Fallen Fire | The Isle of the Wyverns

Chapter Ten

As Alethea descended the mountain alongside the others, she felt a pang of guilt weighing her down. As the elevator drew closer to the ground, slower this time, Alethea walked towards the edge of the capsule, to where Aesira and Altan stood. She stood next to them awkwardly, and her hands felt suddenly as though they had been turned to lead. "Why did you volunteer to come with me?" She asked quietly. "You shouldn't have." Aesira was the first to answer. "Alethea, all I've done my whole life is train, and train, and train. I've only got to see the real world a few times and I've been waiting for a quest, because...the real world is where you get tested. It's where you find out if you're any good or not." Alethea nodded at her sadly as she left their side to speak to Arius.

"What about you?" she demanded of Altan, whose arms were still folded defiantly over his chest. He was silent for a few beats until he said: "I've been here for a while Alethea, I've done dangerous things before. Prometheus is no fan of Khione, but if you're going on a quest, I'm the best person to keep you from messing up." Alethea stared at him. "But why would you risk your life like this? Why?" He looked at her with a wan smile. "Because you're my friend Alethea. Now any more stupid questions?" Even Alethea couldn't keep the smile off her face.

With a sickening lurch, the capsule slowed to a stop. Everyone clambered out muttering darkly. The onlooking campers immediately bombarded the head counsellors with questions:

"What did the Tarragon's want with you guys?"

"What was Selene like Celaena?"

"Tell us everything!"

Alethea could understand the chaos the Tarragons had caused, after all, it wasn't every day that anyone got to see them. In fact a wyvern was lucky if they ever got to see them even once in their lives. As Celaena began to narrate the tale of everything that had happened, the eager laughter died down, as the dark reality nestled itself between their ears. Nobody said anything, though the unspoken message was heavy in the air. They aren't going to come back alive. Arius, perhaps detecting danger in the air, ushered the three wyverns towards the Big House. The Big House was an old red brick-ed and red roofed building, overgrown with ivy and moss. There was a long deck that went over the perimeter of the building giving the threesome a fantastic view of the many surrounding forests.

As they walked through the door, Alethea noticed that there was already a warm fire going, the walls were adorned with rare animal skins and even the head of a panther. Tapestries depicting the heroic feats of past heroes glinted smugly in the fire light, as they hung between the many rows of bookshelves on the wall. Lamps stood on drawers, teacups sat on tables and piles of paperwork sat on the couch, amidst a large assortment of tasseled pillows. There had to have been many other rooms and floors in the Big House, though if there were, Arius led the three friends past them, up flights of stairs, all the way up to the attic.

"I am forbidden to accompany you." Arius said gravely. "But remember: go straight to the oracle and do NOT touch anything if you can help it. Almost all the relics there are cursed and hold a past of bloodshed and pain, so unless the oracle states otherwise, leave everything in there untouched, receive your prophecy, and leave. Do I make myself clear?" he asked urgently. When they nodded, Arius sent them up with Alethea in the front and Aesira bringing up the rear. Four flights up, the stairs ended under a green trapdoor. Alethea pulled the cord. The door swung down, and a wooden ladder clattered into place. They gingerly climbed the ladder that led to the attic. She balanced on the top rung, and flung open the trap door. The door crashed against the dirt blackened floorboards loudly.

The musty smell hit them, as a flurry of dust cascaded onto their heads. Alethea carefully levered herself up onto the floor above her. The warm air from above smelled like mildew and rotten wood and something else...a smell that she remembered from biology class. Reptiles. The