Seth’s dreams were strange and feverish. He was running through pitch darkness. Running from what? He didn’t know. Then he felt a sharp sting in his arm. Seth cried out and dropped to his knees as a flooding numbness spread through him.

  He wheezed for breath and struggled to fight against the slowly constricting darkness, but his arms were pinned to their sides, and he couldn’t move. Then he felt something—hundreds of tiny little legs crawled up his legs, his body, then squirmed into his mouth. Seth panicked and tried to spit tiny spiders from his mouth, but for every spider that he spat out, two more burrowed between his lips.

  Then something clamped on his shoulder and began to suck away at him. Each suck sent fiery pain down to his fingers. He screamed between his teeth, unable to break free.

  There was a twinkling chuckle and a soft voice breathed in his ear. ‘Oh Seth…I’ve told you before—struggling is a waste of your precious strength.’

  Seth’s eyes snapped open. He panted as his eyes darted around a dark cavern, trying to place himself. He jerked and a sharp pain radiated from his shoulder. He let out a brief cry of pain, but it was muffled when a hand suddenly clamped over his mouth.

  In a disoriented panic, Seth grabbed the hand, and twisted it back, striking blindly. His elbow connected with someone’s ribs, and he heard a sharp intake of breath followed by a groan. Seth blinked and looked over to see Elias and a flickering white light next to him holding his side.

  “Elias!” Seth cried, painfully sitting up. “Are you alright?”

  “I’m fine, sir.” Elias winced and let out a long breath. “A jab in the side is nothing compared to just the last few days.”

  Seth’s gut twisted with guilt, and he tried to reach out to Elias, but the boy shook his head. “It’s alright sir.” He grimaced and stifled a groan. “I should’ve been more careful.” He jutted his chin at Seth’s shoulder. “How do you feel?”

  “How do I…?” Seth looked at his shoulder. It was wrapped in a makeshift bandage and the sharp pain in his shoulder dulled to a throb. He rubbed his head. “What happened?”

  “The shield broke,” Elias answered. “When you collapsed, the spider bit you. I tried to get out as much of the venom as I could, but I don’t think I could get all of it.”

  Seth frowned and looked back at Elias. “How’d you scare it away?”

  The boy grinned mischievously. “I set it on fire.”

  Seth blinked and stared at Elias. “How?”

  There was a twinkle in the boy’s eyes, and he chuckled. “I managed to use your fire sigil on a cloth I stuffed in that alcohol flash, then I threw it at the spider. I had no idea spiders were so flammable.”

  Good Crim, Seth thought, regret coursing through him. I need to make sure he doesn’t burn down any forests.

  He cleared his throat and started to climb to his feet. “We should get moving. Grab our things and I’ll get Gloria.” As soon as Seth was upright, his feet wobbled under him and his stomach churned.

  Elias watched him with some concern. “Are you alright, Master? You don’t look so good.”

  Seth tried to swallow his nausea and slowly nodded, his head beginning to pound. “I’m fine. Now let’s move. I don’t want to see what else lives in these tunnels.”

  Elias scrambled to his feet. “I’m grabbing our things!” he said, quickly snatching their bags and slinging them over his shoulder.

  Seth stumbled over to Gloria and gently shook her shoulder. “Gloria? Are you awake yet?” Gloria still didn’t move. He sighed, then bent to lift her, but she felt heavier than before.

  Seth’s heart pounded with exertion. His arms shook and the nausea came back. Come on Seth, he thought, grunting with effort.

  “Are you sure you’re fine, sir?”

  Seth shuddered and tried to swallow his nausea. “I’ll be fine,” he lied. With a final grunt, he hefted Gloria up and pulled her onto his back. He straightened and met Elias’s worried gaze with a smile. “See?”

  As soon as the word left his mouth, a wave of nausea and dizziness crashed over him. Seth’s legs buckled underneath him, and he dropped to his knees, his head buzzing. Elias raced over and caught Gloria before she slipped off his back to the floor.

  “I’ll carry Gloria for you, sir,” Elias said, starting to pull Gloria off his back.

  Seth tightened his grip on her. “No,” he wheezed. “I’ve got her.”

  Elias’s face entered Seth’s view. “Sir, you’re barely standing.”

  Seth gritted his teeth and tried to climb to his feet, but he couldn’t get any further than getting one leg up. He glanced at Elias who watched him intently.

  “Let me help you.”

  Seth panted. “Can you even carry her?”

  Elias grimaced and shrugged a little. “Doesn’t matter if I can or not; I have to.” He looked around them. “Otherwise, we’re stuck down here.” The boy tried to repress a shudder, but a little tremble still went through him.

  Seth’s shoulders sagged and he let out a long sigh. He couldn’t argue with that logic. Damn it…Now he’s starting to sound like me.

  “Fine…” he conceded, loosening his grip. “Just…be careful with her.”

  “Of course, I will, sir,” Elias assured him with a smile. “She’s important to me too, you know.”

  Then he pulled Gloria off Seth’s back and hefted her onto his. He was heavily bowed over, but he was able to stand her. He looked up at Seth and gave him another smile before Gloria’s curls spilled over his shoulder.

  Seth returned with a small smile and tried climbing to his feet again. Another wave of dizziness came over him and he leaned on the wall, putting a hand to his mouth.

  “Sir?”

  Seth waved Elias off. “I’ll be fine. We need to focus on getting out.” He collected himself and drew a sigil in the air. “Lux meridania.”

  The orb of light popped into his hand. He tossed the ball of light in the air where it hovered above them, flickering ever so slightly. “Let’s go.”

  He took the bags from Elias, then slowly hobbled down the tunnel, leaning on the wall periodically to catch his breath.

  Elias followed him and they trudged down the tunnel until they reached a split—one path led left and the other right.

  “Which way do you think it is?” Elias asked, peering down the right tunnel.

  Seth looked towards the left. “I’m not sure. I’m a little nervous to send my light out again.”

  Elias shifted Gloria and grimaced. “I’m not sure we have a choice.”

  Seth leaned on the wall, thinking. "Actually, I've got one trick that might work."

  He dismissed the light and everything went pitch dark, except for a few dim glowing points in shades of green and pink along the tunnel walls and ceiling. Beside him, Elias let out a nervous breath. Seth raised a hand and drew a different glowing sigil. “Visio nocturna.” He blinked and felt a shift, but nothing changed.

  He grimaced. "Come on..." He turned and tried to squint in the dark, but it was still pitch black.

  Elias let out a small gasp. "What are those glowing things?"

  Seth found a glowing point and squinted. A faint sphere of grey light glimmered out from a small patch of... "Mushrooms?" He blinked and stared at the glimmering mushroom caps. "I didn't know that mushrooms could glow."

  "Me neither, sir. They're...pretty."

  All Seth could see was a brilliant white cluster of mushrooms emitting a grey light. It wasn't much, but just barely enough to peek a short ways down both tunnels. "I don't...see anything..." He grumbled. "It's too dark for this to work right." He sighed and shrugged a little. "But it looks safe enough to use our light again."

  He dismissed the night vision and drew another sigil. "Lux meridania." The little orb of light blossomed in his hand and Seth tossed it into the air. "Let's try going left."

  Seth and Elias turned left and started walking down the left tunnel. They had only gotten a few paces when he noticed long strings hanging from the ceiling, gleaming in the white-blue light. Seth stopped and furrowed his brows at them. What is—

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  Fear and nausea coursed through Seth and he put out the light immediately. Those weren’t strings—they were webs.

  “Master Seth?” Elias said nervously in the dark.

  “Go right!” Seth hissed, pushing Elias back. “Go right!”

  “But—"

  Scritch, scritch. Scritch, scritch.

  Seth’s stomach dropped and bile rose to his mouth—the sound came from further down the tunnel. Behind him, Elias gasped, then scrambled back towards the right tunnel.

  Seth swallowed back the acid and raised his hand to cast a spell, but he hesitated. What if they see the sigil? What if there's not enough light to see by? He shuddered. It’s not worth the risk right here.

  He put out a hand and took a timid step to the side. The wall! Where's the wall? His heart pounded in his ears as he groped empty air.

  Scritch, scritch. Scritch, scritch.

  The sound was getting closer, and a putrid burning stench came with it.

  Shaking, Seth took another step. His feet stumbled over loose rocks, that echoed too loud in his ears. His hands pawed at the air until they, finally, touched the wall. He grabbed it like a lifeline and followed it until he turned the corner.

  Here should be safe. He raised a hand and drew a glowing sigil in front of him. There was a small gasp and in the dim glow of the sigil, Seth could barely make out Elias’s face. “Shh!” he hissed. “It’s me!” Elias visibly relaxed and Seth finished his sigil. He blinked and the dark tunnel became small patches of grey and pitch darkness.

  Scritch, scritch. Scritch, scritch.

  Seth’s heart pounded in his ears, and he grabbed Elias’s hand to guide him down the tunnel. He glanced over his shoulder to see a dark form come around the corner and block out the glowing lights, leaving a thin outline of a massive smoldering spider.

  “Sir…?” Elias quivered. “How close is it?”

  Seth swallowed. “Just keep moving.”

  The spider wobbled after them for a moment, then stopped—but the sound of ticking legs didn't. Seth flinched when a second larger shadow barreled into the first, striking and biting at it. The silhouettes wrestled for a moment before Seth saw a second spider rise and pin down the smoldering spider. The pinned spider let out another scream and flailed under the stronger spider’s pressure.

  "Master? What's going on?"

  Seth pulled on Elias, almost dragging him along. “Don't worry about it," he hissed. "Just follow me!”

  He panted, trying to focus on the closest cluster of glowing mushrooms. Don’t give out on me! he pleaded to his legs and stumbled forward a step. Another scream from the spider gave him the adrenaline to push onward and hurry down the tunnel. The screaming continued until it was suddenly cut off and all Seth could hear was the quiet echo of munching and slurping.

  He shivered and pulled Elias along. “Come on,” he whispered. “I’ll guide you through the dark until it's safe to use our lights again.”

  Seth’s flickering light reflected eerily in the pool of vomit that splattered on the stone floor. Seth panted as his hand trembled against the jagged wall and fat drops of sweat trickled from his brow before dripping to the floor. A wave of dizziness crashed over him, and he rested his head on the cool wall.

  Time had become a vague blur. How long had they been in the tunnel? A day? Two? More? He didn’t know. All he could remember was walking and the increasing weight of fatigue.

  Elias put a hand on his sweat-soaked back, before jerking it away. “You’re burning up, sir!”

  Seth wiped his mouth and slowly pulled himself up, his floating light flickering madly as he did. He glanced at Elias’s worried face. “We keep…moving,” he wheezed.

  Elias opened his mouth to protest, but Seth slowly shook his head. “Listen to me,” he paused, struggling to form the words. “We can’t get help in here. We have to get out.”

  Elias closed his mouth and clenched his jaw. “Yes, sir.” He hoisted Gloria up his back again and tried to wrap an arm around Seth, but he weakly pushed him away.

  “No, you can’t carry both of us. Go. I’ll make it.”

  “But—”

  Seth pointed down the tunnel, his breaths coming in ragged gasps. “Go!”

  Elias growled but obeyed.

  Seth followed behind, trying to focus on the floating orb. He counted steps under his breath and leaned heavily on the wall. Keep going, Seth. Focus! You have to make it.

  Soon, they turned a corner and paused. Something was different about this stretch. Around a corner, at the end of the tunnel, was a soft orange-pink light. Seth squinted his eyes; there was something familiar about it. Then, a breeze wafted in and caressed his face, filling his lungs with cool fresh air.

  “Daylight!” Elias cried and rushed forward with Gloria.

  Seth tried to keep up with Elias, but his wobbling legs gave out. He slid down the wall and dropped to his knees, his light finally winking out.

  Elias paused and turned back. “Master!”

  Seth waved him on, panting. “Get Gloria out. I’ll be there in a moment.” Elias hesitated, then turned and ran to the exit.

  Seth rested his head on the wall. “Come on, Seth,” he muttered to himself. “You’re not going to die in here.”

  He closed his eyes, and in his mind's eye, he saw Gloria smiling at him, holding out a crown. A little strength returned to him, and he pulled himself to his feet. The world spun and the ground wobbled beneath him, but he gripped the rocky wall tight and took a few shaky steps forward.

  That’s it! Come on! You can do it!

  He took a few more steps, but his grip slipped, and he crashed to the ground. Seth rolled over and stared dully at the tunnel ceiling, too exhausted to move. The image of Gloria began to fade, and a fog grew in his mind.

  “Master Seth!”

  Seth frowned, trying to place the voice. Then the next thing he knew, Elias was by his side, pulling him up.

  “Where’s Gloria?” Seth mumbled, leaning heavily on the boy.

  “She’s safe,” Elias grunted, wrapping an arm around Seth’s waist and limping forward. “I laid her beside a log and ran back to get you.”

  Seth rested his head on Elias. “Good job,” he breathed. “Good job…”

  “Just focus on the next step, sir.”

  Seth nodded and leaned on Elias as they limped towards the fading light.

  "I think you’re going to like what you see outside.” Elias smiled at him.

  “Really?”

  “Yes sir.”

  Seth eyed Elias suspiciously. “You’re not just saying that are you?”

  Elias just grinned at him. "Trust me, sir—you’re going to like it.”

  Seth and Elias turned the corner to the mouth of the tunnel. It’s so bright, he thought, putting up a hand. A tepid breeze rustled through the trees and touched his face. Seth paused—something was different.

  He blinked away the bright light and gasped—he was standing in a tall pine forest. Singing birds flitted from treetop to treetop, yellow-green tips of grass poked through piles of melting snow, and the rich, deep scent of damp earth filled his lungs. The sky above was a gradient of soft lavender and brilliant scarlet. In between the trees, to the west, Seth saw a fiery sun set, casting long shadows in the forest.

  “We did it, sir.” Elias beamed, taking in the sight. “We brought back spring.”

  Seth smiled and gripped Elias tight as his legs wobbled under him. “Yes…we did it.”

  Elias pointed ahead through the trees. “Look! There’s a village not too far!”

  Seth peered out. They were on a hill and at the bottom was a small village with smoke curling out of its chimneys.

  Shelter…he dimly thought, before his legs gave out and he retched in the grass.

  “Master!” Elias heaved him up and half dragged him to a log beside Gloria and propped him up against it.

  Seth grabbed Elias’s sleeve and pulled him close. “Take Gloria…” he murmured. “And go to the village…she needs help.”

  Elias’s face creased with worry. “What about you, sir?”

  Seth shivered as he shifted between hot and cold. “I’ll be fine,” he chattered. “Gloria needs the help more.” The world swam under him and Seth tried to steady himself.

  “But sir—!”

  Seth gripped Elias harder. “Do as I say and go! You can only take one of us anyway, so take her.” He closed his eyes and sank back, letting go of Elias, too exhausted to hold on anymore.

  He closed his eyes and heard Elias rise and pick up Gloria. The boy muttered a prayer then spoke, “I will come back for you, sir.”

  Seth smiled a little. “Just get her to safety,” he murmured, then listened to Elias’s wet footsteps as he raced through the boggy forest towards the village. Soon the boy’s footsteps faded and Seth was alone.

  Seth lay against the log and shivered as the air chilled from the darkening sky. The forest around him serenaded Seth into an ethereal dream somewhere in between sleep and wakefulness.

  Soft singing drifted to his ears, and he blearily opened his eyes to see Gloria dancing among luminescent fireflies, her bare feet twirling on the thin tips of grass. He watched in awe as golden wings unfurled from her back and shimmered in the moonlight as she spun, her curls rippling out like crimson waves.

  Seth’s breath caught in his throat. She was absolutely stunning. “Gloria…?” he whispered.

  She paused singing and spun around to meet his eyes. Her deep green eyes twinkled bewitchingly as the yellow-green glow of the fireflies cast shadows on her form. He raised a hand to try to touch her, but she giggled mischievously and twirled away from him, leaving only the lingering scent of cinnamon in her wake.

  Seth took a shuddering breath and dropped his hand. “Don’t go…” he murmured, as Gloria’s dancing form faded between the trees. “Please don’t go…”

  His eyelids grew heavy as weariness dragged him down like entangling seaweed. He sighed—he was so tired; it felt good to rest. His breathing slowed and Seth’s head lolled to one side. It’s cold...

  Then, in the distance, Seth vaguely heard footsteps racing towards him.

  “Over here!” someone shouted. “He’s over here!”

  The voice sounded familiar. Is that…Elias? Seth smiled faintly. He came back…how nice…

  More footsteps thundered over, and Seth felt half a dozen hands surround him. He groaned slightly as voices overlapped each other, but he was too distant to catch what they said. Then he was lifted into the air and gently laid on a cloud.

  Cool air rushed past his ears and Seth felt as though he was racing through the sky. I should show Gloria the sea, he thought as he faded into darkness. I think she’d like that.