Twilight Elysium

Chapter 16: Ad Astra Per Aspera

You hugged the sheep to your chest, trying your best to keep your calm. Balalaila was doing a stellar job of staying relaxed, even though you both were on the verge of being sucked into a freaky sand-vortex-trap-thingy. Before you completely lost your mind, you managed to grab the bag. You sang to yourself quietly, biting on the inside of your cheek.

"And I need you now tonight, and need you more than ever."

It was an old bard song, but it helped you distract yourself. You watched the fine grains of sand disappear with the bell.

"Balalaila?" You asked, squeezing her small back, "Are you sure there's nothing about this place in my book? So far you've had an answer for everything we've come across."

She merely nuzzled into you and sighed. You stroked her soft coat.

"Gods, is this how I'm supposed to go?" You questioned to no one in particular, "In what's essentially quicksand in the middle of this stupid labyrinth? Is it because I touched that statue?" You pondered it for a few moments. "Uhm, Lord Kars? If you can hear me, I didn't mean to offend you when I grabbed your hand."

Well, you weren't struck by lightning or killed on the spot, so he either didn't hear you or thought it was funny to laugh at your pain. You wouldn't be surprised if it was the latter.

The longer you sat and waited for your certain demise, the more antsy you got. Your mind was racing with unanswered questions. Where were your parents? Were they dead? Why did those people in the caravan throw you in here? What did you do wrong?

"I wonder what my friends would think of me talking to a sheep. They'd probably think I was crazy."

Your butt started to hurt after a while. The sand vortex had gotten somewhat larger, but not large enough to reach you. You chewed on the inside of your cheek again.

"Balalaila? If I we use that dragon over there-"

She must have gotten annoyed with you. She wriggled out of your arms and grabbed the pack in between her teeth.

"What are you doing with that?"

She pulled the pack behind her and raced toward the eye.

"Wait, no! Balalaila, please!"

The gravity of the situation finally set in and you lunged to grab her, but she was too quick. You watched as her pearly white coat got swallowed by the sand. You heard her give a meek bleat as she disappeared among the grains. You could feel yourself slip in after her.

~

You tumbled down the seemingly endless sand dunes, covering your head to protect yourself from being injured. You must have fallen, what, thirty feet by now? Your body kept rolling and rolling and rolling, making you sick. If you ever reached the bottom, you made a mental note to try and find some water.

It seemed like forever, but you clattered to the floor after about another minute of falling. You slid a good ten feet from the mountain of sand.

"Balalaila?" you groaned, calling to her. You couldn't bring yourself to sit up. Your stomach was reeling from the torturous tumbling. Her soft bleat echoed through the cavern, followed by a soft jingling. The soft clipping of her tiny hooves and tinkling of the bell came closer until you could hear her right next to your ear. You felt her sniff your ear. "Hey, girlie."

With great effort, you pushed yourself up on your knees. The sheep looked at you with her soulful eyes. She held the small silver bell in her teeth. You gently pulled it from her teeth. Brushing your fingers through Balalaila's soft coat, you sighed deeply.