Rise of Legends (The Kin of Kings Book 2) (19 page)

“Then we go underground,” Steffen said. “The Slugari tunnels. They made an entrance to their colony in this forest.”

Reela frowned. “They probably closed it off when they fled the territory.”

“Perhaps, but they might not have. I know where it is, so why don’t we check?”

It wasn’t a bad idea, except for one thing. “They wouldn’t have made an underground route to Trentyre,” Effie said, though she figured Steffen already had come to the same conclusion and would have a solution. He always had a solution.

“That’s correct,” Steffen agreed, “but we know they have a tunnel going all the way to Sumar. Our people can make a tunnel to Trentyre from that one.”

They all looked at Wilfre. He sighed in resignation.

“Fine. But we’re just checking to see whether the entrance is available to us. Then we’re going back.”

They walked back the way they’d come in silence for a while. Wilfre and Steffen led the group and remained a good distance ahead of Effie and Reela, and soon the psychic started chuckling, seemingly at nothing.

“What is it?” Effie asked.

“Wilfre hates us.
Hates
us, Eff. I feel it so strongly. He doesn’t care anymore about us than he does our enemies.”

“And this is funny?”

“I was just imagining him complaining to Terren about us once we get back.” She lowered her voice in imitation. “I was shot and nearly died! They left me as I was bleeding and calling for help.”

But Reela had been a little too loud, and Wilfre spun around and trudged toward her. “You
did
leave me! And I was shot
three
times
! In all my years of service, I’ve never suffered an injury until now, and I
did
almost die because of you three! Of course Terren will hear about it!”

Effie and Reela held back giggles as Wilfre spun on his heels and rejoined Steffen.

Terren finds Wilfre just as insufferable as I do
, Effie reminded herself.
No doubt the headmaster will ask why Wilfre was still alive if we left him to die, and he’ll eventually get to the truth.
There was nothing to worry about.

*****

Every time Cleve thought of Peter, he realized he could’ve been the one left behind instead. If he and Basen had been the last ones to enter the portal, Cleve would’ve told Basen to go first just like Peter had.
And I would’ve fought until my last breath, but there’s no way I could’ve killed hundreds of them and Abith. Damn, he was fast.

But did Peter fight or give up? He was wounded badly. Maybe he let them capture him.
Would they take him prisoner or just slay him there?

Jackrie hadn’t yet asked Basen if it was possible to make a portal back to the Fjallejon Mountains, and Cleve figured she wouldn’t.
Because she has no intention of going back, even if we did leave one of our own there.

Were had Basen brought them? If they were still in Ovira, they were likely north of the Fjallejon Mountains, for there was much more land north of the mountains than there was south. But conversations about their location just seemed to make everyone worry. They would have to wait until they made it out of this cavern, or mountain, or whatever it was, to find out where they were.

They waited for Alabell to treat everyone’s injuries, Annah’s being the worst. Cleve hadn’t seen her hit the back of her head against a stone wall, but he saw the effects of what was clearly a concussion. Alabell had said that Annah struck her head again after everyone tumbled through the portal. It hadn’t taken long for her to regain consciousness, but there was little Alabell could do to speed Annah’s healing. She wouldn’t be walking long distances for at least a day.

Alabell treated Cleve’s wounds last, as if she already knew he would refuse her help until everyone else had it. She rubbed a potion on his cuts to fight against infection, then bandaged them. Exhaustion made his head heavy. It was likely morning by then, and although Cleve wasn’t in the mood to sleep, his body didn’t want to do much else. The lake of lava gave off a dim red light that spread across the enormous cavern, but the heat from it made his head hurt, and the constant bubbling and sloshing didn’t help. Jackrie glanced at her compass often, though her concerned expression never changed.

“What were you thinking when you made the portal?” she asked Basen.

“I tried to think of the Academy, but I was more concerned about not dying.”

“Did you have any other thoughts? Anything that might tell us where we are?”

Basen looked up as he pondered. His eyes seemed to catch something. “No, but that’s interesting.” He pointed at the ceiling. Similar to the spot where he’d made a portal within the Fjallejon Mountains, a patch of sleek stone had a faint glow of silver. “It looks like it could be more akorell metal,” he said. “Alabell, what do you think?”

“Yes, it is. I assume there must be some connection—”

“Does it mean we’re still in the Fjallejon Mountains?” Jackrie interrupted.

“I don’t know.” Alabell stroked Annah’s head resting on her lap. “Theories of portals suggest that making an entrance with an akorell stone is likely to open an exit where another akorell stone is. It has to do with opening both portals with the same amount of energy.”

Basen grimaced. “Does that mean the only portals I’ll make large enough for us to pass through have to lead to where akorell metal has gathered enough bastial energy?”

Alabell thought for a moment. “I don’t know, but it’s clear that this is what happened when you made a portal in the mountains. You used an enormous amount of energy, and the portal led here, where the same amount of energy was taken from this akorell metal.” She pointed at the ceiling.

“Can you make another portal?” Jackrie asked Basen.

“I suppose I could when this akorell metal has gathered enough bastial energy. Right now, there’s hardly any.”

“How long?” Jackrie spoke hastily, no doubt eager to leave.

Basen gave a sad look at Alabell. “Do you want to tell her?”

“Days, Mage Jackrie. Probably two or three.”

“And even then,” Basen added, “I can’t be certain where it will lead.”

Jackrie rubbed her eyes as she groaned. “All right. Then we’d better figure out where we are. Annah, how are you feeling?”

“Terrible,” she muttered.

“Then you’ll stay here with Basen and Alabell. Cleve, come with me.”

They started toward the only exit, but Basen stopped them. “How long will you be?”

“Not long,” she answered curtly.

Cleve counted the arrows remaining in his quiver as he walked beside her. A clump had fallen out while he was fighting, leaving only nine.

As they entered the next area, it quickly became clear they were indeed in some sort of cavern. The ceiling was low and greatly uneven, with hanging rocks like thick icicles grouped in clusters. The ground, however, had a clear pathway. It wasn’t man-made, but something had walked back and forth over it enough times to beat down a trail.

Cleve stayed close to Jackrie and hoped that if they encountered whatever made this path, it was something small. She used light from her wand at first but soon found she didn’t need it. Thin streams of lava flowed from small openings in the ceiling, creating pools on the edges of the pathway that gave light to the cavern. Upon closer investigation, it appeared that rock had been dug away strategically for just this purpose.

“Something must be here,” Cleve commented.

“Hopefully it’s left by now.”

Eventually they came to the first fork in the pathway. Darkness lurked to their left, while light beckoned to them from the right. Without hesitation, they went to the right. Cleve felt hope stirring in his chest, for the light wasn’t the same dull red as in the cave they’d just passed through, but white and robust, as if from the sun.

It took only a moment to reach its source, and unfortunately it wasn’t the sun. The rocky ceiling high over their heads glowed bright, almost too intense to look at. There wasn’t much space in this small alcove, and there was no other route to go except back. But Jackrie didn’t turn around. She walked beneath the light and lifted her hand, probably feeling for bastial energy.

Cleve followed her, then stretched out his arms to bask in the comforting heat. But it only lasted a blink before dizziness overcame him. Jackrie grabbed his arm for balance as she fell to one knee.

“Sorry,” she said. “A spell of vertigo.”

“I felt it, too,” he said.

She gingerly got up as worry crossed her face. “That can’t be good.”

They walked out, back toward the red light. However, their path was now straight where before it was twisted. Chills ran down Cleve’s back.

“Did we just go through another portal?” Jackrie asked.

“It did feel similar to going through Basen’s portal, but the effects weren’t as strong.”

They went back to investigate the room they’d just come from. It looked shrunken but otherwise similar. The ceiling glowed white, yet it was clearly different. The pattern was off, not nearly as circular, and the strength of the light was half of the other room.

“Let’s try to go back through,” Cleve suggested.

They walked beneath the light. He felt no warmth, no dizziness, and there was no change to the alcove. Not a good sign.

They went out to investigate—the path was still straight instead of twisted.

“Bastial hell,” Jackrie muttered.

“I think we just need to give the akorell metal time to recoup the energy it lost when we passed through it.”

“It was too bright for me to see anything. How do you know it was akorell metal?”

“Just a guess from what Alabell and Basen were talking about.”

“But I didn’t do anything to form a portal,” Jackrie said with a quizzical lift of her eyebrow. “It might be something else entirely. It might…never allow us to pass through again.”

Cleve was unsure what to say. He felt dread tightening his chest as he stared at Jackrie’s helpless expression.

She straightened her back as if bolstering her confidence. “Let’s keep going.”

They walked down the straight path, flanked by calm waterfalls of lava that fell into gurgling pools. There was only one route to take, and it eventually led them to one enormous space that stretched on for what had to be at least a mile. Pillars of rock hundreds of feet tall and as thick as the largest trees Cleve had ever seen connected the ceiling to the floor. Thick streams of bright lava fell out of gaping holes and disappeared through much smaller holes in the ground.

Cleve and Jackrie seemed to be at the highest point anyone could reach in this massive cavern, at the top of the only entrance he could see. A long and treacherous pathway twisted down to the smooth floor at least a hundred feet below. It was wide enough for three people to walk abreast, but there were no walls to keep Cleve or Jackrie from falling if they were to slip.

Cleve had no intention of venturing down. Much of the land below sat in darkness, too far from the lava waterfalls to catch their light. This whole area seemed to be made by something once alive. The best he could hope for were Fjallejons, knowing they liked to live in mountains. But there was another creature rumored to live in mountains as well, and he dared not think about the possibility of encountering it.

“Let’s wait here until we can take the portal back,” Cleve suggested.

Jackrie had a small sip from her water skin, then put it back in her bag. “That’s one option.” She fetched her compass. “Let me at least see what direction we’re facing.” She used her wand to light it as she squinted. The needle was dead stuck on north, even as she turned. Jackrie tapped the compass and shook it, but the needle didn’t budge. “Damn.”

Cleve wished Steffen was here. The chemist probably would know what that meant.

“I think we’re underground, Cleve.”

“Maybe we’ll encounter the Slugari.”

She wore an entertained smile. “I see you’re feeling more optimistic than I am.”

In a moment of weakness, Cleve let out his emotions. “I wish you would at least pretend to know more than you actually do.” He could hear his frustration but couldn’t stop himself. “You were chosen to lead this mission. So lead.”

“You want me to pretend? Fine. We’ll wait here until we can take the portal back. Then we’ll find our way out of here with the rest of our group.” She sat and made herself comfortable.

Cleve stood a few paces away and let his eyes roam the vast expanse below, hoping to find nothing moving save the continuous flow of lava.

For a while, they didn’t speak. Eventually Cleve sat, and Jackrie remarked, “You sound just like Terren when he’s annoyed.”

Cleve had no comment to give, so they waited in silence for the better part of an hour. Eventually, he lay down and drifted off to sleep.

He felt somewhat refreshed when he awoke. Sitting up, his movements woke Jackrie.

“Hmm, better check the portal,” she grumbled.

Cleve was surprised when they entered the alcove and he saw how bright the ceiling glowed. Perhaps it was ready after all. Curious, he asked Jackrie to go first so he could watch what happened. She hesitantly walked beneath the white ceiling.