Darkness Revealed

The lift was in full effect when Kael arrived. 

The rope that was used to pull him out of the cavern on was being used as the pulley. It was attached to a wooden platform, nailed into the middle. The rope ran up to the ceiling and through a metal ring, which had been struck into the stone. The rope continued to run down to a wooden wheel, where two workers were posted, spinning it back and forth. 

The platform was already being loaded with shards of obsidian, bringing them up to the top. 

While it was pretty steady, every now and then the rope would sway too much and drop part of the load back down into the cavern. 

"It's not perfect, but it'll do for now," Elysia said, stepping up next to him. "With a few more adjustments, we'll be hauling up the obsidian faster than we can mine."

"You want me to get down there?" Kael asked.

She handed him her pickaxe. "Don't push yourself too hard down there."

He nodded. "Yes ma'am."

She watched him as he stepped onto the newly emptied lift. The platform wobbled slightly beneath his feet, but he held onto the rope for support. 

The lift lowered at a slow pace, but before he knew it, the platform was resting on the ground. 

He gasped as he stepped off. Though it wasn't very visible from above, the cavern was now lit with the glowing stones that were used in the previous cavern. It was a lot dimmer, but Kael could see almost everything now.

In the light, there was even more obsidian than expected. It stretched up the cavern walls nearly 30 feet, and covered over half of the stone walls. 

"Beautiful, ain't it?" Ryker asked, slapping Kael on the shoulder. 

Kael winced at the impact.

"Oh…right," Ryker said, patting his back lightly. "Almost forgot about your fall."

"Already? Do I look that good?"

"Lucian deserves a raise getting you back on your feet this quickly," Ryker exclaimed. "Since you've been out, we've already mined nearly fifty pounds of that stuff."

"Let's get that a little higher then," Kael said, raising his pickaxe. For the first time since he'd arrived, their task didn't seem so impossible. 

"I love the spirit," Ryker laughed, joining him by the wall of obsidian. 

Every one of the workers was putting in all their effort. Maybe that would be enough.

Kael took a couple swings at a wall of obsidian in front of him, shattering the glass-like rock. 

After a few minutes, he already felt exhausted. Breathless, Kael ran a hand through his soaked hair. "I don't remember it being this hard," he muttered.

Beside him, Ryker was plowing through the obsidian like it was made of water. 

A burning sensation began to form right over his heart. Kael reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the stone he'd found earlier. It still glowed, and warmth radiated from it. Like energy. 

"Woah, what is that thing?" Ryker asked, putting his work on hold. 

"Just a gem I found when I was down here earlier," Kael explained. "It was in the river."

Ryker seemed mesmerized. "It's…beautiful. Never seen nothing like it before."

"Me either," Kael agreed. "But its presence is almost…welcoming. I had to take it."

"I wanna find one," Ryker said suddenly. "You said you found it in the river?"

The light from inside the gem began to grow brighter, making the area around them seem like day. Kael squinted through the light, wondering how it was becoming so strong.

The air around them began to grow warmer, the temperature in the cavern rising ever so slightly. Kael's breath came faster as the strange energy coursed through him, pooling in his chest.

"What's happening?" Ryker asked, his tone tinged with unease.

There was a crack from the obsidian, and Kael stepped back. The wall. It had hundreds of spider-web-like cracks forming in it.

"Another cave in?" Ryker called, stepping back. "Get behind me! I won't have you getting hurt again."

Kael obeyed the order and stepped behind the big man as the cracks continued through the obsidian wall. 

Finally, the obsidian reached a breaking point and completely shattered. Pieces of the rock rained down around them, clattering to the ground. 

The loud noise drew the attention of the workers, who all cheered when they saw how much mined obsidian was ready for transport. 

Stuffing the gem back in his jacket, Kael stepped across the now obsidian-covered ground. 

As what was in front of him clicked in his brain, he gasped. 

The missing obsidian had revealed a clear glass surface. But something was behind it. Some sort of creature, frozen in time. 

"What the hell is that?" He asked, looking at Ryker.

For once, the man who seemed to know everything about this world looked dumbfounded. He didn't understand it either. 

The gem began to glow again from beneath Kael's jacket, and he had to resist the urge to pull it out again. 

This gem seemed to have some sort of connection with the creature. 

The thing was terrifying. Jaws that could snap Kael in half. Teeth made for tearing into flesh. Bulging wide open eyes that stared off into the distance. Long claws on all six feet, and a sharp point at the end of its tail.

The creature was unlike anything he'd ever imagined. 

The gem glowed even brighter, and the glass began to form cracks. The beast was about to make its escape.