As soon as the old man left, Denor let go and proceeded to fall off the table with all the agility of a poleaxed sheep. This was somewhat less than his usual nimbleness but had there been any onlookers they would have said it wasn’t far off. He wasn’t ready for a sprint or a fight, but he might manage a brisk walk without planting his face into the ground.
The boy opened the fortuitously unlocked door, peeking out to see which direction Litarn had gone with all the stealth of a poleaxed… with very little stealth. Then he dashed back in, pulled Gella from her cramped hiding place, and pushed her toward the door. The poor girl could barely stand straight; her muscles were numb from being curled up for so long, but it turned out she had been conscious the whole time despite how boring the sorcerer had become with all his talk about stones and necklaces.
"Quick! He’ll be back with the ant for the operation any moment now!"
“You’re sure you don’t want six legs?” Gella quipped, not happy at being pulled about the place like a stuffed doll.
“We’ll have no legs if we don’t get out of here!” he snapped, dragging her along. He wasn’t sure if this quick response made any sense, but it sounded provocative and got her going, and that’s what mattered.
They ducked into one of the unlit dead ends. There, he allowed them both a moment to catch their breath.
"I was so scared you’d sneeze or move," Denor whispered. "That old man—my head almost burst from his endless chatter..."
"Oh, Denor," Gella breathed, her words like a warm breeze on his hair. "I was terrified! There was no space under that table; I kept thinking my arm or leg would stick out. If he’d just walked around the table... But what a relief that you can walk now! We just need to find Charan…"
“Are you sure it’s not ‘Choron’?” Denor interrupted.
Gella frowned at him. “I know the name of the love of my life.”
“We don’t need Charan yet,” the boy objected. “Don’t you remember how he obeys Litarn’s every word? It’s Sulas we need to find. He can lead us to the ladder at the top, the one I climbed onto twice and totally didn’t fall off. Without him, we’ll get lost in these tunnels."
“How?!” Gella blinked rapidly. “You want to leave without Charan? Now that we know where Litarn hides the sparks? He said they’re in a ring of garnets.”
“He did?”
“Didn’t you listen to any of his stories?”
Denor offered her a blank look, a serene smile touching his lips. “I like stories.”
“The ring is on him somewhere…” Gella continued, not humouring him. “We need to find that ring and save Charan and everyone else!”
Denor sighed. “I’d love to see you rummage around Litarn, with him obligingly turning in all directions to make it easier for us! I don’t think he’s going to let us do that though.”
He stepped out of cover, looking around warily only after revealing himself to anyone who had been watching, then dashed forward. After a moment’s hesitation, Gella followed him. She moved silently but breathed deeply and intermittently, trying to manage her frustration at Denor’s almost complete lack of forward planning. Her sighs rustled reproachfully behind his back, fraying Denor’s nerves.
"Come on, calm down," he said, showing an understanding of the opposite sex that rivaled a genderless space amoeba. "We can’t afford to be noisy! We need to listen for the sound of work, the knocking!"
Both held their breath, but all was silent. Only the lights flickered, and small stones occasionally crumbled from above.
"It’s night now," Gella whispered. "They must be sleeping, not working."
“In a while, the sun will rise,” Denor responded.
“What does that have to do with anything?!”
Denor shrugged. “It sounded like the right thing to say.”
“We can sneak out while they’re all in dreamland!” Gella quietly explained.
“Yes, perhaps it’s still night,” Denor agreed. “But I don’t think they sleep at night. They polish stones.”
“We should at least find Charan. He must know where Sulas goes at night.” Gella declared with a smug look on her face.
Denor summoned all his intellectual capabilities to form a retort. “Fine.”
“Yes, yes, let’s find Charan!” the girl agreed eagerly, surprised that he wasn’t arguing any further and jumping up and down on the spot like an overexcited rabbit.
The path they chose at random grew narrower and lower, with lights becoming fewer and farther between. Still there were no obvious sounds of workers, and Denor was beginning to think they had been going the wrong way, because otherwise he would have to admit that Gella was right.
“We’ve passed a lot of side branches,” he said. “We’ll have to check each one—Charan or Sulas could be in any of them. We’re unlikely to find them ahead. Let’s explore the side passages.”
Here, in the stuffy semi-darkness of the dungeon, where it was easy to get lost or trapped, his voice carried a decisive, authoritative tone. The exact sort that is often used by people who have absolutely no idea what they are doing, but need to convince everyone else otherwise.
As they turned into the nearest side passage, the thick stench of rotting meat hit their nostrils.
“Er… Denor? I’m fairly sure this isn’t the right way. Let’s go back!” Gella pleaded, coughing and pinching her nose. “Charan can’t be here. Nor Sulas, either.”
Denor paused in his tracks, perhaps it wasn’t a good idea to head in the direction of the rotting meat after all.
After walking a few steps away from the ghoulish scent, Denor found a spot that was relatively dry and soft from a thick layer of dust.
“Let’s sit, Gella,” he said, sinking to the ground. “My mind is whirring at a mile a minute.”
Gella waited patiently for his next thought. She would have been more likely to uncover a Temrit invasion force down here.
She carefully fingered the stones on the Star Necklace. Admiration shone in her gray eyes, sparkling as brightly as the stones. “Did Litarn really give you this beautiful necklace?”
“He gave it to me,” the boy chuckled. “Of course! He also said my life depended on it. It was meant to keep my head on the ant’s body!”
“On the body of an ant?” the girl asked, puzzled.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“Didn’t you hear anything while you were under the table?”
“He spoke a lot about stones, then I sort of drifted off. I was mostly trying not to move. I even begged my heart to beat more quietly so Litarn wouldn’t hear.”
Denor shrugged. “Take them if you like them so much.”
“Really, Denor?!” Gella blushed with joy. “And you don’t mind giving away such a marvel?”
“Do you really think I want to wear shiny stones around this neck? Only old Litarn adorns himself with trinkets.”
The boy tried to take off the necklace, but it wouldn’t fit over his head. This wasn’t ominous in the slightest.
Gella then attempted to take the necklace off, and it wouldn’t budge.
“Uh-oh,” he said.
***
After a short rest, Denor and Gella resumed their trek through the underground labyrinths, ears pricked for every knock and rustle. Several times they caught the murmur of voices and the faint patter of footsteps, but each time they followed the sounds, they either hit a dead end or found themselves back at the well-lit passage with its gleaming copper-lined door. At this point a rat in a maze would have raised an eyebrow at their inability to master simple navigation. Questions would then be asked as to why Litarn had bestowed this particular rat with eyebrows in the first place.
According to Gella, the exit to the cemetery was just thirty or forty steps from that door, but Denor couldn’t seem to find a way there.
Instead of figuring it out, he still clung to the hope of finding Sulas, who might know a way out of this dismal maze.
Like all people forced into spending an extended period of time with Denor Kara, Gella was growing weary. Though she didn’t complain, she stumbled more often too, her small legs tiring from all the endless traipsing. Denor, leading with authority, continued to march forth and get them hopelessly lost.
When he finally decided they should stop and rest, perhaps even spend the night huddled in one of the remote dead ends—though dawn must be near and the sun would come up soon—they heard a monotonous, rhythmic hum. Following the sound, they soon came upon a hole in the rock, glowing with the crimson reflections of light below. Signaling Gella to be silent and still, Denor approached the edge and did the following: Got too close to the gap. Flapped his arms like a buzzard so he didn’t fall in. Knelt while leaning on Gella for support. Peered down while again revealing himself to anyone below.
A large room spread out beneath them, almost as bright as Litarn’s chamber. The same transparent crystals on the ceiling amplified the light of the room, scattering their dim glow into thousands of lively sparks. The floor was strewn with rough gems. On the bare stone floor, half-naked, lifeless-looking warriors squatted or knelt, polishing crystals on leather circles with a monotonous, dull movement. Their heads bobbed rhythmically, like an Aurox in a yoke.
“What’s there, Denor?” asked Gella, her curiosity nearly tangible.
The boy moved aside, allowing her to peer through the gap. He gave her a stern look and pressed a finger to his lips.
“There’s Charan!” Gella exclaimed, and despite Denor's warnings, she shouted loudly, “Charan! Charan!”
Denor clamped his hand over her mouth, but it was too late. Charan lifted his head from his rock, confirming that this was indeed his correct name. He squinted to see where the call had come from and finally spotted the gap in the ceiling corner, where pale faces hovered. He slowly walked towards it and tilted his head back.
“Is that you, Denor?” he asked, blinking. “I can’t see well. Answer me.”
“It’s me!” the boy responded. “Tell me quickly: where’s your father? Where’s Sulas?”
“Charan!” Gella called again. “Can’t you see me? It’s me, Gella.”
“Gella?” Charan echoed, peering upward. He rubbed his sore eyelids and asked again, devoid of emotion, “Gella? Why are you here? Why did you bring her, Denor?”
“‘Brought her’ indeed!” Denor retorted. “Like I had any choice in the matter. If we don’t find Sulas, we’re lost. Without him, I can’t find the ladder I used to get in here twice. I’d ask you, Charan, but you’ve let me down twice already. I don’t want a third time!”
“Sulas won’t help you,” Charan replied. “Litarn sealed that entrance after you escaped. There’s only one way out. But Harg is guarding it. Litarn ordered him not to let anyone through. He ordered us to catch you if we see or hear you.”
“You’ve caught me already!” Denor grinned. “Try again!”
He lowered one leg into the hole and waggled it teasingly. Charan lunged forward, but Denor retracted his leg just in time, laughing.
“Too slow! Try again!”
He dangled the leg a second time and Charan reached up to grab it.
“Too slow! Try again!” Denor called out, tempting fate in a manner that can only end one way.
Charan grabbed the leg on the third attempt, eliciting a shout from Denor, whose underserved smugness had turned to panic.
“Oh, Charan!” Gella cried bitterly, pulling the hapless boy back from his reach. “Have you forgotten me? Will you let Litarn do unspeakable things to me too?”
“He didn’t mention you, Gella,” Charan said, a hint of confusion in his otherwise flat voice.
“Charan!” Gella’s voice trembled. “It’s me, Charan! Remember me.”
“I remember,” Charan replied, as if trying to recollect her face from a murky haze.
Before Denor could react, Gella slid her flexible body through the gap and jumped down. She rushed to Charan and hugged him, looking into his eyes.
“Remember me, Charan! Wake up! Wake up!”
“What the...” Charan started to say, trying to break free from her embrace.
“Stop it,” Denor snapped from above, prudently staying ready to flee like the true hero he was. “I told you he wouldn’t be happy to see you! Didn’t you believe me? Now enjoy! Understand this, foolish girl: this isn’t Charan. Charan is no more. This is a deceased Charan. He has ceased living. Why are you shaking him and kissing him? He won’t wake up.”
“It’s not true!” Gella sobbed. “He’s crying! He remembers me!”
“Gella, his eyes have a layer of dust over them. There are no emotional tears there, just prudent ones.” Denor replied. “Leave him alone!”
“Leave me alone, Gella,” Charan echoed. “Go away, Gella. Litarn will come soon. Leave before he sees you.”
“Yes, yes, leave quickly!” Denor urged from above. “Harg will let you through. Litarn told him to catch me, but he doesn’t know about you! Will you walk her out, Charan?”
“I’ll walk her out,” Charan replied.
He took Gella by the hand and led her towards the door.
"But that’s not why I’m here... The sparks of life... Charan, now we know where they are... Oh, don’t drag me, Charan!" she protested.
Charan, sullen and unseeing, continued to pull her toward the exit. Gella struggled against him, casting desperate looks back at Denor, who was frantically signaling for her to stay quiet.
"What a silly girl! Why is she yelling like that?" Denor lamented to himself. "Litarn will hear her and she’ll be done for. What was I thinking, leaving her with Charan? He’s as obedient as a puppet!"
Denor smacked his knee in frustration like a grizzled prospector. He’d have to chase after them immediately. After a moment's hesitation as his joints warned him of future repercussions to this latest mistake, he jumped into the gap, slipping past the slaves who paid him no mind.
Leaving behind him a room sparkling with all the colors of the rainbow, but also crushingly oppressive, Denor emerged into the main underground passage. He saw Gella and Charan ahead, Gella still resisting and pleading. For the tenth time, Denor cursed her stupidity and rushed forward, but abruptly halted.
Too late! The old man had heard her cries, and now he opened the copper-lined door, peering out. Denor quickly darted back and hid in a dark corner, listening intently.
Seeing Charan dragging Gella, Litarn burst into a fit of laughter, a grotesque mix of wheezes and squeals, as if he had encountered an unexpected delight.
"Do my old eyes deceive me?! Is it really you, Gella? What a gift! So tender, such a young thing, wandering among these dark places? I haven’t had such luck in ages!"
Gella, wide-eyed, stared from Charan’s impassive face to the old man’s twisted grin. “Did you forget that you had kidnapped me?”
"You are brave, my girl! Oh, so very brave to have made it here! Have you followed me all the way from the cemetery? You’re the bravest of the young and pretty ones I know! And I need brave souls. What a gift you’ve given me, my dear Charan!"
“You kidnapped me,” Gella repeated, but the message clearly wasn’t getting through.
"I’m not handing her over, I’m walking her to the exit," Charan said, and Denor thought he detected a glimmer of humanity in his voice.
"Walking her out?" Litarn echoed in surprise. "Who told you to walk her out?"
"Denor told me. Let us through, Litarn. She won’t find her way out without me."
"Since when do you follow Denor’s orders?!" Litarn retorted. "I ordered you to find and capture the boy. If he doesn't make it out alive, kill him! Do you understand? Take the girl and leave her with me.”
"Oh, Charan! I beg you!" Gella screamed, her voice so desperate and pitiful that Denor, hidden away, gritted his teeth in frustration.
"Gella wants to go home," Charan objected sadly. "She’s scared. I’ll walk her to the exit."
There was a silence, the sort that wraps around you and squeezes, the kind that only happens just before something truly dreadful.
"You will obey me, Charan," Litarn finally said, his voice dry, lifeless, and measured. "You will obey me and only me. Now, take the girl to me and tie her hands and feet well. Then go catch the boy. Do it now."
The sound of a door opening and closing echoed through the passage, then silence descended once more.
After a short while, the door creaked open again, and Charan, shuffling heavily, returned towards his lifeless comrades who continued their rustling song. His traitorous shoulder nearly brushed Denor, who was peering out from his hiding place, but Charan, lost in the void within his own chest, noticed nothing at all.