Volcrian's Hunt (The Cat's Eye Chronicles) (31 page)

“What happened?” Crash asked. He kept a firm hold on her arm, her balance unstable, as though she stood aboard a ship at sea.

“My necklace,” she finally gasped. “I think...the beast is gone.”

“Let's not take any chances,” Burn said immediately, still searching the caverns with a keen eye. He turned and grabbed Sora with one arm, lifting her off her feet and slinging her easily over his shoulder. Then he started back down the path they had followed, setting a fast pace. His greatsword remained in his left hand, ready for a fight.

Sora didn't blame them for being cautious. Although the monster had been taken by the Cat's Eye, she didn't feel that it was truly gone. The beast's power still clung to the caves, resonating from the stones. She felt sickened.

A minute later, they reached the granite tunnel where Laina awaited, curled up on the ground, her knees tucked to her chest. She was visibly shaking. When she saw Sora, she stood up, wide-eyed and wordless. Crash passed by her brusquely, barely sparing her a glance. Burn paused next to her and lowered Sora to her feet. He searched the caverns one last time, then slowly sheathed his sword.

“This looks like an exit,” Crash said, drawing their attention. “Let's get out of here.”

Sora couldn't agree more.

Shaken and hesitant, the four started up the long, rocky tunnel. It was pitch black, carved through hard granite. The path turned to the left, then sloped upward, cutting through the rocks. As they walked, the glow of the sunstone was soon lost behind them.

“Sora,” Crash said suddenly. “Give me your staff.”

She slung the weapon from her shoulder and held it out to him, unsure of what he intended. Then she heard the end of the staff knocking against the ground; Crash was testing the floor of the shaft for weaknesses. They continued forward, Crash checking the path, searching for crevices or holes. Sora took Laina's hand, then Burn's, not wanting to lose them in the darkness.

In this fashion, they continued steadily upward, moving as swiftly as possible. The caves grew cold and moist; the chill of the deep earth. The energy of the sunstones drained out of her, reminding her that she hadn't eaten in days, hadn't drunk any water, hadn't slept. She began to stumble over unseen rocks, unexpected dips in the ground. Her body grew heavier and heavier as they walked. It became difficult to keep up with the men; Laina was dragging her down, similarly affected.

No one spoke. As time stretched on, Sora found herself growing nervous. She couldn't guess at the path ahead—what if it narrowed down to a small tunnel and they had to crawl their way through? What if animals lived here, hidden in the blackness? Bats or underground snakes? It seemed that all of her senses were heightened. She heard every shift of stone, each crunch of a footstep, every tap, tap, tap of her staff against the ground.

Then, suddenly, Sora heard water. She stopped in her tracks, causing Laina and Burn to stop too. The sound was still distant, but it wasn't like a mere trickle or stream. No, it was like the rushing currents of a mighty river.

“Crash?” she asked hesitantly.

“This way,” his voice answered from the darkness. “We're not far now.” She realized, suddenly, that he could probably see quite well, and the staff was really for their own benefit. Some of the tension loosened from her shoulders.

The thought of seeing true daylight again lent fuel to her steps. Her skin prickled in anticipation. The water increased in volume until it echoed from the walls of the cave, encasing them in a rush of sound.

Finally, she saw a dot of light on the horizon. She blinked against its brightness, hardly able to believe her eyes. Light. Real, natural daylight. She resisted the urge to run forward, to chase after the sun until she caught it.

Moss grew on the rocks around them, clinging to the damp walls. Moisture made the air heavy, sweet and refreshingly cool. As they neared the mouth of the cave, Sora realized that she was staring at the back of a waterfall.

They paused before it. The rocky floor became smooth and slippery. Their clothes were dampened by a fine mist cast off by the water. The current fell hard and fast over the cave's mouth, occasionally splitting to one side like a parted curtain. She caught a glimpse of thick green foliage and a blue sky. They appeared to be high up on the wall of a cliff, looking over a long river basin of thick wilderness.

Crash walked forward to investigate. He moved agilely on the wet stone, crossing under the waterfall, exploring the cliff on the other side. When he returned, he was completely drenched, his hair plastered to his head, droplets running down his face. He handed Sora back her staff.

“There's a ledge and a path to the left,” he told them. “The rocks are slick. Watch your step.”

Burn nodded and took Laina's hand, leading the girl to the side of the cave's mouth. He picked her up and passed through the falling water, climbing along the stone cliff. Sora watched until they disappeared, then she approached the thundering water. She couldn't wait to clean herself off.

Crash followed her. She could feel his eyes on her back, studying each step, each subtle movement. She wanted to sigh. He acted as if she might slip at any moment—as if she couldn't handle herself on a rocky ledge.

“Just because I fell once doesn't mean I'll do it again,” she snapped over her shoulder.

“I know,” was his only reply.

It canceled out all argument. She cast him an exasperated look. She knew this tactic—he might agree with her, but it wouldn't stop him from watching her every move.

“Well...you're making me nervous,” she remarked.

She saw a slight smile on his lips. “Don't be—if you think you can manage.” A subtle challenge laced his tone. She raised an eyebrow.
Challenge accepted.
Then she turned to one side and slipped through the waterfall. It cascaded over her body; mountain water, cold as ice. She sucked in a quick breath, not quite prepared.

She moved swiftly, wanting to show Crash that she didn't need any help. Her mother had taught her how to balance on slick surfaces. They had trained throughout the entire winter, battling on ice and snow, jumping and kicking. A few slick rocks should be no challenge at all.

Sora navigated through the waterfall and found herself at the edge of a steep cliff. The stone was the color of lead, darkened by moisture and covered in moss, but jagged and easy to climb. She maneuvered sideways, gripping with her hands and feet, swiftly climbing across. She jumped the rest of the way to solid land, where Burn and Laina waited.

Crash followed close behind her. Finally the four travelers stood in full daylight, having left the Shining Caverns behind.

Sora turned and surveyed the world around her; she felt like she had just hatched from an egg, like everything was new and wondrous.

They stood upon a tall ridge at the very front of a canyon. The cliff walls were covered in thick foliage and shrubbery, all vibrant green, sloping down into a long river basin. She couldn't count the species of trees—they were tropical, like the island she had just left, crammed close together and impossibly dense. The waterfall spilled over the edge of the canyon and continued at its base, wandering through the forest, out to the distant silver rim of the ocean.

And far off in the distance, just before the curve of the sea, was a gleaming white city. Sora felt her breath catch, surprised by the sight. She squinted, making out the vague silhouette of buildings, perhaps ten or more miles away. The city sprawled for several miles, interrupted by patches of towering trees. Occasionally a domed structure or tiered roof would disrupt the canopy, indicating that the city was still present on the forest floor. The buildings were overtaken by foliage, on the verge of being swallowed up by the wilderness.

“The Harpy city of Asterion,” Burn murmured. The four continued to gaze at the shining white structures, so far in the distance.

“It's beautiful,” Laina murmured. She perched at the very edge of the cliff and leaned out over the waterfall, one hand raised to shield her eyes from the sun. “If only my grandmother could have seen this....I guess we're at the right place, then?” she asked.

“Seems like it,” Sora replied.

Crash turned toward the trees abruptly. “We should take cover,” he said.

Sora snorted at this. “Really? The city is a day's walk away, if not more! I doubt we'll be noticed.”

Crash gave her a hard look. “Harpies fly,” he said sharply.

She rolled her eyes. “Right,” she said, “But I doubt they'll attack us. Once they hear of our quest, they'll want to help, just like the Dracians.” It made sense. The Harpies had once been the most advanced of the races. Surely they weren't as barbaric or warlike as the Catlins.
Not all the races are bad,
she thought. The Dracians, after all, had quickly come to their aid.

“Into the trees,” Crash ordered, pointing over her head. “Away from the path.”

“Why?” Laina asked loudly. She glared at the assassin and crossed her arms stubbornly. “I'm tired! I don't want to trek through the woods.”

“I agree,” Sora said slowly. “We're all tired....”

Crash's gaze turned cold. She recognized that look—the mask of an assassin, the one who had kidnapped her so long ago, who wouldn't be argued with. A shudder of trepidation passed through her.

Why is he so vehement about this?
She knew the truth of his race, his dark heritage, their division with the Harpies, but she doubted that such lines were still drawn. The War of the Races had been more than four centuries ago. Surely the animosity had subsided.

“We don't want to be taken by surprise,” Burn said gently, breaking the tension. “I doubt the Harpies are eager for visitors. It would be better to meet them on our own terms.”

Sora nodded. She could see the sense in that. But she still eyed the assassin, wondering if he was being paranoid or if the Harpies truly presented a threat.

Burn withdrew a long knife from his belt and started hacking into the thick foliage. He cut back a series of vines so they could pass. Laina followed him, still grumbling, casting Crash a petulant look. Sora fell into step next, leaving the assassin in the rear. He walked silently behind her.

Her thoughts quickly turned to food and rest. The forest appeared to be full of game, the air rich with bird calls and scampering feet in the underbrush, lizards or small rodents. Perhaps they could hunt down a deer or a boar. Even a wild hen would be welcome. She was hungry enough to eat tree bark.

“I can't wait for a good meal,” Laina muttered, echoing her thoughts. Sora silently agreed.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

A DROPLET OF water struck Sora's cheek. Her eyes snapped open, taking in their makeshift campsite. Crash was already awake, sitting in the shade of a tree, eating a large red fruit. Several more fruits had been left in a pile next to the ashes of last night's fire. From the angle of the sun, she judged that it was midday. They had slept for a long, long time.

She sat up, pulling in a deep breath of air. Gray clouds mingled above her, broken up by gaps of blue sky. Not truly a storm, but capable of rain. Another droplet landed on the back of her hand and she smiled. It felt good to be outside the caves, back in the natural world. She took in a deep breath, tasting moisture on her tongue. She could hear the rush of the waterfall in the distance. They had only hiked about a mile into the forest before exhaustion had forced them to stop.

The Cat's Eye still throbbed dully at her chest, though not as terrible as before. She touched it briefly, remembering the
garrolithe
, wondering if that was somehow still inside the necklace.
How could such a thing exist?
She couldn't imagine the beast being contained by the stone. In her dreams, the monster had haunted her footsteps, following her through the labyrinthine depths of the Crystal Caves. She had glimpsed its reflection in the sunstone walls.

The rest of her companions began to stir around her. Burn sat up to her left, his hair tangled with leaves and twigs. Laina yawned next, pulling herself up into a sitting position. Sora grabbed a fruit for herself and bit down eagerly. Warm, sweet juice burst into her mouth.

“What now?” Laina asked, after they had eaten.

“We need to find a circle of sacred stones,” Sora replied. She had been dwelling on her vision, the one spurred by her Cat's Eye at the start of this journey.
I hope we can find them in time. Volcrian can't be far behind us after that detour.
“They're somewhere on this island.”

“That doesn't give us a lot of direction,” Burn said slowly.

“The stones were next to the ocean,” Sora recalled. The vision had been burned into her mind crisp and sharp by the Cat's Eye, as though she had just awakened from it. She was fairly sure she could draw the stone circle, given a quill and parchment. She touched her Cat's Eye, asking for a direction. She waited.

Disturbingly, the necklace remained quiet.

She tried again, sinking into her mind, searching for the stone's presence. She found it...but her connection felt clogged, blocked by something. The stone tried to communicate, but it was a dim murmur that she couldn't understand. She wondered if the
garrolithe
had anything to do with it. She frowned, uncertain.