Howl

Chapter Thirty Seven

Howl's POV

    "Are you sure you want to go in there?" Solomon tries once more to talk Artemis out of entering The Ferocity's cave. The lair.

    Artemis solemnly nods, "We have to save Markl, no matter the cost!"

    "Then we are going to need a game plan," Mellach interrupts the beginning of my planning by moving to one side of Artemis and whispering something, ever so lightly, into her ear. The look on her face turns sour, and she seems several shades paler.

    "As I was saying," I conintue after my quizzical look gets no response. "We have no more potions, nor poison left. Artemis is magically out-" she squirms uncomfortably - "Mellach has no magic to help anyways, but do you have any goods or weapons that could be of some use?"

     "Do I ever!" Mellach acts giddy when I mention weapons, but he flinched when I mentioned a lack of magic. He has never been jealous of our powers before . . . Unless he is hiding something . . .

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Artemis's POV

    We each bear a torch, and we have to hunch our backs to fit through part of the tunnel for only a short time. Just when Solomon opens her mouth to start quiet conversation, a tremendous, cave shaking roar sounds, and the cavern and remaining tunnel is lit up before us.

    "We are getting close," Mellach sighs, if not melodramatically, with a hooded expression, as the rest of us exchange dark looks.

    I take the lead, and I quicken our pace, until an arm sneaks out from behind and around me, catching me at the waist just as I begin to step off of a sudden, sloping chasm. Beneath us, in the large pit, dried out, scaly skins are scattered amongst bones, a metal helmet, and more than a few swords, amongst unintelligle charred remains of only God knows what. 

    "It must be a twenty foot drop," Mellach offers up.

    "Not neccesarily enough to kill you, depending on how you land-" Howl starts.

    "But enough to do some major damage," I finish. As we stand, looking out over the chasm, my depth perception and vision slowly improve, and I feel my magic fade. I owe Howl my life, once again, but I can't find the words to thank him.

    "How on earth-" Mellach starts, but Solomon and Howl already have their backs together, bringing some of the debris from the ground up to an arching level near our ledge, like a bridge.

    "Is it safe?" I ask, almost attempting humor.

    "No," Solomon bluntly returns.

   "Great," Mellach claims ever so sarcastically. Iv'e never met someone who dripped quite as much sarcasm in his voice . . .

    I am the second to follow, only because Howl insisted in going before me. Mellach goes after me. But when it comes to Solomon, she hardly makes it a quarter of the way across the shady bridge before she slips, and mellach rushes to her and catchs her by the wrist. He wrenches her up to the bridge, keeping his breathing steady, before he leans over and kisses the woman, quick but full on the lips.

    As soon as we make our way across the shaky bridge, the unmistakeable, heavy downbeat of dragon wings sounds, all too near.