Elysia stared at the man beside her with perplexed eyes. “I didn’t know that such a passage existed in the mountains. Are you sure we should be heading this way?”

“Yes, I’m definitely certain of it. This is the path we should take.”

Elysia kept quiet. It had been fifteen minutes since she had been walking. Besides that, she thought the yellow eyes of the man to be eerie. Suddenly she heard shouts behind her. She turned back to notice Wünder hastening towards her. Behind him, Brown seemed to be shouting something. As they came closer, Elysia heard him clearly.

“Hey! Stop running!”

It was unusual for Wünder to do something contrary to his brother’s wish. Elysia’s heart jumped at the thought that he had done that for her. The boy looked aloof as usual, and somehow, the only way he could seem earnest was by the way he glanced at her while catching his breath. “What are you doing here, Wünder?”

“Where are you going, Elysia?”

“To the mines. I heard my father has gotten incapacitated by an injury,” she supplied.

Alarm flashed in Wünder’s eyes as he kept on looking at her. “But your father is dead. Who told you that he was injured?”

“What did you say? Wünder, I’m not forgiving you if this is your idea of a joke.”

“Well, I’m speaking the truth. Your father’s body will probably be brought back to us once the knight and his squires have secured the parameters tomorrow. You can ask my brother, if you want to confirm my words.”

Elysia was silenced. She twirled her hair, a sign of growing anxiety in her case, as Wünder was well aware of. The man beside her paused. He looked stoic, and somehow threatening. He had thinly cropped hair, and was more on the muscular side. He adjusted his shirt, and cleared his throat. “Your father is waiting, Elysia. And it’s getting cold too. He must be in quite some pain, now as we speak.”

“That’s just absurd!” cried Brown while approaching them. “I saw Router’s dead body with my own two eyes. Even now, I feel miserable knowing that he’s gone. We were great friends together.”

Elysia looked in Brown’s direction, obviously divided about who to believe, judging from her expressions. Her eyes teared up, and her lips started trembling. She still looked the same as the prim and proper girl who had glanced at the river earlier this day; she did not start weeping. “You are lying, Brown. My father can’t be dead. He told me that fate would not have him dead. If not it would just be too unfair.”

“That’s not the case, Elysia!” argued Wünder ardently, “my brother would never lie to me. You’ll have to come back to the village. I’m sure the other miners will supply you with the same answer as my brother did.”

Elysia gripped the pouch she had been holding since all this time. Wünder could not guess what was in there just from the form it took from the content inside. Elysia’s next words clarified things for him. “No, I won’t go to them. I haven’t time. I have to bring the medicines immediately to dad or he’ll suffer. Let’s go, Mr. Reynolds.”

Wünder stretched his hand forward, thinking of grabbing Elysia’s hands, but thought better of it and restrained himself. “I’m coming with you people then.”

He glanced at his brother and then stared intently at the guy named Reynolds. The man only shrugged, and started walking. Brown came up to Wünder and patted him on the back. “You did well, Wünder,” he whispered, and glared heatedly at the man beside Elysia. “He’s a fairly new face. I’ve only seen him on a few occasions.”

The path wounding from the village to the mines was inlaid between mountain ridges on both sides. Reynolds approached the rocky barrier on the right, and parted the bushes and young tree shoots, moving almost mechanically, to uncover a wall. The wall was covered in briar and brambles of green and brown and a murky shade of yellow. Peering hard at it, he grazed his hand about its surface, and finally gave a push. A path opened itself to the group. “Let’s get going now, Elysia.”

The girl uncertainly considered the entrance in front of her, before giving a sharp nod, and moved through the rocky threshold. Behind her, Wünder and Brown recollected themselves from their initial looks of awe and interest, before following the pair.

***

Duff sidled away the feathery pen he held against the table surface, and watched it drop while issuing a yawn. He glanced at the small stream which Mrs. Detroit had indicated on a map - a map which labeled the stream as Silver Road Bourns.

It had a magical sound to it. Duff thought that he would find great pleasure in telling Wünder about the stream, and they could afterwards set out together to explore it. However, one thing bothered him immensely. “Mrs. Detroit, what’s a bourn?”

“Oh dear, are you referring to the title of the small streams depicted here?” Duff nodded, albeit almost affably, because he was alone with her. Things would have been more fun with Elysia or Wünder around; he could have pulled their legs with jokes and questions. “Well, I’m surprised you could guess that this word is a noun.”

Duff blushed. “Uh, yeah… I guess. ‘Silver Road’ is not another word for a stream, so only ‘Bourns’ is left.” It flustered him to receive praises so frequently as when he was in Mrs. Detroit’s company. He was not used to it, nor had he had someone tell him praises for a long time since he was born. It made him want to find a hole and hide. And he had often ran away from it through thievery and running away from the houses which would shelter him.

“Such a wild animal you are, Duff,” commented Mrs. Detroit, making him feel weird. “A bourn is a small stream. Especially one which flows intermittently, or seasonally. In other words, it’s sometimes dry, and sometimes, it can probably build up a tenth of the energy and vivacity of a normal torrent. By the way, did you know that all of us are animals?” Duff shook his head. “Well, now you know. Anyway, how did you like the legend which I told you about?”

Duff considered her words. All that he had heard had caused his heart to become pumped up; he was a bit excited. “Well, I found it really interesting. And are you done reading, Mrs. Detroit?”

Mrs. Detroit deigned to gasp in astonishment. “Why do you ask, Duff? Is it boring?”

Duff smiled slyly at the question. “No, I’m asking you precisely because I don’t want it to become boring.” He stood up, grabbing his cup and drinking the bittersweet coffee from it at one go. “I’m going after Elysia.”

“I see,” Mrs. Detroit considered sweetly, her eyes drawn downwards to the floor, “well, take care, won’t you?” She lifted her eyes and smiled at him brightly.

“Yeah, I will!”

Closing the door behind him, Duff thought of the legends and myths Mrs. Detroit had narrated to him, and grinned from ear from ear. The Elysian fields. The possibility of another realm beyond all that he knew. And the key which was rumored to be buried in the Taitanus mountain, only some kilometers away from him - the key to a new world.

It was precisely at the entrance of the mountain called Taitanus where Wünder and Brown were heading. To its mines of silver and golden troves.

***

At the Taitanus mountain, slumbered a huge mound of flesh. It beseemed the very personification of ostentation. Adorned in nothing but gold, that thing's reddish - crimson - skin seemed to glisten and reflect the gold it was wearing.

It was on a huge bed of intricate silverwork, heads of skeletons and roses etched to the bed’s side. The mound of flesh lay in a vast room, and screeches could be heard as a horde of indescribable monsters passed by the foot of his bed. Snores and annoying sounds came from a mouth, as if savoring something, and the mound of flesh shifted, to reveal the outline of a leg.

Out of the room where laid the person, out of the mines, and a few kilometers from the mines’ entrance was the group led by Elysia. Elysia’s face was bathed in ruth and self-pity. She seemed close to hugging herself. Mr. Reynolds wore a snide glare, staring only forward with his golden irises.

Brown and Wünder acted like amenable companions, and concealed their thoughts with a show of helpless ambivalence. Apparently, the path they were on was a shorter route to the mines. Brown planned on having Wünder restrain Elysia at his signal, while Brown would deal with Reynolds. And they would head back. Brown’s conclusion had been that a gang of ruffians had sheltered itself in the cave. However, Reynolds guarded Elysia staunchly and he caught Brown right in an attempt to jump upon him. This checked Brown into place, and made him more hesitant to make his ambush.

Elysia did not seem to be aware of Brown’s movements, while he bade his time. She fumbled with her leather pouch, taking out black pills made of leaves, and checking each analgesic, each potion with untrained eyes. It made Wünder think that they would have been better off fetching a doctor rather than Elysia if Router had truly been injured.

The cave they were in had large cracks in its roof, starting with the one aligning by the path they took. The sun was now behind them, casting warmth on their backs. The sound of water could be heard. Stalagtites and stalagmites cast dark shadows in the dim vastness which surrounded them. The air was humid, the ground slippery. The screech of a hawk was heard, somewhere in the sky, before it most presumably descended upon its prey.

This distracted Reynolds enough to make him look upwards, and Brown sped towards him, pushing the man down and moved to restrain him. The latter got hurt by the protrusions on the damp floor, and became breathless, looking at Brown wildly, before wrestling with Brown and kicked him away.

“Curses!” shouted Brown, struggling to stay afoot.

Reynolds got up, groaning with pain. “What are you trying to do to me?”

“Well, where were you taking this young lady exactly?”

Reynolds lunged at Brown with a punch, which the latter could only block, due to his unstable footing. He tried to follow up with another punch, but Brown swiped at his foot, and he stumbled before grabbing Brown’s waist and bringing him down with him. Brown fell on his bottom, wincing in pain.

“I told you that her father needs her help.”

“And I told you that he’s dead! The dead don’t ask for help!”

Reynolds gave a blow to Brown’s face. “Well, fine. You want to come along, right? That makes it easier for you. You can check whether he’s alive with your own eyes.”

“He’s dead,” Brown stared hard at him. “You can’t change my mind.”

Reynolds punched him on his nose; it was a glancing blow. “I won’t be the one to change your mind, fool. Let’s go.”

Brown looked at him with confusion. Reynolds glowered back with hatred, before finding Elysia observing him with wide eyes. He tucked at his collar, cleared his throat and resumed walking. Elysia glanced at Brown with consternation, before moving on. “That was stupid, Brown.”

As she walked, Wünder heard her whisper that her father wasn’t dead. Brown stood up, looking at Wünder with reproach. The latter shrugged; he had held Elysia’s hand during the time his brother had been scuffling around, but released it the moment Brown was at a disadvantage.

“Such a frosty pair, the two of them,” bemoaned Brown, addressing himself to Wünder. “But I guess that makes it worth having come here.”

“You mean because we could affirm the fact that Elysia is being deceived?”

“No, I mean this good old fight,” Brown said, wiping his mouth - blood came away with the back of his palm.

Elysia glanced back at them, but Brown said nothing to her. She sulked and puffed, only in the way she could, and looked forward. Wünder didn’t know what to make of this expression, or whether to consider it an exaggeration of a reaction, or feminine artifice… as much as Brown couldn’t.

“Wünder, you heard of the legends that said that vampires inhabited the mines?”

“Yeah, I did.”

“Well, doesn’t it look like it is false?”

“I already know that, brother. I did explore the mines with you.”

“No, you don’t say. You’ve only had glimpses of it, because the guards wouldn’t let you go further in.”

“I guess that’s true…”

“By the way, how’s your education going? Is Mr. Larkins doing a good job out of teaching you?”

“I’ve often told you that he’s being a big help,” Wünder said, “I’ll maintain my words no matter what you say.”

“I see. Did you ask the tailor if he needed an assistant yet.”

“I went to ask him, but he said I was too young to do a job.”

“Strange of him. He was the one who told me that I had to work at the mines. Maybe he thinks you have a better chance than me.”

Wünder looked at Brown with inquiring eyes. “Better chance at what, brother?”

“Well, how should I say it? A better chance at setting up a family?”

Wünder looked ahead with a pensive face. “Do you want to set up a family, brother?”

“It’s impossible for me, you know?”

“Then, doesn’t that make it even more impossible for me?”

“You can’t be so sure, Wünder.”

“Nor can you be, brother. If you want a family for me, then I want a family for you too.”

Brown smiled widely. “Well, that’s something to look forward to.”

Elysia, still leading ahead of them, paused in her footsteps, and asked Brown. “Say, my father is alive, right? What you said before was a lie, right?” Her tone was subdued, docile, as if she were fearful, and she did indeed seem so when asking her question, for her voice faltered.

Brown looked at her unhappily. “I’m not answering that again.” This somehow pacified Elysia, for she visibly stopped fretting, and twirling her hair. The rest of the trip went on without much incident. At one point, they came across a panoply of streams tinted with sulfur and chrome-colored deposits.

They gradually transitioned into a darker cave, where there were no cracks in the roof, and they could move on only after Reynolds took out a torch, and lighted it with the sparks from a pair of flintstones. “Well, I suppose the following apothegm goes quite well here. ‘It is not sufficient to carry religion in our hearts, as fire is carried in flintstones’. Though, I beg to differ that moral codes are much more likely than religion.”

Wünder looked at Brown, wondering about what he was talking about, but thought no more of it, since Reynolds did not seem to care enough to listen to Brown, and Elysia was too desolate to partake in his wit.

And so, they progressed through the cave, while hardly making a sound. It was as if they were honoring, with their silence, a dirge which only they could hear. The cave, despite being akin to a playground for Wünder, was also something he was afraid of because of its sheer darkness. Elysia was even less familiar with the likeness of caves. The only people the two could look to for support, in such a place, had been involved in a fight already, and they wondered about what would happen if another fight were to take place.

‘The fire will most likely be put out if another brawl breaks out,’ surmised Wünder, aspiring to keep his brother close company so that he wouldn’t commit any rash acts again. In the first place, he was worried about reaching the end of their walk, and finding himself in the middle of thugs; he wondered if his brother realized such a thing.

The remaining distance was covered in about one hour, during which they climbed up, hopped past, and scaled down the cave’s ground. It was tiring business for Wünder, though his brother seemed used to it. Elysia heaved a sigh of relief the moment Brown declared that they had reached the mines. Mr. Reynolds made no objection to it.

“Alright! Now show us where Router is!” Brown exclaimed, “I’m sure you are quite apt to proving the impossible, since you haven’t killed me yet.”

Just by a little, Wünder thought he could again understand what his brother was thinking.