Streams - Book 1

Chapter 9

From the darkness

"Wait," Ava said as they reached a cross section of tunnels. "We'll scout ahead and signal back if there's any trouble."

As Ava ducked into the left tunnel, Mia said, "If anything happens, run back to the room under the tree and wait for us." Then she disappeared down the tunnel to the right.

"I'm cold," Aakil said from in the darkness, as his teeth began to chatter.

"Me too," Jenni nodded in agreement. It seemed much colder without the torches the twins carried. The only light came from some dimly glowing moss on the walls and ground. "What are they looking for?" Jenni asked as she rubbed her arms, trying to keep warm.

"These tunnels are a notorious hiding place for bandits, thieves, and murderers. Anyone who wants to hide from the King's guard eventually passes through here," Aakil observed. "Of course they might also find the Danzerhag."

"Do I want to know what that is?" Jenni asked.

"Danzerhags are menacing creatures from the stream of the fairies. Several years ago, we had a few jump into our stream. They caused untold damage for months before they were hunted down and killed by the King's guards. However, one escaped and no one has found it to this day." Aakil paused and looked around the cold, damp tunnels; "This is just the kind of environment a Danzerhag would love."

Jenni shivered and strained her eyes, scanning the dim tunnels for anything that might be hiding in the gloom. She caught a glimpse of movement down the left tunnel and then Ava emerged from the darkness. "All clear that way," Ava reported. "Is Mia back yet?" She stepped toward the right tunnel and lifted her torch over her head. A shape moved in the darkness and crept closer to Ava and her torch. Jenni was about to warn her, when the shape resolved itself into Mia.

Her torch was out and her clothes were waterlogged, as if she had fallen into a deep hole. "Shh," she whispered as she approached her twin. "We are not alone," she continued as she gestured for Ava to douse her torch too.

"Danzerhag," Jenni whispered.

"Worse," Mia said, motioning everyone over so she could whisper. "It's a Maticore." She held up a small skull with a bloody spine sticking out from its forehead.

"Dear heaven," Lilly gasped in horror at the sight of the bloody Gnome skull. "How did a Manticore get into our stream?"

"My father left him as a surprise for the beings of this stream," said a male voice from out of the darkness. Jenni ducked back against the wall, waiting to see if the new voice was friend or foe.

"Get back," the twins called, drawing their swords and facing the tunnel.

"Take it easy there killers." A tall shadow moved slowly into the dim light. Gradually it morphed into a young, human-looking teenage boy. He was a few inches taller than Jenni and very muscular. Although he looked relatively human, he wore the same body armor that the twins did, only the sleeves had been cut off to make room for his powerful arms. The most curious thing about him that Jenni noticed was his wrap-around eyewear that looked like the visor Cyclops from the X-Men wore. She wondered if it did something special or was just for looks.

"Tlaloc," the twins, Lilly, and Aakil all said in shock.

"Hello Queen Lilly, Professor Aakil, Ava, and Mia," Tlaloc replied giving a slight bow.

"My dear boy, where have you been?" Lilly asked pushing past the twins to give the young boy a hug around his waist. "Morathi had his men out looking for you all season."

"I've been around," he replied with a nervous smile, as his eyes darted between the twins.

"Around where?" Mia asked. She relit her torch and walked over to the boy.