Taming the Elements: Elwin Escari Chronicles: Volume 1 (51 page)

“When they fell, like the vampires, they were no longer able to feel the sun’s light. It will destroy them. They have all the strength of their dwarven predecessors, but they disdain the goodly peoples that live above ground. If we are captured, they will eat our flesh while we are still living. They will keep us alive as long as possible so that they may find joy in our suffering.”

“Didn’t you say the same of the giants?”

“The giants will torture us over a day or so,” Daki said. “Delvers will make it last for months, possibly even years.”

A chill went down his spine, and Elwin shivered.

“You are right,” Elwin said. “I would rather face a giant. How could the king allow giants and delvers and such to remain in his lands?”

“The delvers rarely come above ground,” Daki said, “and no wise king would venture into the depths where they reside. As for the giants, most of the tribes do not have a taste for humans. We are at the edge of the Jojindun territory, and they are the smallest of the tribes. The mountains are vast, and the other tribes war with each other over territory. Their battles rarely make it this far west. The Jojindun live as close to humans as we allow them.”

Elwin shook his head. “Okay. I’ve heard enough. We need to get out of here.”

He removed the pack from Feffer’s back and eased his friend to the cavern floor. A realization came to him. Had the pack not been there to soften the blow, Feffer might not have survived. No. He didn’t want to think about that. Feffer was alive. Taego and Daki were alive. Now, they needed to find a way out.

Elwin shifted the pack into one of the shafts of light and dug through the contents. He pulled the cloak at the top out and placed it under Feffer’s head. Pieces of glass crumbled to the cavern floor as he examined the broken wood that had been the spyglass. The small lens was intact, but the large lens had shattered. He rummaged through the remaining supplies and gave Daki a report.

“The spy glass is broken, and both of the wineskins are busted. But, by the Lifebringer, the lantern is still in tact. The oil flask was in a side pouch or would likely be ruined as well. And the rope is soggy, but it is still usable.”

“That is good. We will need the light to explore the depths.” Daki turned to look into the darkness behind them, and Elwin followed his gaze.

The rays of light pierced the dark for several paces and vanished. No matter how hard he tried, his eye could not penetrate beyond the edge of the light. It could have gone on forever.

“We don’t even know if this leads out,” Elwin said. “What if it only leads down?”

“That is a good observation. I do not know, Elwin.”

“Do you at least know how far we are from Goldspire?” Elwin felt a stab of guilt at his tone. Daki would not be in this predicament if he had not offered to help. This wasn’t Daki’s fault.

Daki answered as if he had not taken offense. “If we can find a path that leads up and out of here, then we can make it within a day. Two at most, but first, we must find a path.”

They didn’t have enough oil for a search, so once they moved away from the entrance, they may have a few hours before the oil ran dry. Elwin sighed.

He saw little other choice. Elwin would have to search a path from the shadow realm. And, he would have to face the unseen eyes to do it. Then, a thought occurred to him.

“Daki, do you know how the shadow realm works?”

He nodded. “It is where you replenish your essence.”

“You have to go somewhere to replenish your … Do you call yours an essence as well?”

Daki looked away, his face looked tired.

“Anyway. My thought is that we can both search out a path while we sleep. It will allow—”

“Her realm does not work like the Realm of Shadows,” he said in a tight voice. “I cannot do what you ask.”

“But I saw you in the grove. How is it not the same?”

Daki grimaced.

Again, Elwin felt anger rise up, and the words poured out of him. “What is it with you? We need to get out of here. If we don’t, we won’t survive. If I am your Pat-whatever, will it honor you if I die?”

For the first time since meeting the Chai Tu Naruo, Daki flinched.

The guilt was immediate. “I’m sorry. I’m just so … frustrated. I can find a path. I just need some sleep.”

“The Grove is where Her realm merges with this world and the Realm of Shadows. When I sleep, I do enter her Realm, but I must guard the Grove. I cannot help in your search.”

Guard the Grove from what?
he wanted to ask. Instead, he nodded and said, “Okay. Thank you for explaining.”

Daki turned away from him.

Elwin arranged the pack to serve as a pillow and laid against it. Falling asleep had become a simple mental exercise. He made his breath calm and cleared his mind. Sleep soon took him.

Elwin opened his eyes and welcomed the familiar light of the shadow realm. He stood from his body and took a good look at the cavern.

He and his companions rested at the mouth of a wide cave.

Feffer slept soundly a few paces from Daki and Taego. Daki leaned against the bear with his eyes closed. His own body stretched out closest to the entrance. If the giants found a way through, they would reach him first. That thought brought him to his first order of business.

Elwin willed himself just outside the crevice. Rocks and boulders had fallen around the entrance, and the surface had large cracks running up the side of the mountain.

As a boy, he had thought of Faron as a giant. Even he would have looked like an infant in the arms of a real giant. Not more than a dozen paces away, one of the giants stood poised over the entrance.

It looked almost like a man with the common garb of a merchant or well-off farmer. How many sheep had it taken to make such a large shirt? Or did they have giant sheep? Elwin couldn’t discount the notion. At this point, anything felt possible.

Elwin willed himself into the air and looked around for other giants, but they were nowhere to be seen. Maybe Daki had been right. Perhaps, the other giants went to get tools. He turned around to inspect the cracks in the entrance. Bare fists had fissured the rock. What could the giants do with a giant-sized shovel?

No time to think about that. Elwin returned to the cave and looked into the depths.

Several paces behind his companions, the cave widened and dropped off. Below was a large pool of water that dripped into another pool somewhere deeper into the cave. But he didn’t want to go down. Maybe there was a way to use Earth to burrow a hole above.

He looked up and felt a moment of hope.

Above the pool, an opening led upward. If it led out, the others could reach the opening by climbing up the eastern wall. He could leave no room for chance. Following it up, he could see some spots would be tight for Taego, but not impassable.

As he ascended, Elwin felt the sanctuary of his body grow more distant, but he continued to follow the tunnel. He could not be sure how much time passed, but he knew the moment the eyes were upon him.

He stopped and watched for the slightest movement. If a shadow appeared or if the fog turned dark or even twitched, he would return to his body the same instant. Being still made him more aware of the rise and fall of his chest a thousand paces below. His heart beat out a steady rhythm. He counted to five hundred and nothing happened.

Slowly, he began to rise, looking for any reason to return to his sanctuary. It was difficult to look in every direction at once, but Elwin did his best to do just that. He spun in slow circles and glanced up and down as he made his way up the tunnel.

After a moment he saw the waning crescent nestled in a sea of bright stars. Elwin emerged from the crevice and surveyed the mountain. Few trees grew from the wide plateau, but some of the red sucrais berries grew not far from the entrance.

“The Lifebringer be praised,” Elwin said.

“Hello, young one,” a man’s voice said below him.“Do not be alarmed. I only wish to talk.”

Elwin stopped his ascent and looked below to see a man in fine, blue silks leaning against a boulder below. Even his shoes were silk. Elwin recognized the face from his first venture into the shadow realm.

“Abaddon,” Elwin breathed.

Elwin almost fled to his body the instant he recognized the man, but something made him hesitate. The man did not seem as ominous as before. In fact, he looked …
not old exactly. Weary?

“You do not need fear me, child.” His voice had a calming tone.

“I do not fear you,” Elwin lied. Of course he feared him. Even fools and halfwits feared him. He was the thumping
Seeker.
In fact, what was he doing? He should be back at his body.

“That is good.” His smile was warm. “Do you like the mountains? I find them peaceful at night this time of year. I used to come here when I was a boy. My first time, I was not much younger than you.”

Did he like the thumping mountains? No. He didn’t. Cursed giants trying to eat him and delvers waiting to torture him for years. The mountains could go to the abyss. But that was beside the point. Why was Abaddon asking him about the thumping mountains?

“I prefer the view on my farm,” Elwin said. “The one you took from me.”

He made a face as if pained. “I did not take that from you. She did, when she tried to steal you from your destiny.”

The words erupted from Elwin before he could think to stop them. “Prophecies and Destinies. To the abyss with you all. Have you ever considered what I want? I don’t want any of this.”

Abaddon’s eyes widened as if offended, and his voice held not even a hint of mockery. “Such language. Let us speak civilly.”

Elwin’s anger faded to incredulity. The Seeker of Souls, creator of the Death Element, and bringer of destruction had chastised him on his foul tongue? Despite himself, Elwin laughed. The sound was more bitter than mirthful.

Almost quicker than he could follow, Abaddon’s eyes flickered to Elwin’s chest. Elwin looked down. The green stone radiated with a pale light.

“Interesting artifact,” Abaddon said with a smile. “It is the only one of its kind. I know. I made it.”

Elwin felt a moment of horror as he looked at the pendant. He knew the inscription on the back without looking.

Stay safe, my darling Elwin.

It had been a gift from his mother. His birth mother.

“You’re lying.”

“There was a time when all could travel the Realm of Shadows. Only, it wasn’t called that in my time. We called it the Realm of Spirits, and anyone could meander where they chose. When I declared war on the Rose House, I needed to be able to hide from the others. It took me a month to make the pendant.”

“I know you’re lying. It was a gift from my mother.”

“True. She did give it to you to prevent others from tracking you to Justice. The artifact even shields you from me. Or it did for a time.” Abaddon smiled.

Elwin swallowed. Rather, his body far beneath his feet swallowed. He prepared himself to flee, to will himself back to his sanctuary, but Abaddon spoke before he manifested his will to be away.

“But I digress. When I Transcended, I had no need of it. All of my wondrous artifacts remained behind, untouched for centuries. She found the pendant in my castle, your father’s home.”

“He is NOT my father.”

Bain smirked, but his eyes narrowed. “Your defiance will become your greatest strength in the end. The Old Man is not the only one to gaze into the future, and I see a world made in my image. With or without you, they will Awaken. With your help, fewer deaths will be necessary. Without …,” he shrugged. “Who knows?”

Elwin blinked. Old Man? The Lifebringer? Elwin shook his head. Jasmine had called Abaddon the father of all falsehoods. He should have been gone long before now. Lies had kept him here.

“Before you go,” Abaddon said as if reading Elwin’s thoughts. “Let me make you an offer.”

“I don’t want anything from you.” As he willed himself back to his body, Abaddon’s final words echoed in his thoughts.

“Not yet. But someday you will ask for my gift. I have seen it.”

The cave came into existence around him as if he had only taken a step. His companions appeared as if none had stirred a hair’s width in his absence.