The Search for Truth (24 page)

“Now, young sir, you will be our leader with your crystal. Jack, I'll keep the rope taut for you to grip. If you need to grab my shoulder it's okay.”

Jack held the rope in one hand and Jam's shoulder in the other, taking cautious steps since he could not see what lay underfoot. Blinding mists swirled around them. Erec wished he had a rope to clutch as well. But at least the crystal was pulling him.

After a few steps Erec felt a harsh jerk from the rope, almost
pulling him over. Then he heard Bethany's voice. “Sorry, I tripped. I'm okay.”

Then Jam called, “If we're in Geirangerd and the ground drops out under one of us, it will be best if we can keep the rope taut. That is, if we can all remain standing and not knock each other over. Maybe if we walk slowly on the same count.”

This was difficult, but they took turns slowly calling out “left, right, left,” until they got used to the rhythm. When someone tripped, the others braced themselves to stay standing. And the ones who did trip didn't fall as far that way. After a while they got better at walking half-blinded without yanking each other down.

The ginkgo tree near the grassy hill looked like a looming monster with sharp claw branches against the gray mist. Erec climbed into the rocky tunnel, and the mist followed them in.

 

They passed around the Serving Tray in the tunnel. Everyone was unusually quiet. “You all right, Jack?” Erec asked. “We can trade off carrying that Awen of Sight if you want.”

“I'm okay,” Jack said. “Getting used to it. No use switching now that we're learning how to walk around like this. I'll just get better at it. No, looks like I'm blind and you're ugly for the duration.”

“I'm going to be destructive, too,” Erec said. “Soon enough. Any ideas on how I can get that next Awen, Jam?”

“I've been mulling over our options, young sir. I actually arranged us in this order for a reason.”

Erec smiled. “Glad we have one person who's prepared here. What are you thinking, Jam?”

“Well, it seems when you climbed over the ledge to get to the center of the cavern, where the Awen was, the path disintegrated. If you did it again, you'd surely be stranded in the center.”

“And there's only one way down from there,” Jack said.

“Thanks, Jack,” Erec said. “That helps.”

Jam cleared his throat. “Our being tied together like this gives us more…length. If one of us is in the middle of the cavern, another can be at the ledge, or near it. And if the ground breaks loose under someone, we can keep them up this way. We just have to move slowly and steadily.”

“What if the ground breaks under two or three of us at the same time?” Bethany said nervously. Erec was sure she was calculating their odds.

“Let's not think about that, modom.” He paused. “One more thing. I put Melody at the end because she is the lightest. If the ground crashes away under her, we can hold her up easiest, without her dragging us down after her. So she should be the one to lead the way across the path to the Awen of Creation. Erec, Bethany, and I will be on the other end, pulling her to safety.”

“Thanks a lot,” Jack said. “Am I a weakling now?”

“No,” Jam pointed out, “but you are blinded. You will not be able to find a ledge to grasp for safety if necessary.”

Jack muttered about being useless baggage, but Erec said, “No way. I can't let Melody go across that bridge first. It's not even a bridge anymore, it's just some crumbled stands of dirt. It's way too dangerous. It's nice enough for all of you to come help me like this, but I can't risk your lives any more.”

“Chill out, Erec,” Melody said. “Jam makes a lot of sense. I'll be tied with a rope to you all anyway. If I fall in anywhere, we all do.”

“That's just it,” Erec said. “I don't want you all to fall to your deaths. I'm going to untie myself and do it alone.”

“That's impossible, Erec,” Bethany said, exasperated. “You know it too. If you're alone in the middle of that cavern you'll be stuck out there forever. And once you pick up the Awen of Creation the whole place will crash in around you. You have to realize that.”

Erec closed his eyes. Was there any other way? Then he perked up. “I know! I'll do a dragon call. Maybe Patchouli or one of the other dragons can help me fly across the cavern.”

“Not possible, young sir. Dragons cannot come into Upper Earth, dragon call or no.”

Erec could not think of what to do. How could he risk the lives of his friends?

“Listen, Erec,” Jack said. “You're not the only one who is responsible here. We all need to help. Do you think any of us wants Upper Earth to be destroyed in ten years? This affects everyone.”

“Jack is right,” Melody said. “We're in this together. None of us are going to let you make a huge mess of things, trying it all on your own. We have a chance of making it work if we do it Jam's way, so that's what we should do.”

Erec knew she was right, but it was hard for him to accept. “If we're going to stay tied together, why don't I climb out there first, at least. I have the singing crystal, anyway, so that makes sense.”

“Like you can't hand it over to someone else?” Bethany said.

“But what if it doesn't work for other people?” Erec pointed out. “Who knows? It was given to me.”

“The singing crystal is the master of the Awen, young sir,” Jam said. “Not only for a specific owner, I believe. If you went first and fell in, which you would, we would have less strength at the front of the rope to pull ourselves to safety.”

Erec thought about it. “Okay,” he finally said. “Thanks, guys.”

 

When they climbed out of the dark tunnel into Geirangerfjord, sunlight blasted Erec's face, making his eyes clench shut. But the mist poured out around them. This time he could not see the spectacular mountains nor the fjords rushing below. Even if the mist was not there, his vision still would have been distorted.

Erec passed the singing crystal to Melody. He was not ready for her shocked and disgusted reaction when she accidentally glanced at his face. “Ugh!” she screeched, almost dropping the crystal.

Erec twisted the rope around his chest so he was facing the other direction, at the end of the line. “Left. Right. Left. Right,” they called out, taking slow, sure steps. When the dirt began to crumble around his feet, he stumbled. A chunk loosened below him and in a few minutes he heard a quiet splash. Wavering unsteadily, he grasped the cliff's edge, leaning back against the taut rope to help him stay upright.

A loud crash sounded from above, and at the last second he saw a huge boulder racing down the mountainside. “Duck!” Jam shouted. Everyone crouched as the massive rock bounced over their heads, whistling through the air as it flew by. The length of time before they heard it crash into the waves did not make anyone feel better.

Soon Erec heard a scream and a tug on the rope. He stopped.

“It's okay. I'm okay,” Melody said, panting. “Almost fell straight down the cliff. I couldn't see where I was going. We're at the cavern.”

Erec wished he could see more than white mist and occasional blurry glimpses of rock that must have been the far wall of the cavern. Jack was quiet, but Erec felt for him. He knew what the breaking path looked like, and now he'd have to cross it blinded.

Then he had an idea. “Why don't we put the two Awen down by the side of the cliff here. That way Jack can see for a while when we climb across the land bridge.”

“Awesome.” Jack grinned.

But Jam said, “Do you really want to take that risk? With the land crumbling beneath us, the Awen might drop into the fjords. And when we're rushing out, what if we can't find them?”

Jack was quiet a moment. “Would it be better if I untied and sat out here, then? That way I won't mess up and pull anyone down.”

“I don't think so,” Jam said. “We'll need a longer chain than just four people if things crumble. Plus, you wouldn't be able to protect yourself out here, blinded. The earth might crumble under you.”

“Don't worry, Jack,” Bethany said. “We're tied together. We won't let you fall.” She sounded like she was trying to be brave.

“Just tap with your feet before you set them down,” Jam said. “I'll direct you too. We'll all have to concentrate. The ground will be dropping beneath us as we go.”

“Let's crawl out there,” Erec suggested. They all agreed, dropping to their knees and feeling with their hands on the ground. It felt safer being closer to something solid. Erec could even make out a few distorted blades of grass.

“Step,” Jam called to signal a move forward.

Erec felt a huge gap before him. It was only after he reached way ahead that he felt ground. “How did you get across this?” he called to Bethany.

“Feel to the right,” she answered. “It's closer.”

Sure enough, closer ground lay to his right. All of a sudden, Jack yelled out in terror and Erec felt the rope tug. “You okay?” he called.

“Yeah. I almost fell….”

The five of them crawled a bit more when Melody yelled, “Stop! I'm there.” They all held still. Erec could hear the singing crystal ring a chord. Fear raced through him. How fast would everything crumble when Melody picked up the Awen of Creation? Probably right away.

“Wait a minute,” he called out. “Before you touch it, Melody, let's all turn around in our ropes and face the other way. That way we can be ready to go.”

“Good thinking, young sir.” They all twisted and faced back to the cliff edge. Jam said, “Open your backpack, Melody. As soon as you grab the Awen, drop it and the crystal straight into your backpack and zip it. That way you'll have both hands free for climbing.”

“Okay,” Melody said.

A tense moment passed before she shouted, “Got it! Let's go!”

“Step,” Jam called urgently.

Erec grasped the land over the ledge to his right and sprang onto it.

“Unh!” He heard Bethany falling behind him.

An ear-splitting crack echoed through the canyon. Sickening crunches filled the air, rock grinding against rock. Reverberating thuds shook Erec's bones as he struggled forward. He glanced behind him but saw only mist.

A terrified scream burst through the air, and the rope grew tight around his chest. With a jerk it shot to his waist and pulled him backward. Struggling to keep his balance, he tugged the rope from his stomach, and worked it back up to his chest. Still, it was hard to pull. He wondered how many people were dangling. “Get on your knees, everyone,” he shouted. “Or the ropes will slide off.”

He could not tell what was happening behind him. But as he reached forward he fell awkwardly onto his face, overcome with dizziness. What was happening to him? He needed to concentrate or they would never get to safety. He couldn't lose Bethany, all his friends…

He struggled doggedly forward, nearly blind. As he reached for the next patch of grass he saw a rush of motion in his head. It was like a film playing backward, fast. Upper Earth dying. Baskania with scepters. What was happening? His mind spun and he felt like
he was falling, clinging to the ground around him. The rope tugged him back and he fought it with all his might.

Then the movie in his head played forward. It was a cloudy thought. He wasn't sure whether to be relieved, though, when he saw what it showed him.

 

Everything was a green blur of mist with distorted Substance netting the air. They were falling, all of them, crashing into rocks on the cliff sides until the fjords rose to meet them. Some were dead already; the rest would be soon after the crash.

 

No! Erec raged. This would not happen. Fire shot from his mouth, singeing the ground around him.

The ground! He realized he could see it now with his dragon eyes out. Not as well as usual, but he could see where to go. But then his mind was back in the vision.

 

The rock wall of the cliff whizzed by as they dropped past. Water shot around them, hard as bricks because of the distance of their fall. He was sucked under, pulled down, his breath leaving him.

 

Fury surged through his being. This would not happen.

Then the instructions from his cloudy thought were crystal clear.
Grab here.
He dug his claws into a bed of dirt, tugging the rope behind him.
Leap there.
His anger gave him strength to fight.
Twist this way. Then jump onto that perch.

Erec glanced behind him. With his dragon eyes he could see that Jack and Melody were dangling on the rope, Jack's feet kicking into Melody's face. Jam had a grip on some crumbling earth he'd happened to grab when Erec dragged him over it. And Bethany hung between them, the rope under her arms. Her legs flailed around in a panic.

The ground beneath them cracked, giving way faster than they could walk. The center of the cavern was demolished. It was up to him. He knew what he had to do now. And, odd as it was, it felt perfectly natural. A relief, in fact.

 

Pounce. Dig into the dirt.

 

And then…

 

Fly.

 

At that moment, Erec took to the air. He felt wings push out from his shoulder blades, tearing through his shirt, beating against the air. As they grew, they pushed the rope lower down his chest, and pushed at his backpack until he had to slide one arm out of it and carry it from the other. He sprang from his hind legs into the air, wincing from the strain of lifting the four behind him. The rope squeezed tight against his chest, which was growing larger. He flapped, pulling himself through the air to the cliff's edge.

When he landed, Bethany, Jam, Jack, and Melody crashed onto solid ground. But the earth caved in under Melody, leaving her hanging again.

He had no time to waste. Erec jumped, clinging with his claws, dragging his friends from spot to spot on the remaining land. He carried them another short distance, flying over the path they had originally followed, knowing just where to go. Soon he saw the rocky tunnel and dove inside.