Discovery at Nerwolix (41 page)

“He was… different.”

“Different how?” Able frowns.

“When he was born, there was difficulty in
his delivery. He had… peculiar traits. And then his mind… it was
never quite right.”

Norhra steps forward. “Legend goes that once
he was banished, he sought refuge here and during the entirety of
his life, he only befriended
one
other Nerwo—Princess
Nhazual.”

“As in the Nhazual flowers?” I ask.

“That is correct.”

“And she’s the one who betrayed and saved
her kingdom?”

Norhra nods.

“How?”

Ehan and Norhra look to one another. Finally
Norhra inhales. “It was not an intended betrayal, but it occurred
nonetheless,” she shifts her eyes over us. “She told of the
Floating Ruby’s location.”

“To who?”

“And what happened?” Able asks.

A scuttle sounds up ahead and Reid
immediately reaches for his Traxpire. Norhra and Ehan move first
but the sound dies off in the distance. We’re right behind them,
following their footsteps toward a second light. This time, only
the Vermix’s head lies separated from his body. It’s a few feet
away, as if it rolled there.

“He’s accurate,” Walker nods. “I’ll give him
that.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Able grips his
neck.

“What are these lights?” I start to reach
for the single flame but Norhra shakes her head.

“We do not touch them.”

“What are they?”

“Dayres. They drift by way of the wind. Fire
on a single, unburnable seed,” Norhra glances around. “He must
collect them.”

“He wants to show us his victims?” Able
grips his neck again. “
Kinda
creepy.”

“It is more like he is leaving a trail of
where he has been,” Qippert looks to the brother and sister again.
“And you think it is wise to continue?”

“Yes,” Ehan nods, “…but it would be smart to
stay behind us.”

“Are there lots of tunnels down here?” I
gesture to the walls, “or just this main one?”

“Supposedly there is just this one… but no
one has been down here for thousands of years. Keep close,” he
says, starting into the darkness. “We have three Vermix left to
find.”

We travel for a bit more until another
shriek roars ahead and like before, Ehan and Norhra take off. When
we reach the lit scene behind them, we find two more decapitated
Vermix, both eyes blank and staring into the dark ceiling
above.

“One left,” Walker says.

“Good,” Werzo nods. “Then we can get the
hell out of here and back into some damn daylight.”

“He must be smart for having survived this
long,” I mutter, glancing at Reid next to me. He tries offering a
half smile but I know he’s just as uncomfortable being down here as
I am.

“Actually,” Ehan says, “it is quite the
opposite. The Tunnel Keeper had difficulty grasping simple
concepts. Match that with his…unique appearance and you will
understand his reason for leaving.”

“They cast him out because he was
handicapped?” I frown.

“It was three thousand years ago…” Ehan
emits a tone of guilt. “I assume those that were unique were
treated somewhat differently then.”

“But that doesn’t change the fact that he’s
at least
somewhat
smart. He’s stayed alive this long.”

“He is waiting for her.”

“Waiting for who?”

“The princess,” Norhra says. “He is waiting
for her to return.”

A loud explosion rips overhead, the familiar
orange blast lighting up the tunnel. Reid aims his Traxpire but
Norhra and Ehan are already sprinting in the Vermix’s direction,
chasing him up the walls. He races across the ceiling, about to
launch himself at us but instead, turns and shoots the fiery
explosions at both Nerwos. The brother and sister dive apart, just
missing the Traxpire blast before flipping backwards and onto the
ground. Still clinging high on the wall, the Vermix directs his
weapon on us. Ehan and Norhra are about to leap toward him when a
shadow appears further down the wall. I’m not sure I’m even seeing
correctly but then the look on the Vermix’s face changes.
Tightens.

He starts to swallow when blood gushes from
between his whiskers, spraying the rocky ground at our feet. Reid
jerks me back, shielding my body with his, but I can still see.
Still see the terrified expression turn blank as the Vermix’s eyes
roll back in a head that suddenly falls forward, toppling over his
body and hitting the ground in a loud mushy thud. The rest of him
falls from the wall next, joining his head in a loud muddy
smack.

Ehan and Norhra move to the front of our
group, placing themselves between us and the dead Vermix. The
shadow crawls to the ground.

“Tunnel Keeper,” Ehan says in a calm, even
voice. “We mean you no harm. You have done us a great service in
removing the five Dofinikes. We thank you.”

Silence stretches as the shadow waits,
scurrying from side to side. Finally, after a long beat, a low,
gravelly voice comes out of the darkness.

“Do you know?”

“Know what, Tunnel Keeper?”

“Do you
know
?” he tries again,
shifting between both walls. “She says Nerwos are friends. She says
not to harm them… even though they harmed Curhio.
She
never
harmed Curhio. No, no. She never would. She would never harm
Curhio. She and Curhio are friends. Tell secrets,” he whispers,
scurrying to the other wall. “She passes through… she will come
again. Do you know?” he stops. “Do you know?”

“We are not here to answer your questions,
Tunnel Keeper,” Norhra shakes her head. “And we apologize for
invading your home. We will be going now.”

“NO!” the shadow leaps forward and into the
glow of my Callix.

I stifle a gasp.

The Tunnel Keeper stands maybe four feet
high, the majority of his body hunched over, rounding out like a
question mark. The curve of his back sits higher than his head
which is pot-marked brown and hairless, except for the few silver
strands growing on both sides of his face. Some sprout from his
pointed ears and a small bunch round his narrowed chin. A long,
elegant nose is smeared to the side like it was folded over, never
to regain the proper shape again. It sits under a set of large,
glassy blue eyes and his mouth is a tight wrinkled line, creased on
either side by thick sets of wrinkles.

He holds nothing but two small blades which
are fastened to both wrists—same as Ehan and Norhra. On his body,
which is nothing more than the thin curved shell with matching
miniscule limbs, he wears only a small brown hide wrapped around
his narrowed hips.

“No…no…” he shakes his head. “She says she
will see Curhio again soon. She says Nerwos are friends…” he
pauses, raking a look over the rest of us.

“She says they are friends too,” Ehan starts
before the Tunnel Keeper continues, “and that we are allowed safe
passage.”

“Miyons invade…” he growls, “…Vermix invade.
Curhio makes it safe for her return.”

“Yes,” Norhra nods. “You have made it
safe.”

“Must make it safe… Curhio always makes it
safe. She says not to harm Nerwos even though they harm Curhio, but
Curhio escaped. And then
she
came. She is Curhio’s only
friend. Do you know?” he steps forward. “Do you know?”

“No, Curhio,” Norhra exhales softly. “I do
not know.”

“It will be soon,” he scurries back to the
wall, scraping his finger down the rough rocky texture. “Curhio
keeps waiting. Curhio
always
waits for her. Every time.”

“Every time what?” I ask, not even meaning
to speak. The question somehow slipped out, but before Ehan or
Norhra can say anything, Curhio beats them to it.

“She comes through the pass,” he points a
long, skinny finger toward the northern end, “there. She meets
Curhio and leaves,” he points to the other end, where we arrived,
“there. She comes back the same night and goes home. But she always
comes back. Curhio always waits for her. Every time. Every
time.”

“And you’re still waiting?” Jace frowns.

“Curhio
always
waits. Every time.
Every time. Do you know?”

No one answers.

“Do you know?” he looks at me. “Do you
know
?”

“Know what?” Able whispers in my ear.

It’s the only thing Curhio cares about… the
only thing he’s been caring about for three thousand years, since
she last passed through, I suppose. It breaks my heart that he’s
still in here, still waiting for her when she’s been dead all this
time. Will he stay here forever, waiting for her? Or should someone
tell him?

Keeping my voice low, I whisper to Able,
“When she’s coming back.”

“Do you know?” Curhio steps forward.

I shake my head. “No, Curhio. I don’t
know.”

“It will be soon,” he scurries to the wall,
scraping his finger down the rocky texture again. “Curhio keeps
waiting. Curhio
always
waits for her. Every time. Every
time.”

Ehan and Norhra exchange looks before
focusing on the Tunnel Keeper again.

“You have made the pass safe again for her
return,” Ehan keeps his voice soft. “We thank you, Curhio. But we
must be leaving. Outside this tunnel, there is a battle occurring
and we must return to it.”

“Battle?” he frowns. “Curhio does not know
of the battle. These are… invaders? Like the miyons?”

“That is right,” Norhra nods. “The invaders
are here to steal the Floating Ruby, just like the miyons
were.”

“Is she safe? Curhio makes it safe for her
return.”

“We will protect her out there. You must
stay here and protect the pass for her safe return. If any Vermix
come through, same as him,” Ehan motions to the dead Dofinike, “you
must stop them.”

“But only,” Qippert interrupts, rolling the
Vermix onto his back, “if they possess these three red lines. You
see them there?
These
are the bad Dofinikes. These are the
intruders.”

Curhio follows his focus and eyes the red
lines. He looks back at Qippert. “Do
you
know?”

“Soon, Curhio,” Qippert’s mouth turns down.
“It will be soon.”

“Curhio keeps waiting. Curhio
always
waits for her. Every time. Every time.”

Ehan gestures past the Tunnel Keeper to the
northern end of the pass. Norhra goes first, then Qippert, Walker,
the Rogues, Reid and I. Finally Ehan nods back at him and as usual,
keeps his voice soft and calm, completely coddling and
reassuring.

“Keep the tunnel safe for her return,
Curhio.”

I’m already a ways down the pass, squeezing
Reid’s hand when I hear the Tunnel Keeper mumbling to himself
behind us, “…keeps waiting. Curhio
always
waits for
her…”

His voice dies in the distance and after
some time, we reach the north end of the pass where the morning
light washes away all evidence of the dark. Emerging from the
tunnel, I have to squint, quickly readjusting my eyes. Outside, a
thick line of Nerwos wait, standing at attention as we approach
them.

“Well that was depressing,” Walker huffs,
scratching down his chest.

“And disturbing,” Able frowns. “So he’s just
going to like, wait in there forever?”

“Seems so,” Reid nods, turning to Ehan as he
moves for the army of Nerwos. “Does he even know how much time has
passed?”

“I do not think so, no. I imagine to him it
has been one long night. It would be easy to lose track of the
hours and if he was accustomed to waiting for her—especially in the
dark—he probably just assumes only a short time has passed,” he
approaches the Nerwos.

One stands in front of the others, arms
behind his back and legs apart. He has long black hair like
Bhanton, but it’s pulled back in a braid and he stares ahead, dark
brows over focused eyes. “Your orders, Ehan?”

I turn to Reid as Ehan talks with the other
Nerwo. “He said she passed through every night and then returned
home… where do you think she went?”

“Sounds like she was meeting somebody.”

“But who?”

“Well he said the miyons invaded…” Tucker
shrugs. “Maybe she was spying on them or something.”

“Or something,” Walker winks. “Every night?
Sounds like a booty call to me.”

“Think he’ll ever believe she died?” I look
around the group of Rogues.

“Can’t believe he’s three thousand years
old,” Able shakes his head. “I don’t ever want to get that
old.”

“He must be a crazy son of a bitch to live
that long,” Jace laughs, “killing everything that comes
through.”

“Except us,” Able laughs. “Glad we didn’t
venture further in the other times.”

Fallon
, the voice takes me off guard.
Fallon, can you hear me?

It takes me a moment to recognize the voice
because it’s not Sampson and Qippert is here next to me. Signaling
to the Rogues, I take a step away, facing the Nerwo army as I close
my eyes and concentrate.

Clarence, is that you?

Good girl. Listen, Sampson says you’re with
Ehan and Norhra toward the northern part of the Hylas—is that
right?

Yeah, we’re actually in the Nerwos’
territory now. We just went through Nhazual’s Pass and met the
Tunnel Keeper.

Silence.

Wow. That must’ve been… an experience. Look,
I’m sorry I haven’t been able to communicate until now. I was still
on Mybyncia trying to mobilize Keller’s forces. I didn’t realize
the Vermix showed up yesterday and I just got here myself.

Where are you?

On the beach with Sampson. We need you back
here—all of you. Reuzkimpart is withdrawing most of his forces up
north to come back behind the Nerwos. I think it’s his final move.
But the Zingfinolds can’t hold all of them.

I thought the Nerwos were coming to
assist?

They haven’t reached us yet, but that’s
alright. Their plan was smart—suffocation. Except now, we need to
find a new choke point and it’s the beach. Tell Ehan to keep half
his forces north and have the other half push the Vermix back down
south. They’ll be cut off on both sides by the Zingfinolds with
their backs to the water.