Levishia: The Prophesied Quest

Chapter 6: Restrained Roars

LEVISHIA QUINTESSENCE

"I suggest we go down now." Fort frowned at Ardal's suggestion.

"I can give you a million reasons why we shouldn't."

Ardal stepped forward, attempting to intimidate Fort. "Oh yeah? Bring it."

Before they could start bickering, though, Sin stepped in between and held both their shoulders.

"Calm down, friends," he intervened. Sin looked at me and sighed. "Gentlemen, let's let the lady decide."

I raised my brows in response. Someone's actually nice enough to trust me in this group. But as of now, I don't really have a plan in mind.

"I actually agree with Ardal—" I said, which made Fort's eyes widen. "But we should inspect first."

As if I had the last say, we proceeded with my plan, which was partly Ardal's. We went around one side of the ravine and had Sin grapple hook to reach the other side.

"It's actually better if we wait for dawn," Fort shrugged as soon as he climbed back to our side. I tilted my head, considering his proposition.

But we can't wait 'til dawn; we never know if the lion will still be there by then.

There was no way to go around the ravine and we don't know if there are other ways to go down it, so we're not sure if the lion is still there.

I sighed. "We need to climb down there, now."

The three didn't oppose me as we strapped the ropes of the grapple hook to our bodies. We'll be using it to get down to the bottom of the ravine.

We hooked the grapple hooks to the edge of the giant land crack and positioned ourselves. We made sure to place them horizontally and near each other. We looked at each other and prepared.

A few moments later, we were carefully going down. The adrenaline pumped in my veins, as this was my first challenge after leaving the palace. It was also my first time going down a ravine since Ralenti did not have many mountains. On the other hand, Giraen was a mountainous kingdom.

There were a few rocks sticking out on my track and so I used a few of them for boosts. Good thing I was also trained like the knights of Ralenti, so this isn't much of a struggle for me.

Sometimes I'm thankful to my parents for not only training me to be the perfect heir to the throne but also how to survive in various dangerous circumstances. And then they say I'm not fit to be a warrior, as if they did not train me like one.

"Hey, this is like mountain climbing, but in reverse," Fort chuckled in the middle of our expedition. A tiny smile crept up to my lips.

Sin chuckled as well, "You're right."

And this is actually fun when you're doing it with other people. When I finally got sight of the bottom, my face crumpled with the sight of so many corpses. I also immediately winced and scrunched up my nose with the sickening odor of rotten flesh.

There were also a few puddles of water, while the other parts of the surface which aren't filled by corpses are filled with dried blood. This looked like it was the dumpster for dead bodies!

"It's so... disgusting here," commented Sin. I agree.

Around the place was very visible fog and it was also freezing down here, compared to the warm weather on the surface.

"We need to hurry and find the lion."

I unbuckled the rope that connects to my grappling hook once I reached to bottom. I was only a few seconds from smelling the gut-churning odor but I already felt like I was going to throw up. I gagged and covered my nose when a mask was handed to me. I quickly accepted it and thanked Ardal. I looked around and saw Fort and Sin also with face masks.

An intuitive strategy.

I briskly scanned the small caves on the ravine, hoping to see a lion. I halted when I came across a cage made of water with sparks on its bars.

Inside was an awfully undernourished lion.

I squinted and examined the sparks in the water, uncomfortable with the bizarre sight of a liquid cage.

Is there electricity in the water? Is that why the lion can't escape and just pass through the water?

"Hey," I called out to the boys. I just realized I wandered too far because I couldn't see them anymore, I couldn't even feel their presence. Uh oh. "Hey! Anybody?"

Still no reply.

The sleeping lion woke up upon hearing my voice. Its eyes darted at me, intimidating me with its golden irises. It looks so weak as if it hasn't eaten for days. My heart ached at the sight.

I crouched in front of the cage, looking straight into its eyes.

"I need you to growl," I tried communicating to the lion. If the boys can't hear me, I'll need the tiger's help.

I just hope it still has the energy.

"Please, roar. Really loud," I requested. The lion gave no reaction and stayed still, lying on the ground.

I sighed in frustration.

I really don't want to shift as a lion right now. I'm still recovering my energy.

Though, there is something I can do without changing my form. I would borrow his vocal, so I can roar like him. I read in the books that lions can roar so loud because their vocal folds form a square shape. This shape essentially stabilizes the vocal cords, enabling them to better respond to the passing air.

"If you won't roar, I will."

I scowled at the lion before closing my eyes.

Truly a ridiculously unique strategy.

I felt a few forced changes in my voicebox before I finally decided to flutter my eyes open.

Here goes nothing.

I took off my mask and started imitating its throaty vocals, my throat reverberating.

I roared until I felt ferocious and mighty. The lion, completely bewildered, immediately stood in its fours and growled at me—as if I was a threat.

I chuckled before shifting back to my regular voicebox.

"Easy boy. I am no foe."

I hope that roar reaches them.

And so I waited for the boys while going around the square cage keeping the lion locked in. It was indeed charged and that was probably the reason why this lion couldn't get out.

But how could a human do this? And why cage this lion here? in the pit of skeletons and rotten flesh?

"Levi? Levi!" I stood upright upon hearing my nickname.

Took them long enough.

"Here!" I yelled.

I immediately saw three silhouettes from the fog, with one waving at me.

I chuckled and waved back to Fort as soon as they got near. The three examined the lion and even before Ardal could touch the water, I immediately held his wrist.

"Don't touch it, it'll electrocute you," I warned. Ardal nodded and retreated his hand.

"Woah, I can't believe that aggressive roar earlier came from this skinny lion. No offense," Fort commented.

"How are we going to get him out of there?" Sin asks his curious eyes on the lion.

Nobody answered for a few minutes.

Hmm... what can I use against electricity?

I frowned, getting deeper into my thoughts. I recalled my science lessons with my advisers and recalled the use of rubber as an electrical insulator.

I really don't know why I didn't think of this earlier.

"Does anybody have a rubber?"

We looked at each other before inspecting the things we hid in our bodies. I checked my pockets and my small pouch, but saw nothing even resembling rubber. I sighed.

"Uh, I have these," Fort pulled out a pair of rubber gloves. My eyes brightened.

"Great! Let's use that." I met the boys' confused stares with a smile.

"Argh..."

I grunted when the restless lion once again tried to untangle the rope around him. We've been trying to get him safely up to the surface using Ford's grappling hook. He went up first and dropped the rope of his grappling hook a few hours earlier. Yes, hours. We've been attempting to lift him up for hours.

After the electric water issue, we had another task. And that was harder.

"Sin, careful!" My forehead creased when the lion crashed into the wall under Sin's guidance.

"Well, he's not really as careful as I am."

I frustratedly massaged the bridge of my nose. If the lion was cooperative enough, it could climb the rocks with ease. But of course, it had to be really restless.

If I only had enough energy, I would've shifted into a manticore or any giant creature with wings and flown it to the surface. But, I don't.

I immediately lay on the grassy surface, inhaling the sweet scent of the forest's damp moss.

Ah, finally. Fresh air.

The lion roared at us when we untied the rope around him but didn't pounce. He just sprinted into the forest. We silently watched the lion disappear from our sight.

"Gee, he's welcome," Ardal sarcastically mumbled.

I sighed and relaxed over the grassy surface, letting my eyes flutter close.

Today's been hectic. So much for a first mission.