Ice-Bound Promise [Wattys 2023 Shortlister]

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The tunnel opened out into an immense cavern, with a sloping path leading down to the floor. Up above, they saw a great cascade of water, falling through a crack that stretched the entire width of the cave. The water crashed and smashed against rocks and outcrops, the walls of the cavern not smooth, like the tunnel, before falling into a lake at the bottom.

The lake ran out of the cavern through several openings, at the other end of the open space and, on an island in the centre of the lake, Únik could see the source of the strange light that lit the entire cave, allowing them to see everything.

It took seconds for their eyes to adjust to this new light, that throbbed, waxing and waning in strength, but never becoming dim enough to see what produced the light. Once again, Únik felt her stomach twist in uncontrollable, instinctive fear. It felt as though everything led them to this place. The rains, the temple, the tunnel entrance below the altar. Everything.

"That's the flood water, isn't it?" The first to step forward into the cavern, Hatyara stared up towards the great horseshoe of a waterfall. She turned towards Únik. "If you had tried to swim to safety, you would have fallen down that."

"We don't know that it's the same water." Pursing her lips, unwilling to admit that she could have mistaken her chances, Únik looked away from the waterfall. "It could be from somewhere else. We've been walking for hours in Patrons know what direction."

"I'm pretty certain it's the same water." Shihiri pointed to one point along the lip of the waterfall, where they could make out the shape of a building, collapsed from one side of the crack and teetering against the other side. "That looks like one of the city's buildings, to me."

Turning her head away, refusing to consider the possibility, Únik searched for Barsa and found the hound stood near the wall, his head lowered, making quiet whimpering noises. Whatever the dog sensed, it put the fear of the Patrons in him. She moved to him, stroking his head and he nudged her hand, licking her fingers in thanks for the comfort.

After paying attention to her dog, she returned to the edge of the path, crouching as she looked down towards the island in the centre of the cavern. Even at its most dim, the light poured from its source too bright to see anything. Every so often, the light would flash much brighter and she had to turn her head, screwing up her face as she shied away from the intensity.

"What do you think it is?" Joining Únik, Shihiri crouched beside her, hand resting on the cold, smooth stone of the path. "I can't make out anything. Not from here and I think looking at it will get worse, the closer we get."

"I don't know. I've never seen anything like it. Hatyara?" She glanced up towards the Ice-Kin, who still seemed fascinated by the sheer size of the waterfall.

"I don't know, either." Making one, quick glance at the light, Hatyara shrugged her tiny shoulders. "I've been to many places and never seen a light like that. It seems ... alive?"

That confirmed what Únik had thought and it brought no comfort. In all the stories told in Uriok to scare children and adults alike, she had not heard anything about a living light. Or anything considered evil that had anything to do with light. Save for the mythical vampires and their aversion to the Sun. Legendary blood-drinkers aside, nothing stirred her memory.

Beside her, Shihiri rose to her feet. She seemed to accept that they had to continue following the path set out before them, a little more reluctant now. A path that made a shallow slope, compared to their initial entrance to the tunnel, down along the side of the cavern, towards the floor, its lake and that island. Únik tapped her forefinger and thumb together as she considered what lay ahead. It seemed all too easy, so far.