Solen takes off towards the light. The sounds of crashing waves hit my ears, and as I ease out of the tunnel, I hit rocky, moss-covered rocks below. We knew this part might be flooded if we didn’t schedule the tidejust right.
The tunnel isn’t a direct access to Haven’s inner kingdom, but by making my way around the rocky outcrop below the cliff face, I should find an entrance that will bring me to another tunnel within the cave centre. From there, the old maps I found back in Terra promise an entryway to the labyrinth my people originally built beneath the city. Considering the maze we currently live in along the far northern mountains, it was no surprise to hear a similar system existed in our first kingdom, albeit a bit less sophisticated.
The thought of more dark and damp tunnels fills me with unease. I prefer the light of the moon or the suns.
As I continue, a strange uneasy sensation weasels its way through my body again.
While walking through the tunnel earlier, I was disorientated by the back-and-forth ricocheting of feelings from my bonded. Fire and ice dance together within my heart, leaving a confusion I’ve never experienced before.
I have heard of the term “nausea” before, and that is the only label I have for the strange feeling. That, and maybe some concern for my bonded?
“Fuck.” I clench my jaw.
I do not want to admit that to myself. Not as I am making my way to kill the obstacle at the end of my bond tie.
“You okay?”Solen swoops from around the corner, where the cave entrance lies.
“Just dandy.” My boots get battered by the salty water as I leap from one slippery, rock-strewn outcrop to the next, my weapons clattering off my belt.
Making it around the corner, I spot the entrance, wide enough for a small boat. My only problem lies in the lack of stepping stones to get within the cave. “Looks like I’m going for a swim.”
The bird above me squawks. “Excellent,” the mutter falls from my lips. “Keep look out. I’ll call if needed.”
I slip into the sea with all the grace of a heavily armed siren. The water sets a chill to my bones as I battle the waves that push me to and fro.
At the entrance of the cave, the water yields a calmer tone, and I take reprieve, bobbing my head above the waves and admiring the glow-worms gracing the ceiling of the large, cavernous space. “Slimy little fuckers.” We have a similar species of worm throughout the cave systems in Terra, but they illuminate a green glow, not white like these ones.
With my numbing body now on high alert in the soft rise and fall of the water I enter the Kingdom of Haven for the first time, I scan the room for any true signs of danger. The first thing I notice is a large tree sitting in the middle of the wide, empty space.
My heart thumps against my ribcage so hard that it’s like it is trying to escape.
The bond,my heart whispers. The only place I have seen such a tree is within the depths of Terra.
Suddenly, my heart takes over my body, and my eyes glue to the tree. All my senses focus solely on the all-encompassing trunk.Her. Her. Her.The chant rings through my head, and I feel it—her, my bonded, andthe shattered pieces of her heart.Is she by the tree?
I quickly glance over the ground, and as I get closer, I notice the glow isn’t just coming from the ceiling above but from within a hole in the centre of the tree itself. A door of some sort.
With my head still bobbing along the surface, I yank my eyes from the trunk—which every fibre of my being is being drawn towards—to open my senses and look around the rocky space once more. And that’s when I hear—
Panting.
Feet slapping.
Chesty growls.
It cannot be. Surely, they don’t know I am here?
I was told to be wary of the dyre wolves, but I did not expect to run into one so soon. I am a guardian. I have been trained to protect, but this mission is purely one of stealth. In and out. No distractions. No fighting.
Swimming back towards the rocks of the outer wall, I hide within the waves, taking a large intake of breath before sinking just enough for my eyes to see above the dark blue.
With my dark golden hair, I can only hope I will not be spotted as I somewhat camouflage with the rocks surrounding me. Taking my dagger out of its sheath, I bring it up to my chest as a precaution.
Eyes trained on the tree, I almost miss the blaze of black, furry muscle and sinew that speeds on all fours, coming to a stop in front of the one place that has my heart now alight with fear.
Turning his considerable muzzle towards the lake, he sniffs.
The wolf’s face and body are lacerated in thin white scars that make me cringe but speak to his strength as a warrior. I’ve had plenty ofpractise with fellow guardians, but we are lucky within Terra, not having experienced any wars yet.
