AFTER AN HOUR'S STEADY WALKING, Tyler called a halt. Just as Anwen had anticipated, Courtney sidled up to him, fluttering her lashes. She offered him her water bottle, which he declined.
Instead, Tyler pulled out his own bottle and took a brief swig before pulling a baseball cap from his pack and settling it over his light brown hair. For some reason, it made him look younger. Maybe it was just his smile, which seemed to be directed, not at his admirer, but at the mountains.
Ten minutes later, the party moved on, climbing deeper into the mountains, now moving more upward. Soon, the protective wall on their right began to fall away, until it was gone entirely.
Tyler called for another halt so they could rope up; coming down the line to make sure everyone's harness was secure. He placed Anwen behind him, much to Courtney’s displeasure. Courtney came behind her, then Daphne, with Josef at the end. Josef had more mountain climbing experience than the ladies did.
Having made sure everyone was secure, Tyler had them bunch up for a brief meeting. “This part is the trickiest,” he admitted.
They all looked towards the next hurdle where the path seemed to shrink even more in size. “Ahead, there’s only room for one person at a time, and there may be parts where we will have to pass over a drop because of gaps in the trail. If we come across any such parts, I’ll go first and help the others across. I ask that those who are at the end help pay out the line until everyone gets across."
He took a moment to let his words sink in, looking more serious. There was a slight hint of intensity in his eyes as he continued.
"If you fail to do your part, I will personally make sure you never leave this area. No shenanigans. No pranks. From here until the next segment, this is life or death and everyone’s lives are on the line. Don’t do anything you'll regret later.”
Tyler’s serious tone made everyone sober. Anwen didn't think he was joking. She didn’t believe he was the kind of person who would tease about something like that. But just thinking about the possible obstacles ahead made her hands sweaty and her heart pound.
The next segment of time, for however long it might stretch, would be pure torture for her. And she was certain Tyler knew it too.
Having let the significance of his words sink in, Tyler moved forward. He doubled up the segment of rope between him and Anwen so she was closer to him than she would have been otherwise.
“Keep on your toes and try to step lightly,” he advised. “And don’t forget to breathe.”
Anwen almost smiled, knowing he was talking to just her. As he’d discovered the night before, when she was scared silly, she sometimes had a hard time remembering to breathe. That only added to the terror. Her mother had constantly reminder her of that fact.
“I’ll try,” Anwen managed, her mouth feeling more than a bit dry as she licked her lips and followed after him.
Ahead, the path curved behind a protrusion of rock and Anwen couldn't see what was beyond until she reached it. Her lungs tightened as she came to the turn and made the mistake of looking down. It was a sheer drop off into a chasm deeper than any building back home. In fact, she couldn’t see the bottom at all.
Anwen closed her eyes and tried to remember to breathe. The rope attached at her waist tugged and she opened her eyes, feeling dizzy. She suddenly felt like she was falling, spiraling away from the thin path.
With a gasp, Anwen almost stepped backwards. It was a motion that would have made the mental image in her head a reality if it hadn’t been for Tyler’s strong arm pulling her forward.
“Easy there,” he cautioned. “Maybe I should have told you to not look down. It’s quite a drop, even for dragonkind. Why don’t you try keeping an eye on me instead?” Anwen agreed as the others crowded behind, wondering what was keeping them from moving forward.
"You think we can get a move on?" Daphne called out from her position. "I want to reach the City before nightfall."
Tyler smiled, his eyes lighting up with inner amusement. “Just wanted our tourist to see the sights,” he improvised. “After all, not many get to look down on the Endless Chasm.” He gave Anwen a quick wink before moving on.
Behind them, Courtney pursed her lips in a frown. Tyler had never told her to keep her eyes on him. Nor had he ever been as nice to her as he was being to this stupid tourist. The girl didn’t even know any of the local legends and probably didn’t care.
Courtney's eyes narrowed as she scrutinized the girl in front of her, half willing something else to go wrong.
Anwen did her best to follow Tyler’s advice. It was a bit difficult, especially when she kicked a protrusion of rock by accident. Or when she sent pebbles spiraling down into the chasm below. She wasn't sure which was worse, though, and tried to not think about it.
Her heart didn’t stop pounding the entire time. Her pulse only quickened when she had to be “shuttled” over a gap that had formed in the path. It felt like that had lasted for hours, but in reality, had only lasted a minute or two.
“Don’t close your eyes,” Tyler reminded, though he couldn’t blame Anwen for doing so. “It will only make it worse.”
All the same, he had to pull her across. Josef belayed from the other side since neither Daphne nor Courtney had the strength. It was expected, but still made things difficult. Tyler had to give the girl kudos for going through the ordeal, though, with no more visual sign than white lips and fingers.
Everyone was relieved when the path rejoined the far wall of the canyon only a few steps further on. From there, it grew in size again, enclosing them on both sides. A few steps further provided an open expanse.
Once more, they took another break. And since it was close to lunch, Tyler opted to give them enough time to eat something and get over the experience.
Anwen sat off by herself, much to Courtney’s satisfaction. She’d managed to grab a few sandwiches from the inn. Though her appetite was not large, she managed to eat one of them, chasing it down with a fourth of her water bottle’s contents.
The sun had risen high enough that it shone down on them from above. Anwen basked in it, closing her eyes, and tried hard to forget the last hour of their journey. But it kept popping up in her thoughts, along with the memory of almost falling off the cliff at that one turn.
Daphne and Josef cuddled. They ate tidbits from each others’ lunch boxes, using their fingers to feed each other.
Courtney attempted to cozy up to Tyler again. She offered him bits of her own lunch, but he declined, sticking to his tuna sandwich and chips.
Half an hour passed and Tyler called for the group to continue. With what all hoped was the worst behind them, they agreed, following him deeper into the mountains.
Anwen was the most relieved to see the path broaden again, even if it did feel like they were almost delving into the mountain itself.
They headed downwards again. The cliffs around them climbed higher and higher, leaving them in shadow once more. Anwen felt grateful for the jacket she’d packed, and pulled it on. Despite the hour in the sun, her hands were still cold from the climb.
The rock around them began to change. It went from a dark brown and red color to a darker black, like obsidian. Veins of red and white quartz interrupted the solid tone. The walls appeared more like the hallowed halls of some ancient palace.
Anwen couldn’t help but slow down. The others in the group passed her as she stared in awe at the smooth walls and worn floor.
Tyler’s steps also slowed. He removed his hat and tucked it into his arm, running a hand through his brown-blonde hair. It seemed as though he bowed his head as he removed the hat. “Welcome to the Consecrated Hall, the gateway to the Ruined City.”
Their footsteps became more subdued after that announcement. They all gazed around at the smooth walls, and the colored veins of crystal in them. The black walls reflected the dim light, making it brighter, but more somber at the same time. Even Courtney walked with more of an air of reverence than she had before.
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sp; Anwen stopped and put one hand against the black stone. An overwhelming sense of sadness filled her and she moved back. The emotion began to fade the moment her hand broke contact with the stone and she shook it as if to restore lost circulation.
For a brief moment, Anwen had felt as though all the grief of generations had rested on her shoulders. It had filled her with an endless void of heartache. Blinking back minute amounts of moisture from her eyes, she went to rejoin the others and almost bumped into Daphne.
"Watch it," Daphne almost snapped.
Waiting near the end, Tyler gave the others a chance to catch up. He knew they would walk at different paces down this long stretch of memory.
The stone had an unusual effect on most people. It could cause them to relive events from their pasts. Because of this, most visitors either loitered in reflection, or hurried ahead to avoid them.
The moment everyone had grouped back together, Tyler moved ahead.
Once more, the stone began to change, becoming more rough, like sandstone mixed with marble. This continued until the marble had all but vanished in the dark adobe stone.
Small niches also began to appear, some with hardened wood lattices covering them. Some were smaller than others. The gaps between the smoothed branches were tight, none large enough to let a grown man’s hands pass through.
Anwen gazed at the workmanship in awe. Her mother worked with wood, turning it into various bits of furniture. Having watched her mother work, she had a greater appreciation for the craftsmanship she saw and wondered how it had been accomplished.
“What are these for?” Anwen wondered out loud, resisting the urge to touch the smooth wood.
Tyler paused, walking past one of the larger covered niches. “Some say these are the resting places for those of dragonkind who have passed on. Others say these are the graves of those mortals who were more closely associated with them. No one knows for sure. But no one has ever succeeded in desecrating the graves, though many have tried.”
Courtney perked at this unexpected bit, though she knew the stories. It was another belief that the remains of various groups rested in these mountains. And that those groups were associated with dragonkind. “Why not?”
Tyler allowed a wry smile to cross his lips. “It’s the lattice. The wood used to make it can only be found in one place, the Sacred Grove, which no one has been able to find for generations.
“It is said that the wood has the strength of iron and the enduring nature of stone. That, and there are some who believe a spell was placed on the graves that would curse any who tried to enter them who shouldn’t.”
Courtney almost stuck out her tongue, having hoped for something more than what, to her, was a childhood bedtime story. Everyone in the village had heard stories of the Sacred Grove. No one seemed to know exactly what was in it, though, other than trees and a possible temple of sorts.
Anwen resisted the temptation to touch the wood. The idea that a curse might be placed on someone who didn’t belong there was enough deterrent.
The group passed by the rest of the strange tombs in silence. A cold wind seemed to blow round them as they walked. Anwen thought she heard voices in the breeze, words she either couldn’t quite hear or understand. She wasn’t sure which, but it left her feeling like she was missing something important.
Once again, Tyler waited for everyone to catch up. He stood several good yards away, under a stone archway of dun-colored rock. The arch marked a stark contrast with the dark adobe around them.
“This is the final gateway into the Ruined City,” he announced, “and it’s where our tour ends. Feel free to look around a bit, but don’t take anything you find back with you. Just trust me on that.” With that, he stepped to one side to let the others through.
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