Exiled (13 page)

“Something is beneath us,” James said.

“Continue,” Luno said sternly. “If it hits us again, do not stop rowing.”

“Do you know what it is?” James asked.

“I have my suspicions.”

“Care to share?”

“Be silent, boy, and row the bloody boat! Our destination is not far, and if I am correct, we have nothing to fear.”

James, once again, nervously dipped the oars into the water and began to pull. After a moment, he looked over his shoulder to make sure they were on course. He could see the large boulder Luno had spoken of, which marked the entrance to the cave beneath the cliffs on the western side of the harbor. He increased his pace.

Off the stern of the boat, behind Luno’s left shoulder, James saw a rapidly expanding circle of bubbles on the surface. Luno could tell by the expression on James’s face that something was happening behind. He turned slowly. Instinctively, James raised the oars from the water as the green bubbles off the stern came to a boil. The area covered by this boiling disturbance on the surface rapidly grew until it was three times the size of the small boat.

James started to speak, but Luno quickly raised a silencing hand. Without warning, the bubbles ceased. Luno slowly turned his head and looked at James. Luno’s dumfounded expression concerned James. Both men sat for several moments in silence. Finally, Luno nodded and James dipped the oars into the water and gave them a pull. The boat did not respond. He repeated the motion with the same result.

“Have we run aground?” James asked.

“No,” Luno said, inspecting the water on each side of the boat.

The boat trembled. Something broke the surface of the water on the port side. Initially it appeared to be the tentacle of a giant sea creature, however it slowly began to separate from itself, unwinding like a piece of rope. First there were a dozen small tendrils pulling away from the main body of the tentacle. Then hundreds. Then in seconds the body had been replaced with thousands of grey tendrils. They rose above the boat then arched down above James. He quickly reached for the knife in his belt.

“No,” Luno commanded. “Do nothing.”

James lowered his hands as the tendrils approached. He could feel an energy from them, almost as if they carried an electric current. They stopped just above his head. James looked up and saw that they had begun to swirl around him. They continued to circle his body, a whirlpool of sensory extensions, until James found himself completely encapsulated by them. Not one of the tendrils actually made contact with James. The center mass, just above his head began to glow red. Bolts of what appeared to be lightning reached out from the source of the red glow. James felt no fear. He raised his arms and the tendrils immediately changed their swirling course to avoid contacting him. James then greeted the creature silently. To his surprise, the creature replied, “As it was foretold, so it has come to pass. Thou art granted that which has been denied all others.”

As quickly as they came, the tendrils retracted and disappeared into the water without so much as a splash. Luno stared wide-eyed at James.

“Do you know what that was?” James asked, lowering his arms.

“It is a guardian of The Never,” Luno replied.

“Have you seen one before?”

“No, I have only heard of them. Tell me boy, what happened to you?”

“I’m not sure. I felt energy. Then it began to glow blood red. Then . . . it spoke to me.”

“Spoke? I heard nothing. What did it say?”

“I could hear it inside my head.”

“For the love of Okon, what did it say?”

James told him, and Luno stared off into the distance, deep in thought. A smile crept across his face. “I was right. You
are
the one who will get us off this rock.”

“I thought you already
knew
this.”

“I was quite certain, but nothing is ever for sure.”

“Quite certain? You risked my life on a hunch?” James said, indignantly.

“My boy, I am a clever man, far cleverer than most folks you’ll ever meet. My ‘hunch’ as you so aptly put it, is as good as the certainty of a normal man. In the end, I was right and that is all you need dwell upon. Now, let us make our way to the cave without fear.”

Without another word, James once again began rowing the little boat toward the large boulder that marked the entrance to the cave. As they approached, the waves increased in power and ferocity. It took all of James’s strength to make it through the entrance of the cave without being thrust against the rocks.

Once inside, the water immediately calmed. The entrance, which was barely wide enough to fit the small boat, opened into a large cavern. Light spilled in from several holes in the ceiling of the cave. Vines hung from the holes like green curtains. The blue water lapped gently against the sandy shore. The water was so clear that James could see that the large, smooth stones grew smaller as they neared the shore, until they themselves were “nothing but grains of sand.

The boat ran aground in the sand, and Luno quickly hopped out. James was hesitant to follow.

“Rule number one, my boy. No rules, especially the rules that govern this bloody place, are finite. Now get out of the boat and help me drag it ashore.”

Cautiously, James stepped into the water. He and Luno grasped the bowline and pulled the boat onto the sand. Once the boat cleared the water, Luno released the rope and began walking further into the cave.

“Aren’t you worried about the tide?” James asked.

“No tide in here, my boy,” Luno replied without looking back.

James shrugged, released the rope and hurried after Luno. The sandy beach stretched deep into the cave. The walls of the cave were dry and looked to be made of rough granite. The white grains of sand beneath their feet were flawless and uninterrupted by shells or debris. James could not see any tracks other than those Luno left in his wake.

“I suppose you are wondering why I have risked both our lives to bring you here before our journey and why I insisted on not telling you until now,” Luno said, continuing to walk deeper into the cave.

“If you’ve taught me anything, Master, it is that no amount of prying will convince you to share information with me until you are ready. The answer to your question is yes, I have been wondering why we are here, but I am willing to wait until you are ready to tell me. I am confident that you will when the time is right.”

Luno stopped and turned toward James, having reached the back wall of the cave.

“If that guardian knew what we were doing here, it would have killed both of us instantly. Now, step up to the wall.”

James did as he was commanded and remained silent.

“Open your hands,” Luno said.

James turned over his hands and raised them as if accepting a gift. Luno moved his hands over James’s. After a moment, James’s hands began to glow an amber color. James held steadfast despite the rapidly chilling sensation.

Luno fished out a small silver medallion from the pocket of his satchel and placed it in the space between James’s hands. The medallion hovered in the air. As the amber glow slowly turned pink, the chill was replaced with warmth.

“Close your hands around the medallion,” Luno said.

“Master, are you sure—”

“Close your hands around the medallion,” Luno repeated beginning to lose patience.

James turned his palms toward each other and slowly moved them over the medallion. As they drew closer, he could feel an energy radiating from the medallion. He tried to enclose it in his hands, but an invisible barrier blocked him. James ran his hands around this barrier searching for a weakness in the energy field. It appeared to be completely encapsulated.

“Now, cast it at the wall,” Luno said.

James tossed it as he would a ball to a child. The medallion arched upward before contacting the wall. It stuck flat against the wall. Immediately pink veins extended out from the medallion in all directions until they formed what looked like a doorway.

“Only you can open this door, James. Command it to open in native tongue,” Luno said, obviously pleased with how things were going.

“
Voriko
,” James said. Nothing happened.

“No, you must command it. Not ask it.”

“But you said—”

“Damn it, boy, a command requires no greeting spoken or unspoken. Tell her to open that door,” Luno said impatiently.

“
Voriko
!” James said more emphatically, certain it would not work. The ground trembled beneath them as he barked the command, and James thought for sure The Never would bury them in this cave for such disrespect. The veins drawing the arched doorway turned a brilliant purple, forcing the pair to shield their eyes. When James dared look back the glowing veins were gone. There was now an opening in what had once been a solid-rock wall. James saw the medallion on the ground at the threshold of the door. He stooped to pick it up.

“No! Leave it. That cannot come inside,” Luno said, offering no other explanation.

Luno reached into his satchel and removed a thick piece of wood that was wrapped on one end with a cloth. The cloth smelled of petrol. He set the wood on the ground and stooped over it after removing two bright orange leaves, one from his satchel, the other tucked neatly under his belt. He brought the leaves together just over the wood. Immediately the leaves burst into flames, igniting Luno’s torch. He lifted the torch and stood by the entryway giving James a wry smile. Without a word, Luno stepped through the doorway, and James followed.

The corridor they traveled was not the roughly cut rock of a natural cave but smooth, meticulously hewn granite, perfect in every detail. James could see images carved into the walls, but Luno was moving too quickly for him to inspect them. The corridor was wide enough for four men to walk shoulder to shoulder. They did not travel far before Luno stopped and turned to James. “While I have never been inside, I know what awaits us. Clear your mind, James. Look sharp, and prepare yourself.”

“What am I preparing myself for, Master?”

“Prepare for battle.”