The Land Below our Feet III (Legacy)

PASSAGE

-But… But she said that we should go to sleep – Skhana protested as she paced hurriedly behind her brother, trying to keep up with him.

-I know, but it is my party after all, isn't it? – Axe declared as he kept on walking firmly towards the palace with rushed steps.

-So, are you going back to the feast then? – She asked, reaching him and grabbing him by the arm.

-Of course not, I don’t want to see dad right now – He replied, rolling his eyes while still moving forward with her in tow – And I'm done with all that anyway.

-So, where are we going then? – His sister confusedly inquired, pulling him backwards without obtaining any result.

-You… Are going to bed – He said, finally pausing for a moment and grabbing her by the shoulders as he stared deeply into her eyes – And I… I am going to find out what those twins have got to say.

-The f**k you are! – Skhana puffed out, glancing at him with incredulity, then stubbornly starting to follow him again when he began walking away – All right… So, I am coming with you, or I will tell dad! What do you prefer?

-Fine, you little snitch – Axe growled at her in exasperation – You can come, just shut your mouth!

The rain had finally relented, and the moon shone bright on their faces as the two siblings approached the side of the building.

The blue-haired one crouched beside a pile of fallen palm leaves briefly before pulling them aside and uncovering a hidden underground passage that extended indefinitely in the shadows below the construction. The sight of the cramped space making the girl shiver in doubt.

-What is that? – She shakily murmured as she peeked inside the dark cavern – How did you even know it was here?

-A ferret once told me – The boy whispered as his sole response, then he jumped inside the hole and started crawling through it with ease.

-Oh Gods! Why do I even bother asking? – Skhana muttered, grinding her teeth and going after him on all fours.

-Where does this lead to anyway? – She mumbled after a while, her voice echoing around the humid tunnel.

-Everywhere – Axe answered a moment later as they reached a much more spacious area, and they could finally stand up again to Skhana´s relief – It’s an old service entrance.

He dusted himself off and gestured towards a corner, where a creaky staircase stood, and which he began climbing a moment later.

-So, are you telling me that we are now… behind the walls? – The girl deduced, as she inspected the narrow tunnel in awe and noticed the abandoned state of it – Does anyone else know about this?

-Maybe grandpa – The blue-haired boy pondered – But from what I can tell, this network hasn’t been used in ages… So, maybe not.

-Do you come here often? – She continued questioning him as they reached another gallery, and she noticed that he had leaned against the dusty bricks and was peeping through a tiny crack between them.

-Hush! – He abruptly silenced her with an annoyed scowl, then he returned his attention forward, and she realized that she could hear loud music coming from the other side.

-Are we behind the main hall? – She inferred. Pushing him forcefully aside and taking his place to spy through the wall and discover the packed place – Have you gone nuts? What if dad finds out?

-Well, that’s why I told you to keep your mouth shut in the first place – He sneered at her, pushing her back and peeking worriedly through the tiny hole, his voice lowering to an almost inaudible whisper – I doubt that he or aunt Sehira can sense us over all that loud noise, but I rather not take the risk.

-What’s happening? – Skhana anxiously asked, trying in vain to get him out of the way and steal another furtive glance – I can’t see a thing!

-Mom and dad are dancing… Everyone is – Axe recounted distractedly as he kept his eyes trained on the moving crowd and looked for the masked face of his aunt.

-Oh, that’s so sweet! – She dreamily proclaimed, pushing him once more and catching a quick glimpse of the ball room – Now I almost wish that I had stayed there instead of following you here to this smelly place.

-Why? – The boy teased her, elbowing her to the side and reclaiming his spot – Did you want to see if someone would ask you out for a dance?

-Ewww, of course not! – Skhana rushed herself to say, composing a disgusted face – I just think that it would have been a lot more fun than lurking among the cobwebs.

-And yet, here you are – Axe sighed, suddenly straining his neck and hurriedly starting to walk ahead through the tunnel again – Now be quiet… I just saw Aunt Sehira and the twins, and they’re going this way.

They kept going in silence for a few more minutes until they reached the next gallery, and the youngster soon located another peeping hole, which he swiftly proceeded to peek from.

Unfortunately, Skhana still couldn’t see a thing, as her brother’s head was blocking the view entirely. But thankfully, now that they were not so close to the main source of noise, she could clearly make out the three distinct voices coming from behind the wall. Two of them belonging to the twins, Najanka and Pithan, and the other belonging to her aunt.

-And well? – The muffled sound of Vihant´s King's question reached her ears with an evidently infuriated tone – Your letter said to meet you at your nephew’s party, so here we are. Has Yahur finally deigned to give our plea a proper answer or are you going to keep evading us?

-I just wanted to get the facts straight first – Sehira-Xe´s calm voice responded –I’m sure that you can relate. As far as I’m concerned, there is no reason to deploy an entire army solely based on an unreliable oracle’s claim.

-It’s not just that – Najanka´s statement rang loudly through the bricks – It’s happening again! The strait is freezing, and when it does, they will come back!

-How can you be so sure? – Skhana heard her aunt inquire with a hint of worry in her seemingly tranquil voice – It has been centuries since they were cast out. If they’re still out there, I’m sure they must have more important things in mind by now.

-No! – Muhonos´s Queen insisted with an increasingly stubborn attitude – Not the Ruhavkians… Not when they were forced to leave their precious treasure behind! Trust me, they remember… We grew up listening to the old tales about them, and they always swore to come back.

-All right… So, you say Bhertang´s strait is starting to freeze now? – Sehira sighed, and Skhana could almost picture her massaging the spot between her brows – How is that?

-Not now – Pithan responded with clear annoyance – It has been happening gradually over the years… The legend says that the girl the blue-haired folks were protecting defrosted it to keep them away. I guess her spell must have died with her, and it has been slowly freezing again since then.

-And you only care to bring it up now, when it’s almost imminent – Her aunt retorted with equal irritation – A heads-up years ago would have been nice.

-Well, we have been busy keeping our people alive – Najanka barked at her in her usual contemptuous voice – So, are you going to help us or not?

- I am – Sehira-Xe assured her with a tired sigh – It’s part of my oath. Now, about the blue-haired people you mentioned, where are they now?

-Apart from your nephew… Dead, I suppose – Pithan replied without a trace of a doubt – Only a handful of them made it to our land, and they all took refuge behind Tamensun´s walls…

-And when the sacred city fell, they all burned to the ground – Najanka finished saying in such an emotionless tone that it made Skhana instinctively turn to look at Axe, who was blankly staring through the hole in the wall.

-So, if your nephew is the sole survivor of that extinct race, you might want to keep him out of the Ruhavkians´ sight, just in case – The other twin continued saying – And helping us is the fastest way. So, what do you say?

-I say I will talk to my troops and get back to you once we are ready to march – Sehira coldly answered – Now, if you excuse me, it’s been a long night.

Axe had remained watching how they all said their quick goodbyes and his aunt began pacing towards the door after the twins had left.

She had barely taken a few steps forward when her head perked up again, and she stood there completely immobile in the middle of the hallway for an insanely long second, a second in which he could feel his heart almost burst out of his chest…

But then he saw her shake her head slowly from side to side and just keep walking away... To his most utter relief.