Spirits

Chapter 12

True to his word, it didn't take long to find the entrance. It must have been a few miles from the port, but there was no sign of human life around the cliff.

"There's a reef that circles this area," Jax called over his shoulder. "No one can get here if they're human."

It was the first words he had said since we departed and it took me by surprise. When I thought about his words, it made sense.

"So no humans have ever been to Intutum?"

"Humans used to be allowed into Intutum, but that ended generations ago," Jax informed me bitterly. "Only Spirits who have been to Intutum know how to find it. Any human who knew has died off. Follow me and try to stay as close as possible. The tunnels branch off and strong currents pull through them. If you aren't careful, I'll lose you in the darkness." Jax offered me his hand which I let hang limp. He only shrugged and continued, pulling next to me.

There was enough room for three of four people to swim comfortably, but I could feel the pull Jax mentioned. My hair and skirt pulled to openings in the rock that I had to push through. If any human was able to make it to the entrance, they wouldn't survive the current.

"Where is the light coming from?" I asked, noting the fuzzy outline of Jax next to me. He was barely visible but his eyes shone like lanterns in darkness.

"I assume The Ocean," he shrugged, pulling to the left and leaving me to scramble to catch up. "No one questions anything."

"That doesn't seem a wise way to live."

"When you see Intutum, you'll understand why no one questions." Jax rolled so he was able to look from me to the cave ahead. There was a trace of humor in his eyes. "If you tried to explain everything in our world, you'd get lost at the very beginning."

I couldn't think of a response. He wasn't wrong. Only a day ago I had died, yet I was swimming through earthy caves created by a deity.

The cavern began to slope upward, my hands moving along the smooth walls. Jax blocked the path and looked around. He pointed down the tunnel to our left and I followed his finger. The walls seemed to glow, crystals embedded every few inches. It was stunning.

Jax's eyes flashed as he started down the tunnel, the gentle curves bringing us into a vast lagoon. A large island erupted into existence a kilometer away. The lush, green standing out against the small village tucked in a forest.

Along the farthest wall, wooden steps lifted to a door at the top of the cavern where water poured from, thundering into the lagoon below.

"How can any of this exist?" I gapped, looking around. It was light in the cavern, the ceiling of rock and uncut gems lighting the space with one dazzling beam radiating from directly over the island like a second sun. "We are underground, none of this should be possible."

Jax began moving closer to the island without responding and leaving me to follow in his wake. A shadow flew over us and I found myself staring at the winged woman as she landed in a cave along the walls. A man stood beside her, his features strikingly similar to the woman.

Their wings were built for both the sea and air, dark and silky, dragging behind them as they stared down at us. The dark skin of their backs blended into the long attachments where features broke out in a glossy pattern that seemed to shift the longer I looked at them.

It was the first time I had seen a Spirit who looked strickenly un-human. They were fascinating.

The woman's lips pointed in a beak-like fashion. She studied us, before waving, a kind grin breaking out. It looked natural despite the sharp teeth and bird-like features.