Horn

Chapter 5. Waterfall

I lay on the chamber's stone floor for quite some time. I believed I did.

It was cold, hard, and strange-smelling. The potions, through the years, had vaporized and seeped into every crack and corner. The chamber and Cia herself smelled just like them.

It was not as pungent as I remembered.

Something cold and wet constantly splashed on my face. I wanted to wipe it away, but my hands felt as if they were nailed to the ground.

Oooooh....

The bellow yanked me from my dreams. It sounded like a large, unintelligent beast's cry, but it gave me no fear.

I knew it well.

Oooooh....

The loud, repetitive sound of water almost masked it, but I could hear it as clear as day.

I cracked my eyes open.

The sun was harsh above. It was painful. My eyes always did better in the dark than in bright daylight, but they would eventually adjust, and the pain meant that I was still alive.

My clothes were soaked. Memories came like a frustrating puzzle. Many pieces were missing.

After Cia had left me on the floor to complete her ritual, I had lain there next to Elis for what felt like a lifetime. I had listened to my creator's madness. Her uncontrollable crackles. Sometimes, her mutters and cries. All of my strength had evaded me. I was sure those would be my last moments.

How had I gotten out here? Had I somehow managed to crawl out? Or had Cia flushed me through the drainage when she had finished?

My eyes trailed down to my left hand. It tangled in a mass of wet silver strands.

Long, silver, elven hair.

Elis looked a mess with his face partly shrouded. His handsome features, whatever were visible, were covered in cuts and bruises. His clothes were tattered. He reminded me of the birds that Brok, Adelmo's hound, would often drag in after a hunt.

Elis was lifeless, but I could hear his spiorad fighting under the surface.

"Elis... Elis... Can you hear me?" I whispered, tugging his hair. It was still softer than any silk I had ever touched.

I didn't save the elf to prove that I was right or better than anyone. I didn't hope for any reward. I just needed Elis to be alive.

I willed myself toward him and grabbed a fist full of his torn tunic. I wanted to pull him closer. Normally, I could lift Elis off his feet and carry him around for hours without breaking a sweat, despite being much smaller, but today, my body didn't seem to cooperate.

Groaning loudly, I pushed myself up. I sat on what looked like a large boulder, covered in sweat. The air was damp and cool. A huge column of sparkling water poured down from the cloud-covered mountaintop, looking like the stairway straight to the gods' home.

A creature like me had no business with a place like that...

Oooooh....

There that sound again. My heart banged in my chest. I whipped my head in that direction and shouted, "Eor! Eor the Mighty! Is that you?"

A warm feeling flooded me from head to toe. In the most unexpected time and place, I found him. My golem. I thought I had lost him forever ago in the darkness of Amdar Forest.

I wanted to call him again when the thought came to my head.

What if it was not Eor?

It sure sounded like him, but what if it was not?

If I was still in Nueleth, and, most likely, that was the case, many things could trick me by mimicking the sound of the golem. Shouting out my location would be the most stupid thing I could have done.