“The Evil One’s servants gathered around the pyre, naked like wild animals, singing blasphemies like chants. The Knight turned his last thoughts to God. He did not fear death, certain of his righteousness in life. The witches' blasphemous magic tainted the air like the stench of rotten flesh and likewise attracted a flock of croaking demons, creatures once part of God's vision who had lost their way, tempted by the hags. As they hurled themselves at him with their beaks, the Knight ignored the pain, for salvation awaited him."
Nene squeezed tight Elora's hand, terrified. Liara, reading by the light of a single candle, stopped suddenly. Her sadistic side enjoyed seeing Nene cry, so she tried to hold back.
«If these stories scare you so much, you shouldn't listen», Elora reassured her.
«You wimp! The Lightbringer Knight is not afraid of dying, Nene is afraid of just a story»
«It's not!», she protested. «These things really happened, you know it!»
«Don't cry. There’s a happy ending. The Lightbringer Knight found salvation in God»
«Poor thing», Liaria continued. «He didn't even know he was serving a heretic»
«Saint Arianna has been excommunicated», Nene observed. «Does that mean the Knight was damned too? Was he really saved?»
Liaria gloated. Hers was a cruel grin that she only showed in front of them. In front of the adults, she behaved like a sappy little puppy, taking advantage of her porcelain doll appearance. Elora often tried to convince Nene it was a sign that they were truly friends, but she thought that Liaria was simply an asshole.
«Of course he did», Elora replied. Her voice was so faint, it could only be heard up close. «Everyone is responsible for their own salvation. The Knight was deceived by Arianna's heretical words, but never gave in to the Evil One»
«But he was a heretic too», Liaria said.
«I am sure that, since he turned his last thoughts to God, he realized that Arianna was an impostor in the end. God knows better»
«What about his companions?», Nene asked.
«We don't know. It was up to them. Have they kept worshipping the false Saint, or didn’t they?»
«How stupid to trust a heretic»
«Elora…»
«What is it, Nene?»
«Promise me you’ll never become a heretic»
The girl tilted her head, perplexed, as she kept caressing the back of Nene’s neck. They were alone in the dungeon. The Prioress had punished them with detention because they had gotten into a fight before mass. Elora had convinced Liaria to hide some mud in the priest's pocket. Nene had tried to stop them, causing Mother to find out. She was paying the price for their stupid prank along with them, so Mother had gone easy on them, allowing them to carry a book. Unfortunately, Liaria had chosen it, and it contained only horrible stories.
«Why should I become a heretic?»
«I don't know! But… Please…»
«Nene wants to join your escort and is afraid of ending up like the Lightbringer Knight!»
«Shut up!»
Nene jumped at Liaria trying to cover her mouth. She attempted to kick her back but was smaller in build and couldn't push Nene away.
«Stop it!»
It was rare to hear Elora raise her voice. Nene let go of Liaria, who picked up her book from the ground, sobbing. She clutched the volume to her chest as she whimpered like the brat she was.
«You will never become a Knight! You're just a wimp! Wimp!»
«You’re a wimp!»
«Keep it up, and neither of you will become a Knight», Elora thundered.
Liaria wiped her tears. She retreated to a corner of the cellar and sat on her blanket.
«Easy for you to say. You are a Saint, you don't have to prove anything»
«It's not true, I train like everyone else. Come on, enough stories, let's go to bed»
Nene dragged her crumpled blanket next to Elora's, which was new, embroidered and padded. The Prioress treated her like a princess, that much was true, but only because of her weak constitution. Nene blew out the candle ready to go to bed, when she heard someone whispering.
«Nene. Hey, Nene!», Liaria called.
«What?»
«Don't get eaten by the crows», she sneered.
----------------------------------------
She saw an unfamiliar ceiling, which couldn't be a good sign. She felt something warm. Her senses began to awaken: it was a hand holding hers. She rolled her eyes to the right and recognized Nila's silhouette. Nila had a bruised cheek and a worried look. They had been attacked. Nene remembered that bizarre sensation that turned her helpless, incapable of defending herself. She remembered the mysterious horned individuals. That image sent a shiver down her spine: she had to get up, be ready to fight, to defend her friends from the servants of the Evil One. She needed the cross, immediately. She sat up, and Nila jumped.
«Slow down. D-don't move»
«The cross! Where is it?!»
«Don't worry, everything is fine. We are safe»
She looked around. They were inside a tent sitting on yellow grass. She was lying on a bed. Nila was next to her on a stool. A little further was a second bed, where Adanara was sleeping. Oto was nowhere to be found.
«Oto?»
«He's fine. He's already settled in»
She continued to absorb the surroundings. The tent was made of yellow and green fabric. In a corner were their bags. Nila, despite the bruise on her face, seemed fine. She raised a hand to her wound, but hesitated, afraid of hurting her. Nila smiled and brought her hand to her other cheek.
«I-I don't know exactly what happened. After Ada got sick, I l-lost sight of you and Oto. Then those guys showed up. One hit me, and then... I f-felt weird and lost consciousness»
«Did they knock us all out? And... we are still alive?»
«Yes. That woman, Emeria, came just now. She said some l-lumberjacks found us passed out at the mouth of the valley»
«How is Adanara?»
«She's still sleeping. I-I was more worried about you! You were screaming»
«I… I think I had a nightmare», she explained.
One way or another they had ended up at the Lightbringers’ camp. It was a miracle they were still alive. Luckily the Knights were not hostile. She had feared the worst, for although the knights deeply respected her authority, the Lightbringers were still considered heretics for having supported a schism a century earlier. The Church had exiled them from the Principality, so it was impressive to discover that their descendants remembered and respected its traditions.
«I'm sorry», she said. «I insisted on going that way, I almost got us killed»
«Everything's fine. I-I'm also afraid of... Listen... are they Knights of the Church or what?»
«Not anymore. One hundred years ago, the Lightbringer Regiments were tasked with protecting Saint Arianna. When she later became a heretic and was excommunicated, the Lightbringers followed her beyond the borders. They are not part of the Church but... Perhaps they still observe its principles»
Her gaze fell on Adanara. Without the blessing of the Archangel, without an Inquisitor among their ranks, no one could discover her nature simply by looking at her. They had to keep a low profile and get out quickly.
«Oh no…»
«No need to worry, your sister is not in danger as long as we are careful about what we say»
From outside came the sound of footsteps on the gravel. An armoured man entered, followed by a second one.
«Is the Inquisitor awake?», he asked.
«Hello», she answered.
«Ma’am, the General would like to meet you. Allow me to escort you to his tent»
Being called “ma'am” felt uncomfortable. She made sure she was all in one piece and got out of bed. She suggested to Nila to stay with Adanara, and to keep Oto at the tent when he would have returned. The two knights led her outside.
Before the tent was a very narrow gravel boulevard, surrounded by other similar tents. They were at least three metres tall, and the camp was so vast that when she looked up she couldn't see its end just the sky, the morning sun, and the massive, gigantic tree. The settlement was frenetic, there were knights and civilians everywhere carrying out daily tasks. Some were cooking in a cauldron, others washing clothes, others cutting each other's hair. Her escort led her through the tents until they reached an open space, also covered in gravel. From there, Nene could truly admire how extensive that settlement was: two gravel avenues converged in a cross-shaped square, at the bottoms of which were the palisade gates. All around her was an incessant coming and going of people and carts. Stationed in that valley was an actual army, for reasons unknown. In the centre of the square stood a tent different from the others. Its base was squared, it was much larger and made of white fabric. Some yellow and green tapestries hung from poles in front of the entrance. Nene was led inside, where a man in formal clothes, similar to those used by the Capital's nobles, was sitting on a stool, busy polishing his boots.
«General, as per orders, we brought the Inquisitor», a knight announced.
The man jumped up. He was quite old and of heavy build. He wore well-made dark trousers and a white tunic with puffed shoulders. He had a small, ridiculous, upturned-slicked moustache and a bald, shiny head. He gave her a dazzling smile and shooed his men away.
«I am General Gallio, of the Third Lightbringers Regiment. My regards»
«I am Nene… er… Inquisitor of the Church…»
«Please take a seat»
The man handed her his stool, but she didn't move at all. His formality was intimidating and the implications of the presence of a General in such a place was scary.
«Don't be afraid, I just want to have a word»
She found the courage to step forward. She sat down on the stool. Gallio went to the opposite side of the tent, towards a weapons rack where numerous spears and halberds were hung.
«I heard that you were attacked on the ridges»
«I have no idea who the attackers were», she explained.
«I do. Your brother described them, but I would like confirmation from you»
The fact that Oto was going around claiming to be her brother left her confused on one hand, but flattered on the other. How had he ended up at the General's tent?
«Do you know where he is now?»
«He said he wanted to see the camp, so I had someone show him around»
The General returned to her, holding a bizarre spear of polished wood. It had a serpentine shape, and symbols resembling scales had been carved into the wood and painted with a deep purple dye.
«Do you recognize this weapon?»
«Yes, I think it's one of theirs. I couldn't get a better look at them, though. I... blacked out. I just saw that...», she hesitated. «One of them appeared to have horns»
«Yes, the Tuatha use some strange incense to weaken us. Many have suffered fainting and hallucinations. As for horns, those primitives often wear horned helmets, bird feathers, or other oddities. For some reason, they chose not to kill you. You were lucky»
«I'm not sure I understand»
«Me neither, Inquisitor. Why don't we exchange information?»
«What do you want to know?»
«Where to start... What are you doing so far from the Principality?»
Nene took a moment to think about how to answer. Her priority was to keep the truth about Adanara hidden and find a way to get out of that camp as soon as possible. It was better to remain vague but also to avoid lying shamelessly.
«I'm hunting down a witch», she said. «I reached the village of Kumhar, where I found a trail: the big tree in this forest»
«Are you interested in the tree? Remarkable, isn't it? Who knows what witchcraft is hidden behind that thing»
«I'd like to find out. I think it's my turn to ask?»
«Please, go on»
«What is this Tuatha you speak of?»
«The Cloud Folk, as you may know them. We are not welcome in their territory, they ambush us at every opportunity. We've been fighting them for almost two years now, but they've taken refuge in the tree and we can't get them out. We've tried everything, even poisoning the rivers, but they won't give up»
«Wait a moment, the Cloud Folk? Do you mean... the ones from fairy tales?»
«These are not fairy tales, Inquisitor. They are real and they don't like us humans»
«I can hardly believe it...»
«If you are headed to the tree, you will meet them again. I advise against it, they have become more and more ruthless»
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
«It's your turn»
Gallio put the spear back on the rack. He looked at his reflection in the breastplate of his armour, resting on a mannequin in the centre of the tent. After fixing his moustache, he picked up another stool and sat across from her.
«You told Captain Emeria you were from Kumhar. Why?»
«Well, I... I wasn't aware of your Regiment», she admitted. «I wasn't sure of her intentions. Since I heard her mention the mayor of Kumhar, I thought you were on good terms with that village»
«We have no relationship with them. Months ago I sent a messenger, hoping to negotiate for some supplies, but they sent him back in terror. I don't know what they did to him, but I took it as a rejection. However, I am willing to respect their boundaries. We don't need any more enemies»
«They...rejected your messenger?»
«So it seems. The poor guy couldn't provide a coherent report, and to this day he still acts like a weirdo. He says he was attacked by a winged creature raining fire. Can you imagine that?»
«Ridiculous…», she commented hastly. «General, you call yourselves the Third Lightbringer Regiment. Are you... the escort of Saint Arianna?»
«Our great-grandparents were. Without her guidance, they settled in the moors to the east. Life is hard down there, there are nomads always ready to plunder our city, also witches and beasts... Things have gotten so bad that we decided to look for new lands. That's how we ended up here»
Nene nodded. Everything was starting to add up: the knights spotted by hunters, the reports of battles in the forest... She hesitated to believe in the existence of the Cloud Folk. It was more likely that they were people who inhabited that land. Perhaps worshippers of the Evil One or simple primitives. What mattered, however, was something else.
«I have a request: let me cross the valley under your control. I am not interested in your war, but in exchange, I will provide you with a report on everything I discover about the tree»
«I would rather have you survive, to tell the Church how we rescued you. It would be interesting try to reopen a dialogue between the two factions, don't you think?»
«Do you want me to put in a good word about you?»
«It would be so kind of you. You won't be able to do so if the Tuatha were to kill you»
«Are you holding me prisoner, General?»
«Absolutely not, but I hope you understand I have no intention to have you escorted, if you are determined to get yourself killed»
The General added he would have some rations delivered to her tent, as a parting gift. He was trying to take advantage of her, one way or another. Since he couldn’t use her to make a good impression on the Church, sending her out as bait was his second-best option. It was not surprising that the descendants of a group of fanatics and heretics had forgotten the mission of the Church and its principles of internal collaboration, but she did not want to force their hand. It was lucky they weren't being hostile, given the events of the distant past.
She was returned to the two knights from before, obviously tasked with keeping her under observation. They took her back to the tent, where Adanara had finally woken up. Nila was sitting on her bed and was trying to calm her down. Oto was also with them, lying on the other bed.
«Nene, w-what did they tell you?»
She ignored Nila and approached Oto. She had been worried sick while he was gleefully exploring the camp. The knights were not their friends, and seeing him carefree as usual made her angry. The boy noticed her and waved hello.
«Are you feeling better?»
She grabbed his arm. Almost without realising it, she squeezed with all her strength and pulled him towards her.
«We are not safe. Don't wander around. You got me worried!»
«Stop it! It hurts! Also, you made me worry! When those guys attacked us you were just standing there doing nothing. I thought… I thought that…»
Oto began to tremble. Nene came to her senses and released his arm. They had almost died the previous day and they were all under shock. She hugged him in hopes of calming him down.
«Sorry. I'm sorry. What a horrible sister I am»
«Let's not argue anymore... We promised Jiriel to return safe and sound, remember?»
«Yes. Yes I remember…»
She smiled and squeezed him once more. She then looked back at Adanara, still pale, but alive.
«Is everything okay?», Nila asked. «We were worried too»
«Yes, I know. I'm sorry... I'm quite nervous»
«What do we do now?», the witch asked.
«I met the General. He will give us some supplies and let us go»
«Really?»
«I hope so. If anyone asks you questions, don't mention...», she eyed Adanara. «Nor the Emissary»
«We should p-pick up our stuff»
They gathered their bags to prepare to leave. Adanara didn't look healthy, but she improved a little after putting some biscuits in her stomach. The General kept his word and delivered some packages containing bread and dried meat. Oddly, they were much more abundant than those received by the mayor of Kumhar. There were no crops or mills near the camp, so these supplies were probably being brought from their homeland. Supplies were a critical resource for any army. Sharing them with strangers was a big deal. They were escorted to the stockade by four Knights. Civilians were swarming from the valley towards the entrance to the fortifications, carrying bundles of wood, plants, fruits and game inside. The valley was suffering their presence: unlike the surrounding area, the bush there was much sparser. Numerous trees had been cut down to build the palisade and for firewood.
Beyond the crowded gate, guarded by a dozen armoured knights, stood the Cloud Folk's refuge. The escort stopped as soon as they got out of the fortifications. They were finally free. Nene urged everyone to move away quickly. They crossed the terrain near the settlement rather easily, as the vegetation was not very thick and the path was marked out by years of activity, one step at a time. They went on through barren meadows and stumps of recently felled trees, toward the eastern forest front. About halfway between the camp and the large tree, the vegetation became thick and impervious again. When they reached it, they were greeted by a tangled undergrowth, full of small trees growing on top of each other, and enormous roots emerging from the ground. It would have been difficult to advance in that mess of teeming life.
«I've never seen such a place», Adanara said. «Are you sure we can get through?»
«Let's look for the easiest spots and go slowly», Oto suggested.
Nene checked the surroundings. The General had warned her about the Cloud Folk, or Tuatha. She didn't know much about them, but whoever they were, they were making things hard for a Church-inspired cavalry Regiment. They sounded like a huge threat, she had to be on alert. So it was that looking behind her, she saw two figures on horseback in the distance. She should have expected that Gallio would not have missed the opportunity to gather intelligence on the enemy. He was using her group as bait. The two Knights were likely tasked with following them at a distance until they were killed and then to report back. It was disgusting to think that these people dared to call themselves heirs to the Lightbringer Knights, who had once served the Church and the Archangel.
Oto called the others. He found a practicable path in the undergrowth, around a stream whose course had cleared the way a little. Once they entered that tangle of vegetation, getting lost was a matter of a second. It was hard to even see the big tree from down there. The boy used the axe they had brought and led the way. By breaking down some branches they managed to continue quite comfortably, except for their feet soaking in the stream. The water was freezing and Nene's boots, old and worn, were filled up in an instant.
About an hour had passed since they entered the woods when Nene lost sight of their stalkers. She was staying behind her companions to keep an eye on them, but she no longer could hear the sound of the horses' hooves. Had they abandoned their mounts to follow them? Or did the chirping of cicadas and unknown birds become so loud that she could no longer distinguish them?
«How do we know which way to go?», Adanara asked.
They were surrounded by a thick forest that was growing beneath the actual forest, a whole environment hidden from the outside world by the larger trees. Moving forward was tiring, the air was humid and full of insects and the ground was slippery.
«I'm following the wind», Oto explained.
«What does that mean?», Nila asked.
«That tree is very big, so it shelters from the wind. If we go in the direction where the wind is not blowing, we will get to the tree»
«Doesn't sound like the best idea»
Nene continued to look over her shoulder, searching for the Knights. What had happened to them? Had they lost them? Her group was certainly more agile, but these two were following in their footsteps, rather than carving their path in the forest. The Knights shouldn't have had any trouble keeping up with them.
As if in response to her fears, she heard a thud among the brambles behind them.
«Quiet!», she ordered the others.
Nila rushed to her side. They listened for a few moments. The rustlings in the undergrowth became more and more intense, the sounds of insects and birds less and less.
A scream pierced the air. The agonising scream of a human being. An instant later, one of the two Knights emerged from a bush, covered in scratches, his eyes bulging and his face pale. He ran at breakneck speed, darting past them. He didn't say a word. The cry died away with a sharp sound.
«Come on, let's go!»
Oto didn't hesitate for a moment and ran along the stream. Abandoning all precautions, he advanced, trampling on brambles and bending branches with his bare hands. Adanara behind him did the same, ignoring bruises and cuts. The terrain was steep and pointed ever downward. Behind them, the sounds of footsteps, numerous footsteps, urged them to run even faster. The world seemed to swirl, Nene began to breathe heavily as she followed Nila. They were being hunted by the Cloud Folk, a knight had been struck down and they were next. She kept her head down, afraid she would trip and fall. They had to lose them, but was it even possible? Surely those creatures knew the area much better than them. Should she have turned and fought? Did she… have to die for her companions?
«This way!», Oto shouted.
They were slowing down. After running for several minutes, they were exhausted. They kept going only out of fear. Nene's senses were foggy, her ears throbbing, to the point where she wasn't even sure if they were still being chased. Oto led the way to a boulder covered in moss, which cast its heavy shadow on the slimy terrain covered in rotting leaves. The boy threw himself to the ground and slid downwards. They followed him, imitating his actions, although much more clumsily, and found themselves in a crack under the boulder, with their faces in the mud, surrounded by insects and snails. For long moments they only heard the sound of their laboured breathing, then they recognized movements in the bushes, the sound of trampled leaves.
«What do we do?», Adanara whispered.
A second, chilling scream silenced her. It came from close, very close. By remaining hidden there they would have been discovered, sooner or later, by attempting to escape they risked running into their pursuers. Nene began to think of a plan to split up and run in different directions. Perhaps she could have drawn attention to herself and then fought back, or managed to escape, to buy some time for the others. She was the smallest, it was easier for her to outrun the attackers and hide. As she was on the verge of tears contemplating the gravity of the situation and the absurdity of her plan, which would have led to certain death, Oto grabbed her ankle.
«Come here», he whispered.
The boy slipped even deeper under the rock. He was sinking, lying down with his feet facing downwards. He crawled to the bottom of that leafy mud, then suddenly disappeared, as if swallowed by the ground.
«Oto!»
«Hurry up!», his voice said, coming from the chasm he had slipped into.
Nila took a breath, then threw herself in, also disappearing into the darkness. Adanara and Nene exchanged glances. They were both visibly scared. The witch snorted and took courage before her, imitating the others. Nene, then alone, almost gave in to panic. She brought her feet closer to the chasm and felt the earth beneath her disappear. There was a tunnel down there. She didn't know how deep it was. Was she about to fall to her death?
A hand grabbed her foot. She bit back a scream as she was dragged underneath. She tumbled for a couple of metres and then everything stopped spinning.
«Get off me!», Adanara snapped.
She was on top of the witch. Adanara, below her, glared at her, furious. Nene stood up and held out a hand, which she refused.
«The heck were you doing?! Don't just stand there!»
«I… I'm sorry. Thanks for… dragging me along»
«Sh», Nila whispered.
They were in a small dark cave. The entrance was covered in leaves, but deeper down was rocky until it became indistinguishable due to the darkness. Oto tried to feel his way forward and was soon no longer visible.
«Wish I had a wisp in a bottle», he lamented.
«Don't get too far»
They stared into the darkness for a few moments, until Oto's footsteps stopped.
«There's a light down here»
Following his voice they reached him. The small cave hid a tunnel at the bottom, from which a faint light came. The tunnel, barely large enough to crawl through, did not look natural. It was dug by some animal.
«Isn't it dangerous?», Nene asked.
«Never as dangerous as those guys from yesterday!», Adanara answered.
«This hole is too small for a bear, I think it's safe», Oto explained. «Let's go. If there is light, there is an exit»
With Oto leading the way, the quartet crawled across the rocks and dirt. The tunnel proceeded downwards obliquely for a few metres, then became horizontal. The light grew increasingly intense, and its colour was weird. It was a white, faint aura, very similar to the light of the Emissary. Nene tried not to be fooled by the sense of familiarity. She had to keep her guard up. They were still in danger. After a sharp turn to the right, the tunnel ended in a small cave. The light was coming from a hole in the ground, about a metre wide. Nene held back Oto, fearing danger, and looked in first.
She blinked repeatedly, thinking she was having hallucinations. Down there was a starry sky. An intense blue mirror, tinged with black and purple, dotted with tiny white lights. The void seemed to suck her in. She felt about to lose her balance and fall into that dark abyss. She retreated in terror.
«What is it?», Nila asked.
It was difficult to describe it. Was she going insane? She was positive she had just seen the night sky below her. Not to mention that it was broad daylight, on the surface. As she stood shocked, with her mouth wide open, staring at Nila, searching for a way to explain herself, Oto peered into the glowing hole.
«Oh… what…»
«Be careful. It must be witchcraft!»
«Witchcraft?», Adanara grumbled. «According to you, everything’s witchcraft! Let me see»
The witch looked underneath and was astonished. The pale night light of that absurd upside-down sky was painted on her face, and she lost her bravado.
«Holy...»
«Maybe it's a reflection? Maybe it's water»
Adanara picked up a stone from the ground and threw it down. There was a sharp thud. It had hit something solid.
«Could it be a mirror?»
Nila also joined in observing the strange phenomenon. That thing didn't look like a mirror or a lake. It seemed as deep as the sky, infinite, and the stars or whatever it was that illuminated it looked far and unattainable. That unnatural darkness was terrifying. It awakened a primitive fear. The whitish light not from that world instead felt the opposite, it instilled a feeling of peace. The stone thrown by Adanara was standing there, on the solid surface, as if suspended in thin air. Oto threw a second stone, which behaved exactly like the first one.
«Looks safe. I'm going down»
«W-wait… what if you fall?»
«The stones did not»
«But you're heavier than a stone»
«You think it's ice?», Adanara asked.
«I don't know what it is», her sister admitted. «But... looks scary»
«I'll go», Nene said. «I have a rope in my bag. You can lower me»
She rummaged through her bag and pulled out a thick braided rope, about five metres long. She tied it around her waist and handed one end to Nila, who hesitated.
«Why y-you?»
«I'm the lightest among us. If… something goes wrong, it will be easier to pull me up»
She handed some rope to everyone. She checked the knot once more, then turned to her companions who looked in apprehension.
«I'm going. Hold me tight»
She stuck a foot into the cavity. She gradually leaned downward to make sure the others could hold her. The rope was firm, Adanara, Oto and Nila managed to hold her up without difficulty. She took her second foot off the cliff and found herself floating above the void, above that terrifying starry sky. She tried not to look down, close to panicking.
«You can lower me», she said.
Slowly, she began to descend. She kept her gaze upward and could make out Adanara's face outside the circular chasm, getting further and further away. The white light enveloped Nene, the temperature became much colder. She heard no sound down there. There was a soothing air of peace, disturbed only by the awareness of the abyss stretching beneath her, the terrifying sensation of her feet floating in the void.
Then she touched something.
Her boots made contact with a solid surface. She put both feet on the ground but still didn't dare look down. The rope was no longer tense. She had arrived.
«Everything okay?», Adanara asked.
«I'm alive», she said, her voice cracking with fear.
«Look around, what do you see?»
She was in a dome-shaped cave more than thirty metres wide. The ground illuminated its earthy vault, from whose surface sporadic roots emerged. At the top of the dome, she saw a reflection of the stars at her feet, like the surface of a lake reflecting heaven. She was in an upside-down world, which made her feel dizzy.
«Hello? Nene?»
«I'll go too», Oto said.
The boy simply jumped down. It was a drop of just a couple of metres. He landed with a thud and approached her. Unlike her, Oto dared to look down, so much so that he didn't notice the body of water suspended against the ceiling.
«Jiriel will never believe it. Are we... walking in the sky?»
«Don't make me think about it, please... Do you see an exit?»
Adanara and Nila joined them quickly afterwards. Nila approached Nene and caressed her face.
«Are you okay?»
She pointed up, speechless. The surface of the suspended lake rippled in the wind. How the wind was reaching those depths was the least bizarre aspect of that place.
«I want to leave right now», she whimpered.
«D-don't worry, let's look for a way out. I-if the wind blows, there must be an exit...»
Nila failed miserably to conceal her fear. How to blame her? They were looking at a miniature of the world where all the rules of common sense seemed subverted. Oto bent down to the ground, or perhaps to the sky, and touched its surface.
«Ew, it's sticky», he complained. «Looks like resin»
«So it's just transparent stuff?», Adanara asked. «Shit, it's really scary to look at!»
At that moment a sound came from above. The water began moving.
Something emerged from its surface, floating downward. The water slipped away from the thing, falling upwards, towards the lake. The moonlight illuminated the being, whose shape was like nothing anyone had ever seen. A small amorphous sphere, blue like the ocean and green like grass, was suspended in the air above their heads. A bizarre number of limbs were folded around the body, too many for it to be a creature of God. It looked slimy, as if covered in mucus. Its membranes swelled rhythmically as if it were breathing. A disgusting, gut-wrenching abomination, that no mortal should have ever seen, had revealed itself in front of their very eyes as if to make them part of its blasphemous knowledge, its forbidden upside-down, God-forsaken world. It stopped about halfway up, leaving the entire group speechless.
A very slow and creepy movement revealed what looked like a head. Small pink eyes reflected the moonlight, like those of a cat in the night... and were looking towards Oto.