Lillia realized that the tunnel was sloping down. She was heading deeper down. She wasn’t sure if she should be nervous about that. Her nerves were already tight to their maximum capacity. But as soon as the thought occurred to her, the tunnel started sloping up.
After a while, she slowed her run. She hadn’t happened across another trap for a while. She was more than alert, but it was hard to be prepared when you didn’t even know what to be prepared for. As she walked forward, she noticed something on the ground in the dim purple light.
On the floor was a smear of blood, and several bloody handprints. What could that be from? She looked around for other signs of blood. There were a few drops further down the tunnel, but it wasn’t a lot. Whoever or whatever the blood was from they weren’t fatally injured. But the smear and handprints, they would have had to trip or fall to make that pattern.
Oh.
She looked back the way she came and saw the pressure plate nearly hidden on the ground. Luckily, she had avoided it this time around. But she was back where she started. How? The tunnel had gone in a straight line. No turns or curves. Was this another trap? She cursed herself. She had wasted so much time already!
She started running forward. She was so tired. She didn’t remember running as much as she had in the last hour or so. She took a deep breath and steeled herself and ran forward again. This had to be another trap. There was a way to get past it. These traps were a form of protection, but Lillia suspected that the ancient elves also put these traps in place to force the adventurers to prove, not only their wits but also their worth. Zavian help them all if a common sycophant got a hold on the Sword of Amasar.
Lillia focused harder on her surroundings as she ran. She felt her boots’ friction on the rocky ground beneath her. The walls and purple crystals whipping by. She gasped in the musty cave air into her air-starved lungs. Then she noticed it. The walls seemed to hold still. She still felt her feet scuff across the rocks, but she wasn’t making any progress. The tunnel seemed to elongate, going on forever. She couldn’t even see the end.
She stumbled to a stop looking around at her repeating surroundings. How did she get past this gauntlet?
She looked in both directions, even though she knew it was futile. It was pointless to continue forward. What if she went backwards? She shook her head at her own idea. She had a feeling that she would run into a similar problem.
So, where to go?
It was a one-way tunnel. Or was it? Lillia almost laughed at herself. That was crazy. She was crazy. Pure stupidity. But part of her paused. She didn’t have any other ideas. And it was unexpected.
Lillia turned towards the tunnel wall and stepped forward. It could be like the entrance to the cave. She wasn’t a Mystic. She wouldn’t be able to see it. But it was a possibility. She stepped up to the wall until her nose was almost touching the rough wall. She took a deep breath and stepped forward.
***
Lillia gasped in disbelief when it worked. She looked behind her at the rock wall. It looked solid as ever, but she had walked straight through it. She blinked several times. The cavern she was in was lit brighter than the tunnel outside.
“Holy Zavian.” Lillia breathed. She looked down and realized she was standing in two inches of water. The water was black as if it were polluted, but it didn’t smell polluted. Lillia swished her boot in the water, but no dirt separated in the water, it was just black.
Lillia turned around and saw a sight that wrenched her heart. “Drayce!” She exclaimed. She threw caution to the wind and splashed towards the inert figure, laying in the water.
She dropped to her knees ignoring the fact she was soaking her cloths. His dark hair was soaked and sticking to his forehead. His eyes remained closed. His usually bright face had a deathlike pallor. She looked him over and realized that he was missing his shoes and jacket. Had he taken those off? Was he dead? How did he get down here? She looked around, but couldn’t see any entrances or exits, just circular cave walls. Of course, that didn’t mean there weren’t any.
Lillia fought down her rising anxiety. She put her ear to his chest. He wasn’t breathing and she couldn’t detect a heartbeat. She started taking sharp quick breaths as she fought tears of grief. Stop it! She told herself. Hyperventilating never helped anyone. She had to do anything she could to save him. She wasn’t done with this infuriating man yet.
She started chest compressions, hoping against hope that she would be able to revive him. How many should she do? When did she give up? Was she pushing hard enough? She tilted his head back, forcing his mouth open. She lowered her face to his blowing air to his lungs.
Then he stirred.
She leaned back in relief. She felt several tears slip down her face. She leaned forward, cupping his face. “Drayce, oh thank Zavian. Can you hear me?”
His arm shot out of the water with an explosion of water, grabbing her already bruised neck. She gasped in shock at his firm grip. His eyes snapped open.
They were no longer blue.
***
Caelum screamed in pain. He was not fan of Zraa’s “games”. He watched in horror at his charred skin. Who said this could be possible? Burning someone from the inside, out?
Zraa cackled watching him writhe in pain. “Not so arrogant now, are we?” She licked her lips. “Only a half hour left. Pity. I thought if someone could get the Sword, it would be your friends.”
Why does she want them to get it so bad? Caelum thought through a panicking brain. His skin was bright red, blistering up and down his arms. He had ripped his jacket off, hoping to help relieve the burning. It hadn’t helped. He reeked of burned flesh. Ever part of him in contact with the ground screamed in pain. But Caelum couldn’t have stood even though he wanted to. He never felt such immense pain.
There was something here. What was it? He screamed again as another wave of pain hit him. His eyes leaked tears that steamed and evaporated as they slipped onto his skin.
Zraa stepped up to him looking at him with a strange mix of pleasure and pity. She kicked him in the ribs, causing that side of his body to erupt with agony. He cried out. She crouched down and leaned forward until she was just above him.
Her golden eyes reflected sick fascination. “I find it interesting how fragile you mortals’ lives are. So fragile.” She reached out and pressed her hand against his face. He screamed as he felt the skin literally melt on his face. Make it stop! He wanted to scream. He didn’t care if he sounded cowardly. Never had he ever felt this volume of agony.
Thirty minutes. Could he make it? He felt like he’d be dead in a matter of a quarter hour. Even though his whole body shrieked at him to stop, He brought his hand up and grabbed Zraa’s wrist. He yanked her hand away, feeling skin go with it. He gripped the demon’s wrist as hard as his suffering body would allow him, feeling a rare rush of absolute loathing rise up inside of him. Surprise flashed across Zraa’s face. In that moment his pain lessened. He seized the moment.
In a moment he was on his knees, his body wouldn’t allow him to rise to his feet, as every bone in his body felt they would vaporize in a moment. He squeezed the demon’s wrist as hard as he could, drawing energy from the dark feelings of vengeance swirling around inside of him.
“Our mortality may be fragile.” Caelum hissed out through gritted teeth. “But our spirits will be stronger than your ancient one will ever be.” Amazingly he felt her wrist crunch under his white knuckled grip. “You. Will. Not. Break. Me.” He emphasized.
Fear actually appeared on Zraa’s face. It was all fun and games when you were the one doing the torture. He saw tears pool in her eyes. “Impossible!” She shrieked. “I cannot be destroyed!”
Caelum felt more of the inflicted pain leave him as Zraa panicked. He unsteadily got to his feet, his joints seemed to grind together, as if they were disintegrating. “I am not one to be played with.” Caelum said. He threw Zraa down. He retrieved his boot knife and held it to her throat.
She cackled. “You fool! I cannot be killed!”
“I’m not trying to kill you.” He said simply. Caelum smiled ruefully. “For Drayce.” He said softer.
With that he stabbed his knife into Zraa’s face.
