Conjunction

"You used that one to cleave my axe in two," she mused as he returned with a more mundane blade, Caden handing it to her. "What makes it so special?"

"It can cut through anything," he explained, "including your fingers if you don't know how to handle it. Seriously, it's not something to trifle with."

She began to butcher the animal with practiced speed and precision, Caden watching as she speared the choice cuts of pale meat on sticks, driving them into the sand so that they roasted over the flames. He had to admit, as much as the sight of the creature had repulsed him, the scent of cooking meat was enticing. He chewed on a piece of salted pork stubbornly as he watched Kadal stoke the flames, turning the sticks occasionally to ensure that they cooked evenly.

When they were ready, she pulled one of the skewers from the sand, starting to tear off chunks of meat with her sharp teeth. She glanced over at him, seeing that he was watching her, Caden averting his eyes as he took a pointed bite of his pork ration.

"Perhaps we should pool our resources," she suggested, a smile brightening Caden's face. He retrieved his pack and hauled it to the entrance, sitting on the sand near the firepit. He began to stack parcels, Kadal's blue tongue flicking out as he opened one of them to reveal its contents.

"Do your people eat fruit?" he asked, Kadal nodding. "Try these, they're dried dates."

He held out the paper parcel to her, and she plucked one of them from the pile, flicking her forked across it as though tasting it. She seemed to like it, popping it into her mouth and starting to chew, her yellow eyes lighting up.

"Good?" he chuckled, Kadal nodding her head excitedly. She leaned over to grab another skewer from beside the fire, driving it into the sand at his side. He opened a few more of the parcels and let her take her pick, lifting the skewer and taking a cautious bite of the still-warm meat. To his surprise, it tasted as good as it smelled. It was very tender, and somewhat dry, reminding him of boiled chicken.

"Alright," he mumbled over a mouthful, pausing to swallow. "I admit, you're better at cooking than I gave you credit for. Though, after all those dried rations, any warm meal is going to be appealing."

Kadal, meanwhile, was helping herself to treats from the various parcels. She particularly enjoyed the salted pork and the jerked mutton, tearing at the strips of spiced meat with her sharp teeth, chewing laboriously. She didn't seem to care for the hard biscuits or the stale bread, Caden laughing as she extended her blue tongue in disgust, brushing the crumbs off it.

They sat by the fire, trading food and making small-talk for a little while. Even as the sun began to set, he noted that the fire wasn't visible. It was below-ground, even its glow contained within the hole so as not to alert anyone to their presence.

"What do you call this?" Kadal asked, brandishing a piece of mutton.

"That's mutton," he explained, "it comes from an animal called a sheep. My family used to rear them back on our farm."

"What does it look like?"

"It has four legs, hooves, and it's covered in white wool. They look a little like clouds with legs."

She laughed at the visual, reaching over to take another dried date from the parcel.

"It is rather strange, spending time with someone who has no expectations of me," she said as she popped it into her mouth.

"Oh?" Caden asked, prompting her to elaborate.

"When my kin seek me out, it is usually because they need something from me, or they require my help in some way. I must go out and find a lost hunter, or investigate the sighting of an intruder, or the Shaman requires rare herbs for her potions. When so many look up to you, it can be...difficult to interact with them on equal footing. Yet you, you ask nothing of me."

He was about to remind her that she had followed him against his will, but quickly remembered how he had missed her company when she had gone hunting. He was glad of her persistence, in a way. The idea of being out here all alone was not an appealing one, even if his companion's true intentions might be questionable.

"I guess I don't really need anything from you," he replied with a shrug. "You're free to stay or go, it's up to you."

"Then I will stay," she replied with a smile. "For the moment..."

CHAPTER 7: SPELUNKING

Caden was asleep. Kadal watched the slow rise and fall of his chest as he lay upon his straw-filled blanket, his staff always within reach. She slowly rose from her prone position, slinking out of the mouth of the cave and into the moonlight beyond.

The firepit was still warm, its embers glowing, only visible from above. She walked past it, her footsteps silent on the sand, taking one last glance at the sleeping intruder before she set off into the reefs. Moving at night was always more difficult than in the day, she missed the heat of the sun, the energy that it provided her. For what must have been three hours, she made her way through the spires and corals, heading back in the direction of the wall. It soon loomed in the distance, Kadal keeping low to the ground, her senses perfectly attuned to her environment.

A sudden movement caught her eye, and she dropped to the sand, lying completely motionless. It was just a nocturnal desert mouse, the startled little creature hopping away across the dunes.

Kadal pressed on, climbing one of the reefs to get a better view of the foot of the towering megalith, its immaculate construction no less impressive. Under the light of the Moon, she could see movement near the heavy blocks at its base, Kadal slithering a little closer to peer between two petrified corals.

It was as she had suspected, there was a hunting party on their tail. They had followed the tracks to the breach that Caden had made in the wall, and tonight, they were making camp in its shadow. Without the Shaman's magic that would imbue her with the ability to sense their auras, she could only rely on her naked eyes, but a lifetime of experience had made them uncommonly keen. Keeping out of their range, as they had probably been given potions of their own, she observed them as they slept. There were a dozen of them in sight, the moonlight reflecting off their scales, revealing markings that she didn't recognize. These were not warriors from her village, they must hail from one of the tribes that the Shaman had called upon for help.

Conflict wracked her.

Should she climb down and alert them to the battlemage's location? They could be upon him before he awoke if they moved with purpose, he wouldn't be able to stop them all. They had been following the tracks of two people, however. One was an intruder, a battlemage, while the other was one of their own kind. These hunters were not members of her tribe, they didn't know her, and they didn't know her purpose here. Would they think that she had betrayed her kind, that she was helping the enemy reach his destination? What other conclusion could they come to? It was forbidden to interact with outsiders, and she had violated that taboo. The only mercy that she might find would be in return for Caden's head.

That was her duty, it was the will of the Shaman, the decree of the Gods that had been upheld for untold eons. Yet something kept her from following through. What if he was telling the truth? What if his kindness was genuine, and not merely an act designed to deceive her? Her conviction had been so strong when she had set out, but now, she was wracked with doubt.

She was sure of one thing, at least. She did not wish to die by the blades of these headhunters, nor did she wish Caden to suffer that fate. There was time yet to find another solution. Maybe she could confirm that he was telling her the truth, or else find a way to deter him from his quest. If all else failed, then she would have to take responsibility, find another way to stop him if she could not defeat him in battle. The idea frustrated her, she wanted no victory over the battlemage that was not earned, or she would never regain her pride. Yet she had no other choice. If he was truly destined to destroy the world, then her petty pride mattered little, she must do her duty.

An idea came to her, an underhanded, but necessary contingency. Kadal might not have been able to defeat the battlemage, but the Eater of Bones certainly could. What if she were to lead him through the beast's territory by posing as a guide? She did not wish such a grisly end upon Caden, but if she was not convinced that his motives were as noble as he claimed by the time they reached the creature's lair, it might be her final chance to avert the catastrophe that she had seen in her vision.

Careful not to dislodge any loose rocks, she turned back, disappearing into the night.

***

Caden ate a light breakfast, noting that Kadal had gone off somewhere, probably to warm herself in the sun. It seemed to be a necessary part of her daily routine, she likely couldn't function properly without it. He remembered the sight of her naked body splayed out on the rock, her curves burned into his mind like an afterimage, Caden catching himself daydreaming about her as he polished off a ration of beans and salted pork. He tried to drive the intrusive thoughts from his mind, he had far more pressing concerns right now than his confusing feelings toward the reptile.

After setting out again, she caught up to him after a couple of hours, just as he had expected. She was like a cat, coming and going as she pleased. Her ability to track him through the desert was truly remarkable. If he were tasked with accomplishing the same feat, he would probably lose all trace of her after about twenty feet.

"There you are," he said, raising a hand in greeting as she appeared from between two reefs. "I was starting to wonder if you were coming back. What kept you?"

"I was merely...basking," she replied, matching pace as she walked along beside him. It seemed that she was no longer keeping her distance, perhaps their shared meal the night before had convinced her that he posed no threat.

"Not much of a breakfast person, are you?" he asked.

"I ate my fill last night," she replied.

"I'll say, you practically polished off that whole turtle by yourself."
"There is something I have been wondering," she began, Caden using his staff as a walking stick as he navigated a steep dune. "You must know that you are being tracked. What is your plan if your pursuers should catch up with you?"

"I figured as much," he replied, his boots sliding a little in the red sand as he descended the other side. "Your people were far too determined to give up after just one fight. But let me ask you a question in return. Earlier, you told me that others would take your place when you failed to kill me. What did you mean by that, exactly?"

"There are other tribes besides my own," she replied, clearing the obstacle with far more grace. "There are other villages, with other warrior-shamans. When I failed in my task, the Shaman sent word to them, asking them for help."

"Hang on," Caden said, his blood running cold. "You mean to tell me that there may be more like you coming after me? More warriors armed with enchanted weapons and magic?"

"Certainly," she replied. "There are likely several hunting parties from different villages tracking you."

"More hunting parties, I can probably evade," he grumbled. "I haven't run out of tricks just yet. But fighting one of you was hard enough, I don't plan to make a habit of it."

"You had a head-start," she continued. "But they can move faster than you, and they know the terrain well. They cannot be more than a day behind you by now."

"Why are you suddenly so concerned about me getting caught?" he wondered, giving her a sideways glance. "Isn't that exactly what you wanted?"

She looked away from him, her body language somehow colder than it had been the night before. They had shared a meal, they had even laughed together, but he got the distinct impression that something had changed. Before he could ask her what was on her mind, she interrupted the thought.

"I have come to the decision that...perhaps you do not deserve to die," she replied reluctantly.

"Oh. Well, thank you for giving me your permission to keep living," he muttered, hoping that the translation magic would convey his sarcasm. "What about you? If they catch up to me while you're here, what would happen to you? Would they consider you a traitor?"

She cocked her head at him, Caden wondering what about his question had confused her.

"I just mean, maybe you should think about hiding if they're so close," he added. "I'll bet you know all kinds of ways to conceal yourself."

"I warn you that headhunters are on your heels, and your first thought is about my safety?" she asked.

"Hey, you're the one who's following me," he shot back. "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"I might be more inclined to believe you if you had not been walking in the wrong direction for three days," she added, Caden turning to glare at her.

"Wait, what do you mean? I've been following the sun!"

"You may start off following the sun when you wake, but by midday, you start to stray North as you lose track of its arc. It may not seem like it to you, but you will probably have walked so far North that by the time you find the far shore, you would have to trek South for miles before you reach the sacred city. It may add days to your journey."

"Gods damn it, why didn't you tell me sooner?" he demanded.

"I thought that you might give up and turn back if you arrived at the shore, and found no city," she admitted. "But you will never make it that far at this rate."

"How do you even know that?" he continued, scowling at her from beneath the shadow of his cowl. "It's not like you have a working compass, and I doubt that your tribe has somehow invented sextants before shoes."

"The lichens," she replied, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Lichens?" Caden repeated, spreading his arms in frustration. He had no idea what she was talking about.

"Have you not noticed the colorful lichens that grow on the rocks in the Coral Sea? They prefer shadow, and so they cling to the crevices where the sun does not reach them. Find a suitable boulder, and you will see that they grow only on its North and South faces, leaving a band of bare stone from East to West where the sun passes overhead."

"So I have hunters chasing me, and I have no idea where I'm going," he grumbled. "That's just great."

"I may have a solution to both problems," Kadal said, Caden waiting for her to elaborate. "I know a passage to the East where my people will not follow, but it is...dangerous."

"You would lead me there?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow at her. "Why?"

She looked away again, as though it pained her to speak the words. Was it embarrassment? Was her pride so wounded, or was something else on her mind?

"As I said, I do not believe that you deserve to die."

"You said it was dangerous, why is that? What makes your people so wary of going there?"

"If we continue in this direction, we shall encounter an impassable barrier," she explained. "There is a ridge, a natural obstacle that would have cut off your advance. The headhunters know this, and were no doubt hoping to drive you towards it with the intention of cornering you."

"Couldn't I just have gone around it?" Caden asked, Kadal shaking her head.

"The headhunters would catch up to you, they are already close."

"I don't suppose we could climb it without the appropriate equipment? It may come as a surprise to you, but I'm no mountaineer."

"Unless you have some spell that will allow us to walk up its face, I doubt it. There is a pass in the ridge to the South where we might make our way through, but we cannot outrun our pursuers. There...may be another way, however."

"Great!" Caden said, quickly noticing her hesitation. "What's the issue?"

"There is a cave system that leads beneath the ridge and appears to emerge on the far side."

"Appears to emerge?" Caden repeated, giving her a skeptical look.

"Nobody has ever been deep enough to find out, it is darker than night in there, and as cold as the grave."

"I guess your tribe doesn't have torches or illumination spells," Caden mused. "So, our choices are to face the hunting party and probably take on another warrior-shaman," he grumbled as he flipped back his cowl and ran his fingers through his hair in exasperation. "Or, we can enter a completely uncharted cave system and hope that we don't get hopelessly lost."

"It is a risk," she conceded, "but the hunters will not follow us into those tunnels. It is the only sure way to evade them."

"Indeed," he replied cheerfully, "there's no reason to hesitate! Of course, it has occurred to me that you might be deceiving me. This could be some kind of trap or an attempt to lead me astray." The comment set Kadal's frill fluttering, and he worried that he had offended her, quickly continuing. "The alternative is to stay the course and likely be butchered by a pack of giant lizards with axes, however, so I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt on this occasion."

"I am glad to see that trust blossoms between us," Kadal added sarcastically. "Come," she said, changing direction. "This time, it is you who will be following me."

***

"Well, that's a big hill," Caden mused. He was standing at the foot of a small chain of mountains that jutted like a giant row of teeth from what had once been the seafloor. Its size might have been unimpressive compared to an actual mountain, but it was still at least a thousand feet high in places, maybe more. That wasn't high enough for there to be snow capping its jagged peaks, but it was enough to make climbing it an ordeal. It was so vertical, the slope was incredibly steep and uneven, covered with impressive coral formations that almost resembled the shelves of a library. Time and exposure to the elements had weathered its face, but it still struck him as a structure that could not have formed outside of the ocean depths. It seemed to extend into the distance in both directions, forming a natural barrier.

"Curses," Kadal hissed. "I did not think that we had strayed so far North."

"I don't think I can knock a hole in this," Caden muttered, turning to glance up at her. "Where is the cave you spoke of? Don't tell me that we've cornered ourselves?"

She glanced over her shoulder, her head swiveling on her flexible neck, uncertainty creeping into her voice.

"We should make haste," she urged, growing impatient as they stood out in the open. She kept glancing back at the nearby reefs as though afraid that the headhunters would be upon them at any moment. "Come, the caves are not far."

***

They soon reached the yawning maw that led into the cave system. It was made of corals, much like the others that they had come across, but it was far deeper. The tunnel of jagged rock extended beneath the earth until shadow shrouded it.

"That is possibly the least inviting thing I've ever seen," Caden muttered, leaning in to look down the passage. He could hear his voice echoing, bouncing off the walls, slowly fading in the dark depths.

"Might your magic be of help to us?" Kadal asked. She was shifting her weight from foot to foot nervously, looking even less enthusiastic about going down there than he was.

"I can light our way, certainly," he replied. "Perhaps there are other spells that could help us navigate. I would really prefer not to end my days lost in the bowels of the earth."

"There is another problem," Kadal added, Caden turning back to see the concern in her yellow eyes. "My kind cannot function without sunlight. If we are exposed to darkness and cold for too long, we become ill, and can even perish if we do not find a source of heat in time."