Slowly Dreeda open her eyes, doubting her environs; next to her spreads a pool of water virtually seven meters in diameter sparkling with ethereal magnificent as it reflects the sunlight coming in through the opening on the ceiling in the lone space.
perhaps illusions created by her half lucid mind, and to add up to all that confusion stood a beast of a man, the kind she had never seen before. He stood tall, dark and imposing, well-built with broad shoulders resting on a massive bear chest connecting with a rock hard belly, for some reason he made her think of Samson in the bible with the mass of hair all, or a statue built by an authentic aesthetic hand.
Except that this man was no statue; here stood before her the living black devil himself, the one she saw her right at the time she fell into oblivion, no! he is real, and not a phantom casted by her delirious mind. Her head whirl in confusion, giving less room for fear to take hold.
What is he going to do with her now? Oh what a stupid question to ask, perhaps the question should be; why is she still alive? she remembered falling, except that she never hit bottom. She also remembers the firm grip around her wrists in her final moments in the flaming cave but couldn't tell whether it was real. It finally dawns on her; this stranger might have safe her from falling into the lava below, and further brought her to a much safer place out of the reach of the burning flames.
The man was still stirring at her mysteriously, his long dreadlocks partially covering his youthful handsome face, a face that was virtually covered with disheveled full grown beard, giving the man a touch of forbidden sensuality. Dreeda had to avert her look out of shear embarrassment when it finally occurred to her she was naked under the white cloth covering her from the neck down, meaning this man had saw her naked, it made her face turn red with shame.
As though sensing what is going on through the lady's mind, Jhanka picked up both hands up in complete surrender, then smiled gently exposing even set of healthy white teeth. Dreeda didn't know how to respond to that so she simply smiled back.
Dreeda then asked the first question she could think of; what is this place? Where are we? And who are you and why did you saved me? Dreeda could swear she had intended to ask one question, but ended up asking so many questions all at once. And she needed an answer for all…. She was so confused right now. Why did she come here in the first place?
Jhanka only looked at her for a while before answering in the multilingual dialect of Cygon. A language so flexible it can reproduce meaning of any kind of language. The interpretation is mostly done not only by listening to the sound and intonation by the speaker but through a keen observance to the facial expression of the speaker, along with vibrations that were quite invisible to the naked eye. These arts were taught to only a chosen few, and all the royal clans of Cygon were beneficiaries of this arts including the priests who were the gate keepers to the ancestral knowledge of Cygon.
"who dares venture into the forbidden except to seek treasure; a treasure seeker you are then oh white one, or perhaps a fatal punishment for an unforgiving crime, the kind that will make a kingdom bleed to its own destruction if left unpunished, a sacrifice to appease the forbidden flames of unshared pain in the hearts of men, for the wrath of men is their ultimate ruler.
Albeit; a volunteer in the forbidden is always one of two things; a great lover or a child of destiny, which one are you oh white one?"
Dreeda looked up at the man sharply and wondered how he could be able to deduce her predicament in a matter of seconds without answering any of her questions. Perhaps a child of destiny of some sort, a dreamer who foolishly follower up on her dreams with real action, how stupid can anyone be?
"there are so many disagreeable things a man can endure in shame in a life time, following up on a dream is not one of those, courage in a woman is true power. Oh child of destiny thou has been ushered into a different realm by the hand of thy own destiny through the forbidden flames from the world yonder into the noble lands of Cygon. Forgive my foul company; les I soil the majesty of thou destiny oh great dreamer from up yonder"'
Dreeda was quite overwhelm by all that have been spoken by the stranger in clear English with the same west African ancient the chief priest used in her initiation process before she starts to embarked on this journey.
So she had been able to cross the flames and was now in a territory called Cygon. "so you found me in the flames about to die and you came to my rescue" Dreeda couldn't stop herself from asking
"No white one I came for the atonement of my own flaws. I was send here as a punishment for the death of my own father whom I've killed with my bare hands after he killed his own wife my beloved mother… I was send here to perish by the wrath of the flame goddess, however; I found no goddess but you, and like me I think you were send here to perish." Jhanka answered.
Dreeda listen to the stranger tell his tragic story. So this man was exiled into the fire after having killed his own father who cold bloodedly murdered his wife, his beloved mother. What a sad twisted tragic tale. Right at that moment Dreeda realizes she is in an entire different world govern by laws that are alien to her and her part of the world.
Fate indeed is unpredictable right? Something happens leading to something else. well She is grateful for the fantastic coincidence, she is probably a child of destiny after all, and she is thankful she is still alive, she can't even begin to think of what would've happen had the man not showed up, the emotions alone from the possibility of the dreaded outcome made her shiver in terror.
Like a veil lifted from her eyes, she could reason clearly now, her initial gallantry on entering the volcano now turned to madness. She had risked her life without giving herself a chance to think things over, as though propelled by an invisible, force she had walked into the fire without looking back. Well, going back is not an option now, but how long will destiny carry her on its weary shoulders?
Jhanka took a closer look at their environs trying to choose which route to take. They were more than seven tunnels leading in different directions, where they were now. The opening on the roof of the cave where the day light cometh forth will be the prudent option. Any of those caves could be leading anywhere…. The best option is to leave through the opening he was now looking at. For the first time Dreeda took notice of where they were and follow the gaze of Jhanka. Their obvious predicament keeping both of them silent for a while.
"we are trapped" Dreeda broke the silence, Jhanka shake his head, "no white one; we have been freed. Only us can stop us now" "I don't think you are planning to pass through the narrow opening at the top." Dreeda added "no not me; is you, you are small enough to pass through. Up you climb oh white one to freedom" Jhanka encouraged. Dreeda shook her head.
It Is going to be a suicide mission. Yet; it's the only option, and they have to act fast before night fall. The pond will be attracting other aquatic lives to the place when night fall, and not all of them are friendly. Right that very instant; A roaring sound came from one of the lone caves, causing the walls to vibrate. Whatever it is, it is huge and they have to find a way to escape the place.
Jhanka saw the panic written all over Dreeda's face. His only worry now was there is no landing he can stand on to raise the lady to reach the opening.
Jhanka in most of his missions in Cygon, had become use to caves like this…. The source of this pond could be the key; if the supply is coming from an outside source like a river or stream, then somewhere in the bottom of this pond lays an opening leading to the outside or another pond in another cave, or a dead end where most predators hibernates. There will surely be an illumination of light in any route leading outside since its day time, however, taking a dark route could lead to an unfriendly confrontation with a predator. There is no time to be thinking a lot; his only worry was the white woman. How long can she hold he breath?