Part 34
Mountain Depths
The girl and the rest of the party glanced towards the other end of the burrow. It disappeared into the complete darkness; not telling how far it delved nor where it led.
In the absolute darkness the girl found little rest, as the memories of an alleyway drifted back into her memories. Suddenly, she heard something shuffling near her, but in the void of shadows it was impossible to tell from where it originated. She stirred uneasily as she found herself lost only feet away from everyone else.
“Are you alright?” asked Sworder, his voice, a reassuring light in the vale of darkness.
Reaching out into the inky blackness she hesitantly searched for him. Her hand soon found his arm which she grasped desperately, “I don’t think I like this darkness very much,” she said, her whisper echoing off the walls which surrounded them.
The noise of shuffling continued before the Trappers stern voice broke loudly through the silence of the tunnel, “We need to start moving, before the air runs out.
“Then we should go,” Uncle Ben said.
“Then we will need this,” said the Trapper as a bright sparkling light burst alive within the darkness before vanishing as quickly as it came. A second and third spark briefly illuminated the group before the torch erupted into flames. Holding the torch before him, the Trapper led the descent into the heart of the mountain.
The light of the torch illuminated the immediate area, but all around them, outside of the sphere of light, darkness prevailed. The tunnel sloped slowly downwards but it was far from uniform, as the walls were cylindrical and rugged. There were places where finding footing proved to be a challenge for the tunnel would drop several feet suddenly before continuing on in its slow descent.
Soon the group found themselves at a fork in the tunnel. With a simple gesture of his hand the Trapper signaled for the group the halt. There he stood indecisively for the first time while guiding them.
“What’s wrong?” the girl asked.
“I’m not sure which to take,” the Trapper admitted plainly. “There’s no way to be certain where these tunnels will lead.”
“Which will lead us to the other side of the mountains?” Uncle Ben inquired.
“Neither, at least not precisely,” the Trapper said.
“What is your plan?” Sworder asked.
The Trapper paused. “I’ll try to only take paths, which lead upwards,” he said. “I would rather surface earlier than lose my way deep underground.”
Thus he selected the right paths, but after several more forks the groups found themselves in a spiral downwards. As they traveled, the air became stale but there was a constant yet almost unperceivable draft through all the tunnels, as if the whole mountain was a giant wind instrument.
When they set camp, they were deep in the bowels of the mountains. After setting their bedrolls, the Trapper extinguished his torch and the party fell once more into absolute darkness.
“Can we not spare any light?” the girl asked.
“We only have so many torches,” the Trapper said. “Why don’t you get your Kazan to light up for you? He had the flame from when he carried you.”
The girl tried to hide her blush which was unnecessary in the darkness. “It doesn’t work like that,” she said.
“Then how does it work?” the Trapper scoffed.
“I-I don’t know,” the girl said, “I’m still trying to figure it out, but it’s not something either of us can control.”
“He does not even know?” the Trapper asked.
“No, he can’t remember yet.”
“Is that so,” the Trapper sighed.
“He does not sound convinced,” Ranin said.
“It is a part of him to distrust Kazans,” Namic said. “He does not understand our old friend’s intentions.”
“If he only knew; he would not distrust them so much,” Ranin said.
“Or he would be far more wary of him.”
“Dreary as always, but maybe you are right.”
The party would have slept a long night had Sworder not awakened them. Since it was always dark there was no way to be sure the exact time but Sworder was certain it was just after sunrise. They continued on but found themselves deeper in the mountains,
“Are you sure you know where you are going?” the girl asked.
“As I said earlier, I have no idea. However we have been traveling consistently north-west; that I am certain of. If we stay on this course we should eventually make it out,” the Trapper said.
It was difficult to measure either time or distance in the ever constant darkness. The only measure which seemed reasonable was the number of forks that they reached but quickly the number became harder to keep track of. They often found paths which were blocked by cave-ins and there were many times which they had to backtrack.
“There’s something ahead,” the girl said, pointing ahead even as she ventured forward.
“Be careful,” the Trapper said. “We don’t know what is in these mountains.”
“It’s just a pile of rocks,” the girl said.
“It is indeed,” Sworder said, as the girl examined the strange rock pillar in the middle of the tunnel.
It stood motionless and gray in the dim light, but as the girl stepped past it, an arm detached from the stone pillar and lunged at the girl. She gave a cry as the hand wrapped around her neck and pinned her against the wall. Sworder staged and then hefted a large axe above his head. Tightening his grip, the Vassal of Earth swung down onto the stone pillar’s outstretched arm. The arm splintered under the attack but did not break. The newly exposed rock under the surface glowed a dark red. Its crystalline structure expanded and grew around the head of the axe before Sworder could remove it.
The crystal swiftly covered the axe and crept across the handle. The Vassal of Earth jumped back and released his axe as it was encased in the crystalline rock.
“Grota!” The Trapper called as Sworder retreated. The spindly character emerged from the darkness and stretched out its hand making its simple request.
“Stop that,” a voice said farther down the path. “You should not just attack anyone who approaches now should you.”
The growth of crystal stopped and slowly began receding until the axe which had been anchored fell. The rock creature also released the girl who dropped to the ground. The Vassal of Earth quickly retrieved his axe and helped the girl up. She was breathing heavily attempting to make up for lost air. The stone creature took a step back as an old man with a large cane stepped into the light. He was slowly swinging the cane back and forth just off the ground. His cane tapped into the leg of the rock creature and the man stopped walking.
“I apologize for his behavior,” the man said. His eyes did not move as he faced the group, but rather emptily stared past them. “You see they are rather protective of me.”
“I see,” the Trapper said, suspiciously, then looking back at Grota, who still held out his hand. Flipping Grota a coin, he dismissed him quickly, “looks like I don’t need you.”
Grota looked at the coin which had landed in his hand then he looked back at the Trapper but he had already turned away. Closing its hand around the coin, it turned and vanished into the shadows.
“Well, as an apology; let me show you the courtesy under the mountains,” the old man said. “It is the least I can do.”
“A guide would be appreciated also,” Uncle Ben said.
“Hm, yes; these mountains can be difficult to navigate even if you have sight.”
“What do you mean?” the girl asked.
“Well, I can no longer see; I lost my sight so long ago and it is difficult to remember what things looked like,” the old man said. “If not for the Geodes I would never have survived.”
“Geodes?” the Trapper asked, “Is that what you call this thing?”
“That and his brothers,” the blind man said. “They had no name when I arrived.”
“You don’t sound like a Calt, ya know,” the Trapper said. “What are you doing this far off the beaten track?”
“Now that is a long story, my friend,” the blind man said, “Maybe best left over supper, but for now, why do you not follow me and my friend, Garnet Geode. If you have any simpler questions I would be glad to answer them on our way.”
“I’m not sure we’re traveling that way,” the Trapper said.
“Come now, what do you think a blind man will do?” he said. “I hate to say it, but your chances of making it out of here are slim.”
“Should we not follow him?” Uncle Ben proposed. “He knows this place better than we do,”
The Trapper sighed, “I don’t like the feeling of it.”
“He normally doesn’t,” Ranin said.
“Um, mister,” the girl began, as they walked. “Earlier you referred to your Geode as Garnet. How can you tell the difference, without seeing that is?”
“I can tell apart all the Geodes; in truth I have no idea what they look like,” the blind man said. “I have lived with them for so long I forget how I told them apart; but I know which one accompanies me. This Geode which I referred to as Garnet Geode, usually accompanies me places. He does not like me wandering too far and is a little over protective.”
“Have you known him for long?”
“No, he is the only one to have awakened while I have been here; others have joined now and then, but you could say he is the first child of our village.”
“Awaken?” the girl asked. “You mean like from the Sealing Stone?”
“Well, that is one way to use the word,” the blind man said. “The more technical word for using a Sealing Stones is unsealing. Awaken is actually a theory, but recently I think I finally have some proof.”
“The way you talk,” the Trapper said, “you don’t sound like just any hobo. Who are you?”
“Well,” the blind man said. “That is part of the long story I was referring to earlier.”
“Are you going to expect us to follow you if you’re so reluctant to tell us?” the Trapper said.
“If I answer that question it will lead to more,” the blind man said. “And personal questions are not the type I prefer to answer on an empty stomach.”
“Well if it gets everyone’s minds off this, I do have a question,” Uncle Ben asked. “The storm that forced us underground, do such storms sweep through the mountains often? Are they natural?”
“Well, yes and no,” the old man said. “They do happen; however, that was no simple weather storm. I would say you were on the wrong end of a dangerous prank by the Leprechauns. You see, with the help of the Dvergar, I removed them from within the mountain but they have almost free reign outside.”
“Cut it,” the Trapper said, “Even if the Dvergar were real there would be no way to convince them to work with you.”
“You Calts really have lost your roots,” the blind man said. “I thought it was bad when I first visited.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“At one time Dvergar were considered guardians of passes, Calts would pay a fee to be guided safely through; it seems that tradition has been long lost and the Leprechauns have seized the opportunities. The passes are becoming ever more dangerous. I am surprised at how quickly you blame all Kazans for your problems. Have you turned your back on Pixies yet?”
“No,” the girl interjected. “They uphold those traditions.”
“That is good,” the old man said, “Otherwise I would be worried for all the people of Calta if the Pixies ever turn their back on you.”
“Hold it,” the Trapper said angrily. “You have not just gone blind but mad, old man?”
The blind man stopped walking and the whole party stopped with him, turning the blind man faced the Trapper for the first time looking at the man to whom he spoke. “Am I mad? I am a blind man who has lived under a mountain in the care of Kazans for longer than you have been alive.”
The blind man and his Geode began walking, but the rest of the party stood stunned.
“Quite an interesting man,” Ranin said.
“He has been shown to be quite a sight,” Namic said.
“Wait! Have you been watching him without telling me?” Ranin asked, shocked.
“You were there too,” Namic said, “when he first came to these mountains.”
Ranin paused for a moment, reflecting, “Now you have me uncertain.”
When the party had caught up to the blind man, a melancholy had fallen on them and the blind man no longer probed for questions. But eventually the girl plucked up the courage to once again reignite the conversation.
“Have you ever seen a dragon?” the girl asked.
“Yes, I have; though generally my Geodes steer me far from them,” the blind man said, “But now thinking about it, I remember some weeks ago there was a dragon who came from the outside.”
“So the legends of dragons under the mountains are true.” The girl said.
“Oh yes, they are indeed.”
While they talked, Sworder walked close by, watching her closely as if reading into every comment made by the girl. As the two continued their conversation Uncle Ben’s brow furrowed, but he said nothing.
“In fact it is suspected that the events told in legends by the Calts are actually based in facts, however, the event took place so long ago that we have no written record of it,” the blind man said.
“It is even believed that the Scarred Reefs off the northern coast of Calta is the result of a large landmass collapsing into the sea, and that such a cataclysmic event could have given rise to the Basin Mountains which protect inner Calta.”
“You’re doing it again,” the Trapper said. “How would someone stuck under a mountain for over a generation know these things?”
“I was not always in this cave,” the blind man said, and as he spoke a slab of stone detached from the wall and another Geode strode towards the group. There was a moment of tension as it strode towards them and the blind man paused. “Maxixe? You did not have to come, and Garnet you should not have called him.”
“Those are not Shadow Warriors,” Sworder said, as he watched the two Geodes.
“Perceptive, but what can I expect from a Kazan?” the blind man said, “You are correct, these Kazans are known as Living Souls.”
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