"I hate caves."

Zarinia kept telling herself this over and over again. She wasn’t enjoying the damn journey beneath the surface one bit. Why couldn’t they have built a path above ground, far away from these dark, damp tunnels?

"I hate caves."

She had a hard time ever since they took the detour by the lake. The first stretch led them through a narrow grotto that was flooding, with freezing water up to their knees. The walls and floor were coated with some kind of dark algae, turning everything into a slippery, disgusting surface. After that, the path rose slightly, but it didn’t reassure her much to see her mother walking with less certainty. The poor woman was trying to remember what her ancestors had taught her about this side route, but that had been many years ago, and more than once they had been forced to backtrack and take another turn when she got it wrong.

"I hate caves."

And it only got worse when they had to flee from a pack of the same creatures her sister had encountered earlier. Lysa had been describing that thing she crossed paths with when she got lost, but they didn’t believe her much.

Yes, something injured her leg, but they thought she was maybe exaggerating, that fear had made her see things that didn’t exist. Big mistake. The creatures were very real. Much more terrifying than Lysa’s words had conveyed.

And there were hundreds of them, in all sizes. Some small like rats, others as large as horses. They crawled along the walls, snapping their jaws, and emerged from every hole, crack, or crevice, gurgling, screeching, and roaring. Thankfully, in a desperate but powerful gesture, their mother caused the tunnel to collapse between them and the beasts. Of course, that also cut off their way back.

"I hate caves."

At least in this area, the air was drier, allowing their clothes to slowly dry out. Even so, she was freezing. She thought of her poor sister, soaked from head to toe, and although she tried to hide it, she was trembling with cold in front of her. Alaric offered to lend her his traveling cloak, but Lysa politely refused. That was her sister—proud as ever. She was probably regretting it deep down.

After another three or four hours of walking—she couldn’t say for sure—they stopped to rest again. The exhaustion was building up in their bodies, and in their spirits. The place they chose wasn’t anything special, just another corridor in the rock. A bit wider than the others, perhaps, but the same monotonous and dull gray granite that surrounded them everywhere. At least they could sit facing each other.

They made a fire with some of the wood they had saved from before. A small fire, barely enough to light their tired faces, but the warmth and light were comforting. To her surprise, Lysa took off her boots and stockings and brought her bare feet close to the fire.

"I needed this," she sighed, with an expression of pure delight that Zarinia rarely saw in her.

Her sister’s feet were covered in blisters and sores, marks of a journey they weren’t used to. They could easily heal them with a simple spell, but the blisters would always return after hours of walking. After all, their feet hadn’t yet developed the necessary calluses to endure so many leagues.

And they weren’t used to walking this much. She had blisters too, but she was too embarrassed to take off her boots in front of Rendel. She was surprised that her sister didn’t mind showing them like that. Lysa, always so reserved and elegant… It seemed something was changing in her attitude. So she took her boots off as well. She was the bold one—she wouldn’t let her sister outdo her in daring.

She put her feet near the fire, and the warmth was so pleasant that it made her skin tingle.

"Oh yes, awesome…"

"What the hell!" Alaric exclaimed, taking off his boots as well, revealing his large, bony feet, which, unlike theirs, were clearly accustomed to long distances. Then Rendel did the same, laughing. Their mother was the last to join in, though she didn’t remove her stockings—too modest for that.

They ate a little, and allowed themselves to doze off. She wasn’t very calm, thinking there might be more of those creatures lurking nearby, but their mother offered to keep watch while the others took a short nap. She slept a bit, troubled dreams disturbing her rest, and when she woke up, she saw that the old woman had fallen asleep too. She woke her gently and in silence. Though the woman was startled, she smiled, somewhat embarrassed. They roused the others and continued their journey.

"I hate caves."

The meager lunch and brief rest lifted her spirits a little, but as soon as they set off again, the feeling vanished. The caves seemed endless, and except for the occasional trickle of water, remnants of ancient cave-ins, or some unusual crevice, everything around them was always the same. Darkness ahead. Darkness behind. Walls opening, closing, and twisting, over and over again. The echo of their steps crunching through the galleries. The air remained warm, though the smell of dampness was barely noticeable anymore. At least their mother was more convinced that they were on the right path.

And after a long while, when Zari had completely lost track of time and space, the passage widened, and Edel finally broke her silence with a loud, satisfied laugh.

"Ha! I wasn’t wrong; I was sure this was the right way. Look!" she exclaimed, pointing ahead.

Everyone crowded at the opening. The path ended abruptly, giving way to a vast void, so deep it seemed bottomless. The path continued with a sharp ninety-degree turn to the left, descending to a narrow staircase carved into the rock. But there was light. Somehow, the walls emitted tiny blue and green glows, allowing them to see with awe the massive, vaulted abyss stretching nearly a third of a league in front of them. All the walls of the enormous cavern were covered in that glowing substance. A faint light, but to their eyes, accustomed to darkness, it was almost like daylight.

It seemed unreal, a hidden world buried deep beneath the mountains. From the height where they stood, Zari peeked down, but a sudden wave of vertigo made her step back. It was a hundred-yard drop to the bottom. She noticed that the walls, especially at the highest part of the vault, were riddled with openings, similar to the one they were in. Though theirs seemed to be the only one accessible on foot, via the staircase carved into the rock. She even swore she saw some shapes flying in and out of those openings. Edel smiled like a little girl.

"Gods, I never thought I’d see this with my own eyes. 'The Sunken Kingdom.' I’ve read many stories about this place, but I always thought they were legends."

"Wow," murmured Lysandra, who stood with her mouth open. "I thought they were just made-up stories, too. It’s incredible."

"I never thought I’d see something like this in my lifetime, honestly," Alaric muttered, just as surprised, if not more.

The air in the cavern was less dense, and not as heavy with moisture. Covering the ground, there was a mist that floated gently and shrouded the strange vegetation.

"Is that a tower down there, among the trees?" Rendel pointed out.

"Those aren’t trees; they’re mushrooms," Edel corrected. "Huge like pine trees, yes. But you’ve got a good eye, lad. What’s sticking out over them is indeed a tower. Do you remember who it belonged to, Zari? Tell our companions, who don’t know the story."

Well. She had read about "The Sunken Kingdom" at some point. With little interest, she had to admit, and she barely remembered. But she didn’t want to embarrass herself in front of Rendel, who was watching her, intrigued and excited.

"Uh… Yes, well… Let’s see, this is where the bastard son of King… Berte… Derterion?"

"Malderion," her mother confirmed. She looked at her with an amused air. It was clear she had asked her instead of her sister on purpose. "Please, continue."

"Yes, Malderion. A king who was very famous because… His conquests… No, uh…"

Now everyone was looking at her inquisitively, smiling. She began to feel a warmth rising from her neck. Thankfully, in that dim bluish light, the blush wouldn’t be too noticeable.

"Alright, fine," she said at last, raising her hands in surrender. "I don’t remember. Let Lysa tell you; I’m sure she knows."

"Me? Mmm, well. Yes, yes, Malderion the Terrible. Yes…" Lysa mumbled, caught off guard.

"Alright, my daughters, I won't torture you any longer. It's clear you weren't paying much attention that day," said Edel with a resigned tone. Then he continued, almost to himself, "Now I’m scared to ask you about other things… Anyway, let me summarize. Malderión the Terrible had a bastard son named Ferinden, who was a renowned sorcerer, though apparently, the boy wasn’t quite right in the head. After his father’s death, he rebelled against his brother, claiming the throne. A war broke out, and Ferinden was defeated. This was his final hideout, and his tiny kingdom. 'The Sunken Kingdom.' Some legends say he spent his last years delving into dangerous and forbidden arts and knowledge, achieving wonders. Others, perhaps more realistic, say that he was abandoned by his retinue shortly after arriving here, and that not long after, he died consumed by loneliness and old age."

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

"Great. So I suppose we’ll have to cross that 'kingdom' created by a mad sorcerer, not knowing what kinds of dangerous things he might’ve left behind as his legacy," said Alaric, rolling his eyes and sighing with resignation.

"Yes, but I don’t think there’s anything dangerous left. Not anymore, at least."

"We didn’t expect giant hell-worms back there either, and they almost devoured us," Alaric retorted sarcastically. "Anyway, no use complaining. If we have no other choice, let’s descend and cross that forest of giant mushrooms. Hopefully, we’ll find some mushrooms or chanterelles to roast."

"Ferinden." As they descended the narrow staircase, one by one, clinging to the wall, Zari searched her memory. "Ferinden the Mad," she finally recalled. Supposedly, all that had happened at least three centuries ago, or more. Anything the sorcerer left behind would’ve been claimed by the passage of time. At least she hoped so.

The staircase turned out to be quite treacherous. The steps were covered in loose sand and small, slippery stones. In some places, they were so eroded that there was barely any room to place a foot. Zari paused for a moment, noticing that Rendel had fallen behind. The young man was pulling something from the wall.

"They’re mushrooms!"

"What?"

"The light! It's coming from mushrooms that glow!" he exclaimed, a mix of awe and excitement in his voice as he held up a small luminescent mushroom in his hand. He brought it close to his mouth.

"Don’t you dare!" Zari shouted, realizing from his mischievous grin that he was joking.

"Very funny. Eat one of those mushrooms, and you might end up glowing from places you didn’t expect..." she snapped, irritated. She wasn’t in the mood for jokes as she tried not to fall down the stairs to the distant floor of rocks and giant mushrooms.

"Oh, come on, don’t be mad," Rendel said, jogging down to her. Seeing him move so quickly made her nervous. "Maybe we should keep a few, in case we run out of torches."

The idea didn’t seem entirely bad. Better that than total darkness. Though she wasn’t about to start picking mushrooms off the walls. Not there, at least.

"Fine, keep a few in a pouch. But wear gloves, just in case. And don’t breathe in the spores..."

"Why do I bother?" she thought. It was like talking to a wall. Rendel had already stuffed his pockets and had glowing mushroom dust on his hands and face. Zari continued down, sighing and shaking her head.

At last, they reached the bottom of the cavern after a couple of scares and slips. Finally, she could take in the magnificence of the mushroom forest. It was made up of a multitude of fungi of various sizes. The smallest were no bigger than ordinary mushrooms, but the largest reached up to eight spans, with trunks so thick they couldn’t be encircled with both arms. What struck her most was the appearance of the larger ones. They looked like stone. She moved closer to touch one. Indeed, it felt like caressing a rock.

"Wow, they’ve calcified," observed Edel beside her. "They’re more mineral than anything else now."

"What causes that, Mother?"

"I have no idea. They’re like fossils. But let’s move on. We don’t have time to solve every mystery we come across."

They crossed the unusual forest along what seemed to be an ancient path that led them directly to the center, toward the tower. Her mother said they had to cross it entirely to reach the other side of the cavern, where they’d find, in theory, a fortified entrance. And from there, they’d begin their ascent back to the surface.

As they walked, they heard high-pitched noises and clicks above their heads. Zari hadn’t been mistaken from the staircase—those openings in the vault seemed to house some type of flying creatures, similar to bats but much larger. Much bigger, in fact. She wondered what they fed on down here, and the image of the bugs they’d fled from earlier came to mind. A very unsettling thought that made her quicken her pace.

After a not-too-long walk, they arrived at a clearing that opened up before the old tower. From a distance, it had looked better. Much more imposing, certainly. Now, up close, the relentless passage of time was evident. The luminescent mushrooms had taken over almost the entire structure, as if they were trying to devour what remained of the tower, and part of a wall had collapsed, revealing its dilapidated interior. The wooden structures, without proper maintenance, hadn’t fared well over time, and it seemed that the interior of the tower had collapsed in on itself. They didn’t even bother climbing the staircase to the door, which hung crooked, supported by just one hinge. Instead, they set up camp at its foot.

It must be dinner time, Zari thought. More by the clock of her stomach than anything else. They needed a full night’s rest, too. Since arriving in this underground valley, she felt drowsy and longed for sleep. No more short, insufficient naps. They used the little wood they had left to build a small fire. The fossilized mushroom trunks wouldn’t burn, and the younger ones were too damp and weak. After another meager dinner, they set up the watch shifts, and Zari finally managed to sleep.

She awoke later. Her whole body ached, and her head felt heavy. She didn’t know how long she had slept or who was supposed to be on watch, as everyone else was still asleep. Maybe it was morning, maybe not. But the growling in her stomach told her she needed breakfast.

Eventually, they all began waking up. Everyone seemed lethargic. Alaric got a bit annoyed when he saw that no one had been keeping watch, but he didn’t push the issue much, admitting he had fallen asleep too. They had a cold and somewhat depressing breakfast, but it was better than nothing. Then they slowly packed up their belongings, moving unusually sluggishly. It was as if they were all under some sort of heavy drowsiness, and everyone’s body ached, as if they had been lying down too long. Before setting out again, Zari cast one last look at the tower. She felt a bit of pity and nostalgia. The wonders that must have been created there, the secrets, the discoveries. All of it had faded into the current of history...

"Look what I found," said Rendel suddenly.

"Will you stop picking up things that you don’t know if they’re dangerous?" Zari replied, slightly irritated, having been abruptly pulled from her melancholic thoughts.

Thank goodness he was handsome. That saved him. And adorably innocent. And kind and cheerful. And handsome. She froze when she saw what the young man was holding in his hand. A gold staff, studded with jewels. Zarinia decided that Rendel deserved a lesson.

"Where did you get that?" she asked, her voice shaky as she pointed with a trembling finger. "Mother! You need to see this."

"The staff? It was being held by that guy over there," Rendel replied, concerned by her reaction.

The young man pointed to a nearby clearing, where a body covered in mushrooms lay, leaning against a massive mushroom trunk.

They gathered around the mummified remains. Despite the time that had passed, the rich and luxurious garments were still recognizable. The skeletal skull still wore an elegant jeweled diadem. Noticing this, Rendel instinctively reached down to pick it up.

"Leave that where it is," Zari warned him. "And the staff too. Who knows what kind of curses they might’ve left to harm anyone who dares to desecrate these remains. I think you’ve found the ‘cursed staff of the bald skull.’"

Rendel dropped the jewel next to the dried-up corpse and looked at his hands in worry.

"Now that staff’s probably cursed you, and you’ll go bald in a few days," Zari continued, very serious but winking at her sister. Lysandra had to turn away to stifle her laughter. Poor Rendel discreetly ran his hands through his hair, worried.

"Don’t be so cruel to the lad. My daughter is pulling your leg," Edel said in a reassuring tone, placing a hand on the young man’s shoulder.

"What?" Zari shot a look of disbelief at her mother. She had just ruined her perfectly good joke.

"Mother, do you think these could be Ferinden’s remains?" Lysandra asked.

"I doubt it. I think his body lies buried in a tomb inside the tower. This seems more like a servant, or something of the sort. But look, there are marks on the skull. I'd say from some kind of blade."

"Could be. Or maybe from powerful insect jaws," Alaric observed, crouching next to the body. He then pointed toward another area among the trunks. "Look, it seems there are more bodies over there."

They moved closer to inspect. The ground was littered with remains, covered by mushrooms and dust. They counted at least twenty mummified bodies. Their clothing bore incisions, and their bones showed signs of injuries. It seemed they had fought for their lives.

Zari felt a tingling at the back of her neck—a sense that something was wrong. Her mind was trying to warn her, but she couldn’t see what it was. There was still a fog clouding her thoughts, making it hard to think clearly. She wandered a bit away from the group, noticing that a few paces ahead, there were more remains, but something was different. It was a human skeleton, no doubt. But it wore no clothing. And it was deformed. Two bone pincers jutted from either side of its skull, similar to the ones they had seen on those bugs earlier. Its legs were disproportionately small for its body. And it had too many limbs—extra ones. She continued moving forward, sensing there was something important ahead. She wasn’t wrong. To her shock, as she rounded a thick trunk, she came upon a large ossuary. A pile of skeletons—almost human, almost animal. They varied in size, in the number of limbs, in the number of eye sockets, in the placement of the pincers on their heads...

“What did you do, Ferinden?” her mother whispered beside her, causing Zari to jump slightly. “Foolish idiot. Is this what you spent your time on? So much power, so much knowledge, only to end up turning your servants into monsters?”

“Then, what we encountered before, that’s his legacy,” said Lysandra, shuddering as she joined them. “Those creatures are the descendants of the atrocities that madman created.”

“What a pity,” replied the old woman with a sigh. “We’d best move on. Knowing where those creatures came from, it’s likely they have more ways to get here.”

They returned to the clearing, but froze when they saw Rendel and Alaric rummaging through the remains, carrying a satchel filled with jewels, rings, diadems, and other treasures. Well, what did we expect? They’re thieves after all. It’s in their nature, Zari thought.

“Don’t bother carrying all that,” Edel said, letting out another weary sigh. “When we return from the temple, I’ll reward you with more gold and jewels than you can carry.”

Rendel and Alaric exchanged glances, slightly disheartened. Leaving all those riches behind... But they reluctantly agreed, showing great reluctance and sorrow. Zari walked silently beside Rendel, who had already looked back at the lost loot a couple of times.

“If you’re going to be with me, forget about all that looting and desecration.”

“With you? What do you mean by that?”

Zari looked at him, amused and with a hint of mischief.

“You know what I mean.”

And after making sure her mother wasn’t looking, she gave him a kiss on the cheek and took his hand. That seemed enough for the young man to forget about the jewels and everything else, as he spent the rest of the journey smiling cheerfully.

They crossed the last stretch of the forest, finally arriving at the fortified entrance. Luckily for them, time had not been kind to it. Although the passage was blocked by a heavy iron portcullis, rusted but thick and sturdy, part of the walls had crumbled, and they had little trouble squeezing through a gap.

On the other side, the air was slightly fresher, a sign that they were finally beginning their ascent to the surface. Zari immediately felt relieved, as if the heaviness that had been weighing on her head had dissipated in an instant. The tunnels narrowed, and the ground sloped slightly upward. Zari cast one last look back. She hoped never to return to that cursed place ever again.

"I hate caves."