Chapter 21
The Crystal Key
Song’s eyes sparkled at Echo. “They know we are here,” she said. “We no longer need to hide.” She took a step forward, causing Echo’s stomach to drop. Maybe it was her imagination, but the wolfix didn’t exactly look welcoming. She couldn’t understand Song’s eagerness to confront them.
Song emerged from the trees and faced the wolfix. Echo followed a few paces behind the fairy. She went to draw her daggers, but stopped short when the nearest wolfix fixed its gaze on her and growled. The sound rumbled from deep within the animal and rolled out of its throat like thunder. Its wings rose sharply to the sky, intimidating Echo even more. Shimmer snorted and plastered her ears against her neck, ready to fight.
Song slowly turned to look at Echo who had her hand frozen above the hilt of one of her daggers. “Do not draw your weapons. If you do, they will attack and kill without question,” Song said quietly.
Echo’s mouth went dry and she carefully lowered her hand. The wolfix ceased growling. Jia took to the air and swooped at the wolfix who stood guard at the cavern entrance. The creature leapt onto its hind legs, nipping playfully at the dragon. The dominant wolfix, the one that had growled moments before, turned and then snarled, snapping its teeth at the playing wolfix. The other creature abruptly stopped playing and re-assumed a more threatening stance.
Song stiffened her arms at her sides and turned her palms toward the wolfix with her fingers pointing toward the ground. Slowly, she raised her arms until her body formed a cross. Echo held her breath as the lead wolfix slowly circled Song, sniffing and studying every part of her. He hovered over her weapons, then continued his inspection. When he finished, he sat on his haunches in front of her and waited. His wings folded against his body and his intense gaze made Echo uncomfortable, even though he was looking at Song and not her.
Song spoke to the creature with soft, strange words that Echo didn’t understand. The wolfix sat silently until Song finished speaking. His companions remained bristled and alert.
Echo nearly screamed as the wolfix suddenly rose on its hind legs, placed its giant paws on Song’s small shoulders, and then licked her face. Song laughed and the other wolfix relaxed. Jia resumed playing with the one at the doorway, and the others spun in circles, allowing their large tongues to loll from their mouths. They suddenly looked like a pack of overgrown puppies.
Song giggled and scratched the large beast behind the ears. “It is good to see you again, old friends.”
“Old friends? You know these creatures?” Echo asked, astonished.
“Yes. Wolfix are creatures of the woodlands. They are our allies. They have kept this cavern safe from dark beings that would enslave what lives inside. If we had arrived in the dark, the wolfix would have attacked without hesitation.”
Echo stifled a shiver and asked, “What does live in there? And why do we need to release it?”
Song cast Echo a mysterious look. “We need to release them. And I will leave what they are a secret for now. Trust that no harm will befall you. I believe you will find this exciting.” The fairy’s eyes sparkled before she turned and ran her fingertips along the stone.
In spite of Song’s excitement, Echo was irritated. Why couldn’t the fairy just tell her what they were releasing? “Why are they trapped in there in the first place?” she asked, trying to keep the edge out of her voice.
Song continued to feel the rock doorway, her delicate fingers brushing against cracks and bumps. “They are not trapped, just waiting. They have kept hidden inside, waiting for the precise moment they would be needed. As I said, they had to be kept safe from dark beings, such as the evil sorceress, Degus. She would have enslaved them if she could have reached them. And if that were to happen, Shae Vale would not be able to stand against her. Ah! I think I’ve found it!”
Echo’s stomach fluttered as Song stuck her finger in a circular hole. “What is it?”
Song pulled out her finger and smiled at Echo. “Behind this patch of rock is a crystal that, when we combine our energies, will break the spell and open the door.”
Intrigued, Echo studied the stone. “How do we get it out?”
“Can you not see the answer before you?” Song asked. Echo’s eyes traced the wall of stone. The small hole went deep and nothing could be seen inside but blackness. From the outer edge of the hole, several hairline fractures scarred the stone, spreading across it like a giant spider’s web.
Echo placed her palm against the hole. The stone around it felt dry. “We need something to hit it with. I think it’ll break. This rock feels brittle and these fractures should have weakened it.”
“Over there,” Song said. She gestured toward a large boulder, a piece of the cliff that had broken away and fallen against a tree. “I think we can throw that against the wall.”
Echo wasn’t so certain. The stone was huge and looked like it weighed a ton. They walked to it and stood on either side facing each other. Song nodded and they both bent at the knees, grabbing the belly of the stone. It was much lighter than Echo thought it would be, but it still took a lot of effort to lift.
They waddled to the arched clearing. After slowly swinging the large boulder back and forth a few times, they released it against the cliff. It made contact with a loud crack, sending bits of the cliff face showering toward them. Echo instinctively covered her face with her arm, shielding herself from the jagged shards.
When the dust cleared, they could see that much of the cliff had been removed, but not enough to get to the crystal. The girls struggled with the stone a second time. They gritted their teeth and then yelled as the stone left their hands and smacked against the cliff again. More shards of stone flew through the air and, much to Echo’s relief, the crystal now lay bare against a second layer of stone that still blocked the doorway.
Echo rubbed her arm muscles as she and Song studied the crystal. It was no bigger than Echo’s palm. Set in a clear, polished, star-shaped stone, the opalescent crystal flashed in the sunlight. Echo felt a strange connection to it. Shimmer nickered and approached, touching her on the shoulder with her muzzle. Echo could see Song from the corner of her eye, with Jia perched atop her shoulder. They were both watching intently.
The jagged edges of the crystal sent sparks of white light as Echo moved toward it. She raised her hand, wanting more than anything to touch it, to hold it. Shimmer stayed close, and Echo knew her horse felt as drawn to the crystal as she.
Her shaking hand seemed as if it belonged to someone else as she reached toward the sparkling stone. A curious energy emanated from the crystal; it reached toward her, brushing against her palm. She curled her fingers around the inside corners of the star, scraping her fingernails on the stone behind it. The crystal fit perfectly in her palm, and her fingers fit snugly around the star. With no effort, she pulled the star and crystal away from the cliff.
The crystal was heavier than she thought it’d be. The weight of it pressed against her palm as she held it, inspecting it closely. It pulsated with a vague light, as if it were trying to communicate.
Echo turned her shocked face toward Song. “What is this? It seems familiar--and alive!”
Song’s face filled with wonder. “I knew it was you! The crystal is yours, though I can offer no explanation to how or why this is so. It just is.”
Echo stood mesmerized for a long while. She couldn’t fathom how this thing of beauty that had been embedded in the side of a cliff for who knew how long could be hers. But she couldn’t deny the energy that she felt connecting her to it.
Finally, she tore her gaze from the crystal and looked at Song. The fairy stood in patient calmness. Echo’s voice was a whisper. “What now? How do we use this to open the door?”
“Let us find out together,” Song said, and then turned toward the doorway. “I believe the crystal is a key. All we need to do is find the keyhole.”
Echo’s
eyes went directly to the center of the doorway, expecting to find a spot to fit the crystal. Stupid. It wouldn’t be that obvious, she scolded herself. She and Song searched while the wolfix and Jia played. The dog-like creatures released deep, penetrating barks that Echo would’ve found terrifying had she not known they were playing. Shimmer kept an eye on them from a distance as she grazed on foliage.
After an hour, Song squealed with excitement. “I think I found it!”
Echo’s stomach fluttered and she dove onto her knees next to Song. At the very corner of the right hand side of the arch, hidden by a small bush, was an indentation. Serrated edges suggested that the crystal should fit perfectly into the spot.
Breathless, Echo carefully pulled at the crystal to separate it from the star. It didn’t want to budge at first, but she managed to coax it from its protective casing. With shaking fingers, she placed the jagged crystal against the indentation, turning it until it popped into place. She felt a trickle of energy run up her arm as the crystal took its position in the stone.
Song and Echo looked at each other, unable to hide their exuberant expressions. Song spoke quickly, “Now, if I am correct, we must all combine our energy, touching one another in a chain with you touching the crystal. With fortune, we will break the spell and open the door.”
Shimmer approached without summons and Jia flapped down from the sky, landing with her talons sinking into the soil. She reached her snout toward Song. The fairy allowed the tiny dragon to rest its head in her palm. Then Song placed her other hand on Echo’s shoulder. Shimmer nudged Echo before resting her lips on Echo’s other shoulder. Her hot breath tickled Echo’s neck, but she barely felt it as she stared at the crystal.
Echo glanced at Song. The fairy nodded and, as they all held their breath, Echo reached toward the crystal with both hands. She cupped her hands over the crystal, feeling its cold, jagged surface against her palms. Nothing happened.
Disappointed, Echo lowered her hands. “No, wait. Replace your hands, Echo. Let me try something,” Song said.
Echo replaced her hands, certain that nothing would happen. Song spoke a phrase in the same strange language she’d used with the wolfix, emphasizing certain words. The wolfix were suddenly at their backs, pressing their enormous, wet snouts against them. Echo gasped as she felt the crystal turn to ice against her touch. Song continued repeating the same phrase and Echo felt a surge of energy course through her from Shimmer, Song, and the wolfix. Ribbons of power flowed to her hands and into the crystal, causing it to glow white. It became so cold, Echo was certain her skin would freeze.
The doorway rippled as if the stone had turned into mud. Song repeated her strange words louder and the power surged through Echo more forcefully. She felt a twinge of panic as energy drained from her body. She knew, however, that she wouldn’t be able to break away from it, even if she tried. The pull of its power held her firmly in place.
Then, the doorway vanished and the crystal blinked as it released Echo, fell to the earth, and then became as it was. Warmth returned to Echo’s hands and her arms flopped to her sides with exhaustion. Song picked up the crystal as they all peered into the newly opened cavern.
Hot air wafted from the cavern, brushing against them in a rush. It was foul, like the opening of a tomb. Light glowed inside the cave walls from an unseen source. The cavern ran too deep for Echo to see its end.
Song shouted so suddenly, Echo nearly jumped out of her socks. Her words echoed through the cavern, becoming many voices repeating the same, strong phrase. “Your time has come my friends! Come forward and face your destiny. Help to free Shae Vale as you have now been freed of this place!”
Song quickly stepped back and the rest of the company followed suit. The ground shuddered, as if afraid. Echo’s heart beat its way to her throat and Shimmer pranced beside her nervously. The wolfix howled, sounding like melancholy spirits rising from graves. Echo shook with fear. Whatever came from the depths of the cave was monstrous.