Scaling the wall, I was grateful to see a set of steps. My boots were slippery from the greasy wall, so I nearly fell twice while descending the stairs. Finally, my feet hit the floor.
And I found a small waterfall feeding into what appeared to be a shallow pool.
The water was a beautiful, inviting aquamarine. It also cut through the passage. The only way to get to the other side was to use a narrow rope bridge.
Looking beyond the pool, I saw that there was a sharp turn. I wondered if I’d now reached the end of the second circuit.Fingers crossed.
Judging by the width of the pool, there was absolutely no way for me to leap over it. I studied the rope bridge, not muchliking the look of it. The wooden rungs were so narrow that I wouldn’t be able to fit both feet on one at the same time. More disconcertingly, some of said rungs were missing.
I considered the pool, wondering if I should instead swim to the other side. It would sure help cool me down, though getting soaked to the bone didn’t hold a great deal of appeal.
Something splashed in the water below.
Yeah, no, swimming wasout.
I headed for the bridge, gripping the rough ropes that spanned the length of it, and placed my foot on the first rung. It creaked but held. Puffing out a breath, I started to walk across it. The godsdamn thing began to sway, so I slowed my pace; kept it slow from them on.
Reaching the spot where two rungs were missing, I carefully stretched out my leg to place my foot on the nearest rung.
And it snapped beneath my weight.
I plummeted like a dart, hitting the water with a splash. It closed over me, ice-cold. I surfaced, coughing and shoving my wet hair out of my face.
Movement caught my eye.
A snake was slinking along the surface of the water not too far from me.
Everything in me seized.Oh, gods.I felt my breathing speed up and my heart begin to pound like a drum.
The moment the snake was out of sight, I wasted no time in heading for the edge of the pool. I swam and swam, feeling the mist of the waterfall spray my hair and face. Reaching the other side, I heaved myself up and collapsed on the rough ground there.
The hatred I felt for Xalbia had just hit brand new, soaring levels.
I stayed there as long as I dared, fighting to catch my breath and slow my heart rate. Getting to my feet, I groaned. I was positively soaked. I wrung my hair, tunic, and breeches, squeezing some water onto the ground. I hoped that the liquid wasn’t poisonous, because I’d inadvertently swallowed some of it.
Mentally nudging my reluctant body to walk on, I headed right for the turn up-ahead. Again, I ducked under dangling moss … and my scenery altered slightly once more. Gone were the branches and vines—a glittering black mildew spiderwebbed along various cracks in the grimy stone walls. Gone was the oppressive heat—it was so cool here that the air felt sharp against my clammy skin.
And I was two steps away from a shallow ditch that seemed to go on forever.
Peering down at it, I felt my nose wrinkle. It was filled with dirty, brackish water out of which tall reeds and grasses rose up. Insects crawled over the partially-submerged spires and statues. A strange thin mist rolled over the water’s surface, as did duckweed and lilies. Droplets of water rhythmically fell from the ceiling and plopped into the ditch, making the fetid water ripple and jump.
Biting into my lower lip, I scratched at the mosquito bite on my neck. It went without saying that I had no wish to get into that ditch, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to move any direction but forwards.
Well, at least I couldn’t possibly get any wetter at this point.
I braced my hand on the damp wall and, on the off-chance that the ditch wasn’t as shallow as it appeared, cautiously lowered one foot. I met ground quicker than I’d expected—the water level stopped a few inches below my knee.
It was cold, but nowhere near as icy as the pool had been. Or maybe my skin was so chilled that this felt lukewarm. Whatever.
I stepped fully into the ditch, sensing that the ground was a little sludgy.Mud.Who didn’t love mud?
Praying that the light mist wasn’t hiding something that would terrify me, I started traipsing through the water. Stealth was not an option here. There was no quieting the sloshingof my footsteps or the squelching of the mud sucking at my boots.
I swished aside the long grass, cursing the reeds that caught at my breeches and slowed me down. Many patches of my lower legs stung, courtesy of the salty water; telling me just how many minor injuries I had. Hopefully they wouldn’t become infected by the filthy water.
A few dragonflies moved through the reeds. I didn’t mind dragonflies. As for the little bugs dancing along the surface of the water? I didn’t know what they were, but I studiously avoided them.
I shivered as droplets of water dripped from my hair down my face. My sodden clothes clung to and chafed my skin. They were also an added weight that I didnotneed.
