Elementals

Chapter 51-Tunnel Runners

Almost as if they were breathing.

I shook the thought from my mind as Alestor hung back from the rest of the group. He was inspecting some of the bricks before he came up to speak with me.

"This place sends so many chills down my spine." He shuddered.

"I know. It's unsettling." I replied. We continued walking behind the rest of the group. Alestor spoke again to break the eerie silence.

"Your grandson..."

"What about him?" I asked.

"Is he normally this quiet? I mean, it would make sense now considering our current circumstances, but..." Alestor trailed off.

"No." I sighed. "Alex is normally more eager than his classmates. He's talkative, inquisitive, curious about every little detail of the world he was introduced to almost three months ago. He's normally such a charismatic young boy."

I looked ahead and saw as Alex walked behind the rest of his friends. He had his head facing the ground and an expression of fright mixed in with nervousness and dread. His eyes lost that glint that they had before we left. I let out a sigh.

"But, ever since he got caught up in the prophecy and the Corrupted King, that charismatic smile of his has vanished." I said sadly. "My once curious and optimistic little flame-shooter, who knows what must be going through his head right now..."

"I can only imagine what he must be feeling in this moment." Alestor said. It grew silent between the two of us for a while.

"Do you think it was a mistake to bring the students?" I asked. Alestor turned his head in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean...perhaps we should have cast the location spell and found our way here ourselves and left them back at the school." I said.

"You're having regrets?" Alestor asked. 

"I know that Alex is destined to bring the Corrupted King down and all, but you and the guardians are more than capable of handling that yourselves. Alex is only fifteen. He and all his friends are just children. None of them should be wrapped up in all this..." I trailed off. It grew silent for a moment.

"It doesn't seem fair for a kid who's known nothing of his origins, or about himself for his whole life to be the one to save everyone."

Alestor opened his mouth to say something, but hesitated as the others came to a halt. I pushed past some of the guardians and found the students standing in front of the entrance to a large tunnel.

"Is this it?" I asked. Keith looked to me and smiled.

"Yup." He said. He turned his gaze to the rusted rods laying inside the tunnel. "Still smashed, just like the day we came here."

"You'd think for an incredibly powerful elemental, he'd try to fortify his castle. Especially when there's an entrance leading to just about every room on the ground floor." Damian remarked.

"Regardless, it's open. Let us not waste any more time than we need to." Lumaro said, walking forward. He turned to Keith. "You, wolf boy. You've navigated these tunnels before, correct?"

Keith show him a somewhat nervous glance. "Uh, yeah."

"Then cast a tracking spell. It should lead us into one of the rooms of the castle." He instructed.

"Yes sir." Keith said. His eyes gave off a warm glow.

"Lynnix."

He tapped the ground, and small glowing prints had appeared on the surface of the rocky, sandy ground. They led into the dark tunnel, forming a trail of pawprints that let off a faint glow.