Sekali, "The Sister City"
Chapter 85
And so they set off, traveling ten days before the tunnel split, one section continuing on, the other branching off to the left, which was more a northern direction. Finyat’s perception of direction was keen, and he led the company into the left tunnel that began to slope upwards.
As the days of their ascent turned into weeks, they felt as though they were lost in the deep of the earth. The tunnel seemed to oppress them, and darken their minds, with the exception of Uther, who seemed at home.
The tunnel branched off many times, forcing them to make the decision on whether to turn to the left or to the right. At times the carcasses of many creatures made the decision for them. But mostly they relied on Finyat’s uncanny sense of direction, which Sekali marveled at. For six more weeks they traveled through a corridor of winding and twisted rock deep within the earth, trusting to Finyat to find them passage out.
Finyat seemed constantly nervous, yet Uther was content, and bolstered everyones’ spirits with many tales and legends of the deep earth. When they camped, Uther would expound upon the legends of his homeland, keeping them sane, for unlike him, they were surface dwellers who needed light and air, and the warmth of the sun upon their faces. Uther was born in Tremor Keep, deep within the Gemstone Mountains. The underground of the earth intrigued him immensely. So while all his comrades craved the sun, and the stars above, he was content . . . more at home than they.
It was at the end of their nineteenth week within these mountains that the tunnel ahead shed a dim and faint light; the light of the outside world. Finyat turned to the others and grinned. They were finally through the Mountains.