The forest didn\u2019t reflect what they were preparing to do. As Dan and the others climbed out of the gully, rays of the new morning sun broke through the trees, shivering and dancing on the forest floor, and painting the trunks of young trees with shifting patches of sunlight. Everything around them seemed to be in bloom, from the young shoots of new trees poking up from the ground, to the soft green leaves swaying overhead, to the patches of scattered flowers covering the ground. The grass itself seemed especially green. Birds twittered happily in the trees, and the sound of a nearby stream lent its voice to the sighing of a gentle wind. The air smelled of grass and clean water and damp earth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The very idea that they were about to leave all of this, and delve into a dark cave, seemed absurd. The very thought that such a place as the Underdark could exist sounded to Dan like a fairy tale. But then he saw it, and the weight of its reality came rushing back. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the middle of the forest, across a nearby stream, an outcropping of rock jutted up from the ground at an angle, like a giant spike of stone which had been driven upwards by some giant\u2019s hammer. On the underside of the outcropping, hidden in shadow beneath the trees, was a hole, the black entrance to the Underdark. This was it. They were here. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
No one spoke. No one waited. Led by Gideon, they all entered the dark cavern, one after the other. Dan was right behind Gideon, his night vision illuminating the dark cave for him. However, for some reason he could only see a few yards ahead. Beyond that, everything was blackness. This was no ordinary cave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The tunnel was tall, but very narrow, forcing them to go single file. It was completely silent. After a few minutes of steadily going downwards, vines began to appear, covering the walls and ceiling of the cave. At first they were thin, but soon they were as thick as Dan\u2019s arm, and when he lifted his goggles to see, he found that they were glowing with a dull purple light. In his night vision they were brilliant, almost blotting out all else, though strangely, they seemed to shed no light on anything but the cave walls. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The floor steepened, and soon a chill was in the air. Dan shivered even though it wasn\u2019t particularly cold. The sense of foreboding seeping from the walls was palpable. He glanced behind him. They were all still there. The whole line was still following. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eventually, the ceiling dipped down, the hall widened, and Dan saw the walls end, as they widened into a giant room. He tapped Gideon on the shoulder to stop him. The whole line came to a quiet halt. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dan quickly scanned the dark void before them. Nothing. Nothing in the night vision. No heat signatures. He even scanned it for arcane traces. There were faint purple smudges all over the cavern, but Dan guessed that was normal. There were no powerful spells or enchantments nearby, anyway, just residue. He gave Gideon the all clear. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The instant Gideon stepped into the large room, the silence was broken. A long, muted, wailing cry reached them, seeming to come from the stone walls themselves. It rose, and then faded. Everything was silence once more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dan felt the hairs on his neck stand up. Was this magic? A trick? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gideon took another step forwards. Silence. Another step. Silence. Another. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Again, the long wail echoed in the room, more audible this time, though still dulled, as if heard from behind thick doors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gideon turned on the spot as the wail faded once more. \u201cWhat is it?\u201d Dan asked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gideon shook his head. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA prisoner?\u201d suggested Ana, coming up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMaybe,\u201d Gideon whispered. \u201cIt could be a trap, too.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cValkrill doesn\u2019t know we\u2019re coming though, right?\u201d Francois said, joining Ana. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo\u2026\u201d Gideon said. \u201cNo, he can\u2019t know. No one but Vydar and I knew the plan, and you\u2019re the only ones I told. Not even my father knew exactly what we were doing.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen it must be a prisoner,\u201d Ana said. \u201cYou know what we\u2019ve heard of Valkrill. He loves torture.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gideon nodded slowly. \u201cIt could be. We have to be careful.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Again, the wail sounded. This time it was clearer, and Dan could almost make out words, pleading words, terrible begging, and then a shrill scream of pure, unimaginable agony. The cry was that of a woman, a young woman, almost a child. Dan shivered as the cry washed over him. He felt sick. Ana looked sick. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cStay focused,\u201d Dan heard Gideon mutter to himself. \u201cCome on,\u201d he said in a whisper. \u201cValkrill\u2019s wellspring is this way. Dan, to your right. There should be a tunnel.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dan looked, took a few steps forward, and soon spotted the outline of a narrow tunnel. The ceiling was low. They would have to crouch. He signaled to Gideon. The line moved forward. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAAHHHGGGHHH\u2026 No, no, please, I \u2013 PLEASE, NO!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The whole line stopped dead still as another scream of torture rent the air. Dan looked to his left. It had come from there. It was close, perhaps just behind one door. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGideon,\u201d Ana said as the scream died. Her voice was shaky. \u201cWe can\u2019t leave her.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe amulet comes first,\u201d Gideon said, though he didn\u2019t sound sure of it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPlease, no, just kill me, please kill me, no\u2026 No\u2026 NO \u2013 AAHHH!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFine,\u201d Gideon muttered. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dan didn\u2019t need any coaxing. He turned to his left, and soon a much larger passage came into view. He pointed Gideon in the right direction. It was a much larger tunnel, allowing the line to move in three abreast. Dan felt someone pull his arm. It was Otonashi. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWait,\u201d she said, as the knights moved into the tunnel, swords drawn. \u201cListen.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dan heard nothing. \u201cWhat?\u201d he asked. He was eager to rejoin Gideon at the front of the column. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cListen,\u201d Otonashi said again, whispering this time. \u201cWhat is that?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t hear anything,\u201d Dan said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWait until they\u2019ve passed,\u201d Otonashi said, nodding to the knights. \u201cYou can\u2019t hear it over them.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dan glanced at the knights. \u201cHow come you can hear it then?\u201d he asked, turning back to Otonashi. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m a ninja,\u201d Otonashi said, giving Dan a look which suggested this was the most obvious answer in the world. \u201cI\u2019ve trained myself to hear things others cannot.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dan waited until the last of the knights had moved into the tunnel. He still heard nothing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t hear anything,\u201d he said. \u201cOtonashi, are you sure\u2014\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Without warning, Otonashi pulled him to the side, away from the tunnel. Dan landed hard on the rough stone, just as there was a thunderous crash, and a giant slab of stone dropped from the ceiling and landed with a solid crunch right where he had been standing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instantly, Dan heard the knights and ninjas calling from the other side. Fists began hammering on the solid stone. Dan leapt to his feet, a feeling of dread in his stomach. It had been a trap! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Otonashi was already on her feet. \u201cValkrill knows we\u2019re here,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dan didn\u2019t have to ask how she knew. Shrill cries echoed up from the floor itself, mixed in with low rumbling growls and the calls of horns. \u201cWhat do we do?\u201d he asked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe need to get the amulet,\u201d Otonashi said. \u201cThere\u2019s still time. Valkrill knows we\u2019re here, but it will take him time to reach us. If we hurry, we can steal the amulet, and still get out without being caught.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dan felt like she was missing something very important. \u201cWhat about the others?\u201d he asked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no time,\u201d Otonashi said. \u201cAnd besides, how would we ever break the stone?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But Dan knew how to break the stone. One simple blast from his gloves and it would disintegrate. Wasn\u2019t that what NT9 had said? \u201cYou go,\u201d he said, thinking quickly. \u201cYou go and get the amulet. I\u2019ll stay here and get them out. We can meet up back here and we\u2019ll still have time to get out.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Otonashi stood there for a moment, looking at Dan as if he had missed the point of an important argument. Then she grabbed him by both shoulders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThink, Dan!\u201d she hissed. \u201cThese people are enemies<\/em>!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n For a moment all sound ceased. And then Dan understood. Otonashi was in on it. Vydar had told her everything. She knew his plan to betray the alliance. And then Dan realized something else. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey were meant to die, weren\u2019t they?\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Otonashi nodded. \u201cVydar made sure the commanders and leaders he knew would never join him were on this mission. He knew they would be trapped here.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut then\u2026 Valkrill knew we were coming.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe knew,\u201d Otonashi said. \u201cBut not why. He thought Vydar intended to join him against both the alliance and Utgar, and gladly devised the trap to get rid of Vydar\u2019s most powerful enemies. He has no idea that you and me are on the mission, or that we\u2019re about to steal his amulet.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dan glanced back at the stone slab separating him from the others. Ana was behind that stone. And Gideon, and Sharwin, and Laelia, and all the rest. He couldn\u2019t just let them die. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut,\u201d he said to Otonashi, \u201cI can\u2019t\u2014\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou can,\u201d Otonashi said. \u201cYou must. How do you think Vydar will see it if you free them?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dan knew how Vydar would see it. If he freed them, any chance of getting Heleer would be gone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s either them or the amulet, Dan,\u201d Otonashi said. \u201cIt\u2019s right down there,\u201d she pointed at the narrow tunnel. \u201cValkrill\u2019s amulet is just there, waiting for you. You\u2019re only steps away from it, Dan. Only steps away from Heleer.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dan didn\u2019t even wonder how Otonashi knew about Heleer. Vydar must have told her. Right now they were running out of time. He looked down the narrow tunnel. Beyond that darkness lay the amulet and with it, Heleer. Everything he wanted was right there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dan looked back at the slab of stone. He could hear the muffled cries of those trapped within. He could hear sobbing which sounded like it was coming from Sharwin. Fists pounded on the slab. He could free them. He could free them, or he could have his horizon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe don\u2019t have any more time,\u201d Otonashi said, moving for the tunnel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI can\u2019t leave them,\u201d Dan said. \u201cThey\u2019re my friends. I can\u2019t leave them to die.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Otonashi paused at the mouth of the tunnel. \u201cSome things are more important, Dan,\u201d she said. \u201cThis is the war<\/em>. You have to see the larger picture.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dan did see the larger picture. He saw himself returning with the amulet. He saw himself at his horizon with Heleer, happy and content. Except he wasn\u2019t happy. How could he be, knowing what the price of his horizon had been? How could he be content, knowing that his life with Heleer had cost the lives of Gideon, Ana, and the others? He couldn\u2019t live like that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dan looked back at Otonashi, and at the tunnel beyond her. He couldn\u2019t do it. After all this time, now that his horizon was so close, he couldn\u2019t take it. He realized what Sharwin must feel, knowing that she could so easily reach her horizon, and yet refusing to do so. He was like her. He had found the line he wouldn\u2019t cross. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLast chance, Dan,\u201d Otonashi said. \u201cWe have to go.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou go,\u201d Dan said. \u201cI won\u2019t leave my friends.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Otonashi watched him for a brief moment. \u201cFine,\u201d she said. Then she ducked into the tunnel, and disappeared in the shadows. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dan took a breath. He had made his choice, but had he just lost Heleer forever? There was no time to wonder about it. He could hear the creatures of Valkrill drawing closer, the sounds of their arrival becoming louder and clearer. He knew what he had to do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n He found the safety switch on his right glove, and pressed it. He felt no different. He supposed he would find out soon enough if it had worked. NT9 had said all he had to do was to put his palm at a right angle to his arm, as if he was pushing something. The glove would do the rest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cStand back!\u201d Dan called, hoping his voice carried through the stone slab. Apparently it did, because the hammering instantly stopped. Dan placed his hand on the slab. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018I know what I\u2019m doing,\u2019 he told himself. But did he? There was still time. He could still chase after Otonashi. Dan hesitated, staring at his hand on the stone slab. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018No,\u2019 he finally told himself. \u2018I might have everything I want, but I wouldn\u2019t be happy. I would know what the price had been. I\u2019ll be reunited with Heleer someday. I will be. But not this way. Not at this price.\u2019 <\/p>\n\n\n\n He glanced back at the narrow tunnel despite himself. \u2018The price is too great,\u2019 he told himself sternly. He looked back at the stone slab, determined now. \u2018And it\u2019s not one I\u2019m willing to pay.\u2019 For a moment, he wondered if this was what Ana had meant, about a life not lived for others being no life at all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dan shook his head. He would have time to wonder later. He had made his choice. He took a deep breath, straightened his arm, and pushed against the stone slab with all his might. The forest didn\u2019t reflect what they were preparing to do. As Dan and the others climbed out of the gully, rays of the new morning sun broke through the trees, shivering and dancing on the forest floor, and painting the trunks of young trees with shifting patches of sunlight. Everything around them seemed to be … Continue reading Chapter Forty-Six – Line<\/span>
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