Chapter 42
Zuna lifted her head from the rocky surface of the cave where she had been resting. She rubbed her eyes. Looking toward the entrance of the cave, she saw the silhouette of her hero sitting against the moonlight. She felt a little guilty that she had gotten the chance to sleep when he was having to keep watch. However, the thought of him protecting her made her feel safe and warm. She stood to her feet and went over to him.
"My Lord," She said bowing as she got his attention, "Would you like a chance to rest?"
A slight smile crossed his face as he turned to look back into the forest, "That will not be necessary, dear Zuna. Our journey must continue. We are hard-pressed for time." He stood and gestured toward the back of the cave, "We can use this to get closer to our destination." He held up an orb of magical light and led the way.
They made their way deeper into the darkness. The walls of the cave constricted into smaller spaces as well as turning downward into the ground. Soon, the general had to follow along behind her Alpha as there was no longer room for them to travel side by side. In some areas, their bodies could barely squeeze through the openings. All the while, they kept traveling deeper into the heart of the island.
Finally, the two adventurers made their way through a tunnel which opened into a large cavern. It was quite a strange sight. The ceiling in this area was so high it could not be seen from their position. The truly strange part was a small river flowing sideways through the room. Torches were placed on the walls all around the area. This was the only part of the entire expedition which would suggest someone had been here in the past. Apart from this room, the cave system appeared completely abandoned.
"At least this room is well-lit," Zuna said. "I suppose we just have to cross this last obstacle, then we will triumph over your mission." She smiled brightly.
"Indeed this is an obstacle, but it is no ordinary watercourse," The Alpha responded solemnly. "If it was, we would have our choice of options, but...let us observe."
He reached down and picked up a small pebble. With a thunderous sound, he threw it over the surface of the water. Despite the pebble's incredible speed, a water stream shot up and intercepted it. However, it did not simply stop and fall into the river. The pebble quickly grew and took on human form. It stood motionless next to the river. The Alpha faced the monster, it had copied his appearance.
The two warriors waited for the monster to initiate an attack of some sort, but it did not move. Zuna waved her hand, but the replica didn't seem to notice her. Then, the Alpha took a step forward. It shot at him with unexpected speed. Launching a vicious punch, the monster began its assault. It was powerful, but the assault was short-lived. The replica's fist stopped as it contacted its opponent's open hand. It cracked. The Alpha responded with his own punch. His fist went crashing into the unfortunate beast's chest. It slid backward crumbling to pieces. As with the monster's on the surface, the remaining energy seeped into the ground and faded.
"How interesting," the victor mused, "I knew it was a river of energy, but this is new. It copied the insignificant amount of energy I left behind on the stone. Just imagine if something bigger were thrown into it. Or even worse, imagine what would happen to us."
"Amazing. So, how will we cross, then?" Zuna asked.
"The best thing to use would be reflection energy. We could use its own trick against it. Unfortunately, neither of us possess that particular type. I suppose it is a good thing you followed me to this island. I'll need your skills. I want you to overload every stone you can find. Some will shatter, but some will turn to crystal. I will begin forming a bridge that will hold them."
Zuna bowed, and they both hurried to complete their individual jobs. The Alpha had crafted a complex structure out of ice. He molded and formed it in the air next to the river. When they had moved the crystals into place, the bottom of the bridge was a perfectly reflective surface. He slowly moved it over the water, but when the energy shot out to corrupt the material, it bounced back to its source. So it continued, as the bridge moved farther, more and more energy was reflected.
Finally, their work was completed as the structure shifted into its resting place. The individual pieces were holding together quite nicely. The two made their way across the hazardous river with relative ease. Upon reaching the other side, they decided to leave the bridge intact so they could use it on the return journey. There was an open doorway waiting for them. As they walked through it, the environment changed dramatically. Suddenly, they didn't seem to be inside an underground cave.
They were standing in a shapeless plane. It had no details other than being covered in a warm light. It felt as if they were floating in a cloud. A ghostly form manifested itself before them.
"It's good to see you made your way back to me, boy." A woman spoke, her voice sinister. She faded slowly, then she suddenly appeared directly in front of them.
"Do you know why I have come?" He asked.
"Would I fail to keep track of my favorite little project? Of course I know why you're here. Even after I gave you every ability you asked of me, you still need more. It's a pity. At least you brought another one of my children this time." The ghostly woman turned her head, "Hello, my darling Zuna. It is so nice to see you."
The young general was disconcerted to hear such a thing, but she didn't respond. She kept silent and held her peace.
"Your business is not with her," The Alpha said. "I'm here so that you will further increase my power. I made it through your tests."
"True," she responded slowly. "Although, you've made it through before. You also had the power that I provided you this time so it was decidedly less exciting. No. This time I require a price." She moved forward and stroked Zuna's face, "I could make a wonderful pet out of this one. Give her to me, and you'll have all the power you need. What is your answer?"
The Alpha looked at Zuna, then back at the woman, "Is there no other price? I could give you anything."
"No, it will be this one."
"Very well," he said stoically.
Tears began to form in Zuna's eyes, "My Lord?"
"It must be this way, Zuna. The mission takes precedence above all else. You've always known this. I must go now." He turned to walk away.
Tears began rolling down her face, "But, I never thought..."
"Goodbye, Zuna." The Alpha walked through the door leaving Zuna with the ghostly woman.