Richard Tuttle - Web of Deceit

“Go just fast enough to help you jump,” warned Mistake. “Too fast and you will fall before you get there. Remember the screams of the Jiadin we heard.”

“Thanks for the reminder,” frowned Bakhai.

The running start required for the leap was not the only problem. To enter the hole in the wall required a leap to the left of the path and not straight-ahead. Without warning, Bakhai started running. He misjudged the end of the path and jumped slightly before he should have, still the upper half of his body entered the hole and only his legs dangled out. He swiftly pulled his legs in and rolled out of the way so the next person did not land on top of him.

Mistake went next and Rejji was amazed at her grace as she dove into the hole without even touching the sides. Rejji gave Mistake a few seconds to clear out of the way and started running. He ran right to the edge and pushed off for his dive, but the edge of the broken path crumbled under his feet. He felt himself falling as he stretched out his arms towards the hole. He saw the hole rising as his body fell lower and thought he would miss it entirely. His arms entered the hole and he tried to grab onto something as his body slammed against the rock wall. He could find no purchase inside the hole and the weight of his body started to drag his arms back out. He managed to get his left hand on the lip of the hole while the glove on his right hand snagged in a crevice. Mistake and Bakhai rushed to the entrance and each grabbed one of his arms.

Mistake leaned over the edge and looked down. There was nothing below Rejji for hundreds of feet and what she did see was a huge pile of broken rocks that used to part of the mountain.

“There is nothing that Rejji can put his feet on,” she told Bakhai. “We have to pull him in without his help.”

“All right,” nodded Bakhai. “When we start to pull, Rejji, you will have to let go.”

Rejji barely nodded and his friends started to pull him up.

“I can’t pull him up,” yelled Mistake. “His glove is stuck. Grab the lip again, Rejji.”

“He can’t grab the lip again. Cut it quickly,” Bakhai shouted. “I will try to hold him by this arm. Cut the glove and then grab whatever part of him you can.”

The knife appeared in Mistake’s hand almost before Bakhai finished speaking. She quickly shoved the knife into a finger hole and slit the fabric along his knuckles. Then she ran the knife along the top of Rejji’s hand and dropped it as the cloth separated so she could grab his hand before he dropped away.

“I have his hand,” she yelled. “Pull!”

Bakhai and Mistake pulled in unison as they backed into the cave and soon had Rejji into the hole. Nobody moved for several minutes and the only sound was the heavy breathing of the trio. Finally, Mistake sat up and looked at Rejji’s hand.

“It is not bad,” she said. “I was afraid I would slice deep into your hand, but it is only a couple of scratches.

“I thought I was done for,” groaned Rejji. “My body aches all over. Sorry about your knife, Mistake.”

“I have others,” she responded. “Your glove will give us away though. I don’t think they will miss seeing it there.”

“They also won’t be able to get in here now that Rejji crumbled more of the path,” stated Bakhai.

“We won’t be able to get back out either,” added Rejji.

The trio sat in silence for a while as each of them reflected on their predicament until they heard the sound of another Jiadin scream.

“We had better get ready for them,” Rejji sighed. “They may use that wizard to find a way in here. Search the cave for anything we can use to throw at them.”

“Wish we had a torch,” muttered Bakhai as he moved deeper into the dark portion of the cave.

“I don’t feel anything larger than a pebble in here,” complained Mistake. “We have a sword and four knives left. That is about it.”

“Hey,” called Bakhai from the darkness. “I found a tunnel back here and I can feel air flowing. It might be a way out.”

Rejji and Mistake hurried towards the sound of Bakhai’s voice. Mistake kept going past Bakhai and started crawling down the tunnel. Rejji and Bakhai followed. The tunnel was barely large enough to crawl through, but there was an airflow, which lifted their spirits. After a while the tunnel grew larger and they were able to stoop at first and then stand.

Eventually, the tunnel widened and they saw the soft glow of light piercing the darkness ahead. The air also picked up a foul scent, but nobody seemed to mind. The tunnel made a gradual bend and as it did, Mistake halted and backed up.

“What is it?” Rejji asked.

Mistake held a finger to her lips and pointed. Rejji and Bakhai peeked around the bend and saw a colossal beast in a large chamber. They stood frozen as Mistake inched forward towards the large chamber. After a few moments, she returned and pushed them back around the bend.

“There is a huge opening in the ceiling,” she whispered, “and another tunnel across the chamber. That is all I could see. The opening in the ceiling goes to the surface because that is where the light is coming from, but there is no way we will be able to reach it. I am going to try to sneak across the chamber and check out the other tunnel.”

“Not without us,” interjected Rejji. “This is no time to get separated.”

“Then we should go one at a time,” retorted Mistake. “If that thing wakes up, it looks like it could swallow us whole.”

“What is it?” repeated Rejji.

“It looks like a dragon,” Mistake whispered. “I thought they were mythical and used to excite children in the villages, but I can’t imagine what else it could be.”

“After the Qubari Jungle, I am ready to believe almost anything,” added Bakhai. “Maybe I should try talking to it.”

“I would rather it remained sleeping,” frowned Mistake. “Suppose it is hungry?”

Mistake turned and rounded the bend again. Bakhai and Rejji peered around the corner as Mistake moved silently into the chamber. Rejji stared at the huge dragon that rested upon a pile of debris. While he could see the glint of metal sparkling in places, the vast majority of matter appeared to be bones, a lot of bones. Mistake was almost half way across the chamber when the dragon popped open an eye and stared at her. She froze hoping it would close its eye again, but instead it opened both eyes and raised its head. As its mouth opened, Mistake dashed behind a column. The dragon spit flames from its mouth that showered the column with fire and Mistake screamed.

Bakhai immediately started making noises that sounded strange to Rejji. The dragon turned its head towards Bakhai and peered into the gloomy tunnel.

“A talker?” the dragon said. “What is a talker doing out of the jungle?”

Bakhai shook his head and walked forward towards the chamber. Rejji tried to grab him and pull him back, but he was too late.

“We are on a quest,” Bakhai said. “We seek the Sage of the Mountain. Do you know the way to him?”

The dragon appeared to laugh and sent a tongue of flame at Bakhai. The talker didn’t move and the flame fell short of him.

“We mean you no harm,” continued Bakhai. “We just seek to gain the summit of this mountain.”

“No harm?” laughed the dragon. “I suppose not. Talkers are meant to aid the animals, not harm them, but why do you travel with a thief?”

“I am not a thief,” shouted Mistake. “Or at least I don’t mean to steal anything you have.”

“A thief is a thief,” snorted the dragon, “and I know a thief when I smell one. Imagine a thief suddenly appears in my treasure room sneaking about and then claims she doesn’t want anything. Do you think everyone but yourself is a fool?”