After finally recovering from the fear of the encounter, and slowing to a walk out of necessity and desire, the trio move in silence, but for the sounds of their feet brushing through and stomping on the smaller fungi at their feet. While the small tunnels they’d started out in had many twists and turns for them to maneuver through, the mushroom cavern seemed to stretch on forever, with no end in sight, and none of them had thought to keep an eye out for side passages like the one that led to the lake in their flight.
As they slowed, they fell into back into position, with Natalie willingly taking point after the second occurence of her “supernatural” sense kicking in, Dominic behind her and Corey taking the rear. They walked in a shared silence again, the heavy panting that followed their dash quieting until only their footsteps were audible. In the silence, Natalie found no comfort. So far, with both the creatures they’d encountered, there had been no sound to warn them of the approach, no hint of what monstrosity was about to consume them.
Sound was no use. Sight was their best warning, and whatever was going on with her… in her that alerted her to the danger. If only she could describe what it was, what the feeling was to her friends. Even to herself, for that matter. A deep frown furrowed her brows as she tried to come up with the proper way to describe the feeling, the sense of knowing that came over her in those moments. It was as if there was a separate person inside of her… no, that wasn’t right. More like there was someone watching over her shoulder, an unseen but ever vigilant something that had squeezed her in warning with each danger, right around her middle. Her stomach would sink, her lungs freeze and her throat clenched… and she would know. Just like that.
Natalie sighed with frustration, as it made no sense to her, even in her own mind. Sure, there was a simpler explanation in pure instinct - prey usually knows when a predator is watching. Which might explain why Corey had been on alert without knowing why, but not why she had twice been awakened from her sleep with a feeling of pure terror. She knows what the boys would say, of course. They’d attribute it to some sort of magic sixth sense, which, given the myths of the Below would… almost make sense, but those same myths also dictated that the people who found magic in this strange world never left. The stories were always brought by the often broken, maddened shells of men and women who made it to the surface. And Natalie had absolutely no intention of remaining in these dark depths. She would find a way out for them, no matter the cost.
As these thoughts chased each other through her head, Natalie watched the cavern ahead. So much… nothing. Mushrooms and fungus, that was the world they walked through. Although… A white glimmer in the distance? Her steps slowed as she squinted, trying to see further ahead, the change in pace prompting a quiet, “What is it?” from Dominic.
“I don’t know.” she answered softly, but… well, she didn’t feel anything that made her think it was a creature. Raising a hand, she pointed towards the glimmer, hoping that one of the boys could make it out as they approached. It was off to the side, along the wall, so perhaps some sort of new fungus? None of them could say, until at last, their approach brought them close enough to see it was another passage. Natalie peered ahead with caution that was swiftly to be overwhelmed by a growing sense of wonder.
The passage beyond was jarring in its brightness, forcing Natalie to squint as she gazed into it, her eyes so accustomed to darkness after the two days of darkness. As they adjusted, though, she could see that the passage was wider than those that the trio had started out in, and they could likely all move through it shoulder-to-shoulder and dull have plenty of room to move around in, and twice as tall.
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What made the passage shine, Natalie couldn't determine as she peered inside, but she couldn't make herself care about that. Not when they could, at last, be out of the dark.
Stepping forward, she flinched as her for sank in an inch or so. Looking down, she found herself standing in a layer of very fine, glittering dust. Reaching down, she grabbed a handful and frowned with confusion at the gritty feel of it, like exceptionally fine sand. But it wasn't hurting them, and as far as she could tell, there was nothing dangerous ahead, so she pressed forward, letting the dust trickle between her fingers
Behind her, Natalie heard Corey and Dominic enter the passage, the latter breathing a soft, "Wow.." at the sight of the crystal clear walls and radiating light, both boys pausing for a minute to let their eyes adjust, while Natalie waited, keeping an eye out for trouble, quietly commenting, "I can't see any source for the light. It's almost like it's radiating from nothing at all. Almost like…"
She trailed off, unable to complete the thought out loud, but Corey finished it for her as he finally for a good look around, "Like magic."
This time, when Natalie met his eyes, instead of disbelief bordering on contempt for the idea of magic, he saw a glimmer of hope… a desire to believe in an impossible existence and he smiled, proud to see the stubborn girl easing her rigid beliefs.
Shaking herself out of it, Nat smirked and nodded, "Sure. Like magic…"
Seeing his opportunity to press the matter, when they started walking again, Corey told his friends about what he'd observed with the arrows in Dominic's quiver, much to the mousey boys delight. Natalie sighed as the news prompted him to halt to take a look for himself, with Corey at his side, enthusiastically discussing the possibilities presented by an endless supply of ammunition. Only when it seemed that they were going to progress from talking to firing down the long corridor did she finally feel the need to intervene, insisting that they move forward.
With heavy sighs and grudging movements, the boys followed her down the passage, huddled together still, trading stories from books or games they’d read that featured a bow-wielding hero, who always had to make sure that they had enough ammunition. Besides the expected issue of running out of arrows, finding a fletcher here would probably be more than a challenge…
Then Natalie noticed a change, as she listened from her position a few feet from her friends. As they reminded themselves that they were stuck underground, in a place that could very well kill them all… there wasn’t the same air of despair, a sudden silence as the knowledge returned. Now, as the tone shifted, she heard a note of hope in their voices… especially Dominic’s as they acknowledged what the bow meant. It meant that he could protect them, for the first time in his life, he could provide protection, instead of being eternally the victim.
Hearing that painful hope, and knowing the root of the desire, Natalie’s heart clenched as a sick feeling stirred in the pit of her stomach. Not quite like what she felt in the presence of one of the monsters, but more an instinct to keep a close eye on him, a feeling that in his need to prove himself… he might make a terrible mistake.
It was not a feeling she enjoyed having, much less dwelling on, and she quickly shook it off with a hard shudder, returning to the conversation. Truth be told, no matter how much of a show she had put on for her friends, she was convinced. Magic… somehow, incredibly, existed.
However, unlike her friends, she was not thrilled. Magic was dangerous. Power in the wrong hands could be devastating, and could create monsters simply by existing.
Magic had gotten them trapped in a potentially inescapable maze, it had pulled them into a world that had monsters that could crawl on cave ceilings and grow to unbelievable sizes. It had nearly killed Dominic as he swam for his precious bow. And now that awful feeling… she glanced back at the now quiet boys, noting the way Dominic kept playing with the wood of the bow and visibly shuddered now as it became more like a solid lump in her gut. Something she could ignore, but was always there, always reminding her of its presence and purpose; Dominic was in danger.