The Dragons of Sara Sara (14 page)

It seemed the other girls of the village knew it too somehow, for as much as he tried to court other girls in the district, they all soon went their own ways. Antonin never seemed to notice that he and Catharina always seemed to be in the same place at the same time. They were now firm and loyal friends, of that there was no doubt. Catharina could not know that Antonin thought as she did. It was not a subject that had ever come up between them. Perhaps it would one day, but now Catharina could see that Antonin had come to some conclusion in his mind that displeased him. She had no doubt that it was related to her. There suddenly in his eyes was a hurt, mixed with the love she knew he felt for her but had never given voice to.

Mei'An watched this subtle exchange with interest. She resolved to keep an eye on the pair

“Tell me more about this monster Antonin,” said Mei'An. “Did you actually see it?”

“Well,” he began. “When we first found our way down into the vault there was no sign of it. The place seems to have lain undisturbed for a very long time. I think perhaps this is a relic of an age long past. Anyway we looked about to see if there were any signs of the takers of the Great Key. There were no signs that anyone had ever been there. The only tracks in the place are ours. Of course there is the iron rail that is shiny from use, but that is not the tracks of a living thing. It is very strange, but it is man made all the same.”

“What attracted this demon that you speak of – that we all heard?” asked Luan.

“I know not.” He looked at Catharina.

Catharina took up the story as though she had spoken for Antonin all her life. Mei'An noted the flow from one to the other and filed it away.

“It must have been the lamps I think,” she said. “I could see the light reflecting from its one huge eye even far along its burrow. It's roaring was fearsome and shook the very stone on which we stood. We could feel it's breath as we ran. I think it nearly had us, trying to tumble us back down into its lair with a final blast of its breath. The noise stopped suddenly so we do not know if it waits below or has gone back into its tunnels.”

Mei'An stood quietly, tapping her pursed lips with a forefinger. The other stood listening with looks of wonder on their faces. Except Luan. Nothing seemed to disturb his features. Antonin wondered not for the first time what it would be like to stir him up. He didn't want to find out. Just wondered.

“I have heard from other Wind Readers that there used to be a means of travelling vast distances very rapidly, by means of strange underground ways. I wonder if this could be a portal. I must contact other Wind Readers and see what I can discover. If this is indeed one of the strange portals mentioned in our writings, we will find it very useful.” Mei'An didn't mention how she was going to contact other Wind Readers. The girls looked at her in expectation, but she only turned to Luan and said,

“How is it that you have never mentioned knowing of this place? You led us here in the storm without even having to think about it, it seems.”

“I knew of this place – this city,” said Luan. “From past adventures. I did not know of this portal. I have sheltered in this place on occasion in my journeys to the Great Sandy Blight and beyond.”

Mei'An's face took on a faraway look. She seemed deep in thought. Her lips were just moving as thought she followed the words she was thinking. Suddenly she shook her head and her focus snapped back to those present.

“There is much excitement amongst the Wind Readers at your find,” she said to Antonin and Catharina. “They have all asked that we investigate it further to see if it really is a portal. They all know bits and pieces of the old stories of course but no mention any creatures such as you describe living in the depths. Perhaps it is some wild beast that has taken up residence down there and can be hunted out.”

Everyone was staring at Mei'An. Except Luan. They had all heard of the strange powers of the Wind Readers, but this was the first time that any had seen such a demonstration of just what it meant to have those powers.

Antonin and Catharina looked at each other apprehensively. They were no longer frightened and had never been really. More startled and caught up in the strangeness of the dark places they had found. However they were none too keen to repeat the experience.

Edina came over to Catharina. “We will all go and investigate this beast and flush it from its lair. It will not stand a chance against all of us.”

Elsa, Rees and Gaul all crowded around.

“Why do we wait?” said Elsa.

“The thieves of the Great Key could be escaping even as we tarry here,” said Rees.

“Antonin said there were no signs,” said Gaul and the group fell silent. “I think we should go back and pick up the trail where we left off. Not go chasing after some legendary tale.”

“I agree,” said Mei'An before anyone could respond. “ But I believe it is important to at least investigate this place. We can take a quick look and we must then find our way back to the Great North Road.” With a meaningful look at Luan she took her horses reins and set off along the road in the direction of the entrance to the tunnels. Luan strode alongside and the other straggled along with Gaul bringing up the rear. No one had eaten yet, and Antonin muttered something about adventures on an empty stomach. To his great surprise he heard Mei'An comment “We will eat when we eat.” Without turning her head. She must be six to eight paces ahead, and could not possibly have heard him. Antonin resolved to keep his thoughts in his head in future, especially around Wind Readers.
Catharina glanced at him and smiled. Luan tied a rope along the balustrade and the horses were hitched to it. Luan finished giving his horse a handful of oats and strode to the head of the stairs.

“We should each have a lamp, and our weapons drawn.” He commented to no one in particular.

The lamps were set up and lit, weapons drawn and they started down. Edina, Elsa and Catharina each had their short bows in hand. An arrow nocked and held in place by strong fingers. Gaul and Rees, with Antonin all had swords drawn and spread out in a line one step back up from the warrior maidens. They knew better than to try and lead the way in front of the girls. Mei'An and Luan brought up the rear. Mei'An was calm in the knowledge of her own power and Luan seemed to be bristling with hardware. A sword in each hand, as well as the lamp grasped in his right hand. If needed he would simply drop the lamp from his fingers and flick the sword into his full grip. They moved together down the stairs into the inky blackness. Their passage a bright pool of light. They came upon the lamp that Catharina had dropped in her earlier flight. A slightly embarrassed chuckle escaped Catharina as she retrieved it. There were no other sounds save their breathing. Not a breath came from the depths. Arriving at last on the lower level they stepped out onto the stone platform and gathered along the edge of the sunken track.

“This is all manmade.” Said Mei'An. “And very old. Very very old. No living creature dwells here.” Mei'An paused a moment, looking about her. She added. “At least no creature that lives as we understand the word.”

The three boys moved a little closer to the girls. They were Warrior Maidens, but it was a sense of security in numbers that prompted the whole group to move a little closer together. Luan of course didn't move. Nothing moved him and he was utterly fearless. He held his lamp high and strode away along the edge of the pit. He could be seen finally only as a bobbing light far along the platform. Finally they could see his lamp light glittering on the wet stones of an arched tunnel entrance. The rail in the pit reflected the light as it disappeared into the cavern. They could hear his muttered comments as an echoing whisper in the cavernous vault. He strode by them in the other direction but again came up against a wall where the shiny rail disappeared into a tunnel similar to the one at the other end of the platform. Luan came back to the group.

“This is obviously some sort of waiting area,” he said. “ The iron rail is shiny from use and disappears into the depths in both directions. Whatever it is that still moves down here does so regularly. I will see what is to be seen on the far side.” With that he jumped down into the pit. He was closely followed this time by the three Maidens. They climbed carefully over the centre rail. None willing to touch it. None could guess at its use, but it was plain to see that it was regularly used.

“Perhaps the demon we had heard last time was chained to it?” thought Catharina.
In a moment they were on the other side, and Luan strode off in one direction with Edina, while Catharina and Elsa went to the right.

“There are more stairs over here, just like those we came down.” Called Luan.
Both could be seen in the dim light now that eyes were accustomed to the glow. The far side appeared to be exactly the same as the side they had entered on. Two entrances. “That would be useful to remember.” Thought Mei'An.

“Come back this side Luan, Catharina, Edina and Elsa.” Called Mei'An. Within a few moments all were together again.

“We should look into these side rooms for signs of life, then go on our way.” Said Luan. All nodded in agreement.

“We search in pairs?” Offered Antonin, walking with casual stride to Catharina's side. Mei'An arched an eyebrow and smiled a secret smile to Catharina.. Antonin looked from one to the other but nothing was being given away. He shrugged and started off toward the side rooms.

Rees and Edina moved off along the way, Gaul with Elsa and Mei'An and Luan each heading toward the dusty rooms lining the walls. Rees and Edina entered one room that was built out from the wall rather than into it. It was thick with the settlement of long undisturbed years. Even the slightest movement of the two young people with their sputtering lamps was enough to raise swirls of fine dust. The room was full of benches, strange symbols marked on their surfaces. Rees tapped a surface of one with his sword hilt and it rang with a metallic sound. The dust was so thick little could be made out on the surfaces.

“Very strange.” He muttered. This was not a place where he really wanted to be. Edina blew a strong breath onto one of the bench tops raising a choking cloud of dust. Her eyes were watering and she was coughing and sputtering and finally gave out a huge sneeze that she thought for a moment had loosened her head on her shoulders. The convulsion of the sneeze brought her hand hard down on the surface of the table. It was covered with small knobs and levers. Strange script written under each object. It was just as she bent to peer at the area now cleared by her hand thumping it that she noticed with a start that some of the strange shapes on the table now glowed with a faint green light.
Edina jumped back with a yell. She stumbled into Rees. He had stepped over to see what she had found. With everyone so on edge he felt the hair on the back of his head rise.

“Look!” Gasped Edina, pointing at the surface of the bench. It was now covered in shapes all glowing green in the dim light. Most were still covered with a layer of dust, but the green light could still be seen winking through it.

"Something is changing. I must have done something. Let's get out of here!” Her voice rose an octave. As she was speaking a glow could be seen starting in crystal like objects set in the roof of the room. The pair backed away from the table, now a field of glowing green. Interspersed in the green were other colours twinkling under the dust like fireflies. The glow in the roof crystals was getting brighter by the moment as though awakening after a long period of inactivity. Occasionally they dimmed a little, but always rapidly regaining brightness. Rees and Edina bumped shoulder to shoulder as they dashed for the door. Spilling out onto the flat platform they dusted themselves off a little self consciously. Edina gulped – “Mei'An, come quickly” she called. She thought Mei'An was perhaps the only one who could explain what was happening. They could all see the crystals in the roof of the cavern, each now beginning to glow into white light. Edina and Rees stood rooted to the spot.

Mei'An and Luan came out of a room further along and immediately saw the glowing crystals in the roof. The others had heard Edina's cry and had come out, and now stood transfixed by the appearance of the glowing crystals. Suddenly the crystals, one moment glowing gently, blazed into a brilliant white light. All shadows were banished and the vast chamber was lit up as though in full daylight. Everyone was ready for instant flight. Nothing further happened though. Their eyes became accustomed to the bright light and they could now clearly see the space in which they stood. It was obviously ancient. There was nothing like it anywhere on the world that Luan could name. He had travelled far and wide in his associations with Mei'An, and even long before that unlikely association. This was the first time he had ventured below ground in these strange ancient cities though he knew of a number of others, and had even seen these entrance ways in ordinary cities occupied still by people in various countries.

The strange crystals shone steadily but nothing else moved in the stillness. The only sound was the breathing of the small group, and a steady clicking sound coming from the room so hastily abandoned moments before. Edina looked at Rees in question. “Will we see what that is?” She said. Suddenly with a cry of discovery Luan jumped down to the level of the iron rail. He straightened up with an arrow in his hand. It was an arrow made for a long hunting bow. The sort used by those who frequented the mountains of the Dragons Spine. The fletching was black. Raven feathers. Someone had indeed passed this way after all and recently. The arrow was new. The wood of the shaft new and well tempered. The bindings were still neat and fresh with oil. Everyone knew what this meant. A band of the Dark Lords helpers had to have come this way. Where they had gone could not be guessed. Did they use these ancient and long deserted cities? Did they regularly travel these dark tunnels?