Alina Nivar: The Moonstone

XIV: A Secret In The Mountain

The opening behind them closed as soon as they went through, leaving them in complete darkness.

"Uhh, Alina? Can you open it again?" Arien muttered in a slightly trembling voice.

"I don't think so."

"But why would we open it? Don't we want to go through the mountain?" Kita said. It was just then, in the dark, that Alina realized how high-pitched the girl's voice was.

"I dunno, maybe because we're trapped in a magically opened cave in complete darkness?" Arien answered sarcastically. "Oh, right, I guess it feels just like home to you."

"How about we stop talking and start walking? There must be an exit somewhere, so the sooner we reach it, the sooner we can get to the other side of the mountain and-"

Alina was suddenly interrupted by a noise in the distance. A shiver went down her spine.

"What... in the nine kingdoms... was that?" Arien whispered next to her.

Another noise, similar to the first one, followed. It sounded like some sort of cry.

"It's just the wind going through the cracks in the rocks. Nothing more than that," Alina said out loud, more to calm herself down than the others.

"Excuse me, I'll turn back to wolf," Kita whispered, and without another word, the three of them started walking in the darkness.

The more they walked, the louder the noises were. Now the group was sure they were cries. But whose? Alina grew more nervous with every step she took. Until she bumped into something; something that felt like rock.

"Ow. I think I walked into a wall." The sound of her voice resonated loud against the stone.

"Let me see... I mean, touch," Arien's voice said behind her.

After a few seconds, Alina heard him again.

"There's nothing to the left, can you check the right?"

"I'm on it," Kita's voice mumbled, apparently back to human. "Uhh, guys?"

"Yeah?"

"It's a dead end."

A second of silence.

"What?"

"There nothing to the right either. It's a dead end."

"Is it a joke? Please tell me it's a really bad joke." Arien's voice broke mid-sentence.

"It's not a joke. There's nothing."

"What are we gonna do then? We're trapped in here!" Alina was getting really nervous. Nothing was going on as planned. "Okay. I know. We should check if this path divides at some point. Maybe there's another way to go."

Suddenly, a light appeared behind them. And another. The group squinted, trying to see, as more and more lights emerged. Once her eyes got accustomed to the light, Alina started distinguishing between each of them. She counted at least seven. They were vaguely human-like, floated a few centimeters over the ground and varied in sizes, though none of them were very tall.

"Dear gods. Are those ghosts?" Arien asked. Alina was kind of relieved now that she could see him, even though it changed nothing. It was something known in the closed stone walls and the darkness.

Ghosts? That made some sense. But what were they doing there?

When the ghosts started talking, she felt a chill run down her spine. Their voices were like the sound of rocks rubbing, cold and rough. And cries resonated with them.

"Hello."

"Who are you?"

"Visitors?"

"Why are you here?"

"Tell us."

"W-we're trying to get out of here," Kita quavered.

"Get out?"

"Leave?"

"You can't."

"Not now."

"Not yet."

"We want to hear a story."

"A... story? What do you mean?" Alina asked.

"A story. A tale."

"Tell us a story."

"We want to hear one."

"Please."

"Then you can leave."

Kita stepped forward.

"I can tell you a story if you promise you will let us leave."

"We promise."

"Now tell us a story."

"Very well," the nagwal said, and started telling.

"Once upon a time, there was an orphanage full of little children. Orphanages are supposed to take care of the orphans, yes, but this one was different. The people who worked there were mean and evil. They tortured the children for fun and punished them for the slightest offenses.
"One day, however, a group of orphans decided to escape. After weeks of planning, they managed to leave the orphanage. They walked and walked for days, in hopes of finding a place where they could stay safely. The children reached a very big and very high mountain, and decided to cross it through a hidden passage they found."

Alina noticed the ghosts had acquired a dangerous looking shine. She started getting nervous.

"Kita...?" She touched the girl's arm and removed her finger instantly. Her skin was incredibly hot.

"However, while the children were crossing, part of the mountain collapsed. Huge rocks rolled down the mountain and fell over the orphans. Some of them were crushed; but some survived, trapped under the stone mass."

Kita's eyes were blank, like if she were on some sort of trance. Alina exchanged a worried look with Arien.

"For days they stayed there, trying desperately to get out. But it didn't matter how hard they pushed and pulled, not a single rock moved. One by one, their cries for help started dying, as they succumbed to the thirst and hunger. Not a single kid survived, leaving their souls restless and their names forgotten. And now, they can not find peace."

The taller ghost spoke.

"I don't like that story."

"But," Kita continued, "the ghosts of the children still roam the mountain. They ask travelers to tell them a story, in hopes of hearing their own. Only when they find their story will they be free at last."

The ghosts started talking again.

"Free."

"Our story."

"It is us."

"We were found."

"We were rescued."

"We are free."

With a cracking noise, the wall behind them opened up, just like the entrance. Alina sighed with a mix of happiness and relief at the sight of the sky.

The ghosts started fading and disappearing, one by one.

"Thank you, friend, for knowing our story," the last ghost said, addressing Kita. "We won't cry anymore."

And with those words, they turned into thin air.

"You're welcome," Kita answered with a weak voice, and fell to the ground.

"Kita!" Alina and Arien exclaimed. They both rushed next to her. Alina touched her again. She was still hot, but cooling down slowly.

"You say we carry her down?" Arien asked.

"Yes. I don't want to stay here any longer."

But, deep down, Alina knew the cave wasn't as dark as it was before.