The Forgotten Kingdom

Chapter 2

The first thought that came to Carina as she walked through the dark cave, was how cold it felt. She felt like she was wading through a dark pool. But there was no water. She frowned, pulling out the lantern she had taken, gently tapping the glass, waking the Lumaflies inside. They buzzed softly, flying around and giving off a pale white light that thankfully lit most of the cave.

She shivered, holding the lantern high in front of her, looking around. nothing but stone walls descending deeper and deeper into darkness. "Well... at least it's quiet. Right?" She sighed, frowning, half wishing she had someone to talk to. But knowing they would only get in her way. She hummed, gently kicking a rock, which clattered loudly on the floor as it rolled, the sound echoing around her. She knew she had to get there. But she didn't expect her trip down to be so.. Boring. She shook her head. "No. Can't get bored. I have to make it or I'll never forgive myself. I can't give up. I'm just starting. It's just the cave. Messing with my head. It's dark, and quiet. I just have to keep moving until I find something interesting." 

She nods to herself, her steps quickening at the self motivation, making her smile. She was going to do this. She had to. For not just her grandfather, but for herself. As she walked her thoughts wandered to her family. She was the youngest of eight children, and also the smallest. Her siblings all thought because of her age and size, she would never do anything in her life worth noting. She scowled. 

She may not have been strong, or of a more able body, but she had something she like to say was better than her siblings. She had knowledge. From the time she could talk Cornifer had taught her how to read in many languages. She would spend every waking hour she could, sitting somewhere in the old bugs house, pouring over the many books he had collected from when he was a cartographer. 

Learning about kingdoms, young and old, religions, civilizations, and many rituals and practices. But her favorite had always been the stories he told of a vague kingdom. Never giving more information than he thought necessary. And now she knew why. He was piquing her interest, filling her mind with thoughts of the beautiful kingdom so far down below that no one ever found it. Her siblings and parents had laughed at her when she said she was going to be the first to find the lost kingdom. 

Her grandparents had told her that Cornifer was just a crazy old man, whose mind was going to his old age, blurring the lines between myth and reality. But she never listened to them. Choosing instead to find another book from Cornifers collection, reading it cover to cover, absorbing as much knowledge as she possibly could. And sometimes she would spend time with her siblings, only when she thought she might learn something. 

Like how to build a fire. Or build a makeshift shelter. She would need these skills for her journey to Hallownest. And she couldn't wait. But now, she was the only child of her mother eight that hadn't fallen in love and started to settle down. Still spending all her time with Cornifer in his home, or at the hospital when he fell ill. Having long conversations with each other in long forgotten languages. To her mother, she had her head in the clouds, and would get a rude awakening when she finally came back down to earth. But no. 

Her father, had told her time and again that men didn't like women who thought for no reason, and that she would never find a husband, or have kids of her own. She had told him she was fine with that. He had slapped her. er head she rubbed her cheek, remembering the sting of her fathers anger. He had tried to forbid her from going back to see his ailing grandfather, but stubborn and rebellious, she went anyway. 

She yelped when she suddenly tripped, managing to catch herself before she fell, or broke the lantern. She looked around, embarrassed at herself for getting so distracted in her thoughts.But now seeing what was in front of her she was thankful she had. 

Stretching out in front of her was what looked like a great black sea. The inky depths made her feel uneasy, and she took a few steps back. But this was not like any sea she had seen. The 'water' did not move, still and silent. And it did not reflect the light of her lantern. Instead seeming to swallow it up. This was something different, and it scared her. She looked around, walking over to an outcropping of large rocks a good ten or so feet away from the strange blackness. Setting her lantern down she began setting up her tent, unrolling her sleeping bag. 

She shivered again from the cold, frowning to herself, she would have to start a fire. Standing again she picked up the lantern, looking around for something she could use as tinder for a small fire. A few small plants were barely growing between the cracks in the stone, she quickly plucked them and returned to her tent, pulling out her nail and grabbing a small stone. She struck the stone against the nail at an angle, creating a few small sparks. she repeated this process until one of the leaves caught, blowing on it to spurr the fire. 

Once she had a small burn she stood, looking to gather more plants. She collected as many as she could find around her small camp, putting them on the fire when it threatened to burn out. she sighed, looking again at the black sea. She may not have noticed an off tunnel as she walked earlier from how lost in her thoughts she was. She would investigate more later though. Her legs were tired and so was she. She nibbled from her rations, then crawled into her sleeping bag. Closing her eyes to sleep. 

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When Carina woke up, she felt stiff, and sore. Probably from sleeping on the ground. Slowly removing herself from her sleeping bag, she stretched, her muscles popping and her carapace shifting. She yawned. Stretching had brought her some relief, but she still felt sore. She chose to ignore it, opening her eyes. It was dark. She sighed. Her lumaflies had fallen asleep. Blindly she felt around, until her hand met the cool rounded glass bubble, tapping gently to wake the little bugs, who came buzzing to life. She looked around, having thought initially her whole trip had been a dream, only to be hit with soreness, and realize it wasn't. This was real. She was actually down here, looking for the forgotten kingdom of Hallownest as she had always dreamed. 

She grinned, and couldn't stop the happy laugh that bubbled up from her. The sound echoed through the cave, making her head spin a little. She looked again at the black sea. It too had not been a dream. She frowned. She cautiously approached, picking up a stone, thinking for a moment, then tossing it into the inky black.