Chapter 9
Cave In
When Lien tried to fly back into the cave I threw her back. "I'll get them. Stay here." I kissed her then turned and zoomed through the cave opening.
"Shen! No!" I heard her scream and I hoped to the creation of fireworks that they held her back. "Put out the fuses!" I could hear her wings smacking at whoever was holding her. Suddenly there was a small boom and the first set of explosives went off. "AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO CARES THAT MY FAMILY IS STILL IN THERE? (insert ! and a long pattern of both ! and ? ;))" She screeched. Then the cave started to crumble around me and I heard the younger peafowl scream.
"I'm coming! Just hang on!" I called to them.
"Hurry Prince Shen! The rope is fraying!" That was Genji's voice, and it only made my stomach clench tighter in anger because it was strained and dry. I ran as fast as I could, jumping over wolves that lay on the ground. But I paused when I saw Lang, now dead, on the floor.
"This was for my kingdom." I said and took my blades back. I cleaned them on his dead carcass and returned them to their holsters. After completing my goodbyes to my old general I high-tailed it to the ledge and saw the little cage swaying dangerously over the chasm. Another bunch of explosives went off, and the cage bucked. The rope was severed further, but not all the way.
"Don't let us die Shen!" Bo-Chen whimpered as the cage jumped again.
"I won't." I promised both my sibling-in-laws and myself. Then I dove for the rope, and grabbing it, I started to haul the iron cage to the ledge. I grunted as it ended up being heavier than I had anticipated.
BOOM! Off went the third and final set of explosives. The cave was now falling apart. Huge chunks of the roof were caving in on us, and the caged peachicks were screaming and whimpering. Behind me a gigantic boulder smashed into the floor and the ledge started to crack and crumble under my very talons.
"Oh no!" I breathed, and the ledge disintegrated beneath me.
"I DON'T WANT TO DIE!" Genji-Feng wailed. I pumped my wings and tried to keep us airborne, but the cage was too heavy. We began to fall with the boulders no matter how hard I beat my wings. Far too soon the stalagmites were at eye level and growing.
"Do you know how to open the cage?" I yelled at the caged birds while I tried to make our decent slower.
"Yeah!" Came my reply.
"Then get it open, and when we hit the ground look for a tunnel or something. We have to get out of here!"
"Ok!" After a minute or two I felt the ground getting closer. I also noticed that the boulders seemed to have multiplied. "Shen! Look out!" They called and I looked up to see a panda sized boulder coming right at us.
"Holy sparklers!" I breathed and strained to pull us out of the way. Sadly I wasn't able to get myself completely out of the way and the boulder smashed by my shoulder and broke my wing. I tried to ignore the flaming pain, but that was all but impossible, and we crashed to the ground. I cried out in agony and nearly passed out when the ground met my left side.
"Shen! Come on! We found a tunnel!" Genji and Bo-Chen were able to run over to me and drag me to the opening of a small tunnel.
"I've got it! I've got it! I can walk!" I hissed at them and clutched my bloody wing. Together we ran further down the tunnel towards what we thought would be the open air. We ended up in a big chamber, still trapped under ground. "Ok, sit down and catch your breath." I told them. Quickly I ripped off what was left of my robe sleeve and tied it behind my neck as a makeshift sling. I used my functioning right wing to fold the left one into the silk. I moaned from the pain but refused to cry out.
I looked around and scouted the area. There was a small spring near us and the water was drinkable. "Now for light…" I mumbled and looked towards the ceiling for answers. I could see a small hole that was partially blocked off by soil and other rocks. I would have Genji take a look at that later. I then heard a loud crash and dashed back down the tunnel we came from.
It was completely sealed off. There was no way we would be leaving that way to get out, and I couldn't fly. A sudden wave of emotion hit me. "NOOOO!" I screamed and slammed my good fist against the boulders. "No! No! No!" I just screamed and shouted the word over and over again blaming myself for this whole problem. Soon my fist was as bloody as my shoulder, and my wing was weak from the hardness of the rock I had been hitting.
Anger gave way to utter hopelessness and I slumped against the wall of the tunnel and let the tears flow. "Oh Lien! I'm so sorry!" I sobbed making my shoulder ache. "I tried to be a hero for you, but now I may never see you again!"
Sorry it's short, but it was good, no? Well I won't know what you think...unless...OF COURSE! YOU REVIEW! XD HAHA!