Draiks and Angels: Rescued

18 - Lion's Mouth

Michael and Cona flew directly east over the Altumiter Mountains, looking below for anything that looked like it was a "Lion's Mouth." The sun was just beginning to set, leaving the east sides of the peaks in stronger shadows, but it was still light enough to see. Five minutes after passing the first peak, Cona thought she saw something interesting in the shadowy side of a mountain and stopped to look more carefully. Michael noticed and stopped, too.

There was a deep gorge down the side of the mountain, as though a giant knife had cut it like a cake. A little ways from the peak, in the flat wall of the cake-cut, was a black mostly-circular shape. Cona flew down towards it, and as she got closer, she could see it was a cave. There were two large stalagmites and two large stalactites right on the edge where the cave dropped into the gorge.

Cona waved Michael over, "What do you see?"

"A cave?"

Cona pointed at the pointed stone growths, "They look like fangs to me."

Realization dawned on Michael, "You think this is the Lion's Mouth?"

"Might as well look and see," Cona lighted in the cave mouth.

Cona pulled her new flashlight out of her bag and started into the cave. Michael landed and followed after.

"I could cast night vision on us both and then you wouldn't need that," Michael offered, tripping on a stalagmite.

"Meaning you would like to use it but would feel guilty not offering?" Cona smirked, then stubbed her own toe on a rock. "I wouldn't say no."

Michael put two fingers on Cona's forehead and said, "Meh niitsi meem."

The cave was suddenly completely visible as if it was daylight, though her flashlight didn't hurt her eyes. She didn't understand how that was possible. Magic gets to be impossible, she thought grimly. Michael cast the spell on himself and Cona put her flashlight away. They continued deeper into the cave, with more ease.

Eventually, they saw a stone pedestal surrounded by stalagnates, or columns where a stalagmite and stalactite had merged. Cona eagerly walked up to it and picked up the small silver piece. She returned to where Michael was standing and showed it to him.

She tucked it into her satchel and recited from memory, "Fifth lies in the Gods' Marble, last seen between the First and the Fourth."

"That seems obvious-" Michael started, then cut off as a terrible fear sprang into his heart.

Cona gasped and held her arms to her as the freezing terror grew. The Shadows! But this feeling: it was so strong!

"He's coming!" she whispered frantically.

Dark blobs sprang up behind them, cutting them off from the cave mouth. A large black circle grew between them and the pedestal. Michael decided the fear coming from the circle made it the bigger threat and he positioned himself between it and Cona. He pulled a gleaming, two-edged sword from seemingly nowhere and brandished it defensively.

The ten-foot tall, pure black being with glowing red eyes that grew from the circle could only be the Shadow man Cona had mentioned. He had no doubt in his mind that this was the evil the prophesies talked about.

The Shadow sneered, "Well, well. I never thought this girl would have such an esteemed companion."

"Cona, we need to get out of here now!" Michael whispered fervently.

"How do you suggest we do that?" Cona gasped back, trying to fight the deep fear in her heart. Speaking was hard when she couldn't breathe.

"I heard you had left that accursed Aerie, but scanning the ground is... hit-and-miss when your target can fly," the Shadow sighed as though put upon by the effort.