Page 22 of Ruarc
RUARC
Kallen and I look at each other at the same time. Grabbing both of them, I swing them up into my arms just as the vines above sway back and forth, and the water starts splashing onto the floor. I stumble as it feels like the ground suddenly shifts beneath my feet.
“Kallen, we must get out of here. Grab Atasha’s lantern and hold on.
” I lean down just enough for Kallen to grab it and then sprint through the doorway.
The water is now above my ankles as I look around, trying to figure out what our best path forward is.
A rumble in the distance makes the decision for me, and I start running with both of them tucked against my much larger frame.
Kallen holds the lantern out so that I can see the few twists and turns coming our way, while Atasha’s small arms are twined tightly around my neck as she looks behind us.
Just as I start to recognize where I am, Atasha screams, and it is like the pressure all around us changes.
I flinch when the first rock hits my shoulders.
Pushing my body as quickly as I can, I plow my way forward, dodging the rocks and debris falling all around us.
Out of nowhere, a wave of water hits me from behind, and the force of it knocks me off my feet.
The swell of water rolls us amongst all the debris rushing along with the rising flood.
I try to hold on to Kallen and Atasha as we are slammed into the wall.
Gasping in pain at the impact of my body against the unforgiving wall, I inhale a lungful of water.
Coughing, I fight to my feet, relieved to find the water is only up to my waist. “Are you two alright?” Atasha leans away from me, nodding her head, her eyes wide with fright as she fights with her hair one-handed while keeping a death grip around my neck with the other.
Kallen leans out of my arms, spitting water out of her mouth before answering me.
“Yes, I believe so, but what happened?”
“I am not sure, but there must have been a cave-in or possibly a planet tremor. That may be why this area was abandoned; it might not be a stable environment. We have to get out of here before the water rises any higher. Do you recognize anything?”
“No, but I was not in the best mindset when I was heading this way.”
“I do not recall much either, but we know we cannot go back to where we were if this water level is accurate since that entire chamber will be underwater now. I think I came from that direction over there, so we will just have to take our chances. Wait! This is a long shot since they were not working well before but hit my comm unit and see what it does. I do not want to put you down, so you will have to operate it.”
“What am I looking for?”
“Are there any dots on the screen?”
“Yes, two of them are green.”
Triumph and relief fill me when Kallen answers me positively. “Hit one of them.”
The moment she does, I hear Slavic’s voice. “Where the frack are you, Ruarc? The entire compound is shaking under our feet. I am evacuating everyone until we can determine the cause. I commed you several times but could not connect with you or Falon.”
“I am trying to make our way back, Slavic. Kallen and Atasha are with me, but I am turned around. Can you give me directions from your location?”
“You are not a great distance away. Take the left fork when you reach it, and it will lead you to the main complex. The front area has not sustained any damage, so we are bringing everyone to that area until we can find out what hap…...”
Slavic’s voice is abruptly cut off before I can answer him back, and the floor once again shakes, swirling the water all around us.
“Kallen, hold the lantern up and help me look for this fork Slavic was talking about.” I do not make it three steps before the entire roof directly in front of us starts crumbling from above.
Turning, I dart under one of the archways just in time to turn my back toward the falling rocks.
Grunting in pain as my shoulders and back are battered by the falling stone, I try my best to shelter Kallen and Atasha.
I feel Kallen pull Atasha in tighter, both of them screaming in terror as the world seems to be closing in around us.
After what seems like forever, but I am sure was only a few tics, the world appears to steady itself once again, and now the silence feels eerie.
“Kallen, the water is not deep here, so I am going to sit you and Atasha down. Do you think you can stay here while I take the light and try to see if I can find a way out for us?”
Atasha grabs on tighter. “NOOOO, you cannot go!”
“Little star, I know you are scared. I am too, but we must find a way out, and I can do that quicker if I am not worried about you.”
“You will come right back?”
“The gods willing, yes, I will return to you.”
I try to project a confidence I do not actually feel to my sister and smile at her in reassurance before looking over at Kallen. Her large amber eyes peer up at me as she hands me the lantern. I reach up, wiping a streak of blood off her forehead before leaning down to kiss her quickly.
“Ruarc, do not take any chances. We need you.”
I turn slightly, thankful to see that the water seems to be retreating some. “Do not move from this spot unless you have no other choice. I will not go far.”
She pulls Atasha back against her, and I can see she is trembling all over but trying to stay brave. I step back, only to trip over rocks hidden by the water surrounding us. I must put one hand down in the water while holding the lantern with the other to figure out where to place my feet.
I stop several times to look back at where I left Kallen and Atasha.
They are just shadows in the darkness. If it were not for Kallen’s voice quietly filling the empty space around us as she tells Atasha a story, trying to distract her, it would take all my willpower to keep going, since I know the only safe place for either of them is in my arms.
It takes me a little while, but I find a few openings that I might be able to widen enough so we can at least escape this part of the cave. Grabbing a few boulders, I toss them to the other side when I hear Atasha scream. Immediately, I turn, scrambling my way back. “ Kallen? !”
“We are fine, just the sound of the rocks moving scared Atasha.”
I stop, my hearts beating out of my chest when I hear her voice before I call back to them reassuringly. “That was just me. I have found a clearing, but I need to make it a bit larger so we can all fit through. I will be back in a tic.”
“Since the water is receding, we are alright for now, I think.”
Rubbing a hand across my bare head, I wipe away the blood that has been running down the side of my head and climb back up the loose rocks.
It takes me longer than I would like to clear a path large enough for all of us to crawl through, as some of the boulders are more stubborn than others, but finally I can see light at the other end, and the smell of fresh air now surrounds me.
Making my way back, I growl out when I find them both crawling toward me. “I told you to wait.”
“We did until I saw you making your way back here. The water was starting to rise again, and I wanted to get Atasha out of there before it got any worse and we could not see the rocks below our feet.”
“Here, give me your hand and I will pull you up. Atasha, hold on to Kallen.”
“Wait Ruarc, grab Atasha first.”
I do not argue; I simply wait for her to pull Atasha around her before pushing her my way. “Atasha, I am going to shift my weight a little so I can grab you, but I am trying not to move the rocks under my feet much, so you will need to climb over them to me. Can you do that?”
“I am an accomplished rock climber.”
As she scampers over the rocks separating us like she has done it for a lifetime, I grab her arm, pulling her up next to me before placing her on a flat rock. “Good job little star, now you stay right there until I get Kallen.” She nods her head but turns to look at the opening I have just made.
Kallen slips a few times, but the moment she is close enough, I bend down as much as I can and tug her right into my arms. “Are you alright, my Starshine?”
I hear her gasp, and through our mate bond, I feel her surprise at my acknowledgment of our bond.
She opens her mouth to say something, but I stop her by quickly kissing her soft, plush lips.
“We will discuss the fact that I should have been screaming that to the heavens when we escape this place. I really hope you are not scared of tight spaces because, without machinery, I believe this is the biggest opening I can make for you on my own.”
“This is not my version of fun, but this is not the time for fear.”
Looking past her, I realize I need to turn this into an adventure to prevent both of them from panicking.
“Atasha, since you did so well climbing over those rocks, I want you to take the lead. Kallen will need your help to navigate the opening, and she is going to grip onto your wrap. If you feel her let go, you stop until she catches back up. Do you understand?”
“Yes, I can already see lights on the other side. Mam, we are over here!” she squeals. Wincing, I feel the rocks above us shift from the vibration of her voice.
Kallen looks up at me in comprehension before grabbing Atasha and putting her fingers over her lips. “Sweetness, we need to be sneaky as we are moving through here, but we have to go really fast.”
I motion for them to start that way and while Atasha is able to bend over, Kallen and I both must crawl. Several times, I have to stoop to maneuver my shoulders through without tearing off more hide. Just as Atasha makes it through, I feel the rocks above me shift ominously. “ MOVE KALLEN !”
Planting one of my large hands on her ass, I push her from behind, determined to get her out. Never have I been so grateful as to see Slavic’s massive form bent down at the other end of the opening. “ GRAB HER brOTHER !”
He sets Atasha down before reaching for Kallen. Just as I see her legs get clear and I am within arm’s reach of him, the rocks beneath me start to move, and panic washes over his face as I hear the stones behind me begin to fall.
“ Crawl, Ruarc!” The sound of falling rock drowns out Slavic’s impassioned shout. Just as our hands meet, time stands still, and I hear Kallen scream my name—only to know no more.