By Rachel Ann Michael Harris
Misael sighed. “Do you know where we’re going, Sis?”
Giah glanced up from her map to Misael, who stood beside her in the dark tunnel. Their torch’s flame cast wavering light on the stone walls and across his furrowed brows.
“Of course I do.” Turning back to the map, Giah spun it right, then left. After a moment’s study, she flipped it upside down.
“I see.” Misael kicked at the dirt. “And who made this insightful map?”
“I did,” Giah shot back, “last time I was down here.”
“Perfect,” Misael mumbled. He waved the torch toward the rock wall, as if that would give him better directional advice than she could.
If he kept the torch still, I could see the map better. Giah spun the parchment upright again. She closely examined the lines, then pointed to the right. “Mmm… that way.”
She turned, but Misael grabbed her arm, stopping her short. “That’s a wall.”
Giah looked up at the rough-hewn rock. “Right.” She swung her finger left. “That way.”
Misael took a deep breath, held it, then let out a huff and turned toward the opening on their left. “How long is this going to take, Sis? I only have a few hours leave.”
Giah glowered at her brother, still dressed in his fancy royal guard’s tunic. “It’ll be quick… as long as we don’t run into any problems.”
Misael glanced over his shoulder at her. “Problems?”
A thick brown vine crept into the firelight and hovered over Misael. It snapped around his chest and flung him into the air. The torch clattered to the ground. Giah raced to their light and held it up. The flames illuminated an underground plant waving five long, thin vines growing around serrated thorns—like teeth—at its base. The plant held Misael tight, pinning one of his arms. He clawed at the plant with his free hand.
Another vine sprang at Giah’s legs, and she jumped back. “Careful, Misael! That’s a vegabond. Instead of growing from the sun, it eats living creatures.”
“Really? I couldn’t tell!” Misael drew his sword and struck the vine, slicing halfway through. It flailed and shook him.
“If you can stay out of reach, it can’t hurt you,” Giah shouted.
“I’m trying to get out of reach!”
He swung again. Giah squinted at the map. How on earth… She twisted it around and nodded. “We weren’t supposed to turn!” she called up to him. “We were supposed to go straight.”
Misael hacked through the vine, causing the four other appendages to thrash. He dropped to the ground and rolled out into the passage, tearing the plant remains from his torso. He grabbed Giah’s arm and ran down the cavern path.
“Slow down,” Giah huffed. “It can’t chase us.”
Misael stopped. He braced his hands on his knees and gasped for air. Plant goop covered him, squishing as he moved. The sticky sap slowly dripped off him like syrup. He straightened, looked down at her, and pointed at the map. “Show me the exact path we are taking.”
“This one.”
He leaned over the parchment and followed her finger to their destination. “And you’re sure about this?”
“Absolutely.” She studied the map and tilted her head. “Mostly.”
“There are no more ‘problems’?”
“No. They’re marked on the map.”
He pointed back the way they’d come. “Then why wasn’t that one marked?”
“It was. I thought it was strange we hadn’t run into it yet.”
Misael rubbed his eyes. Plant goop oozed from his tunic to the cave floor. “Sisters,” he mumbled. “Why did it have to be sisters.” He took the map from her and passed her his sword. “If we run into more ‘problems,’ you’re dealing with them.”
She swished the blade one way, then the other, before leaning the weapon against her shoulder. “Do you even know how to read maps?”
“Better than you.” He pointed down the path. “March.”
Giah rolled her eyes and started down the dark passage. “You know I have no idea how to use a sword.”
He stopped, took the sword back, and sheathed it. “Just hold the light.”
After nearly falling down a hole, waking up a host of bats, and detouring around a rockslide, they finally arrived at the cavern. Giah skipped to the far wall and rubbed her hands together. Daylight poured from a break in the ceiling and shone on a cluster of flowers, growing from the craggy wall. She took a deep breath, the smell of a sea breeze filling her lungs. Gently, she began pulling the flowers out by their roots.
“We came down here… for flowers?” Misael stood behind her, dust and bat wings clinging to the sap on his clothes and hair.
“Not just any flowers.” Giah moved a blossom into the shadows. The petals glowed blue. “A friend of mine on the mountain wrote me about them. They are called Elihu’s Light. These flowers only grow in caves. Apparently, the roots are a great medicine. They’re rare, so I thought he might like them.”
“Please don’t tell me I almost died in the most creative ways… for a crush.”
Giah glared at him, but her cheeks flared.
Misael snorted. “Sisters.” He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “So, we have to go back that way?”
“No. There’s a shortcut.”
He blinked. “Why didn’t we come through there?”
“Because it is easier to get out that way than in.”
“Of course it is.” He waved his arm. “Which one?”
Giah closed her bag and picked up her map. She turned it one way, then the other, and pointed. “That way.”
“All right.” He disappeared into the path’s shadows.
She turned the map one more time. “Oh, wait.”
A roar echoed down the tunnel.
“Giah!” Misael charged back into the flower chamber, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her down the original tunnel.
“But that’s the longer—”
“At least I know what I’m in for!”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
…and *this* is why men never ask for directions. LOLOLOL
loved your story!
Haha, that’s a good point. Glad you enjoyed it, Rose!
interesting, flowers growing in a sunlit portion of the cave?
Yup, from a little light in the darkness. ;)