It took a few moments for Valeria's innate night vision to turn on inside the dark cavern. She could hear the artifact whispering repeatedly as they descended, but tried to ignore it. Her right ankle suddenly began itching again, and Valeria tried to ignore this feeling too.
She noticed something on the ground and stopped. "Wait, don't move," she whispered. The metallic device on the ground was familiar; Hami had introduced her to smoke caltrops last week. Crouching down, she inspected the small cylinder but it had already been disarmed.
"What is it?" Erin whispered.
"Nothing," Valeria whispered back. "Let's keep going."
Valeria continued creeping down the cavern path until Erin stumbled behind her. She stopped and looked around, making sure they were alone before helping her up. "Here, hold my hand. I'll lead the way."
She felt an odd sensation when Erin's hand slipped into her own. The gold ring on her finger was warm to the touch, and the more she focused on this feeling, the more nauseous she became.
"What's wrong?" Erin asked.
The nausea was overwhelming, and Valeria had the urge to release her hand. But a voice in the back of her mind stopped her.
Don't let go. Please don't let go.
The vertigo dissipated, leaving her groggy and confused. She wondered if the voice inside her head was Erin's, or her own. She continued to hold Erin's hand, her resolve and strength growing. It didn't matter if she was hearing voices; Erin was with her, and they were going to make it through this - together.
She continued navigating the way through the rocky cavern passageway. Rocks crumbled along the ground behind them, forcing her to stop again. She turned and searched the cavern passage behind them again, but didn't see anyone.
"What is it?" Erin asked.
"Nothing," Valeria said, turning around. She continued to navigate them through the passageway, which descended into the opening of a massive cave. She straddled up to the opening and carefully peeked inside.
Her jaw dropped as she surveyed the massive underground cave and its contents. Mounds of gold and jewels were everywhere, some reaching toward the ceiling. From this vantage point, she noticed how the treasure created winding passageways toward the back of the cave, making it resemble a maze.
She was tempted to take off through it, but resisted when Frank's old advice crept back into her mind. Always check the room for all routes of escape before making a choice. Studying the room, she noticed only one route led to the clearing at the back of the room.
"What are we waiting for?" Erin whispered.
"I'm finding the way to go," Valeria whispered back.
"Can I use my phone's flashlight?" Erin asked. "I can't see a thing down here."
"No," Valeria whispered. "That'll give us away. Hold my hand and stay close. Don't touch anything."
"Why?"
Looking further down, Valeria noticed skeletal remains on the ground near the treasure, and swallowed a lump in the back of her throat. "Umm, just trust me. Don't touch anything."
She led the way to the entrance of the maze and started navigating the way through. She gawked at the mounds of treasure and felt the urge to pocket some, but refrained. Respect is the ultimate currency. Footsteps shuffled behind them, forcing Valeria to turn around again. She looked around the dark path with her night vision, but no one was there.
YOU ARE READING
Valeria Torres and the Midas Vault
Fantasy🌟2020 Watty's Winner🌟 A sixteen-year-old orphan, hoping to find a new family, joins a faction of Rogues and becomes vital in their conflict with a rival faction. *** For as long as she can reme...
