Drowning Kingdom

Written by: Lillie

Part One can be found here.

The three of them entered a large, salt-sprayed cave that opened out towards the ocean. On the far side, ink-black waves lapped onto the cave floor. The ocean entered by means of an underwater tunnel through the island, hidden from view by the cave walls. Here it resembled an underwater lake. This was where the divers entered to swim through the tunnel and enter the ocean itself. Near the edge of the 'lake' was a small huddle of cold, shivering divers still in their wetsuits. The lead diver was holding the injured man's head in his lap.

Althea broke into a run and crouched down beside the half-drowned diver. Someone lifted a lantern for her and she examined his face. He was still very young, a boy who could not be much older than her, with brown hair and a frighteningly pale face. His lips seemed to be turning blue. He had already gone far. She put a hand on his heart and another on his forehead. Closing her eyes, she concentrated her energy into him.

She was entering a dark place. There was no light anywhere. Where are you? she called. The faintest glimmer of light appeared at the sound of her voice, before disappearing again. Slowly making her way towards where she thought she had seen it, she called again.

Silently, the boy took hold of her hand and the light became a glorious white warmth that surrounded them.

The boy opened his eyes to see the Lady's concerned face gazing down at him. When she saw he was awake, she sighed in relief. The boy tried to sit up in his astonishment and only succeeded in vomiting out sea water. Althea rubbed her hand along his back, soothing him. When he was done, he felt considerably better - until he saw he had dirtied Althea's robe.

'I'm sorry!' he gasped with some difficulty. The Lady stopped him. 'Do not worry,' she said gently. 'This is a small matter compared to your well-being. Do not talk too much now or you will hurt yourself.' She smiled a similar smile to the one he had seen earlier and he quietened, although he stared at her all the more.

Rising, Althea motioned for the lead diver to come with her. 'He has recovered from the worst, but he must go to the hospital wing to be on the safe side,' she told the other divers, indicating the boy, who continued to look in her direction even after she had gone.

'What news?' Althea asked after she had changed out of her sullied robe and into a clean one.

The lead diver's face boded grim news. 'The island has sunk further,' he began. 'That is why Devmond, the boy you saved, could not hold onto his breath any longer on the way back. He has never had trouble with it before. We are afraid that...'

The Lady sighed deeply and stared off into space, fiddling with the edges of her robe. She knew perfectly well what the lead diver wished to say and she knew that he was right. If Althea had not come in time, the boy would have died. It was fortunate he had not suffered more; as it was, she had had to reach deep down before she could find him and she was now exhausted. To send the divers on anymore missions would be suicidal. Yet if she did not, what would become of her kingdom in the days to come? The divers were the only link the kingdom had with the surface. Always the same question, never an answer.

'What do the other kingdoms have to say?' she interrupted.

The diver made a helpless gesture, not wanting to repeat what he had been told.

'Answer me, Thoral,' she commanded him quietly. Her silver eyes glimmered and Thoral remembered that the royal family was able to tell if someone was lying or not. He reluctantly told her everything.

'A few kingdoms remain friendly but are unable to find any information on why our island might be sinking. They also cannot imagine how to bring our people onto the surface. Money is no use to us and they do not have any knowledge of growing crops underground so they cannot suggest anything new. Some kingdoms have expressed doubts over the use of their fulfilling our requests and have hinted that what we ask for is a waste of their time. One kingdom in particular has declared that we are frauds and that our kingdom cannot exist, because if our island sank, all the occupants should now be dead. The monarch is a new king, King Gerald, who led a revolution against the previous ruler.' Althea pressed her lips tightly together at this news, angry that such a fool would be sitting on a throne.

'I have a letter for you,' Thoral said abruptly, breaking into the Lady's thoughts. She started. A letter? It had been years since they had received an actual letter; most kingdoms preferred to pass news on orally. Thoral produced a slightly damp letter from the inside of his watertight backpack. She thanked him and observed the envelope. It was crinkly, heavy cream parchment with an ornate gold seal. Breaking it, she shook the letter open.

A long silence followed. At last, she murmured, 'Who gave this to you?'

'A tall man with greying hair. He was wearing the robes of a noble.'

There was another long, dragged out silence. Thoral shifted uneasily. Why didn't the Lady say anything and why was she looking at the parchment like that?

'I am sorry about this, Thoral,' the Lady said suddenly, turning back to the diver. He looked at her in some confusion and made a move to say something but she cut him off and went on. 'It will be hard for you to adjust, I think, but I will do my best to help you and all the others find new jobs.' She looked outside the cave entrance. The boulder door had been rolled away so she had a full view of the twisting passageways outside. 'There will be no more expeditions up to the surface.'

Thoral suddenly understood what the Lady was talking about, and feeling both relieved and saddened that there would be no more trips to contact the outside world, he did not know whether to thank her or beg for her forgiveness. He confused himself by doing both. Not hearing him, Althea went on absent-mindedly, 'However...' Thoral stopped in mid-sentence and looked at her.

'However, I may want just one other trip,' she continued sadly. 'After that, I promise I will ask no more of you. But that last trip - it is important to me.'

Thoral bowed deeply. 'I will do all you say, my Lady.'

Althea sighed. Thoral did not know it yet but she would be going on the next trip to the surface, something she had never done before - something she might, perhaps, not survive. Glancing at the letter in her hand, she wondered if the risk would be worth it.