TIGHTROPE | fitz vacker

Chapter 10.

"ANY REASON WHY we're not having the roots pull us to Ravagog?" Keefe asked as they fought through the cramped tunnel. "It would be way faster than walking."

   "The same reason we didn't have the roots carry us to Exile," Calla said. The brief pause in her song made the tunnel close tighter, and it tightened further when she added, "Roots this old only have the strength to carry us one way, and the escape will be far more crucial."

   She belted out the next verse to widen the tunnel again. Their Exillium skills came in handy, allowing them to see through the darkness and stay cool despite the stuffiness of the tunnel. 

   The longer they walked, the more the roots narrowed. When the roots were no thicker than gossamer threads, Calla announced that the surface was right above them and asked if she should sing open an exit. 

   "Let me go out first," Alvar whispered. "I need to figure out where we are. As soon as it's safe, I'll come back and get you." 

   "I'll go with you," Biana offered. 

   "You should save your energy," he said. "And I should take the Markchain to cover my scent." 

   Sophie removed the silver pendant hanging from her neck and handed it to Alvar. Lady Cadence had agreed to loan it to them. Tam had thought they shouldn't bring it, worried the scent canceled his concealment. But Alvar insisted they needed to camouflage their smell as well as their appearance. Calla sang a deep, low verse, which sounded ominous as the earth nudged open, letting in streams of greenish light. 

   "I'll be back as soon as I can," Alvar said, turning invisible. 

   The only sign that he'd left was the shifting dust as he climbed out of the tunnel, and the rustling of the roots as Calla closed the earth again. Fitz offered everyone water from a magsidian flask Mr. Forkle had given him, and Keefe guzzled the whole thing. Fortunately, the flask had been carved to draw moisture out of the air and refill itself. 

   "I wouldn't drink that," Linh warned. "There's something wrong with the water." 

   She gathered more and molded it into an orb hovering over her hand. It had a slight greenish glow that turned Azalea's stomach. 

   "Sorry guys," Keefe mumbled. "I would've saved some if I'd known." 

   "I know you guys are talking about me," Keefe said after a long period of silence, making Azalea realize that Tam and Sophie were shadow whispering. "Care to fill me in?" 

   "I was asking her why the president of her fan club spends more time styling his hair than the girls do," Tam told him. 

   "Dude, you did not just insult the Hair." 

   Calla silenced both boys, reminding them that someone on the surface could hear them. 

   After that, the waiting felt endless. 

   A lot of time passed before Fitz said, "Alvar's been gone a long time." 

   "Do you think something happened to him?" Biana whispered. "I could go out and look." 

   "We shouldn't split up again," Fitz told her. "If we leave, we all leave together. But let's give him a few more minutes." 

   Dust rustled above them and Alvar whispered, "All clear. But hurry."

   "OKAY, THIS PLACE is way creepier than I thought it would be," Keefe whispered as they crawled out of the tunnel and into the underground section of Ravagog. 

   The city was silent, save for a steady low-frequency rumble that felt like an itch under their skin. Glowing green moss coated the dark stone walls, casting sickly light through the enormous cavern beyond. The buildings were carved into the humongous stalagmites and stalactites jutting from the floor and ceiling like sharp, jagged teeth, with tufts of stagnant fog swirling like rancid breath.