73

Suffer the Children

Out of the strange rock formations in the otherworldly cavern, Abzeig rose up right in front of Nick’s flashlight beam like some kind of low-budget movie monster. And Lottica could do nothing to prevent her roller coaster shriek.

Pistol in hand, Abzeig seemed as surprised as Lottica and Nick. In the flashlight beam, his eyes were wide and Lottica’s screech made him drop his gun. But swiftly realizing who it was, he reclaimed his gun and took Nick’s flashlight.

From the heart-shaped passage, Beilla’s voice echoed commanding Abzeig to bring the children to him. Abzeig hesitated, but then herded the siblings into the hot, narrow passage.

Lottica thought she might hyperventilate from the tunnel’s heat and the scare she’d had. Yet, she knew her parents must be close, and that kept her going until the passage widened and they could stand up. That’s where she and Nick were met by the Fareima-glowing form of Beilla.

He welcomed them with rich sarcasm. "Ah, the young Breimas. So nice of you to come all this way to visit the fine land of Lebreima. In a way, I should have been expecting you. It was perhaps wrong of me to separate you from your parents. Let me make amends."

He led them the rest of the way through the passage and then stepped aside.

Linda rushed to her children as they emerged from the passage. "Nick, Lottica, are you all right?” She hugged them tightly.

Deilune came up and embraced them as well. "Are either of you hurt?"

Still shaken, Nick answered, "We’re fine. Abzeig surprised us back there.” He motioned to where Abzieg now stood, gun drawn, blocking the heart-shaped passage.

"How did you get here? Are you alone?" Deilune asked.

Even before Lottica elbowed him in the side, Nick knew he had to try to strengthen their very weak hand. He announced loudly, "After we found out you'd been taken by Beilla and Abzeig, Grandfather and Grandmother organized this search. The mountain is swarming with cops. They are right behind us. Lottica and I got a bit ahead of the other searchers."

His story making him feel more cavalier, Nick sweetened the bluff, facing Beilla. "Your brother is here, too. Heidein knew this is where you'd come. So, let us go, Beilla. You're in enough trouble."

Beilla's answer was a very thin smile. He did not have the look of someone who was out of options. He looked supremely confident. "Certainly, this sounds like my brother. To send two children ahead to tackle the madman of Lebreima. Yes, this makes perfect sense."

He stepped towards Nick and his face appeared almost kindly. "Even if what you said about the police is true, it could hardly matter. Look about you, young Breima. Is this not a perfect place to defend? Even an army must come through that passage one by one. Abzeig is more than a match for that. No, I see no reason to turn back. Once I have all the lifestones and the Tireima is restored, no one will be able to alter the destiny of Lebreima."

"But you don't need the children," Linda pleaded.

"That is what I thought. Until I saw this place. Even careful planning calls for changes.” He turned to face Deilune. “You cleverly made me leave the missing piece behind in the airplane, but now I can see its image clearly in my head.”

The mention of the stained glass pane set Lottica's nerves tingling. She knew it was in Nick's backpack. She paid close attention as Beilla continued.

"This chamber is exactly what is shown on the missing piece. It is a diagram of what must be done to reclaim the Astreima and reunite the three stones. After your miraculous return, Deilune, I came to believe that the image of the male and female with the missing hearts were you and your wife."

Beilla’s voice grew almost manic. "I was wrong. Now, I understand the truth of the image. It is your children. The size of the passages around the chasm and to the pools makes that obvious. It all fits. Only the children of Breima, the innocent and pure of heart, can restore the Tireima."

In his zeal, Beilla clasped Deilune's arm and urged, "Don't you see it? We are so close to finding the Astreima. It is now our destiny to do this!"

For a moment, Deilune thought he might just take Beilla's hand and swing him around and over the edge of the chasm a few yards to his right, but Abzeig still guarded the passage. Deilune knew that getting rid of Beilla would only solve half the problem of rescuing his family.

"If you’re asking me to send my children alone through that tiny passageway to those molten pools on the other side of that abyss you’re crazier than I ever thought."

"It must be done!" Beilla hissed in Lebreiman and motioned to Abzeig who leveled his pistol at Linda.

Deilune’s eyes darted between Abzeig and Beilla before he asked, "What do you expect Nick and Lottica to do over there?"

“The children must place the gemstones in the four pools as revealed in the missing piece. They are the four quadrants of the stained glass panel. This will reveal the location of the Astreima. I am sure of it!"

Deilune shook his head. "But two of those pools appear to be molten lava. That doesn't make much sense. Besides, how can my children put the Kareima there, if it’s in me?"

"There must be sacrifices, Deilune." Beilla's motioned once again to Abzeig who now trained his pistol at Deilune’s glowing chest.

Without thinking, Nick leapt toward’s Abzeig, but Beilla caught him mid-lunge. "Save your energy, young Breima. Your part is to come."

He pushed Nick back towards Linda who locked onto his arm. Beilla held out his hand to Deilune. "I need your ring. It is a part of the Kareima and may be enough to locate the Astreima."

"If that’s all you needed, then why didn't you just take our dad’s ring, instead of dragging them here?" Lottica shouted.

"I reckon with many possibilities. The ring may not be enough. But we will see?" Beilla opened and closed his outstretched hand, his voice becoming tense and controlling "Come, Deilune, there is choice and there is no choice. Which do you believe this to be?"

Deilune looked to Linda and his children and then slowly removed the glowing ring from his finger. He placed it in Beilla’s palm. Abzeig lowered his gun.

As Beilla removed the family ring from his own finger which came from the Fareima hanging at his neck, he acknowledged, "I know it is not easy to give up your ring. I do not wish to give up a piece of the Fareima either. It is deeply embedded in my being. In my family. I will only give up the Fareima pendant if the ring is not sufficient. You see, this is a great sacrifice for me as well."

Deilune snorted. “Quit with the sympathy. We don’t need a pep talk. We're your prisoners. Not your disciples. What needs to be done?"

Deilune's admonishment made Beilla's dark eyes flash with anger, but his voice remained even. "Your children must take our rings through the passage and place them in the pools. That is all."

"And if nothing happens?" Linda demanded.

"Then, we shall see.” Beilla turned to Nick and Lottica. “Do you understand what needs to be done?”

"Must they both go?" Linda pleaded.

"The missing piece clearly shows two children. They must both go."

Linda gathered Lottica and Nick to her and Deilune joined them. “Can you do this?” she asked.

Lottica nodded. Nick nodded. The family hugged.

“Enough,” Beilla said, leading the children to the opening of the small tunnel that circumvented the chasm. Beilla handed Nick his father’s ring made from the Kareima. To Lottica, he gave his ring containing a portion of the Fareima. "Take them through the passage, and I will tell you what to do once you near the four pools."

With the rings in hand, Nick and Lottica peered into opening. It would be a tight fit and they needed to remove their backpacks to enter. Nick took his off and rummaged inside.

"What are you looking for?" Beilla asked.

"Extra batteries for our flashlights, if you don’t mind."

Beilla nodded and Nick quickly slipped not only the batteries and his dad’s ring, but also the missing piece pane of glass into his jacket pocket. As she grabbed her own flashlight and batteries and put them in her pocket along with Beilla’s ring, Lottica saw what Nick had done. She nodded her approval.

“I’ll go first,” Nick said. He stared into the small opening. It was not a place he wanted to go, but he looked over at his parents being menaced by Abzeig’s gun. They had to try this. "You ready?" he asked his sister, feeling foolish since he felt far from ready himself.

Lottica saw her parent’s anxious looks in the Kareima’s pulsing glow. She waved bravely to them. “Ready or not…” she whispered to Nick. And to herself.