Mistlyn

Chapter 22: Kulbi-wah'd

A door grew itself out of sand.

"Through this doorway will be a stone garden. The garden will take us to the Roc."

With silver sweat, Kulbiwahd opened the door.

Silver sunlight poured into the Sand Tunnel.

"This way," Kulbiwahd said. "The Roc isn't too far now."

She led us away from the sand door. Stone statues of mythical creatures and of people stood or sat in different places. Even the grass blades were made of stone and bent in the slight wind just like regular grass would. At one end of the region was a lone black tower, its obsidian surface shining.

Three connected arches on the ground held in water, creating a small pool. Inside was stone water that rippled when I stuck my finger into it.

"What is this place?" I said, looking all around me. "It's beautiful."

A stone bird flew ahead, landing in a nest of stone in a tree made of the same material. It soon flew out of the tree, circling above our heads.

"The Garden of Stone, made in millennia ago by a deity, I can't remember who, though. It's been too long."

A long stone temple with arches and pillars extended all around us. Ghosts floated in and out of the pillars.

"Ghosts!" I exclaimed.

Cogaje smiled. "They're everywhere." Then his expression turned serious. "Do you feel that?" he said.

I nodded, knowing what he meant. It was the familiar cold on my neck and chest and arm.

"What is this thing?" I said.

"I wonder..." he said.

"Wonder what, Prince Cogaje?"

"I wonder if this cold is from my father."

I gulped and the cold squeezed itself tighter around my arm. "So King Rexon sent this cold to follow us. But why?"

"To make sure we don't do anything stupid. He had to have known about Dinjn, and if that's the case, then he sent something to follow us."

"But what's this cold thing then?"

Cogaje shook his head. "I'm not really sure, but I'm sure we'll find out soon enough."

"We're not getting out families back, are we?"

"Yes we are," Cogaje growled, stopping to grab my shoulders. "We are. I will get back my mother and you will get back yours. We'll live happily ever after."

"Ok," I whispered, "Ok."

Cogaje gave me a single terse nod and let go of my shoulders. "Now come on," he said. "Kulbiwahd is getting too far ahead."

I ran to keep up with the two of them, my legs burning and straining. I could barely breathe I was running so fast.

"Slow down," I said.

The two kept moving ahead and I pushed even harder to keep up.

In the distance, I saw a white and black object scrape the sky.

"The Roc," I said aloud.

One of the statues near me opened its eyes and moved.

"Cogaje!" I yelled. The Prince stopped and turned around. His eyes went wide.

"Look out!" he screamed.

Kulbiwahd stopped and turned around. "No!" she raged.

The statue raised its hand to bring down its sword over my head.

I screamed and jumped out of the way. The heavy sword slammed into the stone where I had just been standing.

Cogaje grabbed me and pushed me out of the way just as the statue lifted up its sword again.

"Stop!" Cogaje commanded.

The statue sneered and shook its head, stone dust crumbling to the ground.

It pointed its sword towards Cogaje and ran towards the Prince.

Kulbiwahd stepped forward, letting the sword run through her instead. Silver blood poured out of her.

"Go," she whispered hoarsely. "Go. Take this," she croaked. The statue stopped moving, inanimate once more. Its sword remained lodged in Kulbiwahd's body. Her feet started turning into stone.

She threw a goblet and a bag at my feet. "Take the blood and Shards of the other Races and of the deities. And take care."

She had become stone all the way to her knees now. I grabbed the objects quickly.

"Go!" she cried out. "Go before the other statues get you. Someone has brought them to life. They shouldn't be moving now."

We stared at her, not knowing what to do to help her.

"Go!" she cried out again, like a crow cawing.

She was stone up to her chest.

Cogaje grabbed my hand and pulled me away.

"Watch out for her, Cogaje," the Goddess said. "She'll become your worst enemy or your greatest friend. Either way, Mistlyn will be both your strength and weakness."

Cogaje kept pulling me away, his palms sweaty against mine.

"And Mistlyn," Kulbiwahd called out, "Cogaje can be more than just your captor's son. Remember, even the Races, today so different, all came from the same single being. Out of one rose many. Remember, we all share each other's essence, no matter how different we are."

Kulbiwahd was now stone up to her neck.

"Go!" she called out once more. "Go before the statues get you and go before the Smoke is useless for Sealing."

Kulbiwahd was now a stone statue. Even in stone, her eyes pleaded with us.

"She's gone," Cogaje whispered. "And we should get going, too."

"The Roc," I said, "It's not too far away. I can see its whiteness and blackness."

Cogaje nodded. "I see it too."

I clutched the goblet and the bag Kulbiwahd had given to me. I would be using them soon.