Keelia slipped through the water with her two friends behind her. She stopped abruptly. She heard a strange sound that sounded like bubbles. She stopped Jililian and Rachel from going any farther. When a shape appeared she punched it, not too hard, but still a punch. “OW!!!!!!” Brinely’s voice shrieked when the hit landed.
“Brinely! Oh my word! I’m so sorry! I didn’t know it was you! Are you OK?” Keelia paddled over to her brother and looked at his eye.
“Nothing’s broken. But probably slightly discolored, no doubt. You’re good. No serious harm done, just gonna be a bit sore for a few minutes,” Brinely said, wincing a bit when he grinned. They continued deeper into the maze of tunnels, guided by a bruised Brinely. Shortly, they came to a real Shen Drar cavern. It had ropes and ladders winding from side to side with four men talking on one bridge. The group huddled under a nearby bridge. They were speaking in Nivaran and Keelia could barely understand them.
“Shi natro ael[1]!” one spoke.
“Na! Kabutrak mikic[2]!” the second shouted. Cleary, whatever was being said was not in total agreement.
“Na! Le ba Straten. Le hu shi natro ael[3]!” The tallest man shouted at the others, and the other men stepped back and hurried out, but the third man still remained silent, and stoically walked away with the others.
“Crepja natro deplit[4]*,” the tallest said. The three men appeared with three bound Sustainers. A male and two females. Keelia looked at Brinely for guidance on what to do, but he was slowly backing up. She glanced at Rachel, whose eyes were opened wide with fierce fright.
“Go! Go! Swim! Get out of the tunnel!” she hissed and dove under, not even putting her mouthpiece in.
Jililian and Keelia looked at each other for a second then dove after them. They swam with all their might and had to slip their mouthpieces in after a few strokes underwater. As they swam, a small tremor shook the caves and ice fell around them. It was over within a minute, but left Keelia frightened if there was going to be a larger tremor. Brinely didn’t stop swimming and he kept on going still when they got to the doors. Rachel lingered behind to shut the door and kept going. They passed the spot where they entered the two separate caves, but neither Rachel or Brinely made any signs of stopping and resting. Keelia’s feet hit solid ground beneath her and she realized that the mouth of the cave was only about ten yards away. Brinely staggered out of the water and ran toward the exit. The others passed the engraving of Plydis on the wall, but Keelia saw it. She looked at it, and she felt something tugging on her heart. With difficulty, she ignored its call and tore away from it, fleeing toward the entrance of the cave. She noticed the lighting of the spell was almost all the way up and she jumped before it could reclose on her.
“What was that?!” she screamed at Brinely, “Maybe a little explanation of why we just swam for a mile and a half without stopping?” Rachel gasped for air as she explained.
“Crepja is the name for what Fern actually is. That was the room and bridge where they usually change the Sustainers. When they have the lake right under them, and then they pour the liquid flames over the people. They push the people into the water so that they don’t get caught on fire. That’s why we had to get out. Each Crepja spends three days under the water, patrolling the entrances and exits until the monster has total control. If they had seen us, we would have been captured, but more likely killed,” Rachel finished with a big breath of air. They all sat in the cold snow until they caught their breaths. Brinely reached his hands up toward the sky and made the clouds part so they could have a patch of sunlight on them. This dried the soaking party up and made everybody warm.
“Alvis!” Keelia remembered her friend’s lifeless body and hurried to her feet, “we have to make sure he’s OK!”
“Do you think that Everie took him to the normal hospital?” Jililian asked. They agreed to check and see if he was at the Howell’s house or not first.
The snow was beginning to melt and water flowed down the hill as they trudged up the snow. Delisa decided to make the trip easier and faster by causing the branches of the trees to carry them up the hill leading to Crecklington. The tree limbs lifted Keelia into the air in a soothing rhythm. Up and down and up and down. Over and over and over again. It felt like Keelia was flying. Her legs swayed beneath her in the air. The crisp air beat against her face as the fast, yet nonchaotic ride lifted her again. When a branch set her down on the edge of Crecklington, a few stared her way and walked passed with shocked faces. The others touched down beside her. She looked at a town watch and groaned.
“Guys, we were down in the caves for longer than we thought. Look,” she pointed dismally at the clock which told that the time was 6:30 p.m. A series of groans went around the small group. They had left at four in the morning and it was almost seven at night. Not only would their parents be worried sick about them, they would have to explain to the Howells, Wacksons, Master Brinald, Counselor Alie, and most likely to the King and Queen. They had been told that they would suffer consequences if they missed school or riled up the town. So they pretty much had disobeyed every single thing they had been told to do. The first stop they took was at Laurelin’s house.
Keelia stepped up to the bright red door and knocked quietly. To Keelia’s surprise, Hadassah opened the door. “Keelia! Where were you today?! It was so horrible. At lunch half of the food turned black and gray and everybody freaked out– oh, you’re not here to talk… What happened to Uncle Jian? He rushed out of the door a few hours ago and when he came back he wouldn’t talk or do anything. He just sat there and cried,” Hadassah talked as she led them into the living room. Jian Alie was sitting on a chair in the corner of the room, his face streaked with tears and his nose somewhat pink. He started up when he saw them enter. He pointed at Keelia, swallowed slowly and began.
“Why was Alvis in the hospital? And why were you not at school? Why?” he said the last part with a sob.
“We were in the Shen Drar caverns. I’m sorry that we didn’t tell you, but we didn’t have time. It was snowing for so long and we had to go!” Keelia said. She felt very sorry to have caused her teacher so much harm and fear. Laurelin walked in the door. Her face was pale and she told the children to leave the room. Of course, they stood by the door and listened to what was being said. The voices were muffled but audible.
“Is it really true?” Laurelin whispered.
“Yes. I saw his memory, Laurelin. They’re alive. We were right,” Jian said.
“Should we tell them? Please! I want things back to how they used to be. I want to sit around the fire with them on my lap again. I want to sing to them and hold them. I want them back,” Laurelin sobbed.
“We will, when the time is right. But first we have more pressing matters to attend to-” His voice was cut short by a loud trolley buzzing past the house. They children ran to the couch and when Jian burst through the door, they got up. He rushed out the door, with Keelia and the rest close behind. He stopped in front of the palace. Smoke and fire filled the air and he gasped when a winged creature lifted itself out of the fire. It had a long snout and glowing eyes. Its black and brown scales were sizzling and crackling as it rose out of the air. It gave a long and piercing shriek. Keelia went into a daze, just as Alvis had, only more. The memory of a boy standing in front of him with blood dripping from his back and arm. His eyes looking into hers. She didn’t collapse as Alvis had done. She stood strong and faced the flaming palace. The princess Johanna, Frederick and Sellona’s daughter ran out of the burning building. Tears flowed out of her shocked eyes, and she met Jian Alie’s eyes. She shook her head and Jian screamed a name Keelia didn’t know and fell to his knees. She strained her eyes at the glowing building trying to see the dragon again. She looked at Jian and Laurelin held her close and wept.
Plydis had attacked the Palace of Nivara. Plydis, the supposed myth who was reality, soared through the smokey air and shrieked again. “Laurelin, what happened?” Keelia asked.
“King Fredrick Vesperus and Queen Sellona Vesperus are dead.”
[1] Shi Natro Ael= We start now.
[2] Na! Kabutrak mikic= No! Tomorrow night!
[3] Na! Le ba Straten. Le he shi natro ael= No! I am Straten. I say we start now!
[4] Crepja natro deplit= Crypja start the change
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