Finding The Soul Bridge (The Soul Fire Saga Book 1) by Zax Vagen Page B

mountain.
    “We should name this place.” said Jem.
    Kelvin looked back at the large antechamber with astonishment, “I can’t believe how nearly we met our doom. I’m calling it ‘The Cave of Doom’.”
    “How about ‘The Big Dripper’?” suggested Jem.
    “It’s ‘The Caddel of Voices’,” whispered Thist.
    “Isn’t that the truth?” said Kelvin, still in shock, “I hate heights, let’s get out of here and keep an extra torch lit.”
    As they exited the large antechamber, Thist, who was bringing up the rear turned his head back just for fun and screamed as loud as he could at the water to see what the echo would do. The legendary scream of Thist blew ripples into the water below, bounced off the walls knocking off the stalactites which cascaded into the water below in an avalanche of splintering rock. The sound shook the ground and blew the three friends deeper into the cave passage.
    Kelvin and Jem had been thrown forward in the tunnel, grazing their knees, hands and elbows. Thist had been blown onto his back and knocked his head in exactly the same place as before. The dust that had settled on the walls and floor was lofted, causing a choking pall, like thick smoke which stung their eyes, burned their throats and made them sneeze. All the torches were snuffed and the three boys lay on the ground, coughing, sneezing and bleeding in the dark.
    Jem sat up and called to the other two. “Kelvin, Thist,” he croaked.
    Kelvin was on his hands and knees, spitting blood. “Thist is an idiot. For what stupid reason did he have to set off his sonic bomb? Thist? Thist!”
    Thist was dazed and held his head. He was filled with regret and could not speak. He just gritted his teeth and sobbed.
    A deep rumbling sounded from far inside the caves, like the striking of boulders falling on granite. Echoes thereof sounded through the air and were also felt through the stone floor.
    “What was that?” said Jem as he relit the torches.
    “Quiet!” said Kelvin. “Just listen.”
    “It sounds like the caves are collapsing.” said Jem.
    Thist held his head with one hand for a moment and then inspected his hand to see if it was bloody. It wasn’t. “The voices in my head have gone silent.” said Thist.
    “Good for you.” said Kelvin. “Maybe you won’t be so distracted now.”
    “If that sound is a cave in, then we might want to pick up the pace and get out of here.” said Jem.
    “What if it’s not a cave in?” asked Thist.
    Jem raised his eyebrows at the notion of what could possibly make such thundering sounds so deep in an old mineshaft, that wasn’t the sound of falling rock.
    “If that isn’t a cave in,” said Jem, “then I really want to get out of here. Let’s go.”
    The trio settled down in a rhythm, check where you are, check where you are going and check that Thist isn’t doing something stupid. Repeat. The tunnels didn’t split again so navigation was easy. Every few hundred steps they would light a new torch and every thousand they would find a cache of torches or oil. They decided not to take them all and left some, as they might have to carry too many or they may have to go back. Either way it made sense.

12
     
     
    The hagget was in the cave. It had successfully lured the boys in for its purpose. They had no idea what was really happening. The hagget adjusted its stance. It was in the cave with them but its eyesight was poor and the light was insufficient.  It was difficult for the hagget not to reveal itself and still be so close. The younger one had just screamed like the time he had killed the bear. But this time it happened too close to himself and he wished that he could curse him. The hagget held its composure. The potion that it took had transformed it from frail to able bodied. It was shielded from danger but the blast had caused it to fall and graze its hands and knees.
    The frustration built up. It wanted to scream and shout and curse and beat its hands on the floor and