Now that the path was gone, the journey became much more difficult. Tree roots covered the ground, making it so that they had to focus as to not trip over one. Without Leslie’s knowledge of the forest, Cain feared that they would get lost. So, after walking for a while, he would have Courtney, who was surprisingly good at climbing trees, to go on top of one and see if they were going in the direction of the mountains. Everyone was still shaken by the shadow’s attack, except for Lucis. The boy, with a bounce in his steps, seemed more excited than anything else.
“I’m so hungry,” said Charlotte, making a noise with her mouth that somewhat resembled the growling of an empty stomach. “Oh, how long have we gone without food. Three days, I think? And we only had mangoes before that. You know what I would really want? A nice slice of buttered toast with a good chunk of roasted beef.”
Caelyn groaned. “Aw, stop. You’re making me hungry.”
“But just imagine. You make a nice creamy soup and put as much butter and cheese into it as you can, then you dip a piece of freshly baked bread into the soup and eat it. Doesn’t that sound delicious?”
Stomach growling, she clutched her belly in an exaggerated way, swaying from side to side. She was used to hunger, but even on her worst day, she would at least manage to find some scraps of food someone had thrown out. But, as Charlotte had said, she had not eaten in three days. It was, perhaps, the longest she had gone without eating anything. Charlotte’s vivid descriptions made her desire to satiate her hunger even more overwhelming than before.
“Can we please talk about something else?” she asked, stumbling into a tree. “You are really making me too hungry. What about your story? How’s that going alone?”
“Oh, I… haven’t really thought about it.” Closing her eyes, the girl shivered. Once her eyes were open, she stared off into the distance and seemed to consider Caelyn’s question. “Well, I’ve always wanted to write a story set in a school for. And I have this vague painting in my mind of what this school would look like. It is magnificent, without any doubt. But what use is this painting if I cannot draw it?” She let out a short laugh.
Prodding the ground with a rather nice stick she found, Caelyn shook her head. “Well, a setting is the only part of a story. What about the characters? What do they want to achieve? What is preventing them from doing so? It’s a magical school, so I suppose they want to learn magic. What kind of magic are they learning?”
“Oh, well… I have to admit, I haven’t thought that far yet. The only thing I am certain of is that there are going to be magic swords.” Charlotte grabbed the stick from Caelyn’s hand and swung at the air. “I like swords. I love swords.”
“Swords are okay, I suppose. I never really understood their appeal. All they are used for is killing, after all. They serve no other purpose, besides the symbolism others connect it to. Even then, those symbols are merely masks for the same face—the face of taking the lives of others. I never understand why swords are held so highly. There are many ways to fight a war, and swords are, by far, the weakest. And besides, if your story is about a magic school, then why not focus on magic?”
“Well… you do make a fair point. "
“I think the story about the Pirate King was better.”
Charlotte gave her stick a thrust. “Indeed, I also like it better. And, that story has more swords.” Grinning, she nodded to Caelyn.
“Well, I did not say I despise swords. I just don’t find them special or worthy of admiration. There is a difference. They are practical for what they do, until you put so many ornaments on them that they become unwieldy.” Caelyn, taking the stick back from Charlotte’s grasp, tilted her head and pouted her lips. “I would choose a shield rather than a sword. Only a shield. After all, the purpose of a shield is to protect, and in doing so, it can also be used to attack. Is it not more worthy of admiration?”
“Well, that’s not false.” Charlotte scratched her head. “Hmm, what you’ve said is considerable. Leave me be, I need to think about what you’ve said.”
Caelyn smiled and tossed the stick away. “Of course,” she said, wandering away from the raven-haired girl. She strolled towards the front of the group, hoping for a change in scenery from the back.
Travis, with his eyes squinted and mouth wide in a dumb grin, was entertaining a boy and a girl, though neither appeared to be very much entertained. The two of them seemed to be listening for no other reason than the fact that they had nothing else to do. Caelyn, lured in by Travis’ excitement for his speech, slowed down to listen in.
“So, he was flapping his arms like he was a bird.” He let out a hearty chuckle. “You should have seen him. He went everywhere but up. Oh, I wish I could see that sight again.” Wiping a tear from his eye, he flapped his own arms before breaking into laughter. “But you should have seen how angry he was afterwards. He was absolutely furious, but he looked so funny.” He wrinkled his face and bared his teeth and burst into another fit of laughter.
Not understand anything Travis was saying, Caelyn strolled away, the corner of her mouth pulled in a half-smile. Though the boy’s words were near meaningless, his expressions were quite amusing still. Perhaps if she had came earlier, his words would have made more sense. But, judging from the frowns on his listeners’ faces, they were probably just as confused as she was.
“Hey, Caelyn,” said Cain, waving at her.
“Hello.” She walked beside him.
It felt different being in the front. She could actually see what was ahead of them—trees and more trees. Though the sounds of footsteps and Travis’ laughter could be heard from behind, she could, with some effort, pretend that she walked alone in the forest.
“Leslie was—”
“No.” Caelyn shook her head. “You don’t need to talk about her. Everything that has been said has already been said.”
Cain stroked his silvery hair, moving the strands from side to side. “Well, it is a strange situation we’ve found ourselves in, ain’t it? I know what you think of this place as. She told me. I, too, had considered it in the beginning. But ever since that first night, I knew that this island wasn’t paradise. And I’m sure you have realized it to.” Arm dropping back to his side, he sighed. “I have many questions, Caelyn, not only about everything we have experienced here, but the history of this very world as well. Questions I have longed the answers for… for my entire life.” Tilting his head, Cain looked her in the eye. “You don’t want to leave, do you? You don’t want to return to your old life.”
“Hmm,” said Caelyn, “why do you say that?”
“Well, neither do I. What I want are answers. If I leave this island, I will forever haunted by unanswered questions. Besides, I can’t go back. My… uh… brother killed me, so… what can I do?” Cain’s gaze moved from her head to her feet. “You got new clothes. They look… nice on you.”
“Uh… thanks.”
Cain, looking up through a hole in the green ceiling where the peaks of the mountains could be seen, said, “Vitaras… it’s a beautiful place. Quite unfortunate to have such an enormity lurking in these forests. A taint upon this paradise.”
“Well, if such a shadow were to exist, I doubt that it is the only taint and I doubt that this is a true paradise.”
“That is true for all places in this world. So be it.”
“Be it so.” Crossing her arms, Caelyn ran her tongue over her dry lips, gaze focused at the green stained glass that adorned the arched ceiling. A flock of dark-feathered birds, in their flight seemed like the waves of a sea of ink, flowed up and down through holes in the living roof. “Why do you have such confidence?”
Cain raised an eyebrow. “What confidence?”
“The confidence that your lifelong questions will be answered by the man with golden eyes on this island? For all we know, his knowledge only reaches to the seas of this island. The mysteries here could be answered, but those outside? I have doubts.”
“No, I believe those questions regard the island as well. I may be wrong about that, but I know it is not wrong to hope, to dream.”
“Indeed, it is not.”
For a while, they walked without speaking, listening to the breeze as it caught the leaves, Travis’ meaningless ramble, and the cheerful song of a lonely bird off in the distance. A squirrel with fur as white as snow, hanging upside-down on a tree, stared at them with its black eyes.
“Caelyn,” said Cain, breaking the silence. “Are you well versed in history?”
Caelyn shrugged. She had never took any time to study history books and such. Much of her knowledge on that came from Father’s bedtime stories, which had trickled from her mind morning the next day. She did learn some history from school, though she often fell asleep in those classes. “Somewhat.”
“Do you know how sometimes there are holes in history that we can’t somehow fill?”
“Well, I suppose so.”
Blinking, Cain swayed his head in thought. “Have you ever heard the name Cogni? Cogni the Historian?”
“Yes.” Hearing a familiar name, Caelyn eyes lit up. “My Father read me some of his stories. They were quite entertaining.”
“He doesn’t exist.”
“What?” Her mouth slightly dropped open.
“I’ve searched everywhere for his name. I can’t find it. Even those who know far more about history than me. No one knows of his name.” Cain nodded. Suddenly, he froze, staring at her with a bewildered expression on his face. “Wait, your father read you Cogni the Historian?”
Caelyn nodded. "Cogni'sworks were a favorite of his. He had an entire shelf filled with those books. How does one person even write that much?”
Still staring at her with his baffled expression, he said, “I wish I knew your father. An entire shelf… I only had a single volume—The Hidden History of the Larger World. It writes of the answers to history’s questions. Answers that connect to an island that only exists to few. I believe it this island, Vitaras.”
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
“I had always considered his works myths and legends. They are filled with fantastical stories of dragons and gods and magic. They have no ground in what is real.”
“Have you read all of them for yourself?” asked Cain, his confused expression faded away as he became more excited.
“No, just based on what I’ve heard.”
“Then your father must have read you a book on myths and legends.”
Caelyn shrugged. “Maybe.”
They stepped out of the trees, leaving the tree’s protection from the light. Caelyn raised her arm to cover her eyes, backing away into the forest.
“Hey, watch out,” shouted Theresa, right before the two collided. “Look where you’re going. Are you blind now?”
Bowing her head, Caelyn apologized before hurrying back into the domain of the bright sunlight. They stood at the foot of the mountains, where a valley cut through the formidable barrier. Though the valley itself was barren and rocky, the rest of the mountains was covered by a blanket of deep green. On the sides of the valley stood two towers around half the height of the mountains, connected by a formidable wall not much shorter than the towers. Each tower had a arched door in the way of entrance. Something had shattered the wall in the middle, making it appear as though the wall had a valley of its own.
After examining the wall and towers, Cain turned around and said to everyone, “Three of us should go in to check whether this place is occupied or not, and to see if the occupants are friendly or not. If it is safe, we will wave at you from the top of the wall. If it is not safe, well, if we don’t return by sundown, continue on your way through the mountains. Who volunteers to join me?”
“I will go,” said Theresa, “and don’t let Caelyn come, she’ll just be dead weight. With her blindness, she will probably get lost or something.”
Courtney, stepping out from the shadows, raised her hand. “I’ll go.” Her pendant dangled from her neck, glittering as it spun.
“Great.” With that said, Cain, followed by Courtney and Theresa, ran towards the nearest tower, opened the door, and entered into the darkness.
Under the shade of a couple of trees, Caelyn sat and waited, keeping watch for Courtney’s signal, lips pressed into a straight line. Why did Theresa have to stop her from going? The towers, with their dark stone and dim windows, looked rather mysterious and, more likely than not, held some secrets waiting to be discovered. Why did only the three of them get to have that fun?
Deep in her thoughts, she did not realize Lucis approaching her from behind. The boy, with his hands tucked in his pockets, regarded her with a dreamy gaze. “You sit here with that gloomy expression. What concerns you?”
Caelyn did not meet his gaze as she replied, “Oh, nothing. I was just enjoying—”
“Well, perhaps I am simply not familiar with the way you express yourself.” In a swift motion, he brushed away a couple strands of hair that threatened to block his eye. “You know what would bring me enjoyment? Exploring those ruins by the mountains over there. Hmm, upon further thought, what is preventing me from doing so?” With that said, Lucis meandered into the same tower that Courtney and the others had entered, disappearing into the darkness.
Blinking, Caelyn stared at the doorway. Lucis disregarded what Cain had said and entered the tower? She looked down at herself. Why shouldn’t she follow? It was not like Cain or Theresa could do anything to stop her. Rising to her feet, she stepped into the heat of the sun and marched towards the tower.
“Caelyn!”
She looked over her shoulder and saw Charlotte, arms in the air, running towards her.
“Can I come with you?” asked the girl, stopping next to Caelyn and gasping for breath. “I also… want to come.”
Patting the girl on the back, Caelyn said, “Why not? Maybe you’ll get some more ideas for that story of yours.”
The two of them entered the tower, the inside of which was not as dark as Caelyn had expected. Light flowed in from the windows near the high ceiling, illuminating the entire first floor of the tower. At the center of the room, wooden stairs leading to the next floor wrapped around a stone pillar. A slightly ajar door stood far right of them, leading into the mountains. Straw, perhaps the source of the musty smell that filled the cold air, was strewn on the floor.
“Up or forward, where do you want to go first?” asked Caelyn, eyes moving from the stairs to the door and back to the stairs.
Charlotte pointed to the door. “I wonder where that leads to. Inside the mountain?”
“I wonder too. Let’s go.”
Opening the door revealed true darkness, for not even the ground a few paces in could be seen. Caelyn took a few steps forward but soon retreated back to the light. There was no way for them to enter the tunnel and find their way through it. The darkness was simply too potent. Nothing around them could be fashioned into a torch, and even if there were, neither of them knew how to light it.
“Oh well,” Caelyn said, turning towards the stairs, “I suppose we have no choice. Maybe we can explore it later when the others return.”
The two of them climbed the stairs up to the next floor, which was much less empty than the previous one. Bow racks covered the entire wall, save for another door that lead into the mountain. A bow, with its graceful curves and elegant ornaments, sat alone on its rack. It looked well-crafted, though Caelyn was not familiar enough with armaments to judge their quality. With gentle care, she took it off its rack, held it to the light, and examined it. The wood, polished to a shine, shimmered with rivers of golden grain. Small runes were carved in intervals along the length of the bow. Looking around for arrows to test the bow with, she frowned as she found none.
She plucked the string and smiled. “I like it. I doubt anyone needs this anymore. I suppose I’ll take it for myself.”
The continued upwards, climbing from floor to floor. They found nothing of interest most of the time, only empty racks and barrels. After a couple of floors, they reached the top of stairs, where an open door led to the wall-walk. Caelyn strolled out onto the wall, taking in a deep breath of fresh air as she admired the view.
On her left, the green expanse from where they came stretched towards the sea with a hole filled by the fields and ruins. Squinting her eyes, she could discern Travis and his companions. Perhaps it was a mere trick of her ears, but even from such height, she could hear his exaggerated voice. On her right, the barren valley led to another forest with trees much taller than the ones on the other side. Who knew what secrets and mysteries that forest held? But at that moment, Caelyn did not care. A grin stretched on her face, she breathed in another chestful of the warm air.
“It is wonderful, is it not? To see the world from such heights, it fills my heart with fear.” Caelyn glanced at Charlotte, who stood shaking by the doorway. “Yet this fear… it satisfies me. I feel fulfilled, somehow. Is it the air or the view? The beauty or the drop?” She jumped closer to the edge of the wall and put her hands on the parapet, head turning from side to side. “Or perhaps both? I see a ladder. We can go higher still.”
As Caelyn put her foot on the first rung of the ladder, Charlotte stood completely still with her gaze stuck on Caelyn. “I prefer… not to… go.” Her voice shook while she spoke.
“Oh well, your loss.”
Gulping, Caelyn climbed up the ladder, rung by rung, trying to avoid looking down at the ground below. She bit down on her teeth and refused to let her insignificant fear get in her way. Once she reached the top, she scrambled onto the solid stone floor and looked around.
Her mouth fell agape.
At the center sat a round, golden stand, adorned with jewels, that possibly held something spherical at one point. The remains of what appeared to be a shattered crystal covered both it and the ground around it. Caelyn, picking up a shard of the crystal, held it to the light. Besides slight sparkle, there did not seem to be anything remarkable about it. What was it used for when it had been whole?
She took a step forward to get a better look at the stand. Between its jewels, runes were inscribed into the metal. What did these symbols mean? Maybe Cain would have a better idea—his knowledge of history far surpassed hers, after all. At the moment, there was nothing she could do but wonder.
Charlotte would most definitely be interested in this, so Caelyn took another shard as a present for the girl before climbing back down the ladder.
“Was there anything of interest up there?” Charlotte asked, shaking as she watched Caelyn climb down. “I hope you didn’t go up there for nothing.”
Grinning, Caelyn jumped past the last few rungs directly onto the ground. From her pocket, she took out the crystal shard and tossed it to the girl, who fumbled before catching it. “There is a crystal up there… or at the very least, there was a crystal. All that’s remained of it are these pieces. Keep it.”
“Oh, it is very nice. Maybe I’ll polish it down and wear it on a necklace.”
“I doubt it is that precious. Who knows? Maybe its no more than a piece of common glass.”
“Or…” Charlotte raised a finger, “it could be priceless.”
Rolling her eyes, Caelyn chuckled and shook her head from side to side. “Imagine obtaining such a treasure as easily as picking it up from the ground.”
“Caelyn, I have found you here.” Lucis stepped into the sunlight, staring into the distance with a blunt gaze. “Quite a sublime view. Such is the way from where we came. And for the way we will go, well, we cannot see far enough to tell. What do you think, dear Caelyn? What do you think hides beneath those tall trees? Lost dreams? Profound hopes? Both, most likely.”
“How did you get through the dark?” asked Caelyn.
“A torch… or two.”
“And how did you light the torch?”
“A fire-maker.”
“Where did you get those?”
“I found them on the ground next to the door.”
Caelyn sighed. “You took the last ones?”
“I suppose so.”
“Where did you leave them?”
“Where I found them.”
Turning to Charlotte, Caelyn pulled her lips into a playful smile. “Let’s go explore the tunnels.”
As the two headed back down, Lucis said from outside, “Be wary of losing yourself in those tunnels. They run deep into the mountains. How far, I do not know, for it would have taken me too long to reach each end. Know where you have come.”
Thanking him, Caelyn and Charlotte proceeded down the stairs. Halfway, they heard talking from below.
“Those tunnels go too deep.” It was Cain’s voice. “We can’t search it all. It’s both dangerous and a waste of time. The safest place to stay is this tower.”
Courtney then replied, “I do agree. Those tunnels… I do not like them in the slightest. So damp and so cramped. I would much rather sleep outside where the air is fresher.”
“What should we do?” whispered Caelyn, crouching close to the floor and gesturing Charlotte to do so as well. She did not want to be caught having snuck into the tower, even though she knew nothing would happen if she was.
Pointing at a group of barrels, the other girl replied, “Let’s hide behind there until they pass.”
“Hide behind where?” Theresa loomed over them, before calling down to her companions below. “Caelyn and her friend are up here for some reason. What should I do with them?”
Cain replied, sometimes pausing for breaths, “Let them be. This… tower is safe anyways. Just… go and wave… to the rest of them. We’ll catch up as… fast as we can.” He groaned. “You’re too fast.”
“You’re too slow,” she said, before continuing upwards.
Soon after she disappeared to the next floor, Courtney and Cain appeared from below. Courtney decided to stay with them, leaving the breathless boy alone as he continued up the stairs. Caelyn, finding her current stance to be rather unseemly, returned to her full height with Charlotte doing the same.
“Oh, Courtney,” she said while raising her bow and pulling back the string, “I found this beautiful bow collecting dust downstairs. It’s nice, isn’t it? I wonder where I can find arrows for this.”
“Arrows…” Courtney stared and blinked for a moment before nodding. “Yes, I wonder too.”
Raising an eyebrow and crossing her arms, Charlotte asked, “I thought you didn’t like things that killed.”
“I never said that.” Caelyn pointed the bow at Charlotte and released the string.
Taking a step back, the girl frowned. “You did earlier, when you were talking about how much you disliked swords.”
“Yes, but swords aren’t the only weapons. I only dislike swords because killing others is their purpose. Bows, on the contrary, are used for hunting, hunting for food to survive.”
“Bows are also used to kill other people.”
“Also, meaning killing others is not a bow’s sole purpose.” Crossing her arms, Caelyn raised her chin and turned her head away from the other girl. “Yes, I do suppose you could use a sword for hunting. But in earnest, have you ever thought of a sword as a hunting tool? I, for sure, have not. Do not forget that the knives you use to prepare food can also be used to slay a man, yet that does not diminish its role in the kitchen.”
Charlotte threw up her hands in surrender and sighed. “Fine, if you like your curved stick, so be it. Who am I to stop you? I’m just saying, the sword is the more elegant of the two.”
Shrugging, Caelyn plucked the string of her bow and strutted towards the stairs and down. “Keep telling yourself that and perhaps it would come true. But enough of this nonsense, let’s go and explore. Maybe we’ll come across a sword you can play with.”
The three of them descended the stairs back to the first floor. Everyone who had waited outside for Cain’s signal were beginning to walk up the stairs. While Travis loudly expressed his humor to his two companions, Diana—Charlotte’s childhood friend—walked silent and alone. When she saw Charlotte coming down the stairs, she waved her hand, and the latter girl nodded in response.
Five torches, each blackened at one end, laid on the ground, along with two fire-starters. Caelyn lit one and kept the remainder just in case the first burnt out. With Courtney and Charlotte behind her, she opened the door into the mouth of the mountain and stepped into the enveloping darkness.