CHAPTER 5

The black whisper, oppressive with ill omen and wicked connotations, clung thickly to the black cavern, reminding them of the ancient wickedness they had struggled so desperately on their dangerous way. Even breathing was an anxious task with endless drops of water falling from the rough pointed cavern roof.

"What are we to do now?" Elara asked, her words hardly audible. Her eyes locked squarely on Lerder, her eyes burning with fear as well as an unbreakable determination. A pale golden shimmering light enveloped her body, pulsating softly to cover up the fatigue and weakness within.

A resolute gaze was maintained by Lerder at the entrance to the cave, his expression scrunched up into one of deep seriousness and intensity. He paused to stroke the sleekness of his black fur, an action that told equally of both his fatigue and an unbreakable resolve that he couldn't ignore.

“We have to move out, it is getting too dangerous for us to stay here anymore.” His voice, never more than a threat, was charged with an indisputable sense of urgency that could not be dispelled.

The savage contempt for evil they had confronted side by side, the pure power they had accessed had indelibly changed the character of their existence. He could not help but be driven by the sheer compulsion to save Elara no matter the cost, one that existed far beyond the overall urge to stay alive and went fairly deep into him.

“Where are you taking me?” Elara asked.

Her voice was tight, but there was an icy reserve to her tone, like the golden aura still clinging to her.  She would never be swayed by fear.  Not now, never.

Lerder's eyes softened as he looked at her.  He could see the firmness and resolve within her gaze, an increasing tenderness and affection.  His bond with her could no longer be denied.

“To the mountain, there is an asylum. A place of power, maybe only hope left for us." Lerder said.

He was drawn to her by some instinct to defend her beyond mere survival. This was beyond fleeing Malak, something far more profound than that.

Elara nodded, her grip on the amulet tightening incredibly to underscore her determination. The golden light glowed softly about her, burning brightly and revealing the depth of her power and resolute determination. 

"I feel it too, this certain pull that likewise seems to invite us, calling us into the lovely mountain." Elara said smiling.

It's destiny.

They glided easily through the empty cavern, exhibiting a still and swift motion that did much to attest to years of cooperation. It was not only the effect of having to pass through shared danger but also of the confidence that they had so painstakingly established over the years. The large body of Lerder, his huge hand rode frequently at the small back of Elara, holding her within his grasp along the dangerous paths that stretched out before them. As they walked at each slow pace, the air about them thickened, and the noise of their footsteps was muffled into nothing as they made their way into the engulfing blackness.

They made passage through twisting, turning corridors, around serrated passes, unbroken and unmoved by their steadfast purpose. The blackness enveloped them completely, accentuating the impression of closure and peril that lurked latent within the surroundings. The air was thick and oppressive.

“Be careful there.” So softly spoke Lerder that it was half soft gust of air, half whispered vow, propelling her along one of the narrower, more confining passages.

“Colder, it is indeed,” Said Elara, huddling her hand tightly over the amulet she wore. The silence surrounding them was thick with an ominous atmosphere, as though some evil was about to befall them.

“We're near,” replied Lerder, his voice faltering under increasing tension. 

They climbed step passages and uneven land, without support. They pushed beyond limits they didn't know was possessed to protect Elara from harm. The solidity of Lerder's strength was impenetrable, the commitment of Elara became contagious. The trip tested them to flesh and spirit, but it deepened the relationship between them that grew with each step.

“Are you okay?” Lerder insisted, the tension edging into his voice as he spoke. Elara was taking deep, struggling gasps of air, but shook her head vehemently, her eyes blazing with conviction and building a sense of confidence that nothing could shake.

“I'm okay… We're near… I know we're near,” said Elara.

The power of the amulet coursed vigorously throughout her body giving her the sense of direction and drive she lacked before. They pushed through difficult parts, holding each other up physically as well as emotionally. They were exhausted, but both knew that they were better as a team. They made their way through tunnels with the echoes of their footsteps. They pushed through tight passages, Lerder ever-vigilant over the welfare of Elara.

“In this way,” Lerder whispered softly, leading her along one of the narrowest of the twisting tunnels that curved and turned before them. The air around them was thick and charged, seething with an unbridled and pervading aura of magical power that clumped in every nook.

“It is cold,”  she said, as she held onto the amulet tightening.

They were near the sanctuary. His senses came into high gear, both became aware of the intensifying bond between them. They just crawled through the black tunnels, their experience filled with one journey that was creating the affinities between them. Having no concept of anything to come and their future providing fertile grounds for discussion within their conversations.

They spoke of the strong feelings within them and the strong bond they both knew they were creating between them. It was apparent that both of them understood that they both shared the same emotion for the other, they shared, and were willing to accept this emotional bond. Both, even though completely drained from combat, had some energy with one another as a couple. The two of them both learned to trust and knew that they could rely on each other within this period of turmoil.

“Almost,”  Lerder panted out, catching his breath. His arms engulfed her, bodies entwining within one another, which was sweetly reassuring and surprisingly exhilarating.

“I sense it too,” she whispered into the space between them, her head nestled into his.

The things they shared by going to this place, the wars they won and lost, created an incandescent bond between them, one so much stronger than they ever knew. Opening  the sweltering hallway into one big, old-fashioned sanctuary of otherworldly light, there stood one figure in the center giving out an unquiet aura. And this was it. 

The sanctuary, a place of power and it was powerful having an ominous mood of power and threat. It moved slowly, with eyes blazing with otherworldly light, that seemed to give off power of an ancient, spine-shuddering evil. The figure said one chilling word: 

"Welcome!".