Chapter 3: The Cave

Someone was holding his arm and infusing power to the shield. He turned to look at Izan who was already looking at him, concerned.

"Are you okay now?" Izan asked, while still maintaing the blue energy shield.

"Yeah. Let's go inside." He held onto Izan's hand firmly and went inside. Seeing them Lucas and Sasha also followed.

Inside the cavern was dead silent and pitch dark. Their steps resounded and could hear the echo. Their vision was blinded by the darkness. So, they held hands and walked forward with nothing but the ground they felt under their felt to guide them. After walking for a short distance the path broke into two.

"Left or right?" Izan pointed without talking. Jade didn't bother to participate in decision making as he walked onto the left path in silence. Izan tried to pull him back, but Jade was so heavy and stout, all of sudden. Izan was puzzled and followed Jade while pulling Lucas and Sasha, who were involved in whispering about choosing the path. Their stumbling footsteps resounding in the cavern.

Suddenly, a movement occured in their peripheral vision, which made them stopped in their tracks. But Jade continued to walk inside without considering the movement, pulling other three behind him, indirectly.

Something flew past Lucas, making a 'clicks' and 'chirps' sounds. Lucas froze in his tracks pulling Sasha towards him. Jade walked forward without a care in the world. Izan felt like the grip on his hand loosen. As Jade moved forward, Izan stumbled behind him, which lead to loosening of the grip. The shield cracked but Izan steadied himself and strengthened the grip, without letting the shield disappear. The shield became more thin and more transparent than before, partly dissolving into the dark.

But, he was too late. Jade increased his pace and Izan barely managed to not fall. In between, Izan pulled Jade's arm but Jade did't respond. He tried calling Jade, but he didn't respond. Only then realisation struck Izan that Jade didn't speak not even a single word since they entered into the cavern. Izan confirmed that something happened to Jade and followed Jade without pulling him back.

Izan turned back and whispered to Lucas and Sasha, " I think he is possessed. Stay alert." He gave a heads up to them. Their bodies became stiff and alert, scanning their surroundings. Izan, Lucas and Sasha stiffened their bodies to strengthen their sensing ability.

Mind clan people, those who wielded mental energy should meditate to face their fears. So, they choose to meditate in salt water, for better concentration. They loose their ability to sense their surroundings, but their ability to sense auras multiplies. Choosing to walk in dark would create a similar surroundings where they can't see anything but could sense any auras.

Izan concentrated on Jade's aura. His eyes widened when he realised that Jade's aura was mixed with some different aura. He couldn't confirm if it was good or bad, because it just showed it's presence but hadn't done anything yet to determine its intentions. So, Izan continued to monitor Jade's aura while monitoring Lucas's and Sasha's aura to know thay they were following him.

Jade lead them into a wide space and stood at the center of it. Izan shoke his hand to see if Jade would respond or not. To no one's surprise, Jade didn't respond. Izan already anticipated this and whispered to Lucas and Sasha to be alert. All three of them stopped behind Jade, scanning their surroundings.

A huge number of 'clicks' and 'chirps' sounds, they heard before, came from their right side and crossed them to reach their left side. As the cavern was pitch dark, they could only sense them but couldn't see anything. Many tiny lights in the size of dots were visible from their left side. Switching on and off in pairs. Only then, did they realise that those were a creature's eyes.

The sounds approached them again and they ducked in time to avoid those creature. Izan didn't let go of Jade's hand so, the shield wasn't broken. But, Jade didn't show any sign of recognising his surroundings. He stood erect and straight in the middle of chaos.

Then a wave of those sounds bounced back from the direction they went. Again all three of them ducked, while Jade showing no reaction. Then those creatures came back to them. Now, they were constantly poking and biting them. All three of them covered their faces with their hands for protection. Izan still held onto Jade's arm even though it was very difficult to protect himself with one hand. All three of them started shooting blue energy beams in the direction those creatures were attacking. The beam illuminated the path it was fired. Many tiny winged creatures with a long sharp beak and a pair of vertically oval eyes were clearly visible. They squeaked and squeaked as they attacked those teenagers.

Izan felt a cold hand place on his arm, strengthening the grip. The hand was rough and severely cold, numbing the area of contact on Izan's arm. It pushed Izan's hold on Jade's arm, with mighty force that, it broke the hold.

Izan was thrown into the air far away from the beams that were shot into the air, randomly by Lucas and Shasha. Izan flet severe pain from many areas of his body as it collided with the stone wall.  But, he ignored them and ran towards the pair shooting blue energy beams, randomly into the air and grouped for Jade. But he was no where to be found. Izan was terrified, he searched for Jade vigorously, while trying to defend himself from those creatures.

No matter how much they attacked, the number of creatures increased and their attacks became severe.

"JADE IS MISSING. SAVE YOURSELF. RETREAT." Izan shouted at the top of his voice. Now that someone already knew about their entry, he didn't care to whisper. Only on hearing these words did Sasha and Lucas realised that Jade was missing. All three of them ran towards the entrance while shooting blue energy beams into the air.

They stepped outside, panting. The moment they stepped out, that evil aura they felt disappeared.

"JADE. JADE." Izan shouted while blasting the cavern from outside.

"JADE ARE YOU ALIVE? SAY SOMETHING. GIVE US A SIGN." Sasha shouted.

All three of them continued to blast the cavern and entered into the cavern again. Blasting their way in but were forced to retreat due to that swarm of creatures.

They were out of breath. Panting. Taking huge deep breaths. Izan continued shouted for Jade. They were exhausted. The power they had was reduced because they feared. So, what left is not sufficient to break the cavern.

Mental power wielders get their power by facing their fears. Means, their power diminishes when they fear.

"What should we do? What are we going to say to his parents?" Lucas acted as if Jade was already dead.

"Don't think like that. He might be alive." Sasha spoke.

"I felt someone grab my arm to break my hold on Jade. That person's might have taken him. Till I see his dead body, I won't move from here." Izan's determined voice shocked them both.

"Are you sure it's a 'person'?" Lucas asked, in between his panting.

"Don't know. The hand was very cold. Like the coldness of a corpse." Izan said. In his mind, he analysed the situation, how it unfold if they get help from the king. But immediately rejected it, as it would create a big problem.

"Lets wait till morning. If he doesn't come back we will ask the king to help. Lucas and Sasha, go and bring people who can wield mental power. Wait, doesn't matter. Bring anyone who have any power." Listening to this, Lucas and Sasha ran while shouting for locals to gather.

Izan blasted a blue beam horizontal to the ground to illuminate the insides of cavern. As the beam passed, the creatures repelled from it. Which couldn't escape were burnt to ashes when the beam passed throught them.

The beam hit a wall and the light died. All along the way, there was no trace of Jade or that cold corpse. He couldn't sense neither of their auras from this far. He prayed heavens to bring Jade back unharmed. He prayed full heartedly. He prayed for that cold corpse to take him instead of Jade, but the situation already consumed Jade.

He sent another beam into the cavern and it ended in vain. Still there were no signs of neither Jade nor of that cold corpse. Izan was able to recover his s breath and scanned his surroundings. Locals were mumbling among themselves and approached the cavern as early as possible.

"Soldier. What happened?" They asked. Izan was so heart broken to answer them.

Meanwhile, Lucas and Sasha brought some twenty men who can wield mental powers. Izan gathered strength and stood facing the cavern. Beside him, Lucas and Sasha stood. And rest of wielders faced the cavern and blasted blue beams into it. Few beams hit the cavern wall, while some hit the creatures. The stone pieces that were broken from the cavern wall flew into the air, along with the stone dust, choking the wielders. Soon, ashes of those creatures covered the stone cold floor.

In between all those rumbling and blasting sounds, Izan heard someone's breathing. "CEASE IMMEDIATELY!" He shouted for everyone to hear. Listening to their words, everyone stopped. The breathing was becoming more and more clearer. Izan expanded his sensing ability and a smile grew on his face.

A person came running and panting, only to stop when he fell into Izan's arms. He collapsed onto Izan while resting his head on Izan's shoulders. Jade's breathing grew soft and unnoticeable as he fell unconscious.

Izan held onto him. Everyone helped Izan to carry Jade into local Inn near by. After settling in one room, Izan ordered for food and fresh clothes as they were drenched in sweat. Lucas and Sasha stayed in another room.

Izan thanked everyone who helped him and requesting to keep the incident a secret. Then dismissed them. All three of them ate and dismissed themselves into their rooms.

Izan put his hand on Jade's forehead. To his surprise, it was burning. Izan checked the temperature on Jade's chest. Which turned out to be normal. Thinking he might had mistaken, he placed his back of hand on Jade's forehead. Then he confirmed that temperature was high only on his head and face, but rest of the body was normal at room temperature.

Izan went to take a bath and change into fresh clothes. He took wet cloth and rubbed Jade's face and forehead. Then went onto place it on the forehead. He traced his fingers down Jade's face and cupped it between his long slender fingers. A tear fell from Izan's eyes as he brushed Jade's cheeks.

"Thank God, you are alive!" He rested his forehead on Jade's forehead and whispered. He moved his hand to rest on Jade's marbled chest to confirm his heart beat. Taking a deep breath, taking in Jade's body smell, Izan relaxed himself,  into deep slumber.