Rain was falling. Since Luno’s arrival, he could recall this weather anomaly on two other occasions. Both lasted less than a minute. Such was not the case today. The deluge began just before dawn and showed no signs of letting up. Everyone in Harbor Town was drawn out into the storm. So it was James, Kilani and Luno found themselves, along with all the residents of Harbor Town, standing on the pier letting the rain soak them through and through. Some people simply stood with their mouths open, enjoying the ability to drink fresh water falling from the sky. Others danced like children. Some stood completely naked, letting the rain soak their skin, showing no modesty whatsoever. Luno simply shook his head. “Of all the bloody days,” he said.
“It is a sign from the island,” Kilani said, wringing the water out of her hair.
“Perhaps we should wait until the rain stops before we depart,” James suggested as he looked around, convinced some of the residents had lost their minds.
“We will delay no longer. Besides, I am quite certain it would rain on whichever day we decided to go,” Luno said.
“I don’t understand. The island has given us the power to travel across the water, why would she try to prevent us from leaving?” James asked.
“Like any woman, some things we just won’t understand,” Luno said, smiling at Kilani. Her expression made it clear she was not amused.
“The ship is already packed. There is nothing left for us to do but depart. I shall see you on deck.”
Having been outside already, the residents of Harbor Town gathered at the end of the pier when they noticed activity on the ship. James and Kilani now stood on deck, along with their two recruited crewmembers, Roger and William, waiting for Luno. The crowd grew silent. James knew Luno had arrived. He made his way on top of the scaffold used during the ship’s assembly and looked down at the crowd.
“Today marks a momentous occasion. We journey, for the first time to lands yet explored in hopes of bringing back news of a means to our escape.” This was received with cheers and applause. “It appears as if our lady has arranged a special sendoff,” Luno said, extending his arms and lifting his face to the falling rain. The applause was less enthusiastic.
“Your journey is cursed,” a voice in the crowd shouted. “You wont make it out of the harbor alive.”
“Naysayers and believers alike long for a means of departure. Today, we intend to begin the quest that will bring us all absolution. In my absence I am appointing Charlotte interim governor.”
Charlotte was one of the dozen people traipsing bare-bottomed across the pier. By the looks of her, James wasn’t sure she was the greatest choice to lead in Luno’s absence. She had an expression of surprise when Luno shouted her name, and James believed Luno had not mentioned this appointment to the appointee before this very moment. The entire crowd turned to look at Charlotte, whose bare, dripping wet body began to shiver the moment all eyes turned upon her.
“Follow the rules we all have agreed upon and you shall thrive in my absence. Now, without further delay, we must be off. I bid all of you a fond farewell.”
Luno climbed down the ladder and boarded the ship.
“Now then,” he smiled. Let us be off.”
The crew went to work quickly. Kilani and James hoisted the sail as Luno took up position behind the wheel. Roger and William untied the bow and stern line. The sail flapped uselessly in the rain.
“ Poikelo,” James said, extending his open hands. Immediately, the sail billowed and the ship lurched forward. Luno tightened his grip on the wheel while Kilani kept watch on the port side to make sure the ship didn’t scrape the pylons as they passed the end of the pier. Waves blowing in from the north battered the front of the ship. The crew could not hear the cheers from the spectators on top of the pier nor see their arms waving. Luno turned the ship to its heading, which was barely visible in the storm. He kept the bow oriented with the eastern tip of North Harbor. Once he spotted the jagged outcropping of rocks over Kilani’s shoulder, he held that course and gave James a nod. James repeated the incantation, extending his hands toward the sail. The ship responded by gaining speed. As the speed increased it began skipping over the waves. Each time the bow dug into another wave the ship would shudder. William and Roger exchanged concerned looks and moved aft to have a discussion with Luno.
“I don’t reckon zee vill stand zis for very long, Capitan,” William, said.
“Don’t worry, boys. She’ll fare just fine,” Luno said, yelling over the roar of wind and rain. He nodded to James again, and again James asked for more power in the sails. The ship sped up. The impacts of the waves increased until they sounded like a rapidly beating heart, jolting the ship with each beat. As the speed increased further the ride smoothed and the ship felt as if it were traveling over much calmer waters.
Luno relaxed his grip on the wheel and let a satisfied smile cross his face. He checked his bearing, making sure they were still heading in the proper direction. Suddenly, a stiflingly hot gust of air struck the ship, pushing the rain away and leaving them in the sticky humidity one would normally find in the jungle. Breathing became a forced effort. James and Kilani exchanged concerned glances.
It didn’t take long to sail clear of the hot air and all were grateful to be able to breathe normally once more. Luno smiled knowingly and asked William to take the wheel. He made his way to the bow where James and Kilani were securing the rigging.
“We are on our way,” he said excitedly.
“It appears as though the island isn’t fond of our little voyage,” James said.
“My friend, if the island didn’t want us to leave Harbor Town, this ship would be at the bottom of the sea. Always remember that she is in control here and we miscreants have nothing to say about it.”
“What do you presume all that weather was about?” James asked.
“I do not pretend to know her mind and speculation usually leads down the wrong path. Let us look onward. Now, my dear,” Luno said, looking at Kilani. “How long do you estimate our arrival at the first of the three widows?”
“At our current speed, I’d say less than twenty minutes.”
“Excellent, we will drop anchor on the western side of the island and row to shore. All three widows are approachable from the west, which will make our trip briefer than if we had to circumnavigate each bloody island looking for a place to land.”
Luno had done his homework. During his tenure on the island he’d explored most every crack and crevasse The Never had to offer-that is, with the exception of the six perimeter islands. It had taken him decades to map everything. He had lost several people who’d volunteered to accompany him and been injured more times than he cared to remember. From the cliffs on the northern cape, Luno could see that each of the three widow’s western sides had white sandy shores. A perpetual mist hung over their centers, preventing anyone from seeing far past the coasts.
“What is the plan if we cannot find running water on the island?” James asked, recalling that one could not drink standing water in The Never without dying a terrible death.
“You worry too much, my friend. We drank just before we left and have more than enough time to find water,” Luno replied.
“And if we don’t?” James asked.
“Depending on how long the exploration takes, we can either move on to the second widow or make our way back to Harbor Town.”
“I have a suggestion,” Kilani said.
“By all means,” Luno said.
“Finding running water should be paramount. We move swiftly to that end. If, by midday, we do not find any, James and I make our way to the second widow to search there. We meet back at our landing point before sundown and either return to Harbor Town or to the water source. If we do discover running water, we set up our camp there.”
“A brilliant idea,” Luno said, smiling as he walked back toward the wheel.
James looked at Kilani, who gave him a wry smile and continued securing the supplies that had been strewn about in the storm. Once complete, he made his way toward the stern to make sure the dinghy was still tethered to the rear of the boat. Despite everything they had set out to do on this voyage, his mind couldn’t help but return to that which had infested it as long as he could remember. The prophecy. Here he was, in a place far away from his home and once again he was the one everyone was depending upon. He thought it ironic that the moment he’d arrived at this place-once he’d regained his lucidity, that is-that he had felt a weight lifted from his consciousness.
The moment Luno told him he believed James was the one who could return them to their world, it came rushing back, sitting squarely upon his shoulders. He hadn’t realized what a burden it was until it had returned with the force of a massive boulder. Never free to live his own life, James had always been expected to serve others. Despite his outward appearance of strength and acceptance of this destiny, James struggled with this responsibility every day. What if he didn’t live up to the expectations? What if he couldn’t? It is never easy to live under the shadow of greatness. Especially when you’re expected to fulfill the expectations everyone has laid out for you since you were a child.
And yet, in this place he had found reprieve. Not once, but twice. First upon his arrival and second through the touch of a woman. Despite their age difference, James and Kilani had grown close. Her relationship with Luno was complicated at best. Every time James asked her about it she deflected the question and steered the conversation in another direction. Nobody in Harbor Town shared residence, which James found particularly odd since there were equal numbers of men and women dwelling there. He couldn’t get a clear answer to that question either. Kilani spent a considerable amount of time with Luno. Virtually every moment she was not with James she spent with Luno. Every morning when they’d meet to explore or study, Kilani would come walking out of Luno’s house. Every night she would retire to her own.
Luno had sent James and Kilani to confirm his map details in grid 14, which was on the western coast. Kilani and James talked constantly during their trek. Kilani always spoke about the plants. He quickly learned she was the resident horticulturist. When they would go on mapping expeditions, Kilani was always on the lookout for undiscovered plants. She invariably returned with bundles of plants and leaves with which she would conduct experiments.
She was the one who discovered the fire trees of the west. When the fire tree’s leaves touch, they immediately burst into flames. The sap of these trees is also highly flammable. This discovery was the catalyst for the construction of nearly all of the modern amenities at Harbor Town. Most of all, Kilani was hell-bent on finding a local plant that would enable her to make transporting powder.
As they reached the lichen-choked boulders that lined the small cove (aptly named Lichen Cove) on their map-plotting mission, James and Kilani sat and looked out over the sea.
“Do you truly believe we will ever leave this place?” she asked.
“Do you?” James replied.
Tears began streaming down Kilani’s cheeks. It was the first time James had ever seen her show any emotion other than excitement. She looked out over the water and let the tears come. James looked at her. Her blue-green eyes, glassy with tears, appeared to have left this world. Minutes passed. Kilani continued to stare out to sea. Finally she spoke.
“When you first arrived and Luno believed that you were the one who would get us off this island, I was excited. We all were. But a year has passed and we are no closer to finding a way out. I want to believe in you, James. But here,” she placed her hand over her heart, “deep inside lies doubt. Luno inspires hope, that’s what he does. I think he truly believes you will do what he thinks you’ve been brought here to do. That gives me hope. I suppose I’ve always had trouble blindly following. Blindly believing.”
“My entire life has been filled with the expectations of others. And all my life, I have held onto doubt. Perhaps I am not the person Luno believes me to be. But I will promise you this, Kilani,” James took her hand from her heart and placed it over his. “I will try with every ounce of blood that pumps through my heart to live up to those expectations.”
“Why burden yourself with that?”
“Because without hope, there is nothing. And I will not live in a world where there is no hope.”
Kilani broke her gaze for the first time and looked where James had placed her hand. It still rested on his chest with both his hands covering it. Their eyes met and locked, tears still streamed down her cheeks. Kilani reached her other hand and cupped the back of James’s neck. He felt a flash of heat rush down his spine. It surged back up and spread across his shoulders and down to his fingers. The tension that strung across his shoulder blades like piano wire melted away.
“I want to believe. Make me believe. Tell me you’ll take me away from this place. Be who you are supposed to be.” Kilani said these things not because she wanted a response from him but because she wanted to motivate him to press on, to keep trying.
As the heat dissipated, it was replaced. It wasn’t the emptiness or pressure James had come to expect but desire. Desire to fulfill the destiny Luno had laid out for him. Not for Luno or the others trapped on The Never but for her. Just her. Her approval, her acceptance, her love. Kilani released her grip on his neck and let her hand fall from his chest. Despite his immediate longing for her touch, he felt invigorated. James wondered what she so longed for but knew she would tell him only when she was ready, if at all. On that day for the first time, James felt as if Kilani saw him as a man rather than just a boy.
A cry of “Land ho,” returned James to the present. In that simple phrase James realized there were only two true mariners aboard the ship. He was grateful to have William and Roger and understood why Luno kept them close in his council during the planning phase of the expedition. He had even allowed them to name the ship, which they called The Queen Mary, after their wives, both named Mary.
“Bring her about the western point and look for a suitable place to anchor,” Luno shouted from the bow. “Aye, aye, Capin’,” Roger shouted from behind the wheel.
Luno slowed the ship as it rounded the point. For the first time, James saw the second widow, which was tucked in just behind the first. The islands were close, easily within rowing distance, especially considering his newfound strength.
The water along the coasts of both widows was brilliant green. It gave way to a deep blue several hundred feet from shore. The sails slackened and the ship coasted toward where the blue and green waters met. The sail was quickly lowered and stowed while William positioned the boat for anchoring. James, Kilani, and Roger lowered the stone anchor. The line, made of woven iron-tree vines, went slack shortly after breaking the surface of the water.
“She’s not much deeper ’n the keel Capin’. Touch and go by the looks of it. Good thing we anchored here or she’d run aground for sure,” Roger shouted to Luno, who was gathering supplies from the hold.
They dropped the bow anchor for stability despite the lakestill waters. Once the dinghy was loaded with the necessary supplies, the crew made their way aboard and began to row to shore. Luno wasn’t entirely sure if leaving the ship unoccupied would be a wise idea because of the unpredictable weather, but it had calmed significantly. As the anchors had gained easy purchase on the sea floor, he decided having everyone search for running water would be the best use of manpower.
The small boat made landfall without incident. They pulled the boat ashore and lashed it to a tree. Luno quickly unrolled a map he’d drawn based on his observations from the mainland. The strange mist still hung over the island, making visibility inland poor at best.
“I had hoped we’d be able to see better once we’d made landfall,” Luno said, looking up from his map into the jungle in front of him. “Our only choice is to head inland. We shall cross north to south, coast to coast in an easterly direction. Kilani, I want you to lead. James, take the rear. Be on your guard, there’s no telling what may dwell inland. Let us make haste; midday approaches rapidly.”
The group moved quickly into the jungle. They were immediately enveloped in the mist, which reminded James of the London fogs at their worst. Though William was no more than ten paces in front of him, James could barely make out his back, and he couldn’t make out anyone else in the group at all.
The interior of the island was eerily silent. Even the footfalls of the group fell noiselessly. James could detect no elevation change as they carried on. It wasn’t long before they had crossed the small island and were on the southern shore. Other than the giant trees, which disappeared in the mist not far above their heads, they hadn’t seen much of anything. They quickly turned and made their way back into the jungle, this time on a northeasterly heading.
Not long after they plunged into the mist the group stopped. An earsplitting shriek broke the silence. James could hear the leaves in the trees above fluttering under the weight of something moving from branch to branch. The group formed a tight circle, each facing out and looking up into the mist in hopes of spotting whatever was moving. The sound above stopped as quickly as it started. Several leaves glided through the mist and fell to the ground around the group. After another moment of silence, Luno ordered them to press on. After a longer spell of walking, the group again stepped through the jungle onto the beach, this time northeast of their original position. The Queen Mary was still visible, anchored just offshore.
“We will make one more pass to the southern shore and one pass back to the north. If we don’t find anything, we will implement our contingency plan,” Luno said.
Each time the group stepped into the jungle, James felt increasingly uneasy. His senses were on high alert as, yet again, he stepped into the mist-shrouded forest. For the first time since their arrival on the first widow, James thought he could detect a slight rise in the elevation as they moved rapidly toward the center of the island. The rest of the group’s unease had heightened as well. So much so that when Kilani came to a stop, every member, save Luno, ran into the back of the person in front of them. James, who had been looking up into the canopy, walked into Roger and knocked him to the ground.
As he helped Roger to his feet, James realized the heavy mist had dissipated slightly. In front of him, Kilani, Luno, and William were staring at a tall stone structure blocking their path. It stretched high into the air. The top was wreathed by the dense canopy. The base was as wide as three horse-lengths. Its circular shape revealed no seams.
“Vat the ’ell es it, Capitan?” William asked.
“I don’t know,” Luno replied, slowly circumnavigating the base while carefully inspecting it. He stopped on the far side. Glyphs carved into the stone stretched in a straight line from the ground into the canopy.
“Do you recognize it?” James asked.
“No. I’ve never seen writing such as this,” Luno replied. “Strange,” James said as he inspected the black granite tower. “What, boy?” asked Luno.
“This is somehow familiar… like I’ve seen it before.”
“Impossible,” said Luno. “The stone appears to be of the same type of rock as the cave. Perhaps the familiarity comes from there?”
“Perhaps,” said James. His hand was buried deep inside the satchel slung over his shoulder. Between his thumb and index finger the cool steel of the key instantly reminded him of the unquestionable desire it had awakened.
Slowly, Luno extended his hand toward the tower. As it neared the stone, he could feel heat radiating from it. Luno paused before contacting the surface.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Kilani asked.
“Not at all,” Luno replied, mesmerized by the mysterious lettering. He lowered his hand and stepped back from the spire. Luno sensed importance in their discovery, but he couldn’t articulate where the feeling was coming from.
“We must get an accurate position. I feel we may need to return to this place and we won’t be able to find it unless we do so. James, Kilani, make your way north to the second widow as quickly as you can. As soon as I’ve got this mapped, we will continue our search for running water. We’ll meet you at our landing site before sundown.”
Overwhelmed by the desire to put as much distance between himself and the spire, James nodded and headed toward the northern end of the clearing. Kilani paused to have a word with Luno. From where James was standing, they appeared to be arguing, but he could not hear the exchange. James could tell by her expression that she wasn’t pleased with the outcome. “Everything okay?” James asked.
“Let us move with all haste,” she said and took off into the mist at a run. James hurried after. Several minutes had passed when the commotion in the mist-covered canopy above took up again. This time Kilani did not stop. Instead, she increased her speed. James kept close behind.
It didn’t take the pair long to reach the northern shore. They looked to the west. The coast curved slightly to the south, preventing them from seeing their landing point and the Queen Mary. Not wanting to waste a minute, they continued running along the shore. As they ran, James noticed numerous tracks in the sand. They started where the small waves rolled onto the shore and disappeared into the jungle. The majority were smaller than his own footprints. He did, however, spot two larger sets of tracks among the smaller tracks. Neither were identifiable.
The pair silently made their way to the dinghy without incident. They made quick progress across the channel and reached the shore of the second widow within an hour. They secured the small boat and moved down the shoreline to the east, parallel to the course they had just run on the first widow’s coast. Kilani had spotted cliffs on the far western side of the second widow. They made their way rapidly to where the shore turned sharply to the northeast.
James noticed similar-looking tracks in the sand: two pair of large tracks and countless smaller tracks. Based on his pace counting (a mapping trick Luno had taught him), they were approximately across from the tracks he’d spotted on the first widow. Underfoot the soft sand gave way to small stones. As they drew nearer to the southeastern point on the island, the size of the stones lining the shore gradually increased until James and Kilani were hopping from stone to stone. They had decided to avoid going into the jungle (and the mist) until they reached the cliffs.
The stones became boulders and spilled out into the sea as they reached the southwestern corner. James and Kilani looked up to the north, seeing the cliffs. Considering the lack of elevation change from the western side of the island to the eastern, James couldn’t understand how there were cliffs on this side of the island. By all logic they should be underwater. Knowing better than to question the rationality of The Never James followed Kilani as she made her way toward the cliffs.
Unlike the cliffs by Harbor Town, which were virtually smooth and perfectly vertical, these were choked by roots and vines and had numerous ledges and outcroppings. James and Kilani were reassured. Even in The Never, plants needed fresh water to survive.
Kilani grasped the nearest vine and began to climb. James followed closely. When they reached the first overhang Kilani paused.
“What is it?” James asked.
“Those plants,” she said, looking at the low-growing purple and white plants that were tucked into where the vertical face met the outcropping. “I’ve never seen them before.”
Before he could stop her, Kilani jumped from the vine to the ledge and carefully pulled one plant, roots and all from the rock. The long white roots reminded James of the guardian’s tendrils. She wound them around the base of the plant and gently placed it in her satchel. James knew they were in a hurry but decided not to rush her. He had long since suspected Kilani’s obsession with finding the local ingredients for transporting powder directly correlated with her desire to leave this place and return to… to something.
Without making eye contact, Kilani jumped from the ledge and grasped the vine above. She continued upward. Near the top, she paused again. James was about to insist that they keep moving when she spoke. “Do you hear that?” she asked.
“I hear nothing out of the ordinary,” James replied.
“I hear running water,” she said.
Without another word, she began moving across the cliff face, jumping from vine to vine. James followed though he questioned whether several of the vines would hold his weight. When she reached a leaf-covered protrusion, she paused. James froze as he gained purchase on the vine beside her. He listened. Sure enough, he could make out the faint trickle of water echoing through a cavern. Kilani removed her short sword from its sheath and began hacking at the vegetation covering the cliff face. As it fell away, a small shelf was revealed. James climbed until his head was even with the shelf. It stretched back two arm-lengths where a small opening, no higher than James’s forearm and no wider than his shoulders, continued into the cliffs.
Having learned from Luno, James removed a fire tree leaf from his satchel. He removed a second, which he kept tucked under his belt, and touched them together just above a small torch he’d also kept in his satchel. The leaves immediately ignited and fell in a ball of flame onto the sap-soaked torch. He extended his arm toward the opening and the light from the torch spilled inside. Kilani crouched, looking.
“It goes back for some distance,” she said.
“Can you tell if it opens up?” James asked.
“No. It curves to the left.”
James shifted the supplies that hung from his belt to his back for more freedom of movement and crouched. He peered inside and saw just what Kilani had described, and he could hear the sound of running water clearly. There was no doubt that inside was what they were looking for. Getting there would be another matter entirely.
“I may fit,” James said, measuring the opening with his hands. He looked at Kilani. She had already removed all of the supplies she had been carrying, save a small dagger, which she slid from her hip to the small of her back, and her own ready-made torch.
“I’ll go first to see if it widens,” she said already lying prone on the shelf and pulling herself toward the opening. After lighting her torch from James’s, she wriggled her way inside shifting her hips from side to side. Her bare feet-eternally dirty as none of The Never’s residents wore shoes-disappeared into the opening.
Several minutes passed as James watched her silhouette dance in front of the torch that lit her path. Soon the opening fell dark as she turned the corner. Minutes ticked by, each longer than the next. The rustling of her body shuffling along the stone floor ceased, and James’s pulse quickened. He called out to her. With each silent moment that passed James could feel his heart steadily making its way up into his throat. Finally she replied. The echo off the tunnel walls made deciphering the words difficult. James thought he made out the words “Come in.”
He quickly removed his gear, lashing it to the vine hanging over his head, and crawled toward the opening. He began moving into the narrow entrance, gripping his torch awkwardly. James had never liked tight spaces and this was no exception. He kept his arms in front of his body to narrow his shoulders enough to squeeze inside. Unfortunately this also reduced the leverage he could get and slowed his progress.
He rounded the bend, grateful that it wasn’t a sharp corner. The tunnel began to widen ever so slightly until James was finally able to return his elbows closer to his body and move along at a much faster pace. He also noticed the walls were wet as they shimmered in the torchlight. The sound of the flowing water was much louder and he thought he could hear Kilani calling out to him.
“I think I’m almost there,” he replied.
The tunnel widened again, and he was able to crouch. Beneath his feet, James felt moisture for the first time. He could feel each step become less secure, like the algae-covered rocks on shore at low tide. As he placed his foot and shifted his weight, James’s legs slipped out from under him, sending him to his back. As he attempted to reorient himself, he realized he was sliding downward on the slime-covered floor at great speed. He tried to gain purchase with his feet and hands but was unsuccessful. The flame of the torch rippled as the wind blew past. The sound of water grew louder still and for the first time, James could make out what Kilani was saying.
“Mind the rocks at the bottom,” she shouted from somewhere below.
James began to panic as the speed of his descent began to exceed the strength of his light. He tried to sit up but the shifting of his weight only sent him rolling onto his stomach. Before another thought could run through his mind, he felt the impact tear through his feet to his heels and up his legs. He bent his knees in hopes of absorbing some of the inertia. His body crumpled and his torch went dark as he let out a pain-stricken cry.
Minutes, hours, days. James had no idea how long he was unconscious. He thought he may be dead as a dim glow moved in his direction. The pain quickly reminded him that he was indeed alive. The glow brightened and drew nigh. James could make out a shape beside it. He tried to remember what happened, where he was, but he could only focus on the approaching light and the figure beside it. Finally, his mind began to recall what had happened. At the same time, a figure came into view. It was blurry yet familiar. As it moved closer, James realized who it was. Akil Karanis was standing before him. Akil smiled, nodded, and said, “Get to the castle.”
James was about to reply when his vision went blurry again. He squeezed his eyes closed. When he opened them, Kilani was standing in front of him. She wore a smirk that gave James a sense of relief. Perhaps his injuries weren’t as bad as he thought. He tried to move his legs as she crouched over him. Pain shot through his hips and up his back. He let out a cry.
“Stop trying to move, you bloody idiot,” she said, inspecting his body. “I told you to mind the rocks at the bottom.”
“And how was I supposed to mind anything? That was like a bloody sheet of ice. How did you escape injury?”
“I know how to land,” she replied.
Kilani reached her hands under James’s arms and placed her palms against his ribs. Once again, James felt the warmth and energy travel between them. His mind went immediately calm, and the pain and despair that had gripped him a moment ago was gone. He looked into her eyes and she into his, and he longed for her. To touch his lips to hers. To feel her breath against his skin. The need was overwhelming. He reached for her, but she quickly pulled away. Their eyes met again, and she was smiling. It was then that James realized he was standing. The pain in his legs and back were gone. He could move again. He had no idea how it had happened and before he could ask, Kilani was on the move.
“Come,” Kilani said, handing James his re-lit torch and heading off in the direction she had approached. James followed, forgetting about his vision of Akil as he did.
The sound of flowing water grew as they moved down the tunnel until it reached a seemingly deafening volume. James thought he detected a faint glow ahead. Kilani stopped and looked over her shoulder at him and smiled. A deluge of water spilled across the passageway in front of them. We must be behind a massive waterfall, James thought. He stepped closer, looking for a way around in the torchlight. The water fell up against the passage on all sides limiting the exit to either turning around or stepping through the powerful stream of water. Because they couldn’t see the bottom of the falls, James wasn’t comfortable with blindly stepping into the stream. It could be hundreds of feet to the bottom.
Kilani extended her hand into the stream of water, expecting the force to push it down. She was surprised to feel little resistance. Carefully, she leaned forward and let the water run into her mouth. Neither of them had drank since early that morning and she could immediately feel the energy rushing back into her body. When she had her fill, she stood upright and motioned to James to drink. He drank greedily from the falls once he also realized the pressure of the water was not a concern. His dark hair, only a fraction shorter than Kilani’s, was plastered to his head as he pulled himself back into the tunnel.
“Take my arm,” she said, extending it to James.
Without question, James grasped her forearm, just above her wrist. He was confident his reenergized strength would find no difficulty in holding her. Kilani handed James her torch and leaned into the stream of water. James held her by the arm as her head disappeared. Almost immediately, she straightened, a smile on her face.
“It’s okay,” she shouted over the noise. “Take a big step and you’ll be fine.”
“What about the torches?” James asked.
“There is light on the other side,” she replied.
Before he could respond, she released his arm and stepped through the water. James followed quickly, carefully laying the torches on the tunnel floor before stepping through. He immediately found his footing as he passed beneath the falls. The deafening noise ceased the instant he crossed to the other side. He looked up. The light source appeared to be the water itself for all around the perimeter of the cavern a soft white light emitted from it.
Every wall in the circular cavern was draped in a curtain of water that spilled over a ledge that also encompassed the cavern. It was absolutely silent. In the center stood a rock structure James immediately recognized. It was identical to the structure they’d found on the first widow. Careful not to touch it, James and Kilani circled the stone spire. Rather than one column of unidentifiable markings, this had two, each on opposite sides. The top of the stone tower stretched to such a height, the light from the flowing water could not reach.
James tried to consider how much time they had spent inside. He wasn’t exactly sure, but he knew they must find a way out quickly or their friends would be stranded on the first widow. He looked back to where they entered the cavern and realized he wasn’t certain where that was.
“Do you remember where we entered?” he asked, looking at Kilani. She jumped at the sound of his voice, which was loud in the silent room.
“Of course, it was right over-” she too stopped to consider. “We stepped in and made our way to the center where the tower stands. The side we approached the tower had no markings, which limits it to one of two sides.”
As she said this she moved around the circular spire looking for some indication of where they had entered. “It’s only been a few minutes, we should be able to follow the water that dripped from our-” she reached down and felt her clothes then her hair both of which, to her surprise, were completely dry. “Either way, we entered in that direction,” she said pointing behind James. “Or that direction,” She said, pointing past the tower to the opposite side of the room. “I’ll check one. You check the other.”
James nodded and moved off in the opposite direction. The logic of this approach was sound, but it left much room for error, which made James uncomfortable. He began to circle the stone spire, but he stopped exactly halfway between the two columns of writing and began moving toward the curtain of water opposite his position. He looked over his shoulder repeatedly to confirm he was maintaining the proper heading. When he reached the water, he marveled at its beauty as it shimmered in its own luminescence.
Cautiously, he extended his hand into the water. His fingers contacted the wall behind before his entire hand was through the stream. He placed his hand flat against it and began walking, letting his fingers feel in hopes of finding an opening. James looked across the cavern to see if he could spot Kilani. The tower between them obstructed his view.
“Did you find it?” he called, knowing despite the size of the cavern, sound traveled well.
No reply. James kept moving along the circular wall, his hand feeling for an opening. He called out again, this time much louder. No reply. James was about to break away from the wall and go looking for Kilani when he felt the beginning of a depression in the stone behind the curtain of water. He slid his hand along the depression until his entire arm was engulfed. The opening they had come through was a clean-cut entry into the cavern. This was more of a gradual tapering away from the water curtain.
He looked around for anything he could use to mark the depression. Neither displaced stone nor wayward debris littered the cavern floor. Allowing his concern for Kilani to override his desire to mark the possible exit, he pulled his hand from the wall and headed across the cavern. As he approached the stone tower the strange glyphs etched into the black granite reminded him once again of the black metal key, and he reached for it in his satchel.
James had an overwhelming desire to touch the spire, which looked strangely familiar. His mind lost all focus. His arm lifted and reached his hand toward it, guided by not his body but the tower itself. James could feel an energy radiating from the stone as he drew nearer. His hand pressed this energy. Like an invisible membrane, it gave but did not break. James pushed harder until he penetrated the membrane. As he moved his hand through, James could feel the barrier wrapping his wrist. As his arm stretched closer to the spire, the invisible barrier moved up his forearm like a sleeve.
Deep inside his mind a futile cry attempted to prevent contact, reminding James of Luno’s instructions. The draw of the tower was too strong. James’s fingers barley contacted the stone when a massive surge of energy pulled him forward until his palm lay flat against it. His vision went white. James could feel his mind with more clarity than ever before. He could feel it connecting with his body. He could feel it connecting with his surroundings, and he could feel it connecting with the tower. Then everything went black.
Kilani watched James step toward the tower and stare at the inscriptions. By chance or fate or the will of The Never, she had decided to see if he had discovered the exit, having had no luck herself. They must have passed each other on opposite sides of the tower. When she doubled back, he was there. The instant his hand lifted toward the spire, she began to panic. She shouted his name as he ran toward him. As she reached him she could hear muttering. Some of the words sounded familiar, but most she’d never heard before. She shouted again and reached out to him. A force stopped her from touching him. A barrier just inches from his body. She shouted his name again. He did not reply but continued to mutter in the strange language.
His eyelids fluttered but remained closed. His lips moved impossibly fast but otherwise his body remained still. He wore an expression not of fear but almost… pleasure. Kilani tried to step between James’s body and the tower, but the same invisible barrier that surrounded his body extended outward to the tower preventing her. She pulled her dagger from its sheath and drove it into the barrier. The blade snapped and a jolt of pain shot up her arm and down her spine, sending her to the ground. Slowly, she got to her feet. She looked around for anything she could use to break him free. There was nothing. She cursed the place. Her magical powers were limited here unlike back home where she could think of at least a dozen incantations that would break the barrier.
Growing increasingly frustrated, Kilani decided to try the only thing she could think of. She ran to the curtain of water and said, “ Poikelo.”
A gust of wind rushed from her hands and blew through the curtain of water, refracting off the wall as it carried the water with it speeding toward the tower and James.
The force of the impact was incredible. At first, Kilani feared she had crushed him. She ran back to the center of the cavern as the water settled on the floor. As she drew closer, her heart sunk. He still stood in the same position and was looking the same direction, yet something was different. His hand was at his side. Not only that, but he was dripping wet. She ran, bare feet slapping against the wet stone. He turned to her as she approached.
“Do I smell that bad?” he asked.
“Like rubbish,” she said with a smile, taking him in her arms.
“What happened to you?” she asked.
“It spoke to me,” he said.
“What did, the tower?” Kilani asked.
“The castle,” James replied.
“How?”
“The towers and the castle are one,” said James.
“What did it say?”
“Everything.”