Alphande'
Cauldron's Gut

The heat had become unbearable. My shirt clung closely to my torso as it was soaked through with sweat. I had already shed the two cloaks throwing them over my shoulders. The earth felt unstable under my feet as every so often the land would seem to shake for a few seconds and then stop. After each episode the volcano choked and spat out clouds of ash and smoke further polluting the air. Twice now it happened and superheated pellets fell on me, singeing several tufts of hair and giving me nasty scorch marks down the back.

My throat was dry and I cussed myself thoroughly for not collecting water while in EnkÐáfheetra or at least taking a drink first. My thirst flared just thinking of the cool liquid and I had to block all thoughts related to water for now. I thought of the final words of Ballahad’s mother, coolest paths being found underground, it must have been a joke or trick to mislead me as the only thing underground here was piping hot magma which would boil me in an instant.

My feet were tired and were beginning to drag as it had been several hours since I had rested. The way I felt, it was unlikely that I was going to make it to the top of the volcano in one year, much less one day.

I wanted to sit and rest on the mounds of black rock that flanked me on each side. But that was impossible here as everything was hot—if only I could get a drink—can’t think of water now.

I shook the cloaks I bore on my shoulders off on the ground, bunching them up into a loose ball, I sat down, knees drawn to my chest and head between them as I coughed heavily. My throat felt it was about to be ripped open and the little spittle that came up bubbled into a black and blood tinged foam that fizzled into nothingness as soon as it touched the ground. The cloaks too were becoming hot and I would soon be unable to sit on them for much longer. I rocked forward with another bout of violent coughing.

The thought of dying as a desiccated pile of bones gave me the will to move forward. My heart rate quickened and my feet shook violently. I was swept by a wave of vertigo. I shook my head as my vision had become blurry and I could hardly make out the landscape in the mist. I blinked several times but the mist still remained.

Mist—it was mist! On closer inspection it seemed to be issuing from fissures lining the rock walls. This must mean that I was close to water. My will renewed I started forward slowly so not to fall, but as I moved on the mist seemed to be thickening as more poured around me, my skin soon had a slight glaze of water coating it which was a pleasant change from the scorching heat. Even the burning in my chest was subdued. I still coughed but it wasn’t as rib cracking as before.

In the distance I could see what looked like the opening of a cave carved into the side of a hill. The entrance was surrounded by thick clouds of smoke or fog—I couldn’t tell which. I trekked forward for an hour or so reaching the opening just as night was about to fall. I looked inside, but all I could appreciate was eerie darkness and fog. I also noted that despite being carved into the mound of the Llyn Morir the air coming from inside was cold and fresh even. There was something special about this place as things weren’t as they should be. This must be the place that Ballahad’s mother spoke. Of all the turns I could have made Avandor didn’t forget me it seemed as he must have led me here. Or probably it wasn’t divine help but the magic of the place that pulled me here. Maybe it was a part of the race—a test—I would have to proceed with caution.

Guardedly I stepped inside. I was afraid that I would not be able to see and would fall into some concealed pit but my fears were unfounded. In the middle of the cave was a lake whose surface was as clear as glass. It issued a light that bathed the cavern in slow pulsing illuminations of blue, lavender and light pink. It was like a piece of the northern sky lights had been bound to the ground.

The surreality of the moment was cut short as up ahead I heard someone shrieking in agony. I ran towards the sound. I saw a raft with a passenger being carried across to the other side of the cave. He turned. Ballahad. His countenance bore an untamed glee giving him a rabid appearance. I had not noted that about his expression before, or maybe his enchantment that had blinded me all along.

If the noise didn’t come from Ballahad it meant that someone else was in here. I walked along the edge of the lake seeing nothing but luminescent pebbles that lost their glow as I stepped on them. Up ahead I noticed a patch on the ground that didn’t glitter in phosphorescent brilliance.

As I came forward I saw that it was more than a dark patch but a living soul. I kneeled down beside the body and turned it over. ”Vykros,” his face was swollen with pustules oozing blood and green pus. “What happened to you?”

His lips struggled to open as they were pasted together by the thick slime. “Water…poison… Balla…” he choked as he struggled to finish his statement.

“Ballahad, yes I saw him on the boat.’’

“Cheat…stole…” he caught my hand and pushed the broken pieces of what once was a chain. “Stole…”

“He stole from you.” He blinked his eyes once relieved that I understood. “He did this to you!” I said horrified. Again he blinked. “We have to get you out to get help.” I struggled to lift him but failed miserably as I was weak from exhaustion.

His sudden grip on my shoulder was firm. “No…do not let Ballaha…” he grasped my hand and his eye widened. He convulsed twice and then he was silent.

“Vykros, Vykros!” I called, but it made no sense. He was gone. I passed my hands over his unmoving lids and closed his eyes.

Do not let Ballahad what? I knew that it was a warning of some sort. I looked at the broken pieces of metal that he had placed in my hands. I thought of putting them back in his hand, but somehow it felt like the wrong thing to do. “I will return this to your family.” I said to the corpse as I stood up.

I could see the raft returning rapidly towards me, a pale apparition stood at the stern. The vessel docked on the shore and the apparition whose feet and face were hidden in smoke moved towards me.

My heart quivered at the sight of this faceless being, but it was this same fear that kept me grounded. My hand moved to my bow and quickly I had an arrow in place ready to shoot.

“Who are you? What do you want?” I said using up the smidgen of bravery I had reserved from this ordeal.

“Your weapon is useless against me Evander of Calabar and it will not be needed where I am to take you.” said the smoky form as it ignored my questions.

“And where would that be?”

“The will be determined by you alone, to the lake where fire melt stone or to a watery grave of a place unknown.”

“Obviously you are some imagining of the changelings as only they speak in such a roundabout fashion.” I said as I lowered the bow. “The lake of fire and stone. That would be the peak of Llyn Morir am I right?” the being didn’t answer so I took his silence as consent. “I assume that there is a cost?”

“A life for life, strife for strife, bleed me now as if thou had a knife, to get ahead give me a sacrifice.”

“But I don’t have anything to give.”

“I don’t want something Evander of Calabar, I want someone.”

“Someone, I have no one left and even if I did I wouldn’t give them to you.” I said defiantly.

“It seems that you have cast your lot, if no life is given you will be cast into the Cauldron’s gut.” The eerie calm light that bathed the cave erupted into flaming crimson as the smoky apparition solidified into a form made of raging fire. I stumbled backwards to escape the scorching heat. The apparition stepped towards me. I had my arrow drawn and I let the arrow loose into the chest of the creature. It had no effect as it disintegrated into a line of orange ash.

The creature spoke again, “Evander of Calabar I give thee another chance. Strife for strife, life for life, I need blood I need my sacrifice! One you must choose or all thou shall lose.” Three apparitions appeared: Noräin, the way she had looked the last time I saw her—decked in pale blue; a vision of beauty. Tet also—small beaming with impish delight which illuminated an already beatific face and the third vision was me—except it wasn’t—it was Gareth. Decked in finery, his eyes were cold and seemed to mock my situation.

“Why do you show him, he is not close to me? He is the reason I am here. I absolutely loathe him.” The phantasm in the shape of my brother folded its arms and smiled wider.

“Choose,” was the only reply of the headless spirit.

It could not be that simple, this was a test I know. I should choose Gareth as it was easiest thing to do. I did want him gone and the very sight of him enraged my spirit. He was the obvious choice. The only choice, but he was not going to be my choice.

Noräin was not an option. Period. Then there was Tet. She had used me in so many ways to elevate herself amongst her kind. But in elevating herself if I did somehow manage to win, I too would be elevated. I studied her more, her smile widened, as if the apparition was daring me to pick her. A wave of spite and uncertainty as well as a surprising amount of—regard—for her flared within me. I shook my head at this epiphany. That was not possible. In fact it was stupid to even think it.

“Choose,” repeated the apparition with growing impetuosity as the cave seemed to flare into a brighter red.

“I have chosen.” I said forgetting all my fears. “I choose not give anyone to you, but if it is blood that you need take mine.” I said as I ran straight through him and into the scarlet coloured pool.

There was no shallowness as the lake had led me to believe and as soon as I touched water I was sucked below by a strong undertow. I could feel myself sinking but I had no urge at all to swim for the surface. It was like I had fallen into the Pool of Contentment where I was willingly and happily dying, as death was all I wanted and yearned for. The world had suddenly become lighter and all that held me down vanished.

I had inhaled a chest full of water yet, I was not drowning. I opened my eyes. There were small orbs of pulsing light floating around me. The orbs arranged themselves into another creature. The face was humanoid with its eyes, mouth and nostrils being formed by gaps left out by the light. Its clothes floated around it and instead of hands it had tentacles stretching about it. There was a look of kindness coming from the creature’s face. It didn’t speak but I could hear its voice in my head.

Strife for strife, thou had no knife, but giving up your own, you have paid the sacrifice. Very few have taken this road, you shall move on to the lake of fire and stone.

It stretched its tentacles towards me until I was enveloped fully by its embrace. I felt us moving up to the surface at a rapid pace. Even though I knew we should have breached the surface by now, we were still moving through the liquid. Time seemed to lose it meaning and I let myself be carried up, up and away.