James Linniad and the Golden City - Caleb Baker (the two towers ebook .TXT) 📗

that the Prophecy could be on the other side of the cave.     

Alice was leading the pack this time. She had climbed first into the hole, and now she was dealing with the repercussions. She had to feel out the terrain first and make sure everything was alright to proceed. Sometimes the walls and floors were covered with sticky substances that reeked of dung and felt like ooze.      James was in the middle of the group, battling his way through the many obstacles of the cave. Some even including Lucas, who would occasionally fall over or slip on the ooze. There were constant dripping noises and even Alice didn't know where they came from. Juliet was last, following everyone and having the worst time at this. She kept shrieking at everything she touched, and squealing whenever she bumped into Nathan.     

"Do we know how much further?" Juliet cried after stepping into a particularly nasty puddle of dung. 

"For the last time, no!" Alice bellowed back. 

They had been traveling for what felt like hours, but was really only twenty minutes. The darkness exaggerated everything. 

"I think we should have brought some candles, or something. Even a flashlight. I suppose you don't own one of them, do you James?" Lucas called out from behind himself. 

"That's not funny," James said to the dark. 

"I wish this never happened," Juliet cried out again. 

"Oh, stop it you," Nathan said harshly, "it's bad enough we have to deal with this without you complaining about it."

"Leave her alone," Alice said, coming to Juliet's defense, "I'd say she has a right."

James then remembered the phobia Juliet had for the dark. It must have been really hard for her to do this. But, then again, she wouldn't have wanted to stay in the library all by herself.     

"I think I see a light!" Alice exclaimed. 

"Do you really?" Nathan said, betraying a little sarcasm. 

"Yeah, it's only a few meters away."

"And you're just now seeing it?" Lucas asked skeptically. 

"Well, it's not exactly big, now is it?" Alice reasoned, "and I wasn't really looking for it."

"If I were at the front it'd be my top priority," Nathan muttered. 

"Would you like to switch then?" Alice rounded. 

No answer.    

"We must be in the West Wing by now," James mentioned. 

"Here it is," Alice said, ignoring James.

She stopped, without telling anyone. Like an accordion the group sandwiched together and quickly rebounded off one another, all of them toppling to the ground. Alice screamed, and there was a crash not long after. Everyone stood up, their party now reduced to four. 

"Where's Alice?" Lucas asked quickly. 

"What do you mean? she was right there," James said cautiously. 

"I'm down here," Alice said, her voice echoing from somewhere below them. 

It seemed as though when everyone had fallen to the ground Alice fell down the shaft that the light was emanating from. 

"I'm okay, thanks for asking," Alice said shortly. 

"What's down there?" Nathan called out. 

"Light."

James felt a mass rush past him and it pushed him up against the wall. Juliet had stormed her way to the front and dropped down into the light. 

"What was that for?" Lucas barked as he rubbed his elbow. 

"Sorry," James could tell she didn't mean it. 

"It's a short drop. I reckon only a few meters," Alice said. 

One by one the boys jumped down. Alice was right, it was just a short drop, but James felt his knees wobble the first few steps afterward.    

This path was much more lit up. It was strange. Freshly lit sconces covered the walls, illuminating the walkway. Whatever was waiting for them on the other side, James did not want to know. It was like someone was goading them towards something. Like someone was setting them up for a trap. Maybe it was James's father, or mother. Maybe they set everything up. Whatever it was, James was starting to regret getting out of his bed.    

"I like this cave much more," Juliet whispered. 

"It's still the same cave," Alice said, beginning a brisk walk. 

"I just wonder where it leads," Lucas said curiously. 

James had an idea. Whatever the Prophecy indicated had to be on the other side. He wondered why someone would go to such lengths to hide it though. He wondered why Nathan's necklace moved the painting wall. Why was everything correlated so coincidentally? What did his dream mean?   

The path had come to a stop. An abrupt stop. They weren't really expecting it at all. The walkway had let on that there was much more to it, but sure enough it went directly to a spiral staircase. It coiled and coiled up as far as the eye could see. 

"Now we have to climb this?" Lucas asked whoever would listen. 

"It seems that way," Nathan said, craning his neck to get a better look. 

"I just hope whatever is up there is worth it," Juliet said justly.    

Without another word Alice began her trek up the stairs. There must have been three hundred steps, or at least enough to keep them tired. The fact that it was well after midnight didn't help either. James envisioned himself in the family room opening presents with all his friends, all the while singing carols and sipping hot cocoa. That thought seemed so far now, as new questions began to burn in his head. The most prominent one; where did this staircase lead?   

"Oi," Nathan began, "I think this is the West Turret. Wouldn't you say, James."

"Nathan, there is no entrance to the West Turret. Only the East Turret has an entrance . . ." his voice trailed as he realized what he just said, "we just walked through the entrance to the West Turret!"

"That's amazing," Alice gasped, "up to now you really didn't know there was an entrance?"

"No, father said they never built one. That this part of the castle was just for show," Nathan answered. 

"What an odd night this is turning out to be," Lucas said quietly. 

"I reckon you're right," James agreed. 

Juliet silently nodded her agreement. 

"When does this end?" she whined. 

"When you stop crying about it," Nathan said coldly. 

"Look, Nathan, that's enough," Alice said, stopping on the stairs, "ever since this night began you've been acting like a prat. Either get with the program, or leave."

James was in shock. Never before had he heard Alice talk like that, to anyone. Maybe the nights' events were starting to get to her too. It did seem to make everyone frustrated and confused more by the minute.     After their short row, Alice and Nathan grew silent, hiking up the lichen covered stairs. The air was growing colder, freezing for that matter. James was starting to get the shivers. All of the hairs on his arms and neck were standing an their ends, causing coarse little bumps to emerge on his skin. A cold breeze wafted through the staircase, billowing the groups night clothes. Where it was coming from, James couldn't guess.    

The stone walls were becoming more and more decrepit. The cobble was practically falling apart, creating piles of dust and rock on the floor. The moss and lichen was slowly turning into long and twisting vines of ivy. It was like walking through an untouched ruin. 

"This is getting creepy," Juliet piped up as she passed a flickering sconce. 

"This place looks like it hasn't been used in years," Lucas remarked. 

"Or hasn't been used at all," James added.    

Alice seemed to be teetering on a broken step, hesitating and not moving.

"What is it?" Nathan asked, annoyed that she had stopped. 

"There's something up there," Alice said after a minute of contemplation, "I see shadows moving . . ."

James's eyes widened. Suddenly, a rush of fear filled him and centered in the pit of his stomach. Somebody was up there, but who? Was it the person who James believed was leading them to the Prophecy? Or maybe, it could have been his parents themselves. 

"I don't like this, we should go back," Juliet squeaked. 

"I agree with Juliet," Lucas said cautiously, "I'm not getting a good feeling from this."

"No," James said fiercely, "we've been questioning things too much. It's time we figure this out once and for all."

Throughout this entire experience and most of his life James had never stood up for anything so passionately. The fire behind his eyes and the power behind his words were sure signs of leadership. 

"James is right," Alice mumbled from the front, "if we don't do it now then everything we've done so far will have been for nothing."

"So we go," Nathan said, finishing the matter.   

Alice took a light step. The moss on the stairs crunched under her foot as she tried to make her way up the last few steps. Whatever was awaiting them was definitely moving. From where James was stationed he could see a shadow moving to and fro in a glow of orange light. Alice's eyes peered over the ledge into the room that beckoned them forth.   

The room was bathed in candlelight. There were no windows, which still didn't explain why James felt a cool breeze, and why moss and ivy were growing on the steps and walls for that matter. A magnificently carved desk sat in front of stone bookcases that harbored many trinkets and tools. A chair was slowly rocking back and forth and was casting a long shadow over Alice's face. Yet, no one was seated in the chair. It swayed by itself, no wind rocked it, and no hand pushed it.    

By the time the rest of the group was standing in the loft Alice had already started searching the room. She was stooped low over a chest filled with old documents and didn't look at all ready to rejoin the group. Every now and then she would let out a loud ooh or ahh at a new paper. Juliet had preoccupied herself with a very old looking gyroscope, swivelling it in her hands and watching it spin with wonder. Lucas was testing one of the trinkets on the bookshelf. It looked like a long golden flute. Nathan and James stood next to the desk dumbfounded that they never even knew this place existed. Their parents had never talked about this part of the castle before, just to say it was closed off.    

The flute in Lucas's hand released an extremely loud whistle noise, causing everyone in the room to nearly jump out of the socks. He let the thing fall to the floor with a thud, and it whistled even more. 

"What is that?!" Nathan bellowed over the noise, his hands on his ears. 

"I don't know!" Lucas tried to say but was drowned out. 

"Turn it off!" Juliet shrieked. 

And it did. As soon as Juliet gave the order it stopped. Like an owl, Alice swooped down on it, cradling it, and throwing it down the staircase. 

"What on Earth was that thing?" Nathan asked, releasing his ears. 

"I dunno," Lucas repeated, this time heard, "it looked like a flute."

"Well it sure didn't sound like one," Juliet said.    

Everyone took their time to massage their ears and catch their breath. After a moment of trying to collect their thoughts, finally, James spoke. 

"Why is this chair moving? Nobody has sat in it."

It was the first time anyone in the room actually noticed it. 

"That's really quite odd," Alice said, taking out her notes. 

"It looks beautiful," Juliet added. 

It was true. The carvings on the wooden chair were manicured so perfectly that it looked like a piece of priceless art. Long snakes ran up the spine and were met by a setting sun. The colors looked chipped and worn, which gave the sense that the chair was old and dated. 

"I'm going to sit in it," Lucas said quickly, readying himself. 

"No!" Alice exclaimed, "this thing must be at least five hundred years old. Or as old as the tunnel we just came out of. You could possibly break it if you sit in it."

"Or it could be a trap," Nathan reasoned. 

"Nonsense," Lucas said, waving away the remarks. 

"Lucas," James started, "it's not