Path to Destiny

Chapter 46

Chapter 46

I appreciated Espoire's trust in Baruch and Titus -- He and the kingling know what to do -- but Titus was just as clueless as the rest of us. All except for Baruch, whose knowledge of the jagged mountain path we followed saved us many times from tumbling to our deaths over the steep cliff face.

The long path we trekked swept round the mountain. Craggy, crumbly, and narrow at times and wide at others, the path was altogether extremely dangerous.

Baruch and Titus took turns carrying Ezra on their backs. "We should be there soon," Baruch kept muttering against the wind that buffeted us all. I was freezing because I'd shredded my robe to stop Ezra's bleeding.

Where we were going, I had no idea. Rowan stayed close behind me, periodically steadying me on a narrow path. I ran my hand along the smooth rock -- a wall, carved into the mountain. But who carved it?

A distant screech sounded in the distance. We all stopped, listening. My heart threatened to leap from my chest.

"We need to keep moving," I said, the desperation in my pounding heart overwhelming. "Ezra will bleed out."

Baruch turned to me. In the semi-darkness, I could see the angry scowl on his angular features. "You think I don't know that, Lannie?"

Titus pressed a warning hand to his shoulder. "She's just worried."

Baruch closed his eyes and nodded. "Let's be silent and continue walking instead of discussing my friend's impending death."

And so we climbed. The path soon led us into a mountain tunnel. Smooth rock replaced the dark night around us, and it became quiet and windless. Moonlight filtered in, illuminating the narrow space.

"Let's rest here," Baruch said, "but don't let your guard down."

He settled Ezra against a wall and redressed my makeshift bandages around his torso by tearing his own robe apart. Dread coated my heart when I saw that my bandages were already soaked in Ezra's blood. The wound on his leg had opened up as well.

I swallowed and thought back to what Espoire said. He and the kingling know what to do. Baruch knew what he was doing -- but Titus? I peered at him. Did he know more than I did about Baruch's plans?

In the narrow passage, Rowan touched the wall and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, a pained frown beset his features.

"We can't stay long," Baruch said after he finished wrapping Ezra's torso with his robe. "We need to get to the city."

"What city?" I asked finally, my voice desperate. "Where are we?"

Baruch looked me straight in the eye. "Tekin."

I stared at him. "We're in a mountain."

He instructed Titus to carry Ezra and nodded to me. "Precisely."

***

The underground mountain passage curled left and right, until I had no idea where we were going. There was a city inside the mountain? How was that possible? And why did I not know about it? The only inhabitable city I knew of in Tekin was Vale, and that was just past Balua's border, not hidden away in a vast mountain. Other than Vale, Tekin was said to be an uninhabitable country of ice, buffeted by constant snowstorms.

We moved with speed. Baruch must've known where he was going because he directed us down passageways with ease and precision. On Titus's back, Ezra's breathing became heavier, and his blackened forehead burned hotter than before.

The gray rock was suffocatingly close, but there was a continual breeze running through the passage. It widened, then narrowed, and repeated as we traversed the maze. I realized we were descending. It was so subtle, so masterfully carved out, that one barely noticed the slight dip in the rock, the way the passage tilted down in descent.

And suddenly, there was a set of doors that rose high into the ceiling. They were long, narrow, and built of iron and wood into the rock around them. Two handles etched into the double doors were made of a gleaming black iron. Baruch ignored the doors and veered left abruptly, leading us down a narrow path.

He stopped at a smaller, human-sized door, and knocked.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" I asked him. "Won't they...kill us for trespassing?"

"I agree," Titus said hesitantly, his eyes on the rugged door. The only thing that adorned it was a sliding metal slate.

The visage of a smile peeked through Baruch's red scarf. "He's going to kill me for bringing you here," he said with an exasperated sigh, avoiding our question.

Rowan studied the small wooden door. He touched the rock around it as Baruch knocked once more.

"What is it?" Titus asked the Earth Harbinger.

"This rock..." He turned to us, and his brown curls fell into his face. "It's made of magic."

The metal slate opened in the door to view us. Two black eyes peered out, squinting, analyzing. They landed on us. They widened.

The slate shut, and the door opened.

"Welcome," a gravelly voice said in a respectful, deep tone. In the small stone foyer, there stood a small and hobbly creature with horns and goat legs. A satyr.

"We need food, water, clothes, and medical attention," Baruch said, indicating Ezra. "As quickly as possible."

The satyr bounced on his feet nervously, staring at Ezra unconscious against Titus. "Yes. Quick, follow me."

I peered at Baruch, but he did not look at me.

We followed the satyr to a small hallway that ended in three shimmering doors. They were jeweled with glowing red, blue, and green gems. I took a deep breath and felt my heart start to pound. I'd felt this before -- it was magic that flowed through the rock, through the doors. A protective, embracing magic. Whether it was Eden's memories or my own, I didn't know.

The satyr picked the middle door, the one with gilded edges. Small, eye-like sapphires peered out of the handles and resonated with a soft, blue glow. We entered another stone hall which fanned out to a great chamber with a high ceiling.

I stopped in wonder.

Brilliant sunlight streamed through a glass ceiling, igniting murals of flowers and green meadows around us. When we left, it had been a foggy night, so this mountain must have been infused with magic. The floor was smooth, painted stone, swirling with vibrant greens, reds, and blues.

A woman entered the chamber with a frown on her face. Silvered raven hair trailed down her back, and she wore a simple gown the color of the desert. Once her eyes landed on Ezra, she cried out, "My son!"

Immediately, the satyr put his hands up. "He's hurt, mi'lady --"

But she didn't listen to him and rushed forward, touching Ezra's bloodied side. "What --" She looked at me, Rowan, Titus, and then Baruch. Her features became fire itself. "What's going on? What happened to him?"

I gawked, but Baruch put a hand on her shoulder and signaled for the satyr to get help. More people streamed out, humans and magical creatures alike.

"Seriah, it's fine," he said gently. Two young girls with pointed ears took Ezra -- and I stared at them. They looked human, with dark hair and --

One of the girls looked at me, and her eyes were a deep, deep amber on her dark skin.

She was a sylph.

Titus must have noticed it too, because I heard his breath catch in his throat. In the crowd there were many sylphs, mostly young girls. All with the same eyes, the same magic, as Titus.

Baruch beckoned to us as the girls took Ezra away. Seriah followed them, leaving us with Baruch.

"What is going on?" Titus asked, his words quiet. I glanced over to see his skin had turned deathly pale.

Baruch ran a hand through his sandy hair. "Ezra always offers tea before explanations," he said. "Shall we?"

***

A/N: Many discoveries have been made! Tekin isn't what Lannie thought it was...

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