Victor and the Seven Circles of Darkness

Chapter 8 - The Map of Mount Saligia

Into the darkness their journey began. As far as the light of their lamps could reach was a vast cave empty and dry, sullen and sad. The ground tiled with stones and the high walls carved rough and uneven. Its silence carried the mystery of the past and the unknown that only time and space had endured witnessing the many facets and events that had come to pass.

"Stay close to me and watch your steps," warned Master Tyrus as he led them onward.

Victor's round, blue eyes rolled alert of the things that might appear before them. His fear of darkness reminded him once more of his imprisonment inside a crystal ball. He fretted as he recalled the croogs; those bloodthirsty beasts with eyes lurking like demons in the dark, and somehow at this moment was ripping the courage inside of him.

"Don't worry, Victor, as long as we have the lamps and the candles, there'll be no darkness," assured Master Tyrus.

He gazed at his instructor. "I hope there are no beasts down here," he commented. He felt embarrassed that darkness made him a coward. For five years of sharing lessons and trainings with him, he's no longer a stranger to him. He knew him well inside and out. 

"Do you think we could make it within twenty-four days, Master Tyrus?" said Trobit. "This place is huge and unpredictable. How sure are we that we're heading in the right direction?" His tone sounded more like he's beginning to doubt this early.

"We'll be able to, Trobit. We'll just follow the path and keep our pace faster ... lesser rest ... it depends on many circumstances ... chances without any mishaps along the way ... and great luck of course."

Victor felt the eagerness of Trobit and even Master Tyrus to get out of the mountain as fast as possible. They haven't reached the first circle and yet anxiety started to sheathe their skin. The way they gripped their swords; they're ready to strike any moment danger hit them. The fear of the unknown kept them all alert.

The long stretch came to a halt when they reached a broad and winding stairway, down the last step was an archway. Victor's heart beat faster. He knew well that an archway could be the beginning of something else, a door that would lead them somewhere else.

They passed through it and they came out to a chamber vast and high, but still, no signs of life, movements, or sounds. While Master Tyrus and Trobit explored the hugeness of the place by looking up high, Victor noticed some dominant carved lines over the floor. He knelt down and lowered his lamp to examine it.

"My prince, it's like a map," said Bogle, who was resting on his shoulder.

"Master Tyrus, take a look at this," he followed the markings that spread wide over the floor.

"This might be the map of Mount Saligia," said Master Tyrus. He pinpointed the entrance gate. "See here, this is where we came from, and we're here now as you can see there's a star mark on it." He stepped forward. "Here are the seven circles, one after another, and here's the exit gate. I think the circles are not difficult to find. We'll just follow the path straight ahead."

"How did you know this is the exit gate, Master Tyrus?" asked Trobit.

"See this sign? Like a door? It's similar to the symbol indicated at the mountain's entrance door."

Trobit examined it more closely. "Oh, yeah!"

"Hold on," said Victor. "There are no signs of entrance and exit doors in the circles."  

"It means the doors are sealed or invisible. I think we need to find the feather mark to make it visible, just like what we did when we entered the mountain."

"It doesn't sound easy."

"No, it's not easy. We better get moving."

When they reached the end of the chamber, there's another long and winding stairway going down, at the end of it was a cave that branched off in different directions.