The Key of Kilenya (22 page)

Dazed, Jacob scrambled up and spotted Akeno
about a yard away. He appeared to have been knocked unconscious.
Jacob looked down the hill to see what it was that had thrown them
forward and was surprised that a hole now smoldered, three feet in
diameter, where he and Akeno had just been.

Aloren stood at the edge of the trees,
screaming. No sound carried to Jacob, though he wasn’t more than
forty feet away. She motioned with her hands for them to run. Jacob
picked up Akeno and both bags, and made a beeline for the trees.
Another shock wave blew through the air, nearly knocking him over,
but this time he didn’t turn around.

He reached Aloren, tossed her one of the
bags, and kept running. They ran up the hill, through the trees.
Continual shock waves hit them on all sides with explosions and
blasts of fire.

Trusting that Aloren knew where they were
going, he stayed as close to her as possible, following her far up
the side of the mountain and away from the trail. He still couldn’t
hear anything, and shock waves rammed into his body, making any
kind of movement difficult.

After what felt like an hour of solid
running, Jacob saw several caves in the rock ahead of them. He
followed Aloren into one, and they ran as far as they could until
the cave stopped. Aloren mouthed something and darted out of the
cave, unable to hear Jacob’s shouts to come back. Jacob wasn’t
surprised—he couldn’t hear them, either.

She was gone for a couple of seconds before
returning. Racing back in, she grabbed his hand and pulled him out
of the cave. Confused, he chased after her into the entrance of
another cave. They didn’t stop running until they were almost
completely enveloped in darkness. Dropping Jacob’s hand, Aloren
faced the entrance. The only thing visible was a glimpse of the
mountains on the other side of the lake. She put the bag down,
slumping by one of the walls.

Jacob stood for a moment, letting his eyes
adjust, and laid Akeno down next to Aloren. He ran his hand through
his hair, raking out twigs, and leaned up against the wall near his
friends.

After a moment, he got tired of standing and
sat down next to Akeno, whose eyes were now wide open. Jacob still
couldn’t hear anything, and it occurred to him that his hearing
might have been damaged by the shock waves.

It wasn’t long, however, before the faint
sound of an explosion reached his ears, making him jump. “Hey! I
can hear again!” He turned to Akeno. “Are you okay? You blacked out
for a minute there.”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Akeno said, sitting up. “I
think I’m doomed to be thrown over your shoulder like a sack of
potatoes every time something bad happens.”

“Yeah, sorry about that.” Jacob smiled. “What
about the Minyas? Are they going to be okay?”

“They’re much too fast for Lirone,” Aloren
said. “Besides, he doesn’t care about them. They’re too small.”

“Anyway, they probably went somewhere else to
wait out the storm and will catch up to us when it’s safe again,”
Akeno added.

Jacob turned to Aloren. “All right.
Now
can you tell me what’s going on out there?”

“That, Jacob, is Lirone,” Aloren said. “He’s
one of the biggest reasons why most people don’t make this
trip.”

Jacob frowned. “What is he? And why couldn’t
I hear anything? I mean, I know that shock waves and loud noises
can mess up your hearing, but I wasn’t able to hear even before the
explosions started.”

“It wasn’t because of the explosions. Lirone
has the ability to control particles and waves in the air. As soon
as he spots someone, he takes away all sound before it reaches
their ears or leaves their mouths. It’s part of his way of trapping
people before he blows them away.”

Jacob’s mind was reeling. What would’ve
happened if Aloren hadn’t been with them? They’d be dead, he was
sure of it. “How’d you know about him, Akeno?”

“I’d heard stories and myths,” Akeno said,
pulling the leaves off his shoes. “My father spoke of a creature
big enough to cover the entire sky who existed in the form of
clouds and used particles in the air to kill things. I didn't know
much else about him, though.”

Jacob looked to Aloren. “Why could I hear you
scream ‘run’?”

“Because he’d only seen you and Akeno.
Basically, if he hasn’t seen or heard something yet, it doesn’t
exist to him, and he can’t take away its sound.”

“And as soon as you yelled at me, he knew you
were there?”

Aloren nodded. “We can hear each other now
because he’s given up trying to find us for the time being.”

Jacob thought for a minute. “So, what’s the
purpose of doing that? Make it so people can’t call out for help or
something?”

Akeno shrugged. “I’d guess it’s more of a
cruel joke he likes to play than anything else.”

“Calling out for help can’t save you from
Lirone,” Aloren said. “And usually the people who know his tricks
won’t stand out in the open.”

Jacob rolled his eyes. “Gee, thanks for
letting me know.”

Aloren laughed. “Sorry, I should have said
something. I feel really bad. Honestly, it didn’t occur to me to
mention it until I saw you step out of the trees.”

“Even with my pestering you guys to tell me
what was going on?”

“Yeah, I was a little preoccupied and freaked
out. Next time, though, I’ll let you know beforehand if something
bad is going to happen.”

Jacob snorted. “That’d be great,” he said. He
shifted to a more comfortable position. “So, next time Lirone comes
around, all we’ll need to do is remain hidden, and we’ll be
safe?”

“Not quite. He still throws bombs even if he
can’t see anyone. If there are living things in the area, throwing
the bombs will either kill them or scare them out of their hiding
places.”

“But why does he do that?”

“He’s always been a violent creature,” Akeno
said. “There are many theories and legends about why he’s that way,
but no one really knows for sure.”

Aloren rummaged through her bag, pulling out
a hair tie. “The first cave we went into was too shallow, and he
knew we were there. That’s one of the many mistakes people make.
They figure if they can’t see his face, he can’t see them. They
don’t know the clouds they’re looking at are actually him. If they
can see clouds, any part of them, then he can see them.”

Jacob frowned. “So I wasn’t really looking at
his face?”

Aloren fastened her hair back with the tie.
“Not in a conventional way. He doesn’t have the same shape we
do.”

“Why could I see a face, then?”

She shrugged. “He was probably doing it for
your benefit. To scare you. I’ve seen him do that before, though
today was the first time I’ve seen him form arms.”

“Okay, so he’s made of clouds,” Jacob said,
still trying to get a grasp on this creature. He was both
fascinated and freaked out by Lirone—what guy wouldn’t be?

“Yes,” Aloren said, then paused. “Well, no. I
mean, he’s not
made
of clouds, but he
looks
like
clouds. Any time a storm comes through this area, it’s almost
impossible to tell if he’s part of it or not. He moves a lot when
he sees someone, which makes it easy to tell if he’s there. But
when he’s just waiting, he rarely moves, except to shift a little
or follow the wind. He doesn’t look like a normal cloud when he
moves, and that’s what Akeno and I were looking for.”

“I think I saw that while I was standing out
in the open, like an idiot.” Jacob grabbed his knapsack, feeling
around inside it for the journal. He couldn’t see anything, though.
“All right, I’m tired of being in the dark. Akeno, why not light up
the place? Aloren, do you think that would be okay?”

Aloren nodded. “Yeah, there shouldn’t be a
problem. Besides, I’m starving, and we’ll want to see what we’re
eating.”

A second later the cave filled with Akeno’s
bluish light, and Jacob resumed digging inside his bag for the book
and food for his friends. He handed bread and jerky to the others.
“Where did Lirone come from?”

“No one knows,” Akeno said. “He didn’t
originate here, though.”

“He’s existed for as long as there’s been a
history kept by my people,” Aloren said.

Jacob leaned back against the cave wall,
munching on jerky and fingering the journal. “And how long do you
think we’ll need to hide out in this cave?” Too bad they didn’t
have a grill. And some steaks. Fresh, barbecued meat sounded really
good.

Aloren inspected her bread. “Until the sun is
shining again and there aren’t any storm clouds in the sky. He only
comes when there’s already a storm.”

“Dang, that’s going to take forever.”

“Not necessarily. The weather can change
fast, so it might only be an hour. Soon after we see sunlight, we
should be fine to leave.”

Jacob sighed, stuffing the last of his jerky
into his mouth, leaning his head against the wall, and looking
toward the back of the cave. It opened into a medium-sized room a
couple of feet from where they sat, then tunneled off to the left,
out of sight. He stood, wanting to know how far into the mountain
the tunnel led. A pile of junk sat off to the side of the room just
before the bend. Approaching it, he saw that most of it was covered
with a thick, coarse material. Jacob lifted one edge, peeking
underneath. He jumped back in surprise, letting out a small
exclamation of shock.

“What?” Akeno asked, leaping to his feet.

“Sick,” Jacob said. “Human bones.” He moved
closer and kicked the cover aside, revealing torn and tattered
clothing, broken dishes, a fork or two, and a smashed pocket watch,
all of which had been strewn across skeletons.

“Bones?” Aloren asked.

“Yes. Skulls and femurs. And other junk.”

Aloren came over and picked up one of the
bigger bones, holding it with a corner of the material. Akeno moved
his finger closer, and Jacob gasped. Weird-looking marks were all
along the bone, and Aloren dropped it. The marks had been made by
teeth.

Aloren looked at Jacob, then back at the
bone, shaking her head with an expression of horror on her face.
“No, no, no,” she wailed. “Oh, I forgot.”

“Forgot what?” Jacob asked.

“This is bad, isn’t it?” Akeno said, taking a
step back.

“Shhh!” She waved her hand at Akeno’s finger.
“Off, off, off!”

Blackness covered them as Akeno’s finger
stopped glowing.

Aloren’s moan was barely audible. “I can’t
believe—stupid of me!” She grabbed Jacob’s arm, making him jump,
and whispered, “Back off as quietly as you can, both of you.”

Jacob followed Aloren’s guiding hand,
stopping when he felt the wall behind him.

Aloren stood close to him, and Jacob could
barely see Akeno’s outline on the other side of her. “Be quiet and
no moving,” she said.

Standing as still as he could, Jacob tried
not to concentrate on his awkward position up against the cave wall
as it curled into the ceiling. He blinked a couple of times,
waiting for his eyes to adjust in the near-complete darkness.

After what felt like forever, he heard a
slight shuffling sound coming from the back of the cave, around the
bend. Images crossed his mind as he tried to imagine whatever it
was that might eat humans and prowl in dark caves. Wolves, bears,
Big Foot, ogres, and orcs—all from books he’d read and movies he’d
watched. He remembered the white monster in the beginning of Star
Wars 5 and wondered if it would have eaten Luke if given the
chance.

The sound got louder, and Jacob glanced at
Aloren, barely able to see her in the dark, grabbing her hand.

She gave him a quizzical look. “What?” she
whispered.

Jacob put a finger to his lips and nodded
toward the back of the cave. An expression of understanding crossed
her face, quickly replaced by fear. She turned to her other side,
and Jacob heard Akeno’s small, quick intake of air.

A few moments later there was another
shuffling sound, and a massive body came into view. Jacob pressed
his back as hard as he could against the stone as he stared at the
creature that had entered the room. He was surprised at how much of
the monster he was able to see in the dark. It was almost as if a
light were shining on it, though there was no source.

It wasn’t as big as he’d expected it to
be—being only about five and a half feet tall—but it made up for
its height in mass. Long, heavy arms hung from huge shoulders, and
its legs were thick and powerful.

It had large eyes and very pale skin that
covered only part of its face. The skin on the beast’s huge chin
was interrupted by spikes that curved out and downward from the
roots of its teeth. These spikes came to a sharp point about an
inch below its chin and turned slightly outward.

The creature had no lips, and its teeth were
visible. The incisors were sharp and pointed, the molars large and
blunt. Food was stuck between the teeth, and Jacob’s stomach turned
as he tried not to think about the human bones he’d found. Short
hair stuck out all over the creature’s head and neck like
needles.

As the three continued to press against the
wall, Jacob risked a quick glance at Aloren. She faced the entrance
of the cave, and her eyes were out of focus. She appeared lost in
thought. Jacob was surprised she hadn’t noticed the beast yet.

Relief spread through him when the creature
didn’t see them right away. It shuffled over to the pile of junk,
bent over, and moved the coarse material.

Suddenly it stopped, its back stiffening. It
lifted its head as if to sniff the air, then turned until it faced
the small group that cowered against the wall of the cave. Jacob’s
breath caught in his throat when the creature’s eyes met his.

For what seemed like an eternity they held
each other’s gaze, neither moving.

His breath caught again when he realized he
was able to sense the creature’s feelings. Did the beast have the
ability to transfer its emotions to other beings? It was confused
at not having noticed right away there were humans in its cave,
angry at finding its things had been touched, surprised the human
could see him.