Quest for the Sun Orb (41 page)

“It is not powerful in and of itself,” Jahil said.  “It was, as I recall, one of several earrings that Ruji wore.  An affectation of his.  Vatra imbued it with special abilities to be used only by the Maiden of the Sun.  Other than that, it is simply a metal ring, albeit a pretty one.”

“How, and why, do you keep this mountain covered in snow?” Zakiel asked.

“We do not do it,” Jahil said.  “Vatra did it as a favor to us, as it is our preferred environment.  He also built the wall, and made all invisible.  We have no magic of our own.”

“When can we claim the orb?” Tiari asked. 

Jahil tilted his head slightly and smiled, revealing his sharp teeth again.  “Right now, if you like.”

“Yes, please,” Tiari said.  “I’d like to get this over with.”

“As you wish,” Jahil replied.  With that he stood up and waited for the rest of them to join him.  He looked at Tiari, then Tomas, then back to Tiari again.  “Be sure that you are prepared for this,” he said.  “Once you enter the Cavern, you will not be allowed to leave it without the Sun Orb.”

“Why?” Tiari asked, hiding the fear that raced through her at Jahil’s words.

“I do not know,” Jahil replied.  “We are not allowed to enter the Cavern, or allow anyone else to enter it save you, and your chosen companion.  What I tell you is what we were told.  Oh...yes, I nearly forgot.  I am also allowed to tell you that your weapons will be an unnecessary burden to you on the coming journey.”

Tomas frowned, then looked to Zakiel uncertainly. 

“They are here to help, not hinder,” Zakiel said.  He would give no more advice than that.  This had to be Tomas’s decision. 

Tomas nodded, then removed his bow, quiver, and swords, setting them on a table nearby.  Tiari removed her sword as well and put it beside Tomas’s.

“We are ready, Jahil,” Tiari said.  “I will thank you now for your sacrifice and assistance to Rathira.  Just in case I do not see you again.”

Jahil gazed at her for a long moment, his black eyes approving.  He bowed low, as did the rest of the Argiari, then he led the way out of the building and along what appeared to be a trail of sorts.  A few minutes later they stood before a narrow opening in the side of the mountain surrounded by thick slabs of ice.

“We shall guard the entrance, which is also the exit, until this time tomorrow, or until you return, whichever comes first,” Jahil said.  “After one day, we will be returned to our home world by the magic Vatra put in place on the day we arrived here.”

“If we do not return by then, we won’t be returning at all,” Tiari guessed.  Jahil only stared at her solemnly, giving Tiari her answer without words.

Kapia and Karma stepped forward to give Tiari hugs and a few words of encouragement.  Tomas and Zakiel spoke quietly while they watched.  After a few minutes, they were ready to go.

“Is there no more information you can give to them before they enter?” Zakiel asked Jahil.

“I wish that there was,” Jahil said.  “I can say only what I said before; they must trust each other.  If not, they will fail, and Rathira will cease to be.”

“We will remember,” Tomas said.  He looked at Tiari who nodded, then turned to enter the narrow gap between the slabs of ice that led toward the dark opening of the cavern.  Tomas followed closely behind her, turning one last time to see the blurred figures of their companions through the ice. 

“It feels warm in here,” Tiari said, stopping a few feet inside what appeared to be a tunnel. 

“Yes, it does,” Tomas agreed, looking around in the faint light spilling in from the entry way.  The tunnel was not quite wide enough for them to walk side by side, and only a little taller than Tomas’s head.  “Lead on, Tiari mine,” he said.

“Please stay close to me, Tomas,” Tiari said, reaching back with one hand.  Tomas took the hand and squeezed it gently. 

“Do not worry,” he said.  “I will remain as close as I can.”

Tiari took a deep breath and tried to quiet the fear that seemed to grow with each step she took.  They did not go far before a bend in the tunnel blocked the light from the entrance, plunging them into total darkness.

“Damn,” Tomas swore.  “We should have brought torches with us.  We must go back.”

“No, Tomas,” Tiari said.  “We can’t.  Remember what Jahil said, once we enter, we cannot leave without the orb.  I suspect that should we try, something unpleasant would happen.”

Tomas swore again.  “Why did he not warn us that we would need light?”

“Because it would not be allowed,” Tiari said, knowing it to be true.  “This is meant, Tomas.  We must go forward.”

“Without being able to see?” Tomas asked.

“I am used to that,” Tiari said.  “Which, I believe, may be the point.”

“Yes, I see that now,” Tomas said.  “Let’s continue then.”

“Please keep your hand in mine,” Tiari asked.  “And try to walk quietly, if you can.  I need the echo of sound to help guide me.”

“I shall do my best,” Tomas promised.

Tiari began moving forward again, reaching out with all of her senses to get a feel for their surroundings, and the way sound reflected off the rock walls.  Before long, she was walking at near normal speed, much to Tomas’s surprise. 

The further they walked, the warmer they got until, half an hour later, they left the tunnel and found themselves in a gigantic cavern.  Tomas blinked, relieved that he could see again, if only faintly.  After a moment he realized that the light was red, and coming from far below them.  He looked around, noting that they were on a narrow ledge, though he couldn’t see far enough to determine how long the ledge was.  He stepped to the edge and looked down, his stomach doing a sickening flip when he saw that the red light was coming from an ocean of lava a great distance below them.  He looked up, but saw only the narrowing walls of the mountain as they faded into darkness high above them. 

“I don’t understand,” he said.  “There is nothing here, just lava below us and this small ledge.  What are we supposed to do?”

“You do not see the pathway?” Tiari asked.

“What pathway?”

“There is a narrow path that begins here,” Tiari said, pointing to the empty air in front of her feet.  “It twists and turns back and forth, around and up.  It’s very confusing, but I think it will eventually take us to the other side.”

“I don’t see it, Tiari,” Tomas said.  “I see only air beyond this ledge and molten rock below us.”

“Here,” Tiari said, pulling the bracelet off of her wrist.  “Hold this.”

Tomas took the bracelet from her, then looked again.  “No,” he said.  “There is still nothing.”

“Without it, I no longer see the path,” Tiari said nervously.  “There is no sunlight in here, so I see nothing at all now.”

Tomas handed the bracelet back to her and she slipped it back on her wrist with shaking hands.  “I suppose this is the part where I must have total trust in you, Tiari mine,” Tomas said. 

“The path is very narrow,” Tiari said, her voice trembling.  “No wider than my shoulders.  You must stay very close to me.”

“Do not worry, I will,” Tomas said.  “However, I think that I shall also keep my eyes closed.  Otherwise I will feel as though I am walking on thin air.”

“Yes, keep your eyes closed,” Tiari agreed.  “I will go slowly, and warn you before any turns.”

“Let’s go then,” Tomas said.  “I will place my hand on your shoulder.  That will allow you to use your arms for balance if need be.”

“All right,” Tiari said.  She took a deep breath after Tomas placed one hand lightly on her shoulder, then stepped out onto the path that only she could see.  She was terrified that she would make a mistake, that Tomas would fall to the lava below them, but fear or not, she had no choice.  They could not go back.  Forward was the only way.

“It is all right,” Tomas said softly, sensing her fear for him.  “I do trust you, Tiari.  We will do this, and then we will get married and spend the rest of our lives loving each other.  There is nothing to fear.  Our future is set.”

Tiari took another step, focusing on the feel of Tomas behind her, and the feel of the strangely gritty stone beneath the hard leather of her riding boots.  It felt real and solid beneath her feet, so she wondered why it was that Tomas couldn’t see it at all, while it appeared as a glowing pathway of light to her otherwise blind eyes.  She gave herself a mental shake.  She needed a distraction.

“How many children do you want to have?” she asked abruptly.

“I did not know that we got to choose,” Tomas said with humor in his voice.  He felt Tiari’s shoulders move slightly as she took another step and followed her lead.

“We can choose to have none,” Tiari said archly. 

“Only if we never join together as one,” Tomas said.  “I promise you, Tiari mine, that will not be the case.”

“Then how many children would you like to have?” she asked again. 

“A daughter with your heart, and your laughter is an absolute necessity,” he said, taking another step.  “If we must have twenty boys first, it does not matter, so long as we eventually are blessed with a daughter.”

“What if she has eyes like mine?” Tiari asked, and Tomas knew that was what she most wanted to know.

“Then she will also be as beautiful as you,” he said. 

“You would not mind?”

“Of course not,” Tomas said.  “How could I?  There is not a single thing about you that I would change, Tiari.  To have a daughter exactly like you would be a joy almost too great to bear.”

“I am not so sure about the idea of twenty boys,” Tiari said, pausing for a moment as she considered the path before her.  “Twenty little copies of you running around might be a bit much, even for me.”

“You are probably correct,” Tomas said.  “Why have we stopped?”

“The path forks,” Tiari said.  “I am trying to decide which direction to take.”

“Right,” Tomas said at once.  “Turn right at every fork.”

“How do you know?” Tiari asked, though she didn’t hesitate to follow his advice and immediately turned right.

“There are many stories and songs about the Orb Quest,” Tomas said.  “Most of us are raised on them.  When you mentioned a fork, I remembered a line in a song my mother used to sing when I was very small.  It says;

Remain on the path over burning light,

follow the hand that leads to the right
.

“When we have children, it will be up to you to teach them these things I’m afraid,” Tiari said after a moment.  “I recall my mother telling me stories and singing to me, but I don’t remember what the songs or stories were about.”

“I will teach you,” Tomas said.  “Then, we will teach our children together.”

“There is another fork ahead,” Tiari said.  “Do we continue to turn right?”

“According to the song, yes,” Tomas said.  “I can’t promise it’s correct.”

“I trust you, Tomas,” she said.  She turned right again.

***

“Do you have any idea how long it will take for them to claim the orb and return?” Zakiel asked Jahil. 

“No, Highness, I’m afraid not,” Jahil replied.  “I know only that we are to guard the entrance for a full day and night after they enter, or until they return.”

“Guard against what?” Zakiel asked.  “The mountain is invisible.”

“From the moment they entered the Cavern, the spell of invisibility was broken,” Jahil said.  “The mountain is now as clear to see as it once was.  Not only that, but the wall is gone as well.”

“Damn,” Karma said, her tone causing Zakiel to spin toward her, his eyes searching for danger. 

“What is it?”

“Harpies,” Karma said.  “A lot of them.  And
kadjet
.  Without Tiari to tell us where their hearts are, this could get ugly.”

Zakiel followed Karma’s gaze and felt a chill roll down his spine that had nothing to do with the snow surrounding them.  In the distance, flying straight toward them, were a host of forest harpies and, unbelievably, seven, no, make that eight
kadjet.
  Never had so many attacked at once before. 

“You are familiar with these creatures?” Jahil asked, his smiling joviality gone. 

“The large segmented ones can be killed only by destroying the section that contains their heart first, which varies in each of them,” Zakiel explained.  “Otherwise, they will multiply.  The others may be killed however you wish.” 

He turned to see that Kapia had already removed her overskirt in preparation for the coming battle.  She stood holding her staff before her, feet in an attack stance, eyes on the sky, body relaxed, her long dark hair ruffling slightly in the breeze as she awaited the coming battle.  He wanted to tell his little sister to seek shelter, but the young woman before him was no child.  She was every inch the warrior, possessing both great skill with her chosen weapon, and the determination to do what needed to be done. 

He turned to Karma on his other side, and felt his heart clench painfully in his chest as she, too, prepared to do battle.  If anything happened to her, or their child...
No!
he admonished himself.  He would not think of such things.  The quickest road to defeat was to believe in it.

He deliberately called forth his Tigren.  As the curved, hooked claws sprang from his fingers, he threw back his head and roared a challenge to the sky. 

Jahil watched in surprise, then laughed heartily.  “Such sweet music, mighty Vatra!” he shouted.  “We cannot but accept your invitation to join the Dance of Tooth and Claw.”  Jahil and the rest of the Argiari threw back their heads as Zakiel had done, and roared so loudly that the very mountain seemed to shake beneath their feet. 

Then the first of the harpies reached them, and the battle began.

***

“I need to rest for a moment,” Tiari said. 

“Do you want to sit down?” Tomas asked, keeping his eyes firmly closed.  He had peeked a couple of times already during their trek across the Cavern, and that had been more than enough for him.  He saw nothing beneath his feet but air, and below that, the bubbling lava.  The first time had merely scared him.  The second time he’d become dizzy and had needed to ask Tiari to stop for a few moments until it passed. 

“No, I just need to stand here for a moment,” Tiari replied.  “I think we are almost there.”