The Lores of Lyra - Shattered Star [Book II]

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

“Are you ready for me?” Joshua awaited an answer. Without the glowing stone, darkness wrapped around him, making it impossible for him to see the skulls on the ground, something he didn’t particularly mind. Looking up, he waited for the liana to come back down.

“Guys?” he called.

“Sorry, we were momentarily mesmerized by the stone,” Eric’s voice reached his ears. The liana fell on top of Joshua’s head, and without hesitation; he pulled it around his waist and secured it.

“Okay, I’m coming up, but the walls are extremely smooth. Be ready to pull me up if I fall. I’d rather not smash my head more than I already have,” Joshua yelled.

Stepping carefully, he slowly ascended from the crypt, using his hands and feet to dig into the soil that covered the sides. Using the strength from his upper body, he pulled of all his might until he finally managed to get a solid grip.

Every time Eric adjusted the tension to protect him from falling, he could feel the liana tighten and strain on his ribs. Joshua bent his knees and leaped higher, causing dirt and loose rocks to scatter beneath him. He gulped. Solem, he hoped this would work. The whole right side of his face still ached from when he crashed into the crypt’s floor. His head pounded, and he could feel his right eye starting to swell. With determination, he ignored the dirt that kept cascading down on his face, making his already wounded eye sting.

It seemed like an eternity before the hole at the top revealed a view of the sky. The soil started to feel dry, and every inch closer to the edge brought him agony when larger chunks of dirt, mixed with small rocks, fell to the ground.

With a deep inhale, he concentrated on finding a secure spot to place his feet. With the last ounces of strength he could muster, he leaped from the hole, grasping a hold on the grass above. Almost instantly, he could feel Eric and Vega start to help him up.

They dragged him up on the ground. Dirty and sweaty, he laid there breathing heavily for minutes. Arching his neck, he looked at the other two.

“You okay?” he asked. Both of them nodded. Accepting their reply, he fell back on the ground, staring at the clear blue sky above them. The sun shone right above the treetops, blinding him. He swung his left arm to cover his eyes, the darkness helping him to relax.

“This is absolutely beautiful,” Vega’s voice shook him out of his relaxed state, making his heart skip a beat. Removing his arm, he squinted in their direction. Both Eric and Vega leaned over the glowing rock, studying it carefully. It had been the weirdest thing to find, it had called for him, demanding the removal from the darkness. The memory made him shiver… He knew that it hadn’t actually talked to him. It was more the sense of feeling it gave.

“And you’re sure this is the one?” Vega asked and looked over to him.

“Absolutely,” he said. Besides the mysterious aura around the stone, it also had the same blue marks, which he had seen when he touched the stone back at the entrance.

The earth rumbled beneath them. Joshua sprung to his feet. He met Vega’s frightened eyes.

“What was that?” Eric asked.

“I think…” he gulped.

“What?”

Another rumble echoed from the ground, cracks appearing on the ground. Joshua squatted down, inspecting the crevices.

“I think the crypt is collapsing!” Joshua cried aloud. Scrambling up, he stared at the other two with wide eyes. Another threatening roar resounded, and Joshua realized that, within seconds, the crypt would cave in.