CHAPTER FOUR
It took nearly a day for them to reach the easternmost edge of the Under, weaving the boat along the winding waterways, in between clusters of buildings and piers. All the while, Grivvin imagined unlocking the secrets of the Spiral, bringing the magic back to life. His mind also kept returning to the kiss between he and Lyrica and the way it made him feel. He wanted that feeling again and felt the blood rush to his cheeks when he looked at her. The more time he spent with her, the more incredible he thought she was. Not only was she beautiful, but so strong, a survivor.
Is this what it's like to fall in love?
They had gathered supplies at a general store called The Final Pier and when asked about their trip, were laughed at by the proprietors and other customers within the place.
"Just save your money and I'll kill you myself," said the storeowner with a laugh. "That's suicide, my friends. You can't be that foolish."
Grivvin smiled uncomfortably and paid for the goods, rope, climbing tools, provisions and long, wicked gaffs for defense.
"Son, I'm serious. Don't do it. You and your girlfriend have no chance of crossing the Maelstrom. Trust me. Do you want to get her killed?"
He smiled at Lyrica at the mention of the word girlfriend and nodded to the man.
"I appreciate your concern, sir. Thank you for the warning, but we're going just the same," he explained.
"There are beasts in those waters, boy. Whirlpools as well that'll drag your boat to the bottom of the lake. If you're not eaten, you're drowned for sure and how in the world are you going to get over that wall at the coast? Impossible."
They left without responding, feeling the stares of all that were present and hearing more than one person whisper, "fool".
Once back at their boat, they loaded the supplies and affixed the rudder in its cradle. In the east, they could see the first of the jagged spears of stone that rose out of the lake like thin daggers pointing at the sky. These marked the boundary of the Maelstrom and the dominion of the creatures that inhabited those waters.
"Lyrica, you don't have to do this. Perhaps you should stay and wait for me to return," Grivvin said, tossing the last of the provisions into the boat.
"Do you think you can do this without me? No way. Besides, I can't let you out of my sight. You promised to help pull up what is on the bottom of that chain, remember?"
"I know and it's still a promise. I don't want to see you get hurt, that's all."
"Grivvin, if I don't go, when will I get a chance to sneak in a kiss again?" she said with a sly grin.
He laughed and moved in close to her.
"How about right now?"
This time, it was her turn to blush, her eyes going to her feet.
"We might as well. According to everyone else, we'll be dead before day's end."
She embraced him and their lips came together. It lasted much longer than their first, both being willing participants. Her body felt good against his and he did not want to let her go, savoring every heartbeat. Finally, they separated, their eyes bright with passion. He brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes and smiled.
"Let's prove them wrong. We'll make it across the Maelstrom and into Old Embremere. When we return, I will have unlocked my Wychan abilities and returned honor to our order."
"As long as you don't get eaten first," she answered with a grin.
"Well, that goes without saying," Grivvin said as he jumped into the boat, laughing.
Many hours later, with the constant rain pelting them, the rock formations loomed over them as their boat passed through and into the dangerous territory of the Maelstrom. Ahead, there were so many similar towers of stone that one could not see the mainland. As they had traveled, a current within the lake had developed, pulling their craft gently forward. Grivvin felt certain that were they to disengage the rudder, the water would continue to pull them until they had reached the territory of the monsters that everyone had warned about.
It was an odd thing, seeing the water pull away from them, winding its way in between the giant, knife-like stones. They knew it led to an expanse of whirlpools bent on sucking anything that entered its vortex, below to be smashed upon the rocky lakebed underneath. They did their best to avoid the stones, carving the current with their oars.
Within minutes, their shoulders and backs grew sore from the effort and there soon could be no doubt that the Maelstrom was doing most of the work. They eventually surrendered to its force and did their best to guide the craft with the rudder. They did not use the power of the Wychan crystal, deciding instead to save it until desperation called for it. The small boat smashed repeatedly into the tall islands of rack until they feared its seaworthiness. Lyrica found herself constantly checking the bottom for signs of leaks, but with the boat filling with rainwater, it was difficult to tell, and thus far it seemed to hold strong.
Where once their voyage had been mostly silent, only the occasional rumble of thunder, now the continuous splash of rushing water filled the air as the pull of the Maelstrom became stronger. They had noticed evidence of other attempts at reaching Old Embremere, previous travelers having constructed rope ladders along the face of the stones, some even managing to build bridges from one island to the next. They were quickly swept past a large, angular island, a cavern hollowed out in its side and within the darkness, they could see a mass of hunched figures. There were numerous fishing lines tied at various points all along the mouth of the cave, disappearing into the swirling depths.
How long had they been trapped here?
Those clustered within turned their heads slowly, forlorn looks upon their faces, watching as the boat slipped by in front of them. A few moments later, they saw the first of many skeletons along their route. It hung upside down, its foot entangled in the ropes that led to the peak of the stone. Its mouth hung open as if in a perpetual scream and Grivvin could not take his eyes off of the thing. He now began to feel the risk that they were taking, the possibility of death seeming much more real.
From what they had been told, once they had passed through the many jagged islands, the Maelstrom would open up before them, countless whirlpools spinning between them and the coast. Within those spinning vortices prowled the creatures of the Maelstrom, huge serpents bent on destroying all who entered. It was they who had taken Mucker's leg and with it his hope to ever reach the ancient ruins.
"I don't like this, Grivvin. The boat's out of our control and we aren't even out of these stones yet," Lyrica said, using an oar to shove them away from the rock face of an island.
"We have to let the Maelstrom pull us in. Once inside, we'll use the crystal's power. I hope that is enough to get us to the coast." Grivvin answered.
"What then? What happens when we get to the coast?" she asked.
"I'm not sure. There has to be a way to climb that wall or get around it somehow. Nothing is impossible."
"You haven't seen it yet," she added, holding on tightly to the side of the boat.
"Well, we can't turn around now," he said.
The vessel lurched forward suddenly, a strong current thrusting them ahead and the dark maw at the center of the first whirlpool could be seen like a bottomless hole. Just the sight of it was enough to make one pray to the gods and Grivvin found himself doing exactly that. Varinleah, the goddess of nature, was the patron deity of the Wychan and it was to she that he whispered his prayers. He found himself begging for the safety of Lyrica more than his own as he watched her grip both sides of the boat and brace for the coming vortex.
"I think it's time to bring that crystal to life," she called out over the slurping and gurgling sounds of the water ahead. He shuffled backward toward the stern, wrapping one hand around the rudder's handle and tilting it to submerge the crystal. There was a white-hot glow from below the surface as its energy was activated, Grivvin
feeling the sensation move through his hand and into his arm.
Their boat jerked to starboard and listed slightly as the spinning circle pulled them in, nearly sending him from his feet. It was a smaller vortex and they circled it quickly, beginning the slow descent into its black eye.
"Hold on!" he shouted and as the boat reached the easternmost edge of the whirlpool, he powered it forward. It slid ahead and quickly out of the vortex, in moments out of reach of its strong pull.
"It worked! Grivvin, we did it!"
"That's only one and a tiny one at that. Let's hope the crystal is strong enough to overcome the large ones at the center of the Maelstrom," he said.
The boat seemed to momentarily stall as it sat in the calm area between two of the spinning whirlpools, then they could feel the gentle tug as they were pulled into the suction of the next. Navigating this vortex proved much the same and they came out unscathed on the other side. Then, the serpentine body of a black creature rose up slightly from the water just ahead of the boat, sliding back under without a sound. It was enormous, the section that they had seen easily dwarfing the vessel.
Lyrica turned from the bow, her eyes wide with terror and stared open-mouthed at Grivvin. He swallowed hard, paralyzed with fear, his hand turning white as he gripped the rudder's handle. He knew that if he did not snap out of it, they would die.
"Grab one of the spears!" he shouted and steered the boat into the next vortex. This one was much larger and the speed at which it spun, far greater than the previous. They grew dizzy as the water hurled them in an ever-tighter orbit around the center, the black hole moaning deeply as they drew closer.
Lyrica straddled the wooden seat at the bow, spear now clutched tightly with both hands, dreading the reappearance of the unknown monster. Her weapon would have little effect on a creature of such size, she knew, but she had no other choice. She began to feel nauseous as the boat spun and tried to keep her eyes on the floor below.
"Get us out of here, Grivvin!" she screamed.
He powered the craft forward with a sudden jolt and for a moment thought it would not be enough to free them. Inside, he tried to reach out for the Spiral, draw more power from it and send it into the crystal, but he was not sure if it was working. Then, the boat rocked and pitched over the edge of the whirlpool, throwing them both to the floor. Grivvin immediately regained his feet, slipping on the wet floor, grabbed the rudder once more and scanned the water for signs of the massive animal that he knew awaited them. His heart sank as his eyes took in what stretched out before them.
A whirlpool easily ten times the size of those that they had navigated lie ahead, the dark hole at its center as large as the biggest sailing ship he had ever seen. Behind the sound of the raindrops hitting the boat, he could hear what appeared to the ears to be a roar coming from it.
"We can't make it..." he mumbled to himself. "There is no way this boat will last."
"Grivvin!" Lyrica cried out. "Do something!"
He called out her name, but the sound of the rushing water was so loud, she did not hear. The boat tipped forward, hesitated for a heartbeat, and rushed headlong into the gigantic vortex. The roar was deafening as their craft settled into the bowl of water, picking up speed at an alarming rate. Lightning flashed and Grivvin saw an immense silhouette behind Lyrica. He shouted to her to no avail, rushing toward the bow with spear in hand. Seeing the look on his panic-stricken face, she slowly spun to see what she had feared would be there.
The head of the thing towered over them on a long, scaled neck, torrents of water running down its form as it studied them with luminous green eyes. Suddenly, Lyrica’s eyes grew large as she pointed behind Grivvin. As he spun, a thick black tail covered in fins, lashed out and knocked him to the bottom of the boat. He struck his head on the small wooden crate there and was, for a moment, stunned. He could hear Lyrica calling out for him, but try as he might, his body would not move. The spinning of the great whirlpool did not help matters, adding to the dizzy feeling that filled his head.
He heard the cracking and splintering of wood and Lyrica’s frightened screams, but he could do nothing to help her.
Spinning faster and faster, the roaring of the great funnel obliterating all other sounds, it felt like a nightmare. He could feel the boat shifting as Lyrica moved, trying to fight off the monster.
Get up! I have to get up! She’ll die fighting that thing!
With every ounce of strength left in him, he rolled to his side, shaking his head. Upon looking up, he saw the most frightening, yet amazing thing he had ever seen. As lightning forked through the black sky, Lyrica stood, one foot on the edge of the boat, swinging the spear as the great water dragon attacked. There were several deep wounds along its neck that ran with blood, sending a ribbon of red along the whirlpool.
He searched the floor with his hands and upon finding his spear, moved shakily to help her just as the monster struck again. Its head shot toward them at an incredible speed, its mouth gaping wide, filled with countless fangs. Its jaws snapped shut just inches from her face and she jabbed at its chin with the spear tip, driving it back.
From behind Grivvin came a horrible growl and turning, he saw another of the dragons bearing down on them, slicing through the water like a knife. It was coming amazingly fast and he knew they would not survive the impact.
"Lyrica!" he screamed to get her attention, pointing at the monster as it approached. She spun and upon seeing the creature, tried to make it across the slippery boat to him. In seconds, the dragon would smash into them. He looked into her eyes one last time, seeing the dragon from at corner of his vision.
"I love you!" she shouted and they were broadsided with an ear-shattering sound, splintered wood flying into the air. They were both tossed out of the boat like dolls, flailing as they hit the spinning whirlpool and were pulled under. Grivvin struggled to reach her, his muscles straining, lungs burning as the pressure kept him submerged. His hand brushed her leg in the darkness and he grabbed it, trying like mad to pull her to him.
Just then, something struck the back of his head, most likely debris from the disintegrated boat and all went immediately dark.
Rain splashed against his face, waking him where he lie, hard stone surface beneath him. His eyelids fluttered as he regained consciousness and the intense pain in his body made itself known. Every muscle screamed out as he rolled to his side, coughing.
Lyrica was there, stretched out on her back just a few feet away, eyes closed.
Was she breathing?
He tried to call out to her, but his voice would not come, instead another coughing fit wracked his body.
He began to panic, his heart racing.
She's dead. Gods, she's dead and it's my fault!
He managed to pull himself up on all fours and crawl to her side. The skin on her forearms was scraped and bruised where it was visible and her knuckles were battered as well.
"Lyrica?" he said, finally able to coax a whisper from his throat. He took her hand in his and it felt cold.
No.
"Lyrica?!" he shouted and her eyes suddenly popped open.
"Unnngghhh..." she moaned and turned on to her side to face him. "Why are you shouting?" Her voice was hoarse and gravelly as she spoke.
"I thought you were dead! Thank the Gods!" Grivvin said, putting his head in his hands.
"Well, one thing's for sure, I feel dead."
He helped her to a sitting position, checking her for serious injuries. She had a small gash on her right cheek, but it no longer bled.
"What happened? How did we end up here?" he asked. They were sheltered in a small and shallow cave within the cliff wall that separated the mainland from Lake Embremere. Occasionally, the higher waves would spill water onto the ledge where they sat, so he knew that they were not very high up the cliff.
"Something very strange happened, Grivvin. I
pulled you to the surface when I felt your body go limp. You were bleeding from the back of your head." She hesitated for a moment, staring at the ground. "That monster rushed us. I thought we were dead, but the thing suddenly stopped as if it saw something that frightened it. It came very close, Grivvin. I could feel its breath! Then, it vanished below and left us alone."
"Why would it do that? Why didn't it just have us for dinner? I don't understand..." he responded.
"I don't know. What makes us different? The dragons certainly didn't stop in Mucker's case. They took his leg and most likely would have eaten him whole had he not escaped."
Grivvin thought for a moment, gently touching the back of his head. It was quite tender and his hair was crusted with dried blood.
Wait. Could it be?
"The blood...could it be my blood?" he asked.
"What? What are you talking about?"
"The creatures, this wall, the Maelstrom...all put in place by Wychan ages ago. Could the creature have smelled the Wychan blood in the water and withdrew?"
"It sensed the power of its creators. That has to be it! There is no other reason for us to be alive." Lyrica said.
Grivvin shook his head in amazement.
"For once, my Wychan blood has proven useful."
"Oh, come on. Your blood is useful to me, Wychan or not," she said with a smile.
He laughed as he stood, body aching and head throbbing. He stepped to the edge and looked up at the towering cliff wall above. It was so sheer and the stone so smooth, it seemed impossible to climb. Of course, that had been the entire purpose of its construction years ago. They had made it this far, now what?
"Grivvin..." Lyrica called out from behind him.
"Yes?" he answered, still studying the wall.
"Grivvin, you need to see this," she said, her voice more commanding.
He turned and noticed that she had moved to the back of the cave, nearly hidden in the darkness. He walked over to join her.
"What's the matter?"
When he reached her, she was pointing into a small hidden alcove, one hand over her mouth. Grivvin squatted to peer into the narrow place and as his eyes adjusted, he could see what had her so upset. Stacked there was a pile of bones, obviously human, perhaps ten in number. He involuntarily pulled away, then moved forward for a better look. Among them, were several metal shovels and pick axes. What had initially appeared as a solid wall, now revealed itself to be a roughly hewn set of steps carved into the very stone of the cliff.
"These people may have dug their way to the city," he said as Lyrica joined him. "Let's see how far this goes."
Together, they began to climb, their hands feeling the walls and steps to guide them in the utter blackness. At times, the way would turn and they would run into a solid wall before they realized it, soon continuing upon the new path. They traveled in this way for some time, the air becoming very dense and breathing difficult. Eventually, they noticed a dim light reaching them from above and in a few short steps, emerged onto a grassy hill.
Grivvin felt a surge of energy hit him, the pain of his injuries rushing away, replaced by strength and power.
Before them, in the distance, they could just make out the silhouettes of the ruins of ancient Embremere, tall stone towers reaching high above, nearly to the clouds.
"Lyrica, we did it. We did it!" he said and hugged her to him.