Gone But Not Forgotten, page 19
part #2 of The Jaxon Grey Chronicles Series
"This one looks like grogg," he said, tipping the barrel into his mouth, "and it tastes like it too!"
"Well, no point in bootlegging the cheap stuff," said Carnag.
"Especially when one has his own secret delivery system," Marcivul added.
"Brilliant," said Dwaren in admiration. "Just brilliant."
More time passed, and Dwaren remained drunk for most of it. The shark meat was long gone, and the fish that Pharon and Nadina caught us came fewer and fewer by the day. We were close to starving now, but continued to push forward in hopes of finding a way out. Thiesel checked in every once in a while, always searching ahead for an escape route, but it was never successful in finding a way to the surface.
The boxes and barrels of alcohol drifted along with the water current, so we followed the line of goods, figuring that it would eventually lead to an exit. Surely, at some point, the floating contraband would need to be extracted from the waterway by actual people, which meant there must be a way out somewhere; we just needed to be patient. These new prospects brightened our outlook, providing some semblance of hope that perhaps we wouldn’t perish down in the deep depths of the cavernous waterway; but still, our situation looked grim.
Soon our surroundings changed once again, and we began seeing flowing formations of hardened lava covering the walls and creating banks on either side of us. In this area, the waterway narrowed and its depth became very shallow. If it wasn't for the buoyant salt water, I'm sure our raft wouldn't have been able to navigate the passage. The further we progressed, the warmer the water became, until, presently, we could see a deep orange glow up ahead coming through from the narrowest part of the cavern where it rounded a sharp bend.
"What is that?" I asked aloud, though I knew no one else knew the answer.
"I don't know," Carnag replied, "but I think we'd all better stay on the raft until we find out."
Nadina and Pharon, feeling the water getting even warmer, decided to take his advice and they, too, piled on. I feared their combined weight would weigh us down too much in the shallow water, but I was thankfully mistaken.
We rounded the bend and were momentarily blinded by the bright burning orange and red of lava flowing down the far wall of this new chamber, stacking on top of already hardened lava. The chamber was much larger than the previous ones, but the heat, even from our current distance, was sweltering. The water instantly boiled and turned to steam before the lava even touched it. I thought the boxes and barrels might catch fire if they got too close, and that would not bode well for our raft either. Further ahead, however, were the remains of some ancient coral reef, which rose up in the center of the waterway. I could see the line of contraband flowing into a shallow cave that went directly through the extensive coral reef. It was too small for our raft to fit through though, so we were forced to go around on the side opposite the lava flow. I wasn't able to see where the bottles re-emerged, if they did at all, but they were our only way out, so we each kept a watchful eye for their reappearance.
As we navigated around the ancient reef, I noticed hundreds of glistening yellow eyes watching us from inside the coral as we passed by, following our movements attentively. We never saw more than their eyes, making them appear even creepier.
“They're all over the reef!” Mya whispered, and I could see gooseflesh appear on her skin.
Needless to say, we were very relieved when the reef led into a wall and regular rock began again, although we were effectively directionless. No longer did we have the current to guide us now that it went under the coral reef, taking the alcohol with it.
“Rotten luck,” Marcivul commented.
“Why didn't we gather more of it?” Dwaren asked of no one in particular, saddened by the loss of his precious liquors.
We passed into another chamber, and were relieved to see the boxes and barrels floating in line again. The sinister eyes followed us here too, but they disappeared in unison as we approached closer to the reef.
There were no luminescent mushrooms or any other growth in this part of the waterway, but the walls glowed with a dull shade of yellow somehow, providing just enough light for us to see the surrounding area. To our immediate left were solid, vertical walls of obsidian; while to our right was a gentle incline of hardened lava leading up and away from the water into a shadowed section. In front of us, our path was blocked by another solid wall of obsidian. The boxes and barrels were gathering at the wall, clumping together into a tight formation.
Out of nowhere, the water in the narrow channel dropped drastically and the boxes and barrels were swallowed up, disappearing under the water. As the water level continued to drop, I could see a hole in the bed of the channel, and I figured that the alcohol containers had somehow been pulled into this opening. The raft then struck the bottom. Moments later, the water level in the channel slowly began to refill, but the wall in front of us where the alcohol had gone still blocked our path. Our raft wouldn’t fit into the hole where the boxes went, and we weren't too anxious to be sucked into an undoubtedly watery death anyway, so there we stopped, all out of options.
With nowhere else to go, we were forced to ditch the raft and began walking up the hardened river of lava, hoping to find another path. The slope wasn't very steep and seemed to go on farther than I could see, but the flow field was full of uneven grooves and mini-channels, making our ascent tiresome and difficult. Nevertheless, we continued onward, always hoping for the best.
I watched as Dwaren drunkenly tried to tip-toe his way up the crest of one of the grooves, balancing on the ridge with his arms out to steady himself. In another moment, his left foot had slipped from the ridge and down he went, laughing at his clumsiness. He rolled down the slope a few feet before Marcivul and Carnag managed to stop him.
"What if we can't find a way out?" Mya asked in trepidation.
"We'll find a way out," I said, probably saying it for myself as much as I was for her. “If we don’t find anything up ahead, then perhaps Pharon and Nadina can swim after the bottles and barrels to see if there is a way through. If there is, maybe we can use Demtrius' utility device as a breathing apparatus and-"
My sentence was cut short as I watched the ground crumble beneath Carnag's feet. He was the largest of us, and had happened upon a weak spot next to the wall. Carnag grabbed for a hold, but the wall broke away in his hands. The rest of us lunged for him, and Demtrius was able to catch Carnag by the wrist as he fell through. Carnag's weight was too much, however, and took Demtrius down as well, but Marcivul and Fitch were able to catch hold of Demtrius' legs before he was lost. They struggled to pull both Demtrius and Carnag back out of the hole, and I was surprised Demtrius was able to keep Carnag within his grasp, but soon they were both safe on the surface again.
"There's light down there," said Carnag, breathing heavily.
"Light?" I repeated skeptically.
"Don't ask me how, but there is," he replied firmly.
I laid myself down carefully, crawling up to the edge of the hole. “Someone hold my legs,” I said, and felt a four-fingered hand grasp each of my ankles tightly.
“I’ve got you,” Carnag replied.
In the safety of his grasp, I stuck my head over the edge of the hole and down into the breach. It was some kind of shaft, and I could see light reflecting off of a pool of water down below. To my surprise, I saw that the pile of the boxes and barrels that had disappeared under the wall in the narrow channel had somehow re-emerged in this hidden shaft. I also saw steam rising from the water, and noticed the water boiling and bubbling. Then the barrels began to shake and rumble.
“Pull me out!” I shouted quickly. “Hurry!” I scrambled out of the hole as Carnag pulled back on my leg. "Get back!" I cried. "Something is happening down there!"
The second half of my sentence was drowned out by the noise of the water surging up through the shaft. We had just enough time to dive out of the way before scalding hot water came bursting through the breach. A half a second later, one of the smaller barrels of grogg shot halfway up through the hole, lodging itself in the opening. Streams of boiling water sprayed through the cracks, but we were far enough away to escape any burns.
"What in the world was that?" asked Dwaren, drunkenly amused.
"I believe it might have been a geyser,” I said, pronouncing geyser in English for there didn't seem to be an equivalent. “I've seen them before on Earth with my Uncle Deecan, at a place called Yellowstone National Park. The water boils deep beneath the surface, usually caused by volcanic activity, and the cool water on top keeps the boiling water from rising, allowing it to build strength and pressure. Eventually, the water down below gains so much pressure that it’s able to break through the colder water and shoot sky high out of the ground."
"Water shooting upwards," said Fitch. "Like a hand-pump well that has been pumped too many times?”
“But heat drives this water upwards,” Carnag interjected, “not a pump. I've seen them before as well, when my family lived outside of Dracothia. There are springs there, heated by the volcano, where many Dracothians take healing baths. Beyond the baths we have one such geyser, as you call them, Jaxon. We refer to them as the Weisha. Long ago it was a place of worship, as my ancestors believed it was the god, Roa, possessing the water with his spirit to show his control over nature. Now, however, we know that it is the volcano that causes the phenomenon."
"Then it will lead to the surface,” Marcivul deduced. “So we might be able to use it to get out of here!”
"Possibly," I replied. "It depends on how wide or narrow the shaft is, if there are any footholds to climb up on, and if there is enough time between each eruption. The water is far too hot, so if anyone was caught in the water they would die within seconds, boiled alive."
"It is gruesome," Carnag added. "I once saw a drunkard fall into the boiling pool of water around the Weisha,” he said, and then looked pointedly at Dwaren. “The poor bastard couldn't even take one stroke before he was lost beneath the surface, thrashing and screaming as he went down. When he re-emerged a few seconds later, he was belly-down and boiled beyond recognition."
Mya involuntarily shuddered, and Dwaren chuckled unseemly at the harsh tale.
Carnag had a way of reminding me of Montaug. His stories, his personality, and his general demeanor almost mirrored that of Montaug’s. I thought the two of them would have gotten along well together.
I sighed, thinking of the last time I had been with Montaug and Lorthredo. I still didn't know if they had lived through the battle in the canal, and, to be honest, I was afraid to find out. They were my friends, doing what they could to help me find a way home, and I had failed them.
We had no watch or sand glass, so Fitch had the tedious job of counting out the seconds between each geyser burst. After several intervals, he found that the geyser surged every seven and a half minutes. This, we hoped, would give us enough time to climb out through the shaft.
We needed to get a better look at what we had to work with, so I volunteered to be lowered down into the hole again. First we had to remove the barrel from the hole though, which was actually very difficult. We salvaged as much as we could to place back over the hole during the eruptions so that the geyser didn't drench us with boiling water. Then, Carnag and Marcivul picked me up and lowered me into the shaft by my ankles.
"The walls are smooth," I announced, sliding my hand over the seemingly polished surface, "and they seem to have some type of hard coating over them. It fills in any of the cracks and crevices.”
“What about the light?” Fitch asked. “Can you see an opening at the top?”
I looked upward, “There’s light, and, yes, I can see the sky!” I could hear them making remarks of relief and approval. “I don't think we can make the climb though. The walls are just too smooth."
"But this is our only hope," Fitch commented in dismay.
"Maybe it still is," Marcivul said cryptically, clearly in thought. He turned to Carnag eagerly, "Remember when Deander's twins fell into the well outside of Trell?"
Carnag, grasping what Marcivul was thinking, replied, "It would take us some time."
Marcivul tried to convince him, "I think we might just be able to make it.”
"What are you suggesting?" I asked them.
"Carnag and I can make the climb," Marcivul said with confidence.
"But how?" I asked.
"We will climb back-to-back," replied Carnag.
"We'll need to take whatever rope we can get from the raft so we can pull the rest of you out," Marcivul explained, "but I'm almost positive we can do it."
"You won't need any rope," said Demtrius, who, as usual, had remained quiet for the most part. "You can use this." With that, he pulled forth his multi-purpose utility device and began unwinding string from a spindle on its handle. “This string can easily handle three hundred pounds,” he said, “but I'll cut a few lengths and braid them together to be sure. We’ll need to wrap our hands up too so the string doesn’t cut into them.”
When he had finished braiding the string, we waited for the next eruption to subside, and then put the plan into motion. We used the strengthened string to lower Marcivul and Carnag down to the boxes and barrels that had accumulated again at the bottom of the shaft. It only took a second to tell that the debris could hold their weight, so we dropped the string down to them so they could begin their ascent.
They pushed their backs together and each took a synchronized step onto the wall. After that, they remained completely off the ground as they inched their way up the shaft as quickly and as carefully as they could.
Meanwhile, Fitch kept count of the time with Mya counting as back up; and Demtrius and Pharon, actually working together for once, lowered me into the breach again to track Marcivul and Carnag's progression.
One minute went by, then two, and I couldn't help but feel worried for Marcivul and Carnag. Three minutes, and then four. They were about halfway up, after having slipped once; almost giving me a heart attack. I gasped, and the others feared the worst, but Carnag and Marcivul somehow managed not to fall. They took some time, valuable time, to ensure they had secure footing before continuing. Sweat dripped down from their fur as they pressed their backs together and inched their way up. Five minutes, then six minutes. They were now about two-thirds of the way out, but they were running out of time. Everyone was nervous for the pair, especially me. Seven minutes. The water began to churn and bubble, shaking the pile of boxes and barrels at the base of the shaft.
“Pull me up!” I shouted, and Demtrius and Pharon wasted no time in getting me out of the shaft before the geyser erupted. We covered the opening, shielding ourselves from the scorching water, and waited for the surge to subside.
“Did they make it out?” Fitch asked nervously.
“They were close,” I said, “but I don't know. The geyser forced me out too soon.”
After the water burst was finished, I peered through the hole again, and, to our extreme relief, I saw Demtrius' cord drop down in front of me, close enough for me to grab.
With no time to spare, we climbed onto the cord one by one and were each quickly pulled up by Marcivul and Carnag. After two more eruptions I was the only one left to go, and as I made the ascent I could see the water beginning to churn and bubble again. Just before the geyser erupted, I was pulled out into the daylight, and we all scrambled to get away from the boiling water.
The nine of us cheered long and hard. Finally, we had reached the surface!
Chapter Seventeen
Bandits
The geyser rested inside a wide, crater-like depression in the hard limestone rock. The steaming water from the repetitious bursts gathered on one side of the depression, where boxes and barrels were strewn about. Some of the containers had splintered after being thrown from the geyser shaft and cracking on the hard ground, but none of the precious cargo seemed to have been lost, aside from Dwaren's indulgences.
The nine of us stood at the top of the ridge on the opposite side of the geyser, happy and relieved that our time underground was finally over. I hugged Mya in boyish delight, and then went to give Demtrius one as well, but he stepped back slightly and stuck out his hand. I forgot that his race didn’t value physical contact like ours.
“We did it,” he said smiling.
“Yes, we did,” I replied, taking his hand and shaking it fervently.
The geyser went off again a few minutes later, and we saw the amazing spout shooting high out of the ground. It was blistering hot and sunny out, but tendrils of steam still rose from the boiling water. I had to say, I liked this side of the geyser much better than its lower end.
While we congratulated ourselves on the death-defying ascent, three armed Tatorans mounted on bipedal rapts suddenly appeared on the top of the ridge at the far side of the geyser. They wore leather armor, and they must have seen us at about the same time we noticed them, for an instant later they were snapping their reins and urging their mounts down the embankment at a dangerous rate of speed. Behind them, two large rapt-drawn wagons appeared on the ridgeline, carrying three more Tatorans in each of the drivers’ seats. They were also aware of our presence, and they slowly began making their way down the slope after their partners. The rapts that pulled the wagons were quadrupeds, just like my Tzula.
"Drask!" Dwaren shouted in drunken excitement. “Our savior!”
Before we could stop him, Dwaren went sprinting for the incoming riders, stumbling here and there as he descended towards the geyser shaft.
"No, Dwaren!" shouted Marcivul, lunging forward without a moment’s hesitation. "Come back!"
Marcivul was sprinting after Dwaren. It took him a few seconds, but soon he had caught up with Dwaren and was frantically trying to redirect the drunkard back toward our group on the ridge. The first of the riders, however, was already rounding the pool of scalding water and was heading straight for them.
Marcivul tugged on Dwaren’s arm to pull him to safety, but, like the drunken fool he was proving to be, Dwaren stubbornly refused to turn back.
