The Unsuspecting Mage - Brian S. Pratt [162]
“Yeah,” agrees Miko nervously, “let’s hope that.”
When his packs are situated properly about his person, James again takes the lead and heads off down the tunnel. Ten feet or so from the door, they come across a bundle of torches. Miko removes his knife and cuts the ties holding the bundle together. Taking several of the torches, he places them in one of his bags.
James looks at him questioningly and Miko just shrugs and says, “You never know.”
Nodding his approval, James turns and leads them further into the mountain. The tunnel continues for some time before opening onto a subterranean cavern. The orb’s light reveals many stalactites and stalagmites, the play of shadows as they pass through gives the cavern an eerie feeling. From all around comes the steady drip, drip, drip of water coming off the stalactites.
“Wow,” Miko says, in awe of the extraordinary rock formations revealed by the orb’s light. After a brief pause to marvel at the rock formations, they continue on. The orb’s light reveals further marvelous, breath taking sights as they wend their way through the cavern, some being quite brilliant with many contrasting colors. Miko stops briefly to touch one.
“Pretty impressive isn’t it?” James asks, coming up behind him.
“I’ve never seen anything like it in my life,” he replies. “How did all this get to be here?”
James indicates one of the stalactites hanging from the ceiling, “Water drips through cracks in the ceiling and runs down one of those stalactites.”
Miko looks at him, confused.
“Stalactites are what the ones from the ceiling are called and stalagmites are the ones rising up from the floor,” he explains. “Over a very long time, hundreds and thousands of years, the continual passage of water leaves minerals behind. Over time, they harden to form the structures you see here.”
“Amazing,” Miko says as he rubs one, “it’s as hard as rock.”
“It is rock,” James explains. “Over time the minerals come together and form the rock.”
“Hard to believe,” Miko says in wonder. “Wouldn’t have if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes.”
“Come on, we need to get going.” James hurries Miko along and they make their way further through the cavern.
In pools and scurrying among the rock formation they encounter many strange animals in this subterranean world, most being pale in color. In one large pool of water, Miko notices little dots of light moving below the surface.
“James,” he hollers, “come here, you gotta see this.”
James comes over to where Miko has again stopped and kneels down, looking into the water. Seeing the little dots moving around, he says, “It’s probably just small fish.”
“Fish?” Miko asks incredulously. “With lights?”
Feeling like a school teacher out on a field trip, James explains, “When there is a total absence of light, fish and other animals will often produce their own.”
“How?” Miko asks.
“That I don’t know,” he admits. “I just know they do.”
“That is so weird,” Miko says, continuing to watch the dots flitter around.
“Yes it is,” James says. “Now, can we please hurry through here without all the stops?” He gets up and continues on, making Miko rush to catch up or be left behind in the dark.
The cavern continues on for another several hundred feet before they reach an open chasm cleaving the cavern in two. It looks as if the mountain had pulled apart some time in the past, leaving a rift over a hundred feet wide. A wooden bridge in poor repair spans the gap, some of the boards are missing and others are badly cracked, altogether looking as if it wouldn’t support their weight.
James checks his compass which indicates that their path continues across the chasm. He shows it to Miko.
“You’ve got to be kidding!” Miko exclaims. “There’s no way that’s going to hold when we cross. We’ll be dropped