Flashback [The Hymnal Caverns] History lessons and Adventuring

[Delani Denusk]

Delani long believed in the power of knowledge; it had control over the mind moreso than anything else in this world. It taught one lessons, carried wisdom, and simply opened the mind to all kinds of possibilities. But knowledge was only useful if one bore at least a modicum of imagination. In that, the older woman was not lacking as she reflected on a time long ago, before things grew more difficult; before things grew complicated. Before she spoke to her cousin of leaving the Drykas, likely forever.

Time stamp: Fall 1, 486

"Come on, Vanny, hurry up!" Delani called, the not quite seven year old signed from ahead, that whimsical spirit having led the child ahead of the family. It was fall and the cold winds off the southern sea meant warm clothes and a bitter winter. But it also meant one final chance to explore.

Her mother had done her hair up in a pretty split-braid, the small twirls of hair secured from the sides of her head to her back, giving her the impression of a pigtail. Malkar had promised to take her to the Hymnal Caverns, and with the summer trades having gone so well, he had decided to make it a fun outting for her and some of the other children in the Denusk pavilion. Mostly, it would be a lesson in history for the young ones. There were a few distant cousins and outer-pavilion relatives who'd volunteered, figuring if nothing else they could do some fishing at the seaside near the caverns.

This was a lesson that all young Drykas must understand, for there was great history to know within these caves. How could you truly understand who you were without knowing where you came from?

The little girl was thicker than some of the other kids in the pavilion, though not fat exactly. She was just a little huskier; and yet, during this phase, it was made up for by her ingenious mind. She picked up on everything that was thrown at her at a remarkable pace, walking sooner, talking earlier, riding ponies almost as proficiently as adults (if one could get her to focus that young, of course!). To Delani it was all about learning; the only child of the youngest brother of the Ankal simply wanted to know!

Laughing, she reached the trail that led down into the caverns below, peeking over the edge to the sea below and grinning. "Why's it called the Hymnal caverns, Vanny? Do the caves sing? Are there ghosts in there? I bet there are; ooh can you talk to ghosts? Do they talk back? Come on, hurry before father calls us back! I wanna see how far we can go!"

x

[Vanator]

His uncle had tasked the twelve-year old Vanator with keeping an eye on his younger cousin. It was a chore in that, while Van could keep up with her physically, Delani's mind seemed to race a league a chime, mentally exhausting her somewhat less inquisitive older cousin.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" he barked after her, the girl careening along ahead of him. Vanator's short cloak whipped around him as the sea breeze blew in periodic gusts, tugging at his unkempt tawny head of hair. He jogged to catch up with Delani. As the cousins looked over the edge at the trail, the girl unleashed another barrage of questions.

"I don't know!" Vanator quipped. Then a wry grin crossed his lips. "Yeah, I think ghosts sing in there, sing to lure in children, so the can eat them!" But his taunting was left unheard as Delani scurried down the trail, too anxious to wait for an answer. "Del, wait!" Van yelled, then glanced back, seeing the figures of their kinfolk off a ways enjoying the view. With a shrug, he picked his way down the trail after her.

The youths slowed as they came before the myriad of openings in the cliff, varying in size from too small for Delani to crawl through, to big enough for her to get married within. Vanator stared at the caverns awestruck. There was a sense of foreboding, their interiors fading into darkness. It also baited the curious Drykas children, the adventurer in Vanator, and the knowledge seeker in Delani. Van looked down at his cousin.

"You are too little to go in there. Wait here." He ordered as he started to pick his way to the nearest opening.

[Delani Denusk]

There was an enchantment about this place as Dela paused to stare up at the various openings of the cave, her mind racing with the questions that were so contained. "Wow..." She remarked with that youthful intrigue small children always had. The salt tang of the air coupled with the limestone texture of what stood before them painted a striking picture to the child and all the things that could wait them inside.

Her mind wrapped around the idea of ghosts luring children in to eat them and found the concept fascinating for the whole of two ticks. "Hey, no they don't!...Do they?" A moments hesitation as Van moved ahead, telling her to stay put. Dela shifted impatiently from foot to foot, standing on tip-toe from time to time to look in after him; but waiting was hard! How could she stand here and let him do all the exploring without her? What if he found something neat? What if he didn't tell her about it?! "Vanny wait up!"

The girl hurried after him, climbing the stones carefully in his shadow only to pause when something caught her eye. It was an old arrow head, ancient really. "Neat! Hey, Vanny look what I found!" She held up the weathered bit of metalwork, the edges rusted and brittle, the shine gone. "I'm gonna show daddy; you think he'll like it? I wonder what else we'll find!" She tucked the arrow head into her braid as if it were the most natural place to store trinkets instead of in ones pockets and clambered after him once again.

"Can we go in, now? I wanna hear the singing ghosts. I bet there are bones in there; I bet I find one first! Vaaaannnn, I can't reach!" She was about a yard beneath him, staring up from below with her hands on a rock just above her. However, there wasn't enough room for her feet to find purchase to pull the clever lass up. "Help me! Hurry, I wanna see!"

x

[Vanator]

Young Vanator scrambled up the rocks, pulling himself up to the lip of one of the caverns. Loose sand and dirt caused his foot to slip as he struggled up the last stretch, but he regained his footing and pushed himself up onto the stone shelf. Before him loomed a dark opening, roughly circular, the limestone of the cave walls fading into the shadows. Turning his back to the cavern, he inhaled deeply of the salty air and looked out over the great sea in amazement. The surf could be heard crashing below, the caw of the seabirds that rode the breeze over the water interrupted by the very similar sound of the pleas of his younger cousin.

Van was a fool to think Delani would simply stand there and watch him explore. She was a sponge when it came to anything new, needing to know everything about it, pummeling him with questions about stuff he didn't know. His eyes darted down below, seeing the tawny-haired girl begin to make her way towards him.

"Be careful and pay atte..." He sighed and rolled his eyes, Delani ignoring him as she bent to pick at something. She had found some trinket, and Vanator scowled, disappointed that he was in too much of a hurry to find the treasure. As the girl continued her ascent, Vanator turned again to the cavern, ignoring his chittering cousin. Now that he was there, the young Drykas was not sure what to do. It was dark. Certainly no glassbeak or velispar or lion dwelt inside, they could not reach this place easily, and they were denizens of the grass. That only left the unknown to dwell within. Van licked his lips, steeling his nerves. The Denusk heir would not let his little cousin think he was afraid.

"Oh for god's sake." Van cursed, laying down on the smooth rock and reaching his hand down to Delani. "Take hold of my hand, and don't talk so loud...you will make the ghosts mad." Vanator used such idle threats often to manipulate Delani. It was not that he did not like her. She was just...overwhelming at times. She could be fun, like when she would pretend she was a deer, and he and Akela would hunt her. But then Kavala would insist on healing the poor creature before her brother and sister could skin her.

Vanator moved to a crouch and helped pull Delani up onto the stony entrance as the two Denusk children stared into the cavern. Suddenly, the sea breeze picked up, tugging at their hair and clothes and kicking up the loose dust around their feet. At first, the sound was soft and low, then it grew in volume and pitch, like a hollow whistle but not as shrill. The sound was rich and as it blew through the caverns around them, each produced a different note in the chorus, until the air was filled with a haunting symphonic song.

It was both beautiful and eerie, and as it echoed around them, a smile crept across Vanator's face. "They are singing for us Del!"

[Delani Denusk]

Delani was younger than he and the whims of a six year old held no interest for an eleven year old. So one could hardly blame his exasperation. Nonetheless, the child was grateful for the assistance, getting to her feet and finding her balance after he helped her up, palms rubbing the dirt away once she was steady.

As soon as she was straightened, the girl stepped up to the entrance and looked in upon the shadowy cavern, squinting in an effort to see beyond the shadows. Such was impossible of course, but it was still pretty neat. However, when the wind began to pick up, pushing at the back of the little girl, Delani reached for her older cousins hand instinctively, not wishing to be blown off the rocks and into the water far below. But then, the music started. It was both haunting and enchanting to a degree she could not possibly imagine. How amazing this place was!

"I hear them, Vanny!" She cried delightedly. Her momentary instability was forgotten and her hand released Vans as she stepped into the mouth of the cave and closed her eyes, imagining the choir that must be to make such a stunning sound. "Is it the wind, you think? Or are they really ghosts?" Her voice was a whisper, not wishing to speak over the sound of the wind. A few moments later, the breeze ceased. The melody of the resonating caves slowly tapered into nothing, softening their exhalations until the sound had ceased entirely, leaving the two children surrounded by stillness.

The cry of the caverns had muffled the approach of one of the grown ups, Dela's dad. "Amazing, isn't it." He said, arms crossed over his chest, that fatherly smile firm upon weather-lined face. The shadow of a beard had begun to grow, the same which would remain until his death years later. It gave his features a strong, trail-worn look, though his similarly jade eyes softened them to one of mentorship.

Dela had jumped at the voice, turning and grinning at the sight of Malkar. "Daddy!" Her arms stretched down to him where he waited at the bottom of the shelf the kids had been standing on. He reached back to her as well, letting her jump into his arms for the surly bear hugs he so often gave.

"Keeping her out of trouble, Vanator?" He asked, the deep voice engaging, even with its gruff intonations. "We've about finished camp. Would you two like to explore one of the caves? I've brought a torch and some spare rope." The older man offered, holding the smaller Dela on his hip easily as he reached a hand to Van so he could hop down if he so wished, his brothers son as important a figure as his own daughter.

The girl squealed in delight at the idea of spelunking with him. "Oh yes please, daddy, can we? I wanna see what makes them sing! Do you know? It was so pretty!"

x

[Vanator]

Vanator listened with a subtle smile as the caves sang, all but ignoring his cousin's comments. He did take a few steps forward to stand next to her, the two children staring into the darkness, as if to see what made such magnificent sounds. He still was not afraid, only curious. In a disappointing instant, as the wind ceased to tug at the drykas youth's hair and garments, the music ended as well. The brief silence was interrupted by a man's voice that startled them. Vanator hoped he hid his surprise well.

The Denusk heir turned to see his uncle below, feeling for a moment as if he had been caught in some form of transgression. But Delani's father had a smile on his face, and when Malkar asked the boy if he had been keeping his little cousin out of trouble, Van stammered, not knowing if what then had done was considered trouble. He scrambled back down,shunning his uncle's hand, not wanting to show weakness, only to slip at the end and land on his rear. The embarrassed boy quickly shot to his feet, as if nothing happened.

"Yes..yes sir, I am taking care of her." It was the right answer either way. Vanator did do his best to watch over Delani. She was annoying at times, but deep down, he loved his little cousin. When his uncle asked if they would like to actually explore a cavern, it was all Vanator could do to restrain his enthusiasm. Showing too much childish excitement, like Delani did, would only make him look like a child before the respected pavilion elder. "Yes Uncle, I really would like to go inside." The boy hitched at his belt, his small hand resting on the dagger that hung from it, as if to prove he was equipped for such an adventure.

[Delani Denusk]

The elder simply clapped the boy on the shoulder, not admonishing him for the enthuasiasm he saw in his eyes. It was fine to be young and excited; why dampen int? It was what made him a good scout for the trips, the bright mind behind those green eyes passed on to the girl on his hip.

"Well, let's go then!" He whooped, turning from the place they had been found at and carrying Dela to another opening, more child-sized. "Here, lad. Climb up and look in."

The cave was smaller than the one they'd been looking into only tall enough for a child, really, and not going very deep. Van might even have trouble standing straight, but Delani was short enough that she'd clear all but the longest stalctites. The floor of the cave had been polished smooth from the years and the ceiling shone with the light from the entrance. He set Delani down and grabbed his flint from a hanging pouch, kneeling to block the wind and striking it against the torch that had been hooked into the belt behind him.

The torch was then offered to his nephew, a hand giving the boys shoulder a doting squeeze, encouraging him forward. "Delani, you stay behind him, alright? Walk to the back and tell me what you see." He encouraged the two, kneeling at the entrance.

Dela could barely contain her excitement as she bounced from behind her older cousin, peeking around him and trying to see what it might be daddy was letting them see.

OOCCreative liberty for what may be seen!

x

[Vanator]

The boy looked back at his uncle with only a moment of hesitation. The cave was smaller, less intimidating than the gaping hole they had been standing in front of. But it was ....smaller, more confined. Delani beamed with excitement, unfettered by fear or intimidation. His little cousin's courage bolstered his own, and taking the torch in one hand, Vanator's other brushed over the knife at his belt before creeping closer to the dark cave entrance.

He did have to duck slightly, not wanting to bang his head on the small cavern's ceiling. The flickering torch light illuminated the opening with an orange glow, its fluttering flames painting dancing shadows of the children on the smooth stone walls. Step by step, the Denusk cousins moved into the cave, their feet shuffling audibly against the sand and dust of the floor. Ahead, Vanator saw something breaking up the emptiness of the cavern, like light colored rocks. Holding the torch out further in front of him, the boy stepped closer. What had appeared to be irregular rocks became bones as the firelight cast a glow on them. Beyond, the cave took a sharp turn around a corner.

Vanator's immediate reaction was to halt suddenly, and he huffed as Delani, sticking close behind her cousin, bumped into him, pushing him even closer to the remains. They were not human, too small, and the head was more like a dog. Glancing back at the girl, Vanator crouched down, reaching a tentative finger out to brush down one of the small canines in the skull. Looking back at Delani, he said, almost in a whisper, "I think it was a fox."

Handing the torch to Delani, Vanator picked up the skull, taking it in both hands and working the jaw as if were gnashing its teeth. He thrust it towards the girl, making a snarling noise, teasing her.

[Delani Denusk]

Dela followed close behind her older relative, all but leaping as she bounced impatiently to get past him and see what might be seen. "Hurry up, Van! I wanna explore, come on!" She was so close that when he stopped suddenly, the girl bumped into him and fell back onto the weathered stone of the caves floor. She didn't see what had made him stop as the lass got back onto her feet, rubbing at her backside. "Hey! Whadjoo stop for?"

Peeking past him, Dela spottted the bones and gasped, quickly scooting beside Van and hunkering, a finger reaching for it to poke at the empty eye sockets. "A fox huh?" The girl prompted, taking the torch and following the head as he picked up the skull. "Looks too big to be a f- eep!!" She jumped a little when he thrust it at her, the torch dropped from her hands. It hit the ground with a soft echo and rolled around the bend in the cave and out of sight, a soft splash heard. There was now only the rearward glow of the cave-entrance and the sunlight that shone through and even that was consumed by the oppressive dark. Malkar was still at the entrance, though, keeping an eye on both kids, just in case, with a hand on the length of rope he'd brought.

He could see that Dela had dropped the torch and that it had gone out beyond a point of the cave. "Be careful, you two." He called, hunkering now to watch them more closely.

"We will, daddy!" Then to Van, "I'll go get it, Vanny, be right back!" The smaller lass got back to her feet and hurried around the bend, squinting to see where the torch had rolled. No sooner did she disappear from sight around the corner, than the sound of a girls yelp and another splash echoed up. A moment of silence predominated, then-

"I'm okay! I just slipped! Hey, Vanny, come look!"

x

[Vanator]

Vanator's antic with the skull effectively halted his know-it-all cousin's correction, but it also startled Delani enough for her to drop the torch. The flickering flames rolled away, disappearing around the corner, the glow that shone from behind the turn extinguished in a splash of water and a hiss.

"Nice going " the boy chastised his cousin in a hushed voice, not wanting his uncle to hear him be mean to the girl. The man's voice in turn startled Vanator, and he flinched before turning and giving Malkar a hollow grin. "Be careful." He hissed again under his breath at Delani, setting the skull back next to the skeleton.

Vanator's annoyance with his cousin dropped suddenly when he heard Delani yelp. He scrambled to the corner, relieved to hear her small voice assure her cousin and father that she was fine. Rounding the curve, Van found, not a dark cave, but a chamber dimly illuminated in an errie white glow. Strange, luminescent shelf-like fungus clung to the stony walls, near the upper reaches of the room. He could see Delani standing up, apparently she had slipped on the smooth stone into a shallow pool of water that took up most of the floor. The now dead torch floated on the surface. At the far end of the cavern, several small recesses remained shrouded in shadows. Taking Delani by the arm, he helped hoist her to her feet, his eyes still sweeping around the room in amazement. "what is this?" The boy asked no one in particular.