Chapter 12- What is Itex?

Woohoo! Two chapters in a day.

Actually, I wrote this one because I had

Nothing better to do

There were some major questions I thought would be pretty messy if I didn't clear up soon

I have horrible timing when it comes to updating so I figured I'd just update again so I'm on the front page again.

Anyone else notice I'm horribly selfish?

To answer gigglesandbooks question: NO! Fang is most definitely not going to die. He's going to live a long happy life because I've had a slight crush on him forever. Yes I am insane, just not that insane. Phew, now that that's over with…

Also, I'm disappointed. No one else saw what was going on? Well, it'll be interesting to read your reactions when it actually happens. I dropped a few more hints in the last chapter and in this one. :(

Lol R&R?

Max

This was it.

Felhor Caverns.

There were three entrances and one hidden one to balance out the numbers. Whoever designed the caves had too much time on their hands. The first three entrances were grand and large, so that they could be spotted from quarter of a mile away. Those were meant for the people who were very familiar with the caves and for those who can fly through the caves without setting off the traps. The fourth entrance was significantly smaller than the others, specially made for humans and/or land shifters who couldn't fly like Gazzy, Iggy and Fang. It was tucked in an alcove which was shielded by an almost un-noticeable arch of rocks that made the entrance seem like the shadows. If you didn't know where the fourth entrance was, it was pretty much near impossible to find it.

Of course, it was a lucky thing we had Gazzy.

"Torches," I call back to them. Five flames spark to life and Angel lights mine for me, "Gazzy, the map?"

"Oh yeah," he fumbles for it and hands it to me.

I nod a thanks and then wave for them to follow me.

The first corridor was angled like a diagonal, and three small corridors branched off the end. Two of which connected to a couple of the tunnels from the first three entrances. We were supposed to take the tunnel that lead deeper into the caves, towards southwest. That one will lead to a fork in the road. The left fork lead to a dead end.

But the more I studied the map the more the lines seemed to move.

"I can't do this!" I complain, suddenly stopping.

What happened next is truly embarrassing and will no doubt ruin my reputation because everyone knows that I'm super-naturally graceful. I elegantly tripped over the rock and I dropped the map and the torch which went out.

Angel and Mom rushed up to me, "Max! Are you okay?"

Angel re-lights my torch and hands it to me and I shine it over the map on the ground. It was facing the wrong direction now, where west pointed to North. But the tunnels of the caves made a sort of symbol I've never seen before. It wasn't shifter. Maybe… human?

"Fang! Iggy! Do you see this?" I trace the symbol with my hand. It was all sharp corners and intercrossing lines. It didn't look like a word.

"It looks ancient," Iggy muses and looks over at Fang. Fang doesn't notice. He's too busy staring at the map.

"It looks like something from my mom- I mean, the Queen's- palace. I'm sure I've seen it before," he puts his hand to his chin and sits near the map, studying it.

There's a silence.

"That's it!" Iggy says, "Of course, we have seen it before. It's everywhere. It's on the throne in the throne room. It's on the dome of the throne room hall. It's woven in the mats in the training room. It's in the cathedral. But I don't know what it means."

I think back to the time when I was in the palace. And then I could see the symbol again, over and over in my mind. I saw it in the throne room, and intricate versions of it was in the sheets. It was branded on the lock of my cell. It was carved into the stone of the cell wall. But what is it?

"I-tex," Fang says quietly.

"What?"

"Itex."

Fang

I can't really explain where I got the word from. It just came to me. Maybe the Queen said it to me when I was younger? I learned in my studies somewhere that the human brain can remember the tiniest tidbits of information. The sub-consciousness stores it all. What is Itex? I racked my brain, looking for the answer.

"Is it a species of animal?" Angel asks in her little girl voice?

"No, I don't think so," Max tells her.

Her mom's eyebrows are furrowed in concentration.

"Why would a human symbol be the structure of a shifter cave?" Gazzy asks.

I try to think. What was Itex?

Absently, I snuff out my torch and start doodling on the ground beside the map. Itex. Itex. Itex. Why couldn't I remember what Itex was? I remembered the name so what is it? It's a human symbol that's everywhere back at the Palace. It's printed on the coins at the market. Ella's dresses and trinkets had Itex's symbol on it. Itex was no doubt human. But weren't shifters older than humans? So why….?

"Fang!" Max's sharp voice cut into my thoughts, "What did you just draw?"

I look at the ground below me. It was the Itex symbol only repeated four times. The last tunnel on the map was in the doodle too. It connected the four symbols together.

"Four again?" I mutter. What was it with this world and the number four? Four cardinals, four cardinal cities, four elements, four seasons, four symbols. What's going on?

Max eyes me suspiciously, "Change of plan. Our top priority is to find the last tunnel."

Max

We set off again, this time with Gazzy leading because it is, after all, his map. And I couldn't navigate for the life of me. Itex was human, but shifters came before humans. Maybe, the Felhor Caverns were made after the humans came up with Itex? But that still doesn't make any sense. Shifters hate humans by nature.

Iggy nudges me, "I can't get a hold of Cardinal West."

"That means either the Cardinal Ceferino is dead or you can't track Cardinals like I expected. Normally, I would just run off and see if you can track me, but it's dangerous here and there's a small possibility that you can find me," I sigh, "Forget about the Exemplar Facultas. I don't think it's possible for you to track it."

"But Max, I can try-" Iggy protests.

"No, Fang is already mad because I asked you to track it. If it isn't possible for you to find it, it's not necessary," I shake out my hair. Something wet just dropped down from the ceiling of the cave. It's probably water from the stalagtites above.

"Fine," he huffs before joining Gazzy at the end.

"Max," Fang catches up to me.

"Yes?"

"After we find the tunnel, we need to go back to the capitol."

"The human capitol?" I was answered with his nod, "Why?"

"It's the only place we can learn more about Itex."

I frowned a little, troubled by this idea. I hated the human capitol. Too many bad memories.

"Max, I understand that you don't want to see the Queen but it's the only way."

"And you want to see your sisters again," I say, watching his reaction.

He didn't even flinch, "Yes. That too."

"Fang-"

I was cut off by a growl overhead. Something wet lands on Fang's head too.

"Um, Max?" he says wavering a little.

"Wait up, everyone, freeze!" I call to the rest of them ahead of us.

I look up slowly and cautiously. A giant glowing green eye and a mouth full of curving yellow teeth hovered above us.

"Don't move," I whisper softly.

"Eww! It drooled on me," Iggy whines loudly.