The Hunt for Freedom

Chapter Forty Three

    Dakari took the amulet into his hands and closed his eyes.

"It is being called, I can feel it trying to answer. Can you feel it?" He said, sounding very much like one of those television preachers that preach late in the night.

Lainey looked at him like he had grown another head. "What do you mean? How can rocks be called? That doesn't make any sense."

Remembering that humans would typically have closed minds when it came to things like this, he attempted to explain, "All things have a heart, a core. This rock, as you call it, is as alive as you or I. Red crystals harbor immense amounts of power, and can be channeled for good or dark magics. The heart of the crystal can be swayed either way. Right now, this crystal is pure and has a heart for you. I can feel it, whatever has called it will be helpful for you."

Lainey accepted whatever Dakari said as gospel. She thought of him as a surrogate big brother, a super powerful surrogate big brother. "What do we do now?"

Dakari looked all around them but could find nothing mystical. "Keep an eye on your amulet as we start climbing, maybe it will guide us."

Lainey looked at the cliff face as the falling rain began to pelt them. She knew how slippery the rocks could get when wet and wished they could just get out magically. Dakari had explained that he wasn't capable of transporting them, his powers tended to be in conjuring things. At the moment she wished he would conjure up some burgers.

They started their ascent, but didn't get far when Dakari noticed a small hole in the cliff face. He was able to put his head inside enough to see that it was another small cavern. Frustrated that the hole wouldn't accommodate his bulk he boosted Lainey up to crawl through. From her squeals of pleasure he knew that whatever was calling to the crystal was inside.

"What is it Lainey? What do you see?" He asked, anxious to get Lainey back out where he could watch over her.

"It's so blue, it's amazing, I've never seen anything so blue."

"What's so blue? Lainey, what are you talking about?"

There was silence from inside now. Dakari started to panic. Had she fallen? Was she ok? He had to find a way to get in. He looked around desperately and saw a larger cavity he thought he might be able to wiggle through. First a leg, then slowly and bending in strange positions, his torso and head. Finally, finding a secure handhold on the inside he was able to pull his other leg through.

All around him the cave glowed blue. He could feel the crystals in his pockets warm and pulse. Whatever was happening he was starting to feel dizzy with the beauty of it. He could see Lainey now, mouth open, hand outstretched touching a blue crystal formation. It was a blue like nothing he had ever seen. Deep, but bright, it dazzled the eye. It seemed to sing, and it's song seemed to have the power to mesmerize. The handhold he was holding started to crumble and brought him out of his reverie.

He made a quick decision to jump to the rock Lainey sat on. As he did, portions of where he had just been fell into the water below with a splash. His weight shook the rock and Lainey snapped out of her trance. Her eyes quickly went dark and she winced with pain. He looked down and saw the gash on her knee. She must have fallen like he did. The wound was open and blood was seeping onto the rock.

The crystals in his pockets all but jumped out of his pockets. Grabbing them, lest they fall into the sea below he laid them on the blue crystals. He felt like a child in a candy factory. The joy pulsed out and filled the room, as the crystals united and fused into one royal lilac crystal.