Jamming his long lumien flap pole in behind the topmost tier of the priests seating, Corvan pushed off the wall and vaulted out over the water. Letting go he dropped in feet first, turned and swam toward Tsarek as fast as he could go. A severed tentacle floated up toward him, and he knocked it to one side.
Grabbing Tsarek’s paw, Corvan pulled him in towards the dark opening where the water creature had lived. Hopefully it had fled the battle or had been crushed when the stage collapsed. The dead weight of Tsarek’s body dragged him back but he would not let go. His lungs were almost bursting as he surfaced in the small cave.
Gasping for air and pulling the limp form behind him, Corvan swam to the closest shore and pulled Tsarek onto a slab of rock that hung into the water. Rolling Tsarek onto his side he rocked the small body gently. “Don’t die on me,” he groaned. From the cuts and gashes on Tsarek’s body, Corvan had no doubt that Tsarek was the reason the water monster had released him and Tyreth. It must have been quite the battle for such a small creature.
Water trickled from Tsarek’s mouth, but his friend didn’t cough or move. Tears began to fall as Corvan sat helplessly beside Tsarek and stroked the ridges on the back of Tsarek’s neck.
Across the pool, a shadow fell on the surface of the water from the light flowing down the stairs. Corvan glanced up, expecting to see a tentacle reaching his way. Instead, he found Jorad standing at the bottom of the steps, black knife in hand.
“When I saw you dive in,” the man said, “I should have known it would be to try to save that evil creature’s life.”
“Tsarek helped me save Tyreth’s life, Jorad. Besides, the Chief Watcher is dead.”
Jorad picked his way around the pool toward Corvan, his eyes flickering over the dark water. “I was the one who saved Tyreth. You were in the stands helping the palace guard drown our priests.” He drew closer. “I can’t understand what the Chief Watcher could have possibly offered you to help him destroy us. Surely you didn’t hope he would give you Tyreth.”
“I have never talked to the Chief Watcher,” Corvan replied calmly, “and you can ask Tyreth. She’ll tell you that I saved her life today.”
Jorad planted his foot on the front of the stone slab. “I will ask her, but first I will make sure this creature is dead.” He pointed at Tsarek with the tip of his knife.
Corvan leaned in over Tsarek’s body. “I won’t let you touch him. He is a good friend and has saved my life more than once.”
“Then he has deceived you,” Jorad said. “His kind can only serve their own selfish desires or the purpose of the one who commands them.”
Corvan looked at Tsarek. “You told Madam Toreg not to judge too quickly, yet you do the same thing. This creature has a good heart. If the hammer were here, I would swear on it that he is not evil.”
“What you swear makes no difference to me.” Jorad’s eyebrows knit together. “What you believe may feel true to you, but there are some things that do not change. The Watchers are evil and the only way to protect the Cor is to make sure they are all dead.”
“This one already is,” Corvan said, but even as he spoke he thought he felt Tsarek’s spines tickle his palm.
“I will spare your life Kalian, in return for saving my life at the bridge, but I will not let you leave here until I know this lizard is dead.” Jorad bent lower over the slab of rock. “Their kind are masters of deceit.”
Corvan jumped to his feet and leaned in toward Jorad, standing the man back up. “When you choose to judge someone before you know all the facts, you act more like the Chief Watcher than the new High Priest.”
Anger flashed in Jorad’s eyes. He grabbed the collar of Corvan’s cloak and Corvan in turn wrapped both hands around the wrist that held the knife. Locked together, they stood over Tsarek’s body. Jorad pushed in hard, and his added weight tipped the stone slab steeply toward the water.
Locked together, Corvan held Jorad from falling in. They looked down together in time to see the lizard’s body slide down the rock and slip beneath the surface.
“Jorad, are you down here?” Tyreth’s words floated down the stairs. “Did you find him?”
Blue light danced on the ripples and overhead, from entry onto the stairwell landing, a shaft of blue light probed the shadows of the cave.
Corvan pushed himself away from Jorad’s blade and the rock tilted back up.
“Don’t let her see you,” Jorad hissed. “She believes in you. It would destroy her to know you were helping the Chief Watcher.”
“But I wasn’t. . .”
“It doesn’t matter now.” Jorad whispered as he released his grip on Corvan’s collar. “Tyreth will lead Kadir now that her father is dead. Seeing you alive will only confuse the situation.” He put the black knife back into its scabbard. “Hide behind the rocks until we leave. Do this for me and I will help you escape the Cor and return to your home where you and Kate belong. It’s the only way to save Kate’s life.”
Corvan reluctantly nodded and Jorad whirled about to make his way back to the steps. Retreating into the shadows Corvan crouched behind a jumble of rocks.
The blue glow flooded the cave as Tyreth descended the stairs, the hammer at her side. She smiled at Jorad, and the man took her free hand and helped her over the final broken steps.
Leaving Jorad by the stairs, Tyreth moved to the water’s edge and gazed out over the surface. “That boy must have seen a priest fall in and jumped in to save him just as he saved me earlier.” Her fingertips brushed her lips. “I didn’t even get a chance to thank him. I don’t even know his real name.”
“His name was Kalian,” Jorad said.
“Kalian. . . precious one,” Tyreth said, nodding. “That’s a good name for him. I felt something for him I can’t explain. It was like my connection with Tarran except I was sure I would see him again.”
Behind her Jorad shook his head slowly while looking in Corvan’s direction. “He is gone, Tyreth. He was sent to bring the hammer back to us. That was his mission and thankfully he completed it before he left us.”
“Left us?” Tyreth said, shaking her head. “I don’t believe he is gone. With Tarran I knew he was dead, but with Kalian . . .” Her voice trailed off as she searched the surface of the water. “My father believed Kalian would be our Cor-Van.” She lifted the hammer and looked into its glowing words. Her face appeared much older in the blue light, and also more tired. “Now they are saying I should lead the people. I don’t think I am ready.”
Jorad came forward to stand beside her. “The burden of leadership is great, Tyreth, but I believe you will succeed. You are much stronger than you know.”
Tyreth shook her head and raised the hammer. “But am I wise enough on my own? All my life I have been pulled in different directions as people have used me, used my position as the High Priest’s daughter, to their own advantage. Now that I have the hammer, the stakes are much higher, and the deceit will be more subtle.”
Jorad moved in close to her side and cupped her chin in his hand. “I can help you to know whom to trust. I will be at your side supporting you. You know I would do anything for you.”
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
Tyreth smiled as she looked into his eyes for a long moment. Jorad leaned in closer as if he would kiss her.
A sharp tug on the back of Corvan’s hood almost made him call out. He whipped around to find Gavyn grinning at him. The boy motioned for Corvan to follow him and pulled on his sleeve. Corvan nodded, but as they moved into the shadows, he turned back for one last look at Tyreth.
There was nothing but blue ripples on the water from a glow above the crumbled stair.
Swallowing the lump in his throat, he spoke quietly. “Gavyn. I need to go as quickly as possible back to Kate.”
Gavyn looked back at him with a puzzled expression.
“The girl on the litter that Jorad and I were carrying,” Corvan said. “She’s at the Molakar settlement.”
Gavyn nodded eagerly and scampered away to disappear beneath a rough wedge of rock that was propped against the cavern wall.
The crawl space beneath the rock turned into a low passage with tunnels branching off in all directions, but Gavyn obviously knew where he was going. He forged on ahead of Corvan, the glow of his fire stick, around the next corner often the only sign of his presence.
Crawling after him through a low spot, Corvan discovered Gavyn’s light stuck in the rocks, but the boy was nowhere in sight. Corvan sat down, leaned back against the tunnel wall and closed his eyes. An intense weariness swept over him as the exhaustion drained his will to move another inch. He tipped his head against a large boulder and closed his eyes.
Before he knew it, Gavyn was back and tugging on his hand. The boy held out a cup of cool liquid that tasted like weak apple juice. Corvan drained it. “That’s good, Gavyn. I could drink a gallon of that.”
Gavyn took the cup back, nodded enthusiastically and pulled Corvan to his feet.
Corvan head swam, and he stood swaying on unsteady legs. He needed more rest and something to eat.
The firestick sputtered and died so Gavyn began walking backwards, holding Corvan’s hands and guiding him around corners and over ledges. Corvan stumbled along after him.
The sound of a rushing waterfall pushed into his hazy thoughts, and a dense mist fell on his skin as if he were walking right through it. The sound faded, they turned a corner and were welcomed by soft light ahead.
Gavyn let go of his hands as they walked under an arch into a larger round room with a high domed roof from which hundreds of lumiens hung. Lush green foliage covered most of the stone walls and vines ran up the walls, trailing strings of tiny globes like strings of Christmas lights. In the center of the room, hanging from a stout stem, was the largest lumien Corvan had seen so far, at least this close up. He gazed in wonder as he walked towards it, then tripped up against something hard, caught his balance and looke about.
On the ground, raised garden beds divided the room, each growing a different variety of tree, shrub, or flower. The entire room throbbed with life and color.
Up ahead, surrounded by a low stone wall, stood the oddest tree Corvan had ever seen. Its trunk was bulbous and as smooth as the baobab trees that grew in Australia, the thick branches fanning out horizontally on top, like a green table on a stout pedestal.
Gavyn dragged him along the path toward the great tree. Passing through a short gate, the young boy pulled him down onto his knees in thick moss that surrounded the trunk. A spring bubbled up from between the gnarled roots, then flowed into a stone catch basin and out in channels that led to the sections of the garden. Gavyn filled a carved wooden cup from the spring, passed it to him, and scampered away.
Corvan drank deeply, re-filled it from the basin. It was the same apple flavored water Gavyn had brought him in the tunnels. The young boy had misunderstood his desire for more of his spring water. This place was not where he needed to be. He had to get back to Kate with some food to strengthen her while he looked for a way back home.
As he waited for Gavyn to return, he studied the cup in his hands. It was carved with symbols similar to the ones on the hammer. Corvan set it down and found a ledge over the pool crowded with many other intricately carved wooden objects. Some were of creatures he did not recognize, but in the middle of the carvings he saw a set that was similar to the central plaza statue in Kadir. It was a family of three people, but the woman’s head wasn’t broken off like the real one in Kadir. Also the mother in this small carved version had long flowing hair and a smiling face that reminded him of Gavyn.
Gavyn ran in through the gate and placed a basket of strange fruits at his feet. A grubby hand picked up something dark blue, about the size and shape of a lemon, and held it up to Corvan’s mouth.
“Thanks, Gavyn, but I’ll take this along to Kate. She’s sick and needs it more than I do.” He tried to get his tired body up to his feet, but Gavyn pushed him firmly back onto the moss.
The boy pointed at Corvan’s chest and held the fruit up at him again. He would not be letting Corvan go until he ate something.
Corvan took it from him and tried to bite the blue fruit and almost broke a tooth on the tough skin.
Gavyn laughed, took it back and smacked its pointy end on a rock. It split into five sections. Poking his finger under a thick white membrane, the boy pulled out a squishy purple tube from one section and dropped it into Corvan’s hand. Corvan went to nibble the end, but Gavyn stopped him, pulled out another of the tubes, and showed him to put it all in his mouth and bite down hard. Corvan followed his example, and sweetness exploded in his mouth as the nectar was released.
Corvan grinned with pleasure, and purple juice squirted out between his two front teeth. Gavyn laughed again and Corvan chuckled with him. A fresh surge of energy flowed through him. Gavyn was right. Eating was a good idea. He would be no help to Kate if he was too weak to walk. He grinned at Gavyn and the sticky juice trickled down his own chin, sending the young boy into hysterics. It was amazing that someone who suffered so much could be so full of joy.
Corvan ate another section of the fruit and felt his body respond with both a sense of rejuvenation but at the same time, a longing to close his eyes and lie down. It was a long walk back to the settlement. He would never make it if he didn’t take a short rest. “Gavyn, can you wake me up in twenty minutes?”
The boy cocked his head and Corvan realized how little sense that would make to someone in the Cor. “I need a short sleep, but don’t let me sleep long, okay? I’ve got to take some food to Kate, and I’ve got to get back home to my mother.”
Gavyn nodded seriously and then and sat next to the spring, pulled out a dark piece of wood from a cleft in the side of the large tree and began to carve something. It was slow going with his crude blade he was using and Corvan dug into his pocket, pulled out his Swiss Army knife, and tossed it to the boy. Gavyn pulled out every blade and examined every tool with focused curiosity before he resumed his whittling. a even larger smile of satisfaction on his innocent face.
Corvan smiled, closed his eyes, and let the exhaustion overwhelm him.
When he awoke, the lumien light was fading and Gavyn was nowhere to be seen. He’d slept far too long. Scooping fresh water into the cup, he pushed himself up against the trunk of the tree, downing the sweet liquid and studying his surroundings for a sign of the boy or any clue of which way he should go to get out of Gavyn’s tree room.
It was hard to know. The cavern wasn’t fully round; it also had seven sides, just like the hammer. Each section was divided by slender buttresses that soared overhead to meet in the center of the ceiling where the large lumien hung down. Only three of the sections had doors but which one had he come in? Corvan walked to the edge of the low central wall to get a better view and discovered that the paths in the room formed the same star shape he’d seen on Kate’s medallion.
As he turned in circle, Gavyn appeared from behind the thick tree. He pantomimed eating things off a table, motioned for Corvan to follow, then ran back the way he had come. Corvan followed around the trunk to see the boy disappearing into yet another door on the far side of the room.
“This is like chasing the White Rabbit around Wonderland,” Corvan muttered as he loped after him.
A short distance inside the doorway, the passage was blocked by fallen rock. A pebble bounced off Corvan’s head and he looked up to see a rope slowly twisting in circles as Gavyn climbed. Using a boulder for a stepping stool, Corvan grabbed the rope and followed. He was halfway up before he realized that, for the first time in his life, he was climbing a rope with ease. If this was the result of the water from the base of Gavyn’s tree, he was going to drink a lot more of it. He liked the newfound feeling of strength in his arms and chest.
Reaching the top of the rope, he found Gavyn standing on a crude stone bench and peering through a small hole in the wall. The boy jumped down, pushed on a rocky knob and the wall swung open. He jumped through the opening and Corvan had to sprint inside to avoid being left in the hall before it closed again.
They had entered a large pantry full of food. Cloth bags hung from pegs driven into the walls and clusters of fruit from hooks embedded into the low ceiling. Baskets were piled on the tables that ran down the center of the room, and a rack of pointed jars occupied the far wall where a stream of water in a trough appeared to be keeping them cool.
Gavyn ran about, popping things into his mouth from the baskets on the table. He indicated that Corvan should try some as well.
“This is great, Gavyn. I’ll take some to Kate and the healer.”
Long loaves were piled in one of the baskets. Corvan picked out a small one and handed it to him. It smelled mildly of cinnamon. It was hard to chew, but it was the best bread he could remember eating in a long time. “Do you know every secret passage in this place?” he asked between bites. “Is there a faster way to get back to Kate?”
A proud look on his face, Gavyn put his bread down, went to the far wall and pushed up on three pegs in succession.
A low door next to the pegs swung open and light fell on a tight spiral staircase. Putting a finger to his lips, Gavyn tiptoed through and beckoned for Corvan to follow.