The Descendants Book One: The Broken Scroll (36 page)

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About a half an hour later, he reentered the cave to go to sleep, less upset than he had been earlier.  It was getting later and he would need all of his strength for what they might face tomorrow.  Both Kayleigh and Egan were asleep for the night and he saw with his own eyes that Teague was indeed back. 

Not wanting to think about anything more tonight, he curled up by the dying fire and was out shortly as well. 

The following day of travel Davin felt very alone.  Even though Egan hadn’t said anything to him about it, he looked as if he was bitter about Davin not passing his test.  On top of that Kayleigh wasn’t speaking to him much today either.  She must’ve still thought he wanted to be left alone.  She didn’t look angry, just sad.  And Teague was still lost in his head, looking very morose.  He hadn’t said much to anyone in the last few days.  But Davin wasn’t in the mood to talk to him either after their confrontation last night.  Teague seemed to be avoiding eye contact with him on purpose. 

The trek to the Chasm was full of tenuous cliffs and crevasses, and gaping gorges and mountain sides.  All of which were incredible sights to behold, but their awe was overshadowed by the sheer difficulty of passage.  None of the travelers were expert mountaineers. 

Rock and snow was the only thing in sight.  Very little seemed to thrive in this desolate wilderness.  It was slow going but, again, Egan kept them moving at a steady rate.  The sun was setting when Egan spoke again. “We’re nearly there.  You see how the mountains are topping off here,” Egan pointed out, stretching an arm over the length of the horizon.  “Just another league or two.” 

Davin’s ears perked up as they came onto the flatter ground.  It was as if they had suddenly crossed a sound barrier.  His stomach dropped as he realized what it was he was hearing.  There was screaming in the distance, much louder than ever before.  A variety of different voices sounded, each as unnerving as the next. 

“What are those noises?” Teague asked.

“Those are the Auki themselves.  We can hear them clearly even during the quieter day times this close,” Egan said.  Teague went whiter than normal. 

Davin noticed that the sun was falling behind the mountains to their west.  He asked, “Are we going to cross tonight?” 

“Yes, I believe we will.  Only at night can we actually see their physical presence.  During the day we will only able to hear them.”

“How do you know all this?” said Kayleigh, sounding more curious than disbelieving. 

“It is a long story and I shall tell you some time, but will you simply take my word for now?”

“Of course, Egan.  I feel I would not enjoy it anyway, considering where we are.” 

Egan nodded grimly.  “You would be right about that.” 

The flatter region was definitely easier to walk on.  Davin couldn’t believe a place like this existed on top of a mountain range.  It wasn’t completely flat, but the mountain had leveled off enough that they could see clearly in all directions.  The plateau ran on either side of them farther than they could see.  And there was more gray rock coloring and dead brown trees showing here than snow, which seemed strange considering the elevation. 

Fog had started to roll in and it didn’t take long for the blanket of white to limit their sight.  The closer they came to great canyon, the worse it became.   

Through the fog, a black emptiness finally came into view.  This was it. 

The Chasm of the Auken Lands lay before them.  The gap in the earth, that went leagues in both directions and several miles across, was no doubt an ominous sight.  The fog was thick and heavy, though, and made them unable to see it in its entirety. 

The Chasm led down to an unseen bottom where light did not exist.  Davin shivered as he took it in.  It definitely gave a sense of foreboding. 

“There’s the bridge,” Egan stated.  They all turned in the direction Egan was pointing and could just make it out in the fog.  “This is the only bridge that still exists.  I was nervous I had brought us to the wrong spot.  It should be strong enough for all of us to go at once if I remember correctly.”

They proceeded along the chasm ridge carefully and came to the bridge.  It was rectangular, running about five feet wide and deep.  Nothing seemed held it up but the end of the bridge being fused to the side of the chasm on both sides.  They had no idea how the middle would hold up.  And one of them falling to their death was one wrong step away. 

Davin’s began to grow nervous as Egan moved toward the beginning of the bridge.  He heard Kayleigh take a deep breath.  Their bravery would be tested in the next few moments.  That was certain. 

Egan put a foot’s weight on it, and then the other.  They all stared at Egan’s boldness.  He was almost without fear, or he hid it well.  

“It looks like it’s safe.”  Then he addressed Teague and Kayleigh, “You may still wait here, my lord and lady.  I would not blame you if you didn’t want to come.” 

Teague looked down, hesitant.  Kayleigh spoke up quickly.  “My mind has not changed, Egan.  I accept whatever this place holds.” 

Those words seemed to resolve her into moving onto the bridge.  She moved without hesitation. 

Teague looked at her and took a deep breath.  He seemed to be strengthening his resolve.  “I did wish to stay back originally, but I do not feel much safer on this side alone.  I will come.” 

“How was this built?” Davin asked in amazement. 

Surprisingly, Kayleigh was the one who answered first.  “According to the Ancients’ texts, it used to be mountainous land like everything else here.  But this giant crack in the earth was a consequence of one of the battles in the War of Purity.  The Purists and the Corrupt Ones did this.  Only the clash of that power in great quantity could cause damage like this.  After the Purists realized what had been done, they constructed stone bridges rectify the problem.”

“She’s a walking historical reference book,” Egan whispered loudly to Davin. 

Davin snorted.  Kayleigh shrugged and said, “Beauty and intelligence, I’m not complaining.” 

Neither am I,
Davin thought. 

Egan laughed and said nothing more.  He started out over the bridge.  The others followed him, with Davin taking up the rear.  It took nearly half an hour to cross.  Davin kept looking below him against his will.  Every time, it made his heart race to know that only a thin, rock bridge lay between him and eternal darkness. 

As they edged out onto the other side, the wind picked up torrentially.  It was like it had been waiting for them before it started.  Everyone tried to stay warm, pulling their clothes and snow cloaks closer.  It didn’t help much, the wind was too cold.  Davin felt his hands and feet starting to go numb within a minute. 

“Is this going to be with us the entire way?” Davin asked through chattering teeth. 

“Most likely,” Egan replied.  “Hold strong, I think we have been noticed.”  Davin didn’t like the sound of that.  And telling by the looks on Kayleigh and Teague’s faces neither did they. 

Snow had started falling as well.  Carried by the intense wind, the snowflakes stung as they were batted back and forth.  Still, the four of them carried on.  Luckily, there was only one path to follow.  They continued on an upward slant for quite some time. 

Slowly and softly at first, voices began to sound around them, mere whispers on the air.   The travelers whipped their heads all around maddeningly.  It felt as if the voices were coming from everywhere and nowhere.  And then they increased in number.  Davin and the others attempted to block their ears to keep the words out.  It was no use. 

Then, high pitched rasps came across the air like sharp knives, filling their minds with ringing.  Davin felt like the words weren’t just being heard, but being absorbed into his
very  body.  He felt vulnerable and helpless, like the Auki could do anything to him and he could not fight it.  Nausea and weakness attacked him.  He nearly collapsed, but forced himself to continue.  He wouldn’t let them get the best of him. 

The spirits continued to cast their strange spell.  And if their purpose was to make them want to leave, it succeeded.  None of them had expected this torture. 

Davin took a glance behind him, tempted to flee. 

“We need to rest!” Kayleigh tried to yell over the wind, snow and voices.  “I can’t carry on like this!” 

Egan yelled back.  “They have taken your mind.  Your feelings are not real.  Do not listen to your body!” 

Still
, the sudden blizzard whipped around them. 

As they continued through the deep snow the feeling continued.  They would have been frozen solid if they hadn’t kept moving, so Egan forced them onward against their will.  All Davin wanted to do was lay down and die.  In fact, he welcomed the idea. 

“Why do you come?  Do you seek death?” the voices said, drilling the words into their minds. 

The Auki repeated their taunts, harsher each time.  Davin quickly became sick of it.  But he used to this irritation to keep going.  He let it build up inside him and strengthen his will to fight if needed.  The spirits would not beat him. 

As if prompted by Davin’s previous thought, one of the creatures the group had been dreading finally materialized.  It was a horrifying sight.  It was a short, dwarfish looking, floating creature, cloaked in a tattered robe.  The skeletal face was human-like but with elongated features that gave the bone structure a stretched appearance.  Even more disturbingly, a yellowish, decaying flesh still hung loosely from its sickly body.   The arms and legs were thin and frail and it held a spear twice its size in one of its hands.  

The four travelers stopped at this sight.  Kayleigh put her hand over her mouth and looked away.  Teague fell to his knees in a sort of bow of respect.  Davin waited, still as a statue. 

Slowly, more began to appear around them in a circle.  The first one that had arrived spoke, “We know your intentions.  You came here seeking treasure and will pay with your lives.” 

The Auki surrounding the travelers began to wail loudly in unison.  A ringing filled Davin’s ears
again and he suddenly felt like he was going to faint.  They began to close in on the trespassers. 

“Run!  I will try to hold them off for a moment,” Egan yelled. 

Davin and the others took off as fast as they could along the icy mountainside.  The first spirit charged at Egan, spear pointed at his heart.  Egan pulled forth his sword and made a wide overhead arc, trying to turn the spear’s point.  The sword missed its mark.  Egan ducked just in time and rolled underneath the Auki.  It flew past him harmlessly. 

But he didn’t have time to rest. The Auki corrected its mistake quickly.  Egan took off after the others. 

The Auki let out broken wailing that sounded like language.  Egan risked a glance back and saw that more had appeared behind him.  They kept up the chase as Egan reached the others.  The spirits chased the group of four them as they ran, still screaming in their terrible language. 

Three spears were thrown from behind.  One was deflected away by Egan, another by Davin.  The third missed and bounced off the ice around them. 

Egan called out to the others, “They will not give up chasing us.  We can’t run forever!” 

Their lives weren’t going to get any easier the farther they continued into the mountains, that was for certain. 

“Let us stand and fight!” Kayleigh yelled.  “I won’t die like this.” 

Almost in unison they halted, each of them with a weapon drawn.   

The Auki that had spoken to them floated over Egan and began to let out a piercing cry.  Egan impaled it with his sword before it could.    The stab wound smoked but the Auki did not seem to be in any pain. 

“Fool.  You cannot kill us.  We know neither death nor life!”  Egan rolled away and jumped to his feet, taking another swipe at the spirit.  This time he hit it between the eyes.  It grabbed its face and turned away.  The distraction gave Egan enough time to stand and settle himself. 

“Davin, quick, the fire orb, give it to me,” Egan cried. 

Davin hastily pulled the orb out of his pack, which was difficult to do while trying to keep his eyes focused around him.  He threw it over to Egan.  Catching it, Egan dropped his sword and tried to ignite it.  The Auki advanced on him on both sides.  They were too quick.  Egan was thrown to the ground as they hit him.  

Two more Auki appeared on the opposite side.  Teague and Kayleigh turned to face them.

Two more spears were thrown.  One narrowly missed Teague.  Another one was flung toward them, this one heading directly toward Kayleigh.  Davin attempted to bat it away with a quick swipe of his sword, but it sliced her neatly on the arm.  She moaned as blood began to stain the snow. 

“We can’t get rid of them!  How many more are there?” Davin yelled. 

One of them advanced on Kayleigh.  Davin fell back to protect her.  The Auki came flying forward as Davin stepped in front of her.  Davin fell backward as it passed by him, swinging his sword to try and knock the spear out of its hand.  He missed.  It grabbed Kayleigh and lifted her into the air, wailing in her ear.  Her head drooped and her eyes rolled back in her head.  Then she was let go and fell onto the packed snow with a loud thump. 

Egan continued holding off a couple of them by bare inches, keeping them distracted with multiple wounds.  Davin returned his focus to Kayleigh.  The Auki that had knocked her out raised his spear in the direction of her heart. 

Davin had to think quickly. 

He charged toward where she lay and jumped, hitting the icy ground hard on his stomach.  The ice was even faster than he had expected.  He slid into her at a good clip.

Her unconscious body tumbled away from the spot with Davin’s in tow.   The Auki’s spear struck the ice where she had been laying seconds before. 

In the next moment, they rammed the nearest snow bank and were engulfed in fresh powder.  Davin let out a breath of relief as he dug them out. 

The Auki that had missed his kill screamed a murderous wrath. 

“You didn’t like that too much, I see,” Davin said. 

This seemed to enrage the creature even more.  It flew at Davin almost faster than he could react.  Davin sprinted from the opposite side, reaching the upright spear in the ice first. 

Snatching it up, he stabbed the Auki in the eye socket like Egan had.  It worked again. 

Davin grunted as he picked up Kayleigh and made a run for it.  He sloppily found his way to Egan, trying not to drop the girl.  The task was much more
difficult than he expected. 

Egan saw him and then his eyes widened.  “Davin, drop, now!” he yelled.  Davin didn’t understand, but then he heard a whoosh through the air.  Feeling a deep pain near his shoulder blade, he crumpled and Kayleigh rolled out of his hands.  She stopped face down in the snow, still out cold. 

Egan took this moment to attack.  He sent a jet stream of flame speeding toward the Auki.  It flew just over Davin’s head as he lay on the ground, his vision blurry.  The wall connected with the spirits as it passed. 

Driocht
was the answer.  The creatures ceased the attack, even the few that the magic had missed. They only watched as their leader became engulfed in fire and wriggled in agony.  A torturous smell wafted into the air, not unlike that of rotting flesh.  All that Egan, Davin, Teague could do was stand on guard and try to not be sick. 

It took several minutes for them to put the flames out.  When they had, the leader called to the others in their own tongue.  All of them turn
ed and stared at Davin and the others. 

“The Ancient’s power!” the voice said in the modern tongue, screaming.  “It is the only force we fear and respect in this world.  How do you know it?” 

Egan hesitated, unsure of their intentions in the question.  “We are their descendents.” 

The leader surveyed him, as if deciding to believe Egan or not.  “You may have passage through these lands.  We will bother you no further, kin of the Ancients.” 

“Wait!” Egan yelled over them, suddenly inspired. “Do you know about the
lost Driocht Scroll and where it resides?”

The Auki halted their leaving at once.  The wind stopped and a silence fell over everything.  The seconds ticked by like hours as the Auki floated around them, saying nothing. 

“How do you know about the Scroll?” the leader asked. 

Egan pulled out the texts that they had been studying so intently lately.  He held them up for all the Auki to see. 

Davin wished that the spirit had an expression to read.  It would have made the waiting a little more bearable. The pain in his back seemed to have subsided some, but only because it had grown numb.  He had deliberately backed himself into a snow bank to calm the bite of the puncture wound.  He wasn’t mortally bleeding as far as he could tell and that was good enough for now. 

The spirit let out of loud scream towards Egan, which made them all jump.  Davin raised his sword, ready to strike or run. 

“Very well,” it said after a minute.  “You will be taken to the Lady.  Follow.” 

Davin, Egan, and Teague looked at one another, shock evident on their faces.  They had barely escaped with their lives.  No wonder no else had ever returned to tell the tale.  Egan had been right, only the power of the Ancients would get them through. 

Egan picked up Kayleigh and held her over his shoulder.  “She’s not dead,” he said, checking her pulse.  Falling in line behind the Auki, they followed them into the High Passes. 

Chapter 21 The Lady of the Lake

The Auki led them onward for quite some time.  The passage kept going higher as if it were an endless staircase to the stars.  Several times the path split or disappeared in a wide plain, but the Auki leader never questioned their bearings.  They carried on without reluctance as to which way to go. 

After what felt like several hours, the spirit creatures pulled to a stop.  The humans followed suit, waiting to see what the next move was going to be.  Davin wanted to sit down while they waited. 

The Auki said nothing to them as they waited.  But slowly the screaming voices began to become audible in a chanting progression.  It was strange to hear a language that didn’t have any distinct word patterns being spoken in unison.  The Auki had formed a circle and were performing some sort of ceremony it seemed.  The three men watched with a growing sense of wonderment. 

Egan looked down for a moment.  He must have just realized he was still holding Kayleigh’s unconscious body because he set her down suddenly.  Davin watched him place her on the snow.  She didn’t look as if she was anywhere close to waking up.  There was no movement from her body, but Egan had said she was alive. 

“Maybe you should ask them to revive her,” Davin suggested softly, not wanting to disturb whatever it was the spirit creatures were doing. 

Egan answered, not taking his eyes off the sight in front of him, “For now we will wait.  It may just wear off with time.  And if it doesn’t, we will ask this ‘Highness’ they speak off.” 

“Why can’t we ask them?  They are the ones who did this to her.” Davin couldn’t figure why they wouldn’t want the Auki themselves to fix what they did.  It made more sense. 

Egan seemed to sense Davin’s frustration.  “These are wild creatures.  Their nature is not to show mercy.  I do not want to bother them any more than we have to.” His tone lightened.  “Besides, this woman they speak of must be someone that they respect highly.  Otherwise, they would not appease her.  She seems to have the power to tame them, which means that she is strong indeed, and can help Kayleigh if we ask.” 

Davin nodded.  He said nothing else because he knew Egan’s words were true.  She would definitely be able to help them.  It was merely a matter of would she help them.  And that all depended on which side she called her own. 

Davin bent down to take a look at Kayleigh.  She was peaceful in her unconscious state, but she had been out for hours.  It seemed time for her to wake.  Davin began to reach toward her face when Egan grabbed his shoulder firmly and pulled him upright.  Davin stumbled under the sudden movement. 

When his gaze fell back upon the Auki a chill enveloped him.  The spirit creatures were all staring at three human men standing in front of them.  The combination of Auki gaze and
wind-whistled silence was unnerving. 

“She has accepted your audience,” the leader of them said at last in his high screeching tone. 

Not knowing what else to do, Davin nodded.  It felt more like the right answer when he found Egan and Teague doing the same. 

Immediately after their silent acknowledgment, the Auki disappeared into the n
ight.  The sound of wind rushing through a tunnel accompanied them as they vanished. 

The four of them were left alone again.  Relief poured over Davin like a warm blanket.  The others looked more relaxed as well. 

Now what?” Davin asked once they had been alone several seconds.  Egan opened his mouth to speak but something began happening in front of them. 

Davin and the others’ mouths hung open comically as they waited. 

The image of the path in front of them wavered.   At first, Davin thought his eyes were merely playing tricks on him.  He rubbed them and looking away for a moment, but when his gaze returned the unbelievable occurrence was still happening.  

It strikingly resembled a pond ripple at first, as when water’s surface is disturbed.  It pulsed out in circles from the middle.  Instead of dissipating though, the rippling increased in strength.  And it continued to do so until the scene in front of them was completely dissolved. 

“I have never seen anything like this magic before in my lifetime,” Egan said with awe. 

“No one has, I bet,” Davin replied with a sense of wonder. 

A few seconds later the rippling began to slow down as a new image was appearing before them.  In silence, the three men patiently held their places.  Their view cleared and they squinted through the watery substance, trying to decipher it. 

What their eyes fell upon then was no less wonderful.  The current part of the path, that was very narrow and had high mountain walls on both sides, was gone.  Instead, they were looking at the wide shoreline of a high mountain lake.  The lake itself was gigantic, heading out nearly a league and then wrapping around the mountainside into an unseen other side.  Its width alone seemed to be nearly a mile across.  The lake glistened w
ith such a glassy sheen that it hardly seemed real.  The lake itself gave the impression that it was as alive and aware as a person, and demanded their respect as such. 

As they became
lost in its enchantment Davin noticed it no longer felt cold.  A warm, gentle breeze swept over him.  His extra cloaks began to feel a little too warm and he wanted to take them off. 

“What is this magic?  Did we just
get transported to another land?” Teague asked in confusion. 

Egan corrected him quickly.  “No.  Look, we are still in the High Passes.”  He gestured around them.  Mountains could still be seen around them.  “I believe this place has always been here, hidden by Driocht of great strength.  We are certainly part of very few that has witnessed it.”

“It feels like we are not alone here,” Davin said. 

Egan nodded.  “I feel that too.  There is something sacred here, almost like a sanctuary I would say.”

“Sanctuary for whom?”

“Our ancestors.” 

“I would never have guessed the Ancients had the kind of power to hide a place like this,” Teague said, dumbstruck.   

Egan gave Davin a quick grin and Davin immediately knew they were sharing a truth that very few knew about.  Davin remembered the Corrupt Ones power to create an entire new world in a new realm
, or so it was taught.  The power at work here was nothing compared to the other if it were true, but this place was no less a great achievement. 

“There are many things that you do not yet know about us and our kin, Teague.  You won’t understand fully until these things are revealed.  I will educate you as we continue to travel together, if you like,” Egan offered. 

Teague seemed to be gaining his confidence back.  His voice was getting stronger every time he spoke.  “I look forward to doing that,” he said, firmly. 

As they stared again in si
lence, something disturbed the surface of the lake several hundred feet out.  A living thing was advancing from the depths.  Davin tried not to be startled.  As the presence rose higher, it was plain to see that it was a human figure.  This person was clothed in an old, pristinely white cloak that shimmered around the edges.  Was this the woman the Auki had been speaking of? 

As the figure fully emerged, it began to advance towards them at a swift pace.  It made up the distance to the shore in seconds, carrying a wake of small waves behind. 

The figure was indeed female.  She had long golden locks of curly hair and the splendor of beauty Davin had only seen once before, in his dreams.  Her presence gave a feeling of extreme happiness and she smelled the freshness of the forest after a rain. 

She smiled as she floated above the shore line, gesturing them forward.  Entranced by her, t
he three of them came forward as she had bid them.  Kayleigh remained unconscious on the ground behind them.