Chapter 19

Luna didn’t charge alone. Other animals followed in her wake: horses, a wolf, a few pigs and chickens, even squirrels.

“Stand behind me, Majesty.” Gustav planted himself before Avera, his sword ready to slay her steed.

“No. You can’t kill Luna.” Avera threw herself past him, bloody hand outstretched.

Luna whinnied as she rose on her hindquarters, readying to trample. Avera didn’t flee but rather darted close enough to slap her steed’s chest with her red-stained hand.

The effect was immediate. Her mare gently lowered herself and snorted in apology.

“I know you didn’t mean to hurt me. It’s okay— Ah.” Avera yelped as another horse head-butted her, knocking her down. She hit the floor and grunted as the impact tore the gash in her palm wider.

“Avera, left!” Gustav yelled and she didn’t question. Avera rolled.

Just in time.

A wolf landed where she’d been, muzzle pulled into a snarl. Its cloudy eyes and visible canines left no doubt it would harm her, yet she doubted she could get close enough to touch it without getting her hand eaten. With not even seconds to spare, she did the only thing she could think of. Whipped her wounded hand in an arc, sending droplets of blood flying.

They hit the wolf—and everything else in the vicinity—leading to a stunned moment as the animals bespeckled in blood woke. Those that shook off the compulsion fled, a sudden exodus from the cavern. The wolf darted through Luna’s legs, heading for the exit. Her mare shivered but didn’t bolt in terror as the predator ignored her in favor of escape.

Avera stood and clenched her fist to pool some blood before flinging it again at the next wave. Not as efficient as Opal’s spell, but it worked. The animals touched by her Voxspira essence reverted to their normal selves, and instinct made them flee. The few she couldn’t get to in time were dispatched by Gustav.

“Thank you.”

Her rook grimaced as he eyed his sword and the mess at his feet. “Never thought I’d be whacking rodents with my beauty.”

Soon, only they, Luna, and the pair of horses Josslyn managed to hold on to remained. Unsaddled, but at least they wouldn’t have to walk.

“How long will my blood keep the people and animals safe from the mist’s compulsion?” Avera aimed the query at Opal.

“I don’t know. I do know you don’t have time to stand around. Once the effect expires, I expect Zhos will try to rebuild its army.”

“Will you come with us?” Avera pointed to Luna. “We can ride double so you wouldn’t have to walk.”

Opal shook her head. “I cannot leave. My duty is here.”

“Doing what?” Avera asked.

“Given we’ve finally met, and I don’t expect another heir anytime soon, I shall do my best to block the entrance.”

“Block it how? You are hardly strong enough to place rocks large enough to deter anyone,” Gustav asked skeptically.

An enigmatic smile tugged Opal’s lips. “I have my ways, but I imagine Zhos will find a way around it. Its influence keeps growing, which is why you must hurry.”

“You’re sure I must go to Verlora?” Avera dreaded the thought of leaving Daerva.

“If you wish to save us all from the evil that rouses, yes.”

“Verlora?” Gustav bellowed. “There is no way we’re going there. It’s a death sentence to all who do.”

“You don’t have to go,” Avera stated, not mentioning the fact she’d told Opal the same thing.

“Why do I get the impression you’re going no matter what?” His brows beetled.

“Because apparently there is no other choice.”

“We’ll see about that,” Gustav muttered.

“I wish we had more time. I have so many questions,” Avera murmured wistfully.

Josslyn interjected, “So do I. What is this place? Who are you? What is going on?”

“The queen can explain on your journey. If only I still had the written accounts that spoke of Zhos. Alas, time and incidents eroded them. But I hear the Verlorians were good at preserving old text.”

“Assuming anything still even exists,” was Gustav’s sour rejoinder. “I don’t see how leaving the continent is Avera’s best choice. Surely removing the pretender and traitor to her throne is more important.”

“There is nothing more pressing than this quest. Queen Voxspira must journey to Verlora if there is to be any hope at all for Daerva and the rest of the world. The foe we face is ancient and mighty, its influence ever-expanding, and she is the only one who can stand in its path.”

“And if she dies?” Gustav’s sharp reply.

“Then we are all doomed.” Opal’s lips turned down at her ominous message.

“This passage we’re to take, how long to traverse it?” Avera asked.

“That depends on the traveler. I’ve never been through it myself. My understanding is it is a day’s walk, but I don’t know how many rest periods that includes, if any.”

“Can’t we ride?” Josslyn queried.

Opal shook her head. “While your mounts will fit, the tunnels aren’t tall enough. You will need torches to light your way.” Opal entered her cave abode and returned with a sturdy limb; the end charred. She also had some rags and a leather bladder which she claimed held oil to keep the torch burning.

Opal hugged Avera and whispered, “I have faith in you, Avera Voxspira.”

“I’ll do my best to find the seals.”

The trio grabbed the bags Avera had dumped outside Opal’s cave before heading out, their mood somber as they trekked to the other side of the mountain. The ledge narrowed as they approached the area Opal claimed held the tunnel. A disgruntled Gustav led the way, his stallion at his heels as he followed the path around to the other side. Avera and Josslyn kept pace behind. Luna brought up the rear, herding Josslyn’s horse.

The boulder Opal mentioned didn’t completely cover the crevice it hid. Once Gustav shifted it aside, a musty scent, hinting of decay, wafted free. Before slipping into the opening, Avera glanced across the wide space to see Opal watching. A tiny woman on the literal edge of evil, counting on Avera to somehow stop it, leaving her with so many tumultuous emotions and questions.

Who was this man who’d fathered Avera? A thief, apparently. Why had Basil taken the seals? What did he want with them? Had her mother known his intentions? Approved? What would Avera find in Verlora—if they even made it?

“Let me light the torch before we enter.” Gustav prepared it, wrapping a rag dipped in oil on the tip before lighting it. It emitted a faint burning smell but not too much smoke.

As they entered the tunnel, the air cooled noticeably despite the lit torch. The heat rising from the fires in the hollowed city pit didn’t reach this enclosed space. The passageway, which was a mix of natural rough stone and chiseled spots, had height and width enough to accommodate their horses if they travelled single file. The low ceiling, however, made it impossible to ride.

Gustav muttered, “Hope we don’t get ambushed. Gonna be tight quarters if we have to fight.”

“Opal mentioned rats and spiders as the main threats, meaning we should be fine.”

He snorted. “I doubt they’re the variety we’re used to if she felt a need to tell you about them.”

Most likely he had a point.

Josslyn cleared her throat. “So, are you going to explain who this Zhos is and what is happening in that stone city?”

Where to start? “Zhos is some kind of ancient enemy of humanity who’s been trapped for centuries under that lake of ice at the bottom of the pit.”

“Who trapped him?” Gustav asked.

“People, apparently. Don’t ask me how,” Avera stated quickly. “I would imagine it wasn’t easy. Opal called herself a guardian and claimed the city used to have many more.”

Josslyn glanced over her shoulder to ask, “What happened to them?”

Gustav had an answer. “It’s probably the same thing that happens to many small hamlets. A desire to see the wider world leading to young people moving out. Attrition that comes from lowered birthrates when not enough new blood is introduced.”

“Add in the fact Zhos didn’t pose a threat until recently and they most likely were bored as well,” Avera added.

“Why did Opal stay? It must not have been pleasant living there alone,” Josslyn stated softly.

“She claimed to see visions of the future. That it was her task to inform the new rulers of Daerva of the threat that lived under the lake.”

“Your mother met her?” Gustav inquired sharply.

“She did, both times Mother visited.” Avera paused. “From what Opal said, the second visit, when she brought Basil, started Zhos’ awakening and attempt to escape. Now it is up to me—to us—to stop that from happening.”

“Seems like that would be rather easy. Put out the fires and block the cave.” Gustav offered a very direct solution.

“If only it were that simple.”

“Why can’t it be?” Gustav retorted.

“Because during that second visit, my father stole five rocks that acted as some sort of seal. Hence why Opal needs me to go to Verlora. I’m supposed to find them.”

Interrupting with a snort, Gustav drawled, “I see rocks all over. Not sure why we need to travel to Verlora.”

“My understanding is they’re not ordinary stones.” Not that Opal had said much about them. Avera had no idea what they even looked like. Size, color, shape. Nothing. “I assume they have some kind of power because, since their removal, this Zhos has been gradually extending its influence via what we call the mist. It brought the people of Herder’s Respite to do its bidding. Drew animals, too. Although, with that said, I’m not sure how Zhos managed to infect Benoit.”

“What’s Benoit got to do with this Zhos thing?” Gustav barked.

Josslyn, though, gasped. “The master he and the admiral spoke of. Do you think?—”

“They’re one and the same, yes,” Avera interrupted. “According to Opal, Zhos somehow managed to convince Benoit to kill me and my family.”

“Why?”

At that query from Josslyn, Avera shrugged. “I’m not quite sure, but it seems to have something to do with my lineage.”

“The Voxspira line has been ruling as far back as our records go, and your blood obviously has some deterring effect on this thing under the ice, but the real question is how did this Zhos manage to influence Benoit? The Spire and the mist are nowhere close to the capital, and Benoit never ventured far from it,” Gustav pointed out.

“I don’t know and never thought to ask.” Avera glanced over her shoulder. “Perhaps we should have stayed to ask more questions.”

“And deal with that bugger trying to control our minds? No thanks,” Gustav grumbled, still disgruntled by what had transpired.

“Not to mention, Opal seemed pretty determined to have us leave,” Josslyn reminded.

“A little too eager if you ask me, which leads me to wonder why, if she knew this Zhos was acting up, did she not send warning or word to the capital?” Gustav asked.

Avera had no reply. “I don’t know.”

“Then how do you know she hasn’t sent us on a fool’s errand? You have only the word of a stranger that this path will lead us out of the mountain.”

Avera’s mouth opened and shut. Gustav raised very good points. “I don’t think she was lying.”

“Good liars are rarely caught.”

“If she wanted me to come to harm, she would have let you kill me,” Avera stated.

“She’s right.” Josslyn came to her defense and Opal’s. “If that old woman hadn’t done that spell with Avera’s blood, you’d have murdered the queen.”

“Might have been kinder,” Gustav grumbled. “I can’t seriously believe you’re contemplating travelling to Verlora. There’s a reason no one goes there.”

“And what else should I do? Return to the capital so Benoit can finish the assassination? Ride around, evading those backing him, trying to garner support whilst convincing people I didn’t actually have my family killed? All the while waiting for Zhos to finally emerge and destroy the world?”

Gustav’s reply emerged stiff. “I don’t know what the next step is. I can say that I don’t think sailing into danger should be a part of it.”

“And if Opal is right and Zhos is attempting to escape and bring back its reign of terror?” Avera countered.

“Then wouldn’t we have some mention of it in our histories?”

To which Josslyn quietly murmured, “Perhaps they hid it, fearing the less-savory would try and free this Zhos. After all, isn’t that what Benoit and his cronies are attempting?”

An astute observation that left Gustav silent for a moment.

Avera changed the subject. “What did it feel like when the mist took you?”

“Discomfiting. I became a passenger in my own body,” Josslyn said. “I lacked control my limbs even as I could see and hear and think.”

Gustav grunted. “The worst part was I didn’t even mind being taken over. I heard the singing and had to obey. I didn’t want to fight the control even as I understood what was happening.”

“You remember everything?”

“Ayuh.” Gustav went silent for a moment. “My task was to slaughter the useless for the fire. I was about to raise my sword against an older gent who couldn’t work when I was commanded to kill you.” His head dropped. “It’s a terrible thing to not be in control. To feel something cold and malevolent invading your mind.”

“I had to dig at the frozen lake,” Josslyn complained. “Me, doing manual labor. My hands are blistered and for what? Barely a few scratches. I’ve never encountered ice so hard.”

“Could you see anything through the ice?” Avera asked. “Any hint of what lay beneath?”

“No. It was black, opaque, and had a smell about it as if it weren’t just water.”

“We’re coming to an intersection,” Gustav announced. The fork appeared in a small chamber of sorts, large enough to hold them all and their steeds. Parts of it appeared natural, the roof jagged as well as part of the walls, though the openings had been smoothed. “I think we should go right.”

“Opal said to always choose left,” Avera stated.

“Left smells rank,” was his blunt reply. “The right has a hint of freshness.” The faint breeze from it made the torch flicker.

“But that doesn’t mean it exits where we need.”

Gustav uttered a long sigh. “I swear, if that old woman leads us astray, I will return and remove her head.”

He headed down the left passage, rougher hewn than the previous tunnel. The torch he held remained steady. No air moved through this passage, making Avera wonder if perhaps Gustav was right. Why did she trust Opal?

Gut instinct? Knowing Opal had spoken to her mother was certainly a part of it. The fact she’d freely relayed information also helped, but at the same time, the guardian had only meted out enough to whet Avera’s curiosity. Why the rush? Surely, given the fact Avera could dispel the mist with her blood they could have spent a few minutes learning more about Zhos and the threat it posed.

The seed of planted doubt led to Avera looking back more often than ahead. Was second-guessing every decision part of being a ruler? What of the angst that would follow if she made the wrong choice? Being responsible for Daerva had been bad enough, but now being told the world depended on her, a woman who until recently had been practically a nobody? How had she gone from being unimportant to being the focus of so many?

“Another fork,” Gustav stated, and this time he didn’t argue, just took the left turn.

Avera couldn’t say how long they walked. The torch sputtered as the oil soaking the rag burned off. Gustav paused to extinguish it and replaced it with a rag newly soaked.

During that moment of intense darkness, Avera’s other senses heightened. Her nose twitched, detecting a new scent amidst that of rock and dust. What was that sweet scent? Her skin pimpled as the air suddenly felt colder. She heard a whisper, not of a voice, but more like something dragged across stone. Were they no longer alone?

“Let there be light,” Gustav declared, holding up the newly lit torch.

While it might just be paranoia, Avera took no chance. “I thought I heard something.”

“Me too,” Josslyn piped in. “Glad to know I didn’t imagine it. This place is spooky enough as is without me making up things.”

“From behind or ahead?” Gustav didn’t mock them.

“I don’t know.”

“The horses don’t seem unsettled.” Gustav’s remark had Avera eyeing Luna at her back. The mare appeared steadfast for the moment.

“Just advising you in case.”

The noise didn’t repeat or at least couldn’t be heard over their footsteps and the clomp of hooves. Anything hiding in the tunnels most likely fled at their noisy approach.

Gustav eventually said, “Tunnel’s getting bigger, and I think I see light.”

Had they already found the exit? The hope of exiting this dark and somber place had them all hastening their steps. The glow of the torch multiplied as Gustav stepped into a cavern.

A place of wondrous beauty.

Avera gaped as she looked around at the huge, naturally hollowed space.

Stalagmites and stalactites jutted from the floor and ceiling, the flames of the torch reflecting off their sparkling surfaces. The walls held a layer of moss that glowed faintly. In the center of the cave, a small lake, the waters smooth and reflective, but also clear enough to see the pebbled bottom. No plants grew. No fish swam. Closer to the center, a dark spot indicated a sharp drop. Probably the spring that fed the lake.

“Is it safe to drink?” Josslyn asked, glancing at Gustav.

“Dunno. Don’t see any bones, though, so that’s a good sign.” A reminder that the Lake of Tears had its edges littered with the carcasses of the wildlife that took a fatal sip.

“How can we test it?” Avera asked. While they had flasks still mostly full, refilling them might prove challenging on their route.

“We need something to drink it. I don’t suggest we volunteer, though.” Gustav glanced at Josslyn’s horse which wandered close to the edge.

“Perhaps we shouldn’t take a chance,” Avera stated as Josslyn’s mare lowered her head.

“No.” Josslyn slapped her horse on the rump, sending it cantering away from the water.

“Let’s see what the water does to fabric,” Gustav suggested. A good idea since the Lake of Tears had a corrosive effect that began to deteriorate materials the moment they touched its waters.

Gustav dipped one of the rags he’d brought for the torch. It emerged intact. “Not acid at least,” he surmised.

“But is it poisonous? We can’t tell by wetting a tiny piece of cloth.” Josslyn planted her hands on her hips and frowned at the lake.

“Personally, I say we avoid it. We have water.”

“For the moment. Opal said the trip would take about a day, but also mentioned she’d never done the crossing herself.” What if it were longer? The Spire extended many leagues, and underground, they couldn’t tell how far they’d travelled given the tunnels slightly curved and they’d taken two forks.

“I would have liked to soak my feet,” Josslyn sighed. “I’m not used to so much walking. Think these tunnels will get taller anytime soon?”

“Not looking too likely. As for your feet, hold off on the submerging part since we can’t be sure the water is safe.” As Josslyn’s whole body drooped in disappointment, Gustav added, “but we can rest here for a while. Eat some rations. Get some rest. This cave is as good a place as any.”

As if his offer conjured the fatigue, it hit Avera suddenly. Her weary limbs would like nothing more than to lie down.

“We should find a spot big enough for us to gather close.” Avera glanced around, seeking an area where the jutting stalagmites didn’t cluster as thick. She pointed. “There by that wall with the moss. Room enough for us to lie down and for the horses.” Speaking of which, they had little to feed them. Travelling outdoors, they could usually rely on the natural foliage. No such thing in this network of tunnels.

Luna followed Avera to the spot that offered the most open space but didn’t stop there. Her horse went right to the wall and began licking it.

Licking and chewing, actually, as her steed tugged the moss free and happily munched. The other two horses followed suit.

“Is it safe for them?” Avera asked as they devoured the moss they could reach.

“Animals are pretty good at knowing what’s good for them or not,” Gustave stated.

“Not the ones who keep dying trying to drink from the Lake of Tears,” Avera pointed out.

“That lake is unnatural.”

“And what makes you think this one isn’t?” Avera countered.

“I never said it wasn’t, hence, the caution. Now help me clear some of the stones so we don’t wake with bruises.” Gustav bent over to grab and toss the loose rocks away. Avera and Josslyn joined him, grabbing and throwing. The clatter was loud in the echoing cave. Loud enough Avera didn’t notice Luna wandering.

Or hear Luna slurping.

Avera found out when she straightened to stretch her back and saw her mare with her head dipped, siphoning the water. “Luna!”

Her horse ignored her as she continued to drink.

Everyone watched her. Long enough Josslyn whispered, “How long before poisoned water would have an effect?”

“I don’t have much experience with it, but I’d venture it’s usually fairly quick to show signs,” Gustav said.

Luna finished her hydration and wandered back to the wall for some more moss licking. She seemed fine.

“If the mare shows no signs of distress after we have our meal, you may try soaking your feet,” Gustav offered his sister.

Their dinner of hard tack and cheese passed in silence but also observation. The other two horses drank as well and the three showed no ill effects.

Once they’d finished, Gustav waved a hand. “Go ahead, bathe your toes but no crying later if your skin peels.”

“Really?” Josslyn showed no qualms about stripping off her boots, rolling up the cuffs of her pants, and wading in. She sighed. “This is so nice.”

Given she didn’t scream, Avera ended up joining her.

The water, while cool, didn’t numb the flesh with its temperature. She waded out a little deeper, the lake barely getting waist deep except for in the center with its sudden drop, deep enough she couldn’t see the bottom. She steered clear of it, not because she couldn’t swim if she lost her footing, but because wet clothes would take forever to dry. She crossed the lake to the other side, noticing a tunnel entrance. Would they exit the mountain soon after they resumed their journey?

“Avera, get to shore, now!” Gustav shouted.

She whirled to see him on the edge with his sword in hand. Josslyn stood just past him, eyes wide and frightened.

“What’s wrong?” Spoken as she noticed the lake’s surface rippling from the center outward, and not because of her.

“Out now!” he bellowed, splashing into the shallows.

Before Avera could make it to the nearest shoreline, something exploded from the hole!