My eyes widened as we continued walking through the tunnel system. It had many different directions, splitting and stopping in some places. Many areas were lined with support beams; other tunnels were in the process of building the support. It felt terrifying at times as the dangerous sounds of moving earth alerted my inner senses. Although the workers passed through and Taffy spoke with an air of familiarity, it was hard to imagine anyone could adapt to the weaving tunnels of shifting rocks being forcefully manipulated by their tools and hands. We had to step aside whenever a miner pushed a cart full of rocks, and the overhead beams seemed to creak the loudest whenever the carts rolled across the metal tracks. It was all—claustrophobic.

  How could Lillie’s parents force her to work here?

  “So, here’s the thing,” Taffy said. “We don’t exactly know where the survivors are.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked, my breath shallow from the thin air. Small amounts of dirt fell onto my shoulder, and I brushed it off with a few flicks of my hand. I looked up, feeling terrified of rocks suddenly collapsing from overhead as the beams creaked and the earth roared.

  “Well, in cases of collapsed tunnels, we can just dig through the new settled sediment, usually uncovering those trapped underneath, sometimes behind,” Taffy explained.

  “Okay.”

  “Well, three days ago, in this particular tunnel, excavators were worried that the floor was unstable. Some felt there could be a chance that the tunnel was excavated over a cavern—open space underneath, maybe something similar to the main hall where we met. Actually, it was Lillie who had informed me about these concerns. I think her team skipped on the inspection group. That is never good.”

  “Okay…” Taffy pulled out the roll of parchment from her belt. She unraveled it, revealing a map of the mine, so she explained, as well as pointing out that the main cavern was marked with a large circular shape. Along the edges, many different squiggly lines spread throughout. Some were hard lines, perhaps indicating a functioning tunnel. Other lines were faded, and some lines had crosses marked over in red ink. As a Tergane, I never had the use for a map, nor remembered anything like the object within Cami’s collection of books from the Sage. Yet, my inner sense of direction allowed me create an instinctual flight pattern of the terrain I often visited. I began to wonder if this was how Tamarines were able to manage finding their homes and different places, or if they also had instincts to guide them.

  They moved around the city with ease…

  “Yeah, so, basically, they were right. We don’t exactly know the extent of the cavern or where the workers fell. The entire tunnel floor gave way. Our rescue efforts have been precarious due to the fact that some sections of the original tunnel have been blocked by a collapsed ceiling, while other sections have had the whole floor open up completely. And the cavern below is also uncharted. We would need extensive teams to evaluate the extent of the cavern and recent tunnels, which take weeks, if not months, to map and discover.”

  “The workers can’t survive that long,” I said, ever so aware of the dryness in my mouth.

  “I know. That is the problem with the situation and why time is not our friend at the moment.” Taffy pointed at a drawn line on the map, and we turned into a tunnel to our left. I followed close behind, looking over her shoulder as she directed us according to the map. She followed the line with her finger, leading it to another area with freshly drawn ink, and I saw a large red X drawn over the end of the line.

  “We’ve haven’t experienced something as extreme as this in a while, normally only small cave-ins,” Taffy continued. “It’s why Ezra is unable to make any real efforts because he knows the perilous situation and has given up hope of recovering the workers since it takes weeks to make extensive surveys. It delays the work progress, which is not in the favor of the greedy Masters. Although they don’t appreciate losing workers, they also don’t like delaying their exports.” Taffy chuckled, causing my heart to continue to race within my chest and my throat felt far worse than before.

  How can she laugh at something like this?

  “But!” Taffy continued, and adjusted the straps over her broad shoulders. “I have not given up hope since you showed up. Perhaps you can uncover the survivors all in one piece.”

  “How can I find the workers?” I asked.

  “You, my friend.” Taffy turned and smiled at me, her gray eyes glistening under a lantern light. “You can fly.”

  “We are in a mine, underground; how could I ever fly?”

  “If you remember what I just said, the tunnel collapsed over a cavern.” My mind began to make the connection. Although I preferred flying in the open space of the sky and above trees, I thought of the possibility of flying overhead in a large cavern. Yet, still, it sounded like a horrible idea.

  “I think I understand,” I said, and a shiver ran down my spine. My stomach lurched with pain, and I realized that I hadn’t eaten anything that day, yet, how could I even think of food at a time like this?

  “Good,” Taffy said. “My rescue team has been using a pulley system to access the cavern, but it takes a lot of time-consuming work that is dangerous and a very slow process—at least, for us wingless folk. We gotta use ropes and pulleys, and climb every rock in our way. You, Sable, can easily fly around and find the missing workers.”

  “I’m not sure how easy it would be.”

  “It’s better than what we’ve got going. How long does it usually take for you to fly across the forest?”

  “Uh—not very long.”

  “Where do you live?”

  “The summit of Mt. Hira.”

  “How long does it take for you to fly down to Cedrus City to see your girlfriend?” My cheeks flushed with warmth, and I looked down at the metal tracks along the tunnel ground.

  “Not very long.”

  “Like half a day?”

  “Oh, no. I can fly from Hira to the cedar forest long before the sun has passed above the summits opposite of mine.”

  “So. That settles it. Which is good, ’cause I don’t think anyone can survive much longer.

  “Of course. I’m willing to do anything I can.”

  “Good, ’cause we are here.” Taffy rolled up her map, securing it back into her belt. We entered an area that had several wooden fences blocking the tunnel. A young man stood by the blockade, but, upon seeing Taffy, he approached us.

  “How’s it?” Taffy asked cheerfully while tipping her head as a greeting.

  “Slow going,” the man said as his eyes darted toward me.

  “Who’s this?” he mumbled and pointed with his thumb.

  “New rescue team member,” she replied. “Move the fence, won’t ya?” He nodded suspiciously, but he obeyed the woman, and he opened up the blockade, and we walked into the tunnel. Further ahead, lanterns flickered along jagged rocks and precarious stone walls, illuminating a new scenery that had a new redolence drifting through the stifling atmosphere. A large wooden structure lured over a dark hole; the ground was scattered with loose rocks, large and small, making it difficult for me to step through without feeling the discomfort in my ankles. As rocks shifted underneath, the sound of tumbling rocks joined the beating of my heart and the shallow breaths escaping my mouth.

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  “Watch where ya steppin’,” Taffy said casually as she skillfully trudged along the unstable ground. We carefully crept towards the pulley system, where a few workers stood managing it. I saw a thick three-cord rope leading down into the hole. It was tense and stiff from holding a hidden weight. As we got closer, my view of the hole widened. Although the wall of the tunnel held intact, the ground beneath it had completely disappeared into the depths. Piles of rocks on one side created a landslide, but I could not determine if it continued or was held by a floor below. As I stepped closer to see where the rope led, a worker stretched his arm against my stomach.

  “Hey! Step back,” they called, causing his voice to echo throughout, and a disturbing rumble followed.

  “What’s a kid doing here? Get him outta here,” another worker announced quietly.

  “It’s okay, guys! He’s with me,” Taffy said. She walked up to the workers, and they began to converse in low voices. Their faces were barely visible by the dim light of the lanterns, but there was no mistake of the exhaustion bearing down upon their shoulders. I peered over at the pit again, now that the team accepted my help. There was a glow of light far below, but nothing strong enough to expel the surrounding darkness. Only the sharp rocks of the walls around were visible. It was like the gaping mouth of a monster filled with a thousand teeth, waiting to consume unlucky prey. It was as if there was a stream of monsters lurking the deeper I traversed into Lillie’s world. First the cedar forest, then the mine, now an unchartered cavern that has swallowed up my love.

  Would this be the last gaping mouth I must enter? Would there be more monsters lurking?

  Did it matter?

  “Okay, Sable,” Taffy said, and I looked over at her and the group of workers. “We’re gonna bring up Stew who’s already been down there for quite some time. When we get him up, you’re next. He can tell you where they’ve been searching.”

  “Okay,” I said. It was all I could say. My head spun, and I stopped looking below. I felt paralyzed once again by sheer terror as I looked at the gaping mouth of the abyss.

  Am I really capable of doing this?

  While the current rescue team sent a message through a flare down below to Stew, I sat and waited nearby. I felt sick and uneasy, but a rush of adrenaline began to spike. This could be Lillie’s only chance of survival. I had to at least try to find her. I had to swallow my fear and trust my strength and stamina. After all, it was Lillie’s security that motivated my strength training—although I would have never thought it would bring me here. I thought back to the previous year, all those hours spent building my strength, gaining muscle and weight, and motivating myself to be the man to save Lillie from her depressing life. I thought it would be impressive to fly her around, through the trees, above and below, wherever she wished. I thought I would give her the gift of freedom by offering to live with her in the meadow, to abandon our lives and live together, free and happy.

  Yet, here I was…

  —sitting in the rubble of a collapsed tunnel—perhaps the very rubble crushing her lifeless body.

  How could it have come to this?

  I thought so simply. I thought all she needed was someone to be her wings. This, all of this, was more than just needing freedom. How could I ever be a hero in a world far from simplicity? Regardless of my two days of learning more and more, it was beyond my complete comprehension. That fateful day in the meadow when I had asked if she would choose to live in the trees began to make sense. Her shrill laugh had pierced my heart. Yet, how foolish did I sound to her?

  How could I ever face her again? How will life be after all of this? How could I ever return to my normal life? Could I live here in the city with Lillie? Would the Tamarines accept me? They had called me demeaning names—savage—kid—boy—demon. How could I live among a group of people who would only continue to mistreat me?

  But what if I can’t save Lillie? What if it’s too late?

  The stifling air caused me to slightly wheeze through my clenched teeth, and I stared at the pulley system as I waited for the next step in my quest to find Lillie. Yet, the overwhelming emotions filling my mind caused a sense of numbness to set in. The only thing I could feel was the pain in my stomach as it growled for sustenance.

  “Hey!” Taffy called out to me. “Let’s get you ready.” I shook off the uneasy feeling and walked up to the group. Taffy motioned for me to remove my personal items. I took off my cloak and satchel, then handed them to one of the workers. She pulled out her map again and a wooden marking tool. Near the large red X, she drew a circle.

  “Here is the cavern below this opening,” she said while pointing to the newly drawn circle and then at the dark hole. She traced a line up to the red X. “And this is where the workers most likely fell after the cave-in.” She tapped the map, then pointed to the rock blockade next to us.

  “The cavern is massive, and we theorized that the workers fell somewhere north from where we are standing. Due to the blockade, we must enter through the cavern. There are many tunnel systems that are possible where they fell. I think if you head north after descending into the cavern, you will find where they fell. Also, don’t be loud or make unnecessary noises. We wouldn’t want any more cave-ins, ya know? We will use the pulley rope to place a marker for you to return to when needed. Use this compass and twine to help guide your direction and way back.”

  “Compass?” I asked while narrowing my eyes.

  “Yeah, it points in different directions, like so.” Taffy handed me a small metal orb, the one I had seen her use before. “It’s a special compass, actually, one specifically for underground work. It’s how we make maps and not get lost. Just make sure you’re heading in the direction where the needle points N. Then, use the twine to mark your trail for a safe return.”

  “How?” I asked while holding both my hands out, and she placed a spool of vibrant yellow twine in the palm of my hand. Taffy grabbed a leather belt with various hooks and pouches. She wrapped it around my waist and strapped it securely. The spool of twine had a special hook that she fastened onto my new belt.

  “Tie it to the pulley rope, and let it loosely unravel as you move further into the area,” she said. “This method will reassure you that you can find your way back to this exit. Think of it as a life-saving trail. You don’t wanna get lost down there.”

  “Okay.” The longer I spent time with the people of the forest, I realized how wrong the Teraganes were with their understanding of the complex Tamarines living in the forests. As the other workers approached me carrying more items, I felt ever so grateful for this particular group and their determination to also save the others from the perilous situation.

  Like Lillie, I suppose there can be others who show kindness, especially to someone like me.

  “When you find the survivors, they’ll be thirsty, hungry, and most likely injured,” Taffy continued her instruction. While Taffy verbally instructed me, the other workers began strapping items in pouches around the new waist belt. “In here, there are medical supplies.”

  “This is water enough for each individual to share, but don’t let it go to waste on one person,” one of the workers said as she strapped a canteen onto my belt. “Encourage them that they’ll receive more later.”

  “This lantern can last for a couple hours, but there is more oil in this bag,” a worker said while pointing to the bag. “It can also be strapped to your belt like this.” He snapped the lantern onto the belt. It was small, but it gave off adequate light to see around me.

  “You look strong, but don’t overexert yourself, and, for goodness’ sake, don’t move anything,” Taffy said. “You can disrupt the surface, cause another cave-in, or worse.”

  “Stew’s here,” someone announced, and they all moved to the pulley and began turning the device, which lifted the rope from below. It took some time before Stew came to the surface. He was young but looked weary. He removed his protective lenses, revealing a sweaty and dirt-covered face. Taffy quickly explained the situation to Stew, who looked relieved.

  “The cavern is massive, but there are so many pockets and chambers towards the surface,” Stew exclaimed. “They could be anywhere up there, or down there. I don’t know how anyone can look at all the possible locations. It—it may be too late after so long.” He then turned and pointed to the map, reiterating to me to go looking for the survivors to the north, explaining that they climbed pretty high, but still couldn’t find any evidence of survivors. Tears began to form, and he rubbed his eyes with a filthy rag, smearing dirty tears around.

  “You’ve done your best,” Taffy reassured while patting the defeated man’s back. “That is all we can ask.” She beckoned one of the workers to take care of Stew, who led him out of the area. Taffy then turned her attention to me, and a shiver ran down my spine as my eyes darted over to the hole in the ground.

  “Any questions?” Taffy asked while her eyes of courage glistened in the low glow of the lantern light. “Need anything else?”

  “No,” I said while I patted the belt upon my waist.

  “You’re gonna do awesome, kid. I believe you will find the lost miners.” Her pointed ears perked up, and a hint of redness appeared on her nose and cheeks. “You’re gonna find your sweetheart.”

  “Okay.”

  “And don’t get lost. Don’t get hurt, and, for all good things in this world, come back in one piece.”

  “Okay, I will.” I turned around and faced the jaggedly lined hole. I patted my new belt, checking that all the new supplies were securely attached. Satisfied with my preparations, I allowed my wings to narrowly open. Taffy and the other workers gasped in awe. The opening was large enough for my wings to be partially extended, enough to easily glide down. I planned out my strategy of descent in my mind. I knew I could easily slide down—I was, after all, a Teragane built for falling from high places without causing harm.

  I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. With a courageous jump, I once again began my descent into the monster’s mouth.

  Hopefully, it was the last one before finding Lillie.