90. Cave of springs

Although it was quite difficult, the team just pulled themselves together and took to the roads of the city of Éjifény, stumbling and floundering a little and clinging to each other a lot. At the front of the team was Wandi, who carried Citar almost by the waist, so whenever the Bolacsuk boy stumbled, he was always there to hold him. The others were not so lucky, they moved forward leaning on each other and Teveli was the only one who could move relatively straight and only occasionally tripped over his own feet.

The Athamanas soon left Éjifény, but none of them were really worried, as Wandi knew what he was doing. The landscape here was the same as everywhere in the Vojks territory, lava streams and white trees, on the rocky terrain as far as the eye could see. Then the group reached the entrance of a cave, where they walked for a while in the dark, pressing their hands against the wall. Not everyone liked this part of the road and several people voiced this, even once Rahul's foot got caught in something so that if Razvan hadn't been standing next to him and caught him, he would have wiped the floor.

The dark corridor, however, soon gave way to light. The team found themselves in a large hollow. Light seeped into the stone hall through longer cracks on the opposite wall. In the floor of the hall, except for a bench about two cubits wide, there was water of a strange brownish color and a pungent smell in a large depression. A pale mist covered the surface of the water.

"We are here." Announced Wandi. "I hope you don't mind the detour. Our public bath is really only good for bathing. But this can do wonders." He nodded in the direction of the water. "I found the place, so I don't think other people know about it. I used to come here a lot when I was young." The danovus boy explained.

"It's pretty deserted compared to that." Benkó scratched his head when he received a weak shove from Achilleus.

"He is a danovus, what was to him in his youth, is to us a hundred years ago. Of course the place is looking out of shape." The boy rolled his eyes.

"Looks can be deceiving. In the pool, the water has hollowed out the rock in such a way that you can sit on the edge. I'll tell you in advance, it will smell horrible when you walk in, but after five minutes you won't smell anything of it." Wandi smiled at the team, then turned to Citar in his arms. "Can you stand on your feet or should I help you?" He giggled, which only made his friend slap him on the arm.

"I can manage." The boy winked, then without a word he began to undress until he was left in his underpants. "Well, help me get in." He stopped at the edge of the pool. "Are you not coming?" He suddenly looked at the team.

"I'll wait to see if you'll survive?" Rahul folded his arms in front of him, but even the idiot knew from the grin on his face that he was just messing with his friend.

"Your problem!" Citar grinned back, then with Wandi's help he went into the water and sat down on the edge of the pool. "It really stinks." He grimaced. "But!" He lifted half his hand out of the water. "It's hot." He sighed and closed his eyes.

The rest of the team didn't need any more encouragement, despite their hangovers, they got rid of the bulk of their clothes as quickly as they could and joined their two companions in the water. Soon, seven piles of clothes were lying on the floor in the room under the mountain. And in the water, sat seven slightly dazed and sick hegin, enjoying the atmosphere of the place and the pleasant water in silence for a long time.

"It's like geysers, except you're not sitting in the steam." Achilleus sighed and leaned his head back on the edge of the pool.

"As for that if we're here long enough then..." Wandi began, but then small bubbles appeared on the surface of the water in front of Achilleus, which caused Benkó to slide away and look at his friend with a grimace.

"Did you just fart, gravel?" The question fell out of the boy, thanks to which Achilleus' head turned red.

"I fuckin' didn't!" He cut in immediately, but before he could continue, Wandi intervened.

"Sometimes the warm water erupts, like in geysers. Exactly as before." He giggled as he slid down so that the water was up to his neck.

"You Wandi, you were right." Remarked Rahul, who even though both of his arms were out of the water because it was getting too hot for him, still sat in his place with his eyes closed and was grinning.

"In what?" Asked the danovus, and the boy opened half of his eyes and looked at him.

"My hangover is really going away." He giggled. "Anyway, I hope we don't plan to sit here all day, because I'm already getting hot." He waved his face, causing Wandi to giggle and point to the far end of the room, where there was also an entrance to a corridor leading down to the pool.

"There is a similar lake on the other side, only the water is much cooler. From that lake, smaller passages lead to other chambers, some warmer, some cooler. It's just all in water, about waist deep in most places, but there are parts deeper where you can see the bottom because it's so clear, but the ground is about as deep as the ceiling over your head. I tried to swim down to the bottom, but only succeeded on the third time." The danovus shrugged.

"What the táltos seven-star turul bird!" Achilleus' eyes sparkled as he looked towards the passage. "Good, who will come explore the cave with me?" The boy asked the question, but he didn't even wait for his friends to answer, he already started towards the corridor.

"Don't leave me here gravel! Someone has to make a light." Benkó grinned and started after his friend.

"Wait! I'm going too!" Teveli went after the two boys.

"Tapló boss, are you coming?" Rahul stood up and looked at the person sitting next to him, who simply nodded and then started after the others. "Citar, Wandi?" Rahul looked at the other two boys.

"I'll stay a little longer." Citar smiled. XI dislocated my shoulder before last year and now this water does wonders to it." The boy noted.

"I'll stay too, I've already explored the place enough times. We'll go after you when we get bored. Oh, would you mind telling the two brawlers to try not to damage the place as much as possible?" Wandi asked the question.

"I'll tell them and we'll keep an eye on them." Rahul nodded, then hurried after Razvan, who was waiting for him in front of the corridor.

"Sorry, I'm sleepy." Citar apologized, after a big yawn.

"Get some rest. I won't let you drown." Wandi giggled as he put his arms around the boy's shoulders. So the two friends rested silently in the warm water pool while their friends explored the cave system.

And while the Athamanas were busy bathing and exploring, a black shadow appeared in the east. He walked silently through the lands of the utauchis. Everyone avoided him, even the animals, even though no one saw him, but they knew that something had happened. Something woke up, something ancient, but after going through its circles, which only he knew where they were going, the shadow vanished as quickly as it came and no one could know where it would appear next.