The colour of silence

Chapter 34

Glow

She sighed as she took in the large cave entrance.

Why does it have to be a cave?

Dusk had skillfully led them through the unknown country, claiming to know someone who might help them go back home. He hadn't told her much about the foreign dimension and Glow didn't ask. They had passed their time in uncomfortable silence. She felt Dusk's fury and his unease simmer underneath a stony façade. Now they faced this huge cave, a bar of sorts where creatures the Commander referred to as Untsik liked to pass their time. They were creatures of magic, highly intelligent and mostly harmless according to his word. Glow still felt overwhelmed by it all. It was surreal. She kept expecting to wake up, or for someone to jump from behind a tree and say: "Surprise. We were just kidding. You are, in fact, still on Earth." But it never happened.

"Don't stare at them," was all Dusk said as he led the way into the cave.

They were met by utter darkness and Glow's eyes struggled to find a sliver of light that would give her a picture of the place. Around a corner up ahead shone the faintest bluish light. Dusk took her hand in his and dragged her after him. The blue light turned brighter and when they rounded the corner, Glow couldn't help but gasp.

They emerged into a big oval cave. The walls themselves gave off the blue-white light, Glow couldn't tell how. Low, wailing music echoed through the cave but Glow couldn't pinpoint its source. It just seemed to weave through the air. A bar had been carved out of the stone wall on her left, and the cavern was littered with stone tables that seemed to sprout out of the ground like mushrooms. The most astonishing sight of all were the Untsik. Their skins ranged in hues from almost white, over the lightest shade of seagrass to a deep navy blue. They stood on two legs, with long, slender bodies that were indistinguishable as male or female. Their arms looked disproportionate as they hang down to their knees. Each one ended in three taloned fingers. Their faces were oval, elongated, and a single antenna sprouted out of the tops of their bald heads, differing in size, shape, and color. Their supposed eyes resembled that of a fly with their multitude of lenses glimmering in every pastel hue. They had no mouths. Glow couldn't see any noses and wondered how they breathed air. Did they even need to? They were all dressed in floor-length gowns that hung straight down their bodies.

"I told you not to stare at them," Dusk hissed and elbowed her in the side.

Glow snapped her mouth shut and averted her eyes. There was no helping it though, they kept wandering back to the creatures with curiosity. What did he expect? The Untsik were unlike anything Glow had ever seen.

Dusk walked them over to the bar and sat on one of the stones that served as barstools. The Untsik behind the counter moved over to them. When it moved, it looked like it was gliding over the floor.

The Untsik eyed Dusk warily.

"Varazadi?"

Glow's eyes widened. The Untsik had a humming voice and yet again, Glow was unable to identify where the sounds had come out of. The Untsik turned its head towards Glow.

"I don't know what this one is," it hummed.

Glow wondered why she could understand the creature. Dusk looked at her and said:

"They have magic, so they are universally understandable, and understanding. There are spells for that or how do you think we did it?"

Glow frowned. She had never asked herself that question. "Well excuse me for not stopping to wonder why you spoke our language when you invaded my home and slaughtered my parents."