Disclaimer, ect: Please refer to the Prologue

Lyen Farm, Shenla-Nye
Day 106, Year 721

"Congratulations Julia! Six years old!" Her father shouted. "You’re growing up so fast." Julia smiled, looking up, way up at her parents. She held her new pet, named Kima in her arms. Julia’s hair was short, and in small curls, she was a parents dream.

Standing quietly in the dense forest, her older sister whispered instructions, "Be quiet, no sudden moves."

"Will that scare the Greehan away, Alexi?" Julia asked loudly. See swerved her head back to the clearing, just to see the herd scatter in all different directions. All that was left was an empty field of grass. She winced at the disapproving glare of Alexi.

"I’m sorry." She mumbled.

Run! She told herself, Just run! She pumped her legs quickly, faster than she thought she could. Anything to get away. Her fathers words hurt her like nothing had before. "Julia," he yelled, "You’re impatient, immature and infuriating!" Keep going, go to the lake, hide there.

She was standing in Shenla-Nye, at the centre market. Wagons were bustling about, and eager people stood, waiting to sell or trade their items. She stood near the edge of the road, near the furniture stand.

"I quit!" She told Mr. Carey forcefully, her teeth clenched together. His expression was a mask of composure. Hers betrayed her, and showed her desperate battle for control.

"If that’s what you want want, then be my guest," he replied cooly, "It’s too bad you can be such a disgrace to your family."

"How could you?" Her mothers shocked and hurt voice echoed through her mind. "You could not control yourself one moment? You act like your still six. You’ll never get a real job, not when you can’t act your nineteen years."

Bit by bit, Julia made her way up the 90 degree cliff. She carefully placed her hand on each rock, dragging the rest of her body upwards. Her fingers were dry and crusty from the jagged rocks. Never had she done this before, and she didn’t have any lessons on it either.

A fourteen meter drop threatened her if she were to fall, but that didn’t matter. Everybody would be relieved, if she were to mysteriously disappear in the wilderness.

She swam, fast through the lake. Water splashed around her, making her eyes sore. A quick turn around showed Julia her past, and everything familiar. She turned back to see herself running, still in the same direction, towards the same goal. Away from what was behind her.

Running harder, and faster, she passed her sister Alexi, on her expedition to the south. Continuing farther, she passed all known territory. The droning of her parents, and the town, and her siblings drifted away, replaced with an increasing ringing.

Darkness was seeping around her, and the ringing became a loud siren. She felt hot, and dry, and her arm was pounding. Her head was numb, and she became aware of the rough surface she was laying on. No longer was she running, but the sensation was still familiar.

Open your eyes, something said.

Julia opened her eyes, and tried to figure out were she was. It was dim, dry and there was dust and insects flying all around. Everything was blurry and was slightly moving around.

"Were?" her voice cracked. It felt like someone had stuffed her mouth with cotton balls. She swallowed, trying get her mouth wetter. The disorientation was wearing off, and the area seemed to stabilize and it got clearer.

She turned her head, to see that her walls were made of soil and rock. So she must be underground somewhere. But why? She reviewed what she could without making her head hurt. She had fallen, through a hole.

This must have been were she had fallen too. She looked way up, until she was dizzy. It was a very deep crevice, and the walls were fairly smooth. Getting back up would be very difficult. Roots hung haphazardly near the top of the tunnel, and the sun shone down, muted, but still hot and bright.

Quietly, Julia watched the dirt and dust float in the sunlight, too numb and tired for doing anything else. She felt like the parched air was going to suffocate her. If only I had some water, she cried silently in her mind.

After some time, Julia’s mind cleared and she started to think clearly. Were her parents worried? Where was she? How could she get out? She was dehydrated, and she really needed something to drink. She pulled herself upwards, into a sitting position, carefully, to not hurt her arm. With her head up, she realised how much more she could see.

She wasn’t just in a deserted pit, but there were caverns, and corridors to her left. Peaceful shade covered the corridors, and the coolness made Julia even thirstier. Maybe there was some water in there. It was certainly worth a try.

What about the darkness? She asked herself. What if you get lost in there? Doubt filled her, and Julia considered staying near the sunlit entry. She looked down at her dry and numb fingers, and felt her parched mouth. It was like she was full of burning, dry sand. She would go into the shadowy caves.

Getting on her feet was difficult. She was sore, and her muscles were tired and burning. After a great deal of pain and suffering, she was standing, ready to go into the caves.

At first, it wasn’t that difficult. The sun left her a greying darkness, that Julia was able to see in. Every so often a hole, sometimes thirty meters above her, would shed some faint light. There were twists and turns, and Julia got the impression she was going farther and farther underground. She was bathed in the cool shade, and she noticed her mouth feeling less grainy, and a little wetter.

After maybe ten or fifteen minutes of walking, Julia found herself at a fork. Both ways looked pretty much the same, except that the one on her right went down on a steeper degree. She wished she knew which one was more likely to have water. So far, despite the shade from the sun, the caverns were dry as a bone.

Her arm was trobbing, and she almost wished it were cut off. She numbly noted her head was aching too. She pushed it away, focusing on her current task. She needed to find water.

Finally, she determined that the deeper underground the caves went, the more likelyhood of water. Under deep rocks, it was more difficult for water to dry out. Julia began down the right hand tunnel, and she began to find the walls closing in closer to her. It happened gradually, so at first, Julia thought it was her imagination.

Soon though, the walls were only a meter, or so apart. It was darker, and her eyes only made out vague shadows. Maybe I went too deep, Julia worried, what if I’m lost down here? Everything she knew told her to turn back, but despite it all, she kept going.

I need to learn how to control myself, she mused to herself. She was on the brink of running back up, to try and find the searing sun when she noticed the floor getting steep. It wasn’t mildly steep, like before. This time it was so steep, she thought she would slip down.

Crouching down, so she had more balence and control, Julia cautiously continued downward. Only two or three steps further, she found rough, uneven stairs. This is man made! It dawned on her. This maze was purposely made.

Carefully, she got back up, and stepped forward to the next stair. I wonder who made this place? She pondered, how did they see when they came down? Candles would melt down too fast, but oil lamps were for the richer, wealthier people. Such people didn’t build underground hide-outs.

Maybe they just had a large supply of matches and candles along the way. That would make it so they could stay for longer periods of time. If that were so, Julia could perhaps find their candles, and get herself some light.

It was getting dark. Holding her hands up infront of her, she suppressed her fears when she couldn’t see them. She was very deep underground, too far for sun to help her. Looking around, it all was the same, never ending black. She began to sway, forgetting which way was up. She leaned against the wall, and tried to orientate herself. I’m okay, she afirmed. Taking a deep breath, she continued down the stone staircase.

Putting her uninjured hand on the wall, to look for candles, or other sources of light, Julia noticed a wet, moss covering some walls. It was gross, and she quickly removed her hands, wipping the plant on her pants. It took a few seconds to realise the extent of her discovery.

It hit like an exciting rush, a wave of inlightenment. Plants needed two things, light and water. Those were exactly what Julia needed too. She quickened her step down the stairs, slowing down as dizzyness crept into her vision. Water, somewhere close.

She let out a yelp of joy, then pain, forgetting her dry throat. Both exclamations were hoarse, and her throat felt like it had knives going down it. Despite it, she kept going. The subterrainian corridor turned, and then began to even out as she came to the end of the stair case.

At the bottom was a dim light, coming from out of the walls. It flickered, almost like a candle, but more artificial. She touched the lighted walls to find it warm. The area seemed to create a hum, not unlike the one that insects made. But this was more steady and constant. This was odd...

Looking up high, and then higher, Julia saw a rock ceiling on top of her. There was no sunlight, and there was no fire. She tried to grasp how there was light. Dull shadows danced on her face as she made her way along the wall, looking at the light.

The fire must be behind glass, she resoned. For a moment, she thought she had figured out the puzzle. One thing though; didn’t plants need sunlight? Not firelight? She couldn’t remember, although Aaya and her mother had explained it many times. Did any of that matter?

She felt her thoughts drifting away, and exhaution seemed to fill her. Were was that water? She was so tired and dry. Julia considered sliping down, and falling asleep along the glowing walls. Her fingers seemed to be swollen, and sore.

She was just about to close her eyes, when she heard a sound of rushing of liquid. It was quiet, and almost not there. She may have made it up, in her mind, but it was enough prompting for her. She listened as hard as she could with her dulled senses. It was infront of her. In the large room ahead.

She was mesmerised by the tiny noise of water. Up, and towards the sound she went, not noticing what she was passing on her way. Vaguely, she noticed the light get brighter, and a new smell. A blur of objects stood on the path to water. Julia remebered seeing a chair. It looked nice, and inviting.

The trickle turned into a roar, and she smiled, cracking her dry lips. They literally ripped apart in places, and a small bit of blood came out. She wiped it away with her good hand. Infront of her was a small, but beautiful water fall. It came down a dark and wet tunnel above her. A small underground lake sourrounded it, and mossed seemed to grow all around it.

She bent down and let herself take a small drink. Her hands were filled with the cool liquid and it felt like satin down her throat. Thankfully, it was mountain water, not too far from the melting glaciers. It was a little dirty, but no insects seemed the live in it.

Julia drank as much water as she could, and she splashed it on her dirt covered face, cleaning her sweaty skin. She noticed how tired she was, and headed over to some smooth rocks on the lake’s edge. Curling into a ball, she let herself relax her muscles, and close her heavy eyes. Sleep came quickly, and soon Julia was fast asleep, unaware of the incredible thing she had found.