Book One – Chapter 10

She jumped one of the grand vertical pillars. She had already smelt that the stalactite structures were moist and slippery. With the darkness claws still woven around her own, she threw her paws against the rock at full force. She had attempted to dig into the rock, but while her natural claws made contact, the extended darkness simply slit through the rock as if it were air. The unexpected lack of grip left Midnight scrattering and slipping, her muscles straining as she flung herself to the adjacent pillar, now relying on her own claws as she jumped from one structure to the next. Each leap brought her closer to a platform beneath the high ceiling.

The shadebeast’s massive form followed with a single bound. He reached the platform right after her, closing the distance instantly, as Midnight dashed into the tunnel that exited from there.

            Could he not have intercepted her and blocked the tunnel?
                         Had he let her escape on purpose?

Midnight felt the words emerging but was unable to grasp them fully amidst the demanding chase. Within seconds, she reached a junction of diverging tunnels. Struggling to keep her darkness sense at pace with her rapid movements, Midnight chose by intuition, only to feel another junction approaching. The sprites’ commentary added to the overwhelming sensory barrage, each voice urging her to choose a different tunnel and then both complaining about her choice, even though she inevitably did what at least one of them wanted. Midnight rushed into the greater right tunnel, its walls shimmering stalactite. Left, right, left, a small cavern, right, left, high-up right and right again. She raced through the winding passages, her heightened senses attuned to the subtle shifts in temperature and atmosphere. The scent of the mountain’s breath grew stronger, now hinting at the proximity of snow. The darkness flowed forth, discerning looming dangers and viable paths, guiding her through the labyrinthine twists and turns.