Chapter Sixteen
Bolts of Thunder
It was easy to see how these people were so fit with exercise like this all day every day. I was practically panting to keep up with Raya and I was in shape!
I had seen wonder after natural wonder and still I was amazed at each new thing that was revealed about the underground land of Lanoria. There were seven gigantic caverns and the Lanorians occupied four of them, while they used the other three for farming and hunting.
As unbelievable as it was there were all kinds of animals down here, but thankfully no snakes at least not in these cooler sections.
Most of the animals were typical of the surface but some were not. At some point over the years they had wandered into the caves in search of water or food and had become stuck here just as the Lanorians had.
The animals such as the horses, cattle, deer, and mountain goats were often smaller than their counterparts on the surface, with the exception to that being the predators. The predators were huge.
There were big cats, wolves as large as small ponies, gigantic cave bears and an assortment of other monsters not known to the surface for a very long time.
Amazingly there was an amicable relationship between the Lanorians and most of the predators. As long as neither bothered the other each left the other the space to live. There was plenty to go around.
There was one exception to this honor system however and they were called the zarlons. They were predators like no other. They were actually smaller than the typical size of a predator in Lanoria, but they made up for that with numbers. There could be hundreds of them in a single pack and they ate both prey and predator alike, including the Lanorians.
They were intelligent and utterly vicious, but most of all they were voracious and ate all the time whether they needed to or not. They roamed throughout Lanoria’s vast underground chambers sometimes not visiting certain sections for years or sometimes they stayed in a spot for a long time, until they were forced to finally leave it out of need for more food.
They especially seemed to hate the Lanorians; because of all the underground predators they were the only ones who had ever stopped their roaming journeys.
They had killed many of the Lanorians over the years, but far more of them had perished in the brutal attacks against the Lanorians. Now they were more cautious in their attacks having learned from their mistakes of the past, which made them all the more deadly. I did not wish to meet them that was for sure, because I could even hear the fear in Raya’s voice when she spoke of them.
Life underground was not guaranteed, but neither was it on the surface, but down here in the deep change came more sudden than elsewhere it seemed.
“If you keep lagging behind some cave bear is going to pop you in for an afternoon snack.”
I looked up at her as sweat dripped off my chin. She was enjoying herself at my expense far too much.
“I thought you said that there was respect among predators.”
With a cocky light in her eyes she said, “There is, but my fear is that they might not look at you as much of a predator and just go ahead and snack on you before I could save you.”
I threw a rock at her and she ducked under it laughing. She came back down and led the way over to more level terrain. And then it dawned on me what she had done.
“You mean we could have just followed the path instead of going up and over that!”
She just laughed harder.
“I’ll find a way Raya to get you back for this I promise!”
We came to a halt as we entered a vast elongated cavern. The opposite wall was pockmarked with cave entrances that felt slightly foreboding in appearance.
“This is as far as we go. Those tunnels it is said lead to an even more savage land than our Lanoria. The land of the open continuous caverns lies under the sea itself and few have ever returned from their and none are ever to return there. The creatures there are far larger and more vicious than our own. Malchiesha fears that they might follow us back to Lanoria, but I do not think so. They like it warm and do not favor our cooler caverns I think or they would already be here stealing ours away from us. Come I want to show you something before we head back.”
We took off down a cave entrance that the air was much warmer in. After a while it got downright hot. The fluorescent blue glow gave way to a growing red haze. The red glow intensified as did the sound of something rushing by.
We stepped out of the cave and I looked up, “Oh my!” Was all I could manage to say.
The Valley Lands and even these mountains had majestic waterfalls, but never had I seen a waterfall of molten rock before. Red lava spilled over a giant causeway and fell several hundred feet to splash uproariously into a pool of the molten rock at the base of the falls.
The lava flowed down a narrow burning river that snaked down the long cavern that stretched out into the distance before us. I couldn’t see the end of it.
“Is there anything down there?” I pointed.
“None are allowed to go there. The guardians do not like to be disturbed.”
She abruptly turned and walked back up the cave we had come through to get here at a fast pace.
I caught up with her, “You said guardians! Do you mean the guardians that Tadias left?”
“Yes.”
“I thought they were all destroyed.”
“Most of them were but some crawled into the underground caves just like we did and they have been locked down here just like we have ever since.”
“What are the guardians?”
“They are the tannin.”
“The tannin? What is a......”
She cut me off by bringing one of her hands to my mouth stilling my words. She indicated that I should be quiet too. She had better hearing than me as I couldn’t pick out anything in the quiet of the cave and then I heard something too.
Raya started off as silent as a whisper and I tried to follow her just as quietly, but it was hard for me since I couldn’t see where my feet were going most of the time.
The sounds of a fight grew less pitched in sound, but closer and more near to us. It was a fight among animals of that I was sure of. It was just ahead of us and down lower. Careful not to be seen Raya and I peered over the edge and looked at the scene taking place below us.
A pack of the huge wolves was being annihilated below us. I saw my first zarlons. They were hideous looking creatures. They reminded me of a huge monkey with the torso and paws of a jungle lion. Only two wolves were left alive of the pack. They were the alpha pair.
They stood back to back with their huge fangs bared. The rest of their pack lay dead and were being mauled on by at least twenty of the zarlons, while five more zarlons circled the surviving pair seemingly taunting them with the sight of their pack being eaten before them.
There were quite a lot of dead and wounded zarlons too, which were likewise being fed upon by their own kind.
“We need to go now before they catch sight of us or smell us!” Raya whispered frantically.
But I shook my head no.
“We must go Zevin!”
“If zarlons are so close to the home caverns won’t they catch foragers and hunters that are outside of the watch patrols?”
“Yes, but if we get the zarlons attention so the others are alerted we’ll never get away in time, besides their just wolves!”
I pulled my bow off my back and stuck my arrows in the sandy floor at my feet point first. “When I was young I had a wolf. It was one of the best friends I ever had until someone killed it because it was just a wolf. You can go warn the others if you want.”
But she stayed beside me drawling her double swords out.
Fiercely she’s whispered back at me, “You’re a fool and you’re going to get us both killed!”
I notched an arrow and sighted down it, “Has to happen sometime.” And then I let the arrow go and all hell broke loose.
The arrow caught one of the zarlons circling the alpha pair in what I believed to be the heart area. It dropped flat onto its face and all the beasts glanced up at us stupidly. Before they could act several more arrows slammed into their number as I had never ceased from firing them off.
Enraged the remaining beasts started up the incline toward us at a fast lope over the rough terrain. They forgot about the alpha pair they had been tormenting, which was a fatal move for two of them as each of the alphas ripped out the throats of two passing zarlons.
The wolves then went for the throats of the injured and dying zarlons. My arrows nailed the fast approaching zarlons to the ground and soon they were all down. It was too late that I realized why the alpha pair was going for the throats only.
I had assumed it was because it was the most vulnerable part of the zarlons anatomy. One wounded zarlon half way up the slope stretched its head back and let loose with a percussionary cry that echoed around us into the surrounding caverns.
The male alpha raced up and ripped its throat out mid cry stifling the noise. The zarlons were all dead and in the sudden silence I glanced at Raya. Her unused swords hung down, and she had a look of dazed shock as she glanced from the dead zarlons and then back to me and the bow in my hands.
“You could have killed me that night that I left with your sword!”
“Yes I could of, but I’m glad I didn’t although I nearly did.” I said as I slung the bow back behind me again.
She was about to say something when the sound of distant echoes filled the chamber we were in. The two wolves whined low in their throats and studied the many openings as if looking for a clue to the source of the sound. The sounds grew louder and more passionate in their echo.
The zarlons were coming and there must be a lot of them. The two wolves bolted from the scene of their once strong pack and I thought that was a good idea.
“Run!” I yelled taking off towards the home caverns with Raya close behind me.
We had succeeded in one thing at least. The Lanorian’s would know that there were Zarlons near and be ready to defend themselves, but the problem was I didn’t think we’d get there in time to join in the defenses. The percussionary roars were growing alarmingly close.
Raya had been right!
I had gotten both of us killed this time. Something was running beside me through the half darkness. The Zarlons already!
Then I saw the yellow blue eyes and the white fur and knew that it was one of the wolves, in particular the male alpha. What was he doing?
He glanced over at me and gave me the enigmatic stare so common to wolves and I knew what needed to be done. I glanced over at Raya and saw the big female loping alongside of her.
Raya’s panicked eyes met mine and I could read her expression that shouted very clearly, ‘Why did you save them?’
“Get on!” I yelled.
She looked at me like I’d gone crazy and started to run faster. The big female ducked in close taking Raya’s legs out from under her. I shoved hard against Raya’s back and she flopped on top of the big female wolf’s back with a scream of fright. She had no choice other than to sling her leg over the big wolf and clutch on hard to the mottled fur.
I turned back to my ride and did and un-elegant belly flop onto his back and clutched on tight. The wolves lope increased to an all out run that was faster than any human had ever come close to achieving on their own legs.
I looked up, but the caverns and the tunnels that led to them were flashing by so fast it was hard to see anything clearly in the semi darkness. It was like riding Relentless through the darkness of the night all out with only having the glow of half a moon to navigate by.
On we hurtled through the maze of caverns, an alliance of predators against a common foe. The thought most prevalent in my mind as I felt the mighty muscles and sinews beneath me flex was how much I wanted to tell father about this. Wolves big enough to ride! Mounts with teeth! It didn’t get better than this!
They were taking us to the home caverns. That was good. We’d get the support we needed to fend off this mob of vicious beast there. But many would die, maybe all of them. These were my people now. I was their leader. What does a leader do?
I only had to think of my father for the answer to that. A leader serves those he’s over and even if necessary sacrifices himself for them. We were halfway across the first uninhabited home cavern when I let go of the big wolf and jumped off.
Raya and her wolf had been ahead of me and they didn’t see me jump off. The big wolf came to a halt and turned back to me.
“Go on!”
But he didn’t move. There was a deafening screech as the Zarlons arrived. I had been right it would seem. They were like monkeys. They came streaming into the cavern. Not by the hundreds, but by the thousands.
Some ran along the ground others ran along the cavern walls while smaller ones ran upside down across the cavern ceiling and within moments we were surrounded by the snarling horde.
Raya jumped off her wolf when it came to a stop in front of Malchiesha. She looked back and saw Zevin in the midst of the horde and screamed, “What is he doing?”
Malchiesha responded grimly, “Saving us all!”
Raya started forward, but Malchiesha grabbed her arm stopping her, “We would never reach him in time. Let us see what his God will do for him so that we might also believe.”
I wish father was here. Instead I was alone except for one loyal wolf.
“You’re never alone Zevin.”
Came back the firm response from within me that shamed me for my lack of faith.
“I’m sorry! I know you’re there. Creator please help me I’m in a tight spot here and I want to live to see tomorrow, but that doesn’t look like one of the options I have before me. You can make it so and I pray that You would!”
As I finished I rammed the point of the glowing sword into the rocky floor of the cavern and prepared to see what my Creator would do on my behalf. I reached out and grabbed a handful of the wolves’ fur and pulled him closer to me and then I closed my eyes waiting to see and feel what would happen hoping that something miraculous would occur even as I knew it could.
The bands of the soft glowing trinial rock columns flickered and then began to pulse brighter. “Lanorian’s so that you might know that I Am the great I Am and that I Am Lord in this place as I Am Lord of all My creation watch my faithful servant as I give him power over My creation to destroy your enemies.”
Not a Lanorian remained standing. Their hearts threatening to stop and their souls quivering within they obeyed the voice that was all authority and power. From their knees they watched as the glowing of the surrounding trinial element intensified.
A pervasive hum rebounded within the cavern and the zarlons looked around in alarm at the unusual course of events. And then abruptly everything went dark and silent except for the sounds of the zarlons.
This they were used to this and they howled in victory and closed in for the kill. Raya saw Zevin’s sword light up as it usually did, but even more so than usual. There was a snapping in the air and then the entire cavern was lit up by charged bolts of blue energy that shot out from the walls and the sword in a deadly maelstrom of electric blue fury.
The zarlons screeched in terror and made as if to run away, but the bolts of light glowing energy shot through them as accurately as Zevin’s arrows had earlier. Within moments every zarlon lay dead on the cavern floor not even one of them had escaped. Steam rose off the mortal wounds where the superhot energy bolts had entered and exited.
The glow of the surrounding trinial returned to normal and the Lanorians fell with their faces pressed to the ground praising the Great Creator, as if their lives depended on it.
I looked around at the fallen enemy and wondered not for the first time why the Creator seemed to favor me so much. I didn’t deserve it, but I sure was grateful for it.
The big wolf by my side surveyed the scene keenly and then put his head back and howled a long series of alternating howls that echoed around the cavern and down its many open passageways. Before long I saw wolves and even some giant cave bears come lumbering out of the openings into the cavern.
Amazingly they had not come to feed, but instead they would grab onto a carcass and start dragging it from the cavern into the surrounding byways to who knows where. I was grateful for the housekeeping assistance otherwise it would have been a big mess to clean up. The Creator thought of everything.
I made my way toward the far side of the cavern where I saw that the Lanorians had gathered. The big wolf fell along behind me as we made our way over the littered remains of the once voracious scourge of these lands. I had a feeling the big wolf was going to be a permanent fixture of my life from now on. Relentless would be jealous, but he would get over it.
I made my way up the far incline and was surprised to see Raya running down it towards me. Concern arose in me at her haste, “What’s wrong Raya?”
I wasn’t prepared for when she slammed into me wrapping her arms around me as she did so. Fighting to keep my balance I asked again, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing!” I heard her mumble against my chest.
I was soon enveloped by a mob of crying people whispering their gratitude. They had been in a bitter fight for survival against the zarlons for their entire existence underground and to now be free of them was a blessing from heaven to them.
All the rest of that day I spoke of the Creator, His word and how He had impacted my life and others whom I knew. The Creator’s Spirit led me as to what to say, and how to say it. I read passages of the Holy Scriptures to them from what I had brought with me and I tried to answer all the questions for there were many, because the Lanorians wanted to know everything.
A long time later my voice almost completely gone I sat on the edge of Raya’s stone bed in a deeply satisfied and humbled state of mind. The Creator had used me to bring repentance and salvation to an entire nation!
I could still hear them praising, crying, and speaking of the Creator’s Spirit, as they each worked out their new found faith and personal relationships with their Creator.
The Spirit of the Creator was so heavy upon this underground cavern world that it felt like a warm river flowing through the air. I had never experienced anything quite like it before. Not to this degree anyway. I would still be out there, but Raya had dragged me away.
“Here drink this it will help your throat.”
I did as she asked loving the special attention from her. It was good stuff! I set the cup aside and made to get up, but she pushed me back down.
“Raya I need to get back out there I’m only a little tired.”
She held up one finger and said, “Do not lie it is a sin! The truth is that you are very tired and you need your rest. You have been talking for over one day and a half’s time. Being an uplander you do not mark the passage of time underground as you did when you had the sun to govern your actions. Besides is not the Spirit of the Creator able to continue instructing the people without your presence being needed?”
Okay she had me there. “You were listening it would seem.”
“To every word!”
“I just want to be out there and experience what’s happening.” I mumbled out hoarsely.
“You are a part of what’s happening out there. You are the people’s leader. How does it serve the people well if their leader is not properly rested enough to meet the next day’s challenges? Now lay back and rest my husband!”
“Did anyone ever tell you that you’re a little bossy?” I said liking the sound of the word ‘husband’ coming from off her lips.
“Yes, many times now lie back.”
She covered me with the blankets and intrigued by her motherly actions I said, “You forgot something.”
“What?” She asked surprised.
“My good night kiss.”
I really wasn’t expecting it, but I got one. Her kiss had me wanting a lot more than sleep could offer and I reached for her, but she pushed me down with a smile and left the room.
Raya paused outside the doorway and sunk to the ground with her back against the stone wall of her simple dwelling. Tears coursed down her cheeks and she brushed them away and looked up towards the cavern ceiling as if she could see the stars beyond.
Somewhere up there was heaven, “Thank you!” She said softly.
She sat there for close to an hour reflecting on everything that had happened and her skin prickled again even as her newfound connection with the Creator’s Spirit warmed within her as she reflected on the wonder of it all.
Her thoughts went down a different path and a luminescent blush lightened her features as she remembered how passionately she had kissed Zevin good night. She reached a finger up and felt her lips, when had an idle fancy for an uplander turned into something much more?
Tomorrow was going to be scary, but it would be wonderful too. She got up and went inside. The stillness of the room was disrupted by his snores. She didn’t mind strange enough, which was odd because she had never cared to hear men snore before.
Enjoying life often came down to the simple everyday pleasures and for her being warm and having companionship were pleasures long denied her. She gave a gratefully hushed moan of delight, as she slid in alongside of Zevin and basked in the heat that radiated off of him. Tentatively she lay one arm and leg across him, but he didn’t stir. She relaxed her head down on his shoulder and smiled as she studied the contours of his face. The thought of tomorrow helped make her warm too.