The Wicked House of Caroline

“You want to find the jaw of St. Cyric before the Temple?” Laz asked, raising a brow. “Are you sure this group is the real expedition? What if they’re leading you on?”

“Then, they’ve done an excellent job of doing so,” Beks replied as she carefully folded a map. “In all honesty, I don’t expect them to be this good at diverting attention. It also is not as if I’ve had the others stop being watched. It’s just that more attention is being given to particularly promising ones. If we take the rokhs, then we can travel at a faster speed should we need to move to get to another expedition.”

Lucian released a low breath and nodded. “Then we should get moving. The sooner we get to the site of the eighth’s locations, the sooner we can assess for ourselves what is happening.”

He went to call for the rokh to be prepared. Gerard and Rid Callan were going with them, as their two biha abilities had proven most useful the last time she was at the Giant’s Ridge.

Beks carefully packed what she needed, including her maps, urapearl, and the second book. She came out of the tent and saw Laz talking to Battalion Commander Gatlin. From the serious looks on their faces, their conversation was formal and likely in regard to a security or military issue, as opposed to when they bantered like two tomcats in an alley.

“Then, we’ll move further east, as close to the border as possible. I just don’t like that we’ll be over the mountains. If we’re attacked and are outnumbered, then we’ll have a difficult time retreating,” Battalion Commander Gatlin told them.

Laz raised a brow. “They don’t retreat. Should the Temple’s forces attack you, go on the offensive immediately. Don’t give them time to reorganize or adjust. Level the forest if you must.”

Battalion Commander Gatlin raised a brow. “You understand that we’d be making an enemy of the Temple, don’t you?”

“We’re already enemies of the Temple,” Laz replied in a droll voice. “It’s just that the Temple won’t admit it. It has always been either them or the other.”

The other man took a deep breath and nodded. “I’ll prepare a strategy for offensive upon attack, then.”

The corner of Laz’s lips curled up, and he extended his arm and patted Battalion Commander Gatlin on the shoulder. “You can do it. You’re not a Battalion Commander for nothing.”

The Battalion Commander let out a little ‘tsk’ and sneered before shrugging off Laz’s hand. “I don’t need you to tell me that.”

Before they could fall back into bickering, Beks cut in. “Battalion Commander, the defense of this border is up to you. In the case that we will need storm Strahnroc, you will be our first resource.”

“Storm Strahnroc?” Battalion Commander Gatlin squinted. “Your Highness, do you plan to invade the Great Basin?”

Beks’ eyes crinkled up with a smile, but she didn’t answer. Battalion Commander Gatlin winced and tilted his head back. “I suppose better them than us.”

“Exactly.” Beks gave him a nod. ‘

He walked her and Laz to the landing area where the awaiting rokh was. Sister Levina, Jonas, and Elder Arash had already left for Paraxes on Cloud, leaving the larger and stronger Thunder to fly Beks and four other people to the Giant’s Ridge in the opposite direction.

As they began to climb in, Gerard seemed to be speaking to the massive bird. “Let's fly over cadmium right now and then when we get closer to the northeast border, we will fly at night to avoid being detected,” he told Thunder. “Her Highness has filled you with biha and you are well fed and rested. We will need your hard work, Thunder.”

A loud screech echoed through the camp, causing some people to cover their ears. Gerard didn’t seem bothered and nodded, satisfied at the rokh’s answer.

The wicker basket that Thunder carried had a small door that opened with some latches. It was wide open and Beks stepped into the spacious basket. She tucked her things into the compartment beneath a bench as her husbands followed. Rid Callan cautiously stepped in and nodded.

“Quite a bit roomier than Cloud and Whisp’s basket.”

“When they’re fully grown, they’ll be able to carry a basket of this size,” Gerard replied as he finished tying up the ropes on the corners and climbed in. He closed the door and locked the latch in place to prevent the door from opening in mid-flight. He then looked over the basket. “Clear the area!”

Soldiers had come to watch, fascinated by the massive birds. Battalion Commander Gatlin shouted an order for them to step back and give the rokh some space.

Satisfied that the area was clear, Gerard took a deep breath, brought his hand to his mouth, and whistled.

Thunder let out another screech, as if in confirmation of the order, and spread out his wings.

Beks felt the gusts of wind against her head as Thunder rose into the air. The cables that attached the basket to his feet rose and grew taunt before the basket was pulled up and off the ground.

“Your Highness! Wait! Your Highness!” A voice screamed as loud as possible and if Beks hadn’t noticed the sudden movement of a soldier darting towards them. Beks held her hand up and Gerard let out a particular whistle.

Thunder began to circle in place rather than continue to ascend. Beks leaned over the edge and Laz squinted.

“He’s from communications,” he said.

“It must be urgent then,” Lucian agreed.

“What’s wrong?” Battalion Commander Gatlin looked over at the rushed soldier. The man’s face was flushed as he seemed to have run out as soon as he could.

“Your Highnesses, a message from Her Majesty Queen Eleanor!” the messenger shouted after taking a deep breath. “Snowflake is missing!”

Beks’ brows shot up and she almost pushed herself back from the edge of the wicker basket in surprise.

“What?” Laz frowned.

“How does one lose a massive white snake?” Gerard muttered with furrowed brows.

“Horned serpent,” Beks corrected him before leaning over the edge. “Since when?”

“He disappeared two nights before; they assumed he was hunting, but he has not returned, Your Highness!”

Beks drew her lips inward and thought for a moment. Both Laz and Lucian looked towards her, awaiting her instruction.

“What do you think?” Lucian asked.

“Do need to go search for him, Your Highness?” Rid Callan asked.

Beks narrowed her eyes. She took a deep breath and shook her head. “Snowflake is highly intelligent and capable. He will be fine!” She craned her neck down. “Reply to Her Majesty: he will return. Leave as is!”

The messenger bowed his head. “Yes, Your Highness!”

“Gerard, take us up,” Beks said, looking over her shoulder. Gerard nodded and let out another whistle. Their basket rose into the air.

“Do you think Snowflake will be all right, Your Highness?” Rid Callan asked with a concerned expression.

“Snowflake managed to get all the way to the island by himself. Not only did he survive, but he also recognized me, and Lucian, when we arrived on the island,” Beks told him. “He’s very smart, as well as spiritual. Wherever he is, I’m sure he has good reason.”

Gerard nodded. “Like shedding.”

The basket was quiet and Beks pursed her lips. She was embarrassed to admit that she thought her serpent had gone on some noble adventure rather than the more obvious, and completely natural, purpose of shedding his skin during growth.

Laz knit his brows together and looked at his brother. “Do horned serpents shed?”

“I’ve never seen him shed since we found him,” Lucian replied. He looked at Beks. “Did he shed when he was little?”

Beks shook her head. “He didn’t stay long enough, I think. How often do horned serpents shed their skin? I recall reading that snakes shed once a year or so.”

Lucian let out a low breath. “I’m sure he’ll be fine. A horned serpent is not a vulnerable creature.”

“But if one didn’t know any better, wouldn’t you think he was some sort of monster?” Laz asked, crossing his arms over his chest. “A white horned serpent as thick as some people are tall doesn’t exactly appear harmless.”

“He doesn’t have to eat often. One large meal will last him weeks,” Lucian replied.

“I’m not saying that he’s going to eat people, but people don’t know that he doesn’t eat people and may panic if they catch sight of him,” Laz said with a roll of his eyes. “What if he’s captured or hunted because of it?”

“Isn’t it a bit strange, though?” Gerard asked suddenly. Several pairs of eyes turned towards him. “Snowflake is difficult to not see. He’s white and will stand out against the forest and farm landscape. How could he have left the royal grounds without being seen?”

Beks took in a sharp breath and her grip on the edge of the basket tightened. Her eyes went wide as her heart tightened as worry swept through her. “You think he might’ve been kidnapped?” My baby!

Four gazes looked at her with disbelief. “Your Highness,” Rid Callan said in a calm voice. “Who would try to kidnap a giant horned serpent?”

“And how could they without alerting anyone?” Gerard added.

Beks chewed on her lower lip, her mind still envisioning her precious horned serpent tied to the floor of a wood and metal cage, hungry and sad.

Laz waved his hand in front of her. “Whatever you are imagining, I am sure that’s not the case. Snowflake is a legendary beast. He’s not going to be captured so easily. I’m sure he’s probably in a secure location, trying to shed his dull skin off.”

Lucian nodded and patted Beks’ back to reassure her. “You’re right in that Snowflake is intelligent. I am certain that once his natural serpent needs are met, he will return to the royal grounds to wait for you to come home.”

╔═════════════════ ∘◦ ♔ ◦∘ ═════════════════╗

Despite her intuition telling her that Snowflake would be fine, Beks still couldn’t quell her worry. On the first night they stopped after a day of flighting, Beks contacted the Gilded Palace at once. Eleanor assured her that she had her father’s people searching for Snowflake, as due to her current circumstance, Laurence didn’t approve of her sending out their already understaffed royal guard.

Those who were part of the von Glasser army who’d remained to assist with security the Kadmium, and had seen Snowflake in person, were sent into the surrounding area to try to find him. Local hunters had also been employed to try to track Snowflake.

One would think that the tracks left behind by a giant horned serpent would be quite visible, along with any broken branches, fallen leaves, and the like that would indicate where Snowflake had gone, but it didn’t seem to be enough, as when they did find such tracks, they came to a sudden end.

When Beks asked for clarification, as tracks didn’t just stop, Eleanor told her that the hunters had said just that. The giant serpent trail had ended, as if Snowflake vanished. There were no additional footprints nor signs of a struggle around the area. Beks wasn’t sure if she was relieved to know there was no struggle, or worried because Snowflake disappeared.

She played with the idea that perhaps he was plucked up by a giant bird, but even Thunder and Tempest together couldn’t lift one Snowflake off the ground. On the island, his size and intelligence made him the king of the animals.

Furthermore, Beks was fairly certain that adult horned serpents had no natural predators, so the idea that he was ripped from the ground by a particularly large animal to be eaten was unlikely.

“I know you’re worried,” Laz said as he rubbed her shoulders. “But we’re reaching the peaks above the sealed east pass before dawn and you need to focus on what we’ll do when we arrive.”

Beks’ eyes were closed and she took a deep breath before exhaling. She repeated it three times, trying to contain her worry. She had to trust her instinct; Inheritors needed to trust their instinct.

“When we land, we need to make sure Thunder is hidden in the cliffside before we make our way down. Since we’re closest to the expedition that’s moving this way, we’ll observe them first. Tomorrow, we will move to observe the sedentary group at the base of the ridge,” Beks told him.

Laz nodded. Across from him, Gerard swallowed a piece of bread. “Your Highness, if they have found the jaw of St. Cyric, how do we take it from them?”

“Once its location is secured, the security around the area will be increased. They won’t let it out of their sight for a moment,” Lucian told her. “I wouldn’t put it past them to hide it and scatter, trying to distract any potential enemies before fleeing south.”

“If we don’t get the jaw first, they may be able to bring it back to the Great Temple Complex before we’re able to react,” Laz said in agreement. His lips tightened into a line as his eyes narrowed.

“Your Highness Prince Lucian, would you happen to know what the expedition detail will be?” Rid Callan asked, his brows thoughtful.

Lucian squinted in the distance. “Traditionally, expeditions had security, but it wasn’t a lot. They mainly consisted of workers, usually some volunteers from those who were funding the expedition as patrons. It would be seen as an extension of their patronage to take part. Of course, those volunteers can’t do the dirty work of digging, toiling in the sun, and so forth, so there are laborers.”

“Where did they get the laborers?” Laz asked.

“Not all orphans are strong enough to be paladins or are able to excel in theological studies to become part of the clergy. Those who had nowhere else to go nor could be of use to the Temple in more...distinguished positions, would end up doing some sort of labor or service to the Temple,” Lucian replied. “There are also those who did the manual work of carrying supplies, setting up camp, cooking and cleaning for the expedition. There should be two or three priests or priestesses supervising them and then a high ranked priest or priestess leads the expedition.

“That being said, considering what we’ve seen so recently from the Temple and the oracle, there are likely paladins amongst those laborers or volunteers, so as not to cause suspicion or alarm.”

“Then, we should identify the leaders first. Once the relic is found, it will need to be verified by someone in the clergy,” Beks said. “Once it’s verified, before it’s hidden for transport back, we need to steal it.”

“That won’t be an easy matter with so many paladins,” Laz said.

“I’m surprised that there are so many paladins to spare,” Gerard told them.

Rid Callan chuckled. “Mercenaries exist, my boy. The Temple has more than enough to hire mercenaries as added security.”

Lucian nodded. “Even with all the damage done to the Great Temple Complex, the Temple has money hidden away.”

Gerard nodded after some thought. “Then, it would be in our best interest to remain unseen for as long as we can.”

“I’m sure they believe they’re being watched, but that only means we will have to be more vigilant,” Rid Callan told them. “If I can get close enough to the dig site, I can extend my biha to search for objects nearby. If we find it first, it will save us a lot of trouble.”

“What do we do when we get it?” Gerard asked.

Several eyes turned to Beks, as if suddenly realizing that she never told them what her plans were once she got her hands on them.

Beks narrowed her eyes. “The Muil Stones are required for a ceremony, so I am looking at them as keys. The ceremony won’t go as planned if one of the keys is lost.”

Lucian squinted and leaned forward. “You want to throw the jaw of St. Cyric somewhere else so they can’t find it?”

Beks shook her head. “No,” she said as she met his eyes. “I want to destroy it.”

Her answer was extreme ,and Beks acknowledged that, but simply trying to hide or lose the jaw of St. Cyric, or any other Muil Stone, would only delay the inevitable. They could always be found and if they were found, whether after a few days or a few millennia, they could be used for their unnatural purpose.

As much as she liked history and ancient artifacts, as far as she was concerned, the Muil Stones were too dangerous to allow to exist. Therefore, destroying the jaw once it was in her hands was the best way to avoid it being used again.

It was artificially petrified, so if she broke or shattered it, the parts could be spread out, but once more, those parts would just sit around, waiting to be found.

What Beks wanted to do was not only break or shatter the petrified jaw, but to grind it up into a powder and scatter it around the world, preferably over the ocean.

She had looked towards Lucian to see if there was any hesitation on his face. After all, even if he was at odds with the Temple, this was a religious relic they were discussing, and it had religious and historical value.

Lucian leaned back against the basket and slowly nodded his head. “I almost died when they came to get St. Cormac’s hand. Those relics do more harm than good...and there is something wrong with them that doesn’t sit well with me. If we can destroy them all, I’m certain it will severely weaken the Temple.”

If the keys were destroyed, how could the ceremony take place? How could the Temple send back someone to manipulate events to the Temple’s advantage?

It made Beks wonder how exactly the her from the last Great Oracle’s original world had managed to whittle away at the Temple until it became a skeleton of its former glory. From the second notebook, it was a slow, gradual process that appeared so insignificant that the Temple was too late to react.

Regardless, Imperial Princess Rebecca did not live to see the downfall of the Temple.

But it had started with her. She laid the groundwork that siphoned the Temple’s power away. Beks would need to do the same, but their circumstances were different. The last Great Oracle might have originally given her a head start and allowed for her to survive, but Iris Elpidah appeared and threw everything off course.

Now, Beks had real, direct animosity towards the Temple as it had a hand in trying to kill her and her family. She wasn’t so naive as to think that the Temple wasn’t at least somewhat wary of her. If Iris Elpidah was targeting her, that meant that the Temple was, too.

Her course of action going forward wasn’t just to lay the groundwork for the future and slowly take power away from the Temple. She needed to strike them down quickly. Even if she couldn’t eradicate them, she needed to weaken them enough that they’d have little power and couldn’t fight against what groundwork she would prepare in the future.

There would undoubtedly be pushback from countries that had many believers in the Temple, but they could only deal with that when it came by acting in accordance with the situation. Any sweeping reaction against those who supported the Temple in other countries could make things worse.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. One step at a time, Beks. Let’s just focus on finding the jaw first.

They landed just below the peaks on the south side of the east pass. It had been about a year since Beks and her brother came through with the fleeing Dranga people. The earthen walls the earth biha-users had haphazardly created to block their enemies from following were still in place. It wasn’t hard packed dirt, but many large boulders and chunks of stone that would take a lot of effort to remove. And there were several barriers that had been put in place.

She couldn’t help but wonder how caravans went through now, if they still went through at all. Was there another pass? Or did they just go around the entire southern portion of the mountain range to enter through the western pass? Was there another pass elsewhere?

“Gerard and I will go down the town and do some inquiries,” Laz said as Beks, Lucian, and Rid Callan climbed out of the basket. “We’ll return tonight by foot.”

“Thunder will return here to roost once we are dropped off outside of town,” Gerard told them.

Beks nodded. “Stay safe.” She gave Laz a quick kiss and Gerard a nod of her head. He saluted her and then gave a quiet whistle.

This time, Thunder didn’t let out a screech. He silently ascended and disappeared into the night sky.

“Your Highnesses, stay close. I will lead the way down,” Rid Callan said.

Lucian lifted his hand, but didn’t light it up. “Do you need light?”

The older man shook his head. “The earth will tell me where I need to go. We need to get as close to the expedition as possible without alerting them. We don’t know if there are other earth biha users and what their level of mastery is.”

Though Rid Callan was right to be cautious, Beks doubted there was anyone with as high a mastery in earth biha as Rid Callan in the expedition, if there was anyone who was an earth biha user at all. Still, considering they had limited information on the overall set up and movement of the expedition, it wouldn’t hurt to be cautious.

From where they landed, they could make out the disjointed torches and campfires down the mountain side, indicating the location of the expedition camp they were following. The closer they got, the more Beks could count the individual torches and camp fires. There didn’t seem to be too many people.

Rid Callan held out his hand to stop them. “I’m going to create a small cave for us to hide in and observe from, similar to the one created on Strahnroc,” he said. “For now, lay low against the stones and don’t move.”

Beks and Lucian nodded, crouching behind a large stone, and then lying flat on the ground. Rid Callan also laid low. Perhaps after the practice of the hiding spot in Strahnroc and the less people the hiding spot needed to accommodate; it didn’t take Rid Callan too long. A sizable mound was created with the excess dirt and stones, but it was difficult to notice when it was behind a pile of large boulders and rocks.

Crevices were created between the rocks in order to allow for viewing the expedition.

Beks placed the leviathan scale on the stone, but still kept her voice low. “There aren’t nearly as many people as I thought.”

“This group did split from the other at the base of the ridge,” Lucian said with agreement. He squinted. “But there are less than a dozen people.”

“If they wanted to throw us off, they’re doing a good job....” Beks muttered and watched as the tiny figures in the distance seemed to prepare breakfast.

Rid Callan sat behind them, his hands on the ground and his eyes closed. He wasn’t looking at the small cracks hidden between the stones. His brows were knit and his lips were in a thin line, as if he were concentrating.

“There are more,” he said in a low voice.

Beks looked over her shoulder and frowned. “How many more?”

“And where?” Lucian asked.

Rid Callan’s fingers seemed to claw into the earth, as if trying to gather something from it. “Below us...a cave has been dug out. There are unnatural structures buried.”

“What do you mean by unnatural structures?” Lucian asked.

Rid Callan’s eyes opened and he pursed his lips. “Buildings. Foundation stones that have been laid and there are stone archways and what appears to be a stone cooktop. It is similar to how ancient homesteads were laid out.”

Beks’ brows flew up. “Then, we’re sitting on top of a settlement?”

“I do not know how far it goes, but there was a permanent structure built into the mountainside at some point,” Rid Callan told her. “It’s not only foundation stones. There is a solid rock wall of sorts. It’s different from the stone of the mountain; it must’ve been brought over.”

“Perhaps a decorative wall?” Lucian suggested.

Beks raised a brow. “In a cave dwelling?”

“The man-made cave might not necessarily have been a settlement.”

Rid Callan’s eyes widened and Beks let out a gasp as they spoke at the same time. “A tomb.”

Lucian nodded. “It might have been some sort of burial space and the stone was brought in to protect it.”

Excitement welled up in Beks at the thought. Since the relic was lost, she ignored the possibility that there was an actual tomb created to house it rather than the jaw just having been tossed to the side, lost and buried with time.

“What about the people below? How many of them? Are they close?”

“There are seven distinct movements, but it could be more than that depending on how close the individuals are.” He gave Beks an apologetic look. “I am afraid my abilities are limited, Your Highness.”

Beks shook her head. “If you can see into the ground beneath us and get an approximate count of people without using your eyes, your abilities are not as limited as you think,” she told him. “Do you think they have found the jaw?”

“I don’t believe they have the relic in their hands yet, as they are still digging towards the stone wall,” Rid Callan replied, closing his eyes once more.

Lucian leaned closer. “Can you make out anything beyond the wall?”

Rid Callan’s brows grew tighter. “I am searching, Your Highness. Solid stone is much more difficult for biha to spread through.”

“Would it be easier to break through the wall?” Lucian asked.

Rid Callan chuckled, but nodded. “Actually, yes. The strength of my biha is more effective as sheer force.” He let out a heavy sigh and then shook his head. “I’m afraid I can’t find anything that feels like a jaw,” Rid Callan told her. He opened his eyes once more and let out a heavy breath. “It is possible that it wasn’t buried as it was. Perhaps it was in a container.”

“A container would make more sense,” Beks replied. “Especially if they knew what it was.”

“Then let’s wait. The process seems to be taking a long time and they’ll have difficulty getting through the stone wall,” Lucian told them. “We can sneak in at night. Rid Callan may be able to speed up the process for us.” He glanced at the older man, who nodded with affirmation.

It was a good plan, as the darkness would lower their visibility. If they waited long enough, the expedition camp would rest for the night and security would be minimal. If Laz and Gerard arrived sooner, Laz’s shadow biha would also help keep them hidden.

Beks wanted to wait as long as they could and kept an eye on the expedition camp below; however, once the sunset, Rid Callan noticed something and grew displeased.

“They’re not leaving.” Both Lucian and Beks looked towards him, lowering the food in their hands. Rid Callan looked at them with some worry. “There continues to be movement below. They don’t seem to be leaving.”

Beks drew her head back. “Are they working in shifts?”

“That would indeed speed up the process,” Lucian agreed.

Beks frowned. “But this means we can’t sneak in if there are people there all the time.”

Rid Callan lowered his eyes. He narrowed them and took a deep breath. “I can shift the earth around the dig site and cause a cave in that will force them to evacuate. As long as they lack strong earth biha users, which seems to be the case, they won’t know it’s manmade.”

Beks shook her head. “But if it is caved in, then that only buries the relic again. At best it delays. At worst, panic will ensue and it could put the security on guard against us.”

“We can’t just wait for them to find it and bring it to their leader for authentication,” Lucian said as he held out his hands. “Once it’s in their hands, we’ll have a difficult time getting it without directly attacking the expedition.”

“Even if our biha and battle prowess will put us on equal footing as their people, it will alert the Temple,” Rid Callan agreed. “We don’t need more of their attention.”

Lucian let out a heavy breath and ran a hand down his face. “It would be best if we could simply get the relic first, but we’d either have to empty the excavation site or find other way to get to it before them.”

Beks sat up. Her eyes drifted to the small gaps between the rocks, towards the smattering of torch and camp fire lights in the distance.

“Rid Callan,” she said as she looked down and touched the compacted earth and stone walls around them. “How is your tunneling?”

She knew the instant she suggested it that both men with her understood what her idea was, however, that didn’t stop Rid Callan from appearing stunned at the very idea or Lucian from momentarily going blank.

“You...you want to tunnel down to the excavation site?” Lucian asked with a bit of uncertainty. He looked at Rid Callan. “Is that possible?”

Rid Callan was key to such an idea. If he couldn’t do it with his biha well and his precision, Beks would not be able to. She had raw power, at best, but her control and precision needed vast improvement. The last thing she wanted was to accidentally implode a mountainside, with them in it, in an attempt to tunnel to the relic.

She looked towards the older man and held her breath.

After a few moments, Rid Callan’s narrowed eyes and pursed lips eased a bit. He raised his head to meet her gaze. “I have never attempted such a feat, but considering what is involved, I believe it is possible.”

At once, Beks let out a breath of relief, but Rid Callan held up his hand. Beks crinkled her eyes. “There is a ‘but’?”

“There is a ‘but’, Your Highness,” he replied. “The displaced earth must go somewhere, which can alter the landscape. More time and caution will need to be taken in order to prevent the expedition below from noticing any changes above ground. I’d need to be especially careful with the stone surrounding that chamber.”

Beks nodded. “That’s fine. It’s worth a try.”

All Beks could do was keep Rid Callan’s biha well filled while Lucian kept his eyes open for any sign of Laz and Gerard. If the two did manage to find them, then they’d have to keep close to the side of the mountain and then hide at the appropriate time.

Tunneling wasn’t so much digging, but moving aside chunks of earth in order to make a narrow gap that appeared. Despite Rid Callan’s caution, Beks could still feel the ground and walls vibrate with each displacement of the earth and stone. She could sense the amount of biha shifting in the air and through the ground, and it was much more than she thought.

They were able to perhaps move a pace deeper, making their way towards the location of the dig site, before Rid Callan’s biha well became half depleted.

“You didn’t use this much when you raised the earthen walkway in the Forbidden Valley,” Beks said with some concern.

“I’m afraid there, I could afford to be a little more reckless and have room for mistakes. Here...if the earth isn’t moved correctly or too quickly, all our work can cave in on us. Not to mention the difficulty of moving solid stone.”

Beks’ heart clenched, but she nodded. “Then, take your time. If this effort fails, we can try something else.”

The worst case is that she’d become the public enemy of the Temple and incur all the animosity and additional danger that came with it by using her biha to destroy the entire expedition with hopes of destroying the jaw of St. Cyric with them.

She still hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

“Beks.” Lucian called out from a few paces behind them in the tunnel. It was dark inside and Rid Callan was working blind, only relying on his biha for spatial awareness.

“What is it?” She could barely make out Lucian, as he’d only allowed a bit of light to shine into the tunnel.

“Laz is nearby, I’m going to find him.”

“Can you fit through the opening, Your Highness?” Rid Callan asked.

“Yes, it’s a squeeze, but I can make it.”

“Be careful, Lucian. If there is a patrol, fall back.”

“I know. I won’t lead them here,” Lucian replied. He gave her a nod and left, leaving the two of them to continue their tunneling.

With each gained space, they were led lower and lower, and Beks began to notice that the earth that was being displaced was less topsoil and more compacted rocks and earth, and the stone. The difficulty of using earth biha to move slowed their process down significantly.

“Your Highness,” Rid Callan said as he wiped his brow. “The sun will rise soon. You should take some time to rest. You’ve been up all night.”

Beks shook her head. “You haven’t rested either.”

“I am different from you, Your Highness,” the older man replied with a kind smile. “I am a Thirnir. I’ve trained and increased my stamina longer than you’ve been alive. I can keep going.”

“Perhaps so, but your biha well is long as strong as your stamina. If I sleep, who will refill your biha to continue?” she asked.

He thought for a moment and then nodded. “Refill my biha now and rest, Your Highness. When I require more biha, I will come to you. There is no need to follow me when you can sit.”

She had to admit, she was a bit tired despite the rush of their excavation and the danger that surrounded them. Beks hesitated, reluctant to rest when he was still working hard, but eventually she nodded. She placed a hand on his shoulder and refilled his Biha before taking a seat on a large stone that jutted out from the earthen walls.

It was too much trouble to be cleared and to preserve energy, Rid Callan left it as is. There was an area wide enough for her to sit, so she sat down and leaned back, not caring about the dirt as she closed her eyes.

A moment later, Rid Callan woke her up. At least, it felt as if it had only been a few moments. Beks’ eyes flew open and she looked around the dark tunnel. From the area where they had been hiding, there was some faint light coming in. As her eyes adjusted, she could make out Rid Callan.

“How long was I asleep?” she asked.

“Just a few minutes, Your Highness,” he told her. “However, I ate to allow you to sleep a bit longer. Are you hungry? You must have something to eat to keep up your strength.”

She didn’t feel any hunger, but knowing survival depended on it, she took the piece of bread offered by Rid Callan before refilling his biha once more.

He returned to his task and Beks craned her neck. He’d gotten deeper, but the earth around the tunnel that was only about as wide and tall as he was had turned paler.

“Is that stone?”

The Thirnir nodded. “We’ve reached the heart of the mountain now, Your Highness. Though slower to move apart, the back of the chamber that is blocked by that imported stone wall is nearby. I should be breaking through soon, but we’ll need your light biha to look inside. I don’t want to make too large of an entrance that it will weaken the chamber.”

“Understood,” Beks said. “I am still unable to fully control the strength of my biha, so it will be extremely bright for a moment before it dims.”

“As long as we can take a look inside well. If it is a tomb, then it’s likely that St. Cyric’s jaw is inside.” He paused and pursed his lips. “We should be prepared to break open any containers that may be holding the relic.”

“I have no qualms with that.” She stuffed the rest of her food into her mouth and followed Rid Callan deeper into the tunnel.

She looked over her shoulder, back towards the entrance where the faint light was coming from the observation crevices. Her eyes narrowed as a small, nagging feeling began to tug at her.

They had been up all night clearing the tunnel, but Lucian hadn’t returned to Laz and Gerard. She wasn’t too worried, for the most part, as they would only return to the hiding area if it was safe to do so. Otherwise, they would hide outside and bid their time until an opportune moment.

Regardless, part of her was impatient to see them.

She would only be relieved when she saw her two husbands safe in front of her.

“Your Highness,” Rid Callan called back to her. “I need more biha.”

Her brows shot up as she whirled around. “Already?”

His face was a bit flushed and he nodded. “The denser the material, the more difficult it is to use biha to move it.”

She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. I have a limitless biha well. As long as you can keep going, so can I.”

The corners of the man’s lips curled up and there was a hint of pride in his eyes. “One can take the Caroline out of the duchy, but you can’t change the Caroline. Your father is the same.”

Beks smiled a bit and nodded. “Daddy’s also very stubborn,” she said as she refilled his well with her hand on his shoulder.

The old man casually swept his eyes away. “Well...there are many aspects to being a Caroline.”

She barely muffled her laughter as she watched him press both hands against the hard stone in front of them. She was already covered by dirt and mud stains, but Rid Callan was caked in soil and debris. His hands and forearms had turned an ashy brown, and there were streaks of mud across his face from when he’d wiped his sweat off.

None of that seemed to bother him, and Beks couldn’t help but understand that this was likely not the worst nor dirtiest situation he’d been in. When they returned to the island, she would make sure that he and his family were properly compensated.

She refilled his well a few more times, barely able to make an indent in the stone each time, but with one more, Rid Callan managed to put a crack through the stone. Beks took in a sharp breath.

It wasn’t just a crack; it was a puncture hole.

“The chamber?” Beks asked.

Rid Callan nodded, not taking his eyes off the puncture hole just portion of the width of his hand. He held out his arm and Beks quickly refilled his biha. She felt the energy around him rise and collect as his fist before pressing against the cracked areas around the edge of the hole.

As they cracked further and were pushed in, a few pieces fell to the ground on their side. The thickness was inconsistent, meaning they’d pushed through part of the mountain side rather than a manmade wall.

Rid Callan didn’t stop as he put all his focus on enlarging the hole.

He stepped back and surveyed the hole that went from his waist to his shoulder and just wide enough to squeeze through sideways. He peered inside and then checked the remainder of the surrounding wall.

“I think this may be the limit in order to keep the rest of the stone from weaking and falling apart,” he said. “Your Highness, please take a look.”

Beks nodded. She stuck her hand into the hole and turned her head away. “Look away for a moment. It will be very bright at first. When it dims, we’ll be able to get a better view without being blinded.”

He nodded and turned away. Beks focused her biha into her left hand and against the walls of the tunnel, she saw a slow, steadily increasing white light shoot from the hole. Using its brightness against the walls as a measurement of how bright it was inside the chamber, Beks waited until it dimmed about halfway before chancing a look inside.

She peered into the hole that was illuminated as if by a light pearl. Her brows furrowed as she frowned.

Admittedly, she theorized it could be a tomb, part of her expected the tell-tale markings of a royal tomb. Painted or carved walls with reliefs, containers of material goods to accompany the dead, the remains of organic offerings like fruit, flowers, and jerky. There was also the chance that there was a sarcophagus of some kind, or dust covered, broken urn.

Her eyes narrowed as she craned her head further down. The room was taller than them, but if she raised her hand, she could touch the ceiling. She estimated four paces wide and six paces long. It was quite small. “It’s empty.”

Behind her, Rid Callan looked surprised. “There is nothing?” The solid stone of the mountain and the wall enclosing the chamber made it difficult for him to send biha through to ‘sense’ if anything was inside, but it sounded as if he were surprised it was empty. “Then, it’s strange that that manmade stone was used to seal the chamber. Why would such efforts be made if it was empty?”

Beks wasn’t convinced, either. “I’m going inside.”

He nodded and stood beside the hole, making sure she was able to climb through. Though Beks was tall, she was still a bit shorter than him. She had to climb over the lower portion of the wall to get through.

Afraid that she’d loosen more of the wall and cause it to fall, she didn’t dare grab on to the sides to steady herself as she climbed over. She tried to avoid as much contact with the wall as possible, opting instead to hold on to the Thirnir’s arm to keep steady.

Her booted feet landed on the other side, kicking up some dust. Her glowing hand was starting to dim too much, so she had Rid Callan turn away before she closed her eyes to reset the glow by quickly releasing biha into it.

Once the white light had faded from the backs of her eyes, she opened them and followed the walls of the chamber looking for anything out of place. She shook her head, growing increasingly annoyed that the walls were bare. She tilted her head up. Some tombs she’d read about had paintings on the ceiling.

Nothing.

“I don’t know if they never finished or they couldn’t afford to add decorations after the expense of importing a stone wall to seal this....” Beks muttered. She looked down next, expecting to see either dusty covered stone floor carved from the mountain or foundation stones.

She used her foot to sweep away some of the accumulated dust on the floor and lowered her hand.

Groves were filled in with the dust and dirt of the ages, but she could make out the large foundation stones. They must’ve been the ones that Rid Callan sensed before.

She bent down and swept away more dirt with her right hand while holding her left hand over the ground.

“Do you want to use my shirt to wipe the dirt off, Your Highness?” His voice was quieter as he called in.

“No, it’s fine,” Beks replied. She also kept her voice down and glanced at the opposite stone wall that was a different color from the other three. On its other side, perhaps behind an additional layer of dirt, was the expedition’s dig team.

She tore her attention away and continued to sweep over the foundation stones in the center of the small chamber, as the stones were uneven. She closed her eyes and reset the light biha in her hand once more before keeping her hand low against the ground.

Her eyes narrowed as her right hand touched the bumps and valleys of the foundation stones paving the floor. It wasn’t the natural wear and tear, or texture, of quarried stone.

It was engraved.

Beks’ sweeping motions grew faster as she used her hand to feel around for the engraving, dusting the debris off until a good portion of the foundation stones in the center of the chamber were revealed.

“Is that a body?” Rid Callan’s voice was tight with disbelief as he craned his head in to look inside.

Beks stood above the foundation stones, looking at the engraving of a human curled up on their side, in a fetal position.

“Many early civilizations buried their dead in the fetal position as a way both to remember their birth and preparation for rebirth into the next life,” Beks said. “The practice is uncommon now, but....” Her eyes followed the human-sized carving. “According to early burials of important Temple individuals, their faces would be pointed in the direction of a sacred area.” She took a step to the side and then walked around to stand behind the engraving’s head. She looked up and pointed towards one of the walls. “That way is both the Great Temple Complex and Strahnroc.”

“But St. Cyric’s body was retrieved, wasn’t it? It was just his jaw that went missing. This can’t be his tomb,” Rid Callan told her with some confusion.

Beks knelt down by the head of the engraving. She brushed aside more of the dirt and then ran her dust-covered fingers against the rough engraving of the head. The engraving wasn’t naked. It was engraved wearing robes, sandals on their bare feet, and a sort of hat over their long hair.

It was meant to be an engraving of a real person.

Her fingers stopped along the jaw of the head. Her eyes crinkled up with mirth and satisfaction. The material wasn’t the same. It was softer, dustier, and a different color. Perhaps at one point, it was the same color and texture, but the material, likely a plaster, had aged terribly in comparison to the rest of the engraving.

“Found it.”

She reached into her boot to take out the small dagger and began scraping away at the remaining, flaking material until the shape of a human jaw bone could made out.

“Is that it?” Rid Callan couldn’t seem to contain his surprise. Beks held back a chuckle.

She continued to scrape away until the jaw bone, with its teeth still connected to the jaw by thin strands of metal, could be removed.

She looked up at the Thirnir and grinned. A wide smile filled Rid Callan’s face at their success. He had his hands against the sides of the entrance and opened his mouth, but suddenly, his beaming expression vanished.

His eyes widened as his grip on the stone strengthened. Beks’ proud smile faded as she noticed the change in his demeanor.

“Rid Callan?”

His eyes crinkled up. “They’re leaving.” She cocked her head, but before she could ask, he lowered his hands from the sides of the hole he’d created and motioned towards her to come. “Your Highness, they’re leaving the dig site on the other side! If they’re leaving, we should, too!”

Her heart shot to her throat and for a moment, she almost lost her balance in the surge of panic. She steadied herself and tucked the jaw into her tunic, securing it against her as she began to climb through.

“Why are they leaving? Are they abandoning the site?” She took in a sharp breath as she gripped his arm. “Did they hear us?”

“I don’t know. The solid stone does a good job of keeping sound out, but if they’re leaving all at once after having worked in shifts, it means there is something wrong. It could be that their supporting structure is weak and there could be a cave in, or worse. Their side is low on air.” He almost lifted her out of the hole as if she were a toddler. “Whatever the reason, if they are leaving, so should we.”

She nodded and clutched her arm over the relic before following him towards the entrance of the tunnel.

He urged her to go first, following behind her and keeping one hand on the wall, as if trying to gather information as they walked swiftly through the tunnel.

Ahead of them, Beks could see the light from the viewing crevices. Just as she set foot in the wider sunken area of their hiding space, before she could lament that Laz and Lucian hadn’t returned, she heard a muffled boom come from behind her.

The ground shook and she stumbled in place. The muffled, but still somewhat deafening noise seemed to ring all around her.

Beks turned around on instinct to see what was going on. Small chunks of dirt and stone fell around her as she watched Rid Callan whirl around hold out his arms just as the light caught against the incoming cloud of debris rushing out from the tunnel they were just in.