Chapter 9: A Cave, a Yard and an Arthropod (1)

The silence engulfed the nothingness beyond the extraordinary woods.

Distant lights shimmered then died out, but staying still, would glint vivid jade streaks, enough to pave the path crooked with protruding stones needled towards the ceiling.

Hypnotic verdant lights glittered from the fireflies, hundreds of them, danced beside the drooping conical rocks from above as it sweats chilling buds of water.

Open your ears yet, only murmurs of droplets and hisses of running water would take its course towards you.

The noise doesn't want any fun playing back the bleak antre named as the Cave of Death.

Obviously, its name wasn't suiting for its aesthetically designed surrounding!

Diamond-like but jade-colored crystals snuggly resting everywhere had its roots crawling vastly on the unreachable ceiling, the hedge and the floor while it constantly illuminates faint verdant light.

Armored with old but sturdy scales, it gave off strange mint freshness exuded at every nook of the cavern.

Pacing through all of it, only laid gigantic girdled boulders arranged in circle where crystals were most abundant. Just a glimpse of it, could really freeze your heart in an awe.

The very heart was made of odd hoary nail-like slates laid in a perfect spiral pattern, which almost looked like a blossom of jade rose; yet, its peculiarity never stopped as it had several bristly thorns jutted out resembled as claws.

However, just a tiny tilt of your gaze from it, were glittering silver strips of cloth, being swayed by gentle breeze coming from afar.

But as you peer, it wasn't just a cloth!

It was a young man unconsciously laying its back on the cavern floor; from his exuding regality, anyone should be able to tell, he was sitting on a silver spoon.

Crimson tinges could be seen from his glistening clothing, as though he just got back from a deadly battle, yet there was no sign of any wound could be found from his body, only a pallid snowy skin revealing a bit defined chest muscles that heaves up and down matching his unruffled breathing.

Even the creepy-crawly fire-bringers never had the chance to escape from such allure as it briskly danced above his insentient figure; one, two, three until dozens of them, gracefully hovered.

'Wake.'

Then, a serene voice of sweet maiden caressed his earlobes.

Was there a person inside the cave, other than him? But looking around for a while there's no one.

And at exact moment, all those fire-couriers suddenly dispersed and oddly glided back above the slates like nothing happened. And yet again…

'Wake.'

It came from nothing. It was almost as soothing as the plucks of strings from a golden harp which Jack had stolen at the top of the beanstalk, or the majestic choral of angels in heaven pumped of joy.

Not a moment was spared when a pristine breeze flapped his copper hair, and eventually pulled him out from his deep reverie.

"...!"

With a sudden heavy and dragging breath, his body immediately flinched when he was pulled out back to life.

His languid arms never spare any time to hug his exposed body, with his eyes slowly taking back its vision.

"W-where where am I?"

A scent of deja vu seemed lingered on his being, a raspy voice flew out of his arid mouth.

While he was still in a bit stupor, he clawed his head and pushed himself up until his eyes met the gigantic slates imposingly standing in front of him.

"What is this place? ...!"'

With a sudden realization, his eyes widened as he snapped his head around several times.

"I-I'm still alive."

It was Prince Ziro! And its probably a 'she' rather than a 'he"!

"My wounds... where did it all go?"

Sitting on her butt, her hands hurriedly cupped her whole body; from toes, towards her legs, then to her abdomen and her back.

She even gently caressed Ziros treasure to make sure she wasnt even dreaming, and yet

"…W-what… I'm all healed up. H-how can that be? I-I'm sure I really died that time, is it not? Was was it all just a dream?"

As her regal visage facing at an empty space, her chest grew heavy and tears welled up on her eyes when her lungs could not keep up on her racing heart.

Instinctively, she held her hands on her lowered forehead and she found herself already kneeling.

Silence...

With her being still hardly keeping up with her fervid sentiment, a cold glint immediately burst from her eyes.

She pushed herself up then picked up the pieces of her clothes to make a thin cover of her pinkish manly buds on her chest.

She could just sigh from relief that she was a man this time, or else this would be troublesome for a girl.

Clipping Ziros copper hair, she did not lose any time when she treaded around the slates hoping to find some plug on the holes of her perplexity.

"W-what is this place? Well, I am not a fan of caves but I must say this this place is amazing... brrrr... and somewhat chilly though."

She immediately hugged her arms as the far breezes caressed her skin; also, her eyes did not even escape the mystic hovering lights gracefully dancing above the hedged slates.

"Eh? Fireflies..."

But in a moment, she clamped her lips together.

And slowly pondered.

"T-that's strange. Was it normal to have fireflies inside a cave? And it only flies at one place!"

Ziros feet abruptly halted as her pupils dilated simultaneous with her eyelids suddenly narrowed.

Creases began to form on her forehead as her mind dove in a slow realization.

"Halt it. Grandma used to tell me these kinds of stories..."

Actually, when she was still alive on the other side, and was still a kid, her grandmother always tells her different myth stories, and even superficial superstitious beliefs which, she find it really hard to believe, but not for now, not for this world

"- that's where the souls had gathered! That was what she said."

With a sluggish realization zapped her mind, she could not help but fell into fear of 'what if... what her dear granny said was true' just like what she told her about the jar monsters.

What if materialized souls were really true in this world about ghosts hollows then it would be her doom AGAIN!

Cold took no time to hug her hands and sweats began tickling her palm.

She didn't know if she should still take a step towards the slates and quench her curiosity however her mind were already pulling her away, telling her she should ran away from it as fast as she could, and find the exit.

But...

As soon as her cotton shoe gently brushed the ground from taking a step back, chips of pebbles slid down from the girdled slates 'till a 'grrr' sound faintly hissed.

'This is bad.'

Her grasped on her arms tightened. What would she do if this place was really what she feared?

No! She could not fight ghost, nor even lose it by running.

Taking another step back, her gaze were already flying towards a cavern path where breeze came from. Was it safe there?

From another thought, what would be her other choice if not for escaping?

She already felt how to be butchers swine and so this time, she did not want to be a host of vengeful spirits!

With a blistering low sweep on the ground, her body lightly turned towards the cavern path.

Prince Ziros handsome face took no shame taking up such graceful lady-like swirl, not to mention her ripped robe that gives a chance to reveal the lower portion of his abdomen, and even the princes hair could not agree even more as it swayed up on the air matching the exuded elegance of her footwork.

"Must get out of here, quick! Those numbers of fireflies, isn't a joke anymore!"

No sweats were put in vain when she found herself already leaping from cleavages of rocks, avoiding all the stalagmites.

Briskly and buoyantly without any mark of exhaustion from before, her feet did not planned on stopping.

"Lucky to have these… quartz looking crystals… scattered around."

Filled with amusement, her eyes were laid on the jade-colored crystals which budded out from the ground, however, she noticed, it became fewer as she came farther.

Throwing all of her care about it, she just poured all her attentions to all the obstructions headed her way.

Then she halted for a second as she immediately grimaced.

In front of her was a series of intersection path which lead to places unknown for her.

'Just run!'

Her mind screamed as she chose the right most crooked path.

One step...

Two...

Three...

Until...

Rumble!!!

Not even a haste of light it took until both of her legs felt a sudden spite of thousand burning chains ably restraining her swift movements.

Scorching heat immediately squashed her entire body, halted her lungs to grab some air and almost crumbled her heart in to pulps, abruptly traced by a piercing pressure squeezing her to the ground, as though a godly pressing thumb had pressed her back!

It was her first time sensing like those, neither with her father nor with Siwaliw.

Even all the memories given by Ziros mind, not even once this body had felt such purge!

Real question was...

'W-what was that?'

What could it be? A beast?

Ziro slowly rolled her eyes towards the source of the chilling surge of aura.

It was from where she left.

'Goodness I barely get out of there.'

She didn't even know why but this time, she dreaded death with no condemn through her wretched fate, her stepfamily how could she?

She already had too many chances was it still the fates fault or just her inability?

'...got to run now!'

Bursting with a huge breath, she snapped herself out from her fear and took desperate flimsy leaps which flailed winds around.

Her sweats cradled beneath her jawline and the same time with her visage turning pallid, yet no hint of stopping, not until

'Sunlight! Finally!'

Her heart was immediately swelled with hope when her eyes caught a distant glimpse of an exit retracting light.

At instant, her legs suddenly pumped up with strength, a little bit more strength could already sent her flying, and her skin bristles bumpily stood when surge of chills ran over her figure.

Hurry! The only thing she thought as she came closer to it.

Tremendously racing, her pace had no chance on keeping up with her heart.

It was at its peak of lethal outburst.

Faster! Just a few more!

One swift leap on a side of a protruding rock and another one on a scaled boulder. Again and again! Then one after another. Faster and faster!

'Yes!'

Her eyes widened with triumph and glittered beneath the sparkling light from above.

Buds of sweats spattered from her face, while her chest heaved its longest hale as she took the final leap.

Swish!!

Wind slashed the calmness of the path when her body swiftly passed the exit or that's what she thought...

As her gaze fell on to source of the glinting light she longed, her enormously built hope was helplessly shattered at seconds!

Her eyes widened with disbelief, with her body already been petrified by hurtful reality.

"T-this isn't s-sunlight!! T-this... t-t-those... those are freaking ghost lights!"

Immense lumen blazed around as dozens of jade looking ghastlies hovering above the ceiling!

This wasn't an exit nor was safe!

This was exactly the opposite of what she desire, making it worse, this was actually a complete horde of what she feared!

Most of them were jar monster sigbin, definitely the ones who died at the spring, and there were others which were flying winged beasts, there were crawling ones, and others, just lying around in a permafrost floor.

The whole area was frozen! What she was stepping on wasn't a cavern soil anymore, but an actual berg of ice, eminently diffusing all the lights scattering within.

This place was no other than the Soulyard from the ancient scriptures. It was where all the eaten beasts souls had been kept, or more like being imprisoned. Nonetheless, it was one of the end tails of the Cave of Death.

Slow and gentle breeze pushed out the coldness of the cavern towards the ingress, which exactly the reason why she felt chilly before!

'W-what should I do? Looks like they haven't notice me yet.'

And there she was, standing still before them, caught by a desiccating terror and havent even moved an inch just after she entered.

'Better to leave right now.'

With a slow gulp from her dried throat, she held her breath and at a creeping pace, raised one her feet up, trying to tiptoe out from the what-so-called Soulyard.

But...

"...!"

In a hasty moment, she could not help but shut off all her movement and tensed her whole body, when a sigbins spirit quickly jumped in front of her and consequently, their eyes had no chance to evade each other.

At that very prompt situation, she was caught in an odd and uncomfortable leg position that even sigbin could not tell what she was.

Bewildered, sigbin immediately tilted its head wanting to tell 'what kind of beast is this? Its too ugly.'

Tiks of clock had roll, still, none of them had yet to move. Well, did Ziro have the choice in the first place?

She could not even lift a finger nor avert her gaze from it. All she could do was win the tournament cup for staring challenge, and blaze the hell out of this place easy-peasy.

Easy-peasy you say.

******

It has been three long minutes, yet still no one dared to give in. Salty buds of tears already been knocking on to her eyes, and should no more than a minute it'll took to blemish crimson crawling capillaries.

'Man. I can't take this any longer. Could you please move pretty please, oh? Move it. Move it. Move it. Move it. Move it. Ouch! My eyes hurts, oh, I can't feel my feet anymore. Brrrr And its really cold! Oh come on. Please. Look away. Hey! Don't stare at me like that! Sxncskxkrhwruehwr!!!'

With her whole body frozen into piece, her mind had nothing to do but relentlessly cried out with despair and sweet animosity.

And at last sigbin had finally reached its conclusion; creases formed on its hairless temple and stuck out its tongue like almost telling her 'bleh! Too ugly!' and slowly and finally averted its gaze from the young 'man'.

'Yes! That's it! That's it! Keep going! Dont look back!'

Tears welled on her eyes as her eyelids took several thirsty shutters. Feeling pulled out from pricks of thousand thorns, she was about to drag her numb legs back.

But...

Krrrrkkkkaa!!!

...the whole cavern tremendously quaked as surges of freezing winds blasted from above right after a fiendish uproar.

Blood had had no time hugging Ziros veins when her eyes only saw a huge luminescent soul of a mantis whipping its wings descending towards her.

Heavy tailwinds slashed everything in the way, as Ziro lost her only chance of escape.

"Whoops Hehe. Nice f-flight y-you got there hehe. Very nice well, if you excuse me."

Ziro quickly turned and made an attempt to tiptoe.

However...

Kkkrrrrkkaaa!!!!

Damn! This was a short-tempered mantis!

It was rather agitated, and with swift flaps of its wings, it devouringly stormed towards her.

'...!'

At instant, Ziro squeezed out her buttocks and with one forceful kick on the ice, found herself already up in air, dodging one full blown slash from mantis long razor forelimbs to which had cleanly cut the permafrost ground into to two!

The heck! Was it just a soul? Its attack looked totally alive!!

KRRRRRRAAAAA!!!!

Not a second passed yet it burst a detonating hyper voice from beneath.

The hypersonic had its perfect timing hurtling towards Ziro thrashing her out from the Soulyard.

The powerful attack already dispersed yet her body still being thrown at fast speed, after which, her eyes immediately widened as she bashed on a sturdy conical rock, followed by a piercing fall on a protruding stone.

Crack!

"Gaah!"

'Seriously... this again. I had just miraculously recovered!'

Wasn't she fleeing from being a butchers swine and spirits host yet she ended up being both!

Limply quivering on the ground, she almost gagged out all her internal organs.

Her pupils had barely regained its focus, and her eyelids shuttered for she could not even deny how painful it was!

Hungry for a prey, mantis took no second to siege over the 'prince' as it came with a slashing razor winds!

"...!"

Ziro quickly raised both of her tensed palms, and then delivered a huge blow on the ground that sent her up.

Shes quite grateful when she was still alive on the other side, just right after his work, Homer would immediately drag her in the training hall to teach her martial arts.

Because they made a huge fuss in her stepfathers company, destroying its gradual hiking market stock, and later, they found out that her stepdad hired someone to dispose her.

So from then on, Homer forced her to learn self-defenses. Well, his bestfriend had his matters to attend hence he couldn't protect her at always.

Swish!

One slashed had been dodged, yet another one came!

At brisk moment, she calmly tossed her body back, followed by a quick slide of her left foot then a swift turn of her waist until her legs caught up in swirling momentum and blisteringly trudged about an imposing rock along her way to give herself sustained headway.

Slash!!!

Dodge it!

One swing of mantiss razor claw but not a glimpse it took to crumble the rock into pieces!

Even though she already landed several feet away, hissing thin razor winds still blazed over.

With those surprised tailwinds, Ziro immediately raised both of her arms to cover her face and tensed her legs.

However...

"G...Aah!"

Crimson buds of fluid splattered up on the air as short cuts tore her cotton skin.

Because of it, her feet lost its chance to remain on the ground, blasting her up and inevitably bashed on the cavern wall right next to jade crystals!

Her stripped robe had completely lost its purpose as it was shredded into tiny patches, revealing her young lads physique, hurled with cuts.

'One question Am I really the unlucky one?'