I roll my eyes.Tell me where I am. Give me the location.
You know where you are, Phoenix Wildarrow.
I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose.
I guess I can’t expect much direct help from atrickstergod.
With a sigh, I peel my eyes open and look around the cave again. The walls, as far as I can see in the dark, are bare except for moss growing in patches in some places. I take a step forward. There’s sand under my feet, or dry dirt. A rock here and there. Some rocks are bigger than others. I figure that out five steps in when I stumble over one and fall onto all fours.
“You’re doing phenomenal,” I murmur to myself. “Absolutely outstanding. Kazh would be proud.”
I can’t force myself back onto my feet.
Fine, if I can’t walk, I’ll crawl.
I grope around the sand, trying to navigate the way. I find a long, thick stick a few inches away from where I am. And then another. And even more of them. Some are smaller than others, and then some are connected…As I trace the objects in the sand, I realize these are bones I’m touching.
With a yelp, I fall backwards and crawl away from the pile of bones. My back hits the rock wall and I lean against it, breathing heavily. Panic swirls to the surface. I can’t let it consume me. Not right now.
I close my eyes. Take a deep breath in through my nose. Slowly exhale through my mouth.
I don’t think.
I don’t feel.
I simply am.
When I open my eyes again, I’m in control. Slowly, I pull myself back up on my feet. I need to find a way out of this cave. I might not have much time. With my hands, I trace the lines of the walls and explore the cave. It dawns on me that I’m not wearing my gloves, yet I’m dressed in my leathers.That’s weird.
I don’t know how long I walk around the cave, but I’m pretty sure I’m walking in circles. There is no entrance or a corridor leading somewhere else. I’m stuck in a stone tomb, gods know where.
There must be an exit here. Someone managed to drop me in here, so there has to be a way out. I just need to find it.
Lorca chuckles in my mind again.
What is the point of having you with me if you’re useless?
A gentle claw caresses my mind.How bold of you to talk to the gods this way, Phoenix Wildarrow.
I don’t miss the subtle threat. It takes me a couple of minutes to get my heartbeat under control once again.
You know, it’s been a long, long time since I’ve made a bargain with anyone,they purr.I almost forgot how exciting it is. Being connected to the mortal. Getting to feel what they feel.
I frown.What, no mortals bargain with the spirits of the gods?
Oh, no. They do,Lorca says.They do it all the time—come to us, asking for favors, for blessings, for help. But they are rarely willing to offer anything in return. They don’t want to pay the price.
Yeah. I can understand why.
You, however. You’re a mortal who knows the way nature works. That there is always a price.
I ignore the trickster for now. It’s distracting, and I don’t have time for philosophical musings. Slowly, I continue my journey around this cave.
I’m in luck, because a few feet away, I touch a rock inside the wall that slips from its place. It tumbles down to my feet. A ray of light pushes through the hole.
I grab for other rocks around the little hole. All of them are unsteady in the wall and I can pull each of them out. There’s a hole inside the wall, covered in moss and rocks. I waste no time and dig in, pushing the moss and rocks away to widen the hole. My fingers bleed, but I don’t care. When the fresh air caresses my cheeks, I almost cry out from joy.
When the hole is wide enough for me to fit through it, I push myself up and slide inside. It’s tight and I can’t crawl comfortably. But I manage to squeeze my way out of the damn cave. At the end of it, I see the light of the day and lush greenery.
