Guardian of Elements

Chapter 9 - Power brings responsibility

The maze looked different from the inside. If the group didn't know, they would think it's just a cave system. The corridors weren't straight, and their walls were rough and curved outwards. There were stalagmites all over the place, and because of this angle and the light from the rupture, the gap between the walls and the ceiling was not visible. It was just like a normal cave.

The group came to the first crossroads. One path was arching to the left and the other one was going down. Both were dark.

"Fine, which way?" asked Kate.

"This is probably a test. Look for something to point us in the right direction."

Fellas went into the cave on the left, leaving Kate to search for something at the crossroads. She was looking for something like a carved mark on the wall or ground. After a few minutes, she noticed a broken stalagmite, lying on the ground. It was small and almost perfectly pointing to the right. She tried to move it, but it was stuck there in place. When Fellas returned, she showed it to her.

"That might be it. This cave goes on, but I heard some strange noises there. We might not be alone here."

They turned right and started to descend deeper into the labyrinth. After about a hundred meters, they arrived at another crossroads. This time, two paths were straight and there was no end to them, and the third one was heading up. And again, there was a broken stalagmite, pointing to the middle straight cave.

"This is strange. It shouldn't be so easy." Fellas doubted that this was all there was to it.

And it was the same story at the third crossroads. The broken stalagmite on the ground was always pointing to one direction.

"Did you say anything?" Fellas asked Kate when they passed into another corridor.

"Um, no?" she replied, confused.

"I thought I heard you saying we're going the wrong way."

"I didn't say anything, you think we are?"

"I hope not. Let's follow the stalagmites."

One hour had passed, and they didn't seem to be even slightly closer to the end, if there was any. Fellas was looking around all the time, she turned around several times and once she panicked when she thought she heard someone again. It was getting into Kate's mind, too. Darkness, stone, stiff air. After two hours, she had enough of it.

"This is pointless! What good is a challenge you cannot complete? This maze simply cannot be solved!" In anger, she kicked the broken stalagmite in front of her. That, amplified by her powers, tore it from the ground and sent it flying.

The ground shook.

"What was that?" Kate asked nervously.

Another tremor and a rumbling noise.

"What have I done?"

A rock fell next to them and the sound was getting closer from the cave ahead.

"Everyone, run!" shouted Fellas and the others didn't hesitate to follow her order. They were running through the maze with no clue where they were going, besides away from the noise. The ceiling was cracking and coming apart and rocks were falling from it all around them. Kate knew this was bad.

Then, a gigantic boulder crashed on the ground in front of them, blocking the path. Fellas was desperately trying to find a way around it, without success. She turned to Kate with fear in her eyes.

Even though the noise was getting unbearable, Kate could hear a distant, kind, female voice in her head.

"Save them. You are the Guardian of Elements. Stone obeys your command."

Kate looked at the family, with a sudden burst of determination flowing through her body.

"I won't let anyone pay for my mistakes."

She turned towards the closing rumble. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate.

"Just this one time..."

A stalactite fell just next to her.

"...give me a slip of power..."

The walls around them were cracking.

"...like my mother had!"

A sudden presence struck Kate, and she opened her eyes. For the first time in her life, they were ablaze with white fire. Plasmatic flames of pure power emerged from her star markings. Her gem was not shining in its usual blue, but in brilliant white light.

Stones falling around them stopped in midair. There was no rumble anymore. No noise. Everything was frighteningly quiet, as if the time had stopped. Rocks were slowly rotating above the ground.

"A Guardian never lets anyone suffer for their mistakes!" shouted Kate in a heavenly voice. Boulders that were levitating around them began to rise to the ceiling. Walls of the maze cracked and collapsed, falling away from the group. Rubble made from them rose, flying up. More and more rocks were ascending to strengthen the ceiling. When there was a compact layer of them, they lit up. Stones began melting from the inside, glowing in all shades of red and orange. Like a gigantic pond, lava covered the entire ceiling, being held up against gravity by the Guardian. Then, in mere seconds, it petrified again, and cracking noises were heard as it was cooling down, creating a new layer of black stone. Everything went silent as Kate's light disappeared.

When Fellas could move again, she went towards the heavily breathing Guardian of Elements.

"I... I can find no words..."

But Kate didn't hear her. The last thing she heard was the mysterious voice, and then, her gem darkened as she passed out.

"This is the true power of a Guardian."