Something Immortal

54: The Pool of Recollection Part One

The journey to the pool was eerily silent saved by the occasional sighs and complaints mostly coming from Ilarion who was having a difficult time with the map of Asturia in his hand. Malee took it from him and explained how it should be read but Ilarion continued to grumble, and if not for the situation of the Strigoi, Som would have laughed at them both.

Sitting beside Mica who navigated on the vessel, Som couldn't even find the right words to say, if there ever such one. How do you console someone whose brother might be facing a dead-end battle with a horde of undead? Not to mention that Sir Valko was still not home and their Khan was a child. And just like Saanvi, there was a reason why the Strigoi brothers did not wish to be involved with Kali back then. However, Sir Valko's involvement with the Dragon Emperor made their presence felt, in spite of their dark past.

"How far do we need to travel?" Som finally thought of asking.

Malee, who was now holding the map looked ahead as their vessel passed through in between two crags that seemed to be kissing. "Almost there, I think."

The fog thickened as they entered a cavern, and the wonder and amazement of seeing stalagmites, and stalactites cannot be overstated. Although it was a magnificent creation formed in caverns deep below the earth and may seem otherworldly, it could be dangerous if one was standing below, it during a quake.

"Is it me or the water here look green?" Ilarion pointed this out to his companions.

Som looked too and had taken note of the unusual changes in the liquid in this part of the cavern. As if they stepped into a different world away from the beautiful scenery of the river they crossed earlier. "Where are we exactly?"

"Hard to tell," Malee again, "But we are entering a hidden territory."

Som quickly glanced at Mica at the recollection of a hidden territory. They know by experience that not all hidden territories were safe, most of them were kept hidden by outsiders for a reason. If it was a town, only merchants frequent the place, but even then, one must be cautious. But a hidden territory that was unchartered that not even a diplomat would dare visit was on another level. There was no telling what lurked beyond the mist, and if one went missing, they were certain that one could no longer be found.

"Careful not to drink the water," Mica reminded them as Ilarion was about to scoop a cup in his hand. "See that smoke coming out of some of the boreholes? It seems to be sulfuric water."

Malee immediately looked at the Strigoi. "If the stream in this part are poisoned, then we must be---"

"We have entered their lair," Mica added while Som and Ilarion were confused and at the same time anxious about the foreboding activity ahead.

"It can't be!" Malee argued, "We followed the map carefully and turned east, shouldn't we be at the backside of the Dungeon of Addanc?"

The mention of the territory sends shivers down Som's spine. "Is this the lair of the..."

"Those hagridden witches?!" Ilarion finished for him.

Malee covered his mouth with her hand. "Be quiet! Do you want any of them to come out and wake the whole neighbor?"

"Oh, sorry. But where are they?"

"See those boreholes I told you about?" Mica asked, "They emerged from there. It's their house. This whole cave is their city."

Ilarion looked at each of the boreholes they passed by with disgust and dread. "This is some kind of next-level horror shit."

"Stop saying that!" Som was upset before turning to Mica. "Are they sleeping?"