It had been awhile since I'd last run alongside Richard, and it felt kind of nostalgic. The last time this happened, we were still little kids, running in fear of the Nightwalkers, of the unknown.
As I thought this, the locked chest in my head slowly began to creak open, allowing what I'd locked up so many years ago to crawl its way back into my mind.
I set my teeth and slammed the chest's gilded lid closed once more. My decisions could not be swayed by what lay in that chest, especially not now of all times.
Moon grunted next to my legs, noticing my slightly halted steps. Tear licked my hand in reassurance. I shook my head and sped up again, quickly catching up to Richard a few feet ahead of me.
I caught him looking at me from the corner of his eye as we chased after Shin's retreating form.
"I wish you would stop acting so tough all the time," he said. "Knowing you're not that tough in actuality."
"Yeah? Well I wish you would stop thinking your sister is coming back." I regretted saying it right away. He recoiled from the verbal lashing, like I'd physically hit him. He clenched his jaw. I'd hurt him, and I knew I shouldn't have said what I did. His eyes had turned to steel and I saw the walls going up in his mind.
"For as much of yourself that occupies your mind," Richard growled, speeding up. "There is twice as much of Luna to keep you from forgetting. You're just too stubborn to realize it. Don't forget who you are. Don't you dare forget about the girl that you killed."
With that, he was gone, leaving me in the dark with a wolf and a fennec fox.
"Wait!" I called after him. In the process, I managed to trip over a cracked section of the pathway. Before I could fall flat on my face, I was caught by two feline bodies, both black and white, one striped, the other spotted. "Mai, Leo."
They huffed and pushed me to my feet. As I righted myself, Tear leaped from Moon's back and onto my shoulders.
Moon then proceeded to lope off ahead of me and I followed, a tiger and a snow leopard padding along on either side of me while Tear lay across my shoulders, her nose facing ahead of us.
Soon, I’d left the Big Room behind and was quickly trekking the 1-mile path to the natural entrance. I slowed as a rusted hulk of metal came into sight on the left side of the path. It was what once used to be the gate to the area containing the King’s Palace, Queen’s Chamber, and Green Lake Room caves.
I set my hand carefully on the gate, which was now leaning against a nearby rock. Some of the rust crumbled and fell to the cracked asphalt path at my feet.
I lifted my head and gazed ahead at the stalactites and stalagmites on either side of the path, the former hanging from the ceiling, the latter jutting from the floor. A few feet away, a wooden sign was affixed to the floor, the dark paint now faded and peeling. It read:
KING’S PALACE
62_ FEET BELOW
SURFACE
The sign was in disrepair. Along with the old paint, it was chipped and broken in places, making it impossible to read exactly how far below the surface it was.
A low growl reached my ears and a large, wet nose nudged my hand. I looked down and saw Mai looking back at me. She growled again. I lowered my hand from the gate and continued along the path toward the main entrance. After jogging through a series of twists and turns for awhile, we finally reached the cave that at one time was treated as a “twilight zone,” semi-dark even without the electric lights that now lay dark and abandoned along the trail.
The cavern was large, almost as big as the Big Room, where the Rock of Ages was. A few small stalactites dotted the ceiling in places and a spill of large rocks lay scattered across the sloped ground to the side of the trail. The path was framed on either side by metal railings, at one time meant to keep people on the designated path, though now they were dangerously close to falling apart.
I looked around and even leaned over the crumbling railings. Below me, the cavern disappeared into darkness and with my eyes, I couldn't even catch a glimpse of the bottom. I was sure any other person could at least make out the shape of some boulders, but I had no such luck.
"Damn it!" I hit my fist against the railing and it buckled. I jumped back into Mai and Leo sprang in front of me, pushing us back from the edge as the crumpled metal fell down into the darkness. I exhaled, the adrenaline pumping through my veins finally subsiding. "These railings are getting too old for this. They should've been repaired or replaced a long time ago."
I heard the clang of metal against rock, along with a splash, when the railing finally touched the bottom of the cavern. A shiver traveled down my spine, thinking how that could've been me instead.
I turned back in the direction we were traveling and Moon sat there, patiently waiting for us. I hurried to him and we continued along the path, keeping as far from the edge as possible. Ahead of us, the natural entrance hung overhead. Light used to filter through it, giving the cavern a less ominous look closer to the opening, hence the “twilight zone” comparative. It looked almost inviting.
However, now the sunlight was blotted out. Where the entrance had been, giant boulders now barred the path. The outline of the original entrance was still there, but the sunshine could no longer be seen filtering in and lighting up the cavern. Instead, there was a small entrance hidden off to the side, just big enough for a small group to come and go occasionally to gather supplies for the population living in the caverns. I smiled up at the old entrance sadly, thinking how so many people used to enter and exit through it, while now only raids left the cavern through a hidden opening.
Near the hidden entrance is where I finally caught up to the masters and Richard. As I drew closer--Mai, Leo, and Moon close behind me--I realized Liam was already interrogating two figures kneeling on the ground in front of them.
I stared at the two men curiously, wondering who they were and how they got here. Of the man I could see, he was older, maybe around Liam's age. He wore a black turtleneck underneath what looked to be a white lab coat, along with a pair of black jeans and leather shoes. Thin, wire-framed glasses lay across the bridge of his nose and his face was clean shaven. His light hair was pulled back into a ponytail, several strands still escaping the elastic. His eyes shone with a wisdom beyond his years.
I turned to his companion. He wore what looked like a dark, Victorian-style blazer over a matching white chemise. He wore dark slacks and to top it all off, he even wore a gothic-patterned ascot around his neck. Although I couldn't see his eyes behind the shaggy, black hair that covered his head, the man seemed to be significantly younger, around Richard's age.
The two of them were complete opposites in the appearance department. Neither of them were dressed for hiking through the wilds or cave exploring, not to mention the fact that the second man looked like he was in the wrong era. I hadn’t left the caverns for over seven years, though, so for all I knew, it could be normal attire. For Nightwalkers, anyway.
I was trying to work this through my head when my ears finally focused on what Liam was saying.
"Who are you?" he was asking. "What are you doing here?"
The man with the light colored ponytail answered. "This is Callum--" He gestured to the young man in Victorian-style clothing. "--And my name is Robert. We are--" He gave slight hesitation. "--on the run."
I glanced over at Liam and the rest of the masters and wasn't surprised to see a few of them narrow their eyes in suspicion. Liam's in particular.
“From what?” he asked, and I noticed that his eyes were tracking the man’s body language.
There was no hesitation in his voice this time. "I think we both know what it is we’re running from."
Liam's body tensed even more.
“So you two being here is most likely putting the rest of us in danger.”
Robert jerked in surprise.
“No! No, we lost them awhile back! We knew not to come close to here until we had put a safe distance between us and our pursuers,” he replied hastily.
I glanced at Liam and saw his hands were balled into tight fists. In his eyes I could see the urge to punch something, and sure enough, I saw him lift his fist, poised to throw it into the man’s face.
Before I knew what I was doing, I was in between him and Liam. I’d crossed my arms in front of my face in a protective block, and I felt his knuckles collide with the arm guards underneath my coat sleeves.
"Okay, okay. Liam, I understand how you feel, but the man says they were careful, so why not give him the benefit of the doubt?"
Everybody stared at me in shock, while Liam’s face was a mixture of the same shock plus rage. He drew his hand back and I lowered my arms to my sides. As I did, he stepped right up to me, our toes touching.
“What do you think you’re doing?” his voice was at my ear and no louder than a hiss. “These men could lead them right to us. Hell, they could be Nightwalkers themselves!”
I stood my ground, not allowing him to intimidate me.
“You think I haven’t considered that?” I replied back, voice just as low as his. “I was trained by you. I’m not entirely without suspicion either, but do you really want to start something when we have an audience?”
Behind him, a small crowd had formed, probably courtesy of the loose-lipped messenger. I felt their curious eyes burning holes into me, but I didn’t look at them.
Liam pulled back slightly and I focused on his face, which said that he was about ready to throttle me. I stared into his eyes, daring him to back down.
"You said it yourself when we first got here, Liam: ‘If somebody needs help, we will help them.’ These men need help.”
“We don’t even know if they’re human.” His glare was painful.
“And that is their business,” I replied. “Right now though, they are running from Nightwalkers, so whether they’re one of us or one of them, we need to help. Everyone has their secrets.”
Under the bandages, my wrists began to burn and I badly wanted to see if the bandages needed changing again, but I held myself back.
"You know that as well as I do." My last statement was directed at all the masters.
They shifted on their feet, knowing exactly what I was referring to. Liam didn't say anything, my comment leaving him speechless and staring at his feet. Richard had gone stiff next to Shin, when he turned abruptly on his heel and stalked off, pushing through the mass of people that was growing every second, and heading back to the Big Room. My chest seized up, knowing I'd just hurt him even more. I swallowed the lump that rose in my throat. I turned and knelt in front of the two men before me.
"You should receive no harm here," I said, flashing them a smile. "We are simply curious and have been down here far longer than some care to remember. Please don’t be too upset with our attitudes."
Robert nodded. "Thank you...." He trailed off, looking to me.
"Lyon," I answered. "You can call me Lyon."
"Lyon, then." A small smile formed on his lips. Callum's head lifted slightly, most likely trying to figure me out. As he did so, I felt a wave of emotions hit me. Several thoughts sped through my mind:
It’s him.
He found us.
He always does. Don’t be so shocked.
This man is dangerous.
Kill him.
My head was reeling. What was that? I don’t know this man, so why? None of the voices were my own.
Why do I have to kill him? I thought back to them. Not one of them responded, having disappeared again.
I tried to work through the meaning of the voices when the group behind me finally exploded, berating the men with questions.
"What's it like up there?"
"Are there still plants?"
"What happened to the animals?"
"Please tell us something!"
"Please!"
"Hey calm down!" I tried, but my voice was drowned out by theirs.
Moon, Leo, and Mai stood facing the crowd, growling, their hackles slightly raised. The group backed up nervously, watching the predators with fear. Tom stepped forward.
"All of you, back up and give them some space," he yelled. "Anybody would be nervous about just arriving in a new place, and ya'll aren't making it any easier for them. We will not have you questioning them, so everyone go to dinner now. Scat!"
There were a few grumbles of protest, but everyone turned and began the trek back to the dining hall. Liam looked at me then.
"They're your charges now, since you so obviously had to butt-in. You are responsible for their actions." He still sounded angry, but at least he was willing to let me take care of this.
"I'd expect nothing less," I responded.
He sighed. The tension he'd been holding onto seemed to have eased up slightly. "Bring them to the dinner hall whenever. Do not let them go off on their own, though. We still can't trust them at face value." He and the other masters turned to leave. "I'll send Shin with bedding and clothes later."
"Okay," I said, watching as they followed the rest of the crowd back to the Big Room. I exhaled slowly and turned back to the two men still kneeling at my feet. "Shall we get some food first? Or would you rather have a tour of the caves?"
"Why did you do that?" The one to speak was Callum, the first words he'd spoken this whole time.
I looked at him. "Why did I do what?"
"Why did you help us?" he asked, voice taking on a wary tone. "Nobody does selfless acts of kindness these days. So why did you?"
"Why, indeed," I muttered. His lips formed a rather miffed frown and I smiled in amusement because he looked more like a water-soaked kitten than a grown man. I snickered.
"What's so funny?" he asked.
"Ah, nothing, nothing at all," I said, wiping a tear from my eye. His frown deepened into what looked almost like a pout and I had to stop myself from checking to see if he had a cat tail. "Now, would you rather question me about my motives, or get something to eat?"
A growl erupted from the two men's stomachs simultaneously and I could no longer contain my laughter.
"I guess that answers my question," I grinned. "Come on, you two."
I could see Callum was ready to ask me something else but Robert shook his head. Callum scowled and the two men stood up, following me along the pathway back to the main cavern. Moon fell in behind us, Leo and Mai on either side of us.
I saw the break in the railing where I'd been standing before and the adrenaline kicked in again. I felt my heart thumping in my chest, threatening to break out. My breath came in short gasps of air, and I tried to keep them quiet so the two behind me wouldn't notice. I felt Tear brush the top her head against the underside of my chin, reassuring me. I smiled and reached up to stroke her side.
We walked past it and once more, the adrenaline faded. I exhaled in relief, shocked by how fearful I now was of that gap. Falling down into that darkness and disappearing forever. Was that what it felt like to be completely forgotten?
I shook my head, trying to clear out those thoughts. None of that was important right now.
* * * * *
"You guys don't mind homemade chicken noodle soup, right?" I said once we were in the dinner hall. "I'm afraid we don't have anything too fancy right now, seeing how the crops aren't ready for picking and we haven't had any raids for awhile."
Robert nodded. Callum remained silent. From what I could see of his face, he was definitely around Richard's age, but his features still had a bit of boyish looks to them. His eyes remained hidden behind his dark hair.
"Okay, I will be right back then." A shadow fell over the two in front of me and my lips twitched up into a smirk. I flicked my wrists and the daggers slid from their sheaths and into my palms. I had a moment to see Robert's eyes widen and his mouth form an o of surprise, before I spun around.
Holding the daggers in an X in front of me as the blade connected with my block, I grinned at my challenger. "Hello again, Shion. Nice attempt, but you gotta try harder than that if you wanna get past my guard."
The boy grinned back at me. "Damn, thought I had you that time, Lyon."
"Not quite," I said, pushing him back. He gave a short chuckle and put away his sword.
Shion's shaggy hair was tousled about his head, looking as messy as usual. His eyes glittered with mischief and he reminded me of a certain smiling cat.
I glanced at the two behind me.
"I'm sorry," I said. "I believe introductions are in order. Callum, Robert, this is my good friend, Shion. Shion, this is Robert and Callum."
"Oh, you must be the two newbies everyone's talking about," he grinned good-naturedly at them. "Nice to meet you!"
"If I may be so bold as to ask," Robert said. "What was that about just now? You attacking Lyon, I mean."
"That? It's nothing really. It happens all the time," I answered quickly, but Shion interrupted.
"The reason I do it is because it's the only way!" Shion had that stupidly determined look on his face. I groaned and covered my face with my hand.
"The only way for what?" Robert asked curiously.
"It's just, Lyon is such a good boy, y'know? He's an amazing cook, he's good at sewing, and he's nice to everybody. Lyon is the perfect one! If I can beat him in a duel, he'll become my brid--OW!"
He cut off when my boot collided with his knee-cap.
"Your logic is as flawed as ever, Shion," I said. "First of all, I sew injuries back together. I don’t make quilts or patch up clothes. Secondly, I'd have to be female to be a bride, and seeing as I am not, it is not possible. Third, I never agreed to that bargain."
Shion stopped massaging his aching knee and straightened up. He quickly cupped my face in his palms.
"Come on, my little Lyon. Guys can just as easily be brides. You can't deny your attraction to me forever."
I stared into his glittering eyes and said in an expressionless, monotone voice, "You'd better go feed the animals before Mai and Leo naw your feet off."
"Hm?" Shion looked down at his feet and saw a tiger and a snow leopard licking his toes. "Ack! Damn it you two! Okay, okay! Fine, I'll feed you, just stop tasting my feet!"
I watched as he ran off chased by Mai, Leo, Moon, and Tear (who had jumped off my shoulder to follow close by Moon's side). I sighed. A female voice called to me then.
"Is Shion giving you trouble, Lyon?"
"Maybell," I said, turning to the girl as she approached us. "No more trouble than I'm used to."
"Honestly, my brother needs a hobby other than constantly trying to have a duel with you," she said, shaking her head. "If you want, I could keep these two company while you go get them some food."
"Thanks, May," I said. "I'll be right back."
I walked off to one of the counters. The older woman behind the counter looked up when I approached.
"Ah, Lyon!" Her face lit up when I reached her. "Not helping us in the kitchen today?"
"Sorry Beth," I replied. "I'm showing the newcomers around."
"Oh, I heard there were strangers in the caverns," she said, smiling sweetly. "Is this one of them?"
"Huh?" I asked. I turned around and there was Callum, standing right at my shoulder. I jumped, not realizing he'd followed me. Over his shoulder, I could see Maybell shooting me an apologetic look before turning her attention back to the conversation she was having with Robert as they walked towards a table.
"Uhm, yeah," I said, covering up my surprise. "This is Callum. Callum, meet Beth. She's the head cook around here."
He nodded silently at her.
"Well, young man," Beth said, all smiles. "I hope you enjoy the food we make here."
He followed me along the counter towards where the bowls were. Each bowl was filled with thick noodles, strips of chicken, and buttery chicken broth. I picked one up and held it out to Callum. He stared at it for a moment before finally taking and holding it carefully in his hands, not quite sure what to do with it.
"Sorry there's no spoons or forks," I told him, placing two more bowls on a plastic tray. "We never did have enough. The national park never planned to have this many people down here at one time."
"This place is so different from what I imagined," Callum said quietly. "It almost makes me pity you, and yet I still can't find it in myself to trust you."
"We don't need pity," I smiled sadly. "And I certainly haven't done anything that would cause you to trust me or otherwise not, so I don’t blame you."
He didn't answer. I glanced over at him and nearly dropped the tray on the counter in shock. Hot soup splattered against my hands, but I didn't care.
His eyes, which had formerly been hidden behind his dark hair, were now visible. The way he stood next to me blocked his front side from the rest of the room, but I could clearly see his eyes. Underneath his bangs and surrounded by long, dark eyelashes, his eyes were the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.
The irises were a brilliant cobalt blue. Radiating out from the pupils were ringed sunbursts of silver, making the cobalt glow an even more brilliant shade. They sparkled like the glassy top of a freshwater stream.
I was mesmerized by their beauty. I felt myself drawn towards him, felt the chest slowly unlocking itself once more. His eyes were pulling me in. I could feel myself falling; down, down, down into their depths. The chest was creaking open and I could sense the memories seeping out.
Callum and I stood staring at each other, neither of us stepping away from the other. It wasn't until his hand rose into my line of sight, moving to touch my face--or was it to hit me? I didn't know--that I finally broke eye contact. Realizing how close I'd come to allowing those memories to take me over, I quickly locked the chest in my head once more and took a step back. I could no longer see his eyes and that was good because I was still in shock from the sudden burst of color.
I gazed around the cave, looking everywhere but at him. I spotted Maybell sitting with Robert at a table close to the rocky wall. Shion had returned from feeding the animals, all four of which now lay on the ground nearby the table. I could just make out Richard leaning against the rock behind Maybell.
Eager to get away from the awkward situation I’d found us in, I motioned to Callum.
"Follow me," I said, and quickly led the way to the table. As we neared it, the voices from before circulated through my head again.
It’s really him.
I can't believe he actually found us.
He always does. Don't sound so surprised.
This man is really dangerous.
Kill him. Kill him kill him kill him.
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