The Astralaceaes

Chapter 24: The Crevasse

Haledon felt the cold air rushing against his neck as he fell back into the darkness. Above him, the pinpoint of light from the opening disappeared, and for the briefest moment, it felt as though he was in one of his dreams. Though the pain of his injuries failed to rescue him from the nightmare, he felt safe and secure at that moment.

After a short plummet, he splashed into the frigid water, his body seizing from the impact. The icy liquid stung his flesh and constricted his lungs. He tried to cry out in surprise, but water flowed into his mouth, causing him to choke.

Haledon swung his arms as the rapids forced him forward and, in a stroke of luck, also aided his momentum. He emerged and gasped for air, the sound of rushing water becoming deafening around him. The turbulent undertow yanked again at his feet, pulling him under.

Panic began to take hold, and Haledon felt his heart trying to jump through his chest. The feeling passed as quickly as it had arisen, and he concentrated on his situation. Again surfacing, he inhaled and noticed a rapidly approaching boulder.

Using his functioning hand, he began to dance his fingers around Druidic runes. He chanted and reached his damaged limb out to the anchor. As his flesh made contact, the sleeve unravelled and transformed into thick roots that stopped Haledon's drift.

Haledon hugged the rock and looked around the darkness. Calling out again for light, the faint blue spores floated away from the fixture and illuminated the crevasse. He held onto the edge against the force of the water, craning his neck to explore his options. He saw more of the same, an icy glacier mirroring the stone wall.

Following the spores, Haledon looked beyond into a dark void as they drifted with the water. Again, rolling a pea, he tossed it to the rapids and watched as the gleaming pearl disappeared over a waterfall.

"Forswyn." He cursed and looked back at the roots holding him.

With a wave of his hand, his second sleeve disappeared and intertwined with the already present root system.

"Okay, observe." He reminded himself again and looked around.

Several spores drifted up, illuminating the darkness above. That was when Haledon noticed the shadows. Like the wolf from his dreams, he thought he saw something move and duck around a corner. In the faint glowing light, Haledon could see a small cavern where his spores had drifted. And though it was barely wide enough for him to fit, it was his best choice for rest.

He raised a hand and began to move again—his fingers swishing and cutting harshly as he closed his eyes, whispering the final words and taking aim.

The clothing around his body unravelled, forming a swelling burl over his functional hand. Beneath the bark, his fingers danced and weaved through the viscous, organic fluid. It became harder to trace as he neared the end of the design, as the pressure became unbearable against his aching joints. Finally, with a loud pop, the pod split open, shooting a single fist-sized seed. The projectile cleared the distance, towing behind it a durable vine.

There was an echoing crack as the seed impacted the cave wall out of sight. A blue glow began to radiate from within the cavern, signalling to Haledon that his anchor had taken root.

The plants holding to Haledon's mangled hand retreated as the last of the spores dimmed, and he found himself swept up in the current.

"Vastummm—" He cried out, holding onto the vine firmly as the current swept him out and over the falls.

Haledon gripped the tether for his life and screamed as he swung free, impacting the other side of the wall. Rolling against the stone, his now naked body splashed against the torrent of water. The liquid stung his flesh with each bounce against the waterfall, stinging his chest and face. He looked past the water at the blue-green hue radiating from the cavern above.