Watty's Shortlist 2023
"I have been waiting a long time to meet you."
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When two warring kingdoms hear of a magical object that will end the conflict once and for all, two rival heirs embark on a quest to retrieve it and bring their...
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When morning arrived, dread seeped into Aila's bones, weighing them down as if to prevent them from even setting a foot in the cave.
Almost.
The idea of spending time in such a narrow, damp, dark place was not appealing. She was half tempted to send Castor ahead to retrieve the chalice and stay with Kallias instead, but if it came down to a fight between the two men, there was no doubt whatsoever that Kaiden would win.
When it came to the chalice and her kingdom, she couldn't let that happen. Reminding herself that she wasn't alone, that she had Kaiden in front of her and that Castor had her back, she ducked low, and entered the cave.
Coldness immediately slapped her. She clutched her coat tighter around her, forced herself to place one foot in front of another and told herself that the quicker she conquered this, the quicker it would be over and they'd be under the sun again.
She and Castor had brought matches with them; though her best friend held one in front of him, she preferred not to carry one because she preferred her hands to be free so that she could hold onto the rock, as if it were a banister. Kaiden had created a ball of his own fire, and Aila allowed his silhouette to guide her, aware of the way his glow cast shadows on the cave walls. Her gaze was firmly locked on the floor, as if it would open up and swallow her whole at any moment.
Breathing became difficult. The distinct lack of fresh air was evident, and Aila was not accustomed to it in the slightest. After a few minutes, she was certain that the cave walls were closing in on her, but Kaiden and Castor's lack of alarm grounded her and she merely dismissed it as her imagination.
"Can you see the end?" Aila asked after what she imagined had been twenty minutes of trudging through the tunnel. Her voice came out breathy and weak, small as if the weight of the rock around her were suppressing the authority it normally held.
"No," Kaiden replied. Surprise flashed in Aila's mind at the ease and comfort in his voice and the surety of his step. Her mind came up with a jab about whether or not he lived in a cave, but her words wouldn't form, remaining trapped in her throat. "I imagine it won't be much further now though."
"Are the walls closing in on you guys too?" Aila choked out, feeling a distinct lack of oxygen in the air and gasping in pain.
"No," Cas replied in concern. "Aila, are you okay?"
Aila didn't know what was happening. One minute she was standing with her arms gripping the rock on either side of her, and the next, a sharp pain sliced through her knees. She tried to scream, but she began to hyperventilate and was unable to do anything other than gasp desperately.
"She's claustrophobic," Kaiden spoke, kneeling before her. She didn't know when or how he had turned around in the narrow space; she only knew that there was now a fireball illuminating her panic-stricken face.
Pressure began to build in Aila's lungs and she keeled over, pulling her knees to her chest and burying her head between them. Violent sobs racked through her chest, making it all the more harder to breathe.
Merelia flashed through her head, overwhelming her more. The thought of having to go through this twice, once more on the return journey with the chalice, was too much to bear.
She had let her parents down, her kingdom down. She wouldn't get the chalice back in time, and they'd all perish. It truly wouldn't make a difference whether or not she made it back, or just succumbed in this lightless cave.
"Hey Aila," Kaiden's voice broke through her tumultuous torrent of thoughts. He'd been saying her name for some time now, calmly and patiently trying to bring her out of her head. He gripped her chin and brought her face up, forcing her watery gaze to meet his.
"Close your eyes," he murmured. Aila wasn't aware of herself, but she must've listened because his voice continued to break through the storm in her mind. "It's night time and you're in a field." He paused. "The grass is brushing your skin, and there's a light breeze. It's so peaceful that you could fall asleep, but you don't. You're looking at the royal blue sky above you, where the stars are shining, twinkling, flickering like little lights."
Kaiden paused as Aila's breathing began to ease. Her eyes were still clenched tightly together, and her heart was still pounding, but she could breathe and the tears had stopped rolling down her cheeks.
"How do you feel?" Kaiden murmured.
Aila inhaled shakily, but her eyes opened and locked on his bright blue ones that seemed to provide more light in the chamber than the fire he was holding did.
"Hopeful," she exhaled in a breath. Her voice still sounded strange, but she was able to speak, which not only gave her relief, but also seemed to reassure the man in front of her, judging by the way his shoulders released the tension.
They stared into each other's eyes for a few moments as Kaiden gave Aila time to recover from her anxiety attack.
When her breathing had completely eased, he stood and pulled her to her feet.
"It's only temporary," he assured. "I can feel the cave widening out. I can't see a light but perhaps it's not too far away now."
Aila nodded and wiped the tears from her eyes. She gestured for him to keep going, and he turned and began striding down the path again. She herself could feel the cavern widening out, which gave her immense relief.
She locked her eyes on the ground before her and continued, focusing on the stars Kaiden had conjured in her mind. When Kaiden suddenly halted in his tracks with tension clinging to him, Aila slammed into his back and staggered back a few steps before Castor steadied her.
"Stars," Kaiden breathed.
"What's going on?" Castor called, unable to see much.
Kaiden wordlessly moved forward, until the three stood side by side in a wider cavern.
Aila's heart dropped into her stomach at the sight she saw before her, at the four wide paths that branched off in front of her like a fork, so wide that the three of them would be able to walk side by side even with Kallias.
"The second trial..." Kaiden began, voicing the realisation that dawned on them all simultaneously.
"It's a damn maze."
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