me the chills as I thought about my continuous dream. The dream that even seemed to plague me on the strange planet. To get to the tunnel we had to wade through the water until reaching the rocks that jutted out from under the fall.
“What are we waiting for?” I asked. “We don’t need an invitation.”
Ray turned to me. “I’ll go in with him,” -he jerked his thumb at Rods- “you stay here with-”
“Just a moment.” Rods intervened. “We are all going. Her especially.”
Ray stepped in front me like he’d done before. He pulled something from his pocket shoving it in Rods’ face. “Mayla, stay here. That’s a command.”
I wasn’t going to disobey when it was a direct order. Or more to the truth, I wouldn’t go against the look in his eyes. A look that just double dared you to not do what he says.
“I’ll stay with Lance and Chace.” I agreed.
Rods looked at the little bottle Ray had shoved at him. “Let’s go reclaim Crisis and return him to Deiman.” He sighed and waded into the water with Ray following.
“Don’t get wet.” I called after them.
Ray was the only one who laughed.
Chace, Lance and, I sat in almost silence while we waited for Ray and Rods. Almost because our stomachs wouldn’t stop making noise. I watched the stars pop bright into the sky. One by one. It had occurred to me near a half hour ago that the two had forgotten the necklace, though I decided to wait for them to return for it. Lance played in the water like a child in the snow. He scooped up a handful of water and tossed it like a snowball at his brother. Chace in turn hardened a fistful of mud and threw it at Lance. I drifted asleep while the twins played, knowing they’d be alright, having my usual dream of the man and the waterfall. It seemed much move vivid now, too real and detailed compared to the simplicity it used to be. I was awoken by a moan, a high pitched whaling that nearly caused my heart to jump from my chest. The boys stood stalk still, listening. The sound picked up and the three of us jumped. Chace grabbed me as he and Lance sprinted for the cave.
The boys held hands going down the dark tunnel. As brothers, they were drawing strength from each other. Jagged rock loomed from shadowed crevasses and protruded from the curved roof like clawed hands. The tunnel was salivating water. Chace put me on his shoulder so his other had would be free to make a fire, but the dampness would not allow a flame going for more then a few seconds. But soon we started to see light. Actually light would be a lie. It was a blue glow emitting from an open chamber. Ray and Rods were in the far back, standing over an unconscious lump, and arguing quietly. Stalactites covering the roof of the cavern, save a naked gaping hole bright with moonlight, shook whenever one raised their voice too high.
“That rubbish is not going to work.” Rods was saying. “It is too watered down.”
“You really don’t even know if survivor blood will wake him.” Ray hissed. “Don’t waste a life on your stupid king’s hunch. Try the alternative first.”
“If it doesn’t work I’m going back to get Mayla.”
Ray’s body shook, over obvious of his outrage. “Don’t you feel the least bit guilty?” He sounded disgusted, venom dripping off his voice. “Can you really give her life up just like that?”
I felt the twins tense around me and their breath caught. It gave me the strongest impression that my being here wasn’t such a good idea.
Rods’s eyes searched the ground as if his voice was there. “Our first priority is Crisis.” he said calmly. “None of us had a waver in our minds about what needed to be done. She’ll be missed by some one, I‘m sure.”
Ray indicated Rods’s left hand. “Feed him the bottle first.”
Rods turned towards the chamber entrance. “You try it while I go fetch-” Turning away from the king, Rods saw the three of us standing there and bit his tongue.
I shook my head back and fourth as though that could wipe away what I had just heard. Was that the only reason they needed me, the real reason? As much as I had began to trust them. I could feel tears behind my eyes that didn’t want to come out.
Monsters, I thought. all three of them.
“I HATE YOU!” I yelled at Rods. My voice shook the stalactites violently.
“Calm down Mayla.” Rods cooed. “We have an alternative.”
“Shut up. I heard you!” I nearly buried my face in my arms, but thought better then to take my eyes off him. “You’re going to kill me anyway. You’re so sick!”
Rods didn’t say anything. Ray took the bottle from him and popped opened the top. He kneeled down to lift the sleeping lump’s head. I finally took the time to look at the body, and it frightened me. I instantly felt woozy. He looked like an older man, just entering his thirties. Crisis was pale with no shirt to hide his scar. Long silver hair and the mist from the falls had soaked his body. He was the man from my dream. My nightmare. And the waterfall, the rocks and hills surrounding it. But there was something missing.
“I really am wearing his bracelet?” I shuddered.
Three of the kiceko looked at me. Rods was coming, his strides rushed. Behind him Garay took up a large rock, weighing it before stretching back his arm. I still didn’t like the odds. Chace’s hand rose slightly as if to catch me if I tried to run. It was a ridiculous maneuver. Where could I go that they wouldn’t catch me?
“This is his - I saw it in a dream.” I blurted touching the necklace, feeling my face hot with anger and panic. The whole thing was so surreal and twice as horrible as any nightmare. “More than once. Try it first before you kill me-” - Rods flinched at the word and I felt the twins do the same - “-Deiman was positive it’s what he needs.”
Rods paused, then held out his hand, his face not at all believing. “Fine, give it to me.”
“Let me down.” I tried.
Chace hesitated, but placed me on the ground at his feet. I tugged the necklace off throwing it to Rods in a furry. Then scrambled away from the three of them until Lance blocked my way. He untwisted the loop in the chain extending it to its full size, which was just big enough to fit around a giant’s wrist. As infuriated and afraid that it wouldn’t work as I was I stood there barely able to see any of them around me. Only Crisis was visible, the glowing figure in a sea of pitch black. The man that was suppose to cause my death. Could still cause it if the bracelet turned out to be a dud. Ray’s hand gripped the rock as Rods unclasped the piece of jewelry then put it around Crisis’s wrist. The pillars of stone seemed to tremble with anticipation; the light of the Saroon grew brighter as though coming in for a closer look. The entire chamber was holding its breath.
Some seconds passed. Crisis moaned. He slowly sat himself upright holding his head. He opened his colorless eyes gazing dimly round the chamber.
I wasn’t the only one to let out a tremendous sigh of relief.
“What happened?” The man looked around confused.
The twins rushed to Crisis’s side, Lance’s hands cupped to make a bowl for water.
“Drink.” Lance looked to Ray. “Fairen, where are the roaden nuts?”
For a moment Ray looked as if he weren’t going to give them to him, but then tossed the pouch. Lance gave Crisis two of the nuts then forced more water.
“My head.” Crisis wrinkled his noise. “What’s that nasty taste in my mouth?”
“Survivor blood, but watered down.” Chace answered. “We thought it would wake you.”
“I hate the taste of human.” The man tried to push himself to his feet. “And that would not work. Ever.”
“To you watered down should taste better than straight.”
The exchanged between the two shocked me, to say the least. I never thought a kiceko would hate human blood. Then again, I was also glad to know the one could.
Rods moved to the older man’s side. “Rest for a while, friend. Give yourself time to recover.”
“Where is my little brother?” Crisis gazed around again. “Where is Deiman?”
“Not here. Aalexander had something for him to do.”
“Where are we?”
“In the swamp. Under the fall.”
Crisis’s groan rippled off the cavern walls, echoing around us. “Not here. Not the swamp. This place is horrid.”
“We know.” Ray snapped dropping his rock. “We had to travel all the way through it just to get to you. What stupidity were you thinking having traveled here?”
Crisis noticed Ray for the first time since his eyes opened. Now he appraised the young king with a bit of interest. “Who are you?”
“No one for you to concern yourself with.” Ray stepped over to me. “Let us go Mayla, we’ll let them have a few moments to themselves.” He turned back to the other four. “But we will leave you behind if you take too long.”
“You stay right where you are.” Rods demanded.
As upset, enraged, and hurt with him and the twins as I was, I had no intentions of listening. I started moving towards the entrance with Ray close behind.
“You brought a pet?”
I turned on Crisis before I could stop myself. “I am NOBODIES PET!”
“Spunky little thing.” I heard him say as I left the cavern fuming. “Whose is she?”
I didn’t hear the answer; Ray and I were already getting deeper into the tunnel. Once we reached the opening we talked over whether or not to wait for Aalexander’s guards. Ray and I both had something to lose if we did not show up to the castle with them. But I was seething as I thought of what Aalexander had had planned for me. There had been so many hints, and realizing that all the information they had giving was a ruse to make me think it was really important - that I really needed to know any of it. What a con I had fallen for! It took another half hour for the guards to turn up. Crisis looked fine; he walked on his own without any problems. For the moment I would keep my distance from him. Ray helped me across the water, his entire stance warning them not to get close, and the six of us started to head back through the swamp.