(Shan's POV)
The Grotesque is asleep so we have to jump over it to get to the alter where the liquid is. I go first, trying not to fall or make too much noise. Catarina goes next, leaping across and landing with ease like a ballerina. We catch Harkat who just barely makes the jump.
(Catarina's POV)
As we are reaching for the vials, two tribe children spot us and yell. The Grotesque awakes and we all drop to the floor as it attacks but the fang cut Shan's back. He screams and immediately all my thoughts are on him and his safety. Luckily it's not deep but it will scar. We will both have scarred backs now. The tribe rushes in and so does Spits who announces that he's hear to save us. He grabs Harkat's vial and throws it. It turns out it's liquid explosive. It explodes and the temple starts to crumble. The four of us go into a pit then down a tunnel. Shan goes first and I follow. I land easily. Spits flies down and lands on Shan who yells in pain but is okay. Harkat follows. We walk, looking for way out. Harkat's mad at Spits for the explosion and growls "Keep him away from me."
It's so dark we cannot see anything but we can feel when something crawls all over us, filling the tunnels. Shan tells us not to move because the spiders might be poisonous. I close my eyes and remain completely still. I am used to the spiders from vampire mountain by now so this is not bad. I trust Shan to deal with them. He talks to them for a few minutes then they move to let us pass. We come to a door and Shan turns on a light inside when we open it. To our surprise, it's a kitchen and there's a note on the fridge.
'Top of the morning to you gentlemen and lassie! If you made it this far you're doing splendidly. After your narrow escape in the temple, you've earned a rest, so put your feet up and tuck into the refreshments. There's a secret exit tunnel behind the refrigerator. It's a few hundred yards to the surface. After that, you face a short walk to the valley wherein lies the Lake of Souls. Head south and you can't miss it. Congratulations on overcoming the obstacles to date. Here's hoping all goes well in the final stretch. Best regards, your dear friend and sincere benefactor- Desmond Tiny'
We eat a lot of the food and Spits sleeps. Harkat finds some cards but refuses to show us them. "No point distracting ourselves now," he tells us. Then he goes to sleep. I snuggle against Shan in the corner.
"How is your back? Does it hurt?" I ask him quietly.
"It's not too bad. I'm alright."
I kiss him so he kisses back, wrapping his arms around me. We make out then I rest my head on his shoulder in our semi-sitting position against the wall. I place my arms around him also and then we sleep.
When we wake we eat some more food, pack some of it along with drinks and knives. We get out of the tunnels and travel through grass lands. After that we find some water and wash off. The grass left dirt, cuts, burs, and bugs on us. It's a very small pond but it's bigger than a pool. The boys strip to their boxers before submerging themselves in the water. I strip to my bra and panties before joining them. Harkat has the decency to keep his back to me. Shan kind of turns but stays close to me, unsure of himself. Spits starts to make a comment about my body and how long it's been since he touched a lady but Shan and Harkat shut him up real fast. I pull Shan to me and we wash each other, kissing often. In the end we just wrap our arms around each other and make out. Then he yanks me to shore and we dress.
We all sleep. The next day we reach the valley. We can see the lake but there are five dragons by it. Harkat suggests we take turns watching them but none of them ever leave at the same time. A week goes by so we think of a new plan. Harkat says we should use the explosive liquid on the beasts but I point out that one vile might not be enough. Shan says he wishes he could make bombs out of the globes but they would have to inject the liquid somehow. Harkat pulls out the K tooth with the hole in it. We walk away from the valley a little and Shan does it. He announces that he will throw one to test it. "You're a half vampire though," Harkat comments. We are not supposed to use weapons.
"We're in another world. I think this an exception," he replies then throws a globe at a tree. It works and explodes like a bomb.
When the male dragon leaves to hunt, we take the advantage. He left behind the smaller female and two children. Harkat, Shan, and I try to scare them away with the bombs. They aren't stupid so they hover in the air and watch us. They are too scared to attack. We rush to the lake and peer in. I am awe stricken at the sight of it. It's a kind of beautiful, enchanting and mystical, mysterious thing but very sorrowful. The shimmery human shaped souls float around aimlessly, not able to breach the surface. They all look so sad...
Spits drops his net in to fish for one. I cannot believe that we finally made it here. We can finally help Harkat to find out who he was.
The pirate babbles on about he used to fish overboard people out of the sea and stuff. I'm confused though because he isn't really making sense. It sounds like a whole bunch of nonsense to me. "I think I understand," Harkat tells Shan and I. "How many people...that you fished out of the sea...did you kill?"
"All of them," he laughs psychotically.
"And then you carved them up...and ate them!"
"What?" Shan and I both gasp.
"That's the big secret," Harkat announces. "He was a cannibal and he turned his...crew mates into cannibals too!"
"Don't act disgusted," Spits comments. "I know why you're really here. You want people too. You're a demon and Shan boy too. You and you're little girlfriend are bloodsuckers and you fed off me when I was asleep."
"You're wrong Spits," Shan replies. "Catarina and I drink blood to survive and Harkat has done things in the past that he's ashamed of but we aren't killers or cannibals."
"We'll see," is all the pirate has to say in response.
Shan whispers to me and Harkat "He's completely out of his mind." I nod in agreement. Then he warns Spits that the dragons will get us if we don't hurry.
"They won't bother us. The Tiny man told me if I stay within eight feet of the lake the dragons can't harm me. They can't come this close. There's a spell on the lake. Unless a living person goes into the lake they can't come near. We can stay here forever."
"THAT'S your dream?" Harkat asks in disbelief. "Stay here forever and...fish for souls of the dead!"
"When I pull them out of the water they'll get their bodies back. I can kill them again and eat them."
The male dragon lands but remains at a distance. Spits is right. "We won't let you," Shan threatens.
Spits tries to attack us with a knife but Shan grabs his arm and squeezes until the bones crack audibly. The pirate falls to the ground. He is farther from the lake so the male dragon breathes fire onto him. He is burning as he runs into the lake, falling into the water. It happened so quickly that by the time I realized what he was about to do I couldn't stop him. There was so much fire... "The spell's broken now!" I exclaim loudly and duck out of the way as the dragon breathes fire again. Shan lunges at Harkat and knocks him down to safety.
"Give me your globes and fish your soul out quickly!" he instructs the little person.
"I don't know how," he complains.
I kneel down immediately and help him to the best of my ability. I have to keep turning my head to check on Shan. "I seek my soul spirits of the dead," Harkat mumbles.
"I can't do it! I can't kill them!" Shan shouts just as Harkat and I pull out a person. It's Kurda Smahlt! I don't have time to react though because the dragon breathes fire at us. I close my eyes but am surprised when I don't burn. When I look around I see time has frozen except for my companions and me. I am confused but then I see Mr. Tiny holding his heart shaped watch.
"Tight timing boys and girl," he says. "I didn't expect it to be that close. A few more seconds and you would have been roasted. Why don't you cover that poor soul?" He points at the naked, shaking, and fearful Kurda.
"Harkat couldn't have been Kurda," Shan protests. "He was around long before Kurda died."
"It's me," Harkat shakes his head. "I don't know how..."
"We'll discuss it later," Mr. Tiny comments. "The dragons won't stay that way forever."
(Shan')
Catarina is still in complete shock. Shan pulls her by her arm and they all hurry away together. Mr. Tiny makes a fire and cooks food. It's night time now. They eat a bit but Cat just shakes her head, refusing. She sits unmoving with her head down.
Harkat has seen this before and knows she is very upset. The last time she just shout down like this was when Mr. Crepsley died.
"How long since I was put to death?" Kurda questions.
"About eight years," Shan answers.
"It seems longer."
"Do you remember everything?"
"Yes, my memory is good. I would prefer to forget the drop onto the stakes though. I'm sorry for what I did, killing Gavner and betraying the clan. But I believed it was for the good of our people."
Cat screams, surprising everyone. Her head is still down and she's still sitting in the same spot. She sobs, her body trembling. "I'm sorry Catarina," Kurda says. "You're such an incredible girl. I-"
"Shut up!" She shouts viciously, growling. She looks at him now with pure hatred and anger in her eyes. Kurda shrinks back shamefully.
"How was I Kurda? I was created...before he died," Harkat inquires.
"I can move through time easily," Mr. Tiny responds. "I can influence events that I want to. For my own reasons I decided to help young master Shan. I laid many plans around him but many years ago I saw he was doomed for an early grave. Without someone to step in at vital moments like during his fight with the bear on his way to vampire mountain and with the wild boars during the Trials he would have perished long ago."
(Catarina's POV)
In the back of my mind I realize that if Shan had died on his way to vampire mountain like he was originally meant to, my own life would not have been endangered as many times as it was. But despite the hardship I have endured because of him I know I would have had my own without him. Without him...I don't know what I would do. I am thankful that I have him and I never want to lose him. I love him more than words could express. As the words sink in, I grip his arm tightly, not wanting to let go of him.
"So I created Harkat Mulds," Mr. Tiny continues. "I could have used any of my little people but I needed someone who'd cared about you when he was alive. So I found our old friend Kurda Smahlt. His soul was in agony as he was unable to forgive himself for betraying his people and was desperate to make amends. By becoming Harkat and protecting you he was able to provide the vampires with the possibility of victory in the war of the scars. Without him you would have died long ago and there would have been no hunt for the vampaneze. They would have simply been victorious."
"I didn't know...I was Kurda," Harkat replies.
"Deep down you did on a subconscious level. That's why you fought so bravely beside Darren and Catarina, risking your life for theirs."
It's all a lot to take in but it makes sense.
"How can we be here...together if we are the same soul?"
"You can't. In a day your body will dissolve."
"He's going to die?" Shan shouts.
"He's already dead," Mr. Tiny chuckles. I growl. "If Kurda sacrifices himself and goes back to the lake Harkat can go on."
"I don't want to die. I want...to stay with Darren and Cat."
"I want to live again," Kurda argues.
"It's your choice," Mr. Tiny tells him.
(Shan)
Kurda takes one look at Cat's menacing expression and says he'll go to the lake. She looked like she was about to rip him to shreds if he chose to stay.
(Catarina's POV)
"Thank you," Shan says.
"Thank you," Harkat nods.
I look at him, joining my friends by the door to our world, about to step through. Finally I say "Thank you." Then I go through the portal.