“I don’t want to leave you.” Said Hoxley. “We’ve only just met and you’ve been so kind to us.”

  “It was my pleasure to receive all of you, dear Hoxley.”

  “Will we ever see you again?” She asked.

  “One way or another I have no doubt we shall come face to face once more.” Bohga smiled Hoxley closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around as much of him as she could. The others joined her and each embraced their brave and gracious host. “Ah, that is a fine feeling to have friends again. You will be missed. Now go or you will have to face the dangers of men.” The companions let go and lined up behind Siouxsie who led them through the archway with her artificial torch.

  “Farewell.” Said Hoxley looking back one last time.

  “Farewell, Hoxley of the plains. Farewell until we meet again for the first time.” Each person in the group grabbed a handful of the clothes on the back of the person ahead of them and followed into the witch girl into the darkness that awaited.

  Into the cavernous depths the five descended. Down, down, down. Deeper and deeper they walked, the last light of Bohga’s cave vanished far behind. Pumpkin’s cool orange glow showed the way. Perched on the end of Siouxsie’s broom, it illuminated just enough light that the group could see where they were walking but not much more. Siouxsie walked, followed by her brother, then Morell, then the prince, and last, Hoxley bringing up the rear. For the longest time, no one spoke. Instead, they concentrated on keeping the gels situated over their mouths and noses. The sounds of hissing gasses escaping pockets in the rock made their surroundings feel ominous, like they were navigating a great nest of disturbed snakes.

  The passages they traveled grew and shrank. Some were so large that Hoxley’s spear could not reach the ceiling if she extended it above her head while others were so constrictive that the faun girl had to hunch over to fit through the overhangs. Fortunately for them, the smaller pockets were few and far between. For the most part, the hardest passages to navigate were the thin ones that barked her thighs as she fought to pass them. Bohga was right; his massive girth would never have fit through. It saddened her to have left him behind but to not take his advice would have been foolish. The further they pressed into the caverns the less it seemed cool like a cave and more like and oven.

  “Whew.” Morell said as he ducked his head to wipe a sweaty brow across his sleeve without letting go of Robert’s black cloak. “Does it feel warmer down here?”

  “It does.” said the boy witch. “There are many geysers in this area. The gas pockets that fuel the hot springs we hear must be nearby.”

  “Is there any way to know how far we’ve traveled?” asked the prince.

  “I’m afraid not.” Siouxsie answered through her gel mask which was still blinking at her with tiny black eyes. “The landscape isn’t straight and with so many ups and downs, I couldn’t begin to guess how far through we are.” For hours they travelled, not knowing where they were. The further they traveled the hotter it became. Heat radiated from every surface and grew to such temperatures that even the walls became too hot to touch. Prince Damron removed the gel from his face only once before beginning to cough and gag. Poison gas was all around them now. The humidity of the chambers had risen to such degrees that not one member of the party was still wearing dry clothing. Whether it was moisture emitted from the walls or simply their own sweat, no one was immune. So severe was the hotness that even the wide brims and tall tips of the witch’s hats began to droop.

  “This…this is the hottest I’ve ever been in my life…” Morell panted. “Can we please stop?”

  “Yes…” Hoxley added as she tried to catch her breath. “Siouxsie, please. Can we stop for a moment?”

  “Yes. I suppose we could stop for a moment. We can’t linger here long or the heat will sap our strength.” Upon her consent, everyone stopped walking and let go of the person ahead of them. All bent at the waist with a hand on their knees to try and regain some stamina

  “My eyes burn.” Hoxley said. “It hurts to keep them open.”

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  “Mine as well.” Said Morell, “They sting like when I slice fresh onions. Between the heat, the climb, and the gas, I don’t know which is worse. It’s not much easier having to endure all three while trying to breathe through these gels.”

  “There!” Siouxsie said, holding up a feather. “Look! There’s an air current!” everyone looked to see the feather bending away from them and pointing toward a passage with a slight incline to it.

  “That’s the sign Bohga said to look for.” Prince Damron added. “We must be halfway to the exit.”

  “Then gather yourselves and grab the person next to you.” Siouxsie told them. “We continue on.”

  The five held on tight to one another and moved as fast as the witch could lead them. Beaten down by the heat, blinded and scared, they trudged on hoping to find the exit. Hours they walked, hours more. At one point Robert’s winklepickers slipped on wet stone, causing him to fall and drag down the others with him. The rocks weren’t as hot here but still hard against young flesh nonetheless. Everyone was tired but pushed on. There was no other choice. Either they pressed against the oppressive cave or they gave up and died. Fatigue turned to anger at the elements. Hoxley herself began to despise the cave for being so unrelenting. She begrudgingly stomped her hooves over gaps and crevices if only to be defiant to the mountain for trying to wear them down. They were travelling upward which was a good sign. Hopefully, the surface would manifest itself soon. In time, the heat became less oppressive and their eyes stung less. When they stumbled upon a pocket that was cooler than the rest they stopped to rest and have a small bite to eat. The spiced fish and pumpkin bread had all been turned to sweat and left upon the cavern floors. No one knew if the poisonous gas was still near, so they had to eat by quickly removing their gels and filling their mouths before replacing them. It seemed a silly little ritual but no one wanted to take the chance of asphyxiating. Canteens were eagerly suckled as well.

  As they sat together in a circle, Hoxley looked about the group and couldn’t help but smile at the motley band she was suffering with. Each of their reasons for being there all seemed absurd on their own. She wondered what had become of Bohga and pitied the men who persisted in trying to breach his home. How many would be bashed by his club before they managed to even get through the opening?

  “That’s enough rest.” Siouxsie said, standing and brushing off dirt from her still damp clothes. “We need to keep moving. The feather is bending more often now, perhaps we’re close to the surface.” The others groaned and grumbled but pushed themselves to their feet and hooves. Once Siouxsie was ready, they lined up as before and trekked onward. An hour later, all traces of the heat from the geysers were gone and the air became cool again. The air current picked up. Not one of them had a clue how far it was to the end until Siouxsie finally spoke.

  “There!” The witch squeaked. “There! Daylight! I see daylight!”

  “What?” Where?” asked the others.

  “Come on! Follow me, this way!” she said. Their collective spirits lifted together and each of the companions found renewed vigor to pick up their pace. Brighter the light became, brighter, closer. When the five reached the end, they were looking up at a steep incline facing the afternoon sky through some vines and branches obscuring the exit. Prince Damron pulled his sword. Everyone stepped aside before the prince climbed the last few feet, hacking away at the undergrowth. The sword made quick work of it. He pushed himself through the rest, watching his surroundings before encouraging the others to follow. One by one, the members of the party slipped though, Hoxley having the hardest time with her larger body.

  “Finally!” Morell huffed before dropping his mace and collapsing into the soft grass. The others followed suit, sprawling themselves flat to find relief. Their sweaty clothes still stuck to them but a steady crosswind helped at airing them out

  “I don’t ever want to be that far underground ever again.” said Siouxsie.

  “Agreed.” said her brother.

  “How far are we from Bohga’s cave?” asked the prince. Hoxley looked to the sky to watch the sun and get her bearings.