The Witch's Daughter

Part Fourteen

    Amma panted as she crawled through the narrow upward tunnel. This one was smaller than the others, activating a fear that rippled through her body. Goosebumps prickled at her skin, and her heart thundered in her ears. Why did I do that? Why did I do any of this-- for the cave-elves, for the naga, for Maman?! Am I really...that desperate for...!

Something shrieked. The sound was loud and high-pitched, causing her to jump. A huge colony of bats swooped in like a black stormcloud, hissing and shrieking as their tiny furry bodies soared down the tunnel. She exhaled deeply.

If the bats left, maybe I'm doing something right. I'm getting closer to end-- but if I am, do Maman and Tiberius get lost forever? Does Terra sacrifice them? She shook her head. There has to be a way to ensure that never happens, but I've never felt further from it...!

She glanced over her shoulder, suddenly tempted to turn back. Maybe if I do that, I...no! Those people, those dreaded cave-elves...they'll find me sooner or later! She climbed a little more, until she felt something shift under one foot. She gasped. A rock? An animal? Something pink and shiny crumbled beneath her weight-- something her mother kept and prized, the way the dragon hoarded its gold....

A crystal!

Amma felt stupid reaching for it, especially now when all she wanted to do was keep moving. The further she reached, the further it fell, until it cracked and erupted across the icy cave floor. She shook her head, and climbed on. Story of my life...what can I do?

But it shouldn't be.

All I've done is accept and follow, accept and follow. Dreams, other humanoids, whoever tells or gives me things. It shouldn't have taken me nearly being a human sacrifice or naga's wife to see that!

But sometimes...you need a shock to your system. Sometimes the heart doesn't beat unless it's given enough space to....

She crawled along the cave-ceiling, heart nearly bursting from her chest. She heard the shrill shrieking of bats, the gross hissing of cockroaches, the Her eardrums rattled with the constant noise, until she felt something break and cuh-rrrrack beneath her. The rock crumbled under her arms. She screamed. She chanted reparation spell after reparation spell, feebly attempting to put it back together again. Before she knew it, her stomach felt as if it slipped out of her feet. She tumbled from the high tunnel and onto a hard, ice-cold ground. Her ribs burned. Her arms ached. But she grinned at the realization that she was alive, and there were two shadowy figures at her side. She shuddered. Two figures! Mon Dieu, I must be careful not to speak to such things...much less please them!

"What are you looking at?!" she demanded, "I didn't mean to turn the naga into snakes. Terra must've lied about my power! And if you're cave-elves, I hope you rot in...!"

A small fat hand wrapped around her wrist. She immediately recognized the sharp crimson nails and emerald rings.

"Maman!" she gasped, as her mother stepped into the light.

"Ah, ma bichette," her mother sniffled, "I zought I would never see you again!"

Amma couldn't speak, so she just cried. Her eyes burned, and her throat went dry and scratchy. The second figure emerged from the statues. She looked up and noted the plumpness, the straight nose, the brown hair....

"Tiberius!" she cried, "I'm so...wow! You too! However, did you find me?"

The mother and son stared at each other.

"Nothing really," Tiberius said, "You fell into our room, you know."

The quick smile and joking glint in his eye put Amma at ease.

"Well...I've certainly had a wild time," she sighed, "I'm sure you must have felt terrible, too."

"Not anymore," chuckled Bathilde, "You don't need to worry about za cave-elves and that Spirit anymore."

Amma squinted.

"What do you mean?"

"We created a golem to take the sacrifice for you," she explained, folding her hands, "It was quite a challenge, and me and Tiberius worked 'ard."

"You and...Tib?" she asked, "Wow."

Tiberius laughed and rubbed his head.

"Yeah, well, it's probably the most magic I've ever used...and that's not saying a lot."

Amma leapt to her feet, suddenly in shock.

"No. No, don't do that! Let me find them-- I want to, I need to...show them they can't use their religion against me!" She scowled. "I've got to fight them myself!"

Bathilde grabbed a long pink sheet of crystal from the wall.

"Which is sort of why I considered the golem," she said, examining her face in it like a distorted funhouse mirror, "See 'ere-- I 'ave summoned the future!"

She shook the small rectangle until a scene swirled in-- a scene glowing with bright orange fires, chanting cave-elves, the circuaginn, and that horrendous chopping-block. When Terra dropped the boulder on the Amma Golem's head, it didn't bleed.

"Fool!" the Great Spirit roared, "Why is she so hard to...?"

Bathilde pointed to the figure.

"See? Zat's where you come in, and push 'er off za cliff!"

"Oh, Maman, I didn't think...!"

"You said you wanted to," Tiberius said, setting his hand on her shoulder, "So let's go and do it then."

Amma nodded and unclasped the necklace from her neck. She threw it on the ground and crushed it beneath her heeled shoe with a slow cah-runch. Bathilde clapped, and Tiberius let out a whistling cheer.

"Let's go, then," Amma said, "I'm tired of being used by those zealots."

The trio walked deep into a craggy tunnel-- one that hummed with hymns and ancient fires.